A.L. Butcher's Blog, page 178
November 2, 2014
Author Interview Number Seventy – Raymond Angel Martinez – Horror
Welcome to Raymond Angel Martinez
Please tell us a little about yourself.
The phrase that comes to mind when I describe myself is “irrational exuberance.” I’m an engineer, a martial artist, a salsa dancer, a father of two teenage boys (ouch), and a partner to a wonderful woman. Of course, the author in me loves all the input, all that ‘life’ to write about, but my feet hate it.
Please tell us a little about your writing – for example genre, title, etc.
My latest book, No One Likes a Fat Vampire, is horror, and it is the genre I love. But the more I write, the more I find horror in every story. Like, what if you found out your father was a half-man, half-machine with evil magic powers – horror? Nope, Star Wars.
Who or what are your inspirations/influences?
I take my inspiration wherever I can get it and as often as I can. I think the hardest part of writing is facing that blank page every day. So I read books like The Writer’s Journey, watch every TED talk on writing many times, and recite Kurt Vonnegut tips on short story writing before I go to bed.
As far as influences go, if I could take one percent from each of Stephen King, Ira Levin, and Raymond Chandler, I would be very happy.
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?
The internet is a great resource, of course, but sometimes you have to bite the bullet and buy a book. I was writing a scene in a cemetery and felt I really didn’t know about them, so I bought Stories in Stone, which changed my whole idea of cemeteries enough that I visited a few.
In what formats are your books available? (E-books, print, large print, audio) Are you intending to expand these? (If applicable)
Right now I am in E-book only, but hoping to expand to print, which I feel is still beautiful, even though I love my Kindle.
Do you self-edit? If so why is that the case? Do you believe a book suffers without being professionally edited?
Yes, I self-edit, and yes, I also have my work professionally edited! If you want to get published, do both; you will need it. I know I do.
What are your opinions about authors commenting on reviews? How important are reviews?
Reviews are very important. You get to see how the world sees your work, and sometimes it can be depressing. But once in a while you get to see how other people see things in your writing that you didn’t, and that can be wonderful.
What experiences can a book provide that a movie or video game cannot?
“There is no exquisite beauty… without some strangeness in the proportion.”
― Edgar Allan Poe
What did you feel reading that? What movie or game can move you like just one sentence you can find in a book?
What three pieces of advice would you give to new writers?
The classics:
First, write all the time, as much as possible, more than possible. Write after sex, during Thanksgiving dinner, on the roller-coaster, write. Second, there is only one thing you should do more than writing: reading. Third, it’s like a baseball game: slow at times, it has weird rules, the players are all characters, it’s a long game, and it’s worth it.
What are your best marketing/networking tips?
Try everything: you never know what is going to work. My step-father, although we never really got along, was so tickled by the fact that I wrote a book that he posted it on his Facebook page every day for a week.
Most authors also like to read, what books do you enjoy?
The ones with the ‘what if?’ What if we could clone Hitler? The Boys from Brazil. How would a detective act if he knew the world was coming to an end? The Last Policeman. Is there a way for a sensitive man to become more solid? Angry White Pyjamas.
Do you have a favourite movie?
It’s like picking a favourite food – how do we measure ice cream against Foie Gras? But the movie that had the most impact on me as a child was North By Northwest. I learned how fickle life can be.
Do you have any pets?
Lucy is a part Beagle, part Jack Russell terrier, and part stand-up comic.
Can you give us a silly fact about yourself?
I love romantic comedy movies. There, I said it. My favourite is Amelie
Book links, website/blog and author links: http://www.amazon.com/One-Likes-Vampire-Cerberus-Series-ebook/dp/B00G7997NY/
October 30, 2014
Character Interview – Victor Frankenstein (Heroes in Hell)
As a special treat this All Hallows Eve I have been invited back to Hell as a guest interviewer. My next guest is one of the better known denizens of Hell, and perhaps one who deserves much sympathy.
Welcome to the Hell Interview Channel, brought to you infernally hour after hour.
Name (s): Herr Victor Frankenstein, MD.
Age (before death and after you ended up in HSM’s domain): I cannot remember. Perhaps in my 30s.
Please tell us a little about yourself. I am a doctor, a damned fine doctor, if I may say so myself, even though I did not practice medicine in the manner of most doctors.
Who were you in life? I was a brilliant physician and chemist, dedicated to research, and tortured by an obsession to conquer death – to bring life to the dead. That obsession will haunt me forever: it has followed me to Hell and will never release me, never let me know peace or whatever may pass for peace in Hell.
How do you think you ended up in Hell? What sins have you committed? Not to sound flippant or sarcastic, but if you read Shelley’s novel you will know that I perished on the ice with Adam, my creation, the thing that damned me for eternity. I committed many of the 613 or so sins, my friend. But let us just say that my one great sin was of pride: I dared to play God.
Describe your appearance in 10 words or less. You’re kidding, right? In ten words or less? I cannot.
My appearance? Now? Well, Merlin, that Caliban of mischief and wickedness, built a very special, magical hideout for Adam and me. But as payment, he wanted to see what would happen if he switched brains. So we allowed him to do so; we had no choice. My brain now resides in the skull of the so-called monster I built with my own two hands, built from the bodies of cadavers, and brought to life. Bolts, clamps, scars, nearly-translucent skin, and poor eyesight; I needs must wear spectacles. The doctor who created a monster, the doctor who was more monstrous than his creation is now, ironically, the creature and to which he gave life – defying God and Nature.
