Rowena Dawn's Blog, page 9
November 9, 2016
BOOK LAUNCH: CONTROL BY R.M. GAUTHIER
Control SynopsisCan one night change everything?
After a night out with her best friend Alexandria's world is turned upside down making her re-evaluate her entire life. Meeting, Landon Miller, a powerful businessman and owner of an exclusive club opens the door to a world she never knew existed. But, what lies beneath his business suit is a dark domain of mystery and control that unlocks a world of crime and punishment.
About R. M. GauthierR. M. Gauthier lives in Ontario, Canada and has a diploma in Film & TVProduction. She began her writing career late in life, which she has been quoted saying, "better late than never." She has two novellas published, Longing & Waiting, and is excited her about releasing her debut novel on November 10 2016.
She is part of many writing Facebook groups and helps run a group called The Indie WritersCooperative, which provides her plenty of joy helping other authors anyway she can.
Website: http://www.rmgauthier.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ren071968
Where To Buy Control
http://amazon.com/author/rmgauthier R. M.'s Control Giveaway
To celebrate the launch of Control, R. M. will be doing a number of giveaway's today on the Facebook event page
https://www.facebook.com/events/397589900629227/
My Control Giveaway
R. M. has very kindly given me a copy of the Control ebook, to giveaway to one of my readers. All you need to do to enter the giveaway is leave a comment on this blog post. The giveaway will close on Nov 20th when the winner will be chosen at random.
Congratulations R. M.
I’m honored to be a part of your Control launch team and wish both you and the book every success!
November 6, 2016
"REMEMBER" A CHRISTMAS NOVELLA BY JOAN CARNEY
Hello and welcome to the latest "Indie Author Cooperative" Book Launch Blog Tour. Today we're joining with the romance author Joan Carney, to celebrate the Kindle launch of her Christmas novella “Remember”"Remember" Synopsis
For most people, Christmas is a time of joy and anticipation. But when a freak accident robs Gracie of her memory, the lines between fantasy and reality blur.
Now there’s only one gift Gracie wants for Christmas, and the only man who can bring it is not Santa.
About Joan CarneyA transplant from the concrete sidewalks of New York City to the sunny beaches of Southern California, Ms. Carney enjoys writing stories about women who are strong—whether by nature or circumstance—and the men who love and respect them for who they are. Things that make her happy are rainy days (too much sun is a bore), writing the perfect first line, family get-togethers, reading books that grab her heart, and finding new connections in her genealogy research. Bold coffee and dark chocolate fuel the artistic fire inspired by her family, friends, and psycho, lizard hunting cat.
Website: www.joancarneyauthor.com
Twitter:
www.twitter.com/JCarneyWrites
Where to buy Remember
http://viewbook.at/JC-REMEMBERJoan’s "Remember" Giveaway
To celebrate the launch of "Remember," Joan is hosting a giveaway on her blog, where you can win an Amazon giftcard, or a copy of her previous release, "Fated Memories." To enter the giveaway, please head over to her blog
http://www.joancarneyauthor.com/blog
My "Remember" Giveaway
Joan has very kindly given me a copy of the Remember Kindle ebook, to giveaway to one of my readers. All you need to do to enter the giveaway is leave a comment on this blog post. The giveaway will close on November 15th when the winner will be chosen at random.
Congratulations Joan!
I’m honored to be a part of your Remember launch team and wish both you and the book every success!
November 2, 2016
WHERE THERE'S A WILL BY ALEX R CARVER
NEW BOOK LAUNCH:
WHERE THERE'S A WILL
BY ALEX R CARVER
Where There's A Will
Inspector Stone Book One
Alex R Carver
An armed robbery, a kidnapping, and an enemy that's closer than anyone realises.
Inspector Stone has to put aside problems at home and an ambitious underling when the daughter of a local businessman is kidnapped, and a multi-million Euro ransom demanded for her return.
Can he find her and return her safely to her parents when the kidnappers are dangerously close to home?
About the book
This is the first in my Inspector Stone series, which is set, for the most part, in the fictional small English town of Branton, I have six books queued up in the series, to be released over the next few years, with more ideas to be written; the character of Inspector Stone was inspired by David Jason's Inspector Frost, and by the variety of other British detectives I have read and seen on TV.
