Cinthia Koeksal's Blog, page 4

Watcha Doin' with Jo Ramsey

(Cover courtesy of Jo Ramsey)

Author Bio:Jo Ramsey is a writer of young adult fiction and urban fantasy. Her novels include The Dark Lines series, the Reality Shift series, Life Skills, Dolphins in the Mud and Vengeance is Sweet. Jo has been writing since age five, and although she’s now considerably older, she still thinks like a teenager. Jo’s books can be found at Jupiter Gardens Press (www.jupitergardens.com), Featherweight Press (www.featherweightpublishing.com), and soon from MuseItUp Publishing (www.museituppublishing.com).
So, what would you say inspired you to become an author?I don’t think any one thing inspired me. I’ve always wanted to be an author. I learned to read before I started school, and even though I couldn’t write then (no one would teach me how), I made up stories and told them to my stuffed animals, and I knew I wanted those stories to be in books like the ones I read someday.
Who would you name as your mentors?I’ve had help from a number of authors, so I’d rather not name names because I’m sure I’d forget someone! I don’t have anyone I’d necessarily consider a mentor, but I’ve learned a lot from a large number of people.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?There are supposed to be times I’m not writing?
What books have made a lasting impression on you?Susan Cooper’s The Dark Is Rising is the book that started me on writing urban fantasy. Madeleine L’Engle’s books and Diana Wynne Jones’s also fueled my interest in the genre.
What do you think were the three best inventions ever and why?Computer word processing programs, definitely. They make it so much easier to write and revise. Online music playlists because you can choose what you listen to while you write. And cable TV, because it keeps my kids occupied while I’m trying to write.
Do you believe in Prince Charming? What role do you think this fictional character plays in modern literature? Should he play a role at all?I think I married Prince Charming. If one considers Prince Charming to be a man who knows how to respect a woman, to take care of her but not smother her, and to be the woman’s soul mate (if you believe in that concept), then yes, he definitely has a role in modern literature. Any book in which a woman or girl finds a guy like that is a book with a Prince Charming, in my opinion. And yes, that does describe my husband. He and I are so compatible that within hours of our first meeting, we were not only finishing each other’s sentences—we were saying what the other was thinking!
Aww, how perfect! Congrats on finding him!:) On to the next question before I cry…My novel The Scarlet Omen is basically about fate and destiny. What is your opinion on destiny and its function in storytelling?I think that destiny is changeable. I might be destined to be an author, but I could choose not to write. I also believe that to an extent, we’re able to create the lives we want to live; we aren’t slaves to fate or destiny because we can make choices that will affect our lives. Destiny plays a big role in stories, especially in fantasy, but even there I think there’s room for choice. Harry Potter might have been destined to defeat Voldemort, but at any time he could have chosen not to fight Voldy; he could have run away; he could have decided not to ever go near Hogwarts again. Destiny might exist, but all humans—and humanlike beings—have free will.
As authors, we live on inspiration, hoping that it will bite us on the bottom sooner than later. What are your sources of inspiration? How do we know which ideas to cling onto and which to banish as soon as they cross our mental path?I don’t have specific sources of inspiration. Ideas jump into my head (the phrase “plot bunny” is surprisingly apt in my case). I don’t banish any of them, but I can’t write all of them at once, so some get put on the back burner and fade away from there.
Some words of wisdom:If you want to be a writer, do your research. Learn a LOT about the genre and age group you want to write. Find out which publishers are reputable and which ones are struggling. Don’t settle for the first publisher who offers you a contract; aim high and work down if you have to instead of aiming low to start with.
Thanks so much for letting us into your headJ It was a great ride! Hey readers, if you haven’t gotten enough of Jo Ramsey and her excellent prose, below is a list of sites to continue your lurking! Have fun…My website: www.joramsey.comFacebook profile: http://www.facebook.com/JoRamseyYAFacebook group (come chat with me!): http://www.facebook.com/groups/148370091840937/Twitter: @JoRamseyYA