Where do you live in Hell? Tell us about your residence and area. I now live in Goblin Manor, on the Golem Heights, in New Hell. I worked for Doctor. Faustus for a while, earned and saved my diablos, and designed and built the Manor in a grand style, my new Castle of Frankenstein, where I now reside with my hunchback assistant, Quasimodo, who once rang the bells at Notre Dame Cathedral.
Do you have a moral code? If so what is it? Is your moral code the same as it was in life?
Ha! You ask me that? Me? Who has robbed graves, who blasphemed, who committed sacrilege and was declared anathema by every church and denomination in Europe – a thing most people still living do not know. I gave life to the dead; I was the instrument of mayhem and murder. If I have a moral code it is this: I will sacrifice everything, go to any lengths to help those I love and to do whatever I can to undo the damage, the crimes and the sins I was responsible for in life. Here, in Hell, where there is no escape, where there is no hope, no relief, no peace . . . here in Hell I have dedicated my afterlife in the pursuit to helping the Damned find whatever peace can be found in this grim infernity of madness and despair.
Would you kill for those you love? After all sending someone to the Undertaker is not very nice! I have killed and will kill for those I love. I took that essence-of-soul sucking vampire, Lemuel Gulliver, with me into the lava pool, when he tried to destroy Mary Shelley, the chronicler of my infamous and ill-fated deeds. And there I “died,” and then woke again on the Undertaker’s table, at his merciless hands and the incompetent claws of Gorgonous, his assistant. Those two . . . what butchers, what quacks, what sadists! I could certainly teach them a thing or two! But I digress. Whatever became of Gulliver, I have no idea. Remember: death in Hell is not as you know it in life. In Hell, we are all dead. There is no death in Hell, only reassignment, which is in a way a twisted, sick and perverted form of reincarnation.
Would you die for those you love? Die, being a relative term….As stated above, my lovely lady . . . I have, and would gladly do so again. I may be damned and in Hell, but I am not totally without heart, without feelings. I am not so insane and evil as one might imagine, not in the manner in which so many of the movies made of Mary’s novelized version of my life and work have portrayed me. Oh, yes – I have seen those films. We can view them, in Hell.
Do you have any phobias? Are you plagued by anything particular in Hell? I am plagued by Erra and his Seven Sibitti henchmen, and the plagues he brings down upon us by the wrath and will of the Almighty. I am plagued by flies, the buzzing and nagging of those unhealthy little bastards. And I obsessed with finding a cure for those plagues, and most of all, obsessed with finding the Get Out of Hell Free card.
What do you think Satan’s most creative punishment is here? I am not sure what punishments are to be credited to Satan or to the Almighty. It is God who punishes. Satan, in my humble opinion, toys with us, makes fools of us, and I believe he wants to prove to God that the Damned are unworthy of damnation or salvation. He wants us out of Hell; His Satanic Majesty wants Hell for only him and his. He would love to see Heaven send down its angels to cast each and every one of us damned souls into the nothingness of Oblivion. He is a trickster, that Satan, master of many guises and duplicities. But he is not the personification of evil that history has made of him. No – men are far more evil. He may influence, he may bribe, he may make false promise, but in the end, Mankind has a choice, and more often than not, Mankind chooses evil over good. Ah, but then, there are 613 sins, and breaking just one of them can land you in Hell. Perhaps God and Satan are one and the same. Sort of like celestial and infernal versions of Jekyll and Hyde.
Who are your friends here? Adam Frankenstein, of course, my creation and my son in all but flesh and blood. Then there are Galatea, the love of his afterlife, and Johnny Fortune, one-time Chicago gangster who now works for Frank Nitti; dear Johnny, the only lost and damned soul I ever met in Hell who actually likes it here and would not trade it for Heaven. Of course there is my dear Mary Shelley, who so beautifully told my story, with few embellishments. And now, Quasimodo, who serves as both butler and lab assistant, although he drives me crazy with his constant display of acrobatics and quoting passages from Victor Hugo’s novel.
Who are your enemies? Hopelessness, despair, treachery, dishonesty, and disloyalty.
If I recall relationships are… difficult, is this the side of humanity you miss the most?
I am a man of science. Yes, once I was married. But while I loved my dear wife, Elizabeth, I loved my work even more. Sex was never important to me. Thus, in my afterlife, I have been able to concentrate on my work, and I have even forgiven Adam for murdering her. Yes, in Hell I have found the capacity for mercy and forgiveness. Ironic, isn’t it?
Please give us an interesting and unusual fact about yourself.
Most people do not realize that I based my work on that of Johann Konrad Dippel, who was a German physician and vivisectionist, who was actually born in Castle Frankenstein, near Darmstadt, in 1673; he died in 1734, and I have no idea where in Hell he might be. As for me, I was born in Naples and raised in Geneva. My family often referred to their home as Castle or House of Frankenstein. There are many castles with that name in parts of Europe, and many Frankensteins. For all I know, Dippel might have been, might be a distant ancestor.
