A.L. Butcher's Blog, page 138
February 6, 2017
Who’s Who on a Film Set #Brizkidscastin
Who’s Who on a Film Set #Brizkidscasting #Filmwork #agency http://ow.ly/NSmg308H6h3 Learn about being a Supporting Artist
Crew Interview with Paul Daintree, 2nd AD on ‘Da Vinci’s Demons’ and ‘Crazy Heads’
Another interesting interview about working in Film making from Brizkids Casting.
TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF:
My first job in television was as an 
office runner for the BBC Drama Serials Department in White City, London. I worked there for a year before moving on to Productions, my first being the period drama ‘North and South’ as a Production Runner, working in the office and providing support for the Line Producer, Production Coordinator and Production Secretary. From there I moved on to Floor Running, starting on the soaps and continuing drama. I then slowly moved up the ‘AD Ladder’, becoming a 3rd AD and now currently a 2nd AD. Since starting as an Office Runner at the BBC, I have been in the industry for 13 years.
Before working in the industry I was (and still am) a keen film/television fan and used to enjoy making my own short films with friends. I studied Film & TV Production at…
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February 5, 2017
Who’s Who on a Film Set #Brizkidscastin
Who’s Who on a Film Set #Brizkidscasting #Filmwork #agency http://ow.ly/NSmg308H6h3 Learn about being a Supporting Artist
Meet the Author- T.C Rypel – Fantasy
Welcome to T.C. Rypel—“Ted,” to all who’d admit to knowing me, as the “About the Author” page admits in the Wildside/Borgo Press re-issues of my heroic-fantasy Gonji series books. And it’s as “Ted Rypel” that folks can find me on Facebook, although the “Gonji Fictional Character” has his own FB page. How did he swing that—?
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Where are you from and where do you live now? From the Northeast Ohio/Greater Cleveland area, where I’ve lived most of my practical life, although I’ve happily spent a great deal of that time dwelling in the darker regions of my imagination.
Please tell us a little about your writing – for example genre, title, etc. This is a complex request. I’m an old-timer, by the measure of most who’ll read this. I began writing professionally, mainly as a sideline, back in the 1970s. So over that long haul I’ve written, or at least dabbled, professionally in most every literary form you can think of: novels, short stories, essays, film criticism, poetry, ad copy, speeches, promo/publicity hype, and most recently screenplays.
I began with film reviews, which led to my writing/publishing the first indie mag dedicated to exploring in depth the production and artistry of the classic 1963-‘65 OUTER LIMITS TV series. That was in the late ‘70s. THE OUTER LIMITS: An Illustrated Review springboarded other commissioned review work and culminated much later in my only literary award, to date—the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award I shared with author David J. Schow for Best Book of 2014, for THE OUTER LIMITS AT 50. And I suppose all that film-review involvement served a functional role in my later screenplay efforts (a half-dozen completed horror/sf indie screenplays, none of which have been produced, though we had a close call with one recently; and two of ‘em ain’t dead yet, my friends…).
But the focus of our shared interest here, Alex, is of course the broad category of fantasy fiction, with all its studiously parsed heroic/dark/swords-and-sorcery sub-categories. And there I’m almost exclusively known for the GONJI series, an ongoing, epic-heroic fantasy sequence of books about an alt-history 16th-century son of a samurai warlord and a shipwrecked neo-Viking shieldmaiden. Compelled by fate and his conflicting parental natures (always battling for balance), master swordsman Gonji Sabatake is set on a quest, from his native Japan and thence into Europe, Africa and “interspheric worlds beyond” by multiple mysterious forces—apparently agencies of Destiny itself. He was born to be a “millennial course correction.” Even Destiny apparently needs a hand, now and then, in steering a cosmos that defies its wishes.
Gonji is mysteriously linked to, and eventually joined by, an immensely powerful but misanthropic werewolf-hero character, Simon Sardonis, on this quest—whose very parameters they have to learn by stages—in leading a rebellion against tyrannical superior beings (the Ianitori) who have quietly assumed power and terrorized multiple concentric worlds for millennia (like inter-dimensional nesting planets or “Rubik’s Spheres” with ever-shifting gateways, of which our historical Earth is one).
The series was first published by Zebra Books in the 1980s. Zebra virtually ignored the heavy fantasy/monster/sorcery elements and marketed the books as mainstream Historical, attempting to capitalize on that era’s embrace of Asian adventure blockbusters like SHOGUN. Gonji did remarkably well, as a weird by-product of being mis-categorized like that. But the books missed their intended fantasy audience (an oddly bittersweet experience I recount in the “GONJI Odyssey” essay in the coming DARK VENTURES).
Yes, my colleagues, even arguable sales “success” can bear curiously unexpected career consequences in this writing game we play.
There are five extant books in the recent authorized Wildside Press re-issue sequence: the series-opening trilogy RED BLADE FROM THE EAST, THE SOUL WITHIN THE STEEL and DEATHWIND OF VEDUN, and the subsequent novels FORTRESS OF LOST WORLDS and A HUNGERING OF WOLVES. DARK VENTURES is expected out at any time from Wildside (featuring shorter Gonji tales, the creation/publication history essay, plus a preview excerpt of the coming…). BORN OF FLAME AND STEEL will follow, this being the long-promised Gonji “origin” novel—the first book actually set in Japan, though some publishers’ cover art intentionally created other impressions with the earlier books.
Jeez…what a ramble. Sorry.
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Where do you find inspiration? Everywhere, as do most other writers. Oddly, though, while most writers would reasonably be expected to cite books (of all categories) as their chief inspirations, I’ve probably drawn more from movies and music. Scenes and sounds run through my head constantly. Both from audio-visual artistic experience and from my own runaway narratives that can occupy my mind, very passionately, when I’m developing a story. Movies and music can evoke very emotional responses from me. Much of my fiction-writing concern has been the earnest attempt to replicate powerful feelings I’ve had in response to aesthetics—visual, dramatic, lyrical and melodic—and engender something like them in my readers.
Of course, there’s nothing like being out in the natural world and encountering an unexpected Eureka! moment; the serendipity of seeing something occur that you would never have perceived quite the same way without direct experience and then incorporating it into your fiction. E.g., witnessing a helicopter crash firsthand, once, along with the bewildering chaos and suffering that ensued, put me more in tune with that uniquely horrible moment, that immediacy of human tragedy, than any news account might have.
