A.L. Butcher's Blog, page 158

Janet Morris on I, the Sun, literature, life and everything….

A very insightful with Janet Morris.

sacredbander

First published at: https://sslyblog.wordpress.com/2013/0...
I, The Sun ~ Interview ~ Janet Morris
Jun1

Beverly and Tamara: Welcome to SSLY. Thanks so much for joining us today Janet. So first why don’t you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m Janet Morris, born in 1946, married to Christopher Crosby Morris for whom I have played bass on a major labor record that went Top 20 in some important markets and got international airplay; bred horses and won world championships with them; been a research director and senior fellow at Washington think tanks; served as a strategic planning and technology consultant to national laboratories, academia and industry; created the original Congressional mandate and architecture for the (now international) Nonlethal Weapons program; written novels (historical, main stream, thrillers, fantasy, science fiction), written nonfiction papers, op/eds and ghost-written in the areas of international security, technology development, futurism and national security, as well as short fiction…

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Author Interview 103 -Ana Claudia Antunes

Welcome to Ana Claudia Antunes

Where are you from and where do you live now? I’m originally from Brazil, though I have been living and traveling around the world. I love to learn about other cultures, about history, habits and/or rituals, etc. And I need to wander for quite some time to wonder about the country, its people in doing so I may absorb the essence of each place. But somehow I always return back home. Brazil has a magnetism that attracts the most sensitive souls, and it’s a irresistible force that ignites and gives you a chill and sparkles to everything around, you know…

Please tell us a little about your writing – for example genre, title, etc. I’m a multi-genre author and my works go from Mystery/Crime, Historical fiction, Children’s Literature, Poetry and Nursery Rhymes, fables, myths and legends, Fantasy/Sci-Fi to hybrid fiction/nonfiction and self-help, methodology and techniques and how-to books. Here are some of them, just to name a few:

Fairies of the Four Seasons and The Enchanted Valley Series

The Mysterious Murder of Marilyn Monroe (182 pages- Lulu, 2015)

From the trilogy Memoirs of an Amazon:

The Witches of Avignon (Past) -Occult

The Pierrot’s Love (Present) -Mystery/Suspense (174 pages- Createspace, 2009)

Out of the Blue (Future) -Fantasy/Sci-fi (192 pages- Createspace, 2009)

From The Pierrot’s Love Series:

Pierrot & Columbine (Book 1)

The Phantom of the Ballet (Book 2)

Harlequin (Book 3)

Diary of a Columbine (Book 4)

A-Z of Happiness (79 pages – Lulu, 2015)

The DAO WORKBOOK ILLUSTRATED (119 pages – Lulu, 2015)

The MilkShake’s Opera Series (colouring books with fables)

They are all available in major book retailers worldwide (in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Italian).

Do you have a favourite character? If so why? Oh there are so many great main characters in my plots. For example, there are four main characters in the Four Sea Sons Series. They all have a special touch that will turn the world around and make such difference in nature and in people’s lives. And yes, I am talking about the seasons as living beings, as ethereal and real entities. And then there is a main character in The Pierrot’s Love Series that you will fall in love with, and then you will hate her and then you will feel compassion and so a mixed feeling will pour your heart in such a way that you will not know why but will have the urge to hold that child’s hand, and that’s Talitha. She is a teenage girl and she has been through so much in her life already that you can feel all her pain and her ambitions, she wants to reach out to you through her seductive manners. But then again she’s just human. And so she is an anti-heroine. Her antithesis could be Ann, from the future, of the same trilogy, in the book “Out of the Blue”, like a mirror reflecting the opposite side. Ann is just as ambitious but she lacks faith in herself, all the confidence Talitha has in her feminine tributes, Ann is totally oblivious of it, in a total loss from her life and with no self-control. Contrary to Talitha, Ann will have to go through hell to reach out for help and get some redemption, to finally feel free from her own instincts and let go of old fears.

Are your characters based on real people? Some of my books were inspired by real life characters, some other books I wrote are hybrid fiction/non-fiction, so yeah, I pretty much so get inspired by people who have lived, and even who are still breathing among us… so don’t get discouraged if I didn’t mention your personality traits yet. I might even have your name over my books, I must some day…

Have you ever used a person you don’t/didn’t like as a character then killed them off? No, I never hated that much. But some people did. (Not anyone whom I knew or met in person, and I thank God for that!) So I used what others did (you see it in the news everyday) and wrote it down. Some cases of murder were real, some were taken from my own imagination, but they could have easily happened in real life, for sure!