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War of the Worlds

“What's the use of a fine house if you haven't got a tolerable planet to put it on?” Henry David Thoreau, Familiar Letters (www.goodreads.com)
“The environment is everything that isn't me.” Albert Einstein ( http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/environment.html#aU1vuMG0WJzI2ag5.99 )
I watched a very disturbing documentary on National Geographic yesterday on whaling. Harpoons should be banned along with their manufacturers! The injustice of the whole act made me frankly quiet sick, but it did get me thinking: isn’t it the case with everything we do against nature? Everything on NatGeo makes you wonder why we’re not doing more for our environment. A crew member on the Sea Shepherd (a boat trying to stop Japanese whalers) put it perfectly: “Money talks.” As long as there is profit to be made from ruining the planet, Mother Nature does not stand a chance.
“The sun, the moon and the stars would have disappeared long ago... had they happened to be within the reach of predatory human hands.” Havelock Ellis, The Dance of Life, 1923 ( http://www.quotegarden.com/environment.html )
This being said, the Earth is pretty old and probably has a few tricks up her sleeve. Once she decides to retaliate, we’re all done for. However, we’re a part of her as well and it’s pretty unfair to expect her to take out the garbage all the time (for those of you whose mums still clean your room…you have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?)
The Scarlet Omen takes Anjeli Xavier on a journey to a mythical valley called The Valley of the Hornbills. There, readers will be confronted with the dangers of taking too much from the environment and giving back too little or sometimes nothing at all. I’ve tried to address how important it is to remember that the world is a sphere; that everything we do WILL come back to us and that our lives are all interconnected with nature. Now, I don’t want people thinking that I’m one of those hippie types (although I am a member of Greenpeace and do not find the word “tree-hugger” derogatory) but I really think that it’s important to mention our responsibility toward our planet once in a while—it does so much for us, so why do we abuse it so? Everything on our planet is helpless against our highly evolved brains; why not use a little of that God-given perk to do good?
“What we are doing to the forests of the world is but a mirror reflection of what we are doing to ourselves and to one another.” –Mahatma Ghandi
Anyway, as you can see, that documentary kicked me out of my comfort zone into seeing some of the more important things going on around me. We’re swamped by life, running around doing what has to be done and ignoring what needs to be. My novels take up all my spare time and as a writer with a voice that people are now starting to listen to, I should make it my responsibility to remind people (I’m not saying that my WHOLE novel is going to revolve around that, so don’t shelve The Scarlet Omen away under Lifestyle and Garden Literature just yet) that it is OUR job to look out for our world…coz’ friendly aliens just don’t have the time to come and clean up our mess.
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.”
Dr. Seuss ( http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/d/dr_seuss.html#s0C2dymi2rIQFq17.99 )
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Uno, Dos, Tres

“If a boy and girl walk off into the sunset at the end of a scene, it adds 10 million to the box office.”—George Lucas (http://thinkexist.com/quotation/the_secret_to_film_is_that_it-s_an_illusion/207851.html)
The Lord of the Rings. Hunger Games. The Golden Compass. They’re all trilogies that have made it on the bestseller lists around the world. What is it about trilogies that fascinate us?
As a reader, I love trilogies because you don’t have to say goodbye to your favourite characters just yet. They’ll be back with new ways to get themselves killed while entertaining you all the way. When I fall in love with a book, it’s forever (my brother cringes when I say I’ve read the same book for the fourth time) and what better way to get the most out of your love life than with the same hotties just somewhere else?
“Once you've invested hundreds of hours in creating a coherent universe, your story's grown to around a half-million words and can't be written as anything less than a trilogy.”
Lynn Abbey (http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/trilogy.html#Lkghmsvuif7eu6eI.99)
What I didn’t know, however, is how hard it is to write a trilogy (there you have it -- I’ve finally admitted a glitch in my system)!
“I would normally never set out to write a trilogy.”
David Brin (http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/trilogy.html#Lkghmsvuif7eu6eI.99)
Hah! It’s not just me--now I have to stop thinking I'm special.
Keeping all your characters and plots in your head for a WHOLE book is challenging enough but THREE whole books?! I’m currently writing the sequel to The Scarlet Omen (I just couldn’t say goodbye yet) and have started to hit a few road bumps. Firstly, it’s crucial to remember that just because there’s more coming in book three, you can’t leave your readers hanging at the end of book two. Sure, they’re all excited about book two and how the protagonist’s journey will turn out at the end of it all but we have to quench their thirst at the end of book two as well. This is HARD! There’s always the temptation to make book two a lead in to book three (BIG NO NO) while trying to remember if you should already drop some hints now about what happens later (and try remembering which beans you’ve already spilled!). It’s truly a long-term relationship and seriously, I get bored really fast!!
So the most challenging thing for me at the moment is keeping myself happy with the content. I keep getting awesome revelations about other novels I’d like to write but my Scarlet Omen triplets are fighting for my attention. It’s great and I love my babies but it’s a challenge remembering that they’re three separate entities with wills and lives of their own and that they’ll come back to blame me with their shrinks in tow for trying to dress them up identically. Wish me luck…and cross your fingers for Anjeli’s safe return (you never know just how my ingrained aversion to boredom might manifest itself!)
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Lights, Camera, Action!

