A.L. Butcher's Blog, page 116
April 2, 2018
Dirty Dozen – Author Interview – Walter Rhein – Fantasy
Welcome back to Walter Rhein, fantasy author. He’s visited a couple of times before, but he’s back to talk about his exciting new release.
Please tell us about your publications.
My latest book is called ‘The Literate Thief‘ and it is the second book in a three-part series entitled ‘The Slaves of Erafor.’ I first embarked on this journey when I met Janet Morris on Facebook. Having some discussions with her inspired me to put together a narrative I’d been daydreaming about. The narrative involved slavery, but not in the historical sense. I wanted to approach the idea of how we all become slaves of thought to various ideas, and what the cause of this widespread slavery is.
The scary thing is that this series has become more relevant. I’m seeing more and more instances of narrative control in the media, particularly in the United States. However, I didn’t write this book as a response to US politics. I wrote it as a general condemnation of evil as it tends to manifest. Any similarities to current events are purely coincidental.
What piece of advice do you wish you’d had when you started your publishing journey?
I think it’s important to know that the idea that ‘quality work finds an audience’ is something of a myth. Sure, maybe over time a quality book will gain traction, but you really have to publicize it. The publishing world is very corrupt. I meet a lot of people with Master’s Degrees in English and they make me want to pull their hair out because a lot of what they’ve been taught to believe is simply not true.
Also, literature is very elitist. There are many poverty class writers out there who are producing fantastic work and the literary community completely ignores them. When I say ‘poverty-class’ I’m talking about storytellers that you might come across in bars or other places. I’ve heard stories told in bars that are better than anything that would ever come out of a prestigious magazine by highly educated writers. I think those highly educated writers resent their lack of talent, and the grand talent that can be found elsewhere, and they take action to make sure those voices are silenced.
If you could have dinner with any literary character who would you choose, and what would you eat.
Willy Wonka. Chocolate.
4. What are your views on authors offering free books? Do you believe, as some do, that it demeans an author and his or her work?
I don’t understand how you can promote a book without giving some copies away. After all, don’t you send a book to the publisher for free? It’s not like publishers pay you to read your work now is it?
The reality is that all major publisher give away hundreds, if not thousands of advance reader copies in order to hit the market riding the crest of a wave of reviews. Sometimes indie writers are held to a different standard than major publishers on this issue, which doesn’t make any sense to me.
I don’t think it demeans the work at all. You want people to read what you wrote and that’s not easy to do. If you think something is important enough to put in the effort to publish it, then you shouldn’t have any qualms about doing whatever you can to get as many people as possible to read it.
What are your views on authors commenting on reviews?
I actually just did this on my own blog. There was a review that I really appreciated on Amazon, so I took the text and responded to it on my blog, you can read it here. Responding to reviews is very important I think, as long as you don’t do it in a way that makes you look foolish. I find that the reviews I’ve received have greatly helped me improve my work, and they direct the sequels a little bit too. Interacting with readers is the whole point of this endeavor.
However, I would say don’t respond on Amazon, because Amazon might freak out and delete your whole account. It’s always important to bring the debate to a platform where you have control.
How do you deal with bad reviews?
I haven’t gotten too many lately, but that’s just a by-product of my current popularity I think. I have a wonderful group of followers who offer genuine comments and are excited about my books. If I move up to the next level, a little bit more mainstream level, I’m sure I’ll get more negative reviews. If a reviewer offers what I believe to be a viable point, I’m always grateful to them. However, it’s irritating when you get a negative review for some reason that’s absolutely absurd. But it’s like getting into an argument on Facebook, you have to trust that the next person who comes along can see which person is arguing in semi-coherent sentence fragments, and which one seems to flash a little education.
The toughest critic I’ve encountered so far is Janet Morris, but when she points something out I’ve always agreed that something had to be changed. Sincere criticism makes you a better writer, so I’m always appreciative of that.
What’s your next writing adventure?
I have extensive notes for two books, first is the follow up to ‘The Literate Thief’ which will be the third book in the series. There will be something of a conclusion to a major narrative thread in this volume, but I’ve not dismissed the idea of doing a fourth volume.
I also have a book about education that I’ve been scribbling notes for. I haven’t quite figured out what the tone for that one will be, but I think it has to be comical, something like ‘Catch-22.’ I’ve written a dozen or so chapters for it, but I haven’t quite gotten the narrative voice figured out. Once I get it, I’m pretty sure the book will flow out of me quickly, but you can’t push it in the meantime.
What is the last book you’ve read?
I’m currently reading ‘The Scarecrow‘ by Cas Peace. It’s one of her Albia stories and it’s fantastic. Peace is a great writer that more people should be aware of.