Is there a message conveyed within your writing?  Do you feel this is important in a book? There are always messages, even enigmas to be searched, mysteries to be solved in all of my books. I like to puzzle readers, but I do not make so to the point of being so complex that they will lose interest in the plot. And that for me is the essence of every great literature around the world, and that’s been so for ages.

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…) Great characters- They are pivotal for a great plot. THEN a solid plot: Why then? If you do not have great characters it is impossible to create a good plot, nonetheless a solid one. Once you have built great characters for the scenes, there you have it. It’s just like the movies, you cannot have a great film if the characters are frail and their lines are weak as well. I guess great world-building comes along with a good plot. If there is something that will work fine in a novel is how you will develop from the theme. You’ve got to establish a good timeline, and from there it comes a world. You see the technical matters don’t match or matter as much to me. Even a poorly written story, if there is a good plot and great characters on it will make a divine combination There are simply many cases of it over the mainstream and that even reached the big screen.

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? My books are available as print and e-books and I also have some audiobooks though I am still figuring out how I am going to expand it.

Do you read work by self-published authors? All the time.

What are your opinions about authors commenting on reviews? How important are reviews? Reviews are for readers AND authors. It’s a good way of learning from what people think about the work. Being it good or bad. A book might as well be hurt by a bad, poorly written review. That’s such a pity. Some people don’t know how to express themselves, and maybe that’s why they are just readers and not writers, others read a book like chewing a cupcake. That’s too bad. If that was not your cup of tea, leave it there, untouched. Don’t go bash the author for that. But if you really hate the book, why bother telling others. It’s your problem after all. You can give constructive opinions but don’t blame the author for your different tastes and views. Also authors shouldn’t comment on reviews, it sounds unprofessional, even silly. Some busy writers don’t even have time to read what other people say about their work. If someone enjoyed your book, or not, that is irrelevant. If you will continue or not to write something else it doesn´t add to the plate.. Besides, why bother commenting on a review, just read it and shut up. Being it good or bad. So my opinions about authors commenting on reviews is just my opinions after all!

When buying a book do you read the reviews? I do read many, if not all of them. I think reviews are important as much as I notice there is an unbiased opinion about them. The problem is that many authors are just too worried about getting reviews when they actually should be more about promoting their own works. Reviews will help as long as they have a good name and reputation. It’s easy to spot a liar from a true and honest review. The ones who are not solid sound silly; I always spot a good book not simply by reading its positive reviews but by actually reading about the author, his/her experience in the field and many other signs that give out the author’s identity, hence his or her authority in the matter.

What are your reviews on authors reviewing other authors? I think that it’s simply magnificent, if not perfect. I do review many authors, and I wish I could do much more. I simply have not much time, and if I do have some encouragement, I graciously give a positive remark. Unless the book is not worth my two pennies I will always give a feedback. But when I really enjoy a book I don’t simply read the whole thing, I will give a five-star review, and I will help it reach as many people as I can, with word-of-mouth, by blogging about it, by telling people from my network to go read it because it’s that good.

What experiences can a book provide that a movie or video game cannot? A book can be a great friend, an advisor, a means to an end. A book reveals so much more than a movie would ever do. For example, when I watched the movie “The Hours” I was fascinated by the story. Just a year later I decided to read the book. And what was my surprise that I was even more dazzled by its writings than I was by the images… The images in my head were more vivid than the film could ever transport me to that feminine universe that the author was trying (and so successfully granted me) to conceive… About video games; you are kidding, right?

What three pieces of advice would you give to new writers? First of all, please, please, don´t go publish until you are one hundred percent sure you are doing a great job, the best that you may deliver. For in this publishing media it´s easy to get it all wrong when you are just starting. Secondly, find a good editor, or at least a second opinion. You know, four eyes read better than two. You will regret later on for not having a good editor to go through your writing, or having a great artist to do the best cover for your book. Because if there is something I learned during these years in the publishing market it is to never ever underestimate the power of good editing. And my third piece will be to advice about a good image: the saying “never judge a book by its cover” was created by a lazy author who didn´t give much thought of what really works in the marketing of both fiction and nonfiction.

What are your best marketing/networking tips? What are your worst? My best move so far it was to help others into marketing their own works. For mine I would say it was a lucky strike, or not: I offered a pre-sale from one of my books that reached a good amount of people interested on the project even not knowing anything about it. Anyway, I guess it was not the beginner’s luck but the theme of the book that made people buy it so fiercely. I tried it again with another book that I was certain it wouldn’t get as much attention and it would not draw a crowd. And that’s exactly what happened. There was a lack of interest for the theme, I guess.

