Michael R. Baker's Blog, page 3

Games I’ve played: September

It has been a long time since I’ve made a video gaming related article, apologies for taking so long on getting back to them! It’s been an insanely busy past three months, but it should hopefully pay dividends. You will find out about what I’ve been working on in just a few short weeks!

There is a lot of video gaming content coming soon, especially in December with my annual “Game of the Year” rants which will end up being quite substantial. My current spreadsheet for 2020 involves nearly 40 games I need to discuss. There are so many games I want to cover it will probably involve five articles at least. With luck, I can make that happen I December.

So today, I’m going to talk about some games I’ve been playing during the last few weeks. Since the end of April, I’ve been streaming such games on my Twitch channel. Hopefully with my insight as a freelance narrative writer in the industry and the wealth of games I’ve been playing, you guys will enjoy some gameplay!

https://www.twitch.tv/diabound111

Ruinarch

One biggest problem I have with video games is actually completing some. It’s something that’s become a running joke with some members of my gaming community. I’m trying, I promise!
Ruinarch is a fascinating little game in Early Access: A simulation sandbox game where you create obstacles and cause conflicts in procedurally generated fantasy worlds. I like to refer to it as Reverse Rimworld: while that game focuses on you as a group of survivors trying to escape a planet while an evil, piece of shit enemy director tries to fuck with you as much as possible, in Ruinarch, you are that piece of shit director.

[image error]

And it’s got quite a lot of tools! It has a little bit of the now long-dead god game sim inside it (A travesty because the god gaming genre was amazing), so you can approach wiping out villages in different ways. You can cast powerful spells like fire, lightning and blizzards to rain hell upon them, if you like the direct approach. You have powerful demons you can summon, which helps the “Operation Fuckup Village” thing. Be careful of course, because the villagers don’t like evil gods by principle.

Or you can go the more subtle approach. Ruinarch has quite a nice system where the villagers have different relationships and personalities, and infecting them with say…darker thoughts is one way to ruin them too. Turn a wife against her husband by making her a vampire, or a son against his father by turning him into a psychopath who only kills other men. There’s a lot to play with, and there’s enough content to keep you interested.

The game is in early access and in a fairly enjoyable state, if a little buggy at times. I completed all six base scenarios (which have some variation on gameplay and need different tactics to complete them) in about 12 hours, but there’s a good amount of replayability with all the options. So far, I recommend it if you want a unique little game to let off steam. You might find me discussing this game more in December!

Crusader Kings III

I…have an odd relationship with Paradox games in general. They make good games, and support them for years, but they do so with a very liberal approach to DLC which makes getting into their games after a few years intimidating. This has been a double edged sword: on one hand you know they will support their games for a long time, the bad news is you often have to spend a ton of money to pick up the “optimal” version of the game.

[image error]

Crusader Kings III is something I had my eye on ever since it got announced, but I did have my concerns. The last big Paradox game to come out was a god damned mess at launch (Imperator Rome) and it probably pissed off a lot of people. With that in mind as well as Paradox having their hooker love relationship with add on content, I wanted to wait on Crusader Kings III and see what people thought. What softened the blow was the game being available on the rather nice Xbox Game Pass for the PC (an excellent gaming deal, even if their app is a bit shitty.)

I needn’t have worried too much. Paradox likes making complex games with a lot of depth, but there is a sacrifice for that. It usually involves a massive learning curve, and if it takes too long to get into the game, you’ll turn off a lot of people. What they did a wonderful job with this game is easing the player in. Crusader Kings III is complicated with a lot going on, but with much better UI and a tutorial that constantly helps you learn. This is huge, because I found myself getting absorbed by this third edition than any other Paradox management and kingdom builder game. The content is chunky, I care about the characters I make, and it’s just generally good gameplay. Overall, it’s one of the strongest Paradox launch games in years.

Paradox, you have impressed me so far. Keep it up! (And don’t fuck us with DLC without some good lube, at least. Please?)

Pokemon Sword and Shield (Expansion Pass in mind)

I enjoy Pokemon in general, but man. Boy, this game got some controversy didn’t it?

[image error]

From the Dexit nonsense to it’s rather lukewarm reception, 2019’s latest game in the Pokemon franchise really pissed off some people. I initially wasn’t going to pick them up, having gone off Pokemon in recent years. However, before the UK went into its spring lockdown, I ended up trading in at CEX for a copy of Pokemon Sword, based off my few hours playing it at a friends house in Edinburgh.

I’ve missed going out. Fuck viral pandemics, you know?

36 hours later, I defeated the champion. And…eh. I see the criticism. It’s so mindless I barely feel motivated to get the box legendary, and that hasn’t happened to me before in a Pokemon game.

Let’s start with the bad and the bland. Let’s be blunt, Pokemon was never really decided to have a good story. It’s had times with good characters, and Generation 5 (Black and White) were the high point of story in the games. Pokemon Sun and Moon and its Ultra versions had some strong characters and story, but badly let down by its awful pacing. It feels the developers just wanted to race through, as Sword and Shield’s story is both bad and lazy. The Darkest Day never really did much for me, and the main character (you) is completely irrelevant. It might just be the worst story in the entire franchise, and that’s including X and Y. You’re meant to be improving from Sun and Moon, guys, not regressing!

The Wild Area too…I like the concept but the graphics and draw distance is atrocious. The route designs too were extremely undercooked, almost like the game was in pre-alpha. The draw distance really put me off, seeing trees pop up 10 meters away…ugh.

A lot of people blast the game for it’s short playtime, but I feel thats part of its design. The Max Raid mechanic gives you a crapton of EXP candy, and with the EXP Share unable to be turned off (A design flaw), it’s very easy to level up your team. That in itself isn’t a bad thing, I was able to level up 2-3 full teams quickly and experiment.

Which leads me to the good parts of the game. Dexit aside, I really liked the new Pokemon designs, for the most part, and what was in the game, I was happy with. Time will tell whether their Season Pass will be an improvement over the past “Release third version” bullshit, but Pokemon has always been predatory in this regard. While the plot sucked ass and the game was too easy, some characters were well made. I liked the Champion Leon, and his brother Hop as he evolves alongside you. Marnie was a high point as well as well as her brother, who refuses to battle with Dynamax. There is some good writing in this game beneath all the mediocrity.

The Raids were a lot of fun, and in spite of how undercooked a lot of the gameplay is in this game, I really enjoyed the catching and raiding part of it. The Pokemon Camp mechanic while seemingly meaningless was good too, and I couldn’t help feel impressed by some of it. Hence in spite. There is a good game buried in here, amongst all the bad.

With the new DLC…eh. I own Shield now, I picked it up, a Switch Lite and the expansion pass for a really good deal, and I enjoyed Sword enough to play this with hopefully the full content. Let’s see if it shapes up, shall we?
I will make some kind of future post on this when I get the chance to try it out.

Iron Harvest

A kind word of advice to anyone who wants to develop a game. If you’re going to charge close to AAA price, at least make sure 1) Your launch goes as smooth as possible and 2) Make sure the full game is in it?

People get very testy over video game prices, and if people think it’s too high, they will complain about it. Iron Harvest at its core has a stunning art piece with really strong writing, especially for a strategy game. However, the launch was rough. Not only was the game buggy, but it launched with only a portion of the multiplayer maps available. That, combined with iffy AI interactions make for a difficult first impression. Yes, I know they have a roadmap and plan on changing this, and yes, it has improved significantly since its launch, but this should not be okay.

I try, as my new experience in the gaming industry, to be more sympathetic towards devs. And I really am for these guys. Clearly, something was happening behind the scenes to rush its launch, which must be frustrating. I can’t help but wonder had they charged a more reasonable price for a game like this, reception would have been a bit more positive.

I’m a few hours into the campaign and it’s pretty solid so far though. I’ll update when I’ve played more. The mechs are cool and the worldbuilding is excellent, just probably needed a few more months in the cooker.

That is all from me right now, but join me in a couple of weeks for another segment. I’m going to try and ramp up these little articles in preparation for December.

Authors in Isolation: Stanley Wheeler

Back with Authors In Isolation! Got a new interview for you guys today with Stanley Wheeler. Come check him out!

First of all, tell me about yourself! What do you write? 

I was born at a very young age and have matured only slightly over the years. I grew up in the west working on the family farm as well as at a number of other jobs for which I was not suitable. After completing my undergraduate degree and still finding myself without marketable skills, I went to law school and now work as a prosecuting attorney. 

I do write in multiple genres. I’m currently writing a fantasy series of which the first trilogy is complete. The Tomahawks and Dragon Fire trilogy is a flintlock fantasy/alternate history romp. I’ve written two westerns, a fantasy novel set in my town, and a noir detective novel. My wife wants me to write sequels to the noir novel, but that will have to wait until I complete the new series with a second trilogy.

How do you develop your plots and characters? 

The development of my plots and characters is a super-secret process. It’s so secret that it’s practically unknown even to me. Seriously, that’s partially true. While I attempt to outline the plot and major points of the character arcs, the majority of what actually makes it into the novel occurs during the actual writing process. The decisions the characters make, as well the motivations they began with or have discovered along the way determine the course of the plot and the character development. For example, a Lieutenant Roberts appears in the early chapters of Threading the Rude Eye, the first book in the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire trilogy. I had not anticipated how important this character would be to the way the trilogy developed. The throw-away character became a major character. Sometimes important plot elements arise from difficult circumstances. In a great fight scene between wielders of mysterious power, I had to resolve it a particular way. The way that resolution came into being created new complications and exciting developments—all of which were awesome, but completely unforeseen in the original outline. While writing my novel Smoke, I realized that I had failed to include a character who was extremely important to the plot. Fortunately, writing requires thinking about what’s going to happen chapters down the road, so I was able to bring in the character at the appropriate time. Sometimes the story demands the character. Sometimes the character demands a place in the story.

Tell the world about your current project!

My current project, of which I’ve completed the first trilogy, and have started on the second trilogy, is a fantastic flintlock fantasy/alternate history with dragons, magic, and other creatures set during the American Revolutionary War. The story envisions an American continent with dragons and other interesting creatures. Many events unfolded as they did historically, but there are other elements at play. Lucette, a young French woman, is in possession of a map to a cache of magical power. She is tasked with getting the map to a contact in the new world. Destruction in the form of The Supreme Commander of the kings forces, who is himself possessed of this great magical power, pursues her from her homeland to America. Along the way, Alex, a young man hoping to embark upon a career as a barrister, and two diverse parties of dragon hunters join in the adventure, each pursuing their own ends.

Who would you say is the main character of your latest novel? And tell me a little bit about them!

Alex and Lucette are the main characters. Lucette is motivated to save her own embattled nation by acquiring the power of Cartier’s cache to help the American colonies in their struggle for freedom. She is a beauty already accustomed to the hardships of war. I hear her delightful French accent whenever she speaks. Alex is reluctant to join the cause as he has plans of his own, and he has no sympathy for the revolution. Events thrust Alex into the conflict. The dragon hunters are also prominent and important to the story. Cat and Felgar, the red-haired Irish brother and sister, are joined by Akira and Hugh. The other team consists of Akram, Coronia, Velisha, and Quintus. Additionally, Iago, a little person from Portugal, and Atu, a tattooed giant from the Pacific Islands, become entangled in the search for the cache. They are all interesting characters.

Have you been to any conventions? If so, tell me a little about them!

I had planned to go this year – bad timing.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve been writing stories since I was a kid. I decided to be a writer when I was ten or eleven years old.

If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year while writing a book that took place in that same setting, where would you choose?

The possibilities are endless, especially if you allow time travel. There are places I’ve been, like France and Mexico, that I would like to go back to, but I would also like to see new places like Japan and Tahiti and New Zealand, as well as the rest of Europe and South America. If I’m forced to choose, I think I would like to go to Normandy for a year and write a novel that takes place in that setting. 

What advice would you give new writers?

Never stop looking critically at your own writing. Be honest with yourself. Even the best writers make mistakes. Mistakes can be corrected, but terrible writing becomes a trial for everyone who has to read it. Give serious thought to the criticism of others, but don’t let it keep you from trying. Audience matters. Not everyone will “get” or enjoy your work—but someone out there might. Even awful writers can make millions.

What real-life inspirations did you draw from for the worldbuilding?

It varies.

What inspires you to write?

Great stories inspire me to write. A story, an idea, an interesting turn of a phrase may spark an entire train of thought that becomes a story, or a part of one.

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

Simply making time to do it. The rest of it: the planning, thinking, and wrestling for the right words to nail to the page are all fun parts of the task. It is in the doing that the doors to what might be, or what must be, in the story open to reveal the treasures.

What is your routine when writing, if any? If you don’t follow a routine, why not?

I try to write a thousand words at a time. Although I may write more or less, a thousand is my goal. When my head is full and the words are tumbling out without requiring me to stop and research something, I can complete the goal in an hour. At other times, it may take me two hours. So I try to set aside two hours a day for writing.

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write in any of your books, and why? 

That question requires some thought. There are so many from which to choose. There are two favorite things that happen while I’m writing. One is when one of those doors to unanticipated treasure opens. That just happened in the chapter I’m currently writing. I love every time that happens. The other thing is a complete immersion in the story, the sights, the sounds, the smells, the time, and the emotions. That happened for most of the book called Smoke—it felt like I was in 1948—it was really a love affair with the setting and the characters. At the moment, I can’t pick any one chapter as my favorite.

Did you learn anything from writing your latest book? If so, what was it?

I learned that I make a lot of typos and that there are still several that sneak by me no matter how many times I proof read it.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? A gardener or an architect?

I think my explanations above show that I’m really a combination of these methods.

If you had to give up either snacks and drinks during writing sessions, or music, which would you find more difficult to say goodbye to?

Provided there isn’t any loud noise, I happily give up all of those things. When the writing is going well, those are all just distractions. I prefer to duel the empty page on my own.

Which is your favorite season to write in, and why? 

Fall. Everything is better in fall.

It’s sometimes difficult to get into understanding the characters we write. How do you go about it? 

I’ve learned to get out of their way. The characters have motivations and decisions. They will choose what they want if I stay out of the way and let them pursue their course. They develop as we go, and I understand them better the more time I spend with them.

What are your future project(s)?

I plan to finish the next trilogy to complete the flintlock fantasy/alternate history of the American Revolution – for better or worse. I had planned to take the same world into the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Era. I have some short stories bouncing around in my head. I have a sort of flintlock-urban fantasy detective novel pressing to get out, and I may humor my wife and write a sequel to Smoke.

What is your favorite book ever written?

I think my comments above about Smoke demonstrate that it is my favorite so far. However, I have enjoyed writing all my books and have favorite elements in each.

Who are your favorite authors?

I enjoy Shakespeare, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Brandon Sanderson, Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, Louis L’Amour, Brian McClellan, Alan Dean Foster, Edgar Allan Poe, Mark Twain, Tony Hillerman, Alexandre Dumas, and J.R.R. Tolkien, to name a few.

What makes a good villain?

Villains are many and varied depending upon the genre, tone, and world of the story, but they must have some streak of evil in them. The villain should be as powerful, or more powerful than the protagonist, and must not be stupid. Villains may make mistakes and be constrained by other events or concerns, but, unless the story is comedic, the villain should not be an idiot. A villain has a goal and pursues that goal, perhaps without mercy. Within those confines, the depth of the villain’s evil streak can vary, how he or she treats others and the means and methods used by him or her may vary.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Hiking, fishing, reading, spending time with family, and tabletop gaming.

