K.J. Simmill's Blog, page 79

Book review: Breathe by Layden Robinson

I was recently approached by author Layden Robinson and asked if I would be willing to review their book Breathe. It is a collection of 12 stories based on the human condition. The tales range from horror to erotic, and each in their own way are thought provoking.

As with any collection of short stories there are those that really stand out, for me ‘A Fellow’s Grievance’ was one such tale. It had a fantastic rhythm to the writing and was everything I imagine it intended to be, dark and thought provoking. For me, this was the point I became drawn into the book, the earlier few stories were not to my taste, not to say they were bad, but everyone has their likes and dislikes when it comes to a story. Others which stood out to me were ‘Knowing’ and ‘Dos’.

The author has a unique style which differs slightly between tales in ways which enhance the telling. I particularly liked how the first story set the stage for the style of the others, and all subsequent tales could have in fact have been woven and produced by the person from the first. Whether this was intentional or not I am unsure, but given that the first and second tale share a name I am inclined to believe it is.

It is clear a lot of thought went into how this work was presented, and although all stories won’t be for everyone, within this collection there is bound to be something to catch the imagination.

I gave this book a five star rating because although there were stories within I did not enjoy, it is not a reflection on the work itself, rather my own tastes and I feel it important to make this distinction.

As always here’s the link:

UK: Breathe

US: Breathe

Filed under: author, book review, reading

Author interview: Louise G White

I take great pleasure introducing one of my favourite authors from 2015, Louise G White, creator of The Calling, Chasing the Demon, and Pledged, all books in her remarkable Gateway series.

If you haven’t already picked up some of her work, she comes highly recommended.

About the Author

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hello K.J, Thanks for having me.

I was born and raised on the west coast of Scotland where it’s fairly cold for most of the year but also very beautiful. I am part of a large, very close family. Rather dysfunctional at times, it just makes for a more interesting life. I’ve learned a lot of skills through the years, in particular during my nursing years and whilst working as a police constable. I put a great deal of what I’ve learned into my writing.

 

 

What are your hobbies?

I love to spend time with my family and friends. I’m a fan of holidays, rollercoasters and all things Disney. As a keen swimmer, I’m a member of the local club and I’m there two or three times a week. I also walk a lot and visit/explore the local Islands and mountains.

Which writers inspire you?

Stephen King, Terry Brooks, Stacia Kane and Holly Black. These authors all create believable  characters no matter how fantastical the circumstances.

For your own reading, do you prefer e-books or paper/hard back books?

Either works fine for me, K.J. but e-books are much more convenient whilst out and about.

What are you reading at present?

I’ve just finished Rose Montague’s, Jewel, and I loved it.

What is your favourite film/ series and why?

The original Salem’s Lot which was based on the book by Stephen King. It’s a fabulous production which I could easily watch every Halloween.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Write every day, even if it’s keeping a diary of your thoughts or ideas to which you can refer later.

If your friends could use one word to describe you what would it be?

I asked them directly, K.J. and after much hilarity, they came up with “Dependable”. Sigh!

 

About writing

What made you realise your calling as an author?

As a toddler, I remember using chalk on our garden slabs and asking my mum to read the story. No, I wasn’t advanced for my age – It was scribbles! But that’s not the point. I was writing, and the stories were there already in my head. Rather than fight for attention in my busy family, I learned to enjoy the escapism afforded by Roald Dahl and Enid Blyton from an early age. During my school and work life, I always had an active imagination, but never the chance to do much more than compile reports and keep records. I only started writing properly in late 2011 when I was able to reduce my regular working hours to part time.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

About a year, generally.

Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?

I usually work with a flexible outline.

What is the hardest thing about writing?

Editing is the hardest part. I’m very thankful for Clive Johnson from Daisybank editing services.

What is the easiest thing about writing?

Perhaps not the easiest, but the best, most exhilarating part is when I reach the point  where the story seems to explode in my head and I just can’t seem to write it down fast enough.

Do you ever get writer’s Block and if so, how do you deal with it?

I always go back to an old piece of work that needs editing and it helps to put me in the right frame of mind.

How many books have you written, which is your favourite?

I’ve written three full length novels and The Calling (Gateway #1) is my favourite. I was able to completely lose myself in Carolyn’s story and create a world which both excited me and gave me chills. Those great vibes have stayed with me throughout the series.

What are you working on at the moment?

At the moment, I’m planning companion novellas for the ‘Gateway’ series.

 

About the books

What genre are your books?

Urban fantasy/ Paranormal romance

Tell us a little bit about the series

The ‘Gateway’ series is about a girl who is drawn into a system which coexists with Earth, unbeknown to most humans. From other realms, there are demons/ otherworlders, the worst of which traffic in rather gullible or greedy humans. After her first horrific encounter with a gateway to another realm, Carolyn is changed and becomes the mythical ‘destroyer’. The organisation of the Protectorate recruit her, and together they police the gateways more effectively than before.

In opposition to the Protectorate, the government based Agency seeks to exploit the gateways’ existence-often using methods on a par with the demons.

The books are written from several characters POV and continue to delve more deeply into the workings of the realms and the lives of the characters which The Calling has introduced. There are challenges and surprises to be had from the outset and along the way. There’s lots of action and adventure with the tension mounting throughout the story as the magical journey through the realms continues.

Where can we buy them?

E-books can be found at Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, i-books, Kobo and Smashwords. Paperback versions are available at Amazon, Waterstones and selected retailers.

Who is your favourite character and why? (an unfair question I know)

My favourite character is Notechis, a demon who impacts on a lot of lives during the series. I love his interactions with all the characters, especially with Carolyn and also the tense relationship he has with the team leader, Ethan.

In what formats is your book available?

E-book and paperback.

Book titles and synopsis:
The Calling (UKLA and Costa nominated)

On the run and hiding from ‘the suits’, Carolyn’s life is far from straightforward. After her mother and brother go missing in a most extraordinary way, (through a hole to another world which appears in the kitchen wall!), she is determined to track them down and bring them home. But life is never that easy! Rescued and protected by a group of unusual and likeminded ‘people’, Carolyn hones her magic and fighting skills. Whilst answering a ‘call’ to retrieve a human from another world she’s faced with a quick decision and ends up bringing a demon back with her. Little did she know what effect this demon would have on her. As each day passes her strengths grow and her magic develops to assist her in her quest to track down her family, but there are decisions to make that will affect the rest of her life.

Chasing the Demon

The system has been changing; the Agency flaunts its cruel practices, and the balance of the realms has been disrupted. Ethan’s enforcers are already stretched to the limits, and things get worse when alliances are forged between the worst of the demon realms. Meanwhile, on Empustat, Carolyn has spent an entire year being “reconditioned” – her memories being wiped and replaced in order to produce a limited and vapid princess. Under the constraints of the Chief, she is no longer the feared and mythical “destroyer” Carolyn’s life of privilege is marred only by the expectations held for her to marry Peter and produce heirs for the realm. Her friend, Mario, in contrast, has suffered hardship and humiliation at the hands of the Lilim guard – and a chance encounter will spur Carolyn’s awakening. The disabled gateway has frustrated the team’s efforts to reach Carolyn, and Ethan and Note can barely tolerate each other, but both mage and demon share the same goals. Hope by way of an unexpected source leads to the team embarking on a plan so daring that their survival hangs in the balance. With old and new friends from the realms, the fight for order continues.

Pledged

The deal was simple: Carolyn and her friends could return home after 21 days. What could happen in 3 short weeks?  Rather a lot: Carolyn’s mother is livid about her “rescue” and Edward is being groomed for a chiefdom he doesn’t want. The Agency’s “elixir of life” has been perfected, and O.W.E. permits mean that certain humans have been authorised to work in the demon realms.  The destroyer is about to face her greatest fear, and it has nothing to do with killing demons:  She must decide what to do about Ethan and Note who risked everything for her and already accomplished the impossible in “Chasing the Demon”.

 

Connect with the author:

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Louise-G-White/e/B00GSPJOSK/

Blog: http://www.louisewhitebooks.com/#!blog/c112v

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/louisewhitethecalling

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7438156.Louise_G_White

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-white-6a857685

Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/louisegwhite12

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LGWhiteAuthor

Website: http://www.louisewhitebooks.com/

 

Filed under: author, book review, reading, writing

Author interview: Bret Allen

It is a great pleasure to introduce author Bret Allen. Although this fine young man is a British author, one living almost in my own backyard for that matter, I was recommended his work by a friend of mine who now lives in America. As soon as I read the synopsis I knew his work was a must buy and I was certainly not disappointed.

