Konn Lavery's Blog: Posts from konnlavery.com, page 21

MJ Preston, Canadian Horror/Thriller Author’s new novel Four, the conclusion of The Highwayman series.

For November, we welcome MJ Preston, a Canadian Horror author, and a visual artist. His debut novel The Equinox has received great praise, being a semi-final contender in the Amazon Breakthrough Awards. His Syfy Horror, Acadia Event, called “An Epic Page Turner,” was inspired by his time as an ice road trucker. Now he’s written two crime thriller books to kick off The Highwayman Series, starting with the self-titled, Highwayman and Four, the concluding novel of The Highwayman story.

Since his first novel, MJ Preston has continued to publish books and has appeared in anthologies. Now, let’s welcome MJ Preston to the blog and learn about his writing!

MJ Preston, thank you for joining us. Can you give readers a brief intro about yourself?

MJP: Sure, first and foremost, I am a Canadian writer who has been a soldier, a property manager, a long haul, and an ice road trucker. Trucking has taken me all over Canada and the United States, including the Northwest Territories. Somewhere in all that chaos, I managed to write the four books you so eloquently introduced. My first three novels, The Equinox, Acadia Event, and Highwayman, were all written on big trucks’ steering wheels. Which is to say, every time that truck stopped, I would put my laptop on the steering wheel and write. The genres I write in are horror, Syfy, and crime thriller. Some people ask me where I get my ideas, and I respond, “By watching you.”

Your latest novel Four, is part two of The Highwayman series. Tell us about the new novel and the series itself.

The Highwayman series is about individual cases of serial murderers and the law enforcement officials who hunt them. The first two books, Highwayman and Four, envelope a single story. The Lance Belanger case file. The first book introduces readers to the aspiring murderer, Lance Belanger, aka Highwayman, who longs to be a household name in the world of serial murder. He considers murder his vocation. And like other career-minded individuals, Lance wants to be the best, the most prolific, the most wanted, the most infamous. Book one takes us on an eight-year journey where Lance experiments, learns and becomes more proficient at killing and working toward his goal of being number one on the FBI’s ten most wanted listed. He accomplishes that mission, becoming an enigma known as The Highwayman.  The issue for investigators is that he leaves little evidence to go on. There are no fingerprints, no DNA, and no witnesses.  His signature is that he cuts his victims into six pieces and stages them like a starfish. His victims turn up all over the United Staes in multi-state body dumps. It seems almost fruitless for the FBI, but there is always something if you listen hard enough for the crazy

In my latest novel, Four, the pace is much faster. The investigators have identified who Highwayman is, and the hunt is in full swing to take him down.  Highwayman continues to increase his kills, always working toward a life goal of being the most infamous killer of all time. Through the dark web, he recruits three other killers, and together they perpetrate mass murder in Pittsburgh and in the outlying Pennsylvania rural communities.  This book is chock full of murder, betrayal, and even abduction.

Four is the concluding novel . . . is there more planned or are you moving onto new writing projects?

I am working on a new Highwayman novel, with returning characters from the first two books and a completely new case file. Although this is not the finished title, it has a working title called THE ICE CREAM MEN. I don’t have a publication date just yet because I’m just getting revved up. But I’m the first on the scene of the crime and having great fun, so I think fans of this series will be happy.

Most of your work falls under the horror and thriller categories, do you take genre into consideration when writing a new book?

I certainly do, but I don’t limit myself to a specific genre. I have been called a horror writer, a sci-fi horror writer, and now a crime thriller writer. I just think of myself as a writer who digs penning tales about dark subjects and even darker subject matter. For a long time, there existed a snobbery in the writing community when it came to horror. Back in the 70s and even 80s, horror was looked down upon by many in the mainstream writing community.  Even Stephen King ate crap about his writing from critics. I think we are moving away from that now. Horror writers have gained acceptance, but here’s the truth. It’s all just storytelling. While I’m not John Steinbeck, and my work will never be up there with such greats as The Grapes of Wrath or Of Mice and Men, I am still a storyteller. I have a place in the storytelling community afforded to me by readers willing to set aside time in their schedule to indulge the madness that is MJ Preston.

