M. Edward McNally's Blog, page 12

A Free Pair of My Old Shorts…

Free on Groundhog Day via Kindle Select, the fourth volume of my old short stories dating from the flannel-clad Nineties. This is the "work" pair featuring some on-the-job drama in the stories "Flipper the Stripper" and "Justice in Ireland." Get 'em before they see their shadow, and disappear.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006P8R7D4

Sable City, Book of the Day

Thanks much to Ereader News Today, for featuring The Sable City as the Book of the Day for February 1st.  Great way to start the month.

http://ereadernewstoday.com/book-of-the-day-the-sable-city/6710758/

Tag Line Tuesday with Roberta M. Roy

Today Tag Line Tuesday is happy to welcome Roberta M. Roy, but you can call her Robin. Robin is the author of the post-nuclear disaster novel, Jolt: a rural noir. Let's get started.

Ed: Hi, Robin. So, where you from?

RMR: I was born in Poughkeepsie in the Mid-Hudson Valley in New York State and have lived here off and on for what now adds up to be about half my life. However I have also lived more places stateside and abroad than makes sense to list.

Ed: You have one of those dreaded "day jobs?"

RMR: Licensed Speech Language Pathologist

Ed: And how about a dream job?

RMR: Author Publisher and Mentor to up and coming writers.

Ed: So, the big question: Why do you write?

RMR: I like the challenge writing affords me and hope that through it I will in some way entertain and inform the gentle reader.

Ed: Now for some quick, "What's your favorites?"

Food?  Artichoke hearts under oil.

(Ed: I am required at this point to mention the nearest community college, in Scottsdale.  Go, "Fighting Artichokes.")

Color? Orange and warm blue.

Place? A stone house in the Italian village of Pagliari; a keller in Heidelberg, Germany; the mountain view above Granada, Spain; Port Henry, New York; my study carrel at the University of Nebraska; the State Library in Albany, NY; and the Medical Library at the University of Michigan; NYC Streets in spring; remembrances of my favorite childhood reading place in the branches of the apple tree behind the barn; any place I share with the children in my family; any theatre with a play in rehearsal.

Ed: Nice. I forgot about study carrels, but I had a nice one just one state over, in Iowa.

How about three random things about yourself, please.

RMR: 1.) Whenever I laugh too much, I wind up coughing. 2.) I don't mind looking silly at times—especially for the sake of levity. 3.) For me the thrill of writing comes from finding myself increasingly among other people more creative than average: artists, musicians, and other writers. 4.) I love real art—whatever that means—including theatre. 5.) I can't count past two.

Ed: Three, five, same difference. If we were good at math, we might not be writers. But since we are, let's talk about books.

[image error]What's the biggest consideration when you are deciding what book to read?

RMR: Who recommended it and whether or not it is likely to be dense or fresh enough to command my attention.

Ed: What genre would you say you enjoy most?

RMR: Novels and theoretical works on selected themes or by specific authors. In the past few years I have read half a dozen books or more on war and its aftermath variously placed in Colonial times, Japan and India, Russia, East Germany, Afghanistan, and Iraq, and culminating in Wiser in Battle: A Soldier's Story by Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez—worth reading despite its need for pruning—and the marvelous book War by Sebastian Junger.

(Ed interjection: Highly recommend all Junger's books, and War is particularly good)

RMR: Survival stories such as Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie and Zeitoun by Dave Eggers interest me.

Often I get hung up on an author. When I read Jane Austen's books I read them in the order in which they were written. But I have also read all or most of William Faulkner's, Saul Bellow's, Joseph Heller's, and David Roth's works.

Speculative works interest me. Currently I am wading through The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb after having just finished The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives by Leonard Mlodinor and Why We Make Mistakes by Joseph T. Hallinan.

I like my coffee light and my poetry strong so I was struck muchly by Kristen Henderson's work in her soon to be release book of poems, Drum Machine.

And recently I had the pleasure of being a first reader for Streetscape by Carl Waldman, a mystery travelogue about a homeless man which I enjoyed for its uniqueness and ease of reading.

Ed: Very nice selection, it's nice to see a reader who is as "all over the place" as I tend to be, not to stuck in a particular genre.  All the meats of our cultural stew, as they say.

[image error]And now on to your own books, and the peculiarities of writing.

How, and when, do you tend to come up with titles?

RMR: Titles come to me early in the game. They reflect the tenor of the writing and provide a wall against which I can test whether or not my novel is on track.

When writing factually, the title is most often arrived at after the ideas are organized and the piece written. In that way I can measure whether or not I held to a single topic and can define what exactly the topic was.

Ed: How do your characters get their names?

RMR: In different ways. Sometimes I hope the character's name will suggest the style of a person: Natalie, a red-haired, high-strung beauty. Sometimes a name is to suggest the incongruities of life: Thaw, short for Theodore Horatio Alexander Wamp. Sometimes it is to suggest the culture: Dody, a name with no particular significance beyond its being a nickname.

Ed: If you could live in the world or with one of the characters from your stories, which one would it be and why?

RMR: Thaw. Why not? He is caring and artistically talented, strong but gentle, virile and passionate. And he lives in a small mountain village in an imaginary part of the USA not unlike my favorite North Country village of Port Henry, NY.

Ed: What do you think your books say about you?

RMR: Prescribed patterns don't suit me. I prefer my own.

People interest me. My characters I am told are believable. Readers tell me they love Thaw and Natalie—but most especially Thaw. Some have said they love the Matters boys.

Contributing to the greater good is important to me. My subject matter is well-researched and my readers tell me they come away with of sense of being better informed and because of this feeling safer. In fact after Fukushima and the events at Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant, my readers have told me they went back to re-read Jolt: a rural noir a second time, that time for the facts rather than the story.

Ed: What's the best advice you ever got as a writer?

RMR: The only way to learn to write is by writing.

Ed: What is the worst thing for you about being a writer?

RMR: Early on it is the rewrites. Then it is finding the courage to seek criticism of what you have written. And finally it is all the effort required to catch the attention of the world so that at least some will pick up ones book and actually read it.

Ed: Why Indie?

