Gwen Perkins's Blog, page 9

Character Interview: Heart of the Hunter by Linda Anne Wulf

Gwen:  Hi, Linda!  As readers may know, your books The Heart Denied and Heart of the Hunter are both Amazon bestsellers (and available in print and e-format at a number of retailers).  Can you tell us a little about the books?

Linda:  Hi, Gwen! Yes, and thanks so much for asking. Both are in the historical romance genre, and were published late 2010 and early 2012 respectively, by Hydra Publications. The main themes in my books are perseverance and redemption, the latter of which comes at great cost to each of the heroes. And without their strong, persevering heroines, these guys might well have crashed and burned.

The Heart Denied is about Thorne Neville, a young lord who rejects all notions of love after the death of his childhood sweetheart. Instead, he plans to live a peaceful life at his ancestral home, Wycliffe Hall, with Gwynneth, the young woman he is contracted to marry–despite the fact he's never met her AND she wants to be a nun. BIG mistake. The marriage proceeds despite Thorne's misgivings, and Gwynneth proceeds to make his life anything but peaceful. While struggling to make the marriage work so he doesn't shame Gwynneth or her family, Thorne finds himself inexplicably drawn to Elaine–a secretive young woman in his household who seems almost too refined to be the servant she is. Meanwhile, Thorne also finds himself fending off the relentless seduction attempts of Gwynneth's closest friend, the stunning socialite Caroline Sutherland–who unbeknownst to him is secretly in cahoots with his stableman to rob Thorne of his entire fortune. As his carefully constructed life begins disintegrating in a succession of murder, suicide and betrayal, Thorne's heart begins to open. Only then does he discover the happiness he had despaired of ever finding–and realizes it was right under his nose all along.

Heart of the Hunter is about Fianna Morgan, a young peasant woman forced to serve at Dinsmore Hall, her landlord's household. There she recognizes his grown son Gareth as the boy who rescued her from a killer in Dinsmore Wood when she was eleven years old, swore her to secrecy, and then disappeared from her life. But Gareth claims he has never met Fianna. Further confusing her, he seems quite concerned for her welfare, but acts cold and distant. Determined to make him acknowledge their past connection, Fianna finally corners him, and learns the truth behind the terrible secret she has kept since that day in Dinsmore Wood–that the killer is a member of Gareth's family and is living at Dinsmore Hall. Convinced that the killer hasn't recognized her as the girl he pursued in Dinsmore Wood eight years ago, Fianna forges a secret partnership with Gareth to find the murdered corpses that will convict the killer of his crimes. Forced ever closer together in their search for this evidence, Fianna and Gareth must choose whether to deny or to trust their deepening feelings for one another. But Fianna soon discovers that the killer has indeed recognized her as the girl who ran from him in Dinsmore Wood. Terrified to find she is being stalked again, she also realizes she can't tell Gareth. This time, she must stand her ground–alone.

Gwen: Now, we're going to switch things up a little with a bit of a chat with two characters from Heart of the Hunter, Fianna Morgan and her younger sister, Brenna.  Let's see what the characters have to say about this fantastic story.

Brenna, how would you describe your sister when you first left your home?  How did she change after she began investigating the mysterious events that you both became a part of?

Brenna: Fianna was a little like Mama even then, but more fun, except she was always telling me to mind my tongue. She thinks I talk too much. But she should mind her own tongue, you know. I've heard her swear, and I know it's because her friend Darcy swears, because I've spied on them before. Anyway, after our cottage burned and we had to go to Dinsmore Hall, Fianna kept trying to run away to see Darcy, I think because Lord Graham's son Gareth was so mean to us. And when Mama had to go to Birmingham and leave us at Dinsmore Hall, Fianna started acting like she really was my mother. I did not like that at all.

Gwen:  Fianna, how did having your sister with you affect some of the actions that you took?  Do you think that you would have been more or less daring if you hadn't had to think of Brenna?