My worst marketing strategy it would be to hurry with the publishing. I would avoid rushing into the process, and marketing books with too many mistakes, like typos or misspellings, and I would spend more time rereading my texts and editing it thoroughly before submitting them to a publisher or even self-publishing.

Can you name your favourite traditionally published author? And your favourite indie/self-published author? No, there are simply too many of them to name just one.

 

Book links, website/blog and author links:

http://lulu.com/spotlight/virtualbookstore

http://dance-as-one.blogspot.com/

http://www.goodreads.com/AnaAntunes

http://www.fiverr.com/anaantunes

https://www.facebook.com/ana.antunes

https://twitter.com/AnaBowlova

http://www.amazon.com/Ana-Claudia-Antunes/e/B002DBHE30

 

 

Step into the twilight zone…

A great interview with Joe Bonadonna, fellow Heroika author

AUTHOR JENNIFER LOISKE

…and meet author Joe Bonadonna, the master of heroic fantasy, a lover of Captain Blood and Greek mythology, and a force behind many hellish stories in Heroes in Hell series!

Joe Bonadonna has written the heroic fantasy novel, Mad Shadows: The Weird Tales of Dorgo the Dowser, published by iUniverse; a sword and sorcery pirate adventure called Waters of Darkness (with David C. Smith), published by Damnation Books; and the space opera, Three Against The Stars, published by Airship 27 Productions. He’s also written stories for several anthologies, including: Azieran: Artifacts and Relics, published by Heathen Oracle; Griots: Sisters of the Spear, published by MVmedia; and Sinbad: The New Voyages, Vol. 4, published by Airship 27 Productions. For Perseid Press, Joe has stories appearing in Poets in Hell, Heroika: Dragon Eaters, and Doctors in Hell, and has just finished a novella for the next volume…

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Monsters and Myth – part 1 – Cyclopes

Fantastical creatures have featured in mythology and storytelling since people first sat around the fire and told of great beasts and wicked monsters. They are at the core of our cultures, from great dragons, to hydra, to sea monsters, mermaids, fairies and pretty much everything you can think of and some you wish you hadn’t.  Many  were humanoid, some carrying more arms, legs or eyes and some less. Some weren’t – lizards,  half birds, half lions, creatures which look they they are made up of left over bits of other animals. The unnatural zoology was vast.

Of course many still feature in modern fantasy – dragons, fairies/feyfolk, unicorns, shapechangers and more.  Paranormal fiction is extremely popular – with the vampires/werecreatures etc as the heroes. But what of the lesser known creatures? The nightmare of our ancestors?

The ancient Greek heroes fought and slayed everything from Medusa, the snake-haired woman whose gaze was petrifying, to one eyed Cyclopes – the offspring of mighty Poseidon and the sea nymph Thoosa, (Homeric tradition) or second generation gods – the spawn of Gaea and Uranus (Hesiod). They were giants, builders and liked to snack on mortals (and demi-gods) who strayed into their path. Some were famed for working for the lame god Hephaestus, and some such as Polyphemus were shepherds. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyphemus).  Today I am going to focus on these creatures.

The Greek deities were a paranoid lot (with good reason for the most part) and the Cyclopes were imprisoned by Uranus who was afraid of their power. To be released again by the Titans and Chronos in order to defeat Uranus they were later imprisoned again as their power increased, only to be released by Zeus so they could help him overthrow the Titans. (Yes intrigue and double crossing was the staple diet of the Greek immortals.)

One eye had been traded in order that they may see into the future – but as such bargains often turn out – the small print was overlooked and all they could foresee was the day of their death.

Odysseus blinded and tricked Polyphemus, who had it must be admitted eaten several of the trickster’s friends – who in turn were trying to steal some of the giant’s provisions and had found their way into the cyclop’s den.

Getting the cyclops tipsy Odysseus thrust a burning, sharpened stake into the monster’s eye – then cried out his name was ‘No one’ or ‘Nobody’ (depending on the translation) so when the cyclops staggered outside crying ‘Nobody’ blinded him the other giants thought him mad.

Of course Odysseus being Odysseus couldn’t resist letting Polyphemus know who it really was once he was safely back at sea. Telling him it was ‘Odysseus, son of Laertes of Ithica who has blinded you’. This was not among Odysseus smarter plans as this particular cyclops was the son of Poseidon who was rather annoyed and send the great hero’s boat in a rather roundabout way home…

The story reappears in later myths – Virgil tells the story from the perspective of a seaman of Odysseus’ crew left behind (Aeneid) and Aeneas and his crew see the blinded giant and his companions and beat a hasty retreat.