RMR: I thought it would be easier. Wrong. I knew I needed the freedom it offers. Right.

Ed: Have you, or would you ever, collaborate on a story?

RMR: I tried to collaborate with two different illustrators on a children's book I have written only to find the artist's visual eye is different than the writer's inner ear. Would that I could find the illustrator to help me get out the two children's books I have written. Still I think it might be great fun to write scripts for television in cooperation with a group of other writers.

Ed: If you were starting to write for the first time, what would you do different?

RMR: I've written all my life for professional reasons, reports and evaluations; political reasons, speeches, newsletters, and news releases; poems and short stories, for personal entertainment.

If I were to do over, I would have started my work as a novelist sooner.

Ed: And in closing, a real answer to a HYPOTHETICAL question.

Your computer is smoking, wheezing, and sparks are shooting out of the back.  You can save one thing off the hard drive.  What is it?

RMR: The file marked Two which includes the outline and first chapters of the sequel to Jolt: a rural noir.

Whereas Jolt describes the effects of dirty bombs and a nuclear meltdown primarily upon those people outside the thirty mile radius of The Plant, Two describes the plight of those closer, most especially Mary who suffers radiation sickness and Lou who, as a result of blunt trauma, survives with minimal Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) of the type evidenced by so many service men and women returning from active duty in Iraq.

Ed: One last thing last, what question do you wish I had asked?

RMR: Actually, I can think of none. Your format has been free and your questions varied. And as you invited me to answer in any manner in which I felt comfortable, if I have not said what I need to say by now, I have only myself to blame.

Except of course for this: Ed, I would like to offer you a very large thank you for your gracious, considerate, and generous hospitality.

Somehow I have had the sense that we have been chatting in your living room—with the French doors open onto the garden and a warm breeze occasionally lifting the sheers as we sip tea and unhurriedly converse. So thank you so much! And do come visit me on the ALVA Press, Inc., Visiting Writer's Page. And the sooner the better!

Ed: My pleasure, Robin. Though sadly my living room faces on the Sonoran Desert, and if the sliding glass door was open, the scorpions and coyotes would get in.

——————————-

More info on Robin, her excellent book, and additional materials may be found at the following places:

Jolt: a rural noir – Facebook

www.facebook.com/joltaruralnoir

Alva Press, Inc. (Jolt's Publisher)

http://alvapressinc.com

Jenkins Inspirational Fiction Award 2011

www.independentpublisher.com/article.php?page=1435

Ink Drop Interviews – Kathy Reinhardt

www.inkdropinterviews.wordpress.com

Stucker Interviews Roy about Jolt

www.sellingbooks.com/roberta-m-roy-author-interview/

Ancillary sites:

Mutterings with Alva the Indie

www.robertamroy.wordpress.com

Roberta M Roy's Personal Blog

http://alvapressinc.com/robertamroy

Roberta Roy on Nuclear Survival

http://alvapressinc.com/robertamroyonnuclearsurvival

Find Roy's Main Links Here

www.engravatar.com/robertamroy

What Is Said of Jolt

www.goodreads.com/book/show/9076551-jolt

Who wants to play with their own Fire?

Psst.  Hey.  You wanna win a Fire?

Not one of the above, but rather one of those fancy-shmancy ones with which you can read e-books, and do various and sundry other things.  The Eclective (the nine authors listed right over there –>, plus me) are offering a Kindle Fire as part of a giveaway, merely like a page, tweet the contest, or buy a book to enter.  Easy-peasy, and I do hereby solemnly swear it is all legit, as we have done so before.

Head on over to http://indie-eclective.com/?page_id=545 and push a button for your chance to win, and thanks always for reading.

Ed

A question of character. Brother Kendall Heggenauer of Jobe

Did I mention I take requests here? Well, I absolutely do, particularly any questions relating to the Musket & Magic fantasy series The Norothian Cycle. I named this blog after the first book in the series, (The Sable City), mostly as it was meant to be a place for posting "appendices" accompanying the books.  Glossary, additional maps, some short histories of various cultures and nations, that sort of thing.  All that stuff lives here, as my books tend to go on plenty long without them.

So, when a reader (and thanks much for the interest, Dee) wants to know something, this is where I'll try to answer.  I ran a response post about the deities of the Norothian Ennead a while back, but today the question is about one of the characters, a young priest by the name of Kendall Heggenauer, who worships the First of the Ennead Gods: Jobe, the Builder.

If you've dipped on toe in the Norothian Cycle very far, you can probably tell that while I'm a lover of classic, "Epic" and "High" fantasy, I lean a bit more toward trope subversion in my own stuff.  Really, a lot of fantasy being written now does that, though for me personally much of it has gone too far down the "Dark Fantasy" path to hold my interest.  This is of course just subjective opinion, but I tend to feel like if I want to see people treating each other like human garbage, I'll just watch the news.  When I read (or write) fantasy, it's largely because I do want a bit of elevation from the sordidness of the everyday. I want to see people struggling against the odds to do the "right thing," and while the definition of "right" is subjective, for me it is clearly different than "evil." Thus and ergo, Kendall Heggenauer.

Of the nine-member "party" around which the Norothian Cycle unfolds, Heggenauer is perhaps closest to an archetypal "fantasy" hero. He's from Exland, the oldest province of the Codian Empire, and Exland is a place with a deep sense of its own history, and some would say an inflated view of its place in the world. It is an old realm of Kings and Queens, knights and damsels, and any number of wars that could have been resolved with a lot less blood by simply talking things through. The Heggenauers are a very old clan in the realm, claiming descent (as most noble Exlanders do) from a quasi-mythical hero named "Hegges," who founded the early kingdom originally known as Heggesland.

Kendall is the youngest son of the present family, and he is blessed with a build and bearing that promised a fine career in an Order of Knighthood. He's a big, blond, strapping dude, and when the MC gets a gander of him for the first time: "He was just about the most handsome man Tilda had ever seen in her life."

So, the question: Why is he a priest?