Naturally that’s one example of inspiration I’m hoping colleagues aren’t able to take advantage of.
Are your characters based on real people? We all do this to an extent, as we’re trying to create verisimilitude. We mix and match traits and practical characteristics. I like taking the occasional archetypal or stereotypical character we recognize from mainstream life and turning expectation on its ear.
I spent a good deal of time and effort on the nuances of minor characters in the Gonji series. People who began as pretty standard “regular folks” we might encounter at work, or in the marketplace. Then I forced them to respond believably in extreme, or violent, or supernatural circumstances—sometimes one after the other. Having a sword or a spear or an unreliable wheel-lock pistol shoved into your hand…and then being told that your grandma was right—there are flying horrors that can dump flaming excrement on you…and here comes one of them now…would have a complex series of escalating effects on you if you were, say, a sundryman, just looking to make a modest living, in peace. You might think twice about hanging around to help the newly trained militia, if you survived that first monstrous encounter. But then, someone in your family says, “We must stay and help our neighbors—!” Umm…yeah, OK…
I found it to be quite a lot of work, dealing with unexpected and very individual responses to violent supernatural events. Especially when I’d read so many stories where, e.g., non-violent types suddenly just became “heroes,” out of necessity. Of course, we know that such brave souls emerge under fire. They’re the ones whose stories are celebrated. But what about those who can’t measure up and then have to live with themselves? Stage drama and mainstream literature are rife with them. But fantasy I’d read didn’t acknowledge them much—they didn’t seem to fit the “heroic” parameters. Yet I found them interesting and useful, in their perspectives on extreme circumstances. So I often found myself searching the “real” world for people who might enhance my “fantasy” realms with a more reality-based human drama. Some reviewers have remarked on my characters’ lasting resonance, over the years. So maybe I was on the right track with my occasional “real-people” observations.
And, by the way, I have sometimes violated one of the hard-and-fast rules of character creation: using actual people I know, though renamed and slightly altered, as homage characters in a couple of books (positive—always positive characters!). In every case, they loved it, as it was agreed to beforehand. But I don’t recommend it. In fact…don’t do anything I tell you to do.
Have you ever used a person you don’t/didn’t like as a character then killed them off? Oh, sure—haven’t you?! My long-time friend and mentor Joseph Stefano (OUTER LIMITS writer-producer, screenwriter of PSYCHO) and I once talked about the injection of, and thus dealing with, intense personal feelings in your storytelling; of how that could sometimes be better than professional therapy. In response to this very question you pose, Joe told me, “You can get over an awful lot by writing about it.” Which included, I inferred, disposing of perceived trolls in your life experience without paying for it yourself like a character out of Poe or Dostoyevsky.
Research can be important in world-building, how much do you need to do for your books? Do you enjoy this aspect of creating a novel and what are your favourite resources? World-building can be a fun aspect of creating fantasy fiction. Of course, with the Gonji series I was constrained to build a hybrid cosmos. It’s based on a fantastic version of recorded Earth history and most of the early books are spent there exclusively. But it expands sideways from that with a system of concentric worlds, out of phase with one another.
On Earth, the fantastic elements vanished from history due to banishment, changing principles of matter-energy manipulation (sub-atomic conversion gets supplanted by technology and instrumentality over time), and the push-and-tug of such fundamental power principles between worlds. Cosmic energy remains the same; its means of access can reflect shifting principles between worlds. (Most of this occurs more overtly in future planned books in the series.) So there’s an evanescent sense, as the series goes on, of sorcery and monsters and other supernatural presences sort of vanishing like condensation, to be absorbed into another world’s shifting matter-energy principles; of civilization remanding those marvels to the worlds of myth and folklore, to retain sanity, and avert chaos and entropy, and exercise an arrogant illusion of “control.” Much of this shifting is seen to be driven by concerted cultural belief.
So, much of the off-world-building necessary to complete what would be Gonji’s finished life narrative has yet to be shown. But much of the research has been done and the narrative arc has completely been worked out, years ago. I outline and diagram and cross-reference with cue cards obsessively. Always allowing for the amazing organic serendipities that occur with any story development, of course. I await those with eager interest, to see where they leap out from betwixt the cracks in my careful planning to make happy trouble for me!
But for the details of the 16th-17th-century Europe/Asia/Africa that Gonji mainly operates in, I did quite a lot of research on practical aspects of life and culture in those times—and then attacked them with monsters and off-world sorcery. E.g., I recall that I referred to seven different books on medieval castle construction, daily life, and heraldry just for the Deathwind Trilogy’s “Castle Lenska.” (Trivia for Gonji fans: Its general layout became that of Harlech Castle in Wales.) I wanted it to feel right. Not to mention so that I wouldn’t bang my head against an ill-placed ashlar wall while rushing to relieve myself in the garderobe!
But you can get mired in the details of something like…the precise carving techniques of various meat entrees, on a typical medieval banquet table, if you don’t rein yourself in. You have to pull back, see that you’ve created a complete physical and atmospheric setting, and swallow back all the additional research you’ve done, which will best serve as the tacit confidence that you’ve done your job on behalf of your readers. It will show, without your needing to shovel it in.
My favorite resources are still books: I’ve accumulated a respectable library of good-ol’-fashioned paper research books (with fabulous illustrations) on a variety of topics, over the years. But in this era, of course, it’s puckishly easy to flit through the cyber-verse and supplement that with legitimate info sites on practically anything you might adapt to your world-building needs. A magical do-it-yourself store in every keyboard.
Is there a message conveyed within your writing? Do you feel this is important in a book? Yes, hopefully it’s “Read more of my books!” We have a duty to readers to keep them turning pages… and taking deep breaths to regulate their elevated pulse rates, and eagerly awaiting confrontations and reckonings and dramatic outcomes and beloved character resolutions, stemming from spiraling, complicating plots and escalating battles—long before they sit back and contemplate how they just now realized that little moral, ethical, universal or cosmic resonance from the finished story that’s revealed itself in satisfyingly haunting fashion, some insight they’ll always remember…
Sort these into order of importance: Great characters; great world-building; solid plot; technically perfect. Can you explain why you chose this order? (Yes I know they all are important…)
In this order:
Characters. Plot. Believable civilization, atmosphere and milieu (world-building). Technical “perfection”—which is as debatable and elusive an element as you’ll find in any Bore’s-Head ale hall swarming with drunken, bruise-knuckled, debating writers. They’ll all be potentially wrong. Or right. (Yes, I once invented a brutal tavern called “The Bore’s Head,” on whose shingle was mounted the stuffed head of a legendary blowhard who finally told one too many phony tales of personal valor. It was a tough crowd…)
Character is always number one with me. If your players aren’t engaging on a human level, then I couldn’t give a shit with what savage fury, sinewy might, or clanging steel they uphold their token warrior-maid’s honor and wrest the sac of enchanted sardonyx from the squid-lord’s underside before rescuing the grateful gaggle of undifferentiated innocents from irredeemably and irrationally evil Lord Pestilence.