Fianna: Depending on the situation, there were times I should have been more cautious, but stubbornness can make me impulsive–such as the time I escaped my locked chamber and marched around to the front door to confront Gareth and Lady Pembroke, and the time I stole the pistol from the armory–and then later, when I decided to brave Dinsmore Wood alone to search for bodies. I nearly paid for that foolishness with my life, and Gareth's, too. But there were other times that, had it not been for my concern for Brenna's safety, I might have escaped Dinsmore Hall altogether. I should thank her, because if I had managed to get away, Gareth and I would never have found the evidence we sought and begun the life we have now. I would probably have married my friend Darcy instead, though it wasn't at all what I wanted.

Gwen:  When did each of you start to realize that all wasn't right at Dinsmore Hall?

Fianna: I first became suspicious when I saw, through my bedchamber window at night, a light moving through Dinsmore Wood. My suspicion grew when I snuck outdoors for a midnight walk and saw a horse and rider come tearing down the drive in the moonlight.

Brenna: I saw someone standing behind the suit of armor on our first night at Dinsmore Hall, but Mama and Fianna said I was imagining things as usual. But I knew something was awfully wrong when I was alone in our bedchamber and saw a hand reach out and close the cupboard door–from the inside of the cupboard! No one believed me, and that only made it more terribly and wretchedly frightful.

Gwen:  Brenna, when did you start to think that your sister was first attracted to Gareth?

Brenna:  When she wanted to freeze her tail feathers off riding with him in the forest–even though we were going to have hot cider and biscuits in the schoolroom!

Gwen:  Fianna, do you agree with her?  Or did it take you longer to realize?

Fianna: Neither Mama nor Brenna ever knew, but I had been looking for Gareth Graham for eight years. I knew at the age of eleven that I wanted to marry him someday, but I had no idea what his name was or where he lived. I only knew that he was a kind, handsome, older boy and that he had just saved me from a man who would have killed and buried me in Dinsmore Wood. Eight years later, when Mama, Brenna and I went to serve at Dinsmore Hall and I realized that Gareth was that boy, grown, I was utterly dismayed. How could a nobleman's son marry me, even if he wanted to? Nor could I understand what had changed him so–or why he refused to acknowledge ever having met me. Well, I learned why when I cornered him, and at that point, love and terror became my daily existence at Dinsmore Hall. If it weren't for Gareth and the way he looked out for us, I would have taken Brenna away from Dinsmore Hall the very night after my mother disappeared. But I would have had to take her through Dinsmore Wood to do it. And I know now it could have gotten both of us killed.

Gwen:  What adventures await the two of you?

Fianna: Gareth and I have exciting plans for his private estate. Suffice to say the place will soon be overrun by boys, to whom I'll be both mother and teacher.

Brenna: I shall marry Eggy when I am sixteen and travel the continent with our eight children. I shall have at least fifty gowns, and we shall have houses in London, Paris, and Madrid. And maybe Spain.

To meet Linda in person, check out the Annual Authors' Fair this weekend at That Book Place in Madison, Indiana!  She'll be there along with a number of other fantastic authors.  

is available now from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Powell's while Heart of the Hunter  was just released in paperback!  For more information or to order, visit the Hydra Publications website.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

Some things are too wonderful not to be shared.

Before & After: Rachel Hunter

Rachel Hunter

Rachel Hunter is the focus of today's Before and After, a new feature on this blog. In Before and After, we will hear from new authors before the publication of their novel and then follow up after the book's publication to find out how the experience went.

Rachel's first book is A Llathalan Annal: Empyreal Fate, coming out this spring from Hydra Publications. Rachel has also just released the short story, "Perfect Nothing," about her battles with anorexia nervosa. Proceeds from this story will be donated to Give Kids the World. It is available now on Amazon.com.

Gwen: Welcome to the blog, Rachel! I always like to start out by having the author tell a little bit about their book. Can you share with us what the book is about?

Rachel: Greetings, Gwen!

Thanks for featuring me on your blog. I would be delighted to share a bit about my book: Empyreal Fate – Part One of my Llathalan Annal fantasy series.

Filled to the brim with forbidden love, an ancient evil, and a nation in disrepair, Empyreal Fate is a tale of riveting bravery and mortal corruption.