“Give them pleasure. The same pleasure they have when they wake up from a nightmare.” ― Alfred Hitchcock (goodreads.com)
“Everything I learned I learned from the
movies.” 
― Audrey Hepburn (goodreads.com)
It all starts with Sesame Street and Bear in the Big Blue House till we find ourselves sitting on the edge of our sofas crying with Brigitte Jones, our eyes glued to the most magical of man’s creations: Television. How we love it and can’t get enough. I know people who refuse to have one at home and I feel sick just imagining what they do with their time. I guess it’s good for us writers, since they’re most probably reading our books with a nice glass of wine, but still.
I grew up believing that stories could take you anywhere and television was a means of actually convincing your brain that you had arrived. Hollywood can either put you completely to sleep or make you jump up in the middle of the show and want to get a burger or write through the night. I’m a movie junkie (proud of it), both for relaxation as well as inspiration. Here is my top 3 list (needless to say, they all get five out of five star ratings from me…I love all my specials equally!) of all-time inspiring movies (write-till-you-drop kind of inspiring).
Moulin Rouge (2001)The Moulin Rouge is about a writer who falls in love with a courtesan in 1899 in the Montmartre district of Paris (anyone that has ever been to Paris will know that the city itself is magical, so a story playing there can’t go wrong!).  It’s hopelessly romantic, in spite of–or maybe even because of—its unusual and sordid setting. It’s sometimes silly enough to have been made in Bollywood, but I think that’s what fills the nooks and crannies of the movie with added charm. I love any story that has to do with the underworld of big cities and anything that portrays man’s hidden secrets so this movie was practically made for me!
Lord of the RingsThis story doesn’t need any introductions—it’s just brilliant! Set in a made up world, fantasy writers can just go wild trying to conjure up equally magical creatures of their own after watching this. The whole thing about little hobbits going on a journey to save the world from the most powerful sorcerer that ever lived is basically the whole point of a story and it is really inspiring. As Peter Ustinov put it in his novel The Old Man and Mr. Smith, the bad guys in a story need to appear much more powerful than the good ones (putting the battle in their favour) and when the good ones win against all odds, the viewers are that much more satisfied. (I always wondered why the Decepticons in Transformers have all the cool and useful vehicles while the Autobots drive stuff without weapons…now I know) Excellent!
InceptionA dream in a dream in a dream! Love it. We writers get so many of our stories from dreams and this movie is all about influencing the subconscious through our nocturnal adventures. How awesome is that?! Inception is totally mind-boggling and difficult to follow but it had exactly the right amount of weird that I adore. This movie really portrays the unfathomable expanse of the human brains and what we’re capable of. A must watch for writers!
"No form of art goes beyond ordinary consciousness as film does, straight to our emotions, deep into the twilight of the soul."Bergman, Ingrid (http://quotationsbook.com/quotes/tag/movies/)
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Shades of Green

