R.G. Porter's Blog, page 5
November 15, 2011
IWU Blog Tour Week of Nov 15th
Hey everyone! I know I skipped a week, but we are back to our great blog tour of indie authors. Today I have the pleasure of having a fantastic writer with us. So, without further delay, let's get this party started.
Okay, so, pull a chair and introduce yourself to everyone.
My name is Athanasios. I've been interested in religion and entertainment in all its forms since I was a child. I've always been creative but in my earlier life I studied art and illustration. I was also always interested in storytelling and fantastic even horrific stories both mythic and contemporary fiction.
Very interesting. Mythical stories have always kept me enthralled. So, tell me about your book. Any tidbit is great to know. What inspired it, all that good stuff.
My story is Predatory Ethics, which began as Mad Gods in 1990. It's about the duality of man and how most modern religions focus on our higher aspects and deny out baser instincts. Older faiths embraced both. Predatory Ethics was inspired and continues to be inspired by the world around us and our history both officially sanctioned in our text books from school and the alternate histories we all call conspiracy theories.Oh, now that is very interesting. I used to take classes back in the day that discussed many of the old religions.
So, what is your writing process like? Do you jot things down or just tap away on the computer?My process is as follows. I do the rough outline first, building the basic structure of the plot and character development with pen & paper. Then I write out the first draft following the outline but not too strictly, it's used mostly for direction rather than a specific guide.Sounds familiar. I started out with doing no outlines, but have since evolved to do more rough outlines for different storylines.
What do you do when you're not writing?
I currently work as a graphic/video artist in a dvd production house at Montreal, Quebec, Canada. My hobbies are very varied, from home renovation, to movie & television watching to martial arts and weight lifting. My pets are Fred the Yellow Lab, George the Main Coon cat, Charlotte the Tortoise Shell cat, & Ali the ???? cat.Cat!! I adore the feline animals. I keep telling the hubby I want to get a full grown leopard one day. He keeps saying no. J
What made you decide to self-publish your work?I tried to have it traditionally published but was a complete failure in getting anybody to publish my work. I still believed in my story so I decided to put it out there anyway. There are still times though that I feel I'm deluding myself that anybody wants would enjoy my stories but then I pick it up myself and am still compelled to read further, despite having written it. That's the best thing. In the end, one must believe in their own work if anyone else is to.
Have you ever submitted your work to a traditional publisher? Would you consider doing so in the future?I have submitted to a traditional publisher and wouldn't do so again unless I was asked to. I don't need further rejection, I've had my fill of it.I hear you there. Rejection is hard. What has your experience of self-publishing been like so far? Would you recommend it to other writers?I would recommend it to other authors. What have you got to lose? It costs nothing to do so and if you have a good work ethic all you have to do is keep putting out and doing anything and everything to promote your work. Just keep doing it. Not to be trite but: A thousand mile journey begins with a single step.
Great advice! Never give up people.
What have your marketing strategies been so far? How successful were they? Any advice for new indie writers?My marketing strategies have borne little fruit, thus far. I believe my reasoning is sound though, do anything and everything that crosses your path. Don't say no to anything if it'll get you more exposure. There's nothing and nobody who can stop somebody from self publishing their own work. The challenge is if they last long enough to gain an audience. That'll only come with time and patience. If your work is good it'll find a readership. It probably won't be riches but who's to say? If everybody believed the odds there would be nobody willing to gamble on themselves.
Very true. The more your name is circulated the better chance others will become interested.
How would you respond to those who argue that self-published books are of inferior quality to traditionally-published ones?Taken on an author to author basis they'd probably be right. The only reason that is true is that there are exponentially more indie writers than traditional. Numbers alone will do that.True, numbers are not on our side currently. Hopefully that will fade with time.
What type of genres do you like to write and read?I like to read fantasy, horror, historical and documentary. I've only written in occult/horror.
That's fantastic. I love the horror and fantasy, love watching documentaries though. Not really read any. Who is one of your favorite characters and which book and why do you like him/her?I don't have a single favorite character, so I'll cheat on this question. My two favorites are the main characters of Kostadino & Adam Paleologos. They are me, unadorned & in the raw. The only differences between myself, and an amalgamation of those two, are that I'm more physically imposing that either of them, and I like to work with my hands. I've got the scars to prove it.Nothing wrong with having more than one favorite. J
If you could be any character from any book, who would it be?Conan. The one in the Robert E Howard & L Sprague DeCamp books, not the poof in the movies. Conan the Cimmerian would've kicked those pansies asses.Books tend to have more going for them, character wise, than any move can. I agree with you there.
What is your favorite food? I don't have a favorite, but I hate Vietnamese, not enough flavor. Blander than bland. Yuck.
Mad Gods:
The Antichrist lives. He is wanted dead or alive by Satanists, the Catholic Church and the Dark Nobility.
Kostadino must save him or let the world turn into hell on earth.
Amazon Smashwords
Commitment
Adam watched Mad Gods drag his father to Hell.
Melusine Rothschild, Grande Dame of the Black Nobility wants to raise him. She is part of the World Elite that live by Predatory Ethics and seek to guide him in wielding the power and influence of his dark birthright.
Adam, the teenage Antichrist/AntiXos, wants none of this. He watches his TV shows in one of Danvers Mental Hospital's nice padded rooms, snugly dressed in his own long sleeved, buckled, canvas jacket. He feels safe here away from a hostile, ravaging outside world.
He's horribly wrong.
LINKSAmazon Smashwords
You can find Athanasios here:Website and Blog
Thanks for joining us today Athanasios! It was great having you here.
Hope everyone enjoyed the read.
Happy writing and reading.
Warm regards,
R.G. Porter
Okay, so, pull a chair and introduce yourself to everyone.
My name is Athanasios. I've been interested in religion and entertainment in all its forms since I was a child. I've always been creative but in my earlier life I studied art and illustration. I was also always interested in storytelling and fantastic even horrific stories both mythic and contemporary fiction.
Very interesting. Mythical stories have always kept me enthralled. So, tell me about your book. Any tidbit is great to know. What inspired it, all that good stuff.
