Carl Alves's Blog, page 49
February 10, 2014
Alien sightings Part 2: UFO Battle over Nuremburg and Lights Over Lubbock
The Battle over Nuremburg
On April 16, 1561 there was what is believed to be an aerial combat over Nuremberg, Germany. Witnesses found objects in the sky in the shape of balls, three wide and four long. A professional illustrator, Hans Glasser witnessed the event and described the objects as globes, vessels that resembled flying crosses, and long cigar-shaped tubes engaging in combat. A story in the Nuremburg Gazette described the event as a “dreadful apparition” and also described it as a sign of the wrath of God.
Lights over Lubbock
In 1951, Professor W.I. Robinson and two of his colleagues from Texas were standing in his backyard found a series of about twenty to thirty lights in the sky that formed a V shape over Lubbock, Texas. Moments later, an additional series of lights flashed across the sky. Professor Drucker, who had been present that evening, witnessed an additional dozen of these lights over the next few months. Carl Hart Jr., an 18 year-old-boy took photos of these lights. The photo of the incident made its way to Life Magazine, but a credible explanation has never been given. Some people have tried to claim that these were birds, but this theory has been shot down, and the situation remains unresolved.
On April 16, 1561 there was what is believed to be an aerial combat over Nuremberg, Germany. Witnesses found objects in the sky in the shape of balls, three wide and four long. A professional illustrator, Hans Glasser witnessed the event and described the objects as globes, vessels that resembled flying crosses, and long cigar-shaped tubes engaging in combat. A story in the Nuremburg Gazette described the event as a “dreadful apparition” and also described it as a sign of the wrath of God.
Lights over Lubbock
In 1951, Professor W.I. Robinson and two of his colleagues from Texas were standing in his backyard found a series of about twenty to thirty lights in the sky that formed a V shape over Lubbock, Texas. Moments later, an additional series of lights flashed across the sky. Professor Drucker, who had been present that evening, witnessed an additional dozen of these lights over the next few months. Carl Hart Jr., an 18 year-old-boy took photos of these lights. The photo of the incident made its way to Life Magazine, but a credible explanation has never been given. Some people have tried to claim that these were birds, but this theory has been shot down, and the situation remains unresolved.
February 4, 2014
Alien sighting Part 1: Ezekiel and the Wheel in the Sky/Captain William Schaffner
Ezekiel and the Wheel in the Sky
Around 600 BC, the Hebrew prophet Ezekiel was walking around the Kebar River in current day Iraq, when he saw four glowing, metal, winged creatures with humanoid and animal faces in the center of a storm in the sky filled with lightning. The creatures were riding on vehicles that contained a wheel within a wheel. Above them was a sparkling vault with a humanoid creature that was sitting, who he interpreted as being God. Biblical scholars believe that this was an appearance by God and his angels, but why would they require something that resembled a space ship? UFO specialists believe that this may have been a stargate.
Captain William Schaffner
On September 8, 1970, after radar picked up an unidentified flying object over the North Sea, Captain Williams Schaffner took off on his BAC Lightning, and intercepted a conical object that they had picked up on radar. All contact with Schaffner was lost, but three months later his plane was recovered undamaged on a seabed. Schaffner, however, was never found.
Around 600 BC, the Hebrew prophet Ezekiel was walking around the Kebar River in current day Iraq, when he saw four glowing, metal, winged creatures with humanoid and animal faces in the center of a storm in the sky filled with lightning. The creatures were riding on vehicles that contained a wheel within a wheel. Above them was a sparkling vault with a humanoid creature that was sitting, who he interpreted as being God. Biblical scholars believe that this was an appearance by God and his angels, but why would they require something that resembled a space ship? UFO specialists believe that this may have been a stargate.
Captain William Schaffner
On September 8, 1970, after radar picked up an unidentified flying object over the North Sea, Captain Williams Schaffner took off on his BAC Lightning, and intercepted a conical object that they had picked up on radar. All contact with Schaffner was lost, but three months later his plane was recovered undamaged on a seabed. Schaffner, however, was never found.
February 2, 2014
10 Questions with Eric J. Guignard
1. What provides you greater satisfaction, your work as an anthology editor or as an author?
Hmm, I really have to take the unsatisfying middle road on that answer, in that they both provide me great satisfaction, just in different ways. I really look at editing and writing as completely different processes, like asking if I prefer baseball over the color green. I find editing is easier for me than writing. Writing is emotionally exhausting, whereas editing I can do all day long. And I love the chance to connect and work with other writers while editing. But I love so much to type “The End” at the end of a writing piece – it’s a wonderful, fulfilling sense. Both are different journeys to a creative destination.
2. What’s the greatest moment in your writing career?
I remember the greatest moment so distinctly because of its sheer exaltation, which is somewhat laughable now. It was when I received my very first Acceptance for a story to be printed in an actual book!!! I was going to be a published author! I really did jump up and down with joy, dancing with my wife, and even hung the signed contract on my refrigerator, next to my son’s artwork. Of course, it was a “For the Love of” anthology market, which paid nothing, not even a complimentary contributor’s copy. The publisher was a tiny indie outfit and went of business a few months later. I always empathize with people promoting FTLO markets; I no longer work with them, but that really was a confidence-building moment. Not a bad or shameful moment as it is with some writers, just the first of many steps. Now, my great moments are meeting authors that I admire, generally at conventions.