Anyone who knows me will know about my weakness for Robert Pattinson (for those people with a life and no inclination to delve into the celeb scene, RobPat played the vampire in Twilight). This whole drama with Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart (http://www.channel24.co.za/Gossip/News/Kristen-Stewart-cheated-on-Robert-20120725) has got me thinking: Will we ever be satisfied with what we have? How can you have a guy at home that makes other girls wither on their feet and still look at someone else without your eyeballs cringing?
Is the neighbour’s chandelier really that much more ‘bling’ than mine? A year ago, I would have slapped anyone that dared tell me that I’d someday be in the national newspaper. Two weeks ago, I was (full-page article, by the way…just saying)! After the gushing euphoria slowed to a trickle, I started thinking of other KA-BLAMM, POW, ZAP ways to make The Scarlet Omen more visible. Is this normal? Do we as humans constantly need to challenge ourselves, never being satisfied with our achievements? Is that why no one stayed back in the caves and said, “They’re all gonna break their necks trying to fly that pterodactyl”?
“…Troubles in life come when we believe the myth that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.  We are taken over by envy, believing that other people have the good stuff and then feeling depressed, anxious, and persecuted by the belief that we have so little.  We are taken over by greed, wanting more and more and more, feeling that what we have cannot ever be enough.”-- http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/headshrinkers-guide-the-galaxy/201107/mythbusters-the-grass-is-not-always-greener-the-other-sid
When should we stop and enjoy the fruit of our labour? I really don’t know, but I’m sure there must be a time when authors have to except that their book is good enough to see the world. I’d still be improving my novel had I not set a deadline for it (which I changed a number of times, but THAT'S BESIDE THE POINT!). As for Kristen and Robert, I don’t think she wanted something more…I think she was just afraid of having everything.
So how does this ingrained need to yearn for more affect characters in a book? Should we as writers incorporate these feelings at all? This question I can answer and it’s YES. In The Scarlet Omen, Anjeli finds that her life has already been predestined, but it is her choices that make her life hers—that she can go anywhere, be anything and tell FATE to call her agent for further negotiations. I think that’s the whole point of a novel…getting to the end of one journey and realizing that the road branches off to other adventures. Hey, if Eve couldn’t be content with her lot in the Garden of Eden, who are we to question the divine clockwork of the human brain?Cheers!


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Watcha Doin' with Richard Harland