Later mythological writers, including Ovid, speak of the love affair between Polyphemus and the sea-nymph Galataea – with a greater or lesser tragic ending (she loved another).  And Wilhem Grimm collected tales and retelling of one-eyed giants from Serbia, German, Finnish, Romanian and Russian mythology.

In the Renaissance composers brought the tales to opera. Giovanni Bononcini, Jean-Baptiste Lully, Joseph Haydn  and George Frideric Handel composed works around the story of Polyphemus, Galataea and Acis, her lover (whom Polyphemus kills). Artists and sculptors too have used the cyclops and his tale as a basis for their work. Interestingly too the Scottish Rite Freemasons have Polyphemus as a symbol for civilisation that harms itself using ill-directed blind force.

Origins – Othenio Abel in 1914 argues the origins maybe from prehistorical dwarf elephant skulls – with a big central hole for the trunk, which of course would be gone by the time the fossil was found.

Cyclopia – is an uncommon but real condition is a ‘rare form of holoprosencephaly and is a congenital disorder (birth defect) characterized by the failure of the embryonic prosencephalon to properly divide the orbits of the eye into two cavities’. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclopia

Often the nose is missing or is non-functioning and appears ABOVE the single eye-socket. The foetuses usually abort or are still-born, however some living cyclopic animals have been recorded, although they rarely survive for long. Causes can include toxins such as cornlily or false hellebore Veratrum californicum – which resembles Hellebore, which is given as a natural remedy for vomiting, cramps and poor circulation. White Hellebore, which was cited by Hippocrates, also contains teratogens  which can cause the deformity. Genetics too can cause the condition – the Sonic the Hedgehog gene regulator (yes really) can suppress a particular protein needed in eye development in early embryos and cause the mutation.

So misunderstood fossils or deformities could have created a myth, which in turn became the story of one-eyed giants.

Sources:

http://www.theoi.com/Gigante/GigantePolyphemos.html

http://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/Creatures/Cyclopes/cyclopes.html

http://www.greek-gods.info/greek-heroes/odysseus/myths/odysseus-polyphemus/

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

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyphemus)

Mutants: On the form, varieties and errors of the human body. (c) Armand Marie Leroi 2003

The Odyssey of Homer (various translations)

 

 

Returning Author Terry W Ervin II

I’d like to welcome back Terry W. Ervin II, author of the First Civilization’s Legacy Series and the Crax War Chronicles.

Please recap briefly about your books: First, thank you for having me back.

Flank Hawk, Blood Sword, and Soul Forge are post-apocalyptic fantasy action adventure novels that make up the First Civilization’s Legacy Series. They follow the adventures of Mercenary Flank Hawk. While his skills with sword and spear are far from legendary, he makes up for it with tenacity, dedication and loyalty.

Relic Tech and Relic Hunted are the first two installments in my science fiction series, The Crax War Chronicles. Security Specialist 4th Class Krakista Keesay is a Relic, meaning he relies on late 20th Century technology. Specialist Keesay does his utmost, both aboard ship and on distant colonies, fending off the invading Crax and their traitorous human allies.

Maybe a quote will give a good feel for the series:

“The tech level premise is fascinating, but what really makes the novel special is the spirit of Krakista Keesay. Kra is a hero to root for—often underestimated, adept with brass knuckles, bayonet, shotgun, and all sorts of old style weaponry. He proves that, while technology matters, so do courage, intelligence, and daring.”

—Tony Daniel, Hugo-finalist, author of Metaplanetary and Guardian of Night

 Beyond that, I’ve written a number of short stories that range from SF and horror to mystery and inspirational. When the rights reverted to me from their original publications, Gryphonwood press released them as a collection, Genre Shotgun.

 

What has changed since you last visited? Tell us your news!

Since my interview in January of 2014 ( https://libraryoferana.wordpress.com/2014/01/29/author-interview-number-thirty-seven-terry-w-ervin-fantasysci-fi/ ) my publisher, Gryphonwood Press, has released Soul Forge (June

2014) and Relic Hunted (January 2016)

 

Do you think indie/self-published authors are viewed differently to traditionally published authors? Why do you think this might be?

While some authors and reviewers view self-published authors differently from traditionally published authors, I think readers are less focused on such divisions. Readers are interested in good books, ones that catch their imagination while providing an engaging read.

I will say that self-published authors that produce quality stories, coupled with good editing, formatting and everything else that goes with a professional product, have a substantial opportunity to find readers, especially ebook readers. Those that don’t will struggle to find and build readership of their works.

 

Do you read work by self-published authors?

Yes. Currently I am reading (and listening to—I enjoy audiobooks) Stephen Campbell’s Hard Luck Hank Series, as well as Robert Bevan’s Critical Failure Series.