3. Why did you choose the topic of what occurs after a person’s life for your latest anthology?
At some time, every person wonders about death, not in a morbid sense, but at the question of “what comes next”? This is (arguably) our greatest unsolved mystery, and I wanted to explore it in more speculative terms, considering a composite of beliefs touching on different ideas and points of view. I feel I succeeded well in this, though I leave that decision to be reached by each reader! These fiction stories range from horror to science fiction to humor to inspirational. The book includes 34 tales, each illustrated, and explores perspectives from various cultures, philosophies, hopes, or fears. Within these pages, follow the ghost of an Australian cowboy. Discover what the “white light” really means to the recently departed. Consider the impact of modern, or future, technology on the dead. Follow the karmic path of reincarnation. Visit the realms of Greek Hades, Viking Valhalla, and Chinese Fengdu, and travel from the cruelest levels of Hell’s torments to the celestial realms of eternal paradise. For more information on this anthology, visit: http://ericjguignard.com/after_death....
4. Who is your favorite writer?
In my teen years my favorite horror writers were Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Clive Barker, and Anne Rice. Besides horror, my early literary years were further inspired by John Steinbeck, O. Henry, George Orwell, Jack Kerouac, and Mark Twain. Recently, I’ve turned to others whom I’ve fallen in love with and who more heavily impact my writing: Joe R. Lansdale, Robert McCammon, Dan Simmons, and Neil Gaiman.
5. What’s the best short story you have ever read?
Oh so many, so many... as I sit here some that come to mind include:
“Orange Is for Anguish, Blue for Insanity” by David Morrell
"The Devil and Daniel Webster" by Stephen Vincent Benét
“Dolphin’s Way” by Gordon R. Dickson
A story by Poppy Z. Brite that I cannot remember the name of, about a pirate’s ghost that seduces a goth girl in New Orleans (probably in one of Thomas Monteleone’s “Borderlands” anthologies).
6. What current writing projects are you working on?
I’m about 50,000 words into a dark fantasy/ historic fiction novel following a 1930s depression-era hobo who rides the rails across America, discovering the underlying meaning of the written Hobo language. This will be my first full-length novel and titled, “Chestnut ’Bo” (accepting major NY Publishers’ offers now!).
7. Is there any author that you were surprised that you had the opportunity to work with on one of your anthologies?
I was thrilled to work with all of my authors. Some were writers I had long admired, so that was particularly satisfying, such as Joe R. Lansdale, Steve Rasnic Tem, Bentley Little, and others.
8. What made you start writing?
I’ve been drawing and writing stories ever since I was a child. However I stopped in college, in order to pursue business and “serious-minded” life necessities... which, of course, I now regret. I don’t regret the pursuit of those things, but I dearly regret having given up writing for so many years. I only jumped wholeheartedly into writing three years ago after the realization struck me that I was missing out on something I once was passionate about. There’s much more back story to this answer, too, but it gets rather long-winded and emotional. But I consider my writing birth date to be February, 2011. I’ve been madly trying to make up for all those earlier lost years!
9. Is there any subject that is off limits for you as a writer?
I’m pretty much a traditionalist. I always try to remain open-minded, but I was raised in a conservative, religious household, and I still hold onto most of those values in some way. My earliest media influences are Twilight Zone, Stephen King, and comic books, and because of that I tend to write with the same sort of audience in mind. I probably wouldn’t create anything that would be blatantly offensive: abuse centered around children or animals, hardcore porn (at least not publicly!), or promotion of hate toward any people based on religion, ethnicity, etc.
10. If you could invite five people to a dinner party (alive or dead, real or fictional) who would you invite?
OMG, I’m the biggest geek when it comes to genealogy (family history research) and have written books on my lineages. The answer to this question would foremost be my own deceased ancestors whom I would kick a puppy to chat with (see violation of previous question). Of course, that’s somewhat of a dull answer for everyone else, so I’ll go with the following list: Stephen King, Thomas Jefferson, Rod Serling, and Adam and Eve (pre-apple).
Hmm, I really have to take the unsatisfying middle road on that answer, in that they both provide me great satisfaction, just in different ways. I really look at editing and writing as completely different processes, like asking if I prefer baseball over the color green. I find editing is easier for me than writing. Writing is emotionally exhausting, whereas editing I can do all day long. And I love the chance to connect and work with other writers while editing. But I love so much to type “The End” at the end of a writing piece – it’s a wonderful, fulfilling sense. Both are different journeys to a creative destination.
2. What’s the greatest moment in your writing career?
I remember the greatest moment so distinctly because of its sheer exaltation, which is somewhat laughable now. It was when I received my very first Acceptance for a story to be printed in an actual book!!! I was going to be a published author! I really did jump up and down with joy, dancing with my wife, and even hung the signed contract on my refrigerator, next to my son’s artwork. Of course, it was a “For the Love of” anthology market, which paid nothing, not even a complimentary contributor’s copy. The publisher was a tiny indie outfit and went of business a few months later. I always empathize with people promoting FTLO markets; I no longer work with them, but that really was a confidence-building moment. Not a bad or shameful moment as it is with some writers, just the first of many steps. Now, my great moments are meeting authors that I admire, generally at conventions.
3. Why did you choose the topic of what occurs after a person’s life for your latest anthology?
At some time, every person wonders about death, not in a morbid sense, but at the question of “what comes next”? This is (arguably) our greatest unsolved mystery, and I wanted to explore it in more speculative terms, considering a composite of beliefs touching on different ideas and points of view. I feel I succeeded well in this, though I leave that decision to be reached by each reader! These fiction stories range from horror to science fiction to humor to inspirational. The book includes 34 tales, each illustrated, and explores perspectives from various cultures, philosophies, hopes, or fears. Within these pages, follow the ghost of an Australian cowboy. Discover what the “white light” really means to the recently departed. Consider the impact of modern, or future, technology on the dead. Follow the karmic path of reincarnation. Visit the realms of Greek Hades, Viking Valhalla, and Chinese Fengdu, and travel from the cruelest levels of Hell’s torments to the celestial realms of eternal paradise. For more information on this anthology, visit: http://ericjguignard.com/after_death....
