Maria Savva's Blog, page 49

A chat with Lisette Brodey, author of 'Squalor, New Mexico'

Followers of my blog may remember that I interviewed author,Lisette Brodey last year about her book Crooked Moon and her latest novel,Molly Hacker Is Too Picky!.
I thoroughly enjoyed Crooked Moon, and it's one of my favourite books ever, so I was looking forward to readng another of Lisette's books. I recently found time to read Squalor, New Mexico. After reading that, I invited Lisette back here to talk about it. She is an author who deserves to be read. She has the rare talent of being able to create many varied and realistic characters in her books. Her stories are modern, but the messages contained within them are timeless. It's a pleasure to welcome her back here.




Here is the interview:

The main characters in Squalor are teenagers and I thought that they were all very realistic as if you'd really got into the mind of a teenager when writing the book. In particular, the narrative is in the first person and Darla, the protagonist is telling her story; I could really feel her passion and frustration coming across in the way the story was told. What kind of research did you do into teenage behaviour? Or was it a matter of recalling your own teenage experience?





Hi, Maria. Thanks so much for having me as a guest again on your blog. It’s great to be here.

The writing of Darla’s character came from my own childhood. Like Darla, I was very determined and didn’t give up easily, though I would not say that I am Darla. Nor is her story mine.

When Darla was nine years old, after overhearing a conversation between her mother and her aunt, she learned that they had a sister she had known nothing about. I think that most people would be curious to learn of a “mystery relative.” When Darla asks her mother about Aunt Rebecca, she is given a bare-bones answer, just enough to satisfy her. But as time goes on, things happen, and Darla becomes painfully aware that her mother is being less than forthcoming. It was really important to me to show Darla’s frustration, coupled with her growing pains and the desire to do right by her parents while standing by her individuality.

Many of the crazy teenage stunts in the book are quite reminiscent of my own childhood.

This is a silly question, so bear with me. What does 'skeive' or 'skieve me out' mean? Your character Melanie uses it a lot!

That is a very good question. “Skieve me out” was a common expression when I was growing up on the East Coast of the United States meaning “gross me out.” “Skievy” meant vile, disgusting or unnaturally uncomfortable. Some people spell it “skeeve.” As you know, Maria, although the book is titled Squalor, New Mexico, it takes place in East Coast suburbia in the 1970s and has nothing to do with New Mexico. That said, I have come to find that the word is regional and not known by all. I first learned that when a woman who grew up in California asked me what it meant. Not sure of the origin, but that’s what the word means to me.

Darla meets an elderly woman, Victoria, in a care home when her cousin May takes her to visit. Victoria is one of my favourite characters in the book. She is so wise. Again, I was impressed at how you really seemed to be writing her dialogue from the perspective of someone with over 70 years of life experience. There are real lessons to be learned from what Victoria says. How did you go about creating that character?

Victoria, like all of my characters, is a hybrid of people I have known. Prior to writing the book, I was visiting an 87-year-old friend of mine, Marjory, in a rehab facility. She was a very sharp woman and we had much in common. She didn’t live in the facility, but during her stay she had a lot of the same complaints as Victoria: being served dinner at ridiculously early hours, being talked to as if she were a child, and so on. My feelings about the place and my memories of what she told me were a contributing factor, but Victoria’s character just came to me, and as many characters do, she told me what she had to say and I simply typed out her words.

Although classed as a Young Adult book, I understand that you prefer to think of Squalor as general fiction, and I agree. I think it's suitable for all ages. The thing that struck me most about it is how many diverse characters there are in the book. There are teenagers, parents, drug addicts, loose women, elderly people, eccentrics, drunks. All are well drawn and believable. Having also read your first novel, Crooked Moon (which is one of my favourite books), I have noticed that you seem to have a real talent for being able to portray different types of people realistically and with an almost extraordinary insight into human nature. How do you go about creating each character? Are they based on people you know?

First, let me address your question about the genre of the book. You are correct. I really don’t think of Squalor, New Mexico as a Young Adult book. I think of it as general fiction where the main character happens to be a teenager. It was very important to me in the writing of this book not to side with either Darla or her parents, but to show the frustration on both sides. I don’t like to tell my readers how they should feel. Real conflicts between people are ones that don’t always have a definitive answer and that are multilayered. To me, this novel is the story of a family. I wanted to show how easily it was for a family to fracture, as sadly, this is a far too frequent occurrence for many. People everywhere are estranged from loved ones and many can’t even tell you why. It’s very sad.

Thank you for your kind words about my diverse characters. I have always been a people watcher. Shortly after high school, I moved to New York City for ten years. But more than just watching people on the street, I have always had a keen interest in human behavior. For years, I watched talk shows to try and understand the motivation behind people’s outrageous behavior. I am a good listener and have heard myriad stories from friends and seen much in my own life.

Squalor is set in the 1970s before the introduction of the internet and mobile phones etc. This meant that solving the mystery of Darla's estranged aunt Rebecca was made all the more difficult. I'm writing a book at the moment where part of the story is set in a time when not everyone had a mobile phone so I know that it can be hard to avoid slipping and accidentally making one of the characters pick up a mobile. How did you go about avoiding such mistakes?

