Mia Darien's Blog, page 24
June 25, 2012
Ten Questions with… Anthony Caplan
This Monday’s Ten Questions installment features Anthony Caplan, who is graciously hosting my guest blog about living and writing in New England at his site today. Welcome, Anthony! Readers, enjoy!
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Author Bio: Anthony Caplan is an independent writer, teacher and homesteader in northern New England. He has worked at various times as a shrimp fisherman, environmental activist, journalist, taxi-driver, builder, window-washer, and telemarketer, (the last for only a month, but one week he did win a four tape set of the greatest hits of George Jones for selling the most copies of Time-Life’s The Loggers.) Currently, Caplan is working on restoring a 150 year old farmstead where he and his family tend sheep and chickens, grow most of their own vegetables, and have started a small apple orchard from scratch.
Author Website: http://www.anthonycaplanwrites.com & http://thenewremembrance.blogspot.com
You can find his books at Amazon – Birdman, French Pond Road & Latitudes!
About the Writer
1. What five words describe you?
Persistent, Essential, Symbolic, Seeking, Multidimensional
2. What was the first story you ever wrote? I mean the really bad one we all have that you’re trying to hide in the back of closet now that you’re published?
My really bad ones I burnt. Several have been lost along the way. Some are on my blog, http://thenewremembrance.blogspot.com The first story I ever wrote was when I was five or six. I had a toy typewriter and I wrote a story about some of my toys that were in a fight and beat each other. I think I was obsessed with violence.
3. What inspires you?
Live music, movies, good books, children, horses, and mountaintops.
4. What distracts you?
Work, children, farm chores (I live on a farm), and social media.
5. What’s your favorite story? This can be specific, as in a particular book or even story-driven movie, or general, like “I’m a sucker for a hero looking for redemption story.”
My favorite all-time classic story is The Odyssey by Homer. Every good story I know is a variation on the hero trying to get home. Every underdog is a variation on Ulysses. I also love father-son adventure stories. The Road by Cormac McCarthy is the best version I know of that one.
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About the Writing
1. Tell us about your currently available titles.
I have two novels, the first two books in the Billy Kagan series, tracing the life of a foot-loose man striving for sanity. In Birdman, Billy is attempting a reunification with his estranged wife and son. He travels to Ireland to find his wife’s mother with whom he has a strange relationship and falls into the clutches of eco-terrorists trying to prevent the construction of a radar mast. What Billy really needs is some love, and in the end he finds some. In the second book of the series, French Pond Road, Billy is back in New Hampshire working as a roofer and his son Mickey, who is now a teenager and in trouble with the law, finds him.
2. What’s your favorite part about writing these stories?
The way what the characters need only becomes apparent after several drafts. I always write blind, it seems.
3. What would your characters say about you? Be honest!
They would wonder what they had done to deserve such confusion on the part of their creator.
4. Who would play your favorite character if they made a movie of their story?
I honestly don’t know. I think Brad Pitt has matured into an actor worthy of playing Billy Kagan, but that Leonardo DiCaprio has got some chops also.
5. Do you have any projects currently in the works you want to talk about?
My latest book, Latitudes – A Story of Coming Home, published this week, June 30. It’s about a boy outrunning his torn childhood and realizing he is capable of having a life free of pain with the help of friends and sports.
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Thank you for being with us today, Anthony, and good luck with your books!
June 21, 2012
Character Interview: Kathryn & Joe from Sara Kay Jordan’s “Love & Genius”
Today’s character interview welcome Kat and Joe from Sara Kay Jordan’s Love & Genius, and we’re very happy to welcome them to the site!
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Q: Kathryn! It’s been a long time. What, two or three years? It’s good to see you again. How’ve you been?
Kathryn: Hello. Yes, it has been some time. I believe our last professional association was a conference on biomechanices in 2010. Your presentation on how nonlinear dynamical approaches can be used to study, mimic and improve biological function at multiple scales…
I’m sorry, from the way my hand is being squeezed, I think Joe is telling me I should have simply responded with “it’s nice to see you too.” May I introduce, Major Joe Moore, he is…we are…
Joe: The word you are looking for is boyfriend. Hi, Joe Moore, I’m the boyfriend.
Kathryn: I’ve never had to introduce you that way.
Q: Hello, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Joe. I must admit I’m a little surprised, but happily so. Kathryn, you always seemed like the type who was… well, married to her work.
Kathryn: I suppose it seemed that way, didn’t it? It would be accurate to say I had no social life, my research was my only concern. I’ve learned from recent events that such focus comes at a high cost. I was missing some things I now know should not be ignored.
Joe: She’s loosening up, but don’t let her fool you, she’s still pretty intent on being the best brainiac around.
Kathryn: I can still be successful and date you.
Joe: I know you can, Babe. I was joking.
Kathryn: And you shouldn’t complain. You wouldn’t even know me if it wasn’t for my work.
Q: Oh, my. Now that sounds like a story. How did you two meet?
Joe: She knocked me off my feet the first moment I saw her.
Kathryn: I did not! We argued the first time we met.
Joe: We still argue, what’s that got to do with it? You made me furious, but one look at those big blue eyes was all it took. Love at first sight, babe.
Kathryn: Oh… I was quite captivated by you as well, although I couldn’t admit that. Even to myself.
Joe: Aw, thanks, Kat. Sorry, we keep getting sidetracked, don’t we? Truth is, we met during the Pendleton Investigation.
Kathryn: I assume you are familiar with the inquiry. Senator Pendleton created quite the media frenzy in his quest for answers. Joe was the soldier assigned to investigate the accident and he came to me for assistance.
Joe: I had to, I didn’t understand a word of that report you sent about the accident.
Kathryn: You figured it out.
Joe: Anyway, I was assigned to the Pendleton investigation and Kat is the best consultant the Army has, so I went looking for help. Turns out it was a good thing I did. We never would have figured it out without her.
Q: When you say it all like that, it almost sounds like it was meant to be!
