Joyce T. Strand's Blog, page 19

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Garry Abbott, Author

Garry Abbott, Author
THE DIMENSION SCALES AND OTHER STORIESBritish author Garry Abbott brings us THE DIMENSION SCALES AND OTHER STORIES, 14short “speculative” fictional stories. One reviewer said, “The overwhelming feel of the book… is the interconnectedness between the large and the small, the mundane and the fantastical, the personal and the political.” Abbott himself says that his stories are “concept driven” with a “what if” approach that require a setting in the future.
A professional musician, Abbott plays guitar with a band. He is a published poet and has written jokes for the BBC. He lives with his fiancée and two cats in Staffordshire in the UK, enjoys playing board games, and is currently working on a full-length novel and maybe another group of short stories.
Q: Your reviewers praise your short stories in THE DIMENSION SCALES for a different approach to dystopian science fiction. Do you agree? How are your stories different from the “typical” world-building stories? Where do you get your “creative” ideas?
Garry Abbott: It may be because I didn’t set out to write a ‘science-fiction’ collection as such and was more focused on concept driven short stories. As it happened, many (but not all) of those concepts required some kind of future setting, or just a ‘change of rules’ for a contemporary backdrop. So I never felt I needed to ‘build worlds’ in that way as the point of many of the stories is how the exaggerated and expanded concepts relate to present-day issues in our world. I also don’t deal with space exploration, planetary colonization or alien contact at all in this collection. I think that kind of science fiction tends to lend itself more to world-building than my more earth-bound ‘speculative’ fiction.
My creative ideas come from a ‘what if?’ outlook on concepts and stories that catch my attention in the media, in my life, or from conversations with friends and colleagues. I also study philosophy so I am concerned and interested in how we consider ourselves personally and as a species. I tend to over-think things!           
Q: One of your reviewers described your book as “forebodingly nuanced.” Would you characterize your stories as optimistic? Or pessimistic? Why?
Garry Abbott: I am pessimistic about many aspects of how things are currently in the world, especially the relationship between political and capitalist forces, inequality, and intolerance. Those themes motivate my writing a lot. However, I am optimistic that we have the power to remedy these problems and pick a better path as a species, and I believe that needs to start from individual introspection. Many of my stories show the extreme outcomes of our current trajectory in order to highlight them and hopefully provoke thought and discussion.
Q: How do you engage readers to care about your characters?
Garry Abbott: I try not to create characters that I cannot understand myself. Even if I disagree with a character’s ethos or actions, I try to empathize with how they came to be like that and find a spark of common ground to work with. I don’t think there is such a thing as being ‘normal’ but many of us do live similar lives, so I try to bring out the character by placing them in extraordinary circumstances.  
Q: Did you write these stories to entertain? To educate? To deliver a message? Do you think it’s important to both entertain and educate readers?
Garry Abbott: First and foremost it is about entertainment, and my stories are often described as ‘cinematic’ which I’m really happy about (as that’s what I intended). There are certain common themes that come up and relate to my outlook on the world, but I try to make sure these don’t get in the way of telling an engaging story. At best I hope my stories spark some new ideas and considerations for my readers, but I’m certainly not trying to educate them as such – they probably know more than me anyway!
Q: Is the concept of “villains” and “heroes” relevant to your stories?
Garry Abbott: I was happy to find that two of the longer stories ended up with strong female ‘heroes’ as the central character. This wasn’t intentional, it just turned out that these stories centered around female characters who take matters into their own hands. Mostly the true villains of the stories are unseen – some secret authority or other causing trouble! I did this to reflect the universally disturbing feeling that those in control haven’t always got our best interests at heart, and that we can never quite be sure who those people are.
Q: Reviewers were impressed with your writing saying that it created pictures, i.e., “vivid imagery.” Does this picture-building increase suspense and character development? How do you accomplish it?
Garry Abbott: It’s nice to get that feedback because I actually try and leave quite a lot of the imagery to the reader’s imagination, only prompting here and there with a few key details to set the scene. I really try hard not to over-describe, especially when writing short stories, so I hope that the vivid imagery they evoke is due to the active mind of a descriptively unconstrained reader! I also prefer a good novel analogy to minute detail. As a reader I prefer to be given the responsibility to see a world in my own way with just enough detail to get me started. Doing this well means you can focus on the characters’ journey, so hopefully it all adds up to increased suspense and development.
Q: How important is credibility or believability to your stories?
Garry Abbott: It really depends on the story! I try to make sure that the actions and reactions of the characters within all the stories are credible and believable. But as I am writing science/speculative fiction, sometimes the worlds and what happens in them are extraordinary, and in which case it is my job to bring the reader along and believe in that world for the short time they are there, even if it is a little crazy.
Q: Do your characters ever take over your writing and make you say something you never intended?
Garry Abbott: I’m not sure how much I go in for the idea that characters can transcend a writer’s intentions and control, but I do believe they can tap into unexpected aspects of an author’s psyche. It’s more of a feeling of “okay, let’s go with that, see what happens” rather than looking at the page and saying “where did that come from!?”. Maybe with writing short stories I haven’t yet spent enough time with one particular character to find out if this will happen. I’m open to the prospect!
Q: What’s next? Will you write more short stories? A novel?
Garry Abbott: I’m working on my first full-length unified novel. I’m writing it in first person perspective from several characters points of view, so it’s a challenge, but it’s coming together. It centers around two friends whose lives are being pulled in different directions by competing and powerful ideologies. There’s a touch of the surreal and more humor, but it still deals with dystopian fears, so I’m hoping my readers will take to it.
I’ve also built up a few more short stories, so there’s a chance that I might also put out another collection when I have enough that feel right side-by-side under one title. I quite like the idea of focusing on a paranormal and/or horror collection this time, but we’ll see!
Q: Tell us about Garry Abbott. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
I’m a musician, both professionally and as a hobby. I play guitar and sing in an original band called ‘Gravity Dave’ (so called because our guitarist, Dave, fell through a roof once and we needed a name for the band). I also compose and produce music for arts and commercial projects and do some sound editing work for radio productions.
I’m just finishing a University degree with the Open University (a respected distance learning establishment here in the UK) in philosophy, creative writing, arts history and social science. That’s kept me quite busy for the last four years!
I live with my fiancée and my two pesky cats in Staffordshire in the UK. We like getting out to old country houses, castles and nature reserves when we have spare time (that’s me and my fiancée, not the cats).  
I’m also a bit of a board game geek and will happily while away an evening with friends playing Monopoly, Risk, Carcassonne – or just whatever I can convince them to sit down and play! I like games: games are good.
About Garry Abbott
Garry Abbott is a writer and musician who lives in Staffordshire in the UK with his fiancée and two cats.

Garry is a published poet, has written jokes for the BBC, scripts for major community arts projects, a children's story for an audio adaptation and now a collection of speculative fiction short stories: THE DIMENSION SCALES AND OTHER STORIES available from all major eBook retailers.

When Garry isn't busy writing words or music he enjoys beating his friends at a variety of popular board games and getting out into the countryside.

About THE DIMENSION SCALES AND OTHER STORIES
“A theory emerged, with testable predictions, and there, like a candy apple, hung the omega symbol that unlocked it all. He knew what he needed to do...”

Garry Abbott’s THE DIMENSION SCALES AND OTHER STORIES is a collection of fourteen short speculative fictions based around themes of malevolent and secret authorities, metamorphosis, survival and projections of contemporary fears into near-future realities.

From worlds inhabited by murderous animals, inept time travelers and clandestine, suburban social experiments—to the sentience, love and moral awakenings of artificial intelligences—THE DIMENSION SCALES invites you to explore the twists and perils of extraordinary moments in disturbingly familiar universes, linked together by one devastating epiphany:

“Something happened, and the world splintered…” 

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WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Deborah Garner, Mystery Author