I’ll add that of traditionally published authors, I am very much enjoying Kevin Hearne’s Iron Druid Chronicles.

 

What three pieces of advice would you give to new writers?

Finish projects. Get that first draft done. Then go back and revise and edit and repeat until you’ve produced the very best book you can.
While you’re submitting the completed manuscript to agents/publishers or working to self-publish it, write something else. Don’t wait to see what happens (either way).
The best ‘how to’ books for writing are successful novels. Yes, there are many ‘how to write’ books out there, but they can only give a writer the basics. Read, and reread, and study writers you enjoy. See how they do it…tell the stories, create dialogue and interesting characters, pace the storyline, incorporate foreshadowing, irony, characterization and more. If you get stuck on a problem, refer to those novels/authors. See how they did it, then apply what you learned, incorporating it into your own storyline and writing style.

 

What aspect of writing do you least enjoy? Why might this be?

Completing that first draft. I don’t mind planning/plotting and I actually enjoy editing. I’m an English teacher, so I guess that makes sense. I don’t know why I dislike completing the first draft the most. Maybe because it takes the longest.

 

Most authors like to read, what have you recently finished reading? Did you enjoy it?

Masters of the Air: Americas Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany by Donald L. Miller. Yes, I enjoyed it. I read a lot of books related to World War II. Beyond the enjoyment, reading and studying history provides ideas for plots and stories and characters.

 

Do you have a favourite movie?

I would say Serenity is my favorite movie. It offers a mixture of action and adventure and humor and sort of wraps up what was started in the short-lived SF television series, Firefly.

 

Can you name your worst job? Do you think you learned anything from the position that you now use in your writing?

 I’ve held a lot of jobs in my life, from library assistant and dishwasher to landscape assistant and quality control at a potato chip factory. Currently I am an English teacher, an e-course instructor, a village councilman, and an author. My wife teases that any Ervin working fewer than two jobs is a slacker—that, and she says if I’m not busy I get grumpy.

But as to my worst job (or least favorite)? A golf caddie when I was in high school. I didn’t mind the hard work, but I found that the more money the golfer had, the more poorly they tipped and less respect they had for the hard work their caddie did. Maybe my high school experience was out of the mainstream, but it left me with utterly no desire to ever play golf.

How is that experience used in my writing? An experience of life learned about human nature and the human condition.

 

What are your plans for the future? When will we see your next book? Tell us about it.

 My plans for the future are to keep writing. I have several Flank Hawk (First Civilization’s Legacy) novels planned, at two Relic Tech (Crax War Chronicles) novels and possibly one novella in mind, along with a YA based that leans heavily on Norse mythology tentatively titled Icebox to Asgard, a middle school novel, tentatively titled Go Home Gnome, and a novel where gamers get caught up in their RPG world. That last one isn’t a unique plot idea, but I have some interesting twists which I think could lead to a series.

But, beyond my recent release, Relic Hunted, I am now working on an alien invasion novel whose working title is Jack’s Tale, but I am leaning towards Thunder Wells. That last one, I hope to have out before the end of summer 2016. It’s about a loner trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world, where aliens have seeded the Earth with nasty critters that feed on humans—after using EMPs to wipe out the world’s electrical grids and high tech devices, bombarding key targets and cities from orbit, and inflicting mass damage and death through creation of tsunamis. Jack gets shanghaied into joining a team transporting one of the few remaining functional nuclear warheads in a desperate bid to destroy the alien colony ship before it deposits its cargo, dooming what remains of humanity.

To contact Terry or find out more about his books and writing endeavors, visit his website at www.ervin-author.com or his blog, Up Around the Corner at uparoundthecorner.blogspot.com

 

Guest Post – Erin McGowan and Kindle Scout

Some of you may have heard of Kindle Scout, I have but not in much detail. Today I welcome Erin McGowan, who has her book Mage Awakening in the programme and she’s here to talk about the process.

Over to you Erin.

Links

Scout: https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/19XDMJTWC38ZN

FB: https://www.facebook.com/ErinMWrites/?ref=hl

FB Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/168783473482782/

Twitter: @Erinm128

Blog: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/beachbum128

 

Kindle Scout

 

The Kindle Scout program benefits Kindle publishing, authors, and readers.  An author submits an unpublished book to the Scout program for thirty days of public viewing, during that time the author can promote the book any way he or she chooses.  Readers can save the book for later or nominate it if they are interested in that book based on the cover, title, blurb, summary, and sample of the book.  The sample is around 5,000 words, and usually shows the reader around three or four chapters.  There is also an author bio, and the author can choose to answer some questions, mainly about reading, writing, and their book.