The official release date is Nov 3, but it is available to pre-order now at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M7VJ1MY
Author Bio:
I have worked in the clerical, warehouse and retail industries over the years, without gaining much satisfaction, and have now quit to become a full-time writer. My first novel, Where There’s A Will, book one in a detective series is to be released January 2017, with a thriller, Murder In Oakhurst, due shortly after.
You can find out more about my writing on my blog, https://arcbookblog.wordpress.com/ including previews of the novels I'm working on, short stories and reviews.
October 21, 2016
REVIEW: A CUP OF PENDING: REVENGE - SOUTH BEACH STYLE
Review: A Cup of Pending: Revenge - South Beach Style (Kindle Edition) -
by Jonah Gibson
*****
I loved this book. It delivered everything I expected and even much more than that. I admired the writer’s ingenuity. The entire adventure started with a petty gesture of an individual that thought he was better than everyone else: Oliver tripped a homeless person (Tommy) so that he would lose the pending cup of coffee he obtained in a coffee shop. The following few pages made me think that the homeless guy and his friend, Cliff, would track Oliver down and kill him and that was that. I couldn’t be more wrong than that! The plot wasn’t so simple, so linear. It meanders through a reality show, a bunch of church-going people, all sorts of schemes and plots.
The author brought to life different type of groups and conceptions. The reality is brutal sometimes and hilarious other times. The action keeps you guessing and the end of the novel is far from what anyone would expect.
The characters are well-developed and interesting. I could see every single one of them; even the characters that had only a few lines were not just sketchy.
The turns of phrase contribute to the novel value. There were some awkward sentences here and there but they get lost in the entirety of the novel.
This is a novel I would recommend. It is for the people loving intricate plots, for people glued to reality shows on TV as well as for people looking for some romance (yes, there’s also some romance in there, even though it starts completely different than one would expect for romance).
October 12, 2016
O VIATA ALBASTRA BY MIRELA STANCU
Un volum de versuri și proză scurtă, cu tentă de introspecție, în care vă veți regăsi, cu siguranță, propriile trăiri.
Volumul a fost tipărit la Editura Inspirescu.
Poezii de dragoste și dor, de revoltă interioară, de admirație, muzele fiind imagini sau muzica ascultată.
Desenele le-am realizat pentru a exprima vizual gândurile scrise.
This is a poetry and prose book in Romanian. The literary pieces were weaved with introspection and anybody could find their own feelings within the verses or the lines of the stories.
Drawings .accompany the poetic images.
October 6, 2016
LOVE INDIE ROMANCE 1.0
LOVE INDIE ROMANCE 1.0WWW.LOVEINDIEROMANCE.COM/EVENT
Amanda SiegristWebsite
Goodreads
Jane Blythe
Website
Goodreads
Bree Verity
Website
Goodreads
J. Saman
Website
Goodreads
India R. Adams
Website
Goodreads
Groovy Lee
Website
Goodreads
Annie Arcane
Website
Goodreads
Rowena Dawn
Website
Goodreads
T.L. Clark
Website
Goodreads
Nicole R. Locker
Website
Goodreads
Marina Lovechild
Website
Goodreads
Hello there,
I’ve got some exciting news to share with you...
In two days, on October 8th, the world celebrates indie authors all over the world. Well, the only thing I can say is: it was just about the time!
That was the first piece of news. The second one: a totally crazy group of romance writers (believe me, they are very different and bring something for everyone – wow, it’s like it’s almost Christmas!!!) have decided to honor this day with a special event: LOVE INDIE ROMANCE 0.1
As part of the event, on October 8th they're offering their books free or at least discounted.
Here's the event page:
https://www.loveindieromance.com/event/
Save the date and come to this awesome event! You know, you can grab a bargain and get some great romance reads (or erotica)!
Oh, I’ve almost forgotten… You can click on the links above and meet the authors. They’re worth knowing, in my opinion. Why won’t you try it? Don’t take my word for that.
