Gwen Perkins's Blog, page 3

Behind the Book: The Birds of Anjdur

The city of Aulis, setting for The Jealousy Glass.

When I decided to write my second novel, The Jealousy Glass, one of the things that I considered was symbolism. The Universal Mirror contains a lot of small cultural details that I’d placed in the story but never picked up on–one of them was the use of different motifs for different noble houses in the nation of Cercia.

I loved the idea of retaining that concept as my characters traveled to a different land but debated about what to do with it. The land to which they go, Anjdur, is heavily based on my own research on the Byzantine Empire around the year 1200. Because of that, many of the symbols reflect Byzantine cultural values–emphasis placed on the eyes as a source of power (in this case, magical) and also on the sun. But how could I change that, I wondered, and fit in some of the symbols that had been used in Mirror as well?

That was when I came to the idea of birds. Birds struck me as a symbol of flight and also of travel towards a better destination, a perfect metaphor for one of the main characters of Jealousy Glass.

Creatures of the air, they also seemed to fit the delicate but surprisingly strong empress Irena while also befitting her mysterious sister, the former Empress Sophia. Different birds are woven throughout this story for each Anjduri character–from eagles to phoenixes, the characters with that heritage in their veins each have a bird figure as pivotal to an artifact either belonging to them or interfacing with them at some crucial point. Like the characters, the birds that appear in the Artifacts of Empire universe are sometimes magical and a few will have a recurring role in what lies ahead.

As I continue the series, I hope to incorporate more of these ideas so that readers can follow the threads and begin to gather clues about some of the bigger mysteries yet to come. Will there be more magical animals ahead? Perhaps.

The Jealousy Glass, book 2 in the Artifacts of Empire series, will be released December 1, 2012. Feel free to add it to your Goodreads list.

This blog entry is part of World Animal Day.  Visit the link below to take part in the giveaway!

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Nightmare Magazine Launched Today!

While many of you may be aware of this new venture from John Joseph Adams and Creeping Hemlock Press, I wanted to share a little about the magazine for those who love horror and hasn’t yet heard about it.

From the official press release:

Nightmare is an online horror and dark fantasy magazine. In Nightmare’s pages, you will find all kinds of horror fiction, from zombie stories and haunted house tales, to visceral psychological horror.

Edited by bestselling anthologist John Joseph Adams, every month Nightmare will bring you a mix of originals and reprints, and featuring a variety of authors—from the bestsellers and award-winners you already know to the best new voices you haven’t heard of yet. When you read Nightmare, it is our hope that you’ll see where horror comes from, where it is now, and where it’s going.

Nightmare will also include nonfiction, fiction podcasts, and Q&As with our authors that go behind-the-scenes of their stories. The publication schedule each month will include two pieces of original fiction and two fiction reprints, along with a feature interview, an artist gallery showcasing our cover artist, and our monthly column about horror, “The H Word.” We will publish ebook issues on the first of every month, which will be available for sale in ePub format via our website and also available in other formats such as Kindle and Nook. We will also offer subscriptions to our ebook edition in a variety of formats. Each issue’s contents will be serialized on our website throughout the month, with new features publishing on the first four Wednesdays of every month.

To find out more:

Website: www.nightmare-magazine.com

Newsletter: www.nightmare-magazine.com/newsletter

RSS feed: www.nightmare-magazine.com/rss-2

Podcast feed: www.nightmare-magazine.com/itunes-rss

Twitter: @nightmaremag

Facebook: www.facebook.com/NightmareMagazine

Subscribe: www.nightmare-magazine.com/subscribe

The Singularity is Coming: Review of Digital Rapture

The title of this post, “The Singularity is Coming,” is actually something of a lie.  After reading some of the stories in the anthology Digital Rapture, I seriously found myself questioning whether or not the singularity was already here.

