E. Rachael Hardcastle's Blog, page 13

Book Signing Goodies

Introduction To Creative Writing Workshop

E. Rachael HardcastleIntroduction to Creative WritingJuly 2nd 2017 at 1400-1600 hours (arrive 1330 hours) at The Triangle, ShipleyEntry: £5.00 per personE. Rachael Hardcastle will introduce herself and her assistant, then ask everyone to complete a name tag. She will explain who she is and what she writes. She will introduce the workshop.1400 hours – SESSION 1 – getting ideas and choosing a genreE. Rachael Hardcastle will explain where she gets her ideas and her regular writing day/ habits. She will teach the main genres and cover the expected word counts for each of them, allowing everyone to select one most suited to their tastes.1430 hours – SESSION 2 - planning and developing a characterE. Rachael Hardcastle will ask everyone to use a pre-printed handout to create and develop their character/s. She will teach the several archetypes and ask everyone to begin thinking of a character.1450 hours – break1500 hours – SESSION 4 - planning and developing a storylineE. Rachael Hardcastle will teach the basic three act structure and story basics including plot twists and inciting incidents, as per the Hero's Journey. She will ask everyone to complete a pre-printed handout during this session to begin planning their storyline.1540 hours – SESSION 5 – staying motivatedE. Rachael Hardcastle will talk about staying motivated to write with a personal mission statement and will explain the benefits of self-publishing.1555 hours – Q&AE. Rachael Hardcastle will answer any questions. There will be a book signing opportunity.If you are interested in attending this event, please telephone The Triangle on 01274 809310. You can visit their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/events/21095.... Rachael Hardcastle

The Author Interviews: Daniel Bishop

Daniel Bishop was born in New Zealand, raised in England and now lives in California. He graduated with a BA in Philosophy and Creative Writing, and now teaches at a public elementary school. Raised on a healthy diet of video games, movies, books and comics, Daniel loves to create stories and learn new ways to tell them. Daniel Bishop writes fiction and his latest/ upcoming release is Nevera Tales Comic Book.Website:http://www.tigercrabstudios.com/Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/tigercrabstudios/Twitter:https://twitter.com/tigercrabstudioWhat made you want to become a writer?I loved reading and writing when I was little, and I wanted so much to create my own characters and tell me own stories, to me it was a kind of magic.What are your thoughts on the indie vs traditional publishing argument?I like the control that indie publishing gives, and it allows the writer to explore more niche audiences that might be a turn-off for traditional publishers.Tell us about your latest novel.My latest comic book is a fantasy horror story told from the perspective of an imprisoned vampire and their quest for freedom over decades of patience and plotting.Please give us your top 3 marketing tips.Find your audience and give them reasons to value you.Show them why your writing is valuable by being open and transparent.Explore different ways of sharing your writing: Like doing readings, audio-books, commissioning original art based on your writing etc.Please give us your top 3 productivity tips.Share your work with others (writing groups, workshops, internet forums etc)Write and edit on separate days (sleep on it)Read your writing aloud to evaluate the tone, rhythm and consistency.Tell us about your typical writing day.Wake up early, make coffee, if I'm feeling uninspired I read some short stories. I then plot out the story beats on paper with a few sample lines of dialogue or action. After I have a beginning, middle and end set I begin typing on Microsoft word freely and messily until I have enough to begin moulding into something more refined with editing. I always edit on a different day to when I write a draft; fresh eyes on the writing after sleep is always powerful.What is your definition of success? Would you say you are a successful author?My definition of success is finding my audience and delivering to them something they enjoy and connect with. I am part way to my goal; I will be there with one or two more comic books and a lot more audience connection.Share some of your writing goals with us. Have you met any of them yet?My goal is to continue to write throughout my whole life, which is going very well.How do you deal with negative reviews and criticism?I take criticism pretty hard, but try to remind myself that I wrote to the best of my abilities at the time, and that I am always growing.Do you have a favourite author for fiction and non-fiction? Why are they your favourite and which of their books would you recommend? Why?My favourite author is Terry Pratchett, his mix of fantasy, satire, and character development has held me since I was ten years old. I would recommend his Tiffany Aching books, especially for young-adult readers.Where do you get your ideas/ how do you find inspiration?I get my ideas and inspiration often from dreams, or from philosophical topics and ethical dilemmas.Can you share any free resources or tools you have found helpful?Nope sorry.Please give us your top 3 world-building tips.I wrote three articles on world-building that have been well received-http://www.tigercrabstudios.com/2016/... you outsource your work (editing and cover design specifically)?Editing I do myself, for concept art, character art and cover art I commission freelance artists.Are you a plotter or a pantser? Please tell us why and what your pre-writing processes are.I always plot before I begin writing, I have to know where I am going and the important emotional beats of the story. My pre-writing process is putting down every thought in a messy notebook filled with arrows and doodles, then refining that into a bullet point list of scenes or events. Then I can start writing.Why do you write?I write because I love to tell stories, and writing affords me the opportunity to go back to a piece again and again until it is something I consider complete and solid.What is your mission statement?My mission statement is to tell great stories that are inclusive and diverse.What do you love the most about writing and why?What I love most about writing is that I can keep changing it until I am happy.What do you dislike about writing and why?There is nothing I dislike about writing.Do you ever visit other authors' websites and if so, what do you look for? Why?I do not visit other authors websites.In order of importance (most important first) when shopping online, what do you look at first? Cover design, formatting, reviews, description, price, publisher, author name, page count, preview, formats available.1. Formats2. Price3. Title4. Cover5. Description6. Reviews7.8.9.10.I agree that indie publishing gives the author more control.YesI agree that indie books should be difficult to identify amongst traditionally published books.I do not have an opinion on this.In order of usefulness (most useful first) when marketing your book, which techniques do you recommend from these options? Social media. Media coverage (newspaper, TV, podcasts etc). Blog tours. Perma-free/ giveaways. Writing more books.1. Maintaining a blog of advice or happenings2. Social media3. Connecting with other writers4.5.Writing is my dream.NoI agree the ideal price for an e-book on Amazon is 99c-$2.99.I do not have an opinion on this.I have suffered writer's block in the past.YesCause of writer's block:Being unable to find a conclusion to a narrative or a character motivation.How you resolved it:Reading poems, short stories, classic literature.I use (Word Processor):ScrivenerMicrosoft WordNotepadOpen OfficeOtherI tried and failed to get a publishing deal and/ or literary agent or had one in the past.NoI outsource my editing.NoI outsource my cover design.YesI outsource my formatting.YesI write to a specific word count every day.NoI set goals and frequently review them.YesI write across genres.YesCheck out this book!Title: Nevera TalesGenre: Fantasy Horror Comic BookBlurb: In the world of Nevera, imprisoned and enslaved beneath the castle of Celephais, the vampire Aston bides his time among the other undead. Neglected within the castle, Elisa also yearns for freedom, but how far is she willing to go to take control of her destiny.Formats available:PDF, Physical and audio.