The land of Llathala lingers on the brink of war between men and elves, a dark history surrounding each race. Stirred by tensions of the land, a shadow of the past reemerges, taking precedence in reality and consuming the very soul of mans' mortal weakness. Darrion, the son of a poor laborer, is ensnared in a hostile world, forced to choose between loyalty to his king or the counsel of the elves. Yet Fate has other plans in store, tying his course to Amarya, an elven royalblood of mysterious quality and unsurpassable beauty. But this forbidden connection incites betrayal from members of their own kin, marking them as traitors to the crown. In a land torn asunder, only Fate's decree can allow such love to coexist with an ancient enmity.

Behold: A Llathalan Annal: Empyreal Fate – Part One.

I won't give away much of the details here, but Empyreal Fate basically sets the stage for a great war between the races of man and elf. Part One focuses on developing a crucial piece of the story (which the reader will unravel as he ventures forth), and it establishes the basis through which the characters will learn and grow. I find a story comes to life when its characters mature and express marked wisdom. Indeed, as my Llathalan Annal series progresses, I hope the reader is able to make those connections and also tie himself in Llathala's realm as well.

Oh – and just a word of caution… Keep an eye on the young one. She's not always as she seems.

Gwen: What inspired you to choose fantasy as your genre?

Rachel: Fantasy – a beautiful word against my lips! What could be more magical than transporting oneself into realms of the impossible – the enchanting? Since I could but only grasp onto the covers of a book, I have been reading to my heart's content. Although I enjoy works spanning all genres, I have found that fantasy beckons my attention far above all. There's something in the nature of the fantastical that draws me in; there's something about the feel of alternate worlds and mystical planes that ensnares me. And this is why I've chosen fantasy as my own genre. I want to make others feel the way I do about words: to breathe in awe at their elusive connectedness – to marvel the fluid way in which they bind. It's this internal delight that delivers life upon a sheet of parchment. And it is this feeling I wish to instill.

I wish to add a side note here, as I have also a penchant for poetry. 'I dance with words,' as some may say. As a poet, I have incorporated my fascination of speech within Empyreal Fate, thereby bringing to light the lofty language and mystical tongue of an epic world. Every sentence I wrote flowed through my head along with a beat, and I recounted my tale accordingly. Thus, I wish to share with all the beauty of words and the unique way in which they breathe.

Gwen: I know that I myself was reading fantasy from a young age—the first book series that really captured my imagination was the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. Reading so much fantasy–particularly those novels with their use of metaphor and subtle discussion of religious themes–definitely influenced me as a writer. Have you had a similar experience with any books that you've read? Is there any theme or aspect of a novel you read early on that just sticks with you?

Rachel: Vivid words and breathing characters. Regardless the genre and regardless the message, if these crucial elements are for lack, the tale will hardly hold together. Fantasy-speaking, I do well enjoy political references and spiritual subtleties. In fact, when I wrote Empyreal Fate, I sewed in some ties of my own spiritual quandaries. I would definitely say that having read other works throughout my life has inspired me to intertwine such concepts. The most important part I gleaned was how – despite the message or whether I truly believed it– the influence or 'readability' of the characters was key. In fact, I believe The Shannara Series – by Terry Brooks – was the first truly epic fantasy collection I read, and I was immediately intrigued by the character dynamics. Without that connection, the inner workings of the novels would not have been as profound.

Gwen: When we write, there is often an idea behind it that we want our readers to discover (and we'll talk more about that in our "After" interview). As a first-time novelist, however, what ideas did you uncover in your own work? Did you learn any lessons from your own characters?

Rachel: Indeed – as I wrote, I delved further into the histories of my races: how they came to be and why, etc… At first, I had only a rough outline in my head, but as I progressed, the details blossomed anew. Needless to say, I could hardly keep up! I had so many ideas rampaging at once. I suppose that's where the subsequent parts to series will come into play…

As for my characters – they instilled in me the importance of virtue, of love, and of truth. (I would say more, but for fear of spoiling anything, I shall refrain.) I will, however, suggest that one takes note of the Cauychin. Now there's a witty beast with heart to tell.

Gwen: Let's shift gears a little and talk about one of the hardest things that any author has to do—finding a home for the work when they're finished. What was the most difficult part of this process for you?