If you couldn’t be an author, what ideal job would you like to do?

Astronaut or Napoleonic Marshal

Coffee or Tea? Or (exult deep breath) what other drink do you prefer, if you like neither?

You can travel to anywhere in the universe. Where would you go, and why?

Barsoom – I can’t think of a single reason not to go.

Do you have any writing blogs you recommend?

Do you have any writer friends you’d like to give a shoutout to?

DJ Butler, David West, Rick Partlow, Ken Jorgensen, and Nick Cole.

Pick any three fiction characters. These are now your roadtrip crew. Where do you go and what do you do?

D’Artagnan, Porthos, and Athos. We go to Barsoom to overthrow the Holy Therns and Issus.

What superpower would you most like?

Flying or teleportation.

What are two of your favorite covers of all time? (Not your own.)

Both Michael Whelan covers: A Princess of Mars, and The Warlord of Mars.

Finally, what is your preferred method to have readers get in touch with or follow you (i.e., website, personal blog, Facebook page, here on Goodreads, etc.) and link(s)?

Follow my weekly blog: StanleyWheeler.blogspot.com

It is also accessible through my Amazon page.

Here’s my Amazon page link:

Here’s a link to my latest trilogy (for a limited time at only $0.99 each):

I’ve attached a photo of me, and also the trilogy book covers to the emai.

Self Isolation Interview – PD Alleva

And I’m happy to bring back these self isolation interviews. They’re still going – Just drop me a message if you want one. With everything happening, my activity lately has been downhill.

Today I bring you a special interview with PD Alleva. His new book The Rose launches today, and I wanted to give him the spotlight. Everyone wish him welcome and an awesome launch!

First of all, tell me about yourself! What do you write? 

Hello, my name is PD Alleva. I write science fiction, horror, speculative fiction, and thrillers, combining elements from each genre into one story, something I refer to as Alternative Fiction (because multi genre sounds like you’ve got marlbes between your cheeks and I’m a child of the 90’s). I have five books published and a new dystopian scifi series set to launch on October 7th. 

How do you develop your plots and characters? 

Over time. Once the idea is in my head I take a lot of notes, send a lot of emails about the plot and characters. Allow the story to marinate and manifest before sitting down to write the actual manuscript. This process can take some time, often a few years, mostly because I’m writing or editing another project. During the writing process I’ll continue to leave notes in the manuscript, send emails with little details for the plot or some bit part or back story I need to add. 

Tell the world about your current project!

The Rose Vol. 1 is a dsytopian science fiction thriller inspired by an obsession with consiracy theories, ancient aliens, and alien lore. The book features a sophisticated race of alien vampires who live in middle earth and have conspired with elite human beings and grey aliens to turn the human population into easily controlled zombies in an effort to achieve planetary and insterstellar dominiation. The story begins directly after the end of World War 3 in an underground medical complex where human beings are subjected to genetic experimentaion. The plot revolves around an unsuspecting WW3 safety camp surivior, Sandy Cox, who has been thrown in the middle of a mysterious human rebellion against the aliens and elite humans. The book features concepts found in alien lore and ancient aliens, including the Akashic Record and Robert Morningstar papers, to name a few. The book can be described as The Matrix with Ancient Aliens or Star Wars in The Hunger Games. I developed a martial arts practice I refer to as The Blades for one on one fighting scenes along with mutiple surprise aliens and genetically mutated humans. The book is an action adventure thriller from start to finish.

Who would you say is the main character of your latest novel? And tell me a little bit about them!

Sanos is an alien vampire and leader of the military faction tasked with overseeing genetic experiementation in the underground medical complex. Best described as the villain you love to hate. Sanos has grown weary of the alliance between vampires and humans, creating mischeif and an uprising within his people. But when he gets a taste of the new blood concoted from a laboratory pill given to humans with the purpose to destory gray matter in the brain, he turns wild and ravenous. 

Have you been to any conventions? If so, tell me a little about them!

Unfortunately not. I had plans to attend comic con and alien con this year but with covid quarantine happening, I’ll have to wait on those dreams.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Birth. I’ve been writing as far back as I can remember. 

If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year while writing a book that took place in that same setting, where would you choose?

Egypt or Easter Island, it’ll help when I start writing books six and seven in the new sci-fi series which will include time travel to these parts of our world. 

What advice would you give new writers?

Follow your gut. Connect with other authors and ask questions. The indie author community is a vast resource for help and advice. Learn it, use it, love it, but always figure out what will work best for you and what fits your personality and career needs.

What real-life inspirations did you draw from for the worldbuilding?

Anything really, but mostly landmarks, blips of historical periods, mythical and magical lore, old worlds with societies that have gone into the wasteland of the phantom abyss, and imagining a dystopian future based on current events. 

What inspires you to write?

Great storytelling, conspiracy theories, and interests in alien lore, the surreal, the unknown, mythology, philosophy, quantum physics, and the metaphysical. 

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

Letting it go at the end of the day. I always need to bring myself back down from the story and be present in the third dimension.

What is your routine when writing, if any? If you don’t follow a routine, why not?

Wake up, drop out of bed, drink a few cups of coffee, throw on the headphones, read the last chapter or two that I wrote the day before including the first paragraph or two in the new chapter, then start to think. Get into the character and the scene that’s coming up. Once I got it clear in my head I sit down to write. Where it goes from there no one really knows except the characters on the page.

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write in any of your books, and why? 

The many action and fight sequences in The Rose. Writing those scenes was great fun. I had the images in my head that played out like watching a bad ass movie trailer. I’d use music, most specifically, Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir, to get the juices flowing and implement the best action sequences possible. My goal was for the reader to feel like they were inside of the scene, kind of like a referree in an MMA fight. Considering the reviews the book has been receiving it appears this goal was accomplished. 

I wrote a blog about it too: Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd Inspired Action Scenes. 

Check it out here: https://pdalleva.com/blog/led-zeppelin-and-pink-floyd-inspired-action-scenes

Did you learn anything from writing your latest book? If so, what was it?

Yes, writing science fiction is awesome. 

Are you a plotter or a pantser? A gardener or an architect?

Both. I don’t write outlines but I do write notes and send emails about the story, character development, or new direcitons for the plot when they arise. The story always takes on a life of its own though. When editing I’m a 100% architect, stepping away from the emotion in the story to deliver those needed and required sentence structures with appropriate grammar. 

If you had to give up either snacks and drinks during writing sessions, or music, which would you find more difficult to say goodbye to?

Definitely, without a doubt, music. I don’t snack or really drink anything when writing. Most of the time I usually forget to do both but my wife is awesome and sends me reminders to eat.  Music on the other hand is a needed and required commodity when writing. Helps to set the tone for any particular scene and is also a needed distraction. I have this uncanny knack to tune out everything and anything that is going on around me; something my family refers to as Space Cadet PD. I don’t know how many times I’ve heard someone say, “Earth to Paul, come back down.” However, I welcome the distractions from music. It’s as if I require background noise to maintain long-term focus.

Which is your favorite season to write in, and why? 

Winter.  There’s just something about the winter season that makes great stories, I think it’s the reflective dark emotion that exists in each character during the winter season.

It’s sometimes difficult to get into understanding the characters we write. How do you go about it? 

Act and think like them. Luckily I’ve been a psychotherapist for the last fifteen years and understand thought processes, belief systems, diagnoses, and behavior. Helps to get into the head of my characters. I also act out specific scenes in the morning to ‘get into character’ as I call it. My wife finds this practice a bit disturbing but that’s okay, she’ll get over it. Most important part is character development, I need to be in their heads as much as possible. 

What are your future project(s)?

I have a few projects stirring. The Rose is the first in a planned series of seven books over three interconnected series. So, I’ll be knee deep in alien lore, theories, and conspiracies for a long while. But I’m also writing horror thriller novels. I have two I’m working on currently, the first is my editing in progress, Golem, which takes place in the late 1940’s, early 1950’s New York City and chronicles the desperate act of a high society socialite and sculptor who incarnates a demon into her statue (Golem) who wreaks havoc on every aspect of New York’s infrastructure with the help of possessed orphans in an attempt for supreme power and control over the human race. 

I’m also writing a second horror thriler, Jigglyspot and the Zero Intellect. Carnivals, Cannibals, and Clowns! Oh My. 

Once Jigglyspot is completed I’ll jump back into science fiction mode and write Vol. 2 for The Rose followed by the second Rose connected series and trilogy, Indigo. 

What is your favorite book ever written?

Frankenstein. I’ve read the book three times.

Who are your favorite authors?

Blake Crouch, JD Barker, John Connolly, and VE Schwab.

What makes a good villain?

Well written with a thick and intriguing back story that has chiseled the villain into an intelligent cerebral assasin with a no holds barred, anarchist, watch the world burn attitude. A character that emodies the dark side of the human condition with reckless abandon.  Has to be conniving, manipulative, sassy, intellgient, and illogically rooted in a desire for self and societal destruction.

Wrote a blog about this too. What is it about the human dark side that gives good stories? Check it out here: https://pdalleva.com/blog/thedarkside

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Read books, watch movies, run around with my kids, listen to music and meditate.

If you couldn’t be an author, what ideal job would you like to do?

Well, I’ve been a hypnotist for the past 15 years so I guess I would keep doing that, although I wouldn’t mind working in a library or owning a rare book store.

Coffee or Tea? Or (exult deep breath) what other drink do you prefer, if you like neither?

I drink coffee in the morning. Tea on occasion and water most of the time. A good IPA or French Bordeaux always goes a long way too.

You can travel to anywhere in the universe. Where would you go, and why?

Orions belt to say hello to my alien ancestors and join the intellectual elite in the universe.

Do you have any writing blogs you recommend?

I’m not a big blog reader, although I have written a few blogs myself. Check them out here: https://pdalleva.com/blog

Do you have any writer friends you’d like to give a shoutout to?

Angel Ramon, author of The Fifth Survivor. RM Garino, Author of The Gates of Golorath. And Sharon Turner, Author of the Kingdom of Durundal series.

Pick any three fiction characters. These are now your roadtrip crew. Where do you go and what do you do?

Hannibal Lecter, Heath Ledger’s Joker, and one of the Killer Klowns from Outer Space. We’re going to a cannibal and alien convention where we are keynote speakers tasked with delivering a state of the union address involving interplanetary takeovers with an update on how our human mind manipulating efforts are progressing. And they are coming along exactly as planned.

What superpower would you most like?

I’ve been attempting telekinesis all my life, hopefully I’ll achieve this power soon. 

What are two of your favorite covers of all time? (Not your own.)

I don’t usually buy a book based on the cover so I don’t look at covers in that way but for the sake of the question, two that come to mind are VE Schwab’s Vicious and Vengeful. I do enjoy those covers. 

It’s a very difficult time right now for the world. When quarantine and pandemic comes to an end, what is the first thing you would like to do?

Get on a space ship, fly to a new galaxy and terraform my own planet. If that option doesn’t come to fruition, I’d like to take a Jamaican Cruise.

Finally, what is your preferred method to have readers get in touch with or follow you (i.e., website, personal blog, Facebook page, here on Goodreads, etc.) and link(s)?

Best methods are either Goodreads or my Newsletter. Of course any other social media will do but those are my two favorites. 

PreOrder Link: https://www.amazon.com/Rose-Vol-Dystopian-Science-Thriller-ebook/dp/B089JTPJ8G/

Newsletter and website: https://pdalleva.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7634126.P_D_Alleva

Instagram: @pdalleva_author

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

Twitter: @PdallevaAuthor

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/pdalleva

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/p-d-alleva

Authors In Isolation: John Rosenman

Back with Authors In Isolation! Got a new interview for you guys today with John Rosenman, who has aquired quite the awesome writing career. Come check him out!

First of all, tell me about yourself! What do you write? 

Hi, I’m a retired English professor who writes speculative fiction – science fiction, fantasy, horror, paranormal (and one young adult). I’ve published a couple dozen books as well as two hundred and fifty stories in places such as Weird Tales, Whitley Strieber’s Aliens, Fangoria, Galaxy, Endless Apocalypse, The Age of Wonders, and the Hot Blood erotic horror series. My novels include action-adventure scifi novels such as Beyond Those Distant Stars, Speaker of the Shakk, A Senseless Act of Beauty, Alien Dreams, and the Inspector of the Cross series (Crossroad Press). I’ve also published a four-book box set, The Amazing Worlds of John B. Rosenman  (MuseItUp Publishing). Recently I completed a science-fiction novel Dreamfarer which is the first in a new series. It will be published by Crossroad Press.

How do you develop your plots and characters? 

I’m a pantser and tend to make it up as I go along. Often it’s like I’m wandering in a fog and only gradually does the road ahead become visible to me. I may have an idea of the eventful conclusion but no clear, overall plan of how I’m going to get there. I used to walk through a local Barnes & Noble that I found particularly conducive to inspiration and sometimes the slightest thing there would suddenly spark a story. For example, I saw a book titled The Calm Technique and instantly a story leaped almost full-blown into my head. The Death Technique is about a man who has the gruesome ability to make his body rot and resemble a corpse. I sold it to a pro anthology.

Tell the world about your current project!

There are two: I’m awaiting publication of Crash, book six in my Inspector of the Cross scifi / adventure series. This time I change the rules of the game for my protagonist. Poor Inspector Turtan, his ship crashes on a distant planet. He barely survives and his face is destroyed, forcing doctors to give him a new one. On top of that, the guy has amnesia and doesn’t even know who he is. But he’d better remember fast!

I’m also writing Go East, Young Man, the second novel in my Dreamfarer series. The year is 2170 and almost everybody exercises their option and is placed in a dream box or Cerebral Interface Unit when they are thirty-two years old so they can dream wonderful dreams of their choice for the rest of their life. One man, Sam Adams, continues to fight the insidious dream industry because he believes it robs life of its meaning.

Who would you say is the main character of your latest novel? And tell me a little bit about them!

Sam Adams of Dreamfarer wakes up after seven years in a Dream box to discover that he is a Waker and can never go back to his wonderful dreams. As with other Wakers, the adjustment is hard. Electronically-induced dreams are supremely addictive, and he could commit suicide or become a Wrecker, someone who seeks to destroy society. Instead, Sam comes to question the dream centers themselves and joins a movement to abolish them. He also has a couple of romances along the way and a lot of adventures.

Have you been to any conventions? If so, tell me a little about them!

I used to go to quite a few: Necon, Sci-Con, World Horror Con, etc.  My favorite was Sci-Con, which was local. I was a member of several panels and enjoyed the interplay and sharing of perspectives with fellow writers. I recall one night at Sci-Con when my friends and I searched for the ultimate beer keg or drink machine at a local hotel. We canvassed all the floors and went to at least a dozen parties, entering and leaving hotel rooms in our inspired, inebriated quest.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

It seems I always scribbled and made up stories before I even formed the concept of being a writer. I remember when I was a small boy and used crayons to design crude cartoon panels that told a story. Later, about ten or so, I started to write a western about Jeff Stancher.  It was called The Twisted Years. By then, I realized hazily that I was being a writer. However, for a long time it was an impractical interest.  As my father would remind me, I couldn’t make a living at it. By the time I  reached the eleventh grade, though, I had a clear view of myself as a potential writer and showed my work to an English teacher.     