There’s probably a bottom-feeder gamer-notion in that, with a high enough corpse count, but I don’t want to read it.
In what formats are your books available? (E-books, print, large print audio) Are you intending to expand these and if not, what is the reason? The Gonji series is available in paper and Kindle from Amazon—and publisher Wildside Press, of course, whose compact is mainly to reprint o.p. sf/fantasy books with copyrights that have reverted to the authors; but they’ve given me a pass on new Gonji books. They’re also on audio, from Audible, read by award-winning voice actor Brian Holsopple. And, if you prefer to read them in German, they’re in handsome translated editions from Bastei Lubbe. There’s supposed to be a French edition in the planning, as well.
Where the hell, though, is the Japanese translation, after all these years? It seems like a natural. I mean, Zebra used to tout Gonji as a “fitting successor to SHOGUN,” because of the simple fact of the reversed main-character situation between these two obviously disparate narrative approaches: mainstream vs. fantasy. My agent—yes, I’ve had the same agent for decades, though we rarely interact anymore—gave up on repping anything like the Gonji style of adventure-fantasy ages ago (a low-earning genre, in purely commercial terms), though she initially sold it to Zebra and much later brokered the German translation deal. But no Japanese contract. There’s a story for another time in agent relationships…
Do you self-edit? If so why is that the case? Do you believe a book suffers without being professionally edited? I do now, to an extent, with the new Gonji titles coming out, but I don’t recommend it. The original Gonji novels were edited by traditional publisher Zebra Books, back in the day. I did some tweaking and restoration of excised text (arbitrarily cut for length, to fit the paperback-original “signatures” requirements in the ‘80s: 32 book pages-per-signature-sheet) for the Wildside re-issues. But they’re substantially the original, professionally edited texts. And Wildside thus considers me “pre-vetted” for the new Gonji books.
However, these new texts have been vetted by some beta readers—professional colleagues I trust. And I was a pro editor for several years myself, for a magazine company, as well as an editor/proofer for the pulp-adapter Radio Archives, along with the numerous freelance editing gigs I’ve handled.
I would strongly advise self-publishers to seek reliable editorial guidance. I’ve read some horrible junk out there in the vast Flotsam Sea. And don’t get me started on the slow and painful death of even common proofing these days.
Do you think indie/self-published authors are viewed differently to traditionally published authors? Why do you think this might be? I think they must be viewed differently, for the important editorial reasons I cite above. I might read a masterpiece in either traditional or self-published material, to be sure. But the grim fact is that so much ill-advised trash is pumped into that great populist literary effluence today—along with a lot of well-crafted and entertaining content that has to fight to keep its head above the morass—that you have to exercise a lot more scrutiny before selecting titles to spend precious discretionary time on (not to mention pay for).
Indie writers who are serious about the craft owe it to themselves, as well as their readers, to make every effort to produce good work. There’s junk produced at every stratum of the publishing world, no doubt. But it simply stands to reason that carefully planned and written, professionally edited and designed books will have a far better chance of leaving a good impression and advancing their authors’ career hopes, whether modest or ambitious. A truism that won’t change, despite the most calculated, persuasive promotional efforts by clever social networkers.
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Do you read work by self-published authors? Yes. There are some fine authors and storytellers working in indie publishing, even in my limited, old-schooler experience of this vast field. There are lots of reasons why many authors are self-publishing now—not the least of these being that there are worthy categories and sub-genres that are under-served or altogether ignored by mainstream publishing, alienating large segments of special-taste readerships.
What experiences can a book provide that a movie or video game cannot? That rich and rewarding nexus of emotional and intellectual engagement that delves deeper than a movie’s level of immersion—you’re looking at somebody else’s vision, “reading” through someone else’s eyes, if you will—and far more thoughtfully, more humanly, than the more coldly calculating, quick-twitch reaction levels that most games seem capable of.
You’re in the book. Engaged with it, entranced by it… You’re a complex participant in a book’s infinite possible outcome algorithms. That’s amazing, when you stop to truly ponder that intense author-reader communication.
I’ve had the experience of writing books, original screenplays, screenplay adaptations of someone else’s books, and finally—an experiment I really learned from—writing a novelization of my own original screenplay. Not a typical, bare-bones, fill-in-the-gaps, post-release novelization, but rather my conception of what the full-blown novel might have been like that I’d adapted my screenplay from. I had known of no other such experiment.
And all that flipping of creative hats one day smacked me with the epiphany that, when reading a book, we become a sort of co-director with the author through our melding imaginations. We engage in a communication between just the two of us, in which we bring that story into a singular, unique artistic completion of delivery and realization that will never be perceived the same way by any other reader/viewer/co-director in the universe!
That’s a tall order for any movie or video game to try to stack up against, with their arm’s-length presentations of someone else’s very specific, pre-interpreted—and therefore delimiting—pictures, sounds and impressions.
As a participatory art form, books rule.
And I think any further comments by me at this juncture of the interview would be breaking some kind of “rules,” at this point, at least rules of welcome—I’ve been going on interminably. So let me conclude by thanking you, Alex Butcher, for this kind, gracious, wonderful opportunity to spew some of my personal history and insights into this craft we share with our friends and colleagues here. Maybe we can pick it up again sometime. Best of luck with all your literary endeavors, everybody!
Cheers!