My story is Predatory Ethics, which began as Mad Gods in 1990. It's about the duality of man and how most modern religions focus on our higher aspects and deny out baser instincts. Older faiths embraced both. Predatory Ethics was inspired and continues to be inspired by the world around us and our history both officially sanctioned in our text books from school and the alternate histories we all call conspiracy theories.Oh, now that is very interesting. I used to take classes back in the day that discussed many of the old religions.
So, what is your writing process like? Do you jot things down or just tap away on the computer?My process is as follows. I do the rough outline first, building the basic structure of the plot and character development with pen & paper. Then I write out the first draft following the outline but not too strictly, it's used mostly for direction rather than a specific guide.Sounds familiar. I started out with doing no outlines, but have since evolved to do more rough outlines for different storylines.
What do you do when you're not writing?
I currently work as a graphic/video artist in a dvd production house at Montreal, Quebec, Canada. My hobbies are very varied, from home renovation, to movie & television watching to martial arts and weight lifting. My pets are Fred the Yellow Lab, George the Main Coon cat, Charlotte the Tortoise Shell cat, & Ali the ???? cat.Cat!! I adore the feline animals. I keep telling the hubby I want to get a full grown leopard one day. He keeps saying no. J
What made you decide to self-publish your work?I tried to have it traditionally published but was a complete failure in getting anybody to publish my work. I still believed in my story so I decided to put it out there anyway. There are still times though that I feel I'm deluding myself that anybody wants would enjoy my stories but then I pick it up myself and am still compelled to read further, despite having written it. That's the best thing. In the end, one must believe in their own work if anyone else is to.
Have you ever submitted your work to a traditional publisher? Would you consider doing so in the future?I have submitted to a traditional publisher and wouldn't do so again unless I was asked to. I don't need further rejection, I've had my fill of it.I hear you there. Rejection is hard. What has your experience of self-publishing been like so far? Would you recommend it to other writers?I would recommend it to other authors. What have you got to lose? It costs nothing to do so and if you have a good work ethic all you have to do is keep putting out and doing anything and everything to promote your work. Just keep doing it. Not to be trite but: A thousand mile journey begins with a single step.
Great advice! Never give up people.
What have your marketing strategies been so far? How successful were they? Any advice for new indie writers?My marketing strategies have borne little fruit, thus far. I believe my reasoning is sound though, do anything and everything that crosses your path. Don't say no to anything if it'll get you more exposure. There's nothing and nobody who can stop somebody from self publishing their own work. The challenge is if they last long enough to gain an audience. That'll only come with time and patience. If your work is good it'll find a readership. It probably won't be riches but who's to say? If everybody believed the odds there would be nobody willing to gamble on themselves.
Very true. The more your name is circulated the better chance others will become interested.
How would you respond to those who argue that self-published books are of inferior quality to traditionally-published ones?Taken on an author to author basis they'd probably be right. The only reason that is true is that there are exponentially more indie writers than traditional. Numbers alone will do that.True, numbers are not on our side currently. Hopefully that will fade with time.
What type of genres do you like to write and read?I like to read fantasy, horror, historical and documentary. I've only written in occult/horror.
That's fantastic. I love the horror and fantasy, love watching documentaries though. Not really read any. Who is one of your favorite characters and which book and why do you like him/her?I don't have a single favorite character, so I'll cheat on this question. My two favorites are the main characters of Kostadino & Adam Paleologos. They are me, unadorned & in the raw. The only differences between myself, and an amalgamation of those two, are that I'm more physically imposing that either of them, and I like to work with my hands. I've got the scars to prove it.Nothing wrong with having more than one favorite. J
If you could be any character from any book, who would it be?Conan. The one in the Robert E Howard & L Sprague DeCamp books, not the poof in the movies. Conan the Cimmerian would've kicked those pansies asses.Books tend to have more going for them, character wise, than any move can. I agree with you there.
What is your favorite food? I don't have a favorite, but I hate Vietnamese, not enough flavor. Blander than bland. Yuck.
Mad Gods:
The Antichrist lives. He is wanted dead or alive by Satanists, the Catholic Church and the Dark Nobility.
Kostadino must save him or let the world turn into hell on earth.
Amazon Smashwords
Commitment
Adam watched Mad Gods drag his father to Hell.
Melusine Rothschild, Grande Dame of the Black Nobility wants to raise him. She is part of the World Elite that live by Predatory Ethics and seek to guide him in wielding the power and influence of his dark birthright.
Adam, the teenage Antichrist/AntiXos, wants none of this. He watches his TV shows in one of Danvers Mental Hospital's nice padded rooms, snugly dressed in his own long sleeved, buckled, canvas jacket. He feels safe here away from a hostile, ravaging outside world.
He's horribly wrong.
LINKSAmazon Smashwords
You can find Athanasios here:Website and Blog
Thanks for joining us today Athanasios! It was great having you here.
Hope everyone enjoyed the read.
Happy writing and reading.
Warm regards,
R.G. Porter
November 11, 2011
TGIF and Happy 11/11/11 :)
TGIF Everyone and Happy 11/11/11!! Okay, so today I decided to give a nice big promo of my upcoming release: KISS OF THE WOLF. This is the second book in my Darkness Unleashed series and I had a blast writing it. The heroine's name is Kara and she is one spunky woman. She keeps the hero, Zachius, on his toes (among other things). I've included the synopsis and a short snippet from the novel. It will be released Nov. 15th. Enjoy everyone and hope you all have a very wonderful weekend! Blurb: A promise made is more than he'd bargained for…
Fiery and strong, Kara had always walked alone. Gifted with magick, she was a born healer, sent out by her people as her older sister had been to check on the village across the Baylo Sea, a burden shed gladly accepted. Had she known the danger that followed her or the man who'd save her would she have gone?
Sent to find Saleene's sister, Zachius is plagued with the vision of the woman who haunts his dreams. A warrior and loner, he never imagined the woman he swore to save would indeed be the one from his dreams. His soul torn from his duty to protect Kara and the need to be near her clashing in his heart, he unsure which will win.