If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year while writing a book that took place in that same setting, where would you choose?

Perhaps Italy or Nigeria.  I visited Italy briefly in 1994 and wrote a short story that took place in Rome. Nigeria, though, might come first as I’ve written stories that took place there both in the past and present. My novel A Senseless Act of Beauty begins in a futuristic Nigeria and contains a story that occurred there in the past.

What advice would you give new writers?

Read, read, read; write, write, write; revise, revise, revise.  If possible, join a good writers’ group where expert criticism and critiques are supplied on a regular basis. Analyze everything. If a work of creative fiction astonishes you, try to identify some of the elements that make it work. Read critical articles discussing them and take a course or two in creative writing.

What real-life inspirations did you draw from for the worldbuilding?

Mike Resnick’s novels and books about Africa inspired me to write stories about Africa and my novel A Senseless Act of Beauty. Some of his works like Kirinyaga and Ivory are at the top of the list. Kirinyaga presents a futuristic Kikuyu nation  located in a terraformed planetoid  or space station. How cool is that?

There are so many examples I could mention here. One of my favorite movies is The Wizard of Oz, which presents an imaginary world.  This world has haunted and inspired me all my life, and I’ve inserted elements of it into my fiction time and again. 

What inspires you to write?

     I’ve become addicted to it and can’t stop. It’s a lifelong habit, and sometimes it’s fun 

     and wonderful.  I want to harvest all the crops that grow in my mind and imagination 

     and go as far as I can, write the best stories and novels that I am capable of.  I want  

     people to buy and read my books, and I want to be remembered and to inspire other 

     writers after I’m gone. 

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

To begin with, REJECTION. Sometimes endless rejection. You have to take all the blows of being turned down and even critically eviscerated, and move on. You have to overcome depression and the feeling that you’re no damned good.

As I’ve gotten old, my imagination is not as fruitful and easy as it used to be. It’s harder to come up with new and different ideas.

What is your routine when writing, if any? If you don’t follow a routine, why not?

Routine?  What’s a routine?  I usually write when I want to. However, I made it a point to get up this morning and finish answering these questions, so that’s a little bit of a routine. When I was employed, I did have to write more at night, but in general, I don’t have a set time when I sit down to scribble or a fixed amount of time I must do it.

Why don’t I follow a routine? Boy, that’s a good question. I find that if I’m excited by a project, I manage to get the work down. I will sit down and plow forward. I just won’t watch the clock while I’m doing it. I suppose following a routine is not in my DNA, or I’m just lazy in that way. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that I’m a pantser and make my schedule up as I go along.

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write in any of your books, and why? 

Two come to mind.

In chapter twenty of Dax Rigby, War Correspondent, Dax saves the life of the woman he loves by sheer will. The chapter is called “Avatar,” and Dax has a transcendent epiphany. He realizes that he is an incarnation of God, a child of the divine universe. I have somewhat different spiritual inclinations, and this chapter really connects with me. Read it and see if you agree. https://amzn.to/3aNBn1O

In The Merry-Go-Round Man, my Young Adult novel, Johnny Roth has two great innate gifts. He can be an unbeatable boxer and a sublime expressionistic painter. The chapter where Johnny steps into the ring and faces Jason Wardlow continues to have a powerful effect on me. Like Dax Rigby, Johnny experiences a great awakening as to his abilities. It’s available both on print and in audio.

Did you learn anything from writing your latest book? If so, what was it?

My latest completed book was Dreamfarer, and I’m currently writing a sequel called Go East, Young Man. One thing I’ve had to learn is geography and local features. Dreamfarer takes place in San Francisco and the surrounding area, so I’ve had to do some research. For example, how long and wide is the Golden Gate Bridge? Go East, Young Man features a hero who travels through California, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado. Though it takes place 150 years in the future, I still have to check such things as routes and terrain. If I don’t, I’ll make mistakes and readers will call me on it.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? A gardener or an architect?

I answer this above.  Here it is again: I’m a pantser, a gardener. However, I did plot one novel, Speaker of the Shakk. Plotting it, devising a rough outline actually helped. But then I found while writing the novel that I had to change so darn much. I had to break free. I find it an adventure to make it up as I go along and to see what happens when I turn the next corner. It comes with risks, though. When I turn the next corner, I may not know where to go or what to do.

If you had to give up either snacks and drinks during writing sessions, or music, which would you find more difficult to say goodbye to?

You know, I don’t snack, drink, or listen to music during my writing sessions, so I don’t think either one would affect me. I know, bad answer! Oh, wait. I love coffee, and sometimes I drink it when writing.  I need my caffeine fix, morning or afternoon joe. So coffee would be the hardest for me to wave goodbye to.

Which is your favorite season to write in, and why? 

I like all seasons, but perhaps winter is the best because I’m less physically active, especially with tennis.  As a result I stay inside and write more. However, I’m scribbling along pretty well right now.

It’s sometimes difficult to get into understanding the characters we write. How do you go about it? 

The poet John Keats wrote about negative capability, which is the ability to set your own personality aside and step into the hearts and minds of others. Admittedly, the process is hard and success is seldom complete. Still, I’ve been able to write about women, Africans, African-Americans, children and so on. In my novel Skyburst, I write about a girl from the age of 14 to 18. No matter how hard I try, I will never be a young girl, but I find that if I ask myself certain questions, I can “fake” it. What would a fifteen or eighteen-year-old girl do in this situation or that? How would she respond to her first period, especially if she had never been forewarned about it? In such situations, common sense and sympathy help. How can I understand a young black boy who runs into vicious racism? Well, when I was young, I had just such a friend, so I can definitely relate, at least partly. Empathy goes a long way. If you don’t have it, you’re likely to fail as a writer.

What are your future project(s)?

Right now I’m writing the sequel to Dreamfarer, which will be published by Crossroad Press. Go West, Young Man deals with the further adventures of Sam Adams, an American rebel in the year 2170. If you could dream the rest of your life away, enjoying dreams scientifically designed to make you most happy, would you do it? Or would you choose to be awake in an often prosaic reality? Sam Adams has chosen to oppose the Dream Industry, and he is willing to give his life if necessary.

Other than that, I’d like to write more short stories. There are tantalizing markets around, some of which have previously published me, and short stories take less time and often provide a more immediate reward.

What is your favorite book ever written?

I loved the first three novels in the Game of Thrones series. Also, Mike Resnick’s Kirinyaga, and Dan Simmons’ Hyperion Cantos. 

Who are your favorite authors?

Robert Silverberg, Stephen King, Mike Resnick, Octavia E. Butler, Dan Simmons, Dean Koontz, etc.

What makes a good villain?

An indispensable quality is mystery. You don’t know why they’re so bad.  Consider the original Hannibal Lector. You didn’t know why he was so evil. Did he have a troubled, abusive childhood or was he just born that way? Then came a sequel, Hannibal, which explained things. I didn’t want the explanation. Please keep the mystery. Another quality is that a good villain projects. He has a sinister power. Think of Anthony Hopkins in the role. Enough said.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I read a lot and play plenty of tennis. I love some TV series, such as Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Outlander, Dateline, etc. I have a large library of films, especially scifi /horror flicks of the fifties. The War of the Worlds, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Thing and so on. The other day I went swimming in the bay and got knocked off my feet when I walked ashore. 

If you couldn’t be an author, what ideal job would you like to do?

As a child, I wanted to be an opera star. There was only one problem: I couldn’t sing!

I was an English professor at universities for many years, and I enjoyed it. I play a lot of tennis. I’d like to be much better and play professionally.  Too bad I’m 79 years old. 

Coffee or Tea? Or (exult deep breath) what other drink do you prefer, if you like neither?

Coffee, please. Definitely coffee. I’ll take it black with too much sugar. I also like white wine, bourbon and ginger ale, and margaritas. I’ll try anything once.

You can travel to anywhere in the universe. Where would you go, and why?

If I could travel down a black hole without screwing up my mind, I’d do it. I’d like to visit Mars and Saturn, the beautiful ringed planet. There are a few planets somewhat like Earth in the universe and I’d like to visit each one to see if they support life and if so, what kind.

Do you have any writing blogs you recommend?

I have a blog myself but don’t follow others much. Maybe I’ll start doing that.

Do you have any writer friends you’d like to give a shoutout to?

Yes, there is I. J. Parker, the author of twenty novels about Akitada, a twelfth century Japanese detective. Her latest is Massacre at Shirakawa. Also, Dr. Robert G. Williscroft, a retired nuclear submarine officer who has lived an exciting life serving his country. He’s the author of The Starship Compact, Icicle: A Tensor Matrix, and many others. Check out both authors’ books on Amazon and elsewhere.

Pick any three fiction characters. These are now your roadtrip crew. Where do you go and what do you do?

Actually, in my current series, the hero has three sidekicks on his road trip. Isn’t that amazing? But I can’t use them. 

Let me see.  First, I’d pick Koontz’s Odd Thomas because of his paranormal abilities to see into the nature of events and shape the future.  Then comes Superman because of his super abilities, but he’d have to ditch his flashy uniform and dress like any other guy.  On second thought, make him Superboy like in the series Smallville so he doesn’t look so imposing. Finally, I’d pick Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games. Why? C’mon, I’m a guy and I have to have a girl along, even though I’m waaaay too old for her. I really liked the first novel in the series and the first movie. 

She has so much initiative, courage,  and is willing to sacrifice herself for her younger sister.

We travel to the top of the 18,000 foot high Mount Cotopaxi volcano located in the Andes, South America. Why the hell would we want to do this? To stop the evil world crime syndicate (or something like that) from releasing its special gas that will enslave humanity by stripping their will. Along the way, our heroes meet many challenges. Finally, when they get to the summit, Superman finds the volcano’s walls are full of kryptonite. Need I go on?

What superpower would you most like?

Super strength. I could lift any weight, beat any bully up, and be a champion boxer or athlete.  Hmm, it would be nice if speed and coordination went with it.

What are two of your favorite covers of all time? (Not your own.)

Two of my favorites are those for short story collections by Dark Owl Publishing. A Celebration of Storytelling features a shiny, open book with its pages fanned out.  I have a story in it. The other will be an edgy collection of westerns and is called Something Wicked This Way Rides. The cover shows an animal’s skull fastened on a bare, upright branch. Both covers are striking and unforgettable.

It’s a very difficult time right now for the world. When quarantine and pandemic comes to an end, what is the first thing you would like to do?

I’d like to stop wearing a facemask and take my wife out to Wendy’s, Hardy’s, and perhaps a decent restaurant. I’d like to resume workouts at my local recreation center. I’d like to take Jane to see a Tides baseball game at the stadium.

Finally, what is your preferred method to have readers get in touch with or follow you (i.e., website, personal blog, Facebook page, here on Goodreads, etc.) and link(s)?

All of the above, but especially my website and Facebook page.  Here are some links:

Visit his website at http://www.johnrosenman.com

Blog: http://johnrosenman.blogspot.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/Writerman1

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/JohnBRosenman?ref=hl   

Facebook Home Page: http://www.facebook.com/john.rosenman

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/John-B.-Rosenman/e/B001KMN69E

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/938855.John_B_Rosenman

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-b-rosenman-50287218

E-mail: jroseman@cox.net

SPFBO Author Interview: Ryan D Meier

We are back with a new SPFBO interview. My schedule has opened up again, so hopefully I can be a bit more active on the blog! Today’s interview is with Ryan Meier. Hope you guys enjoy!

STARTING OFF WITH A BANG

Introduce yourself! An easy question to start off with. Who are you, what do you write?

Hello Readers! I’m Ryan D Meier and I write epic fantasy. 

SPFBO DISCUSSION

Is this your first time in SPFBO?

Yes, this is my first year submitting and I couldn’t be more excited to share my entry.

What book did you enter into this year’s event?

This year’s entry is Shadows of Creation, my recently released book #1 of my epic fantasy series, the Creation Chronicles.

Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?

Yes. Several of the characters are focused around topics that are close to me, but Brenn is a character I designed to highlight aspects of mental health that are so common in our society. He struggles with deep seed guilt that manifests through depression, alcohol abuse, and an unconscious desire for self-punishment. I’ve seen aspects of those things in the mirror and in friends and family throughout the years.

It was therapeutic to write his scenes, and I hope his struggles help my readers feel less alone with some of those feelings.       

What was the inspiration for the story? What are your future project(s)?

Ironically, the book began taking shape with a really simple plot concept – one I said “Gee, that would be interesting”. Without giving too much away, one of our characters develops a plan with the best of intentions and it quickly blows up in his face, leaving him to scramble and desperately try to put together the pieces. 

What are the key themes and/or messages in the book?

Although epic fantasy often takes place in fictional worlds that has few ties to our own reality, the themes and characters are often as real as you and I. Shadows follows that same premise. 

We struggle with major societal issues every day. Income inequality, race relations, cultural differences, mental health, the abuse of power, corruption, and greed. My characters and the people of Turina deal with those same topics, just like you and I.  

What were the key challenges you faced when writing this book?

My vision for how Shadows should read was clear from the very beginning – a completely fictional world, multiple character POVs, and a diverse plot where separate storylines crash together.

A lot of planning and outline organization went into ensuring the approach would make a pleasant reading experience and not a confusing one!

What is the future for the characters? Will there be a sequel?

I’ll be vague and tell you that each of the characters will continue to grow. Our protagonists mean well, but as you get to know them you see their flaws. Like you and I, they will work each day to be better. 

Book 2 of the Creation Chronicles, Elements of Creation, is being written as we speak. A third book is planned to finish the trilogy.    

MORE RAMBLES ABOUT WRITING

What is your favorite book you’ve written?

Shadows of Creation is my first published novel and definitely my favorite. I have a stand-alone novel written (in editing) and other unpublished works. But Shadows represents so much of what I want to share with my readers. 

Who are your favorite authors?

I’m a Brandon Sanderson fanatic – enough said. But my reading varies – a few favorites: Dragonlance novels (specifically Weis & Hickman), Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files, Ernest Cline’s books, The Expanse series from Corey, Game of Thrones by GRR Martin, Kingkiller Chronicles from Rothfuss, Sword of Truth with Terry Goodkind (loved some, disliked others) … I could go on and on.

What makes a good villain?

Villains can be done well in a few different ways, but the ones I love the most are the ones that have a motive that could be justified. They are doing evil things, but without evil intentions. A well-known example: Thanos from the MCU. He wasn’t trying to kill half of the universe’s population for fun or destruction – it was to maintain balance. 

Doesn’t make it right but makes him an interesting bad guy.   

Do you have any writer friends you’d like to give a shoutout to?

I want to give a huge shout-out to all the featured authors from Worldhoppers’ Guild. It is a completely free indie author promotion site I own and operate. It features original short stories and free samples from dozens of fantasy, science fiction, and horror self-published authors.

Check it out and find your new favorite writer – worldhoppersguild.com. Or, if you’re an indie author, contact us for a free feature.  

Did you learn anything from writing your latest book? If so, what was it?

How much I hate the editing process… can I say that here?

Are you a plotter or a pantser? A gardener or an architect?

Full plotter here – and would consider myself a gardening architect. No matter how well I plan, sometimes the story and characters show you there’s a better way.  

If you had to give up both snacks and drinks during writing sessions, or music, which would you find more difficult to say goodbye to?

I’m a pretty simple man. I try to only have tea during writing, limiting as many distractions as I can. With that said, do not touch my tea. I repeat, do not touch my tea.  

