A.L. Butcher's Blog, page 16

Dirty Dozen Author Interview – Kevin Klehr #UrbanFantasy

Welcome to Kevin Klehr

I’m an Australian author with an American publisher who have released two of my books in audio with British narrators.

My niche has become feel good Urban Fantasy novels even though I have a couple of dystopian and MM Romance books out.

The Midnight Man, a tale about growing older, won the Fantasy category in the short-lived Gay Scribe Awards, and took first place in the LGBT category of the 2021 Paranormal Romance Guild’s Reviewer’s Choice Awards.

Do you think the written word (or art) bring power and freedom?

I often refer to writing as therapy. Elements of my life are explored in my novels such as controlling relationships and temptation within a marriage. Some of these themes are amplified to keep the reader hooked, but as they say, write what you know. I simply cover it in a layer of Urban Fantasy.

My two current works in progress seem to also follow this trend. One is about a friendship which turned sour, while the other continued to develop beyond the initial outline while a real life situation played out.

What’s your greatest networking tip?

Right now, I would say get onto BlueSky. If you have a Twitter account, use Sky Follower Bridge to find your followers over on the new platform.

But my other main advice is to also network away from social media, although your socials will initially help you find those contacts. When I began my writing journey about twelve years ago, I concentrated solely on social media as my publisher is American. I thought I’d do well by connecting with as many people as possible in an age before algorithms could bring bookish content directly to bookish people.

When a fellow Australian author published with the same American press began reaching out specifically to Australian writers and readers on her socials, I was caught in her network and soon discovered new opportunities. One of those breaks was being invited to be part of a major literary festival in Brisbane. Soon, I became better known to local readers who I could meet with at events. These face-to-face interactions took me much further than years of social media, but concentrating on the local scene through socials is what guided me there.

How much research do you do for your work? What’s the wildest subject you’ve looked at?

My husband was a little worried when he saw ‘Signs you’re in an abusive relationship’ in my search history. It was research for my fantasy novella, Winter Masquerade which is his favourite work of mine.

More recently I was at our State Library with boxes of microfilm to sort through. They were issues of The Sydney Star Observer and Capital Q, the two main gay newspapers of the 1990s. One of my WiPs takes place in that era, and although my husband and I began our relationship in that decade, the early drafts just didn’t have the feel of LGBT life the way I remembered it.

That research was a trip through memory lane, so much so that when I had an advanced draft assessed, I was told I concentrated too much on nostalgia and not enough on plot. That work is currently getting a major plot overhaul as even the characters are letting me know they want their lives to be much more complicated.

What’s the best advice you’ve received about writing/publishing?

Once you finish a draft, put it away for at least three months. Then print it, or pdf it, in a font you’ve never seen it in. Then take a red pen, or your stylus, and read it through in a couple of days in a setting someone would read a book in. The beach. A park. A café.

That distance makes you experience your novel as the reader, not as you, the writer. You will see all your Yodaisms, your underdeveloped characters or plot points, your overwritten or underwritten passages etc. No Beta Reader needed.

In the past, I would begin another novel while one was put away. This way I’d have three works in progress at any one time. One I’d just begun; another was in mid-development while the other was nearly ready for submission. You’d know the latter was ready when you’d find very little to amend during this editing process.

So, each novel my publisher released had been worked on for several years. They don’t read like they’re rushed.

What is your writing space like?

I used to work part-time so two days a week I had our apartment to myself. These were my designated writing days as I need a quiet space to write.

As we are both retired now, I go to the library to write. They have great open workspaces.

Tell us about your latest piece?

My latest novel is the sequel to my first dystopian novel, Social Media Central. It is a tale about AI taking full control and is titled Virtual Insanity.

Now, what’s interesting about this is the release before that, The Midnight Man, is still gaining new readers rather than my last release which is not the niche I’m most known for. But I’m still pimping it to anyone who’ll listen.

How do you deal with bad reviews?

I’m lucky as I have plenty of good reviews and they outnumber the bad. And while I love my good reviews, I appreciate the ones which praise my work as well as pointing out what could have been done better. Collectively, these shape my writing, even if I’ve found what one reviewer didn’t like, another reviewer enjoyed.