Joe: If you ask me it was fate.
Kathryn: There is no such thing as fate.
Joe: You sure about that, Kat? How else do you explain us? How else does someone as accomplished and beautiful as you end up with a cut-up old soldier like me? We got handed an impossible riddle, led on a wild goose-chase, you almost got killed, and still we found each other. That sounds like fate to me.
Kathryn: You are anything but a simple soldier. You are considered the best of the best. You are as accomplished in your field as I am in mine, it is one reason we worked so well together.
Joe: And why we are so good together now. Like I said, fate.
Kathryn: You are incorrigible.
Joe: And you love me.
Kathryn: That is true. I never thought that would be possible for me, I never thought I would have this kind of future.
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Author Bio: Sara Kay Jordan holds a BA in English, and is a lifelong daydreamer, a combination that prepared her in equal measure to pursue her dream to be a writer. Her first novel, Snatching Genius, was released in 2011 to warm praise. Her family includes two grown children and one cranky old dog. Sara lives in Springfield, MO.
Author Site: http://www.sarakayjordan.com
Author Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sarakayjordan
Buy Link: Amazon
Buy Link: iBooks
June 19, 2012
Character Interview: Brenda versus Brenda from Ira Nayman’s “Luna for the Lunies!”
Today I have the pleasure of presenting one of the craziest interviews I’ve been able to jump in on. Nayman kindly allowed me into the world of Luna is for the Lunies! and present to you the following interview. Enjoy!
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I adjusted the ear and eye pieces of my TGG™ (Transdimensional Google Goggles™), which fit not so comfortably in one ear and over one eye, and looked beyond the rabble. This is one of the advantages of being six foot seven – you can really stand above the fray. Another advantage is that your employees know that they are never that far out of slapping distance. I’ll bet you never read that in the books of management guru Mort Drucker! I’ll bet you nev – no, wait, Mort Drucker was a cartoonist. I meant the Drucker who was a management gu – ferk it. I’ve lost the moment.
The name’s Brundtland-Govanni. Brenda Brundtland-Govanni. I’ve wanted to say that since my mother sent me a DVD of the complete Sean Connery Bond movies when I was three years old. Of course, it doesn’t flow as well when your name is the size of a small city (population 20,000 or less)’s phone book, but it still felt good. It felt damn good.
“This is Brenda Brundtland-Govanni from Universe 000000000026,” I said loud enough for the TGG™ to pick up over the din of journalism. “I am at the Multiverse and Environs News Association Awards Dinner and Humiliation Ball, preparing to interview Brenda Brundtland-Govanni from Universe 000000000008. Why is the Editrix-in-Chief of the Alternate Reality News Network doing an actual interview? Because the reporter I originally assigned to do it couldn’t find his asshole with a flashlight, a road map and both hands – and, I’m pretty sure he’s tried – and I don’t want MY universe’s ARNN to look incompetent. So, as soon as I find her, we can start broadcasting.”
“Actually,” my TTG™ – which I not so affectionately named Gidget – replied, “you’re already live.”
I twisted my lips in an expression that made a few bystanders wilt. “Thanks for telling me,” I muttered. The Brenda Brundtland-Govannis from the six other universes whose ARNN had been nominated for awards were easy to find. Really, we’re like giraffes among a herd of pygmy elephants. Giraffes with the hearts of lions. Girions. Ain’t genetic manipulation grand?
I found the Brenda Brundtland-Govanni I was looking for clutching an award in one hand and a drink in the other and walked towards her.
“Congratulations,” I congratulated her as I took at a seat at her table.
“For what?” she asked. She waved her drink with an expertise that bordered on mathematical: it sloshed to and fro, but not a single drop was spilled. “Brenda from Universe 000000000014 will always be a better dresser than I am. Brenda from Universe 000000000003 will always be a better dancer than I am – look at her. How can somebody so tall be so graceful? It defies the laws of physics. Brenda from Universe 000000000011 has the best collection of mint condition first edition Kilgore Trout novels in the multiverse. Even you – you have a…Google Oogley™.”
“Google Goggles™,” I corrected her.
“Gaggle Giggles™,” she stated. Before I could correct her afresh, Brenda’s eyes narrowed and she darkly intoned, “You’re not…broadcasting this live? ARE…YOU?”
“Of course not,” I assured her. “Broadcasting without your permission would be unethical.”
“But, you are broadcasting,” Gidget protested into my ear.
Not now, I thought. I couldn’t remember if Gidget could read my brainwave patterns – score one for the manual readers – but we all live in hope. Hoping – See? What did I tell you? – that my face gave nothing away, I continued: “If you can spare me a couple of minutes, I would be almost delighted to interview you about winning the award.”
“You have already started the interview,” Gidget insisted.
Really not a good time, I thought at it.
“I’ll get one of my reporters to interview me when I get back to my own universe,” Brenda said.
“Really?” I asked. “You would trust any of them to be able to capture the glory of this moment?”
“Well, there’s always –” Brenda started.
“Don’t forget,” I cut her off, “that in my own universe I have worked intimately with them all. As disgusting as the idea sounds when I put it that way. I already know who you will recommend, and I already have an argument for why you will regret it.”
“I’ll interview myself, then,” Brenda threateningly muttered. Threattured.
“Don’t you think that’s been overdone?” I replied. Brenda thought about this for a moment. Before she could realize the flaw in my argument, I added: “I’ll make it quick.”
Swigging the last of her drink, Brenda growled, “Fine. I’ll do it.”
I put one finger to my ear and said out loud, “Gidget, power on.”
“You’re not fooling anyone, you know,” Gidget replied.
I waited a couple of seconds for the effect, then said, “Okay. We’re live.”
“Okay,” Brenda said. “What do you want to know?”