Gonji – Red Blade from the East – Amazon
Gonji – The Soul within the Steel – Amazon
Gonji – Deathwind from Verdun – Amazon
Gonji- A Hungering of Wolves – Amazon
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February 1, 2017
Book Spotlight – Rogue- Tonya Coffey- Fantasy #Bookspotlight
Title: ROGUE
Author: TONYA COFFEY
Genre: FANTASY
Main character description. A WARRIOR, SISTER AND A VALKYRIE
Synopsis:
CLYTIE, A VALKYRIE, FINDS HERSELF QUESTIONING ODIN’S ORDERS WHEN PSYCHE COMES FOR A SHAPE-SHIFTING PANTHER, STORM. HE RESCUES CLYTIE FROM A GIANT AND SOMETHING INSIDE OF HER CHANGES. A SPARK IGNITES, TRIGGERING AN EMOTION VALKYRIES ARE FORBIDDEN TO EXPERIENCE. FOLLOWING HER NEW FEELINGS, SHE TURNS HER BACK ON ALL SHE KNOWS TO BE WITH STORM. HOWEVER, SHE KNOWS IT’S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE ODIN PUTS A PRICE ON THEIR HEADS.
ODIN FURIOUS WITH HIS VALKYRIE FOR DISOBEYING HIM, AND PROVING THE WELL RIGHT, ACCEPTS THE WAR IS COMING AND CLYTIE WILL BE THE GODDESS WHO DETHRONES HIM, UNLESS HER SISTER STOPS HER FIRST.
Brief Excerpt 250 words:
THE VALKYRIE STOOD SILENTLY IN THE SHADOWS. HER VIOLET EYES PEERED THROUGH THE NIGHT, VIGILANTLY WATCHING FOR THE MOVEMENT OF HER PREY. THE CRUNCH OF WEATHERED BRANCHES, UNDER THE FOOT OF A HEAVY CREATURE, CAUGHT HER GLARE. THE SHADOWS WEAVED IN AND OUT OF THE DARKNESS, OPENING FOR A FIGURE TO PULL FROM THE CLUTCHES. THERE YOU ARE.
THE VALKYRIE’S SLIM FINGERS GRIPPED THE LEATHER HILT, READY FOR THE BEING TO STRAY IN HER PATH. THE STEPS GREW INTO THUMPS CAUSING THE EARTH BENEATH HER BOOTS TO SHIVER. THE BEAST SLICED THROUGH THE MOONLIGHT WITH HIS MASSIVE FORM. A BALD HEAD WITH A GROTESQUE SCAR WHICH WRAPPED HIS SKULL FROM MOUTH TO EYE AND A SIX-FOOT AXE WAS CASUALLY TOSSED OVER HIS BROAD SHOULDER.
THE SIGHT OF THE AXE MADE HER WINCE. I DO NOT LIKE THOSE. IT WAS AS LONG AS SHE WAS TALL. SHE NARROWED HER EYES AT THE BEAST, REFUSING TO LET IT WIN. SHE WILLED HER HEART TO STEADY, AS HE MOVED DIRECTLY INTO HER PATH. SHE DREW HER BLADE FROM THE LEATHER SHEATH ATTACHED TO HER BACK AND ATTACKED.
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Why should readers buy this book (50 words max)?
IT’S AN EPIC FANTASY ABOUT A GIRL WHO WANTS TO DO HER DUTY AS A VALKYRIE BUT FINDS HERSELF CONFLICTED WHEN A SHAPE-SHIFTING PANTHER CATCHES HER EYE.
Links etc. Rogue on Amazon
https://www.goodreads.com/TonyaCoffey
coffeytonya.wixsite.com/tonya-coffey
#Bookspotlight #fantasy
January 28, 2017
Reader Interview – Victoria Zigler #Reading #interviews
I don’t often do reader interviews these days, but it’s great to be offering this. As an author readers are vitally important – they are our customers, our critics and our audience. Many authors are avid readers, but of course, not all readers are authors.
Words are power, they are knowledge and they are freedom. Readers play an important role in the life of books and words, for without readers books would sit unread, unloved and unknown. What makes a good book, or for that matter a bad one? Why do people read and how do they find their books?
Welcome to Victoria Zigler (or Tori, if you prefer).
Where are you from? I’m originally from South-West Wales, UK, and was born and raised in the shadow of the Black Mountains… Well, other than a short time in my teens when I lived on the South-East coast of England, and again later in my teens when I lived in Canada for six months. But these days I live on the South-East coast of England, UK… Yes, the same part of it where I lived in my teens.
Please tell us a little about yourself. I’m a bookaholic. Seriously! I’ve loved to read since I learned how, and been writing almost as long. If I’m not either reading or writing, chances are I’m either spending time with my hubby and pets, dabbling in one of the other activities that sometimes manage to capture my attention for a while, such as watching movies, listening to music, playing roleplaying games (like Dungeons & Dragons, and that kind of thing) or doing crafts. Either that or it’s because I’m sorting emails, putting in an appearance on social media sites, pretending to work while really playing Scrabble or Solitaire on my computer, or it’s because I still haven’t managed to get a house elf and am therefore forced to worry about things like housework and household errands.
Oh, yeah, I’m also completely blind, having lost my sight to Congenital Glaucoma.
On average how many books do you read in a month? Judging by the 317 book total for 2016, I read on average something like 26 books a month. Of course, that varies, since some years I read more than the 317, other years I read less. Basically, it depends on how long the books I’m reading at the time are, and what else is going on in my life that may cut in to my reading time.
Where is your favourite place to read? I’ll happily read anywhere, but most of my reading is done in my bedroom, which is where my stereo is, and where my Kindle spends most of its time.
What genres do you prefer and why? Do you have any genres you avoid? My favourite genre is fantasy, because anything can happen in it, and I enjoy the experience of being carried off to magical lands. I’ll read almost anything though, regardless of genre or age range. It doesn’t matter to me if it’s a children’s book or an adult book, or if it’s a fairy tale or a historical romance. As long as it’s not Christian fiction, chances are I’ll give it a go. I tend to be more concerned with whether the story appeals to me, rather than what genre it falls under. Like I said though, the exception is Christian fiction. That’s the only genre I completely steer away from.
Why are books important to you and what does reading bring to your life? Reading offers me an escape from reality when I don’t want to face it. It also allows me to see the world in a way I wouldn’t otherwise be able to do. Not to mention, reading is one of the few areas where I’m not at a disadvantage from others due to my lack of sight; reading is one of the few activities where being blind doesn’t change the amount of information I absorb from the experience compared to a sighted person.