What is the singularity?  According to the wikitionary, this is “a predicted future event in human history caused by the ever-increasing ability of new technology to speed up the rate at which new technology is developed.”  Editors James Patrick Kelly and John Kessel do an excellent job of discussing what is a very difficult (and all-embracing, at times) concept in their introduction.  They travel between the stories of H.G. Wells to medieval ascetics to intellectuals of today, all while asking questions of the reader and inviting them to form their own judgments.  Rather than feeling extraneous as many editorial narratives do, this story is fascinating and the threads of the discussion carry on even in introductions of the pieces presented here.

A standout piece in Digital Rapture was “Hive Mind Man” by Rudy Rucker and Eileen Gunn.  In an age where human beings are increasingly encouraged to share more and more of their personal lives and thoughts in the global blogosphere, this story does not feel as far-future as it should.  The protagonist struggles with a boyfriend who is asked to effectively give his life to the pursuit of constant data-mining and promotion.  I found this a great cautionary tale–at what point does spewing out our thoughts and ideas into the ether turn us away from being individuals and instead, becoming part of a national, or worldwide, consciousness?

Another piece particularly compelling to me was “Crystal Nights” by Greg Egan.  In “Nights,” Egan examines the question of building a race from scratch.  The process of evolution as seen through the eyes of one who wants to control it is fascinating to observe, moreso when things begin to go awry.  I hadn’t thought of this particular theme as being an aspect of singularity and yet it is, beautifully done here.

There are many other stories by those that I’d regard as the greats in this field–Asimov, Stapledon, Sterling, etc–and I would recommend taking the time to sit down and read this particular anthology not in one sitting, but in several.  The questions that it raises are relevant and topical.  I think that careful consideration of Digital Rapture will reveal more about ourselves and our time than the casual reader suspects.

Chick lit is NOT dead! It’s evolved.

Chick lit is NOT dead!

It’s evolved.

by Louise Wise

As a reader, there are heaps of chick lit books to choose from. You have your Sophie Kinsella to Jane Porter, Matt Dunn to Nick Hornby—all light and fluffy. Usually. Chick lit evolves, and that’s the one thing that makes it so popular and able to hold its own among your thrillers, historicals and the like.

Nowadays, you’ll find ‘cross-over’ chick lit—chick lit that has a mixture of other genres in them: paranormal chick lit, suspense chick lit. I’ve yet to see a horror or a science-fiction chick lit. Probably out there though, and it’s just that I haven’t looked hard enough. But no matter the sub-genre, they are always upbeat, fun and modern.

Chick lit doesn’t even have to be about romance. In fact, it’s more about relationships, emotions and current life. It’s not all about shopping and shoes, as some literary snobs like to point out (and probably helped give it the ‘chick lit’ title!). It’s contemporary, cheeky, funny and real.

That’s what I like about the genre the most. Keeping it real. I’ve always liked a dose of reality in my writing. Even my sci-fi (Eden) was ‘real-life’ as one reviewer put it. My latest book’s title is quite a mouthful: The Fall of the Misanthrope: I bitch therefore I am and I’ve incorporated my usual ‘real life’ theme and, this time, it’s depression. The main character, Valerie Anthrope is suffering with the disorder, only she’s burying her head in the sand, or in her case, work. She knows she’s ill, yet her way of dealing with it is to ignore it. It takes a nosey stranger to make her see that she needs help.

But how far should you go in making a ‘sensitive’ subject funny? Life, in general, is funny and tragic. And to help deal with these heartrending events, we joke about them. That’s why we laugh hysterically at the comic with his ‘close to the knuckle’ joke. Misanthrope isn’t a book taking the micky out of depression, neither does my character have a miraculous cure. By the end of the book, she still has depression, but it leaves the reading satisfied that she’ll work through her demons.

The Fall of the Misanthrope: I bitch therefore I am asks the questions: nurture or nature? What makes us us? It’s available to buy now as a Kindle download from Amazon (free for this weekend (21st – 24th October) . The paperback will be released in October.

