Angel Ramon Medina's Blog, page 2

Cass Alexander Interview

Another author has stopped into the Hybrid Nation for an interview. She’s an up and coming romance novelist. She resides in the Midwest of the good U.S of A and has many other hobbies, but we’ll let her tell us what she likes to do for herself. We’ve had the pleasure of reading each other's first books and as expected we got different, but great experiences! I have to say this is one of the more exciting interviews I been looking forward to doing! As seen on her social media platforms and website she is a hard-working author willing to pay her dues and is trying to write the best book possible, after all, isn’t that what we authors want to accomplish. Anyway, let’s quit the small talk, hehehe. Cass Alexander, welcome to the Hybrid Nation and let’s get this interview started!

1. When did you decide to become an author?

I don’t think I ever had a dream of writing. But I have always been a good reader. Even in college, when I had very little time, I read for pleasure. I started dabbling in some romance novels a few years ago when I read Fifty Shades of Grey. I had never read romance before, and the book changed my perspective on the genre.

2. Why did you decide to become an author?

Quite a few of the romance novels I had read were terrible (most were great). Talking with my mother one day in 2015, we were laughing at something in a book we had both read and she said, “You should write one.” I had a storyline in my head very loosely based on my college experience. In 2016, I had just moved to the Midwest for my husband’s job and I wasn’t working. I thought about my mom’s suggestion, considered it for about a month. Then one day, I sat at the computer, and it started pouring out of me.

3. What genres do you plan to write for the future or is romance your specialty to live and die by?

I think I will only release romance under the Cass Alexander name. Yes, it’s a pen name. I am considering a non-fiction with my real name. It will be in the comedy genre—if that’s even a genre. I don’t know. Obviously, I haven’t done my homework.

4. Besides writing what else do you like to do and what are your hobbies?

Both my sons play travel soccer. It’s time-consuming, but it does fill my competitive needs. My husband played soccer for our college, so it’s kind of a family sport. I’m a runner. I haven’t done much lately due to the cold weather, but I’ve started back up and my time per mile is pretty terrible. So maybe I’m not a runner, but I’m trying to be.

5. Who’s your biggest inspiration for your writing?

Oh, good one. I don’t know. I dig Alice Clayton’s sense of humor in her books. But I haven’t read anyone who’s really similar to me. My favorite authors haven’t typically been romance authors. I really enjoyed Stieg Larsson’s trilogy. It was super dark, which I like.

6. How much time do you dedicate to writing your books?

I don’t have much time, which people don’t believe since I am at home. I work for a publisher in the education world, grading student-teacher portfolios and giving feedback. It’s time-consuming. My kids are home by 3:00 and then it’s homework and dinner and practice for some sport or musical instrument. I’m lucky to get 5-6 hours a week in to write.

7. How important do you think writing is to the young generation?

I was a public-school teacher for 13 years. Language is what sets us apart from other species. You have to be able to articulate your thoughts in a coherent manner if you want to be understood, to be taken seriously. I hated writing as a student, but I now appreciate what I was forced to do and learn. I’m a better person for it.

8. How excited were you when you finally published your first book?

So freakin’ excited! I couldn’t believe I was capable of writing a full-length novel. Even if I never sold a copy, I had done something so few had. And that made me feel proud of myself.

9. What is the easiest part of writing in your opinion?

Turning something into humor. That’s my specialty, I think. My brother and I always laughed at everything. We were not well-behaved children. But life wasn’t fun so we made it fun. We drove our parents nuts!

10. What is the hardest part of writing in your opinion?

Aside from finding time? Knowing when to cut something out, that less is actually more. Thomas Jefferson said, “The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.” My father taught me that. I believe in being succinct. I never enjoyed novels that spent pages and pages on scenery and additional information that I didn’t need. Setting is important, but there is such a thing as too much.

11. What is your favorite and least favorite part of writing?

Publishing is my favorite. That means I finished something, I met my goal. I’m very concrete-linear, so I need things like that to feel like I accomplished something. Least favorite is editing. Bleh.

12. What can we expect from you next after your second book that you have coming out called “Working for it”?

I am working on a fantasy romance. Deciding now if I can make it into multiple books or not. Maybe a trilogy? Not sure yet.

13. How much more do you prefer romance over other genres?

Right now it’s my preference. But I also love serial-killer-suspense types of stories. I have a warped sense of entertainment.

14. How do you deal with writers block?

I don’t know. I can’t devote much time so I haven’t had to deal with it much. I have lots of time to think in between writing sessions, so that’s helpful.

15. Finally how does it feel to be interview by an author who thinks the complete opposite of you in book genres and loves 007 along with Tom Clancy? Although I do put a little romance in my books, hehehe.

I love that you’re interested in other types of writing. I would guess that most people like variety. I have no data to back that up, but let’s pretend I’m right.

16. If you like to say anything else such as advice, shoutouts, or just whatever’s in your mind say it now. The stage is yours!

Ugh, the dreaded open-ended question from English Class. I guess I would thank all the authors that have helped me in some way. People underestimate the power of niceness. It goes a long way and I think the world could use some more of that right now. And I appreciate every reader that has downloaded my book and given it a chance. I hope they get some laughs out of it.

Thank you, Angel!

Well, that’s a wrap ladies and gentleman. It was nice talking to this brilliant and kind-hearted woman. Cass Alexander, it was an honor talking to you and once again congrats on your books, that is certainly an honor to be proud of! I wish you the best on your future endeavors and may your success continue for years to come.

Self Publishing VS Traditional Publishing

As an author, there is a huge decision you have to make and that is whether you want to go in Traditionally by being picked up by a publishing company or going for broke to become an independent author. I'm here to say that there is no "correct" answer to this question. It all comes down to the author him/her self to make that decision. Both paths contain their pros and cons, which makes the decision a long one to think about. Not to mention there are "Vanity Publishers" who pose as publishers just to get your money, which throws another curveball. So we're going to explore each option and hopefully reading this article, you can make a more educated decision after finishing your manuscript you worked so hard to write.

Self-Publishing Route

Self-Publishing is personally the route I chose and I'm happy with this choice. To elaborate what it is, it's basically where the author is responsible for publishing, book design, editing, and marketing. To simply put it, the author is responsible for doing everything themselves without representation from any agent. This is a huge thing, choosing this route means you don't have to talk to an agent to represent you.

Back in the day, Self-Publishing used to have a bad stigma for producing books that were poorly written and many people did not take Indie Authors seriously. However, part of that stigma was caused by the fact many of these authors were victimized by Vanity Publishers. However today Self-Published authors including me are finally getting the respect that we deserve. No longer is self-publishing considered a "Cop Out", there are many successful indie authors these days.