You ask great questions. The easy answer to this is that I wrote this novel in 1996. The more complicated answer is that I was quite the sleuth in my youth. (No rhyme intended! ) If I say so myself, as a teenager, I came up with brilliant ways to seek out information in an age with no computers or cell phones. I just put myself in Darla’s shoes and asked myself what I would have done.

Your character Darla has many vivid nightmares in the book. You have described some of those in detail. I loved the way her nightmares would relate back to experiences she'd had in the day in a sometimes comical, if frightening way. Have you ever suffered from nightmares?

Oh, yes! I have had quite the bizarre, and I do mean bizarre, dreams in my time. I’ve always found it interesting how some people have very ordinary dreams and others do not. Our dreams are comprised of symbols. Water, for example, is a symbol, but it means different things to different people. If you have a recurring dream of being in a swimming pool that suddenly loses all water, if you are a swimmer, that dream may indicate that you are frustrated and feel you cannot move ahead. If you cannot swim, that dream may indicate that you feel you have been rescued.

I am fascinated by how the mind works and interprets our life while we are asleep.

I understand that you're currently at work on a fourth novel, which is something you began writing when you were 17. How is that going and can you tell us a little about it?

Yes, that is correct. When I was 17, I was attending college in New York. My grandmother came to visit one weekend, and after a special outing in with her, I was inspired to write a short story. I never got very far with it. Years later, while living in New York, I asked my roommate at the time if she would photocopy it for me at work. She forgot to do so and eight years later, when I was living in Los Angeles, mailed me the story I had forgotten about. It was like being reunited with an old friend.

I was so happy to have the story back and quickly turned it into a one-act play. Years later, I expanded it into a two-act play. Long story short, the characters have been with me a long time, and the novel will explore a great deal more than is in the play. This, like Squalor, New Mexico, is a period piece and will take place in the 1980s. No cell/mobile phones in this book, either!

Do you have any upcoming events or news you'd like to share with your readers?

I am currently promoting my latest/third novel, Molly Hacker Is Too Picky! It is a romantic comedy and the most lighthearted of my three novels. As you know, Maria, for a year prior to publishing this book, I blogged weekly as Molly Hacker at www.mollyhacker.com and conducted interviews (as Molly) of my creative peers. You, of course, were one of Molly’s very delightful guests. I’m still interviewing lots of great people in 2012, but on a semiregular basis. Readers can keep up-to-date with my latest news on Molly’s site as well as my Facebook author page: www.facebook.com/BrodeyAuthor. I also have a profile here on Goodreads.com.



I do have some surprises in store, but they’re secrets for the time being. Thanks so much for having me as your guest, Maria. It’s been a true pleasure. You’re a great support to your fellow authors.


Thank you, Lisette, and good luck with your future writing and promoting. I look forward to chatting with you again soon.

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Get the print version of The Dream cheaper than the e-book!

It has just been brought to my attention that Amazon.com has dropped the price of the paperback version of my latest novel The Dream to $2.33! That's cheaper than the e-book, so grab your copy while you can!

Go here to buy: The Dream on Amazon

Introducing Valerie B. Lull, author of Ten Healthy Teas -- plus your chance to win a copy of her book!

I get to meet a lot of very interesting authors as a reviewer for Bookpleasures.com. Today's guest is Valerie B. Lull, author of Ten Healthy Teas, a nice little book that introduces the reader to the wonderful world of tea and its potential healing qualities.

After reading her book, I had a few questions for Valerie and invited her for an interview here. She has also generously offered to give away 2 copies of her book to readers of my blog. To enter, all you have to do is 'like' this blog post or leave a comment below. Winners will be picked on 20th May 2012.

Here's the interview:

Ten Healthy Teas is all about how tea can be beneficial to health. How did you go about researching the content for the book?





I am currently attending the American College of Health Sciences and studying to be a Master Herbalist. A lot of the information came from things I was learning in my studies. I also used the school library to research various herbs and I found a lot of good information on Google as well as reading numerous books about herbs.I have tried many herbal teas and on myself to see how they work.

The book contains ten of your favourite teas as well as various recipes where you have suggested combining different teas. What’s your personal favourite tea at the moment?

My favorite tea at the moment is a variation on Garlic Tea, where I use minced garlic, chicken bullion and cayenne pepper. It's great for warning up on a cold rainy day and it does wonders for your sinuses if you have the sniffles.

In your bio, it states that you are studying herbalism. What made you decide to study that and are you enjoying it?

As I got older I developed health problems and began reading anything I could find on alternative medicine. I decided I wanted to be a Master Herbalist and help people learn simple things they could do to be healthy. I enjoy it very much.

I read in your bio on Amazon.com that you have done a lot of academic writing in the past. What kind of subjects have you written about?

My Masters Degree was in Sociology and I did a thesis on Alienation in Minister's Wives.

I also read that you like British comedies and drama. As a Brit, I am interested to hear which of our programmes you enjoy. What are some of your favourites?