If you want to discuss this subject on Twitter use the hashtag #wwbb

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Chick lit on FB

Twitter: @louise_wise

Email: louisewise3@ntlworld.com

HUMAN: Behind the scenes with Gabe Smith

I’m happy and excited that Gabe Smith has stopped by my blog today.  I met Gabe through discovering his amazing project on Kickstarter, Human.  This graphic novel is compelling, filled with incredible imagery and action.  With only 7 days and counting to reach funding, I asked Gabe if he’d join me to answer a few short questions about the project and share a sample with us.  I hope everyone checks it out-I love it when the speculative fiction community comes together to make projects like this happen.

On to the interview!

Gwen: Tell us a little about the mechanics of your project–what inspired you to use such a visual medium? Why did you select this genre?

Gabe: I didn’t select this genre, cyberpunk selected me. I had visions of this story for years before I had written anything down. After i had finished writing a couple of issues, I realized it would be way too expensive for an unknown screenwriter to do animated or live-action filming, but I really believed that I had made something good. I decided to start smaller and try to gain a following for my story through comic books. This is my debut.

Gwen: Why have you chosen to do Kickstarter as opposed to looking at more traditional means of funding?

Gabe: Because it is important to me create this story while still maintaining ownership of my work.

Gwen: Let’s get into the story… do you mind sharing a little of the storyline behind Human?

Gabe: Without revealing too much, the story takes place in the future in an age where people are installing illegal biotech weaponry and upgrades into their bodies. Cezra is a bounty hunter tracking down these criminals and bringing them to justice. The first issue is an action packed issue, that serves as an introduction to thes story, this world, and its characters. Society is facing tough times as difficult political decisions are being made regarding these new technologies. In addition, a viral outbreak known as the nano-virus has occurred and is worsening without the proper medical knowledge or treatments to combat it.

Gwen: You’ve got a colorful cast of characters. Tell us, who’s your favorite and why? What makes him/her different from others in comics?

Gabe: I like Drolo. He’s this big ugly scary misunderstood guy that just demands freedom at all costs. I feel like i can relate to that. Except the ugly part. Cezra probably has the most dramatic story of the cast though. She took forever for me to figure out. Drolo came easy.

Gwen: How did you and Ryan [Ryan Merrill, artist] connect? Any tips for those of us seeking to be successful in artistic collaborations?

Gabe:  Craigslist. My tip: search hard and don’t stop until you found what you are looking for.

 

Now I’d like to share a page with you from the comic.  To order a copy and support the project, visit the Kickstarter.  Time is running out!

 

Haunted House Virtual Tour: V.R. Christensen & B. Lloyd

Here we are on our next stop on the Haunted House Virtual Tour (by kind permisson of Gwen Perkins), to promote our ghost novellas Blind and Ungentle Sleep (by V.R.Christensen and B.Lloyd respectively), where we ‘visit’ one of the famous houses in ‘mock’ gothic literature: this time, you can try guessing the place from the anagram at the beginning, or wait until you have read to the end …

The Anagram: Cats rant foot to heel

***

Grunt, umph, ouch.

Bump.

Scritch, scratch, rumph,umph.

Bump.

‘Right lads,’ said Geremia, standing back and wiping the sweat from his brow, ‘I think that will do. The Master didn’t specify exactly which way it should be facing.’

‘Hideous great thing it is, too,’ puffed one of the workmen, bending over with hands on hips.

‘Ay, it is – what passes for taste among the gentry, so keep a civil tongue in your head and there’ll be food and drink in the kitchen for you.’

Geremia turned and led the way to well-earned refreshments, and they left the giant suit of armour in the hall. It squeaked a little as its components settled back into position …

Hooves clattered across cobbles, wheels squealed and coachmen cursed – guests had arrived at the castle and there was a deal of running about, shouting and expletives before normality was in any way regained. Late morning and half the rooms not made ready yet: servants rushed about with coal scuttles, jugs and brooms, colliding into the furniture while the new arrivals struggled up and downstairs in search of their allotted chambers.