Rachel: Oh – goodness! Where to begin? I would definitely say that querying agents and publishers (in general) was the most difficult part. It seems everyone has different procedures that must be followed; and to break a single 'rule' in the process is a one-way ticket for rejection. Patience is key. It was difficult to fathom the fact that publishers generally look for reasons to decline a book – especially if they are swamped with submissions. So… yes… I would have to say that finding a publisher who met my needs – as well as found interest in my novel – was the hardest part. (Especially finding a publisher with whom to trust. A completed manuscript is like a babe – you cannot simply sell it to just anyone on the street.)

Gwen: How did you come to choose Hydra Publications for your book?

Rachel: Actually, I was offered two contracts for Empyreal Fate within roughly the same week. It became readily apparent, however, that the first company was not the right 'fit.' Therefore, Hydra graciously accepted me into their family, and I could not be more pleased – nigh, honored!

Gwen: Do you have any expectations about what will happen once the book comes out? Any special plans for other projects?

Rachel: Well, with college and various academic endeavors, it is difficult to find the time to specifically plan things. I do, however, hope to attend more writing conventions, assert myself further via social media, and perhaps participate in blogs/interviews such as this! Of course, I also plan to polish the rest of my series, but as for a schedule – it's up in the air! We'll see where Fate takes me. So far, the journey looks promising.

Gwen: What has been the most rewarding part of your experience thus far?

Rachel: Meeting new people – immersing myself in the collective wisdom of my peers. Simply experiencing the joy of fellow authors and readers claims my heart. It rewards me most of all when I can share my opinions with others – whether about novels, poetry, or life in general – and, in turn, gain insight of my own. I've learned a lot from others throughout this process thus far. And I, too, wish to inspire. I wish to awaken the muse in those who seek its majesty. You never know what one may discover within.

Gwen: If readers want to follow your work or find out more about you as an author, what's the best way for them to do that?

Rachel: As of now, one can find me on my blog, websites, Facebook, and Twitter. Also, be sure to visit Hydra Publications' Website, where I can be found – as well as a plethora of other amazing and talented authors: http://www.hydrapublications.com.

Some of my links can be found below:

http://www.rachel-m-hunter.blogspot.com/

http://www.rachel-m-hunter.yolasite.com

http://www.wix.com/rachel_hunter/author

http://www.facebook.com/people/Rachel-Hunter/713230996

Again, thank you for having me! 'Twas a pleasure indeed.

Come follow the Glory Book Tour! Review — Glory by Devin O'Branagan

Title: Glory

Author: Devin O'Branagan

Publisher: CreateSpace

Format: Kindle and Paperback

Pages: 220 Pages

This story begins when Glory Templeton, a seventeen-year-old girl, is told by her mother that she holds the cure to a plague that is wiping out humanity little by little. Raised by scientists, Glory has some understanding of the danger in which she is in–what she does not know, however, is how treacherous her path will become.

A YA novel, this one will appeal to fans of Twilight though it does not have some of the qualities that I dislike in the Meyer novels. Unlike Bella, Glory is a forceful character who knows what she wants and acts as a leader of the diverse group that she finds herself in company with. As the plot unwinds, the teenager learns that she is to work with vampires, angels, and witches among other beings and must learn to resolve her own emotional reactions to the events unfolding around her while fighting more personal desires.

Glory is a well-written, fast-paced novel that sets the stage for other stories in the same universe. O'Branagan introduces supernatural archetypes that slightly twist the usual take on the paranormal, making for an engaging read. This is a book that my own teenage daughters would both enjoy and find confidence in. Glory's ability to drive her own narrative is reminiscent of Hunger Games' Katniss although, like most YA heroines, she falls into the trap of romantic complications. This does not prevent her ability to control her own destiny which makes this novel especially interesting to readers who like a little romance with their action.

If there was one aspect of Glory that I disliked, it would be a brief reference made early in the book. This reference presents a view of average teenagers as disconnected from the world and so absorbed in their personal dramas (and technological pastimes) that they cannot see the world around them. Personally, I disagree with this generalization; however, this isn't a fault of the book but rather, the opinion of the reader.