Deciding to enjoy myself, at her… my? …expense, I paused thoughtfully and asked, “How does it feel to win an award for a segment about a man speeding his way to enlightenment?” [For more on this story, see: “The 10 Thousand Names of Dog”]
“Like cottage cheese in the mouth of Edward Norton vactor Genovese Ribbit-Ribbit playing a serial killer,” she sourly responded. “How would you expect it to feel?”
About like that, I thought.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” Gidget asked.
Of course I am.
Out loud, I continued, “Oh, come now, it’s an award-winning piece about a man who found a short cut to the end of the game.” I smiled politely, or as close as I could fake it.
“How does it feel?” Brenda sneered. “Jesus begesus, could you be any more of an amateur? Every first year journalism student knows that questions about feelings show that you haven’t done any research about the interview subject!”
Okay, maybe it wasn’t quite as much fun now. “You never went to journalism school,” I bluntly told her.
“I didn’t have to go to journalism school,” she barked back. “I work with journalists every day! I learned everything I need to know about journalism by ferking osmosis!”
“Well, fine, Ms. Osmosis,” I retorted, “if you know so much about journalism, how about you tell our viewers at home what you think they should know about winning this award?”
“Awards are for losers with huge ambitions and little tiny peepees,” she responded. “Little ones. Microscopic. Even the women who win awards. Especially the women who win awards. The only important thing is the work. Except, people who say that are losers, because being a journalist is a just marginally better career choice than being a septic tank high diver, and only because you sometimes get to make fun of important people. No, it’s the people you meet who make life worthwhile. Not the rich ones, obviously – they’re greedheaded bastards who are, for the most part, psychopathic. And, not the poor ones, either – they’re dumbasses who couldn’t hit the septic tank if it was 20 feet wide if they jumped off a five foot high diving board! And, not the ones in middle, either – they’re muddlers, and everybody knows that muddlers are just pathetic!”
When Brenda stopped to take a breath, I thought I saw an opening to ask another question. Unfortunately, I didn’t seize it quickly enough.
“So, I guess what I’m saying is that life is a journey,” she continued. “Except that, it’s mostly detours and potholes and flat tires. Flat ones. Driving on the rims, really.” Brenda hugged the Multiverse and Environs News Association Award to her chest, which, given the various pointy bits that stuck out at odd angles, must have hurt, hurt like the dickens, although she seemed impervious to the pain. “So, we have to grab as much pleasure as we can, because joy is fleeting but suffering is the background radiation of everybody’s universe. And, that’s why I love my award.”
It was about at this point that I wondered if I, or she, or both of us might just be certifiable.
And then I hoped Gidget hadn’t heard that.
“Dream on,” Gidget responded.
Before I could respond to her response, Brenda blurted, “It’s all a lie! We have an update to the story that will be published Tuesday that shows that everything we knew about the disappearance of Ho-Lee Krackauer was wrong! He didn’t achieve satori – he got a bonk on the head and ran away with the circus!” [For more on this story – and, you know you’re curious, don’t try to deny it – see: “What We Didn’t Know and When We Didn’t Know It”] “Well! It doesn’t matter! They’re going to have to pry the award’s pointy bits from where they are poking into my cold, dead chest! Owwwww!”
I looked at the alternate version of myself with pity. There but for the grace of a few bad life choices – okay, probably more than a few, but I’m trying to be poetic, here – went I. There was only way of responded to this sad spectacle: I ordered Gidget to shoot it all, down to the last shuddering detail. It was the least I could do.
I’m sure that if the roles had been reversed, Brenda would have shown me the same respect.
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Author Bio: Ira Nayman is a class M planet in the Orion constellation. Or, is he a Toronto based humour writer. If he was, Ira would have a Web site, Les Pages aux Folles (http://www.lespagesauxfolles.ca), which is updated weekly with new writing and cartoons. He would have three collections of Alternate Reality News Service stories in print (Alternate Reality Ain’t What It Used To Be, What Were Once Miracles Are Now Children’s Toys and Luna for the Lunies!) and would be looking for a publisher for a novel, Welcome to the Multiverse*. He would have produced the pilot for a radio play based on those stories, called “The Weight of Information,” and a book trailer called “A Book Trailer Called ‘Book Trailer,’” both of which could be found on YouTube. In 2010, Ira would have won first prize in the Jonathan Swift Satire Writing Contest. But, perhaps he is a class M planet dreaming he is a humour writer…
* Sorry for the Inconvenience
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ira.nayman
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/ARNSProprietor
GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=Ira+Nayman
Buy Link: Alternate Reality Ain’t What It Used To Be on Kindle
Buy Link: What Were Once Miracles Are Now Children’s Toys in Print
Buy Link: Luna for the Lunies! in Print
Buy Link: Luna for the Lunies! on Smashwords
“The Weight of Information, Part One:” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GdLRV-S4mY
“The Weight of Information, Part Two:” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIXAi9gnpSk
This is the pilot for a radio series based on stories out of the first two Alternate Reality News Service books.
June 18, 2012
Ten Questions with… Belinda Frisch
Today for Ten Questions, I welcome Belinda Frisch!
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Author Bio: Belinda Frisch’s fiction has appeared in Shroud Magazine, Dabblestone Horror, and Tales of Zombie War. She is an honorable mention winner in the Writer’s Digest 76th Annual Writing Competition and the author of the horror novel, DEAD SPELL, the short story compilation, CRISIS HOSPITAL, TALES FROM THE WORLD, THE WARD, AND THE BEDSIDE and the newly released novel CURE, the first in the Strandville Zombie Series.
Blog: http://belindaf.blogspot.com
You can find her books at http://amazon.com/author/belindafrisch or on her blog, and soon Barnes & Noble!
About the Writer
1. What five words describe you?
Quirky, methodical, curious, dark, and determined.
2. What was the first story you ever wrote? I mean the really bad one we all have that you’re trying to hide in the back of closet now that you’re published?
To be honest, I have NO IDEA the first story I ever wrote. I’ve been writing stories since my early teens and a lot has transpired since then. I don’t have any of my old notebooks or journals, though I’d love to know where they all ended up. Maybe someday they’ll surface. I can guarantee it was horror, whatever it was.