I liked, Are You Being Served, Keeping up Appearances, Upstairs Downstairs, The Duchess of Duke Street, The Lost Prince, Anything to do with Miss Marple Mysteries, To The Manor Born, the movie "The King's Speech", and the movie "The Duchess".

You describe yourself on your Amazon bio as a ‘cat fanatic’. Please elaborate. (I like cats, too, and some of my blog followers own numerous cats; I am sure they would like to hear more about your fanaticism!)

I have had numerous cats during my life and each one had its own unique personality and idiosyncracies. I currently have only one cat (my condo is not big enough for more) and her name is Happy. She sits in my lap while I read and walks on my keyboard when I write.

Who are your favourite authors and what is it about their writing that you like?

I like numerous authors. The first one that comes to mind is Bunyan's Pilgrim's progress, I also liked C.S. Lewis's Narnia series, I liked James Herriot's books, and Charles Dickens Christmas Carol, also the Lord or the Rings series..

Is there a book you own that you’ve read more than once?

The Bible, Janes Herriot's books, Pilgrim's Progress and the Sherlock Holmes Series.

Are you reading a book at the moment?

Yes, I am currently reading a book on vinegar.

What do you think of e-books as compared to print books?

I prefer print books, especially for picture books. My back gets tired sitting at the computer reading a book, I much prefer sitting in my easy chair reading a print book with my cat in my lap. I know there are readers out there that you can get, but most cost more than I care to pay. If I do get one it will be one that is color as opposed to black and white.

Are you planning any other books, and if so, can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on?

Yes, I am working on another book, about my favorite herbs.

Where can people buy your book?

Amazon , Barnes & Noble

Do you have your own website or blog where people can read more about your work?

Yes. My blog is called Simple ways to stay Healthy, the address is http://www.vallull.blogspot.com and my web page is http://www.valerielull.com

Thank you, Valerie!

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Remember, if you'd like the chance to win a copy of Valerie's book, just leave a comment below or click the 'like' button. Good luck!

Introducing poet Heather Grace Stewart, plus a giveaway!

Today, I would like to introduce you to a lovely lady I met here on Goodreads, Heather Grace Stewart. I have to admit that when I first met Heather and she asked whether I would like to read and review her poetry book, I was a little hesitant. I don't read much poetry and was worried I wouldn't like her book. She is such a bubbly, friendly person I didn't really want to offend her. I needn't have worried though; as soon as I started reading her book Leap I fell in love with it.
Heather's poetry reads like she is shining a light on everyday events that might sometimes elude us or seem insignificant. She make you think about things in a different way, which is one of the signs of a great writer. She writes about life and things that we can all relate to. I would highly recommend that you take a leap (sorry for the pun) and purchase her book. Or, of course, you could enter the giveaway on this blog and be in with a chance of winning a copy of Leap or a copy of her newest poetry book, which I am looking forward to finding time to read, Carry On Dancing. There are 2 Kindle copies of Leap and 2 Kindle copies of Carry on Dancing up for grabs.

To enter, all you need to do is 'Like' this blog post or leave a comment for Heather below.

Here's my interview with Heather:

You wrote your first poem at the age of 5 and this was published in a school newsletter. Do you still have a copy of that? And if so, would you be willing to share that poem with us?



Ha! Actually, that poem, 'At the Arena,' is published at the very front of my first poetry collection, Where the Butterflies Go. WTGB is my collected poems from the age of 5, skipping to my late teens (I never saved any from my childhood) and then work from my 20s to age 35. It was published 3 years after the birth of our daughter, and covers topics that range from war and famine and homelessness to marriage and motherhood.

You have three collections of adult poetry books. I have read Leap and all of the poems seemed to be inspired by modern life. Are any of them auto-biographical?

All of my work has some of my life in it. I write what I know, so it's close to impossible not to have a piece of me in there. But they're all composite characters - the "I" and the "me" is not necessarily something I said or did. I take some of me, then a piece of someone I once met, mix it with a characteristic or story from someone else I met, maybe someone I love, someone in my family or circle of friends. It's never about one person. I want my work to speak to as many people as possible, so I try to make it FEEL as though it could be about the reader; about the reader's life, and about our world today. That's my goal.

You’ve published a book of funny children’s poems, The Groovy Granny and I believe the illustrations were done by a child. Was that your daughter? How did the idea for this book come about?



It was all thanks to my daughter. I'd written those poems nearly a decade before her birth, and was having troubles finding a publisher. The Groovy Granny was previously published in an early-ebook called Bubble Mud and Other Poems ( Electric E books, 2000, I still have CD roms for sale!) I'd gotten a good response to that poem, so I took it, added more to it, and then added even more poems after my daughter was born. I read some of them to her one night after bed. She asked for more the following night, and asked me why there were no drawings. I explained I didn't have an illustrator yet, and she exclaimed, "I'll illustrate your book! I'll do it!" It was thrilling to see her inspired by these poems, but I didn't think it would last. Kids usually want to play after school, not sit at a desk and draw. But every day after school for about three weeks, Kayla came home and said 'What poem am I going to illustrate today?' She was so driven. It was a wonderful experience. I'm so glad we did it together.

What’s the target reader age for The Groovy Granny?