Which is your favourite season to write in, and why? 

No preference, although the winter months are easier for me. My wife and I have four beautiful children and try to stay as active as possible with them. Good weather means I need to manage my time better.

It’s sometimes difficult to get into understanding the characters we write. How do you go about it?

I think the best characters are “real” people – in the sense that they remind us of people we are, we know, or have known. I build them from the ground up, using the idea that people make decisions based on their core values and the things they hold close to their heart. 

What is your writing process? Do you have one? What is your workspace like?

I’m a morning writer and sit in the same spot every day. I set goals and do my best to make it a 6 day a week habit. However, life gets in the way – and that’s okay. 

Where do you draw inspiration from?

Many places, but music is my number one. While I’m in the planning/outlining process, I dive into music and often find certain songs help me visualize scenes and flesh out character backstories and personalities.  

How many plot ideas are just waiting to be written? Can you tell us about one?

After finishing Book 2 and 3 for the Creation Chronicles I have a rough outline for a modern day urban fantasy series that has a few killer concepts built in. I’m focused on the next two, but I have so many ideas in this head I’ll likely have to leave some to the next generation in my will.  

Do you have any new series planned?

Yes, but there isn’t anything more important than finishing the Creation Chronicles.

MORE ABOUT YOU 

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I love spending time with my wife and children. We like to spend time outside hiking, swimming, gardening, etc.

For myself? I love reading (although it’s a lot of audiobooks these days), watching anything creative, and video games. 

If you couldn’t be an author, what ideal job would you like to do?

Beach bum? Is that an option?

Coffee or Tea? Or (exult deep breath) what other drink do you prefer, if you like neither?

Tea. Simple, organic black tea (with a touch of local honey!)

You can travel to anywhere in the universe. Where would you go, and why?

Machu Picchu – because if there is going to be magic on this earth, I bet we could find some clues there!

There is so much of this world I haven’t seen, I can’t begin thinking about exploring another part of the universe yet.  

Pick any three fiction characters. These are now your road trip crew. Where do you go and what do you do?

Katara from Avatar the Last Airbender, Tanis Half-Elven from Dragonlance, and Jamie Lannister from Game of Thrones.

We’re going to save the world (obviously). 

What superpower would you most like?

Healing. If I could help ease someone’s pain I would.

If you could invite one person to dinner, who would it be and what would you cook?

Buddha. I would make a simple vegetable stir fry from my garden over brown rice. 

Share something your readers wouldn’t know about you.

I’m yoga enthusiast (even though my routine gets broken).

It’s a very difficult time right now for the world. When quarantine and pandemic comes to an end, what is the first thing you would like to do?

Support quality local businesses and the good people who own them. 

Finally, what is your preferred method to have readers get in touch with or follow you (i.e., website, personal blog, Facebook page, here on Goodreads, etc.) and link(s)?

Home

HOME

https://goodreads.com/ryandmeier

Tweets by R_D_Meier

Authors in Isolation: Leslie Conzatti

We are really returning to the blog in recent weeks. Hopefully I can keep this up for the final quarter of 2020, got some big gaming articles prepared as well. Latest in my Authors in Isolation segment is my interview with upcoming author Leslie Conzatti.

First of all, tell me about yourself! What do you write? 

All right! My name is Leslie Conzatti, and I live in the Pacific Northwest (yes, the part of the U.S. that was on fire for a good long while…). I work as an elementary school paraeducator, and I absolutely love reading and writing and basically anything to do with books! I write mostly in the fantasy genre–but in short story format, and especially on my blog, I’ve done a bit of delving into some sci-fi genres like cyberpunk and steampunk, as well as paranormal and historical fiction. I read very broadly, so that kind of leaches out into my writing!

How do you develop your plots and characters? A lot of times, the character is the first thing that comes to mind when a story idea pops up. Most of the time, I’m just going about my day when something triggers a scene in my mind: either I’m watching a show or a movie and something about a concept there will prompt a “what if” question that grows into a premise, or I see something interesting out and about in my normal life that catches my attention and gets me thinking about “what if…” Sometimes, it’s a dream that I have at night that’s really vivid and completely out of nowhere, and if I can remember it long enough to write it down, it usually becomes a key moment, whether the climax or the “inciting incident” of the story, and the rest of the plot consists of me trying to figure out how the character got there, and what the character does next! 

As for developing characters specifically, I tend to relate them to people that I know in some way; with my job in an elementary school, I see a lot of different young kids and adults, so very often the extra characters will tend to be drawn from people I’ve encountered, while the main character tends to have their flaws based on my own tendencies–like they might start out the story very set in their ways, or convinced of some perspective due to lack of clear knowledge about things going on “behind the scenes” so to speak… and so the story comes as the character faces a series of challenges that sort of fly into the face of whatever it is they thought they knew–and the way they respond to these challenges shapes the person they end up becoming at the end.

Tell the world about your current project! 

Being a very scatter-brained kind of person, I tend to have multiple projects going at once!

Currently in progress, I am doing my best to finish up a serial story on my blog that’s kind of a Rick-Riordan-style supernatural adventure, titled Priscilla Sum. Based on a random Tumblr prompt, it’s the story of a college-age girl who discovers that her adoptive parents are a pair of minor gods in disguise as mortals, hiding from the followers of a dangerous demon they’d imprisoned millennia before, who wants to hunt them down and steal their divine essence so that he can basically control them. When she attempts to use a special healing amulet to cure a close friend of a terminal disease, she inadvertently releases the demon, and now she must travel to her parents’ altar on a tiny Mediterranean island to retrieve the cache containing their essence–before the demon finds it and kills her.

In the writing world, I’m in the process of releasing a “revised edition” of my first book I wrote 4 years ago, a fantasy re-telling of the fairy tale “The Little Mermaid”, called Princess of Undersea, and once that happens, I’ll start working on the sequel, Fugitive of Crossway! Meanwhile, I’m also trying to pull together the third draft of a full-length fantasy novel called The Last Inkweaver, about a girl trying to fit into a very straight-laced, scientific-method sort of society, and she’s feeling out of place because she’s been having these vivid flights of fancy that are absolutely shunned by the general public. She’s worried there might be something wrong with her, so she keeps it a secret–but as it turns out, this very phenomenon might have connections to an ancient guild of storytellers and crafters!

It’s a lot, I know… but I have so much fun, I don’t even mind! 

Who would you say is the main character of your latest novel? And tell me a little bit about them!

My latest novel is the Little Mermaid re-telling I mentioned before, Princess of Undersea. The main character is of course, the mermaid princess herself, Ylaine (pronounced like “Elaine”–I just like the unique spelling!) of Undersea!

She has purple hair, blue, scaly skin, and her tail is covered in black, iridescent scales. I had the idea to make my merfolk less of the “half-fish-half-person” conventional trope, and more of a “hybrid between fish and person: too fish-like to pass as a human, too human-like to be dismissed as a mere fish.” If you’ve ever seen the Freeform show Siren (it just ended a few months ago–and I am sad!!), the mermaids in my imagination looked pretty much exactly like the ones I saw on the show! And I conceived of that idea a whole four years before the show even existed!

When she was very small, just after she was born, the merfolk held a ceremony wherein they would rise to the surface of the water to interact with a tribe of Air Fairies, who could bestow supernatural gifts upon humans and merfolk they deemed worthy. From one Fairy, infant Ylaine received the gift of Song. She could enchant others with the sound of her voice–not every time she spoke, but especially when her emotions were heightened, it brought out her Gift. It was intended to be a benefit to the kingdom, but ever since her mother mysteriously disappeared shortly after the ceremony, Ylaine’s father, King Davor, has basically forbidden her from singing in his presence, unless it is by his direction, to force others to do whatever he says. 

He resents the humans, blaming them for the disappearance of his wife, calling them “pact-breakers” and trying to convince other merfolk that they are inferior and dangerous, and must be subdued. Ylaine would rather find out exactly what the humans are really like, before committing to the war–even as her father is using her Gift to ensure that he has the support of the other Mer-kingdoms. Secretly, she fantasizes about becoming human for one day, and her father as well, and the two of them could explore the human kingdom for themselves, to see what the surface-dwellers are actually like. Such a thing would be impossible, though–after all, there has been no magic since the Fairies disappeared after the breaking of the pact between land, sea, and air…

Have you been to any conventions? If so, tell me a little about them!

Pretty much the only convention I’ve ever been to is my local Comic Con, the Rose City Comic Con. I’ve gotten to go like three or four different times.

The first time, I was actually invited by a friend who had an extra ticket. I had so much fun sitting in panels and just walking around with her–there are so many people and so many cosplays it was absolutely overwhelming! The next year, I invited some friends of my own, and we all had a grand time–I think a larger group of friends is more fun, since it helps it feel less crowded by strangers. That year, also, I met up with an indie author from Seattle I’d followed for a long time, and he introduced me to another local author, who sold me her entire series, all signed, and I absolutely loved them!

The next year, I wanted to get in on the celebrity-guest scene a little more, so I actually paid for a photo-op, with John Barrowman and his sister Carole! They co-authored a series I really enjoyed, the Hollow Earth Trilogy, and actually, I was more excited about meeting her than him–they were so nice and gracious, even though the celebrity-meet-and-greets were poorly managed and ended up going way too late, so by the time my turn came, John was already late for his panel upstairs, and I had about 0.8 seconds to say “HelloIReallyLikeYourBooksAndIAmSoExcited-

ToMeetYouBoth!!” and smile for the camera–but it was so worth it! A lot of the guests at Rose City are usually from the comic book scene, creators and illustrators, or little-known voice actors that people outside the fandom (like me) wouldn’t recognize–but sometimes, they get some really awesome guests, so it’s worth going for those times!

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I think it first hit me when I was a fairly new reader, about the age of eight. I came across a book I thought I’d read before, but when I started reading the words, there were parts that I was remembering quite differently, and when I looked at the illustrations there was a different story running through my head… I realized after a moment that I was very likely remembering the story that I had told myself before I had even learned to read the words on the page, at age five or six–I had made my own story, out of my head. 

About the same time, I was doing an English assignment, and one of the prompts was to describe the landing of the Pilgrims in 1621… from the perspective of someone on the shore. That simple exercise spawned a whole Swiss Family Robinson-style “historical fanfiction” that revolved around a family who had attempted to cross the Atlantic to get to the newly-settled land in a previous voyage that failed–but the family survived the wreck and kind of built their own home in the wilderness, and so when the Pilgrims arrive there’s already someone living in Plymouth… And it wasn’t altogether the best kind of story (I was still new to the whole concept of writing stories, so it was kind of a mishmash of whatever my imagination came up with at the time!) but I had so much fun, I kept coming up with more and more stories, and I never stopped!

If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year while writing a book that took place in that same setting, where would you choose? 

Oooh, this one’s a bit tricky, because I write so much in fantasy worlds and made-up places, but I think I know just the series!

It’s an idea I came up with back when I was in college, that I put on my “Shelf of Future Projects” for just such an opportunity. 

I have always been fascinated by the “island country” known as Great Britain–England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. I came up with a series of four books, each focused on a different one of those countries, each occurring during a different time period (starting in Victorian Era with historical fiction, and stretching on toward a future dystopian cyberpunk!), and each referring to a staple icon for that country (i.e., for England that would be swans, the story for Ireland refers to snakes, and so on). I haven’t figured out what that connection might be, and there are only a couple that I’ve actually thought through, even just a little bit–but if given the chance to travel out to Great Britain, I would definitely seize the opportunity to focus more intently on those books and get them written, for sure!

What advice would you give new writers?

To new writers looking for advice: Write fearlessly, and read often! Don’t worry about if an idea that runs through your head has been “done before.” Don’t worry about whether people will eventually think it’s “any good.” Maybe it’s been done before, but get the first draft done, and then figure out how you would change it! Maybe people won’t think it’s any good–but that’s just your first draft. I always remind myself that “the first draft is me telling myself the story.” Then, once you reach the end of that draft and you know what the story is supposed to be about, you go back and you start at the beginning again, this time only keeping those parts that belong to the story you’re trying to tell. The more ideas you can spit out in the beginning stages–whether they work or not–the more opportunity you give yourself in knowing what works and what doesn’t. 

Also: Reading Is Fundamental. It scares me when professed writers say they don’t or “can’t” read in the genre they’re trying to write in. If storytelling is as vital as breathing, then reading is “breathing in”, while writing is “breathing out.” If you’re constantly breathing out without breathing in, you’ll asphyxiate. In the same way, I notice if I’m just writing all the time without reading or even listening to music, watching shows and movies for story inspiration, I get burned out very quickly and my ability to communicate lessens. In the same way, if I’m watching TV or movies a lot and reading and consuming media without writing for long periods, I start feeling “congested” or “hyperventilated”–I am “breathing in” without “breathing out.” Keep those two in balance, and you’ll find a never-ending stream of inspiration right at your fingertips.

If you’re concerned about another writer’s voice “tainting your own voice”, as I’ve heard would-be-writers complain about, the answer to that is simply to “read broadly.” The only way another writer’s “voice” could possibly seep into your psyche so deeply as to overwhelm whatever natural voice you might have is if you exclusively read the one style, the one author’s work. As long as you keep it varied and plentiful, you’ll find that while you might be able to detect small patches of one writer or another in your own writing, this “patchwork” of multiple authors comes together and blends, and your own unique voice is borne out of the contributions of many.

What real-life inspirations did you draw from for the worldbuilding?

The world-building of Princess of Undersea? It being fantasy, not a whole lot of real-world went into it–except perhaps memories of sailing in the San Juan Islands inside the peninsula of Washington State. The varied landscapes there, and the relative seclusion all helped in creating a basis for the island of Overcliff, in particular.

What inspires you to write?

The thing that inspires me most is just the inherently universal nature of storytelling. I look around at bits and pieces of the world around me, and my mind immediately finds parts of stories, little musings of “what if” that set me on a journey to come up with a character who asks that question. 

The inspiration for Princess of Undersea came from growing up and loving the story of The Little Mermaid and being enamored by the concept–except for a few things which I wished were different. In the course of changing those small details, though, I realized that the whole story was different: in giving Ylaine a voice instead of rendering her mute as a human, I gave her a level of agency that allows her to be an influence in the lives of the people she encounters. She can have discussions and express her own thoughts, without someone having to guess what she thought or dismiss her in ignorance. 

Another work-in-progress came about from a sudden idea I had of a girl who grew up not believing in stories, a society where fiction is shunned in favor of “real world” things–and yet this girl happens to experience dreams and visions of metaphorical and hypothetical things, so she must learn where they came from.

Even something as simple as a random name, place, time, and object can spark a story! 

I write because if I just let these stories spin around in my head, I wouldn’t be able to think about anything else!

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

The hardest part of writing is anytime research becomes absolutely necessary. I write fantasy because I can make up the details of how the world works. I don’t have to deal with the minutiae of real-world history, physics, or technology. I love and admire those books full of nitty-gritty details that have been meticulously studied by the author to produce epic and wonderfully-detailed stories. I just haven’t gotten to the point where that’s a priority to me. I’d rather just shelve an idea that I can’t “wing” my way through, and save it for whenever in the future that I can really knuckle down and focus on procuring the necessary information.

That being said, I have no trouble with little trivia things–the pieces that can be answered with quick Google searches. For one novel I wrote a couple years back, I had to look up Japanese WW2 Military uniforms, translate a few phrases into Japanese, and find out what animals were native to the Amazon Rainforest. That’s trivia to me, and as long as specific details aren’t a huge issue, then I can get by.

