Jennifer K. Lafferty's Blog: Authors' Musings, page 10
June 27, 2012
Interview with author Uzuri Wilkerson
"Sweet", by Uzuri Wilkerson,is a novel offering a unique storyline in the vampire genre. Her heroine, Celia, witnesses a brutal murder in which the vampire is the victim. Things become even more complicated when she becomes attracted to a sexy vampire hunter.
So, what does the author herself, Uzuri Wilkerson have to say about "Sweet"?
Q: There’s something especially chilling about the idea of vampires walking amongst us, passing themselves off as regular people. Do you think this element of the story appeals to the instinctive uneasiness most people feel toward strangers?
A: I never thought about that before. I can definitely see the correlation. The advantage for vampires, or at least the ones in my story, is that they have the magic to make humans forget. It’s a bit icky—as Celia feels—but it’s what’s needed for them to survive undetected. Maybe it doesn’t work completely if people still feel uneasy about strangers though…
Q: Why did you set the book in New England?
A: I live in Boston; it’s what I know. I love this city and what it has to offer and I wanted to capture that in the story.
Q: Lately, there seems to be a trend, in vampire fiction, to focus more on vampire hunters. Why do you think this is?
A: Maybe it’s a way of putting vampires back into the “evil” category. Vampires have always been scary creatures of the night. They’re undead. Technically, they aren’t supposed to be walking the earth. The simple fact that the sun destroys them shows that there is something off about their existence. Hunters have to be pretty badass to take on vampires because they are supernaturally strong and fast. Vampires also tend to be killers, so I find that most hunters in fiction are avenging a wrongful death. It adds more complexity to the stories.
Q: How closely do you identify with your central character, Celia?
A: I like to think that Celia says the things that I want to say to people. I’d love to call someone out when they’re acting like a jerk. She’s usually really direct with her feelings and thoughts, which is something I could learn from her. She’s also independent—she maintains a job and has her own money, she has a car, an apartment. All she needs is an overly-affectionate cat, and we’d be the same person in the aspect.
Q: Who are some of the authors who have influenced your work the most?
A: I have to admit that "Sweet" came to mind after reading the Twilight series. I was always into paranormal books but for whatever reason, that series was what inspired me. My novels aren’t always based off other books I’ve read. I have another story about a girl and a cop on the run to save her life. That was actually inspired by an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims’ Unit and by Denzel Washington. I had seen some movie where he played a cop and the idea formed from there.
Q: Are there any genres you would like to explore but haven’t yet?
A: I’ve written urban fiction and one thriller. I also have pieces of an idea for a chick-lit novel. I’ve always wanted to write an episode of Law & Order. Maybe I’ll try for a mystery or do my research and come up with a court drama. My biggest dream would be to write an epic trilogy a lá The Lord of the Rings. Possibly involving people with superhuman abilities. I’m not ready for that yet, though. That will take more time, patience, and storyboarding than I’m able to do at the moment.
So, what does the author herself, Uzuri Wilkerson have to say about "Sweet"?
Q: There’s something especially chilling about the idea of vampires walking amongst us, passing themselves off as regular people. Do you think this element of the story appeals to the instinctive uneasiness most people feel toward strangers?
A: I never thought about that before. I can definitely see the correlation. The advantage for vampires, or at least the ones in my story, is that they have the magic to make humans forget. It’s a bit icky—as Celia feels—but it’s what’s needed for them to survive undetected. Maybe it doesn’t work completely if people still feel uneasy about strangers though…
Q: Why did you set the book in New England?
A: I live in Boston; it’s what I know. I love this city and what it has to offer and I wanted to capture that in the story.
Q: Lately, there seems to be a trend, in vampire fiction, to focus more on vampire hunters. Why do you think this is?
A: Maybe it’s a way of putting vampires back into the “evil” category. Vampires have always been scary creatures of the night. They’re undead. Technically, they aren’t supposed to be walking the earth. The simple fact that the sun destroys them shows that there is something off about their existence. Hunters have to be pretty badass to take on vampires because they are supernaturally strong and fast. Vampires also tend to be killers, so I find that most hunters in fiction are avenging a wrongful death. It adds more complexity to the stories.
Q: How closely do you identify with your central character, Celia?
A: I like to think that Celia says the things that I want to say to people. I’d love to call someone out when they’re acting like a jerk. She’s usually really direct with her feelings and thoughts, which is something I could learn from her. She’s also independent—she maintains a job and has her own money, she has a car, an apartment. All she needs is an overly-affectionate cat, and we’d be the same person in the aspect.
Q: Who are some of the authors who have influenced your work the most?
A: I have to admit that "Sweet" came to mind after reading the Twilight series. I was always into paranormal books but for whatever reason, that series was what inspired me. My novels aren’t always based off other books I’ve read. I have another story about a girl and a cop on the run to save her life. That was actually inspired by an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims’ Unit and by Denzel Washington. I had seen some movie where he played a cop and the idea formed from there.
Q: Are there any genres you would like to explore but haven’t yet?
A: I’ve written urban fiction and one thriller. I also have pieces of an idea for a chick-lit novel. I’ve always wanted to write an episode of Law & Order. Maybe I’ll try for a mystery or do my research and come up with a court drama. My biggest dream would be to write an epic trilogy a lá The Lord of the Rings. Possibly involving people with superhuman abilities. I’m not ready for that yet, though. That will take more time, patience, and storyboarding than I’m able to do at the moment.
June 26, 2012
Interview with Steve Cohen
For anyone curious about the seemingly glamorous profession of travel writing, or the experience of fully embracing life, the dark comedy, “Travel to the G-Spot”, by Steve Cohen will most likely be your cup of tea. This story centers on travel writer Danny Gladstone, who gets a wake up call upon finding out he doesn’t have long to live; and decides to get everything he can out of life before it’s too late.
Let’s hear author Steve Cohen’s thoughts on “Travel to the G-Spot” and the writing process.
Q: How did you get the initial idea for “Travel to the G-Spot”?
A: Working as a travel writer, I couldn't help but notice that the travel stories that were published in newspapers and magazines were a lot different than what was left out, which was sometimes the best part of the trip. Even when a travel story was completely accurate, there was more truth that wasn't included. I thought readers might like to know the whole story, warts and all, which you never ever see in the sort of mainstream travel stories I wrote for many years.
Q: What would you say to all the people who think travel writing is a glamorous and easy line of work?
A: To say it's like anything else, and that it's just a job would be false. It's absolutely one of the best ways to spend your time. Sometimes it is glamorous. Sometimes it is easy, when a story falls into place and the check doesn't bounce. The problem is the economics of travel writing. It's a tough way to make a living. It's not impossible, though, and if you want to work hard at it, 7-days a week hard, forever, you can do it, too. However, it is a "job" that is best suited to the well-to-do, the single and mobile, or anyone who otherwise doesn't need the money, a journalist with a wealthy spouse, no kids, for example. Some childless couples are successful travel writing teams. For those with family responsibilities, growing mouths at home to feed and bills to pay, better think twice.
Q: Everyone knows how important it is to live life to the fullest, but most people don’t seem to make a real effort until something life threatening occurs? What do you think prevents people from fully embracing life?
A: Fear. If you want to live a full life, you have to step outside your comfort zone. It scares the crap out of most everyone. It's a good thing to overcome.
Q: To what extent, if at all, do you identify with your central character, Danny Gladstone?
A: Danny and I share certain characteristics, others not so much. He's fat, for example. I'm not.
Q: Many writers find it difficult to remain motivated during the writing process. Is this ever a problem for you? If so, how do you deal with it?
A: Motivation is a load of crap. Writers write. Motivation is a crutch. You just have to work through the blocks, even if you only get a half-sentence written on a bad day. It's still progress. I guarantee that if you compare motivated and unmotivated writing by the same person you won't be able to tell the difference. That said, sometimes you need a break, take a walk, water the grass, whatever. Every writer has to find their own rhythm. Years ago, when I was starting out, I sometimes sat in my office all day without writing a word, then, invariably, at 4:30 pm I'd start to write. You have to rewrite everything anyway, doesn't everyone know that?
Q: How much planning goes into your books, before you begin to put them on paper?
A: Depends on the book, but pre-production is extremely important. It's not a runaway train. I want to know where I'm going and how I'm going to stop. The ending may change, but it's a target to aim for in every word I write. Travel To The G-Spot has been kicking around for about three years, which is typical. It's pretty easy to come up with ideas for books, but the ones that stick over time are the ones I want to pursue.
Q: Who are some of the writers who have influenced you the most?
A: Writers I admire include Mark Twain, Herman Melville, JD Salinger, Kurt Vonnegut, Jack Kerouac, Ken Kesey, Hunter S. Thompson, Russell Banks, Robert Stone, Robert Silverberg, Frederick Exley, Wendell Berry, Strunk & White, Robert Hunter, Bob Dylan, everyone who ever wrote for TV and movies, and I would be remiss to leave out Aristotle. The Poetics is da bomb.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish with “Travel to the G-Spot”? Distraction.
A: Writing it certainly distracted me from thinking about everything else going on. That's why I write, for the totality and purity of that distraction. One the other end, hopefully it will distract readers from their real lives for a few hours and immerse them in a different world. And I hope it makes them laugh. I like when that happens.
Q: What are your future writing plans?
A: I'm writing a sequel to Travel To The G-Spot. Thanks for asking and thanks for the thoughtful questions
Let’s hear author Steve Cohen’s thoughts on “Travel to the G-Spot” and the writing process.
Q: How did you get the initial idea for “Travel to the G-Spot”?
A: Working as a travel writer, I couldn't help but notice that the travel stories that were published in newspapers and magazines were a lot different than what was left out, which was sometimes the best part of the trip. Even when a travel story was completely accurate, there was more truth that wasn't included. I thought readers might like to know the whole story, warts and all, which you never ever see in the sort of mainstream travel stories I wrote for many years.
Q: What would you say to all the people who think travel writing is a glamorous and easy line of work?
A: To say it's like anything else, and that it's just a job would be false. It's absolutely one of the best ways to spend your time. Sometimes it is glamorous. Sometimes it is easy, when a story falls into place and the check doesn't bounce. The problem is the economics of travel writing. It's a tough way to make a living. It's not impossible, though, and if you want to work hard at it, 7-days a week hard, forever, you can do it, too. However, it is a "job" that is best suited to the well-to-do, the single and mobile, or anyone who otherwise doesn't need the money, a journalist with a wealthy spouse, no kids, for example. Some childless couples are successful travel writing teams. For those with family responsibilities, growing mouths at home to feed and bills to pay, better think twice.
Q: Everyone knows how important it is to live life to the fullest, but most people don’t seem to make a real effort until something life threatening occurs? What do you think prevents people from fully embracing life?
A: Fear. If you want to live a full life, you have to step outside your comfort zone. It scares the crap out of most everyone. It's a good thing to overcome.
Q: To what extent, if at all, do you identify with your central character, Danny Gladstone?
A: Danny and I share certain characteristics, others not so much. He's fat, for example. I'm not.
Q: Many writers find it difficult to remain motivated during the writing process. Is this ever a problem for you? If so, how do you deal with it?
A: Motivation is a load of crap. Writers write. Motivation is a crutch. You just have to work through the blocks, even if you only get a half-sentence written on a bad day. It's still progress. I guarantee that if you compare motivated and unmotivated writing by the same person you won't be able to tell the difference. That said, sometimes you need a break, take a walk, water the grass, whatever. Every writer has to find their own rhythm. Years ago, when I was starting out, I sometimes sat in my office all day without writing a word, then, invariably, at 4:30 pm I'd start to write. You have to rewrite everything anyway, doesn't everyone know that?