In terms of the story, Heggenauer joined the clergy of Jobe because he was "called" to the service of that deity while still a young page (apprentice) studying to be a knight. That's mentioned in passing in the first book, though the form of the "call" is not described. I pictured it basically as divine contact in a series of dreams, which is the same way Heggenauer realizes in book two (Death of a Kingdom) that he can invoke additional blessings (cast more spells), as his works have pleased the god, Jobe.

Now, on a narrative or story-telling level, why did I choose to make the character Heggenauer a priest? Well, as I'm a "pantser" (in that I write by the seat of my pants), I'm never sure if I did choose anything. Stuff just sort of happens between the voices in my head, and the page.  But if I had to hazard a guess, I'd say it was because a lot of the characters in the series are still in the process of finding out who they are, every bit as much as they are trying to find a lost heir, save their homeland, or just stay alive. Heggenauer is a priest of the god Jobe, the gentle builder, whose clergy installs sewers and aqueducts in Imperial cities, because that is how they can do the most good for the greatest number of people. But he is also a man who spent all his youth training for war, in order to carry on the family name with dignity and honor. He has, in short, some issues, which is why I find him interesting to write, and I hope interesting to read as well.

Thanks always for reading. :-)

"I'm all over this like a cheap suit on a kangaroo." Tag Line Tuesday with K.S. Brooks.

Today, Tag Line Tuesday is happy to welcome K.S. Brooks, a writer of wide-ranging works, as you can see from her books mentioned below.  Seriously: Secret agents, 300 year-old trees, dogs writing post cards…Kat is all over the place.  So say "hi."

———-

Ed: Hello, K.S., let's get the pesky biographic stuff out of the way.  Where you from?

KSB: I was born in New York City.  But I've recently given in to my fascination with Sasquatch and moved to the wilderness of the inland Northwest to be closer to him.

Ed: Yeah, dearth of Sasquatches left on Manhattan, I think it's a rent thing.  You have a "day job?"

KSB: Author

Ed: And how 'bout a "dream job?"

KSB: Extremely wealthy world-traveling Author with a staff of 5 including personal assistant, publicist, cook, housekeeper and masseur.

Ed: So, the big one: Why do you write?

KSB: I have all these characters and scenes and stories and dialogue in my head.  I think if I didn't write them, I might spontaneously combust.

Ed: And now for the Round of Lightning (patent pending). Quick! What's your favorite:

Band -  So many, but the first one which comes to mind is Earth, Wind & Fire

Food – anything from Lou's Café in New York City.

Game – Target shooting.  And Hockey

Album – I like photo albums.  If they have pictures in them, that's even better.

Word – Concupiscent.

Color – Cerulean Blue

Animal – Yes, I like animals.  I am, in fact, a meatatarian.

Piece of clothing – Bullet-proof vest.  I also fancy those torpedo bra tops Madonna used to wear, but the vest is far less likely to cause a ricochet.

Movie – BOONDOCK SAINTS.  No, wait!  HOT SHOTS PART DEUX.  No, wait!  AUSTIN POWERS.  No, wait!  Aw, I can't make up my mind.  MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL.  No, wait!

TV show  – I don't watch television much.  But I will for NHL Hockey, Big Bang Theory and  Burn Notice.

Drink – Drinking is good.  Keeping hydrated is very important.

Song  – Can't pick just one.  But anything upbeat.

Line from a song – "I'm sick of sittin' round here tryin' to write this book" – Bruce Springsteen, Dancing in the Dark.

Pizza topping – Pineapple, mushroom and black olive.  Light on the sauce. New   YorkStyle. J

Crime – B&E is always fun.

Place – Wherever I can breathe.  Tied for first are where I live; the Olympic rain forest, Washington State; Vieques, Puerto Rico; NYC; Iao Needle, Maui; and the Alaskan Tundra.

Quote  – "Vengeance is one of life's great motivators." – Special Agent Kathrin Night, from Lust for Danger.

Ed: Three random things about yourself, please.

KSB: My first novel took over 10 years to write; my last novel took 2 months.  I can shoot accurately either right- or left-handed.  I type over 100 words a minute and it makes sense – most of the time.

Ed: Now, let's get all book-chatty and try to look writerly.

What's the biggest consideration when you are deciding what book to read?

KSB:  If I'm reading for pleasure (very rarely), I want to be entertained.  I want sharp humor and a happy ending.  The last thing I want is to read some tale of woe.  Life is already too serious.

Ed: You are looking at the back of a book in a bookstore, reading on online blurb, or whatever.  What sort of thing makes you say "yes," what sort of things makes you say "pass?"

KSB: Most everything makes me say pass.  I can't stand the boastful ways most of those are written.  The more pushy someone is to get me to do something (or buy something) the less inclined I am to do it.

Ed: What genre do you enjoy most?

KSB: Probably satire.

Ed: What genre would you read only if you lost a bet?

KSB:  I'm not sure what it's called. That shape-shifting werewolf vs. vampire stuff.  I just can't wrap my brain around that.

Ed: I think that genre is called "bestsellers" now.  Do you have a favorite author, and do you think they influence your own writing?

KSB: I'd have to say Oscar Wilde and Alexandre Dumas (pere). They absolutely influence me.  Or at least I hope they do.

Ed: It is indeed Important to be Earnest. And I know somebody named Cecily.

Do you have a favorite book, and how many times have you read it?

KSB: The story I've read more times than any other is "The Canterville Ghost" by Oscar Wilde.  At 1400 pages, The Count of Monte Cristo is a time hog, but still amazing.

Ed: What's the first book you remember buying with your own money?

KSB: Way, way back, I recall buying a tiny red chapbook at a flea market – I think it was "Vampire" by Rudyard Kipling.  I never read it, but I still have it.

Ed: Any books you have been told you should read, and know you probably never will?

KSB: More than I can fit in this space!

Ed: Ever lied about reading, or not reading, a book?

KSB: No.  I've actually been very lucky.  Although I was fortunate enough to have a friend who read the books that people gave me and then provided me with the "Cliff Note" version of them, so if the authors ever did ask, I could at least act like I'd read them.

Ed: Ever read a book you were sure you were going to like, and not liked it?

KSB: Yes.  Clive Cussler's Treasure.  For the most part, it's usually the other way around though, and I'm pleasantly surprised by writers.