With Self-Publishing the possibilities are endless, you have full control of your editing, book cover, formatting style and control of you characters point of view. In otherwords you have 100% creative control over your book and nobody can tell you to change anything in your book. Personally, I love having 100% of my book, it's my personality that sells most of my books and for me, self-publishing gives you the best shot to show off your personality with your fans.

In fact, more authors are choosing to become self-published and studies show that self-publishing will become the dominant way to publish books. However, this is a harder route to go with once you do publish your work when it comes to marketing, editing and creating your book cover.

Traditional Publishing

Traditional publishing, on the other hand, is the opposite of self-publishing. The publishers include the big 5 publishers and in order to be even considered for them, you must have an agent. Let me tell you some of these agents do have rather stingy requirements and even some of the great writers get rejected. I have nothing against that because it is quality control on their part and they simply look for the best. They are highly criticized because they only accept about 5% of books, leaving other great authors out of the loop or worse causing them to go with a "Vanity Publisher" out of desperation.

When you submit to a publisher/Agent, you have to submit several things. One is the synopsis (Not the books blurb), a query letter and an excerpt of your book. Most of them will not ask you for a completed manuscript unless requested afterward. Also, you must follow their guidelines to submit, if not you won't even be considered. Also, not every publisher is for every author, although the hardest genre to get in is a Political Thriller as that is a very hot-button issue with a lot of sensitively.

Some Traditional publishers won't consider your work if it doesn't fit it within a certain word count. Most of the time the book is too long. While I don't like the idea of that today's generation of readers don't want to read a 500-page novel.

Another thing about Traditional Publishing it that you lose creative control of your work and you're giving up the rights to your work. In otherwords your book isn't your work anymore. You can't change the cover, your book can be edited ruining your POV of your characters and you'll be losing royalties from sales. Yes, you can get an advance, but only if your book is that good. I say if you can get published traditionally then go for it, just be prepared to lose your creative control.


Which is the better route to take, you might be asking. Here we'll be going over the pros and cons of both routes.

Self Publishing

Pros -

- You have 100% creative control over your book. Including cover, editing, storyline, characters and price.

- There are fewer steps required to actually publish your book. Once your book is formatted correctly.

- You get all royalties, no sharing royalties with a publishing company.

- Possible to publish your book with little to no investment. That's if you know what you're doing.

- You can change the price of your book at anytime.

- You retain full ownership of your book.

- Good for full-time authors

Cons -

- You must do all the editing, book cover, and formatting on your own. Unless you're willing to pay a professional to do so.

- Unless you have the skills to do everything, you will end up spending a decent amount of money just to get your book to your satisfaction.

- You must market your own book as well, which means you'll need all your social media tools and be on social media often to let people know you even exist. Your book will not sell itself.

- Beta-Readers become that much more important to the success fo your book.

- Statistics say an average of 100 copies of self-published books are sold in a lifetime.

- If you're not in it for the long term, self-publishing might not be for you.

Traditional Publishing

Pros -

- Once your are accepted for publication the publisher will take care of your editing, cover and partial marketing.

- You will gain more prestige as a traditionally published author.

- You may get paid an advance on your book.

- The publisher takes care of most things, making it good for those authors who might not be full-time just yet.

- If accepted, you will pay little to nothing for services such as editing and book covers.

- Bragging Rights

- usually, more copies sold.

Cons -

- Once you're accepted for publication, you can kiss your ownership of the book goodbye.

- You will be unable to change the price of the book without approval from the publishing company.

- It's now their book, which means they can change anything they feel like is necessary to their own needs.

- You lose most of your creative control.

- Even though your publisher will market it a little bit, publishers have become lazy and put the burden on the author. So you still end up having to market the book anyway.

- Probably the biggest drawback is that you have to give up at least 50% of your book sales to the publisher. Some publishers will take away even more, up to 70%.

- You are now in a legally binding contract that you cannot get out of before a certain amount of time.

- The chances of being accepted are rather low.

No matter which path you may choose, both of them have their strong and weak points. At the end of the day, it's up to you the author to decided what your needs are. In my case I'm a full-time author, would I jump at a chance to be traditionally published? Like sure I would. However I understand my creative control will be compromised, some of you won't mind that. I hope this blog helped you just a little bit.

M.L. Williams Interview

A Sci-Fi/Space Opera author has stopped into the Hybrid Nation for an interview! I personally love Sci-Fi, so this should be a fun interview! The man sounds cool as he has other hobbies besides writing, which we will let him tell us for himself. As seen on his website he is a hard-working author willing to pay his dues and is trying to write the best book possible, after all, isn’t that what we authors want to accomplish. Anyway, let’s quit the small talk, hehehe. M.L. Williams, welcome to the Hybrid Nation and let’s get this interview started!

1. When did you decide to become an author?

That’s a good question. I had the desire to become an author when I was in journalism school in college.

2. Why did you decide to become an author?

Writing is a wonderful way to try to bring your imagination into focus to be shared with others. You can express yourself in your characters and have them go on adventures you probably would never get to experience.

3. What genres do you plan to write for the future or will Sci-Fi be your specialty?

My training in journalism helped me appreciate many forms of writing. My next two projects will be a collection of columns (essays for you literary types) about growing up on a farm in the Midwest during the ‘60s and ‘70s and hopefully a historical novel with perhaps a touch of fantasy based on two of my great-grandfathers during and after the Civil War.


4. Besides writing, what else do you like to do and what are your hobbies?

Like a lot of writers, I also am a movie buff. Love Netflix. I have 6 grandchildren so am having fun watching them grow up. I grew up on a farm so enjoy doing anything outside: gardening, lawn care, trail walking, sightseeing. I also have traveled quite a bit in the past few years, including trips to Europe, Japan, and Australia.


5. Who’s your biggest inspiration for your writing?
Vonnegut, Frank Herbert, Heinlein, Asimov, Clarke, Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson


6. How much time do you dedicate to writing your books?
Well, my two books are about 100,000 words each. When writing, I tried to get at least 1,000 words done in 3 hours. I probably averaged a bit more than that. I will let you do the math. Quite a bit of time also went into editing and rewriting each book.


7. How important do you think writing and reading are to the young generation?
I think it’s very important. Communication will be the key to future employment so I advise to brush up on writing and reading skills.

8. How excited were you when you finally published your first book?

It was a dream come true to open a box from a printer and see your books. It was also an emotional moment to see all my hard work coalesce into a book.

9. What is the easiest part of writing in your opinion?

Not sure there is an “easy” part. But the part that comes more naturally is the actual act of writing — capturing what your imagination is showing you.

10. What is the hardest part of writing in your opinion?

Editing and rewriting can be a struggle, especially when an editor or editors keep making corrections and asking for more or less in a scene or with a character.

11. What is your favorite and least favorite part of writing?

I think I covered this in questions 9 and 10.

