Assaph Mehr's Blog, page 41

Odd Media

Following the release of In Numina, there naturally came a spate of interviews and media appearances.

From the usual questions about inspirations behind my writing, to an interview about me as a reader (and reviewer), and far out to an odd-ball interview with Felix my cat, they are all here for your edification and amusement. Here’s your chance to catch up on the shenanigans!

I guess the point comes in every writer’s life: not me, not my characters — but my cat. Here is Feli...

Hugh Connor (of King of the Blind, by Caiseal Mor)

Dear readers, tonight with me is a master distiller from 17th century Ireland, here to tell us about whiskey, harps, and faeries.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

I was born in the west of Ireland in 1688. My family moved to Dublin when I was a lad. My father was a coachman to Doctor Delany of that city. Dublin was a peaceful enough place in those days despite the bitter fighting taking place elsewhere in country. It took many years for things to calm down af...

Book Review: Nine Perfect Strangers, by Liane Moriarty

Rather uncharacteristically, I read this international best seller soon after its release (following a binge of childhood-era fantasy, cause hey! squirrel!). I was drawn by several factors: Aussie author (a neighbour, one suburb over), worldwide success, and — not in the least — Moriarty’s hilarious author’s bio.

I wasn’t entirely sure what I was getting into (beyond a vague “contemporary literary fiction” label), but it fit my mood so I delved right...

Patrick Jensen (of The Neuromorphs, by Dennis Meredith)

Dear readers, tonight with me is a retired SEAL who has stumbled on shocking evidence that rogue programmers and Russian mobsters are reprogramming helper androids to take over humanity. He’s here to tell us about his team’s efforts to combat the rise of hive-minded species.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

I grew up in a small town in the backwoods of Washington State, and my Dad worked for a lumber mill there. He was quite the outdoorsman, and t...

Amazon is Evil. Authors are Starving. We’re All Gonna Die! (A rant)

I’ve come across this article, and I’d like to call bullshit: The Disastrous Decline in Author Incomes Isn’t Just Amazon’s Fault, which in turn is based on this survey: Authors Guild Survey Shows Drastic 42 Percent Decline in Authors Earnings in Last Decade.

Go ahead. Go read it (at least the first link) and come back, so we can analyse.

You’re back? Good. Let’s rant.

I have two objections, that should make everyone with common sense and a high-school level math...

Livio Marchiori (of EVO, by Diane May)

Dear readers, tonight with me is homicide detective Livio Marchiori from Verona, Italy, who is currently working on a case which threw the beautiful city of Romeo and Juliet into panic. Captain Marchiori is one of the best detectives in town, his rate of solved cases being the highest in Northern Italy. He is now facing The Hypnotist, a serial killer whose modus operandi borders the supernatural and who is as elusive as a ghost, and is here to tell us a little bit about himself and his inves...

Encouragement

Last year, I’ve posted my review of Wizard of Earthsea around the net, and this happened:

This was on BookBub. Ms Le Guin (the author of Earthsea) was an accomplished and prolific Sci-Fi & Fantasy author and an outspoken advocate on social issues, whose books deeply influenced my adolescence. So, naturally, this was all very squee-worthy.

Now, what’s the likelihood of Ms Le Guin visiting BookBub and interacting with reviewers? Not high, especially considering that she passed...

Jarrod Torrealday (of The Outworlders Saga, by Joseph Malik)

Dear readers, tonight with me is a cross-dimensional champion. Taken from Earth to a strange new world, this former Olympic saber hopeful and medieval weapons expert was  tasked to be an adviser to the war council for a magical realm teetering on the edge of collapse.

We wanted to meet Jarrod Torrealday since we first read his book, and finally caught up with him at his castle home in the Wild River Reach at the end of this past autumn, between his two book adventures.

Tell us a little about...

Writers of the Future

WotF Contest

Writers of the Future is a respected Science Fiction and Fantasy short-story contest for new authors, that has been running since the mid 1980’s.

It’s free and open to authors who have not been professionally published. Some very well known authors in SF&F have started their way with wins there (Patrick Rothfuss, anyone?), and the list of past and present judges is awe-inspiring.

Why am I bringing this up? Because Girl on Fire, one my short Felix mysteries, has r...

Benji Fisher (of Mermaids Are Real, by Bo Wu)

Dear readers, tonight with me is a young boy who grew up by the sea. Used to surfing with dolphins and some odd things encountered underwater, he’s come here to tell us about how his life changes following a recruitment speech from an octopus the night before his thirteenth birthday.

What was it like growing up in Beech Mill?

I liked the town much more than the growing up part. It’s hard when you stick out and all everyone else is trying to do is conform. I think no matter where you ar...