Do you have a favourite book or author, why do you think you like this book/author so much? To be honest, I have several favourite authors and books, and we’d be here all day if I listed them all in this interview. Besides, my favourites depend on my mood to some extent. Although, having said that, I fell in love with Frances Hodgson Burnett’s “A Little Princess” when I first read it as a child of maybe ten or so, and have adored the book ever since. I don’t know what it is about the book, but it’s always my go to book when someone says I absolutely have to pick a favourite.
What medium do you prefer – e-books, audiobooks or paper books? Would you care to expand on this? Most of my books are eBooks, because they’re cheaper than audiobooks, and easier to get hold of and store than Braille books. Of course, with my lack of sight, reading a physical book is only possible if it’s in Braille, otherwise I’d be perfectly happy to read my books in any format. I literally only stopped reading paperback and hardback books when I couldn’t see to do so any more.
How do you usually find the books you read? For example: recommendations from friends, promotion on social networks, your local library, following authors you already know? Mostly it’s either from following authors I already know and love, or getting recommendations from friends or family members. Other times it’s from someone randomly buying me a book they think I’ll like, from seeing a movie and learning it’s based on a book, or from being bored and typing random keywords into the search box of online bookstores or Goodreads.
When choosing a book what makes you stop and give it a second look? What makes you turn away? It’s usually the title that I pay attention to first. Sighted people may judge a book based on the cover, I do so based on a title. If the title gets my attention, I’ll check out the book blurb. If the blurb makes it sound like something I might enjoy reading, I’ll give it a go. At least, I will as long as the blurb isn’t filled with typos and things; I’m always reluctant to read a book if the author can’t even make sure there are no editing issues in their blurb.
Do you read reviews by others and if so do they influence your choice? I pay attention to reviews of family and friends on Goodreads, because I like to know what my family and friends have been reading. When it comes to choosing a book to read though, I only sometimes glance through reviews, especially if they’re by people I know, but only usually if the book has already captured my attention, and I’m already thinking of reading it anyway. Bad reviews don’t generally stop me buying a book, unless the bad reviews are because of poor editing, in which case I’ll think twice about reading something, and be reluctant to do so.
What do you think is the most important aspect of a book for you? Plot, world-building, strong characters etc.? What turns you off? All those things are important, and it depends on the book in question to which matters most to me when I’m reading it. Things that turn me off though are poorly edited books, and excessive use of curse words in inappropriate situations. When it comes to the editing, I can let some mistakes slip by, since I do appreciate that even the best editors can miss things, but when there’s a mistake every other word – or it feels like there is – it stops me enjoying the book. When it comes to the curse words, it’s not that I’m prudish or anything, it’s just that some people seem to use curse words excessively, in situations where people wouldn’t normally swear, or just to save themselves the trouble of thinking of better replacement words. There are also times when it feels like the curse words were only added to make up the word count. While I can accept the use of curse words in some books… Especially during steamy scenes in books of an adult nature… Excessive and inappropriate use of them seriously irritates me, and the use of them at all in books aimed at middle grade readers or younger is entirely unacceptable to me.
If you are a reviewer why do you review? I write reviews to help other readers decide if an author’s book is worth reading, and to help out other authors looking for some attention for their books. I admit some of my reviews are vague, and most of them are really short, but at least I do them.
If you’re wondering, I post my reviews on Goodreads, as well as in a monthly review round-up post I do on my blog, and sometimes post reviews on Smashwords too (the latter only being if I got the book via Smashwords, of course). I’ve also done reviews on Amazon and Audible on request.
What factors are important in a review? This is a tough one. If I enjoyed a book enough that I gave it the full five stars, I feel just a few words saying how awesome it was is enough (though I’ll expand on that if I’m dealing with a review request, or feel there’s something I want to specifically compliment). If I gave it less, I feel it’s important to explain what stopped me giving it the full five stars. Beyond that, I think it varies from book to book. Although, it is often helpful to say something about the quality of the writing and world building, and the believability of the characters, I think.
Do you think it is appropriate to discuss author behaviour in a review? No. Reviews are about the books, not the author’s behaviour.
What are your views on paid for reviews? I don’t agree with them. By all means give someone a free copy in exchange for an honest review, but I don’t think you should pay them to review your book. I’ve never been paid for a review, and never expected to be. I mean, I’ve been given free copies of books in exchange for reviews, and there are a couple of authors who regularly send me advanced review copies of their books because they know I’ll want to read their books anyway, and have learned that sending me copies in exchange for my review will get their books bumped to the top of my to-read pile. But, as I said, I’ve never been paid for a review. I’d also like to stress that any review I write in exchange for a free book is an honest one, based on my own personal opinion, and nothing else.
Some readers believe all 4 and 5-star reviews on a book must be fake. What are your thoughts on this? Some people just like to find a reason to criticize others, and whether or not some books have all four and five-star reviews that are genuine or fake is just another example of this. Sure, it’s possible that some of those reviews might be fake. But for the most part I don’t think they are, and don’t think it’s fair to assume they are. For the most part those books are just examples of authors who did a great job in producing a book worthy of high praise. If people can’t see that, then they’re obviously blinder than I am. Either that, or they’re the kinds of people who only feel pleasure when saying or doing things to hurt others, in which case I feel sorry for them, because it must be a lonely existence only feeling pleasure when causing others pain.
Website: http://www.zigler.co.uk
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/toriz
CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/pub/simplesitesearch.search.do?sitesearch_query=Victoria+Zigler&sitesearch_type=STORE
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/toriz
Personal Facebook profile: http://www.facebook.com/tori.zigler
Facebook author page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Victoria-Zigler/424999294215717
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/victoriazigler
Blog: http://ziglernews.blogspot.com
E-Mail: keroberous2004@gmail.com
January 24, 2017
Dirty Dozen – Author Interview – Andrew Weston – Fantasy
#Authorinterviews #fantasy #dirtydozen
For the first of the new format of interviews, I’m pleased to welcome back Andrew Weston.
Please tell us about your publications. I’m very happy to be with Perseid Press. In my relatively short time with them, I’ve managed to produce two trilogies. (Yes, I’m a bit of a workhorse driven by an unquenchable fire).
The first is a science-fiction saga – The IX series – detailing what really happened to the legendary lost 9th Legion of Rome who marched into the mists of Caledonia in circa 100AD and were never seen again.