3. What inspires you?
Other writers inspire me, either directly or through their work. Sometimes I read or watch something and I set off immediately for a blank page. Wonder Boys might be one of those books/movies that get me every time. Almost Famous and Inception are two others.
4. What distracts you?
Currently, our new granddaughter distracts me. She’s only four months old and we spend a lot of time with her. Kudos to the writing moms out there that have figured out how to write with an infant. I just can’t manage it.
5. What’s your favorite story? This can be specific, as in a particular book or even story-driven movie, or general, like “I’m a sucker for a hero looking for redemption story.”
Hmm…Belinda by Anne Rice has been a favorite tale of mine since I was a teen. Rice is who originally started me reading voraciously. Oddly enough, she wrote a character that was a lot like I was, back then. I think it’s the way a reader relates to characters that makes their story a favorite.
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About the Writing
1. Tell us about your currently available titles.
Fiction-wise, I have a YA horror novel titled DEAD SPELL which is the proverbial bloodletting tale. Harmony, my main character, nested just beneath my skin and begged me to let her out. She’s touched some people, for sure, and writing her was therapeutic.
CRISIS HOSPITAL is a collection of short stories that were previously published including one which won me honorable mention in the 76th Annual Writer’s Digest Writing Competition.
CURE is the first mainstream horror novel in a planned series and is hot off the presses as of June 17, 2012. For fans of zombies and medicine, this one covers the events leading up to the zombie apocalypse in a scientific way that is fast-paced and twisted.
2. What’s your favorite part about writing these stories?
My favorite part about writing these stories is probably the research. I love learning new things and CURE, especially, speaks to my inner medical gal. I’ve spent 15 years in medicine and have only recently exited corporate America to write full-time.
3. What would your characters say about you? Be honest!
What would they say about me? I bet it’d be easier to answer what they’d say to me, like “stop torturing me.” Depends on the character, but I’ll stick with Harmony from DEAD SPELL since she’s my favorite. I think she’d say I am stronger than I give myself credit for.
4. Who would play your favorite character if they made a movie of their story?
That’s so tough and I hate to pick someone so popular because of the Twilight series, but Kristen Stewart would rock the role of Harmony. I base this on her portrayal of Joan Jett, not Bella Swan.
5. Do you have any projects currently in the works you want to talk about?
CURE is so new that it is my pet project right now, but AFTERBIRTH, its post-apocalyptic sequel, is in the works. I’m outlining and writing the chapters in between launching CURE. Stay tuned for more on this one.
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Thank you, Belinda, for joining us today! Good luck with your writing!
June 14, 2012
Character Interview: Darlene Jones & Victor from “Empowered”
Today’s guests are Darlene Jones and Victor from the book Empowered. Welcome, and enjoy!
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Mia: What is the name of the book where we’ll find you? Can you tell us a little about it?
Victor: EMPOWERED is a love story with a twist of sci-fi. Jasmine thinks she’s invincible and she thinks it’s because powers “out there somewhere” are controlling her. She basing all of this on visions she had as a child, if you can believe? What a nut case, gorgeous, but a nut case, I tell you.
Mia: Tell us a little about yourself. Where do you fit into the story? What should we know about you?
Victor: I’m the poor schmuck Jasmine sets her eyes on. She thinks I’m her soulmate. She thinks we’ve lived before. We’ve only just met and she’s already planning our honeymoon and named the babies. To make a bad situation worse, she’s got my parents wrapped around her little finger.
Mia: What do you think of the author? Be honest. We won’t tell.
Victor: I think she’s a hopeless romantic. Gotta give her credit for imagination, though. And she knows a lot about the world – education and third world conditions so she’s not a total loss. In fact she’s pretty impressive most of the time.
Mia: How do you feel about the story you’re in?
Victor: Most of the time I feel I’m in over my head. I mean, Jasmine is rich. Jasmine is beautiful. And me? I’m just this regular guy trying to do his bit to make one little corner of the world better.
Mia: Do you like being a character in the book?
Victor: Hum, I guess I really don’t mind all that much. I mean what guy wouldn’t trade places with me when he saw Jasmine. And it’s me she wants. Did I mention that she’s a great cook?
Mia: How do you see your future? Without giving anything away about the story, naturally.
Victor: Knowing Jasmine and her wild beliefs, it could go on forever or be a series at least.
Mia: What do you know about your author’s plans? Can we expect to see you in any future stories?
Victor: She’s pretty closed mouthed about that, but her little brain is hatching schemes, I’m sure. That’s why I think there is a series in this. Will I be in it? I damn well better be. If she’s going to put me through the hell of dealing with Jasmine – the nut case, remember – then I want another kick at the can.
Mia: Let’s say they make a movie about this book. Who do you want to play you, and why?
Victor: Someone better looking than me, but not a pretty boy. I’d say Denzel Washington, but he’s maybe a bit too old. Sydney Poitier in his day … no I’m not that smooth, not that sophisticated. I guess I’ll leave that to the director. This book would make a good movie now that you mention it.
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Author Bio: A long time ago, I lived in Mali. Every single day, I wished I could wave a magic wand to relieve the heart wrenching poverty. My experiences there led to the writing of this story. Some aspects of EMBATTLED reflect my desire to wave that wand and make the world a better place—if only wishes could come true. And of course, every novel needs its love story, so along with the sci-fi magic, I’ve added the requisite romance.
Initially, I intended to write “a” novel. The story and characters took over and the ending of EMBATTLED demanded another. EMPOWERED is that “other.” I’ve always believed we can’t be the only beings existing in the vastness of the universe, There must be others “out there somewhere” and I’d like to believe they’re not all that different from us. Those beliefs are reflected in my writing. My novels stay, for the most part, within the realities of our world, but I’ve found that I love the magic the sci-fi element of other beings could bring to a story.