October 2, 2016
New Release: Medical Kidnap Files #1 by P.D. Workman
In a tale ripped from the headlines, award-winning author P.D. Workman brings you Gabriel Tate’s discovery of the dark and light sides of human nature in Mito, Medical Kidnap Files #1. Gabriel has dealt with mysterious medical issues his whole life. Just when he finally thought that they had all of the answers and he was on the road to good health, he is apprehended by DFS on the grounds of medical neglect.
At first, he thought that he would be back home in a few days, once the misunderstanding was cleared up. But when Renata tells Gabriel her crazy conspiracy theories, Gabriel feels the first pangs of doubt. Is there really a conspiracy? Will he ever be able to get well and go back to his mother, or is he doomed to be another guinea pig for Doctor De Klerk?
By the author of Tattooed Teardrops, winner of the Top Fiction award in the 2016 In the Margins Top Ten Best Books for Teens literary award, Mito will open your eyes to a dark secret that the medical community would rather you didn’t know.
Praise for Mito, Medical Kidnap Files #1
Is it paranoia or....reality? Readers will draw their own conclusions, but the question will linger in their minds long after they finish this book. I’m most anxious to see where this story will take us in the sequel, EDS.
A phenomenal read! The story line is both exasperating and inspiring. Is it a conspiracy or crazy thoughts? You have to read to the end to know for sure.
I thoroughly enjoyed Mito. I didn't want to put any it down.
Praise for P.D. Workman
“Every single one of [P.D. Workman’s] books has spoken to me in ways no one or almost anything else has. And I have found strength in the books I've read."
"The way that P.D. Workman writes just flows amazingly and allows the reader to get really invested in a book."
"This is one author I certainly will be looking out for, I can’t recommend it enough. A fantastic book."
Biography
Award-winning author P.D. Workman writes riveting young adult/suspense fiction about mental illness, addiction, and abuse. P.D. Workman is a devout wife and a mother of one, born and raised in Alberta, Canada. She loves to read books in all formats and is a technology geek with a love for all kinds of gadgets and tools. For as long as she can remember, the blank page has held an incredible allure, leading her to write her first complete novel at the age of twelve.
September 28, 2016
PRESS RELEASE - BECKA'S AWAKENING BY ROWENA DAWN
TITLE: BECKA'S AWAKENING
BOOK ONE - THE WINSTONS SERIES
AUTHOR: ROWENA DAWN
GENRE: NEW ADULT CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
Becka is a witch and not a very good one. With her great-grandmother's curse hanging over her she has no idea how to escape her fate. When she suddenly spills her coffee on a stranger she finds out there's more to life than what she thought.
But is she ready for what that means?
AUTHOR BIO:
Rowena writes romance, reads thrillers and watches comedies. She likes walking through the woods but insanely loves the sea. She has a love - hate relationship with her writing and drives her dog crazy whenever she doesn't stop writing to take him out. And yes, she bakes,bread and cakes. Apparently good ones - they're always in demand. TO BUY THE BOOK:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0WKJHD
Other titles by Rowena Dawn:
Leap of Faith: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IJ6XIHI
Double-Edged: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JBTNT2G
Press Release link:
http://www.briefingwire.com/pr/how-to-get-the-power-and-the-money-or-how-to-get-the-guy
September 26, 2016
NEW RELEASE: HYPEREARTH BY MARCO MAREK
Title: HyperearthAuthor: Marco Marek
Genre: Fantasy
A castle within the city of Lubena holds a secret: a portal to the alternate world of Hyperearth. Mary and Martina encounter beings that range from the curious to the dangerous. They must save their newfound friends and defeat the evil Sathon. Will they solve the quest and make it out in time? Or will they remain in Hyperearth forever?
Author BioMarco Marek was born in north Italy. He always had a fervid imagination and a passion for fantasy stories, medieval magicians, ancient history, and unexplained mysteries. While he was visiting a castle in Eastern Europe, he had the idea of writing Hyperearth. Apart from writing, Marco is also a painter and photographer, he likes digital artwork on Photoshop. The cover of Hyperearth is his creation. He loves traveling when he has some free time. Links
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/1marcomarek/
Facebook:
http://fb.me/MarcoMarekAuthor
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/1MarcoMarek
Google Plus:
https://plus.google.com/1169541943056...