His book Strange Matters is a collection of expertly crafted short stories, ones which pay tribute to his talents. I personally am looking forward to seeing more of his work in the future.

Without further ado, I present to you, author Bret Allen.

About the author

Tell us a little bit about yourself. (Author Bio)

Well, I’m fairly new to the business, in that I’ve only just published my book last year, but I’ve been writing since I was around 16. I have a blog site at http://www.bretallen.info where I keep my creative writing, copy writing and musings. I currently work for myself as a copywriter.

I’ve lived most of my life in Shropshire and Staffordshire. I have a few great friends, a myriad of mates, a large and wonderful family, a fur baby and a long suffering partner!

 

What are your hobbies?

I’m an avid gamer, have been since I was little. I’m especially fond of retro games and RPGs, as these are part of the reason I got into writing. Games like the old Baldur’s Gate and Final Fantasy 7 made me love the idea of exploring fantastic worlds. Sadly, the time is getting harder to find!

Which writers inspire you?

I draw most of my inspiration from Neil Gaiman, Tolkien, Tad Williams, Kim Newman and Terry Pratchett. Gaiman has certainly flavoured the stories in my collection, but I was raised on Pratchett!

For your own reading, do you prefer e-books or paper/hard back books?

I’ve been converted to e-books. For starters, you get a hand free for your cuppa.

What are you reading at present?

Right now I’m reading Darrienia, by yourself!

What is your favourite book and why?

I love American Gods by Neil Gaiman. It captures the essence of the gods, despite the modern day setting, plus it paints a really unusual picture of America.

What is your favourite film/ series and why?

My favourite film is Fight Club, though it has been since I was a kid and should probably be updated. I loved the twist, the stylistic choices and the humour.

How do you relax?

Mostly with gaming on my PC! Occasionally with pen and paper RPGs too.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

I think the best advice is to simply write; you can only get better and get recognition by writing more, practising and discovering. Don’t worry too much about the peripheral stuff.

About writing

What made you realise your calling as an author?

I think it was in school, when I tried writing a couple of very short stories as part of an English lesson. They were rubbish, but I enjoyed it so much that it just stuck.

Where do your ideas come from, what inspires you?

Some of them come from dreams, which I always write down in case there’s something useful in there. I find that the majority come from daydreams, however, when I’m out and about.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

Strange Matters took about two and a half years, but of course that’s around working full time and other things. The editing part seemed to take the most time!

Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?

I generally just dive in, which was pretty suitable for short stories, but in future I intend to plan a bit more carefully.

What is the hardest thing about writing?

I think it’s just staying the course, not being distracted by new ideas, by life or by doubts.

What is the easiest thing about writing?

That’s a tricky one! For me, I think it’s the first page. I tend to get straight into a flow, which is not to say that it’s great when I read it back.

Do you ever get writer’s Block and if so, how do you deal with it?

I fortunately haven’t suffered much from this, but when I do get stuck I find it helps to discuss it with people. Even just saying things aloud can help you spot new routes.

How many books have you written, which is your favourite?

Technically two, my favourite being Strange Matters, which is my collection. The other was a co-authored children’s horror story called Frankenstein’s Daughter.

What are you working on at the moment?

Right now I’m working on an interactive Choose Your Own Adventure comedy story, called Hipster Quest!

 

About the books

What genre are your books?

Mostly mythic fantasy.

What book titles have you released so far?

Strange Matters and Frankenstein’s Daughter.

Tell us a little bit about your work.

Strange Matters is a collection of short stories, which are all fantasy in nature but vary from modern day supernatural tales to high fantasy. Some are one-offs and others are parts of wider worlds that I’m working on.

Where can we buy them?

They can be found on Smashwords, Amazon, Google Play, iTunes and more places, though the hard copy is just on Amazon.

Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?

In the story ‘Arcturus’, the main character is unnamed but referred to as ‘the animal.’ He’s a cunning and savage criminal with some potent magic, but what’s special is that he does have a heart in there somewhere.

Who is your favourite character and why? (an unfair question I know)

My favourite is probably the aforementioned animal, because I first created him about 17 years ago, when I started experimenting with writing!

In what formats is your book available?

You can get paperback and .mobi on Amazon, but on Smashwords it’s available in all the major eBook formats and even as a Word or PDF doc.

When is your next book due for release?

No due date yet… probably next year now!

Book titles and synopsis:

Strange Matters

A collection of tales of fantasy, myth and magic. Some are funny, some are dark, some are both. Some are set in our world, with the skin peeled back to reveal the magical mechanisms beneath. Some are set in fantasy worlds, where instead it’s the reflections of reality which are hidden. All contain matters best described as ‘strange’, because to me, strange matters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frankenstein’s Daughter

Lizzy loves school, even though she’s not the most popular person there. In fact, she’s

So when Alice joins the list of missing girls Lizzy goes on full alert — against her parents wishes, she decides to find out what happened to her best friend.

And now there’s a new girl in school… who has exactly the same eyes as her best friend!

But no one will believe Lizzy and her crazy theories about the new girl, so she must take matters into her own hands and go to the new girls creepy old house on the hill… the truth might just give her a bit of a headache.

Co-authored by Dylan Wilder and Jack Simmonds.

 

Connect with the author:

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B00FAV5XOC

Blog: http://bretallen.info/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bretallendoingwords

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/bretallendoingwords

Linkedin: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/bretallen

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/bretallenwriter/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bretallenwriter

Website: http://bretallen.info/

Filed under: author, book review, reading, writing

Author interview: Val Tobin

Today I am welcoming author Val Tobin, author of The Valiant Chronicles (book one and two), Injury, and Storm Lake. Not to mention her other works featured in anthologies.

About the author

Tell us a little bit about yourself. (Author Bio)

Formerly a software/web developer, Val Tobin now spends her time writing and working on a master’s degree. She is also a Reiki Master/Teacher and Angel Therapy Practitioner® with advanced training, certified by Doreen Virtue in Kona, Hawaii. Val contributed a story to Doreen Virtue and Grant Virtue’s book Angel Words. She has published three novels and some short stories, available on Amazon and at other retailers.

 

What are your hobbies?

Reading. That’s it. I’m consumed by books.

Which writers inspire you?

Nora Roberts, Stephen King, J. R. R. Tolkien. Too many more to list.

For your own reading, do you prefer e-books or paper/hard back books?

Paperback, but it’s more convenient to take my tablet when I travel.

What are you reading at present?

Nora Roberts’s Daring to Dream, Tom Benson’s  The Welcome, Lee Child’s Personal.

What is your favourite book and why?

The Lord of the Rings. I love Tolkien’s writing. It’s lyrical.

What is your favourite film/ series and why?

X-Files. I’ve always had a fascination for the paranormal.

What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment?

Publishing my novels.

How do you relax?

I read.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Learn from fellow writers. I find other authors are a helpful bunch. New writers tend to make common mistakes. Find out what those are and avoid them.

If your friends could use one word to describe you what would it be?

Introverted.

About writing

What made you realise your calling as an author?

I’ve always loved reading, especially fiction. Writing my own stories was a logical progression.

Where do your ideas come from, what inspires you?

My ideas tend to flow from a train of thought. Something will trigger a thought, and from there, it evolves into a “what if” scenario that forms a story idea.

Example: Storm Lake arose from thoughts that popped into my head when I saw trees with huge burls on them around Eels Lake, near the town of Apsley, Ontario. To me, it looked like the trees were incubating something.

In my imagination, vicious creatures would burst forth when they’d finished gestating and attack any living thing they came across. They’d have voracious appetites and a taste for flesh. I had to make a story out of it.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

It takes me about three months to get a first draft out and another nine to twelve months to get it to where I’d want to publish it.

Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?

I’m a combination pantser and plotter. I’ll sketch out a high-level plot, create character bibles, and even write down possible scenes. But I find when I’m writing, the characters will take on a life of their own, and the story will take unexpected turns.

What is the hardest thing about writing?

Marketing.

What is the easiest thing about writing?

Writing the first draft. I find it liberating.

