A.L. Butcher's Blog, page 144

Boo! Authors – Oz Wainerdi #Halloween #Horror

Who are you?
I am a meat popsicle. Oz Wainerdi, geek stuck in a jock’s body. Raised secretly on a farm to answer the government’s request for a more intelligent football player.  The program went well until I discovered sci-fi and fantasy, throwing off my societal pressures I moved to broaden my own knowledge and entertain those starved for nerdy interaction.
 
Tell us about your Boo! story:
Well without any spoilers,  a poor lost child running from those who would hurt him seeks refuge in his favourite hiding spot, his stone garden. A cemetery near his house; where he usually waits out the drunken discipline of his step father.  
 
What else have your written?
Among many dungeons and dragons campaigns for friends I also was the writer and co-creator for honorboundcomic.com
 
What frightens you the most?
Ending up alone. I was alone a lot as a child, I have issues with anxiety and shyness all my life, add in the fact I was overweight as a child and ridiculed  constantly about my intellect, body, upbringing, and hobbies means I had few friends. Growing up out on the farm also meant I could go days and weeks without seeing another soul. It’s soul crushing. Now I seem to have surrounded myself with friends who are more like family. But I live in the eternal fear I’ll  say or do the wrong thing and be alone, a small fat child standing alone in that field.
Also, clowns. Creepy bastards.
 
Have you ever seen a ghost?
Yes. But I also have spent time as an amateur ghost hunter with some friends since high school. Many of the things I’ve experienced can be debunked easily there are some like getting my hair pulled at the Menger hotel in San Antonio that defy any other explanation.
 
What are you reading at the moment?
Deathfire: Into the Ruinstorm by Nick Kyme of the Horus
Heresy series and rereading Fool by Christopher Moore.
 
If you could meet any living famous person for dinner who would it be and what would you eat?
Kevin Smith, and whatever he wanted so I could thank him for inspiring a generation of overweight nerds to get stuff done.
 
If you could meet any dead famous person who would be and what would you have to eat?
Robin Williams.  Probably brains? You know those kooky undead celebrity types.
 
Which book do you see as the most influential in your life?
Smoke from this Altar by Louis L’amour . Its a book of poetry by one of the more rough and tumble man’s man author. I was given books and science supplies and calligraphy sets as a child by my aunts, mother and grandmother “you are the only kid we know who would enjoy these.” This book was one of them. Unsure at first the deliciously macabre “My Three Friends” poem caught my eye and imagination and opened my mind to the possibilities of writing and creativity beyond the scope i was accustomed.
 
In the zombie apocalypse what would be your weapon of choice with which to defend yourself?
Trident class nuclear submarine.
Or silenced .22 caliber pistol. Either or.
 
Social media links etc.
Facebook.com/oz.ozykins
@artist_oz on twitter
Ozwainerdi on instagram
Oz Wainerdi on pintrest
Left swipe on tindr

Boo! Authors – LB Clark #Horror #Halloween

Who are you?

I’m LB Clark, teller of tales and weaver of wonders. Or something like that.


Tell us about your Boo! story:

I have two stories in this volume of Boo! Cautionary Tale is a pretty dark story, which is kind of a departure for me. Masquerade is on the lighter side; it’s about the masks we all wear (and was inspired, as a lot of my stories are, by a song that has very little to do with the actual subject matter!)


What else have your written?

I have a number of short stories in the Boo! and Music Speaks anthologies; several paranormal romance novels (the Jukebox Heroes and Hollywood Knights series); a new adult novel called Love Rocks that’s about the girl-next-door who ends up on a reality dating show; and The Winter Lady, which is the first novel in my urban fantasy series, Slayer’s Saga.


What frightens you the most?

Bad things happening to the people I love.


Have you ever seen a ghost?

Seen? No.


What are you reading at the moment?

The Hammer of Thor (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard book 2) by Rick Riordan. Great stuff. Fun and witty.


If you could meet any living famous person for dinner who would it be and what would you eat?

Famous people intimate me. Brilliant people intimidate me. It’d be hard for me to just sit down and eat with most famous people. But if I could get past that, Jim Butcher. We’d have Burger King, even though I prefer McDonald’s.