You are also a visual artist, using digital and camera work to do your own covers. Do you enjoy the cover creating process?

I do very much. I like to do renderings, but I’m certainly not as good as artists such as yourself, who put my work to shame. Regardless, I believe that it helps me in my writing to do these visual things. Whether it’s a silhouette of a man standing in front of headlights of a car machete in hand, or it’s a bone-eating alien buried beneath the tundra of the Northwest territories. These renderings and photographs help get me into that weird headspace for writing. Often, if I find myself wondering where I’m going to go next with my writing, I’ll open up my paint program and put on some tunes to help me focus.

What got you into writing, with your debut The Equinox?

The Equinox was my 18-year novel. [Laughs.] When I started it, I was just a young man, and by the time I finished it, I was middle-aged. From 1986 to 1998, I was a Canadian soldier, and I was also married and the father of three children. Often I was gone for months on training exercises. At some point, I realized that finishing that first book wasn’t going to happen, at least not yet. So, I put the manuscript into a box, intending to revisit it later. I had no idea that it would be almost 16 years. I continued to write military reportage, editorials, and commentary, but the manuscript was forgotten. In 2010, I found that dog eared manuscript in a box and decided it was time to finish it. Even after I published The Equinox independently, I had no idea that I would write another novel, but here we are.

Any advice you’d like to share with aspiring authors?

Do what you love. But don’t expect overnight success. Writing is a very tough gig, and if you’re lucky and you work hard at it, you will get more out of it than you put into it. Fair warning, there is a mandatory period of suffering that all writers must endure on their journey to success. Please don’t ask me how long it lasts. I’ve been at it for over fifty years

Podcast: Seed Me – Episode 06

Chapter 6 of Konn Lavery’s horror novel Seed Me. As with previous weeks, a new chapter will be shared on Thursdays. Enjoy the podcast below and share it around:

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Logan shares his thoughts about the 4-20 cases with Janet who encourages him to research the deaths of Emily and Vicky. His investigation online takes him on an unexpected path.

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Time Management for Writing

Time management is a challenging skill to master. This applies to every aspect of life. When it comes to time management for writing, managing your time is critical if you want to stick to a publishing date or have due dates for the project. Without time management, projects can derail and be left in a strange state of limbo. Plus, life’s other responsibilities can get in the way when we want to write. So, how do we manage a time for writing?

Let’s look at three different scenarios and some methods of handling your time within these hypothetical situations. There will be some crossovers because the techniques are mostly universal. Then, you will be able to juggle your time better and start writing!

Scenario One: The Perfect World

Ah yes, the perfect world. Probably an unrealistic scenario for most people. It is applicable, though, because some people do have rigid routines. If you happen to have a steady day job and consistency outside of your work life, you’ll find it easier to make time for writing.

Block Out Time to Write

This is a no-brainer and the main focus of all time management. It would be best if you blocked out time to write. We won’t get into inspiration or writer’s block, or distractions interrupting your time. Those are more in-depth topics. With time management for writing, you need to block out a section of the day or night. If life doesn’t let you, we will look into this method further down too.

A Calendar

They work wonders. Most of us have smartphones or computers which provide digital calendars. You can also get a physical calendar to pin on the wall or a notebook with one in it. Calendars have been around for centuries and are still the most effective ways to manage yourself. Blocking out time for writing can be taken care of if you jot it into a calendar. Even if you are in a perfect world and have predictable day-to-day activity, blocking out time and jotting and calendar will keep you focused and on track.

Scenario Two: A Normal World

Most people have varying schedules from day to day, week to week, if not month-to-month. Busy seasons come in as the fall ramps up, and summertime is often for vacations. There are many other examples, as well. So how do you keep a writing schedule for time management?