It's for age 4- 104! I hope adults will love it as much as the little ones. So far, grandparents seem tickled by it.

I read in your bio that you went from being a journalist at a newspaper to an editor for a couple of magazines before branching out on your own. Have you ever written any poetry inspired by your time as a journalist?

No, I haven't written anything specifically about that - that'd be interesting! I did write My Mark - about how we as Canadians have so much freedom and that it's a gift that we can vote and walk around freely- after visiting Israel on a press junket. A lot of my earlier poems were inspired by my travels in my 20s.

I read that your poems have been published in Canadian and British school text books. That’s quite an achievement. How did that come about?

That's thanks to my blog, Where the Butterflies Go. That blog audience has been so good to me. I've posted most of my poems about Facebook and Twitter and social networking on there, and educators looking for poems that wouldn't intimidate students and would engage them found those poems and contacted me, asking for the rights for their textbooks. It has gone from me selling rights for them to use it on their web sites to them asking me to actually record myself reading the poems for an audio CD that accompanies the textbooks (which I have to say was a nerve-wracking experience at first, but my engineering husband got me the coolest microphone so the recordings are of a superior quality, and my recording sessions are now actually lots of fun! ) Eduators in Quebec City, Texas and Germany have all recently contacted me to teach my Facebook poems to their students. I'm thrilled my poems are being used around the world in this way. I have always wanted to make poetry more accessible to everyone and also to make young readers realize poetry can be fun and about topics they understand.

Half the proceeds from two of your poetry books Where the Butterflies Go and Leap go to UNICEF. What is it about that charity that made you decide to donate your royalties to them?

I have always felt that education is the key to lasting change. If we can educate a girl in a third world country who wouldn't otherwise get an education, who would otherwise marry at 11 and never leave her community, just imagine the power that gives her in her world - and hopefully, power to pass what she's learned onto her own children. My poetry itself (the royalties from book sales ) doesn't make a lot of money, so I decided to try to change the world in small ways with the small profits I make from those books. Unicef's Gift of Education program is an excellent one, and so far, through my book sales, I've been able to fund three children's educations for a year, donated money to build desks for a school in India, and bought pencils for an entire school three different times. I love that words did all that. Words hold a lot of power!

As well as a talented poet, I understand that you also love photography. I read that your photos have appeared in National Geographic Traveler and Equinox, as well as the covers of over a dozen poetry books. How did that come about?

I've worked as a journalist for a long time - since age 23- I only recently stopped writing and selling my photos to magazines as much, because my books have taken up so much more of my time. I still write freelance for a few magazines, and I have a regular column with my alma mater, Queen's Review magazine, called Grace's Grads. I used to be associate editor at Equinox, so I had a contact there who liked one of my photos and published it. Sometimes, it really is who you know. At National Geographic Traveler, I just sent in the photo and got lucky that they liked mine. They'd sent out a request on a discussion list - the Professional Writer's of Canada association (PWAC). PWAC is a lovely community of writers, and it has helped me find a lot of work.

Many of your photographs also appear in your poetry books. If you were given the choice to either become a world famous photographer or a world famous poet, which one would you choose

Oh, absolutely the poetry. I have always been a writer first and foremost. I love photography, but I like expressing myself with my words best. My friends would agree and are likely laughing very hard right now!

Do you have any tips for someone who is considering self-publishing their own book?

Don't do it for the money. If you take away that expectation, you'll be fine. I'm not saying there isn't money in self-publishing, but it's rare, and it shouldn't be the reason you're doing it. It's going to have to be something you're passionate about, because there is so much marketing to do when you self-publish, and it's all on you. No support network like you'd have with a traditional publisher. I'm so glad that I published my first two books myself, because it helped introduce people to my work, but Winter Goose Publishing has provided me with so much support with Carry On Dancing.

As a reader do you prefer to lose yourself in a good novel or in a book of poetry?

It depends on my mood, really. It also depends if I am writing a collection at the time. I try not to read poetry while I'm compiling a collection of poetry. I want to make sure I'm not influenced by other poets. I'm going to be working on my next one in the fall, so right now, I'm reading lots of poetry and then I'll have to cut myself off in July or so! :)

Is there a book you own that you’ve read more than once?

The Neverending Story by Michael Ende, Wuthering Heights, Lord of the Flies, and Robert Frosts and Sara Teasdale's poems all come to mind.

If someone wanted to read your books, which would you recommend they read first, and why?


Personally, I'm happiest with Carry On Dancing - I think it's my best work yet - but my readers still rave about Where the Butterflies Go, my first collection, and those who like photography and the look of a pretty book on their coffee table favour Leap. I think I've grown a lot as a poet over time, at least I hope I have, so if the reader really wanted to track that growth, they should start with Where the Butterflies Go and then move onto Leap and then Carry On Dancing.

What do you think of e-books as opposed to print books?

I think they're both great, for different occasions. You can't take an ebook into the bath or to the beach, but it's wonderful to pack it up in a suitcase for a trip. I actually carry my ipad with me in my purse now, and I like that it allows me to choose from so many books to read while I'm waiting for my daughter to finish up her drama class or waiting at the doctor's office. Ebooks aren't for everyone, and I love the smell and feel of an old book of classic poetry, but I think ebooks are allowing more people to read, more often, so I'm all for it.