12. What can we expect from you next?

I covered this in question three. But am happy to reiterate.
My next two projects will be a collection of columns about growing up on a farm in the Midwest during the ‘60s and ‘70s and hopefully a historical novel with perhaps a touch of fantasy based on two of my great-grandfathers during and after the Civil War.

13. How do you deal with writer's block?

As a journalist, my colleagues and I never had the luxury of writer’s block. A deadline will do that to you. I advise writing something about a character or a scene even if it gets thrown out later, it will get the flow going. If you’re really stuck, take a break. Go for a walk or read something. Anything that will change your mood and get your mind reset.

14. How do you manage to keep a work/life balance between family and writing?

I try to have a set time to write so a balance can be maintained.

15. If you like to say anything else such as advice, shoutouts, or just whatever’s in your mind say it now. The stage is yours!

I would encourage readers to support indie authors. There are a lot of talented writers doing great things. Thanks for this opportunity to talk about my books: Seers of Verde and its sequel, Return of the Earthers. Both were published in 2016.

Well, that’s a wrap ladies and gentleman. It was nice talking to this brilliant and kind-hearted man. M.L. Williams, it was an honor talking to you and once again congrats on your books, that is certainly an honor to be proud of! I wish you the best on your future endeavors and may your success continue for years to come.

Am I a weirdo who loves creating fictional stories?

Here's a question some people ask me and heck even I ask myself, am I weirdo? Am I one of those people who loves the weirdest things and believes there is an alternative universe? First off you might be wondering why am I even asking this question. The reason is because look at my portfolio they are mostly science fiction and the kind of books that people look at me weirdly. Many people ask me where do I get the ideas from.

Simply put it this way, I have quite the imagination and I'm in love with writing things that allow me to numb myself from the tough reality we live in today. Honestly, I hate reality and wish we could enter a world without boundaries. Where we could fly, where we can stay underwater for a very long time and one that we could enter any time period we desire. I love to enter a black hole one day just to experience what would happen to me, who knows I might just enter a weird new dimension such as the Dimension of Illusions in "The Thousand Years War". Honestly, I hate what reality has become and I would just love a utopia, but I know that's something that can only be achieved in the imaginary world.

If you ask me am I a believer, I would answer you that I do believe in the extra-terrestrial ad that's just the way I am. I believe in crop circles and I believe that there is life on other planets that are watching over us right now. Does all this make me a werido? perhaps so. However, I'm proud to have my beliefs because I feel like I could write just about anything without any trouble and my ideas come naturally.

The point of this article is to let others know that we sci-fi writers are a special breed of writers and not just anyone can be a sci-fi author. As a sci-fi author, you must be willing to think "outside the box" and it's something you must be passionate about. The trick is to let out your inner geek and love for the sci-fi world. In fact, it's the perfect genre to write in if you want to numb yourself from Donald Trump the clown, the media garbage and the garbage music we're tortured to hear now.

So to all authors out there, I believe in UFO's and believe in the paranormal. I'm not ashamed of it, as far as I'm concerned it makes me a much better writer.

Melissa A. Joy Interview

Another author has stepped into the Hybrid Nation for an interview. She’s an up and coming novelist. She resides in Norfolk, East Anglia in the United Kingdom and has many other hobbies, but we’ll let her tell us what she likes to do for herself. As seen on her social media platforms and website she is a hard-working author willing to pay her dues and is trying to write the best book possible, after all isn’t that what we authors want to accomplish? Anyway, let’s quit the small talk, hehehe. Melissa A. Joy, welcome to the Hybrid Nation and let’s get this interview started!

1. When did you decide to become an author?

I’ve been writing stories ever since I learned how to write, but I decided I wanted I be a published fantasy author around the age of 13. I’ve been developing the world of Aeldynn since then.

2. Why did you decide to become an author?

When one’s imagination is so vast, you just know it’s impossible to keep to yourself; it’s too big to remain in your mind forever after. I just had that feeling it was what I had to do; it was a calling I knew I couldn’t ignore. If I couldn’t share the world in my mind with the world I exist in, there was nothing out there for me excel at from a professional standpoint. From that point on, I was driven by that passion.

3. What genres do you plan to write for the future?

I can only see myself writing in the fantasy genre. Even now the world of Aeldynn is still in development, and I plan on writing as many stories in that world as I possibly can.

4. Besides writing what else do you like to do and what are your hobbies?

I have a great passion for sailing on board tall ships; a venture I got into when I wanted to design a particular kind of ship for Aeldynn. I did a great deal of research into how tall ships functioned, and the interest developed from that. I then discovered it was possible to sail on board tall ships without any previous experience; you’re taught everything while on board. Following my first voyage, I got hooked on it and have sailed on voyages as and when I can since. Other hobbies I thoroughly enjoy are: martial arts, gaming (RPGs mostly, and the MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV online), and cosplay.

5. Who’s your biggest inspiration for your writing?

Who, or what? I suppose you could say when I first started reading fantasy, authors such as Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman of Dragonlance and R. A. Salvatore of Forgotten Realms were initial influencers, and Maggie Furey had a good part to play in that too, but they’re only the first authors to inspire me; others have influenced the development of my writing style. Other factors for inspiration come in the form of music (it has to be a particular kind and often involves specific tracks for particular scenes and emotions) and other forms of entertainment media that I enjoy; games and anime being two more.

6. How much time do you dedicate to writing your books?

Having a lot of imagery and inspiration is one thing, but getting words down on the page is quite another. At home, I try to put in at least a couple of hours every evening if possible, but if I just can’t write I’ll try doing a bit of research for writing with inspirational music instead. I do have the occasional night off, but then a sensation of guilt looms over me. In time I hope I can commit to doing more writing more often, but for now, those two or so hours in an evening are golden under the current circumstances. I have to write at times when I’m less likely to be disturbed, for once I’m in the writing zone, breaking that concentration isn’t recommended.

7. How important do you think writing is to the young generation?

It depends on what angle or context you’re looking at it from. I think if young people took the time to find out who they are by doing any sort of recreational activity, they’d be less likely to fall in with the wrong crowds or spend their lives with their eyes transfixed on their mobile phones. Writing isn’t for everyone, but I think if creative writing was taken more seriously in schools, we might see more young people taking it up, even just as a hobby. And by creative writing, I don’t mean just in the form of fiction; song-writing, script-writing, and poetry are among other forms of writing that ought to be encouraged and rewarded. In that context I would consider it a vital part of any young person’s personal development. I’m a strong believer in individuality; it’s better to be different than to run with a crowd you don’t really belong in.

8. How excited were you when you finally published your first book?

I’m not sure if excited is quite the word I’d pin on how it made me feel. I suppose I was more daunted and fearful than anything else, but at the same time I couldn’t quite believe it had actually happened. Sure, it might be classed as self-published right now, but who knows what the future holds? My book was suddenly available for purchase across the world thanks to a man who found me on Twitter one day and believed in me enough to get me where I am today. To him, I give my most heartfelt thanks.

