A.L. Butcher's Blog, page 181
October 7, 2014
Author Interview Number Sixty-Eight – Olga Godim – Fantasy
Welcome to Olga Godim.
Thank you, Alex, for having me on your blog.
Where are you from and where do you live now? I’m Canadian. I live in Vancouver – a wonderfully green city on the West Coast.
Please tell us a little about your writing – for example genre, title, etc. I’m predominantly a fantasy writer. I have one mainstream novel, Lost and Found in Russia, published last year. It’s women’s fiction about mothers and daughters, but most of what I write is fantasy. My novels are high fantasy. They have a quasi-medieval setting, magic, and swords. My novel Almost Adept is the first in the series I’m working on. It was published in January. My second novel in the same series, Eagle En Garde, was published in May. All the novels in the series are stand-alone, united by the same world.
I also recently published a collection of short stories in the urban fantasy genre, Squirrel of Magic.
Who or what are your inspirations/influences? The idea for Almost Adept started developing in my head long ago, after I read one of Valdemar books by Mercedes Lackey. Lackey definitely influenced my writing in many ways. She was the first fantasy writer I ever read, the one who introduced me to the genre. In the end of that book of hers, the main character dies heroically. I dislike such endings, so I started fantasizing: what if he didn’t die? What if… One thing led to another, until the guy transformed into someone entirely different, relocated to my imaginary kingdom, and acquired a wife and a daughter. But I didn’t want to write about him. His daughter Eriale became my heroine – a young and very powerful magician.
Strangely, when I started thinking about Eriale’s adventures, they came to me backwards. First, I wrote a story about her, when she was about 30 years old. This story exists on my computer as the first draft of a novel. I’m going to revise it soon. Then I wanted to see how she started on her magic path – and Almost Adept got written. I’m working on two more novels about Eriale.
I also have a couple of short stories about her, both happening before Almost Adept. Both stories are available as freebies on my website.
Do you have a favourite character? If so who and why? My favorite character, Miles Vorkosigan, doesn’t come from fantasy. He is the hero of Lois McMaster Bujold’s sci-fi series Vorkosigan Saga. Miles is unmatched in the genre. On one hand, he is a sick man, on the other – a kind-of ‘prince’ in a futuristic empire. He is also a genius at solving cosmic problems. His adventures are always original, his obstacles gargantuan, and his solutions frequently funny. He is arrogant and kind, self-delusional and insightful, ingenious as a military commander but inept with women. He is a heap of contradictions and charming to the core. I wish I could create a protagonist as memorable and engaging as he is.
Are your characters based on real people? Not in my fantasy novels, but my mainstream novel Lost and Found in Russia is based partially on my personal experiences. When I was young and poor, I often thought: what if someone showed up at my door and said that I had been switched at birth, and my birth family was rich. And they’re looking for me. What would I do? What would my mother do? And – here was the tricky question – what would my other mother do? Would she want and love me as much as the mother who raised me? From that daydream sprouted the idea for one half of the book – the story of a mother who discovers after 34 years that her daughter was switched at birth, by mistake.
The second part of the novel unfolded in my mind after I met an amazing woman Irina in Montreal. An immigrant from Russia, like my protagonist, Irina came to Canada with nothing and accomplished much. I was inspired by her optimism and determination. She told me about her life and her struggles to find her place in a new country. Awed by her courage, her indomitable spirit, and her lovely soul, I adopted her as a model for my heroine. After my meeting with Irina, the novel practically wrote itself.
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 reason I write high fantasy is because it doesn’t need lots of research. Well, that’s a bit of a joke, but it’s the truth too. In a fantasy story, I can make up a world and all the rules in it, and nobody can say that I’ve made a mistake. It’s my world after all.
Furthermore, fantasy allows me to escape reality. That’s why I read fantasy and that’s why I write fantasy – escapism pure and simple. I imagine my heroes talented and brave, with lots of friends and lots of choices. I make them able and smart. You read about them and you forget (I hope), if even for an hour, while you read, that you need dentures you can’t afford, that your bills are overdue, that your boss is an asshole, that your mom is eighty and getting weaker every day, and you’re helplessly watching her slip away. If I can give you this tiny escape from your worries, then I’ve done my job as a writer.
My urban fantasy short stories are all happening in the city I live in, Vancouver, so again, no research is needed most of the time. And if I do need to check up some facts – the internet is my friend. Almost anything is available, if you ask Google the right questions.