Author Bio:Richard Harland is a renowned English author living in Australia. His fantasy novels include Worldshaker, Liberator, The Dark Edge, the Ferren series, the award-winning The Black Crusade, Sassycat and The Wolf Kingdom quartet.  What inspired you to become a writer?My first idea of being a writer came when I was about 11 or 12, and my cousin and I invented adventure stories, made copies and sold them in the school playground. That was when I first learned the amazing thrill of having someone come up to you and say, ‘Hey, that was great, have you got another one?’ It’s so amazing that someone else can live through the same imaginary experience you made up inside your head!But the idea didn’t become a reality for a very long time. I fell into the world’s worst case of writer’s block.  (Well, I’m ready to be checked by the Guinness Book of Records!) For 25 years, I kept on starting novels that I could never finish. I still have 30 unfinished manuscripts at the bottom of a cupboard at home!Is there any particular person that you look up to?Heaps! All the writers I most admire for a start! Mervyn Peake, Angela Carter, Jane Yolen, Philip Pullman, Alfred Bester, Ursula Le Guin, Fyodor Dostoevsky ... I could go on and on forever.How do you spend your time when you’re not knee deep in manuscripts?Good question right now! I just finished the rewrite of the latest Steampunk novel this very afternoon, after being totally immersed in it all hours of the day for the last two months - and suddenly I'm facing the question, What on earth am I going to do now? How am I going to treat myself? What sort of holiday can I have for at least part of the day for the next couple of weeks, before I plunge into the next project? The sad fact is, I can't think of anything much! Movies, a bit of travel, throw some dinners for friends (if I've got any left after the last two months) ... Hmm, I've just decided what I'll do tomorrow - a jigsaw puzzle! That's the most relaxing activity I know!What do you think is the most annoying thing on the planet?Call centres, when you ring up about something and get passed on, then put on hold, passed on again, then put on hold again ... The Middle Ages had the rack for torture, we have call centres.I spent two whole weeks pouring through your writing tips ( www.writingtips.com.au ) and I must say I simply loved them. They were extremely insightful and packed with priceless information. What inspired you to take time off writing novels to enlighten the rest of us?It was at a Bookfeast literary lunch when a class of senior students came up to say how helpful they'd found the tips on my author website in developing their skills for the Creative Writing Extension in the HSC. Hey, I thought, if a few off-the-cuff pages helped, how much more could I do if I really tried. That led to the idea of putting up a separate website, quite apart from any authorial self-promotion, where I'd try to set out everything I've learned. Little did I know it would take me a whole four months and end up 145 pages long! Not only working through the tips, but organising them clearly, expressing them in an easy-to-understand way - and illustrating them with humorous graphics.I thought of it as a community service - but by the time I finished I was starting to think of it as an act of madness. It just ran away with me, and completely distracted me from my own fiction writing for those four months. But, since it went up and there's been so much positive feedback, I'm feeling, yes, it was worthwhile after all.In your novel Worldshaker, your main characters Col and Riff experience some issues with jealousy. Col even has to deal with sibling rivalry at one point. Why do you think that jealousy and envy usually play such an important role in literature? What makes readers get so involved with the feelings of the characters?I guess fiction powers along on good emotions versus bad emotions - there wouldn't be much excitement if all the feelings between the characters were sweet and harmonious. I think of jealousy and envy as the most negative of all negative emotions - but also the most universal. (I've certainly experienced them!)There's even more jealousy in Liberator, the sequel to Worldshaker. One form of narrative that works well with a jealous main character is the surprise revelation. When you're living along with that point of view, you may not share their irrational jealousy, but you sure want to find out the real truth!Do you think that humans are alone in the Universe? How has the belief in alien existence changed literature over the decades? Have authors remained true to the original version of E.T?I'm not violently pro or contra - I put the odds of alien life at about 90:10 in favour; the likelihood that we'll find some sort of evidence at about 60:40; and the odds that we'll ever encounter some form of life that's still flourishing and capable of communication at about 30:70.The idea of alien ways of thinking and alien cultures is fascinating, and opens up such wonderful imaginative possibilities. Though I'm not sure how deep it goes. I mean, do we ever achieve empathy with and understanding of other societies on our own planet right now? Or our own society a century or two in the past?
The Scarlet Omen takes place in Malaysia, a country brimming with myth, legend and naturally superstition. Your character Riff the ‘Filthy’ in Worldshaker also believes in ghosts. What do you personally think about illogical beliefs and practices? Do you think that they have a place in modern literature?The great thing about stories is that they bypass what your beliefs about what's true and what's false. Which is great for me, because more often than not I'm really not sure what I believe in! In fiction, you can try all sorts of things out - including all the powerful associations that accompany supernatural and magical beliefs.Riff believes in ghosts in Worldshaker and Liberator, but Col doesn't, and we're probably positioned more to take Col's point of view. I call my Steampunk fantasy rather than SF, but it's a sort of fantasy that involves only a smidge of supernatural - and no magic. The Ferren trilogy draws on myth and religious lore, but my novel with the biggest dose of supernatural would have to be Sassycat. A different imagining of ghosts in that novel!I put more supernatural and magic into my short stories. I love working out credible forms of magic, and I love the frisson of fear that comes with the supernatural. Is there anything that you’d like to share with us novices?As an author, some elements particularly attract you when you start writing a novel. But by the time you finish, every element should be equally wanted and loved. Every episode and character and description should be there for its own sake, because you couldn't bear to do without it even if the rest of the book didn't need it.Thanks, Richard! That was awesome. I’ve certainly grown that much smarter.
Hey, readers! Learn more about Richard Harland and his amazing books at the sites below:
Author website (Australia): www.richardharland.netWriting tips website: www.writingtips.com.au Blog: http://richardharland.wordpress.com/Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Richard-Harland/119581011438848?ref=ts

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Bookworm Alert!

