Zilla Novikov's Blog, page 15
March 18, 2024
April 6th – Getting Your Story Out – Exploring Publishing Models
Night Beat’s own Nicole Bezanson is sharing her wisdom on how she’s published her multi-genre books—and how you can think about publishing your own works!
Author/publisher Anne Louise O’Connell and multi-genre author Nicole Bezanson will address various ways to get your book published. Anne will address hybrid and self-publishing and will take you step-by-step through the process of getting a book set up on IngramSpark ready for printing and distribution. Nicole will focus on traditional publishing and how to query agents and publishers, as well as author collectives and serial fiction websites. For more information on these online workshops, check out OC’s website.
March 15, 2024
Wrong Genre Covers
March 12, 2024
Behind the Screens: Tuesday Author Interview
Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.
Sabitha: Is there anything more exciting than a science fiction thriller? Andria Stone is here to tell us about the action-packed fun in her novel The K5 PROTOCOL . Andria, you have the floor!
Andria: When Marshal Flint Maddox finds his best friend murdered, it triggers the K5 PROTOCOL, a long dormant neural implant, and he comes face-to-face with the deadly past he left years ago. As Maddox searches for his friend’s missing daughter, he embarks on a desperate galactic hunt filled with treacherous wormholes, feminine betrayal, and aliens who consider humans an expendable race.
Relentless in his pursuit, despite surviving a run in with pirates, Maddox uncovers a horrific genetic conspiracy—that if the details become known—will rock the galaxy.
From a once-great Earth, to the utopian world of Anterra, to the ice planet of Degress 9, to the strange Outer Rim Territories, you will ride along with the Marshal and his crew. But buckle up because you’re in for a heart-pounding, nail-biting, climax!
Sabitha : What inspired you to write this book?
Andria: After writing a near-future trilogy, I wanted to challenge myself by branching out with a far-future story—one where humans were not alone, which would required world building on a grand scale—with planets in other systems, wormholes as interstellar highways, and alien races, some similar to us, and others who definitely weren’t.
Sabitha : Do you have a playlist for your book?
Andria: In the story, there are three bar scenes where different types of music are playing: speedcore, dreamscape, and Earth Oldies. Personally, I listen to Star Trek soundtracks while writing.
Sabitha : What book do you tell all your friends to read?
Andria: Both Patty Jansen and Lindsay Buroker write great science fiction and fantasy. For thrillers, I like Stephen King, Grisham, and Don Winslow.
Sabitha : Have you ever killed off a character your readers loved?
Andria: Yes, I let a cyborg kill a female Colonel in the second book of my trilogy. Her mate was devastated, and I let him avenge her death.
Sabitha : How much research did you need to do for your book?
Andria: Since I write techno-thrillers, there’s a good deal of detail in my stories, which means a greater amount of research for astronomical units, galactic regions, gravity ratio, engine room components, ship categories, and armaments—just to name a few.
Sabitha : Who did you imagine reading your book as you wrote it?
Andria: I did research: a Bowker survey found that 72% of science fiction readers make more than $50,000, and a majority of them make more than $80,000. Another survey found SFF readers were about 20% of the US population, with approximately 57% male, and tend to reduce their reading volume between the ages of 45-65. Also—no surprise—speculative fiction readers are people who read a lot.
Sabitha : What’s your next writing project?
Andria: I’m working on a sequel to K5, and it will likely be Book #2 of a trilogy. Since I’ve already built this intricate world, and the MC didn’t catch all the bad guys, he and his new partner just pick up where the story ended.
Sabitha : Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?
Andria: All my books can be found on Amazon, or on any online bookstore. I can be found at my website, Threads, Instagram, Facebook, or Goodreads. You can watch my book trailer here.
March 11, 2024
Adam Interviews … Rohan O’Duill
One of Night Beats‘ own, the chef who brings Fiction You Can Sink Your Teeth Into to life each month, Rohan O’Duill is also an accomplished author. In addition to numerous short stories, he’s published the novella Cold Rising, where Golden-Age science fiction meets fighting for your rights as underground workers rise up on Mars.
He was recently interviewed by Adam Gaffen about his books and his process:
Adam: What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
Rohan: Being Dyslexic I think I approach things a little differently. My writing style is short and snappy as a result, which I think works well with high action sci-fi.
Read the whole interview here.
March 7, 2024
Book Report Corner
You’ve probably heard by now that a bunch of Night Beats authors wrote an anthology, Instant Classic, with the proceeds donated to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières to support their crucial work.
It felt a bit too circular to review our own book, so here’s what Michelle Browne, author of The Meaning Wars, had to say about it.
“A joyous, pitch-black, vicious read, Instant Classic is a scathing, direct hit on the experience of writing in the current era. It’s a grim business, this metafictional genre-spanning tale of corporate malfeasance and exploitation, and the people struggling to get by in the margins. Rife with metafictional references to the other stories in the volume, the shorts have a unified vision and vibe that cuts like the folded layers of Japanese steel.”