Author Site: http://www.emandyves.com
Buy Link: Smashwords
Buy Link: Amazon
June 13, 2012
“Sweet Dreams (The Lyndsey Roughton Anthology)”
Descent is now part of an anthology!
It can be found in Sweet Dreams (The Lyndsey Roughton Anthology). All of the funds go to the family of Lyndsey Roughton, who is a young woman in England who has been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor.
Her dream has always been to travel around Thailand and Vietnam. All of the proceeds of this book are going directly to her family in order to make her dream come true. Not only is one of my stories featured, but I have read all of the stories (my review) and it is worth checking out. Please take a look and help give this young woman her dream vacation.
You can read more information about Lyndsey and her story at the blog of J. H. Sked here. Or you can find out even more information about Lyndsey here. I’m very glad to have been a part of this project. Thank you to all the contributors and purchases, and all my best wishes and prayers to Ms. Roughton.
Sweet Dreams (The Lyndsey Roughton Anthology) features the following authors: Joseph Garraty, Namoi Clark, Jason McKinney, Chris Fraser, J H Sked, Mia Darien, Jeffrey Poole, Richard Shury, Leanne Fitzpatrick, Renee Carter Hall, Joseph Occipinti, Sky Corbelli, Edward Larel, Jana Hill, Nicholas Ordinans, Leigh Roughton, and B. Throwsnaill.
It is available for sale at Amazon.
June 12, 2012
Character Interview: Bone & Simon from Elizabeth Baxter’s “Circle Spinner and Other Tales”
I am happy to present another interview where an author was brave enough (foolish enough?) to let me step into their world for a while! Here are Bone and Simon from one of the tales in Circle Spinner and Other Tales by Elizabeth Baxter!
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Bone pulled a cigarette from behind his ear, lit it and took a long pull. As the smoke twirled out his nostrils he sat back in the chair, feeling satisfaction flood through his body. Finally, they had come up with a plan. Finally they were going to act. Finally, those thieving dwarves were going to get what was coming to them! There was a knock on the door and Simon timidly pushed it open. Bone scowled around his cigarette. What did that little pipsqueak want?
Stepping inside with no small amount of visible effort, Simon came up near Bone. Not too close, but close enough. “Do you have a minute? I wanted to ask some, you know, questions. About what’s going on here. In Fey, I mean.”
“S’pose. But if you’ve come here looking to scrounge a cigarette, you can sling your bloody hook. I’m on my last packet. Can’t get more till we get back to your world.”
“No… No… Not looking for a cigarette.” Briefly considering stepping closer, Simon elected against it. “I just wanted to know more about this place, seeing that I’ve agreed to help and all.” He paused, considering just what he wanted to know, but there seemed to be too many questions to choose from. “What’s it like here? Aside from the problems.”
“Prince Dan says I gotta be nice to you. Thinks you’re gonna save us or some such crap. You look like a long streak of nuffin to me. Hang on! Don’t go running off! I can be nice. Alright, take a seat. Hmmm. What’s Fey like? Well, it’s the best of places, if you ask me. What’s the word you’d use in your world? “Cosmapolitan?” Coz that means loads of different people living together, right? And that’s what we got. You walk down a street here and you’ll see elves and trolls and nymphs and goblins and even sometimes a centaur or two. And we got along okay, more or less. Until those blasted Minedigger dwarves changed it all, of course.”
“What happened?” Simon asked, feeling half certain he was okay still standing here. “I mean, how did it start? With the dwarves?”
“They’ve always been a damned miserable bunch those dwarves. But mostly they kept to themselves, up in their mountain cities where they could squabble and feud till their hearts’ content. That was fine until a few years ago when the blasted Minedigger clan took over. Not sure what happened, but there’s rumours of some sort of bloobath up in Rath Kanar. Then all of a sudden, the dwarves are united under the Minediggers and they’re no longer content sitting up in the mountains, oh no. They want what Prince Dan has. Want it all. Want the power. Want the riches. Want just about bloody anything they can get their grubby little hands on. It started small at first. You know, the odd person disappearing here and there, contraband turning up on the streets. Then Prince Dan foiled a protection racket they had going on over at Simmeth. Turns out they’d been terrorizing the goblin villages all down the coast. Well, they didn’t take kindly to the prince putting a stop to it. All hell broke loose. Got a bit nasty for a while, but the prince won out. He can be pretty terrifying when he wants to be. But then they nicked the Iron Crystal and it all changed. They’ve been using it to travel to your world and bring back arms and drugs and gods-knows-what. If they aren’t stopped, it could be the end of Fey.”
‘Terrifying’ hadn’t been a word Simon had thought of for the prince, but he didn’t say so. “What’s to stop them from just doing something else, if you get the Iron Crystal back?”
“Well you’re bloody optimistic aren’t you? Look, they’ve only got so powerful coz they can lay their hands on stuff that we can’t. Stuff they get in your world. If we can cut off their supply, we can stamp them out good and proper. Course, if it were up to me, I’d just trap the buggers in your world and be done with it. But Prince Dan won’t go for that. He’d say, “It’s unethical to inflict non-indigenous races on a new home world”, or some such crap.”
Simon wanted to voice his agreement with Prince Dan, but one look at Bone kept that from happening. “Well, then, I guess we just have to get back that Crystal.”
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Author Bio: Elizabeth Baxter was born and raised in England. In her spare time she enjoys reading, hiking, traveling the world and watching England play cricket. She’s been writing since she was six years old and plans to continue for as long as she’s able to hold a pen (or a keyboard).
Website/Blog: http://elizabethbaxter.blogspot.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/smallblondhippy
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/elizabethbaxterauthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5743309-elizabeth-baxter
Buy Link: Amazon
Buy Link: Amazon UK
June 11, 2012
Ten Questions with… Sean DeLauder
Today with us is Sean DeLauder, author of the hysterical sci-fi novella The Speaker for the Trees. Thank you for being here!