Kindle Scout shows the author daily stats on page views and how many hours a day the book was on the Hot and Trending list, but not how many nominations the book has.  Those reports are updated once a day around 5:30 in the morning.  At the end of the thirty day campaign the Kindle Scout team has up to fifteen days to decide if they will award a five year contract to the author for that book.  If the book is picked up by Kindle the author receives a $1,500 advance, and has the promotional power of Kindle backing that book.  A lot of authors hear back from Kindle after 48 hours, but there are some instances where the wait is longer.

Personally, I have found the people at Kindle Scout to be very nice, professional, and accommodating.  The campaign requires more promotion than I was expecting, and I think that I would have been in a better position if I were a more established author, but this has been a great learning opportunity and has given me a chance to reach more potential readers.

My book, “The Mage: Awakening” is about a thirteen-year-old girl who discovers her magical powers when she is four.  Her disastrous home life turns unbearable, and she uses her talent for channeling emotions right before she runs away from home.  A fully trained mage tracker, Cadence, feels her use that talent and tracks her down.  He informs her that she is a mage and can go to school to learn more magic and develop more facets of her magical talent.  Her new school is in the in Faerie realm, and Katrina quickly makes friends with other mage students and Fae students, alike.  Katrina has a lot on her plate, juggling her old family, a new family, friends, school, and a new romance, when accidents start happening to the Fae students.  People start questioning whether the accidents are all that accidental, or if someone has an agenda to make the Fae pay.

 

Fiction & Art Inspired By the Mappae Clavicula, Guest Post by S.E. Lindberg

Reblogged on WordPress.com

Source: Fiction & Art Inspired By the Mappae Clavicula, Guest Post by S.E. Lindberg

Experiments in promotion – part 1

As some of you know I not a big fan or marketing but books don’t sell themselves. In a market place where there are millions of books getting one’s novels seen is tricky.

So what marketing strategy works for me? Honestly I have no bloody idea. Recently I had Tales of Erana: The Warrior’s Curse on freebie for a few days – results were OK. Some downloads but not huge amounts. That said it is a short story and I didn’t promote it much. Whether those freebies will result in sales for the audio book or garner reviews is yet to be seen.

What I have found is author/character interviews help – at least initially and at least sometimes. Of course the difficulty there is finding them and keeping the content interesting. They also take away from writing time.

I tried a Thunderclap a couple of times last year with very mixed results so I’m going to do a couple more – one starting today to promote The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles Book I and another when the audio is released.

I may also try one for Outside the Walls if I can sort the banner out.  Thunderclaps are an interesting concept – the basic package is free to set up and only needs 100 supporters to go live. There are several Thunderclap groups on Facebook and they do require a lot of pushing. Is there a bump in sales during/after? I’ll let you know.

Anyway if you’d like to support my campaign here’s the link. All you need to do is click the link then support using the big red buttons (everyone likes pressing big red buttons! Or is that just me?) http://thndr.me/CSHXHu

I’m trying another Kindle Countdown for Stolen Tower – I tried one last year, again with mixed results. The

UK Kindle Countdown http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stolen-Tower-...

The original list price is £1.72 but it will be on offer for 99p until the 7th January.

There will also be a Countdown for the Amazon.com store starting 8am PST http://www.amazon.com/Stolen-Tower-Li...

I’ll let you know how they go.

When Book I is released on audio I may well do a blog tour or paid ad. I’m always looking for new ideas so any advice welcomed.

 

 

 

Author Interview 102 – Dylan Callens

Welcome to Dylan Callens.

 

Please tell us a little about your writing – for example genre, title, etc. My novel is called Operation Cosmic Teapot.  The title is derived from Bertrand Russell’s analogy of a teapot floating in space, which represents that the burden of proof lies on a person making a philosophic claim.  In particular, he says that those believing in a god need to provide evidence.

I’d say that the novel is contemporary fiction with great deal of humour thrown into the mix.

Where do you find inspiration? Inspiration comes mostly through reading philosophy.  When I read something that I think is really thought provoking my mind starts spinning stories.  I start to wonder what would happen if…

Aside from that, I find inspiration in conversations with others throughout the day.  I teach media studies and am always interested to hear what bizarre things might come out of my students’ mouths.  Their idiosyncrasies allow me to explore unusual modes of thinking.

Do you have a favourite character? If so why? In Operation Cosmic Teapot, that is a difficult question to answer.  I love God because he’s really quite down to Earth.  He’s struggling to stay afloat, like so many people that I know.  Myself included, in some ways.

