A.L. Butcher's Blog, page 187

Author Interview Number Fifty-Eight B. R. Kingsolver – Bellator and Urban Fantasy

Welcome to B.R. Kingsolver

Please tell us a little about your writing – for example genre, title, etc. I’ve published four books so far, all set the world of the Telepathic Clans. I would classify them as urban fantasy, but I guess they could also be considered science fiction. The first three, The Succubus Gift, Succubus Rising, and Succubus Unleashed tell the story of a young woman who discovers her telepathic powers are the result of her heritage as a member of a secret telepathic society. The fourth book, Broken Dolls, is a mystery-thriller set in the same world but with a different main character. A recurring theme through all the books is that the bad guys are slave traders—people who kidnap telepathic women and sell them into the sex trade.

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 do extensive research for my books. I created an entire classification system of telepathic Gifts, such as pyrokinesis, telekinesis, teleportation, and of course the succubus Gift. Detailed descriptions of the Gifts are in an appendix at the end of each book. My telepathic society is presented as the descendants of the Sidhe, the elves or the fairy folk, drawn from Celtic legends. I have researched that mythos in depth and attempted to wed it with actual history. I also travel a lot with my characters, and I make sure the settings in Ireland, France, Ecuador, or where ever they go are as accurate as possible.

Is there a message conveyed within your writing?  Do you feel this is important in a book? I write strong female lead characters who are the equal of men in almost every way. But they aren’t trying to be men. They’re very feminine. My characters also own their sexuality. I feel it’s important that women understand that while they are different from men, they can be as strong and independent. My female characters revel in their femininity, make no apologies, and take no prisoners.

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…) My stories always start with a character or characters. Even a great story will be dull without characters that are more than cardboard cut outs. Next is a solid plot. People read for the story. Good world building can be important for some genres, but a romance about the boy next door doesn’t require any world building. The technical aspects readers expect. The only time readers notice technical issues is when they intrude on the story.

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 from most eBook outlets and in print from Amazon, Barnes and Noble and CreateSpace.

Do you self-edit? If so why is that the case? Do you believe a book suffers without being professionally edited? I self-edit multiple times. I also have several beta readers, two of whom are professional business or technical editors, and all my writing gets a final edit from a middle-school English teacher. I’ve spent most of my professional career writing and editing, though not writing fiction. I taught business writing at a major university and worked as a newspaper editor for five years. No one is qualified to edit their own work. You see what is supposed to be there, not what is there. If you used a word incorrectly, you’re not going to find it on edit. The major issue I see with independent authors is poor editing.

Do you think indie/self-published authors are viewed differently from traditionally published authors? Why do you think this might be? Yes, I do. There are a number of reasons for this. Poor writing and lack of editing are common. Every indie book that is published with poor structure, incorrect word usage, or ungrammatical sentences is held up as proof that the author self-published because they weren’t good enough to make it in the “real” publishing world. The large publishing houses have a vested interest in pushing that point of view. I think there are excellent writers independently publishing, and some that have no clue as to what they’re doing. Unfortunately, we all get tarnished by the same brush.

Do you read work by self-published authors? Yes, I do. Quite a bit, actually. I do some editing for authors, and I read independent authors on my own. I’m a member of a writer’s group, and we critique each other and help each other. I’m reading a book now that has some issues. The story is good, and the writer shows promise, but it’s obvious that the author is inexperienced and that the book could use an edit.

What are your views on authors reviewing other authors? I occasionally review other authors, but only if I can give the book a very high rating. I know how badly poor reviews can hurt. They not only affect sales, but also promotions. Some promotional companies won’t even take your money unless you have a 4-star average on Amazon.

Most authors like to read, what have you recently finished reading? Did you enjoy it? I read voraciously, both indie and trad published authors. I recently finished the Spectras Arise Trilogy by Tammy Salyer, a dystopian space opera that I enjoyed. Also the Baskerville Affair Series by Emma Jean Holloway, which is steampunk. I could go on and on. Two series I’m waiting on are the next books in Anne Bishop’s Others series and Nora Robert’s Dark Witch series.

As a writer of erotica have you encountered any prejudice?  How have you dealt with it? Do you write under a pen name? I don’t write erotica, but my succubus books have erotic scenes. Some reviewers have been offended, especially since it’s usually the women who are the seducers. The idea of a woman as a sexual predator, using men for their pleasure and discarding them, seems to really bother some women. I’ve received some very nasty reviews that only commented on that particular idea. But those same reviewers swoon over bad boy characters that are abusive. I don’t get it.