Good Reads
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23942444-hyperearth
Youtube
http://youtu.be/Rp89rPAdBco
Tumblr
http://marcomarekauthor.tumblr.com/
Blog
http://marcomarekauthor.blogspot.it/
Buy the Book: Hyperearth
Angels are with me
September 25, 2016
INTERVIEW SERIES - ROBIN WYATT DUNN
INTERVIEW WITH ROBIN WYATT DUNN
Bio: Robin Wyatt Dunn lives in a state of desperation engineered by late capitalism, within which his mind is a mere subset of a much larger hallucination wherein men are machines, machines are men, and the world and everything in it are mere dreams whose eddies and currents poets can channel briefly but cannot control. Perhaps it goes without saying that he lives in Los Angeles.
Reading at Roar Shack in Los Angeles, my poem “Hollywood Men”, May 15, 2016
https://www.facebook.com/settdigger/videos/10156926897705174/
Hollywood men has been published here:
https://cactifur.com/2016/07/17/poetry-hollywood-men-robin-wyatt-dunn/
Reading “Man and Woman” which was published in Garbanzo Literary Journal #3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7T3m-7sTk-I
http://www.garbanzoliteraryjournal.org/Home.html
They also made a trailer for that book here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpKLJ3dtOro
Welcome to Roxana's Blog!
Q: Tell us a little about yourself and your background.
I was born in Wyoming in 1979, so I’m 37. I’ve had about one address for every year of my life. Favorite cities I’ve lived in include Los Angeles, California, Austin, Texas, Bronx, New York, and Oxford, England.
Q: Do you think that your school years have had an impact in your writing career? If so, what were you like at school?
I was fortunate to be a public school student in Texas as a kid when the state was still investing a lot of its oil money in public schools, so I actually had a PhD teach me third grade math. But I always liked learning so I didn’t need much encouragement.
I got my BA from Fordham University where they had a great honors program with an old fashioned ‘great books’ curriculum: read tons of literature, history, philosophy and art of the ancient, medieval, early modern and modern worlds.
Q: Were you good at English or like Einstein you excel now in a field that was a nightmare for you as a student?
I was always good at English.
Q: What are your future ambitions for your writing career?
It would be great to make some money but the kind of things I most enjoy writing don’t seem to have enormous commercial appeal.
Money aside, I’d like to develop my poetry so that it is more transformative; so that it can do things I don’t quite have the words for now.
I’d like to improve my prose too; I don’t know quite how.
Q: Which poets have inspired you and how? What was their impact on your work or your literary perspective?
Walt Whitman is like a nuclear bomb; the blast sort of clears out your mind of vegetation so you can see the world like he does, immense.
Emily Dickenson is like a spelunker; dragging you down into terrifying caves.
E.E. Cummings I read very young and was always amazed at what he did; I didn’t know you could do that with poetry.
Keats writes love better than anybody else.
Ginsberg is like a good sergeant, showing you where to march, and not letting you stop.
T.S. Eliot is a dreamer, like me. And I always liked his nightmarish landscapes, and how they intersected with the “normal” world.
Q: So, would you mind telling us what you have written so far?
I’ve written 16 books to date. 9 already published, 4 to be published this year, and 3 in 2017. They are listed below, some with links:
Forthcoming, Wine Country, poetry.
Forthcoming, 2DEE, a novel.
Forthcoming, Sunsborne, poetry.
Forthcoming, Black Dove , a novel.
Forthcoming, November 4, 2016, City, Psychonaut.
Forthcoming, September 10, 2016, Colonel Stierlitz , a novella.
Forthcoming, August 25, 2016, White Man Book .
December 30, 2015, Conquistador of the Night Lands.
December 7, 2015, Poems from the War, narrative poetry.
October 1, 2015, Julia, Skydaughter , a novella.
June 5, 2015, Last Freedom , a collection of short plays.
December 30, 2014, A Map of Kex's Face.
June 5, 2014, Fighting Down into the Kingdom of Dreams.