That trilogy is comprised of, The IX – Exordium of Tears – Prelude of Sorrow.
The other trio form a fantasy adventure following the exploits of Satan’s Reaper, Daemon Grim, and are incorporated within Janet Morris’ critically acclaimed Heroes in Hell universe.
So far, I’ve completed Hell Bound – Hell Hounds – Hell Gate.
In addition to the main novels, I also contribute short stories to that same Heroes in Hell universe. (Grim – Doctors in Hell, & Pieces of Hate – Pirates in Hell).
Although each short story is a complete tale within itself, they form part of – and actually leapfrog – the novels to ensure a level of continuity that adds a spicy tang to the characters and plot.
Are you a ‘pantser’ or a ‘plotter’? I’m a bit of an anomaly.
People familiar with my working process know I plan meticulously before I start writing. I’m a detailed world builder, moulding a depth of history and culture into the places I create so I have them at my fingertips, ready to call on when the need arises. I usually plan out where I’d like my story to start, and the route the plot will follow in order to reach my goal.
However, I have a vivid imagination. When I’m writing, I have all sorts of things bubbling away inside my head along with the actual work in progress. Sometimes, this triggers fresh ideas. I’ve learned to let those new eruptions take me where they will with delightful results. (Some major characters have lived or died on the basis of “going with the flow”).
That’s why I’m glad of my world building stage. I use it like a bank vault of plot points and extra details I can turn to if things need to change…with interest J
If you could have dinner with any literary character who would you choose, and what would you eat? Good question. I had to think long and hard on this.
If you’re going to spend time with a “familiar stranger” you’d want it to be someone who is as appealing as they are refreshing. Someone you could instantly relate to and have fun with, yet still be blown away by their quirkiness. That narrows the field down quite a bit.
So, I’d choose “Hatter,” from Alice’s Adventures Through the Looking Glass.
As for food, that’s easy.
We’d have to wet our appetites with an aperitif of tea,
Lots of it, strong and hot, both for Hatter and for me.
Then for starters, I think, Wonderland mushrooms would have to follow,
Though the risk involved, as you know, would be rather hard to swallow.
The main course would be simple, yet crafted to entice,
Poached Rabbit stuffed in its waistcoat, upon a bed of rice.
Extravagance would follow, for then we’d greet our sweet,
Unbirthday cake in layers bright, the perfect festive treat.
And what finer way to end this, very important date,
Than by sharing a final cup of tea with my crazy madcap mate.
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How do you deal with bad reviews? I read them whilst medicated in the off chance they might contain something constructive – as sometimes, they do – and then I use those little snippets to improve my writing.
Sadly, I usually end up having to drink gin until I’m intoxicated and morbidly depressed before crying myself to sleep on an absorbent pillow.
Sort these into order of importance: Good plot – Great characters – Awesome world-building – Technically perfect.
I would approach this exercise as if I intended to construct a wall.
My foundations would have to be in place first. That means the world building phase kicks everything off. Once you have something on which to work, you need a picture in your mind – or on paper – of the dimensions of the wall. I think that nicely describes your plot. Then you need the right materials. Queue your characters.
As for technical perfection? I know I’ll probably knock a few noses out of joint when I say this, but …I’ve read hardback copies by current world-renown – megabucks – authors from all 4 of the “big” houses and found them sprinkled with spelling, and in a few cases grammatical and constructive errors.
But, that’s just part and parcel of the editing process. Nobody will ever produce a perfect manuscript.
On a similar point, I’ve read some self published works that lacked proper editing. (And clearly so). In many cases, it made me grind my teeth. HOWEVER, there have been one or two instances where I’ve enjoyed the world, the plot and its characters so much I didn’t let the technical glitches spoil my enjoyment of a great story.
Push come to shove? Give me a choice between a good, technically perfect story and one I know is great – though littered with errors – I’d choose the one I’d enjoy most. I don’t get the chance to simply read for fun all that often, so I wouldn’t want to waste the opportunity.
How much research do you do for your work? What’s the wildest subject you’ve looked at? As my readers will be aware, I complete an absolute shedload of research before putting pen to paper. And it’s all topic-specific.
(Hot off the press. I’m already researching certain factual, scientific and esoteric aspects to a story I won’t be writing for another four years yet. What is it? Aha…you’ll see…)
And to the wildest subjects? That’s difficult to define, as it will be dependent on each person’s perspective. I’m not easily shocked, so it might be better just to list some of the subject I’ve dipped into for storylines:
I have delved into the rituals involved in demon possession and exorcism; sex rites of Incubi and Succubae worshipers; psychic, sexual and physical appetites of supernatural half-breeds such as Cambions.
I’ve also researched some of the world’s most notorious serial killers. By comparing their backgrounds, home environments and the external stimuli they were subjected to over time, I’ve learned something about the behavioural triggers that motivated them to act in the way they did, and how each one evolved their own respective modus operandi.
Not particularly wild, but diverting nonetheless.
How influential is storytelling to our culture? Sadly, I think it’s becoming less and less influential as the techno-age advances. Too many modern-day parents tend to leave things to gadgets when they should be giving their kids the most important, most essential thing required for their development: time.
That’s a great pity. I could read and write before I went to school, but that was down to Mom and Dad spending time with me.
Mom was the reader, she’d get my favourite books down off the shelf and we’d go through them together. But Dad was the master storyteller.
I grew up in a haunted house, and my parents soon realized that the spooky goings on didn’t faze me all that much. So, my Dad would make up the darkest, most macabre and twisted bedtime stories imaginable. I loved them!
The only downside to that is…I can’t watch horror films. They’re just too darn boring. I’ve only ever seen one thing that sent a little tingle along my spine.
If you could be any fantasy/mythical or legendary person/creature what would you be and why? The Silver Surfer.
When I’m awake, I try and turn strange dreams into reality, and my thoughts are often floating through the vastness of space, imagining what’s out there. When I’m asleep, I’m fishing for fresh ideas that come to me in a kaleidoscopic rush of warped details. But to be able to experience all that – and more – for real? To be able to roam the cosmos at will and witness every aspect of its grandeur in minute detail?
Yes please…I’ll be there, a fellow traveller cresting the next intergalactic wave on his journey into…?