Early version of Deborah Garner, Author
THE MOONGLOW CAFE 
ABOVE THE BRIDGEMystery author Deborah Garner recently released her second Paige MacKenzie “Cozy No-One-Dies Mystery,” THE MOONGLOW CAFÉ, reviewed as a “terrific blend of mystery, adventure, romance, and humor.” In this mystery, the NYC reporter travels to a small town in Montana to research the area’s sapphire mines, although she is also looking for her “handsome cowboy.” But “stolen sapphires” and “shady characters” soon interrupt her efforts.
When Garner’s not writing, she enjoys photography and hiking with her two dogs.  She loves to travel and divides her time between Wyoming and California. There is definitely another Paige MacKenzie mystery underway, and a few other books as well.
Q: Would you characterize THE MOONGLOW CAFÉ and ABOVE THE BRIDGEas typical mysteries? Cozy mysteries? Who-done-its? What makes them good mysteries?—for those of us who love a good mystery!
Deborah Garner: That's a question I had to think over when I wrote ABOVE THE BRIDGE.  It didn't fall squarely into one single genre, since it mixes history, adventure, mystery and light romance.  But as THE MOONGLOW CAFÉ developed, it became apparent that it most accurately fit as a "Cozy Mystery."  Or, as I tend to joke with cozy diehards who want a murder, it's a "Cozy No-One-Dies Mystery."  The Paige MacKenzie mysteries are clean reads, without any violence or explicit details, involving an amateur sleuth in a small-town setting - all hallmarks of cozies.
Q: Your reviewers appreciated your back story in THE MOONGLOW CAFÉ: “I was so interested in the mines and sapphires I had to look them up online to find out more.” Why? How did you integrate the back story of mines and sapphires into a mystery to intrigue your readers?
Deborah Garner: I think it’s important for readers to identify with a main character.  When that happens, the reader begins to walk in that character’s shoes.  So when Paige's curiosity sends her exploring, the reader follows.  Of course, it needs to be interesting subject matter, so that is tricky.  But that’s all part of how a plot evolves, choosing material that will intrigue the reader.
Q: Both THE MOONGLOW CAFÉ and ABOVE THE BRIDGE are set in small-town areas in the West. How helpful are your chosen settings to telling your stories and creating your characters?
Deborah Garner: I’ve always been fascinated by small towns, which often have unique histories that haven’t made it into the mainstream media. They are perfect settings for mysteries because their isolation sets up opportunities for secrets to be exposed. This type of location lends itself easily to creating characters because rural areas tend to have interesting mannerisms and speech, unlike large cities with more of a melting pot population.
Q: Your reviewers like your characters and say they are “interesting, fleshed-out.” Why do readers engage with Paige MacKenzie? How do you make us care about her and those around her?
Deborah Garner: Paige is very real.  She has good qualities.  She has faults.  She pushes the limits, but still tries to use common sense, usually succeeding in balancing the two.  So I think readers can relate to her.  Surrounding characters are often more eccentric and remind us of people we know or have known in the past.
Q: “The author mixes suspense with a sweet romance” How do you balance romance, humor, mystery, suspense, background information to tell a compelling story? How important is dialogue in this mix?
Deborah Garner: I think dialogue is extremely important.  It provides a means of conveying individual character traits and dropping tidbits of plot information without revealing too much at once. It’s also a great vehicle for balancing different elements of a story. One character might be funny and open in conversation, whereas another is reserved and secretive. Town locals and visitors might have varying accents and speech patterns. Dialogue is a perfect way to give clues to readers, or to create uncertainty, which helps build toward twists as the story unfolds.
Q: How relevant is the concept of “heroes” vs “villains” to your books?
Deborah Garner: It’s funny, I don’t think of any of the characters as villains, though I suppose they are.  I always like them, in spite of their shortcomings.  I see them as people who might have been heroes, but took a wrong turn somewhere along the way in life.  As far as plot development goes, they form a necessary barrier, something that must be overcome in order to solve a mystery.
Q: Do you write your stories to deliver a message, to educate, or for pure entertainment?
Deborah Garner: My intention is entertainment, but I have a fascination with history and make a point of researching carefully, making sure details are accurate.  Often the plot works itself out during the research, rather than the other way around.  So THE MOONGLOW CAFÉ developed around the Yogo sapphire mining history (until Paige found that pesky diary and sent me off in a second direction!) and ABOVE THE BRIDGE was formed around research on gold prospecting.  The travel writer in me also hopes to take readers “to” different areas, providing a bit of armchair travel.
Q: Why did you write a second book with the same character, i.e., the beginning of a series?
Deborah Garner: I didn’t think ABOVE THE BRIDGE would become a series when I wrote it, but Paige wouldn’t leave me alone. She wanted to go to Montana, so I had to follow. She’s bossy that way. It’s not easy to say no to her.
Q: What’s next? Will you continue to write more Paige MacKenzie mysteries?
Deborah Garner: There’s definitely another Paige MacKenzie adventure in the works, which should be out next spring.  She’ll be up to her neck in hot water in that one, literally and figuratively.  I also have a fall release coming up that I haven’t announced yet (Shhh…don’t tell!) that is not a Paige MacKenzie mystery. It’s a standalone that forms a springboard for another series. But Paige will still be around. Like I said, she’s bossy.
Q: Tell us something about Deborah Garner. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Deborah Garner: I love photography.  When I’m not writing, I often head out with my camera equipment to track down wildlife or nature shots.  I also love languages and can spend hours studying Italian vocabulary or conjugating German verbs.  Aside from that, you’ll find me being pulled along mountain hiking trails by two canine companions.
About Deborah GarnerDeborah Garner is an accomplished travel writer and photographer with a passion for back roads and secret hideaways. She splits her time between California and Wyoming, dragging one human and two canines with her whenever possible.
About THE MOONGLOW CAFÉ
New York reporter Paige MacKenzie has a hidden motive when she heads to the small town of Timberton, Montana. Assigned to research the area's unique Yogo sapphires for the Manhattan Post, she hopes to reconnect romantically with handsome cowboy Jake Norris. The local gem gallery offers the material needed for the article, but the discovery of an old diary, hidden inside the wall of a historic hotel, soon sends her on a detour into the underworld of art and deception.
Each of the town's residents holds a key to untangling more than one long-buried secret, from the hippie chick owner of a new age café to the mute homeless man in the town park. As the worlds of western art and sapphire mining collide, Paige finds herself juggling research, romance and danger. With stolen sapphires and shady characters thrown into the mix, will Paige escape the consequences of her own curiosity?
About ABOVE THE BRIDGE
When Paige MacKenzie arrives in Jackson Hole, her only goal is to complete a simple newspaper assignment about the Old West. However, it's not long before her instincts tell her there's more than a basic story to be found in the popular, northwestern Wyoming mountain area. A chance encounter with attractive cowboy Jake Norris soon has Paige chasing a legend of buried treasure, passed down through generations.
From the torn edge of a water-damaged map to the mysterious glow of an antler arch, Paige will follow clues high into the mountainous terrain and deep into Jackson's history. Side-stepping a few shady characters who are also searching for the same hidden reward, she will have to decide who is trustworthy and who is not.
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You can find Deborah Garner at:
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WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Leslie Liautaud, Author, Literary Fiction and Contemporary YA

Leslie Liautaud, Author
BLACK BEAR LAKEReviewers praise Leslie Liautaud’s latest novel, BLACK BEAR LAKE, as an “enjoyable, easy read about the many forms of love, family, and finding oneself.” Liautaud has focused much of her writing on families because she believes you can learn about people by “hanging out” with their families. Although her latest novel is a coming-of-age story, she – and reviewers – recommend it to readers of all ages.
A playwright and novelist, Liautaud enjoys spending her non-writing time with her family of a husband, three teenagers, and three dogs. She grew up in Kansas City, MO where she was in the performing arts, and currently divides her time between Key Largo, FL and Champaign, IL. She loves to travel, and she and her family enjoy the outdoors, especially fishing, snowmobiling, skiing and hiking.
Q: Many of your stories focus on families and the events that drive them. How do you select these events? What is it about the family that inspires you to write about them?
Leslie Liautaud: For the bulk of my stories, I couldn’t begin to tell you where I find the actual storylines or main plot. It’s like a bizarre streak of magic occurs. I can be walking down the road and a wild thought will pop in my mind and I’ll say, “YES! That would be interesting…” However, Black Bear Lake was a different experience. It’s based on true events and I’ve known for a long time that I wanted to write about it.
Family is definitely a strong theme…the main theme…in most of my writing. I find families fascinating. You want to really get to know a person? Hang out with him for a while with his family. For better or worse, people’s guards go down around their family. It’s where we are safe, where we come from. And everyone…EVERYONE…has some secret kept in the family.
Q:  Reviewers praise your most recent novel, BLACK BEAR LAKE, as an “excellent job of delving into the angst-ridden psyche of the adolescent.” How do you connect with the “psyche” of a teen-ager? And how do you entice the reader to care about your adolescent character and those around him?
Leslie Liautaud: I think having three kids…ages 14, 15 and 20…helps with understanding angst! We all go through it but to be able to stand back and observe it from afar gives me a different perspective. And I truly empathize with the angst. I’ve never been one to say, “That’s not a big deal! Get over it!” It IS a big deal when your first girlfriend breaks up with you. Your heart IS broken. It’s a big deal to not understand when a friend stops being your friend. It’s scary when your parents, people you love, are fighting. That’s all VERY real and I think it deserves the respect to be acknowledged as valid emotions. I’ve read so many YA books that sugar coat or are very bubble gum, pop princess oriented. I think that genre is awesome and can be very entertaining (and that’s why most people read it!). For me, I get more satisfaction of what the reality is for most teenagers. It’s scary, it can feel lonely, confusing. As human beings, we have ALL felt those emotions and to splay those feelings out on the table can make us feel vulnerable and exposed. So to face them vicariously through a character, I believe connects the reader to the adolescent.
Q: Although BLACK BEAR LAKE concerns the coming-of-age of your key character, would you recommend it to older-than-adolescent readers? Why? Or why not?
Leslie Liautaud: I would definitely recommend it! I’ve had a few book clubs read BLACK BEAR LAKE and I’ve been shocked how connected they became with the story and characters. It’s a coming-of-age first but it also is heavily weighted with the theme of family and family bond. I had readers tell me they connected with Adam and how he dealt with his feelings towards his mother’s illness. I heard stories about readers’ families and their own annual reunions together. The theme of family bond seems to strike a note with many people in other ways, as well. They related to leaning on family for support during hard times, to fighting and making up with family members, to dealing with the differences in generations.
And if you grew up in the 80’s…it’s like totally tubular to hear the old slang!
Q: How, if at all, has your upbringing influenced your writing? Was your family important to you?
Leslie Liautaud: My family was a HUGE influence on me growing up. My mother was the one who first introduced me to theatre. She did quite a bit of acting and her circle of friends were all actors. I remember big get-togethers with this group when I was 4 or 5. Lots of singing, piano playing and reciting lines from plays, it was a very bohemian group. My mom also read Shakespeare to my sister and I at night for bedtime stories. I don’t know if we always understood the meaning but it definitely taught me the rhythm of words, sentences and phrases. There is an ebb and flow that is very musical, lilting, in good writing. My father is a very quiet, almost Buddha-like, man. He taught me how to meditate and how to quiet myself, and my mind, enough to focus in a productive way even when things are spiraling all around me. As I’ve grown older, I’ve been VERY lucky to still have them champion all my endeavors. My sister is a visual artist and is extremely talented. Although I can’t draw a straight line, her work inspires me every time I look at it. We also proactively take time to nudge each other to make solid time to work in our art and to continue to find joy in it all.
Q:  Did you write BLACK BEAR LAKE strictly to entertain or did you intend to educate readers or deliver a message?
Leslie Liautaud:  Strictly to entertain. My only goal is to tell a story the best I can and hope it brings the reader enjoyment. It’s a wonderful and pleasant surprise if the reader is able to pull something deeper out of that.
Q: How relevant is the concept of “heroes” and “villains” to your stories?
Leslie Liautaud: Great question! I actually love the concept of heroes and villains…because in my view, we are all both. I try to make all of my characters human. Even the character Ron is not 100% a villain. He’s a shmuck. He’s a jerk. But he’s a loser and he knows it. He’s got really low self- esteem and he acts out in inappropriate ways. That’s not a villain, that’s someone who is greatly flawed and feels misunderstood. Tennessee Williams once said, "There are no 'good' or 'bad' people. Some are a little better or a little worse, but all are activated more by misunderstanding than malice. A blindness to what is going on in each other's hearts; nobody sees anybody truly but all through the flaws of their own egos." And man, do I believe that! We all come from our own place of understanding and when we don’t understand what someone else does, it’s very easy to label it as “bad”. For sure, there are a handful of people throughout all of history that could be labeled “hero” or “villain”…but most of the time? Nah.
Q:  How important is humor to telling your stories?
Leslie Liautaud: Oof, it’s so important but so hard! People need to laugh, especially when there is a lot of drama going on, or they get nervous or uneasy. And no one wants to feel like that. That’s why in movies or plays you’ll always find a comic relief character. It’s a RELIEF to laugh when things get tense. But for me, writing humor is very difficult. Being funny on command is HARD!
Q:  You have written plays and novels. Which do you prefer? Do you find that writing one helps to create the other?
Leslie Liautaud: They are apples and oranges. I love writing dialogue, it comes very naturally to me. So, once I have the storyline of a play set, I can whip a full-length drama out pretty quickly and with solid results. But I also love the process of writing a novel. Descriptive writing is much harder for me but I’ve found that I really like the trance I go into when the story starts to flow out of me. I also am a huge fan of editing. I know, it’s a strange one, but I love to go back through and cut and cut and cut and condense. Like cutting away at a stone until you have a beautiful diamond.
Q: What’s next?
Leslie Liautaud: I’m currently working on a new novel about a group of college age friends. That’s all I can tell ya!
Q: Tell us something about Leslie Liautaud? What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Leslie Liautaud: I love spending time with my family! We’re spread out across the country right now…my oldest son is in college in Salt lake City, my daughter is at a college prep boarding high school in New Hampshire and my youngest son is at home finishing his 8th grade year (and then off to join his sister next year). We all love the outdoors and spend a lot of time fishing, snowmobiling, skiing and hiking. I love to cook with my husband. He’s in the restaurant business (Jimmy Johns Gourmet Sandwiches), so we love to do as much food research as possible. I also really love to travel. I’d say my favorite spot so far has been Botswana in Africa. The nature is still so wild…it’s almost spiritual, it’s so raw…and it puts you right in your place…in the food chain! I’m planning a trip to Tibet next year and am counting down to that!
About Leslie Liautaud
Leslie Liautaud is the author of Midnight Waltzes (2006), He Is Us (2008), The Wreck(2009), SALIGIA (2011), The Mansion (2012) and Summer Nights and Dreams (2012). She is also the author of the coming-of-age novel BLACK BEAR LAKE (CreateSpace Independent Publishing, 2014).
Leslie is originally from Kansas City, MO where she worked in the performing arts. Currently, she divides her time between Key Largo, FL and Champaign, IL with her husband, three teenage children and three rambunctious dogs.
About BLACK BEAR LAKE
Adam Craig, a forty year-old stock trader in Chicago, finds his marriage teetering on the rocks and his life at a standstill. Desperate and on the edge of personal collapse, Adam takes the advice of a therapist and travels to his childhood family compound on Black Bear Lake with hopes of making peace with his past. Stepping onto the northern Wisconsin property, he relives the painful memories of the summer of 1983, his last summer at the lake. 
In August 1983, a self-conscious fifteen year-old Adam carries a world of worry on his shoulders as he arrives at Black Bear Lake for a month long family reunion. Between anger and fear of his mother’s declining health as she quietly battles a quickly spreading cancer and his cherished cousin’s depression over her parents’ bitter divorce, Adam is swept up in smothering familial love among the multiple generations and heartbreaking misunderstanding and betrayal. The arrival of a sensual but troublesome babysitter throws the delicate balance of his family into a tailspin. Blinded by his attraction to the newcomer, Adam fails to see his cousin's desperate cries for help and the charged electrical current running through his family's hierarchy. Crushed in the middle of it all, Adam is forced to learn that there's a fine line between self-preservation and the strength of family blood, all the while unaware of the impending tragedy that will ultimately change his life forever.
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WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Scotch Wichmann, Performance Artist and Author