Q: How much planning goes into your books, before you begin to put them on paper?
A: Depends on the book, but pre-production is extremely important. It's not a runaway train. I want to know where I'm going and how I'm going to stop. The ending may change, but it's a target to aim for in every word I write. Travel To The G-Spot has been kicking around for about three years, which is typical. It's pretty easy to come up with ideas for books, but the ones that stick over time are the ones I want to pursue.
Q: Who are some of the writers who have influenced you the most?
A: Writers I admire include Mark Twain, Herman Melville, JD Salinger, Kurt Vonnegut, Jack Kerouac, Ken Kesey, Hunter S. Thompson, Russell Banks, Robert Stone, Robert Silverberg, Frederick Exley, Wendell Berry, Strunk & White, Robert Hunter, Bob Dylan, everyone who ever wrote for TV and movies, and I would be remiss to leave out Aristotle. The Poetics is da bomb.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish with “Travel to the G-Spot”? Distraction.
A: Writing it certainly distracted me from thinking about everything else going on. That's why I write, for the totality and purity of that distraction. One the other end, hopefully it will distract readers from their real lives for a few hours and immerse them in a different world. And I hope it makes them laugh. I like when that happens.
Q: What are your future writing plans?
A: I'm writing a sequel to Travel To The G-Spot. Thanks for asking and thanks for the thoughtful questions
June 20, 2012
Interview with author Robert Downs
The hard boiled detective novel is back; and Robert Downs, author of “Falling Immortality: Casey Holden, Private Investigator, is riding the wave. This mystery centers on the tough, witty, womanizing, P.I., Casey Holden, who is hired by a beautiful widow to investigate the two-year murder of her husband. Usually, the storyline takes center stage in a novel, but readers are so intrigued by the provocative Casey Holden, he might be stealing the show.
So, what does the book’s author, Robert Downs have to say about “Falling Immortality: Casey Holden, Private Investigator”, and about MANfiction in general?
Q: Your novel, “Falling Immortality: Casey Holden, Private Investigator”, is in some ways reminiscent of an old-fashioned hard-boiled detective novel. This genre seems to be experiencing a resurgence in popularity. Why do you think that is?
A: Honestly, I have no idea. The book industry is very cyclical, and even though authors are encouraged to be creative, we’re not always encouraged to take risks. The hard-boiled detective novel has always had great writers from the days of Carroll John Daly, Dashiell Hammett, and Raymond Chandler to Mickey Spillane to more modern authors, such as the late Robert B. Parker, Lee Child, Walter Mosley, Robert Crais, and Michael Connelly. It’s a genre I’m proud to be a part of, and I’ll certainly do whatever I can to help promote it. MANfiction deserves a much wider readership.
Q: If you weren’t a writer do you think you would want to be a private investigator? Do you think this line of work is as exciting in real life as it is in books and film?
A: I love writing about private investigators, but I wouldn’t want to actually be one in real life. Fantasy is a great escape from reality, and living a rather mundane existence presents a writer with certain opportunities he wouldn’t otherwise have. If I were a private investigator for a living, I’m not sure I’d actually want to write about it. I use writing and reading as escapes.
Books and films always go for entertainment value, so they glorify what is most likely a mundane job. There are more serial killers in books and movies than we would ever find in real life, just as the majority of a private investigator’s duties are focused around paperwork and computers much more so than dead bodies. But a good mystery almost always involves a dead body, and there are a multitude of mystery novels written every year, so you have to suspend disbelief at least a little bit. Readers read for entertainment value, or at least I do, so you have to cater to this need, while still maintaining a reasonable amount of accuracy.
Q: Who are some of your favorite authors? To what extent have they influenced your work?
A: My list of favorite authors grows several times a year, or at least that’s what it feels like, because I’m always discovering new ones. But if I were forced to make a list, I would certainly include the following (although it’s not all-inclusive): Lee Child, the late Gregory Mcdonald, the late Robert B. Parker, Robert Crais, James Patterson, and Jasper Fforde.
I’d say every author I’ve read has influenced me in some form or fashion, because I’m always discovering new and better ways to write, whether that’s dialogue, exposition, plot, describing characters, etc. I’ve come a long way from my early manuscripts, but I still have a long way to go before I become a great writer. It’s an evolving process, and I’ll never be perfect, but I plan to be the best writer I can be.
Q: Do you see “Falling Immortality: Casey Holden, Private Investigator” being the first in a series?
A: Absolutely. I don’t necessarily recommend this, although it has served me well, but I’d written two sequels before I’d even published Falling Immortality, and in the process of publishing and marketing my debut novel, I’d begun work on three more. Needless to say, I’m fully invested in Casey Holden, and that has more to do with him than it does me, since he can be very demanding, and he has plenty of stories left to tell. But each time I sit down to write another of his books, it’s like revisiting a long lost friend, and we just pick right back up where we left off.
Q: If this novel was made into a motion picture, who would be your personal choice to play Casey Holden?
A: Honestly, I haven’t given it much thought, mainly because I don’t want to jinx it. I’d love for this novel to be made into a movie, as my wife and I are avid movie watchers, and I’d be happy with a number of different actors. For me, it would boil down to an understanding of the character and a willingness to dive right into the role, as I did with the manuscript, and that opens up a number of possibilities. I’m more interested in what my readers have to say on the subject, and a few have some pretty strong opinions on who should play Casey Holden. Hearing my readers’ thoughts is much more pleasurable than tainting their opinions with my own.
Q: In your opinion, what sets “Falling Immortality: Casey Holden Private Investigator” apart from typical detective novels?
A: I’d have to say Casey Holden, my main character. Let’s face it, detective novels have to follow a formula of sorts, as we’re confined to the rules of the mystery genre. But the possibilities become endless when you focus on the characters within the novel, and those characters are only limited by the author’s imagination. And I like to think I have a pretty active imagination. Casey is a character you’ll either love or hate: there’s really no in-between with him, and that’s exactly the way it should be. Because I chose to write in first person, and because I wrote a novel with such a strong character, I wrote a very character-driven novel, although I didn’t realize I was doing it at the time. Ignorance can be a blessing, and I’ve been blessedly ignorant in many aspects of writing this novel, and the series of novels that will hopefully follow.
Q: What other genres are you interested in exploring, as a writer?
A: Just as I don’t place too many limits on the novels I read, I don’t plan to place too many limits on the novels I write. Once I have my feet firmly planted in the mystery genre, I’ll branch out to thrillers, and then from there, I’ll explore more general fiction, and possibly even non-fiction. My dad has been telling me for years that I need to write a book on investing, and someday I’d like to grant his request. The only genre I won’t explore is memoir, as my life really isn’t all that interesting. Writers have been given a beautiful gift—a license to make stuff up—and I plan to have a license covered with creases and smudge marks.
Q: Do you have a primary source of inspiration?
A: No, I grab my ideas from literally everything I’m exposed to. Another gift I’ve been given is an extremely analytical mind, probably to my detriment, in some cases. But it does come in handy when I write. I’m a huge fan of mystery and thriller novels, action movies, and detective TV shows. And it doesn’t stop with books, movies, or TV shows either, as far as I’m concerned anyone I meet, or anyone I read about is fair game as well. Then, on some level that I’m not even aware of, I channel all of this knowledge, pull out the different parts that I like the best, and hopefully create something brand new. I haven’t found a character like Casey Holden yet, and so far neither has my publisher.
Q: To what extent, if at all, do you identify with Casey Holden?
A: My dad has said it best: he’s my alter-ego. And it’s not too far from the truth. He’s an exaggerated version of me, without the filter, moral compass, and conscience to help guide him. He has my sarcasm, but it’s exaggerated to the nth degree. And in my mind, he helps balance the universe, since I’m an introvert in what amounts to an extroverted world. The squeaky wheel gets the grease may be a cliché, but it’s because there’s a lot of truth behind it. Whereas I’ll stand up for myself when a situation warrants it, Casey stands up for himself twenty-four seven. And I have to admit that I like and admire that about him.
Q: Do you think female readers appreciate Casey Holden as much as male readers do?
A: Well, that really depends on your male and female reader. I’ve had some male readers that don’t enjoy him, and I’ve also had some female readers who have felt the same way. On the other hand, I’ve had both male and female readers who have taken him for what he is and enjoyed the ride from the beginning to end. He’s certainly not a character for everyone, and I didn’t set out to please everyone, because if I had, I would have ended up pleasing no one. When I set out on this journey, I wrote the type of book I would want to read, and I let that be my driving force. Because of that, I don’t think I’m limited to a male audience. If you look at the famous MANfiction authors (not that I’m near their caliber yet and I might never be), you’ll find that they have male as well as female readers.
Q: What do you enjoy most about writing?
A: I’d have to say the entire creative process, because it’s entirely different than the mathematical/analytical world that I’m used to. But the best part for me is staring at a blank screen with a blinking cursor and making that page come to life. Because my life has led up to the marketing aspect of the writing process, even though I didn’t realize it at the time, I’ve discovered that creative marketing can be rather fun as well. When it comes to something I love, I’ve never met a challenge yet that I didn’t like.
Q: What are your future writing plans?
A: I plan to write until I’m dead, and even then, I should probably leave instructions in my will for my wife to bury me with a manual typewriter and reams of paper. Since writing is as much a part of me as breathing, I can’t imagine living in a world where I don’t write. That would be one of the worst forms of torture I could possibly imagine.
For More information about Robert Downs and his work visit:
Website: http://www.RobertDowns.net
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RobertDownsBooks
So, what does the book’s author, Robert Downs have to say about “Falling Immortality: Casey Holden, Private Investigator”, and about MANfiction in general?
Q: Your novel, “Falling Immortality: Casey Holden, Private Investigator”, is in some ways reminiscent of an old-fashioned hard-boiled detective novel. This genre seems to be experiencing a resurgence in popularity. Why do you think that is?
A: Honestly, I have no idea. The book industry is very cyclical, and even though authors are encouraged to be creative, we’re not always encouraged to take risks. The hard-boiled detective novel has always had great writers from the days of Carroll John Daly, Dashiell Hammett, and Raymond Chandler to Mickey Spillane to more modern authors, such as the late Robert B. Parker, Lee Child, Walter Mosley, Robert Crais, and Michael Connelly. It’s a genre I’m proud to be a part of, and I’ll certainly do whatever I can to help promote it. MANfiction deserves a much wider readership.
Q: If you weren’t a writer do you think you would want to be a private investigator? Do you think this line of work is as exciting in real life as it is in books and film?
A: I love writing about private investigators, but I wouldn’t want to actually be one in real life. Fantasy is a great escape from reality, and living a rather mundane existence presents a writer with certain opportunities he wouldn’t otherwise have. If I were a private investigator for a living, I’m not sure I’d actually want to write about it. I use writing and reading as escapes.
Books and films always go for entertainment value, so they glorify what is most likely a mundane job. There are more serial killers in books and movies than we would ever find in real life, just as the majority of a private investigator’s duties are focused around paperwork and computers much more so than dead bodies. But a good mystery almost always involves a dead body, and there are a multitude of mystery novels written every year, so you have to suspend disbelief at least a little bit. Readers read for entertainment value, or at least I do, so you have to cater to this need, while still maintaining a reasonable amount of accuracy.
Q: Who are some of your favorite authors? To what extent have they influenced your work?