March 7, 2014, Line to Night Island , a novella.
August 28, 2013, My Name is Dee.
December 29, 2011, Los Angeles, or American Pharaohs.
I’ve also written 7 chapbooks of poetry:
April 24, 2016, Koreatown . Gypsy Daughter.
April 22, 2016, Mary. Rinky Dink Press.
December 30, 2015, Hanblečeya . White Knuckle Press.
January 20, 2015, Be Closer for my Burn . Crisis Chronicles Press.
October 21, 2014, Telegrams from X County . White Knuckle Press.
August 31, 2014, A Picnic in England . Gypsy Daughter.
November 13, 2013, Drive Thru Poems . White Knuckle Press.
I’m also fortunate to have had published a few hundred short stories, poems and essays. They are listed with links here:
http://robindunn.com/writing.html
Q: What are you working on at the minute? What’s it about?
I am working (slowly!) on a story about a man living in London who spends much of his time in a simulated version of his city. In the simulated version, war has destroyed the city and he lives in apartment he cannot leave, because of the fires and pollution. He is a scientist, trying to find out the connection between waking life and dreams.
Q: What genre are your books and what draws you to this genre?
They’re a mix of literary, science fiction, magical realism. But I just write whatever I find fun!
Q: When did you decide to become a poet? What was the decisive factor or you just took a pen and starting writing poems?
I’ve always written poetry. But I didn’t start writing books until after the Wall Street crash of 2008. Like many people I had a hard time of it, and books, for me, have been some of the best therapy.
Q: What makes you write? What’s the force behind taking your pen (or your keyboard) and put verses down?
Language infiltrates as well as reflects reality; we are always in a feedback loop with the world but language, and its precise control, gives us more influence over the world. Writing allows us to control our own destiny, as well as giving us a fuller understanding of all those areas of our lives over which we will never have any control at all.
Q: Do you write full-time or part-time? Do you have a special time to write or do you write every day, 5 days a week or as and when?
I teach much of the year and write most summers. I do manage to write at other times too. I wrote a great deal when I was an MFA student but all good things come to an end!
Q: Where do your ideas come from? Or is it just the spur of the moment, a special feeling you experience or a specific conjuncture that offers you inspiration?
Like many writers, especially with poems and short stories, I am trying to capture a specific feeling, often one I experience when listening to music.
Novels are about feelings too, but more about ideas, for me, and trying to work them out on a large scale.
Q: How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?
I really have no idea; I think I’ve gotten better and others seem to agree with that. So cheers to me!
Q: In your opinion, what is the hardest thing about writing?
Beginning.
Q: Now, what about the easiest thing about writing?
Finishing!
Q: Do you ever get writer’s Block and if so do you have any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?
I’ve never had a serious case of it but minor cases I’ve had I’ve often managed to beat simply through self-discipline, like going to work even when it’s the last thing you want to do.
Q: Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors? For your own reading, do you prefer eBooks or traditional paper/hard back books?
I do prefer physical books. Reading many pages on a screen makes me tired, and I like turning pages.
Some of my favorite writers are Gene Wolfe, Peter Hoeg, Sheri S Tepper, James Joyce, William Faulkner, China Mieville, Bruce Sterling, William Gibson, Nicole Krauss, Michael Chabon.
I am very fond of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, whoever its medieval author may have been, as well as The Epic of Gilgamesh.
Q: What book/s are you reading at present?
I am reading The Elephant Keeper’s Children, by Peter Hoeg.
Q: Do you proofread/edit all your own books or do you get someone to do that for you?
I do proofread all of them myself. Getting someone else to help is great, which I have done with books I have published in the small press. A good editor is worth twice their weight in salt!
Q: Do you let the book stew – leave it for a month and then come back to it to edit?
Sometimes I will let the book stew mid-writing. But once I finish it I tend to try to edit it quickly.
Q: Tell us about the covers of your books. How did it/they come about?
I am very fortunate to work with Barbara Sobczyńska, who I met through the web site Deviant Art. She is a very talented artist living in Krakow.
Q: Do you think that the cover plays an important part in the buying process?
Absolutely. We all judge books by their covers!