How important are reviews for you as a writer?

Oh they're quite important! They help get my books seen and more people interested in reading them. I try not to take them too personally though

How do you go about choosing a cover for your books?

I've been lucky enough to photograph the covers for all three of my poetry books! I know this isn't the norm for most authors - sometimes they have no say in their cover art. I loved working with Winter Goose Publishing on my last cover. Their design team did a beautiful job!

What are you working on now?

I'm preparing for several book signings and readings in my community this month, for National Poetry Month, and next month, I'm launching my book in downtown Montreal with a party, then going on my Carry On Dancing book tour to Toronto and Kingston! It's going to be an exciting few months.

Where can people buy your books?

All my books are available on Amazon.com - in print and Kindle - the easiest way to find them all is through my Amazon Author Page here:

Heather Grace Stewart - Amazon Author Page

Leap and Where the Butterflies Go are also available on iBooks in itunes, and on the Sony Reader, Nook Books and Copia.com

Leap is on the Kobo, and I'm working on getting Where the Butterflies on it too!

The Groovy Granny is available here, The Groovy Granny as a print softcover, hardcover and for just $2.94 for your iPad.

I also ship out signed copies - just email me at writer@hgrace dot com to arrange details.

Thanks so much for this wonderful interview, Maria!

Thank you for being a fabulous guest, Heather! I wish you every success with your future writing.

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Remember, to be in with a chance to win either a copy of Leap or a copy of Carry on Dancing (Kindle editions), please 'Like' this post, or leave a comment below. Good luck! Winners will be chosen on 16th May 2012.

My favourite books - April pick

As regular followers of my blog will know, I am running a series this year where each month I will recommend one of my all time favourite indie books (self-published or small press). These are books that I think are amazing and deserve to be bestsellers.

Here's the list of my picks so far:

January: The Day the Flowers Died

February: Caviar Dreams

March: Horse Latitudes





This month, I would like to recommend Into The Light by Darcia Helle






To be honest, I could have chosen any one of Darcia Helle's books as my favourite. I've read, Hit List, The Cutting Edge, Quiet Fury: An Anthology of Suspense, The First Kill and Enemies and Playmates. I thoroughly enjoyed all of those books. She is a very talented author with a talent for suspenseful writing. She also has a fabulous sense of humour that comes across in her writing.

Here's my review of 'Into The Light':

This is a wonderful story on so many levels. It contains humour, romance, and an element of mystery. It's a supernatural tale about a ghost, Max, who refuses to go `into the light' until his killer can be brought to justice.
Max, in life, was a very ordinary man, in fact he died feeling like a failure and as if his life had been in vain.
What Helle's book teaches us is that there are many things we do on a daily basis that have an effect on other people's lives, for good or bad. Max is forced to confront issues from his past when he dies, and this multi-layered story perfectly highlights the fact that we are often unaware of other people's thoughts and feelings and that makes all the difference when looking at the effects of things we do. Many readers will be able to relate to Max, and also the private investigator, Joe, who is roped in to help Max find his killer. Their relationship is an odd one, but they each learn something from the other as they both try to come to terms with their problems.
The book deals with the subjects of divorce, regret, relationships, insecurity, and miscommunication, among other things. It's a fun and often comical read, but also contains very deep thinking on human behaviour and relationships.
The underlying message appears to be that when we die we leave behind an imprint based on everything we have done, thought, and said... it's definitely food for thought.

Look out for my next selection in May!

Get a mystery discount at Lulu.com!

If you buy any books from Lulu up until 6th April 2012 you will get a mystery discount. The way it will work is that you don't need a coupon or special code, just browse and place the books you wish to purchase in your basket and a discount will be automatically applied by Lulu.com.

To find out how much you can save, visit Lulu today!

Here's a link to my author page on Lulu: http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/mariasavva

Here are some other authors on Lulu:

Julie Elizabeth Powell http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/julizpow

Mark Rice http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/metalli...

Joel Blaine Kirkpatrick http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/kirkpat...

Paul Keefe http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/thrille...

Jess C Scott http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/jesscscott

Susan Helene Gottfried http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/susan1134

Alex Sumner http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/alex_su...

Cindy Bauer http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/cindybauer

Win a bundle of books by BestsellerBound authors!

This month, BestsellerBound.com is running a fabulous contest. You could win a bundle of 5 e-books by 5 different authors, and there are 5 bundles of e-books up for grabs, each containing different books. Among the books you could win are my own novels, The Dream and Second Chances.

For more details about which titles are included in the bundles and how to enter, please visit author Darcia Helle's website, at the following link: http://quietfurybooks.com/bsbgiveaway...

The contest will run throughout the month of April.

Good luck!

My latest author interview!

I was recently interviewed by the author Eden Baylee.

Check out the interview here: http://edenbaylee.wordpress.com/2012/...

My favourite books - March

Those of you who follow my blog will know that this year I've started a new series. Each month I will recommend one of my favourite books.