The Author Interviews: Nancy Quinn

Welcome,Nancy Quinn, to the Author Interviews!Tell us a little about yourself - Perhaps something not many people know?I am a new author and my first book, Go West, Young Woman!, was published through Hellgate Press about 8 months ago. I have been a wildlife artist for over 30 years, so a few of my illustrations are in my book. I live with my family, including dogs and horses, in rural Montana. My book is about our true story of leaving the urban life of Washington, D.C., to live on a mountain with cougars, bears, wolves, and other new “neighbours”.What made you want to become a writer?So many people enjoyed my descriptions of our modern day pioneer life that several of them suggested I write a book. I wrote our story to inspire, educate, and entertain, so I don’t mind if you learn from my mistakes! Books have always been such a huge influence on my own life that I feel honoured now to be a published author.Million dollar question, are you working on another book?Yes, I’m almost halfway through the sequel. It will cover the second half of the ten-year period we’ve been here. I’m planning another book in the future, but it will be about my earlier life as a wildlife duty officer and budding artist in Florida where I often worked with exotic animals, including tigers, cougars, leopards, monkeys, cobras, and assorted birds of prey.What do you think about the ebook revolution?I think ebooks are a wonderful way for authors to market their work. So many of my readers enjoy the price and convenience of them.Pen or type writer or computer?I use a pen and paper to write notes and outlines, but my manuscript is written on a computer.Do you write alone or in public?Definitely alone when it is peaceful and quiet, although in reality, I usually try to block out everything around me and press on. Being an artist, I find certain music enhances my creativity, but when I write I prefer total silence.What have you put most of your effort into regarding writing?I like to paint with words, focusing on precise, clear, vivid descriptions, so my reader is never confused by the structure of a sentence or the meaning of a paragraph. I try to make it a visual experience that engages their other senses.Anything you would like to say to your readers and fans?I would love to express my gratitude to my readers. When someone takes time out of their day to read my book or send me a comment or question, I feel honoured because time is something we all have to prioritize. I think most of us need more hours in our day, so I truly appreciate it when someone spends part of their valuable time with me.Do you have any hidden or uncommon talents?Yes, I was trained as an opera singer when I was a “wee bit” younger.Could you tell us a bit about your most recent book and why it is a must-read?Because our story is a true life adventure, it includes a fun and humorous look at the modern American West. It contains some enjoyable history of how the Montana territory was settled; I share some of our more interesting encounters with wild animals; and if you like dogs and horses, the stories of our relationships with them will touch your heart. It’s a wonderful way to experience the west without getting your boots muddy! I hope it will be read for generations.Many thanks to Nancy for this interview. To support the author, please consider purchasing a copy of the book as seen below.