This week, I was featured in the national newspaper of Malaysia, The New Straits Times (http://www.nst.com.my/mobile/life-times/live/well-lit-dreams-do-come-true-1.110386). It was an honour and I’m very grateful to Ms Subhadra Devan for writing up an enchanting article. She interviewed me about my love for writing and books and how dreams do indeed come true if you work hard enough. So today’s post is dedicated to my favourite books!
Here’s a list of whats and whys from my personal collection: All of which get 5 out of 5 star ratings from Moi!The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (http://www.amazon.com/The-Book-Thief-Markus-Zusak/dp/0375842209)Magically written from the viewpoint of an extremely unexpected character, The Book Thief really changed the way I think about writing. Zusak’s beautifully simple yet gripping plot and enchanting prose combined with lovable characters taught me that books don’t always have to be about constant action and surprises but also about the subtle way we all see the world and interact with one another.
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (http://www.amazon.com/Memoirs-Geisha-Novel-Arthur-Golden/dp/0679781587)This is one of those books that bring out both the beauty and the monsters of a culture. I love the way Golden takes something that other cultures would find disturbing and draws out its fascinating qualities against a backdrop of cherry blossoms and strict moral codes. Each character blooms into life in a way that makes my author heart green with envy.
Touching Earth by Rani Manicka (http://www.amazon.com/Touching-Earth-Rani-Manicka/dp/0340823844)Manicka takes the different lives of many colourful characters and links them together in a world of decadence and magic. She has managed to perfectly blend the beauty of Asia with the dynamics of Western nightlife. Touching Earth taught me to how to build my characters as individual people with their own pasts and problems and not just as a part of a story.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (http://www.amazon.com/The-Kite-Runner-Khaled-Hosseini/dp/1594480001)By taking a domestic story about a young boy and his father, Hosseini showed me that stories can and should be part of a bigger picture but it’s the small pieces that make a book memorable. The way he has mastered storytelling truly inspires me. He weaves his words together, making them start off as ripples in a pool while cajoling them to grow into crashing waves. I looove!
Watch out for next week’s post: Author Interview in August…Watcha Doin’ with Richard Harland!www.facebook.com/cinthiakoeksal

East meets West

We’re sitting at the dining table with my nephew, niece, my son and his European friend. This 8 year old friend turns to me and calls me ‘Cinthia’, drawing a stifled gasp from my Malaysian family. My niece looks at me aghast and whispers, “He didn’t call you Auntie! How rude! You should tell his mother.” My Asian kids would never address an older person by name while the children in Europe sometimes even refrain from calling their real relatives Auntie or Uncle.
This got me thinking. My first novel takes place in Malaysia and is being read all over the world. Will my Western readers be able to relate to the cultural differences that are obvious in a novel set in Asia?
Here are some major differences between the two worlds:1. Asians address older people with respectful titles (eg. Auntie, Uncle, Grandma etc.)2. Wide-spread belief in supernatural beings in Asia.3. Higher levels of corruption in Asia.4.  Asians generally swear less in front of their elders. Young people also don’t normally get involved when older people are having a conversation (unless they plan on digging their own grave…which brings me to my next point).5. Upbringing (my Indian friend once threatened to slap her German-born son and he almost called the police while his older Indian-born brother cringed in the corner and swore eternal obedience) Whoever has listened to Russel Peters will know what I mean.6.  Food (my European friends call prawns “Cockroaches of the sea”. They’ve obviously never seen a real night crawler.)7. Pupil teacher relationships (we have Teacher’s Day in Asia…the teachers in Europe can thank their guardian angels if their car tires are still intact by the end of the day)8. Punctuality (you can set your watch by the Western respect for being on time, but when an Asian says they’ll meet you at 6 for dinner you should make sure you’ve had a big tea first)9. General respect for the environment (my Asian visitors stare in awe when we separate our plastics and organic waste in Europe. I once saw a lone toilet sitting at the side of the road on a Malaysian highway)10. Westerners sit and talk after dinner. Asians tend to compare their latest apps.
Of course, these are all generalizations and things that I’ve experienced over the years. There are always exceptions.
So, should a writer stay authentic or should he or she try to mix it up a little, making it easier for their readers? I’m betting on the fact that readers are smart and will figure it out on their own. Staying true to yourself and your ideas is what sets you apart from the million other books on Amazon.
I’m hoping globalization is on my side. The internet and television have broken down the barriers of race and culture, changing the Mysteries of the Orient into “Hey this t-shirt’s not made in Bangladesh! What’s wrong with the world??” Let’s just hope that no one reviews my novel with words like “sari lengths of gibberish” and “wok of insanity”. Cheers!
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Watcha Doin' with James W. Lewis