If you ever get to Hell, and I pray that you do not, look me up. I am working on many things, and one of them is a way to keep the Damned from ending up on Slab A in the Mortuary, at the mercilessness of the Undertaker. I doubt I will ever succeed, but one must never give up, never lose hope, especially in Hell.
Author notes:
Book(s) in which this character appears plus links:
POETS IN HELL, copyright (c) 2014, Janet Morris, in the story We The Furious. (Joe Bonadonna)
Author name: Joe Bonadonna
Website/Blog/Author pages etc.
http://www.amazon.com/Joe-Bonadonna/e/B009I1KYIK
October 27, 2014
Character Interview Thirty Two – Briseis – Hand of Fire Blog Tour – Historical Fiction
As some of you know I am quite a fan of history, especially ancient history so I was delighted when author Judith Starkson got in touch asking me to participate in the blog tour for Hand of Fire. The Iliad is the epic tale of the Trojan War, told by Homer in true heroic fashion, but what of the women involved, Hand of Fire is the tale of one of the brave ladies who found themselves embroiled in one of the most epic battles in history.
Summary:
In the Iliad, Homer gives only a few lines to Briseis, the captive woman Achilles and Agamemnon fought over. Hand of Fire brings Briseis to life. As healing priestess and strong-willed princess, guarding her city, an ally of Troy, from the Greeks, she draws strength from visions of a handsome warrior god she believes protects her. But when he appears, she realizes her tragic mistake. Achilles, the mighty, half-immortal Greek, destroys her city and kills her brothers. Briseis, fueled by unspeakable grief, raises a sword against the invincible warrior. With this act, she ignites a passion that seals his fate and changes her destiny.
Only recently has modern archaeology revealed the Trojan realm with compelling detail through vast cuneiform libraries and complex sites. Unlike previous novels set in this iconic war, Starkston has accurately captured the rich milieu of this Bronze Age world, in a lively and fast-paced tale that combines myth and history to give the long-silent Briseis a powerful voice.
Welcome and tell us about yourself.
Name (s): Briseis
Age:15 when you first meet me in my story
Please tell us a little about yourself. I’m the woman in the stories about the Trojan War who caused the bitter conflict between Achilles and Agamemnon. It wasn’t my fault, mind you. Agamemnon is a pig. Achilles is too stubborn to compromise, much as I love him anyway. I wasn’t even there when they blew up. Most people think I don’t have much to say because the most famous chronicler of the Trojan War, Homer, let me speak up once in his poem that’s 24 books long—once! Well, I’ve found a much better place to tell my side of the story—Hand of Fire. And I like this blog.
Before Achilles plundered my city and changed my destiny and his, I followed my mother as my city’s healing priestess. I was betrothed to the king’s son, so I was also going to be the queen someday. I had to protect my people from the gods’ wrath and, frankly, from my princely husband’s rash decisions. Then Achilles arrived, sword in hand. The gods sent me a big surprise that I can’t tell you about or it would spoil my story—let’s just say the gods like tricking mortals.
Describe your appearance in 10 words or less. A tall, gray-eyed redhead. Homer says I look “like Aphrodite.”
Would you kill for those you love? I was trained to heal illnesses and keep my people safe. To kill goes against everything I was raised to be, but there’s something deep in me I discovered that’s stronger than all of that. What does it take to bring that kind of dark strength out into the open and turn a healer’s hand to violence? I’ll let you read my story and find out—it’s all there in Hand of Fire.
Would you die for those you love? Many days, when I’d lost so many, I wished I had died, but I’ve realized that no matter how bad things get there’s a way to find joy in life. You can’t let death and sorrow dominate. Achilles once said to me, “simple joys bring healing if you let them.” Ironic he understood that then and I didn’t. He lost that wisdom later. It broke my heart, but I still believe he was right the first time.
What would you say are your strengths and weaknesses? My father always said I was headstrong. He’s right and I think that’s been both a strength and a weakness for me. I cause trouble when I speak up without thinking things through when I really care about something. My husband did not take kindly to that—I have the scars to show that.
Another aspect that I’m not sure whether it’s a strength or a weakness is that I have visions the gods send me, or I think that’s where they come from. I was only ever able to tell one person about them—some of them are so…, well, intimate and passionate—I couldn’t get the words out to anyone else. I thought they were a gift and source of strength, but now I don’t know. See what you think. My mother trusted the gods completely. I know I should, but it’s complicated, now more than ever.
Do you have a family? Tell us about them. My mother and father and three brothers meant everything to me. Growing up with their love gave me strength—I understood that later. Not everyone has that well to draw from. Even when you lose someone you love so much, the strength they built into you stays. That’s one of the most important things I learned about myself. But “family” can be more than your parents and siblings—that’s a gift I found also. Given all the violence and destruction I had to live through, isn’t that amazing?
Tell Us About Your World
I lived in Lyrnessos, a town allied to Troy but on the far side of Mount Ida. When I was about 15 the Greeks sailed across the Aegean and attacked Troy. That changed everything in my life. We in Lyrnessos did what we could to help Troy drive away the Greeks, but I live in an age of half immortal heroes when a goddess can rise out of the sea to comfort her son and bring him golden armour the likes none of us had ever seen. When you have the gods against you, what chance do you have? I still miss the nights around the big circular hearth in my father’s great hall, the geometric frescoes dancing on the walls in the firelight as if alive. We’d listen to the itinerant bards sing stories of warriors and gods, never realizing those far away legends would come crashing into our peaceful world.