So far, here are the recommendations:

In January I recommended the wonderfully romantic, The Day The Flowers Died by the talented Ami Blackwelder






In February, my pick was the entertaining murder/mystery Caviar Dreams by Judy Nichols






This month, I'm recommending a book by one of the first authors I met here on Goodreads, Horse Latitudes, by Quentin R. Bufogle.







This is one of the funniest books I've ever read, and anyone who follows Quentin's blog here on Goodreads will know that he is a very funny man. He can always be trusted to raise a smile with his original stories and blogs.

I think everyone should read Horse Latitudes. It's the kind of book that many people will be able to relate to, because although there is a humourous edge to the writing, the underlying story is one about a man who is looking for his purpose in life.

Here's the review I wrote when I read the book:

"In the Sargasso Sea there is no wind. Many, many years ago, when ships travel by sail, they would sometimes get stuck here. For weeks and weeks they would sometimes drift, waiting for the wind to come. The sailors called this 'The Horse Latitudes'."
Chester Sprockett receives this definition of the Horse Latitudes from the owner of a little coffee shop after he explains he has writers' block. In fact most of Chester's life has become stuck, he feels he is always waiting for something... Once a high school football star, now he is unemployed, has split up with his girlfriend and his dream of writing a bestselling novel seems unreachable as he is suffering from writers' block.
'Horse Latitudes' is almost like a book of short stories; each chapter describes a significant event in Chester Sprockett's life. The stories are like different parts of a jigsaw puzzle that make up the whole book.
Chester is in his mid-thirties living alone in the house he was born in. He lives with regrets of what could have been - holding on to the past - wishing he had been braver and told Beth how he felt about her way back then in high school; wishing he had not let the chance of a football scholarship slip through his hands...
Chester's father had run up debts on credit cards and after he died there is a threat that Chester could be forced to sell the house the pay off the debts. He tries to find work and is disillusioned when he joins a firm of salesmen, knowing that his real dream is to write the bestseller.
His late father visits him one day when Chester is suffering from fever; his visit helps Chester realise that he needs to be liberated from everything that is holding him back from following his dream...liberated from the Horse Latitudes.
This book is full of hilarious and insightful observations. It was a joy to read and I would recommend it to everyone!! As I was reading it, I thought it would be excellent if this book was made into a film, it definitely has a 'Hollywood' feeling about it. It will make you laugh out loud. One example is when Chester is looking at Beth: "She was just standing there in her bikini holding the ice cream... In fifty years she'd be old and wrinkled. In a hundred fertilizer. It didn't matter." There's plenty more laughs where that came from. Do yourself a favour and buy 'Horse Latitudes'. It's a tonic we all need in the credit crunch era!!

I hope you'll try the book. It's available at Amazon in paperback and also in Kindle format:

Amazon

It's also at Barnes and Noble in paperback and Nook format:

B&N

Look out for another recommendation next month.

Happy reading!

Meet author Alex Sumner and enter to win a Kindle copy of The Demon Detective!

Author Alex Sumner writes dark fantasy/occult tales. The author himself is a bit of a mystery. He doesn't reveal his true identity, so I don't even have an author picture for you.



I wasn't sure what to expect when I started reading The Magus, the first book in Alex Sumner's Magus Trilogy. The subject matter seemed quite scary. But I was curious enough to have a look. The book kept me entertained, with the intriguing murder/mystery plot and I was soon hooked on the series. The Trilogy is not really like anything I've read before. It deals with subjects such as magic, occultism, satanism, alchemy, secret societies, etc., etc. Sumner's talent is to take quite dark subjects and makes them entertaining.

He was kind enough to agree to an author interview and he is also giving away a free Kindle copy of his short story 'The Demon Detective'






To enter, please leave a comment below, or simply 'like' this blog post. A winner will be chosen at random on 31st March 2012.

Here's the interview:

I saw on your bio that you’ve been writing since 2001; you began with non-fiction including subjects such as astrology, tarot, alchemy and magick.  Many of those topics are covered in your fiction series, The Magus Trilogy.  When did you first begin writing the trilogy, and was it your intention from the start to write a series of books or is that something that developed as the story unfolded?

I first had the idea of turning my hand to fiction in 2006. Dan Brown had just successfully defended himself against a charge of plagiarism in regard to The Da Vinci Code, and some remark he made to the TV reporters round the time convinced me that it might be worth reading after all (I had held myself aloof from the hype surrounding the book up til then). Reading it – which I did in one sitting in the course of twenty-four hours – I felt gripped by two very extreme and completely opposite emotions. The first: that Brown had done an admirable job in engaging interest, in creating a “page-turner.” The second was the complete lameness of the puzzles that the characters were supposed to be solving! I was solving them before the characters were! Several times I had to suppress a violent urge to shout out “Look, it’s bloody mirror writing!” or “It’s an anagram of ‘Leonardo Da Vinci,’ for fuck’s sake.” I finished the book convinced that if Dan Brown could write a book as bad as this, and make tons of money in so doing, then I could do the same! Plus, I would make sure my books contained better research. And more sex.