Ed: Ever grudgingly read a book, and loved it?

KSB: Yes – Jaws by Peter Benchley.

Ed: I can't even imagine that story without the music.

What's your favorite line from a book?

KSB: My favorite line makes no sense to anyone who hasn't read the line before it, so here are both:  "She looked wonderfully beautiful with her grand ivory throat, her large blue forget-me-not eyes, and her heavy coils of golden hair.  Or pur (pure gold) they were – not that pale straw colour that nowadays usurps the gracious name of gold, but such gold as is woven into sunbeams or hidden in strange amber; and they gave to her face something of the frame of a saint, with not a little of the fascination of a sinner."  – from Lord Arthur Saville's Crime by Oscar Wilde.

Ed: Now, onto to your own books.  Those with your name on the cover, I mean.  But not those on which you may have just crossed out Wilde, and written your name.

How, and when, do you tend to come up with titles?

KSB: I'm all over the place with that.  Sometimes I know the title before I write the story.  Sometimes I can't come up with a title until the cover is about to go to artwork.  I try to keep them short and grabbing, and hopefully a good representation of what's in the book.  My favorite is when I can use something said by one of the characters as the title.  The "Cover Me" Series has the word Night in all the titles (since that's my main character's name).  I love being able to have double meanings in my titles, even if I'm the only one who gets it – but hopefully someone else will pick up on it.

Ed: How do your characters get their names?

KSB: My general rules are:  Antagonists usually represent people who haven't been very nice to me.  I'll switch the first and last names, or use derivatives to make it work.  Protagonists will get a first and last name combo as well, but usually from two different people.  Like my friends Kim Krull and Buddy Birch – I took their names to make Buddy Kim, the talented acupuncturist.  Most recently, however, I've used actual friends' names as bad guys – because they've requested it.

Ed: If you could live in the world / with the people of one of your stories, which one would it be and why?

KSB: Frankly, I wouldn't want to, but if I was forced to pick, I'd say Night Undone because it's the least violent at this point.

Ed: What do you think your books say about you?

KSB: I think my books say that I'm a stickler for detail, a proponent of justice, that I have a sense of humor and that I'm mildly disturbed.

Ed: Is there anything you have written which you would now like to change or revise, wish you had written differently, etc.?

KSB: Yeah.  I wrote Lust for Danger a LONG time ago.  My writing style has improved dramatically since then.  While people still love it, that's a book I personally wish I could take back and re-write to bring it up to par with my current works.

Ed: Tell me about your favorite character.

KSB: Special Agent Kathrin Night – poor woman.  I beat the crap out of her mentally and physically in every book.  She's tough and beautiful, brilliant in the ways of espionage and counter-terrorism but inept when it comes to personal relationships and romance.

Ed: Have your favorite character tell me about you.

Kathrin Night: That Brooks woman?  *shakes head*  I consider her work ethic somewhat obsessive.  She talks to her characters and formulates plots constantly.  I've noted that she prefers all the light switches going in the same direction, yet on her somewhat chaotic workspace, she can put her hand on exactly what she's looking for without effort.  That illustrates nearly equal right and left brain usage, which could also explain her ADHD.  Despite the fact I somewhat resent her level of meddling in my life, I find her to be thoughtful towards others. She follows the mantra "do unto others as you would have others do unto you"  – which is noble, but not necessarily realistic in these times.

Ed: Back to K.S., what's your favorite line which you have written?

KSB: "I'm all over this like a cheap suit on a kangaroo. And don't you forget it." – Jim Long, from Dark Alley in Odd & Odder.

Ed: Now that we've talked a little about what you write, how about a little about how you write? (worst sentence ever)

Plotter or Pantser?

KSB:  Both, depending on what I'm writing.  And I never write in order.  I've been trying to work on actually starting at the beginning, because it truly does make things easier, but so far I haven't succeeded.  My suspense novels just sort of happen, but my action-adventure thrillers need outlines since they move quickly and go to many different locations.  It's a lot of stuff to keep straight.

Ed: Best/Worst advice you ever got as a writer?

KSB: Best:  Stay true to your story.  Worst:  Decide who your audience is and write for them.  (Never write for someone else.)

Ed:  Love that Worst. :-) Best/Worst thing about being a writer?

Best:  Reading a review of my book(s) by someone and knowing they "got it."  Worst:  Having to go out and pimp what I wrote.

Ed: Particularly given your loathing for pimpage, Why Indie?

KSB: I've always rooted for the underdog.  And to be perfectly honest – I went Indie back before it was called Indie (2001) – and it wasn't intentional.

Ed: Is being a writer what you expected?  How so or how not?

KSB: I've always been a writer, so I really can't answer that.  I'm just happy, lucky and blessed that I can do it full-time.  The promotional aspect, however, I could do without.

Ed: Have you, or would you ever, collaborate on a story?

KSB: Sure!  A friend of mine, Newt Love, and I just released a collection of our short works (Odd & Odder).  It's not exactly a story collaboration, but it proved to me there is someone out there who can stand me enough to actually work with me.  Because that was such a good experience, I was inspired to delude two other authors into working with me – David Antrobus & JD Mader.  We're hoping to put together a fun collection for release around April Fools' Day.

Ed: If you were starting to write for the first time, what would you do different?

KSB: I wouldn't waste so much time pursuing the traditional method of publication.

Ed: What is the most important thing you have learned about writing?

KSB: Just write.  Write what I think and/or feel.  Those will be the truest and best words I can put down.

Ed: What's the moral of the story?

KSB: The story's not quite over yet, but I foresee something along the lines of "Outliving your enemies is the best revenge – and good will persevere over evil."  Too dramatic?  Then I'd say "be true to yourself."  Too corny?  That's all I got.

Ed: And finally, a few HYPOTHETICALS.

Your computer is smoking, wheezing, and sparks are shooting out of the back.  You can save one thing off the hard drive.  What is it?

KSB: Thank you for saying that.  I was going to back up today!  My photography.  All my writing is backed up daily – but backing up photos is a pain in the….

Ed:  A pain in the what?  Oh.  Got it.