With the influx of indie authors do you think this is the future of storytelling?
Without a doubt. The reality is that if you go mainstream you’re going to get the same old safe narrative over and over again. Mainstream follows the trends and indie sets them. I was in a Barnes & Noble the other day and I took a picture of the front display just because there wasn’t a single book on sale that I had any interest in reading whatsoever. It’s all book adaptations of powerful films and biographies of boring celebrities that are famous for doing nothing. Who wants to be traditionally published when that’s the kind of garbage you have to write?
Are indie/ self-published authors viewed with scepticism or wariness by readers? Why is this?
I’m published with Perseid Publishing, a small press owned by Janet Morris. Morris is a very well-respected writer, but I still find that I’m regarded with skepticism among certain writing communities. I’ve come to believe that the literary community is, to some extent, more interested in silencing voices than giving them a platform. This makes sense if you consider the money angle. It’s easy enough to understand that some groups don’t want a book to be widely read if it doesn’t make money for their company. That’s a case where the quality of a work is irrelevant.
I remember one instance where I was at the Chippewa Valley Book Festival. I was selected for this festival and I was sitting at a meeting with one of the other authors who was regarding me with undisguised contempt. I started talking with her and she clearly had the sense that I didn’t deserve to be there. Now, this was a writer I’d never heard of, and whose name I can’t even remember. It just struck me as very strange that she’d be so critical of somebody who had a publisher and who had been selected to appear in the festival. But that’s a very prevalent attitude.
Who knows? Maybe they’re scared and intimidated.
Is there a message in your books?
I always aspire to have something useful in my books. I don’t know if it’s a “message” but it’s an encouragement to at least start thinking about certain problems or issues. A person can be greatly empowered just by examining something that s/he always believed was true without question.
Sometimes if you line up a bunch of ideas, people connect the dots and come to a new conclusion about something they’re carrying around in their mind. The fact is that there’s a lot of junk in our mind that doesn’t do us any good. In fact, it was put there on purpose to not do us any good. The difficult thing is that a lot of people have become very attached to that junk and if you try to tell them to throw it away, they become very offended. So what you have to do is set up the whole argument and have them walk along the argument with you, and at the end, hopefully they come to the realization themselves.
My hope is that I’m helping people remove the junk. Others might say I’m contributing to the problem. The good thing about writing is that, in the end, the reader can listen to you or not.
How important is writing to you?
It’s just something I have to do. If I don’t write for a long period I start feeling really bad, like groggy. It just helps me take a break from thinking, or carrying ideas around in my mind. Once they’re recorded I can stop worrying about them, I guess they become somebody else’s problem at that point.
Mainly I think of my kids. Growing up I always felt that there were a dozen or so pieces of information that adults could have given me and I would have had a much easier life. I’m trying to make sure I get as many good little nuggets of information nailed down for my kids to find as I possibly can. The thing is, there are a lot of lies out there. There are false narratives used to make you beholden to some other entity or individual. That’s the kind of thing that writing can fight against, but it’s an eternal struggle.
Thanks for having me!
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March 30, 2018
Review – Lawyers in Hell #Sharedworld #darkfantasy #historicalfic
https://amzn.to/2pPSKtm – AMAZON UK
https://amzn.to/2GkYHWw – AMAZON
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Lawyers in Hell forms part of the Heroes in Hell shared world. As usual with these anthologies, there is an eclectic mix of stories. Some I enjoyed more than others, but there was nothing I didn’t like. From Guy Fawkes trying to sue Satan (Fawkes believes he is a martyr and thus should be in heaven) to Leonides dealing with a recalcitrant Alexander, to ex-presidents, to succubi causing mayhem and Erra and his Sibbiti (an ongoing theme) there is mischief afoot in Hell.
It shows the talent of these authors that although the stories are clearly written by different people, feature a bewildering array of historical characters in all sorts of weird situations they flow smoothly in a brilliantly crafted world.
Humanity will be humanity – even in hell. And thus individuals wish to sue other individuals and the lawyers who worth and the Hall of Injustice are kept busy. Of course, being hell, nothing is simple, nothing works properly and there’s always a hidden agenda. All the characters have some form of penance to pay – be it taking cases they cannot win, representing demons, facing monsters, dealing with the unpredictable technology, and generally trying to survive Hell. The stories are sad (as I said humanity seeks to be humanity with its many faults), darkly humorous, clever, weird and enticing.
5 stars.