Q: How do you market your books, if you do the marketing yourself?
Sites/ companies I have found helpful:
Publishers Weekly, LibraryThing, Foreword Reviews, Goodreads, as well as our old friend Google, for hunting down reviewers.
Q: Would you or do you use a PR agency?
I would if I could afford it!
Q: Do you have any advice for other authors on how to market their books?
Never tell a reviewer to kill themselves, even if they deserve it! J
Q: What part of your writing time do you devote to marketing your book?
Very little! Submitting already takes a fair amount of time.
Q: How successful has your quest for reviews been so far?
Some reviews I’ve enjoyed of my writing (both good and bad):
http://www.amazon.com/review/R333YB4P22RIJG/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#R333YB4P22RIJG
www.shimmerzine.com/2013/09/12/trampoline-novels/
www.thegeekgirlproject.com/2014/02/01/fighting-down-in-the-kingdom-of-dreams/
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1093357914?book_show_action=true (best negative review ever!)
http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-940830-10-0
http://maroonedoffvesta.blogspot.com/2015/08/dreamboat-by-robin-wyatt-dunn.html
Q: What are your thoughts on good/bad reviews?
Try to ignore both!
Q: Do you think that giving books away free works and why?
Yes, especially when you’re an unknown. People don’t often buy books by people they’ve never heard of, and if you have no reviews on the web.
Q: How do you relax?
Hiking. And sleeping!
Q: What is your favorite motivational phrase? What is your favorite positive saying?
I like the quote often attributed to Goethe, though I it might not be his words:
“Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”
Q: What is your favorite book and why?
The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe (a series of 5 books)
In addition to describing a beautiful near-apocalypse landscape (the sun is dying), these books pose powerful moral questions about the nature of violence and our understanding of heroism in relation to violence.
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Keep writing!
Q: Where do you see publishing going in the future?
Lots of it will become stupider and more garish.
At the same time, I believe an opposing movement will gain steam, of intelligent books for intelligent people, with improved distribution.
Q: How can readers discover more about you and you work?
Website: robindunn.com
Facebook: fb.com/settdigger
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Robin-Wyatt-Dunn/e/B006RL8CPG
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/settdigger
Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.
Bio: Robin Wyatt Dunn lives in a state of desperation engineered by late capitalism, within which his mind is a mere subset of a much larger hallucination wherein men are machines, machines are men, and the world and everything in it are mere dreams whose eddies and currents poets can channel briefly but cannot control. Perhaps it goes without saying that he lives in Los Angeles.
Reading at Roar Shack in Los Angeles, my poem “Hollywood Men”, May 15, 2016
https://www.facebook.com/settdigger/videos/10156926897705174/
Hollywood men has been published here:
https://cactifur.com/2016/07/17/poetry-hollywood-men-robin-wyatt-dunn/
Reading “Man and Woman” which was published in Garbanzo Literary Journal #3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7T3m-7sTk-I
http://www.garbanzoliteraryjournal.org/Home.html
They also made a trailer for that book here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpKLJ3dtOro
Welcome to Roxana's Blog!
Q: Tell us a little about yourself and your background.
I was born in Wyoming in 1979, so I’m 37. I’ve had about one address for every year of my life. Favorite cities I’ve lived in include Los Angeles, California, Austin, Texas, Bronx, New York, and Oxford, England.
Q: Do you think that your school years have had an impact in your writing career? If so, what were you like at school?
I was fortunate to be a public school student in Texas as a kid when the state was still investing a lot of its oil money in public schools, so I actually had a PhD teach me third grade math. But I always liked learning so I didn’t need much encouragement.
I got my BA from Fordham University where they had a great honors program with an old fashioned ‘great books’ curriculum: read tons of literature, history, philosophy and art of the ancient, medieval, early modern and modern worlds.
Q: Were you good at English or like Einstein you excel now in a field that was a nightmare for you as a student?
I was always good at English.
Q: What are your future ambitions for your writing career?
It would be great to make some money but the kind of things I most enjoy writing don’t seem to have enormous commercial appeal.
Money aside, I’d like to develop my poetry so that it is more transformative; so that it can do things I don’t quite have the words for now.