You have one perfect day of free time, no obligations, needs, or responsibilities.  What do you do?

KSB: Write.

Ed:  Right. 

Someone "in the business" suggests you change something you feel is a critical part of one of your books, and guarantees it will increase sales.

KSB: What do you do?  I'd ask my Indie publisher – she's a straight shooter, and would tell me if she thought this person was on the money or not.  If what the person said had merit, then I would seriously consider it.  I appreciate constructive criticism and am never against hearing other POVs on what I write.  That's probably why I have 4 BETA readers.

Ed: You are offered just enough money to live comfortably for the rest of your life, if you will just stop writing.  What do you do?

KSB:  Bronx cheer.  Middle finger.  And a big "I don't think so."

Ed: What question do you wish I had asked?

KSB:  How about "K.S., would you like me to rub your feet while you're doing the interview?"

Ed: There's a coupon for that in the complimentary author's gift bag.

—————————

Finally, where to find K.S.'s books, now that you know why you should.  Five Word Synopses provided by the author, and the interviewer's insistence.

Postcards from Mr. Pish:  A Cross-Country Journal – "Cute dog writes educational postcards."

Amazon.com -  http://www.amazon.com/Postcards-Mr-Pish-K-Brooks/dp/1594318336

Mr. Pish's Woodland Adventure – "Dog makes the forest fun."

Amazon.com – http://www.amazon.com/Mr-Pishs-Woodland-Adventure-Pish/dp/1594318867

The Mighty Oak and Me – "300 year old tree amazes."

Amazon.com – http://www.amazon.com/Mighty-Oak-Me-K-Brooks/dp/1594312591

Lust for Danger – "Fast-paced action-adventure thriller."

Amazon.com – http://www.amazon.com/Lust-Danger-K-S-Brooks/dp/0595197477

The Kiss of Night – "Steamy secret agent back story."

Amazon.com – http://www.amazon.com/Kiss-NIGHT-Agent-Night/dp/1594318441

Night Undone – "Sexy and romantic suspense novel."

Amazon.com – http://www.amazon.com/Night-Undone-Agent-Cover-Me/dp/1613860072

Odd & Odder:  A Collection of Sensuality, Satire and Suspense – "A bunch of outlandish stuff."

Amazon.com – http://www.amazon.com/Odd-Odder-Collection-Sensuality-ebook/dp/B005W4TAHI

———————

K.S. Brooks can also be found at the following places around the intrawebs:

Web site:  http://www.ksbrooks.com

Facebook:  http://facebook.com/KSBrooksAuthor

Twitter:  http://www.twitter.com/AuthorKSBrooks

Writing Blog:  http://authorksbrooks.blogspot.com

Satire Blog:  http://ksbrooks.wordpress.com

"McNally!" Tag Line Tuesday with Stephen Hise

Today, Tag Line Tuesday is happy to welcome the lovely and talented Stephen Hise, author and maître d' over at Indies Unlimited.  Let us begin.

Ed: Writers are creative people, I hear.  So please answer each of the following biographic questions twice, once with the truth and once with a lie.

Name?

SH: Stephen Hise. Nigel Epiphany.

Ed: Where you from, Nigel?

SH: The East. The Delta quadrant.

Ed: You have a day job in the quadrant?

SH: I gather and analyze information for a nongovernmental organization headquartered in the D.C. area. I am an oyster shucker.

Ed: Seriously, who first looked at those and thought eating them was a good idea? But I digress…How about your dream job?

SH: Millionaire playboy ninja superspy assassin. Senior oyster shucker.

Ed: When not pining for oysters to shuck real good, why do you write?

SH: For all the crazy-hot author groupie chicks. I honestly thought I could make a couple of bucks.

Ed: You may now return to full honesty now, for…the LIGHTNING ROUND! (Zap. Pow.)

Quick! Favorite:

Band – KISS

Food – Soul Food

Game – Madden Football

Album – LOVE GUN

Word – Soliloquy

Color – Sepia

Animal – Cave bear

Piece of clothing – Codpiece

Movie -Tombstone

TV show – Big Bang Theory or Futurama

Drink – Shirley Temple with bourbon, hold the Shirley Temple.

Song – Space Lord (Ed: By Monster Magnet.  So sad that I know that.)

Line from a song – "I ate all the rest and now I gotta eat you…"

Pizza topping – Pepperoni or Unicorn

Crime – Aggravated Unlicensed Dovekeeping

Place – Somewhere else

Quote – "Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin to slit throats." –  H. L. Mencken

Ed: Dear God, I do love Mencken. One of my favs: "Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard."

Three random things about yourself, please.

SH: 1). I am the kind of man whose integrity is not for sale except to the highest bidder.  2). I got the music in me. I'm okay now, though.  3).There are really only two random things about me. This is not one.

Ed: And now on to the talk of books, bookishness, and bookery.

What's the biggest consideration when you are deciding what book to read?

SH: Smell

Ed: That has to cut down on your ebook purchases. What genre do you enjoy most?

SH: I don't remember the name of it, but it has lots of nouns and verbs.

Ed: What genre would you read only if you lost a bet?

SH: Appliance repair or installation manuals.

Ed: Gee, but that's where David Mamet got started.  "Step Four:  Tighten the $^ing, $*!$(*&ing screws."

Do you have a favorite author, and do you think they influence your own writing?

SH: My favorite author was Michael Crichton. He's dead, you know. Next time, why don't you just give me a papercut and pour lemon juice into it?

Ed: Yeah, I don't trust writers that tall.  Do you have a favorite book, and how many times have you read it?

SH: No, I don't pick favorites. I don't want to hurt the other books' feelings.

Ed: What's the first book you remember buying with your own money?

SH: Do you mean money that somehow came into my possession, or money I earned through some legal means? I don't like this question – move along.

Ed: Any books you have been told you should read, and know you probably never will?

SH:  Any number of classics of literature.

Ed:  "All" is not "any number."  Ever lied about reading, or not reading, a book?

SH: Why? What have you heard?

Ed: Ever read a book you were sure you were going to like, and not liked it?