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. I’m a priestess of Kamrusepa, the goddess of the Trojans and Hittites who protects the fertility of the crops, herds and women. She is the protective goddess of my city Lyrnessos. If I anger her, she will doom us all. I wish I were as certain of Kamrusepa’s love as my mother was. But I bathe the goddess and offer her sacrifices. I sing her sacred tales and beckon her with my words to keep us safe. But goddesses cannot change the fate of mortals, I’m told, even when they wish to.
Does your world have magic? If so how is it viewed in your world? You’d call it magic, so I’m told. To me, I can send away illness by saying the powerful words and transferring the sickness from the patient onto some wool threads. Then I tie the threads to a mouse and send it away so the mouse can carry off the illness. I can also bring the handsome protective god Telipinu back to my people by singing his story—I know this because he appeared to me and, well, what he did with me let me know the fertility of my people was assured. That was back then, though. Now, I’m still wondering what those visions meant.
What form of politics is dominant in your world? (Democracy, Theocracy, Meritocracy, Monarchy, Kakistocracy etc.) My world is ruled by monarchy, but there are a lot of kings. My town of Lyrnessos was ruled by my father-in-law. He consulted his council and things were fine until he passed the rule over to his son. He may have been a good king but he hadn’t been a good father. The Greeks have many kings and they are constantly squabbling. Agamemnon has the most financial power—he’s a greedy pig—but he hates that Achilles, the King of the Myrmidons, is far more powerful than he is on the battlefield. Agamemnon couldn’t resist sending Achilles out to pillage towns and islands near Troy to pile up wealth for himself, but it infuriated Achilles to do this dirty work for a king he hated. When they fought about me, it had little enough to do with me—except that Achilles loved and needed me so that when Agamemnon took me away, that was the end. Achilles’ rage burned everything it touched but he was paralyzed by his fury. It became a kind of weakness. Odd, that I, as a woman, turned out to be the strong one. Certainly I proved to Agamemnon that I could terrify him.
Does your world have any supernatural/mystical beings? Please tell us about some. My world is full of supernatural beings. I wish they’d leave me alone. Every time a god or goddess interferes it never comes out well. Immortal knowledge is poison to mankind—that’s what I’ve come to believe, but I’d be in trouble if the priests and priestesses heard me say that. But when Achilles held me in his arms and I felt both the mortal and immortal parts of his being, that was different.
Author notes:
Book(s) in which this character appears plus links
Hand of Fire
Amazon Link http://amzn.to/1yq8CUf
Barnes and Noble Link http://bit.ly/1v0vuWF
Powell’s Link http://bit.ly/1xi7nVM
Author name Judith Starkston
Website/Blog/Author pages etc.
Website: http://www.judithstarkston.com/
Goodreads Author page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6473981.Judith_Starkston
Amazon Author page: http://amzn.to/1wLJymd
October 24, 2014
Darker Places – Horror and Dark Fantasy Anthology – Author Interview Dani J Caile
Today I welcome one of my fellow authors involved with the Indie Collaboration Halloween anthology – Darker Places.
Name: Dani J Caile
Please tell us about your work with the Indie Collaboration. I became a member of the Indie Collaboration some time ago, but it kind of passed me by. I wanted to write stories for these anthologies but I was so busy elsewhere that it never seemed to happen. Until now. I caught a Facebook post by Donny and I thought instantly that “Hey, it’s time to tell that story.” I will surely be more involved as the months go on. The IC can only be a good thing for all of us, including writers and readers.
Where did the idea for these stories come from? This is the first one I’ve written for the IC and as with all my stories, it came from my experience. Without some reality, a story isn’t real. Everything I write, from novels all the way down to a zhong, has a reality. This particular story in Darker Places is very close to the truth.
Do you have short stories in other anthologies? Only outside IC at the moment but I hope to be in more. There’s a Steampunk anthology “Circuits & Steam” by Three Fates Press which sells well at US fairs and conferences but has yet to be set up on Amazon, and 2 future anthologies with the same publisher to come, one anthology about strange passengers on a desert bus and another in honour of 50s/60s horror movies.
I’m also a longtime member of the Iron Writer Challenge (www.theironwriter.com), a Flash fiction writing ‘competition’ which is excellent for tuning your writing skills. I have stories in their first anthology, “Ironology”, the first year of Iron Writer Winners. That will come out in a few weeks, hopefully, and almost 10% of the book are my stories. I also write up everything and anything in the Iron Writer, both the weekly challenges and any other extras and have created 3 six-month anthologies so far on Smashwords for free, ‘Dani’s Shorts3′ being the latest.
Please tell us about your other works. I’m waiting for some cover art for my latest novel, “How to build a castle in 7 easy steps”, also from Three Fates Press, though they say 2015 is the foreseeable release date. I do, however, have a self-published back catalogue which is on Amazon. There are almost 1000 copies of “Manna-X” out there…somewhere…
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…)
Solid plot – you need a framework to hang your ideas.