Do you ever get writer’s Block and if so, how do you deal with it?

I’ll sometimes get stuck on a plot detail. I’ll go for a walk and usually I’ll figure it out by the time I get home.

How many books have you written, which is your favourite?

I’ve written five novels. My favourite tends to be the one I’m currently working on, though my first novel, The Experiencers, has a special place in my heart.

What are you working on at the moment?

I’m currently working on another romantic suspense novel called Gillian’s Island. Right now, it’s in revisions and will be going to beta readers in the next couple of weeks.

I’ve also got the first draft of a paranormal romance completed. It’s called Walk-In.

About the books

What genre are your books?

Two are SF. One is romantic suspense. I also have a short horror story.

What book titles have you released so far?

The Valiant Chronicles series, which includes The Experiencers and A Ring of Truth. Injury is the romantic suspense, and Storm Lake is the short horror story.

Tell us a little bit about the series.

The Valiant Chronicles is the two-part story of a UFO group embroiled in a conspiracy that made abductees of some of the group’s members. It follows two main characters: Michael Valiant, an assassin who finds his conscience when he uncovers the truth about the conspiracy; and Carolyn Fairchild, the abductee/experiencer who compels Michael to make the right decision.

The story explores fate, free will, and what makes a person who they are.

 

Where can we buy them?

All my stories are available on Amazon, and most are free to read with KU/KOLL. Storm Lake is free on Smashwords and Amazon US, CA, and UK.

Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?

Carolyn Fairchild is a psychic medium, which means she can communicate with those who have passed on. She also receives premonitions, making her life difficult, especially when others don’t trust her intuition. She’s like Cassandra from Greek mythology because she can foretell the future, but is doubted.

 

 

Who is your favourite character and why? (an unfair question I know)

Michael Valiant. I enjoyed following his crisis of conscience and that he’s a bad boy gone right.

In what formats is your book available?

Most are available in e-book and paperback.

When is your next book due for release?

Gillian’s Island will be available in the spring of 2016.

Book titles and synopsis:

The Experiencers:

 Michael Valiant, Agency assassin, deals death without question. He knows it’s all in the name of duty and the fight against terror, particularly at a time when the earth is as close as it’s ever been to self-destructing. But when his orders include silencing members of a UFO group who look less like terrorists and more like housewives and UFO buffs, he decides to do some digging.

His curiosity arouses the ire of his boss and his partner, who warn Michael that his actions are putting him in danger. When Michael’s wife dies in what appears to be a traffic accident, Michael, with his partner’s help and support, pushes aside his doubts and immerses himself in the jobs he needs to complete.

Carolyn Fairchild, Psychic medium and believer in angels, lives happy and contented in a nice home in Newmarket, Ontario, with her husband and daughter. All Carolyn wants is to live in peaceful obscurity. When Carolyn loses her husband under suspicious circumstances, and other members of her group die or disappear, Carolyn grows desperate to uncover the truth and save herself and her daughter.

Ordered to kidnap Carolyn and turn her over to the Agency, Michael confronts Carolyn in her home, ready to complete his assignment. But when Carolyn connects to Michael’s dead wife and reveals to him the truth about her death, Carolyn forces him to choose between saving himself and doing what’s right. Unaware that they are repeating a pattern enacted over many lifetimes, Michael and Carolyn must find a way to break the cycle, or continue playing it out over lifetimes to come.

A New Age Sci-Fi thriller that delves into existing UFO and doomsday weaponry conspiracy theories, The Experiencers keeps readers riveted with non-stop action while the characters struggle to control destinies that may have been predetermined lifetimes ago.

 

A Ring of Truth:

To ensure her daughter’s safety, Carolyn Fairchild has surrendered to the Agency and the aliens who repeatedly abduct her.

Determined to sever the aliens’ hold on Carolyn and the other abductees, Michael Valiant, Agency assassin, has gone rogue. He’s made his way to the Northwest Territories to find the alien base in The Valley of the Headless Men.

But time is running out.

The aliens have almost completed their experiments, and when they do, the captive abductees will be executed.

While Carolyn chooses between betraying Michael and protecting her daughter, Michael finds himself pursued by a vengeful ex-partner with whom he once almost had an affair. Unaware they are repeating a pattern enacted over many lifetimes, Michael and Carolyn must break the cycle or continue enacting it in lifetimes to come.

 

Injury:

 Actress Daniella Grayson puts herself in the spotlight, hoping to attract the attention of the father she believes abandoned her when she was five. Dani’s world falls apart when her father’s remains are discovered, and her mother is arrested for the murder.

In a moment of vulnerability, she turns to the handsome and caring Robert “Cope” Copeland, her limo driver, for comfort and support.

Can the budding relationship survive betrayal, Dani’s shameful past, and her obsessive ex-boyfriend?

 

 

Storm Lake:

Here there be monsters.

Thirteen-year-old Rachel and her little brother, Jeff, are looking forward to a weekend of canoeing and spending time with their friends up at the family cottage on Storm Lake in Ontario, Canada. But something terrifying has birthed itself from the trees, and the kids find themselves trapped in an isolated marina fighting for their lives.

 

 

 

Harvest: (part of Tom Benson’s SF anthology The Welcome):

A couple struggles to end their nightmare experience of an alien takeover.

 

 

Coming soon:

Gillian’s Island: A socially anxious divorcee confronts her greatest fears after she is forced to sell her island home and falls for the handsome and arrogant new owner.

Walk-In: A young psychic enlists the help of a sceptical novelist to battle a power-hungry sorcerer determined to make her his next conquest.

Aedammair’s Choice (will be part of the Indies for Charity 2016 anthology): A pampered young woman is forced to act when rebels destroy her village.

 

Connect with the author:

Amazon Author Page: Val Tolbin

Blog: https://bobandval.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valtobinauthor/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8291936.Val_Tobin

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valtobin

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/dernhelm6/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/valandbob

Website: http://serenitynowgifts.com/

Filed under: author, book review, reading, writing

Darrienia, Number 237!!

My heart is pounding ridiculously fast at this moment in time, there I was just checking to see if any of my wonderful readers had posted any more reviews on Darrienia, when I noticed my seller’s rank figure.

Now yesterday I was thrilled to see it climbing its way up to 2000 in its category, but what should I see, not 2000, not even 1000, but there, on my screen staring back at me is a new updated rank of 237! I had to look twice, well three or four times if I am being honest.

Well seeing this I couldn’t contain my excitement, I came running downstairs to get a screenshot before it has chance to sink back into the depths. I just wanted to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to everyone for helping me reach this amazing feat. It’s only thanks to you all that I am currently dancing around my living room, trying desperately to reign in my excitement so not to wake my little one.

I honestly can’t give enough thanks, so I will simply say it once more. Thank you so much, I can’t express how much reaching this means to me, and if I never see this end of the ranking again, I will always know that thanks to the support of all you wonderful people I made it once.

Well here is wishing you a good night sleep, as for me, I think sleep may escape me and my excitement for some time yet.

 

Filed under: author, book review, reading, writing

Author interview: LK Kelley

It is my great pleasure to present to you LK Kelley, author of The White Wolf Prophecy and the upcoming series the Anaerris Code. Titles in the White Wolf Prophecy include Mating, The Hall of Records and Scroll of Time. The latter title is the only one I have yet to read and review, and it is very quickly making its way to the top of my list, especially with the events driven through books one and two.

About the author

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

First, KJ, I am honored that you asked me to participate in your Symposium, and I thank you.

I was born in…well, the date isn’t really important, is it? ;) But, I was adopted at the age of 7 months by Jerry & Curtis Smith in Fort Smith, Arkansas.  I attended all local schools, and graduated from UAFS with a major in music, specifically voice, and a minor in English. When I was 17, my parents and I traveled to Europe, bought a car, and drove all over Europe and England by ourselves, and we had many amazing experiences doing so.  I took ballet, tap, jazz, and eventually, toe for 7 years, and have sung since the age of 5.  I have worked in retail, law, real estate appraisal, and lawn care. I am also a professional Cake Decorator (icing sculpture) and Interior Decorator. Currently, I work part time at Sam’s Club.  I am married to an amazing man who puts up with a lot from me, and we have one daughter, who, coincidentally, looks most like the girl on my book covers! ;)  And, an FYI…I designed all my own bookcovers thanks to some really great photographers!