4. Who is your favorite writer?
In my teen years my favorite horror writers were Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Clive Barker, and Anne Rice. Besides horror, my early literary years were further inspired by John Steinbeck, O. Henry, George Orwell, Jack Kerouac, and Mark Twain. Recently, I’ve turned to others whom I’ve fallen in love with and who more heavily impact my writing: Joe R. Lansdale, Robert McCammon, Dan Simmons, and Neil Gaiman.
5. What’s the best short story you have ever read?
Oh so many, so many... as I sit here some that come to mind include:
“Orange Is for Anguish, Blue for Insanity” by David Morrell
"The Devil and Daniel Webster" by Stephen Vincent Benét
“Dolphin’s Way” by Gordon R. Dickson
A story by Poppy Z. Brite that I cannot remember the name of, about a pirate’s ghost that seduces a goth girl in New Orleans (probably in one of Thomas Monteleone’s “Borderlands” anthologies).
6. What current writing projects are you working on?
I’m about 50,000 words into a dark fantasy/ historic fiction novel following a 1930s depression-era hobo who rides the rails across America, discovering the underlying meaning of the written Hobo language. This will be my first full-length novel and titled, “Chestnut ’Bo” (accepting major NY Publishers’ offers now!).
7. Is there any author that you were surprised that you had the opportunity to work with on one of your anthologies?
I was thrilled to work with all of my authors. Some were writers I had long admired, so that was particularly satisfying, such as Joe R. Lansdale, Steve Rasnic Tem, Bentley Little, and others.
8. What made you start writing?
I’ve been drawing and writing stories ever since I was a child. However I stopped in college, in order to pursue business and “serious-minded” life necessities... which, of course, I now regret. I don’t regret the pursuit of those things, but I dearly regret having given up writing for so many years. I only jumped wholeheartedly into writing three years ago after the realization struck me that I was missing out on something I once was passionate about. There’s much more back story to this answer, too, but it gets rather long-winded and emotional. But I consider my writing birth date to be February, 2011. I’ve been madly trying to make up for all those earlier lost years!
9. Is there any subject that is off limits for you as a writer?
I’m pretty much a traditionalist. I always try to remain open-minded, but I was raised in a conservative, religious household, and I still hold onto most of those values in some way. My earliest media influences are Twilight Zone, Stephen King, and comic books, and because of that I tend to write with the same sort of audience in mind. I probably wouldn’t create anything that would be blatantly offensive: abuse centered around children or animals, hardcore porn (at least not publicly!), or promotion of hate toward any people based on religion, ethnicity, etc.
10. If you could invite five people to a dinner party (alive or dead, real or fictional) who would you invite?
OMG, I’m the biggest geek when it comes to genealogy (family history research) and have written books on my lineages. The answer to this question would foremost be my own deceased ancestors whom I would kick a puppy to chat with (see violation of previous question). Of course, that’s somewhat of a dull answer for everyone else, so I’ll go with the following list: Stephen King, Thomas Jefferson, Rod Serling, and Adam and Eve (pre-apple).
January 30, 2014
After Death... by Eric J. Guignard
After Death... starts off with a cool premise, what happens after a person dies. Sometimes the stories occur immediately after death, sometimes it’s during a much longer time line. There is a mix of big name horror authors and lesser known ones, and overall a really good flow to the anthology. One of the things that I really enjoyed about the anthology was the short introductions that precede each of the stories. They were little nuggets of insight that added to the stories and were a nice touch. There were a variety of topics from the ferryman transporting the dead, to reincarnation, to purgatory, hell, heaven, and many places in between.
Like most anthologies, not all of the stories worked, but most of them were quite good. If I had to single out a few that I especially enjoyed, they would have to be “Someone to Remember” by Andrew S. Williams, which starts off the book on the right track; “The Resurrection Policy” by Lisa Morton, which I found to be crafty and creative; and “The Devil’s Backbone” by Larry Hodges, which I found to be well-conceived, well-executed, and well-written, my favorite in the anthology. There is a lot of good short fiction in this anthology, and it was impeccably edited. This is an anthology that I highly recommend.
Like most anthologies, not all of the stories worked, but most of them were quite good. If I had to single out a few that I especially enjoyed, they would have to be “Someone to Remember” by Andrew S. Williams, which starts off the book on the right track; “The Resurrection Policy” by Lisa Morton, which I found to be crafty and creative; and “The Devil’s Backbone” by Larry Hodges, which I found to be well-conceived, well-executed, and well-written, my favorite in the anthology. There is a lot of good short fiction in this anthology, and it was impeccably edited. This is an anthology that I highly recommend.
January 28, 2014
The Story Behind the Story: Last Man Standing
My story Last Man Standing, which is being currently out in Dark Eclipse, Issue #30, is the third in a series of stories that I wrote about extreme reality television shows where things go horribly wrong. My first story How Far Will You Go, featured seven contestants who did ultra-extreme challenges for the chance at a big prize. The contest ended with several of the contestants dying. The second in the series was a story called Secret, which also had seven contestants. In this case, each of the contestants had terrible secrets in their past that they had to agree to be revealed on national television in order to progress to get the massive cash prize. In this case, contestants also wound up dead after things got out of control.