A: My list of favorite authors grows several times a year, or at least that’s what it feels like, because I’m always discovering new ones. But if I were forced to make a list, I would certainly include the following (although it’s not all-inclusive): Lee Child, the late Gregory Mcdonald, the late Robert B. Parker, Robert Crais, James Patterson, and Jasper Fforde.
I’d say every author I’ve read has influenced me in some form or fashion, because I’m always discovering new and better ways to write, whether that’s dialogue, exposition, plot, describing characters, etc. I’ve come a long way from my early manuscripts, but I still have a long way to go before I become a great writer. It’s an evolving process, and I’ll never be perfect, but I plan to be the best writer I can be.
Q: Do you see “Falling Immortality: Casey Holden, Private Investigator” being the first in a series?
A: Absolutely. I don’t necessarily recommend this, although it has served me well, but I’d written two sequels before I’d even published Falling Immortality, and in the process of publishing and marketing my debut novel, I’d begun work on three more. Needless to say, I’m fully invested in Casey Holden, and that has more to do with him than it does me, since he can be very demanding, and he has plenty of stories left to tell. But each time I sit down to write another of his books, it’s like revisiting a long lost friend, and we just pick right back up where we left off.
Q: If this novel was made into a motion picture, who would be your personal choice to play Casey Holden?
A: Honestly, I haven’t given it much thought, mainly because I don’t want to jinx it. I’d love for this novel to be made into a movie, as my wife and I are avid movie watchers, and I’d be happy with a number of different actors. For me, it would boil down to an understanding of the character and a willingness to dive right into the role, as I did with the manuscript, and that opens up a number of possibilities. I’m more interested in what my readers have to say on the subject, and a few have some pretty strong opinions on who should play Casey Holden. Hearing my readers’ thoughts is much more pleasurable than tainting their opinions with my own.
Q: In your opinion, what sets “Falling Immortality: Casey Holden Private Investigator” apart from typical detective novels?
A: I’d have to say Casey Holden, my main character. Let’s face it, detective novels have to follow a formula of sorts, as we’re confined to the rules of the mystery genre. But the possibilities become endless when you focus on the characters within the novel, and those characters are only limited by the author’s imagination. And I like to think I have a pretty active imagination. Casey is a character you’ll either love or hate: there’s really no in-between with him, and that’s exactly the way it should be. Because I chose to write in first person, and because I wrote a novel with such a strong character, I wrote a very character-driven novel, although I didn’t realize I was doing it at the time. Ignorance can be a blessing, and I’ve been blessedly ignorant in many aspects of writing this novel, and the series of novels that will hopefully follow.
Q: What other genres are you interested in exploring, as a writer?
A: Just as I don’t place too many limits on the novels I read, I don’t plan to place too many limits on the novels I write. Once I have my feet firmly planted in the mystery genre, I’ll branch out to thrillers, and then from there, I’ll explore more general fiction, and possibly even non-fiction. My dad has been telling me for years that I need to write a book on investing, and someday I’d like to grant his request. The only genre I won’t explore is memoir, as my life really isn’t all that interesting. Writers have been given a beautiful gift—a license to make stuff up—and I plan to have a license covered with creases and smudge marks.
Q: Do you have a primary source of inspiration?
A: No, I grab my ideas from literally everything I’m exposed to. Another gift I’ve been given is an extremely analytical mind, probably to my detriment, in some cases. But it does come in handy when I write. I’m a huge fan of mystery and thriller novels, action movies, and detective TV shows. And it doesn’t stop with books, movies, or TV shows either, as far as I’m concerned anyone I meet, or anyone I read about is fair game as well. Then, on some level that I’m not even aware of, I channel all of this knowledge, pull out the different parts that I like the best, and hopefully create something brand new. I haven’t found a character like Casey Holden yet, and so far neither has my publisher.
Q: To what extent, if at all, do you identify with Casey Holden?
A: My dad has said it best: he’s my alter-ego. And it’s not too far from the truth. He’s an exaggerated version of me, without the filter, moral compass, and conscience to help guide him. He has my sarcasm, but it’s exaggerated to the nth degree. And in my mind, he helps balance the universe, since I’m an introvert in what amounts to an extroverted world. The squeaky wheel gets the grease may be a cliché, but it’s because there’s a lot of truth behind it. Whereas I’ll stand up for myself when a situation warrants it, Casey stands up for himself twenty-four seven. And I have to admit that I like and admire that about him.
Q: Do you think female readers appreciate Casey Holden as much as male readers do?
A: Well, that really depends on your male and female reader. I’ve had some male readers that don’t enjoy him, and I’ve also had some female readers who have felt the same way. On the other hand, I’ve had both male and female readers who have taken him for what he is and enjoyed the ride from the beginning to end. He’s certainly not a character for everyone, and I didn’t set out to please everyone, because if I had, I would have ended up pleasing no one. When I set out on this journey, I wrote the type of book I would want to read, and I let that be my driving force. Because of that, I don’t think I’m limited to a male audience. If you look at the famous MANfiction authors (not that I’m near their caliber yet and I might never be), you’ll find that they have male as well as female readers.
Q: What do you enjoy most about writing?
A: I’d have to say the entire creative process, because it’s entirely different than the mathematical/analytical world that I’m used to. But the best part for me is staring at a blank screen with a blinking cursor and making that page come to life. Because my life has led up to the marketing aspect of the writing process, even though I didn’t realize it at the time, I’ve discovered that creative marketing can be rather fun as well. When it comes to something I love, I’ve never met a challenge yet that I didn’t like.
Q: What are your future writing plans?
A: I plan to write until I’m dead, and even then, I should probably leave instructions in my will for my wife to bury me with a manual typewriter and reams of paper. Since writing is as much a part of me as breathing, I can’t imagine living in a world where I don’t write. That would be one of the worst forms of torture I could possibly imagine.
For More information about Robert Downs and his work visit:
Website: http://www.RobertDowns.net
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RobertDownsBooks
June 15, 2012
Interview with Lucinda Sue Crosby
Novelist, journalist, songwriter, those are just a few of the occupations in which Lucinda Sue Crosby has made her mark. It would be difficult to find anyone more versatile than Crosby. Her award winning novel “Francesca of Lost Nation” centering on the very special relationship between a young girl and her eccentric grandmother in post war Iowa, has been receiving a great deal of attention since it was published in 2010.
So let’s hear what Lucinda Sue Crosby has to say about “Francesca of Lost Nation” and her other work.
Q: “Francesca of Lost Nation” centers on a very colorful and eccentric lady. Is it more
challenging to write about someone like Francesca? Did you capture her the way you saw her?
A: When I was a little girl, I was surrounded by fascinating folks who were wonderful storytellers. At that time, I began to notice their accents, tempo and cadence; their gestures and body language; and other unique methods of self-expression. I have been highly observant of others ever since. The Sponge!
My real grandmother, Frances Ella Pittstick Mendenhall, was the most fascinating of all. Like the novel’s title character, she was a county fair race car driver who never lost; a pro caliber poker player and the first woman in her county to attend college! Listening by the hour to her stories of her life and times gave me more material than I could ever use. Of course, the book is a blend of the real and fiction but much of what you read happened to her over her lifetime.
Q: How long did it take you to write “Francesca of Lost Nation”?
A: From writing the first line of the novel on the first page to publishing, a mere 17 years.
Q: In addition to writing books you are also an accomplished songwriter. Many people believe that it requires a very unique talent to write songs. Do you agree with this or do you just view songwriting as another genre of writing?
A: I think both viewpoints are viable. In a song you have to be vivid RIGHT HERE AND RIGHT NOW. You set up a character in 16 bars or less, appeal to as many senses as possible, evoke emotion and provoke thought, set a mood, sometimes tell a whole life story and be sure your communication is on a level that MATTERS … all this through a lyric with a beginning, a middle and an end. And you better follow the structure of the genre you’re in or your listeners will tag you for it. Can you explain why you’re putting the bridge where it is and why you need a bridge? Yes, you CAN break rules, but only after you know what they are and cite a damn good reason.
Example of a favorite lyric of mine from Cajun Kind Thing I co-wrote with Grammy winner, Carl Jackson: “Granny Tata’s rum shack is hidden in a swamp near a gator hangout by a willow stump. It’s a get-on-down so she’s sent for a flask of the liquor that’ll jump right out of your glass.”
You can picture that woman and her environment, can’t you? Taste that harsh, stringent liquid lightening? Smell the moss hanging low from the trees half under water? Oh yeah.
With a book, you have more time to develop situations and people. Hey! Dickens got paid by the word. But you had better follow the same course – appeal to all the senses; evoke emotion; provoke thought, set a mood and conduct discourse on a level that matters. Otherwise, what’s the point? I believe all writers have a sacred relationship with a reader (or listener) that demands involvement of the head and the heart and requires that the writer reveal him or herself. It’s only fair that if you have someone’s undivided attention, you wrap it with glory.
Q: What do you enjoy more, writing books or writing songs?
A: That would be like choosing your favorite child. I adore the give-and-take of working songs with a co-writer. Such a gorgeous process when you’re clicking fire. But the novel? Gee, you get to be God, create a universe, fill it with beings, and get them to demonstrate what you really believe about a topic or topics that matter. That’s SOMETHING.
Q: You have had so many careers but you say writing has been your favorite. What is it about writing that you love so much?
A: I adore the power of words and the churning caused by new ideas expressed in words. I revere a skillful storyteller – each one in his or her turn is responsible for nurturing and spreading all the earth’s culture. I relish how a good tale can teach, enrage, encourage, devastate and bring realization, even epiphany.
Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning was the word.” If it’s good enough for the bible, it’s good enough for me.
Q: Your children’s book, “The Adventures of Baylard Bear” is about a bear who was adopted. Was it one of your goals, with this book, to help adopted children to deal with feelings they may have of being different?
A: I believe that “being different” is a universal circumstance. No matter how successful adults become, from time to time that burden of “apart-ness” will pop up. Alone-ness can weigh heavy at any age but for children, I feel the burden is deeper. Baylard encompasses so many facets of “the duck out of water” scenario, including adoption. And hopefully in a way that presents a gentle opportunity for children and their parents/caregivers/guardians to begin an important conversation. I hope Baylard is the “anti-bully.”
Q: Do you write continually or just when you have a particularly compelling idea?
A: I write a both a political blog and commentary under an alias. I created a community affairs blog for a newspaper and currently have complete autonomy on what I cover and what I say about what I cover. That freedom is a rare luxury. I blog for a beer and wine company’s web site. I write PR campaigns, press releases, hand out materials and web site content for my local United Way and their 29 partner organizations. I am writing for you right now. I would be afraid to wait for a compelling idea – I just try to make all my ideas SOUND compelling. (How’m I doing?)
Q: Is there a genre you haven’t tried yet that you would like to explore?
A: I’d like to make a movie of “Francesca of Lost Nation and co-write the screenplay. Do YOU have any ideas about who should play the title character?
Q: What do you hope to accomplish with “Francesca of Lost Nation”?
A: The novel has a “companion song” called “Stories They Could Tell.” (hear for free at www.LuckyCinda.com). It addresses the treasure the elderly have in their personal histories. If we listened more to these folks who have survived so much and triumphed and struggled and surrendered and healed – maybe we would recapture something our culture has lost. A civility? Respect? A more objective viewpoint?
I certainly highlighted relationships – in particular, the real cost of sibling rivalry over time; a July-October love affair under scrutiny; and a real and abiding friendship between two people who were born 60 years apart. The nature of love.