SH: Yes. I honestly was disappointed in Pirate Latitudes by Crichton. I like pirates and I like Crichton, but it went down like a baloney and marshmallow sandwich.

Ed: Ever grudgingly read a book, and loved it?

SH: Well, I've read a book and grudgingly loved it. Sable City comes to mind. Damn your eyes, McNally!

Ed: For the first time ever, Tag Line Tuesday has a winner.

What's your favorite line from a book? (not your own, nor mine, for that matter)

SH: In response to Arabella Bishop accusing him of talking treason, Peter Blood quips, "I hope I am not obscure." – Captain Blood, by Rafael Sabatini.

Ed: And on to the bookerishness which you did happen to write.

How, and when, do you tend to come up with titles?

SH: I come up with a working title when I begin work on the piece. I have to think of it as something. Then when I am ready for publication, I see if I can think of something better.

Ed: How do your characters get their names?

SH: I try to name my characters after people who won't sue me. As I am dirt poor, the world is my oyster in this regard. I do tend to name villains after people in real life who, for one reason or another have vexed me. Hence, the villain in my next book, the evil Honcho McNally.

Ed:  Oh good, another Irish/Mexican…typecast as the villain.

If you could live in the world / with the people of one of your stories, which one would it be and why?

SH: I don't write happy stories. I do not want to go there.

Ed:  What do you think your books say about you?

SH: Hopefully, that I am well enough to be returned to society now.

Ed: Is there anything you have written which you would now like to change or revise, wish you had written differently, etc.?

SH: Well, there was a note to my gym teacher I forged. I don't know what tipped it off, but I guess all things being even, I'd take another crack at that one.

Ed: Tell me about your favorite character.

SH: Marcy is a sexy, flirty master manipulator.

Ed: Have your favorite character tell me about you.

Marcy: Steve is a sexy, flirty master manipulator.

Ed:  If I should call the police, blink twice, Marcy.

Back to Steve.  What's your favorite line which you have written?

SH: From my work in progress, my protagonist, Pheven, having seemingly fallen into an inescapable trap set by arch-villain Honcho McNally, falls to his knees and screams at the sky, "McNALLY!"

Ed:  I can see the movie trailer now.

And now, the weird vagaries of Stehpen's writing mind.  Plotter or Pantser?

SH: Definitely pantser.

Ed: Best/Worst advice you ever got as a writer?

SH: I don't remember anyone giving me advice. People get quiet when I walk up.

Ed: Best/Worst thing about being a writer?

SH: Getting to know other writers has been the best thing. Indie writers are just the best all-around people I've ever known. The worst thing is the marketing.

Ed: I hear that.  So, why Indie?

SH: No one respectable would have me.

Ed: That explains how you got on this blog.  Is being a writer what you expected? How so or how not?

SH: I never expect anything. That's how they get you.

Ed: Have you, or would you ever, collaborate on a story?

SH: I have and I am.

Ed: "Absolutely not, and I am," would have been a more Hisean answer.

If you were starting to write for the first time, what would you do different?

SH: I would definitely have spent more time on editing, and concentrated more on the cover art. I love the one I have now, but the old one was just killing me.

Ed: What is the most important thing you have learned about writing?

SH: Stay in the margins.

Ed: What's the moral of the story?

SH: Don't expect any money.

Ed: Finally, some real answers to hypothetical questions.

Your computer is smoking, wheezing, and sparks are shooting out of the back.  You can save one thing off the hard drive.

SH: What is it? I'm sorry, my computer is actually an abacus. I suppose I could just grab a random bead, but what's the point really?

Ed: You are looking at the back of a book in a bookstore, reading on online blurb, or whatever.  What sort of thing makes you say "yes," what sort of things makes you say "pass?"

SH: If, in a mere few lines, a writer can sketch out a premise I find intriguing, I will say "yes" and then steal the book. If the blurb is just too nebulous or pretentious, trite or syrupy, I will say "pass" and then steal the book.

Ed: You have one perfect day of free time, no obligations, needs, or responsibilities.  What do you do?

SH: The list is too long and depraved to detail here.

Ed: Someone "in the business" suggests you change something you feel is a critical part of one of your books, and guarantees it will increase sales.  What do you do?

SH: Meh. If I like it, it stays.

Ed: You are offered just enough money to live comfortably for the rest of your life, if you will just stop writing.  What do you do?

SH: Wait. Are you doing that? Did I just lose the money by answering?

Ed: What question do you wish I had asked?

SH: I wish you had asked me who I thought was the sexiest, smartest, most awesome female author I know. But you didn't. (Sorry, you-know-who)

Ed: Thanks for stopping my, Steve. And leave the silverware on the table.

—————————

As has been mentioned, you can see Steve blog on himself and others at Indies Unlimited, and do check out the book UPGRADE, for which he offers this Five-Word Synopsis:

"Beware your heart's desire. Seriously."

Wordclay (print) http://www.wordclay.com/BookStore/BookStoreBookDetails.aspx?bookid=62324

Smashwords (multiple e-book formats) https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/23869

AmazonUS http://www.amazon.com/Upgrade-ebook/dp/B004W0C5CA

AmazonUK http://www.amazon.co.uk/Upgrade-ebook/dp/B004W0C5CA

Winners of the Holiday Hop

Thank you very much to all who made a "how many jellybeans in the jar" guess on my Holiday Hop contest, and thanks for stopping by, hope to see you all again.

Congratulations to Rachel Strong for coming closest to the actual word count of The Wind From Miilark's first draft, which was 144,122 words.  Rachel guessed 145,271, missing it by a scant 1149 words.  The next two closest guesses were teressaoliver who was 2327 under, and Kathryn, at 3739 over.

Now, if I'd been really slick, I would have requested everybody be sure to leave a way I could reach them, but of course I am not real slick. Rachel and Teressa I believe I can get in contact with via their links, but Kathryn…I have no idea who you are.  I'm hoping you read this, and feel free to contact me here so I can get your book to you. Otherwise, I'll see what I can do, but as has been noted, I am computer semi-literate at best.