I’d like to improve my prose too; I don’t know quite how.
Q: Which poets have inspired you and how? What was their impact on your work or your literary perspective?
Walt Whitman is like a nuclear bomb; the blast sort of clears out your mind of vegetation so you can see the world like he does, immense.
Emily Dickenson is like a spelunker; dragging you down into terrifying caves.
E.E. Cummings I read very young and was always amazed at what he did; I didn’t know you could do that with poetry.
Keats writes love better than anybody else.
Ginsberg is like a good sergeant, showing you where to march, and not letting you stop.
T.S. Eliot is a dreamer, like me. And I always liked his nightmarish landscapes, and how they intersected with the “normal” world.
Q: So, would you mind telling us what you have written so far?
I’ve written 16 books to date. 9 already published, 4 to be published this year, and 3 in 2017. They are listed below, some with links:
Forthcoming, Wine Country, poetry.
Forthcoming, 2DEE, a novel.
Forthcoming, Sunsborne, poetry.
Forthcoming, Black Dove , a novel.
Forthcoming, November 4, 2016, City, Psychonaut.
Forthcoming, September 10, 2016, Colonel Stierlitz , a novella.
Forthcoming, August 25, 2016, White Man Book .
December 30, 2015, Conquistador of the Night Lands.
December 7, 2015, Poems from the War, narrative poetry.
October 1, 2015, Julia, Skydaughter , a novella.
June 5, 2015, Last Freedom , a collection of short plays.
December 30, 2014, A Map of Kex's Face.
June 5, 2014, Fighting Down into the Kingdom of Dreams.
March 7, 2014, Line to Night Island , a novella.
August 28, 2013, My Name is Dee.
December 29, 2011, Los Angeles, or American Pharaohs.
I’ve also written 7 chapbooks of poetry:
April 24, 2016, Koreatown . Gypsy Daughter.
April 22, 2016, Mary. Rinky Dink Press.
December 30, 2015, Hanblečeya . White Knuckle Press.
January 20, 2015, Be Closer for my Burn . Crisis Chronicles Press.
October 21, 2014, Telegrams from X County . White Knuckle Press.
August 31, 2014, A Picnic in England . Gypsy Daughter.
November 13, 2013, Drive Thru Poems . White Knuckle Press.
I’m also fortunate to have had published a few hundred short stories, poems and essays. They are listed with links here:
http://robindunn.com/writing.html
Q: What are you working on at the minute? What’s it about?
I am working (slowly!) on a story about a man living in London who spends much of his time in a simulated version of his city. In the simulated version, war has destroyed the city and he lives in apartment he cannot leave, because of the fires and pollution. He is a scientist, trying to find out the connection between waking life and dreams.
Q: What genre are your books and what draws you to this genre?
They’re a mix of literary, science fiction, magical realism. But I just write whatever I find fun!
Q: When did you decide to become a poet? What was the decisive factor or you just took a pen and starting writing poems?
I’ve always written poetry. But I didn’t start writing books until after the Wall Street crash of 2008. Like many people I had a hard time of it, and books, for me, have been some of the best therapy.
Q: What makes you write? What’s the force behind taking your pen (or your keyboard) and put verses down?
Language infiltrates as well as reflects reality; we are always in a feedback loop with the world but language, and its precise control, gives us more influence over the world. Writing allows us to control our own destiny, as well as giving us a fuller understanding of all those areas of our lives over which we will never have any control at all.
Q: Do you write full-time or part-time? Do you have a special time to write or do you write every day, 5 days a week or as and when?
I teach much of the year and write most summers. I do manage to write at other times too. I wrote a great deal when I was an MFA student but all good things come to an end!
Q: Where do your ideas come from? Or is it just the spur of the moment, a special feeling you experience or a specific conjuncture that offers you inspiration?
Like many writers, especially with poems and short stories, I am trying to capture a specific feeling, often one I experience when listening to music.
Novels are about feelings too, but more about ideas, for me, and trying to work them out on a large scale.
Q: How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?
I really have no idea; I think I’ve gotten better and others seem to agree with that. So cheers to me!