Can he save her from the evil before it's too late….
or will he be the one needing to be saved…
Excerpt: Kara moved through the darkness of the forest. Each step she took forward her stomach twisted into knots. Holding a small torch, she allowed the flickering flames to light her way. Low bending branches fanned above her as the moon glowed a shade of crimson. She knew the legends. Blood moons always foretold of death or danger. Her warning system was in agreement with it tonight. She hurried along the trail, her gaze darting back and forth along the path. A cool wind had begun to push through the forest, its caress light across her skin. Leaning her back against one of the old oak trees, her mind began to wander. Something was off, she was certain of it. Her internal warning system kicked in earlier, alerting her to the subtle disturbance in the air. It was as if the forest was changing, taking on a life of its own. Sending her senses out in every direction, she waited. Turning to look up, she found a dark blanket of clouds had begun to move in. Shrouding the moonlight from the ground below, she wondered what else was at work. Her head spun back to the woodlands when she caught a flicker of movement. "Oh no, gods please don't." A feeling of dread began to spread through the night like a web. Cocking her head to the side, she closed her eyes. She tried to listen for any sound of movement, anything that might give direction, but silence was all she found. Opening her eyes she found an opaque mist begin to swirl towards her. Its size increased with every breath she took. A shift in the fabric of the forest brushed against her and she knew it wasn't for the better. Mist descended upon her, enveloping her small figure in a dense cocoon. It wasn't nature, and the force of it drove the air from her lungs.Kara closed her eyes. She needed to find the right sound. Her friends had disappeared ahead of her, but she knew they could not have gotten too far. Minutes later she heard them, walking and laughing, their voices growing more distant. She knew they didn't feel the change in the area. Unaware of the danger, they never stopped. They continued into the darkness, their footsteps an echo on the wind. Above the canopy of the forest, two owls called out to her, their voices eerie in the silence of the night that surrounded her. Kara watched as they bolted skyward and out of sight. Their sudden departure, though, was a warning she was not about to dismiss. Something lurked in the shadows and it was hunting her friends. Looking around, she attempted to take in her surroundings, to memorize where she was and where the danger was headed. Every step she took forward, it felt as if some phantom was following her. No matter which route she took it was there, just out of sight. Shaking her head, she knew she needed to find her friends and get out of there before something bad happened. Turning to the left, she caught a flash of red. Whatever it was vanished before she could focus. "This isn't funny Gaaby, where are you guys?" She called out.Deep down she knew her cries could not be heard. Gaaby and the others had gone too far ahead. She continued to sprint through the foliage, calling for her friends, hoping to hear some faint sound from up ahead. Each step forward drew a cold veil of foreboding across her. For as long as she could remember, she could sense when death was near. Tonight was no different, except the strength was more than she was used to. Falling to her knees, she clasped her hands against her head, trying to push out the calls of the souls. Dropping the torch to the ground, Kara allowed the warm glow of the light to illuminate where she was. Slowly the flicker of the flames began to spread across the area; the sudden light pushing the shadows back into the forest. Her eyes adjusted to the increase in light, a stifled cry lodged in her throat. In front of her lay her friend, her body convulsing as she gasped for air. Gaaby's eyes, wide with fear, searedd in her mind. The agony on her friend's face tore at her. "Help...me...please..." Her words, mere broken whispers, were laced with terror. The ominous glow of the light flickered across her ashen skin, showing the seriousness of the injuries she had suffered. Crimson blood flowed from her wounds; the sight more than Kara could take. Pushing the state of her friend's body from her mind, she moved forward. She needed to see if she could save her friend. Giving up on her was not an option. As she advanced, a movement behind her friend caught her attention. The moment her gaze found the source of the disturbance, her stomach dropped. Time slowed to a crawl, as her vision took in what lay past Gaaby. There were so many dead, their bodies torn to pieces and tossed about the area as if garbage. Her eyes darted to the darkest part of the area. From within the shadows she found a pair of red-rimmed eyes staring back at her. A malevolent smile crossed its placid skin to reveal canine teeth protruding from its mouth. Such evil made her skin crawl. It shouldn't exist, couldn't exist in this peaceful place. That is what she had been brought up to believe. Yet, here in front of her, stood the spawn of evil. All around her lay the bodies of her dead companions, their cries echoing through her mind. She moved to cover her ears from their cries, but it would do no good since the cries do not echo on the wind, but inside her head. The screams of ghost that now surrounded her. "No." Her whispered denial fell on the ears of the dead. Staring at her enemy, she refused to back down. It was pure evil. The stench of death emanated for its very pores. Wave after wave of emotions washed across her, the force of them knocking her to her knees. Desperate to wade through the onslaught of emotions she had captured from her friends, Kara tried to reach Gaaby, to save at least one soul. As she inched closer to the still figure of her friend, the ghoul's talon-like fingers laced around Gaaby's fragile neck and pulled her limp body into the shadows and away from the light. A soft crack of bone being broken drifted on the wind and back to Kara. "No! You can't have her." Anger pulsed through Kara like a wild storm. She threw her cries out into the night. Come hell or death she would not leave her friends here.Frantic to retrieve their bodies, Kara reached deep inside and called upon the elements to help her. Jumping back onto her feet she moved towards the darkness. Like a lion on the prowl, she allowed the wind to bring her news of the direction her friend had been taken. It didn't take long before she got the answer she sought. Inch by inch she approached the place she knew the ghoul had gone. Her heart began to beat harder in her chest the closer she got. Desperate to find her, and her enemy, her eyes raked the area for any hint of movement. She still had no idea why it had chosen this place and this night to attack. Questions, without answers, continued to assault her mind. Pushing them to the side, she focused her mind on finding Gaaby. In the distance, a blood-curdling scream echoed in the silence of the forest. The sound sent the animals of the forest running. Above her the owl had returned, its call of death impossible to miss. "No, it can't be." Racing ahead, she found downed branches and scorched earth. There were small patches of clothing and hair on the ground, her mind trying to register everything she saw. Through another bush and around the bend she came to a dead stop. "Gaaby!" Kara cried out into the night. Though in her heart she knew her friend was dead, she continued to move in the direction of the scream. Cobwebs and branches whipped against her skin as she continued forward. Refusing to allow her fear to keep her at bay, she continued ahead, stubbornness running thick in her veins. She prayed she could at least retrieve the broken shell of her friend, to take her lifeless body back to their village for a proper burial. As she pushed through the thick underbrush, Kara found herself face to face with the very thing that had killed her friends, its mouth curled in a snarl. Deep crimson blood dripped down its chin. Startled to see the creature so close, she fell and landed on her back. Kara's hand moved to block the outreaching of the ghoul's fingers, her skin crawling at the slimy touch of its hand. "Dumb mortal, you should have stayed away." Its voice slithered across her skin like a thousand snakes. Hope you enjoyed the excerpt everyone. Here's to a wonderful and happy weekend of reading and writing! Warm regards,
R.G. Porter
Fiery and strong, Kara had always walked alone. Gifted with magick, she was a born healer, sent out by her people as her older sister had been to check on the village across the Baylo Sea, a burden shed gladly accepted. Had she known the danger that followed her or the man who'd save her would she have gone?