Even these grey areas give me much needed insight.

Sort these into order of importance:

Good plot

Great characters

Awesome world-building

Technically perfect

Can I put all of these at number one? When I review a manuscript, these are all the things I look at.

My last few works have been created using The Snowflake Method. This helped me properly flesh out all of these elements before one word is written. It also means these elements continue being perfected, resulting in rewrites of fresh scenes.

But best of all, this method fast tracks the writing process resulting in a more polished manuscript in less time.

Are indie/self published authors viewed with scepticism or wariness by readers? Why is this?

I think this scepticism is happening less. Early last decade I was at the Sydney Writers Festival where I attended a panel discussion featuring representatives from three of the major publishers. When asked if they felt self-published authors are a threat to their business, only one of the panellists said their press was monitoring this trend, concerned what it meant to sales.

I know self-published authors who take their work seriously, and others who act like they are more important than the readers they are writing for.

But I’ve committed myself to a self-published project next year alongside other authors.

How important is writing/art to you?

Very! I used to write a lot as a kid and took it up again seriously to write my first novel, Drama Queens with Love Scenes, well over ten years ago.

As the years rolled on and my publisher kept accepting my work, I knew it was something I was keen to continue in retirement. Now that I’ve been retired for a while, I’ve had time for writing groups and further networking.

What are your hopes for the coming year?

I’m keen to get a new work titled Tin Men and Scarecrows published. And I’m keen to see how my characters develop with fresh storylines in my project set in the 90s.

Links to book

Books

Bio

Kevin lives with his husband, Warren, in their humble apartment (affectionately named Sabrina), in Australia’s own ‘Emerald City,’ Sydney.

His tall tales explore unrequited love in the theatre district of the Afterlife, romance between a dreamer and a realist, a man escaping an abusive relationship on board an enchanted ocean liner, and a dystopian city addicted to social media.

His Urban Fantasy novel, The Midnight Man, scored first place in the LGBT category of the Paranormal Romance Guild’s Reviewer’s Choice Award and won in the Fantasy category of the 2021 Gay Scribe Awards. It was also Runner Up in the Rainbow Awards, while Winter Masquerade received an Honourable Mention.

His first novel, Drama Queens with Love Scenes, spawned a secondary character named Guy. Many readers argue that Guy, the insecure gay angel, is the star of the Actors and Angels book series. In fact, Kevin had to suddenly include him in the sequel.

So, with his fictional guardian angel guiding him, Kevin hopes to bring more whimsical tales of love, life and friendship to his readers.

What is the Secret of Blossom Rise?

When a young nurse takes a job at an old military hospital she finds the answers to an old family question – what is the secret of Blossom Rise Hospital? Who is the long-dead man who walks the grounds?
#Ebook #Audiobook  #Paranormal #Ghoststory

https://books2read.com/SecretBlossomRise

 

Excerpt Sunday – Tales of Erana: Just One Mistake

Excerpt – Tales of Erana: Just One Mistake

A Tales of Erana Novella

(c) A. L. Butcher

Darkness oozed lazily in the remainder of the room, nosing into corners, under furniture, and behind Coel, unseen, part of it detached. “That was quite a performance, bard. You have some talent, and not just your music. Although your judgement is flawed, it’s never wise to steal from a thief,” the voice was smooth, like liquid velvet and very sure of itself. 

Coel’s hand moved towards the dagger nestling in his belt; it would not be the first time he had been called on to defend himself, although that was how he had ended up in this mess he thought bitterly. Just one mistake, then another and now, it would seem, another.

“I do not know of what you speak! I am not a thief.” His brain caught up and he continued, “How did you get into my room? The door was locked. I’m not a bloody fool.” Coel could hear his own heart pounding. There was something about this man which frightened him. He felt like a mouse beneath the gaze of a cat. Perhaps the hangman’s noose would have been the better option.