Flextime

The term is used a lot in schools and the work world. Flextime is free periods of your day that you use for anything. If you can’t consistently block out time to write every day, note the periods you do have. If there is a window between getting home from work and cooking, you could write. Even if this is only half an hour or 15 minutes, you will get a lot more done than if you didn’t. Plus, writing even a little bit can spark the brain to start thinking about what’s coming next in your story, making the next session easier.

Binge Writing

Everyone has busy periods and downtimes in life. Take advantage of the lower! If you can foresee the slow time coming, plan, and write as many hours a day, multiple times a week, as you can. If you didn’t see the free time coming, now you have nothing but time to focus on writing or planning. Remember, every little bit of writing gets you further than not doing anything.

Scenario Three: Pure Chaos

What if your life is entirely unpredictable? You might have a family of five kids, or are hopping jobs regularly, or maybe the pure chaos is only short-lived, but it will derail you from everything you have planned with your writing. In this case, there are ways to handle time management for writing still.

Spot Writing

A similar concept to the flex time mentioned previously, but more aggressive. If you barely have time to breathe and are on the go every moment of the day, this is the timesaver for you. Most of us have smartphones. Believe it or not, you can type on them– no way! It is a bit of a learning curve to type on such a small screen, but some people are texters and are good at. You can also learn to type this way.

Have 5 minutes between your lunch break? How about first thing in the morning while you are drinking your coffee? Spot writing can get you a lot further since little bits add up over weeks and months.

Working Smarter, Not Faster – Technology

There are all sorts of books about writing more efficiently and planning. I’ve also discussed them previously on the blog with How to Finish NaNoWriMo in Two Weeks, Working Smarter, and A Year with Dictation for Writing. In this post, we will review technology.

Back to smartphones, most of them have some form of dictation software available. People speak faster than they can type, which can be advantageous. Learning to speak your words instead of typing can be a massive timesaver. If you are doing spot writing, five minutes of talking wall get you further in your manuscript than typing. Not always in revisions, but as a generalization, it will.

More expensive software like Dragon offers a conversion as well. Using a voice recorder on your phone, you can take that file and load it into Dragon, which will transcribe it to text. If you are on the go, speaking your story can be significant.

Break All Foundations

Here is an unconventional tip – go wild with your writing. Be fearless, and don’t listen to the inner chatter – say yes to every idea. This applies to time management for writing as well. Write anywhere and everywhere. If you bring your computer out and about, fire it up and do some writing on the bus. Push away all thoughts of “no.” Beat down your critical mind and let yourself explore freely to get those words in. Sometimes under pressure, we can create the most exciting work. Other times, it’s garbage, but that’s okay because you still wrote, which is a lot more than doing nothing.

Summary of Time Management for Writing

All seven of these points are valid and work depending on the situation that you are in. Of course, you can block the time and write freely in a perfect world without any worries or distractions. Unfortunately, life doesn’t work that way, and we are all juggling extra responsibilities.

People are busier today than ever before, which is the double-edged sword of technology. We are constantly stimulated by ads, media’s ongoing psychological warfare, and trying to have a life with family and friends. Managing time isn’t easy, but it can be learned. I hope these pointers have been helpful for you, and if you have any additional ones feel free that it in the comments.

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The Writer’s Block show at Sound Sugar Radio

Earlier this month I was on The Writer’s Block show at Sound Sugar Radio with Mike Deregowski . We chat about writing, dark fantasy, and all things creepy. It was a ton of fun discussing fantasy and melding genres. Listen to it here:

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Podcast: Seed Me – Episode 05

Chapter 5 of Konn Lavery’s horror novel Seed Me. As with previous weeks, a new chapter will be shared on Thursdays. Enjoy the podcast below and share it around:

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The gig at the Aging Gorilla ends, and the group goes to an after party to celebrate. Logan gets himself wrapped up in his buddy Skip’s drama while the Vicky look-alike situation becomes more unsettling.