March 29, 2018
Swift Six Character Interview – Jesslyn
Character Name – Jesslynn Cotterill
Which book/world do you live in? The Amaranthine Universe (You can find me not only in my own short story, but as a side character in Shades of Gray and Brothers of Darkness)
Tell us about yourself: What is there to tell? I’m married to Oren and now that his mother has finally passed away manage our plantation in Virginia. I’m a mother of two children, Alexander and Tristan. My story takes place before the War Between the States in Virginia.
What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
I may not be beautiful, but I’m clever. I believe that brains will triumph over beauty always.
Name three important people/creatures/institutions in your world (such as lovers, pets, government institutions, leaders, gods etc).
My husband Oren is important, of course. I mentioned my children. Though I have birthed many, only Alexander has grown out of babyhood, and now Tristan, not even a year old, is showing signs of the same malady that took the others. It is because of this that I should mention our neighbour, Jorick. An odd man, he is rarely home, and when he is he never walks in sunlight, only under dark skies. Neither does he seem to age or sicken. It is a secret I desperately need to discover if I want to save my sick child.
What does ‘heroism’ mean to you?
Heroism is the strength to do what must be done for the good of all, even if you, yourself, are afraid of it. Just as I am afraid of what secret Jorick carries, yet I know we need it if Tristan is to survive.
What do you think of your ‘creator’?
I assume you mean my author? I have a rather low opinion of her, I’m afraid, as she’s happily stuck me in a dark world with very little chance for light.
Give us your favourite piece of advice:
Beauty fades, leaving only your wit and resourcefulness. Cultivate those over the appearance of the flesh.
Links to book
Shades of Gray:
Shades of Gray (Amaranthine Book 1) Kindle Amazon.com
Shades of Gray (Amaranthine Book 1) – Kindle UK
Review – Spell It Out: The singular story of English spelling #Writing #Language #English
5 Stars.
Spell It Out: The singular story of English Spelling – David Crystal.
Why is there an ‘h’ in ghost? William Caxton, inventor of the printing press and his Flemish employees are to blame: without a dictionary or style guide to hand in fifteenth century Bruges, the typesetters simply spelled it the way it sounded to their foreign ears, and it stuck. Seventy-five per cent of English spelling is regular but twenty-five per cent is complicated, and in Spell It Out our foremost linguistics expert David Crystal extends a helping hand to the confused and curious alike.
He unearths the stories behind the rogue words that confound us and explains why these peculiarities entered the mainstream, in an epic journey taking in sixth-century monks, French and Latin upstarts, the Industrial Revolution and the internet. By learning the history and the principles, Crystal shows how the spellings that break all the rules become easier to get right.
You can tell I’m a logophile (lover of words), as this book really appealed to me. I love the vagaries of English, the whys and wherefores, the ‘really – that’s spelled like that?’ and the etymology of language. This book is a great resource – it covers the history of the English Language, and the ‘rules of spelling’ – many of which get defenestrated at every available opportunity. Crystal explains why.
English is a very confusing language – and I’m a native speaker! Similar sounds – such as ‘ou’ or ‘gh’ can be used in a large variety of words with different pronunciations:
(Spelling in red) coff as in cough; ow as in bough; ruff as in rough; thru as in through; doh as in doughnut.
Thorough, plough, tough, borough etc.
And we have the one everyone knows – I before E except after C… unless … well Wiki has a whole page of them:
There are reasons – from lazy scribes to printers being things look nice, to foreign words being adulterated, to regional differences to text speak. It all makes sense (sort of).
Crystal keeps the book interesting, easy to understand and amusing. He knows his stuff, and it shows. I found it fascinating, and will definitely get the author’s other work. Mr Crystal – you have a new fan.
Recommended for logophiles, writers, and the curious.
March 27, 2018
Swift Six Author Interview – Joleene Naylor – Fantasy/Paranormal
Welcome to Joleene Naylor.
What attracts you to the genre in which you write?
Joleene Naylor: I write what most people call urban fantasy (though my vampires are rarely in an urban setting.) Fantasy has always been my favourite, and vampires are so versatile that I can find a story to fit every mood. For instance, my Patrick novel is pretty much straight horror, while the Heart of the Raven arc, in the Amaranthine series, is pure fantasy (with an evil “wizard”, a quest, and a group of adventurers). Meanwhile, my upcoming novel is a contemporary road trip, and the short story I have in Nightly Bites Volume 2 is more paranormal/historical.
What piece of writing advice do you wish you’d known when you started your writing adventures?
Jo: I did a lot of research before I jumped in, so I pretty much knew what I was in for.
If you could have dinner with any famous person or character who would you choose?
Jo: I’d like to have dinner with Edgar Allan Poe to discuss his poem “The Bells”. Every teacher I’ve had claims it is an ode to bells. I say it’s written by someone who’s sick of listening to them. I’m interested to see who’s right.