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Author Bio: This author has held several positions in recent years, including Content Writer, Grant Writer, Obituary Clerk, and Staff Writer, and is under the false impression that these experiences have added to his character since they have not contributed much to his finances. He was awarded a BFA in Creative Writing and Journalism and a BA in Technical Communication by Bowling Green State University because they are giving and eager to make friends. He has a few scattered publications with The Circle magazine, Wild Violet, Toasted Cheese, and Lovable Losers Literary Revue, and resides in the drab, northeastern region of Ohio because it makes everything else seem fascinating, exotic, and beautiful.
He is currently at work on a trilogy involving heroes, dirt, and monsters that cannot be defeated, only escaped.
Author Website: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
I do have a Goodreads blog, but I’m not a very enthusiastic blogger and I have a boy who was born in January, so I don’t spend as much time on it as I should if I wanted it to be successful.
You can find his work at Amazon, in both digital and print!
About the Writer
1. What five words describe you?
Oxymoronic
Persistent
Distracted
Skeptical/Misanthropic
Hopeful
Oxymoronic could probably be implied just by glancing at the list, but most people are an amalgamation of constantly evolving contradictions in personality, opinion, etc., they’re just reluctant to admit it. At least, that’s how I rationalize my inconsistency. And, so far as I know, I’m not bipolar or dangerous in any fashion.
With regard to persistence, I’m the sort of person who doesn’t get things done in a single herculean effort. However, I am the sort of person who will continue at something, even if intermittently, until it is done, for eternity if necessary. I think if you told me to cut down a tree with a hatchet, I probably wouldn’t spend hours at a time whacking away. But I would certainly give it a smack once a day, consistently, until it fell over. In that respect, I am the Andy Dufresne of lumberjacks.
I do have periods of intense, seemingly unbreakable concentration. And yet, despite these episodes of tenacity, I feel like I’m very easily distracted. It’s rare that I engage in one task completely without devoting 30% of my brain to getting excited about what I’m going to do next, even when the Thing I’m Doing Right Now is the Thing I’ve Been Waiting All Day To Do.
My skepticism is pervasive enough that I rarely take anyone’s word at something unless they have proven themselves a reliable source. This could be due to a misanthropic distrust, but one that seems pretty well founded considering the world is built upon a foundation of ulterior motives that seemingly only on occasion consists of unadulterated truths. It also helps me make an effort to ground even my most surreal stories in some kind of truth or explain the behavior of all my characters, beyond the stereotypical.
To continue in the vein of somewhat incompatible characteristics, I find myself ever cheering for human accomplishment. Maybe this is a form of species narcissism or home-team fanhood, but I want humanity to do well, I think they can do well, and if they don’t… my pessimistic side told me long before that it couldn’t have happened any other way.
2. What was the first story you ever wrote? I mean the really bad one we all have that you’re trying to hide in the back of closet now that you’re published?
When I was seven years old, I wrote a story about a raccoon that changed species each time it sneezed. I don’t remember how the story ended, nor do I remember how anyone found out about it, but I remember this painfully illustrated story (my drawing skills were, and remain, impressionistic at best) in a small ringed notepad landing me in a writing contest in Toledo, Ohio. I recall being subject to several hours of workshopping before being asked to write an original story for judging. Not surprisingly, I decided that writing, which I’d undertaken because it was fun and limitless, was boring, and didn’t try it again for some time.
To the relief of some, and probably the despair of many, that hiatus was not permanent.
3. What inspires you?
In a truly astounding piece of irony, I would say humanity inspires me. I am inspired by human potential. I find it amazing how far we’ve come in so little time—the plot of human technological advancement over time looks more and more like a hockey stick—and I’m excited by where we might be headed. I am fascinated by how much technology mirrors fiction—how often do you learn about some new piece of technology that had been described 30 years ago in some novel by Heinlein, or some such? It’s fascinating to think that in some future time, some piece of technology I dreamt up might one day become a reality.
Why is this inspiration ironic? I am an unabashed misanthrope, made so by my experience with people who make me wonder how so many achievements were possible by a species so bigoted, insensitive, and in many, many, many cases, profoundly stupid. If anything, I think this serves to emphasize just how brilliant the few geniuses of the world are—they move us forward intellectually and technologically despite the crushing burden of carrying 4 billion imbeciles on their shoulders. I wish I could say the same for myself, but my genius is dubious, my knees bother me, and I get sore if I put too much strain on my back.
4. What distracts you?
That really depends on how invested I am in something. If I am fully invested in something, be it writing, reading, or a particularly satisfying sandwich, I become impenetrable. A bomb might go off in my home and the first hint I would have of a world outside my sandwich might be elicited in an expression of disappointment as the sandwich disintegrates in my hand. Any attempts to interrupt these instances of intense concentration are about as hopeless as a woodpecker with a rubber beak.
In terms of writing, my habits are pretty poor. Not that I don’t have a grasp on the English language or that my penmanship is indecipherable (though, admittedly, when I scribble down ideas on napkins or scraps of envelope, as far as anyone else is concerned, they may as well be encrypted), but I have a bad habit of making sure I complete every conceivable chore I can think of before I sit down and write. I don’t know if this is because I don’t want to have any distractions encamping themselves in the back of my mind or if I’m putting off writing for fear of not being able to write well—and that seems like a perfectly normal fear for a writer who wants to do well to have.
Ultimately, my most productive times are when I have an idea that is so pervasive that it gets in the way of everything else—just the reverse of whenever I try to sit down and write of my own volition.
5. What’s your favorite story? This can be specific, as in a particular book or even story-driven movie, or general, like “I’m a sucker for a hero looking for redemption story.”
This is easy: any story that champions perseverance in the face of adversity. If I could give that story a name, it would be The Once and Future King. If I could give that story an author, it would be T.H. White. In effect, my own writing is an homage to that ideal—I’m chasing something I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to achieve, any more than a mountain climber’s ultimate goal is to climb all the way to the moon. Dan Fogelberg said it best in Leader of the Band: “My life has been a poor attempt to imitate the man, I’m just a living legacy to the leader of the band.”