The host of each of these series was Brad Billington, a former star college football player, who is desperate for attention and success. He returns as the host of Last Man Standing, and is ostensibly the main character of the story. Brad is ruthless and shallow, and will do anything to get back on top after the wildly successful runs of his first two shows. Because this new series is so extreme, the producers of the show abandoned the use of network or cable television and went straight to internet and television pay per view. In this story, there are sixteen contestants who are set up in a deserted island. Each of the contestants is a prisoner of the absolute worst variety. The goal of the show is simple. They have to be the sole survivor—literally. The contestants have to kill each other.
I am a fan of the show Survivor, and have watched every season of the show. I patterned many of the things that happen in my story after the show. The contestants form alliances, generally with prisoners of similar backgrounds, they have to find food and shelter, and of course they have to kill each other, which is where it varies differently from the show.
With so many characters and a word count of about 6000 words, one of the big challenges was giving the characters unique personalities so that the reader would remember who they are and that it wouldn’t become a jumbled mess. There were factions in the show- drug dealers, neo-Nazis, and international terrorists as well as a couple of stragglers like a child molester and a cannibal so scary that even the hardened prisoners fear him– but I tried to give each character at least one very distinguishable feature about themselves.
This story is very violent and not for the faint of heart. I tried to make each of the deaths as gruesome and visceral as possible because I think that would be the way it would go down. They had to use either hand-made weapons or kill each other with their bare hands. The only way that sort of thing would happen would be for the killings to be brutal and violent.
This is a story that I really enjoyed writing and hope that readers will also enjoy.
The host of each of these series was Brad Billington, a former star college football player, who is desperate for attention and success. He returns as the host of Last Man Standing, and is ostensibly the main character of the story. Brad is ruthless and shallow, and will do anything to get back on top after the wildly successful runs of his first two shows. Because this new series is so extreme, the producers of the show abandoned the use of network or cable television and went straight to internet and television pay per view. In this story, there are sixteen contestants who are set up in a deserted island. Each of the contestants is a prisoner of the absolute worst variety. The goal of the show is simple. They have to be the sole survivor—literally. The contestants have to kill each other.
I am a fan of the show Survivor, and have watched every season of the show. I patterned many of the things that happen in my story after the show. The contestants form alliances, generally with prisoners of similar backgrounds, they have to find food and shelter, and of course they have to kill each other, which is where it varies differently from the show.
With so many characters and a word count of about 6000 words, one of the big challenges was giving the characters unique personalities so that the reader would remember who they are and that it wouldn’t become a jumbled mess. There were factions in the show- drug dealers, neo-Nazis, and international terrorists as well as a couple of stragglers like a child molester and a cannibal so scary that even the hardened prisoners fear him– but I tried to give each character at least one very distinguishable feature about themselves.
This story is very violent and not for the faint of heart. I tried to make each of the deaths as gruesome and visceral as possible because I think that would be the way it would go down. They had to use either hand-made weapons or kill each other with their bare hands. The only way that sort of thing would happen would be for the killings to be brutal and violent.
This is a story that I really enjoyed writing and hope that readers will also enjoy.
January 25, 2014
Movie Review: The Hunger Games Catching Fire
When I watched the first Hunger Games movie, I was disappointed with it. The movie was illogical and it had massive plot holes. I went back and read the novel by Suzanne Collins, and that gave me renewed optimism. The novel was well-written and the story line made far more sense. Watching the trailer to the movie made it a shoe-in. I had to watch Catching Fire and was glad that I did. The acting was sharp, the plot was tight, the action and special effects was top notch. It was in every way superior to the first movie.
In Catching Fire, Katniss Everdeen, expertly played by Jennifer Lawrence, and Peeta, are back home after having survived the Hunger Games. President Snow is hardly pleased with their act of defiance in the Hunger Games or the fact that Katniss is now seen as a symbol of hope against the Capital’s tyrannical reign. He puts it under no uncertain terms that if she doesn’t toe the line, he will kill all of the people she cares about. To this end, with the new Games Master they come up with a scheme to have winners of previous games being the only ones eligible for this year’s pool of tributes. Naturally that lands Katniss and Peeta back in the game. I thought they could have spent a bit more time in the Game itself. That felt rushed at times, and they went from one action scene to another without much transition. The ending was explosive. Be warned that this is really just half of a two part movie, and not a stand-alone story unto itself. Still, if you watched the weak effort put forth in the first movie, you will definitely want to watch this one.
In Catching Fire, Katniss Everdeen, expertly played by Jennifer Lawrence, and Peeta, are back home after having survived the Hunger Games. President Snow is hardly pleased with their act of defiance in the Hunger Games or the fact that Katniss is now seen as a symbol of hope against the Capital’s tyrannical reign. He puts it under no uncertain terms that if she doesn’t toe the line, he will kill all of the people she cares about. To this end, with the new Games Master they come up with a scheme to have winners of previous games being the only ones eligible for this year’s pool of tributes. Naturally that lands Katniss and Peeta back in the game. I thought they could have spent a bit more time in the Game itself. That felt rushed at times, and they went from one action scene to another without much transition. The ending was explosive. Be warned that this is really just half of a two part movie, and not a stand-alone story unto itself. Still, if you watched the weak effort put forth in the first movie, you will definitely want to watch this one.