Great characters – these speak to your reader, communicate what you want to say.
Great world-building – your characters and plot need a believeable place to live.
Technically perfect – when everything else is done, get it right.
What three pieces of advice would you give to new writers?
1. Write what you want to write. If you’re writing to a set genre/agenda given to you, try and keep it ‘you’. No one wants yet another clone.
2. Improve. Never sit there and think you can write. Write better.
3. Have fun. Make friends, make contacts, have a laugh, but above all, write.
Most authors like to read, what have you recently finished reading? Did you enjoy it? I’m an ex-pat in Hungary and I’m a little out of the mainstream. I read “God is not Great” by Christopher Hitchens the other week and I’ll be reading it again and again for the rest of my life. It’s such a good book. I also read a few ebooks from some Indie authors I know and I’m reading Laurie Lee’s “As I walked out one Midsummer Morning” at the moment. I’m a sucker for a smooth classic. Enjoying every page.
What are your opinions about authors commenting on reviews? How important are reviews, in your opinion? Reviews are bread and butter to an author, especially an Indie author. Without them, there’s no opinion as to the quality of your work. Some have to be taken with a pinch of salt, those written by friends and good-wishers, and that’s why I always read the bad reviews. Among those you’ll find the truth.
Do you think Indie authors get a bad press? Why do you think this might be?I’ve been reading ebooks from Indie authors since 2011, I’m probably getting close to 500 or so now. Unfortunately, with most of them I didn’t even reach the second chapter, I couldn’t. The quality was atrocious. Once in a while I’ll find an Indie author who can write and sometimes I come across one who can also write something ‘different’. My readers say I’m in that last group, but those who aren’t in either of those two I’ve just mentioned destroy the image of the Indie market and bring down any chance a quality Indie author has of breaking into the limelight. Usually they’re the ones with the loudest voices, too.
Who are your influences? Too many to name. Readers say I’m a cross between Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams, which can’t be a bad thing, though I have a more classic background, for example I love Aldous Huxley’s work. Hemingway is also a hero of mine, as is Shakespeare, Donne, Beckett, Chekhov, Milligan…the list is endless, as I said. I am influenced by everything I sense and experience.
What can we expect from you in the near future? Well, “How to build a castle in 7 easy steps” is coming soon, that’s going to be big. I’m also keeping up with the Iron Writer Challenge, perhaps even get to the Annual Final again this year, and I hope to write some stories for other IC anthologies. The thing for a writer is to write, but your stuff needs to get out there and be read…thanks for the interview!
Book links, website/blog and author links:
Blog: http://danijcaile.blogspot.hu/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jedlica
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DaniJCaile
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dani-J-Caile/e/B00CDX0HSM
Smashwords (free books): https://www.smashwords.com/books/byseries/2766
Other posts about the Indie Collaboration:
http://libraryoferana.wordpress.com/2014/06/16/indie-collaborations-presents-summer-shorts/
http://libraryoferana.wordpress.com/2014/06/16/indie-collaborations-presents-summer-shorts/
http://libraryoferana.wordpress.com/2013/10/29/indie-collaboration-presents
http://libraryoferana.wordpress.com/2013/11/01/indie-collaboration-author-interview-3-chris-raven/
October 22, 2014
Author Interview Sixty-Nine Massimo Marino – Sci-fi
Welcome to Massimo Marino
Please tell us a little about yourself.
I’m Italian, and because even in Italy that means everything and nothing at all, I should say, I am Sicilian. I was born in Palermo, and as it happened with countless Sicilians, I left it, back in 1986. I lived more years abroad than in my home country, and I have changed in many and different ways than my old friends there. It is always a pleasure to go back, but it is now 6 long years since my last visit. Saudade? Maybe, a little.
I lived in Switzerland, France, and the United States. I am a scientist as a background, and have spent over 17 years in fundamental research. Most of my writing are then academic stuff, and I always wonder at how much Google is able to find about everyone. I am sure one has to Google oneself so not to forget too much about oneself… I use Google a lot to do research for my books.
Please tell us a little about your writing – for example genre, title, etc.
I’m writing a visionary, speculative sci-fi trilogy, “The Daimones Trilogy”. The first volume, “Daimones” is available both as paperback and ebook. The second volume, “Once Humans”, is in the last editing phases and should be hit the virtual and real shelves in a few weeks.
Daimones is part true life experience and uses real facts with an added “what if” to provide an explanation to current and past events. It developed into a post-apocalyptic novel with an ongoing mystery and suspense till the end, where all “dots connect”, especially with Dan’s past—the main character—and which leaves the reader, as one reviewer put it, “with lots to ponder”. It spurred by finding on the net an amazingly long series of inexplicable death of animals, where nothing can be pointed at as cause for the events and still most of those events share common aspects. Intriguing…what if…
Where can readers find your book?
Almost everywhere because of the extended distribution of Smashwords from their Premium Catalogue. So Amazon, Kobo, B&N, Foyles, Smashwords, and many many others.
Direct links for Amazon and Smashwords are:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B008O53L5O
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MassimoM
How long have you been writing and what, if anything, made you choose the genre in which you write?