Sent to find Saleene's sister, Zachius is plagued with the vision of the woman who haunts his dreams. A warrior and loner, he never imagined the woman he swore to save would indeed be the one from his dreams. His soul torn from his duty to protect Kara and the need to be near her clashing in his heart, he unsure which will win.
Can he save her from the evil before it's too late….
or will he be the one needing to be saved…
Excerpt: Kara moved through the darkness of the forest. Each step she took forward her stomach twisted into knots. Holding a small torch, she allowed the flickering flames to light her way. Low bending branches fanned above her as the moon glowed a shade of crimson. She knew the legends. Blood moons always foretold of death or danger. Her warning system was in agreement with it tonight. She hurried along the trail, her gaze darting back and forth along the path. A cool wind had begun to push through the forest, its caress light across her skin. Leaning her back against one of the old oak trees, her mind began to wander. Something was off, she was certain of it. Her internal warning system kicked in earlier, alerting her to the subtle disturbance in the air. It was as if the forest was changing, taking on a life of its own. Sending her senses out in every direction, she waited. Turning to look up, she found a dark blanket of clouds had begun to move in. Shrouding the moonlight from the ground below, she wondered what else was at work. Her head spun back to the woodlands when she caught a flicker of movement. "Oh no, gods please don't." A feeling of dread began to spread through the night like a web. Cocking her head to the side, she closed her eyes. She tried to listen for any sound of movement, anything that might give direction, but silence was all she found. Opening her eyes she found an opaque mist begin to swirl towards her. Its size increased with every breath she took. A shift in the fabric of the forest brushed against her and she knew it wasn't for the better. Mist descended upon her, enveloping her small figure in a dense cocoon. It wasn't nature, and the force of it drove the air from her lungs.Kara closed her eyes. She needed to find the right sound. Her friends had disappeared ahead of her, but she knew they could not have gotten too far. Minutes later she heard them, walking and laughing, their voices growing more distant. She knew they didn't feel the change in the area. Unaware of the danger, they never stopped. They continued into the darkness, their footsteps an echo on the wind. Above the canopy of the forest, two owls called out to her, their voices eerie in the silence of the night that surrounded her. Kara watched as they bolted skyward and out of sight. Their sudden departure, though, was a warning she was not about to dismiss. Something lurked in the shadows and it was hunting her friends. Looking around, she attempted to take in her surroundings, to memorize where she was and where the danger was headed. Every step she took forward, it felt as if some phantom was following her. No matter which route she took it was there, just out of sight. Shaking her head, she knew she needed to find her friends and get out of there before something bad happened. Turning to the left, she caught a flash of red. Whatever it was vanished before she could focus. "This isn't funny Gaaby, where are you guys?" She called out.Deep down she knew her cries could not be heard. Gaaby and the others had gone too far ahead. She continued to sprint through the foliage, calling for her friends, hoping to hear some faint sound from up ahead. Each step forward drew a cold veil of foreboding across her. For as long as she could remember, she could sense when death was near. Tonight was no different, except the strength was more than she was used to. Falling to her knees, she clasped her hands against her head, trying to push out the calls of the souls. Dropping the torch to the ground, Kara allowed the warm glow of the light to illuminate where she was. Slowly the flicker of the flames began to spread across the area; the sudden light pushing the shadows back into the forest. Her eyes adjusted to the increase in light, a stifled cry lodged in her throat. In front of her lay her friend, her body convulsing as she gasped for air. Gaaby's eyes, wide with fear, searedd in her mind. The agony on her friend's face tore at her. "Help...me...please..." Her words, mere broken whispers, were laced with terror. The ominous glow of the light flickered across her ashen skin, showing the seriousness of the injuries she had suffered. Crimson blood flowed from her wounds; the sight more than Kara could take. Pushing the state of her friend's body from her mind, she moved forward. She needed to see if she could save her friend. Giving up on her was not an option. As she advanced, a movement behind her friend caught her attention. The moment her gaze found the source of the disturbance, her stomach dropped. Time slowed to a crawl, as her vision took in what lay past Gaaby. There were so many dead, their bodies torn to pieces and tossed about the area as if garbage. Her eyes darted to the darkest part of the area. From within the shadows she found a pair of red-rimmed eyes staring back at her. A malevolent smile crossed its placid skin to reveal canine teeth protruding from its mouth. Such evil made her skin crawl. It shouldn't exist, couldn't exist in this peaceful place. That is what she had been brought up to believe. Yet, here in front of her, stood the spawn of evil. All around her lay the bodies of her dead companions, their cries echoing through her mind. She moved to cover her ears from their cries, but it would do no good since the cries do not echo on the wind, but inside her head. The screams of ghost that now surrounded her. "No." Her whispered denial fell on the ears of the dead. Staring at her enemy, she refused to back down. It was pure evil. The stench of death emanated for its very pores. Wave after wave of emotions washed across her, the force of them knocking her to her knees. Desperate to wade through the onslaught of emotions she had captured from her friends, Kara tried to reach Gaaby, to save at least one soul. As she inched closer to the still figure of her friend, the ghoul's talon-like fingers laced around Gaaby's fragile neck and pulled her limp body into the shadows and away from the light. A soft crack of bone being broken drifted on the wind and back to Kara. "No! You can't have her." Anger pulsed through Kara like a wild storm. She threw her cries out into the night. Come hell or death she would not leave her friends here.Frantic to retrieve their bodies, Kara reached deep inside and called upon the elements to help her. Jumping back onto her feet she moved towards the darkness. Like a lion on the prowl, she allowed the wind to bring her news of the direction her friend had been taken. It didn't take long before she got the answer she sought. Inch by inch she approached the place she knew the ghoul had gone. Her heart began to beat harder in her chest the closer she got. Desperate to find her, and her enemy, her eyes raked the area for any hint of movement. She still had no idea why it had chosen this place and this night to attack. Questions, without answers, continued to assault her mind. Pushing them to the side, she focused her mind on finding Gaaby. In the distance, a blood-curdling scream echoed in the silence of the forest. The sound sent the animals of the forest running. Above her the owl had returned, its call of death impossible to miss. "No, it can't be." Racing ahead, she found downed branches and scorched earth. There were small patches of clothing and hair on the ground, her mind trying to register everything she saw. Through another bush and around the bend she came to a dead stop. "Gaaby!" Kara cried out into the night. Though in her heart she knew her friend was dead, she continued to move in the direction of the scream. Cobwebs and branches whipped against her skin as she continued forward. Refusing to allow her fear to keep her at bay, she continued ahead, stubbornness running thick in her veins. She prayed she could at least retrieve the broken shell of her friend, to take her lifeless body back to their village for a proper burial. As she pushed through the thick underbrush, Kara found herself face to face with the very thing that had killed her friends, its mouth curled in a snarl. Deep crimson blood dripped down its chin. Startled to see the creature so close, she fell and landed on her back. Kara's hand moved to block the outreaching of the ghoul's fingers, her skin crawling at the slimy touch of its hand. "Dumb mortal, you should have stayed away." Its voice slithered across her skin like a thousand snakes. Hope you enjoyed the excerpt everyone. Here's to a wonderful and happy weekend of reading and writing! Warm regards,R.G. Porter
November 6, 2011
Excerpt Sunday!