If you could meet any dead famous person who would it be and what would you have to eat?

Alan Rickman. Dinner would be something warm and homey. The entire event would be like a big, warm hug for the heart, mind, and soul.


Which book do you see as the most influential in your life?

Not a book so much as a series – Harry Potter. Something about those books unlocked a part of my imagination that had been dormant for years and got me writing again.


In the zombie apocalypse what would be your weapon of choice with which to defend yourself?

A flamethrower. Just because they’re awesome.

Facebook.com/LBWrites

Phobias – the bizarre, and the terrifying – Part 1

Chatting with some of my fellow Boo! authors about fear and phobias I remembered the great, and fascinating book I had a while back https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1853263125/

 

As some of you know – I’m frightened of clowns  (Coulrophobia), puppets (Pupaphobia  and enclosed spaces (Claustrophobia). I’m not good with crowds or noisy places either, and dolls make my skin crawl.  Perhaps I can incorporate some into my characters….

 

Anyway that got me thinking about what phobias mean and which ones are out there:

The English  suffixes -phobia, -phobic, -phobe (from Greek  φόβος phobos, “fear”) occur in technical usage in psychiatry  to construct words that describe irrational, abnormal , unwarranted, persistent, or disabling fear  as a mental disorder (e.g. agoraphobia ), in chemistry  to describe chemical aversions (e.g. hydrophobic ), in biology  to describe organisms that dislike certain conditions (e.g. acidophobia ), and in medicine  to describe hypersensitivity to a stimulus, usually sensory (e.g. photophobia ). In common usage, they also form words that describe dislike or hatred of a particular thing or subject. The suffix is antonymic  to -phil- .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_phobias

Ablutophobia – a fear of washing or bathing

Ablutophobia is an extreme and irrational fear of bathing, washing or cleaning. A fear of bathing can be observed in many children, but if this fear carries over into adolescence and adulthood, it often becomes ablutophobia. If left untreated, ablutophobia not only worsens in the physical affect, but also on the social life of the person suffering from the condition. People with ablutophobia will continue to avoid bathing and as a result may have to deal with the alienation and health issues that come with having poor hygiene.

Symptoms of Ablutophobia

Identifying ablutophobia should be quite easy. If the victim of the fear is an adolescent or adult and he or she fits the criteria below, the fear is very likely a genuine disorder. Some common symptoms of ablutophobia include:

Feelings of dread or panic when the prospect of bathing or washing comes up
Automatic or uncontrollable reactions in response to the fear
Rapid heartbeat
Shortness of breath
Trembling
Extreme avoidance

Ablutophobia

http://common-phobias.com/abluto/phobia.htm

 

I can see how this could lead to problems.

 

Acousticophobia– fear of noise – a branch of phonophobia

Phonophobia, also called ligyrophobia or sonophobia, is a fear of or aversion to loud sounds—a type of specific phobia. It can also mean a fear of voices, or a fear of one’s own voice.[1] It is a very rare phobia which is often the symptom of hyperacusis. Sonophobia can refer to the hypersensitivity of a patient to sound and can be part of the diagnosis of a migraine. Occasionally it is called acousticophobia.[2]

The term phonophobia comes from Greek φωνή – phōnē, “sound”[3] and φόβος – phobos, “fear”.[4]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonophobia

Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia– fear of the number 666 (or possibly someone passed out on the keyboard….)

This one is based on religious beliefs – 666 being the Number of the Beast from the biblical Revelations. Although interestingly in some ancient Christian Theologists used this to numerically refer to the Emperor Nero, and arguably Domitian. Neither of which have an unblemished track record in dealing with either Christians or other such groups during their reign.

Preterist theologians typically support the numerical interpretation that 666 is the equivalent of the name and title, Nero Caesar (Roman Emperorfrom 54-68). [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25]   (whose name, written in Aramaic, can be valued at 666, using the Hebrew numerology of gematria), a manner of speaking against the emperor without the Roman authorities knowing. Also “Nero Caesar” in the Hebrew alphabet is נרון קסר NRON QSR, which when used as numbers represent 50 200 6 50 100 60 200, which add to 666.