Overall, I would recommend Glory (and plan to) to YA readers who crave a little more out of the traditional heroine. Its premise is unique, its world intriguing, and Glory herself has many stories left to tell.

For more information, visit one of the following links:

Glory on Amazon

the Glory website

Devin O'Branagan on Twitter

Devin on Facebook

Universal Mirror Free 2/9/12!

The Universal Mirror is FREE today (2/9/12)! Right now, it's #1 in Epic Fantasy on Amazon.

Here's something about the book from a 5-star reader review over in the UK: "The author creates a very atmospheric world of magicians and commoners, in which magicians Quentin and Asahel turn grave robber to restore Quentin's wife's plague-ridden beauty. Unfortunately this means committing heresy, and this lead the main characters into conflict with this world's ruling council. What follows is a fast paced thriller packed with magical incidents, with the action motivated by the life affirming need to heal."

http://www.amazon.com/The-Universal-M...

Hydra Publications is also giving away more free titles on Kindle today! See more here: http://www.hydrapublications.com/2012...

Please help me get the word out as I'd love to help give books away to many, many people.

Free books today and tomorrow!

My publisher decided to run a fantastic sale (and by sale, I mean "give away FREE") on all of the titles that Hydra Publications has out in e-format right now. Not just The Universal Mirror but also many other fantastic titles in a number of genres.

For February 8th & 9th, you can get any of Hydra's e-books at no cost from the Amazon website. To peruse them all at once, go to the Hydra website.

This is pretty exciting so please take us up on this offer and give our writers the chance to give back to you, our readers! We'd love it if you can spread the word in any way possible.

If you don't have a Kindle, consider downloading an ebook anyways to support us. You can download an app to read the book on your computer or phone.

As always, thank you for reading and supporting not just my work but that of my fellow authors.

- Gwen

Excerpt: The Jealousy Glass

sxc.hu

Do you ever just have those moments where you write or read something and think "well, that just sort of summed it all up"? I think I just had one of those with this little paragraph (unedited, of course):

"How interesting, however, the three that survived." She tapped her finger against her chin. "A cleric who believes that his people killed their own God. A scion from a noble house that hasn't been seen in Anjdur for centuries. And… you." Irena leaned back, clasping her hands together and resting them against her lap. "What are you, Asahel Soames? An insult or a threat?"

Author Interview with Jason Christie

I'd like to welcome Jason Z. Christie to the blog. Jason has written a number of e-books currently available through Amazon. He is probably best known as High-C, the nerdcore rapper, in the documentary "Nerdcore For Life". In metal act Gortician, he was drummer Jason Gortician. He's here today to talk about his most recent release, Zombie Killa.

High C

Gwen: So tell me, Jason, you're not only a writer but a musician as well. Can you tell us a little bit about how you got into music and whether or not that led to writing novels (or vice versa)?

Jason:I think one thing definitely led to the other. Songs are little stories, right? I've always been interested in music, but the internet really enabled me to do things that weren't possible before. I got to cut tracks and perform with a bunch of people from all over the U.S., then I wrote a novella about them. A clear example of music leading to literature.

I notice that a lot of my books have musical themes to them. Hurricane Regina is a Bjork/Sugarcubes novel. Radar Love is an Eagles novel. I'm working on another set in the 80s that has a thrash metal background. As a musician you can explore lots of dark concepts which you can then have fun with as a writer.

Gwen: Some readers may not be familiar with the term "nerdcore," a genre of music that is the basis of Zombie Killa's plot. Can you define it for us?

Jason: Nerdcore hip-hop is rap music written by and for nerds. They put out tracks about video games and comic books, math jokes, animated girlfriends. It's really a lot more akin to the golden era of rap than anything mainstream you might hear today. The best of it combines the heart and soul of hip-hop with ultramodern song topics and wordplay, without being too self-conscious about the subject matter.

Gwen: What gave you the inspiration to combine zombies and nerdcore into this novel?

Jason: Well, all rappers are sort of actors already, aren't they? I wrote this with the intention of making a screenplay out of it, and it's really easy to visualize characters that are already fully realized. But zombie themes are common in nerdcore, not to mention Zealous1 has a track called "Zombie Killa".