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NaNoWriMo 2020: Experimentation Time

We are at the end of October, hooray! This means Halloween is here and two months left of 2020. Where will 2021 go? Let’s not get into world concerns or politics. However, it is always in the back of our minds. Perhaps all the wacky world events has given you some writing inspiration. Speaking of writing, the end of October means that November is here, and NaNoWriMo 2020 will start! Are you in?

Welcome to another edition of Unprocessed Thoughts

Many writers have opinions on NaNoWriMo. Some of these thoughts are positive, while others are negative. Lots of writers don’t care. I see both sides of the debate when it comes to participating in NaNoWriMo. On the upside, it is a great way to hammer out words, pressuring you to finish the manuscript. You can also network with other authors to build professional relationships. On the opposing end, I have heard people talk about how the forced word day count encumbered creativity and can create poor writing. Others have also said there are politics.

All points are probably valid, but I haven’t been involved enough to know. I’ve only done it three times, while other writers have done it well over 10. NaNoWriMo works for some writers while it reflects poorly on others. It seems to be a personal choice, and neither is right or wrong. I’ve only partaken in NaNoWriMo when it lines up with my writing schedule, and I have had positive experiences.

Plus, the NaNoWriMo crew in Edmonton is fantastic. I’ve gotten along with everyone quite well and have enjoyed the write-ins at the library. It gives me an excuse to write somewhere else and visit the library – shame on me for not going more frequently.

The funny thing about writing is it puts you into a bubble of your work. You’re sucked into the world, characters, and creative trance that all writers are familiar with. While I am working on a new first draft, I am transported into this new story and become the characters, becoming completely oblivious to everything that is around me, including world situations . . . Maybe it will be a good thing with the US election coming up.

Now, I am excited about participating in NaNoWriMo 2020 for two reasons:

Reason one: I can explore a brand-new story idea.

Each time I have participated in NaNoWriMo, I experimented with an entirely new story concept. 2014 was Seed Me. 2015 was YEGman. 2018 was The White Hand. 2020 expands on the short story Ash, a story concept that has floated around in my head for the past 12 years.

Reason two: expanding my writing craft.

Every time I partake in NaNoWriMo, I also push my writing craft into uncharted territories. Instead of cranking out the same style, the same genre, or working on a sequel, I’ve always tried an entirely new project.

This year, I am moving away from my usual process of systematically breaking down a story – outlining. For many years I was what is called a panster, then I switched to outlining. Then, I read the book Writing Into the Dark: How to Write a Novel Without an Outline by Dean Wesley Smith, which drastically opened my mind. Already I have been exploring writing into the dark with the monthly short stories. These stories felt the most organic and most exciting pieces of fiction that I have written. I have been able to explore writing styles, genres, concepts, and exciting characters. I was unintentionally following a similar process that Dean Wesley Smith mentions in his book.

Writing is fun

People’s writing styles can change as the years go by and work on new projects. After many years of outlining, it seems like I am circling around, and I’m writing more on intuition. I’ll be taking influences from what Dean Wesley Smith mentions about writing into the dark, which is outlining after writing a chapter is done (this is drastically simplifying his book). Other writers have talked about outlining after writing a chapter, so it is not an unheard-of process. Plus, outlining was beginning to feel like work, and quite frankly, I was not enjoying it anymore.

Exploring new writing processes, styles, and genres will help expand your abilities as a writer. Sometimes it is fun. Other times it is a complete nightmare where a project crashes and burns. That’s okay; you’ll become a better writer by learning your limitations and pushing your boundaries. Always write and always experiment. Exploring the unknown as part of the fun of writing, isn’t it?

So to close off, I’ll catch you all in NaNoWriMo 2020!