9. What is the easiest part of writing in your opinion?

The imagery from all the inspiration I get from all the other things I enjoy doing. In my minds I can sense absolutely everything: if a character is in pain, I feel it; if they’re furious or in a deep state of melancholy, I feel it; and if I’m out walking my dog and a swift breeze hits me in the face, I’m reminded of the ocean when sailing on board a tall ship. You might say I live and breathe everything I write about; every experience floods my mind and gives me the most intense, cinematic images I could possibly hope for.

10. What is the hardest part of writing in your opinion?

Actually getting the words down on paper (or rather on to a Word document). All that imagery is one thing, but putting it all into words is the hardest part. George R. R. Martin said he thought there were two types of author; gardeners and architects (look it up), but I think there’s a third type, and that’s archaeologists. None of us are entirely one type or another, but I’m definitely more of an archaeologist, because I’ll usually discover one part of an idea, and will then have to work on uncovering the rest of it before I’ll begin to see the bigger picture. As a result, it can take quite some time to build the imagery from inspiration, and then of course I have to find the right words. I’m one of those authors who tries to get the story as close to perfect the first time round so it’s just a case of doing all the editing and proofreading afterwards. I don’t write a story and then rewrite it in the form of new drafts, ever.

11. What is your favorite and least favorite part of writing?

My favourite part of writing, I think, is knowing exactly what to write when an exciting or emotional scene is in development. The least favourite part? That would probably be trawling the internet and textbooks for one elusive shred of information on a particular topic while doing research.

12. What can we expect from you next?

I’m currently working on book 2 of the Scions of Balance saga, The Mindseer Oracle, and a short story compilation that focuses on different areas of the world of Aeldynn.

13. How much more do you prefer short stories over an actual novel?

I prefer novels (especially in series) over short stories, but mainly because I like to be immersed in a narrative; I don’t much like short tales end abruptly because I’m always wanting to know more about those characters and their experiences. That’s not to say they’re a bad thing (I’m writing them myself of course), but I do find them less engaging personally. That’s why my own short stories will tie into different aspects of Aeldynn.

14. Finally how do you deal with writers block?

I utilize every medium I can that provides me with inspiration, whether it be playing a game, watching anime or a film/tv show, reading a book, visiting new places and sailing when I get the chance... All those things will help as I’m always for open to new ideas to creep in.

15. If you like to say anything else such as advice, shoutouts, or just whatever’s in your mind say it now. The stage is yours!

Even if you get your story right on the first manuscript, there will always be mistakes. Always get your work checked by a proofreader and editor. Keys of the Origin was proofread twice, edited once by my editor, and edited four or five times by myself. Even after publishing mistakes have still been found.

Well that’s a wrap ladies and gentleman. It was nice talking to this brilliant and kind-hearted woman. Melissa it was an honor talking to you and once again congrats on your book, that is certainty an honor to be proud of! I wish you the best on your future endeavors and may your success continue for years to come.

Steven Moore Interview

Another author has stopped by the Hybrid Nation for an interview. He’s a novelist and freelance writer who also happens to be a nomad. For those unfamiliar with what the word nomad means, it means someone who loves to travel and experience as many different places and cultures as possible. Steven is from Lowestoft, England, but now lives in Mexico, and is also an avid artist and sportsman. But we will let Steven tell us what he likes to do for himself. As seen on his website, Steven is a hard-working author who is willing to pay his dues, and is trying to write the best books possible. After all, isn’t that what all us authors want to accomplish?

Anyway, let’s quit the small talk
.
Steven Moore, welcome to the Hybrid Nation, and let’s get this interview started!


1. When did you decide to become an author?

Hi Angel, and thanks for taking the time to chat with me. I didn’t really decide to become an author. I enjoyed writing, and in 2012 my then fiancée challenged me to write a novel. So I did, and that’s how it started. So, in November, 2012.

2. Why did you decide to become an author?

It was because of the challenge. I enjoyed it, and when I finished my first book, people liked it. It inspired me to carry on writing.

3. What genres do you plan to write for the future?

I’m currently writing an action adventure series, and if it goes well, I think that is my future. I really enjoy it, and it is based on many of my own experiences.

4. Besides writing what else do you like to do and what are your hobbies?

As you mentioned, I love to travel. I have visited 54 countries so far, and I’ve lived and worked on 5 continents. Also, I love to read, paint and play sports. Hiking and reading are probably my favorite hobbies.


5. Who’s your biggest inspiration for your writing?

My wife is my biggest inspiration. But of famous people, I would say the action writer Clive Cussler, and my stories are somewhat inspired by Indiana Jones.

6. How much time do you dedicate to writing your books?

I treat writing my novels as if it was my full-time job. At least 5-6 hours a day, and often more. By the end of this year, I hope to make a decent living from being an author.

7. How important do you think writing is to the younger generation?

I think reading is more important. But for some people to read, other people also need to write. Writing is difficult, and not everyone can do it. Everybody should read, though, especially writers.

8. How excited were you when you finally published your first book?

It was super exciting. It was a long and difficult project, as I was still a full-time teacher. It took almost 2 years, but when it was finally published I was very proud and excited. It is a great achievement for any independent author.

9. What is the easiest part of writing in your opinion?

There is no easy part, but in my own case, writing the first draft is the easiest part. There is total freedom, and no pressure to write anything good. It should be a fun process without stress. That comes later.

10. What is the hardest part of writing in your opinion?

All of it. However, knowing when a project is the best you can make it, that is difficult. Nobody really knows if something is the best it can be, in other words, when it is finished…we just have to trust ourselves.

11. What are your favorite and least favorite parts of writing?

My favorite part of writing is the very first moment of a new book. A blank page and a pencil, and imagination is our only barrier. The least favorite? Marketing. I hate it.

12. What can we expect from you next?

I hope to release the first installment of my new series in 3 weeks, a novella called, ‘The Samurai Code’. It will be about 35,000 words and is an exciting story set in Japan. It involves samurai warriors, temples, mafia men, and will be a good old-fashioned adventure tale. The next 4, full-length novels will follow this year.

13. How much more do you prefer short stories over an actual novel?

I don’t, at all. I much prefer longer, full-length novels.

14. Finally, how do you deal with writer's block?

I’m lucky in that I haven’t yet suffered from writer’s block. If I did, I would not be too worried. All creative people struggle from time to time. The secret, I think, is not to let it bother me too much, take a break, do something fun, and when the time is right, get back to the project.

15. If you would like to say anything else such, as advice, shoutouts, or just whatever is in your mind, say it now. The stage is yours!

Thanks, Angel. Well, the bottom line is, people should do whatever they want. If they want to write but feel afraid, just try it. Same goes for painting, poetry, acting, music…anything. Don’t be afraid to try, because you never know, you might just be good at it. And if not, who cares? Good luck, everyone.