And finally, I hope I evoked emotion, provoked thought, appealed to all the senses, set moods, communicated on a level that MATTERS and influenced realization.
Q: What are your future writing plans?
Book wise – I am working on a marketing how-to with my Publicist, Laura Dobbins. I also have another children’s book in the works about water. Then maybe a book about outdoor art. And probably a novel about China in the 1600s called “The Scroll of the Son of Heaven.” PHEW!!!!
Lucinda Sue Crosby also has a music blog: www.music.luckycinda.com, where her songs can be heard for free and purchased for $1.50.
So let’s hear what Lucinda Sue Crosby has to say about “Francesca of Lost Nation” and her other work.
Q: “Francesca of Lost Nation” centers on a very colorful and eccentric lady. Is it more
challenging to write about someone like Francesca? Did you capture her the way you saw her?
A: When I was a little girl, I was surrounded by fascinating folks who were wonderful storytellers. At that time, I began to notice their accents, tempo and cadence; their gestures and body language; and other unique methods of self-expression. I have been highly observant of others ever since. The Sponge!
My real grandmother, Frances Ella Pittstick Mendenhall, was the most fascinating of all. Like the novel’s title character, she was a county fair race car driver who never lost; a pro caliber poker player and the first woman in her county to attend college! Listening by the hour to her stories of her life and times gave me more material than I could ever use. Of course, the book is a blend of the real and fiction but much of what you read happened to her over her lifetime.
Q: How long did it take you to write “Francesca of Lost Nation”?
A: From writing the first line of the novel on the first page to publishing, a mere 17 years.
Q: In addition to writing books you are also an accomplished songwriter. Many people believe that it requires a very unique talent to write songs. Do you agree with this or do you just view songwriting as another genre of writing?
A: I think both viewpoints are viable. In a song you have to be vivid RIGHT HERE AND RIGHT NOW. You set up a character in 16 bars or less, appeal to as many senses as possible, evoke emotion and provoke thought, set a mood, sometimes tell a whole life story and be sure your communication is on a level that MATTERS … all this through a lyric with a beginning, a middle and an end. And you better follow the structure of the genre you’re in or your listeners will tag you for it. Can you explain why you’re putting the bridge where it is and why you need a bridge? Yes, you CAN break rules, but only after you know what they are and cite a damn good reason.
Example of a favorite lyric of mine from Cajun Kind Thing I co-wrote with Grammy winner, Carl Jackson: “Granny Tata’s rum shack is hidden in a swamp near a gator hangout by a willow stump. It’s a get-on-down so she’s sent for a flask of the liquor that’ll jump right out of your glass.”
You can picture that woman and her environment, can’t you? Taste that harsh, stringent liquid lightening? Smell the moss hanging low from the trees half under water? Oh yeah.
With a book, you have more time to develop situations and people. Hey! Dickens got paid by the word. But you had better follow the same course – appeal to all the senses; evoke emotion; provoke thought, set a mood and conduct discourse on a level that matters. Otherwise, what’s the point? I believe all writers have a sacred relationship with a reader (or listener) that demands involvement of the head and the heart and requires that the writer reveal him or herself. It’s only fair that if you have someone’s undivided attention, you wrap it with glory.
Q: What do you enjoy more, writing books or writing songs?
A: That would be like choosing your favorite child. I adore the give-and-take of working songs with a co-writer. Such a gorgeous process when you’re clicking fire. But the novel? Gee, you get to be God, create a universe, fill it with beings, and get them to demonstrate what you really believe about a topic or topics that matter. That’s SOMETHING.
Q: You have had so many careers but you say writing has been your favorite. What is it about writing that you love so much?
A: I adore the power of words and the churning caused by new ideas expressed in words. I revere a skillful storyteller – each one in his or her turn is responsible for nurturing and spreading all the earth’s culture. I relish how a good tale can teach, enrage, encourage, devastate and bring realization, even epiphany.
Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning was the word.” If it’s good enough for the bible, it’s good enough for me.
Q: Your children’s book, “The Adventures of Baylard Bear” is about a bear who was adopted. Was it one of your goals, with this book, to help adopted children to deal with feelings they may have of being different?
A: I believe that “being different” is a universal circumstance. No matter how successful adults become, from time to time that burden of “apart-ness” will pop up. Alone-ness can weigh heavy at any age but for children, I feel the burden is deeper. Baylard encompasses so many facets of “the duck out of water” scenario, including adoption. And hopefully in a way that presents a gentle opportunity for children and their parents/caregivers/guardians to begin an important conversation. I hope Baylard is the “anti-bully.”
Q: Do you write continually or just when you have a particularly compelling idea?
A: I write a both a political blog and commentary under an alias. I created a community affairs blog for a newspaper and currently have complete autonomy on what I cover and what I say about what I cover. That freedom is a rare luxury. I blog for a beer and wine company’s web site. I write PR campaigns, press releases, hand out materials and web site content for my local United Way and their 29 partner organizations. I am writing for you right now. I would be afraid to wait for a compelling idea – I just try to make all my ideas SOUND compelling. (How’m I doing?)
Q: Is there a genre you haven’t tried yet that you would like to explore?
A: I’d like to make a movie of “Francesca of Lost Nation and co-write the screenplay. Do YOU have any ideas about who should play the title character?
Q: What do you hope to accomplish with “Francesca of Lost Nation”?
A: The novel has a “companion song” called “Stories They Could Tell.” (hear for free at www.LuckyCinda.com). It addresses the treasure the elderly have in their personal histories. If we listened more to these folks who have survived so much and triumphed and struggled and surrendered and healed – maybe we would recapture something our culture has lost. A civility? Respect? A more objective viewpoint?
I certainly highlighted relationships – in particular, the real cost of sibling rivalry over time; a July-October love affair under scrutiny; and a real and abiding friendship between two people who were born 60 years apart. The nature of love.
And finally, I hope I evoked emotion, provoked thought, appealed to all the senses, set moods, communicated on a level that MATTERS and influenced realization.
Q: What are your future writing plans?
Book wise – I am working on a marketing how-to with my Publicist, Laura Dobbins. I also have another children’s book in the works about water. Then maybe a book about outdoor art. And probably a novel about China in the 1600s called “The Scroll of the Son of Heaven.” PHEW!!!!
Lucinda Sue Crosby also has a music blog: www.music.luckycinda.com, where her songs can be heard for free and purchased for $1.50.
June 9, 2012
Interview with Author Katie Hughart
Author Katie Hughart’s suspense thrillers offer more than chills down the spine. Readers are given entree to the challenging and drama-filled lives of her multidimensional characters; learning along the way what it really means to be a survivor.
So, let’s find out what Katie, has to say about her books and writing itself.
Q: Two of your books, “Midnight Masquerade” and “Panic”, center on characters who are dealing the grief and trauma associated with the murder of loved ones. What draws you to write about this particular subject matter?
A: I like to write about all sorts of different things. I could write about real life or I could write about something that's not realistic at all.
Midnight Masquerade, is a young adult book that I wrote with Holly Hood and Brandi Salazar (two of my favorite writers!) and together we decided that we would give her hard issues to deal with. Being a teenager is hard and some of the issues you are faced with are fiercely traumatizing and sometimes the decision is what dress to wear to the prom. So while writing Midnight Masquerade we kept both of those things in mind.
Panic, on the other hand is solely my story. It is a full length, adult novel, in the suspense/romance genre. Cara, the MC, is a little further into life than Laurel is, and faces many road blocks in the area's of love, and family relationships. She is faced with all of the difficulties that both life and death can throw at her.
My inspiration for writing about murder, trauma, and death, simply steam from life itself. I haven't had to experience the murder of someone close to me, but I have lost people that I care about suddenly and unexpectedly. You have to keep pushing through, even though sometimes it seems like it's all just too much to handle.
Q: Do you identify more closely with Laurel in “Midnight Masquerade” or Cara in “Panic”?
A: I definitely identify more with Cara, not only are we both red heads, but I too lost my father. I also admire her choice in men, I mean that Sean is quite the hunk! ;)
Q: You named V. C. Andrews and Nora Roberts as your greatest influences. Which one, do you think, has had the greatest impact on you?
A: I started reading V.C. Andrews when I was sixteen and by the time I was seventeen I had read all of her books (before the ghostwriter), so her books have had the greatest impact on me. From Heaven to Rain to Ruby I found a piece of myself in her characters and admired their courage to push through adversity. She didn't inspire me to become a writer as much as her books sparked something in me that grew until one day long after I had finished reading her stories that I picked up a pen and began writing my own.
Q: Do you write continually or just when you come upon a particularly compelling idea?
A: Both! I have a constant stream of compelling ideas, more than I can ever have the time to write about. I keep them all filed under lock and key (or maybe I'm just getting a little carried away...lol) but I have lots and lots of stories on the back burner and I find myself coming up with new ideas to add to the list on a regular basis.
Q: Some writers say they feel like the characters are in charge and they are just along for the ride. How carefully do you plan your stories. Do they ever go in a different direction than you originally intended?
A: Yes, yes the characters are in charge...blah, blah, blah, I'm just the vessel, blah - they're all on a power trip if you ask me. I mean I gave them their looks, their personalities, put them in shifty scenarios and made sure (most of the time) that they end up with their true love and how do the repay me...I'm really kidding around, but my stories rarely turn out the way that I plan. When I started writing Panic in a notebook, what seems like forever ago, the pen flew across the page as I watched in awe. There was this story in my head and I attempted to ignore it for six months, and it refused to leave me be until I gave it life, and that's how it all started. As time goes on I find myself planning out more and more of my stories, but Panic was a fly by the seat of my pants possession that came as it wished.
Q: You’ve also written a book of poetry, “Words in Black and White: a book of poems”. Which do you prefer as a writer, poetry or suspense thrillers?
A: As long as I'm creatively expressing myself with words, I'm happy. I started with poetry. I wrote poetry as a teenager, but never imagined in a million years that I'd ever be a writer. Most of those poems are long gone, but God blessed me with this beautiful thing called creativity and poems as well as fictional stories both have equally important places in my life. I couldn't see doing without either one; though, I do spend more time creating stories then I do poetry. When I'm on the poetry train it takes me over for a period of time and only let's me up after I have twenty to thirty some poems to show for it.
Q: Laurel, in “Midnight Masquerade”, is a teenager dealing with several different problems at the same time: her parents’ murder, boy trouble, the difficulties of living with her sister’s family. Although this is an extreme set of circumstances, do you think this scenario speaks to teenagers who are overwhelmed with stress at school and at home?
A: Yes, the teen years are a whirlwind of dramas that fly by at lightening speed until one day you're an adult and look around wondering what happened. So many teens feel trapped, so many feel abandoned, sad, or insufficient. Being a teen is one of the hardest things in the world to do, but it's also temporary. A lot of the things that push us to our limits, also develop the character that we need as adults to push through hard times. I think Jewel did a beautiful job of speaking to the teenage heart with the lyrics from her song "What You Are" I posted my favorite part below.
So, let’s find out what Katie, has to say about her books and writing itself.
Q: Two of your books, “Midnight Masquerade” and “Panic”, center on characters who are dealing the grief and trauma associated with the murder of loved ones. What draws you to write about this particular subject matter?
A: I like to write about all sorts of different things. I could write about real life or I could write about something that's not realistic at all.
Midnight Masquerade, is a young adult book that I wrote with Holly Hood and Brandi Salazar (two of my favorite writers!) and together we decided that we would give her hard issues to deal with. Being a teenager is hard and some of the issues you are faced with are fiercely traumatizing and sometimes the decision is what dress to wear to the prom. So while writing Midnight Masquerade we kept both of those things in mind.