The Greek term χάραγμα (charagma, “mark” in Revelation 13:16) was most commonly used for imprints on documents or coins. Charagma is well attested to have been an imperial seal of the Roman Empire used on official documents during the 1st and 2nd centuries. [26]   In the reign of Emperor Decius (249–251 AD), those who did not possess the certificate of sacrifice (libellus) to Caesar could not pursue trades, a prohibition that conceivably goes back to Nero, reminding one of Revelation 13:17. [27]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_of_the_Beast#Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia

Of course the jury is out on who or what the Beast is, was or will be….

The Regans changed their house number from 666 ST Cloud Rd, Bel Air to 668, a runner from a county high school in Kentucky refused to run under 666, forfeiting the chance at qualifying for the state championships, in 2015 US Representative Joe Barton changed the numbers of some bills he was introducing from 666 to 702 due to the ‘negative connotations’.

More phobias to follow in later posts.

Boo! Authors Jen Daniele

Who are you? Jen Daniele

Tell us about your Boo! story: CLOWN HARVEST was inspired by the current menace sweeping the USA of people dressing up as clowns and threatening people who are terrified of clowns. DEAD BROKE is about a woman left alone in her dead mother-in-law’s house who may be going mad.

What else have you written? I’ve contributed stories to the Boo! Anthology since its inception. Additionally, I have a stack of terrible unpublished novels and short stories.

What frightens you the most? Fear itself.

Have you ever seen a ghost? ‘Seen’ is a tricky word when it comes to ghosts. I have definitely experienced them.

What are you reading at the moment? The Mage: Awakening, by Erin McGowan; and Neverwhere: A Novel, by Neil Gaiman.

If you could meet any living famous person for dinner who would it be and what would you eat? I’ll eat with any living person.

If you could meet any dead famous person who would be and what would you have to eat? I don’t eat with dead people anymore; I find the conversation lacking.

Which book do you see as the most influential in your life? Whatever I’m currently reading is the most influential on my life, which is to say, it changes frequently. Even bad books can be influential because I learn so much from them.

In the zombie apocalypse, what would be your weapon of choice with which to defend yourself? Probably a machete, because it’s easier to sharpen than it is to find bullets.

 

Social media links etc.  None. I virtually don’t exist. Although, if you Googled, you might find my digital doppelganger @JenDaniele on the Twitter. You can try following her, but she has a dispiriting lack of direction.

 

Boo! Authors – Leland Dirks

Who are you? Leland Dirks

Tell us about your Boo! story: I think I’ve actually got two in this anthology. Hitchhiker is set in a rural part of Colorado where there was a prison camp for Japanese Americans during World War II. The other is set in a museum that was once an Army fort on the Colorado frontier.

What else have your written? I’ve got over 20 other books out, fiction, photography, and humor. Almost everything I write has at least one dog in it! My most recent release was Mindful Dogs, co-authored by my Border Collie Angelo and my Black Lab/philosopher mix Maggie.

What frightens you the most?  People’s ability for cruelty.

Have you ever seen a ghost? Yes.

What are you reading at the moment? A lot of historical non-fiction, research for the next series of books I’m writing about Japanese Americans imprisoned during World War II.

 

Which book do you see as the most influential in your life? Illusions, by Richard Bach.

In the zombie apocalypse what would be your weapon of choice with which to defend yourself? My sense of humor. It would help us all band together and maybe make the zombies die laughing.

 

Social media links etc.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LelandDirks

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/lelanddirks

Tumblr/blog: http://slvhermit.tumblr.com

#Boo! #Halloween #Horror

Character Interview Number 40 – Nalia

 

Tell Us About Yourself

Name: Nalia

Age: 16

Please tell us a little about yourself. I was born on a planet much like earth, but with two moons, I live in a village called the Lost Winds. This planet is situated in another galaxy far away from the galaxy where the blue planet Earth is. However, this planet is also blue and life has existed here for billions of years. The essential celestial gasses such oxygen, hydrogen, carbon- dioxide and nitrogen have also made us much like the people of the planet earth.

Describe your appearance in 10 words or less. I look like a human, but taller and thinner than an average human girl of my age. I have curly blue long hair all the way to the waist and a leopard skin. I have three fingers on two hands and three toes on two large feet. My eyes are blue and small serrated teeth. I have an upturned nose. I don’t have eye-brows, but a narrow forehead. I wrap myself with a sarong, like piece of cloth.