That was my plan. What actually happened was that I realised writing fiction was more difficult than I’d first imagined, which delayed and almost put me off the project. So I took the trouble to educate myself in the noble art of Creative Writing, which got me my inspiration back. That was also when I decided to make it a trilogy – it seemed only natural to trace the character development of the Nichola, the heroine.

On your blog you continue to write non-fiction articles about various mystical subjects. Which do you prefer, fiction or non-fiction writing?

They each have their merits. I write non-fiction pieces to communicate my ideas immediately and directly. I write fiction to communicate my ideas in a more subtle and roundabout way. Also, I’m quite up front about trying to make money out of fiction, but my non-fiction work is my attempt to do pro bono work for the Universe.

You have dedicated a page on your website to the fascinating topic of lucid dreaming, where you teach a virtual course in the subject.  Have you always been a lucid dreamer, or did this develop with your interest in the subject?  Can you remember what your first lucid dream was?

No! I was only lucid for a brief moment before waking up. I think it was something like I was walking around somewhere, and I realised I was dreaming, and that was it. This would have been about seventeen years ago. Mind you, I seem to remember that once I had broken my duck, as it were, the number and quality of my lucid dreams multiplied rapidly within weeks.

What’s your favourite lucid dream that you’ve experienced?

The one where I proved the existence of God, and the reality of life after death, or “the inter-carnatory experience” as I now call it.

I think I inherited my talent for lucid dreaming from a past-life, because I went through quite an “awakening” when I first heard about it. But really I think that anyone can experience lucid dreams if they are prepared to practice hard.

The Magus Trilogy is a very entertaining series of books.  It’s a murder mystery series but with an original twist, dealing with topics such as occultism and magick. What is the difference between magic and magick? Enlighten us.

“Magick” is an archaic spelling which was re-introduced in the 20th century by Aleister Crowley. He used it alternatively to mean: 1. the science and art of causing change in conformity with Will; 2. rites which aim at, follow on from, or are generally connected with, attaining “Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel”; 3. Sex magick; and 4. all of the above.

“Magic” on the other hand Crowley used to refer to either stage-magicianship, illusionism, etc, or any occult practice of which he happened to disapprove.






The police station action in the Magus Trilogy was very realistic.  Are you a fan of TV cop shows?

That procedural realism was mostly inspired by the fact that I was a fan of The X Files when it was on. I seldom watch TV nowadays though.



There is a lot of technical information in The Magus trilogy about murder investigations, occult practices, the Freemasons etc. etc.  How much time did you spend researching the subjects and what were your sources for research?

About police procedure - a lot. As much as I felt necessary to convey the authentic flavour of what homicide detectives in London have to go through. I think the icing on the cake was to look up the actual annual homicide statistics broken down by month so I could get an idea about how many new cases per day a homicide detective could expect to be assigned.

About the rest of it though - less “research” per se than you would actually imagine - because I already live that lifestyle, so I was just drawing on my everyday life experiences -

HOWEVER - I must point out though, that the occult practices of the villains in the three stories were ramped up for dramatic purposes. Especially the villain in the first book, “The Magus.” For him, I was deliberately trying to be transgressional - trying to make him the most vile person I could imagine. Anyone who tries to reconstruct an occult ritual based on that character's practices will either go to hell or be locked up in Broadmoor, or both. I asked myself: “what's the most outrageous occult practice I can think of?” And then I had that character do it, e.g. there is a certain scene in which he tries to evoke a demon using a method that is liable to leave a bad taste in the mouth.

Only later, after I had excavated all these evil occult practices from the bottom-most recessess of my consciousness did I find out that this is actually what passes for a normal night down at the real-life Chaos magic organisation “The Illuminates of Thanateros.”




How long did it take you to write the Magus Trilogy?

The first book took an abnormally long amount of time, because I was still learning to write. The second and third books, around about seven or eight months each, because I knew what I was doing. I think I finished “Licence To Depart” soon after Christmas 2010, but I delayed releasing it because - using my powers of astrology - I had worked out that the planets would be best aligned for me releasing it in May 2011.

You have three new books available: Shall we Kill the President ?, A Greater Power, and The Demon Detective.  Can you tell us a bit more about each of these books?

One of the goals which I Cosmically-Ordered myself in 2011 was to write a Lester Dent type of short story. That was how I invented the character of Guy Shepardson, the eponymous “Demon Detective.” He’s like a James Bond type of character, except that instead of using fancy gadgetry he casts spells, mostly involving demons of varying degrees of helpfulness. The writing of the first story proved enjoyable and gave me a large boost of inspiration of what to do next. I had finished the Magus Trilogy and it would not have worked to continue writing books with those particular characters, so I needed a new direction. So I came up with the idea to write a series of Dark Fantasy short stories.

As to the stories themselves, “The Demon Detective” kicks off the series by showing how modern day sorcerer becomes a Detective-of-sorts after an old friend of his is murdered. “A Greater Power” is about an adventure he has out in the Oxfordshire countryside when another acquaintance of his found dead in mysterious circumstances.





The third story is actually a novella: “Shall We Kill The President?” has Guy visiting the United States on holiday, and uncovering a plot to kill the President. This is an adventure featuring Vampires, Demons, US Politicians and Catholic Priests, not all of whom are villains in this story. ;-)



Which of the characters in The Magus Trilogy do you most relate to and why?