Panic, on the other hand is solely my story. It is a full length, adult novel, in the suspense/romance genre. Cara, the MC, is a little further into life than Laurel is, and faces many road blocks in the area's of love, and family relationships. She is faced with all of the difficulties that both life and death can throw at her.
My inspiration for writing about murder, trauma, and death, simply steam from life itself. I haven't had to experience the murder of someone close to me, but I have lost people that I care about suddenly and unexpectedly. You have to keep pushing through, even though sometimes it seems like it's all just too much to handle.
Q: Do you identify more closely with Laurel in “Midnight Masquerade” or Cara in “Panic”?
A: I definitely identify more with Cara, not only are we both red heads, but I too lost my father. I also admire her choice in men, I mean that Sean is quite the hunk! ;)
Q: You named V. C. Andrews and Nora Roberts as your greatest influences. Which one, do you think, has had the greatest impact on you?
A: I started reading V.C. Andrews when I was sixteen and by the time I was seventeen I had read all of her books (before the ghostwriter), so her books have had the greatest impact on me. From Heaven to Rain to Ruby I found a piece of myself in her characters and admired their courage to push through adversity. She didn't inspire me to become a writer as much as her books sparked something in me that grew until one day long after I had finished reading her stories that I picked up a pen and began writing my own.
Q: Do you write continually or just when you come upon a particularly compelling idea?
A: Both! I have a constant stream of compelling ideas, more than I can ever have the time to write about. I keep them all filed under lock and key (or maybe I'm just getting a little carried away...lol) but I have lots and lots of stories on the back burner and I find myself coming up with new ideas to add to the list on a regular basis.
Q: Some writers say they feel like the characters are in charge and they are just along for the ride. How carefully do you plan your stories. Do they ever go in a different direction than you originally intended?
A: Yes, yes the characters are in charge...blah, blah, blah, I'm just the vessel, blah - they're all on a power trip if you ask me. I mean I gave them their looks, their personalities, put them in shifty scenarios and made sure (most of the time) that they end up with their true love and how do the repay me...I'm really kidding around, but my stories rarely turn out the way that I plan. When I started writing Panic in a notebook, what seems like forever ago, the pen flew across the page as I watched in awe. There was this story in my head and I attempted to ignore it for six months, and it refused to leave me be until I gave it life, and that's how it all started. As time goes on I find myself planning out more and more of my stories, but Panic was a fly by the seat of my pants possession that came as it wished.
Q: You’ve also written a book of poetry, “Words in Black and White: a book of poems”. Which do you prefer as a writer, poetry or suspense thrillers?
A: As long as I'm creatively expressing myself with words, I'm happy. I started with poetry. I wrote poetry as a teenager, but never imagined in a million years that I'd ever be a writer. Most of those poems are long gone, but God blessed me with this beautiful thing called creativity and poems as well as fictional stories both have equally important places in my life. I couldn't see doing without either one; though, I do spend more time creating stories then I do poetry. When I'm on the poetry train it takes me over for a period of time and only let's me up after I have twenty to thirty some poems to show for it.
Q: Laurel, in “Midnight Masquerade”, is a teenager dealing with several different problems at the same time: her parents’ murder, boy trouble, the difficulties of living with her sister’s family. Although this is an extreme set of circumstances, do you think this scenario speaks to teenagers who are overwhelmed with stress at school and at home?
A: Yes, the teen years are a whirlwind of dramas that fly by at lightening speed until one day you're an adult and look around wondering what happened. So many teens feel trapped, so many feel abandoned, sad, or insufficient. Being a teen is one of the hardest things in the world to do, but it's also temporary. A lot of the things that push us to our limits, also develop the character that we need as adults to push through hard times. I think Jewel did a beautiful job of speaking to the teenage heart with the lyrics from her song "What You Are" I posted my favorite part below.
June 7, 2012
Woman in the Mirror Review
Woman in the Mirror by Winston GrahamMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Anyone who is a fan of Winston Graham would love this book. I couldn't stop reading it. It was full of excitement, suspense, romance.It kind of reminded me of an old fashioned melodrama. Of all the male authors I've read Winston Graham is probably the best at writing for female characters.
Offbeat Love Stories and More
View all my reviews
June 6, 2012
Interview With Author Amy Metz
Calling all mystery lovers! If you’re looking for something fresh and different you may want to try Amy Metz’s forthcoming novel, “Murder And Mayhem In Goose Pimple Junction”, which goes on sale August, 2012. This Southern fried murder mystery in a friendly, small town, full of eccentrics is interesting reading to say the least. The cozy mystery centers on newcomer Tess Tremaine, as she explores a 75-year-old murder, while trying to adjust to her new surroundings and finding love, at the same time.
Let’s find out what Amy Metz has to say about this first book in her new series?
Q: “Murder And Mayhem In Goose Pimple Junction” offers mystery, romance and humor. Which of these elements is the most fun for you as a writer?
A: Oooh, do I have to pick one? I really do like all three equally. I enjoy writing twists and turns into a plot and surprising the reader at the end of the book. But I also like writing about budding romances. I workshopped this book on an online writer’s site, and I had fun frustrating my readers/reviewers by writing different ways of pushing Tess and Jack together, followed by different ways of keeping them apart. Toward the end of the book, readers were telling me they’d never forgive me if I didn’t let the two characters get together. And of course love scenes are always fun to write, although I cut a lot of that in editing because this is a cozy. But working my humorous “goosepimpleisms” (southern colloquialisms woven throughout the book) into the story was so much fun, too. In answer to your question, I honestly can’t say I have a favorite. How about, it depends on what kind of mood I’m in?
Q: Would you classify this book as a “cozy mystery?” If so, what do you think sets it apart from typical books of the same genre?
A: Yes, I’d say it’s a cozy. I think what sets it apart is the humor. As I said, I use a lot of southern expressions that I hope will make the characters memorable and make the reader laugh. People ask me how a murder mystery can be humorous. Crime isn’t humorous. It’s the spirit and personality of the characters that are intended to be humorous. It’s the funny things they say and the zany people they are that I hope will make my book unique. One particular phrase comes to mind: He’s a dog of his own trot. That describes most of the characters of Goose Pimple Junction.
Q: As a fellow author, I appreciate the way you refer to your characters as your imaginary friends. Do you think certain characters stay with you, long after a novel is completed?
A: I do. For one thing, I’m currently having an imaginary affair with Robert B. Parker’s Spenser. I finished reading all of the books in the Spenser series over a year ago, but I’m still seeing Spenser. (In my mind, in my sleep, on my bookshelf…) I think that’s what makes a great book—not just the story, but the characters in the story. As authors, we ask readers to spend time with people we have created. If a reader gets so wrapped up in a character they can’t stop reading the book, and they continue to think about the character once they’ve finished the book, then I think the author has done a fine job.
Q: Who is your favorite mystery author? To what extent has your work been influenced by them?
A: I guess it’s no surprise my favorite author is Robert B. Parker. I’ve read every one of his books, some of them twice, and I’m sure I’ll continue to re-read them. I also love John Sanford. Sometimes I cheat on Spenser with Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers. How have I been influenced by them? Gosh, I hope I have, but I can’t pinpoint exactly how. They set the bar pretty high. Their characters are witty, romantic, and heroic, so maybe they influenced me to try to write characters like that.
Q: Do you think writing a good mystery is more complex than writing books of other genres?
A: No, I don’t think so. In any genre, you want the reader to want to keep reading. Whether that’s to find out whodunit, or what happens to the characters, or for the romance, suspense, action, or whatever reason people pick up a book, it’s a challenge to write a story that will captivate the reader. You have to have interesting characters and a believable plot no matter what you’re writing.
Q: Which of the characters from “Murder And Mayhem In Goose Pimple Junction” do you most closely identify with, and why?
A: I guess it would have to be Tess, the main character, but only because we’re around the same age. I gave Tess all the qualities I wish I had. I did give her one of my faults though, which is clumsiness. So I can definitely relate to her in that sense. Jack says she could trip over a cordless phone, and that’s certainly true of me.
Q: The murder being investigated in this novel is 75 years old. Non-fiction books about old, unsolved murders and TV shows like “Cold Case” tend to be very popular. Do you think people find these cases more intriguing because they appear to be “perfect murders”?
A: Hmmm…good question. You could be right. I don’t think anybody wants to see a murderer get away scott free. Except maybe for the Dixie Chicks’ Mary Ann and Wanda. Old Earl got what he deserved, and nobody missed him. But usually, there is a sense of fairness at play. It’s just not right for someone to kill the father of four young children and get away with it. That’s what drives my character, Tess, to try to solve the mystery. She’s intrigued with the mystery—they why, the how, the who--but she also wants justice. And I guess it is fascinating to learn how someone literally got away with murder.
Q: The characters in “Murder And Mayhem In Goose Pimple Junction” are very colorful. Is it easy for you to come up with characters that are both realistic and entertaining?
A: I don’t know about easy, but it sure is fun. I love creating characters who are totally different from me. I love giving them qualities I wish I had, or ones I’m glad I don’t have. It’s so much fun to make a character say things that are totally outrageous. In Murder & Mayhem, it was fun to create “bad guy” characters, but it was equally fun creating people who are off the wall. I’ve been joking about my imaginary friends and imaginary affairs, but when you lose yourself in a book and begin to care about the characters, you live in their world for a bit, whether you’re reading or writing. My characters almost feel real to me. So if they feel like real people to the reader and entertain them, I’m happy.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish with “Murder And Mayhem In Goose Pimple Junction”?
A: I hope to entertain people. When they read my book, I want them to feel like they’re in Goose Pimple Junction. How cool would it be if someone told me they were having an imaginary affair with Jack! If I can take the reader to a world they’ve never been, and one they don’t want to leave, if my characters become my readers’ “imaginary friends,” then I’ll be satisfied. And by satisfied, I mean ecstatic.
Q: Where did you get the initial idea for this book?
A: Each chapter in Murder & Mayhem starts with a scene from the 1930s. There’s a bank robbery, two murders, and a case of unrequited love. All of those things actually happened to ancestors of mine. I grew up hearing the accounts of what happened to my father’s aunt, uncle, and grandmother, and I remember thinking, as a child, that someone should write a book about them. Like Tess, I found the mystery very intriguing. I thought it was a story that should be told.
Q: The central character, Tess Tremaine, is something of a fish-out-of-water in this book. Was it difficult for you, as a southerner, to get into the mind set of a non-southerner who is having difficulty fitting in?”
A: No, I needed her not to fit in. Well actually she fits in, she just needs a translator for all of the southern speak the other characters use. Lines like, “Get your straw out of my Kool-Aid,” and “They said grace before they had supper” are funny, but some readers might not know they’re colorful ways of saying, “Mind your own business,” and “They’re living together but not married.” So having Tess be clueless helped me deliver some of the humor in the book. I also write in dialect, and sometimes it’s hard for a “foreigner” to understand what is being said. Having Tess be confused and need an interpreter helped me translate some of the southern speak to the reader.
Q: The town, Goose Pimple Junction, is almost another character in the book. Did you base it on any particular place?
A: Thank you! That makes me so happy to hear you say that. The answer is yes and no. Yes, in that the physical structure of the town—the streets, the shops, and the town green--are loosely based on a combination of small towns: Stars Hollow, where the Gilmore Girls was set; a small town in Alabama where my father lives; and my father’s hometown in Eastern Kentucky. On the other hand, no, it’s not based on a particular place in that the personality of the town and its residents (their crazy, zany personalities) came totally out of my weird head.