Author Bio:
James W. Lewis is a novelist and freelance writer published in several magazines and books such as the New York Times best-selling anthologies Caramel Flava and Chicken Soup for the Soul (two series). He has won several awards, including a 2011 Best New Author Award and winner of the 2011 International Book Awards in African American Fiction. James is also part owner of the publishing company The Pantheon Collective.
What made you become a Storyteller?
I was always an avid reader, but my mother unlocked a gift for storytelling in me that I didn’t know I had, using a very unique, “slick” method. When I was about twelve years old, I got in trouble for something (I don’t remember exactly what) and my mother placed me on house restriction for a week. Not only that, she gave me assignments to write a short story every night of my punishment. I initially hated to write under duress, but as they say Mom knows best, and writing eventually became my passion. Thanks, Mom!
What and who inspire you?
My partners Stephanie Casher and Omar Luqmaan-Harris inspire me to strive for excellence in my work—not to mention keeping me on deadline! 
The only thing that I personally don’t like about writing is when self-doubt comes creeping in to spoil my moment. Is there anything that you find annoying or uncomfortable about being an author?
For me it’s focusing my energy on writing and nothing else. Sometimes, it’s hard for me to concentrate on that next book when I have so many other tasks calling my name from the to-do list.
Authors are normally avid readers themselves. What are your favourite books and why?
Books by Eric Jerome Dickey are my favourites because he was the first male author that I read who could write from a woman’s point-of-view extremely well. I knew my books would target a female audience, and I wanted to perfect my female characters. After I read one of his books, I was so impressed that I went back to my first completed manuscript, revised it, and fleshed out the characters because I realized they were one-dimensional.
If you could travel in time just for a day, where and when would you go?
I would go back to the days leading up to my father’s death because he left me and my family as a seven-year-old child. I always wanted to know why he left, but never got the chance.
What inspired you to write Slow Your Prose especially in the Cyberworld that we live in where thousands of writers have already had a go at publishing their writing tips?
With the popularity of e-books, I noticed a lot of authors venturing into self-publishing, probably for similar reasons that made me jump into it. However,  I noticed some of them were more concerned with releasing their work to the public rather than writing a quality book, skipping crucial steps like professional editing (trust me, I’ve made similar mistakes). I wanted to emphasize the importance of “slowing it down” and covering all the bases before debuting a new novel. A car manufacturer wouldn’t place their latest E-Class Benz on the lot without making sure it’s in pristine condition for the driver. When we look around us, the world is just becoming more and more immersed in beauty products that promise to transform gremlins into Heidi Klum and those gadgets that give you a six-pack in two minutes. What do you think about our obsession with superficial beauty and its place in the literary world?
Beauty definitely has its advantages, and sometimes, the spotlight on a person’s looks often overshadows their talent, and that’s unfair. I believe our fixation on what looks good and what doesn’t infiltrates all areas of entertainment, but not so much with the literary world, which is a good thing. One can argue Stephen King has no chance (and never did) of becoming a model; yet, he’s one of the most prolific authors ever.
In The Scarlet Omen, my main character has some very realistic dreams that turn out to be omens of some sort. What is your opinion about dreams, their prophetic potential and their influence on authors?
I used to document my dreams because they were so real and epic, like the movie Titanic. At the time, I wanted to know what my subconscious was trying to tell me, so I kept a journal. I believe our minds have a way of creating fantasy worlds full of lively characters and plots. Writers should pay attention to the visions of the night. A dream was the inspiration behind Stephanie Meyer’s book Twilight, and we all know what happened next. Hell, I may even journal my dreams again for inspiration, starting tonight!
Once we publish a book, authors practically hand the world part of our souls on a silver platter to be scrutinised and dissected beyond recognition. How do you personally deal with both positive and negative critiques regarding your work?
No matter how much we try, you can’t please everyone, so some readers will not like your work. They may even leave a nasty review (I’ve received my share). A negative review can sting, but I suck it up and move on. Still, whether negative or positive, I try to learn from their feedback for future works.        
Do you have any advice for us novices?
You never know what can happen unless you try! We’ve heard these words many times as a child, but they are so true.
Thanks, James! Insightful stuff…
Hey, readers, want to know more James W. Lewis? Check out the sites below:Website: www.jameswlewis.comFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/mobileprotection#!/authorjames.w.lewisTwitter: www.twitter.com/biglew1971Amazon homepage: http://www.amazon.com/James-W.-Lewis/e/B003UROW9K/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