Do you have a moral code? If so what is it? I am a survivor in a volatile world beset with poverty. Political upheavals have destroyed the social fabric of our village. I try what needs to be done within the parameters of my ability. I am a nondescript person of no consequence. But I’m also fiercely independent. These are the circumstances that have shaped me.

Would you kill for those you love? I have not been in that situation, so I don’t know. I am just trying to be alive. But I know that I’m no killer, but a lover.

Would you die for those you love? Probably not. I’m also selfish. I want to live and try to help others to live.

What would you say are your strengths and weaknesses? My poverty cripples me somewhat. But I am resilient and hard-working. I am also clever. I know how to survive.

Do you have any relationships you prize above others? Why? My relationship with my friend, Tahu was unique. She and I grew up together; went to the same school in our village until she left for the city. I have a special bond with her. I have strong feelings for her.

Do you like animals? Do you have any pets/animal companions? I like farm animals. Cows and goats, for instance. We sell them as prized breed, drink and sell their milk for sustenance.

Do you have a family? Tell us about them. Yes. I have a mother and a father. My brother was adopted by my parents. He was a foundling, and left to die as a toddler of three, when my father found him on the edge of the village.

Can you remember something from your childhood which influences your behaviour? How do you think it influences you? I have seen pretty horrific stuff in this short life. My experience has hardened me somewhat. I have no illusions about reality. It is a harsh place and this has made me selfish. However, I do believe it could be much worse. I still love my dear family and want to get them the best possible life I could. All this is probably reflected in my dreams but I’ve heard far worse happenings with far-fetched stories.

Do you have any phobias? Not that I know of. I am very brave.

Please give us an interesting and unusual fact about yourself. My dreaming is unusual and interesting. I have seen a whole spectrum of life go by in my dreams. I have seen desperation among my friends that has driven them out of the village in search of a safe land. This herd instinct of self-organization has been depicted. Because I also see myself knitting these stories in pink honey comb pattern. It is almost as though I am pulling their strings of fate from a long unending yarn. In Greek, it’s called moirae.

And then I also see a whole new world of happiness, free of fear and pain. This is a particularly interesting episode. It almost feels as though a surreal utopia called Shingdi, of the imagination has come about. A transformation into a transcendental reality of a metaphysical world has occurred; found only in death. However, I never wake to see the reality.

Tell Us About Your World

Please give us a little information about the world in which you live.

Two moons orbit in my planet. There is much turbulence here as the forces of two moons dominate our moods and philosophies. It is a very strange world which is almost Earth-like, yet people speak a language not spoken on Earth. There is intergalactic interactions  between my planet and other planets from various galaxies. Earthlings have traveled through our space. We know about their culture, occupations, habits and customs as they know of ours. There is much exchange of culture.

Does your world have religion or other spiritual beliefs? If so do you follow one of them? Please describe (briefly) how this affects your behaviour. Yes, people have a faith in the Lost Winds called Mohammedan. But I am no follower of any faith. My folks in the village follow several faiths. Faith does not seem to influence much in the way of any moral standing on this planet. People go about their chores in life, killing, cheating, loving as usual. Faith does not seem to take much effect in the moral conduct of my people. On Draviland, there is another faith called the Jesuit faith which is predominant there.

Do you travel in the course of your adventures? If so where? Yes. I travel to the city from the village in dreams. And I also travel to faraway galaxies and countries separated by great many oceans and space.

Name and describe a food from your world. Salted fish. Wet rice. Grass tea.

Does your world have magic? If so how is it viewed in your world? Music and natural features are magical. A planet of orange soils, purple waves and black streams. Apart from it everything else is cold reality. However, the dream carries other elements from other planets in peculiar, magical blends.

What form of politics is dominant in your world? (Democracy, Theocracy, Meritocracy, Monarchy, Kakistocracy etc.) It is democratic but has a strange combination, verging almost on autocracy and theocracy. The rule of law allows for the party in power to kill the opposition or any dissenting factor in the society. And yet, they come to power through people’s votes and elections. The moment they come to power, they want to remain in power for life like anointed monarchies. People, don’t seem to matter much after that. Because, in the hands of such a ruling party, governance basically becomes self-serving and dictatorial.