I wrote for many years, though it was academic stuff. Since my teen years I have written novelettes and short stories that ended up in a drawer every time and then lost and destroyed. It was a solo pleaure, very few have ever read those. Then, an unexpected turn in my life made for me to join a beta-reader community and the feedback has been phenomenal.
Sci-fi was a big hit at home when I was a kid. Had both father and older brother deep into that genre. I couldn’t avoid it.
Who or what are your inspirations/influences?
I grew up reading sci-fi, all the big names, from Isaac Asimov to Ray Bradbury, Ursula Le Guin, Frank Herbert, Larry Niven, Robert Heinlein, to name just a few and then other genres too, Tolkien, Stephen King, Tom Clancy and others. Italian authors, too, like Svevo, Calvino, Sciascia, and also Greek mythology authors, the ones I used to hate at school and that are instead fantastic writers and authors. We live with myths daily, even if we do not realize it.
Can you name a positive experience from your writing and a negative one? It is the same experience for both; sometimes you cannot control what your characters do and say. I followed lessons on creative writing from Brandon Sanderson at BYU online, and in one of those he described the two extremes of writing styles. One goes through pre-organizing everything, the entire plot, from the beginning to the end, the various conflicts, each chapter, everything. And then fills up the gaps, more and more till the manuscript is “completed”. At the opposite sit those writer called “gardeners”. These ones plant the seed of the story, and then the story grows, evolves, take unexpected turns, with the writer sometimes unable to tell how it will end, or what will happen if certain events were to occur.
I found myself more into this last tail of the “writers distribution curve”. I’ve watched Daimones in my mind, heard characters discussing, and reacting to what happened to them as in a movie. Sometimes I was unable to write as fast as the images flow I witnessed and I had to ask them to rewind and let me watch again.
The story and the characters had a life of their own, and I became the first reader of the novel.
With the rise of e-books do you still publish in print as well? Is this medium important and why?
I will always bring novels to print. Longer books need to be in print too. Besides, bookstores are not yet equipped to carry ebooks and it is always nice to see one owns work on the shelves. For example, I’ve recently done a Reading in a bookstore in Geneva. That would have not happened if the book was not in print as well.
Do you listen to music or watch TV whilst you write?
At times I listen to music, piano concertos. I love Rachmaninov ones.
Books are important, why is this the case? What can a book provide that say a video game cannot?
A good story doesn’t show everything to readers. It brings them in, makes them use their own experience and path of live to imagine and recreate the vision the writer had in the first place. That vision is different for every reader. A book is always an active process, readers’ mind and imagination have important roles. A video game is passive compared to a book. Everything is there, and in order to enjoy better the experience the player has to let go his own imagination because it interferes with the gaming experience or slows down actions and reactions. The more hypnotized a player is, and absorbing passively everything the better he can be at the game.
With a book the opposite happens, the more the reader contributes to the reading, the more enjoyable the story becomes and grows into the reader.
Can you give us a silly fact about yourself?
I believe I can become a writer.
“Once Humans” Vol.2 of the “Daimones Trilogy”
The dogs had been slaughtered. Not a quick death either…no pity or mercy for their suffering. They did not waste a bullet for our companions; a large machete-like blade had slashed through their bodies. The guts of the male left a trace as he tried to drag himself away from the killing rage. A barbaric act, and probably a message for us. I looked at Laura with a muted question.
“I wanted you to see the place as we found it,” Laura said. “I left the two guys here, as a precaution, but instructed them not to touch anything.”
Laura gestured to our escort and the group scattered around the perimeter.
The barn was open and many animals were missing. Those still there—and their entrails—covered the floor. The walls were splattered, giving the impression concrete bled, too. A stench of gas and death assailed me.
Once Humans: Daimones Trilogy, Vol.2
October 21, 2014
October 20, 2014
Editor Interview Number Eleven – N. R Champagne
Hi, welcome to the Library of Erana and thank you for talking to us today.
–Thank you so much for inviting me!
Please introduce yourself.
–I’m N. R. Champagne, Nina to my friends and clients.
How did you get into this line of work?
–Funnily enough, I was first drawn to it when I was going through the beta-reading stage with my first book. I was lucky enough to find some really good beta readers, one of whom was in the process of becoming an editor. I had done word processing and editing earlier in my life. I saw that there was a need for reasonably priced editing, and I decided to offer my own services to other indie authors.
Are there genres you refuse, if so why is that? Do you have any you love?
–I wouldn’t refuse any genre, and I do both fiction and nonfiction. My favorites are the ones I write in: fantasy and science fiction (including dystopia/postapocalyptic fiction). But I think I would refuse any manuscript that had themes of hatred, excessive violence, or violent sex.
Are you also a writer? If so do you self-edit or do you use the services of another editor?
–Yes, I am a writer. In fact, that’s how I got into editing. My first book, Prodigal Angel, was critiqued, beta-read and proofread by multiple readers, but not outside edited. I won’t make the same mistake with my next book, though.
What are your opinions of self-edited work by authors?