“This book might not hit for people outside the industry, but that’s okay. For the rest of us, who slave and dream over backlit screens and messy nests of pages, welcome. Unite. The only thing we have to lose is our chains.”
March 5, 2024
Behind the Screens: Tuesday Author Interview
Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.
Sabitha: Books can tell exciting, engaging stories, but they can also tell us important truths about our own world. Michael Solis’ Deficient does both. Can you introduce us to your book, Michael?
Michael: Deficient tells the story of Alejandro Aragon (Alé), a powerless, 15-year-old Deficient living in a world of genetically accelerated individuals. When his best and only friend is kidnapped in a hate crime against her ability type, it appears Alé has every motive and no believable alibi. With time running out, Alé has to clear his name and track down the real culprit before it’s too late, all without a superpower of his own.
Deficient is nominated for several awards, including the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel, ALA Stonewall Award, Pushcart Prize, and International Latino Book Awards.
Sabitha : What inspired you to write this book?
Michael: When I wrote Deficient, I was living in Honduras working with youth who were grappling with issues like poverty, gender inequality, pressure to emigrate, and gang violence. They possessed a sense of resilience that seemed supernatural. That was a major inspiration for the book, and it brought me back to my own journey of resilience growing up as a queer kid in the homophobic nineties.
I also wanted to explore what would happen if people were to change in a fundamental way that affected the very nature of our human experience. Would we take the high road, or would we slip into old patterns of creating castes and constructs? I had a sneaking suspicion it might be the latter.
Sabitha : If you could meet your characters, what would you say to them?
Michael: I would tell Alé all the cliché things grannies tell the protagonists in Disney movies. “You are beautiful as you are.” “Believe in yourself.” “It will get better.” I’m not sure if it would have any effect on him given the horrible nature of his circumstances, but I hope something would land.
To all the characters who bully Alé or are complicit with the violence he experiences, I would try to promote empathy and let them know how their words and actions can have forever consequences.
Sabitha : What book do you tell all your friends to read? Besides yours of course!
Michael: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez. We can all use more magical realism in our lives!
Sabitha : Have you ever killed off a character your readers loved?
Michael: I love all my characters, even the diabolical ones, but none are safe! 
Sabitha : Do you have any suggestions to help people in our community become better writers?
Michael: I’ve recently carried out writing workshops with students in New Jersey and Nepal on goal, motivation, and conflict when creating characters. Understanding this was critical as I strengthened my manuscript in a way that caught the attention of publishers. I would also suggest bracing for rejection and actively seeking out and being open to constructive feedback throughout the writing journey.
Sabitha : Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?
Michael: You can learn more about me and my work on my website, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok.
February 29, 2024
Eton Mess with Gideon the Ninth
Fiction To Sink Your Teeth Into, a feature from author and professional chef Rohan O’Duill!
Gideon only wants to go to Magnus and Abigail’s 11th anniversary party because she really wants to eat a dessert. So I thought it fitting that we prepare that dessert to go with reading Gideon the Ninth. The dessert described is cream with fruit and sugar, which sounds a lot like an Eton Mess. Bonus, that’s a super simple recipe to make!
Ingredients
250ml whipping cream1 punnet strawberries, or any berries or fruit you can get your hands on.A couple of méringue nestsEquipment
• A whisk, or a stand mixer if you don’t have all that whisking in you.
Method
Whisk the cream until it forms small peaks. Crumble up the méringue and dice the strawberries.Mix everything together and serve in a fancy ass glass, if you have one.Time to binge on some super sweet treats and this necromancer story.
Note: you could make the méringue, but that’s like work and stuff, and they are super cheap to buy, so forget that.
February 27, 2024
Behind the Screens: Tuesday Author Interview
Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.
Sabitha: Romance, vampires, and murder—what’s not to love? Lizzy Gayle is here to tell us about her paranormal romance, Bitten by Surprise . Lizzy, take it away!
Lizzy: II’ve written quite a few books, but my current series started with Bitten by Surprise, so I’d love to share a bit about that.
As a vampire-hating psychic, Char should’ve seen it coming, but she didn’t. Too focused on creating a cure for vampirism after watching her father turned into a bloodsucking menace, she looks at little else, until it’s too late. Not her lab being attacked and destroyed, her life’s work being stolen along with her lab assistant, nor the attractive and dangerous vampire, Julian, who swoops in to save the day, give her a job and the chance to set things right.
But when her lost serum turns up on the streets used as a murder weapon against vamps, she’s forced to hide the truth about her involvement in its development from her new boss in order to join the investigation. As they work together, she’s inexplicably drawn to the very type of creature she should be terrified of. Suddenly, the idea of being bitten becomes a turn on if it’s Julian’s fangs at her pulse.
Forced to admit everything she thought she knew about the bloodsuckers was wrong, Char is left with a decision: Should she create an antidote to save the vampires being murdered—and possibly the one she’s falling for? Or should she finish what she started and try to cure the rest?