What are your hobbies?

I love collecting tea sets, particularly Belleek Porcelain, and I have an extensive collection of Walt Disney World Pins. I do crafts of all kinds:  from embroidery to needlepoint, to designing and making something from nothing, painting murals, and so much more.

Which writers inspire you?

Excellent question.  I absolutely adore classic Science Fiction and both classic and current, Paranormal as well as Romance books.  My favorites, and it comes as no surprise to SciFi lovers, are Jules Verne and HG Wells.  Their vision of what eventually came true, has always led me to actually wonder how they were so accurate in many things that we have today. Because of them, my imagination ran rampant, and I’ve always had an active one to boot!  My current favorite writers are Karen Marie Moning and Quinn Loftis.

For your own reading, do you prefer e-books or paper/hard back books?

I love all formats. The pro of real books – I love the feel in my hands;  scent of the paper; no batteries, and they will always be around longer than I will live.  Con – more expensive than e-books, so I will only buy those that I truly like that I would read over and over.   I have a Kindle, one of the originals. The pro of e-books – purchasing free books; books I would never be able to afford if I bought as many books as I really want! Con – can only read so long on the screen till my eyes get tired; batteries that will wear out at some point. I love having real books to curl up and read; but I love e-books, because when I’m out and about, I can carry them with me, and read them whenever, and wherever, I want.  .

What are you reading at present?

I just finished “All I want for Christmas is You” by Lisa Mondello. And, have a “bookitlist” a mile long from my followers on Twitter, as well as others.

What is your favourite book and why?

That is a hard one to answer.  I have quite a list.  Favorite?  I guess “The Time Machine” by HG Wells. Bouncing from time to time, and the description of each time shows the vivid imagination he had! Time Travel has always been a favorite subject of mine, so this is the perfect book! And, yes…I saw the movie with Rod Taylor as well.

What is your favourite film/ series and why?

Short list? Star Wars, Star Trek, The Avengers, Captain America…you get the idea. It’s not a short list at all. But, one of my favorite movies of all time is “The Great Race” with Tony Curtis, Natalie Wood, Jack Lemmon, and Peter Falk plus an all-star cast. One of the funniest movies EVER made! If you haven’t seen it, please do! You will love it! My favorite TV series?  Stargate SG-1…and Dr. Who, of course!

What do you feel is your greatest acomplishment?

Living.  I’ve almost bit the dust a couple of times. ;)

How do you relax?

A good book, a TV show, a movie, and sleep.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Find your own way to write – each of us has our own, unique way of writing with the use of outlines, notes, manually writing, or using a computer/tablet.  I prefer visualization, which I’ll explain in a later question.

If your friends could use one word to describe you what would it be?

Weird! ;)

About writing

What made you realise your calling as an author?

Like everyone else, I said, “Someday, I’m gonna write a book.” Most of us don’t. I stumbled into writing, because I was asked to edit an author’s book.  After that, I edited more.  The muse grabbed me for no other reason than a story popped into my head, and I just had to write it!  Now…those silly voices just won’t shutup!  So, I have to write more!

Where do your ideas come from, what inspires you?

I know it sounds glamorous to readers how we come up with our ideas, but the truth is, most of us find our stories in dreams, daydreams, a word or phrase we overhear, a song, and more.  Inspiration comes for me from the idea that I like to take stereotypes, and turn them upside down, and sideways that gives my books a whole new world of characters.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

I think this varies depending on the book. I wrote my entire trilogy in three months. That’s not at all typical, but the idea popped into my  head, and before I knew it, I had enough material for three books. But, at the time, I did not work.  Now that I work part-time, it takes a bit longer. 

Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?

No. No. And, a little bit. My writing takes place much the way a TV or movie is born – story boarding, but instead of them being on the walls, the board is in my mind. I couldn’t follow outlines in school, because they were far too restrictive. I have a general idea for a plot, but that’s not enough for me. I visualize in scenes, then act them out complete with everything from detail to conversations. Once I have that, I write the scene down. By doing this, I can keep the continuity flowing easier, as well as the story line, and editing afterward is much easier, and goes much faster.

What is the hardest thing about writing?

Right now, time.  I really wish I could time-travel so I could have time to write! ;)

What is the easiest thing about writing?

Visualizing the story by using story boarding.  It makes it very easy for me.

Do you ever get writer’s Block and if so, how do you deal with it?

Rarely, but when I do, I “walk away from the computer”, and spend time doing something entirely different.  Usually, that ends it, and in fact, it’s when the next scene explodes into my mind!

How many books have you written, which is your favourite?

I have three, of course. I love to place at least one favorite idea in each book.  I do that because I don’t want to have favorites. I don’t want to show favoritism, so I just do this, and I find all of them are a favorite.

What are you working on at the moment?

At the moment, I half way through the first editing of the 1st book in my new series called “the Anaerris Code”.  At this point, I expect it to be released sometime this year, KJ.  I am on the first edit of the book as of this interview, and I generally do at least 3 edits for each book.

About the books

What genre are your books?

Science Fiction, Paranormal, Romance, adventure, occult, and some erotica. My books are only for 18 years and over, because I write them for adult women’s fantasies. 

What book titles have you released so far?

The White Wolf Prophecy ~ Mating ~ Book 1

The White Wolf Prophecy ~ Hall of Records ~ Book 2

The White Wolf Prophecy ~ Scroll of Time ~ Book 3

Tell us a little bit about the series

As I said above, I love completely rewriting and turning stereotypes upside down and sideways, and that is exactly what I did in The White Wolf Prophecy Trilogy. Werewolves are being wiped out by an evil who comes from…well, you have to read the books to find out where – it’s a huge surprise.

An ancient prophecy found in a false scroll said that when the White Wolf appeared, it would end the evil called Zanack, who literally broke the rules of time by a curse, and thoroughout all three books, time begins to unravel in a very interesting way (I threw out those stereotypes as well).  Kaitlan Seneca O’Hara has no idea that she is a werewolf until her 27th birthday, when her Father, Canaan, sends her to his second in command in the backwoods of Colorado where she finds her mate, Cordone Valon, who not only delivered her, but claimed her at her birth. He is her Father’s best friend, and his second in command, but gave it up to live away from the clan, and now, he vows to avenge his best friend’s death.

She and her besties, Sara and Anita, must find their mates, and complete their matings book 1, and Lynne who finds her mate in book 2, before the prophecy will finally begin the end. When they realize that must find the real scroll which is found in the Hall of Records, but they need a specific person to help them.  That man is one of the mates, who has been “hiding out” for eons. And, finding out who, and what he really is, and where the Hall of Records is, will surprise even the most discerning reader! He is a special character that I created just for book 2.

The girls also discover that they have some incredible powers, and together, trying to get them under control drives them, and their mates, nuttier than a fruitcake! Zanack’s true nature becomes increasingly horrific through all three books, and his acts are  not for the tender of stomachs. The scroll is found, but not by our heroes, but by Zanack, and discovers why nothing has been making sense, and why nothing worked.  He realizes that he must use time itself to correct his first mistake thousands of years ago, and to do so, he has to return to the same time to recast the curse. You will read some more backstory of more of the characters as well. Vampires, elves, and humans come together  to find a way to defeat Zanack.  More surprises unfold as well.

Book 3 finds the girls perfecting their special powers the timeline completely beginning to unravel.  Cordone’s past comes to light, and he remembers something he forgot.  The story progresses, and the unraveling of time grows exponentially. They must get to Zanack to stop him when they realize that he discovers the scroll of time.  It is not until book 3 that you discover who Zanack really is, and it will keep you guessing from book 1 all the way through.  The end is like no other ending anyone has ever read, and will truly leave the reader completely surprised!  Sadness, anger, terrror, horror, and the surprise ending will keep my readers glued to their seats, and guessing who is Zanack?  I’ve only had one person guess who he really is, and I didn’t tell her.  So, get ready for a ride, and a mystery that isn’t revealed until the end!  And, the final ending?  Well, I guarantee you that you have NEVER read an ending like this one! It changes everything!

Where can we buy them?