The other thing that gets hard is when the draft seems to stretch on further than I could have anticipated. There’s a story I’m working on now that I originally thought I could finish in about a month, and I thought it was going to be a serial about 17 installments long. I’m now due to work on Installment 29 out of “over 30” (because I still don’t know how long it will actually take me to resolve the climactic conflict!). That kind of situation gets disheartening, but I keep soldiering on because storytelling is my jam!

What is your routine when writing, if any? If you don’t follow a routine, why not?

Okay, I’ll be honest here. As much as I would love to have a routine, as much as I think I would be able to accomplish and feel good about myself for being so productive and efficient with whatever little time I can carve out for it…

I’m not. I can make all the plans, I can find the chunk of time to commit to, but all it takes is one snarl that messes up the “attempted routine,” and it all flies out the window. I am so gloriously inconsistent, I might as well embrace it. My Muse likes to show up when I’m supposed to be focusing on another task, or (even worse) when I’m trying to fall asleep… As much as I would love to have a routine that accommodates my full-time work schedule, I just can’t really guarantee how I’m going to feel in a given day.

The one thing I’ve been able to maintain since the start of The COVID Shutdown is the habit of at least writing something every day. It might be one hundred words at a time, or it might be a whole 2K in a single sitting. But it’s something, and I’m on a 135-day streak that I don’t intend to break anytime soon!

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write in any of your books, and why? 

Oh gosh. Just about every story I write has a part that I’m really excited about. I can’t single out just one. But I will say that probably the best part to write is the part when everything begins to make sense. The part of the story that hits the reader and makes them go “OH CRAP THAT’S WHY ALL THIS WAS GOING ON!” The part when the strange title starts to make sense. The part that I’ve been slowly and carefully foreshadowing this whole time–and when the payoff hits, I hope my readers find themselves frantically flipping back to the first or last reference they can remember, comparing it to the “payoff scene” with a sense of fulfillment, that everything is coming together and it all makes sense. Those are my favorite parts to write, because of the sense of euphoria and balance they bring.

Did you learn anything from writing your latest book? If so, what was it?

From revising Princess of Undersea, I learned how much fun it is to foreshadow when you know what’s going to happen later on! 

I learned how to create a fairy-tale-like story without relying on the “and they lived happily ever” and the “love at first sight” tropes. I learned just how much I’ve grown as a writer in the last four years, thanks to everything I’ve read and written in that time. I learned that even things I hadn’t fully realized four years ago were actually good ideas that served to expand the world and gave me inspiration to connect it with the other books to come in the series.

I learned that I can write good ideas–and write them well enough to be enjoyed by other people, too. All I need to do is keep writing, and keep reading.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? A gardener or an architect?

I am a… plantser. More of a gardener, I’d say, than an architect. Yet I’m a “structured gardener.” I definitely have an outline, I definitely write out my entire plot from start to finish as notes before I actually go and put “meat on the skeleton”, as the saying goes… But I’m not a “hardcore, stick to the plan” kind of person, by any means! 

I only tried “pantsing” a story once. And I lasted about three days carried by my own whimsy. For three days, I just wrote where the story “took me”, with no real sense of direction, just whatever was running through my head when I sat down and read over what I’d written the day before. I tried “sensing” my story through my characters’ perspectives.

My Muse didn’t take kindly to it, and “retaliated” by giving me the entire remaining plot all at once on the morning of Day 3 of this experiment, and I immediately got so excited about it that I just had to write it down so I wouldn’t forget it.

That’s the main reason I can’t really be a “pantser”: I’m just so forgetful that if I don’t write something down, chances are good that I won’t remember it when I go to write it. Even before the age of mobile devices one could use for typing out notes and keeping one’s writing in digital format (I was sixteen when I received my first iPod Touch, and my life was never the same!) I would buy and/or collect notebooks small enough to fit in a purse, bag, or pocket, and use those for writing when I was away from the computer, because one never knew when that errant Muse would deign to strike!

That being said, I do have a penchant for playing “fast and loose” with the plots that I write down. More often than not, I’ll get an idea that works out in my head, and I’ll write it down… but when I get around to crafting the actual scene in the story, some of the details might find their way into a conversation between characters that I didn’t really plan ahead, or they’ll take too long discoursing with one another and I’ll need to shift things around because who am I to stand in the way of character development? 

So I’m kind of a “garden architect.” To use a video game metaphor, I treat my outline like “checkpoints” in an “open concept world.” They’re there to keep the game moving, to ensure that the campaign can still be accomplished, but the player doesn’t have to specifically go straight from Point A to Point B without stopping to look around on the way! And as long as my story hits the “checkpoints” of things that need to happen in the narrative, I am not too hung up on the “exploratory” things that happen in between times.

If you had to give up either snacks and drinks during writing sessions, or music, which would you find more difficult to say goodbye to?

At this very moment, I happen to be drinking water and munching on a snack (I’ve been writing for a couple hours now), so I’d have to say music is not too much of a necessity for me. In fact, while I have on occasion found certain inspiration in music, I am also quite susceptible to it, so the music becomes more of a distraction than an enhancement. Food and drink, on the other hand, are necessary components that fuel the energy of my brain to keep me focused and keep me writing.

Which is your favorite season to write in, and why? 

I like writing best when it is grey and gloomy outside. More still when it’s raining. I suppose that would be fall or winter that I like best, then. My reasoning is that when it’s clear weather, I want to be outside, and it’s too bright to be writing or reading outside. It also gets very hot indoors when it’s hot outside, and I need it to be a cool, moderate temperature or I get very uncomfortable.

It’s sometimes difficult to get into understanding the characters we write. How do you go about it? 

It takes me a few tries. Sometimes, I feel my main character very clearly because they’re a lot like me (or sometimes even “the Me I wish I was”!) in many respects, so the character does tend to respond and react to different situations in the same way I would. Sometimes they’re not like me, though, and that makes it really interesting to build up and keep track of their unique personality. If I’m having a hard time figuring the character out while I’m writing the plot, I’ll sometimes sit down with a blank notebook page and write out their personality quirks, archetypes, and the way they might perceive different things. Doing this gives me something to refer back to so that my character stays consistent, even as they’re changing over the course of their own arc.

Sometimes it takes a few drafts, running through scenarios multiple times, letting the characters react in slightly different ways and giving it a different outcome, to figure out which fits best for both the character and the plot.

What are your future project(s)?

Ha! Nice use of the plural, there! Yes, as has already been stated, I’m currently working on multiple projects, and I definitely have more on the way! 

Starting in November, I’ll be starting on the sequel to Princess of Undersea. It’s called Fugitive of Crossway, and it takes a bit of inspiration from the tale of Pinocchio. I chose this for two reasons: First of all, that all the books in “The Undersea Saga” are going to be fairy tale re-tellings. Secondly, the main character is male, and there aren’t a whole lot of popular fairy tales where the main character is male! They’re usually princesses or damsels. Not this one! It’s kind of fun because the timeline overlaps a little bit with events of the first book, so I can throw in a bit of references to things that maybe happen immediately after the first book ends. As for how it relates to the story of Pinocchio–it’s not that he’s a puppet and he wants to become a real boy. I’m going “old school”, taking inspiration from the whole journey Pinocchio takes, making one bad decision after another that takes him further and further away from home, and not really getting to return until he starts making better decisions. It’s not so much a straightforward re-telling as it is an “inspired by” sort of thing. 

There are two more books in the series after that, too, so I have those to look forward to!

The other work-in-progress I mentioned before, The Last Inkweaver, is another 4-book series I aim to publish someday. 

I have a whole lot of other future projects that I hope to someday write–and also projects I started in the past that I intend to come back and rewrite at some point in the future, too. If you want to read about them you can go to “The Shelf” on my blog, The Upstream Writer, and I have a lot of them listed there!

What is your favorite book ever written?

Well, that just depends on the genre, doesn’t it? I read so broadly that I can’t readily answer that question at the drop of any hat–there are some books that I specifically like from an author, while I wouldn’t necessarily recommend anything else they wrote; others, I don’t have a specific book in mind, just everything ever written by this person, because I already know it’s going to be awesome. Thankfully, the next question is dealing with the latter category, so for this one I’m just going to be naming specific series and books.

My favorite series of fairy-tale re-tellings hands-down is The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. The way she takes all the fantastic classics and turns them into a cyberpunk adventure is beyond awesome! In classic fantasy the clear winner is The Princess Bride by William Goldman. Say what you will about how campy it is, and how annoying the “editorial commentary” might be… but it’s an endearing story that definitely ages quite well, and I love going back and revisiting the nostalgia again and again!

The single best series I’ve ever read that seamlessly combines sci-fi tech with high-fantasy sword-and-sorcery magic is The Chronicles of Lorrek by Kelly Blanchard. I cannot say enough about it–and there’s just so much in nine books! I can hardly wait for the spin-off series to be released!

As for sci-fi, one series in particular kept me hanging onto every word until I reached the last book: The Lorien Legacies by Pittacus Lore. An obvious pseudonym–but the story was no joke! A bunch of humanoid alien children sent to live in hiding on Earth–but their superhuman abilities soon give them away among the humans, and their enemies arrive and chaos ensues as these teens must fight for their survival, and the survival of their culture and species. Also, the Reckoner novels by Brandon Sanderson is a marvelously unique take on the superhero genre that I absolutely enjoyed!

Who are your favorite authors?

Here we go!

In the realm of fantasy and all it’s subgenres, I’d go with authors like Naomi Novik, Cornelia Funke, Nils Visser, Kimberly Rogers, Amy Hopkins, J. E. Mueller, Kelly Blanchard, Jeffrey Cook, Mark Lawrence, Pauline Creeden, R. R. Virdi, E. A. Copen, and J. D. Cunegan–anytime I’d see these names on a book cover, I know I’m in for a good time! The same goes for David Baldacci (crime thrillers), Michael Crichton (classic science fiction), Anthony Horowitz (crime novels), Patricia Loofbourrow (steampunk thriller), and S. E. Anderson (contemporary sci-fi)–there’s just so much great stuff to read out there! And so little time to read it in!

What makes a good villain?

Oooh, interesting question! Whenever I think about villains, I always think of the quote from somebody who said “Every villain is the hero of their own story.” When we think of the “heroes vs. villains” dichotomy, we have the archetypes stuck in our head that a hero is one who fights against all odds to accomplish his goal and we are more than willing to root him on for that–but when we’re presented with a villain who exhibits the same tenacity, we’re not so eager to throw in our support.

Good villains to me are ones that you “love to hate.” They are intelligent, poised, cunning, and extremely efficient–but without any kind of noble quality that makes them a worthwhile person to support. The best villains are the ones with contingencies for any and every situation, the ones that can think twelve steps ahead of anyone, and they’re not blatantly malicious about it. They just simply don’t care about how their choices are affecting other people, so long as they can get the outcome they want, and force people into the situations that give them the most control and prestige. You have to admire their skill and finesse–even if they make your skin crawl every time their name is even mentioned.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

My spare time? When I’m not working, I’m writing or reading. When I don’t have the energy for either of those, I “recharge” by watching various TV shows or movies, playing mobile games, or coloring in an art therapy book. I can’t sketch worth beans, but I can color in the lines! My favorite ones are the ones with geometric patterns or lots of flowers. Those are fun to color!

If you couldn’t be an author, what ideal job would you like to do?

I do kind of really like my normal day job, as an elementary school paraeducator. For those who haven’t heard of that sort of job, we’re the ones who are supervising the kiddos of all grade levels for the parts of the day when they’re not in the classroom, like recess and at lunch, and we are also the ones who lead small groups of students who maybe have trouble keeping up with the rest of the class in reading or math, giving them that extra boost in a small-group setting that’s more focused than in a classroom. 

I suppose if I couldn’t be an author, I would devote that time and energy to more teaching, like a private school English teacher, or a college professor. I really love teaching and I really love books and writing! In my current life, I just don’t know how I could balance both writing as much as I have been and teaching more than I already do–so being a paraeducator and an author is kind of as balanced as I can be!

Coffee or Tea? Or (exult deep breath) what other drink do you prefer, if you like neither?

Coffee. But only before noon. If I drink coffee anytime after 12 o’clock (even if I start drinking it at like 10 and then set it somewhere and forget about it until 12:30!) I won’t be able to fall asleep till after midnight.

You can travel to anywhere in the universe. Where would you go, and why?

A whole lot like my answer to the “writing on location” question–Great Britain! Everything just looks so gorgeous, I love the Gaelic language, the food, the culture, the history, the art, the scenery–I think I could go there and just stay till I got tired of it… Which, let’s be honest, might never happen! 

Do you have any writing blogs you recommend?

As a matter of fact, yes! Thanks to a few years of doing regular blog hops with a fun group of people, there are several book blogs and writer blogs that I’ve encountered that were a whole lot of fun! Check out Jo Linsdell’s Blog, Tangled In Text, Entertainingly Nerdy, The Writer Side Of Life, and A Book Lover’s Adventures, to name just a few!

Do you have any writer friends you’d like to give a shoutout to?

So many!! One of the best things that ever came out of writing a blog (besides getting some of the short stories that originated there published!) is the network of indie authors I now keep up with! I’ll start with my local “writing buddy”, Lisa Rae Morris–I am so glad she took my advice and wrote up that “weird time travel story idea”, and that it’s now become a series! Shout-out to Lee French, Jeffrey Cook, and Ripley Patton–thanks for welcoming me into “the fold” as a shy, nervous little fangirl-newbie and really showing me how classy authors do it!

R. R. Virdi–one of the first authors to send me a review copy to feature on the blog, and definitely the best book I read that year! Larry Correia thinks his stuff is badass, and Jim Butcher says his books are “worth [the] time [to read it]”… So if you haven’t read his Grave Reports series, what are you even doing with your life?? 

Shout-out to Kelly Blanchard–she’s a rock-solid sci-fantasy author in her own right, creating an entire universe of meticulously-organized kingdoms spanning millennia–but she’s also an ardent supporter of the literary community at large, bringing creative minds together and giving encouragement without hesitation–she’s a great friend to have!

Pick any three fiction characters. These are now your roadtrip crew. Where do you go and what do you do?

Oooh, this is hard! There are so many characters I’ve encountered over the hundreds of books I’ve read, that would be so much fun to road trip with! But I have to pick just three?

Okay, here goes!

I’d start with Megan O’Reilly from Jeffrey Cook’s Fair Folk Chronicles, because with her connections to the Fae Court she could ensure that we had good weather for our trip, and clear roads and stuff! Plus she’d be the DJ–she knows all the good music!

I’d bring Cinder from the Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer. She’d be our mechanic, our GPS, and she’d keep things running–frankly, it would probably be her car that we’re riding in, anyhow!

For my third pick, I’m going to “cheat” and choose a couple: Baran and Raina from Kimberly Rogers’ Therian Way series!! I became obsessed with them when reading the first book in that series, and they’d definitely be a great influence on the rest of us girls. Raina would have way too much fun getting along with Megan and comparing Fae connections (“Do you know Titania?” “Girl, she’s family! How about those Brownies, tho?”) and Baran might be a little weirded out by Cinder, but he’d be just fine watching over us–and the fact that the two of them are therianthropes (animal shifters) of such power (Baran is a tiger shifter, and Raina is a Jaguar) just adds to the fact that they can basically be our Group Parents! 