Book links, website/blog and author links:

Author web links: (web, blog, twitter, facebook, goodreads, etc)

http://brkingsolver.com/

http://brkingsolver.com/author-s-blog

https://twitter.com/BRKINGSOLVER

https://www.facebook.com/brkingsolver

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5823296.B_R_Kingsolver

http://amazon.com/author/brkingsolver

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/br-kingsolver

B. R. Kingsolver also has a story within Bellator

 

Reblog – song and pics

Great poem from author Laurel A Rockefeller on this blog. The blog is filled with wonderful pics – do go get it out. http://earlharrisphotography.wordpres...

It’s Here! Bellator – an anthology of space and magic

So after a week or so of promotion – including author interviews – Bellator is live!

12 stories of magic, space and heroes.

SARAH by Lee Pletzers

The Summoned Rise of the Phantom Knights by Kenny Emmanuel

Border Patrol by BR Kingsolver

The Twelve by Mia Darien

Ghosts by Christi Rigby

Outside the Walls by A. L. Butcher & Diana L. Wicker

My Brother’s Keeper by Raphyel M. Jordan

With Our Own Blood by Jessica Nicholls

The Connection by Crystal G. Smith

A Fly on the Wall by Chantal Boudreau

Slacker by Doug Dandridge

The Light Bless Thee and Keep Thee by Mason Darien

Here are the links!

Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00MCUHYUU

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00MCUHYUU

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/464038

CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/4910260

Release Day post on From Mia’s Desk: http://www.miadarien.com/bellator-is-live-release-day-interview/

Historical Fiction: Learning the Genre

Originally posted on No Wasted Ink:

Historical Fiction is a genre that intrigues me. I was drawn to Regency and Victorian era historical fiction by my love of Jane Austen and her novels. In turn, this interest moved me into the science fiction crossover of Steampunk, a type of alternate history. The creation of a historical world is similar to the creation of a science fiction or fantasy one. Many times authors will use a past civilization to be the fuel for their own fantastical creation.

To get you started in the genre, I have listed a few sites that I have found helpful in learning the foundation of historical fiction. Let your curiosity move you through time and space and experience more of the human condition than what we live in present day. By learning of the past, perhaps we will see more of our future.

Historical Novel Society
This is an organization devoted to…

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Author Interview: Kate Wrath

Originally posted on No Wasted Ink:

Kate Wrath lives in the desert Southwest and writes science fiction and fantasy novels. I’m pleased to welcome her here on No Wasted Ink.

I’m Kate Wrath. I’m a writer and an artist. I live in the Southwest with my husband, my two girls, and my big dog (he would be upset if I left him out).

When and why did you begin writing?

I started writing fan fiction with my friends when I was twelve. It quickly became an obsession, and before I knew it, I was writing my own stories. I had written thousands of pages by the time I started high school, and it just kept adding up from there.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

That’s a difficult question. I know a lot of writers who have different milestones they feel they need to reach to be considered a writer—paying the rent with their…

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Biblioklept’s Dictionary of Literary Terms

Originally posted on Biblioklept:

AUTEUR

French for author, this term denotes a film director who makes the same film again and again and again.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

A detailed list of the books from which the author plundered all his or her good ideas.

CIRCUMLOCUTION

The rhetorical device of circumlocution can be seen by the reader or made evident to the reader when a writer chooses to compose phrases, clauses, or sentences that are inordinately complex, exaggerated, long-winded, or otherwise unnecessarily verbose in order to demonstrate, convey, show, or express an idea, image, or meaning that might have been demonstrated, conveyed, shown, or expressed via the use of shorter, simpler, more direct phrases, clauses, or sentences that demonstrate brevity.

Inexperienced writers, especially composition students, are advised to use circumlocution to pad their writing and meet the assigned word count.

DESCRIPTIVIST

A grammarian who holds strong opinions and judgments about prescriptivists.