Well, that’s a wrap, ladies, and gentleman. It was nice talking to this genuine and ambitious man. Steven, it was an honor talking to you, and once again congrats on your books. It's certainty an honor to be proud of! I wish you the best on your future endeavors, and may your success continue for years to come.

By the way, please check out this man’s website: http://www.stevenmooreauthor.com/ It’s a really cool site, and this man is a genuinely cool man to be friends with. Give a check to his social links and his books!
If you’re interested in Steven’s travel tales, visit this site instead:
http://www.twentyfirstcenturynomad.com

David Ellis Interview

Another author has stopped into the Hybrid Nation for an interview, man we’re really picking up now! He’s a novelist and also a poet who is accomplishing the fine art of inspirational poetry. He currently lives in England and he likes plenty of other things besides writing. As seen on his website, he is a hard-working author willing to pay his dues and is trying to write the best books and poetry collections possible, after all isn’t that what all we authors want to accomplish?
David Ellis is an award winning author of poetry, fiction and music lyrics. He conducts author interviews on his website for any author that has published at least one book in any fictional genre.

He lives in Tunbridge Wells, Kent in the UK.

David is extremely fond of cats and dogs but not snakes.

Indiana Jones is his spirit animal.

Visit his website to arrange an author interview, along with finding creativity tips, techniques and guides for artists and writers.
Anyway, let’s quit the small talk, hehehe. David Ellis, welcome to the Hybrid Nation and let’s get this interview started!
 
1. When did you decide to become an author?
 
My decision to become an author took place back in January 2016. I initially had strong desires to become a musician (a goal which I still intend to bring to fruition, having made a couple of albums in my twenties) but my primary focus right now is to become a success in the literary world. I’ve written song lyrics for years. I started writing poetry back in 2012, along with other assorted short stories on my website. Things have pretty much evolved from there onwards.
 
2. Why did you decide to become an author?
 
Feedback from my writing community. I had many poems that people were getting excited about and I realized that I had enough poetry (along with short stories) to make feature length collections. I decided that this was the turning point, where I would endeavor to become a published author. Words and books excite me in ways that I cannot get from any other form of creative expression. I feel like this is the right career path for me, after many years of contemplation. I can’t run away from it any more! ;)
 
3. What genres do you plan to write for the future?
 
To continue to write inspirational, romantic and amusing poetry. With regard to fiction, I’m embracing the idea of writing in the Sci-Fi/Fantasy genre because I am having enormous fun playing with ideas of how things will turn out in a futuristic society. I might not be alive when the developments take place but the beauty is in exploring outlandish fantasy concepts and their plausibility to the reader.
 
4. Besides writing what else do you like to do and what are your hobbies?
 
I watch a lot of television shows on Netflix, along with some fantastic and spectacularly terrible films. I find terrible films terrific inspiration for writing because they encourage me to think that I could write much better ones myself. I enjoy watching special effects that are shoddy too because then the whole thing becomes an unintentional comedy.
 
My other pursuits are reading Sci-Fi/Horror/Action/Fantasy novels/comics, listening to rock/pop/electro/hip-hop music and playing videogames. Storytelling in videogames has evolved to the point where I feel more immersed in the medium than ever before. This is very empowering, that we can be connected directly to the art we enjoy and to influence the outcome in our own particular way too.
 
5. Who’s your biggest inspiration for your writing?
 
Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett are two of my very biggest inspirations for my writing. I’m constantly inspired by the output of my fellow writers, especially in the Wordpress blogging community. I read a staggering amount of beautiful poetry and gripping stories by very talented people. If you read what people put out in the blogging community then if they have books, I encourage you to buy and review them to help support these wonderful authors to allow them to continue their writing for many years to come.
 
6. How much time do you dedicate to writing your books?
 
All my spare time. I can spend hours crafting poems, I find the process extremely rewarding when I finish. Writing full time is my mission when it comes to crafting novels but I must take on smaller projects and other part-time work, if I am to be able to dedicate myself wholly to the craft of both writing novels and making music.
 
7. How important do you think writing is to the young generation?
 
Incredibly important. We want to be able to give our children the ability to express themselves in the clearest and most articulate way possible. We can do that by encouraging them to read often and to give them access to reference facilities that will make them hungry to learn how to write fiction and non-fiction to a professional standard. The ability to communicate effectively is good for both business and for pleasure. Effective communication will assist them to make meaningful relationships and satisfy their own creative desires, leading to happy and fulfilling lives.
 
8. How excited were you when you finally published your first book?
 
It was literally (pun intended) a dream come true. It was a magnificent, euphoric occasion, which I celebrated wholeheartedly as a significant milestone in my writing career. The only time I have been able to achieve a similar feeling to this was when my debut poetry book won an award in October 2016. It was the validation of my work (despite it being self-published) that made me feel very happy and grateful too that a panel had decided that my poetry was worthy of critical merit. I’m sure many others feel this way when their art is appreciated after it is out being admired by the public.
 
9. What is the easiest part of writing in your opinion?
 
The easiest part of writing to me is that once I have started a train of thought, I can generally keep going. I used to lament about the notion of “just start writing” but in my humble opinion, it really does get easier once you are in front of your computer screen or notepad and letting the momentum carry you forward into the project. That is truly the exciting part because you can see the art beginning to take shape, which you then mold/edit into the true nature of the piece further down the line.
 
10. What is the hardest part of writing in your opinion?
 
I think the hardest part of writing is both getting started and sticking with it. There are so many distractions in our lives, some of them are things that are unavoidable (such as family life and chores) but there are many more that exist just to stop ourselves from getting bored. It can be difficult to allocate time to what you love doing if your passion is writing. I can make writing much easier for me by thinking of it as less of a chore itself and more about enjoying my free time creatively. It also becomes easier if I use entertainment as a motivational reward to write, in that I must write a particular piece/page/poem/etc in order to earn the privilege of playing on a videogame or watching an episode of a TV show. That way I don’t feel guilty for enjoying myself afterwards. Writing something fantastic is hard, it can only done with patience, dedication, focus and plenty of breaks too!
 
11. What is your favorite and least favorite part of writing?
 
Funnily enough, I actually find editing my favourite and my least favourite part of writing. I enjoy the process when I can see ways of polishing my work to make it shine and sing even better than before. The process can feel tedious too, especially when I have to “kill my darlings” and lose things I have written to sharpen clarity of the sentences and overall feel of the piece. Come to think of it, one other favourite part of writing for me is when I read my piece as a ‘reader’ and get to enjoy the passion and the flow in it. That is when I can sit back and admire my work, deliver/submit it to where it needs to go and then move on to the next project. Finish what you start and keep making great art.
 