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What is your writing space like? Think chaos space meets the results of an antimatter explosion, and you’ll be getting close. It sounds messy, and it is…But I know where everything is, so I don’t let my wife touch a thing.
What’s your next writing adventure? My next venture involves the completion of an “Author’s Cut” version of my debut novel and related works. I cringe when I look at them now, as my method has developed and matured into quite a distinctive writing style. I much prefer being able to express myself using rich and descriptive prose that paints a vivid tapestry of the world in which each story is set. Injecting my true voice into the Guardian and Cambion series will hopefully make these stories shine in the way I know they can.
What is the last book you’ve read? American Gods by Neil Gaiman,
I’m really taking to Gaiman’s writing. He’s so obviously quintessentially English that I can guarantee a good helping of afternoon tea and cucumber sandwiches with every portion of his work. And yet, he has a universal appeal that will engage just about anyone at every level of reading.
American Gods is superb, a road trip across the bridge spanning old world and new; a place where myth, legend, nightmares and dreams come together on a smorgasbord of dark and dreadful delight that will leave you as disturbed as you are fascinated. You think you know all there is to know about gods? Think again.
And how better to expose their double-dealing ways than by revealing the never-ending cycle that keeps them in power?
As I say, a great story into which Gaiman manages to inject his morbid, warped sense of humour. (My kinda guy).
How important is writing to you? I can honestly say, I get twitchy if I don’t write or do something creative every day. It’s the same when I go to bed, as I invariably start making up new stories and plotlines, only to go to sleep living them out.
Links:
Website: http://www.andrewpweston.com/
Blog: http://andrewpweston.blogspot.gr/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WestonAndrew
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andrewpaul.weston
Bio:
Andrew P. Weston is Royal Marine and Police veteran from the UK who now lives on the beautiful Greek island of Kos with his wife, Annette, and their growing family of rescue cats.
An astronomy and law graduate, he is the creator of the international number one bestselling IX Series and Hell Bound, (A novel forming part of Janet Morris’ critically acclaimed Heroes in Hell shared universe). Andrew also has the privilege of being a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, the British Fantasy Society, the British Science Fiction Association and the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers.
When not writing, Andrew devotes some of his spare time to assisting NASA with one of their remote research projects, and writes educational articles for Astronaut.com and Amazing Stories.
January 23, 2017
Book Spotlight – A Different Kind of Cosplay – Lucy Felthouse -Erotic Romance
Out Now—A Different Kind of Cosplay by Lucy Felthouse (@cw1985) #marvel #geek #cosplay
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Blurb:
Zachary has a dilemma. His girlfriend, Reese, has a special birthday coming up soon and he has absolutely no clue what to get for her. It doesn’t help that Zach does not share or really understand Reese’s biggest hobby—comic books, superheroes and everything that goes with them. Zach raids Reese’s DVD collection for inspiration, and what he finds there gives him an idea…possibly the best one he’s ever had.
Sure, Reese has fantasized about her favorite superheroes. All those muscles and rakish smiles are to die for. She didn’t think Zach would ever really understand, though. But he proves her wrong in the best way possible.
Note: This book was previously published elsewhere. The title and content remain the same.
Buy links:
Amazon (universal link): http://mybook.to/cosplay
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2jworqt
iBooks UK: http://apple.co/2jyuo65
iBooks US: http://apple.co/2jKcivx
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/2j8S2Dd
*****
Excerpt:
Zachary sighed at the calendar entry in his phone, which was reminding him for the third time about Reese’s upcoming birthday. And it wasn’t just any birthday—she was going to be thirty.
There were perks to dating a doctor—the uniform was pretty hot, for example—but when that doctor had no particular fondness for jewelry, flowers or chocolates, buying her presents was nigh-on impossible. And because of her work schedule, a surprise weekend away was out of the question. He’d long since learned to always keep the receipts.
Most people get their partners something to do with their hobbies or interests. However, Reese was even awkward in that regard. Her main hobby was so complex that Zach didn’t have the first idea what to get her to do with it—Reese was an uber-geek. Films, graphic novels, collectibles, all that jazz.
Obviously he could just ask what she wanted, then go out and get it, but then it wouldn’t be a surprise. And it was too easy—he wanted her to know he’d really made the effort.
Snoozing the calendar reminder once more, Zach threw the phone onto the sofa, then walked over and started rooting through their combined film collection for something to watch after dinner, which was almost ready. Reese was on shift at the hospital until silly o’clock, so he had the house to himself and could watch whatever he liked. An action movie it was, then.
Running his fingers along the spines of the DVDs and Blu-rays, he suddenly paused. The Avengers leaped out at him, for some reason. He’d seen snippets of it before, as Reese watched it pretty frequently. The parts he’d seen hadn’t looked too bad, actually. It was essentially an action film, but with superheroes in it.
He pulled the case off the shelf, an idea beginning to form. Maybe if he watched it beginning to end, he’d see what drew Reese into that world so much, why she was so fascinated by the films, the graphic novels and so on. Even if he didn’t get it, though, maybe it would still give him some inspiration for a gift. He had nothing better to do that evening, in any case, so it was certainly worth a try.
After putting the disc in the player, he headed into the kitchen to see how his dinner was coming along. A meal in front of the television was the order of the day, it seemed.
A few minutes later, he settled onto the sofa with his lasagna and garlic bread, a bottle of beer on the table next to him. Time for some Avengers action.
Within half an hour, he’d ascertained that the film wasn’t just for geeks. In fact it was easy to see why it had such a wide appeal—the cast was supremely attractive, whatever gender you were into, the plot was interesting and the dialogue seriously witty. He’d already developed quite the crush on the Black Widow, and Nick Fury’s right-hand woman had a lovely pert backside.
Trying to put himself in Reese’s shoes, Zach looked at the male characters. Okay, when it came to this film, straight women clearly had more eye-candy than they knew what to do with. He vaguely remembered a bunch of crazy stuff going around on the internet about Loki—even the villain of the piece had sex appeal, for heaven’s sake! So much so that it had spilled over into even Zach’s limited social media presence. He barely used Facebook, and he’d never gotten the hang of Twitter. And yet he knew about the rabid fangirls. That was another score for The Avengers, then—truly mass-market appeal. If only there were mass-market gift-buying options.