The White Room Ep.20: Bryan Aiello

The Author Interviews, Round 3: #10: Donald Firesmith

The final interview in this round welcomesDonald Firesmith, author of Hell Holes: Demons of the Dalton.Tell us a little about yourself - Perhaps something not many people know?I used to live in the Pacific Northwest in a tiny lumber-mill town on the south side of Mount Saint Helens. Although the police had closed most of the roads up the mountain (especially on the north side), I actually drove up various logging roads to where the snow stopped me from going any farther just 2 days before the volcano blew. I hoped to feel some of the harmonic tremors, but only remember the deadly silence with no birds singing. I then headed up to a science fiction conference in Vancouver, BC and had to drive back down I5 through all of the ash. I was in one of the last cars across the bridge before they had to close it because of the flood the melted snow, ash, and dead trees rushing down the river. I remember the bridge jerking sideways each time a huge tree hit a support dead on.Million dollar question, are you working on another book?I’m working on three, actually. I am in the middle of writing Hell Holes 3: To Hell and Back, blocking out the plot and characters of Hell Holes 4: A Slave in Hell, and finishing up the manuscript of Free and Low-Cost Marketing for Indie Authors.Have you written any other books that are not published?I wrote two software engineering books that never ended up published because they were overcome by events. I did have six other books published by major publishers.What do you think about the ebook revolution?Absolutely wonderful. No book is perfect, and there are always minor fixes and improvements that can be made. Traditional publishers force you to wait, sometimes forever, before you can put out a second edition. I also have much freedom and control of my books.What is your advice to Indie Authors? On writing? Marketing?My book, Free and Low-Cost Marketing for Indie Authors, is about 90% done. Until the finished book is launched, you can download a free copy from my author website. I only ask in return that you let me know of any recommendations you might have, no matter how few or how small. In other words, I am hoping that some of the people who download it act as informal beta readers.Pen or type writer or computer?COMPUTER!!!! I’ve been using a computer since the late 1980s. It is so much more efficient. I also do a great deal of research for the real aspects of my paranormal, fantasy, science fiction, and horror novels. For example, when writing Hell Holes 2: Demons on the Dalton, I was only able to actually drive the Dalton “Highway” from Fairbanks up to the Yukon River. However, I did virtually drive the whole way down from Deadhorse using Google Maps Street View.Music or silence?MUSIC!! I typically listen to Epic Music on either Pandora or YouTube, although sometimes I listen to Celtic or Middle Eastern instrumentals when I want a change of pace.Do you set goals of certain number of words a week or just when inspiration strikes?Mostly, it depends how busy I am with my day job, how much time I have to spend marketing, and my personal life.What tactics do you have when writing? (For example: outline or just write)I determine the basic plot, identify the specific chapters, and block them out. After that, I just start writing, skipping around as the muse moves me. At that point, it’s totally unplanned and I have no idea what I’m going to write before I write it. It’s fun, kind of like I’m a reader getting to find out what happens next.What have you put most of your effort into regarding writing?I probably spend twice as much time editing and rewriting as I do the original writing, and that’s before the editor(s) get to it. Depending on what I’m writing about, I also spend a lot of time researching aspects of what I am writing about.Does your book have a lesson?I guess it is that a normal person (in my case, a couple of university professors) can rise to the occasion and do what they must to survive.What is your favourite part of your current book?For Hell Holes 3: To Hell and Back, researching and selecting the right thermonuclear bomb and small UAV for spreading the demon plague were a lot of fun. It’s amazing the details you can find on the Internet.If you were running the 100 yard dash with a new writer. What writing, publishing wisdom would you bestow upon him/her before you reached the 100 yards?When you completely finish the first draft of your manuscript, you’re not almost done, not even close. And prepare to spend a lot of time marketing if you want to generate significant sales.If you could spend time with a character from your book who would it be? And what would you do during that day?I would spend the day with the bewitchingly-beautiful 1,400 year-old sorceress, Aileen O’Shannon, learning about more of her adventures, what it’s been live to live so long, and how to do some of the magic she knows.What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author?I think the worst criticism is to get a one or two-star rating without any written review explaining the rationale. Constructive criticism doesn’t bother me as it is an opportunity to improve the book and my writing skills, but a lousy review without explanation is tough. I also have a problem with glowing reviews full of nothing but positive statements coupled with a three-star rating (which Amazon considers a critical/negative review).What has been the best compliment?My first Hell Holes book was written from the first person point of view of the lead male character. The second book was written from the point of view of his wife. In preparation for writing the second book, I must have read 20 paranormal books having strong female protagonists written by female authors. One reviewer of both books complemented me on how he thought that it was remarkable that I had written both books as the second book seemed like it had been written by a female author. Mission accomplished. I also love it when reviewers quote their favourite lines from my books.Who is your favourite author and why?Isaac Asimov. He was a great influence on my science fiction short stories during high school, and I also devoured all of his science books. He was also nice, answering all of my letters with postcards.Do you have any hidden or uncommon talents?I handcraft fine wooden magic wands incorporating gemstones including sapphires, rubies, and emeralds as well as the more typical semiprecious stones.What gives you inspiration for your book(s)?My Hell Hole books were inspired by an article I read concerning mysterious huge holes found in northern Siberia. I asked myself, what would it be like if instead of 3 holes, there were hundreds of holes all around the Arctic Circle and what if they had all appeared overnight? My book, Magical Wands: A Cornucopia of Wand Lore, was inspired when I read about the Flourish and Blotts bookstore in Diagon Alley in the first Harry Potter book. I so wanted to go there and buy some of the books. I kept waiting for JK Rolling to write them, but when she didn’t (except for some very short ones for charity), I decided to write my own.Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?In my Hell Holes series, all of my characters are created from whole cloth. However, in my magic wand book, I included a chapter on famous witches and wizards and their wands in which approximately half of the characters were based on real people (or myths) and the other half were completely made up. It was interesting to see if the readers could tell which ones where which, especially since I added imagined material to the lives of the real people.What do you love most about the writing process?I love when I’m totally in the zone and the writing flows effortlessly as fast as I can type. It only happens rarely, but when it does, it’s great.If you would like to support Donald and his work, please consider purchasing a copy of the book below or visiting his social media. Many thanks.