January 23, 2014
10 Questions with Jeffrey Wilson
Well, certainly, as a surgeon, I’m no stranger to the creepiness of a large hospital late at night. After a five year residency in General Surgery and a two year fellowship in Vascular, I have spent way too many nights in the hospital, and I can tell you it is a creepy damn place, even for those of us that work there, much less for the poor patients who lay awake, scared of all that is going on around them. Fear of the unknown is the worst kind of fear, and that is what the average person’s time in the hospital is full of. As scary as that is already—with the unknown and pain and anxiety—imagine adding on top of that something truly evil and supernatural. That’s what I tried to do in DONORS. Of course, my background in medicine helped write the hospital and medical scenes with an additional level of realism and authority, but this story is very character driven and I did my best not to tie it up in too much science and jargon which contributed little to the story and character arc. I hope I left the reader with enough realism to make the supernatural elements even more frightening.
2. Do you outline prior to writing your story, or do you work out the plot as you write?
Definitely while I write. I have a great deal of admiration for authors who work out all the details in advance, but it just never really works for me. I am currently working on a project which I am co-writing with my friend and one of my favorite authors Brian Andrews (THE CALYPSO DIRECTIVE) and he is one of those very detailed authors. He outlines every single chapter. I have so much respect for his ability to work that way, but for me I lose some of the energy that comes from allowing the story to unfold as I work, and it shows when I do that. It sounds kind of Hokey, but as a very character driven story teller, I need my characters to tell me what they would do next, and if I outline a great deal, I lose that. It’s like I put them in some sort of box in my mind and they can’t get out to whisper to me like I need. Rarely do I have any idea how my stories end until I am within fifty pages or less of the ending.
3. Has becoming a published author changed your life in any way?
Well, it certainly has it pros and cons, but make no mistake, the pros win out. None of us would write if we didn’t want our work to be read and enjoyed. Publishing your work validates you, for sure, and helps you build the confidence that you are doing something right. When you start getting messages from your readers and feedback from your fans, it is really eye opening. You become a writer instead of someone who would like to be a writer. And working with professional editors makes your writing much better moving forward. You learn so much from that experience that you avoid some of those pitfalls next time (though not always, my editors would tell you.)
On the flip side—and this is a great trade off, so I’m not complaining—you find yourself with a lot less time to write, as crazy as that sounds. Nowadays, I find myself struggling to regain lost momentum on whatever project I’m working on. Whenever I get going, there always seems to be edits to review on the next book release or re-writes my agent is requesting on something she is shopping for me. There are radio, internet, and magazine interviews. All of this is fun, but it pulls you back into a book you have finished and it takes time, for me anyway, to get my head back into the new world I’m trying to create on my laptop.
I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
4. Is there an overall theme to your writing?
I never really thought about that, but it’s a great question. There are certainly themes that recur in my books, though always in new and different context. I find that my work deals frequently with loss and the pain associated with it. Several of my books have a military backdrop, though to date none are classic style military thrillers. There is a frequent theme of family, where characters have or may lose loved ones and are struggling to save them from some evil—either outside or from within. As you know, my work so far has always had strong supernatural themes. I like to take a more classic genre like military thriller, or in the case of THE DONORS, a medical thriller, and then weave a strong supernatural element through the story. I find that using the supernatural allows you to create worlds and circumstances for your characters that bring out the best and the worst in them. It gives you sort of an accelerated character arc.
5. What made you start writing?
Jeez, that’s tough. I’ve written my whole life, so it is really impossible to tell you that. When I just a kid, I would write out detailed new stories for my favorite TV shows, like Star Trek or whatever. I published my first short story when I was 14 (not as impressive as my son Connor’s accomplishment of publishing his first book at age 11 and becoming the youngest traditionally published fiction writer in America, but what can you do?) and have written stories ever since. As you know, I have had a rather eclectic life—working in a vast variety of careers from actor to firefighter to jet pilot to Naval officer to Dive instructor to Vascular Surgeon back to Naval officer and then working with Naval Special Warfare. But writing has always been the constant. I have written and sometimes published short stories my entire life. I had dreamed of writing a novel, but honestly just never thought I had the attention span.
Now it seems like all of those experiences were just seeds to grow the vast fields from which I can harvest new characters and stories. I wrote my first novel while deployed and was shocked to find that novels are actually much easier to write then short stories. It is so much easier to develop your characters and make them come to life without the confines of a word limit. In fact, even after all those years, I now find it a real challenge to write short fiction well.
6. Who is your favorite writer?
Connor Wilson, of course (www.thegiantpencil.com). Connor is my son, so I’m very biased, but he writes with a freshness and an easy honesty that is awesome. He also has an incredible imagination.
If you exclude relatives, then it’s toughter. I have rather eclectic tastes in my reading so it kind of depends on the day. I grew up devouring everything Stephen King wrote and his ability to make characters so real they leave the pages and sit beside you is the inspiration for becoming the very character driven storyteller that I am now. I used to love Edgar Allen Poe as a kid, and would read his stuff under my covers with a flashlight when I was supposed to be asleep—usually scaring the crap out of myself in the process. I am also a fan of the thriller genre, and loved Robert Ludlum in the day. I am a fan of the late Vince Flynn’s incredible storytelling ability.
More recently I have become a fan of Joe Hill. I love the work of Benjamin Kane Ethridge and think that he is a rising star in the horror genre. In the thriller genre I am fan of Brian Andrews as well as Lee Child’s Jack Reacher character.
The list goes on and on and definitely includes the writers in my answer to your question about military fiction down below.