Beer Note: Zero Issue Multiverse Pale Ale

for this month, I tried the Zero Issue multi-pale ale. It is a 5.4% alcohol level. The beer is made in Calgary, Alberta and the artwork on it is by Scott A. Ford. My tastes have moved away from exceptionally hoppy to lighter beers, which is why I have fewer IPAs and have moved more to pale ales. The beer is an easy drink, goes down smooth, plus the artwork as a fun colour scheme.

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Podcast: Seed Me – Episode 04

Episode 4 of the Seed Me novel episodic audiobook is here. As with previous weeks, a new chapter will be shared on Thursdays. Enjoy the podcast below and share it around:

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Logan’s band is going to play their new gig. Looks like there’s trouble at the bar, and more hints about the Vicky look-alike that only he is piecing together.

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Ash

There’s a new drug on the market with mysterious origins. Blissful, fun, and highly addictive. In the heart of Toronto, the Crystal Moths distribute their first batch of the cutting-edge black-market goods to their street-crew. If only their plan could be executed so easily. As it turns out, the cops aren’t the only ones who are gunning to take’em down.

Ash is October’s short story that is the starting point of something new, combining worlds that should have never crossed. Enjoy the story in written form, the artwork, and in audio through the podcast with improv synths. The new era has begun.

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I hate dealing… I’ve been doing this since I was a little brat, and it’s way more work than the payoff. Every day we put our lives on the line in hopes we can get a bump up the ranks and a sweet pay increase. Still, I don’t have many options. In this new ‘organization,’ I’ve gotten the hint that the bosses aren’t gonna give us anything more substantial. We have a role to fit, and they aren’t interested in sharing the profits. Bosses need workers, and druggies need the product, and the ‘company’s’ pocket gets thicker.

Let me tell you when a new shipment comes in, it’s time to hustle. This particular shipment came in at around, like, 2 AM – which is fairly common. We usually don’t know what day or the specific time. Your phone will buzz, and you better stop whatever the hell you’re doing and get down there to get your piece of the goods. If you don’t, tough shit. The rest of the street-crew will take it and sell it. At times, they’ll despise you for it too. Other times they’re glad to take the cash. It depends on the drug, the amount, and everyone’s workload. The game is: sell the drugs fast, so the bosses don’t expect you to front the cash. If you don’t, say your goodbyes to your loved ones.

I was half-tanked this specific evening, playing pool. My girl came and visited me later and stayed the night. She has no idea what I do. I like to keep it that way, way less headaches. Still, when you get a phone call at 2 AM after a drunken mattress tangle, she starts to raise an eyebrow. Maybe I’ll tell’r one day so she stops thinking I got a side piece.

So, I sobered up, got dressed, remembering to tie on the white rag on my arm – bosses get pissed if we don’t show loyalty. What kind of name is Crystal Moths, anyways? The rag symbolizes a moth, I think. Whatever, it doesn’t matter. They’re the biggest players in the game and always have work. Most people would – and have – killed to be a member of the Crystal Moths. I don’t ever want to lose my gig, no matter how much I bitch about it.

The drive over wasn’t long (yes, still sobering up). Even though Toronto never sleeps, you can get to the docks from North York fast if you know the roads’ ins and outs. I’m no fool and parked my car a few blocks away. I suppose if a police bust occurred, I’m fucked. But, if I had the car closer, they would get the plate. It doesn’t matter. Eventually, I got to the docks to meet the rest of the Crystal Moths. Our direct boss, a couple of goons, and a higher-up that haven’t seen in a long time stood with six street crew members. I was the last to arrive, it seemed, just on time too.

All of them had some representation of white clothing. Shirts, bandanas, suits, you name it. This higher-up . . . his name is Mastema, which I highly doubt that’s his real name. Seriously, think about what kind of name that is. I grew up in a hardcore religious family and remember a thing or two. If you didn’t, look it up.