12. What can we expect from you next?
 
Another book of inspirational/romantic poetry is on the cards. I’m also preparing a Sci-Fi detective series, the first novel I hope to get written by the end of this year and out to publishers. I have a myriad of other writing projects that I want to experiment with and hope to have a music album out by the end of the year too. We shall see if I have bitten off more than I can chew ;)
 
13. How much more do you prefer writing poetry over an actual novel?
 
Poetry is something that comes naturally to me. It is quicker and more easily accessible when it comes to research and producing pieces. Writing a novel takes a large amount of time, dedication and effort. I see writing poetry as sprints compared to writing novels as marathons. As someone who has indulged in a lot of sprints, this would appear to be the best time to attempt a marathon after all. Maybe after the process, I will prefer to write novels more than poetry, we shall have to see.
 
14. Finally how do you deal with writers block?
 
I look at ways to give myself a creative buzz. I might go and look at research on the internet, read books on the topic that I am focusing on or have a snack like a biscuit to give my brain a sugar rush to work on! Also in terms of getting myself started, if my current project doesn’t want to budge then I go off to write something else. Writing very small pieces like flash fiction or poems such as haikus (a technique my good friend author and writing enthusiast Christie Stratos also uses) is an excellent way to get the creative juices flowing to then be able to switch your mindset back to your original project.
 
15. If you like to say anything else such as advice, shoutouts, or just whatever’s in your mind say it now. The stage is yours!
 
My advice to any writers out there is to be yourself in interviews to make them entertaining, to do lots of them, be generous with your time because it will pay off in the long run with the friendships and relationships that you build with fellow authors and your audience and never be afraid to submit your work for competitions, critique or publication in general.
 
You will only get better by allowing yourself to be put in a position where your work is evaluated. Do not be discouraged by rejection, particularly if the rejection is generic in nature. Take all experiences in life as a means to improve yourself and the way that you do things, in doing so more doors will open to you. Work hard and never give up, always push yourself for a few minutes longer and persevere, great things are just around the corner.
 
Thank you for the opportunity to chat with you Angel, you’ve been an excellent host and I’ve had an absolute blast chatting here with you J
 
Well that’s a wrap ladies and gentleman. It was nice talking to this brilliant and kind-hearted man. David, it was an honor talking to you and once again congrats on your books and poetry, that is certainty an honor to be proud of! I wish you the best on your future endeavors and may your success continue for years to come.
 
By the way please check out David’s website https://toofulltowrite.com/ it’s a really informative website and this man is an overall cool man to be friends with. If you’re a fiction author and need a free interview then David can make that happen. Also check out the many interviews he’s done for others and his cool blog posts. Finally, check out his social links and his books!

Ashley Borodin Interview

Another author has stopped into the Hybrid Nation for an interview! He’s a novelist who is just starting out. We love to give new authors a chance. He’s an author that likes plenty of other things besides writing. He is a hard-working author willing to pay his dues and is trying to write the best book possible after all, isn’t that what we authors want to accomplish. Give this author credit, he’s doing something many people would dream of doing and we look forward to reading his book! Ashley Borodin, welcome to the Hybrid Nation and let’s get this interview started!


1. When did you decide to become an author?

I seemed to be able to write in school without trying very hard but never really enjoyed it. I think what I liked best was arguing a point, debating. I never really wrote for enjoyment, though.
The first time I wrote for myself was upon moving to the country after wandering around homeless for a while. I began to write poems. It was cathartic. And I noticed I had persistent themes coming out of my writing.
Over time those themes, along with my habit of being Contrarian lead to writing The Jealous Flock.

2. Why did you decide to become an author?

I was seeing all these emerging trends - in terrorism, in activism, in society and everyone seemed to be studiously ignoring these things to their own detriment.
I wanted to speak the truth, to be an advocate.
I also wanted to say I’d finished something for once. Which was the hardest part - letting it go.

3. What genres do you plan to write for the future or is Philosophical Fiction your main staple for the rest of your career?

I have no idea what genres mean. I’m sure they mean a lot to people in marketing and to some extent I defer to the American comedian Bill Hicks in this matter. He’s worth looking up on Youtube - the Marketing bit comes up during his London performance.
Briefly - I don’t feel like putting “a fucking dollar sign on everything”.
So, no I don’t really care what Marketers do with my book. Genres are part of a Social Reality which is something Ayn Rand was particularly concerned about. And what concerns me, as a sort of natural Liberal or perhaps Secular catholic, is the very cozy little relationship that exists between social media, Social Justice Warriors and the various self-appointed gatekeepers of our Expression.
If you write ‘YA’ or ‘SF’ or whatever, you must bow down and pray Obeisance to the gatekeeper. I serve enough masters as it is without adding another fricking overlord.
So you could say I am against the demagogy of the Public and its masters. I think we have a responsibility to each other as empathic apes, as part of the species, the community we are born into, but I’m no longer a complete altruist. Or a glove puppet. and I don’t expect or desire anyone else to be so for me. There’s nothing more unctuous, more repulsive than a sycophant, because they always betray you.

4. Besides writing what else do you like to do and what are your hobbies?

I like tinkering with my fretless bass, I meditate a bit and engage with social commentary on Youtube and twitter.
Soon we’ll be moving to the country and I hope to get back into more writing, music and a spot of exploring.


5. Who’s your biggest inspiration for your writing?

Inspiration - relating to one person…. I don’t really have one. There are people who I have admired at the time of reading their books….

Screw it, I’m just gonna say Ayn Rand and bugger the consequences.
I would say goad, more than inspire. her writing is inspirational, that’s it’s goal and so I admire that ability to uplift people and engender such self-motivation. I admire her ability to inspire but not her tendency to divide. A lot of that comes down to her personality. If pretty much everyone who knew her is to be believed - she was a pretty divisive person.
George Orwell, though to be honest, I haven’t read him properly, it’s more a case of absorbing his views through the culture and films.
Ayn Rand is like the militant wing of Orwell.
And then on the other side of Orwell you have your JG Ballard & Co. I can quite easily envisage Rand and Ballard in a fist fight. And I’m not entirely sure who would win.

6. How much time do you dedicate to writing your books?

Well, I’ve only written the one and I worked on that all day, every day for about a year I think. I pretty much burned out from that and did nothing for 3 years. I’m just beginning to get back on said horse now.