The Author Interviews, Round 3: #9: Daniel Umbehr

Please welcomeDaniel Umbehrto the Author Interviews.What made you want to become a writer?I never intended to become a writer. In late 2012 I had left the Army and was back at college, a late twenties man surrounded by eighteen and nineteen year olds who still considered their high school graduation to be the biggest event of their lives. Their issues seemed so petty that I couldn’t relate to them, and none of them could understand the Army life I’d just emerged from. This resulted in a lot of time to simply sit, watch and listen.Slowly, an idea began to form in my mind. It was an old childhood fantasy, an odd blending of Conan and Beauty and the Beast. But my mind needed a distraction, so I developed the idea for fun. Within a few days, I realized that I was forgetting parts only to recreate them, so I wrote notes on paper. Before I realized it, I had over sixty pages of handwritten notes. That led to the critical moment.It was already too much to keep on physical paper, and it was still growing. But I knew that if I started typing it into the computer it would lead to something big, probably a full novel. But with nothing to lose and already forming an attachment to this ‘thing’ that my mind had created, I decided to go for it.Eventually I found a local writing critique group “The Woodlands Writers Guild” and they helped me learn the art of writing. Ever since then, it’s just been an addiction. I have too many stories to tell and not enough time to write them all.Million dollar question, are you working on another book?Several, and from multiple genres. To briefly describe a few…1 – A man wakes up in hell and partners with a condemned woman to find the way out.2 – An alien crashes on earth and has to steal a primitive human ship to escape.3 – A collection of stories from my time in the Army, each one a F.U.B.A.R situation.What do you think about the ebook revolution?It’s a mixed bag.The good side is that writers like me can be published without going through half a lifetime of rejection just to get our work out there. Traditional publishers no longer control the gateway to public recognition, and the authors can keep a much larger cut of the money.The bad is anyone can get published, including the incompetent and the unskilled. I spent four years learning to write before I considered myself ‘competent’ and I still make mistakes. But now any amateur who spends a few weeks throwing together a manuscript can present their work on amazon or smashwords as being equal to everyone else. As a result, the public has been flooded with bad writing. This has changed how people shop for books and attached a stigma to the whole industry.What is your advice to Indie Authors? On writing? Marketing?Know your objective from the beginning.Most authors have an inspired story in their head and it’s unique. It will be a very good read if they develop and polish it enough, and that is what most starting authors try to do. But they are probably making the same mistake I made – the book isn’t going to sell. Selling books and writing books are two very different skillsets, and they use very different products. For example, how many romance books have you seen that are just a copy of the same old formula? You see the same thing in fantasy, the formula known as the hero’s journey. Obviously we want something more interesting and unique than this, but for some reason these formula type books sell like crazy. Why?The reason is this: books that follow the formula are easy to market, and that results in sales. Unique books, my first novel included, are harder to market. They don’t fit neatly into predefined genres. They are difficult to summarize in a single sentence, which is the key to catching the attention of a potential buyer.So my advice is this: know what you are after. If you want to create your personal work of unique literature, then follow your inspiration. If you want to sell, then write the formula.What is your writing style?I mainly do third person limited. I aim for a fast pace, no more than a paragraph or two of description per scene because it’s important to get to the action. Because my plots are usually complicated, I’ll spend a few chapters in one character's point of view, then switch to another character so you can see something important over there. As a result, the reader often knows more than the characters.I also dabble in first person, but that is primarily for short stories, not novels.Pen or type writer or computer?It usually begins as a random inspiration, so I write it with whatever pen and paper I have on hand at the time. As soon as possible, I convert it to a computer file; Microsoft word, Windows 7 (I refuse to upgrade to windows 10). I’ve looked at other programs like scrivener and open office, but the key is to use whatever you’re comfortable with. There is no magic program that will somehow give you a shortcut.A small office room, a comfortable chair, silence with no one around and the internet turned off - that is the best setting for me to write in.What tactics do you have when writing?I have a very specific tactic. First, the overall idea. Second, the beginning to ending outline, and an overall blurb – the kind you would put on the back cover. Then I write the opening scene, the one that will either make-or-break the reader's interest.Once I have all four of these, I put them in a folder together and ignore them. It becomes a project that I will do sometime in the future. I have to do this so I can focus primarily on whatever my current project is. When I complete one project, I go to my ‘library’ of ideas and choose one to be my next project.Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?My characters are based mostly off my imagination, but they are heavily shaped by the realities in which they live in. For example, in my Novel “Given & Taken” all the characters are a result of the brutal era in which they live – slavery, torture, barbarian raids, crucifixion, eaten alive, burned alive, impalement, human sacrifice – As I said, a very brutal era and I tried to make it as accurate as possible.The setting is shaped by the military journals of Jullius Caesar – yes, that Caesar, the one you read about in high school and was stabbed to death by Roman senators. His journals are known the The Gallic War and Caesars Civil War (an excellent resource if you have any interest in history whatsoever).So, if you ever wanted a novel that was fully realistic and didn’t hesitate to include the darker side of reality, then “Taken & Given” is a must read.What additional material or goodies go into your novels?For my historical fiction, I always include a small section at the back giving a historical explanation of what eventually happened to each faction. This is distinguish it from pure fiction where the groups are entirely made up.In my fantasy novels – which are not published yet – there are going to be small sections intended to make the fantasy more real. For example, why do elves have pointed ears? Why do witches and shamans have familiars? And where does the power of magic come from?When you don’t answer these questions, you end up with very shallow world settings. Take Star Trek for example - all the aliens look human except for a few minor features, and they never explain why. Star Wars did slightly better by making the aliens look different from anything we’d ever seen, even if they still did walk on two legs.What has been the best compliment?The best compliment I ever receive was from a member of the critique group. They said “Your novel has George Martin syndrome!” They were referring to the frequency with which the characters were dying. Since then, I have made a concentrated effort to ensure that you never know who will live and who will die.If you would like to support this author, please consider purchasing a copy of the book.Many thanks.