–I can certainly understand authors wanting to self-edit; the fees for professional editing are quite daunting. It’s not unusual to pay a big editing house $2,000 or more for a 100K-word manuscript. Of course, I charge about a quarter of that; somewhere around $500 for a basic line edit. It’s not because my editing is not as good as theirs–I believe it might be better! It’s just that as a small service, I have no real overheads so I can charge much less. I’ve seen too many books self-published with bad grammar; it’s a real turn-off to readers. Authors need to remember that no matter how good they are, another pair of eyes is essential. After you’ve been over your own work so many times, you tend to miss a lot. Also, an editor can point out problems with your manuscript you were never even aware of.
Have you ever refused a manuscript?
–No, but I have gotten some for reviews in the past that I couldn’t go through with because they were so bad. But a manuscript going to an editor should be in better shape by that point; an editor expects the manuscript to have been critiqued, beta read, and revised by then, so that it’s ready for the editing stage.
Have you ever had an author refuse your suggestions/changes? If so how did you deal with it?
–I haven’t experienced that exactly, but I tend to work very closely with the author and I’m respectful of their wishes. My approach is, “The author is always right.” It’s their book, after all, not mine, and I am careful not to override their intentions. Often I will check with the author first if I want to change a certain way she does something, and the author can approve or reject any change I make. I have been asked why a certain change is called for, and I explain the reasoning for it. Usually, they accept it, but if they don’t want it, that’s their decision.
Editors often receive a bad press in the writing community, what are your thoughts on this?
–There seem to be two major complaints: First, editors can be rather autocratic, trying to override authors with what they think is correct and pushing their own ideas on them. I’m very careful not to do that; I try to discern the author’s unique voice and protect it. If that voice or style happens to include an ungrammatical way of doing something, so be it. Second, there are apparently some editors who are like building contractors: they’re slow, unreliable, and hard to get hold of! Again, I try to maintain a very close relationship with the author, working one-on-one with them to perfect their creation. I also believe in being professional and having integrity in business. That means keeping to schedule and being available.
Please could you tell us about the process involved with editing for, say, a 100k word Manuscript. (Line edit, content edit etc.)
–The process starts the same way whether it’s a basic line edit or a deeper content edit. Using Word’s Track Changes, I’ll go through the manuscript thoroughly to catch any errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc. If it’s a deeper edit, I’ll make or suggest changes to improve the clarity and flow of the prose. This means different word choices and/or arrangements. If I’m doing a developmental, I will take notes as I go along so I can make constructive suggestions regarding the plot, characters, voice, etc. After I’ve gone through the whole thing, I’ll do another pass to check for anything I may have missed. Once it’s done, the author will be able to keep or reject any changes I’ve incorporated, and they can rewrite parts (or not) based on the content suggestions I’ve made. Lastly, I’ll do the developmental write-up, if that was desired.
What is the difference between proof-reading and editing?
–I’m really glad you asked me that, because I’ve noticed that the word “proofreading” is being misused by many freelance editors. They’re using it to mean a basic line edit. That’s not correct. Editing is done first to correct errors and improve a manuscript; proofreading is done in the very last stage before printing, on an already edited manuscript, to catch anything that might have been missed up until then. It’s a final once-over.
Do you have part of the process you really enjoy? Is there a part you don’t?
–I actually enjoy everything about it. It’s fun and interesting to get to read all these different, creative stories, to get to know the authors, and there’s a lot of satisfaction in helping to make their books better!
Outside of your work as an editor do you read for pleasure? What genre do you enjoy the most?
–I do read a lot, and I most enjoy reading in the genres in which I write: fantasy, science fiction, dystopian and paranormal. I have a blog post I think you’ll find interesting, about why we need fantasy and science fiction. You can read it here: http://nrchampagne.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/why-do-we-need-fantasy-and-science.html
If so do you find yourself editing the work as you go or are you able to “switch off?”
–Unfortunately, I am finding more and more that I can’t “switch off” when I’m reading. I just started the second in Anne Rice’s werewolf series: The Wolves of Midwinter. I’d never before noticed her quirky, ungrammatical approach to punctuation, but now it’s driving me crazy!
What advice would you give to someone starting out as an editor?
–I think it’s essential to get some kind of training–there are plenty of courses out there–and to familiarize yourself with the Chicago Manual of Style. Like many occupations, it’s possible to be good at it just by learning; unfortunately, however, you can’t be really excellent without an inherent talent. It might be a good idea to have that natural bent for it.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to self-edit?
–Don’t do it–call me! *laughs*
Tell us a silly fact about yourself.
–I’ve developed the rather disturbing habit of talking to myself out loud when I’m shopping. It helps me stay focused and not forget anything! I do get strange looks occasionally…
Please add any links to your blog/website etc.
Editor website: www.champagne-editing.com
Author website: www.nrchampagnebooks.com
Blog: http://nrchampagne.blogspot.com
Facebook: N.R. Champagne
Twitter: @NRChampagne1
Amazon Prodigal Angel page: http://amzn.to/1koeXXu
PLEASE SUPPORT “TALES FROM DARKER PLACES” ON THUNDERCLAP
Originally posted on theowlladyblog:
Darker Places – a chilling anthology of horror, dark fantasy, and dark fiction from the Indie Collaboration.