Geremia had thought it prudent to stand on the upper landing with notice boards indicating the directions to be followed:

‘Lord Fontana, straight ahead, turn left at end of corridor’

‘Sir Montague and Lady Montague, turn right at top of stairs and proceed to the third door on the left’

‘Duke Saltimbocca, other wing, directly over the kitchens for your olefactory delight’

and so forth – yet despite this attention to detail, the guests still managed to lose their way and generally ended up wandering disconsolately along the winding corridors, coming upon each other in alcoves and balconies and apologising at the same time.

‘After you,’

‘No,no, pray, after you,’

‘Not at all – after you …’

Come afternoon and confusion had given way to chaos as preparations were made for the dinner: ‘Who is the dinner for, again?’ asked Lady Montague of her spouse. ‘Blessed if I can remember,’ he replied, and hallooed Lord Fontana. ‘Any idea what the do is for?’

‘I believe there is a wedding in the offing,’ replied that gentleman, taking a pinch of snuff.

‘Ah of course it is – old whathisname’s daughter – or niece, was it? No, daughter, I think – to er, that, er, . . .thingummy . .’

‘I believe you are correct,’ replied the Lord, before sneezing into a huge handkerchief.

A gong was sounded as a reminder for the dinner and there was a general hasty rush to find best seats at table; after some scrambling and contesting over napkins and goblets, guests were seated, Duke Saltimbocca nearest to the roast beef, cutlery at the ready.

‘A toast ! A toast to the happy couple!’ cried out the host, raising a glass when he was interrupted by his butler, footmen and maids, who came running into the hall in a state of wild disarray.

‘Why, what has happened? Has there been an accident? Is the kitchen?’

‘Miscreants! Have you burned the dinner?!’ exclaimed Saltimbocca, much disturbed at the thought.

‘Nay, ‘tis a great deal worse –’

‘Worse?’ remonstrated Saltrimbocca.

‘Come, come,’ said their host, ‘explain please –’

‘Why sir,’ said the butler, ‘there is a mighty monstrous creature a clanging and a banging about the castle hall – we none of us dare approach it for fear it should crush us – look – and listen – it approacheth!’

Indeed, as everyone stopped to listen, there was an eery, metallic, rasping sound in the distance, magnified and distorted by the stone walls of the ancient castle, accompanied by mournful cries of an inhuman quality most chilling to the blood.

Closer and closer came the steps –

‘Mercy me, are we to be murdered as we eat?’ gasped Lady Montague.

There was a great din, a shouting and screaming and a knocking over of dishes and glasses – as all ran pell-mell from the hall to stand quavering in the courtyard, gasping and muffling their cries as the sound of the footsteps approached, nearer and nearer . . .

On and on they came, clamp, clump, clamp, accompanied by a mild squeaking of rusty metal; the armour had not been oiled these many years and added a certain tortured element to the general atmosphere of horror.

‘Oh my dear, I shall faint…’ murmured Lady Montague, and prepared to fall.

‘Eh?’ replied her Lord, and failed quite completely to catch her, for which she duly reprimanded him afterwards.

‘Hush! It will hear us!’

‘Too late!’

‘It’s coming! It’s coming!’

A monstrous suit of armour clanked on into the courtyard, waving its arms in a most threatening manner, emitting awful, chilling moans and groans, barely audible under the wave of terrified cries emitted by the crowd.

‘Pshaw!’ finally said Duke Saltimbocca, who had only consumed barely half his dinner and was still peckish – he stood forward and drew his sword.

‘Speak, phantom!’ he addressed the suit of armour. ‘Tell us your business with us mortals!’

The suit of armour stood still, and waved its arms weakly about, letting out another foreboding ululation.

‘Speak the language of mortals, dammit!’ shouted the choleric Saltimbocca, impatient to return indoors to finish his dinner; he stamped forward and brandished his sword at the monstrous apparition – which appeared to be taken somewhat aback, indeed, staggered a little, then pointed upwards – to its own helmeted head.

‘Muffuffle whuffle phummple,’ came the dolorous tones.

‘Incoherent apparition – what would you have of us?’

‘Whiumple grumble flooble,’ continued the apparition, still moving its arms in windmill action.