7. How important do you think writing is to the young generation?


It’s as important as they want it to be. I can’t speak for them, I can barely speak about them. And I don’t really define people by age. You can in some respects but every individual is asymmetrical in some way. No one fits. You could have the mind of a 40 year old and the body of 12 or vice-versa.
People who make broad pronouncements on youth often turn out to be wrong. The more popular they are the more their fans tend to ignore their wrongness, and over time these misstatements become a kind of social fact. Then kids who don’t conform are seen as aberrant. Then abberrence becomes somebody’s cause célèbre and that’s the new norm. It bores me.
But one thing I can say - writing is perhaps less important than being read. Which would go against Ayn Rand’s ideas. What I mean is if you’re young you need to exploit the resources of those around you - you’re more dependent. This is a nice way of saying you don’t know everything, you can’t, and that’s ok. But you’ll find there are readers who do. Not individually of course. You can write and write endlessly and, due to social media and such, get an inflated idea of your own importance, or unimportance, as you scream into the void. This is where readers come in handy - people who have less vested interest in maintaining your illusions than they do in enjoying your work.
Therefore I’m saying that being read is much more important to young writers than writing itself. It’s a shortcut to being understood.


8. How excited were you when you finally published your first book?

I was overwrought, hysterical almost. Exhausted, elated and felt like I never wanted to do it again.


9. What is the easiest part of writing in your opinion?

Thinking about how good you are. That’s very easy. Almost as easy as thinking what you have to say is important and that anyone wants to hear it. The truth is there’s an inverse rule with importance and the Public in general.


10. What is the hardest part of writing in your opinion?

Writing is the hardest part of writing. that’s where you craft and hone and doubt everything you have. where grandiosity meets self-denial. you stay up too late, you don’t eat well. If you drink, you usually drink more. It’s scary. well, it is for me anyway.


11. What is your favorite and least favorite part of writing?

Writing and writing.
My favorite part this time was using speech-to-text and Method Acting the book live. My least favorite was being told I couldn’t write in first-person-present-tense and had to do it all again.


12. What can we expect from you next?

I’m publishing a poem per day on my twitter and I’d like to get a camera when we move back to the country and put together a beautiful coffee table book of my best poems, with perhaps a little history about the poems and the corresponding photos.

I expect to sell at least 5 copies.

I may do other things as my health improves. I’m on an Autism diet of all things. If you had told me such a thing existed 6 months ago I would have laughed. But here I am, steadily improving. I hope to be more resilient over the next few years to enable me to write proper books, longer books, better ones.

Or actually, finish that video game I was working on.


13. How do you deal with writer's block?

I take 3 years off and try to make video games, I fail miserably and end up on an Autism diet.

I’m not experienced enough yet to give people advice about things like that, suffice to say that there’s always underlying issues that lead to writer's block and stage fright. You can deal with the symptoms or you can deal with the cause. In my case dealing with the cause has lead me to eventually deal with the physiological, if that’s the right word, goings on in my body. The neurochemistry. That’s what you find me in the middle of right now.


14. How much more do you prefer writing short horror books over an actual novel?


I hate horror. And I hate it for a reason. I don’t think I could ever write it. If anyone wants to understand some of the reasons they can grab a copy of Alice Miller’s the Drama of the Gifted Child and read the section on fetishes.


15. If you’d like to say anything else such as advice, shoutouts, or just whatever’s in your mind say it now. The stage is yours!

Thanks for the opportunity to talk about my book and my motivations for writing it. I hope your site continues to do well.


Well, that’s a wrap ladies and gentleman. It was nice talking to this brilliant and kind-hearted man. Ashley, it was an honor talking to you and once again congrats on your book, that is certainly an honor to be proud of! I wish you the best on your future endeavors and may your success continue for years to come.

Richard Paolinelli Interview

Another author has stopped into the Hybrid Nation for an interview. He’s a novelist and freelance writer who has quite an impressive portfolio when it comes to his works. He’s an accomplished author who currently resides in California and we’re sure that he likes plenty of other things besides writing. As seen on his website he is a hard-working author willing to pay his dues and is trying to write the best book possible, after all, isn’t that what we authors want to accomplish. Anyway, let’s quit the small talk, hehehe. Richard Paolinelli, welcome to the Hybrid Nation and let’s get this interview started!


1. When did you decide to become an author?

At a pretty early age actually. I was always writing little stories in school or in the car when we were doing an out-of-state move (my father was in the drilling business and we moved a lot). In fact, my first fiction writing credit is the first two issues of a 1986 comic book series, Seadragon.

But then I got offered a full-time job as a sports writer and since that offered a regular paycheck, I took it and put my fiction writing on the back burner. When I finally retired from the newspaper gig a few years ago I decided to go back and see if I could make a go of it as an author.


2. Why did you decide to become an author?

I love creating these new characters and worlds and then seeing what happens to them as I go along. Sometimes they go the way I originally planned and sometimes they take off on a whole new direction I never saw coming.


3. What genres do you plan to write for the future?

I’ll probably keep writing in the three that I am doing now. Although it will probably be a few years before I go back and try to do the one sports non-fiction project I’ve been thinking of doing. I have maybe three mystery-thrillers in the to-do folder and the rest are all sci-fi/fantasy.


4. Besides writing what else do you like to do and what are your hobbies?

I love astronomy, so when I can I’ll dig out my telescope. Love the sports of football (not the European kind) and hockey. I used to bowl and play golf but back issues have pretty much ended participating in those. I read, a lot, and the rest of the time I cook up ways to spoil my two grandsons rotten.


5. Who’s your biggest inspiration for your writing?

I’d have to say, Jack McDevitt, who is an incredible author. Back when I was getting
ready to call it quits in newspapers I was trying to figure out what to do next. I came across a book, Time Travelers Never Die, by Jack and read it. Then I read everything else he’d written. I found out he was the same age in 1989 when he wrote his first novel in the Alex Benedict series, A Talent For War, as I was at the time I had read Time Travelers.

I figured if he could retire from the Navy and as a school teacher and still have a successful career as an author, then I just might be able to do it too. So I sat down and got to work and while I’m not putting myself in the same league with him yet, I think I’m getting there.

What was great was last year I was able to be a contributor to a Sherlock Holmes anthology, Beyond Watson, released by Belanger Books. My story, A Lesson In Mercy, is in the book right in front of the story Jack McDevitt wrote for the anthology. I felt like a local rock band getting warmed up the crowd before the Stones came out and played.


6. How much time do you dedicate to writing your books?

I try to write for at least two hours a day, every day. Obviously, life happens and some days I get zero hours in. What I’ve found is, after your book is done and published, a lot of your time is devoted to marketing it – if you want it to sell.


7. How important do you think writing is to the young generation?

I think it is very important to every generation, but for the younger generation (and God do I suddenly feel ancient) it’s a chance to tell their stories and see how they measure up against those that came before them. It’s also a chance for them to record a part of themselves – fiction and non-fiction works - at a younger age and then go back in 20-30 years and see how much they have changed and grown since then.


8. How excited were you when you finally published your first book?

Have you ever read the Peanuts cartoon strip and see Snoopy doing his happy dance? That was me on the day I signed the publishing contract, the day the book (Reservations) was released and the day I held the first copy of it in my hands.

What’s nice is that, whether it is the traditionally published books or the books I am self-publishing, whenever I get the first print copy of each book, I still feel that way. I hope that feeling never goes away no matter how many books I write.