I know the street crew pretty well. We’re all hungry to feast ourselves onto whatever goods there are. The boss has been stingy on the smack and coke, and that stuff sells for top buck. I know enough junkies who are dying to get their fix. Well, that all changed after this night. Junk and lines aren’t the only product on the market. Plus, this is just another job, another paycheck to me. Everyone has to pay bills, and you have to fend for yourself. Not to mention I got to pay for my kid’s child support. Don’t get me started on his mom . . . whatever she likes to say, my work is no different than some corporate sleaze climbing their way up to the top, squishing everyone they can. I’m just squishing junkies.

Our boss was quiet, her hands cupped together, face cold. Like Mastema, who was pacing back-and-forth, she was wearing a full white blazer. What makes this pickup more interesting is that Mastema was there. I think the last time I saw the guy was when he recruited me. The Crystal Moths are stingy with who they hire, especially after that incident in Edmonton. It involved some hotshot vigilante and the exposure of our plugs in the police. Since then, Mastema personally screens everyone who is involved with the business.

Mastema kept his eye on all of us. He always looks sharp, dressing in expensive suits, long hair. His skin is so pasty, and his eyes are so bright, they almost look white. Hell, the guy looks like a vampire if you ask me. I’d never say that to his face. There are stories of him gutting people that say the wrong thing. Not that I have witnessed it, but I prefer not to find out.

He looked tense, fiddling with his golden rings. This isn’t like him at all. There’s no point in saying anything because no one talks until a boss talks. I’d love to have a smoke too, ask the other street dealers how they’re doing. We’re semi-close. I keep them at an arm’s reach, with my kid and all. Small chat will have to wait for another time.

The warehouse doors are slightly open, where two other guys come out, wearing white dress shirts. They’re holding crates. It must be from overseas or something. The two Crystal Moths dropped the wooden boxes in front of Mastema and took their place with the other goons. One of them was holding a crowbar. Mastema stopped walking right in front of the crates.

“We have something new,” he said in that creepy, calm voice he has.

His words did grip my attention.

“In these two boxes, we have a particular product that is going to revolutionize our business.”

A few of us exchanged glances, having no idea what the boss-man was getting at. I looked at our direct superior, whose gaze was on Mastema. Mastema nodded at the man with the crowbar. The guy leaned into a box and cracked it open, handing Mastema a black plastic vacuum-sealed bag.

“This,” Mastema said. “Is the future. No one else has their hands on this product, except for us.”

“What is it?” A street-crew gal – Sierra is her name – asked. Way bolder than I am, as I stayed silent during this whole thing.

Mastema casually chucks the bag at her. “Crack it open and pass it to your colleagues. Understand that because we have exclusive access, so no one anywhere has tried it before. You will need to persuade our clients. Lace it. Taste it with them. Use any method you prefer, as long as you move it.”

Sierra peeled the bag open, pulling out a palm-sized charcoal diamond chip. She passed the bag around as each street-crew member grabbed a piece. It was my turn, taking out one of these new . . . drugs. It was brittle along the edges, like it was about the flake off, but had more of a leathery texture in the centre, like a leaf losing moisture or something. This was organic for sure.

“It’s highly addictive, so be careful. However, I encourage you to try and familiarize yourself with our new product.”

“What’s it do?” Sierra asked.

A devilish grin painted on Mastema’s pale face. “It makes a Frisco Speedball look like child’s play.”

Silence. We were all staring at these strange diamond-shaped drugs. I had never seen anything like it. The street-crew – including myself – had so many questions about it, but most of us were too afraid to ask. I heard of Frisco Speedballs before. I don’t know if the others have.

“Some of you are so young,” Mastema sighed. It was a weird thing to say because the guy looks no older than the rest of us. But the way he talks, though . . . it’s like he’s had past lives or something. I’m not spiritual anymore but just telling you.

“Ever shoot up a concoction of cocaine and heroin as you’re about to peak on a tab of LSD?” Mastema asked.

Silence.

“It’s an exultant ride,” he said.