EXPOSITION

Telling without showing…

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Anne of Brittany, Queen of France

Originally posted on The Freelance History Writer:

Anne of Brittany, Queen of France

Anne of Brittany was born in the Castle of Nantes on January 25, 1477. A sister named Isabeau was born a few years later. Her father was Duke Francis II of Brittany and her mother was Marguerite, sister of the Comte de Foix. Anne’s tutoring was administered by the prominent Breton noblewoman Françoise de Dinan. She was taught the usual gracious arts of embroidery, singing, dancing, and proper deportment. Anne was intelligent and quick, learning Latin and Greek in addition to French literature. She was very petite and thin with a visibly hunched back. She suffered from a congenital hip defect and used an extra high heel in one shoe to compensate for a limp. Anne was fond of wearing traditional Breton dress with luxurious fabrics.

When Anne was nine, her mother died. Her education was stopped and Anne’s quiet life was replaced by…

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Self-editing masterclass snapshots: getting distance

Originally posted on Nail Your Novel:

All this week I’ve been running a series of the sharpest questions from my Guardian self-editing masterclass. In previous posts I’ve discussed three/four-act structure,endings, characters who are either bland or too disturbing to write ,making a character distinct through dialogue  and a fundamental misconception about self-editing. Today I’m talking about the rest period before we edit.

Putting the book away to get distance

How long do you have to put your book aside before you can see it objectively? One student asked this because he’d left his in a drawer for several years. However, when he read it again, he couldn’t judge whether it worked because he remembered exactly what he meant to say.

One of the biggest editing problems is spotting the difference between what you mean and what comes across. It’s possible that this gentleman did write the novel perfectly. Or maybe he has…

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The 21st Century And The Revamping Of Classical Characters

Originally posted on Lynette's Blog:

Although I was born in the swinging sixties and lived my teens throughout the New Romantic era, I like to think of myself as one of those people who embrace moving with the times. However, in a modern day world where the pressure to create something fresh and exciting is becoming increasingly predominant, more and more creative artists are looking at successful classical characters to revamp.

Last year Sophie Hannah was commissioned to write Agatha Christie’s, Poirot. This caused a big hoo-ha at the time, with readers up in arms stating that no one could ever take the place of their most revered and favourite author. It was certainly not a case of ‘out with the old and in with the new’ because readers were horrified that anyone from the 21st century would think themselves worthy of such a feat; openly criticizing the relatives of Christie on their decision.

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Author Interview Fifty-Seven Doug Dandridge Sci-fi/Fantasy Bellator

Welcome to Doug Dandridge

Where are you from and where do you live now?  I am originally from Venice, Florida.  My father was also a Florida native, born in Panama City in 1915.  My mom was from Long Island, New York.  But I consider myself 100% Southern.  Now I live in Tallahassee, in the northern part of the state, what is still considered the South, even as the southern part really isn’t.

 Please tell us a little about your writing – for example genre, title, etc.  I write in the genres of Science Fiction and Fantasy, with some past and hopefully future forays into Alternate History.  In Science Fiction and Fantasy my most popular work is the Military subgenre.  Currently I have 21 books out, six in the Exodus: Empires at War series (Military Scifi), four in the Refuge series (Fantasy), and three in the Deep Dark Well series (also scifi).  I also have one Steampunk Fantasy, one High Fantasy, one Urban Fantasy, and five other assorted science fiction, from near future (2020) to eight centuries in the future.  I also have some fantasy and science fiction completed to the first draft novel stage, a total of four, I believe.  Not sure when I will release them, since everyone seems to be clambering for more Exodus, and most of my time is caught up in producing more work in that Universe.

Where do you find inspiration?  Everywhere.  I read a lot growing up, both science fiction, fantasy, and military history.  Also real science, and geography, etc.  I served in the US Army, and learned a lot about what it means to be a soldier, though I never had to face combat myself.  And I followed the Space Program closely while growing up, back in the day when it went from the first orbital flights up to landing on the Moon.  And of course movies and TV shows, from the day when the special effects were pretty hokey, to our modern, almost complete realism versions.  The early scifi I read actually had some science in it, unlike much of what we see today.  So I try to use some of the real Universe in my scifi, though I don’t get tied to it so much that I lose out on a good story.  But things like instant acceleration and deceleration, ships banking in vacuum?  I try to avoid that like the plague.  And dreams.  I have outlined chapters, and once, a whole book during a night of sleep.  I guess I have just accumulated so many terabytes of info from all those sources in my mind, when I see, hear or read something that sparks a memory, the ideas just start flowing and connecting.