9. What is the easiest part of writing in your opinion?

Actually, sitting down and writing. I thank my 20+-years of working for daily newspapers for that. It was very common to write anywhere from 800-2500 words in a given day and usually in small windows of time because after you went out and covered the game/event you usually didn’t have much time to crank out a 500-800 word game story and then the 200-word box score.

Some days I would write between 2-4 stories, in fact, there was one edition of the sports section that we jokingly called the Paolinelli section because my byline was on all five of the front page stories that ran that day.

So having the discipline to sit down and pound out the words comes very easy to me.


10. What is the hardest part of writing in your opinion?

The post-written book part of the process: Marketing it. There is no set in stone, perfect way to ensure you’ll sell a million copies. All you can do is get out on social media, set up signings and make appearances on radio shows, blogs and interviews like this to try to get the word out to the world that you’ve got a book out and why they would be interested in reading it.


11. What is your favorite and least favorite part of writing?

My favorite part is creating the story and laying it out. My least favorite is the editing process. I give it a once-over then send it off to an editor who works it over, then I go back in and address whatever corrections or questions the editor raised. Then there is one more edit/look over when you get the proof before it is cleared to be released. That part is very necessary but very, very tedious.


12. What can we expect from you next?

I am trying to get the last two books of the Del Rio series wrapped up so they can be released later this year and in 2018. Then I am going to work on a sci-fi/fantasy project that is kind of my Lord Of The Rings work – like The Dark Tower was for Stephen King.

I’ll be interested to see the reaction to it because it deals with all of the gods and goddesses, ancient and modern times – known to mankind. I’m pretty sure the Ancient Aliens people will love it, but the religious folks might be calling for me to be burned at the stake, lol.


13. How much more do you prefer writing poetry over an actual novel?

I tried a long time ago to write a poem. We don’t speak of that effort anymore. So I’d have to say I’m 100% novelist and 0% poet.


14. Finally, how do you deal with writer's block?

I don’t try to force it. If I find I’m hung up I walk away from the writing desk and focus on doing other things for a while. Usually, I find, after a day or two at the most I’m itching to get back to it and the block is gone. Again, I credit the 20+ years of daily sports writing for not getting writer’s block very often. You don’t have the luxury of not being able to get words on the screen at a daily paper – at least you don’t if you want to stay employed.


15. If you like to say anything else such as advice, shoutouts, or just whatever’s in your mind say it now. The stage is yours!

Advice wise all I can say is this: If you want to be a writer, then write. Don’t let anyone else tell you that you can’t or you are not good enough. You may not be a NY Times bestseller, many of us never will be (hell, I’m barely in the top 5% of writers on Amazon out of 1.4 million), but if you have a story to tell, fictional or real life, tell it. Even if only one person besides you and your editor ever reads it, that will make it worth the time and effort.

And if you are a reader, whether it is on Amazon, Goodreads or any other platform that allows them, if you read a book by any author please, please, please leave a review of it. You don’t have to write a long summation. Just click on how many stars you feel it rated and simply write: “I liked it”, “It was okay” or even “Man, this was a stinker” but I cannot begin to tell you how important reviews are to an author. Especially on Amazon, where we need 50 reviews to get Amazon to market the book, the more reviews we have the better our chances of other readers finding our books.

And finally I want to thank you for having me on and for those that took the time to read this all the way through to this point.


Well, that’s a wrap ladies and gentleman. It was nice talking to this brilliant and kind-hearted man. Richard, it was an honor talking to you and once again congrats on your books, that is certainly an honor to be proud of! I wish you the best on your future endeavors and may your success continue for years to come.

Aminah Iman Interview

Another author has stopped into the Hybrid Nation for an interview, man we’re really picking up now! She’s a novelist and a horror writer who enjoys scaring her writers to bed. She currently lives in the Midwest of the good old USA and likes plenty of other things besides writing. As seen on her website on Red Ink Publications, she is a hard-working author willing to pay her dues and is trying to write the best horror book possible, after all, isn’t that what we horror/Sci-Fi authors want to accomplish. Anyway, let’s quit the small talk, hehehe. Aminah Iman, welcome to the Hybrid Nation and let’s get this interview started!


Hi Angel, thanks so much for having me!


1. When did you decide to become an author?
-I have always been fascinated with creating stories. I have decided in 2006 to stop writing only for myself and start writing for the masses


2. Why did you decide to become an author?
After I wrote my first book, Lillith: My genesis I let a few family members and friends read it, after the great feedback I felt as if I could do this full time.


3. What genres do you plan to write for the future or is horror your main staple for the rest of your career?
You never know what the future will bring but for the foreseeable future, I am sticking with horror and historical fiction.

4. Besides writing what else do you like to do and what are your hobbies?
I love to read when I have the time and I also love to cook.

5. Who’s your biggest inspiration for your writing?
My fans. I know that may sound corny but it’s true!

6. How much time do you dedicate to writing your books?
As far as on a daily basis I dedicate five to eight hours, it’s a full-time job for me. For the entirety of a book, I write until it is finished.


7. How important do you think writing is to the young generation?
I think writing to.the younger generation is very important. To me, writing is a form of self-expression and what better way to express themselves.



8. How excited were you when you finally published your first book?
I was ridiculously excited and terrified. I didn’t know anyone personally who had ever published a book before so there was some fear mixed in with the happy.


9. What is the easiest part of writing in your opinion?
The easiest part for me is letting the characters lead. I write what they tell me.



10. What is the hardest part of writing in your opinion?
The hardest part is knowing when to stop. I always want to go back and add more!

11. What is your favorite and least favorite part of writing?
My favorite part of writing is all the extensive research that I do for each book


12. What can we expect from you next?
My next book is another ‘The Chronicles of Sari’ I have lived with The Vamperial for so long, I need a change of genre.


13. How do you deal with writer's block?
In all honesty, I do not have writer's block, as long as the characters are talking I am writing. When they stop talking so do I.


14. How much more do you prefer writing short horror books over an actual novel?
I really don’t have a preference, I write what comes to mind. If it happens to be a novel or a short horror story I am good either way.


15. If you like to say anything else such as advice, shoutouts, or just whatever’s in your mind say it now. The stage is yours!

I would like to thank you to the entire #AiNation I would also like to acknowledge Red Ink team. My life and career are richer with them in it.I’d like to shoutout my fabulous twitter fam, you guys are the best!


Well, that’s a wrap ladies and gentleman. It was nice talking to this brilliant and kind-hearted woman. Aminah it was an honor talking to you and once again congrats on your books, that is certainly an honor to be proud of! I wish you the best on your future endeavors and may your success continue for years to come.

Thank you so much, Angel for sharing you Hybrid Nation platform with me, I enjoyed it immensely.