Who has been the greatest influence on your own work?
Jo: There have been a lot of influences! Recently it was CG Coppola (author of the Arrizel War series). I noticed that it was hard to put her books down, because she ended most chapters (where possible) with something exciting – so that you had to start the next chapter to find out what was going on. Since then, I’ve been trying to implement that in my own books.
Do you think the e-book revolution will do away with print?
Jo: No. At least not for a very long time. I know too many people who don’t like ebooks.
Which 3 books would you take to a desert island and why?
Jo: I’m going to cheat: 1) Lord of the Rings omnibus by JRR Tolkien, 2) Complete works of Poe and 3) The Faun and the Woodcutter’s Daughter by Barbara Leonie Picard. That should give me enough to fit every mood.
Author bio and book synopsis
Please introduce yourself (250 words or so):
My name is Joleene Naylor, and I’m the author of the paranormal Amaranthine Universe. When I’m not writing I watch anime, create book covers for other authors, and work on my renovating my leaning Victorian house in Villisca, Iowa, where I’m surrounded by family, cats, and chaos.
Tell us about your book(s) – title, genre etc (short)
The Amaranthine Universe began when Katelina found her “special friend” dead in his locked apartment. Three months later the mysterious Jorick insists they meet, and reveals that Patrick was murdered by vampires. Nine books later, Katelina and Jorick have faced the Executioners (vampire police), ancient monsters, powerful relics, old conspiracies, and more. Along with the series is the standalone Prequel Brothers of Darkness (Patrick’s Story), as well as short story collections (including Vampire Morsels and Tales of the Executioners). Upcoming novels include a vampire road trip novel (yet to be named), a trilogy that plunges years into the future, and maybe a gothic novella, and/or a standalone Executioner mystery.
Links
Site – http://JoleeneNaylor.com
Blog – http://JoleeneNaylor.wordpress.com
Social media
FB author page: https://www.facebook.com/joleenenaylorbooks
twitter http://twitter.com/joleene_naylor
good reads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3165393.Joleene_Naylor
facebook profile – http://facebook.com/joleene.naylor
Swift Six Character Interview – Wolfgang – Vampires
Name? Wolfgang Feuerleiben – At least that is the name I am currently using.
Which book/world do you live in? So Many Nights, So Many Sins – part of the Nightly Bites II anthology
Tell us about yourself: I am a vampire, a ‘companion-in-darkness’ as some of my more idiotic acquaintances call us. I am a monster, a killer, a blood-drinker. I have lived for centuries – how many I am not quite sure. After a while the nights all seem much the same, history repeats itself and ennui becomes a constant companion. A human woman told me I am depressed, bored, cynical. All those things are true, but wouldn’t you be after so long?
How do you see your world? My world is long, dark and full of blood and death. Mortals die, often. Vampires die – often at my hand. I am not an avenging angel, far from it but I don’t like loose ends, or inconvenient questions. We call mortals ‘thrill-seekers’ – at least those who aren’t directly dinner. There is a class of mortal who thinks it’s ‘cool’ to hang out with the undesirables, the undead, the damned. They don’t really know what we are, or what it means to be a vampire. I’ve put enough of the poor creatures out of their misery to have lost count. Being a vampire means a constant hunger, a need for blood, and a life at the fringes. A life alone, most of the time. Vampires generally don’t like other vampires – predators tend to be solitary; except our friends the wolves, but they are largely gone. One gets to look on the human world as an outsider – it’s interesting at first, like looking at ants, but it soon becomes tiresome, then ridiculous. There is so much lost potential, and that’s the same with most vampires. Throw off the shackles of mortality and one can achieve anything given enough time. Most vampires try desperately to adhere to their long-gone human morals, rules and ideas. And every single one fails.
What part do you play in this tale? I am the bringer of death, the harbinger of doom, but you might say I get the girl.
Do you consider yourself a good person/creature? You jest? I am not sure I was ever a ‘good’ person, even as a mortal. I may have thought that was the case, long ago but I doubt it now. I have killed hundreds, waded through rivers of blood. I have murdered for food, protection, out of boredom. I have stolen, corrupted, lied, committed adultery, I have lain with man and woman. There are six hundred plus sins in the Bible and I have committed several hundred of them. The rest are either down-right silly or impossible. So formulate the answer am I a good person…
Do you follow any religion? God abandoned me long ago, and I him. I am not saying he doesn’t exist – but if he does he’d not who he says he is.
What is your favourite colour/food/music (pick one)? Well that was a change of direction in the questions. Favourite colour – orange; favourite food – the blood of vampires; favourite music – the sound of fire.