The wrong choice could mean a sacrifice she’s not willing to make.
Sabitha : Okay, that’s delightful. What inspired you to write this book?
Lizzy: Char and Julian’s story was born of a desire to finally write the vampire I always wanted to. So I began with the idea of combining Sookie Stackhouse with the X-Files (if the X-Files was fantasy based).
Sabitha : If you could meet your characters, what would you say to them?
Lizzy: I’d start with, “I’m so sorry!” I mean as authors we have to torture our characters to make a good book. Sometimes literally. But I’d quickly follow up with, “I promise a happily ever after, so don’t hurt me.” Also I’d be lusting after my own vampire. But please don’t tell my husband.
Sabitha : Your secret is safe with me! Next secret to confess—have you ever killed off a character your readers loved?
Lizzy: Mayyyyybe…ok fine, yes. But I only kill when necessary, and I know how weird this sounds, but it’s almost always a surprise to me too. I am a pantser, which means I write by the seat of my pants and love the discovery of a first draft. I’ve tried plotting and that kind of kills the magic for me, though I respect those that are able to do that. So I’m as devastated as the reader, if that helps.
Sabitha : Do you have any suggestions to help people in our community become better writers?
Lizzy: Absolutely! Don’t EVER give up! We’ve all had those low moments. We’re sensitive artists, but you know what? If you give up you may miss that golden moment right around the corner. Don’t ever stop working to make your writing better. Keep reading too.
Sabitha : What’s your next writing project?
Lizzy: Book four of the Bitten series comes out at the end of January 2024, and my plan is for five books in the series, though I also have a prequel novella out that shows how Julian became a vampire. I suggest reading that immediately before or after book three. I do a rapid-release schedule and make the books quick, fast-paced reads, so the series will probably finish around March or April. Time to catch up!
After that? I’m toying with a high fantasy that’s been niggling at me. But we’ll see what my readers demand.
Sabitha: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?
Lizzy: You can find all my links at my Linktree. Bitten by Surprise is on Amazon.
February 23, 2024
Wrong Genre Covers
February 20, 2024
Behind the Screens: Tuesday Author Interview
Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.
Sabitha: You’re never too old for romance! Christine Layne’s love story shows that it’s never too late to find your passion, even if your first attempt at love and career success doesn’t pan out. Christine, can you tell us about Love Hops ?
Christine: After moving back to Colorado from Los Angeles, Lena Bouras began picking up the pieces of her broken life. Her cheating ex-boyfriend ruined her trust. Being unjustly fired from her interior design job obliterated her confidence. The worst blow of all, though, came at the loss of the one person who supported Lena throughout all her endeavors—her mother.
Escaping to her now empty, memory-laden childhood home, Lena worked toward letting go of her old life. But, when her 40th birthday ended up being another failure, it reminded her of what she was missing. Disappointment weighed heavily on her shoulders.
Until Del flipped her world upside down—literally.
Handsome and charming, Del Stratton was the complete opposite of everything she looked for in a man, not to mention he owned a brewery and Lena didn’t drink beer. She promptly dismissed any idea of pursuing a relationship with him. Even though her stomach flipped every time he smiled.
Despite her best efforts, Lena found herself unable to avoid Del. Slowly, she learned to give up her old life, and embraced a new one with him. For the first time in years, Lena felt happy.
But, when an opportunity for all her old dreams to come true presented itself, it forced Lena to choose. Falling in love with Del was easy, but Lena had to decide whether easy dreams with him were better than the ones she worked so hard for in the past.
Sabitha : What inspired you to write this book?
Christine: I wrote this book because I have always imagined a romance happening in a brewery. It was inspired by one scene in particular: the beer tasting scene. It went much differently when I first imagined it (much spicier), but as I developed the story, I changed it to fit the flow. Now, it’s perfect.
Sabitha : What book do you tell all your friends to read?
Christine: My reading preferences range from romance to horror and lots of things in between, but the one book I can always suggest is The Princess Bride by William Goldman. It has something for everyone and is still one of the most entertaining books I’ve ever read.
Sabitha : Excellent choice! If an aspiring author came to you for advice, what would you tell them?
Christine: My advice for becoming a better writer would be to A) read, read, read in the genre you wish to write, B) be brave enough to let others read and critique your work, and C) be open to helping others.
Sabitha : I love that you included C. So, what’s your next writing project?
Christine: My next project is due out in the late spring of 2024. It’s my first enemies-to-lovers story, Mud, Love, and Chemistry. It follows two college students as they navigate their warring feelings while also competing for a coveted internship after graduation. It’s loads of fun!
Sabitha : Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?
Christine: Love Hops and my debut novel, Because of Blake, can both be found on Amazon! Readers can follow me on my social medias for updates: Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, Threads (@christinelayneauthor), and X (@Chrislaynelove).