The slate-grey cloak swirled around boots of ebony leather and the cowled figure chuckled. “That lock was barely a moment’s work. I must have a word with the owner of this place about his security. I have yet to find a door in Erana which will not yield to me. You may as well remove your hand from that blade, or would you bet your life you are swifter than the Thiefmaster? I doubt it, boy, I doubt it. Believe me when I say you would be dead before that knife left its scabbard. It would be a pity to waste such talent, would it not?”

Coel removed his hand from the dagger, his sense telling him that continuing to draw it would be a terminal decision. Instead, he placed his hand on the table and the voice breathed into his ear, Coel shivered, he had not heard the man move.

“I thought not. Sensible lad, if a lying one. This too can be a skill which can save your life, if it is used correctly and with assurance,” Darius, the Thiefmaster told him.

This menacing shape was right behind him, and Coel began to turn, opening his mouth to protest; he found a gloved hand on his jaw, firm but not unduly painful. “Curious are we not? This may sometimes serve you well. As for other occasions, it is wise to accept things as they are, this is one such occasion… Coel.”

The bard caught his breath, how did this man know his name? The sweat began to pool in his back, making his shirt stick unpleasantly to his skin. Had this man been hired to kill him? Had his mistake finally caught him up? Yet as Coel’s brain frantically grasped at any hope and his fingers tried to overrule his brain and reach for the dagger he realised the man had said he was a thief. A robbery, that was not so bad. It would not be the first time.

“This is not a merely social call; you are honoured for the Master of Thieves does not always test a potential recruit’s skills for himself.”

“I usually charge for my skills, music and other kinds if that is what you prefer. I can be flexible and my tastes are…varied.  Perhaps just this once I might offer them for free. Take the coin and the trinkets, take it all.” Coel’s brain finally caught up with the conversation, “What do you mean potential recruit?”

Universal Link https://www.books2read.com/Justonemistake

Love Reading? Check out my Books

Love reading? Like #fantasy with fizz and dark #fantasy? Check out my books on Barnes and Noble

#Fantasy #Shortfantasy #Horror #HistoricalFantasy

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22A%20L%20Butcher%22

Dunkle Geschichten und verdrehte Verse (Dark Tales and Twisted Verses – German)

Dunkle Geschichten über die Geister des Krieges, Blut aus dem Herbst des Schreckens, den Zorn der Natur, einen ungewöhnlichen Mord und einen zynischen Vampir. Verdrehte Poesie von Verlust und Chaos.

#DüstereFantasy #Fantasy


Einige Themen und Sprache für Erwachsene.

https://books2read.com/DarkTales-German

What is the Secret of Blossom Rise?

When a young nurse takes a job at an old military hospital she finds the answers to an old family question – what is the secret of Blossom Rise Hospital? Who is the long-dead man who walks the grounds?
#Ebook #Audiobook  #Paranormal #Ghoststory

https://books2read.com/SecretBlossomRise

 

Excerpt Sunday – The Watcher

From The Watcher – A Jack the Ripper Story (c) A.L. Butcher

https://www.books2read.com/TheWatcherJTR

There she was, that whore. Once more. There she was.

Beneath the flickering gas lamp at the corner of Dorset Street, Whitechapel, she strode, grinning a seductive smile at a passing sailor, just ashore and looking for company. He, as bad as the bitch whose breasts he felt and whose ear he nipped with yellowing teeth, the unseen Watcher thought. With eyes burning hatred and a menace previously unseen and misunderstood. It was, he thought, a righteous hatred, and they blaze all the brighter for it. The beast within told him so. For he was the beast and he was its creature, at once the same.

She could have been twenty or forty; the Watcher neither knew nor cared. She’d not see another year, another week, another night. The dim streets grew ever wickeder to those of her sort spreading around their sin, their poison. Defiling this town, this land, defiling HER. The Watcher shook his head; no more whores and this place would rise like the jewel it was. Not jaded and dull but glorious and fit for a queen. The beast within whispered in his head. “Cleanse this town, make it fit again.” And so he did. A knife in the darkness, once more.

Geneva liquor and poverty aged a person far better than mere passing of the years. In the greatest Empire on Earth, they blighted the land. Gin palaces, opium dens, and hash houses aplenty gave heaven and hell to those with money, and those without. Life was cheap, and oblivion cheaper. The Watcher knew these unfortunates dropped their drawers for a taste of it, panting and moaning beneath the bridges and in the alleys, with their grunting men, and their penny a tumble.