Q: What can you tell us about the second book in the series, “Heroes And Hooligans In Goose Pimple Junction”?
A: When Murder & Mayhem ends, a state trooper is introduced into the story, and sparks are flying between Johnny and Martha Maye, one of the secondary characters. When Heroes & Hooligans picks up, Johnny has become the new police chief, and Martha Maye’s divorce is becoming final. Life is getting back to normal in Goose Pimple Junction when Martha Maye’s no good soon to be ex-husband shows up, intent on winning her back. There is murder, mayhem, and crazy Southern humor in this second book also, with a stalker, a philandering husband, and a murderer scaring the living daylights out of everyone in town. The hero, Johnny, has his hands full trying to catch the hooligans and trying to woo Martha Maye. I hope readers like being in Goose Pimple Junction as much as I do. There will be more!
Let’s find out what Amy Metz has to say about this first book in her new series?
Q: “Murder And Mayhem In Goose Pimple Junction” offers mystery, romance and humor. Which of these elements is the most fun for you as a writer?
A: Oooh, do I have to pick one? I really do like all three equally. I enjoy writing twists and turns into a plot and surprising the reader at the end of the book. But I also like writing about budding romances. I workshopped this book on an online writer’s site, and I had fun frustrating my readers/reviewers by writing different ways of pushing Tess and Jack together, followed by different ways of keeping them apart. Toward the end of the book, readers were telling me they’d never forgive me if I didn’t let the two characters get together. And of course love scenes are always fun to write, although I cut a lot of that in editing because this is a cozy. But working my humorous “goosepimpleisms” (southern colloquialisms woven throughout the book) into the story was so much fun, too. In answer to your question, I honestly can’t say I have a favorite. How about, it depends on what kind of mood I’m in?
Q: Would you classify this book as a “cozy mystery?” If so, what do you think sets it apart from typical books of the same genre?
A: Yes, I’d say it’s a cozy. I think what sets it apart is the humor. As I said, I use a lot of southern expressions that I hope will make the characters memorable and make the reader laugh. People ask me how a murder mystery can be humorous. Crime isn’t humorous. It’s the spirit and personality of the characters that are intended to be humorous. It’s the funny things they say and the zany people they are that I hope will make my book unique. One particular phrase comes to mind: He’s a dog of his own trot. That describes most of the characters of Goose Pimple Junction.
Q: As a fellow author, I appreciate the way you refer to your characters as your imaginary friends. Do you think certain characters stay with you, long after a novel is completed?
A: I do. For one thing, I’m currently having an imaginary affair with Robert B. Parker’s Spenser. I finished reading all of the books in the Spenser series over a year ago, but I’m still seeing Spenser. (In my mind, in my sleep, on my bookshelf…) I think that’s what makes a great book—not just the story, but the characters in the story. As authors, we ask readers to spend time with people we have created. If a reader gets so wrapped up in a character they can’t stop reading the book, and they continue to think about the character once they’ve finished the book, then I think the author has done a fine job.
Q: Who is your favorite mystery author? To what extent has your work been influenced by them?
A: I guess it’s no surprise my favorite author is Robert B. Parker. I’ve read every one of his books, some of them twice, and I’m sure I’ll continue to re-read them. I also love John Sanford. Sometimes I cheat on Spenser with Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers. How have I been influenced by them? Gosh, I hope I have, but I can’t pinpoint exactly how. They set the bar pretty high. Their characters are witty, romantic, and heroic, so maybe they influenced me to try to write characters like that.
Q: Do you think writing a good mystery is more complex than writing books of other genres?
A: No, I don’t think so. In any genre, you want the reader to want to keep reading. Whether that’s to find out whodunit, or what happens to the characters, or for the romance, suspense, action, or whatever reason people pick up a book, it’s a challenge to write a story that will captivate the reader. You have to have interesting characters and a believable plot no matter what you’re writing.
Q: Which of the characters from “Murder And Mayhem In Goose Pimple Junction” do you most closely identify with, and why?
A: I guess it would have to be Tess, the main character, but only because we’re around the same age. I gave Tess all the qualities I wish I had. I did give her one of my faults though, which is clumsiness. So I can definitely relate to her in that sense. Jack says she could trip over a cordless phone, and that’s certainly true of me.
Q: The murder being investigated in this novel is 75 years old. Non-fiction books about old, unsolved murders and TV shows like “Cold Case” tend to be very popular. Do you think people find these cases more intriguing because they appear to be “perfect murders”?
A: Hmmm…good question. You could be right. I don’t think anybody wants to see a murderer get away scott free. Except maybe for the Dixie Chicks’ Mary Ann and Wanda. Old Earl got what he deserved, and nobody missed him. But usually, there is a sense of fairness at play. It’s just not right for someone to kill the father of four young children and get away with it. That’s what drives my character, Tess, to try to solve the mystery. She’s intrigued with the mystery—they why, the how, the who--but she also wants justice. And I guess it is fascinating to learn how someone literally got away with murder.
Q: The characters in “Murder And Mayhem In Goose Pimple Junction” are very colorful. Is it easy for you to come up with characters that are both realistic and entertaining?
A: I don’t know about easy, but it sure is fun. I love creating characters who are totally different from me. I love giving them qualities I wish I had, or ones I’m glad I don’t have. It’s so much fun to make a character say things that are totally outrageous. In Murder & Mayhem, it was fun to create “bad guy” characters, but it was equally fun creating people who are off the wall. I’ve been joking about my imaginary friends and imaginary affairs, but when you lose yourself in a book and begin to care about the characters, you live in their world for a bit, whether you’re reading or writing. My characters almost feel real to me. So if they feel like real people to the reader and entertain them, I’m happy.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish with “Murder And Mayhem In Goose Pimple Junction”?
A: I hope to entertain people. When they read my book, I want them to feel like they’re in Goose Pimple Junction. How cool would it be if someone told me they were having an imaginary affair with Jack! If I can take the reader to a world they’ve never been, and one they don’t want to leave, if my characters become my readers’ “imaginary friends,” then I’ll be satisfied. And by satisfied, I mean ecstatic.
Q: Where did you get the initial idea for this book?
A: Each chapter in Murder & Mayhem starts with a scene from the 1930s. There’s a bank robbery, two murders, and a case of unrequited love. All of those things actually happened to ancestors of mine. I grew up hearing the accounts of what happened to my father’s aunt, uncle, and grandmother, and I remember thinking, as a child, that someone should write a book about them. Like Tess, I found the mystery very intriguing. I thought it was a story that should be told.
Q: The central character, Tess Tremaine, is something of a fish-out-of-water in this book. Was it difficult for you, as a southerner, to get into the mind set of a non-southerner who is having difficulty fitting in?”
A: No, I needed her not to fit in. Well actually she fits in, she just needs a translator for all of the southern speak the other characters use. Lines like, “Get your straw out of my Kool-Aid,” and “They said grace before they had supper” are funny, but some readers might not know they’re colorful ways of saying, “Mind your own business,” and “They’re living together but not married.” So having Tess be clueless helped me deliver some of the humor in the book. I also write in dialect, and sometimes it’s hard for a “foreigner” to understand what is being said. Having Tess be confused and need an interpreter helped me translate some of the southern speak to the reader.
Q: The town, Goose Pimple Junction, is almost another character in the book. Did you base it on any particular place?
A: Thank you! That makes me so happy to hear you say that. The answer is yes and no. Yes, in that the physical structure of the town—the streets, the shops, and the town green--are loosely based on a combination of small towns: Stars Hollow, where the Gilmore Girls was set; a small town in Alabama where my father lives; and my father’s hometown in Eastern Kentucky. On the other hand, no, it’s not based on a particular place in that the personality of the town and its residents (their crazy, zany personalities) came totally out of my weird head.
Q: What can you tell us about the second book in the series, “Heroes And Hooligans In Goose Pimple Junction”?
A: When Murder & Mayhem ends, a state trooper is introduced into the story, and sparks are flying between Johnny and Martha Maye, one of the secondary characters. When Heroes & Hooligans picks up, Johnny has become the new police chief, and Martha Maye’s divorce is becoming final. Life is getting back to normal in Goose Pimple Junction when Martha Maye’s no good soon to be ex-husband shows up, intent on winning her back. There is murder, mayhem, and crazy Southern humor in this second book also, with a stalker, a philandering husband, and a murderer scaring the living daylights out of everyone in town. The hero, Johnny, has his hands full trying to catch the hooligans and trying to woo Martha Maye. I hope readers like being in Goose Pimple Junction as much as I do. There will be more!
May 30, 2012
Interview with Author Karen A. Wyle
Alien beings, telepathic twins, feuding interspecies feuding; what more could you ask for in a good sci-fi read? “Twin-Bred” by Karen A. Wyle, has all these ingredients and more.
“Twin-Bred” centers on a scientific experiment, involving fraternal twins, that’s being used in a diplomatic effort to bring together a community of humans and aliens on the planet Tofarn. Some might call it sci-fi with a message.
So, what does author Karen A. Wyle have to say about “Twin-Bred”?
Q: Twins have always been a source of curiosity. Do you think the superstitious beliefs involving twins, and more recently theories about psychic bonds, make twins a good
subject for a science fiction novel?
A: I think the superstitions are one aspect of a perennial fascination with twins -- and anything fascinating is a great starting point for science fiction.
I don't know when the idea of a psychic or telepathic bond between twins first appeared in science fiction, but one relatively early example is Robert Heinlein's Time for the Stars.
Q: How did you get the idea for “Twin-Bred”?
A: I read an article about amazing interactions between twins in utero, captured on video. The researchers had found synchronized movement, touching, even kissing. Either the article or a comment on the article mentioned the traumatic, often devastating, impact on those whose twin -- identical or fraternal -- had died in utero or shortly after birth.
Straining this information through the science fiction filter in my mind, I imagined a scientist seeking to overcome the comprehension gap between two intelligent species by way of the bond between twins. It would be natural for the scientist who conceived this idea to be a twin. It would add emotional depth to the story if she were a twin survivor. And for added strangeness and interest, what if she had somehow kept her lost twin alive as a companion, who could be a character in the story? . . .
Q: Are you the kind of author who writes because you want to or because you feel you must write?
A: I'd say I'm in some poorly explored territory in between. I've felt since early childhood that I was meant to be a writer. I spent many years searching for the proper medium, and then many more turning away from nonprofessional writing entirely. When I finally started writing fiction again, I felt that I'd come home.
Q: Judging from “Twin-Bred”, you clearly have a very vivid imagination. Do you think sci-fi authors are generally more imaginative than authors who specialize in other genres?
A: I wouldn't say so. Any author of fiction will be imaginative where human behavior, motivation and emotion are concerned. Authors of historical fiction must vividly imagine innumerable details of the past. Perhaps science fiction authors have a different kind of curiosity, or our imaginations potentially wander through a wider range of topics.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish with “Twin-Bred”?
A: I hope to interest and move the reader. I have a certain underlying fondness for thinking, feeling beings that I hope the reader will appreciate and share. I also hope to spur interest in my future work!
Q: Readers have long been fascinated with the idea of alien beings. In your opinion, how much of this is due to our natural curiosity about the unknown?
A: I'm sure that's part of it. Another root of this fascination might be our curiosity about each other. Does that fellow over there really see the same colors as I do, or feel the same emotions? How different is he from me, inside?