Everybody's final answers, winners noted:

Christina F. Busby -  90,000

Penelope Crowe – 97,000

Julie Jansen – 102,786

books4me – 120,000

izaboe – 121,342

Natalie Cleary – 123,432

Bridget Bowers – 124,284

Kate – 125,000

RG Porter – 126,750

Craig Smith – 127,348

Kelli Spear – 127,834

Author Lynn Hubbard – 130,317

David W. Christian – 133,940

Jolea M. Harrison – 132,358

jennifer grunenberg – 134,124

Janel – 134,973

SandyG265 – 135,000

Arthur Caudill – 136,202

Jesse Kimmel-Freeman – 136,427

Shadow – 136,459

Sonia Remo Alt – 138,694                             – 5428

teressaoliver – 141,795                                                  – 2327 (wins Book One of Norothian Cycle)

ANSWER : 144,122

Rachel Strong – 145,271                                                + 1149 (wins complete Norothian Cycle)

Kathryn – 147,861                                                           + 3739 (wins Book One of Norothian Cycle)

Kate – 150,000                                                + 5878

Krysykat – 150,636

JeanP – 152,345

Heather Cox – 152,438

Nick Wilford – 154,723

Suzy Thompson – 157,230

Dawn Doyle – 161,459

Gena Robertson – 163,759

Linda Henderson – 175,050

Pamela Jo – 175,092

Ty Hutchinson – 178.359

Joder – 179,055

Alan Nayes – 180,001

linda – 183,000

Kitty Sutton – 183,365

Kelley Jensen  – 187,178

Sara M – 189,848

zanza – 190,100

C. Martinez – 195,000

Stepshep – 200,000

Meghan Page – 200,001

voraciousreader – 201,453

stef shortridge – 219,000

Cayce – 220,000

onipar – 225,000

Chaille Bos – 239,476

CameliaMiron Skiba – 250,000

Carli Spurr – 289,003

Kimberly – 300,000

Stephanie Abbott – 400,000

"The baby was wrong." – Tag Line Tuesday with Christine DeMaio-Rice

This week, Tag Line Tuesday is happy to welcome Christine…well, there's some last name issues depending on which of her books you're looking at, but the links at the end should make that clear.

—————–

Ed: Hi, Christine.  By way of introduction, please answer each of the following biographic questions twice.  Once with the truth, and once "creative writerly" (with a lie).

XTINE: This is fine but I'm not going to tell you WHICH is true or false.

Ed: Name?

XTINE: 1) Christine DeMaio.  2) Christine DeMaio-Rice

Ed: Where you from?

XTINE: 1) New York.  2) Brooklyn

Ed: Can't those both be true?  Anyway…Day job?

XTINE: 1) Technical designer with a specialty in sweaters. Which doesn't mean anything to you, until you go into the store and you don't buy a sweater because it feels cheap and you can't tell why, but it makes you wrinkle your nose. Or because when you put it on, it doesn't feel quite right. If it's an inexpensive sweater, likely it's just too short or long or whatever. But if it's an expensive thing, and you want it to be worth the money, and the armhole feels a little funny but you don't know why and you're not about to figure it out because you've already moved on to the next thing…well that would be my fault. Sorry.

2)  Copy editor. You need to know what a semicolon is? Or how to slash the end of that dangling participle? Or why the dash is an en instead of an em? I'm your woman. I feint, I slide, I bob and weave. I dot paragraphs with quotation marks like Casius Clay landing jabs. Commas obey my commands and periods cannot stop a sentence without my explicit say-so, in triplicate. My infallibility is world renowned by kings, princes and the New Yorker magazine, whose fastidiousness with regard to usage is careless compared to mine. If there were a gold statue of a lady with a pen for editing, I would win it, but no one bothers awarding one because I will take that bitch home, every time, without fail. Period.

Ed: Dream job?

XTINE: 1)  Anything involving bon bons, a couch and back-to-back Oprah episodes. And making six figures a year.

2)  Anything involving moving traffic, multitasking, fast-talking and moving from desk to desk, telling people what to do. And making six figures a year.

Ed: Why do you write?

XTINE: 1)  Because in the seconds between doing thing A and thing B, I'm bored and I need a way to occupy my brain.

2)  It keeps me away from the television.

Ed: You can go back to full honesty now, if you want, for a few quick Favorites:

Piece of clothing – I just got an orange satin Stella McCartney jacket and that's my new favoritist thing in the world. It has like fourteen metal zippers on it. The zippers have zippers. It weighs thirty pounds, most of it in zippers.

Drink – Yes, thank you.

Pizza topping – where I come from, pizza is peasant food. Which means, it's not some gourmet bullshit with artichokes from Turin and pancetta from Umbria. No. it's something your grandmother makes quick to shut you up. And you don't put goddamn pineapple on it, and you most certainly do not put ranch dressing on it. Do you realize how foul that is? How damaging it is to your palate? Stop that. Eat pizza the way it was meant to be eaten. With cheese and sauce and maybe, on a special day, you put a meat on there. One meat.

Crime – You're really asking me this? You should ask me how wonderful my kids are. That's a freaking crime.

Place – Manhattan. If I could find a way to afford it and make it worthwhile for my husband it's sayonara Los Angeles.

Ed: Three random things about yourself, please.

XTINE: 1 – If I'm wearing boots I don't feel the need to match my socks

2 – I cook dinner most nights and we eat as a family even if it means I have to tie my son to a chair.

3 – I have no fillings or dental work in my mouth.

[image error]Ed: And now, the book/writing portion of this book/writing stuff.

What genre do you enjoy most?

XTINE:  Okay I should say cozies but the fact is, I like YA paranormal, yes I do. Or dystopian. Just give me some swoony impractical, romantic love unencumbered by anything an adult would worry about. Put it in a world where someone should be worrying about where to eat as opposed to whether he likes me or not, and I'm happy. I'm really not kidding.

But also, I like that literate erudite stuff because one, it makes me feel smart. And two, it has a way of sneaking up on you emotionally. Like Jonathan Safran Foer or Dave Eggers. Or David Foster Wallace, my favorite ever, because he cracks me up with what he says and what he doesn't, and the calm with which he presents the most ridiculous situations. If he published his shopping list (which he won't, because he's dead) I'd buy it.