Okay, so Friday was chaotic and Saturday was bonfire day, which made getting my excerpt out impossible. :) So, without further ado, here's an excerpt from my current release. Shades of Night.
His heart stopped at the truth in her words. Alex's simple answer provided more questions than it answered. The fact she'd heard them and not read them in some book worried him. Someone had to have given her the incantation. It wasn't common knowledge even in his world. His head began to pound with all the possibilities of who could have provided the binding words to her. So engrossed in his thoughts he barely felt Alex move away from him."Don't go, Alex. This is far from over." His words were harsher than he'd planned - he found that he didn't want her to leave him. Not till he explained exactly what she'd done. "I need to tell you what the words you said mean. It's important." "I don't think it matters at this point. You're alive and I'll figure out the rest." She was closing herself off to him. It's not what he'd wanted and he had to make sure she didn't pull too far away. Not with sundown only an hour or so away."Alex… Please, listen to me. This is important. There is more to what you said than you think." He softened his voice as much as he could. He watched as she nibbled on her lower lip in uncertainty, her mind searching for the right path to take. Relief swept through him the moment she sat back down on the bed, her legs curled up to her chest."Okay, fine. Explain to me what I said last night and how it differs from what I thought I was saying?" Her defenses were up and that didn't bode well for what he was about to tell her. Yet, he owed her the truth, regardless of what she thought about it after the fact. "True, what you said last night was a blessing of sorts. If you'd died, I wouldn't have been branded a murderer, at least not in my world." The vision of Alex's ashen face flickered in his mind, his heart heavy at the knowledge he'd almost killed her."Okay, but there is something you are still not telling me. Out with it, Krys. If there is one thing I don't like, it's secrets. I've had my share of them in this lifetime." Krystoff shifted his weight. His chest felt as if a vice had secured on his heart, threatening to squeeze the life from his body. The innocent he'd taken, her life, was more than enough to condemn him to death. "Those words were a binding, Alex." If he had known better, he could have sworn all life had drained from her with those few words. She pulled her knees further into her chest, her head leaning down against her kneecaps. He had not wanted this. Not for Alex and not for him. "Binding… What kind of binding?" Her words were so quiet he barely caught them. She was scared and he couldn't blame her."Alex, don't." "No, Krys. You started this conversation now finish it. What kind of binding were they?" He couldn't miss the small edge of power in her words. He knew she didn't realize it as of yet but she was already starting to change. A part of him actually felt anxious to have her in his world. At the same time, he owed her the full truth.A deep breath in and he returned his gaze back to hers. Such innocence in her gaze it broke his heart. "When said by someone who is giving up their life for another, it offers their life to the other's safekeeping. If that person saves their life, they are forever bound together, in this world and any others." He didn't want to tell her that rarely was the ritual done as most never fully understood the extent of the binding. He had a feeling neither did Alex."So… You're saying we are bound together for all time?" Her words held steel in them he'd not expected. She was putting up a barrier and not wanting to let him in. That small action hit him like a ton of bricks. "Alex. This is not something I take lightly, believe me." True, the moment he had realized what she had done a part of him had wanted nothing more than to hold her forever in his arms, but her reaction to the result frustrated him."I'm glad you don't take it lightly. Now find a way to reverse it. I am not bound to anyone." Krystoff watched with guarded emotions as Alex stood up and began to pace. He knew her mind was working through the words she'd spoken, trying to find a loophole she could use. He also knew there was none."Alex, sit down and stop pacing. You're going to wear a hole in your floor."
You can find Shades of Night at the following outlets:
Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble , Smashwords and AllRomance Ebooks
Hope you enjoyed the snippit.
Happy reading and writing everyone!