Q: To what extent, if at all, do you identify with the character of Mara?
A: Quite a bit. Like Mara, I'm impatient, though less likely to explode as a result. I am no scientist, but I have an inquiring mind. I'm persistent and stubborn, as Mara is. Finally, neither Mara nor I have a great track record at forming and maintaining social connections, although both of us are getting better at it.
Q: Is it difficult to make a fantastical story like “Twin-Bred” relatable to the average reader?
A: Not the average science fiction reader! :-)
I do try to explain things enough, while not burying the reader in scientific detail (which I might not be able to provide, in some instances).
Q: Were the conflicts that humans and aliens in “Twin-Bred” experience, as a result of living in the same communities, inspired by the difficulties people of different races or nationalities often have, living side by side?
A: In a general way, yes. I was also inspired and influenced by previous fictional treatments of comprehension gaps between humans and aliens: Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow, Ursula K. LeGuin's The Left Hand of Darkness, Niven and Pournelle's The Mote in God's Eye.
Q: What are your future writing plans?
A: I've sent my next novel, which is not science fiction, out to some beta readers -- and I'd love to find a few more beta readers for it. Its working title is Reflections -- and whether that should remain the title is one of the questions on which I've asked beta readers to comment.
In this novel, the members of a family reunite in the afterlife, confront unfinished business, and resolve the mystery that tore the family apart. I have constructed an afterlife with features particularly suited to this purpose. For example, anyone can be any age, depending on how they're feeling and what issues they need to confront. People can relive remembered events without any omission or distortion -- and they can share those memories with others. Two people who lived through some event or moment together can relive it from each other's point of view.
I'm currently editing the still-unnamed sequel to Twin-Bred. I'll be looking for beta readers for that book later this summer.
I hope to take part in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) for the third time next November.
I'd like to publish more short stories as ebooks. (So far, I have one, "The Baby," free on Smashwords and Amazon. It's about human cloning.) Recently, while I was reviewing stock photos for the cover of Reflections, I kept coming upon fascinating faces that wouldn't do for any of that book's characters. I put together a lightbox called "Worth Writing About," and I hope to build stories around some of those photographs.
“Twin-Bred” centers on a scientific experiment, involving fraternal twins, that’s being used in a diplomatic effort to bring together a community of humans and aliens on the planet Tofarn. Some might call it sci-fi with a message.
So, what does author Karen A. Wyle have to say about “Twin-Bred”?
Q: Twins have always been a source of curiosity. Do you think the superstitious beliefs involving twins, and more recently theories about psychic bonds, make twins a good
subject for a science fiction novel?
A: I think the superstitions are one aspect of a perennial fascination with twins -- and anything fascinating is a great starting point for science fiction.
I don't know when the idea of a psychic or telepathic bond between twins first appeared in science fiction, but one relatively early example is Robert Heinlein's Time for the Stars.
Q: How did you get the idea for “Twin-Bred”?
A: I read an article about amazing interactions between twins in utero, captured on video. The researchers had found synchronized movement, touching, even kissing. Either the article or a comment on the article mentioned the traumatic, often devastating, impact on those whose twin -- identical or fraternal -- had died in utero or shortly after birth.
Straining this information through the science fiction filter in my mind, I imagined a scientist seeking to overcome the comprehension gap between two intelligent species by way of the bond between twins. It would be natural for the scientist who conceived this idea to be a twin. It would add emotional depth to the story if she were a twin survivor. And for added strangeness and interest, what if she had somehow kept her lost twin alive as a companion, who could be a character in the story? . . .
Q: Are you the kind of author who writes because you want to or because you feel you must write?
A: I'd say I'm in some poorly explored territory in between. I've felt since early childhood that I was meant to be a writer. I spent many years searching for the proper medium, and then many more turning away from nonprofessional writing entirely. When I finally started writing fiction again, I felt that I'd come home.
Q: Judging from “Twin-Bred”, you clearly have a very vivid imagination. Do you think sci-fi authors are generally more imaginative than authors who specialize in other genres?
A: I wouldn't say so. Any author of fiction will be imaginative where human behavior, motivation and emotion are concerned. Authors of historical fiction must vividly imagine innumerable details of the past. Perhaps science fiction authors have a different kind of curiosity, or our imaginations potentially wander through a wider range of topics.
Q: What do you hope to accomplish with “Twin-Bred”?
A: I hope to interest and move the reader. I have a certain underlying fondness for thinking, feeling beings that I hope the reader will appreciate and share. I also hope to spur interest in my future work!
Q: Readers have long been fascinated with the idea of alien beings. In your opinion, how much of this is due to our natural curiosity about the unknown?
A: I'm sure that's part of it. Another root of this fascination might be our curiosity about each other. Does that fellow over there really see the same colors as I do, or feel the same emotions? How different is he from me, inside?
Q: To what extent, if at all, do you identify with the character of Mara?
A: Quite a bit. Like Mara, I'm impatient, though less likely to explode as a result. I am no scientist, but I have an inquiring mind. I'm persistent and stubborn, as Mara is. Finally, neither Mara nor I have a great track record at forming and maintaining social connections, although both of us are getting better at it.
Q: Is it difficult to make a fantastical story like “Twin-Bred” relatable to the average reader?
A: Not the average science fiction reader! :-)
I do try to explain things enough, while not burying the reader in scientific detail (which I might not be able to provide, in some instances).
Q: Were the conflicts that humans and aliens in “Twin-Bred” experience, as a result of living in the same communities, inspired by the difficulties people of different races or nationalities often have, living side by side?
A: In a general way, yes. I was also inspired and influenced by previous fictional treatments of comprehension gaps between humans and aliens: Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow, Ursula K. LeGuin's The Left Hand of Darkness, Niven and Pournelle's The Mote in God's Eye.
Q: What are your future writing plans?
A: I've sent my next novel, which is not science fiction, out to some beta readers -- and I'd love to find a few more beta readers for it. Its working title is Reflections -- and whether that should remain the title is one of the questions on which I've asked beta readers to comment.
In this novel, the members of a family reunite in the afterlife, confront unfinished business, and resolve the mystery that tore the family apart. I have constructed an afterlife with features particularly suited to this purpose. For example, anyone can be any age, depending on how they're feeling and what issues they need to confront. People can relive remembered events without any omission or distortion -- and they can share those memories with others. Two people who lived through some event or moment together can relive it from each other's point of view.
I'm currently editing the still-unnamed sequel to Twin-Bred. I'll be looking for beta readers for that book later this summer.
I hope to take part in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) for the third time next November.
I'd like to publish more short stories as ebooks. (So far, I have one, "The Baby," free on Smashwords and Amazon. It's about human cloning.) Recently, while I was reviewing stock photos for the cover of Reflections, I kept coming upon fascinating faces that wouldn't do for any of that book's characters. I put together a lightbox called "Worth Writing About," and I hope to build stories around some of those photographs.
May 29, 2012
Interview with author Brandon Hale
Whether you call it humorous adventure or quirky horror one thing is for sure, “Day Soldiers” by Brandon Hale, is a one of a kind thriller. Taking place in a world where vampires -- the old school, scary kind – and other monsters rule the night, humans are terrified of venturing out after dark. It’s up to a group of brave individuals to battle the monsters of the night.
Let’s hear what the very imaginative Brandon Hale has to say about “Day Soldiers”.
Q: The plot of “Day Soldiers” is very unique. How did you get the idea?
A: Being honest, I don't remember. Day Soldiers didn't really hit me in a moment of inspiration. It's a story that has been evolving in my head for at least a decade. Last year, I realized that pretty much the entire story was completed in my mind, so I decided it was time to make it real.
Q: Was it your intention to tap into the instinctive fear of the dark, left over from childhood; that never seems to completely go away?
A: Absolutely. I love the idea of a modern world that - in many ways - is thrown back to the dark ages. During the day, people live their lives normally... but they make sure they're in their homes by nightfall because the night no longer belongs to humanity. I find that concept intriguing (a war where the advantage is completely dependent upon the time of day or night).
Q: One of the trickiest things about suspenseful books, like this, is effectively playing on the readers’ vulnerabilities. Was this difficult for you, or did the psychological aspects of the writing come naturally to you?
A: I think good suspense comes naturally after you've established two things: The reader has to care about the characters and the reader has to believe the danger to those characters is real.
Once I've established those two things, the suspense usually just... shows up.
Q: “Day Soldiers” is described as part horror, part comedy and part adventure. Do you prefer writing books that are a blend of different genres?
A: Definitely! I like to refer to my books as "quirky horror." I love classic horror movies like "An American Werewolf in London" and "Fright Night." What do these movies have in common? They don't treat a genre as a hard set of rules. One minute, you're laughing... the next, you're screaming. I love that.
Above all else, good horror must be fun. If it's not fun, it doesn't work. That's my most important rule when writing. I love genre-hopping, but above all, the book must be a fun ride.
Q: One of the themes of “Day Soldiers” is the importance of facing your fears. Did you set out to write a book that would inspire bravery?
A: I'm not sure if it was a conscious goal when writing Day Soldiers, but it happened anyway. I set out to create characters that are real, but just a little larger than life. They feel fear, but they aren't controlled by it.
In many ways, the main characters in Day Soldiers are the people I hope I would be in that situation. In that way, I find them inspiring. I hope others do, too.
Q: Generally speaking, to what extent do you relate to your central characters?
A: All of my books are character driven. Whether it's a hero or a villain, every character has to feel real to me. Because of this, I find myself extremely connected to those characters by the end of a book.
The central characters in Day Soldiers love to laugh. Even in the face of unimaginable horrors, they try to find something to laugh at. It's a survival technique for them. I can relate to that.
By the time I finish a book, the characters often feel more like friends than creations. I know that sounds moderately insane, but it's true. I hope other authors can back me up on that. I'm not crazy.
Really.
Q: Readers seem to be very enthusiastic about this book. Why do you think that is?
A: The enthusiasm about this book really blew me away. It was honestly very humbling. I've received fan art, fan letters, and even some fan fiction from the Day Soldiers reality. It's quite overwhelming.
When writing Day Soldiers, I really wanted it to feel like a ride. I didn't want there to be any moments where the reader felt like he or she was waiting to get to the "fun part." My goal was to write an entire book that was all "the fun part."
I hope the reader response to this book suggests I've met that goal. That also means the pressure's on for capturing that again in the second book.
Q: Do you think readers find it refreshing that you are not romanticizing vampires the way the “Twilight” series and others have?
A: I hope so.
When I was a kid, seeing a vampire outside your window would have been terrifying. Today, it's often seen as an opportunity for romance. I think some readers are ready to move on from that.
Our monsters have become anti-heroes. Modern vampires aren't scary. They're romantic... even pitied. They're often portrayed as noble victims of a terrible curse.
Unlike many readers, I have nothing against the Twilight books. I applaud Meyer for her success and I'm happy to see any book that gets young people reading.
However, I think many readers are ready for monsters to be monsters again. I wrote Day Soldiers for them.
Q: How many books are you planning for this series?
A: Day Soldiers is a trilogy. The second book should be available by late June/Early July. The third will come shortly after that.
Q: Can you give us an idea of what to expect in the second book?
A: The second book picks up six months after the end of the first book.
I don't want to give anything away to folks that haven't read the first book yet, so I'll just say this... in the second book, the stakes are raised in pretty much every way.
Let’s hear what the very imaginative Brandon Hale has to say about “Day Soldiers”.
Q: The plot of “Day Soldiers” is very unique. How did you get the idea?