The sailor moved on. He’d had his pleasure with another of her kind and spent his last pennies in the tavern, and she was here to work.  Nothing was free in her line of employment. Except for death.

So there she was, alone. Death walked these streets – and tonight it watched the red-haired whore, who sang and smiled and patted her new bonnet. There she was. The whore. Alone.

The minutes passed, creeping towards death; ebbing away from heaven and him ever closer to immortality. The whore did not know it. Of course, she’d heard the tales, everyone had. Screamed by newsboys on every corner “another ‘orrible murder” but rent still needed to be paid. And so she plied her trade. Afraid. Denying it would be her turn this night. A whore, alone.

What is the Secret of Blossom Rise?

When a young nurse takes a job at an old military hospital she finds the answers to an old family question – what is the secret of Blossom Rise Hospital? Who is the long-dead man who walks the grounds?
#Ebook #Audiobook  #Paranormal #Ghoststory

https://books2read.com/SecretBlossomRise

 

Split – Blog Tour and Giveaway

 

The Source ishunting Talents… but Kara Jester is no distressed damsel…

 

Split 

The Price ofTalent Book 1

by AK Nevermore

Genre: SpicyDystopian SciFi Romance 

On an alternate earth, a cataclysm has altered a subset ofthe population. Talents are persecuted for their psychic and physicalmutations, giving rise to two conflicting societies based upon maintaininggenetic purity. And the Source, a shadowy corporate entity dependent upon theexploitation of captive Talents, is hunting them…

The city of Glynfyls is burning.

And Flynn Scot is powerless to stop it. Now that his statusis in question, the Assembly is calling for his head. The only thing keeping iton his shoulders is the commons rioting with the demand he be made Overlord.

Fluctuating between extremes, Kara’s talent deficiency isbecoming critical.

With her body failing and Flynn at the Assembly’s mercy,Kara Scot has no choice but to take his seat and fight for her House. Butclearing Flynn’s name and battering herself against the tide of public censurethreatens to drag her under.

So does the wave of Humanity Purists marching towardGlynfyls.

No Talent is safe outside the city. Refugees flock to thenorth fleeing extermination only to find a metropolis torn by prejudice andfear. Unless Flynn and Kara can find a way to survive the machinations of theAssembly, there will be nothing standing between them and annihilation. Becauseeven if they survive the extremists, Titus’s army is following in their wakeready to harvest whatever is left.

 

Amazon* B&N* Bookbub* Goodreads

 

**Don’t miss the other books in the series!**

Breaker

The Price ofTalent Book 1

Amazon* B&N* Books2Read * Bookbub* Goodreads

 

Binder

The Price ofTalent Book 2

Amazon* B&N* Books2Read * Bookbub* Goodreads

 

**FREEBIEALERT!**

**Get the PrequelBreeder FREE!!**

https://aknevermore.com/books/breaker/breeder/

AK Nevermoreenjoys operating heavy machinery, freebases coffee, and gives up sarcasm forLent every year. A Jane-of-all-trades, she’s a certified chef, restoresantiques, and dabbles in beekeeping when she’s not reading voraciously orrunning down the dream in her beat-up camo Chucks.

Unable to ignorethe voices in her head, and unwilling to become medicated, she writes ScienceFiction and Fantasy full time.

She pays thebills editing, wielding a wicked hot pink pen and writing a column on SFF. Shealso belongs to the Authors Guild, is a chapter treasurer for the RWA, teachescreative writing, and on the rare occasion, sleeps.

 

Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon* Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$20 Amazon

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Tis the Season to be Jolly – Audiobook Event and Giveaway

Join us for the most wonderful audiobook event yet!

12th -14th December on Facebook.
Take the chance to win #audiobook #prizes from a whole host of authors.
https://www.facebook.com/events/9225681324126391/?

Check out the event and meet some of the authors here https://uviart.blogspot.com/2024/11/meet-my-author-friends_10.html?