Scotch Wichmann, Performance Artist and Author
TWO PERFORMANCE ARTISTS KIDNAP
THEIR BOSS AND DO THINGS TO HIMScotch Wichmann, comedian and performance artist,  lamented the lack of a definitive novel on performance art and wrote TWO PERFORMANCE ARTISTS KIDNAP THEIR BOSS AND DO THINGS TO HIM to fill the gap. Set in San Francisco, the novel tells the story of two performance artists who become so annoyed with their jobs that they kidnap their billionaire boss to turn him into a performance artist. Reviewers say it’s “possibly the funniest caper novel ever,” but also applaud the “heart” in the book.  It was a finalist in the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest.
Wichmann, a performance artist for 23 years, is a fan of  “madcap” comedy films like “A Fish Called Wanda,” “Ghostbusters,” or “National Lampoon’s Vacation.” When not performing or writing, he enjoys going on walks with his dog, writing software, reading, and drinking.  
Q: You are successful as a performance artist and comedian. What caused you to write TWO PERFORMANCE ARTISTS KIDNAP THEIR BOSS AND DO THINGS TO HIM?
Scotch Wichmann: One day it occurred to me that nobody had yet written *the* performance novel—that is, the kind of novel about performance art that a performance artist would write.
There were a few books out there that had incorporated performance art into their plots, but all of them were ultimately more focused on other themes—a sleuth solving a mystery, for example, or maybe somebody's recovery from emotional scars—and that's not what I was looking for.
I wanted to read a real performance art novel—one that captured the grit and unbridled creativity of the performance art world from someone who'd actually been there—a book that would answer questions like, What is performance art? What makes a performance good or bad? What's it like, doing an art form that in America that's sometimes viewed as a cultural punchline? Why is a performance artist driven to strap meat to herself, or drop razorblades into his underwear—and how does somebody become like that?
That was the novel I wanted to read, but it didn't exist. Finally, in late 1999, I couldn't stand it anymore; that very night, I sat down and started outlining the book.
Q: One of your reviewers was pleased with your “everyman hero one can get behind.” He was surprised by the “heart” in a book about performance artists and the “generous and good humored heart beating at the center of all of the carefully orchestrated zaniness.” "Zaniness” and “heart” don't always mix. How were you able to create characters that engage readers in the midst of telling a zany story?
Scotch Wichmann: I'm a huge fan of madcap comedy novels and films like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, A Fish Called Wanda, True Lies, 9 to 5, Silver Streak, National Lampoon's Vacation, Ghostbusters, and Ishtar.  Although not all of these were exactly blockbusters, they were successful for me in their comedy and creativity, and in how earnesttheir characters were.  That earnestness, and their characters' oblivion toward how ridiculous a situation might be becoming, endears us to them; they're hilarious and loveable precisely because they're walking disaster zones—clowns walking straight into chaos while whistling happy tunes.
For TWO PERFORMANCE ARTISTS KIDNAP THEIR BOSS AND DO THINGS TO HIM, I aimed for that same target—to create characters who were flawed, but with earnestness, and who can't see their own shortcomings and failures objectively, until, maybe, they catch a fleeting glimpse when it comes time to walk comedy's bouncy tightrope high up over the jagged canyon of Tragedy.
Q: When writing this type of over-the-top humor, how relevant is the concept of “heroes” and “villains?”
Scotch Wichmann: In any novel or film, conflict is key.  But in comedy—especially when working with clown archetypes—you don't necessarily need a typical villain. For the clown—who, in his or her earnestness, becomes the hero—pretty much anything can become villainous—a short-term obstacle, conflict, or game that needs to be won before the plot can continue.  In National Lampoon's Vacation, Clark Griswold can't continue driving toward Walley World until he figures out what to do with Aunt Edna, who has just died in her sleep.  Ever the bumbling clown, Clark goes for the "obvious" solution: just tie her to the car's roof and drive on!  Likewise, when Hank and Larry, the protagonists in TWO PERFORMANCE ARTISTS KIDNAP THEIR BOSS AND DO THINGS TO HIM, encounter an obstacle, they reach for what's "obvious" to them—which, in many cases, is performance art—with madcap results.
Q: Let's talk setting. I lived in the Bay Area for 25 years, and The City is a favorite (New York has Broadway—so it's King.) I also worked in the corporate environment during that time and comprehend its downsides. How helpful is the city of San Francisco to telling your story? Do you consider corporate environment a “villain” or a setting for your story?
Scotch Wichmann: I could see having set TWO PERFORMANCE ARTISTS KIDNAP THEIR BOSS AND DO THINGS TO HIM  in New York's Lower East Side, especially in the 1970s or mid-1980s, but I don't think it would've been the same novel.  For one, NYC just seemed too big.  I didn't want the city to feel claustrophobic, necessarily, but its edges needed to be within reach so Hank and Larry could exert their influence over it more thoroughly, and exhaust its possibilities more quickly—in order to arrive at conflict—than NYC might've allowed.  Also, although San Francisco is gorgeous, its hills are uniquely imposing, especially if you're on foot.  They push against you (and harder if you're in a hurry to get anywhere).  The wind, especially downtown, will blow you clean over.  And if it's raining, the hilly streets become lethally slick. The City seemed to offer ways of working against Hank and Larry to create a pressure cooker whose pent-up energy might've dissipated in a larger setting like NYC's.  In SF's seedy Tenderloin district where I lived, I could walk toward Polk Street on a Friday night, and in a four-block stretch, pass liquor stores, pan handlers, people of every color, a blowjob in progress, art galleries, a vet in a wheelchair, mom-and-pop restaurants with flies buzzing in the windows, psych ward escapees, a gay salon, the rich, the destitute, software geeks on kick scooters, a gaggle of transvestite prostitutes checking their hair, drug hustlers, and drunks—and with little fear of getting mugged. People were accepting and got along mostly, like in NYC, but with the city space feeling even more compressed.
As for Hank and Larry's computer jobs, the environment definitely works against them. Their office building is a half-mile long, so a walk to the restroom takes forever. The endless rows of carpet-walled office cubicals enforce uniformity (and boredom). Work is punctuated by long walks to the breakroom to buy soggy vending machine burritos. The office walls are plastered with communist-style posters designed to inspire work and consistency with mind-numbing slogans like TOGETHER WE WILL ACHIEVE.  Hidden cameras make privacy impossible.  And all of this came from my experiences working at Fortune 1000 companies in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Orange County, which was brutally soul-sucking at times...I'm sure a lot of people can relate.
Q:  How important is believability to your story? How do you get readers involved with the “over-the-top” story?
Scotch Wichmann: Readers—being TV and Internet viewers—have become accustomed to seeing hard-to-believe action unfold right before their eyes, thanks to TV shows like Jackassand Internet sites like YouTube.  So, I didn't see any reason to put a cap on what Hank and Larry were allowed to pull off during their performances, as long as it was physically possible in the real world.  Set a full-sized bull swinging from the gallery's rafters with tequila and a cigar in its mouth?  No problem!
As for the believability of Hank and Larry's motivations, I made sure to spend plenty of time building their disdain for corporate life, and their frustration over not being able to survive economically on just art alone. 
And as for the kidnapping itself—snatching a billionaire from a computer convention—the scenario seemed plausible, given the circumstances and planning. Part of what made the scenario possible was simply that it was outside the realm of what the billionaire and his protective detail thought possible—which, of course, is exactly what performance artists are good at: doing what nobody has ever thought of doing.  That's their specialty, in fact.  So, it's not much of a stretch to think they'd make good kidnappers, given the enormous amount of detail (and surprises) they bake into performances.
Q:  The art (or science?) of writing humor is tricky. You have spent a career making people laugh. How? Do you target a specific group? If so, who will most enjoy the humor in TWO PERFORMANCE ARTISTS KIDNAP THEIR BOSS AND DO THINGS TO HIM?
Scotch Wichmann: TWO PERFORMANCE ARTISTS is geared for anyone who likes action, capers, madcap or dark comedy, edgy art, buddy stories, or learning more about creativity.
Comedy is a craft. Sure, you'll come across the occasional person who is just naturally funny and quick—or who has great comic physicality—both of which are hard to teach.   But the vast majority of the time—and if you want consistency—comedy comes from writing and understanding how to craft a good joke. There is a structure to it, a theory to it; Google "joke writing" and you'll find books and classes that teach you how.  I studied and performed at the San Francisco Comedy College for three years; after writing thousands of jokes—and critiquing others' acts—you learn how to articulate why something is funny.  When I watch a comedian perform, knowing comedy theory lets me see how she or he is getting laughs, just like a film editor can watch a movie and tell you why certain cuts are effective.  And here's a secret: anybody can learn to be more funny.  Get yourself a book on joke writing, or take a class, and get to writing.  Try out some jokes at a comedy open mic near you.  Once you understand how jokes work, you can write comedy on any subject, and extend joke structure to longer projects like sketch writing or even a novel.
Targeting a specific group requires research. If you're doing topical comedy, you first study your subject, and then begin cranking out jokes on that topic. I was once hired to perform for the psych ward staff at a California prison, so I mined psychiatry topics for jokes; for example, the labels people use for different kinds of crazy, dealing with shrinks who are crazier than their patients, and so on.  If you're targeting a specific demographic, then you study that demographic to see what experiences they're having—what they like, what they hate—and then write jokes about that.  Unfortunately, most demographic comedy has an expiration date; what was funny years ago won't necessarily be funny today. Once in 2008, I took a paying gig doing standup in front of 200 San Francisco teenagers. While setting up an opening joke, I made a reference to the original Star Warsmovie—and my joke tanked.  Why?  The kids hadn't seen the film! Crazy! I suddenly felt so old.... So, always know your audience.
Q: Did you write TWO PERFORMANCE ARTISTS purely for laughs or were you also trying to tell your readers something?
Scotch Wichmann: It began as a love letter to performance art, and also to caper comedies, which I adore.  Combining the two seemed like a dream, and once I started writing, I couldn't stop—I had to find out how the book would end!  That passion and curiosity is what kept me going from my start in 1999 until the first full draft was finished in 2006.
But most of all, I wanted to put everything I know about performance art into TWO PERFORMANCE ARTISTS —including art lessons handed down to me from my teachers—and show why it remains a powerfully shamanic and political art form that can convey ideas in ways ordinary language cannot.  Performance art has remained controversial because it's always rejecting its own conventions—it remakes itself into something new, something you don't expect—thus always carrying with it the shock of the newdeep within its DNA.  The novel shows how to make performance art, but more, how to grow a performance art way of looking at the world.
As an example of performance art's power, in November of 2013, a Russian performance artist walked into Moscow's Red Square, undressed, sat down nude, and nailed his scrotum to the cobblestone.  The implied message was this: If you, our corrupt Russian government, is so intent on extending your iron-fisted power over us—and even our *bodies*—then here, I'll offer you mine.  The artist had literally made himself part of the State.
The Western media, of course, always hungry for sensationalism, portrayed his performance as salacious: "Look at this crazy dude's impaled scro!"  But the Russians in power?  They understood the message perfectly. To read more about it, visit: www.scotchcomedy.com/square
Q: Why did you choose to write your book from first person point of view? Did you find its use restrictive?
Scotch Wichmann: I chose first-person because I wanted the novel to have a strong POV about performance art and the action taking place, with as little distance between the narrator and the action unfolding as possible. Also, Larry, the narrator, spends a lot of time alone, so using first-person gave me opportunities for him to hear and critique his own thoughts.  I didn't find first-person limiting at all; I just made sure to plot the novel with the idea in mind that my narrator's knowledge would be limited to whatever was present at the locale at hand.
Larry's narration also breaks a cardinal novel-writing rule: during action sequences, he switches to present tense.  Why?  Because action moves so much faster in the present—that's why screenplays use it—and that's how we often speak when recounting action: "So. I go to his house. I knock on the door. And he runs!"
Q: What's next?
Scotch Wichmann: The rest of my national book tour!  See: www.2p4m.com/tour
Q: Tell us about Scotch Wichmann. What do you like to do when you're not writing or performing?
Scotch Wichmann: I love watching movies, making short films, looking at art, sketching and painting, going on walks with the dog, swinging kettlebells, writing software, reading, and drinking. 
About Scotch Wichmann
Scotch Wichmann's comedy novel, TWO PERFORMANCE ARTISTS KIDNAP THEIR BOSS AND DO THINGS WITH HIM, was published in April by Freakshow Books.  A first-round finalist in the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest, Kill Radio called it "possibly the funniest caper ever written...what you'd get if Fear and Loathing, Office Space, and Jackassmade a baby." A performance artist for About TWO PERFORMANCE ARTISTS KIDNAP THEIR BOSS AND DO THINGS WITH HIM