Sighing, he tried to empty his mind and concentrate on the film. The more he tried to force an idea to present itself, the less likely it would be to happen. He’d just enjoy the entertainment and keep his fingers crossed that his subconscious provided something useful.
Once he’d made the decision, it wasn’t difficult to get sucked back into the narrative. It was engaging, easygoing and fun. Zach surprised himself by thoroughly enjoying the entire thing. Reese would be pleased—not to mention surprised—when the next film came out at the cinema and he offered to go along with her.
He’d keep his new found admiration quiet for now, though. He didn’t want to arouse her suspicions, although she was bound to know he was planning something for her milestone birthday.
The question remained—what the hell could he do or buy to blow her away?
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*****
Author Bio:
Lucy Felthouse is the award-winning author of erotic romance novels Stately Pleasures (named in the top 5 of Cliterati.co.uk’s 100 Modern Erotic Classics That You’ve Never Heard Of, and an Amazon bestseller), Eyes Wide Open (winner of the Love Romances Café’s Best Ménage Book 2015 award, and an Amazon bestseller) and The Persecution of the Wolves. Including novels, short stories and novellas, she has over 150 publications to her name. She owns Erotica For All, and is one-eighth of The Brit Babes. Find out more about her writing at http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk, or on Twitter or Facebook. Sign up for automatic updates on Amazon or BookBub. You can also subscribe to her monthly newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/gMQb9
Release blitz organised by Writer Marketing Services.
January 21, 2017
Book Spotlight – I, The Sun – Janet Morris – Historical/Memoir
I, the Sun by Janet Morris. “Masterpiece” – Dr. Jerry Pournelle. The novelized annals of the Hittites’ greatest king, his conquests, his dynasty, his life and loves.
Suppiluliumas I and the Amarna pharaohs: Biographical novel of the greatest Hittite king. From palace coups in the lost city of Hattusas to treachery in the Egyptian court of Tutankhamun, I, the Sun, the saga of the Hittite King Suppiluliumas, rings with authenticity and the passion of a world that existed fourteen hundred years before the birth of Christ. They called him Great King, Favorite of the Storm God, the Valiant. He conquered more than forty nations and brought fear and war to the very doorstep of Eighteenth Dynasty Egypt, but he could not conquer the one woman he truly loved.
Amazon UK – ebook
For more about this book check out these links:
Janet Morris on I, the Sun, literature, life and everything….
https://dorgoland.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/a-review-of-janet-morris-classic.html
https://libraryoferana.wordpress.com/2013/08/24/review-i-the-sun/
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Book Spotlight – Reckless Traveler – Walter Rhein
Reckless Traveler – By Walter Rhein #Travel #adventure #memoir #Perseidpress
Reckless Traveler on Amazon
Reckless Traveler on Goodreads
Reckless Traveler on Barnes and Noble
Reckless Traveler:
‘Reckless Traveler’ is part travel writing, part humor, part tour guide and part memoir. It began as a collection of anecdotes about expat life that the author used to tell whenever he returned home from his travels, and grew into a narrative of personal growth. Every now and then it’s valuable for a person to hit the pause button on their life and assess their choices and progress up until that point, especially if they’ve been making some radical decisions. To sell everything you own and move to Lima, Peru certainly qualifies as a radical decision. ‘Reckless Traveler’ is a novel for anyone who finds themselves disenchanted with following the status quo. If you are a young person, or you’re young at heart, and you are faced with an imminent future of debt from student loans, or a life of drudgery in a job you despise, pick up this novel for a glimpse of an alternate history. There are some who would have you believe it’s reckless to set off on a journey with nothing but a back-pack and a spring in your step. Walter Rhein’s personal experience will assure you that if you have the courage to take the leap, you’ll return renewed and enriched.
Guest Post:
I’m coming off of a very good month of writing and exposure. I continue to get emails and messages of support from my “Speaking Spanish in America” article, for which I am very grateful. In addition to that, I have fallen into a very nice rhythm of submitting articles for Silent Sports magazine (I even had a cover image not too long ago).
The writing life is certainly a slog rather than a sprint. I’m turning 42 in February and sometimes I look back and think that I’m about twenty years behind where I should be in terms of literary stature. However, I’m a very stubborn person, and above all I’ve always elected to write what I want, not what necessarily might pay the best.
It’s interesting to assess the articles you see while scrolling through your Facebook feed. Inevitably, one of the trash headlines sucks you in and you spend the next frustrating twenty minutes clicking through a story that’s little more than a framework for pop-up advertisements. The fact that articles like these go viral demonstrates that virality is more often a completely artificial construct than a meritorious response.
As a writer, you get to decide whether you want to play the game of deceit and produce content of little to no value. The alternative is to aspire to create something worthy of the time of your readers, but which is not likely to be widely seen. Even if you do write something that stirs people to the soul and inspires them to share your words, your content will eventually get buried by the clickbait nonsense that people spend large sums of money to promote. The coffers of those entities never seem to run low. Or maybe it’s an illusion and they’re nothing but thin gold plate on a mountain of debt. In any case, the deafening vapid masses will never go away.
I’d begun to suspect that the idealistic notion that quality will find a market was a myth, but then my ‘Spanish’ article went viral. Perhaps that will be the most attention I ever receive for something I’ve created, but at the very least the experience has rejuvenated my enthusiasm to keep writing. I’ll continue to strive to get better, and there are a lot of things I wish to convey so I don’t see the well drying up anytime soon.
For those of you who’ve had the opportunity to read something of mine, please interact with me! Leave a comment, post a review, send me a message on Facebook. The lessons I’ve learned from the responses of my readers have done the most to improve the quality of my content.
Thanks to all of you, and best of luck!
Short Author Bio:
Walter Rhein was raised in Northern Wisconsin and received his degree in English Literature from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. After graduation, he moved to Lima, Peru. What began as a two week vacation stretched out into a nine year residency in the land of the Incas. Peru was a great destination for an aspiring writer because in 2001, it was extremely inexpensive to live in Lima. Rhein spent his time writing for small publications, translating, working as an editor and as a teacher. In 2009, he returned the US with his wife and currently resides in Chippewa Falls WI. He writes regularly for SilentSports.net, Singletracks.com and his personal Peru blog StreetsOfLima.com. He also occasionally sends in an editorial to the local paper. In 2016 his article Speaking Spanish in America was the most read article for the Eau Claire Leader Telegram with 242,000 views.