Ed: What genre would you read only if you lost a bet?

XTINE:  Regency Romance. Despite what I said above, without the dystopia, the paranormal, the stakes of vampirism, I really don't give a rat's ass who you marry. (I am sorry if I'm insulting any of my friends who write romance. You just keep cashing those checks people, knowing I'm in the minority)

Ed: What's the first book you remember buying with your own money?

XTINE:  The book version of the Star Wars movie, because the movie was rated PG and my mother wouldn't let me see it. So I read it. It had a gold cover with Luke holding up his light saber and Princess Lea draped at his feet. Darth Vader hung in the background.

Ed:  Any books you have been told you should read, and know you probably never will?

XTINE:  Moby Dick. I want to. I just know I won't.

Ed: That's definitely the most common answer to that question.  Poor Melville.

Ever lied about reading, or not reading, a book?

XTINE: No, I really did love Infinite Jest and ate every word, including the footnotes, with relish.

Ed: And now, acouple "writer" sort of things.  Plotter or Pantser?

XTINE:  Combo. I always think my outline is airtight, then I get to the middle and I'm ground to a halt. Really happens every single time. You can set your watch by when I'm going to turn the outline upside down, shake it out and go pantser.

Ed: Best/Worst advice you ever got as a writer?

XTINE: Worst – Write every day or you're not a writer. I mean sure, it's terrific advice for a 24 year-old. But when you have kids and a job, if you beat yourself up every day you don't write, then you're really not a writer. You're an emotional masochist.

Best – Everyone's journey is different. Don't try to emulate someone else's success story.

Ed: Time to really ask some hypothetical questions, as opposed to hypothetically asking some real questions.

Your computer is smoking, wheezing, and sparks are shooting out of the back.  You can save one thing off the hard drive.  What is it?

XTINE: You're going to think I sound incredibly superior, but everything is backed up to the cloud constantly. Watch, I find a way to lose something later today and cry my eyes out on IWU. ((note Ed – that would be the "Indie Writers Unite!" Facebook group))

I just tried to think about what I would save if I had a minute, and I just got so confused and boggled, that likely I'd end up saving nothing because I was overwhelmed. But if I had five calm minutes, I'd save the pictures of my kids.

Ed: You have one perfect day of free time, no obligations, needs, or responsibilities.  What do you do?

XTINE: Unfortunately, I putter around on Facebook, then feel guilty later.

Ed: Someone "in the business" suggests you change something you feel is a critical part of one of your books, and guarantees it will increase sales.  What do you do?

XTINE:  If this hadn't happened to me a hundred times while I was screenwriting, I'd laugh at the question. But here's the only thing I know, and I know it because William Goldman told me. Nobody knows anything. I'd add that goes doubly for people "in the business."

So my point is, do you see me living in a mansion in Bel-Air? Well, no you don't see me at all because we're communicating on the interwebz. So let me tell you. I don't live in a mansion in Bel-Air. I live in a bungalow in Hollywood that's financed by the fashion industry, not film. Because sometimes I changed stuff for the sake of commerciality, and sometimes I didn't, and it never mattered. Sometimes things sell and sometimes they don't, and the ability to predict which is which is not a skill. It's not born through experience. It's playing the odds. If an exec asks 100 writers to change 100 things, a percentage will hit. And then he's got the golden touch forevermore, amen.

So, I'm sorry, there was a question. The answer is, I'd do it if it seemed right. If it didn't, I wouldn't. That's the beauty of being indie.

Ed: You are offered just enough money to live comfortably for the rest of your life, if you will just stop writing.  What do you do?

XTINE: Look, in case you can't tell, the whole fantasy of living on the beach with a beer and a towel boy, watching the sunset, makes me feel more trapped than the idea of working and writing. Actually, the idea of having my hands tied creatively sends a shiver of terror down my spine. I'd either make this deal and take up painting, acting, directing, cooking, or I'd tell whatever deity that offered it that they can stick it where it's unholy – depending on my mood. I'll do what I want to do without apology or regret.

Ed: What question do you wish I had asked?

XTINE: I wished you'd asked me what I'm wearing. Because I've got on this fabulous Stella McCartney jacket in a color that might be pink or orange. And it's shiny! And it has zippers!

—————————

Chistine's books may be found in all the usually suspected places, do check her out.

"Fashion and murder don't mix."

htt p://www.am azon.com/dp/B005MEG38C

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dead-is-the-new-black-christine-demaio-rice/1105858865

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/87158

"WWII, Elemental Magic, Japanese Internment."

(And BTW, this title is – depending on exactly when you are reading this sentence – FREE everywhere. – Ed)

h ttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B004QWZBMK

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blue-valley-christine-demaio-rice/1107955827

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/46311

Win the Norothian Cycle – Holiday Hop

HOLIDAY BLOG HOP!!! Ho, ho, ho. (In a good way…)

Hello, I'm M. Edward McNally, and Welcome to the sablecity's stop on the Holiday Hop, and thanks much for hopping by.

Here is how I am working my giveway, which will be very simple as befits my level of techological ineptitude.  I'm the author of an epic, Musket & Magic fantasy series called the Norothian Cycle, presently consisting of three books:  The Sable City, Death of a Kingdom, and The Wind from Miilark.

Book III, The Wind from Miilark, weighs in at a trim 119,738 words.  My question for anyone interested is easy:

How many words was the first draft? 

Feel free to leave a guess here as a comment, and at the conclusion of the blog hop, I will (using a careful process of addition and subtraction) calculate the three closest answers (guessing higher or lower doesn't matter, so go nuts).  The closest SINGLE guess will win e-copies of all three books in the series, while the next TWO closest will win e-copies of Book One (or any of the three).  Copies will be provided by me in any of the normal ways' either directly via Kindle "gift" or via Smashwords coupons for all other e-readers.

In addition, the "grand prize" winner from the blog will be entered to win the overall prize, as described on the main page of the Holiday Hop

Thanks again for taking part, Happy Holidays to you and yours, and as I always say:  Thanks for reading.

Ed McNally