You have to be really ballsy or fucked up to want to do that. I haven’t, despite my abuse background – hence the child support – and there was no way in hell I was going to try this… this…

“Ash,” Mastema said. “It’s similar, but more cohesive, more addicting, and a lesser burnout. We don’t know the long-term effects yet, but that’s why we’re selling, isn’t it? You grind it until it is a fine powder, self-explanatory. Snort it, smoke it, lick it, or whichever creative method works for you. The effects will vary.” Mastema grabbed another plastic bag and raised it. “This is a historic moment, and you have the honour of being a part of it.”

One of the street-crews, Bari, smells the ash he held. It had no odor. “Where does it come from?”

“Not for you to know,” Mastema said.

“People are gonna ask, whadda we tell’em?” Bari asked.

“Get creative. I don’t care,” Mastema said.

After that, we chatted about prices and split the drugs. Two crates of this shit. We were pioneers embarking on something no one has heard of. It was the last time I laid eyes on Mastema too. I’m sure he’s off handling the business.

As you know, this ash stuff is taking the world by storm, and no one knows where it comes from. I still don’t know where they got it or what the hell it is. Since that night, I just sell it. No way have I tried it. I’m clean now. My kid doesn’t need a deadbeat father. Most of the time, I grind it up to disguise it, which makes it just look like some charcoal or. . . ash.

“How much does it go for?” the silvery voice spoke.

I say, “well, a gram can be two-fifty. It depends on how supply, and where the cops are at.” My voice reverbs in the darkness. The moment holds. “Look, I told you names, everything, we change our meetup spot every time . . . “

The elegant hand slides the glock on the splintered table back into the dark, away from the open black bag. I can barely see the gal sitting behind the beaming light. Christ, the brightness is annoying, and these zap straps, she’s a real piece of work. Who ties them this tight? A droplet of blood falls from my nose and onto the unfinished table, soaking into it – a reminder of when she hit me in the face and put me here.

She reaches for the black bag, exposing her pasty skin and the glimpses of her blonde hair. I still can’t see her damn face due to that light. The gal snags one of the diamonds and inspects it.

“You said organic?” she asks. The ash is fresh enough that she can spin the diamond between her thumb and index finger.

“Yeah,” I say.

“A leaf?”

“Well, I don’t know. It sure as hell isn’t made in a lab.”

 “It’s a scale,” she says.

“A scale? Like a reptile?”

“Yes, dumb shit. You can have them as pets. They are in the wild?”

Belittling me . . . she thinks I’m a joke. I’m not. I’m a simple man because I choose to be for my kid. I say, “okay, lady, why hasn’t the news said anything?”

I can see her smirking under the sharply cast shadow. She pulls on her hair in the dark, dragging it off. The real darker hair is a short, sweaty mess as she drops the wig on her lap. She frees the wig, pushing the chain-linked light out of the way.

Now I can see her whole face. A young gal, man, can’t be much older than my baby sister. Mid-twenties. Her cold eyes and confidence say otherwise like she’s seen shit. She speaks, “the news knows, but they’re all part of the game. Everyone is fabricating this bullshit narrative. Give it time, and some independent studies will come out on the web.”

I brush her words aside and ask, “you’re clearly not a cop. What do you want?”

She leans forward, and I see a nasty bullet scar on her chest, under that tank top. “You street dealers have no idea how deep the Crystal Moths run,” she says.

Scar . . . independent studies. Mid-twenties, pasty gal. Yeah. No fuckin’ way. . . “Hey,” I say without thinking, eyes locked on the scar. “You’re that girl, aren’t you?”

The gal sits back, letting go of the light. It swings like a pendulum, casting sharp contrasts on her now stone-cold face.

“Yeah,” I say, now certain in my forthcoming claim. “You exposed the cops out west with the video. The Crystal Moth bust in Edmonton. The journalism student with that website everyone goes to . . . Lola.”