Then there’s Nietzsche.  He’s had such a hard life and I cannot help but feel sorry for him.  I understand why he wants to seek revenge on God.  Yet, his antics make me laugh.

Are your characters based on real people? Yes, in this novel they are.  Half the characters are based on philosophers while the other half are based on gods.  All of their histories are three-quarters true.  The other quarter is poetic license.

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? Oh goodness!  There was so much research required for this book.  I spent more time researching than writing, I think.  There was a great deal to wrap my head around.

First, there was all of Nietzsche’s history to consider.  There is quite a bit of debate about his life, such as whether or not he had syphilis, or how he ended up in a catatonic state.  I always went with the stories that seemed the most humorous to me.

There was God’s history to deal with as well.  Outside of the Bible, there are other writings about him, most notably the Ugaritic Scripts.  For me, dealing with this history was a mess because there was so much writing done.  What I essentially did was just find a narrative that suited my purpose.  I’m sure that there will be a number of complaints about inaccuracies.

The list of research goes on and on from there, but I think that’s enough for now.

Is there a message conveyed within your writing?  Do you feel this is important in a book? The central message in the book, I suppose, is that history is a fluid thing.  It changes depending on perception.  If we were to look at it in a post-modernist way, then certainly having people in charge of gods indicates that I am questioning authority.  But as a post-modernist I wouldn’t dare tell readers what message they are supposed to get from Operation Cosmic Teapot.

Important?  Important to me.  I’m not sure that it will be important to anyone else.  It’s unique, I’m sure of that.  I’d like to think that others will feel it’s important.  If not, I just hope that they are entertained.

Do you think indie/self-published authors are viewed differently to traditionally published authors? Why do you think this might be?Absolutely!  I think that the general public regards self-publishing as a world meant for those that aren’t good enough for publication houses.  My guess is that it’s hard for those that don’t write to understand why someone would want to go the indie route.

What are your opinions about authors commenting on reviews? How important are reviews? I wouldn’t dare comment on reviews of my own work.  I fully believe that if someone hates my book, then they should slam it.  I’ll shake my head about the review but I won’t give it a second thought, unless there was something in the review that could help me improve.  Given the nature of my book, I fully expect that there will be those that hate it.

I think over time reviews are less important.  As a new writer, I see them as critical because it’s one more way to get my name out.  Even the bad ones have an upside, I suppose.

When buying a book do you read the reviews? Yes, but for entertainment purposes only.  If a book grabs my attention, then I’m going to pick it up.

What three pieces of advice would you give to new writers? First, don’t stop working when the book is done.  I’d say network over promoting, but it’s kind of the same thing, in a sense.  I think it’s easy to get discouraged when one avenue shuts down.  The internet provides so many possible networking opportunities that if you keep plugging away, something is bound to work.

Second, make sure your media looks as professional as you can make it.  I find it hard to buy a book from someone if their website (for example) looks like it was done by a child.  For me, if a person can’t take the time to figure out how to design a good website, then what is the inside of their book going to look like?

Third, continue revising your book after your first publication.  If you find errors, or a reviewer points out some kind of important inconsistency, then it’s a good idea to fix up that error and publish a new edition.  We’re lucky in an electronic world to have that opportunity.

Can you give us a silly fact about yourself? I am very good with a yo-yo.  I have considered entering professional competitions.

 

Book links, website/blog and author links:

 

Email:  dylan@cosmicteapot.net

Website:  www.cosmicteapot.net

Twitter:  @TheNitzsch

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/heaveninctheseries

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B018YXFOUK

 

Author Interview Number 101 – Matthew Olney

Welcome to Matthew Olney and the first interview of 2016. 

Where are you from and where do you live now? I was born and raised in Cornwall but now live in Bristol with my fiancée  where I work as a copywriter.

Please tell us a little about your writing – for example genre, title, etc. I have dabbled in several different genres over the years. The first book I ever wrote was a science fiction (which I have since redone and re-released on kindle). After that I tried my hand at historical fiction before giving fantasy a shot. I self published Heir to the Sundered Crown in 2014 and it took me by surprise at how well it did. It reached the top 10 in the US and UK Kindle fantasy charts in August of 2014, I always say that my greatest writing achievement so far is that for a week I outsold Game of Thrones! The second book in the Sundered Crown Saga, War for the Sundered Crown was released in November 2015.

Where do you find inspiration? I have always had a pretty active imagination but I would have to say that I find most of my inspiration from history and videogames. I have always been a fan of history as the stories from our past are often more epic than fiction.

Do you have a favourite character? If so why? My favourite character in my Sundered Crown Saga is Ferran of BlackMoor. He is cool and calculating as well as being a bit of a softy at heart. The fact that he is a magic wielding monster slayer also adds to his cool factor.