R.G. Porter
His heart stopped at the truth in her words. Alex's simple answer provided more questions than it answered. The fact she'd heard them and not read them in some book worried him. Someone had to have given her the incantation. It wasn't common knowledge even in his world. His head began to pound with all the possibilities of who could have provided the binding words to her. So engrossed in his thoughts he barely felt Alex move away from him."Don't go, Alex. This is far from over." His words were harsher than he'd planned - he found that he didn't want her to leave him. Not till he explained exactly what she'd done. "I need to tell you what the words you said mean. It's important." "I don't think it matters at this point. You're alive and I'll figure out the rest." She was closing herself off to him. It's not what he'd wanted and he had to make sure she didn't pull too far away. Not with sundown only an hour or so away."Alex… Please, listen to me. This is important. There is more to what you said than you think." He softened his voice as much as he could. He watched as she nibbled on her lower lip in uncertainty, her mind searching for the right path to take. Relief swept through him the moment she sat back down on the bed, her legs curled up to her chest."Okay, fine. Explain to me what I said last night and how it differs from what I thought I was saying?" Her defenses were up and that didn't bode well for what he was about to tell her. Yet, he owed her the truth, regardless of what she thought about it after the fact. "True, what you said last night was a blessing of sorts. If you'd died, I wouldn't have been branded a murderer, at least not in my world." The vision of Alex's ashen face flickered in his mind, his heart heavy at the knowledge he'd almost killed her."Okay, but there is something you are still not telling me. Out with it, Krys. If there is one thing I don't like, it's secrets. I've had my share of them in this lifetime." Krystoff shifted his weight. His chest felt as if a vice had secured on his heart, threatening to squeeze the life from his body. The innocent he'd taken, her life, was more than enough to condemn him to death. "Those words were a binding, Alex." If he had known better, he could have sworn all life had drained from her with those few words. She pulled her knees further into her chest, her head leaning down against her kneecaps. He had not wanted this. Not for Alex and not for him. "Binding… What kind of binding?" Her words were so quiet he barely caught them. She was scared and he couldn't blame her."Alex, don't." "No, Krys. You started this conversation now finish it. What kind of binding were they?" He couldn't miss the small edge of power in her words. He knew she didn't realize it as of yet but she was already starting to change. A part of him actually felt anxious to have her in his world. At the same time, he owed her the full truth.A deep breath in and he returned his gaze back to hers. Such innocence in her gaze it broke his heart. "When said by someone who is giving up their life for another, it offers their life to the other's safekeeping. If that person saves their life, they are forever bound together, in this world and any others." He didn't want to tell her that rarely was the ritual done as most never fully understood the extent of the binding. He had a feeling neither did Alex."So… You're saying we are bound together for all time?" Her words held steel in them he'd not expected. She was putting up a barrier and not wanting to let him in. That small action hit him like a ton of bricks. "Alex. This is not something I take lightly, believe me." True, the moment he had realized what she had done a part of him had wanted nothing more than to hold her forever in his arms, but her reaction to the result frustrated him."I'm glad you don't take it lightly. Now find a way to reverse it. I am not bound to anyone." Krystoff watched with guarded emotions as Alex stood up and began to pace. He knew her mind was working through the words she'd spoken, trying to find a loophole she could use. He also knew there was none."Alex, sit down and stop pacing. You're going to wear a hole in your floor."
You can find Shades of Night at the following outlets:
Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble , Smashwords and AllRomance Ebooks
Hope you enjoyed the snippit.
Happy reading and writing everyone!
R.G. Porter
November 3, 2011
IWU Blog Tour
Hi everyone! Today I've got in the house Tim Taylor. No, not that one. :)
Hey Tim, please have a seat and introduce yourself. :)
Hi, thanks for letting me loose on your site, Robyn. I'm Tim C. Taylor, originally from Colchester in England, the oldest recorded settlement in the country. I'm not quite as old as my home town, but after twenty years making software, I switched this year to making books full-time, both as a writer and as a publisher of other authors through my business, Greyhart Press.
I now live in a little village called Bromham with my wife and son. I'm still getting used to using that middle initial, but there were several other published authors called Tim Taylor who got there first. Unfortunately if you say my name with the initial quickly, it sounds kind of like a girl's name.
So, tell me about your book:
I'm not the first author to use the idea of 'portals' that move characters from their home to other worlds or other times, providing a setting for exciting adventures. Far from it. I recently read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to my son as a bedtime story, one of my favourite examples of the genre. In Last Man Through the Gate, I wanted to shift the focus onto the journey between the worlds. What's it like to cross? What else lurks within the portal? How does the journey effect the character?
I've written novels and short stories before, but Last Man Through the Gate is the first novella I've written. In length, novellas are something between a short story and a novel. For example, my story would be about 90 pages in paperback. When I wrote the story (February 2011), I was still thinking only of a traditional print publishing route. As the story grew larger, it outgrew the size that would fit into a print magazine. So I let it run to the size that give the best and most natural storytelling, as I was unlikely to ever get it published. Not long after that I got a Kindle and began thinking of self-publishing, which of course has no artificial constraints on story size due to printing costs. In the world of eBooks, readers can enjoy stories at their optimum length. I think novellas are going to become very popular on eReaders.
So, what's your writing process like?
I generally like to flesh out ideas on paper before writing a book. Before writing a scene, I'll scribble some quick notes to remind myself of what I want to do. That tends to include snatches of dialogue, maps (so for action scenes I know how to choreograph everyone). I have a strange foible in that I always like to visualise the lighting conditions before writing the scene. I don't always describe the light, but I find that if I'm not clear enough on the lighting then I haven't vividly imagined the scene. Then I type.For novels, I keep a paper spiral-bound booklet for making notes on structure and revisions, but use a software tool called yWriter5 to enter the text and notes about scenes I've yet to write.
yWriter5 huh? I'll have to look into that. So, what do you do when you're not writing?
I worked in the software industry for twenty years until I was made redundant early in 2011. That accelerated my plans to be a full-time writer. At the time, I was still only thinking of printed publication. As a leaving present, my co-workers gave me a Kindle. It's a great piece of kit, and I got thinking about publishing eBooks. So most of the past few months has been spent setting up a publishing business called Greyhart Press.
It's not all writing. I've got a five-year-old son who's a bit of a handful at times. We love building Lego. He's got a tremendous imagination. I read James and the Giant Peach to him, which finishes up with the Empire State Building. So of course, he decided to build it in Lego. We built it together, as you can see here.
What made you decide to self-publish your work?
At the start of 2011, I knew I was going to be published in a print anthology due to be launched at Easter (Further Conflicts by NewCon Press). In order to extend my profile a little, I decided to raid my back-catalogue of short stories previously published in magazines, rewrite them, and issue them as eBooks. By the time I'd published my first one, I'd already had the idea of publishing other authors. So far, I've published nineteen books from six authors. The irony is that I now also produce eBooks for traditional print publishers. The print anthology that I was a part of back in Easter has since been launched as an eBook that I made. And here it is. I've built eBooks featuring some really cool authors, such as Neil Gaiman, Liz Williams, and Stephen Baxter. I could never have done that before the Kindle. Thanks, Amazon!