TWO PERFORMANCE ARTISTS KIDNAP THEIR BOSS AND DO THINGS WITH HIM is a caper comedy about Hank and Larry, two performance artists in San Francisco who hate their jobs so much that they cook up the ultimateperformance: to kidnap their billionaire boss and turn him into a performance artist.  A first-round finalist in the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest—and the first performance art novel by a performance artist—Two Performance Artists is a madcap art adventure about best friends determined to tackle the American Dream with bird feathers, duct tape, and a sticky AK-47.
For an excerpt, readers can visit:  http://www.twoperformanceartists.com/...


Links
Amazon Link 
Goodreads Two Performance Artists website Video Trailer Scotch's Website & Blog Facebook 
Twitter: @scotchwichmannInstagram: http://instagram.com/scotchwichmann

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Shelby K. Morrison, Author

Shelby K. Morrison, Author
SHATTEREDShelby K. Morrison just released her debut novel, SHATTERED, described by reviewers as “a captivating...thought provoking...action packed psychological thriller!” full of surprises. The novel tracks a college student from Beaverton, Oregon, who senses she is being watched.
Morrison currently lives in Utah, but was born in Oregon and grew up in California and Utah.  She plans to try on multiple genres and is currently writing a fantasy story. She says she is addicted to doing research, but also enjoys DIY projects, and especially “hanging out” with her husband and two shih-tzus.
Q: In what genre[s] would you place SHATTERED? Mystery, thriller, or SciFi? Or all three? Who will enjoy reading SHATTERED the most?
Shelby K. Morrison: After doing some thinking, listening to my readers and learning about genres, I'd actually place SHATTERED among the psychological thrillers. The sci-fi aspect is so small that those that aren't sci-fi fans would steer clear when they really shouldn't. No spaceships, no aliens. Readers that enjoy a good thinker and some fast action will enjoy SHATTERED, no matter the age. If they are tired of the traditional who-dun-it mysteries and want something fresh to nag at their thoughts, SHATTERED is the book for them. Also, any readers fascinated by conspiracy theories should definitely pick up SHATTERED. It could also be categorized as an action adventure.
Q: What are the attributes of an engaging mystery? Is a mystery also a thriller? If not, what makes a thriller? How did you create a “thriller/mystery” or “psychological thriller?”
Shelby K. Morrison: For a mystery to be engaging, I feel the reader should want to find the answers as much as the protagonist. They should get frustrated when they reach dead-ends, they should be concerned about the looming deadline. A mystery can be a thriller if there is the possibility of death, if you are not only absorbed in the mystery but also the safety of your characters. I've created a thriller/mystery with SHATTERED because the reader is learning with Alex, yet also afraid for Alex. They know just a little more than she, but just a little. They are curious, frustrated, anxious to find the answers in time. A mystery with a deadly deadline. Was that redundant?
Q: How do you entice readers to care about your characters, especially your protagonist, Alex Bowen? Do you base your characters on real people?
Shelby K. Morrison: SHATTERED is a particular story, where the readers might not connect completely with Alex until mid-way through the book when a large secret is revealed. Might. However, I try to allow my readers to understand Alex bit by bit as the story progresses. Apart from that, I strive to make my protagonists as human as possible, with annoyances, bad habits, flaws, weaknesses. Alex, for example, is very naïve in the beginning of the book, very trusting. Ian, a secondary character, hates riddles. And on it goes. Characters shouldn't be the perfect person, they should be real. Sometimes the reader may want to slap them and other times they may want to hug them. I don't base them on real people because, honestly, book characters need to be larger than life. Real, only better. They are real people in my head, for whatever that's worth.
Q: Does the concept of “heroes” vs “villains” apply to SHATTERED? Do you need a villain to produce a hero?
Shelby K. Morrison: SHATTERED doesn't have a strong obvious villain. Certainly you will know who the villain is meant to be, but that doesn't make them a true villain. If that makes sense. It's all perspective. To some, the villain in SHATTERED is no villain at all. Some could venture as far (very far) as to say that the villain could technically be viewed as a hero. But to Alex, this is her villain, the dragon she must slay. You don't necessarily have to always have a dragon to slay, to find a hero. You just have to have a character who stops at nothing to do what they feel is right.
Q: How or what inspired you to conceive of your story about a college student being watched? Is it based on a real event? 
Shelby K. Morrison: Haha! I would certainly hope not! No, most of the story is my imagination. However, large, and I mean LARGE, chunks are based off of true life. Strung together, a complete work of fiction. Broken up, huge truths. This might be scary to readers. And it should be. That's the point. Mainly the tiny bud of the idea (it's altered much more into what it is today) started when I thought "What if everything you knew was a lie?" I can't say much more, lest I spoil it. However, if you visit my website, I do go into more detail about the inspiration of SHATTERED. Only read after you've read the book.
Q: Did you write SHATTERED purely to entertain, or did you also want to deliver a message and/or educate your readers? 
Shelby K. Morrison: I wrote SHATTERED to entertain. Yet, as it grew into the story it is today, it became plump with a message. But, to make it clear, I didn't write it with a message in mind. The message came with the territory. A message that the world is moving at an alarming rate. If we don't put our foot down, draw the line somewhere, it will swallow us whole. We need to take a step back and ask ourselves, "Is this really what we as humans want? Or are we just drifting with the tide, accepting the world as it morphs into something our ancestors wouldn't recognize?" But the message isn't a glaring one, just one that will probably dance through most readers’ minds as the book comes to a close.
Q: How relevant is setting—in Oregon or at a college—to telling your story?
Shelby K. Morrison: College and Oregon are just to relay the life Alex led before tragedy struck. The real setting is the island. Oops, spoiler! But SHATTERED didn't always take Alex to an island. It originally took her to France. But that was boring, difficult to convey, not ripe with danger. An island, though. That is dangerous, mysterious, threatening. Setting is key for the emotion you want your readers to feel while reading. It's like asking if the set to a play is important. Always. Sometimes that one little (big) tweak can totally transform your story from okay to great!
Q: Do you control your characters when writing, or do they lead you to write what they want?
Shelby K. Morrison: I'd say the control goes 30/70. I can't make my character do something if their character just wouldn't. It's like someone writing a story about me and writing that I picked up a crab. Sorry! Nope, no crabs. Even if it would help the story, my character wouldn't do it. So I can only encourage my characters, not force. If I desperately want them to do something out of the norm, I need a different character. This can all be avoided by designing the character you want from the get-go so they always do what you hope. That's my method, anyway. 
Q: What’s next?
Shelby K. Morrison: I'm currently working on a Fantasy title. Gasp! I know, genre leap. But I'm just starting out and haven't found my niche yet. The goal is to have it published by the end of the year or early 2015.
Q: Tell us about Shelby K. Morrison. What do you do when you’re not writing?
Shelby K. Morrison: When I'm not writing, I'm researching. It's an addiction. When I'm not doing that, I enjoy DIY-projects, bargain shopping, taking up a random artsy hobby for the month or hanging out with my husband and two shih-tzus.
About Shelby K. Morrison
Shelby K. Morrison was born in Oregon and grew up in California and Utah. SHATTERED is Shelby's debut novel, with many more to come. Shelby plans on exploring other genres down the road before claiming a specialty. She currently lives in Utah with her husband and two dogs. When she isn't writing or reading, she enjoys researching, crafting, bargain shopping, and DIY-projects.
About SHATTERED

What would you sacrifice to learn the truth? That is the question Alex Bowen, a headstrong college student from Beaverton, Oregon, must ask herself when she learns she's being watched. But who's doing the spying? And why have they chosen her?
Thrown from her world of comfort, yet determined to discover the truth, Alex soon finds herself cut off from family and friends and forced to make allies wherever she can find them. With dead ends at every turn, and more than one pursuer closing in, she quickly learns some questions are best left unasked. Now, with her life and sanity on the line, Alex must resist her enemy's mind games if she wants to expose every dark secret.  To succumb would result in her true identity being lost forever and countless others suffering the same fate. But to succeed, would shatter everything she knows.
Links Amazon   Barnes & Noble
Website Book Trailer  Goodreads  Facebook  
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ShelbyKMorrison