At A Comic Shop in Florida, they have Z.E.D. meetings, and go out to a shooting range monthly to shoot at paper zombie targets in preparation for the zombie apocalypse…

Gwen: Tell us about one of your favorite characters in the book. What makes him or her unique?

Jason: They're all really unique, but I think I like Myf the best because he is the furthest from his character in the novella. For all of the other characters, I tried to find their voices and really capture their personalities. For Myf, I just let it all hang out. He's probably horrified and delighted.

Gwen: If you were to create a soundtrack for Zombie Killa, what would be on it? (Bonus points for giving our readers a couple of links!)

Zealous1 – "Zombie Killa"

Nursehella – "Nursehellamentary"

YTCracker – "In My Time"

Benjamin Bear & Betty Rebel – "Beetlejuice and Metroid"

Gwen: What do you hope your readers will get out of the book?

Jason: A fun ride. I'd like to think that people will see enough depth in Zombie Killa, even though it's sort of pop art, to want to read my more involved works. High-C is also in Perfect Me, so I'm hoping he's a gateway character. And perhaps a few people will discover a new song they like.

Gwen: What's next on the horizon? Any good projects coming up in either your writing or musical career?

Zombie Killa

Jason: It's funny. There's a lot more interest in my music, of late. Once I stopped focusing on that and devoted my time to writing novels, the music thing has sort of picked up a following on its own. So I'm pleased to announce I'm working with producer Kid Charlamaign on a split e.p. with MC Inadequate.

I'm currently about a third of the way done with three more novels, a construction murder mystery, a funny fantasy title, and Cure for Sanity, another novel in the Perfect Me universe. Penultimate Hustle, the mammoth sequel to Radar Love, is due to be released on March 23rd. Beyond that, I have about ten thousand words or so of poetry that I'm trying to edit into something nice.

Thanks for the great interview.

Zombie Killa is currently available in e-edition at Amazon. You can find out more about Jason and his work at his blog, Write to Life.

Cover proofs for the Universal Mirror

I realize that the book has been out in e-format for a couple of weeks now but there is something magical about seeing the cover for the actual print version.  I'm normally the first to jump on new technologies but nothing will ever replace the feel of a solid book in your hands or the sensation of rapidly turning one page to get to the next.

 

Author Interview with Jeffrey Zweig II

Jeffrey Zweig II

My special guest to today's blog is fantasy author Jeffrey Zweig II. Jeffrey is the author of the brand-new novel, The End Begins: The Nine, and also runs the blog "Stories of a Sleepless Mind" where he spotlights excerpts from his works-in-progress. The End Begins is a great story with such a dramatic twist that I'll have to work hard to restrain myself from spoiling you!

And so with no further ado, I bring you an interview with Jeffrey Zweig II.

Gwen: Hi, Jeffrey, I'm excited to have you here. First, let's start by having you tell the readers a little about your book.

Jeffrey: Thank you for taking the time to learn a little more about me and my work, Gwen.

The End Begins: The Nine is a science fiction, fantasy story about Cassarah Telmar, a sorceress who finds out the students of her Academy, The Nine, are being used in experiments to pilot a war for a group known as The Coalition. She escapes their program and sets off to bring them down. However, her actions could devastate the people she's trying to save.

Gwen: One of the things that I found particularly interesting was how this novel mixes real-world events and history as part of a broader alternate universe beginning with World War II. How did you decide at what point to alter history, so to speak?

Jeffrey: One reason I think I chose World War II (WWII) is because people know about it. So many movies, video games, TV shows are based on it – it's familiar, and since I had so many strange elements going, I wanted that familiar base to draw from. I did some research on "what if" scenarios during the war – as in what if a battle went this way or that, and in turn a much different outcome could have happened. So I toyed with who was involved, how long it went, and tried incorporating some relevant issues one could see today. WWII always has a lot of potential to work with, and making those changes opens up many more things I can work with to make it my own.