Have you ever submitted your work to a traditional publisher? Would you consider doing so in the future?
Yes and yes. I've had short fiction published but not novel length. I submitted a novel to Solaris Books last year. They said 'no', but invited me to send them another one. So I wrote one, but it's not really the right size (too big). Now I'm writing another one that I'll definitely make the right size! It's a space opera series called Slave Soldiers of the White Knights.
What has your experience of self-publishing been like so far? Would you recommend it to other writers?
Definitely. It's a real buzz, and you get to meet lots of people you otherwise wouldn't. One of the delights of self-publishing is for established authors because of the flexibility it gives you. For example, if you are contracted for a conventional series of novels, you can write short stories and background bibles, or whatever you would like to write and readers would like to read. Your publisher might not be interested in them directly, but you can easily publish them as eBooks.
What have your marketing strategies been so far? How successful were they? Any advice for new indie writers?
I'm still learning!
One of the reasons for setting up Greyhart Press to publish other authors is to cross-sell. I've published nineteen books in seven months, and I'm proud of every one of them. I couldn't write nineteen books in that time! If you've only written one book, I would concentrate more on writing the next one than one promoting the hell out of the first.
Oh, and get yourself on Twitter, but don't repeat tweets that say 'Buy my book!' because that's very annoying.
Great advice!
How would you respond to those who argue that self-published books are of inferior quality to traditionally-published ones?
I think it's true that there are more badly written and badly produced self-published books than traditionally published ones. Sorry, but for all the rubbish that traditional publishers undoubtedly produce, there is still the gatekeeper mentality that checks whether they really want to press the print button and commit all that money to a book launch.
That still leaves a large number of self-published books produced to a higher quality than traditional. And with eBooks, you can usually sample the first 10-20% and tell whether the book is a dog. And they are (usually) cheaper. AND you can get your money back (with Amazon).So, really, despite the books self-published carelessly, or by authors who aren't yet ready, as a reader, I feel self-publishing to be a delight that has already provided me with gems I would not otherwise have read.
And with eBooks in particular, some of the production quality of the rubbish coming out from traditional publishers is truly appalling. There's a lot of badly scanned print books. I read anthologies and get really angry when a traditional publisher expects me to pay twice as much as a self-published work (or more) and can't even code proper navigation. I mean, I expect to be able to flick between stories with a single button press; have an active table of contents, flick to the author's notes and back. It's not difficult to code and yet I have still not seen a traditional publisher who can actually be bothered to provide this.
For me, a massive advantage of self-published books is that most of them try to tell a traditional story. You get fewer examples of authors trying to be clever at the expense of good storytelling.
What type of genres do you like to write and read?
I like stories that are set in another world. That could be a historical setting as much as science fiction. I like a big idea behind my science fiction, preferably one that spans multiple stories. I can't think of a better example than Stephen Baxter's Xeelee books and short stories.I write what I like to read. So all the novels I've written or have planned, the Last Man Through the Gate novella, and the short story published in Further Conflicts... are all connected. That's not at all obvious. There are several big ideas running deep in the background, and one day all will become clear. Until then, they appear to be standalones.
Who is one of your favorite characters and which book and why do you like him/her?
My favourite character is an intelligent dinosaur-descendent called Karypsic. He features in a novel I'm publishing next year (the one that got too big for Solaris Books and so I'm splitting into two) called My Future in the Past. The novels feature a human character and Karypsic who live parallel lives in parallel universes, going through a spiritual journey inspired by The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan. At the end of the second book, only one reality will have existed, utter nullity for the other. Karypsic is the hero for his story but the villain for the human's (and vice versa).
Since most of my readership will be human rather than dinosaurs, the ending might not work in Karypsic's favour. Writing a heroic character, who is simultaneously a villain, and with an increasing aura of doom, was great fun.
Okay, let me have it. I want any bit of promo you've got!:
There's a sneaky way you can get Last Man Through the Gate for free (or, indeed, any Greyhart Press book). There's a promotion called READ! REVIEW! REPEAT! The first 100 people to post a review of any given Greyhart Press book to one of the listed sites (such as amazon.com) can claim another book of their choice for free. Since some of the Greyhart books are free anyway, you could pick a free book, review it, and then claim Last Man Through the Gate for free. Sneaky!
You can find more information, including reviews and interviews, at the Greyhart Press page for Last Man Through the Gate.
So, where can we find you??? For more on Tim C. Taylor, follow him on Twitter (@TimCTaylor) or his blog (www.timctaylor.com )
Hey Tim, please have a seat and introduce yourself. :)
Hi, thanks for letting me loose on your site, Robyn. I'm Tim C. Taylor, originally from Colchester in England, the oldest recorded settlement in the country. I'm not quite as old as my home town, but after twenty years making software, I switched this year to making books full-time, both as a writer and as a publisher of other authors through my business, Greyhart Press.
I now live in a little village called Bromham with my wife and son. I'm still getting used to using that middle initial, but there were several other published authors called Tim Taylor who got there first. Unfortunately if you say my name with the initial quickly, it sounds kind of like a girl's name.
So, tell me about your book:
I'm not the first author to use the idea of 'portals' that move characters from their home to other worlds or other times, providing a setting for exciting adventures. Far from it. I recently read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to my son as a bedtime story, one of my favourite examples of the genre. In Last Man Through the Gate, I wanted to shift the focus onto the journey between the worlds. What's it like to cross? What else lurks within the portal? How does the journey effect the character?
I've written novels and short stories before, but Last Man Through the Gate is the first novella I've written. In length, novellas are something between a short story and a novel. For example, my story would be about 90 pages in paperback. When I wrote the story (February 2011), I was still thinking only of a traditional print publishing route. As the story grew larger, it outgrew the size that would fit into a print magazine. So I let it run to the size that give the best and most natural storytelling, as I was unlikely to ever get it published. Not long after that I got a Kindle and began thinking of self-publishing, which of course has no artificial constraints on story size due to printing costs. In the world of eBooks, readers can enjoy stories at their optimum length. I think novellas are going to become very popular on eReaders.
So, what's your writing process like?