Does your world have different races of people? If so do they get on with one another?Yes. Humans from planet earth can settle here. They are free to choose. The society won’t stop them.

Name a couple of myths and legends particular to your culture/people. Earthly banshies are a popular legend and myth which seeped into the culture.

What is the technology level for your world/place of residence? What item would you not be able to live without? It is not a particularly tech world. But what they would not be able to live without is the winged space ships called the buraq to transport people from one galaxy to another. However, there is pervasive use of telephones in some more advanced countries on the planet.

Does your world have any supernatural/mystical beings? Please tell us about some. The Buraq is a mythological winged animal fashioned to build our space ship. It is operated by the power of lightning. In the course of one night, Buraq could transport people across space from one galaxy to another at the speed of light.

Within your civilisation what do you think is the most important discovery/invention?The use of telephones and the space-ship.

Name three persons of influence/renown within your society and tell why they are influential (Could be someone like Christ/Mandela/Queen Elizabeth or a renowned figure from a non-human/fantasy world.) Mohammedan and Jesuit have influenced people’s religion. Buraq is a mythological non-human/fantasy which has shaped the spaceship and intergalactic travels.

Author notes:

Book(s) in which this character appears plus links

Nalia appears in Moirae only.

Author name: Mehreen Ahmed

Website/Blog/Author pages etc.

Moirae on Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LYMIGTW

Website:  http://www.cosmicteapot.net

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/mehreen.ahmed.3551

Amazon author page: https://amazon.com/author/amazon.com.mehreenahmed

 

Boo! Fore! Horror Anthology #Halloween

I’m pleased to share Boo! Fore! Amazon link

A mixed bag of tricks and treats, this Halloween anthology is sure to have something for everyone.

Moving On – Leland Dirks

Beneath a Bloated Yellow Moon – Nicole Storey

Floating – Laurie Boris

Miss Clemency Fisher – Mark Morris

Letter From the Road – Erin McGowan

Masquerade – LB Clark

Dead Broke – Jen Daniele

A Tricky Treat – Ann Cathey

Full Moon Rising – Nancy DeCilio Gauthier

Ghost Ship – Kristina Jackson

Hiding – Joshua Lay

Sensitive Skin – JD Mader

The Watcher – AL Butcher

Blood Brothers – Erin McGowan

Robin Hood – Laurie Boris

Smoke on the Wind – Ann Cathey

Hitchhiker- Leland Dirks

Untitled – Rich Meyer

Cautionary Tale – LB Clark

Clown Harvest – Jen Daniele

Personally I’ll be avoiding the clown one as I don’t want nightmares but the others are a great mix.

All the profits go to a veterans’ charity to help soldiers and ex soldiers deal with mental health issues such as PTSD.

Boot Campaign’s reboot: http://www.bootcampaign.org/reboot/

Over the next week or so I’ll be interviewing the various authors involved.

#Horror #Halloween #Indieauthors

Interview with AL Butcher

My latest author interview:) #Fantasy #Lightbeyondthestorm

shona kinsella

Today. I’m pleased to welcome AL Butcher to the blog. Alexandra is the author of several fantasy novels as well as being a poet.

1)     To start with, could you introduce yourself and tell us about your current project?

Hi, I’m Alexandra (A.L Butcher), British fantasy author and poet. My current project? Which one…. Let me see – I have a couple of Tales of Erana novellas I’m working on, a horror anthology, another poetry collection, and the next novel in my series.

2)     Would you mind sharing an excerpt with us, or a favourite quote?

Shivering, Dii pulled her old wool cloak around her and looked at the sky, the stars now fading into the grey dawn. Mages could sense the weather, so Dii knew that more rain would follow this day; even now she could sense the pressure in the air. Hunger made her belly grumble, and as…

View original post 1,878 more words

Blog Tour – Kyra Halland – Chosen of Azura – #Fantasy

Title: Chosen of Azara

Author: Kyra Halland

Genre: Fantasy/Romance

Hosted by: Ultimate Fantasy Book Tours

 

Are you a full time author or do you have another job as well and if so how do either of these fit in with writing time?