7. What current writing projects are you working on?
Well, as you know FADE TO BLACK came out this past summer as my third novel with JournalStone. I’m in love with that book, because it has a lot of very personal elements in it. I wrote the book while deployed far-forward near the Syrian border in Iraq, and it deals with a lot of the fears associated with leaving a family behind while in harm’s way. My favorite book is always the one I’m working on at that moment, but FADE TO BLACK will always be special to me. I finished my fourth supernatural thriller JULIAN’S NUMBERS a few months ago and recently completed the edits for my agent who is shopping that book now. I LITERALLY just finished my fifth novel , WAR TORN, which is in review by my agent as we speak. It is a departure for me, having only very light supernatural elements. Instead it is a story of a crisis of faith for a young man and his family after suffering the loss of his best friend while deployed in Afghanistan. As I mentioned earlier, I am currently working on a new book that is a more classic, military/spy thriller which I am co-writing with Brian Andrews. The details of that book are, as you might imagine, highly classified for now.
8. How do you use social media to promote your writing?
Not nearly as often or as well as I should. I have a website (www.jeffreywilsonfiction.com) where I post updates and information about appearances etc. On that site I have an “author’s Desk” section where I share my thoughts with no where near the frequency that I should. I don’t use Facebook or twitter, though I know I’m supposed to. I do okay with interviews like this, but I am not comfortable with the web based media self promotion. I know it’s probably important, but I suck at it. Instead I just hope for the best, let my publicist do her thing to set up media interviews and appearances, and then focus on the next book.
9. What is your favorite military novel?
It would be impossible to pick just one. As a military combat veteran, I like a lot of realism in my military fiction, so I thoroughly enjoy Tom Young’s work. THE RENEGADES was awesome as were the follow up books in the series SILENT ENEMY and THE MULLAH’S STORY. I haven’t read THE WARRIORS yet, but it’s on my list. I really enjoyed Stephen Coonts’ Jake Grafton series beginning with THE FLIGHT OF THE INTRUDER.
Brad Taylor, a former Army Special Forces Operator, writes with just the kind of realism I love, so anything by him. Interesting, as I look over my list here, all three of these authors are current or former military men with real war time experience.
10. If you could invite five people to a dinner party (alive or dead, real or fictional) who would you invite?
I couldn’t limit it to just five… I would need more seats at my table and I would invite all the brothers I lost on August 6th, 2011 in Afghanistan as well as the few who we lost in the years leading up to that tragic day. Wendy and I would cook all day and it would be the reunion of the century with my friends and their widows and children.
2. Do you outline prior to writing your story, or do you work out the plot as you write?
Definitely while I write. I have a great deal of admiration for authors who work out all the details in advance, but it just never really works for me. I am currently working on a project which I am co-writing with my friend and one of my favorite authors Brian Andrews (THE CALYPSO DIRECTIVE) and he is one of those very detailed authors. He outlines every single chapter. I have so much respect for his ability to work that way, but for me I lose some of the energy that comes from allowing the story to unfold as I work, and it shows when I do that. It sounds kind of Hokey, but as a very character driven story teller, I need my characters to tell me what they would do next, and if I outline a great deal, I lose that. It’s like I put them in some sort of box in my mind and they can’t get out to whisper to me like I need. Rarely do I have any idea how my stories end until I am within fifty pages or less of the ending.
3. Has becoming a published author changed your life in any way?
Well, it certainly has it pros and cons, but make no mistake, the pros win out. None of us would write if we didn’t want our work to be read and enjoyed. Publishing your work validates you, for sure, and helps you build the confidence that you are doing something right. When you start getting messages from your readers and feedback from your fans, it is really eye opening. You become a writer instead of someone who would like to be a writer. And working with professional editors makes your writing much better moving forward. You learn so much from that experience that you avoid some of those pitfalls next time (though not always, my editors would tell you.)
On the flip side—and this is a great trade off, so I’m not complaining—you find yourself with a lot less time to write, as crazy as that sounds. Nowadays, I find myself struggling to regain lost momentum on whatever project I’m working on. Whenever I get going, there always seems to be edits to review on the next book release or re-writes my agent is requesting on something she is shopping for me. There are radio, internet, and magazine interviews. All of this is fun, but it pulls you back into a book you have finished and it takes time, for me anyway, to get my head back into the new world I’m trying to create on my laptop.
I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
4. Is there an overall theme to your writing?
I never really thought about that, but it’s a great question. There are certainly themes that recur in my books, though always in new and different context. I find that my work deals frequently with loss and the pain associated with it. Several of my books have a military backdrop, though to date none are classic style military thrillers. There is a frequent theme of family, where characters have or may lose loved ones and are struggling to save them from some evil—either outside or from within. As you know, my work so far has always had strong supernatural themes. I like to take a more classic genre like military thriller, or in the case of THE DONORS, a medical thriller, and then weave a strong supernatural element through the story. I find that using the supernatural allows you to create worlds and circumstances for your characters that bring out the best and the worst in them. It gives you sort of an accelerated character arc.
5. What made you start writing?
Jeez, that’s tough. I’ve written my whole life, so it is really impossible to tell you that. When I just a kid, I would write out detailed new stories for my favorite TV shows, like Star Trek or whatever. I published my first short story when I was 14 (not as impressive as my son Connor’s accomplishment of publishing his first book at age 11 and becoming the youngest traditionally published fiction writer in America, but what can you do?) and have written stories ever since. As you know, I have had a rather eclectic life—working in a vast variety of careers from actor to firefighter to jet pilot to Naval officer to Dive instructor to Vascular Surgeon back to Naval officer and then working with Naval Special Warfare. But writing has always been the constant. I have written and sometimes published short stories my entire life. I had dreamed of writing a novel, but honestly just never thought I had the attention span.