A selection of chilling stories from some of the best Indie authors on the market. We dare you to venture into these pages of spine chilling tales and stories of dark shadows & darker tidings, shifters, ancient warriors, zombies, & demons… See the world through the Ripper’s eyes, and so much more. So many dark, foul things wait for you between these pages. Freely donated by the authors themselves, these dark passages are a great example of their various, unique styles and imaginations.
Show your support at the following link:
https://www.thunderclap.it/…/17846-dare-you-enter-darker-pl…
Thunderclap – One User’s Experience
After my recent post about Thunderclap, the crowd-speaking platform, I decided to interview author David Toft about his experiences.
Hi David, and thanks for joining us. How did you first discover Thunderclap?
The more I think about this question, the less sure I am about the answer. I think a writer friend contacted me asking for support for their campaign, but I honestly can’t remember.
Can you tell us about your promotions?
I’ve run three promotions. The first to generate interest in my current trilogy and linked to Amazon’s listing of book one.
I decided to visit my back catalogue for the second and chose Ishtal, a fantasy published by Wings ePress a couple of years ago. Again I linked to the book’s Amazon listing.
Back to the Kyklos Trilogy for campaign number three, and again linking to Amazon’s listing of book one, The Cycles Turn. It’s reached 140% support and is due to go ‘live’ in a couple of days. If it’s not too late you can add your support at http://thndr.it/1nzIjXj
What is involved? How much leg work did you have to do?
Thunderclap campaigns are amazingly easy to set up. If I can do it, anyone can. Getting those one hundred supporters is where the work comes in. It doesn’t sound a lot, but believe me it isn’t easy. I was on my own for all but the last few days of my first campaign and spent an awful lot of time that should have been writing time begging for support from facebook groups, on twitter and on Google+. If you’re thinking of setting up a campaign, join a mutual support group such as Thunderclap Campaigns, or Stormbuilders, on Facebook
Tell us about your successes? How have you benefited?
I think there’s a danger that running a successful campaign becomes an end in itself. All my campaigns have been successful in that they’ve all achieved the required support and gone live. My aim when I started was to boost book sales, and the first two campaigns failed to do that to any noticeable extent. Here’s hoping that number three is different.It’s all about exposure, people tell me, and yes Thunderclap campaigns have increased my exposure, particularly on Twitter, increasing my follower numbers and generating retweets and favourites.
Did you discover any pitfalls?
None, really, but remember that if you’re in a mutual support group, every Thunderclap campaign that you support will appear on your Facebook timeline. If you don’t want that timeline plastered with erotica, be selective.
Would you recommend Thunderclap?
I would, as a means of increasing your exposure, and it’s free which appeals to me as a Yorkshireman.
What promotional advice do you have for others looking to use such crowd-sharing features?
Join a mutual support group, but be a little selective, if you want to keep your Facebook timeline free of certain posts, support via Twitter only, you’ll get your support returned and keep your timeline clean.
If you choose Thunderclap, when you support another campaign click on the ‘tweet’ option. Doing this doubled my number of Twitter followers and gained me more retweets and favourited tweets than I’ve ever seen before.
Enjoy! It can be fun and you’ll make more friends.
October 19, 2014
Hunters Book Tour – Spotlight Aoife Marie Sheridan
Hunters
The Demon Series #1
By Aoife Marie Sheridan
Abigail is nineteen. Her job, she hunts demons.
Her life so far has been tough. Having witnessed her family’s death and her mother’s suicide, she’s been taken in by a priest, who believes her when she says that she sees ghosts. Father Peter trains her as a demon hunter with three other members, one being Daniel, who isn’t what he seems.
But when a possession goes wrong, and ghosts start to attack Abigail, the tight rope she has on her emotions soon starts to loosen. Abigail draws the unwanted attention of the Reote, and she finds out a lot more than she was willing to learn.
Knowledge is power, but for Abigail, it’s her undoing, and the only thing keeping her together is Daniel.
All Amazon Purchase Links: http://authl.it/22e
About the Author:
Aoife Marie Sheridan has loved reading from a very young age, starting off with mills and boon’s books, given to by her grandmother her love for romances grew, by the age of 14 she had read hundreds of them.
Aoife had a passion for writing poetry or in her eyes her journal entries. It was something she did throughout her teens and into her twenties. Aoife won first place for two of her poems and had them published at a young age of just nineteen. Realising she needed to get a real job (What writing isn’t) she studied accountancy and qualified working in that field for many years, until her passion for reading returned and she found Maria V Snyder. Poison study one of her favourite books has been read and re-read countless times.
Aoife’s first book Eden Forest (Part one of the Saskia Trilogy) came to be after a dream of a man and woman on a black horse jumping through a wall of fire and the idea of Saskia was born. Now with her first novel published and taking first place for Eden Forest with Writers Got Talent 2013, Aoife continues to write tales of fantasy and is currently working on her third book for the Saskia Trilogy amongst other new works.
To contact Aoife you can email her at aoifesheridan101@gmail.com
Website: www.aoifemariesheridan.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Aoifemariesheri
Blog: aoifesheri.wordpress.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6551996.Aoife_Marie_Sheridan
Twitter: https://twitter.com/aoifesheri
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/+AoifeMarieSheridan
Linkedin: http://ie.linkedin.com/pub/aoife-marie-sheridan/66/760/942
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/aoifesheri/