Of course my mainstream novel required more research. For example, my heroine visited the Russian city of Suzdal, a city-museum with a number of old Russian churches. I have never been to Suzdal, but lots of pictures are available online. And I contacted a historical society of Suzdal to ask some questions. As I’m bilingual – I speak and read both English and Russian – I could do that. The people I communicated with were very helpful.
Is there a message conveyed within your writing? This is an interesting question. When I started writing the series of fantasy books, of which Almost Adept is the first, I didn’t intend to convey any message or preach or anything. I just wanted to tell stories, to entertain the readers with my heroes’ adventures. The novels are all high fantasy, so what kind of a message could there be for modern readers, right? But my characters express my world view. They think a bit like me. I suppose it’s inevitable, if a writer is true to herself. So now, when I look at the novels I have written, some published, some not, and some only in the first draft stage, I see a message coalescing, and it has to do with my disbelief in bureaucracy and my mistrust of people with power. What I say in each novel is: “Don’t accept unconditionally what the authorities, secular or religious, tell you. Think first. Doubt. Ask questions.” I guess my skeptical nature shows in my fiction, whether I wished it or not.
What are your opinions about authors commenting on reviews? How important are reviews?
Reviews are extremely important in spreading the word about your book, but as an author, I wouldn’t comment on reviews, even if they’re negative. People are free to express their opinion, and as the celebrities know very well, no publicity is bad publicity. In fact, when I see only 5-star reviews without exception, I get suspicious about that book and the people who wrote those unified reviews. In reality, you can never please everyone. When I write, I write mostly for myself, to tell the story I want to tell. Of course some readers would dislike it. It’s an unpleasant fact of life, like a flu. It happens. You suffer through it and move on.
Kurt Vonnegut in his book Bagombo Snuff Box lists his famous 8 rules of writing. His rule #7 states: “Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.” I can’t say it better.
What three pieces of advice would you give to new writers? I don’t have three advices – I have one. Persevere. I have a favourite quote – my motto in writing:
“Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.”
― William Feather
That would be my advice to any aspiring writer. Don’t give up. If one route to publication doesn’t work out, try another. If nobody wants your novel, try to write for a newspaper or a magazine. Start a blog. You need to find readership that don’t know you. You need to convince strangers that what you write could be interesting for them. And write, write, write.
A writer friend I met online once said: you can only consider yourself a professional writer after you’ve written one million words or more. It’s true. An average novel is about 60,000 to 100,000 words. If I toss in all the writing and re-writing I’ve done for all the short stories and novels, plus my 200+ newspaper articles (I’ve been writing for a local newspaper since 2007), I’m somewhat over one million mark now. And I got three novels published by small publishers. I can definitely consider myself a professional writer.
Keep in mind that writing is a long process, and you can’t skip the apprenticeship phase. Skills come from years of practice, like in music. Of course there are exceptions, but they only underscore the common fact: instant gratification doesn’t exist for writers. Almost always, your first novel isn’t good. My first novel was terrible. It’s still hidden in the bowels of my computer. It will never be published, although I have revised it at least ten times. It was my school. Your first novel is your school. Don’t publish it. Learn from it and move on.
Most authors also like to read, what books do you enjoy? What book(s) have you just finished? I write fantasy, so it won’t surprise you to learn that I like reading fantasy too. My favorite fantasy writer is Sharon Shinn. I enjoy her lyrical and magical tales, a blend of fantasy and romance. Her stories are full of light, without the darkness that’s dominated fantasy novels in the past decade. I especially like her older Samaria series. In it, she writes about angels, and her concept of angels is unique in the genre. It has nothing to do with biblical angels and everything to do with the writer’s imagination. She created a charming race of angels in her stories, angels I believe in, despite my atheism. Her angels are arrogant and talented, decadent and dedicated to their duty, in short – alive. When I read Shinn’s books, my spirit soars. I want to write like she does.
She is one of the very few writers I use as a self-teaching aid. Whenever I’m stumped in my own writing, I ask myself: how would Shinn handle such a conundrum? I open one of her books at random and page through a dialog or a narrative to see what she does. It often helps.
My recent read was The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling. I read it for a group read on BookLikes. It was a re-read; I first read it long ago. I liked it then and I liked it now. A wonderful book!