‘Hah!’ responded the Duke, now thoroughly incandescent, and swiped at the creature’s helmet with his sword, admidst shrieks and shouts from the rest of the gathering. He managed only to topple the helmet from its moorings atop the breastplate, revealing . . . revealing . . .

‘Oh my dear sir, I am much obliged.’ A longish, pale, narrowish face, with wavy hair somewhat untidily held by a black ribbon, managed barely to peer out from the depths of the armour. ‘And now, if you will assist me with the removal of these gauntlets – and the greaves – most kind …’

‘But – but – but – ’ Lord Montague began.

‘You sir! Who are you ?’ demanded the Duke,

‘And how did you come to be inside that wretched thing?’

‘Ah, now, as to that . . . curiosity must take the blame – curiosity in the name of research; I have often wondered how the knights of old managed to move in combat in these harnesses, and on espying the prime example placed on display in the hall, I endeavoured to try it on; only, once tested, I found it less easy to divest, and my valet, less studied in these matters than even I, was unable to let me out again – so I have been obliged to wander these walls in search of someone to assist me.’

‘Pah!’ went the Duke, and stormed off in direction of the dining hall – ‘the roast beef will be cold by now!’ and he growled as he went.

‘Dear, dear,’ said the gentleman, now half out of the armour, ‘I fear I may have interrupted your dinner – my apologies.’

‘Not at all – it is, after all, in the name of scientific research: but might we have the pleasure of your acquaintance?’ Once the initial shock had dispersed, Lord Fontana regained his normal aplomb and was intrigued to know more.

‘Ah – my pardon, sir; -’ The gentleman whisked out a card and presented it to the Lord. Across it was emblazoned the name: Walpole, H. 4th Earl of Orford.

‘Ah – the man of letters – and on the Tour?’

‘Indeed yes, so my curiosity is even more boundless. This castle, for instance – such a very magnificent building – so very atmospheric – it has quite taken my fancy… I think I might write of my experiences about it . .  although not, perhaps in such an undignified manner as being stuck in a suit of armour . .  let me see . . .’

‘What shall you call it, dear sir?’

‘Why, I might as well call it after the name of this place . . .where are we, by the by?’

‘Allow me to call my servant – Grenouille? Grenouille!’

‘Milord?’

‘Where are we? ‘

‘Milord?’

‘Zis place – vot name?’

‘Milord?’

‘Doh!’

‘Allow me, I shall call mine – Mitraille!’

‘At once, milord!’

‘What is the name of this chateau, Mitraille?’

‘This chateau, milord? Why, it is the chateau d’Otranto, milord.’

‘Capital! That will do! I shall call it The Castle of Otranto . . .’

They continued to chatter amiably as they wandered indoors to the tune of forks and knives already being plied on well-laden plates as the dinner, finally, and to the Duke Saltimbocca’s delight, continued.

Out in the courtyard, the helmet lay in the moonlight, its visor open, for all the world like a monstrous mouth laughing at the night sky. It rolled a little from side to side, caught in a whisper of wind that scurried around, chasing the odd leaf out of corners.

***

This was one ‘visit’ to a gothic place from literature; we hope you enjoyed it – and that you will think about your favourite gothic place in literature; what it would be like to visit, meeting the inhabitants …

And now, two new places on the gothic lit scene await you in Ungentle Sleep by B.Lloyd and Blind by V.R. Christensen -

Links :

Blind : US

http://www.amazon.com/Blind-a-novella-ebook/dp/B007E3SNJ6

Blind : UK

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blind-V-R-Christensen/dp/0615598005/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1347371543&sr=1-1

Ungentle Sleep UK

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ungentle-Sleep-ebook/dp/B008VIJFLI

Ungentle Sleep US

http://www.amazon.com/Ungentle-Sleep-ebook/dp/B008VIJFLI

Introducing Kassandra Heglund

I’d like to welcome Kassandra Heglund to the blog today. Kassandra’s a new writer who’d just like to say hello and share her books with you. It’s hard for me to believe that it’s been almost a year since I signed my own first novel contract–I’ve learned a lot since then and it’s great to have the chance to support other new authors.