You can buy them pretty much wherever books are sold, KJ. I found the easiest way is to use my book’s website where any button can take you exactly where you want to go. This includes some for international as well. The buttons are easily labeled, and you can choose your favorite bookseller!  I’ve had compliments on my website for being so easy to navigate, and purchase.  I have also included links to my author pages where you can purchase directly from Amazon, Good Reads, Barnes and Noble, as well as many others, too.

Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?

Kaitlan Seneca O’Hara doesn’t know she is a werewolf until, at the age of 27, she finds her mate.  Once they have mated, the ancient prophecy is set into motion.  She is completely loyal to her friends, her mate, and their mates as well as her Clan and family.  She wants nothing more than to bring an end to the evil, but the possible, and probable, outcome has her  sad.  However, she gets help from the beyond, and her friends, and even…a god!

Surprises are around every bend, and when the ancient, botched curse stars to unravel, the repetition gets really irritating! She finds the full truth of who she really is in the last book, and she has no choice as to how to destroy Zanack.  The pain and horror of it all weighs heavily on all of them, but they will face whatever necessary to get rid of this evil that threatens to take over the universe. Kaitlan is the White Wolf, and it is she that ultimately must defeat the evil.  When she finds out she is more than just the White Wolf, all bets are off!

Who is your favourite character and why? (an unfair question I know)

Sarah Collins.  She is Kaitlan’s best friend, but her life was horrific when she was a child, and it’s graphic. Sarah is all alone untile Kaitlan discovers what happened to her when they are 5 years old.  Canaan O’Hara, Kaitlan’s Father, steps in to take care of Sarah, and saves her from the evil that has wrecked her little world.  It will make you cry.  But, she has a smart mouth on her, especially when it comes to her mate, Sam, and she’s the only one who can keep him in line by keeping him off kilter!  She keeps the girls in stitches of laughter despite her sad young life, she never allowed it to get her down, and she never will.

In what formats is your book available?

Paperback and ebooks at the moment.

When is your next book due for release?

Sometime in 2016. At this moment, I am on the first edit of my next book, the Anaerris Code.  I’m really excited, because it’s an entirely different series from my first one!  I don’t just stick to werewolves, vampires, and elves.  There are so many ways to incorporate the paranormal, I’m excited to explore all of them

Book titles and synopsis:
 The White Wolf Prophecy ~Mating~

The White Wolf Prophecy was long known by the Clan of O’Hara – except for Kaitlan O’Hara.  Kaitlan was an editor for Seneca Publishing House owned by her Father, Canaan.   Knowing that her life was in danger from an enemy by the name of Zanack, Canaan sent Kaitlan to edit the book of their best-selling author, Cordone Valon, who lives deep in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. Kaitlan was not looking forward to it . Or as Kaitlan so colorfully puts it:  

“Forget ‘Neverland’. This was a trip into ‘Nowhereland’.”   

She resented her Father insisting she go to the one man she despised above all others.  Yet, she had never met him in person!  And, worse? She was sent the day before her birthday!    

Her twenty-seventh birthday marks her entrance into the supernatural world of which she had no knowledge.  When Canaan is murdered, Cordone is left with having to tell Kaitlan about who she really is. Their passion is all consuming.  Their mating, fast and furious. From the moment she discovered who, and what, she was, everything changed.    

In order for the prophecy to come true, and an ancient “curse” broken,  Kaitlan, and her three best friends, Sarah, Anita, and Lynne, must mate.     

Who is The One called Zanack?  He killed Kailtan’s Mother, and more Clan females are dying. They have to find who it is and stop him.  The secret is in the ancient scroll of the Prophecy which has been missing for thousands of years.  Unknown by all is that there were two scrolls, and the only one ever found was a forgery….

 

The White Wolf Prophecy “Hall of Records”




The White Wolf Prophecy ~Scroll of Time~




 The Anaerris Code (Coming soon)

Ever wonder what would happen if you discovered that you weren’t human, but part nephilim?  And, even much, much more? And, worse? That you were the sole being to preserve 4 races including Earth – and the entire Universe? Her imagination goes haywire, and she believes that storms are following her!

Both Jaxxon, her professor, and Taylor, her best friend, believe that someone, or something, is targeting Gem.  Their races have an ancient myth, which speaks of a Jewel of Anaerris, who would be the saviour of all their worlds, and the universe.  And, she would do so through another myth of an ancient book known as  the Anaerris Code. Together, with her friends, they enter into a whole world of myths, legends, and mysteries, and each one of them finds that they have a dangerous and deadly role to play.

Thus, begins a race against time to destroy the evil Eloran and Delinear who have plans to completely change the Universe through Terraforming.  Death, kidnapping, and the realization that Gem is a special person designed by the Creator, leads Gem to an alternate worlds through the Vorc’ara, Gem finds she is a being who should not even exist.

Adventure, surprises & shocks are around ever corner as the reader turns the pages. 5-Star author of the White Wolf Prophecy leads the reader into danger and adventure, along with some romps in between as well!  As the story unfolds, the reader finds the truths about all the myths, legends, and mysteries, as well as nephilim, angels, and the fallen, were not what we believed!

 

 

Connect with the author:

Amazon Author Page: LK Kelley on Amazon

Blog: I have 3

https://whitewolfprophecy.wordpress.com/

http://whitewolfprophecymating.blogspot.com/2013/12/what-makes-white-wolf-prophecy-trilogy.html

http://whitewolfprophecy.blogspot.com/2014/01/exclusive-excerpts-from-white-wolf.html

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/lk.kelley.5

https://www.facebook.com/whitewolfprophecytrilogybook/?ref=hl

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7477009.L_K_Kelley

Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lk-kelley-4643772

Pinterest:

https://www.pinterest.com/whitewolfproph/

Twitter: @lkkelley1

Website:

http://firebird4554.wix.com/white-wolf-prophecy

Again, KJ…thank you so much for the opportunity!

Filed under: author, book review, reading, writing

Author Interview: Ian D Moore

This week, it is my great honour to present author Ian D Moore, not only author of Salby Damned but the mastermind behind the Indies for Charity group who are a collection of world wide authors, banding together to create an anthology for charity. Their first title, You’re not Alone, was released last year, with the plans for an additional title this year. Let’s meet the author.

About the author

Tell us a little bit about yourself. (Author Bio)

Born in Sutton Coldfield, England, Ian served with the British Army for four years both here and abroad.

Ian works full time as a national trucker and also owns his own internet based business. Having been writing short stories and poetry for many years his first published novel, Salby Damned, was released in July 2014.

Ian has since written a short story collection book for children, just to see if he could. That book, The Amazing Adventures Of Ken Brown – Australian Wombat is almost ready for publication.

He now lives and works in Goole, East Yorkshire. Ian recently headed the first group anthology created for charity entitled You’re Not Alone, featuring a host of talented authors from this group.

You’ll find it on Amazon so please, help us to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support by buying your copy.

He is currently one of the admin team of the esteemed IASD facebook group.

What are your hobbies?

I used to play a lot of snooker years ago, not so much now. My time tends to be split between writing, reading and my two sons

Which writers inspire you?

Every writer inspires me in some way, with each new title I read I am drawn to style, prose, plots and characters. My list here would be extremely long from the classics right through to today’s emerging writers and those more well-known.

For your own reading, do you prefer e-books or paper/hard back books?

For convenience, my kindle ebook reader but I do love a good ‘real’ book, indeed my collection grows of signed paperbacks from the IASD group authors, funds permitting. It has become somewhat of an obsession.

What are you reading at present?

The Gambler – Christoph Fischer and Paralyzer – Silas Payton

What is your favourite book and why?

A book called PORTENT – James Herbert because it really made me think about the planet, what we do to it and continue to do to it and where it will end.

What is your favourite film/ series and why?

Film: The Green Mile, powerful, emotional and bitter-sweet. My kind of movie. Series: I really liked a mini-series called The Leftovers. Paranormal and a good insight into what would happen to those left behind should something like “The Rapture” ever occur.

What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment?

Having had the humble pleasure to work with so many to create a combined book for charity. I am very proud of that and of those who took part in whatever capacity. It is something I will never forget.

How do you relax?

I sleep. No, seriously… If I’m not sleeping I’m always doing something. Life is manic at the best of times. I look forward to holidays with a passion so that I can switch off for just a short while.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Join the IASD. If you have a story, write it. The ins and outs of getting it polished and out there, we can help you with so don’t be overwhelmed by it. Stay humble, grounded, and focused. Never be afraid to ask for help or guidance, I’m not.