Okay, so maybe that comparison is a bit more dire and hopeless than I’d like, and I don’t really feel my style is comparable to White’s, but my esteem for White’s collection of Arthurian tales really makes it seem… unachievable to write a story that cohesive and meaningful. The futility inherent in that story being a king trying to create a great civilization, but fighting against the one thing he cannot overcome and will ever be the ruin of perfect harmony: human nature. Grim as that may sound, it is the warmest, most well-written, most brilliant, troubling, amusing, and funny story I’ve ever read. It may not be the strongest in each of those categories, but it’s certainly close and it combines them in a way that I have never encountered in a book before.
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About the Writing
1. Tell us about your currently available titles.
At present there is just one: The Speaker for the Trees. Christopher Lambert might tell you that there can be only one, but that is patently untrue. The rest just aren’t finished yet.
2. What’s your favorite part about writing these stories?
In every story I learn a little more about people and about myself. Each of my characters is, in some way, an extension of myself. Each character represents a fragment of my own character, or what I would like it to be, and it’s interesting to see how components of my personality interact with one another, especially when they do not agree. We’re all a bunch of tightly nested hypocrisies, and it’s fascinating to see which aspects of personality win out based on the situation.
I also enjoy the sheer experimentation that comes from writing. I am the master of my domain—all that I can imagine, can be, if I will it. Writing is often a two-step process for me that begins with me trying to invent something completely off the wall and then trying to make sense of it.
3. What would your characters say about you? Be honest!
My characters would say what they lack in intellect they make up for in persistence. This is a trait they inherited directly from their creator. They would probably rue their heavy reliance upon persistence due to the lack of intellect their creator is capable of bestowing upon them, given his own shallow resources.
4. Who would play your favorite character if they made a movie of their story?
Being what it is, I’m not sure any Hollywood actors would fit the physical requirements to play Hedge. I can see uber character actors Christian Bale or Daniel Day Lewis making valiant attempts, but ultimately coming up short on account of a lack of awkwardness. I think Hedge is an intelligent, but mildly awkward and uncertain character. Zero Mostel probably had the right body type, but wouldn’t be the right person to play the character—not sure he could dial down the “zany” sufficiently. Plus, he’s suffering from a heretofore incurable case of Dead, which has dampened his performances for some time.
The closest person I can think of would be Kyle Gass of Tenacious D. I think he affects just enough awe with the world when he’s out of his element, and just enough confidence when he’s in it.
5. Do you have any projects currently in the works you want to talk about?
At present I have four main projects that I’m working on. I have a trilogy that focuses on the nature of heroes, good and evil, human nature, and all those fun things that I enjoy thinking and writing about. All of which are in varying stages of completion. At present, I don’t have a name to encompass the entire trilogy, but the individual titles are pretty well set and straightforward: A Hero, The Least Envied, and A Villain.
I’m also working on the content for a graphic novel, which my wife is extremely enthusiastic about. It’s entitled Millennium Man and concerns a man who, at the peak of human civilization, was the first in a program to extend human life so people existed to prevent the mistakes of the past by avoiding the need to relearn lessons over and over again. Unfortunately, there is a cataclysmic disaster that ruins the world, essentially sending the planet back to a level of technology similar to the dark ages, in which technology is treated as a villain because it was unable to save the planet, while theocracy rises to new heights. The main character spends his dwindling millennium of existence as a hated and hunted relic trying to return humanity to a path of scientific exploration and trying to point out the human hypocrisy and fear created by the existing social fabric. That’s not to say I have a deep and abiding hatred of religious organizations, but I think it’s clear that when they go wrong they can go really, really wrong.
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Sean, thank you for visiting us today, and best of luck with your writing!
June 8, 2012
Adelheid Chronicle: Interview with the Indie Book Blogger
Welcome to a little bit of fun! This isn’t part of my usual series of interviews. Today, a reporter for the Adelheid Chronicle interviewed Scott, the Indie Book Blogger! He’s one of the moderators of my GoodReads group, runs a blog devoted to Indie books and is a good friend to the indie writer community! He is also a great sport, and this was a fun interview. He stepped into the world of Adelheid for a while, and I hope he enjoyed his stay. 
Blog: http://indiebookblogger.blogspot.com/
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AC: Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Scott: I grew up reading a lot, but got away from it for several years. When my grandfather passed away I was told to get any books from his library that I wanted and I discovered Tom Clancy, W.E.B. Griffin, and many others that reignited my love of reading. My freshman year of school a friend of mine introduced me to the worlds of Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance and that’s when I became a fantasy addict. I’ve been married for almost 2 years now and I have a wonderful little girl that I love to spend time reading to and hope to pass my love of reading to.
AC: Why did you decide to start a blog that reviews indie (self-published) books?
Scott: When my wife got me a Kindle for Christmas in 2010 I saw the lower price tag on indie books and gave them a try. Then I started to cruise the forums looking for new authors and started my own thread on Amazon for authors to pitch their books to me and if they caught my interest I would read and review them. I started getting a few reviewer copies and decided to start a blog to shine as much light as I could on some of the fantastic authors I had found.
AC: What’s the best thing you’ve found about reading and reviewing indie books?
Scott: The indie community is filled with some great people and I’ve made some wonderful friends. There is also no place to find deals as great as you will when you find a fantastic indie author.
AC: What’s the worst?
Scott: There are some terrible books out there with all the good ones. I have found several that seriously need edited and formatted by a professional.
AC: What’s your favorite genre?
Scott: I will always be a fan of the classic fantasy theme with knights, dragons, magic, etc… although I have really been branching out since starting the blog.
AC: Any indie authors that stand out to you to recommend to our readers?
Scott: I always miss some people when I do these lists so I apologize in advance. Lindsay Buroker, Jeffrey Poole, B. Justin Shier, G. David Walker, David Alderman, Robert Day, Ann Charles, Christopher Bunn, John Hartness, Dean Murray, and Marilyn Peake to name a few.