Do you have a favourite character? If so why?  My favorite character from my work is Pandora Latham, also known as Pandi.  She starts out as a Kuiper Belt miner, helping to feed the hunger for comets to use in the terraforming of planets.  She escaped her native Alabama, and the father she hated, by undergoing space training.  She really wants to go to the stars, but mining is the best that is available in her sublight culture.  Until the day she has to jump through a wormhole forty thousand years into the future.  What I like about the character is she is a resilient fighter who never gives up.  In situations where most people would curl up in a ball on the ground in shock, she rolls with the punches, learning the whole time how to survive, and even thrive, in her environment. One of my fans called her Bloody Mary, because she is not adverse to killing something to solve a problem. But at heart, she is a good person, one who believes that all sentient life should be free, and judged for their minds, not their outer appearances.

Do you have a character you dislike? If so why?  Heck, I have a lot of characters I dislike.  I put them in the story for others to dislike them as well.  While they may not be totally bad, they all possess some reprehensible traits.  What’s a story without someone to hate.

Are your characters based on real people?   I have done that in the past, but now they are just more composites of people I have known.  I worked in mental health for years, and then for Department of Children and Families in Florida.  I have met a lot of unique personalities, with a lot of unique, not always exemplary, behaviour.  I have had some people tell me one or more characters I wrote were not believable, when they were patterned from some of the people I have really met, that most don’t really see in their day to day lives.

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.  I have all kinds of books in my library, the Atlas of World History, books on Mythology, Star Atlases, just about anything you can think of to help me develop science fiction or fantasy world.  Of course now the internet is a favorite resource, with all of the sites that can give you all the information you need.  I especially like the sites that provide calculators for things I used to have to do by hand, orbits, gravity, luminosity of a certain kind of star on a planet in a certain orbit.  Calculators for the energy derived from amounts of antimatter.  NASA’s interactive map of Mars. Nuke Map.  The list is just too extensive to cover it all.  And computer programs I run on my personal system, like Orbit Xplorer and others.

I try to cover all aspects of the world I am building, and in fact overdo it.  That works out really well when I’m working on a series, as eventually most of that stuff will come in handy.

Is there a message conveyed within your writing?  Do you feel this is important in a book?  I like to have a message of hope, no matter what.  The characters may find themselves in a horrible situation.  In fact, many of them might not come out the other side. But there is always a chance.  I think some message is important in writing, but not the beat the over the head every paragraph till they either get it, or start bleeding from the ears, kind.

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 World Building, Solid Plot, Great Characters, Technically Perfect.  The way I see it, the thing that really separates speculative fiction from what I term Mundane fiction is the setting.  It has to be some fantastic world, from the past or future, or today gone horribly wrong.  After that a plot that keeps the action moving.  I write action packed novels, and without plot, it’s easy to get lost.  Characters to me are mostly important so people can identify with them, and slip into the world and the plot.  Nothing is Technically Perfect, so I don’t even care about that one.  I try to make my work as good as I possibly can. But perfection is for people who will never publish.

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?  I sell ebooks and print on demand paperbacks.  I just released my first audiobook, Exodus: Empires at War: Book 1, my best seller of all time.  I’m hoping to do all the books in that series eventually, but it will depend on how well that first book sells.

Do you self-edit? If so why is that the case? Do you believe a book suffers without being professionally edited?  I do self-edit, and yes, a book can suffer, though it can also suffer from an editor that doesn’t get it.  Would my books be better if they were professionally edited?  Maybe, but over a thousand reviews across all the books with a 4.45 average says I must be doing something right.

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 still some prejudice against self-published authors.   If you are traditionally published, people tend to think you passed the standards of the gate keepers, and so of course have produced something of quality.  I find that the view is slowly changing, but it all depends on sales.  When I tell some of my professionally published writer friends that one of my books has sold almost nineteen thousand copies, with two more selling over ten, their jaws drop.  Tell the same to a professional editor and the business cards come out.  One of my friends, who has sold millions of books, seems to be very impressed by my ebook sales.  And then you have Hugh Howie, with over a million sales, and not many traditionally published authors in his range.

Do you read work by self-published authors?  Some.  I used to read a lot, but now I only read those recommended by my own fans, or well-reviewed.  I have just read so many that were so poor I couldn’t finish them, and I used to pride myself on finishing everything I started.  Then again, there were some books that were excellent.