Do you have a character you dislike? If so why? I don’t dislike any of my own characters, even the villains as they are often the most fun to write.

Are your characters based on real people? Some are. I take peoples characteristics and sometimes put them into a character.

Have you ever used a person you don’t/didn’t like as a character then killed them off? Ha, no not intentionally…

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? I love world building. By making a world that seems alive puts a reader deeper into the story. For map making I use Campaign Cartographer and as for research again I turn to history and religious texts as these contain great stories that I can base my own world upon. I particularly enjoyed writing the worlds creation story as well as making timelines charting key events from the past.

Is there a message conveyed within your writing?  Do you feel this is important in a book? I think the message I try to put across is that persistence can lead to both great and terrible things. For example the villain has for thousands of years kept trying to have his way, and the hero never gives up despite the trials he faces. As for how important it is for the book, it will be important as the series progresses.

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…) Great characters as you need interesting heroes and villains to keep a reader interested. If they don’t care for the hero then why bother reading? A solid plot is vital to keep the reader craving more. Great world building as if it is not believable it will break the immersion. Finally technically perfect. I don’t believe anything can ever be perfect, but it should be of a quality that does not ruin the story for a reader.

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?Currently the Sundered Crown Saga is available as both E-book and paperback. I would love to turn them into audio books someday too.

Do you self-edit? If so why is that the case? Do you believe a book suffers without being professionally edited? When first starting out I self edited and quickly realised that I was pretty bad at it. Thankfully I am now a member of Firebound Books a small publisher created by me and three other writers. Rob May in particular is a legend and has helped me with editing. A book should always be read by more than one person as an individual always misses bits. Luckily with E-books anything that were missed the first time round can be fixed later a distinct advantage over print as even traditionally published books often have errors in them.

Do you think indie/self-published authors are viewed differently to traditionally published authors? Why do you think this might be? I think there is a bit of elitism to be honest. Those who have been traditionally published often think their works are better than those brave enough to go it alone. I have reads many books from both and a lot of the time it is hard to tell the difference.

Do you read work by self-published authors? All the time. I feel that traditional publishers these days seem afraid to take a chance on new writers and as a result some fantastic stories are missed. Self publishing gives those stories an outlet and I think the world is the richer because of it.

What are your opinions about authors commenting on reviews? How important are reviews? At first I used to comment on reviews but now I don’t. Everyone is entitled to their opinion even they can come across sometimes as harsh or needlessly critical. Reviews are very important, every author wants to know what people think of their work.

When buying a book do you read the reviews? All the time.

What are your reviews on authors reviewing other authors? If the author has genuinely read the book then I see no harm in it as long as the author doing the review understands that every author has their own way of doing things.

What experiences can a book provide that a movie or video game cannot? A book can provide so much more detail than a movie and allows a reader to use their imaginations. I write as though the reader is playing the story as a movie in their mind. Video games I think can be an excellent way of telling a story. I recently just finished the Witcher 3 and man was that a great tale.

What three pieces of advice would you give to new writers? 1 – Make sure to make time to write even if it’s just a few words a day. 2 – Learn from your mistakes and listen do not be disheartened by critics, learn from them. 3 – Get the story down first before worrying about editing, without the story there is nothing worth editing anyway.

What are your best marketing/networking tips? What are your worst?Take advantage of social media and contact other writers for advice. Paying for adverts can be very hit and miss so do your research.

Most authors like to read, what have you recently finished reading? Did you enjoy it? I recently reread World War Z. Love it.

Can you name your favourite traditionally published author? And your favourite indie/self-published author? My fave traditionally published author is Bernard Cornwell. The way he writes history and battles in particular has been a big influence on me. My fave self-published author is my fellow Firebound writer Rob May. His Kal Moonheart trilogy is great fantasy.

What are your views on authors offering free books? It can be a good way to entice new readers but I feel an author should only give away short stories. We all have to make a living so why give away a book that took years to write for nothing?

Do you have a favourite movie? I am a massive Star Wars fan so Empire Strikes Back.

Do you have any pets? No.

Can you name your worst job? Do you think you learned anything from the position that you now use in your writing? Working in a supermarket and dealing with grumpy customers was a bit soul destroying. I did learn from it however and in some ways it inspired me to write.

Book links, website/blog and author links:

Book links-

Heir to the Sundered Crown- http://authl.it/3hw?d

War for the Sundered Crown- http://geni.us/B015JPB310

Website – http://msolneyauthor.com/

Author page –    http://www.amazon.com/Matthew-Olney/e/B00LE9XEBS/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1