Q: In your opinion, what is the hardest thing about writing?
Beginning.
Q: Now, what about the easiest thing about writing?
Finishing!
Q: Do you ever get writer’s Block and if so do you have any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?
I’ve never had a serious case of it but minor cases I’ve had I’ve often managed to beat simply through self-discipline, like going to work even when it’s the last thing you want to do.
Q: Do you read much and if so who are your favorite authors? For your own reading, do you prefer eBooks or traditional paper/hard back books?
I do prefer physical books. Reading many pages on a screen makes me tired, and I like turning pages.
Some of my favorite writers are Gene Wolfe, Peter Hoeg, Sheri S Tepper, James Joyce, William Faulkner, China Mieville, Bruce Sterling, William Gibson, Nicole Krauss, Michael Chabon.
I am very fond of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, whoever its medieval author may have been, as well as The Epic of Gilgamesh.
Q: What book/s are you reading at present?
I am reading The Elephant Keeper’s Children, by Peter Hoeg.
Q: Do you proofread/edit all your own books or do you get someone to do that for you?
I do proofread all of them myself. Getting someone else to help is great, which I have done with books I have published in the small press. A good editor is worth twice their weight in salt!
Q: Do you let the book stew – leave it for a month and then come back to it to edit?
Sometimes I will let the book stew mid-writing. But once I finish it I tend to try to edit it quickly.
Q: Tell us about the covers of your books. How did it/they come about?
I am very fortunate to work with Barbara Sobczyńska, who I met through the web site Deviant Art. She is a very talented artist living in Krakow.
Q: Do you think that the cover plays an important part in the buying process?
Absolutely. We all judge books by their covers!
Q: How do you market your books, if you do the marketing yourself?
Sites/ companies I have found helpful:
Publishers Weekly, LibraryThing, Foreword Reviews, Goodreads, as well as our old friend Google, for hunting down reviewers.
Q: Would you or do you use a PR agency?
I would if I could afford it!
Q: Do you have any advice for other authors on how to market their books?
Never tell a reviewer to kill themselves, even if they deserve it! J
Q: What part of your writing time do you devote to marketing your book?
Very little! Submitting already takes a fair amount of time.
Q: How successful has your quest for reviews been so far?
Some reviews I’ve enjoyed of my writing (both good and bad):
http://www.amazon.com/review/R333YB4P22RIJG/ref=cm_cr_pr_viewpnt#R333YB4P22RIJG
www.shimmerzine.com/2013/09/12/trampoline-novels/
www.thegeekgirlproject.com/2014/02/01/fighting-down-in-the-kingdom-of-dreams/
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1093357914?book_show_action=true (best negative review ever!)
http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-940830-10-0
http://maroonedoffvesta.blogspot.com/2015/08/dreamboat-by-robin-wyatt-dunn.html
Q: What are your thoughts on good/bad reviews?
Try to ignore both!
Q: Do you think that giving books away free works and why?
Yes, especially when you’re an unknown. People don’t often buy books by people they’ve never heard of, and if you have no reviews on the web.
Q: How do you relax?
Hiking. And sleeping!
Q: What is your favorite motivational phrase? What is your favorite positive saying?
I like the quote often attributed to Goethe, though I it might not be his words:
“Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”
Q: What is your favorite book and why?
The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe (a series of 5 books)
In addition to describing a beautiful near-apocalypse landscape (the sun is dying), these books pose powerful moral questions about the nature of violence and our understanding of heroism in relation to violence.
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Keep writing!
Q: Where do you see publishing going in the future?
Lots of it will become stupider and more garish.
At the same time, I believe an opposing movement will gain steam, of intelligent books for intelligent people, with improved distribution.
Q: How can readers discover more about you and you work?
Website: robindunn.com
Facebook: fb.com/settdigger
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Robin-Wyatt-Dunn/e/B006RL8CPG
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/settdigger
Thank you very much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to take part in this interview.
Rowena Dawn's Blog
- Rowena Dawn's profile
- 26 followers
Rowena Dawn isn't a Goodreads Author
(yet),
but they
do have a blog,
so here are some recent posts imported from
their feed.