The White Room Ep.19: Richard Gradner

The Author Interviews, Round 3: #8: Rick Haynes

Round 2 continues with authorRick Haynes, and a new round of course means new questions! This time, my guests can choose from a list of 80 questions, and can only answer 10 of them! Hopefully Rick will re-visit in the future and answer another 10 for us.Tell us a little about yourself - Perhaps something not many people know?I love football, watching, but especially playing. I gave up at the age of 47 because after a full game - I did score with an over head kick - I couldn’t move the next morning. As the years passed my joints began to sing the song of despair. I had 7 knee operations (inc. one nice metal knee) two shoulder operations and various procedures on my neck. I now await a new hip. The local hospital nearly gave me a permanent parking space. Do I regret my lunacy? Not a chance even though I was going stir crazy.Screaming at the wall failed to help, so my wife screamed back. I asked her what I could do, but her answer of doing the washing up didn’t really stir me. And then came that wonderful light-bulb moment when my lovely lady said, “Why don’t you write your feelings down?”Within weeks I was up and running – my writing was crap but I’ve never been one to give in. I joined a local writing group and out of the blue the Portsmouth News decided to publish a 2 page spread entitled ‘Without my injuries, I wouldn’t be a writer.’I love the buzz of a finished tale, and the comments of those that enjoy my work. My life revolves around my family and my writing.If you could spend time with a character from your book who would it be? And what would you do during that day?Here is an imaginary interview with Grona, a warrior with a huge chip on his shoulder and a major protagonist in Evil Never Dies. I open my epic fantasy novel, Evil Never Dies, and turn the pages. I close my eyes and the warrior Grona stands before me.“In my book I wrote that you hate everyone, well almost. But I have to ask, have you ever murdered anyone? I’m open for tips if you have any to share.”Grona’s eyes closed to mere slits, his right hand moving to a dagger on his belt.I shudder, wondering whether I have gone too far.“You could be my next victim,” Grona says, “but then again, I’m in a good mood today.”He takes a long drink of ale before continuing. “If you wish to live, my creator, never call me a murderer.”I nod, feeling dampness under my armpits which was quickly spreading over my back.“I have killed many men, even a few women, but I have never murdered anyone, well at least none that didn’t deserve to die.”“Very well," I reply. "Why do you hate everyone?”“You’re the bloody author.”“I know who I am, but your character is determined to annoy me.” I shout back.His snarl would make a lion envious. I see Grona fighting with his emotions.“Define hate. I have few friends but apart from them I trust no one. My small band of men has earned my respect and with them my circle of trust is complete. Everyone else is either trying to cheat me, bribe me or kill me. Who wouldn’t loathe them? Besides, old men like me have only survived because of our skills and our hatred.”I look into Grona’s eyes seeking contempt or even lies. The cold stare tells me more than any words.“Yea gods! Which one of us is mad? Figuratively speaking, I’m not alive, and you’re talking to a figment of your vivid imagination.”“I understand your predicament, Grona, but think of the possibilities. It’s the only chance that you, a strong character in a fantasy tale, can tell your side of the story.” I wait patiently, sensing the turmoil in Grona’s mind as he paces to and fro.“Maybe it would be fun at that, I’ve nothing else to do these days except wait around for a second book. So I’ll play your little game but beware, once the beast inside me is aroused, it cannot easily be tamed.”With my heart beating twice as quickly as normal, I know that I must tread carefully, and if I do, Grona will likely be amenable.“The summary of my story says there are rumours of dark magic in your kingdom. Who wields the power, and what does that mean to your people?”“A shaman has risen in the mountains and is intent on wiping the Maxilla clan from history. Why the Helgs have pledged allegiance to him is unknown, yet they have rushed to his banner and threaten my people.”“And what does it mean to you?” I ask.“Are you stupid or do you wish to goad me?”An advancing Grona was never a pretty sight in my mind, but here, a man with a face of thunder would turn the stomach of the hardiest of men. I decide to back away and try to compose myself. “I mean no offence, Grona, merely asking.”“What the hell do you think it means? I am a mercenary but if any person endangers my people I will fight until I have no more strength to give. The Maxilla people, most of them anyway, mean everything to me.”“Who is Myracadonis, and what does he want from you?”