Can you give us a silly fact about yourself? I use a pen name for fiction – Olga Godim. In my real life, I’m a journalist, and my newspaper articles all have a different byline. I wasn’t always a writer. I was a computer programmer for many years before I started writing. When I submitted my first fantasy story to a magazine, I was still working at my computer job and I felt slightly embarrassed by my fantastic tale. Women of my age and profession didn’t entertain themselves with tales of sword and magic. Or so I thought. So I decided to use a pseudonym. Olga is my first name, and Godim was my father’s first name. He died before I published my first piece, before I even started thinking about writing, but I wanted him to be a part of my writing life, so I chose his name as my nom de plume. Now, he’s always with me, a witness to my successes and failures as a writer.
Book links, website/blog and author links:
Website: http://olgagodim.wordpress.com
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6471587.Olga_Godim
BookLikes: http://olgagodim.booklikes.com/
My book Almost Adept is available at
The publisher’s website: http://burstbooks.ca/product.php?id_product=118
Or other online retailers.
October 6, 2014
Here is my interview with Tim Wahl
Originally posted on authorsinterviews:
Name Tim Wahl
Age As old as the willow’s woes and as young as a lark’s love
Where are you from – USA
Fiona: Tell us your latest news? My latest news would be going to the Comikaze convention at the end of October. I love the convention and have a blast there. As far as writing, I am working on the fourth book and putting together a history (appendix) to place in the back of this book. It takes time but I feel fans will greatly appreciate having this as a reference.
Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?
I started writing poetry when I was 12. I started writing screenplays when I was 18 and I started to write my first book when I was 27. I have always liked to express myself through written words. When I was close to graduating high school, the thought came…
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October 5, 2014
My review of The Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles by A.L. Butcher
A fine review for Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles – Book I
Originally posted on The Northern Scribe:
A story of passion and power!
In an unjust world where elves are enslaved and abused, hope arrives in the form of the indomitable elf mage named Dii’Athella. Fleeing her life as a slave, Dii risks all for the chance at freedom. As she struggles with life as a fugitive, she discovers a power within that is much greater than she ever could have ever imagined.
A.L. Butcher’s first book in the Light Beyond the Storm Chronicles is a compelling tale of a young elfin woman who recognizes her own worth and musters the strength and courage to free herself of a life of oppression and abuse. Not only is she a character of exceptional strength and fortitude, but she is exceptionally caring and selfless. For instance, amidst her flight from captivity, she risks her newfound freedom by using her forbidden magic to help others.
Butcher has developed characters that…
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My review of Ways of the Stygia – Banner by Donny Swords
Originally posted on The Northern Scribe:
A thrilling journey through Purgatory!
A creature is pulled from the Void and set loose in the realm of Purgatory by the infamous killer, Kain. The chronicles of his arduous journey through the darkness are recorded in “Ways of the Stygia – Banner” by Donny Swords.
Banner is created to be a nightstalker, a deadly hunter that prowls the nearly endless lands of Purgatory, killing with cold efficiency. Yet something calls him to be more. Banner abhors killing from the first moment he is forced to do so, and seeks to live a life free of the torture and death that follow his brethren. His travels take him through the many horrors of Purgatory and reveal his development as a sentient being as he struggles to survive and choose where to place his loyalty. For even in Purgatory, there is a hierarchy of power, and terrible pain awaits those who get…
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September 2014 Wrap-up and October Overview
Great author:)
Originally posted on Welcome To My Worlds:
September was all about finishing the first major revision of Daughter of the Wildings and working on the second revision of book 1, Beneath the Canyons. So far it’s going well; I’m using a modified version of Holly Lisle’s Seven-Day Crash Revision to fix what needs to be fixed and get it fixed fast. I should finish this revision on Tuesday (the 7th), then it’s on to the last few editing rounds to fine-tune the writing and fix up mistakes. After that it’s time to format and release the book! I’m hoping to be able to release a new book in the series about every two months. If my current pace holds, that should be doable.
The official release date for Beneath the Canyons is November 10, though, barring any unforeseen problems, it could be as soon as the end of October. I’ve made the decision to put Beneath…
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Surprise Sunday
Wyrd Worlds II was a lot of fun. For those who don’t know it is a free fantasy and sci-fi anthology put together by a group of Goodreads Authors. Here’s an interview with one of my fellow authors.
Originally posted on creative barbwire (or the many lives of a creator):
And it’s a guest! An author of Wyrd Worlds 2, whose story “My Last Day” is a 5 stars IMHO. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome fellow Wyrd Worlder Zach Tyo!
Where do you live and write from?
I was born in the United States, Ohio to be exact. A few years ago my wife, girlfriend at the time, moved to West Virginia and started our family.
When did you start writing?