Now it seems like all of those experiences were just seeds to grow the vast fields from which I can harvest new characters and stories. I wrote my first novel while deployed and was shocked to find that novels are actually much easier to write then short stories. It is so much easier to develop your characters and make them come to life without the confines of a word limit. In fact, even after all those years, I now find it a real challenge to write short fiction well.
6. Who is your favorite writer?
Connor Wilson, of course (www.thegiantpencil.com). Connor is my son, so I’m very biased, but he writes with a freshness and an easy honesty that is awesome. He also has an incredible imagination.
If you exclude relatives, then it’s toughter. I have rather eclectic tastes in my reading so it kind of depends on the day. I grew up devouring everything Stephen King wrote and his ability to make characters so real they leave the pages and sit beside you is the inspiration for becoming the very character driven storyteller that I am now. I used to love Edgar Allen Poe as a kid, and would read his stuff under my covers with a flashlight when I was supposed to be asleep—usually scaring the crap out of myself in the process. I am also a fan of the thriller genre, and loved Robert Ludlum in the day. I am a fan of the late Vince Flynn’s incredible storytelling ability.
More recently I have become a fan of Joe Hill. I love the work of Benjamin Kane Ethridge and think that he is a rising star in the horror genre. In the thriller genre I am fan of Brian Andrews as well as Lee Child’s Jack Reacher character.
The list goes on and on and definitely includes the writers in my answer to your question about military fiction down below.
7. What current writing projects are you working on?
Well, as you know FADE TO BLACK came out this past summer as my third novel with JournalStone. I’m in love with that book, because it has a lot of very personal elements in it. I wrote the book while deployed far-forward near the Syrian border in Iraq, and it deals with a lot of the fears associated with leaving a family behind while in harm’s way. My favorite book is always the one I’m working on at that moment, but FADE TO BLACK will always be special to me. I finished my fourth supernatural thriller JULIAN’S NUMBERS a few months ago and recently completed the edits for my agent who is shopping that book now. I LITERALLY just finished my fifth novel , WAR TORN, which is in review by my agent as we speak. It is a departure for me, having only very light supernatural elements. Instead it is a story of a crisis of faith for a young man and his family after suffering the loss of his best friend while deployed in Afghanistan. As I mentioned earlier, I am currently working on a new book that is a more classic, military/spy thriller which I am co-writing with Brian Andrews. The details of that book are, as you might imagine, highly classified for now.
8. How do you use social media to promote your writing?
Not nearly as often or as well as I should. I have a website (www.jeffreywilsonfiction.com) where I post updates and information about appearances etc. On that site I have an “author’s Desk” section where I share my thoughts with no where near the frequency that I should. I don’t use Facebook or twitter, though I know I’m supposed to. I do okay with interviews like this, but I am not comfortable with the web based media self promotion. I know it’s probably important, but I suck at it. Instead I just hope for the best, let my publicist do her thing to set up media interviews and appearances, and then focus on the next book.
9. What is your favorite military novel?
It would be impossible to pick just one. As a military combat veteran, I like a lot of realism in my military fiction, so I thoroughly enjoy Tom Young’s work. THE RENEGADES was awesome as were the follow up books in the series SILENT ENEMY and THE MULLAH’S STORY. I haven’t read THE WARRIORS yet, but it’s on my list. I really enjoyed Stephen Coonts’ Jake Grafton series beginning with THE FLIGHT OF THE INTRUDER.
Brad Taylor, a former Army Special Forces Operator, writes with just the kind of realism I love, so anything by him. Interesting, as I look over my list here, all three of these authors are current or former military men with real war time experience.
10. If you could invite five people to a dinner party (alive or dead, real or fictional) who would you invite?
I couldn’t limit it to just five… I would need more seats at my table and I would invite all the brothers I lost on August 6th, 2011 in Afghanistan as well as the few who we lost in the years leading up to that tragic day. Wendy and I would cook all day and it would be the reunion of the century with my friends and their widows and children.
January 18, 2014
The Donors by Jeffrey Wilson
The Donors is a macabre tale that spins between the world of the known and a shadowy world where these creatures known as the Lizard Men prey on unsuspecting victims of a hospital. Their aim is to inflict as much pain and suffering on their victims as they can, meanwhile harvesting skin and organs from the donors. Nathan, a young boy who finds himself in the hospital after being horribly burned by his mother’s boyfriend, has a special gift that makes him a threat to the Lizard Men. Together with Jason Gelman, the ER doc who first saw him when he was admitted to the hospital, they must stop the Lizard Men from claiming more victims, including their loved ones.
This is a novel that puts front and center of it the eerie and the creepy. There are many chilling moments throughout the novel. The Lizard Men are unique horror villains who have sinister motives, even when at first it appears they are delivering their malice to people who deserve it. There are times along the way where some aspects of the story are a little difficult to understand, but the ending to the story is well set up. The tension continues to build throughout the narrative and the climax has a fiery conclusion. If you enjoy good horror, then this is a novel you will want to read.
This is a novel that puts front and center of it the eerie and the creepy. There are many chilling moments throughout the novel. The Lizard Men are unique horror villains who have sinister motives, even when at first it appears they are delivering their malice to people who deserve it. There are times along the way where some aspects of the story are a little difficult to understand, but the ending to the story is well set up. The tension continues to build throughout the narrative and the climax has a fiery conclusion. If you enjoy good horror, then this is a novel you will want to read.