Hello, everyone! My name is Kassandra Heglund, and I am a relatively new author, so obviously I need all the exposure I can get. Therefore I was ecstatic when Gwen said that I could do this! So, Gwen, thank you!!!

I’ve been writing since high school, the first story having been a two-page short story which I typed up on my father’s old Underwood manual typewriter. That story later became my first published work! To date, I have two published works, both of which are science fiction. One is a novella (76 pages — and the published version of that original short story!), and the other is a full-length novel (301 pages).

Holding Sequence: Cycles of Fate, the novella, is a story about cruel fate, survival, and poetic justice. Two scientists, told they were undertaking a breakthrough project that would benefit their people find themselves caught in a web of lies and betrayal. When they do extricate themselves from the Project from Hell, they turn the tables on those who betrayed them. This is the first in a short series called The Machinations of Fate.

Long Dark Night, the novel, is the story of a boy whose whole world is lost. He finds refuge with a great power… or does he? As it turns out, they are just the first in a pair of powers who dominate his life, and his will. But his is a story of survival and hope, for one day, he will be free of these powers! One day, he will be the power. But first come the trials and torments of a lifetime in service… and the guilt that comes with the actions he is forced to take.

I hope all of you will go and look at these books and consider purchasing them. Again, thank you, Gwen, for this opportunity to share my works with your audience!

Art Spotlight: Dianne Gardner and Ian’s Realm

I guess the whole Ian’s Realm Saga started from my secret desire to paint a dragon.

If I wrote a book about dragons, then I’d be forced to paint one eventually, wouldn’t I?

I threw the idea out to some of my grandchildren. They were immediately inspired!

So I thought I had better get busy before they get too far ahead of me. This is, after all, a story for them…from me.

So I went to the art supplier in Port Townsend. Our local suppliers don’t carry large canvas and I knew the dragon in this story was going to be big. I mean really big! Well, at least as big as my little Honda Fit can carry. Which turned out to be 36 X 48.

I’ve never painted a dragon before. I knew what I wanted him to look like, kind of. I bought a little plastic dragon sculpture thinking I could study how light might shine on a dragon…but it dropped off my table and the wings fell off before I had a chance to study the lights.

So I scrambled together some sketches, some photos of horses, a rhinoceros and any kind of wicked reptile I could find…lizards, gila monsters…and some excerpts from my story that describe the dragon. Slowly he emerged from the stormy skies.

I think the very hardest thing I ever painted in my life was a dragon. I’m used to having models to sit for me. Needless to say, I couldn’t find a dragon to sit still long enough.

So in the process I started posting my WIP on my blog (it’s probably still there somewhere at http://dragontargeseries.blogspot.com/ ) and decided I needed a name for this very personal marble-eyed monster. I held a blog contest and got quite a wonderfulcollection of names. Because there are different ethnic groups in the Realm, we went with a few different names, the most common being Stenjheart, or Stone Heart.

Well, being the wild person that I am, I thought it’d be kind of cool to add a little gold leaf to the mix.

some scales and claws…

Well, I let Stenhjaert sit for awhile, quite pleased that I finally painted a dragon. That is until I finished Deception Peak. I needed a cover. I couldn’t use Stenjhaert. The dragon was for the second book, The Dragon Shield.I needed a mountain. Besides, Stenjhaert was cramped. His wings didn’t spread out. His tail was just about missing…

So I went back to Port Townsend and bought two more 36 X 48 panels.

Since this book was a trilogy, I’d use each panel for a book cover…and they’d all connect.

 

To find out more about Dianne and her writing, visit her blog at Ian’s Realm. To see what her finished cover looked like, check out Deception Peak at Amazon!

Stranger than Fiction: the Story Behind Virginia Creeper

A rare treat today–I interview Blaine Lee Pardoe, the author of Virginia Creeper. Blaine’s a fellow historian but I asked him here to talk about something a little different–crime.  Specifically the Route 211 Murders, a story that as a Northwesterner, I hadn’t heard much about prior to this discussion.  Sit back and enjoy the story behind this recent publication.  Then, when you’ve finished, check out the book to see what he hasn’t told us.