After being a stay-at-home mom and homemaker for twenty-seven years, I now consider writing to be my full-time job, even though I don’t work full time hours or make a living yet.

 Do you write on your novel daily or do you try to have days off?

I work every day except Sunday, which is a day for rest, family, spiritual renewal, and scrapbooking.

What do you think is the most effective marketing is for your books?

I’ve been having a good deal of success lately in cross-promotions with other fantasy/science fiction authors. When we all pool our resources, we can reach so many more readers and help everyone do better.

 If you have a ‘baddy’ in your book, can you tell us a little about this character?

My villains usually have what they think are perfectly good reasons for doing what they do. Mostly, they think they know what is best for everyone and try to impose that through whatever means necessary, for the greater good of course, without regard for the rights of the people being imposed on or what they really want.

 Is there any romance in your story and if so can you tell us a little about this?

My novels always have romance in them! In fact, that’s why I started writing, because I couldn’t find fantasy novels that handled romance in a way I found satisfactory. I like stories where the developing relationship has an influence on the fantasy plot, and where the couple have to work together to solve the story problem. The romance in Chosen of Azara is between Sevry, who has been searching for a very long time for the woman who holds the magic that can bring his destroyed homeland of Savaru back to life, and Lucie, who inherited a magical secret from her great-grandmother but she doesn’t know what it means. It seems like a hopeless romance, between Sevry’s duty and Lucie’s family obligations, but somehow things work out

Audiobook Narrator Interview Number 10 – Charissa Clark Howe

 

*Name: Charissa Clark Howe

*Tell us a bit about yourself: I am a Presbyterian Minister, wife, mom of three, and marathoner, as well as being an audiobook narrator.

How did you become involved with audiobook narration and production? I have been involved in theater for most of my life, both acting and singing. Since I’ve had children, that hasn’t been logistically feasible, but I have dearly missed acting. One day, I was listening to the NPR radio show “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me” and the host mentioned to a caller that she had a “very distinctive voice.” She thanked him and said that she’s an audiobook narrator. Something lit up inside my head and I thought, “Wait a minute. . . you can do that as a job? That sounds amazing!” So I went online and did a quick Google search for “how to become an audiobook narrator.” I stumbled across the Audiobook Creation Exchange website and the rest is history!

Tell us about some of the titles you’ve narrated. Do you have a favourite amongst these? I recently narrated two novels that I absolutely love. One is “Paper Doll” by Joe Cosentino and the other is “Angela’s Coven” by Bruce Jenvey. They are very different books, but both have great messages, fun characters, and a great deal of heart. I am hoping to start narrating more books in both of those series in the future.

Do you have a preferred genre?  Do you have a genre you do not produce? Why is this? I started off with little non-fiction books on things like Microsoft Excel and internet marketing, just to get my feet wet. But I quickly got bored with those. My favorites are light-hearted novels. I will not produce romance novels. I won’t even read romance novels on my own time. I don’t see any value in them.

What are you working on at present/Just finished? I’m currently working on a four part philosophy tome, and a few shorter novels.

*Tell us about your process for narrating?  (Be as elaborate as you like.) I like to start by skimming the books to get a feel for the characters. After that, I just start recording. That means I often have several takes of different pieces, but I find that keeps the story fresher for me as I read.

What aspects do you find most enjoyable?  I love studying and learning how to act with new accents.

Do you consider royalty share when looking for books to narrate? If not why is this? I do consider royalty share when narrating, but I’m very picky about the quality of books I’ll pick up for royalty share. I’m still a bit of a newbie at this audiobook narration gig, but I also don’t want to spend hours reading something that’s not really very good.

Do you listen to audiobooks? All the time!

*With many people owning MP3 players do you think this is the future of storytelling? I don’t think it’ll take the place of reading books for one’s self, but I do think that it’s really a great medium that I’m happy to see taking off. My family and I listen to many audiobooks together in the car and we have elderly and blind family members who all appreciate being able to listen to books. It makes them accessible in new places and to people who might not have had a chance to read many books before.

Why do you think audio books are becoming so popular? I think I just answered that above.