January 12, 2014
Blood Song by Cat Adams
Blood Song is an example of a novel where the saying “less is more” rings true. Unfortunately, the author seems to be convinced that more is more. More, in this case, means throwing every sort of paranormal entity that has ever existed and throwing them at the proverbial wall of a 350 page book and hoping that it sticks. Unfortunately, it doesn’t. In this novel, there are vampires aplenty, werewolves, half-vampires, telepaths, mind readers, mages, demons, militant priests who fight against demons, ghosts, and sirens. I’m sure I’m missing a bunch of paranormal entities. And here lies the problem. It becomes a jumbled mess after a while. Each of these things by themselves might be interesting, but all together, they lose their punch.
In the novel, Celia Graves is a paranormal bodyguard, who has been hired to guard a prince of a small European country. Things go wrong, and she winds up getting bit by a vampire. Without a good explanation, she doesn’t fully become a vampire. Even more annoying, the vampire who sired her doesn’t even figure into the novel. Conspiracies abound. There are too many characters in general in this novel, and too many paranormal characters more specifically. Things happen with no explanation. The end result is that I quickly lost interest in the novel and never gained it back. This is a novel you will probably want to skip.
In the novel, Celia Graves is a paranormal bodyguard, who has been hired to guard a prince of a small European country. Things go wrong, and she winds up getting bit by a vampire. Without a good explanation, she doesn’t fully become a vampire. Even more annoying, the vampire who sired her doesn’t even figure into the novel. Conspiracies abound. There are too many characters in general in this novel, and too many paranormal characters more specifically. Things happen with no explanation. The end result is that I quickly lost interest in the novel and never gained it back. This is a novel you will probably want to skip.
December 11, 2013
10 Questions with Scott Nicholson
1. You incorporate setting as well into your stories as any writer I have ever read. Is that something you consciously try to achieve or is that a natural progression of your writing? Thanks for the kind words. Setting has always been important to me because I was raised on the old Appalachian front-porch ghost stories. You can’t really take most of them and stick them anywhere else, especially a big city, so it kind of stuck inside me.
2. What’s the greatest moment in your writing career? Sometimes it’s simply finishing the next sentence! I’ve had some fun times and achieved some goals, but hearing from a reader is about the best.
3. Do you believe in ghosts? I’m an open-minded skeptic. I used to do a little paranormal investigating and once had the perception of being “touched,” but I can’t say whether that was physical or psychological.
4. You have gone from being traditionally published to predominately self-publishing your novels. Why did you make the switch and would you recommend this approach to other authors? Half inspiration and half desperation. Now I can write directly for readers instead of other motivations (such as pleasing strangers who control your career). I’ll still write books for Amazon imprints and I’d consider a traditional deal if it made sense. I just go with the flow. I don’t have any ego stake in any particular route. That’s something each writer will just have to personally decide.
5. Is there an overall theme to your writing? I believe it comes down to the big question of “Why are we here and what happens after that?” It’s vague and broad but it’s certainly the biggest mystery we face as humans.
6. What advice do you have for beginning writers? Write a sentence, then the next, and keep on until you’re done, then stop. It’s that easy and that hard. I think Neil Gaiman said something like that.
7. How do you use social media to promote your writing? Just get out there and be yourself. Be good at what you’re good at and don’t waste time on stuff that feels like work.
8. Is there any subject that is off limits for you as a writer? I don’t write erotica or torture stuff. Not a big fan of high-speed car chases and wild shoot-em-ups. Other than that, I will try anything.
9. What is your best quality as a writer? No way to answer that without sounding vain. I think a good trait is that I keep remembering I still have a lot to learn and I try to get better every day.
10. If you could pick one other author to collaborate with on a novel or story, living or dead, who would it be? Stephen King is obvious. But I bet Dr. Seuss would be more fun.
2. What’s the greatest moment in your writing career? Sometimes it’s simply finishing the next sentence! I’ve had some fun times and achieved some goals, but hearing from a reader is about the best.
3. Do you believe in ghosts? I’m an open-minded skeptic. I used to do a little paranormal investigating and once had the perception of being “touched,” but I can’t say whether that was physical or psychological.
4. You have gone from being traditionally published to predominately self-publishing your novels. Why did you make the switch and would you recommend this approach to other authors? Half inspiration and half desperation. Now I can write directly for readers instead of other motivations (such as pleasing strangers who control your career). I’ll still write books for Amazon imprints and I’d consider a traditional deal if it made sense. I just go with the flow. I don’t have any ego stake in any particular route. That’s something each writer will just have to personally decide.
5. Is there an overall theme to your writing? I believe it comes down to the big question of “Why are we here and what happens after that?” It’s vague and broad but it’s certainly the biggest mystery we face as humans.
6. What advice do you have for beginning writers? Write a sentence, then the next, and keep on until you’re done, then stop. It’s that easy and that hard. I think Neil Gaiman said something like that.
7. How do you use social media to promote your writing? Just get out there and be yourself. Be good at what you’re good at and don’t waste time on stuff that feels like work.
8. Is there any subject that is off limits for you as a writer? I don’t write erotica or torture stuff. Not a big fan of high-speed car chases and wild shoot-em-ups. Other than that, I will try anything.
9. What is your best quality as a writer? No way to answer that without sounding vain. I think a good trait is that I keep remembering I still have a lot to learn and I try to get better every day.
10. If you could pick one other author to collaborate with on a novel or story, living or dead, who would it be? Stephen King is obvious. But I bet Dr. Seuss would be more fun.