What superpower would you most like?

There’s a few that have crossed my mind and had me thinking, “You know, that would be a nice one to have!” 

The ability to freeze time, for one. Just so I can take time to get things done that I “need” and still have plenty of time to do things I “want” without having to exclude things in either category! I could freeze time if I just wanted to get through that whole stack of books, or when I felt in the mood to just get all of my chores done at once, so I didn’t have to worry about them for the week. Wouldn’t that be nice?

Also the power of teleportation would be sweet, because then I wouldn’t have to worry about how long it took to travel anywhere, or packing for long absences–I can just put on the appropriate outfit for my destination and “blink” myself there! 

What are two of your favorite covers of all time? (Not your own.)

Just two?? Ok… I’m going to pick at random two books I’ve really enjoyed, which I’ve liked the covers.

The first is Dangerous Ways by R. R. Virdi. It looks pretty simple at first: shiny pennies in the snow–but then you come to realize the heady significance these images contain–and the story is beyond amazing! I’m always a sucker for the “minimalist” covers, so if a designer can convey the entire crux of their story in just one or two images, that always catches my eye, more than half-naked people thrusting against each other… 

Second, I’m going to have to go with every cover in the Hollow Earth series by John and Carole Barrowman. I will always remember seeing those for the first time at the library–the first book carries this fascinating image of a ghostly stag bursting through a window–and couple that with the fact that my second thought was “HEY I know the name John Barrowman–but who the heck is Carole??” and you’ve got yourself a cover that makes a really great first impression! The story is definitely worth reading, too. (For those who, like me, know of John Barrowman and have also never heard of Carole–it’s his older sister! They write books together which I think is absolutely perfect!) 

I’m going to finish off by saying that it’s completely not fair that you made me pick just two–already there are about six more that I’d love to rave about! But I can’t, so let’s just move on.

It’s a very difficult time right now for the world. When quarantine and pandemic comes to an end, what is the first thing you would like to do?

I hate to be “THAT PERSON”, but honestly, I’d like to just go to a bookshop and browse/read/write without having to wear a mask!! Like, I get being considerate about others and I’m not one of those who would go out and just refuse to wear a mask in public if it’s required–I just am less likely to go out as long as that’s the case!

I’d also want to meet up with friends on a more regular basis. There’s one that I’ve been texting this whole time–we’d “met” through a forum online, and stayed in touch off and on for a couple years… Then out of the blue, just after the pandemic shutdown, she contacts me to let me know she just freaking moved to my city! But of course we haven’t been able to meet up since then… But yeah! That’s what I would do. Visit friends, go shopping, hang out at a bookstore–boring stuff, but that’s what I miss the most!

Finally, what is your preferred method to have readers get in touch with or follow you (i.e., website, personal blog, Facebook page, here on Goodreads, etc.) and link(s)?

Oh man! I love interacting over any of my principal social media sources–anything about writing, and I’m good! Follow, Like, leave a comment or write a post, ask me questions about anything that sparks your curiosity on my Facebook Author Page, Leslie Conzatti–The Upstream Writer https://www.facebook.com/LeslieConzattiWriter/ ]

Comment on a particular blog post that you found the least little bit intriguing, or tell me what you’ve been up to on my blog, “The Upstream Writer” https://upstreamwriter.blogspot.com/

Those are the two places where I’m the most active, by far! To see a listing of my published works, you can find my Amazon author page on the other side of this link: https://www.amazon.com/Leslie-Conzatti/e/B08C1G68S3 or if you’re on Goodreads, then I’m here: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16183739.Leslie_Conzatti Fair warning, I don’t really interact on that side, much, but follow me there if you like!

Thanks so much for hosting this interview! It was a lot of fun, and I really liked the unique questions!

SPFBO Author Interview: Deborah Makarios

And we return to SPFBO’s interviews! I bring a new author into the Scar’s den with Deborah Makarios, bringing her debut novel The Wound of Words to 2020’s mad edition. Hope you enjoy!

STARTING OFF WITH A BANG

Introduce yourself! An easy question to start off with. Who are you, what do you write?

Hullo! I’m Deborah Makarios, and I live in Lower Hutt, New Zealand with my fairly eccentric husband and two daft cats. I studied scriptwriting at university but in the decade-ish since have mostly focussed on fantasy novels, though I have a number of unfinished dabbles in other genres such as mystery.

SPFBO DISCUSSION

Is this your first time in SPFBO?

Yes! Where have I been all this time, under a rock?

What book did you enter into this year’s event?

The Wound of Words—my second novel. Standalone, same as the first.

Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?

I must admit to a fondness for Porfiry. He’s a witty and amusing companion but I can’t help feeling I’d probably end up trying to murder him if we had to flat together.

What was the inspiration for the story? What are your future project(s)?

Like my first novel, Restoration Day, the kernel of The Wound of Words was a scene or two in a dream. I scribbled it down on waking and tried to get back to what I was supposed to be working on, but the idea was just too alluring, so in the end I gave up on what I was supposed to be doing and focussed on The Wound of Words instead.

I have a couple of other fantasy novels lurking nearby, with a couple of comedy-mysteries (one novel, one play) and a couple of more literary novels and an adventure movie script—oh, and probably half a dozen other things—all waiting around for me to magically become enormously productive. Perhaps my TBW list would be shorter if my TBR list was longer and had less turnover.

What are the key themes and/or messages in the book?

The biggest theme in The Wound of Words is—surprise surprise, given the title—the importance of being careful with words, not using them manipulatively or as weapons. As the proverb goes, “Life and death are in the power of the tongue.”

What were the key challenges you faced when writing this book?

The usual challenges: I invariably get to a point where I feel utterly stuck and think I should give up being a writer and just, I don’t know, get a job out in the garden eating worms or something. And then there are the occasional sickening moments when you find yourself dropping through a plot-hole you could pilot a blue whale through. (Happily this has always happened pre-publication.)

What is the future for the characters? Will there be a sequel?

Who knows? I doubt I’ll write it (see above TBW list) but if anyone else fancies having a go, feel free. The Wound of Words is under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license. Help yourself.

MORE RAMBLES ABOUT WRITING

What is your favorite book you’ve written?

Out of the whole two? Hard to say. I like different things about them. I like Restoration Day‘s texture—the layers of geography, astronomy, poetry, myth, and song—and I like The Wound of Words for its brisk pace and amusing interactions between the characters.

But it’s always the next book that holds my interest—at present The Ambition of a Potato, which is a compilation of seven years’ best of blog, with a bunch of assassinatory stuff thrown in. And some non-assassinatory stuff, to be scrupulously honest. Out at the end of October.

And the next-next book, which is probably one about a magic-user who doesn’t have a name (not just I haven’t named him yet, he genuinely doesn’t have a name) and the adventures he has after joining a small group of… mercenaries? Sort of like mercenaries except not specializing in killing people. Multi-talented gentlemen for hire. 

Who are your favorite authors?

In no particular order… (deep breath) Agatha Christie, P. G. Wodehouse, J. R. R. Tolkien, Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, C. S. Lewis, Ngaio Marsh, Lois McMaster Bujold, Patricia Wentworth, Dorothy Sayers, Ellis Peters, Madeleine L’Engle, Naomi Novik, Diana Wynne Jones, Rumer Godden, Judith Flanders, Carola Dunn, Terry Pratchett, Freeman Wills Crofts…

What makes a good villain?

Competency. What challenge is there from a chaos-ridden villain who can’t pull anything together? I mean, if you want to take over the world (some or all), you’ve got to have at least a bit of organizational ability to back you, even if it’s coming from your enslaved semi-human social secretary.

Do you have any writing blogs you recommend?

Blogs about writing? Not really. Each to their own tastes, I think. Writers are all so different.

Do you have any writer friends you’d like to give a shoutout to?

Friends? (scratches head) I’m going to need a Victorian etiquette manual with a glossary. How about Sara Litchfield, author of The Night Butterflies and absolute nail-on-the-head empress of developmental edits? (Hi, Sara!)

Did you learn anything from writing your latest book? If so, what was it?

It’s always hard. Knowing it’s going to be hard doesn’t mean you can prevent it being hard. Also I discovered more than I ever wanted to know about manipulative/subtle/narcissistic abuse.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? A gardener or an architect?

A plotter! Lemme just get my cloak and dagger. (Ok, cloak and letter-opener.) But I’m a gardener in writing the way I’m a gardener in earth: I have a lot of plans and layouts but sometimes what comes up isn’t quite what I expected. And like gardening in earth, sooner or later you have to stop with the details of planning and get to work with what’s in front of you.

If you had to give up both snacks and drinks during writing sessions, or music, which would you find more difficult to say goodbye to?

Oo, that’s a hard one. Snacks I could easily do without, but writing without my trusty pot of tea at my side? Perish the thought. I do like to have music, but I can do without it, so I guess the tea wins this one. I work best in long chunks of writing time, and dehydration is not conducive to creativity.

Which is your favourite season to write in, and why? 

I’m not too fussy. As long as it’s not enervatingly hot or finger-numbingly cold, I’m good to go.

It’s sometimes difficult to get into understanding the characters we write. How do you go about it? 

Any way I can! I don’t really have the patience for those long lists of “where did X go to school” and so forth—and much of that isn’t really relevant to a lot of fantasy anyway—but I do often have a look at MBTI profiles and see who might fit where. I also write impromptu descriptions of the characters, figuring out what does and doesn’t matter to them, what they would and wouldn’t do under different pressures, what their speech and body language are like.

What is your writing process? Do you have one? What is your workspace like?

On the macro scale: Have idea, expand on idea, write outline, start writing, realize outline insufficiently detailed, rewrite outline, finish draft, rewrite, despair, rewrite some more, send out to beta readers, edit, polish, proofread, publish, publicize. 

On the micro scale, make pot of tea, scribble in project book about today’s work—research notes or a detailed scene outline, say—then open up computer file and go for it. And try not to get distracted. Music can help there, if it doesn’t have words in a language I know. It forms a sort of ceiling for my attention to bounce off, without escaping further. Radio New Zealand Concert is my favourite source of music at the moment.

As for my workspace…well, it’s a big desk, but there’s not much of a surface visible. Fountain pens, books, notebooks, computer equipment, tea cosy, Dishonour Cow, enough random pieces of paper to get a good-sized fire going… I do clear it off periodically, but papers are drawn to flat surfaces in this house like flies to honey. Even one of our cats brings home papers.

Where do you draw inspiration from?

Dreams; nuggets of information in books I am rabidly reading for reasons I am unclear on; wondering what would happen if something was different in a story I’ve come across. 

How many plot ideas are just waiting to be written? Can you tell us about one?

To take an example of “what if that was different”—what if you were some kind of fantasy hero/ine endowed with immortality for your eternal quest and you…just didn’t go? Stayed home? How would that work out, with the whole immortality thing? How long before the neighbours get suspicious? What then?

Do you have any new series planned?

I have never yet written a series, although I have drafted a novel which may yet be the start of a vintage comedy-mystery series. But mostly I go for standalones, because…well, if books are writers’ children, I have the mothering instinct of a cat. Once I’ve licked ’em into shape they’re on their own. Leave home already. 

I did consider writing a sequel to Restoration Day, but frankly the lure of the new idea is always irresistible. Why settle for rearranging the same old furniture when you could move to an exciting new house?

MORE ABOUT YOU 

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Read. Read. Read. And make things with my hands—I knit, crochet, tat, sew, and garden (with varying degrees of proficiency) and am trying to learn tambour embroidery for work-related reasons. 

If you couldn’t be an author, what ideal job would you like to do?

Hermit sounds good. Anyone hiring?

Coffee or Tea? Or (exult deep breath) what other drink do you prefer, if you like neither?

Tea! Absolutely tea. Black tea in the morning, green tea in the afternoon, herbal tea (ok, it’s not really tea, but let’s pretend) in the evening. My favourite tea-adjacent beverage is Dilmah’s rooibos with cinnamon, turmeric, ginger and nutmeg. And then TradeAid hot chocolate before bed.

You can travel to anywhere in the universe. Where would you go, and why?

Assuming no wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff is going on, I’d probably be unambitious and pop across to Papua New Guinea to visit my parents. Haven’t seen them in a few years.

Pick any three fiction characters. These are now your roadtrip crew. Where do you go and what do you do?

Oooh! I’d have to pick Psmith, Miss Marple, and Aslan. We’d do a tour of the world’s most beautiful gardens and have the tearooms all to ourselves, as people tend to flee in terror when you walk in with a lion.

What superpower would you most like?

Do I want a superpower? With great power comes great responsibility, so presumably with superpower comes super-responsibility. Doesn’t appeal much. Perhaps a minor domestic superpower like being able to fall asleep whenever I want to. Or maybe that gene which means you sleep really efficiently. Who couldn’t do with a few more unwearied hours in their day?

What are two of your favorite covers of all time? (Not your own.)

For a person with a visual memory and an overdeveloped sense of aesthetics, covers are something I don’t often remember. I often don’t remember authors or titles, either—it’s the story that sticks in what passes for my mind. I’m too busy zipping past the cover to get to the contents, usually.

The one cover which does come to mind is the cover of The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold—the golden one with the distant city/fortress and the crow perched in the foreground. But that may be in part because it’s one of my favourite fantasy novels of all time and the cover is directly linked in my mind to Excellent Read Commencing In 3, 2, 1…
Just kidding. It never takes me that long to open a book. 

If you could invite one person to dinner, who would it be and what would you cook?

Jesus! Not swearing—actual genuine Jesus. I’d probably start preparing a leg of lamb or something, and then (if Luke 10:38-42 is anything to go by) it would get forgotten and we’d just talk and talk and talk and then realize it was tomorrow already and maybe Jesus would cook breakfast like he did for his buddies on the beach. Probably no bacon, though, Jesus being Jewish and all.

Share something your readers wouldn’t know about you.

I have a Canterbury cross tattooed on my arm. It would have been my wrist but for a) an inconveniently placed cat-scratch scar, and b) the tattooist saying my veins were too close to the surface and he might just go right through. (Side note: nothing feels as writery as bleeding ink.)

It’s a very difficult time right now for the world. When quarantine and pandemic comes to an end, what is the first thing you would like to do?

Well, here in New Zealand—at least, in my part of New Zealand—we are at Alert Level 1, which is pretty much business as usual except with contact tracing plus recommended masks on public transport/other crowded and anonymous situations. (And forget about international travel and books arriving promptly by post from overseas, sob, sob.) So it turns out that what I did once we got out of Level 4 lockdown was pretty much just the same as usual. Eat, sleep, work, go to meetings in person instead of online. Sorry to disappoint you all! To be honest, even Level 4 didn’t create that much of a change in my lifestyle—make of that what you will.

Finally, what is your preferred method to have readers get in touch with or follow you (i.e., website, personal blog, Facebook page, here on Goodreads, etc.) and link(s)?

Probably the website is the easiest—https://deborah.makarios.nz—and from there you can have a look at the blog, or email me through the contact form, or subscribe to blog and/or book announcements, etc. Pop in and say hello! I surface on Goodreads fairly often too. I don’t have a Facebook account, though, which is why you won’t see me on the SPFBO public page. You won’t see me, but I’ll be there, just the same…

Authors in Isolation: Michael Ross

In our latest in Authors in Isolation, I’d like to welcome Michael Ross to the Scars den. He’s an awesome guy with a lot of different talents!