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: A.R. Taylor, Author

A.R. Taylor, Author
SEX, RAIN, AND COLD FUSIONA.R. Taylor characterizes her new novel, SEX, RAIN, AND COLD FUSION as “a comic novel, a piece of quality mainstream fiction.” Her reviewers love her humor—“Physics has never been funnier!” -- but they also appreciate her characters and the mystery. “She's brilliant, incisive, wildly entertaining and profoundly touching. This is a book well worth reading despite all its raucous conceits.”
The award-winning writer has written plays, essays, and fiction and claims movie scripts are the most difficult to produce, with documentaries a close second. Although she continues to write, she dreams of owning a restaurant/tavern with live music.  Above all, she says “the best thing in her life” is her daughter.
Don't miss the excerpt at the end of her interview.
Q: How would you characterize SEX, RAIN, AND COLD FUSION? Is it a romance, a mystery, literary fiction, or…?
A.R. Taylor: It's a comic novel, a piece of quality mainstream fiction.
Q: Reviewers love your humor:  “Physics has never been funnier!”,  “There is no author funnier or smarter, nobody who packs her punch,” and “highly original sense of humor is like that of no other writer of today.” Humor is difficult to write – people see “funny” differently. Do you target a specific group with your humor? How do you make your story funny?
A.R. Taylor: The only group I really target is people who like to laugh, smart, interested readers who nevertheless will fall for the banana peel every time. When you say "make your story funny," that's a tough one. It's a matter of how you see the world, with a certain distance or irony, and refusal to take yourself too seriously. There's an old saying, "It may not be fun, but it's always funny."
Q: Reviewers also appreciate your characters. “Wonderfully engaging characters”, “The characters, with all their flaws, were quirky and lovable,” “Really liked the characters,” “characters were so well developed and layered.” How did you make your characters engaging? Why do your readers care about them, particularly your protagonist, David Oster?
A.R. Taylor: It's not possible to make readers care for your characters, if you, the writer, don't. So, you have to love them even when they're stupid or cruel or even villainous, and that can be tough. At times, David behaves like a jerk, but he's a charmer too. You have to hold your characters very close to your own heart––that will help other people like them as well.
Q: You set SEX, RAIN, AND COLD FUSION in the Pacific Northwest, which enabled you to include “RAIN” in your title. Can you comment on the value of using setting to tell your story, or any story.
A.R. Taylor: For me, a particular landscape and its weather control a great deal of normal, everyday behavior. I lived in the Pacific Northwest for five years, and I can honestly say that it rained 85% of the time, at least to my sodden brain, and it caused (in my novel) "an unwholesome addiction to drink, philandering, and crafts."
Q: How relevant is the concept of “heroes” vs “villains” to telling your story?
A.R. Taylor: I often look at my stories and say, "Gee, who's the villain?" Basically you get so immersed in a character's problems that you come to see him or her as just trying to be good but failing constantly. So hero and villain are twins in the womb. From a writing standpoint, villains are fun to write, and everybody loves a good villain.
Q: SEX, RAIN, AND COLD FUSION is, according to reviewers, also a mystery, and one they couldn’t put down. How do you develop suspense amidst laughter?
A.R. Taylor: With sweat and constant re-writing. This is just the hardest technical trick in the world, especially in a comic novel, because you can get lost in your own jokes, and the characters make you think of other crazy things they could get into, but you must hang on to the thread of the story like grim death. It's a bit like weaving a tapestry—just keep pulling certain threads tighter and don't drop any. Easy to say, really bone crushing to do, as all you writers out there know, and I'm honored that reviewers thought I succeeded.
Q: In addition to entertaining readers, did you also intend to deliver a message or educate them?
A.R. Taylor: I don't think good novels start out with the intention to educate, but by indirection they can. So, in the case of SEX, RAIN, AND COLD FUSION several of the characters are scientists who happen to be working on two entirely discredited theories, cold fusion and the fifth force. I got very interested in these subjects, and I hope curious readers will look into them, too.
Q: You have written in a variety of outlets including as head writer for Emmy-winning shows. Do you have a favorite? Do you prefer fiction or non-fiction? Scripts or novels? Books or short stories?
A.R. Taylor: You're looking at my checkered history of trying to make a living at writing! I think movie scripts are the single hardest form in the world, documentaries (in which I worked) a close second. The novel form is wonderful for its scope, its expansiveness, and the variety of characters. I love writing short stories, too, as a way to try out novel ideas or to work on specific problems in fiction––say, the surprise ending. One summer I worked on four such stories and had a ball.
Q: What’s next?
A.R. Taylor: Oh boy, I'm working on a new novel that I started several years ago but dropped in frustration. Now I'm back at it. While it has comic elements, it's also steamy and seriously romantic.
Q: Tell us something about A.R. Taylor. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
A.R. Taylor: First off, I'm really Anne with an "e." I play paddle tennis at the Venice boardwalk, love to dance and cook––my dream would be to own a tavern/restaurant with live music. I love learning languages and speak French and Spanish, but just now (sigh) I'm going back to the piano, and to prove it I've got a real live teacher. But the best thing in my life is my beautiful, kind, talented daughter, with whom I spend a lot of time.
About A.R. Taylor
A. R. Taylor is an award-wining playwright, essayist, and fiction writer. Her work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, the Southwest Review, Pedantic Monthly, The Cynic online magazine, the Berkeley Insider, Red Rock Review, and Rosebud, among others. The New Short Fiction series featured her short stories, and her work has been performed at the HBO Workspace, the Annenberg Center, and The Federal Bar. Taylor herself played the Gotham Comedy Club in New York and Tongue & Groove in Hollywood.Her awards include the De Golyer Prize in American Studies, a nomination for the Henry Murray Award at Harvard, recognition from the NBC Program for New Writers, the Writers' Guild East, The Dana Fiction awards, the Theatre of Louisville Humana Prize, and the Writers Foundation of America Gold Statuette for Comedy. In addition, she was head writer on two Emmy award-winning series for public television.
About SEX, RAIN, AND COLD FUSION
Prepare to meet physicist David Oster, a big thinker, a charming cad who flees Caltech and his three girlfriends for the Pacific Northwest, pastoral fantasy firmly in hand. Whatever will he do with all that rain, yet another beautiful woman, and several crazy physicists intent on his ruin? Obviously he needs to discover some entirely new physics principle, as yet unnamed, but can he deliver?
Excerpt
            Days later, David found himself seated high atop the administration building in a glassed-in conference room with President Royce Thornton, a tall, gangly, gray-haired man clad in a mustard-colored suit. Trying to ignore an interminable discussion of university sports, he instead concentrated his attention on the first serious downpour since his arrival. At Caltech, David had perfected the art of fixing someone with a stare while at the same moment making calculations. Counting was the trick. Watching from the front of his head, he counted at the back, and his consciousness would remain on point even though he wasn’t listening. This was a minor skill, but the rain offered a promising medium. How fat were the drops, and how long did it take each one to fall from the branches of a tree? These raindrops seemed lean and needlelike, and he had just formulated their location on his new scientific creation, the Oster Wet Scale, when Thornton turned to him, shuffling through a sheaf of papers. “Oster, Oster, is it?”            “David Oster,” he replied, eyeballing the other gloomy men at the table, which predictably included Niels Hoekstra.             “We must get you to work, Oster. No point in you just catching things under the ocean, or whatever you people do.” As David opened his mouth to define the nature of physical oceanography, Thornton gave a tremendous snort indicative of a nasal problem so deep, so unreachable, he might well pull up his stomach to get rid of it. He looked around, but nobody else reacted, not even Hoekstra. The president pressed his face into a white handkerchief while he continued speaking. “We would like to put on a show for our basketball team, the Steelheads. Something amazing, diverting. Specifically horses.”
            “I’m sorry, what did you say, sir?”            “Don’t toy with me, young man. Horses on the basketball court! Haven’t you been listening to anything the others have said?”            “I have, I have. It’s just that sports, per se, is not really my area.” David had been a decent rugby player in college, and his father had been ferocious at tennis, but in general, the American obsession with sports left him cold.            “Consider it your area now. In addition to the Larson Kinne Institute, as of this year, we have a new sports center courtesy of the same donor, named in honor of his wife’s family, Crestole. Naturally, it has a state-of-the-art basketball floor. The question is, can the floor of this basketball court withstand five or ten horses on it performing a show for, say, fifteen minutes, something like that? That’s a physics question, I think.”            “It’s an engineering question, I believe.”            The vision of a new, young person who was presumably a faculty member telling President Thornton of Western Washington State University what he was supposed to know already made the room seize up like a car engine low on oil. The assembled males stared in open pity. Hoekstra, however, looked sly, almost gleeful. “I am an agriculturalist, sir,” Thornton fairly shouted. “Do not play the dummy with me.” He slammed his papers down and dismissed the meeting.
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WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Robert Penner, Fantasy Author

Robert Penner, Author
DARK MOON SHADOWRobert Penner writes fantasy to give readers an escape from reality. It’s also his favorite genre to read. His just-released book, DARK MOON SHADOW, includes wizards, evil, and a sap farmer hero. It is his first full-length fantasy novel. Prior to this, he has written Young Adult (YA) fantasy and paranormal stories.
Penner describes himself as “low-key” and enjoys spending his non-writing time with his wife and daughter – and reading as many fantasy books as time allows.
Q: Why do you write fantasy and paranormal stories?
Robert Penner: I write fantasy because I love to read it. I feel life is full of stress and responsibilities that a nice escape of adventure in a fantasy is a great way to relieve some of that.
Q: How do you create credibility in your fantasy and paranormal worlds? Is believability relevant?
Robert Penner: Believability is totally relevant, but not probability. Fantasy is not real, but the reader must believe it is, in the context of the world he/she is reading.  Strong world building is key in accomplishing this.
Q:  Tell us about your latest book, the epic fantasy, DARK MOON SHADOW.
Robert Penner: DARK MOON SHADOW is the first in a series of three novels set in the Protectors of the Realm universe. It is my first full-length fantasy novel.
Q:  How do you engage readers to embrace your characters?
Robert Penner:  I like to make my characters relatable, or likable either good or bad. There has to be something that the reader can hang on to in a character. They can sympathize with the character in some way. They can say, "I know where he is coming from," or "I understand why I hate that villin."
Q:  Do you feature heroes and villains in your stories? What makes a good villain? Do you need a villain to have a hero?
Robert Penner: There are several heroes in Dark Moon, but one main character’s storyline. Sub-heroes are weaved throughout the story. There are villains. My story would not be a good one without a villain. Although you don't always need a villain to have a hero, but in this tale there has to be.
Q: You write both YA and adult stories. What do you do specifically to target youth readers?
Robert Penner: In my YA stories I tried to have a moral to each adventure that dealt with YA topics; something that a YA could learn from in the adventure and maybe apply to their own life. Magic always seems to be a good avenue to bring in the young adult.
Q:  Do you write your stories primarily to entertain, or do you also write to educate or deliver a message?
Robert Penner: In YA to educate as well as entertain, but in Dark Moon it's strictly to entertain. I don't feel like delivering a message here, nor should I. Most people want to be entertained not preached at. Even though it's hard to write a tale without having some take on the world and relationships that can come across as a teachable moment. I can't deny that, nor help it, but my goal is to entertain.
Q:  Do your characters push you around and make you write what they want? Or are you in control?
Robert Penner:  This is the beauty of writing. Even though I outline my adventure and try to stay on track while I write, I can never do that. Often, I find my characters coming to life and indeed making their own way at times. I sometimes need to grab hold of them and guide them back. I like to know my point A and B in each chapter, but in-between I never know how my characters are going to fill the gap.
Q: What’s next?
Robert Penner: Tears of Duranthidil is next. This will be a sequel to Dark Moon and tie up a lot of loose ends. In the meantime I will release a Free 3 chapter back-story for Dark Moon to help people generate interest. I will also post it on the website.
Q: Tell us about Robert Penner. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Robert Penner:  I spend most of my other-time working and spending time with my wife and daughter.  Writing time is what I actually have to fight for. I also spend my time before bed reading Fantasy. I know that doesn't shed too much light about myself, but I'm actually pretty low-key.
About Robert Penner
“I love to read and write Fantasy and have been writing seriously since 2005. Dark Moon Shadow is my first full-length novel in Fantasy. I have written and sold e-books in YA fantasy and Paranormal. Dark Moon Shadow is the first in a series of three novels that take place in the Protectors of the Realm universe. Tears of Duranthidil is the follow-up of Dark Moon. A third, stand alone, will hopefully follow.
“My venture as an Indie Author was sparked in 2004 by listening to a podcast called Dragon Page Cover to Cover. This podcast no longer exists (sadly), but I learned from the host of that show that I could bypass traditional publishing and make my own path. The hosts Michael R. Mennenga and Michael A. Stackpole were the first to really pounce and cover the emerging title-wave of e-books and the changing of traditional publishing. I credit this podcast for inspiring me to write, build a website, and produce quality e-books for everyone to read. Currently I work full-time and write on the side.”
About DARK MOON SHADOW
Before...Wizards protected the land from danger with an awesome display of light and power. Before...they went into hiding.
Then Darkness...
A terrible Dark Moon Shadow shrouds Elberoth as Elkzier pillage the countryside in search of those unchanged by the Dark Moon Magic.  With much of the land under the Black Wizards control, he seeks to destroy the Wizards of old and absorb their power.
Timson, the son of a simple sap farmer, is among the few who have not succumbed to the Dark Moon Magic, and is devastated by the destruction of his village and family. In search of the Green Wizard, he learns of his true heritage while teaming up with Mantier, a gritty, seasoned soldier from Harkton. Timson and Mantier embark on a journey of life and death in an effort to save their homeland from the evil that holds it captive.
Links
Free prequel 