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BFFs

“A man’s growth is seen in the successive choirs of his friends.”—Ralph Waldo Emerson“A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down.”—Arnold H. Glasow
This week, The Scarlet Omen has finally been released on Amazon and I’m proud to say that I made it to the top 10 on the bestseller list for English young adult fantasy in Germany. Now, there are about 100 books being released a day on Amazon and I know that The Scarlet Omen may not have even smelled the bestseller list if it hadn’t been for my family, friends and students (who have also come to be good friends). Even with my big mouth and sharp elbows, beating my way through the crowd of well-known authors would have been quite a feat. So today’s blog is dedicated to, you’ve guessed it, *trumpets please*...FRIENDS.
To me, a friend is someone who helps you bury the body first and asks questions later (for the more blur readers out there, please don’t go judging my apparent penchant for violence...it was a figure of speech). We grow up with friends, tell them secrets that we wouldn’t dream of telling our families. Friends know about your first crush and walk by their houses a thousand times with you, pretending to be looking for that darn contact lens. They make calls for you which you’re too chicken to make yourself and are the only ones laughing at your stupid jokes. They hold you when that crush breaks your heart by falling for someone else and sit with you at midnight to send evil spells his or her way. They risk certain death by being your alibi when your parents call while you’re actually out on a date. They understand when you’re too busy swimming in a new relationship to discuss their latest crisis and are always there to pick up the pieces of a break up. They believe in you when the rest of the world has kicked you so low that you have to look up to greet a passing earthworm.
 What would life be without friends? Mine would be a dreary plain of lonely tears and half smiles. We seldom take the time to stop and see the people in our lives because we’re too busy trying to live. It doesn’t take more than a minute to send a ‘thinking of you’ message, so “Sorry, no time” shouldn’t be the excuse.
In most young adult novels, the protagonist’s friends are the pillars of a story. Think about what Harry Potter would have been like without Ms. Granger and Master Weasley. They buoy the main character during their journey and bring them safely to THE END, throwing in some laughs and more often than not some drama. A lot of a story’s essence lies in the way the characters relate to one another and how they come out of an uncomfortable situation. Young adults live for their friends—their opinions, acceptance and support. They’re all in the same boat, striving to live in a world where they’re old enough to know what they want but are constantly being sent to their rooms for minor misdemeanours because (voice deepens)“As long as you’re living under my roof, young...”.
Many of us writers of young adult fiction have long since stopped taking allowance money from our parents (I did say “many”), so we sometimes forget how it was to live in an adolescent world. I can’t express how important it is to take these relationships and bonds formed between young people into account when writing a novel dedicated specifically to them. I don’t think that my protagonist Anjeli would be able to face a day without her best friend Sabitha, although Sabitha does sometimes give her cause to want to strangle her (yet another exaggeration, my dear literal ones).
So let’s take a minute to remember those who come over with ice cream (or booze for my older readers) and a shoulder to cry on when your life seems like it’s being written by a gremlin banging randomly on a keyboard. Cheers to the best friends a girl could wish for!
Psst! Watch out for July’s author interview: Watcha Doin’ with James W. Lewis, author of Slow Your Prose (A Writing Guide).
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