This list doesn’t include several wonderful small pub authors that I have met as well.
AC: How do you feel your general experience working with indie authors has been?
Scott: I’m extremely glad that I started this blog and became a small part of the indie community. I have a great time reading and reviewing all these books and the giveaways and interviews are a blast as well.
AC: Okay, let’s get down to the hot topic that is still on everyone’s mind, even more than a year later. Cameron’s Law, Preternatural Rights: for or against? You can be honest.
Scott: I totally support the members of the alternate species to have protected rights under Cameron’s Law.
AC: Good for you to be so open-minded. A lot of people aren’t these days. But you have to admit, it’s a little odd that all the creatures you’ve been seeing in movies and reading about in books are now sitting next to you on the bus or shopping alongside you at the grocery store, isn’t it?
Scott: To be totally honest I haven’t noticed a ton of difference. I’m not out that much at night so my chances of running into a vampire are fairly slim and shifters blend in pretty well unless they are changed.
AC: I know you said that classic fantasy is a favorite. Did you read much of the horror and paranormal genre before all this law stuff happened?
Scott: Not really, knights and wizards fighting dragons have always been my thing. Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, Eberron, and Warhammer take up the majority of my library space. Though some Warhammer is pretty dark and might qualify as horror in some aspects.
AC: Do you know any supernaturals personally?
Scott: I haven’t confirmed anything, but I suspect a few of the people I went to highschool with are actually shifters. I really would like to get to a know some people who are comfortable with it and who wouldn’t be bothered by my endless curiousity.
AC: Do you think the paranormal indie writers out there will keep writing about vampires and werewolves as much as they ever did, and in the same ways, or will this new world see new fiction along with it?
Scott: I think that the genres will continue to exist, but people will actually have real sources for their info. Their won’t be anymore confusion on whether or not vampires are bothered by garlic or running water since you can call one up and ask. I also imagine that the more time that passes the less you will see vampires and werecreatures being typecast as mindless homicidal creatures.
The new aspects of fiction can only be helpful to get some new ideas. Bring on the vampire wizard’s saving the world from an invasion of outerspace monkey like creatures while spouting bad poetry! (This is an example of why I don’t write myself lol)
AC: Well, thank you for your time, Scott. Have fun out there in the indie writing world!
June 7, 2012
Character Interview: Ann Lee Miller & Raine from “Kicking Eternity”
I’m happy to welcome Ann Lee Miller and Raine Zigler to the blog today, from Ann’s book Kicking Eternity. She’d like to let our readers know that anyone who leaves a comment on this post with their email will receive a free copy of the book! Or, if you’d like a free copy but do not wish to leave your email, you can contact her through her website: http://www.AnnLeeMiller.com
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Mia: What is the name of the book where we’ll find you? Can you tell us a little about it?
Raine: Kicking Eternity is the story about my last summer stuck in sleepy New Smyrna Beach. I socked away my camp pay checks, worried about my druggy brother, and ignored trouble: Cal Koomer. I was a plane ticket away from teaching orphans in Africa, and not even Cal’s sufer six-pack and the chinks I spied in his rebel armor would derail me.
The night I met Cal he told me the artist in him begged to paint my ivory skin, high cheek bones, and internal sparklers behind my eyes, but falling for me would caterwaul him into his parents’ life. No thanks, he said. I was self-righteous waiting to happen. His mother served sanctimony like vegetables, three servings a day, and he had a gut full. Guess he changed his mind.
Rec Director Drew taunted me with “Rainey” and called me an enabler. He was so infernally there like a horsefly—till he buzzed back to his ex.
My brother, Eddie, tweaked. My dream of Africa died small deaths. I didn’t know if I’d ever figure out what to fight for and what to free before it was too late.
Mia: Tell us a little about yourself. Where do you fit into the story? What should we know about you?
Raine: I’m usually not self-centered, but the story is about me—how after a lifetime of pressing my nose to the screen watching others live, I finally made friends—the kind that stick—how I had to lose my dream before I got a better one. You should know I’m pigheaded about God and about getting what I want, and the two don’t always link arms and stroll into the sunset together.
Mia: What do you think of the author? Be honest. We won’t tell.
Raine: I think she’s a better storyteller than she gives herself credit for. I heard her say all novelists are insecure. Amen. Preach it sister.
Mia: How do you feel about the story you’re in?
Raine: My stomach churns whenever I think about it—so much drama that summer. Eddie’s meth use spiraled out of control. Tension, tension, tension with Cal, Drew, and my dad. My entire future hung in the balance.
Mia: Do you like being a character in the book?
Raine: To you I’m a character, but this was my life. I lived every day of those ten and a half weeks. It’s not a summer I want to relive, but it turned out pretty well in the end.
Mia: How do you see your future? Without giving anything away about the story, naturally.
Raine: It’s not exactly the future I pictured, but a whole lot better.
Mia: What do you know about your author’s plans? Can we expect to see you in any future stories?
Raine: I know she’s got three more books coming out in 2012 and the beginning of 2013. I seriously doubt I play much of a role in any of them. My life is happy these days, not much grist for a novel.
Mia: Let’s say they make a movie about this book. Who do you want to play you, and why?
Raine: Maybe Anne Hathaway, but she’d have to get her hair cut just below the ears like mine. I’m just sayin’…
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Author Bio: Ann Lee Miller earned a BA in creative writing from Ashland (OH) University and writes full-time in Phoenix, but left her heart in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, where she grew up. She loves speaking to young adults and guest lectures on writing at several Arizona colleges. When she isn’t writing or muddling through some crisis—real or imagined—you’ll find her hiking in the Superstition Mountains with her husband or meddling in her kids’ lives.
Author Site: http://www.AnnLeeMiller.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AnnLeeMiller
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ann-Lee-Miller/356653761022022
Buy Link: Amazon
Buy Link: Barnes & Noble