Amazon Kindle
Barnes and Noble Nook
Smashwords 
Twitter @pennerstories
Webpage  

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: A M Rees, Writer of Prose and Poetry

A M Rees, Author
THE JOURNALA M Rees, writer of prose and poetry, brings us THE JOURNAL (coming soon!), described as “a story of one Woman’s journey through pain and into love.” Mixing poetry with prose, Rees intends for readers to “connect” to her story of self-discovery. To enhance the reader's experience, she keeps the character and setting “subtle,” although admits a strong influence by the ocean, her muse.
When Rees is not working on her novels or poetry, she writes stories on life coaching and traveling and covers competitive surfing as a free lance writer. She recently moved from the UK to Sydney where she enjoys surfing, frequenting the beaches, and watching sunrises and sunsets. She has written a first draft sequel to THE JOURNAL, as well as a novel based on horse racing.
Don’t miss the excerpt to THE JOURNAL following the interview, illustrating her use of poetry within her prose.
Q: How did you conceive of THE JOURNAL? Why did you write it? 
A M Rees: The idea of THE JOURNAL came together after receiving some truly touching emails from readers of my blog. The rawness of sharing personal thoughts that usually go unheard in polite society seemed to connect with many readers. It was through that process that I developed the story of a woman sharing every intimate emotion and brutally honest thought in a journal.
Q: Early reviewers praise your writing in THE JOURNAL as a “combination of emotive poetry and colloquial prose.” How do you combine these to entice your reader?
A M Rees: THE JOURNAL consists of ‘snapshots’ of life, ideas and thoughts through an inspirational journey of self-discovery. It is written in the relaxed manner one would expect when journaling moments and memories, giving it a simple, raw and intimate feel. The poetry is intermittently scattered in-between prose, connecting the story whilst sharing deeper, emotional thoughts that prose alone cannot always achieve. This, I believe, is the magic of poetry.
Q: How close to a real person is your protagonist? Is she based on anyone?
A M Rees: Many of the diary extracts and poetry pieces in this novella are hauntingly similar to my own experiences, and I believe it is the honesty of sharing real emotions that connect with the reader, and inspires them to find their own courage. That being said, it is not my own personal journey - there are also pieces of every woman I have ever met within the protagonist, which may help all women to feel a connection to the story.
Q: You are a journalist, a poet, and now a novelist. Which is your favorite?
A M Rees: I simply adore the journey that writing a novel takes me on, it is an obsession that clutches at every part of my life. When I am writing a book, I can do little else. I write about it, think about it and dream about it constantly. I find myself in a state of wild, obsessive excitement, although that pleasure comes with equal amounts of pain. There are days, weeks maybe even months when the long haul of novel writing seems to take its toll in the form of self doubt and loathing. This is when writing articles rescue me – mini milestones of acknowledgements that I am not in fact a complete failure! Then the inspiration comes back and I am flying high once again.
But poetry has always been a release for me, an escapism, a way to shrink the universe around me to fit inside my heart. It allows me to understand the world, it allows me to understand myself… it allows me to keep the therapist at bay!
Q: How do you engage readers to care about your characters?
A M Rees:  THE JOURNAL is a quirky little thing for many reasons, one of them being that none of the characters are named. This is in an attempt to highlight the fact that you do not need to know or label a stranger to empathize and understand their pains and emotions. It leaves the door open for the readers to make the characters their own, perhaps their friends or sisters, maybe even themselves.
When reading THE JOURNAL, I want the overall experience to feel as though you have taken a sneaky peek into somebody’s life and that somebody could be the woman you sit next to on the bus or in a café but she’s out there, somewhere…
Q: Did you write THE JOURNAL to entertain readers, to educate them, to deliver a message, to inspire?
A M Rees: I think a good story encapsulates all of the above. The craft is sharing a story that does this naturally without preaching or being dictatorial in any way. For THE JOURNAL, I believe the strongest impulse was to inspire – to inspire courage, inspire hope and inspire women to find their own path from heartbreak towards self-discovery.
Q:  How relevant is setting to your story? Could it occur anywhere?
A M Rees:  Just like the non-naming of the characters, the setting is also very subtle, although there is a strong theme to coastal areas – there is in everything I write, I can’t help it! The ocean is my muse for life, love and loss, and in this case, it certainly helps unravel the story within THE JOURNAL in many ways.
Q:  How relevant is the concept of hero vs villain to your story? Do you need a villain in order to have a hero?
A M Rees: Within THE JOURNAL, the villain takes the form of heartbreak itself, so in that context, the protagonist is both the villain and hero of her own story. Every emotion we feel, we allow ourselves to feel and we always have a choice to change it, no matter how hard that choice and change can be. It is an empowering and terrifying fact, but I believe the women who can fight the battles that reside in the silent chambers of their hearts will become the heroes of their own lives. We are not princesses waiting to be saved by our prince – we can learn to save ourselves.
Q: What’s next? Do you plan to write more novels?
A M Rees: I have a follow up to THE JOURNAL that is in first draft form, titled, 50 Love Letters – again, a clipped story, composed entirely of one sided love letters. This is heart melting stuff and I am already very sentimental about it!
I also have a completely different novel based in the fast paced world of horse racing, titled Ambition. Ambition is a suspense melodrama that explores the human need for success and the deceit people are willing to create to get what they want from life. Having ridden racehorses all of my adult life, my experiences behind the scenes from the very top of the racing world, from the prestigious Cheltenham Gold Cup in the UK to the world famous Melbourne Cup in Australia, enabled me to write Ambition with inside knowledge, precision and the passion that engulfs all who become involved. Ambition is in her final draft and I hope to send her out to the publishing world within the next 6 months.
As for poetry, I begin the journey of Spoken Word Performances this month during the Sydney Writer’s Festival – I am incredibly excited and nervous all at the same time. Watch this space as they say…
Q: Tell us about A M Rees. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
A M Rees: If I am not writing you will find me in the ocean, I recently followed my dreams, packed up my life in the UK and moved to the sunny shores of Sydney. I take advantage of that fact and surf with the regularity that could turn me into a mermaid. I think nearly every lesson in life can be taught by Mother Ocean. I watch the sunrise or sunset every day – a quiet few moments to reflect on how awesome and magical this world is. I read in beachside cafes, partake in yoga and hippy like meditations and eat ice cream.
For a writer, I am an incredible social being. I have been referred to as ‘the glue that brings people together.’ I like that – a nice closing sentiment, don’t you think?
About A M Rees
A M Rees is a strange individual with a life threatening romantic disorder.
As a Freelance Writer, her inspirational musings have been repeatedly published internationally, from motivational life coaching and thought provoking travel documents to covering world class surfing competitions around the globe.  
This enables A M Rees to succumb to her barefooted wanderlust armed with a notepad and a surfboard, whilst she explores the world’s oceans and emotions. And it is her ability to share these emotions with delicate empathy and brutal honesty that enables the pages of her debut novella, THE JOURNAL to come alive.
About THE JOURNAL (coming soon)
“Sometimes, the best gift you can be given is a broken heart. It rips you open, exposes your vulnerability and tests your courage. And I have been there. I have known hurt and darkness. I have been that person crying on the floor in the midnight hours, desperately clutching myself for fear of falling apart.

But it is from this place you will hear your inner wisdom speak and if you listen carefully, it will guide you from the darkness towards your own greatness. Are you ready for that journey?
Join me, as I share with you every thought and every emotion that scarred my heart, through love lost, world travels, friendship and hope. Writing in The Journal changed my life. Perhaps it will change yours too...”
The heroine is not a princess waiting to be saved by a prince. She’s ordinary woman with an extraordinary adventure, who learns to save herself. Sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes hilarious but always inspirational. Follow her as she takes the most important journey of her life – the journey of self discovery.
Excerpt from THE JOURNAL
The Sea Burial
       After a broken heart one tends to deny that the love ever existed, but you cannot deny something that has left you scarred. You free yourself from the past by acknowledging that the love will always exist, that it was real but it simply does not belong to you anymore - It belongs in the vastness of the Ocean. That knowledge lifts your spirit and lightens the load from a heavy heart. I wrote a poem on a scrap of paper and set it alight on a piece of driftwood that I placed along with my emotions into the sea.
Now that your heart doesn't belong to me,I'll send our love out to the sea,And in the ocean it will always remain,And as it drifts, so will my pain.
       I watched and mourned as it mirrored the inevitable burn out of a toxic relationship.Starting with a fiery passion that becomes self engulfing as you lose yourself in the flames, until exhausted, the fire gives way to a smoky smoldering. The heat subsides, the flames go out and you are left choking on the smoking remains of hopes and dreams until they eventually turn to ashes.
       I watched the ashes sink into the Ocean's locker with a sense of freedom, content that I had given this beautiful burden to the sea and in return I felt Mother Ocean lay salty kisses on my tongue.
       I took a step back and watched as my sandy footprints became washed away by the shore as if I had never stood there. The moment was already gone.
       "The past belongs to me," She whispered, drawing the shore back into Herself.
       I turned away leaving my past behind me making footprints into my future that one day too, will be washed away to be nothing but a seaside memory.
Links
Purchase Link (pre-order)
Facebook Website BookTrailer (and soon to show spoken word poetry performances) Blog
Twitter  https://twitter.com/1angharad_rees