What are your opinions about authors commenting on reviews? How important are reviews?  I think reviews are important, though I really couldn’t tell you how much so. I have one book with 8 five star reviews in the US, and almost that many in the UK, which has only sold about three hundred copies.  By the ‘that reviews are very important’ rule, it should be selling thousands by now.  As far as commenting, I refrain from getting involved in that battle.  The only time I will reply is when someone says something about my science that is just wrong.  Then I’ll comment, with a link to the science.  One time it was a comment about relativity and mass, another about nukes.

What experiences can a book provide that a movie or video game cannot?  An in-depth look at a world seen through your own imagination. Movies and games show you what everything looks like, and the actions of the characters, without providing an in-depth look inside.   A book allows one to see things through their own interpretation.  They make you think.

What three pieces of advice would you give to new writers?  Be persistent and don’t give up.  When you finish one project, start on another, without delay.  And write what you love, not what you think is going to be the next big thing, because it probably won’t be.

What are your best marketing/networking tips? What are your worst?  Go to Cons and to the author tracks, and workshop.  You meet people who have already made it, and you never know what will come of that.  I have met some people in the last year who are really helping me out in my career.  The worst. Watch out for the lure of advertising.  I spent $500 last year to advertise a vampire book on a site and saw no increase in sales.  Advertising might look good, but often amounts to no gain.

Most authors like to read, what have you recently finished reading? Did you enjoy it?  I recently read the first three books of Larry Correa’s Monster Hunter International series and really enjoyed them.  I can see how he became a best seller.  Am currently reading Trial By Fire by Chuck Gannon, also a great book.  After that I will track down the next R A Salvatore or Jim Butcher book and get into them.

What are your views on authors offering free books?  It worked for me, so I’m all for it.  As of this interview, I have sold 92,000 books, and given away 16,000.  A giveaway of The Deep Dark Well, over 4,000 books, kick-started the Exodus series.

Do you have a favourite movie?  Too many to count.  I love Avatar and the Star Wars/Star Trek films.  Not because of plot or character, but because of the visuals.  For a boy that wanted to grow up to visit other worlds and see other forms of life, they are as close as I’m ever going to get.

Do you have any pets?  Four cats.  Bobbie, Angelina, Espresso and Molly.  All different, all wonderful, and all little pains in the butt at times.

Can you name your worst job? Do you think you learned anything from the position that you now use in your writing?  Working for Florida DCF had to be the worst job among many bad ones.  Too many contradictory standards, too many politically motivated changes that really helped no one.  It taught me I better keep producing as a writer, since I do not want to return to that life.

Can you give us a silly fact about yourself?  I love women’s college sports.  In Tallahassee we have a lot of college sports.  Our football team won the Division I National Championship, which was great.  Our women’s Soccer Team lost the National Championship last year in overtime, which disappointed me more than the men winning theirs excited me.  I go to every soccer match I can attend.  And that made the World Cup really fun this summer, because I actually knew what was going on.

Book links, website/blog and author links:

Blog:  http://dougdandridge.com

Website: http://dougdandridge.net

Twitter: @BrotherofCats

Amazon Page:  http://www.amazon.com/Doug-Dandridge/e/B006S69CTU

Exodus: Empires at War: Book 1:  http://www.amazon.com/Exodus-Empires-Book-Doug-Dandridge-ebook/dp/B009TZSBJO

The Deep Dark Well:  http://www.amazon.com/Deep-Dark-Well-Doug-Dandridge-ebook/dp/B006S3GOKS

Refuge: The Arrival: book 1: http://www.amazon.com/Refuge-Arrival-Book-Doug-Dandridge-ebook/dp/B00830A0QI

Afterlife:  http://www.amazon.com/Afterlife-Doug-Dandridge-ebook/dp/B00909YF94

 

Synopsis of Bellator.

Private Benito Benny Suarez was a slacker, the kind of Marine that did as little as possible, whatever he could get by with.  The Lodz was the perfect ship for such as he, an old battle cruiser delegated to diplomatic transport duty.  On the run from the Empire to Margrav, she was out of the way, in what was considered a safe sector.  Until the Ca’cadasan battleship found her.  The huge aliens boarded, and Benny found himself in combat.  He woke in agony, floating in zero g, his legs gone, only his battle armor keeping him alive.  His course was clear.  Hide, get off the ship, survive at all costs.  Until he discovered that the youngest passenger aboard the ship, the daughter of the Ambassador, was still alive, and in the hands of the Cacas.  Then the decision was no longer so easy, not if he wanted to live with himself.  Be what he had always been?  Or be the hero, and risk his life to save that of a child.