I generally like to flesh out ideas on paper before writing a book. Before writing a scene, I'll scribble some quick notes to remind myself of what I want to do. That tends to include snatches of dialogue, maps (so for action scenes I know how to choreograph everyone). I have a strange foible in that I always like to visualise the lighting conditions before writing the scene. I don't always describe the light, but I find that if I'm not clear enough on the lighting then I haven't vividly imagined the scene. Then I type.For novels, I keep a paper spiral-bound booklet for making notes on structure and revisions, but use a software tool called yWriter5 to enter the text and notes about scenes I've yet to write.
yWriter5 huh? I'll have to look into that. So, what do you do when you're not writing?
I worked in the software industry for twenty years until I was made redundant early in 2011. That accelerated my plans to be a full-time writer. At the time, I was still only thinking of printed publication. As a leaving present, my co-workers gave me a Kindle. It's a great piece of kit, and I got thinking about publishing eBooks. So most of the past few months has been spent setting up a publishing business called Greyhart Press.
It's not all writing. I've got a five-year-old son who's a bit of a handful at times. We love building Lego. He's got a tremendous imagination. I read James and the Giant Peach to him, which finishes up with the Empire State Building. So of course, he decided to build it in Lego. We built it together, as you can see here.
What made you decide to self-publish your work?
At the start of 2011, I knew I was going to be published in a print anthology due to be launched at Easter (Further Conflicts by NewCon Press). In order to extend my profile a little, I decided to raid my back-catalogue of short stories previously published in magazines, rewrite them, and issue them as eBooks. By the time I'd published my first one, I'd already had the idea of publishing other authors. So far, I've published nineteen books from six authors. The irony is that I now also produce eBooks for traditional print publishers. The print anthology that I was a part of back in Easter has since been launched as an eBook that I made. And here it is. I've built eBooks featuring some really cool authors, such as Neil Gaiman, Liz Williams, and Stephen Baxter. I could never have done that before the Kindle. Thanks, Amazon!
Have you ever submitted your work to a traditional publisher? Would you consider doing so in the future?
Yes and yes. I've had short fiction published but not novel length. I submitted a novel to Solaris Books last year. They said 'no', but invited me to send them another one. So I wrote one, but it's not really the right size (too big). Now I'm writing another one that I'll definitely make the right size! It's a space opera series called Slave Soldiers of the White Knights.
What has your experience of self-publishing been like so far? Would you recommend it to other writers?
Definitely. It's a real buzz, and you get to meet lots of people you otherwise wouldn't. One of the delights of self-publishing is for established authors because of the flexibility it gives you. For example, if you are contracted for a conventional series of novels, you can write short stories and background bibles, or whatever you would like to write and readers would like to read. Your publisher might not be interested in them directly, but you can easily publish them as eBooks.
What have your marketing strategies been so far? How successful were they? Any advice for new indie writers?
I'm still learning!
One of the reasons for setting up Greyhart Press to publish other authors is to cross-sell. I've published nineteen books in seven months, and I'm proud of every one of them. I couldn't write nineteen books in that time! If you've only written one book, I would concentrate more on writing the next one than one promoting the hell out of the first.
Oh, and get yourself on Twitter, but don't repeat tweets that say 'Buy my book!' because that's very annoying.
Great advice!
How would you respond to those who argue that self-published books are of inferior quality to traditionally-published ones?
I think it's true that there are more badly written and badly produced self-published books than traditionally published ones. Sorry, but for all the rubbish that traditional publishers undoubtedly produce, there is still the gatekeeper mentality that checks whether they really want to press the print button and commit all that money to a book launch.
That still leaves a large number of self-published books produced to a higher quality than traditional. And with eBooks, you can usually sample the first 10-20% and tell whether the book is a dog. And they are (usually) cheaper. AND you can get your money back (with Amazon).So, really, despite the books self-published carelessly, or by authors who aren't yet ready, as a reader, I feel self-publishing to be a delight that has already provided me with gems I would not otherwise have read.
And with eBooks in particular, some of the production quality of the rubbish coming out from traditional publishers is truly appalling. There's a lot of badly scanned print books. I read anthologies and get really angry when a traditional publisher expects me to pay twice as much as a self-published work (or more) and can't even code proper navigation. I mean, I expect to be able to flick between stories with a single button press; have an active table of contents, flick to the author's notes and back. It's not difficult to code and yet I have still not seen a traditional publisher who can actually be bothered to provide this.
For me, a massive advantage of self-published books is that most of them try to tell a traditional story. You get fewer examples of authors trying to be clever at the expense of good storytelling.
What type of genres do you like to write and read?
I like stories that are set in another world. That could be a historical setting as much as science fiction. I like a big idea behind my science fiction, preferably one that spans multiple stories. I can't think of a better example than Stephen Baxter's Xeelee books and short stories.I write what I like to read. So all the novels I've written or have planned, the Last Man Through the Gate novella, and the short story published in Further Conflicts... are all connected. That's not at all obvious. There are several big ideas running deep in the background, and one day all will become clear. Until then, they appear to be standalones.
Who is one of your favorite characters and which book and why do you like him/her?
My favourite character is an intelligent dinosaur-descendent called Karypsic. He features in a novel I'm publishing next year (the one that got too big for Solaris Books and so I'm splitting into two) called My Future in the Past. The novels feature a human character and Karypsic who live parallel lives in parallel universes, going through a spiritual journey inspired by The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan. At the end of the second book, only one reality will have existed, utter nullity for the other. Karypsic is the hero for his story but the villain for the human's (and vice versa).
Since most of my readership will be human rather than dinosaurs, the ending might not work in Karypsic's favour. Writing a heroic character, who is simultaneously a villain, and with an increasing aura of doom, was great fun.
Okay, let me have it. I want any bit of promo you've got!:
There's a sneaky way you can get Last Man Through the Gate for free (or, indeed, any Greyhart Press book). There's a promotion called READ! REVIEW! REPEAT! The first 100 people to post a review of any given Greyhart Press book to one of the listed sites (such as amazon.com) can claim another book of their choice for free. Since some of the Greyhart books are free anyway, you could pick a free book, review it, and then claim Last Man Through the Gate for free. Sneaky!
You can find more information, including reviews and interviews, at the Greyhart Press page for Last Man Through the Gate.
So, where can we find you??? For more on Tim C. Taylor, follow him on Twitter (@TimCTaylor) or his blog (www.timctaylor.com )