About two years ago I set out to write my first novel. It was a thriller, and it was never finished. I still have it to eventually go back and rewrite/finish it, but ¾ of the way through it I realized I needed to learn more before I would be ready.
I took a hiatus until this past April when I wrote yet another thriller. I actually completed it, began working on a cover and had it beta…
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October 4, 2014
Getting to know: A. L Butcher
The second half – a bit of fun.
Originally posted on Katherine's Corner:
Hey, Alexandra!
So, we’ve done the serious interview. Now for some sillyness!
What were you like in school?
Rebellious. Oh I don’t mean I burned the school down, or anything but I didn’t suffer fools, still don’t. I knew the rules and I knew which I could break and get away with it. I was independently minded and that can lead to problems. At college I was really into college politics, I was vice president of the student union and… let’s just say there were various big issues with the college management. I was involved in a student occupation of the college. As it happened the management at the college changed and the students gained more rights but it was a difficult decision at the time and almost led to me failing my courses and losing good friends.
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Loyal, eccentric, chaotic.
If…
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Author Interview: A.L Butcher
Here’s my latest author interview.
Originally posted on Katherine's Corner:
Hey, Alexandra!
Hello and thanks for the interview.
Before we get started, why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself?
I’m a British author of fantasy and fantasy romance. I was raised in Buckinghamshire but now live in the southwest. When I am not writing I like to read; mainly fantasy, history, and crime. I’m studying an online course on Roman Britain at the moment, it’s too early to comment on it beyond it looks fascinating. I’m also keen on science, nature, astronomy and gaming.
Brilliant. Thank you.
So, what inspired you to start writing?
I’ve always written. When I was a child it was usually me who provided the poem or short story for the class display. From that continued the poetry, short fan-fic style tales and horror and then adventures for roleplaying games. These graduated into the novels and short stories I have published.
Is there anything…
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October 2, 2014
The Tegan Cave Book Tour – Character Interview Sara Jones
Tell Us About Yourself
Name: Sara Jones
Let’s see…I’m an only child. I was raised in San Diego, California. My parents died in a car crash while I was attending college. After graduation, I went to work for Crussetts’ Investment Company. That’s where I met the charming, handsome Conner Crussett when he came into town to check on his family’s business. We dated for almost a year before he convinced me to transfer to the Houston office and move in with him. For three years I felt happy living with him. Then, I discovered the truth about his family’s real business, organized crime. That was when I left him, yet I still long to be in his arms.
Describe your appearance in 10 words or less. Attractive, 24, 5’8”, slender, long brown hair, brown eyes.
Would you kill for those you love? Yes. If someone I care about can’t defend themselves, I won’t hesitate to step into the fight.
Can you remember something from your childhood which influences your behaviour? How do you think it influences you? My parents were arachnologists and had a state-of-the-art lab attached to our home. I had fun watching all the beautiful different species. My parents set up a spider colony in my bedroom so I could also enjoy them. Spiders were respected and cared for in our home. That’s probably why I cherish them and want to keep them safe.
Please give us an interesting and unusual fact about yourself. When I was in elementary school, I was always getting into trouble because of the spiders I sometimes carried in my backpack.
Tell Us About Your World
It’s contemporary times in the United States with added dangerous human-like species and poisonous mutant spiders.
Do you travel in the course of your adventures? If so where? I stealthily caught a bus in Houston and travelled undetected to Montana in order to escape from an organized crime family.
Name and describe a food from your world. Venotrolia: human blood tainted with poisonous venom from mutant hobo spiders.
Does your world have any supernatural/mystical beings? Please tell us about some. Tegens. They are transformed 25-year-old humans that never age, live forever, see in the dark, and have supernatural abilities. They are deadly with poisonous venom stored in their bodies. They can only be destroyed by fire.
Within your civilisation what do you think is the most important discovery/invention? A formula invented by Sir Randolph Heinrich that was used in the nineteenth century to turn some humans into Tegens.
Author notes:
Book(s) in which this character appears plus links
The Tegen Cave
Author name
Inge-Lise Goss
Website/Blog/Author pages etc.
www.facebook.com/IngeLiseGossAuthor
www.goodreads.com/author/show/7064949.Inge_Lise_Goss
http://www.Amazon.com/author/inge-lisegoss
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/inge-lise-goss/46/45a/a82
September 29, 2014
Book Review – Inconvenient People – Victorian History
Inconvenient People: Lunacy, Liberty and Mad-Doctors in Victorian England.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13154147-inconvenient-people
Inconvenient People: Lunacy, Liberty and the Mad-Doctors in Victorian England