If your friends could use one word to describe you what would it be?

Stubborn… probably, and they would be right.

 

About writing

What made you realise your calling as an author?

Calling? No, need would be more appropriate. Writing helps me to de-stress, it takes me away from my world and casts me into one I make up. I’m fortunate to have been able to sell such musings with my first book. To those who bought it, my sincere thanks and gratitude.

Where do your ideas come from, what inspires you?

Life experiences, new experiences, people-watching and work are where my main storylines come from. I’ve a slightly dark thought process and while I have optimism for the future, underneath there’s always a story to be created. Most of my, long work shifts are spent mulling over plots, characters or scenes.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

It took just 6 weeks to actually write Salby Damned. In reality 60% of it was written on a mobile phone, originally posted in very rough form to facebook. When it got too big, my sister, Helen suggested I write my first novel. THEN I took the path to being a writer, if ever there was a pivotal point. A further 9 months of blood, sweat and a bucket load of tears would pass before I got the book right. Trial and error, mainly error.

Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?

I tend to write as it comes to me, or out of me. A little like opening a sluice gate — sometimes it flows in torrents, sometimes it slows to a trickle but there’s always more precipitation in the clouds in my head. It’s just a matter of time.

What is the hardest thing about writing?

Constantly questioning myself about whether what I have done is good enough. Followed closely by the dreaded editing.

What is the easiest thing about writing?

There is no easy thing to writing, it is a constant learning curve; something we evolve into that rarely comes naturally at a professional level to anyone. I’m sure I speak for many when I say that I wish it was easy, it is as much about self-perseverance, tenacity and sheer imagination as it is about simply creating a book.

Do you ever get writer’s Block and if so, how do you deal with it?

I tend to write short, daft poems from time to time, never published and never will be. With my work for the IASD group admin team, that tends to focus my mind away from any WIP so I get the chance to regroup if I should get stuck. Distraction is the key.

How many books have you written, which is your favourite?

Written just the one full novel, Salby Damned. It is my baby. Been a party to another novel length anthology in You’re Not Alone as well as another collection called Holes, by Eric Lahti.

What are you working on at the moment?

Sequel to Salby Damned entitled Salby Evolution and another paranormal based idea to be entitled Being Within. I have outline plans for a semi-biography entitled Turbulence, but that’s a long, long way off yet.

 

About the books

What genre are your books?

Action/Adventure/Thriller best describes them. The Anthology is multi-genre.

What book titles have you released so far?

Salby Damned and You’re Not Alone. Also a children’s book called The Amazing Adventures of Ken Brown which has yet to be illustrated and is back on the bench for the time being.

Where can we buy them?

All titles are available on amazon worldwide and in print via createspace or if you prefer, by contacting me directly.

Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?

Two characters, Nathan Cross, a tough but gentle ex-army widower turned journalist who has a talent for ‘fixing things’ and his shadow, the lovely but mysterious Evelyn Shepherd, a lady with more to her than meets the eye. She’s beautiful, smart and in her own way, deadly. They make a good team and have a growing rapport. There will be much more from those two in the future.

Who is your favourite character and why? (an unfair question I know)

In Salby Damned, I got the most pleasure from creating Colin Snape, his character was one that really set my senses on fire. As a secondary answer, Max Power’s book – Darkly Wood, features a character called Woody, he’s up there in my favourites too.

In what formats is your book available?

You’ll find Salby Damned in both paperback and all ebook formats available worldwide.

When is your next book due for release?

Hmmm, there’s a question. I’m hoping to have it done later on this year. It is a work in progress from which I have taken time out to complete this very interview. It has a new POV and is new ground for me, so I’ll be extremely nervous when it finally comes to release. That said the group has, and I’m sure will continue, to give me advice and grief if it is needed to make it as good as I can.

Book titles and synopsis:

Salby Damned

A small rural town in a ruthless fight between The Shale Gas Fracking Corporation and The Residents Association sees the multi-billion pound energy company drilling beneath the town with catastrophic results. A freelance reporter teams up with a mysterious council leader in a fight to save humanity against one of science’s most fearsome and deadly creations. They must race to find a cure whilst battling against hordes of flesh eating zombies intent on one thing and one thing only………..KILLING! 

 

You’re Not Alone – An Indie Author Anthology

An international group of indie authors, inspired by the personal grief of one, decided to collaborate in the spring of 2015 in a project to create this multi-genre smorgasbord of original short stories, all with the same potent theme – relationships. Some are heartfelt, some funny, some poignant, and some are just a little bit scary – much like relationships themselves. All are by authors fired by the shared enthusiasm to give something back in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. Cancer touches us all. It has in some way affected those who have contributed their time and talent here. This is our way of showing that we care.  Indie authors carry forward a revolutionary shift in publishing, which allows the author to be creative director in their own work. There are many exceptional, experienced and acclaimed writers who have decided to take this bold step in publishing. In producing this anthology we have also had the inestimable assistance on board of artists, graphic designers, and bloggers – all of whom have a place in our acknowledgments. You, the discerning reader, are the other vital part of this equation. By buying this book you are supporting the work of indie authors, as well as discovering their worth. You are also supporting the charity to which we have chosen to dedicate our work.  100% of the royalties earned or accrued in the purchase of this book, in all formats, will go to the Pamela Winton tribute fund, which is in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.

 

 

Connect with the author:

Amazon Author Page:   http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B00NDTBUQ8/ref

Blog: Thequillpenwrites (site name)

Facebook:   http://www.facebook.com/iandcmoore

Goodreads: Ian D Moore on Goodreads  

Twitter:  @ianstories

Website:  http://ccdgroupftp.co.uk/im/

Nano Site: http://ccdgroupftp.co.uk/im/

 

 

 

 

Filed under: author, book review, charity

The Last Swordmage by Martin F. Hengst

Last night I completed the first book in The Last Sword Mage Trilogy by Martin F. Hengst. I have to say, this was another book that I really enjoyed.

The book follows the tale of Tiadaria, a young woman who starts off belonging to a small tribe before being sold to a slave trader. Eventually she comes to cross paths with a retired member of the King’s Guard, Royce, a man with very unusual powers for this world, the ability to both enter the Quintessential Sphere and use steel weapons, normally something impossible, but for his bloodline. Or so he thought.

I found this book to be really interesting with fantastic character development throughout. I enjoyed watching the forming bonds between Tiadaria and Royce, as they shift from hate and indifference to deep almost parental bonds.

This author has a fun and easy style of writing which means you can’t help but get drawn in to the events. The world, Solendrea, and some of its history, is brilliantly explained through the events leading to the climax of the story. Whilst many would argue, the book in itself is a stage setter for the next one, I would also add that it makes a good read in its own right. Having not yet read any more in the series, it has certainly piqued my interest enough for me to want to buy the next and find out what happens next.

If like me, you find yourself interested in this author and series, you can find the above book here:

US The Last Swordmage: The Swordmage Trilogy: Book 1 (Magic of Solendrea)

UK The Last Swordmage: The Swordmage Trilogy: Book 1 (Magic of Solendrea)

Filed under: author, book review, reading

An interview with author Karen Gray

Karen Gray is, without a doubt, my favourite author of 2015. Her books For King and Country and Chains of Blood and Steel have a very unique plot and are told with such skill and imagination you can’t help but become hooked. It is with great pleasure I present an interview with her.

About the author

Tell us a little bit about yourself. (Author Bio)

Karen Gray grew up in a town called Livingston, in central Scotland.

She was horse mad from an early age and moved to Aberdeen at 17 to do a degree in Equine Science. After moving back home to Livingston 4 years later she worked as a care assistant for the elderly and infirm until she got a job in the equestrian industry. Since then she followed her line of work across Scotland to Greenock where she met her husband.

After leaving her job as a riding instructor to have her eldest child, Karen was never able to return to work. Her husband’s health deteriorated to the point he needed her available at any time of the day. She now cares for him and their 2 children full time. She began writing again shortly after the birth of her second child and has not stopped since. Writing is her first passion before all others and though she is working on other artistic projects, her writing comes first.

She is now about to embark on the fourth novel in the Warrior Queen Series, the first series from The Saga of Thistles and Roses.

What are your hobbies?