Gwen:  Virginia Creeper.  Wow.  I don’t know where to begin here, Blaine.  I can honestly say that this is one of the more shocking stories I’ve heard in a while.  It just amazes me that it didn’t hit CNN or one of those nightly news broadcasts.  So I guess, let’s start there.

I think maybe a few readers will have heard of the Route 211 Killings but what with so much in the news lately, I hate to say it, but it can get overwhelming.  Can you tell us a little bit about the background of the murders?  What local folks knew about them?

Blaine:  Well, the murders dropped off the radar pretty quickly with the death and the presumed killer – Andrew Fitzwater. Also the investigators did not go public with all of the details of what occurred – and with good reason.  Also, the murders also were not your typical serial killing.  These victims, once it was all pieced together, were spread out over 150 years or so.  Drew pled guilty to three of the murders – but died under questionable circumstances, before he could be sentenced.  From the police perspective, it was best to let the case slip into obscurity.

Gwen:  As I recall, it was your friend–well, at least acquaintance–Pepper who suggested you look into this.  Now I know that you’re a military historian, a Civil War buff, and a science fiction writer…how did you feel when he made that request?  Did you instantly think it was a natural fit or was there some hesitation there?

Blaine:  At the time I was working on a non-fiction book, but I have to admit this didn’t seem to me to be a good fit for me to stick my nose in the case.  One of the victims mothers was fairly convincing.  There was some distrust in the police, she seemed to think that as an armchair historian I might come it at with a different perspective.  She was right about that!

Gwen:  So, Blaine, I can’t help but think your background as a historian ended up as an real advantage for you in digging into the mystery of these deaths.  Do you agree with that?

Blaine:  Police tend to look at facts and evidence related to crimes.  I wasn’t bound by that covenant as a historian.  I wasn’t limited in my thinking by what common sense would have said was impossible.  In the end it helped the authorities, albeit in a minor way.  What we uncovered was so heinous and incredible, I wonder if they would have gone down some of the trails I was willing to explore.

Gwen: Can you share one detail with us that you think was particularly compelling about your experience?  I’ll understand if you need to keep this off the record, as it were.

Blaine:  This became personal.  The killer – the REAL killer, came after some of us associated with the case.  When you read the book you’ll understand.  When someone goes after your wife and kids, it makes it very personal.  I remember, when I wrote about that night, how it would feel to have someone attack your home – that gut wrenching feeling.  As a man, my instinct was to protect my family.  As a military historian, I knew we had to go on the offense.  Those two things coming together were a powerful combination.  In the end, it helped us find out the real truth about the murders.

Gwen:  What happened was pretty incredible…I don’t want to give out too many details but how hard was it for you to get anyone to listen to you?  Did you have any hesitation about writing the book?  Trouble selling the story?

Blaine:  I had to change a lot of the names – but not the places.  For some people that has been hard to swallow.  My hesitation is that people would not fully understand or comprehend how all of this unfolded.  It was hard enough for those of us that were a part of it.  A few publishers expressed interest in the book over the years but the content was fairly disturbing.  They were worried that people would start wandering the countryside looking for the locales mentioned in the book.  Hydra Publications recognized the story for what it was and accepted that risk.

Gwen:  Are there any last words that you’d like to leave us readers with?  How can we find out more about Virginia Creeper or your other works?

Blaine: Well, what I can tell you is that Virginia Creeper is a very scary book.  I don’t like violent images, but in light of that, this has some images that are disturbing.  A friend of mine said she couldn’t read the book at night because it gave her nightmares.  I guess that’s a compliment.

In terms of my other books – go ahead and check out Amazon.com or my web site, www.blainepardoe.com. I tend to keep my blog updated every week with a little bit of everything, including what I’m currently working on: http://bpardoe.blogspot.com/ Of course you can always follow me on Facebook as well.