“Have you forgotten already? He is a shaman and has unusual abilities; probably earned from the gods. Like so many others he seeks power. But whilst I breathe he will never succeed. With a stupid name like Myracadonis, how could he?”I try hard not to smile. “Your son, Tarn, is leading the soldiers into battle. How do you feel about that?””Pah! That boy is no true son of mine. Lucky! That’s what he is. I should be leading the men. What Lord Bokin sees in him is beyond me. He will fail and when he does, so will the Maxilla, unless I am there to win and claim the glory.”It would seem that you don’t love all the Maxilla, I think.“Why was Tarn chosen instead of you? Seriously, someone who hates everyone sounds like the perfect commander to me. Get the job done.” I watch carefully, wondering whether Grona is now living his role in the book. His eyes narrow once more as he hears the word hate. I decide, wisely, to say nothing.“Tarn was fortunate; right place – right time. At the last battle all those years ago my men gave everything, yet he received the glory. A young pup succeeded but I bet he still pisses his pants when he remembers the fight. He stole my glory; hatred doesn’t even come close to how I feel about him.”“You have enemies. Who are they?” I ask, delighted that Grona is indeed living the tale once more.“Ha! Ha! Ha! I can’t remember the last time anyone made me laugh. Perhaps I won’t cut your throat after all.” Grona draws his sword and holds it aloft. Rubbing his fingers lovingly over the blade, he grins at me before placing it to one side of the hearth “Everyone is my enemy. Many want to be the one that felled old Grona, and all will say that they were there. I spit on them, for as you can see, I still live.”“What will happen if Myracadonis gets his way?” I ask, hoping that Grona doesn’t explode too much.“Over my dead body, but we can’t lose can we? You wouldn’t allow it, would you? How could you write the follow up novel, ‘Heroes Never Fade,’ if all your main characters died in the first book?”“Conversely, what will happen if the shaman perishes?”Grona takes a long draught of ale before continuing. “The shaman will die and we all go home as heroes, but think how boring that would be.” Grona looks into the flames of the fire. I guess he has more to say. “Sometimes … I wonder what is in store for me. I have my faults. Perhaps you will decide to kill me off?”I ignore the menacing voice. “Do you feel that I portrayed you well?”“No!” The words echo off the stone walls. “I’ve always wanted to meet you, to tell you my feelings. I have to win. Nothing else matters.”I wrote the words and try to understand the complexities of the man I created. Grona will give his life for his beloved clan, yet he freely admits his hatred of them and everyone else.“And if I refuse to listen?” I ask.“I guarantee you won’t be writing another book.” Grona’s face is afire with anger, his body tense as he clenches his fists together.I close the book firmly to a volley of curses.Do you write alone or in public?I usually write alone, especially when the words are tumbling around and around inside my head like one massive washing machine on a fast spin cycle. My typing skills are pretty poor – in fact I don’t know anyone slower – which is pretty frustrating when I have to remove the words from my overcrowded brain as quickly as possible. Forgetting is an everyday hazard, but c’est la vie. I can be tenacious when I want to be, so one way or another, those ideas will be dragged onto my computer screen.Conversely, we are often asked to write a short tale in my writing group, before reading it back for others to offer critique. Our inspirational teacher may have shown us a variety of pictures, or given us a list of names, and we have about 30/40 minutes to write the tale. I find this stimulating and am proud to say, because of the fantastic encouragement, that I have always delivered a tale with a beginning, middle and a closing line.Now that’s tough on the old brain box but great fun.If I can give any new writer one tip, I would urge them to join a local writing group. The critique is invaluable, the company excellent and sometimes the cakes are free.Do you set goals of certain number of words a week or just when inspiration strikes?In the beginning I ravenously devoured many facts about writers and their modus operandi. All were – same, same, but different. It’s clear to me now that there is no right or wrong way. The author should experiment, take note of the various options, and decide which method suits them best.I write when the inspiration is so real that I can touch it. Yet, I make damn sure that when my body yells at me, I listen. Walking away from my latest masterpiece is difficult, but doing something, anything completely different, really does help in the long run.What is your advice to Indie Authors? On writing? Marketing?Although my passion is medieval fantasy I have dabbled and drabbled in many different genres. No one in my 3 writing groups writes in my chosen genre, which doesn't help, but nevertheless they are very supportive. I feel that the last two/three years have been my apprenticeship into writing and so I am now looking to change my direction. I will continue to write short stories, earn a few bob you