First of all, tell me about yourself! What do you write?

I come from an acting background, but got into writing six years ago. I’m multi-genre, comedies, true-life, children’s, young teens, young adults.

But by far I like fantasy, particularly epic fantasy.

How do you develop your plots and characters? 

To be honest, my characters have been flying around in my mind since was six, and the good news is, I still have the mind of a six-year-old! I grew up reading classics like Charles Dickens and Jane Austin, character breakdowns and descriptions in those are amazing, and they have helped me develop my characters.

Tell the world about your current project!

I recently published a 4 book epic fantasy, The Wand Chronicles. We watch as humans and elves meet for the first time. We are introduced to the most powerful wand in the cosmos, Elvina. Then we follow the elves and the bumbling humans as they join forces to help protect Elvina from other forces and species from other worlds and dimensions. But can the humans and elves hold up to some of the most powerful forces ever known? Could it spell the end of Earth and the humans?

Who would you say is the main character of your latest novel? And tell me a little bit about them!

Ahhh. There is a very lovable Chinese man called Ding Ling. He is tiny, brave, and is always upbeat. He brings a little humor to every dark situation. The elvish sorceress, Elfistra,  scares the daylights out of him, so when she is around he tries to hide, much to the amusement of Elfistra. He is aide to the main hero, a British General, Hugo Brough, and loves to give advice quoting Confucius. For example, Hugo was considering two plans of action, and Ding Ling knew they would clash. So Ding Ling told him, “Master, Confucius would say, don’t take a sleeping pill, if you have already taken a laxative tablet!”

Have you been to any conventions? If so, tell me a little about them!

Yes I have, but since I am UK based, have been local ones to me in the North West. They were ok, but too general. In other words every genre under the sun would be on display, so looking for ones that are fantasy or epic fantasy specific

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I went to a clairvoyant several years ago. She kept insisting I write, so I did and haven’t looked back.

If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year while writing a book that took place in that same setting, where would you choose?

Difficult one. I have done that with my present series. It is where I live in the hills in the UK. There is a forest called Wimberry wood, where a portal appears to the elvish dimension. So I have written the whole series less than a mile from where the adventures begin.

What advice would you give new writers?

Go down the self-publishing route. Technology is getting better by the day. The book cover design, the formatting, the printing etc. can all be done quite easily now, and it is getting better all the time. Remember, you will be richer if a regular publishing company are not fleecing all the royalties. What I would say is, do not put all your eggs in one basket, in other words, don’t do what I did, and rely solely on Amazon KDP, who can make monumental mistakes. Also upload your books to Draft2Digital, kobo, Goodreads, iBook’s etc.

What real-life inspirations did you draw from for the worldbuilding?

My books all have moral messages in the adventures. Paying attention to our planet and not abusing it for example. Being compassionate, forgiving, and also knowing that your world can turn upside down in a millisecond, also are woven into the stories. Even though I am creating elves and fairies and a multitude of other creatures. Some of the species have none of the above and can be difficult reading, but will make you realize that we need good things in life as well.

What inspires you to write?

As already mentioned, my first inspiration was a wise young clairvoyant. It is then I started to let my creative imaginative mind come out to play and then it becomes written down. 

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

It could be an established character that needs to be written out? And coming to the last chapter of the last book, knowing it is time to move on to new adventures. However, there are a handful of favorite characters that I try to bring in to my new adventures, albeit briefly. I think it is good to have a little continuity somewhere, from series to series.

What is your routine when writing, if any? If you don’t follow a routine, why not?

I follow a very ‘lazy’ routine, but does have a hint of discipline about it eg. Coffee, check emails, write, another coffee, dog walk, write, eat, exercise, write, eat, write…zzzzzzz

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write in any of your books, and why?

My wife was murdered 14 years ago and left me and our 4 and 6 year-old-boys. I wrote a true life story called ‘Just Five More Minutes’ that  went on to be a best-seller, and helped thousands of people around the world with its positiveness. The whole of that short book will always be my favorite ‘Chapter’

Did you learn anything from writing your latest book? If so, what was it?

Yes, that I could fall in love with my characters. They became very real and some very complex, but they are all believable and genuine. It also gave me the confidence to know that all those characters flying around my head I could flesh out when I wrote them down onto my laptop. They suddenly become exciting real-life characters.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? A gardener or an architect?

Most definitely a pantser. At first it worried me. I thought I was the only author in the world who was a pantser. I tried the standard route. Think of a plot, work out the characters, write out the chapter headings and so on. But I found it destroyed my creativeness. Hated it. So I tried just having an idea for a chapter, and the very basic outlines of a character, but then I would start writing, straight onto my laptop. As the story developed, so did the characters, and the plot , and new characters started to  appear. I get lost in my imaginative world and just write. Of course I wondered if my writing was any good, because I wasn’t going down the apparent ‘tried and tested route’. This is where blogs, professional reviews, accolades with reader’s favorites, and the every-day public would praise the books, told me all was well with my writing.

I am also a gardener, I plant ideas, they can develop or not, if they do, they can go left or right, or turn up at the most inopportune times. The writing then becomes exciting

If you had to give up either snacks and drinks during writing sessions, or   music, which would you find more difficult to say goodbye to?

Hot drinks would be the most difficult to give up, especially a good hot mug of tea, well I am British after all!

Which is your favorite season to write in, and why? 

Summer is great. My studio overlooks a sprawling valley, and when the sun streams in it re-charges me. Warm weather makes me feel good, makes me smile, and most other people too, and because of it, it does make me more productive.

It’s sometimes difficult to get into understanding the characters we write. How do you go about it? 

I call on my acting background. I’m a method actor, like Dustin Hoffman or Meryl Streep. Every single one of my characters I do my best to make as believable as possible, even though they may be elvish. With my human characters, I have some you will fall in love with instantly, and others you wish you could chop their heads off! For each of my main characters, I could tell you what they like to eat, where they like to go on vacation, where they like to shop, what car they like to drive. etc. Well, the human ones, but even for the elves, there are different characters and personalities, so that helps them become more believable. I have one character, a young girl who is half human and half elf called Kia.She is a very powerful empath.  She becomes quite complex when her human hormones start kicking in when she is thirteen! Can you imagine a hormonal 13-year-old human/elvish girl that has magic in her fingertips? Scary.

What are your future project(s)?

I am writing a series currently called The Big Fairy Adventures. It is mainly about fairies, but orcs and humans and other species make appearances. Although, again, very believable. The heroine is a female fairy, who is rather overweight, but the bravest fairy you will ever meet and has a heart of gold. She is called ‘Tinker-Tanker’ and loves nectar. She is covered in little bruises, because of her weight, she finds it difficult to fly in a straight line. She bumps from one wall to the other. You can always hear her coming because she shouts out while flying things like, “Ouch!”, “Damn” and so on. I also have an Orc called Chard Bhum (because his Mother dropped him in some red hot lava when he was born, and he has a disfigured rear end) I make the Orcs out to be bumbling idiots who can’t walk and chew gum at the same time.

For inspiration, I have built a magic fairy circle in a large area in front of my cottage, it now gets a constant stream of visitors. Children, teens and adults.

What is your favorite book ever written?

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin. The magic of the English language that could portray every human emotion in the written word is unbelievable. It is beautiful

Who are your favorite authors?

Jane Austin, Charles Dickens, James Clavell, Tolkien, George R.R. Martin, James Redfield, James Barclay, Terry Pratchett, Michael Moorcock and Asimov. 

What makes a good villain?

These elements need to be in the mix: Cunning, clever, a lack of compassion and a general sense of bloody-mindedness. You can imagine them thinking one thing, but having a different underlying agenda.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I developed and I am CEO of a fitness system called KETTFusion, which was voted in the top three in the UK and is in 4 other European countries. I am also a Hang glider pilot and a ski instructor. I still have acting and modelling jobs

If you couldn’t be an author, what ideal job would you like to do?

Be a world famous actor! I didn’t do too bad. Enough people know of me in Britain to stop me for an autograph when I go shopping. lol

Coffee or Tea? Or (exult deep breath) what other drink do you prefer, if you like neither?

It has got to be tea. But not any old tea. Special blends put together by a particular British company.

You can travel to anywhere in the universe. Where would you go, and why?

I would go to the moon. When I am there I would turn around and look at our beautiful planet that we live on and think, ‘ We all live on the same planet, why the hell can’t we all get on together?’

Do you have any writing blogs you recommend?

You mean besides my own? https://www.thewand.me/blog

Then I would highly recommend: https://curledupwithagoodbook.co.uk/

Do you have any writer friends you’d like to give a shoutout to?

Yes, a lovely Guy called Alan Hesse, an expert on climate change who is writing a series of comic books called The Adventures of Polo the Bear. A polar bear who discovers the fish stocks are depleting in the sea, so travels the world trying to find out why

Pick any three fiction characters. These are now your roadtrip crew. Where do you go and what do you do?

They are my own characters. A fairy called Tinker tanker, a brave Chinese man called Ding Ling and a beautiful elvish woman called Alana Yana-Ash. I’m a Star Trekker, so to go boldly where no man (or elf) has been before would give me the greatest of thrills.

What superpower would you most like?

I am writing a comic book of different type of superheroes. I will mention one called ‘Homeless man’. I would like to be him. He keeps to himself, but has the ability and power to make wishes come true for those less fortunate than ourselves.

What are two of your favorite covers of all time? (Not your own.)

The Trouble with Peace: Book Two (The Age of Madness) by Joe AbercrombieDawnthief: Chronicles of the Raven 1 by James Barclay

It’s a very difficult time right now for the world. When quarantine and pandemic comes to an end, what is the first thing you would like to do?

I’m an author and live deep in the countryside. If I turn right out of my door I can come across badgers, foxes, squirrels in areas that man hasn’t really touched. That is good enough for me, although, this is the first year I haven’t been to Southern Spain for a month’s writing retreat in a beautiful part of the world called Cabo Pino. I huddle in the sand dunes to write, listening to the sea  and soaking up the warm sunshine.

Finally, what is your preferred method to have readers get in touch with or follow you (i.e., website, personal blog, Facebook page, here on Goodreads, etc.) and link(s)?

    Website: www.thewand.me

     Email:     thewandchronicles@gmail.com

     Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewandchronicles/?hl=en

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

    Linked-In:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-ross-280532166/

    Twitter:      https://twitter.com/wandchronicles

    Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/2ZPPWzd 

    Link to The Wand Chronicles series on Amazon: https://amzn.to/33IWuAO

    Link to Book 1 of the Big Fairy Adventures entitled, ‘How It All Began..’:

https://amzn.to/3bDpgGU

SPFBO Author Interview: Kirk Dougal

We are back with another SPFBO author interview! I only have a few of these left it seems unless more come through, but I’m always happy to interview everyone who hasn’t had the chance yet. Today I bring you an interview with Kirk Dougal, who brought Legacy of Bones to SPFBO this year. It’s also his first time, be gentle!

STARTING OFF WITH A BANG

Introduce yourself! An easy question to start off with. Who are you, what do you write?

Hello, I’m Kirk Dougal, and I’ve written across multiple genres. In addition to epic fantasy, I’ve also had books and series published in thrillers, SF/detective, urban fantasy, and YA dystopian. 

SPFBO DISCUSSION

Is this your first time in SPFBO?

Yes, this is my first entry into SPFBO.

What book did you enter into this year’s event?

I entered Legacy of Bones, the first book in my A Tale of Bone and Steel epic fantasy series.

Does one of the main characters hold a special place in your heart? If so, why?

I think all of the characters hold a special place in my heart, even the antagonists. Whether it is a quirky habit or grand ambitions, they are part of the act of creation.

Having said that, Dilane has to be one of my favorites. She ran away from obligations in her home country and rises to prominence through sheer will and determination. She laughs at times when she should cry or be afraid, and then becomes furious at the smallest joke. Her family has played a huge role in what she is and what she will become, even though she tries not to let them decide her fate and make her own path. Although her role does not seem large in the first book, Dilane becomes more and more important as the tale goes along.

What was the inspiration for the story? What are your future project(s)?

The story began with my imagining the Draig D’Alikar, a legendary group of warriors. Their weapons were created from the bones of a dead dragonlord, gifted to the five remaining human fighters who had fought by the dragons’ side centuries earlier. The swords actually choose their holders, bonding to them and the rangers who pledge their allegiance to the D’Alikar. 

But that was just the beginning of the story for me. The D’Alikar are the base upon everything else was built including the magic system. Everything is tied together, and every gift must be paid for in some fashion. The story is really the unfolding of how all of the tales are built upon each other.

What are the key themes and/or messages in the book?

The main theme deals with faith and belief. That varies for each character from religious, to faith in friends, family, governments, and even themselves. They explore how those beliefs lead them down the paths of their lives and what they are willing to do to follow their path or break free on their own.

What were the key challenges you faced when writing this book?

The biggest challenge has been the sheer size of the story. Interlocking plots across multiple countries involving several characters requires quite a bit of planning to make sure everything comes together in the end.

What is the future for the characters? Will there be a sequel?

The second and third books in the series have already been released. The fourth book is slated for an August pub date and book five should be out at the end of the year. If everything stays on schedule, then all nine books of the series should be released by late 2021 or early 2022.

MORE RAMBLES ABOUT WRITING

What is your favorite book you’ve written?

That is a little like asking which one of your children is your favorite. I love them all for different reasons. I suppose I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Dreams of Ivory and Gold, the first book in my Fallen Angels trilogy, because it was my debut novel. Once that was published, it validated all the hard work that had come before.

Who are your favorite authors?

My tastes in books varies wildly and my favorites depend mostly on some special quality that the author brings to their writing. I’ve read everything Dashiell Hammett published, Tom Clancy, Clive Cussler, Andre Norton when I was a kid, Andy Weir, Isaac Asimov, Mark Lawrence, George R.R. Martin, Robert Jordan, Agatha Christie, Joyce Kearns Goodwin, Erik Larson – I know I’m forgetting a dozen others that I will kick myself about later.

However, I would read anything written by Neil Gaiman, including his grocery list if he published it.

What makes a good villain?

A good villain must have a grain of truth to them. I am perfectly fine with them being sadistic and ruthless, to the point of being over the top, but there must be some sort of logic to their evil, even if it only makes sense to them. In a good villain’s mind, they are the hero of the story.

Do you have any writing blogs you recommend?

I don’t read many blogs anymore, but I speak regularly at high schools and to writing groups. Anytime someone asks me about where to go for advice, I always suggest Stephen King’s On Writing. In fact, I have bought and given away so many copies of the book that King should put me on a retainer.

Do you have any writer friends you’d like to give a shout out to?

I am afraid to give a list because I am certain I will forget someone important. Instead I would like to give recognition to the first online writer group that I joined, the Chaos Manor Fantasy Writer’s Group Online. The members included authors like Jacqueline Carey, Tee Morris, Tim Marquitz, and many, many others. Without their encouragement and friendship, I may have given up writing long before my first book hit the stores.

Did you learn anything from writing your latest book? If so, what was it?

It is not something new, but my current work-in-progress has once again reinforced the importance of writing every day. Even on those days when everything has gone wrong, sitting down for even a few minutes is a huge benefit. Invariably, I will start typing with the idea of just creating two hundred words and I will look and realized I’ve hit 2,000.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? A gardener or an architect?