Writing (obviously) photography and graphic design. Crochet and anything to do with horses.

What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment, and why?

I want to say my kids because what mother wouldn’t? But I know that’s probably not what you mean. I could say writing my books, but I’m not finished yet so they in theory cannot be an achievement until the Saga is complete.

So I will say that my greatest achievement is no single thing but a series of much smaller gestures and achievements mostly to do with my career in the horse world. I Took on a 3 year old Clydesdale on deaths door who’d had cancer and was now lighter than a welsh pony and missing an eye. I turned him into a bombproof horse for a disabled rider. I knew taking him on that he could just drop dead (the cancer was on his retinal nerve and very close to his brain) We gave him 7 fantastic years before the cancer came back, and we lost him 4 weeks before he turned 10.

I’ve connected to severely disabled children and adults by taking a unique approach to teaching them, in some cases actually gaining the only spoken words ever uttered to someone other than family. I’m really proud of that.

I’ve helped countless people confront, combat and overcome their fears with regard to horses specifically. I kind of put it down to knowing exactly how badly fear can cripple you and understanding it at a fundamental and basic level and because I know that it helps me to teach people how to deal with it.

There are a thousand more little things like this that all combine to make me proud of being the best instructor I could be while I was still teaching and training.

Which writers inspire you?

Not many. I know most writers are fond of telling other writers that in order to be able to write effectively, they need to read more than they write, but if I followed that advice I would never write anything. I find reading a struggle at times – a poor attention span, being a tad dyspraxic plus having little time free each day makes it particularly difficult to get absorbed in a good book. I find that I lose interest very quickly and that is both disappointing and upsetting. There have been a few I have enjoyed, Trudi Canavan, Garth Nix and Maria Snyder are three of those, however I did crave a slightly more adult theme rather than YA. This is what spurred me on to write my own series which I feel is in a YA style, but absolutely aimed at adults specifically. Something easy to read and enthralling while being deep, deep, deep with the subplot details and adult arcs.

For your own reading, do you prefer e-books or paper/hard back books?

Paperbacks. ALWAYS paperbacks, but e-books are useful while I have limited space and time.

What are you reading at present?

I am reading Darrienia of course! And also doing some Beta reading, but generally I don’t read much at all, particularly not when I’m writing (and I’m always writing)

What is your favourite book and why?

That’s tough because I don’t really have many to choose from. Out of the selection I have read, Sabriel by Garth Nix is my hands down favourite. It helped me through a really tough time in my life when I didn’t know who I could trust and was isolated away from everyone and everything. I don’t even remember how I got the book. I don’t remember buying it or being given it, I only remember having it and of course reading it. This book helped me go somewhere else for a period of time each day and I will never forget just how much that simple little bit of time-out helped me cope.

What is your favourite film/ series and why?

Oh, that’s a tough one, I don’t really watch TV. Probably “The Tudors.” I used to like the Avengers films and Game of Thrones, and The Hunger Games and such like but since I started writing it’s all I want to do and if I am watching TV or a film, I feel guilty that I’m not writing, and end up regretting the “wasted” time.

How do you relax?

I write. It helps me work out the daily stress and anxiety that accumulates from being a full-time carer. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t change anything (other than his health) but it is stressful for the majority of the time. Always is when you can’t do anything to help except be there.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Most people would recommend that aspiring writers should read at least double what they write. I on the other hand will not. If you want to write, then do so. Write and write and write some more. The only way to find yourself as a writer is to let go and allow your heart and your hand to show you what kind of a writer you really are. Often they will surprise you.

About writing

What made you realise your calling as an author?

I started writing and couldn’t stop — that was my first clue. Then I shared what I had written with family who raved about it. And I shared it with friends who raved about it and shared it with their friends who raved about it. At that point, when everyone was hounding me for more and more material, I knew that writing was what I was meant to do. When you can make people laugh out loud, feel physically sick, worry for your characters and feel truly angry when they are mistreated, and cry when they are hurt or lost, that’s when you know you’ve made it as a writer.

Where do your ideas come from, what inspires you?

Life, love, loss, loathing, longing. I take inspiration from my own life even — at times — without realising it. A lot of what is going on in the news is relevant in my work, though when I wrote the 2nd book (Chains of Blood and Steel) the news stories were still to break for those subjects. Topics that people want to ignore and pretend don’t or aren’t happening. There are things in this life that just shouldn’t be ignored because they are uncomfortable subjects. Obscure myths and legends that capture the imagination, like the waterhorses in my books. I always loved the stories of how when they lay with lassies, they wouldn’t realise their mate was a waterhorse until they combed their fingers through their lover’s hair while they slept and would come away with sand beneath their nails and that these were the women that would make a lucky escape. History is a huge influence on me also, though I do like to twist it somewhat to fit my purposes.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

Depends on the book and what’s going on in the background. I wrote For King and Country in around 4 or 5 months. Chains of Blood and Steel took me 3 months to write (that one just fell out of me) and Battle of the Bannockburn was another 4 to 5 months as I was editing For King and Country at the time. A lot has been going on in the background recently so in the last 3 months I have only done 30,000 words of The Highland Queen, but now that Chains of Blood and Steel is published, I will have much more writing time. I plan to have it finished and have started the fifth book Beat the Drums of war by March, which I would like to have complete by August.

Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?

That’s a hard one to answer because I am very much a freewriter. I just go with the flow and write what I write. On the other hand, I have all 15 books in the saga planned out in my head and a few stand alones besides, so while I write freely and with no set plan, I am on a semi predetermined route.

What is the hardest thing about writing?

Doing anything else when I’d rather be writing.

What is the easiest thing about writing?

The writing itself.

Do you ever get writer’s Block and if so, how do you deal with it?

Not at all. I have never had it and I hope never to get it. Perhaps it is because of the method I use. The large cast list and many scene/pov changes which keep me engaged and also show me so many more angles of the story than just one person’s perspective. I get bored easily, I have to write in such a way that my attention is always on the job at hand and I suppose that because the story is so varied and vibrant that this is why I have never suffered from writer’s block.

How many books have you written, which is your favourite?

To date I have written 3 and a quarter. Book 3 – Battle of the Bannockburn is by far my favourite out of the books I have written. It (in my mind) is also one of the most important books in the entire saga and glues together not only the Warrior Queen series, but all three series in the saga as well. However, though book 3 is my favourite, book 2 – Chains of Blood and Steel, is the one I’m proudest of.

What are you working on at the moment?

Right now I am working on the 4th book in the series – The Highland Queen. I am enjoying every minute of writing this book. I feel that I really hit my literary stride in the latter half of the third book and I now feel that there is a superior quality to my work that I didn’t know existed until I found it. I’m excited about getting further into this engaging storyline (or more accurately, mass of storylines)

About the books

What genre are your books?

I have always struggled to pin down a specific genre for my books. SO I tend to call them Scottish Mythical Fantasy. Although I guess they would fit in the Epic Fantasy category, I like promoting their Scottishness as that seems to be one of the things that most people have specifically enjoyed about them, no matter where in the world they are.

What have you written?

Books 1 to 3 (For King and Country, Chains of Blood and Steel and Battle of the Bannockburn) of The Warrior Queen series are already written and I am writing the 4th in the series – The Highland Queen — at present.

Tell us a little bit about the series.

The Saga of Thistles and Roses, is a post-apocalyptic, Scottish, mythical fantasy set in the 27th century.

We enter a world where everyone has developed some level of mental ability – where mythical beasts no longer trust people to live unsupervised, and magic is no longer magic – but something far more normal. The abilities and gifts of the general population, lying dormant below the surface; became heightened in the aftermath of the nuclear apocalypse 600 years before – The world’s last-ditch attempt to end the tyrannical rule of Reginald I.

Vast swaths of humanity were wiped out, leaving only those who could afford their way into hidden nuclear shelters, and those with enough latent power to survive the blast and radiation sickness that followed.

These surface dwellers struggled – for a time; until each little group found its own specific niche – and the population thrived. Now numbering in their thousands, people live side by side with the beasts of the world – who will never forget the destruction that unsupervised humanity unleashed; and intend never to allow it to happen again.

For King and Country and Chains of Blood and Steel are part of the first series of this saga called The Warrior Queen Series.

Many queens – or Bhanrighs as they are known in Alba – have come and gone; but none so feared as Mòrag Stewart.