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Chris Kennedy, Author

Chris Kennedy, Author
WHEN THE GODS AREN'T GODS
JANISSARIES
 RED TIDE: THE CHINESE INVASION OF SEATTLE
OCCUPIED SEATTLEAmazon-Top-100-Science-Fiction author Chris Kennedy describes his books as “not your traditional sci-fi.” Rather, he says, they are more “speculative fiction with a side of fantasy.” His just-released novel, WHEN THE GODS AREN’T GODS, is the second story in The Theogony trilogy. Reviewers tout his action scenes and suspense, which he credits to his “keeping the action true to life.”
Kennedy has also published the Occupied Seattle duology concerning the invasion of Seattle by the Chinese. He is currently working on the conclusion to The Theogony trilogy, which he plans to release in late summer. In addition to writing, he works a full-time job, spends time with his family, and tries to manage to get in an occasional round or two of golf.
Don't miss the excerpt from WHEN THE GODS AREN'T GODS immediately following the description of the book at the end of the interview.
Q: How did you conceive of your “worlds” and “aliens” for your science fiction stories?  
Chris Kennedy: Before I answer that, Joyce, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to interview me.  I greatly appreciate it.
Looking at the question, I think it’s important to note at the start that the trilogy I am currently working on is not your traditional sci-fi story. It’s more speculative fiction than straight sci-fi; I like to think of it as “science fiction with a side of fantasy.”
The universe in The Theogony trilogy is built on science (‘what is’) with an overlay of fantasy (‘what may be.’) As far as the “worlds” go, the star systems in the books are stars that exist in our galaxy and the actual planets that our astronomers have found orbiting them. I had to add a few planets that scientists haven’t found yet, but that is mainly due to the imprecision of the instruments that we are currently using. I think that when we get out into space, we will find a lot more planets than we are able to see from Earth.
With regard to the “aliens,” I started with the premise that Earth’s folklore and mythology came from somewhere. As we haven’t found historical or fossil data for many of the creatures in our historical tales, they must have come from somewhere else…off planet…and they are still out there, just waiting for us to come find them again. For example, why does every Martian trope depict them as being short with a big head? There’s probably a reason. Maybe it leaked out from Roswell or Area 51…
Q: Your newest book WHEN THE GODS AREN’T GODS was just released and is a continuation of a previous book JANISSARIES. Why do you write in a series rather than standalone books?
Chris Kennedy: That’s a great question, Joyce. Although I’ve always liked series books the best, I know there are many readers out there that would rather have the whole story in one standalone book. One of my proofreaders, for example, prefers standalone stories. When she got to the end of my first book, RED TIDE: THE CHINESE INVASION OF SEATTLE, she called me up to ask, “Where’s the rest?” When she found out that she’d have to wait for the conclusion in the second book, she was NOT happy. 
The answer, though, is that the story in The Theogony trilogy was too big for a single book. JANISSARIES was about 105,000 words, WHEN THE GODS AREN’T GODS is over 109,000 and the conclusion, TERRA STANDS ALONE, will be the biggest one yet. It’s not quite WAR AND PEACE if you put them all together, but it isn’t too far off, either. One book couldn’t contain them, nor the books in the series that will follow The Theogony. It required a series.
That being said, I made a conscious effort to try to make each of The Theogony books a standalone story, where you can read it and feel that you read “a story,” even if it is part of a story on a much grander scale. I very much hope that I succeeded in this area, but will leave it up to the readers to decide if I did or did not. One Canadian reviewer seemed to think that I did, as he said, “So many of these trilogies or hexologies leave the reader feeling cheated at the end of a book, as there is no finish of the book, just a sudden stop. This book left me feeling good about the story I had read, and willing to wait for the author to complete the next one.” I hope everyone feels this way, including the readers that normally aren’t fans of series. I know that I’ve converted my proofreader; having read WHEN THE GODS AREN’T GODS, she can’t wait to find out what happens in TERRA STANDS ALONE. Maybe that’s why I always liked series books the best—it’s the anticipation of looking forward to the next one.
Q: In creating future worlds, how do you make them credible and believable? Does your background as a pilot help to create credibility? How important is back story?
Chris Kennedy: I think that each world and culture has to be developed in its entirety so that the author knows how members of that civilization are going to react to external stimuli. What makes sense from their viewpoint may make little or no sense from ours. The back story is important for developing the consistency necessary to keep them credible…but it isn’t always something that the reader is going to know everything about, any more than the characters in the story know about it until it is revealed. I don’t think that being a pilot helped with that. If anything, my credibility comes from the hundreds and thousands of science fiction and fantasy books that I’ve read over my lifetime. My books attempt to recreate the feelings of wonder and awe that I got from reading the masters that went before me. I’ve had a couple of reviewers compare me to some of them and it is humbling. I know I’m not there (yet), but it makes me want to make each book better than the one that preceded it, so that eventually I AM worthy of that compliment.
Q: Why do readers care about your characters?
Chris Kennedy:  I can’t say why every reader cares about the characters, but I know of at least a couple. First, I hope they care because they can see themselves in the place of the heroes. While some may be slightly larger than life, they are normal people trying to make the best they can out of bad situations, and they have personalities which readers can relate to and pull for.  The other reason is that there is a liberal use of “red shirts” throughout the books, where people have signed up to use their names as characters. These people, as well as their friends and relatives, are pulling for their favorite red shirt to make it out alive…or at least to have them die gloriously.
Q: Does the concept of “hero” versus “villain” apply to your books? If so, do you believe you need a villain to have a hero?
Chris Kennedy: Although there are enemies in my books, the stories have not revolved around the traditional “hero” versus “a villain.” The books do, however, periodically allow the reader to experience passing events through the eyes of the enemies, so that the reader understands that they do have a plan that the hero has to overcome. I don’t think that you have to have an individual villain, per se, but I think that it’s important to at least show scenes from the enemy’s perspective as a foil to better appreciate the hero’s actions. Without knowing the evil, you cannot appreciate the good.
Q: Reviewers appreciate the action scenes and suspense in your books. How do you create action and suspense?
Chris Kennedy: I try to create action and suspense by keeping the action true to life. Like the GAME OF THRONES books, by now my readers know that some of the characters in the book are going to die. Not all the enemies are storm troopers; enemies in my books have a distressing ability to shoot/claw/stab effectively that mirrors real life. There are also many times where several battles are happening simultaneously, and suspense builds as the scene is shifted through a number of different characters’ perspectives.
Q: Do you write your books strictly to entertain readers, or do you try to deliver a message or educate them?
Chris Kennedy: The books are written to entertain, because I know that people’s entertainment time and money are limited. When I read, I want to enjoy what I am reading. I have never enjoyed being preached at, so I won’t do it to anyone else. I don’t have any soap boxes to stand on; I am just trying to craft stories that people will enjoy reading. There may be some educational nuggets scattered throughout it, but the focus is on the story.
Q: You set your earlier books in Seattle. How helpful is setting your story in a familiar city or place like Seattle?
Chris Kennedy: I think that it is very important, because it taps into the reader’s connection with the location. For the American readers, the story doesn’t take place in a far off land, it takes place in a spot that they are emotionally invested in; the Chinese are invading the U.S.! To arms! To arms! The readers from other countries are able to connect as well, wondering when the Chinese will topple famous landmarks like the Space Needle. Seattle is a major iconic city that conjures up pictures in people’s minds, pictures that the readers are then able to connect with.
Q: What’s next?
Chris Kennedy: Next up is the conclusion to the trilogy, TERRA STANDS ALONE, which will be available later this summer. It already has 70,000+ words into it and will be larger than its predecessors. After that, I have several other books planned. Let’s face it, Joyce, it’s a big galaxy out there and civilization is struggling to hang on in many places. All of them could use a hero right about now.
Q: Tell us about Chris Kennedy. What do you like to do when you’re not writing or working?
Chris Kennedy: Working a full time job and still finding time to write take up a lot of my time. When I’m not doing one of those things, I try to spend quality time with my family, whether that is doing something with my kids or having a quiet meal out to connect with my wife. They are truly the center of my life. If I can sneak in a round or two of golf here and there, too, that’s just icing on the cake!
About Chris Kennedy
An Amazon Top 100 Science Fiction author, Chris Kennedy is a former aviator with over 3,000 hours flying attack and reconnaissance aircraft for the United States Navy, including many missions supporting U.S. Special Forces. He has also been an elementary school principal and has enjoyed 18 seasons as a softball coach. Chris is currently working as an Instructional Systems Designer for the Navy.

Chris has published two series. The first, the Occupied Seattle duology, contains RED TIDE: THE CHINESE INVASION OF SEATTLE and OCCUPIED SEATTLE the conclusion of the series. Both books are currently available. He is currently working on his latest series, The Theogony trilogy, of which JANISSARIES and WHEN THE GODS AREN'T GODS have both been released. The conclusion to the trilogy, “Terra Stands Alone,” will be released later this summer.
WHEN THE GODS AREN'T GODS
Lieutenant Commander Shawn ‘Calvin’ Hobbs and his special forces platoon just returned from a three-month mission to the stars. The technology they brought back will help, but it won’t be enough to hold off the alien menace headed their way. Although they returned alive, they returned without finding any new allies or help in building the fleet necessary to ensure the Earth’s survival.
They’ve got to go back.
What do you do when myths become reality, and nothing you have ever been taught about history turns out to be true? How do you find the truth when everything you know turns out to be a lie? What is there left to believe in, when even the gods aren’t gods?


Excerpt from WHEN THE GODS AREN’T GODS
Seacon Towers Apartments, London, January 12, 2020       Master Chief O’Leary kicked in the door of the East End apartment and was greeted by a hail of bullets that hit him in the chest, despite his invisibility. “Damn it!” he grunted, as the impact of 12 bullets drove him back into the opposite wall. While the terrorists focused on O’Leary, other members of the platoon crashed through the back windows of the 4th floor apartment, taking the terrorists by surprise. The fight was over in less than a minute, the terrorists dead and Ryan with an expanding bruise on his chest. Although the suit stopped the bullets, as advertised, it did nothing to absorb the impact. Someone else gets to kick in the door next time, he vowed.

       Ryan surveyed the dead. No prisoners were taken, but then again, the terrorists hadn’t given them the chance...and the soldiers hadn’t really wanted to take any in the first place. The terrorists had nothing they needed, and to have to go through the motions of a trial was just...inconvenient. Besides, the terrorists shot first, and to come back to London when they were already wanted there was just stupid. Ryan shrugged. Just another example of Darwin’s rule of natural selection; they were obviously too stupid to live.
       Scattered among the remains of the bomb making materials, he found the jihadi bomb maker Samantha Lewthwaite, the notorious ‘White Widow’ that terror agencies in the U.S., U.K. and Kenya had been looking for since the Nairobi shopping mall terror attack in 2013 that killed more than 70 people. A key member of Somalia’s al-Shabaab militants, her career as a terrorist was over, courtesy of three laser blasts to her chest. Good riddance, he thought.
       Sirens wailed as the local police made their appearance. Ryan looked at his watch. If the shuttle wasn’t late coming down, they could still make it back to Moon Base Alpha in time for Happy Hour at the new bar that had just opened.
       Life was good.