A: Being honest, I don't remember. Day Soldiers didn't really hit me in a moment of inspiration. It's a story that has been evolving in my head for at least a decade. Last year, I realized that pretty much the entire story was completed in my mind, so I decided it was time to make it real.
Q: Was it your intention to tap into the instinctive fear of the dark, left over from childhood; that never seems to completely go away?
A: Absolutely. I love the idea of a modern world that - in many ways - is thrown back to the dark ages. During the day, people live their lives normally... but they make sure they're in their homes by nightfall because the night no longer belongs to humanity. I find that concept intriguing (a war where the advantage is completely dependent upon the time of day or night).
Q: One of the trickiest things about suspenseful books, like this, is effectively playing on the readers’ vulnerabilities. Was this difficult for you, or did the psychological aspects of the writing come naturally to you?
A: I think good suspense comes naturally after you've established two things: The reader has to care about the characters and the reader has to believe the danger to those characters is real.
Once I've established those two things, the suspense usually just... shows up.
Q: “Day Soldiers” is described as part horror, part comedy and part adventure. Do you prefer writing books that are a blend of different genres?
A: Definitely! I like to refer to my books as "quirky horror." I love classic horror movies like "An American Werewolf in London" and "Fright Night." What do these movies have in common? They don't treat a genre as a hard set of rules. One minute, you're laughing... the next, you're screaming. I love that.
Above all else, good horror must be fun. If it's not fun, it doesn't work. That's my most important rule when writing. I love genre-hopping, but above all, the book must be a fun ride.
Q: One of the themes of “Day Soldiers” is the importance of facing your fears. Did you set out to write a book that would inspire bravery?
A: I'm not sure if it was a conscious goal when writing Day Soldiers, but it happened anyway. I set out to create characters that are real, but just a little larger than life. They feel fear, but they aren't controlled by it.
In many ways, the main characters in Day Soldiers are the people I hope I would be in that situation. In that way, I find them inspiring. I hope others do, too.
Q: Generally speaking, to what extent do you relate to your central characters?
A: All of my books are character driven. Whether it's a hero or a villain, every character has to feel real to me. Because of this, I find myself extremely connected to those characters by the end of a book.
The central characters in Day Soldiers love to laugh. Even in the face of unimaginable horrors, they try to find something to laugh at. It's a survival technique for them. I can relate to that.
By the time I finish a book, the characters often feel more like friends than creations. I know that sounds moderately insane, but it's true. I hope other authors can back me up on that. I'm not crazy.
Really.
Q: Readers seem to be very enthusiastic about this book. Why do you think that is?
A: The enthusiasm about this book really blew me away. It was honestly very humbling. I've received fan art, fan letters, and even some fan fiction from the Day Soldiers reality. It's quite overwhelming.
When writing Day Soldiers, I really wanted it to feel like a ride. I didn't want there to be any moments where the reader felt like he or she was waiting to get to the "fun part." My goal was to write an entire book that was all "the fun part."
I hope the reader response to this book suggests I've met that goal. That also means the pressure's on for capturing that again in the second book.
Q: Do you think readers find it refreshing that you are not romanticizing vampires the way the “Twilight” series and others have?
A: I hope so.
When I was a kid, seeing a vampire outside your window would have been terrifying. Today, it's often seen as an opportunity for romance. I think some readers are ready to move on from that.
Our monsters have become anti-heroes. Modern vampires aren't scary. They're romantic... even pitied. They're often portrayed as noble victims of a terrible curse.
Unlike many readers, I have nothing against the Twilight books. I applaud Meyer for her success and I'm happy to see any book that gets young people reading.
However, I think many readers are ready for monsters to be monsters again. I wrote Day Soldiers for them.
Q: How many books are you planning for this series?
A: Day Soldiers is a trilogy. The second book should be available by late June/Early July. The third will come shortly after that.
Q: Can you give us an idea of what to expect in the second book?
A: The second book picks up six months after the end of the first book.
I don't want to give anything away to folks that haven't read the first book yet, so I'll just say this... in the second book, the stakes are raised in pretty much every way.
May 27, 2012
Interview with Author Michael Cargill
Readers tend to try to label specific authors by genre, or compare them to another author whose writing is similar. Author Michael Cargill, however, is nearly impossible to pigeonhole in this manner. Imagine, if you will, an author who is just as comfortable writing dark thrillers like, “Slaughter in Barnaby Close” as off the wall humor like, “Diary of a Dork – Articles of Sarcasm and Irreverence”.
Take a peak at Michael and his world, as he explains it all, in his own colorful way.
Q: Do you savor the writing process, taking pleasure in creating a story, or are you just
focused on completing a story and sharing it with readers?
A: Probably a bit of both to be honest. The actual writing side of things can be a complete pain in the bum and when I have finally finished something, I am sick of the sight of the damn thing. I guess it's like being a parent to a moody teenager. Even when it seems to hate you, you still want to show it off and have people say nice things about it.
Q: Most of your published work, such as “Shelter from Thunder”, “Slaughter in Barnaby Close” and “Shades of Grey” tends to be dark and suspenseful. So, where did the humorous “Diary of a Dork – Articles of Sarcasm and Irreverence” come from?
A: Ha! Although I only started writing properly last year, I have been sending stupid, humorous emails out ever since I first got an office job. I have always had a bit of a weird sense of humour and Diary of a Dork is just a snapshot of it. My blog is chock full of nonsense like that; some people love it, others hate it. I usually ignore the haters though and surround myself with an echo chamber of people saying how funny I am.
Q: You count such authors as Stephen King, Michael Crichton and James Herbet among your biggest influences. To what extent do these authors continue to influence your work? Do you feel more inspired to write when you finish reading one of their books?
A: It's hard to say really. With Slaughter in Barnaby Close I had a brief go at writing a James Herbet-esque horror story but didn't like it too much. Killing too many people off loses its appeal after a while, which is strange considering how fun it is to kill people in computer games. I reckon King is probably the biggest influence, although writing is far too recent a thing for me to suddenly feel inspired to write something after reading a particular book.
Q: What is your favorite genre, as a writer?
A: Probably thrillers of one kind or another, although I don't necessarily set out to write a particular genre; it just works out that way. Ultimately I get a gnats fart of an idea and then just run with it. The combination of having a weird sense of humour and being incredibly immature means I can't resist slapping dollops of humour about the place as well. I think I just like screwing up a character's life for the fun of it.
Q: Is there a genre you would love to explore but haven’t, if so, why not?
A: I would love to write more stories set in WWII actually as I find the subject utterly fascinating. I have read plenty of books about it so I am not short of research material but ultimately the problem is finding the right angle for a story. Sure, I could probably churn out numerous stories about a squad of soldiers as they make their way through France but they would all end up being the same. The two WWII stories I have written so far are both short and very different to each other.
Q: What motivates you to write?
A: Haven't got a clue; what motivates me to look at pretty girls all day? I guess it's a good outlet for all the strange things that are bouncing around my head each day. Just to clarify I was referring to writing there, not leering at women.
Q: Most authors feel the need to closely identify with their central characters. How closely do you identify with your protagonists?
A: I think it happens naturally really, it isn't something I have to go out of my way to do. Creating a character that I can neither laugh at, feel sorry for or be envious of is just as boring for me as it is for the reader. There is the old cliche that a writer bases a character on themselves but it's like horoscopes; some of the characteristics can be quite vague so it is not surprising that some of it matches up.
Q: Generally speaking, what do you hope to accomplish as an author?
A: In all my books I have put my email address at the start and the end, stating that people can email me if they want. As vain and as corny as it sounds, I would love for someone to actually contact me saying how much they enjoyed my work.
That and earning loads of money of course. Getting paid to sit in my pants and write complete bobbins all day would fantastic.
Q: What are your future writing plans?
A: Buy high, sell low. No wait, that's wrong. I don't really have plans to be honest as I am doing this mainly because I enjoy it; in a year's time I might get bored and stop.
Take a peak at Michael and his world, as he explains it all, in his own colorful way.
Q: Do you savor the writing process, taking pleasure in creating a story, or are you just
focused on completing a story and sharing it with readers?
A: Probably a bit of both to be honest. The actual writing side of things can be a complete pain in the bum and when I have finally finished something, I am sick of the sight of the damn thing. I guess it's like being a parent to a moody teenager. Even when it seems to hate you, you still want to show it off and have people say nice things about it.
Q: Most of your published work, such as “Shelter from Thunder”, “Slaughter in Barnaby Close” and “Shades of Grey” tends to be dark and suspenseful. So, where did the humorous “Diary of a Dork – Articles of Sarcasm and Irreverence” come from?
A: Ha! Although I only started writing properly last year, I have been sending stupid, humorous emails out ever since I first got an office job. I have always had a bit of a weird sense of humour and Diary of a Dork is just a snapshot of it. My blog is chock full of nonsense like that; some people love it, others hate it. I usually ignore the haters though and surround myself with an echo chamber of people saying how funny I am.
Q: You count such authors as Stephen King, Michael Crichton and James Herbet among your biggest influences. To what extent do these authors continue to influence your work? Do you feel more inspired to write when you finish reading one of their books?
A: It's hard to say really. With Slaughter in Barnaby Close I had a brief go at writing a James Herbet-esque horror story but didn't like it too much. Killing too many people off loses its appeal after a while, which is strange considering how fun it is to kill people in computer games. I reckon King is probably the biggest influence, although writing is far too recent a thing for me to suddenly feel inspired to write something after reading a particular book.
Q: What is your favorite genre, as a writer?
A: Probably thrillers of one kind or another, although I don't necessarily set out to write a particular genre; it just works out that way. Ultimately I get a gnats fart of an idea and then just run with it. The combination of having a weird sense of humour and being incredibly immature means I can't resist slapping dollops of humour about the place as well. I think I just like screwing up a character's life for the fun of it.
Q: Is there a genre you would love to explore but haven’t, if so, why not?
A: I would love to write more stories set in WWII actually as I find the subject utterly fascinating. I have read plenty of books about it so I am not short of research material but ultimately the problem is finding the right angle for a story. Sure, I could probably churn out numerous stories about a squad of soldiers as they make their way through France but they would all end up being the same. The two WWII stories I have written so far are both short and very different to each other.
Q: What motivates you to write?
A: Haven't got a clue; what motivates me to look at pretty girls all day? I guess it's a good outlet for all the strange things that are bouncing around my head each day. Just to clarify I was referring to writing there, not leering at women.
Q: Most authors feel the need to closely identify with their central characters. How closely do you identify with your protagonists?
A: I think it happens naturally really, it isn't something I have to go out of my way to do. Creating a character that I can neither laugh at, feel sorry for or be envious of is just as boring for me as it is for the reader. There is the old cliche that a writer bases a character on themselves but it's like horoscopes; some of the characteristics can be quite vague so it is not surprising that some of it matches up.
Q: Generally speaking, what do you hope to accomplish as an author?
A: In all my books I have put my email address at the start and the end, stating that people can email me if they want. As vain and as corny as it sounds, I would love for someone to actually contact me saying how much they enjoyed my work.
That and earning loads of money of course. Getting paid to sit in my pants and write complete bobbins all day would fantastic.
Q: What are your future writing plans?
A: Buy high, sell low. No wait, that's wrong. I don't really have plans to be honest as I am doing this mainly because I enjoy it; in a year's time I might get bored and stop.
Authors' Musings
Jennifer K. Lafferty, author of Movie Dynasty Princesses, reviews a wide range of books and discusses various aspects of contemporary and classic literature.
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