know, but will concentrate more and more on what I love best. For if I continue with a scatter-gun approach my mind will be pulled in too many directions. And that is a double edged sword, for whilst I'll be pursing my passion to write, I'll constantly be looking at new projects. That approach has to change.If I have more than one new tale on the go at any one time I always know what is coming. My mind will take over and ask annoying questions."What shall we do today then?""No! You can't finish that story, because you're behind on formatting the new novel.""What's wrong with you? That tale is pathetic.""Don't forget the writing club tonight. You haven't written a manuscript to take in for critique."And finally."If all you want to do is write, who is going to read any of your work if you can't be bothered to promote it?"I love writing but as a self-published author I must also learn to love the discipline. I am proud of my achievements so far, for who would have thought that I would design and build my own website, set up a blog, design (poorly) book covers, format several books, publish six books with one more novel coming shortly, have work published elsewhere, and have four videos (with the massive help of my son) on YouTube? I know I never believed I could achieve so much, yet, I now realise that all of that is just for starters. I need to do more to ensure that fantasy readers can see my work.And if I can achieve so much, why not you? You have the talent, the brains to write a good story, and all you need is the drive and determination. I bet that few of you are worse with modern technology than I.But me, I have made a decision.Most of my time now will be used to write medieval/epic/heroic fantasy, whatever you prefer to call the genre, for that is my passion. Yet, there is one very important point to make.I must Promote - Promote - Promote and I'll need a completely different set of skills to be successful. As always I will try my best. And if I do that then the voice in my head will be silenced, for a little while at least.I hope that you have found this interesting and that you can relate to my actions. It's even better if I have helped in any way. So keep plugging away. You know you can do it.May I wish the very best of luck to all you authors trying so hard to succeed in a massive writing world.What is something memorable you have heard from your readers/fans?I know that when my sense of humour vanishes then I will surely be at death’s door. I do like a good giggle. Many lovely readers have commented on my short stories, quips and jokes, saying how much they laughed when reading them.I’m also close to publishing a collection of short stories in paperback. Entitled ‘Chocolate Chunks From Crazy Crete’ it is, as the title suggests, a collection of zany tales. As one reviewer quoted, ‘It landed on my kindle on Monday and I haven’t stopped laughing yet.’Comments like that make me feel really good for I do believe that laughter is the best medicine in the world.However, when not one blogger, but two, compared my first novel, Evil Never Dies, to the late and greatest ever fantasy writer, David Gemmell, I had to pinch myself so many times that I bruised my arm. That is high praise indeed and made my day. Positive comments make all the hard work worthwhile and they will stay with me forever.What tactics do you have when writing? (For example: outline or just write)This is a question that so many of my writers’ friends disagree about.One lady is steadfast in her belief and no one will change her attitude. Before writing one word, she will meticulously plan every chapter, every plot line and all the characters. Everything is beautifully pigeon-holed. Yuk!Others partly plan. They make an outline, write a list of characters, think of a plot or two and start typing, allowing the characters to lead them. Okay!I’m in the third group. I’d go nuts if I planned everything to the nth degree for my imagination would be stifled and I’d feel as If I was in prison with no means to write. I do make a short list of characters, their attributes, likes and dislikes etc. But these are minor details, for I want my fertile mind to lead me into infinity and way beyond that. I let my imagination sweep in and out like the tide on a beach, with me telling my characters what I want them to do between each wave. And as I write, the words tumble off the surf. To some, this method seems too wishy-washy, but, it works for me. Yippee!It’s down to you though. Experiment – maybe with a short story – and you’ll soon work out what suits you best. There is no right and wrong, so you should work it out and stick to your chosen option. And if that doesn’t work, then revaluate and adapt. Just keep smiling.Note: When I write my epic fantasy novels, I always start with a map. For how else could I gauge distances and know in which direction men and horses should travel? This tip is invaluable when writing any tale where long distances are involved. I never publish my maps, because they are for me, but also because they would be illegible to anyone else. Well, that’s