JANISSARIES
The war with China was over and Lieutenant Shawn ‘Calvin’ Hobbs just wanted his life to go back to normal. The hero of the war, he had a small ream of paperwork to fill out, a deployment with his Navy F-18 squadron to prepare for, and a new girlfriend to spend some quality time with. Life was good.
Until the aliens showed up.
They had a ship and needed to get to their home planet, but didn't have a crew. They had seen Calvin’s unit in action during the war, though, and knew it was the right one for the job. There was just one small problem—a second race of aliens was coming, which would end all life on Earth. Calvin’s platoon might want to do something about that, too. Having already won a terrestrial war with 30 troops, winning an interstellar war with nothing but a 3,000 year old cruiser should be easy, right?
“Janissaries” initiates “The Theogony,” a trilogy that takes Lieutenant Hobbs and his Special Forces platoon to the stars where they will learn that there’s much more to Earth's history than is written in the history books!
RED TIDE: THE CHINESE INVASION OF SEATTLE
We thought the war against China would be fought in Asia, not Seattle. We were wrong.
Analysts have long forecast that China would go to war to reintegrate the province of Taiwan. It isn't a matter of "if;" it's a matter of "when." For decades, the only thing that has restrained China from taking Taiwan by force of arms is the American promise to defend it, even if that meant World War III. To date, China has not been ready to go that far. But what if China figured out a way to put the United States on the sidelines of their fight to regain Taiwan?
Drawn from today's headlines, "Red Tide: The Chinese Invasion of Seattle" is set in a not-too-distant future where China decides to invade Seattle to use American citizens as high-stakes chips in a game of nuclear blackmail. Will the United States get Seattle back?

Written by a former aviator with over 3,000 hours flying attack and reconnaissance aircraft for the United States Navy, including many missions supporting U.S. Special Forces, Red Tide is a look at one possible future that isn't as improbable as you might think. Events in it are not only possible, they're already happening. Could China attack the United States to get back Taiwan?
Yes.
OCCUPIED SEATTLE
The Chinese Have Captured Seattle!
In 1949, the government of the Republic of China fled to the island of Taiwan. For nearly 70 years, the People's Republic of China has wanted to take the island back and unite the nation under one flag, the Communist flag. Their desire was thwarted by U.S. support for Taiwan, until the Chinese conceived and executed the perfect plan to keep the U.S. out of the war for Taiwan, an invasion of Seattle!
Yesterday, China captured the cities of Seattle and Tacoma, Washington, in a Pearl Harbor-like surprise attack. The Chinese also captured six American nuclear warheads and are not afraid to use them on American soil, if necessary to keep the United States out of the war in the Pacific. Without U.S. aid, the fall of Taiwan seems imminent, and now even Seattle seems lost to the Chinese.
America's hopes are riding on a shot-down F-18 pilot, a retired Navy SEAL, and a platoon of Army Rangers. If that's all America has going for it, all hope seems lost!
Links  
AmazonSite 
Goodreads site  Blog/Web site Facebook page 
Twitter address: @ChrisKennedy110

WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY: Author E A Lake

E A Lake, Author
WWIV: IN THE BEGINNINGE A Lake likes to write dystopian fiction because it is “so much fun.” He started the WWIV series with IN THE BEGINNINGto set the stage. Lake strives for believability and “regular, normal, everyday people,” and writes purely for entertainment.
E A Lake is his pen name, and the E and A are just "random vowels." He wants us to refer to him as Lake. He is a father and grandfather, and when he's not writing he's working as a CFO at a small creative company. His mother says his books disturb her, which he takes as praise. Lake is just finishing his next book in the WWIV series, Kids at War.
Q: Why did you choose to write about dystopia, rather than utopia?
E A Lake: Dystopia is so much fun! It’s all about subtraction; removing from people all the nice things they depend on so much every day. It makes me smile now just thinking of it. Also, it gives me a chance to show the recreation of our humanity, after I’ve used most of the book destroying the same.
Q: Why are you writing a series rather than standalone books? How will your first book, WWIV: IN THE BEGINNING, set the stage for the books that follow?
E A Lake: The more I considered a single book in this unique situation, the more “what if…” questions popped into my mind. I didn’t want to create a massive, all-inclusive novel with everything, so I came up with individual books for the series.
My first novel tells the reader what has happened. Actually, it shows you the effects of what has happened. No one knows what actually caused our power, phones, and cars to stop working. That answer may come at a later time (maybe Book Six or Seven).
Q: How do you write to appeal to readers “between 13 and 113”?
E A Lake:  Very carefully. First of all, I try to eliminate all graphic violence. Bad things will happen in these books. But I can cover the bad elements in short vague passages, and still get the idea across. Next, I keep the mild profanity to a minimum. We all know that these will be trying times, but not everyone in the novel has to talk like a Marine Grunt. Finally, it’s the cast of characters I assemble. Teen boys and girls, twenty and thirty-somethings, older folks, and maybe an innocent child or baby thrown in here and there (just for fun). Something for everyone really.
Q: How important is credibility or believability to your works? What do you do to pull readers into your make-believe world of the future?
E A Lake: Believability is my number one goal. I constantly tell people I never want the reader to suspend their beliefs. I research certain aspects of my writings to the maximum degree. Cars won’t run? Okay, all cars or just some cars? What’s the exact year break-off where they started using computers? Things like that. 
I try to paint the complete picture of our new landscape, post event. But I use a very broad brush to attempt to engage the reader’s imagination as much as possible. I take everyday events, that we now take for granted, and make them as painstakingly difficult as possible. Remember, you’ll now have to go looking for food and fresh water.
Q: What makes your characters interesting? Why will readers engage with them?
E A Lake: Great question, and I have a great answer for this. My characters are interesting because they are regular, normal every day people. They’re your neighbor, the guy who mows your lawn when you’re on vacation. The woman who bakes cookies for the church bazaar. The minister from the local church. A 14-year-old girl, just trying to get from one dysfunctional parent’s house to another’s. The kid who’s the quarterback on the varsity football team. Just a bunch of regular people. In other words – you, me, your mom, your dad – everyone you know and love. This makes it really easy for the reader to identify and relate to at least one character in each of my books.
Q: Is the concept of “villains vs heroes” or “antagonist vs protagonist” relevant to your books? If so, do you need a villain to have a hero? Or can events create heroes? What makes an interesting villain and hero?
E A Lake: I believe that when you present the citizens of the world a new dark dreary dystopian setting, they really don’t need villains. Come on, these people are going to struggle against nature to survive now. They’ll have their hands full.
But as long as they’re struggling, why not throw in a few villains. Just to keep things interesting. That way, every time you think you’ll be able to catch your breath and maybe get started back towards normal, turn the page. More trouble awaits our hero.
Events against incredible natural odds will make our heroes/protagonists shine. Events against the already bad natural odds, and villains to boot, will make our heroes human once again.             Q:  Do your characters lead you to write about them? Or do you keep them in their place by sticking to an outline?
E A Lake:  The first step to every manuscript I create is to throw down a general outline. It’s nothing formal or complicated. This outline serves as a guide as I move into the actual writing process. Next, I create each character in detail. Name, height, weight, hair color, eye color, personality, birthdate, parent’s names, hometown, education, etc…
I refer to my outline as I write to make sure I get all the major scenes covered. And I try to highlight (in the outline) two or three main ideas I want to get across in each chapter. But it’s my characters that run the show. They take me to some of the wildest places I could ever imagine. I find it funny how these characters take over the novel and it seems like I’m just along for the ride.
Q: Are your books purely for entertainment? Or do you write to educate or deliver a message or two?
E A Lake: Pure and simple entertainment. Even though I write of doom and gloom, and end of days – I’m not like that in real life. These are just stories that I’ve thought or dreamt up about a situation that could happen one day. But I’m sure we all hope and pray it never occurs.
The only “so called” message I deliver is simple. The events in my novels crush humanity and each of our own humanity’s. But that’s not the end of the story. Read and watch how resilient we really can be. Humanity may sink for a while, but I truly believe it will rebound as time moves forward.
Q: What’s next?
E A Lake: Immediately, I am putting the finishing touches on book two of the WWIV series – Kids at War. But don’t worry; it’s not about children becoming soldiers. The theme deals more with our younger generation and the problems they will find in this new dystopia.
After that, I need to really tighten up book one of The Smith Chronicles entitled Golden 5. Books one and two of that series are written, but they’re still in rough form. These are longer tales, with recurring characters. I hope to have the first of that series out by late fall 2014.

Q: Tell us something about e a lake. What does the “e a” stand for? What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
E A Lake: When I was younger, I ran a marathon. I spend most fall weekend days sitting in a tree, watching deer walk by (my son thinks I’m hunting with him, ha!). I have three grown children and three young grandchildren. My mother has read two of my manuscripts and told me they disturbed her – and she meant that as a compliment.
The ‘e’ and the ‘a’ in my pen name mean absolutely nothing. They are simply two random vowels. I want people in the writing community to call me lake.
Like many indie authors, I work a regular fulltime job. During the week I’m a CFO for a small creative company. On weekends I work on my honey-do list, and play Dad and Grandpa as much as possible.

About E A Lake
E A Lake: I write dystopian. It's dark, yet fun to play with. WWIV - In The Beginning is my debut novel. Trying to get this junk in my head, down on pages. Those pages become chapters. The chapters become a manuscript. The manuscript becomes a novel. Sounds easy enough.

I am an author and my pen name is e a lake. The e and the a mean nothing. So please just call me lake.

Not everything in dystopian writing has to be dark and dreary. I try to create post -apocalyptic situations that will challenge the reader to really believe that the events in my novels could happen.

The best part of my genre? Who needs antagonists when the landscape surrounding my protagonist is so bad. You just have to love this stuff.

My favorites are the usual list of suspects. Orwell, Bradbury, Stephen King, Vince Flynn, and James Patterson.

I'm not all that scary. Father to three, grandfather to two (three in April 2014). Just a regular guy.
About WWIV: IN THE BEGINNING
What will we do when suddenly our power, our phones, and our cars don't work? What will we do when we realize our government is missing and we have no protection; no police, no national guard? What will we do when our food runs out or spoils, and fresh water becomes scarce? What will we do when we realize we are completely and undeniably on our own? What could possibly happen next? 

What happens when IT happens? 

Follow an ordinary man, Bill Carlson, through the first 30 days of the ensuing uncertainty. From his once quiet, now violent, St. Paul suburb; to the empty, and yet deadly, county roads of west central Wisconsin. 

With limited knowledge of prepping, Bill must rely on neighbors for help. Why did he never pay attention to his “crazy doomsday” neighbor Scott? Now that the world, at least his world, is dark, Bill has so many questions. How can he possibly survive in this dark dystopian world? 

Bill goes in search of his family, and finds so much more. Friendly people in small towns, other villages that allow no strangers, people searching for help, and people looking to take anything you might have – via any means. 

Will Bill find his family, some 300 miles away? Will the power come back on after mysteriously going out? Will he be able to help others in times of need, much less himself? 

WWIV has begun, and we’re only In The Beginning. 
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