The first of her name; Mòrag struck fear into the hearts of those who sought to oppose her; so much so, that the Sasannach royals captured and held Mòrag’s daughter Catrìona in order to control the warrior queen. Their plan backfired, and the Albannach Bhanrigh unleashed her rage upon Lunnainn; burning the Sasannach capital to the ground in retaliation for the incarceration of her daughter. Little is known about events thereafter. Odd for so recent a history as this. What is known, is that the Albannach Bhanrigh met her end suddenly, mere weeks before the death of her only heir – Catrìona.

Unbeknown to all but a chosen few; an heir remained. Not just an heir to the Albannach throne, but a hybrid monarch to rival the darkness of the previous hybrid – Reginald I.

The child is delivered into the hands of Jock MacDonald when she is only hours old and he and his wife raise her in secret until she is ready to take the throne.

The child – also named Mòrag, is brought up on a farm in glen Rannoch; on the edge of Mòinteach Raineach – the Rannoch moor; where wild horses and Kelpies run together; and she can remain out of sight of those who would seek to eliminate her. The Warrior Queen Series follows Mòrag and her companions on her journey to become not only the Albannach Bhanrigh, but the second Bhanrigh to be considered as the warrior queen.

Where can we buy them?

Amazon and CreateSpace are the main places you can by the books, however they are available to any shops that use Ingram/Ingram Spark

Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?

Another difficult question, because Mòrag is not the only main character, though she is the primary main character. I think she is quite unique in that she is the only one who came from a nice, comfortable, family background. Sure she is an orphan but that doesn’t mean her home life was dire. She loved her home and her surrogate family. She possesses abnormally strong powers and when she learns of her lineage she just accepts what is. I love that she saves the men far more often than she herself needs saving, if ever. She is headstrong, and opinionated but kind and caring. She is fallible and at times during her personal growth, toes something similar to the path of a villain rather than a hero, but everything she does is to protect her people and her country. I wrote her like this because I am sick to the back teeth of being presented with supposedly “strong female leads” who are still always, always, ALWAYS saved and protected by the men. Mòrag breaks the mold so’n she does.

Who is your favourite character and why? (an unfair question I know)

Raymond. To find out why you’ll have to read book 3 ;)

In what formats is your book available?

My books are available in paperback and e-book format and the wonderful Kat Harrison is recording them in audio for me so the Audiobooks will be coming soon.

When is your next book due for release?

Battle of the Bannockburn I plan to release on the 1st June 2016 followed by Beat the Drums of War on the 1st December 2016.

Your first book, For King and Country, reached number one in the UK Amazon best seller ranks in the category of Myths & Legends > Celtic, English & Welsh , How did this make you feel?

I was ecstatic.  I danced around the livingroom. Know that way when you’re so excited that you have to tense every muscle in your body just to hold it in and then you just can’t? It was one of those. And then when it stayed there for the entire week. I was gobsmacked. Truly gobsmacked. And humbled and grateful that people gave it the chance and overjoyed that they were reading my book.

The feeling you get when someone is reading your work is incredible, the feeling you get when so many people are reading it that it pushes the book to #1 for a week is beyond words. One of the best moments I’ve every experienced right there.

Book titles and synopsis:

Book 1 – For King and Country:

Mòrag’s world is one of proud magical creatures and fierce armies bristling with steel and sorcery.

Welcome to twenty-seventh century post-apocalyptic Scotland; where immortal beasts roam wild in the countryside, mighty princes battle for power and the common folk do their best to avoid being trampled in their wake.

Born of a forbidden coupling between the Albannach and Sasannach royal houses; Mòrag is destined to rule. But her birth right has been kept secret – even from her, and discovery of her royal blood could cost her life.

Mòrag is no ordinary girl. Her royal blood’s hidden talents begin to reveal themselves during her military training at Sruighlea Castle, and she is suddenly in a lot more trouble than she ever dreamed of.

Mòrag is about to enter a brutal world of conflict and turmoil which will challenge everything she knows and believes in.

Book 2 – Chains of Blood and Steel:

Six months after the communication by Edward, Mòrag is still trying to piece things together. She trains daily with Colonel Tesso, in an attempt to bring her physical skills up to match her mental ones.

Brax battles with visions of his master and fears his presence will put Mòrag in danger as his mental chains are pulled tighter.

The spy-master’s daughter struggles to deal with her abusive father, hiding a secret she is prepared to take to the grave.

John whose life has been a lie, discovers the truth about himself through Ava. Brought together after he catches her failed attempted suicide, they overcome the chains of blood and steel that imprison them.

Book 3 – Battle of the Bannockburn: Release date: 1st June 2016

In the smoky aftermath of the still smouldering remains of several buildings in Sruighlea Castle, chaos reigns supreme.

Edward has assumed control of Sasann and proclaimed himself king, and with the Devil’s Dog is back under the controlling hand of his master, no one dares challenge him.

Mòrag struggles with the darkness growing inside her, and without Brax’s calming companionship, her fragile control is slipping.

When Edward sends his pet to sack one of Alba’s border towns, Mòrag retaliates by striking out at Edward’s own home in Lunnainn, triggering a freefall of events that culminate in a full-scale battle on the Bannockburn.

Book 4 – The Highland Queen:  Release date: 1st December 2016

The Mackenzie’s pledge their loyalty and vow to stand with their Bhanrigh against Edward, but there is another danger to Mòrag and her companions. The highland clans are at war with one another in a savage and bloody battle to chose who should lead the people of Alba.

In order to gather her forces to take on her father, Mòrag must bring the clans together under one banner, her banner.

But some of the clans are loyal to Edward. And she soon discovers the truth behind her grandmother’s demise.

Book 5 – Beat the Drums of War: Release date: 1st June 2017

Mòrag must face her father in a last ditch effort to defeat him. But what good are swords and arrows when even a nuclear apocalypse could do him no harm?

With the help of Rhona and the remaining members of the MacDonald family, Mòrag comes face to face with the soul of her grandmother. It soon becomes clear that the Mòrag I — the Great Warrior Queen, is far more than she seems. Mòrag must decide if she is willing to relinquish control of her own body for the greater good.

Harry must come to terms with who he is and accept that he is destined to rule. Only the will of the Highland Queen and the Lowland King combined, will be enough to match the ancient evil that seeks to corrupt all.

Mòrag will need her friends and allies more than ever in this final installment of her story.

But can she defeat her father?

Connect with the author:

Amazon Author Page: Karen Gray on Amazon

Blog: Thistles and Roses

My Writer’s Forum: Karen’s Writer’s Forum

Goodreads: Karen Gray on Goodreads

Linkedin: Karen Gray on LinkedIn

Pinterest: Karen on Pinterest

Twitter: @KarenGr4y

Website: http://thistlesandroses.co.uk

 

 

 

Filed under: author, book review, reading, writing

Book review: Strange Matters by Bret Allen

Strange Matters by Bret Allen is a really fantastic and imaginative collection of short stories, each one different to the next.

There were so many brilliant tales that just choosing one to be my favourite was difficult, but when push comes to shove, I would choose ‘The Firebird.’ I thought, like his other stories, it was masterfully crafted, engrossing, and a real page turner.

Being short stories there is little I can say about the contents without spoiling not only the story, but the atmosphere the author so expertly creates. I will however say this, Strange Matters is a collection of very unique tales which express the author’s talents, not only in imagination, but in his ability to adapt his writing style to one which suits the tale being woven.

I would, without a doubt, recommend this book to anyone. I found myself having to finish the story before bed, I was not content to put it down unless it was finished. For me this is a tell-tale sign of a good book.

In most short stories books I have read, I will often find myself skipping over various stories, or speed reading through them to hurry along the parts I don’t enjoy as much, but this was not the case, every sentence, every word was brilliantly constructed to serve a purpose.

There were some stories that I can imagine will be a basis for further stories in this author’s career, as I have said, there are so many fantastic ideas that I find it hard to believe some characters from the stories won’t be reappearing in future ones.

All in all a fantastic read. I can honestly say I am looking forward to seeing more work from this promising author.

As always, here are the links

US – Strange Matters: Collected Tales of Fantasy, Myth and Magic

UK – Strange Matters: Collected Tales of Fantasy, Myth and Magic

 

 

 

Filed under: book review, reading