my excuse anyway.What is the most amusing thing that has ever happened to you?I was in Ibiza with my girlfriend - later she became my wife – and we were having a great time. She was wearing an alluring dress and I couldn’t take my eyes off her cleavage. In one of the many discos they had a raised floor with a vast array of mirror balls and spotlights of differing colours way above. A shimmering ceiling full of twinkling stars added sparkle. Dancing away to the hedonistic beat time stood still – in my case literally. My beautiful young lady turned around and I had disappeared. After searching frantically she eventually found me at the back of the stage entangled in the curtains. I had fallen about four feet and was looking up at all those twinkling lights, stunned, thinking that I had journeyed to heaven. My wife cried with laughter. She tells me that I make her laugh every day - poor girl.Could you tell us a bit about your most recent book and why it is a must-read?I thought you would never ask. Ho! Ho! Ho!Heroes Never Fade is likely to be released in late March or early April 2017. It is the second novel in a trilogy of books about the Maxilla clan. Each one can be read as a standalone novel yet they follow on in sequence. I’m sorry, but reading a book to the end, and then finding out that the story continues with the next book, is annoying. Make it a standalone book and respect your readers, is my motto.Here is a short blurb for Heroes Never Fade.In the land of Cpin the queen has disappeared. Discontent is spreading and the threat of civil wars looms ever closer, for the Tormented King is marching towards the city.Tarn’s young daughter, Lori, has been kidnapped. The mysterious Souls are involved and Tarn is summoned to their Isle. Others await him. Their options are limited – follow instruction or die.War is inevitable but can the forces of the few oppose the host from Marathi?And would any man trust the gods to prevent the slaughter.If you like to read fast paced stories full of hardy warriors, feisty ladies and vile rulers, not forgetting the games played by, Titian, the God of War, and Jade, the Goddess of peace and harmony, look no farther.What book have you read that has most influenced your life?I have lost count of all the books that I have read, but there can only be one that influenced me so much. The Lord Of The Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, is to me, the greatest epic fantasy tale ever told. The words are masterful, the plots amazing and the characters leap out from every page. This book made me rethink my attitude towards reading, for up until then, books were boring.Many, many tributes have been made, about Tolkien’s work, but mine is probably different to the norm. His descriptive passages were long, yet his action scenes were written in such a way that the reader could use their own imagination.Alas, too many books these days offer gratuitous description of sex and violence, over and over again. Others like this so I cannot condemn them, but if you think about it, where can the reader go? They are being blindly led and there is no room for them to wander inside their fertile mind and use it.I don’t want to read page after page of blood and guts at every turn, for every action has consequences. I try very hard with my own books to guide my readers, to allow then to see both sides of any character. I show the horrors of war, as well as the loyalty and fears of all those involved. I believe that all men, and women, are flawed, for war brings out the best and the worst in even the gentlest of people.Tolkien was the master, I a modest pupil, but my belief in using the vastness of your own imagination is unwavering.Thanks for reading this and my special thanks go to Rachael for giving me the opportunity.To support this author please follow them on social media and visit their website. Many thanks.

#thankyou 2

I've been keeping track of how well the promotion for my book signing event is going, and I am so thrilled with how many of my Twitter friends have kindly retweeted for me so far. Some of you have replied wishing me the best of luck and some have hit that like button. You're all awesome, and I really appreciate your help.There are so many of you, I thought it would be easier to give your handles a shout out on my blog. Tagging you all would take forever! Go ahead... follow one another! If you've helped me out and you don't see your name (sincere apologies, I have a lot to keep track of), give me a shout.So go ahead and check if you're on my list! (don't worry, it's my nice list... I keep the naughty list in a draw with my potions...)@talltaleTV@superantonio@jaqhazell@authorelaina@lyrashanti@andrewrichey35@darrenbarker000@juicythots@jamesfounder_@authorhelenmp@nicholelbates@clucianaluciana@tincanstorm@retrobrit@andregovier@all_read_e@altczar@derekschndr2There are 18 of you listed here in my second batch of thanks, making a whopping 51 total. When my next batch of happy helpers comes in, I'll post another update! Thanks again,E. Rachael Hardcastle (www.twitter.com/erhardcastle)