Gwen: During The End Begins: The Nine, the reader is taken on a journey that shifts focus to a number of different characters. Changing perspective from one character to the next really gives us, as the readers, a much broader sense of the world that you've created. Of your main characters, who was the most challenging for you to write and why? How did you get into their head?

Jeffrey: The hardest to write for was James. First, he's like Cass where he's foreign to the world he's journeying through because he's dealing with a form of amnesia. But at the same time, he's coming from a world that is similar to our modern day. So I had to resist the urge to constantly compare one to the next as a running commentary.

Second, because he initially starts as a mini-macguffin and has so little to do with the start of the story, he was a risk to have. I had to make him relevant but not be obtrusive. That was also hard to do. Whereas most of the characters had a clear objective at the start of the novel, James did not. He was kind of a wild card, and that can be dangerous for an author if the reader doesn't want to go along with it.

Gwen: I know that in my own writing, minor characters often end up being some of the characters that I like the best. Was there any character that you'd like to focus on more in future stories?

Jeffrey: Kevin Barone – the group's mechanic, tech guy, and the outsider of the independent nation of Arcovia. I think because he is so rooted in the world being a kind of drifter, that through him I could explore the world in more detail. Having known people like that, I have fun writing someone who is a little more relaxed/reckless than Cass. But in my story he evolves from that drifter, to becoming heavily relevant to many people, and I would be interested to see how his actions affect those around him trying to keep that independence.

Gwen: Another big part of your story is culture. One of my favorite scenes was when Cass ended up going into the world and had to learn how to interact among people and ideas with which she wasn't familiar. How do you prepare to write a scene like that?

Jeffrey: First I had to decide while building the world for my novel how different things were on that personable level. Once I had that, I had to think of Cass, more or less, as a foreigner as if she visited another country entirely (Which you could argue is the case here). How would I (or Cass) react when dealing with food, social norms, or science. I did my best to make things different, but not too different in that respect. I'm reminded of an exercise you would do in a creative writing course, if you were an alien exploring another world – that's basically what I had to do.

Gwen: Tell us about something that you think makes the Nine particularly unique.

Jeffrey: This is a hard one, truth be told. Because I could say a lot of things that appear to make it unique, but you can insert that answer for many other books, games, movies, etc. which are great.

"Her actions could devastate the people she's trying to save."

So instead I'll get down to the core of the human element for Cass, our main protagonist – it's a story with a very straightforward question – what is your choice? Cass's choice – to live a slave or die with freedom is a choice many people are faced with in one way or another. Maybe its being tied to a job, an abusive relationship, or maybe its on your death bed living on life support. Very different situations, but that choice is a choice people may live with every day. Some stories are caught up in the grand scheme of the major plot. Really, in the end, the book is about Cass's choice in her own self worth when she learns everything she has too. That is one of the things I think make this book unique – the boldness of that one choice amidst a epic sci-fi plot.

Gwen: Where else do you see yourself going with future novels? Will you be continuing in this universe or do you have other stories ahead? Tell us a little bit about your future projects.

Jeffrey: I will be continuing this universe in a sequel but it will follow a different character this time around. I hope to have it ready by the end of the year, maybe 2013. Right now, it's still in the outline, rough draft stages so I don't want to get into that right now, other than its coming.

My future projects are two Novelettes called Lost in a Dream-scape (tentative title) which is a high epic fantasy about a man who discovers their dreams may not have been dreams at all. And I also have The Tales of Captain Force, which follows a journalist as he discovers the secret of the heroic urban legend of his city.

Other than that, working on short stories I hope to have done before the summer rolls around.

The End Begins: The Nine

Gwen: Last but certainly not least, what's the best way for readers to find out more about you and the book?

Jeffrey: My blog, Stories of the Sleepless Mind, is updated most frequently with information about what I have going on which has not only has bi-weekly updates with prototype material of new stuff I'm working on, but interviews and nuggets of advice to my readers. There's a link to a Wiki I've established giving more in depth information about ongoing projects and stuff I've published in the past. You can also find me on facebook and twitter, which is the best way outside my own e-mail to chat me up. I'm always interested with connecting with authors and readers!

The End Begins: The Nine is currently available at Amazon.com in both Kindle and print editions.