Almost all of the characters represent different aspects of my personality. The unsympathetic characters are the repressed, evil, dark and sinister aspects of my psyche which haunt my nightmares, whilst the sympathetic ones are aspects of my conscious personality. Nichola, the main female character, represents my Anima; the Magus himself is my Wise Old Man archetype; whilst Gary, on account of his intelligence and heightened sexual prowess, obviously represents me in real life. ;-)

You are very active on YouTube.  One of your most recent videos, Manifestation, is interesting.  Can you tell us a bit about your thinking behind creating the video and what you hope it can achieve?


It is a magic spell to Manifest good things in your life, and in the world generally. Prosperity, success in all sorts of human endeavours, happiness, celebration, respect for human rights and world peace, and even higher consciousness. All you have to do is watch it – preferably several times, as each successive viewing gradually unlocks your power to Manifest all these things. The soundtrack and the images were specifically chosen to induce that state of consciousness.

Do you have any tips for someone who is considering self-publishing their own book?


1. Marketing is everything. You should prepare for the fact that only 1% of the people who see your publicity will be willing to pay good money for your book. So in order to have a best-seller, you should be aiming for a “reach” of at least one to two million people. (If you can improve on this ratio, that's a bonus.)
2. “Calibre,” a free to download ebook manager contains its own Kindle-converter. This is an excellent way of checking the formatting of your book before you submit it to KDP or SmashWords.
3. The best time to release a new book is when the planet Mercury is well aspected with a waxing moon. But make sure Mercury is not retrograde, as this would be a Bad Thing.



Who are your favourite authors and what is it about their writing that you like?

Apart from Dan Brown, I would say my biggest influence is Michael Moorcock. I always enjoyed reading his Elric books as a teenager. Then when I turned to writing fiction myself I discovered that he had also written a lot of essays containing helpful advice for new writers.

Other authors: Christine Feehan, author of the Ghostwalker series, influenced the sexy side of the “Magus Trilogy.” Also, I have to say: my favourite author of Literary Fiction is Ben Okri. I am quite certain that he is a future Nobel Prize winner.



Is there a book you own that you’ve read more than once?

Plenty! But there is one in particular which springs to mind – a non-fiction book called The Golden Dawn: The Original Account of the Teachings, Rites, and Ceremonies of the Hermetic Order by Israel Regardie. I bought it in 1996 and it has disintegrated through use. I purchased my first Kindle device purely so I could have an electronic version of it as a replacement.



If someone wanted to read your books, which would you recommend they read first, and why?

The books of the Magus Trilogy are colour-coded! Black, White, Red - the three colours of Alchemy, which are the three stages of perfection of the Philosophers' Stone, also the three stages of initiation - the first order, the second order, and the mysterious third order. In the first book Nichola is plunged into Chaos as her life is turned upside down on first meeting the Magus. In the second, as a police officer she becomes an adept: but at the end she is stripped of everything she holds dear, so that at the beginning of the third she is staring into the Abyss (almost literally) and realises she has to strive by her own efforts to reach her final goal.

Or more prosaically: get The Magus first because it's the first book in the series.


Are you reading a book at the moment?


Yes, mainly a lot of non-fiction books for my own personal edification and indeed for possible background information for future stories. Now that I have a Kindle device I’m making full use of it! At time of writing I’m reading an old book called Kybalion: A Study of the Hermetic Philosophy of Ancient Egypt and Greece which was like one of these dime-a-dozen New Age knock-offs when it first came out, but lots of people keep coming up to me and saying that it’s really good.


What do you think of e-books as opposed to print books?

I think e-books are the future – especially seeing as there are a growing number of great quality e-book readers on the market. An e-book is better value for money for both the writer and the reader. They don’t weigh anything, and no trees are harmed in their making. So that it actually gets my goat that currently, e-books are subject to VAT in the United Kingdom, whilst print books are not. The government is always banging on about how it is supposedly concerned about the environment, so I should have thought it makes more sense to make e-books VAT-free.

I try to tell people how e-books are enviromentally-friendly, but some of them tell me that they need to feel a real book. I think they have the sap of innocent trees on their hands. :)

How do you go about choosing a cover for your books?

I design them all myself, using Adobe Photoshop. The images all refer to scenes from each book, albeit in an abstract and sometimes symbolic way.

What are you working on now?

A story featuring Guy Shepardson, the Demon Detective - uprooted from his usual surroundings and trying to survive in an alien environment. My working title for it is This Is Not A Fairy Story. I'm aiming to have it ready for the Summer Solstice, June 21st 2012

Where can people buy your books?

All relevant links can be traced through my website

Both my print and e-books (i.e. Kindle) can be purchased from Amazon

My ebooks are also available in alternative formats from :
SmashWords

You can also find my ebooks on iTunes, Diesel, Barnes & Noble and more by searching for “Alex Sumner.”

Thank you, Alex!

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Remember, if you'd like to win a Kindle copy of The Demon Detective, leave a comment below or simply 'like' this post.
Good luck!