Links to book:
Universal Link https://books2read.com/b/bQBDB0
Paperback http://amzn.to/2FRNBI1
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/nightly-bites-volume-2-barbara-gtarn/1128179846
Five characters interviews from vampires in this book.
https://creativebarbwire.wordpress.com/2018/03/23/random-friday-299/
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March 25, 2018
Book Spotlight – Food of the Gods – Em Dehaney – Dark Fiction
FOOD OF THE GODS by Em Dehaney
Food of the Gods on Amazon.com
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A perfect corpse floats forever in a watery grave.
A gang member takes a terrifying trip to the seaside.
A deserted cross-channel ferry that serves only the finest Slovakian wines.
Gods and monsters.
Mermaids and witches.
Blood and magic.
Love and death.
From the dark and decadent mind of Em Dehaney come eight tales of seafoam secrets and sweet treats.
Nothing is quite what it seems, but everything is delicious.
This is Food Of The Gods.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38521454-food-of-the-gods
Reviews of Food Of The Gods
“…diverse and brilliantly crafted slices of dark fiction…”
“…dark and haunting tales of the horrors of the human condition…’
“Brilliantly written and something to be revisited again and again.”
“I found myself submersed in strange places with fantastic other worldly creatures.”
“Each story is a gem in its own right, when collected together the result is an anthology that any writer would be proud to put their name to.”
BIO
Em Dehaney is a mother of two, a writer of fantasy and a drinker of tea. Born in Gravesend, England, her writing is inspired by the history of her home town. She is made of tea, cake, blood and magic. By night she is The Black Nun, editor and whip-cracker at Burdizzo Books. By day you can always find her at http://www.emdehaney.com/ or lurking about on Facebook posting pictures of witches https://www.facebook.com/emdehaney/. You can also follow Em on Twitter @emdehaney
March 23, 2018
Random Friday #NightlyBitesII
Some great interviews with the Vampires from Nightly Bites II
creative barbwire (or the many lives of a creator)
To celebrate the release of Nightly Bites Volume 2, I present you 5 characters interviews!
Character Name: I am the Aswang, and nobody ever gave me a proper name. Heck, even the dog has a name! But not me.
Which book/world/story do you live in?
The short story “The Aswang Who Ate Stardust” is about me. Well, kind of. It’s also about the people I’m not allowed to eat anymore.
Tell us about yourself:
I was born long before the white men came to the Philippines, and I used to eat little humans still in their mother’s womb. That’s what all Aswang do – but we are solitary creatures, and we can shift our shape. Which is why nobody ever gave me a proper name, I think. Anyway, I had made a human friend long ago. He was the only one who could see me for who I…
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March 21, 2018
Writer Wednesday
Great article, and it’s always good to get feedback. Also knowing one’s strengths and weaknesses can really help.
creative barbwire (or the many lives of a creator)
Slow start with the new project, hopefully I’ll catch up in the weeks to come. But I also wrapped up Nightly Bites Volume 2 and it’s now available for pre-order (goes live on Friday) as e-book and available in paperback as well! I am very excited about this volume 2, I think it’s actually better than volume 1!
Well, at least my story is. The one I wrote on the fly, inspired by the chosen cover. So the guy on the cover is Alain, Bran’s latest fledgling, and you’ll see more of him probably in the next novel that will come out in November as usual. Not the first time that I write inspired by an artwork (photo/painting/drawing/sculpture) whether I did it or someone else did it.
The other stories are also awesome and you should check it right now! It’s been already presented on Library of Erana and I…
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March 17, 2018
Nightly Bites II – #Vampires #Anthology
Coming 23rd April 2018 – Now on Preorder
More short stories about vampires mingling in the pages of this anthology. Vampire Apocalypse vs. Last Vampire Survivor. Vampires with hemophobia or Asperger Syndrome. Vampires in the past and in the future, walking through the centuries because they can. Undead but immortal unless you manage to kill them. Merciless killers or merciful death givers – and even a little, shapeshifting vampire who doesn’t feed on blood.
THE STORIES
The Blood is on the Wall by Felicia Fredlund
Bloody Aversion by Rebecca M. Senese
Chuck the Cross by Ezekiel James Boston
Jesslyn by Joleene Naylor
In the Shade of the Slowboat Man by Dean Wesley Smith
Legacy of the Hunted by Russ Crossley
The Raven by Barbara G.Tarn
She-devil of the Spanish Main by David Miller
So Many Nights, So Many Sins by A.L. Butcher
The Aswang Who Ate Stardust by Kate Pavelle[image error]
Check out similar anthologies here: http://www.unicornproductionsbooks.com/curated-anthologies/