I am a flexible plotter. Because my books tend to have multiple plotlines with several characters, I need the bones of a structure to keep the book fundamentally sound. However, when I plot each chapter may only have a sentence or two or some bullet points of what needs to happen and that is not locked in stone. I will often realize that I need another scene or chapter before my next step, or something comes up in the writing that needs to be added into the mix. 

If you had to give up both snacks and drinks during writing sessions, or music, which would you find more difficult to say goodbye to?

Absolutely snacks and drinks. I do not listen to music when I write.

It’s sometimes difficult to get into understanding the characters we write. How do you go about it? 

I try to become my characters, understand their beliefs and needs. In some cases that means observing how others react in the same situations. At other times it means calling on my own experiences.

What is your writing process? Do you have one? What is your workspace like?

My writing process is simple. I start with an idea for a character or a situation, sometimes a scene in my head, and then I begin thinking about how the characters got themselves into that place. Once I have the idea started, I begin to plot. When I have the bones of the plot structure laid down, I write until I’m done, no editing on the fly. Once the book is completed, I let it sit for at least a couple of weeks before I go back and try to go through it as a reader, search for flow, plot holes, or inconsistencies. Invariably, I’ll make some changes along the way, but they are typically not large. Then, I go through the manuscript one last time in search of grammatical and process mistakes. (How many times did I use that word/phrase in the book? Is that even possible?) Then it is off to my editor.

One key thing to note is that my writing process will often overlap for books. While I can not write more than one book at a time – I tried and it was horrible, including mixing up characters and placing them in the wrong book – I can do the pre-writing work simultaneously. For instance, while I’m writing on one book, I will be working on the idea or plotting another. I like to work in big chunks of time because the longer I’m at the computer, the faster I create. So, if I only have fifteen minutes to work, then I would rather work on plotting the next idea rather than the current WIP. The benefit is that as soon as I am done with a project, I am ready to dive into the next.

I also am a night writer. Most days, I do not sit down to create until eight or nine o’clock at night, and then I will go until at least midnight, sometimes much later. I wrote the first two books in my Dowland Cases series from 10 pm to 2 am over the course of six months. It is a good thing I don’t need much sleep. 

As for workspaces, I don’t have a permanent one. Each book tends to end up in its own place. Ninety percent of Legacy of Bones was written at the dining room table. My current work is being largely written at night underneath the pergola at our house. We live in the country so the only sounds around me while I’m creating are the horses in the pasture or the occasional car driving by.

Where do you draw inspiration from?

Inspiration for me can come from anywhere. I had the idea for the Fallen Angels series while mowing the pasture. A character in another book hit me while I was people watching during the Christmas season at a shopping mall. Other times I will hear an interesting bit of science news or a discovery and then the ideas will flow. Basically, as long as I can look at something or someone and ask, “What if?”, then I can come up with an idea for a book.

How many plot ideas are just waiting to be written? Can you tell us about one?

There are too many plot ideas to count. The one I am kicking around right now involves a female engineer on a generation ship that is taking the last remains of humanity in search of a new home. She is great at her job, but she hates it because it is not what she would have chosen for herself to do. But now the ship is not working properly, and she must find the answer on how to repair it while being pursued by someone who wants it to all go to hell. There is murder and mystery and her discovering that sometimes you only think you know what you want until you have the chance to do even more. It’s tentatively titled Elpis, which is the Greek goddess of hope and also the name of the generation ship. 

Do you have any new series planned?

Yes, I have ideas for several others, but I want to wrap up A Tale of Bone and Steel before I move on to the next.

MORE ABOUT YOU 

What do you like to do in your spare time?

My wife and I have four children, so there isn’t a lot of spare time. Between kids, jobs, writing, and horses, sometimes we are just happy to have time to all eat supper at the same time. I played baseball in college and I am still a huge fan, so a special treat is when I have time to watch a game.

If you couldn’t be an author, what ideal job would you like to do?

Is there room on the next SpaceX flight?

Coffee or Tea? Or (exult deep breath) what other drink do you prefer, if you like neither?

I can’t stand coffee or tea. I try to drink as much water as possible around too much pop. I also prefer single malt Scottish whisky and a good amber ale.

You can travel to anywhere in the universe. Where would you go, and why?

The closest inhabitable planet or moon. I want to see what is next, what we as people are capable of doing and becoming.

Pick any three fiction characters. These are now your road trip crew. Where do you go and what do you do?

Captain Mal Reynolds, Dirk Pitt, and Susan Ivanova. We aim to misbehave.

What superpower would you most like?

I just love telling stories. I think that is superpower enough.

If you could invite one person to dinner, who would it be and what would you cook?

Clive Cussler. I would cook whatever he wanted to eat as long as he talked about classic cars the entire meal.

Share something your readers wouldn’t know about you.

While I was in college, I once squatted 705 pounds for three reps. Shortly after, my legs formed a union, made demands, and went on strike.

It’s a very difficult time right now for the world. When quarantine and pandemic comes to an end, what is the first thing you would like to do?

Travel. I love to go to new places, meet different people, try their food, and learn more about them.

Finally, what is your preferred method to have readers get in touch with or follow you (i.e., website, personal blog, Facebook page, here on Goodreads, etc.) and link(s)?

I can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads, but the easiest way to keep up with me is at my website: http://kirkdougal.com/. That is where I post news and information about what I am up to and where you can sign up to be part of the reader group. There is a newsletter that goes out at least once per month with updates, book reviews, recipes, and general fun. For signing up now, a reader will receive a free prequel short story in the A Tale of Bone and Steel universe.

Authors in Isolation: Deston J. Munden

Hey guys, back with a new isolation interview! I’ll have an SPFBO author interview ready for the weekend, but I’d like to bring back an old survivor of the Scar den in Deston Munden. Hope you guys enjoy!

First of all, tell me about yourself! What do you write?

Hello again! I’m Deston J. Munden, former SPFBO writer and now resident stuck in the house author. I’m a science fiction and fantasy author who is surviving all this craziness by stuffing his head full on Dungeons and Dragons characters and learning how to cook neat food. I’m the author of two series, Dargath Chronicles and Dusk Orbit Blues, both which are getting an audiobook real soon. It’s a pleasure to be back.

How do you develop your plots and characters?

I’ve been asked this quite a few times and I never feel like my answers are satisfactory, but nevertheless true. They just kinda come to me. There are small inciting events that makes me want to develop a character or a plot. It could just be me sitting and reading. It could just me be playing a game or roleplaying a completely unrelated character.  From there, I put them on what I called the simmer mode. I slowly develop them in my head until they are ready for the drafting phase.

Tell the world about your current project!

Dargath is a fun, high fantasy world that I created a while back. It’s a world where everyone has magic and no one is truly human. I wanted to create a world where magic was a common stance and everyone has a degree of it that is unique to them. Also, I wanted a world where the reader doesn’t go in with the natural biasness of starting with a human. Yes, there are human-like races, but I wanted to have this mystical feeling to everything. The world is split into two continents, eight races, and plenty of subraces. It’s rich in history, politics, and turmoil while also having that classic dungeons and dragons type of feeling to the world. If that seems like your type of thing, try me out!

Who would you say is the main character of your latest novel? And tell me a little bit about them!

Ser Torlyek is the main character of the novel that is coming out later this year. I’ve been marketing him as Neville Longbottom meets Thor from the MCU and Steven Universe. He’s my first autistic main character who adores knights and honor beyond anything else. He’s also a complex character who has a deep backstory with his family. Duke’s Brand follows him as he comes to terms with who he is now as well as him making friends along the way. I hope that you guys enjoy him as much as I enjoyed writing him.

Have you been to any conventions? If so, tell me a little about them!

I’ve been to so many conventions! They are some of my favorite places to go for vacations. They are so lively and powerful, and you get to meet so many fellow nerds. My goal this year was to finally sell my books at a convention. Sadly, that didn’t happen. Now, I’m going through convention withdrawal. If you never gone to a convention before, I’ll honestly suggest that you try it out. There are so many cool things that you can find and you’ll meet so many cool people.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I realized that I wanted to be a writer when I was young. Luckily, none of my teachers tried to squash that love. Instead, they tried their hardest to cultivate the talent that they saw. I always wrote fan fictions and loved the creative writing assignments given to me. But, it wasn’t until after college where I realized this was a career I could do. Self-publishing opened an entirely new opportunity for me and ever since I’ve been pushing myself more and more to expand my dream into a reality.

If you had the opportunity to live anywhere in the world for a year while writing a book that took place in that same setting, where would you choose?

Rome, hands down. There’s so much history there that I would love to explore and set a story within. I think it would be fun to explore the mythology and the people of rome and wrapping that up in a story that I would write.

What advice would you give new writers?

Finish. That. First. Draft. I’ve seen so many new writers get into what I call the world building loop or worse the first chapter loop. Its when a new writer keeps world building or writing the first chapter endlessly until the end of time. That is not how you’re going to improve. You’re going to have to finish that first draft at one point or another. Not to say pre-writing is not important, however, if you’re stuck on it you need to start on the first draft. As a new writer, learning how to finish a project is key.

What real-life inspirations did you draw from for the worldbuilding?

Too many. I usually get inspiration from history, cultures, food, architecture, generally whatever that I think would make my world feel richer and livelier. Each of the races are inspired somewhat after certain regions of our world albeit blended in such a way to better fit the region I’m going for. I’ve used things from Africa, the Middle East, Medieval Europe, Egypt, etc to make my world feel stronger and cohesive. It’s a fun experience as a history and culture nerd.

What inspires you to write?

I enjoy it. That’s the long and short of it all. Writing is a passion of mine. I love sitting down at the computer and letting my imagination go wild. There’s a magic to it all. I used to write after I finished my schoolwork in class just for fun. I didn’t realize that was weird until my teacher saw me doing it while everyone else was playing games on the computer. Writing is my creative outlet and without it I might burst.

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

The hardest part for me is keeping the pace with everything. There’s a lot that goes into be an author. Some days I just want to sit down and write, but I know I can’t do that all the time. There are days where I’m going to have to research, do my social media, and market the books I already have released. Managing my time has become quite difficult.

What is your routine when writing, if any? If you don’t follow a routine, why not?

My routine is usually 8-4 every weekday. If I don’t follow this schedule, I will and can work myself to death.

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write in any of your books, and why?

This is spoiler territory. There’s a certain scene in Tavern that I really enjoy that has made people lose their marbles and I always laugh manically about when I get a message about it. Recently though, I’ve been getting a lot of “OMG” about a certain scene in the middle of Dusk Mountain Blues. It makes me giggle. I might be evil.

What these two scenes have in common is that I throw the reader for a loop. I love doing that.  

Did you learn anything from writing your latest book? If so, what was it?

Writing Duke’s Brand and Dusk Ocean Blues taught me a lot how to condense my writing style a bit. Lately, I’ve been trying to hone my writing style a bit. I feel like writing these two books has helped that a lot going forward.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? A gardener or an architect?

I am definitely a pantser. I’m all about writing it and winging it until I get to the second draft.

If you had to give up either snacks and drinks during writing sessions, or music, which would you find more difficult to say goodbye to?

Definitely snacks. I can give up music if I had to, but snacks I need to survive. I can’t imagine how I’ll get through certain parts of my novel without snacking on some chips or some other ungodly unhealthy food or beverage.

Which is your favorite season to write in, and why?

Spring. There is something about the temperature and the outside environment that brings out the power in me.

It’s sometimes difficult to get into understanding the characters we write. How do you go about it?

It’s all about learning how that character ticks. The big thing I’ve realized about getting in the mindset of a character is knowing their motivation. A person drive and ambition tell a lot about the character as a whole and getting into the mindset of them. You gotta realize what they want to realize who they are. From there, I think, their personalities, dreams, relationships, etc becomes more apparent the more you write it.

What are your future project(s)?

Dusk Ocean Blues (Book 2 of Dusk Orbit Blues)

Undergrove (Book 3 of Dargath Chronicles)
Dusk Country Blues (Book 3 of Dusk Orbit Blues)

What is your favorite book ever written?

I’m pleading the fifth here. I enjoy all the books that I’ve written so far. There are parts where I feel like I’ve done better in this book while others in that one. So at the end the day, I can’t choose.

Who are your favorite authors?

Traditionally Published: Brandon Sanderson, Patrick Rothfuss, Michael J. Sullivan, Robert Jordan, Scott Lynch, Jonathan French, Brent Weeks, Sean Grisby, and Gareth L. Powell, Renee April.

Self Published: James Jakins, Emmet Moss, Deck Matthews, Andy Peloquin, Bernard Bertram, Garrett B. Robinson.

There’s probably a million more.

What makes a good villain?

A good motivation and a strong personality. I’m the type of person that enjoys a big personality in my villain over sheer fear and power they may possess. The villains that have a good time while also having depth speak out to me. Yes, I do enjoy the looming dark lord type villain as well, but if I can somehow get both I’m a happy camper.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Cooking! It’s my favorite past time other than video games and tabletop RPGs. I’m not as good as it as other people, but I’m trying my best and I’m learning every day!

If you couldn’t be an author, what ideal job would you like to do?

A chef! Like I said before, cooking is a fun hobby and being a chef/cook would be a fun job for me. I also like to bake, so a baker would be not too far behind. I just like working with food.

Coffee or Tea? Or (exult deep breath) what other drink do you prefer, if you like neither?

Tea! There are so many different types of teas and most which I can drink (because I can’t have a lot of caffeinated beverages). I prefer fruity teas, but I’m willing to try any of it.

You can travel to anywhere in the universe. Where would you go, and why?

Whew. I don’t know. I’ll probably want to try to find new planets to explore, specifically with new life.

Do you have any writing blogs you recommend?

No. I don’t have any writer blogs that I’ll recommend but check out the #writerblr tag on tumblr if you need any inspiration!

Do you have any writer friends you’d like to give a shoutout to?

Nicky Ball, Kathryn York, Hallie Fleischmann, Chris Barber, Dave Deickman, Emmet Moss, Bernard Bertram, and Deck Matthews to name a few!

Pick any three fiction characters. These are now your roadtrip crew. Where do you go and what do you do?

Clay Cooper from Kings of the Wyld, Matrim Couthon from Wheel of Time, and Wayne from The Alloy of Law.  

We’re gonna go on a rock-star tour and we’re gonna cause some trouble.

What superpower would you most like?

Super Strength. I know that’s a simple power to want to have but it would just make my life a whole lot easier. Being able to pick up a lot of things would be amazing.

What are two of your favorite covers of all time? (Not your own.)

Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames

Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

It’s a very difficult time right now for the world. When quarantine and pandemic comes to an end, what is the first thing you would like to do?

Travel more and meet some of my online friends. My goal this year was to travel more, get out there, and meet some of the people that I’ve been talking to for ages. The quarantine and pandemic put that to a screeching halt. I want to go to more conventions, I want to see more places, and I want just enjoy life more. This whole situation made me realize that I haven’t been out nearly as much as I want to be.

Finally, what is your preferred method to have readers get in touch with or follow you (i.e., website, personal blog, Facebook page, here on Goodreads, etc.) and link(s)?

Remember to follow me everywhere below and it was great coming back!

Website:  www.djmunden.com

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Deston-J-Munden/e/B07Q2D6948/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SrBuffaloKnight

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authordjmunden/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/D.J.Munden/

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18874896.Deston_J_Munden