 

Excerpt: Gladiator

Today I’m pleased to have an excerpt from Gladiator, a post-apocalyptic erotic romance by Kate Lynd! (Don’t worry–it’s mostly worksafe. Mostly.)

From Gladiator:

“What is it you want, Veronica?”

She leaned in close and whispered seductively, “Why, you know I only want you, Tristan.”

He snatched her up by her throat, pinned her against the wall and kissed her passionately, brutally, and without clemency. When he pulled away she was smiling with a darkness that made him angry. She was a power-hungry mongrel who played on her husband’s weaknesses and jealousies. Tristan hated her. And he hated himself for fucking her. But this was his life. He let go of her and walked away.

“Is my poor Gladiator jealous? There’s really no need for that, is there? You know you’re my favorite.”

“What is it you really want, Veronica?”

She came up behind him and seductively began to ease off his armor. He was covered in sweat and blood and he felt her shiver against his body. And as always there was a twinge of nausea that would precede the raw animal aggression.

She turned him around. He looked at her. There was no doubt about it; she was beautiful. But she was poisonous—a rattlesnake with crystal green eyes and flaming red hair. Her father had promised peace and a return to normalcy and democracy in the wake of economic and nuclear disaster, and instead this was what had become of the world. And she was no doubt always enjoining her father to maintain her life in this fashion. He loathed her. He detested her. And every time he had sex with her his intense hatred for himself deepened a little bit more.

“My dear, sweet Gladiator, as much as I’d like to celebrate your victory with you tonight, my husband wishes me to share his bed. But fear not—I do have a consolation prize for you.”

His skin began to crawl. Veronica had a twisted way of looking at what constituted a consolation prize; it was usually just a groupie who wanted to watch what the queen did with the equivalent of rock stars of the former United States of America. And he usually did the dog and pony show. But sometimes Veronica required something to prove his loyalty to her. That would be more complicated.

“What is it this time?”

She smiled. His response had given her the mistaken impression that he cared.

“The rebels have been restless. And it seems there is a young woman we have in our prison whom they want terribly. Well, frankly, they are in two minds as to what to believe. It is rumored she is the mythical Healer. The one meant to find her soul mate, so together they will lead our Nation out of the so-called darkness into which it has plunged itself.”

“And what do you want me to do?”

“Oh Tristan, why are you being so defensive? I just want you to find out whether she really is the Healer, and report to me if she is.”

“And then, what?”

“And then you let me handle it,” Veronica said, sliding back into the evil skin that was her natural state. “The rebels have no idea what it takes to run a country.”

The image of his wife being raped and murdered flooded him and it was all he could do not to throttle the queen right then and there.

“So can I count on you to do this for me or do I need to find someone else who can?”

He was no one’s hero. But she had said young woman. And he couldn’t just allow his wife’s fate to be visited upon some other unsuspecting girl. “I’ll do what I can.”

Veronica ran her index finger down his cheek and whispered, “Good boy, Tristan,” she purred. “Guard! She’ll be delivered before the night is over. I don’t know when I’ll be able to return to you, but I expect that you’ll have had enough time to gain her trust by then.”

Tristan’s stomach churned. The Healer? In the beginning there had been whispers of it. But he had never believed in such a thing. It had been years since the crown had feared anything. And now this. He said nothing as the queen was escorted away. He was left to think about the young woman he might be forced to turn over in the end.

About the Author

Kate Lynd is an award winning blogger and 2nd place finisher in the 2011 Preditors & Editors Reader’s Choice Award for Best Romance Short Story for No Ordinary Love. She also writes as Amy McCorkle. Her books include 2012 Moondance International Film Festival SemiFinalist Another Way to Die, and Set Fire to the Rain. GLADIATOR is her most recent release with Bounty Hunter, her first print book due out in October. Her official website is http://AmyLMcCorkleKentuckyAuthor.web..., reviews, guest posts, and her random thoughts are posted at her blog, http://Creative-Chatter.blogspot.com, and she is peppered all over Facebook and Twitter under Amy Leigh McCorkle and @Kate_Lynd.

Gladiator is now available on Amazon.