The gal chucks a burner phone on the table, standing up and clicks the light off. “Cops are on their way,” she says, walking away. Her boots echo in the open space as I keep shouting, “Hey! hey!” hoping she’ll come back. That bitch! She doesn’t listen. Eventually, a door shuts, and I’m left alone in the dark. Mastema is going to have my head.

The post Ash appeared first on Konn Lavery.

New Fantasy Anthology by Author Marc Watson

For October I am pleased to welcome back Marc Watson. He has been on the blog previously for his Catching Hell series, way back when we first met in 2016 before he was published, and in 2018 for the sequel novel. In between those two books, he had written the dark comedy novel Death Dresses Poorly (which I recommend checking out).

Now, his latest and greatest, Between Conversations Tales From the World of Ryuujin, continues in his Catching Hell universe with nine brand new short stories. Let’s welcome Marc Watson to the blog and learn more about his latest release.

Welcome back Marc Watson! For those not familiar with you, give us a short intro.

I would love to Konn, and thank you for having me back!

I am Marc Watson, a genre fiction author from Calgary, Alberta. I have been in the writing industry for four and a half years, and writing for my own enjoyment since I was a teenager. I’m a father of two young boys, devoted husband to a patient wife, I work a full-time job I love, and I consider myself a poutine connoisseur extraordinaire.

I have written three novels, the aforementioned Catching Hell duology and Death Dresses Poorly, as well as having been published in two short story anthologies, and have just recently released Between Conversations, which is my first self-published release.

You’ve got the new Between Conversations Tales From the World of Ryuujin anthology out, congratulations. How have your readers described it?

Thank you! The book is still fresh and feedback has been slim, however the main thought I get about it is how diverse the stories and characters are despite all being in the same universe. There’s adventure stories, tense drama, tongue-in-cheek bar scenes, a YA-style story, a full-blown horror/thriller novelette… it covers a lot of ground.

However, readers so far have told me that there’s something for everyone, and what else there is also enjoyable thanks to the voice I give it.

What made you want to write an anthology, intentional or is it just one of those that sprouts?

Rejection! The great motivator. I had written and submitted the short story Low Level Buzz for consideration in an anthology, for which it was rejected. However, I loved the setting and the characters in it, and wanted to share this little piece of the Ryuujin world (that’s my name for the universe these are set in). I also had the rough mental outline for Alive Again, the first story in the collection.

Eventually I realized I had enough material to make a decent anthology, and I had the core concept, of it all being in the same universe at different chronological points in time, so I thought putting it together would be a great exercise in learning how to self-publish.

Additional note, what made you want to base it in the Catching Hell universe?

To answer that you’ll need to understand that I’ve mentally been living in this world ever since I was 15 years old, writing poorly-crafted stories by pen and paper. Decades pass and stories build up and although I have a basic understanding of the overall story that Catching Hell is a part of, I knew that there were other aspects of this world I could write about and flesh out a bit more.

The Japanese call these Gaiden. Side stories. Spin-offs. Small bits that add to a greater whole. I liked that idea, and knew that even within the construct of this world, with its rules already established and tone settled on, I can give the reader a lot of different flavours.

If I understand correctly, your first two Catching Hell novels are being redistributed?

You are correct, sir. The path of Catching Hell was never an easy one.

The original duology was published by Double Dragon Publishing, who I enjoyed working with a great deal because they were flexible and understanding and were just what I needed. However, they were purchased by another company out of the UK. After some back and forth, this new distributor wanted to continue to publish them. I however wasn’t certain they were the right fit for me.

Which is where Fluky Fiction came in. They are the publisher of Death Dresses Poorly, as well as the editor for Catching Hell: Destination as well as Between Conversations. I threw a tweet out about what was happening and it started a back-and-forth between us. They admitted that epic science-fantasy wasn’t really their genre, however due to our working history and mutual respect, they agreed that they would re-release the duology, with a fresh edit and new coat of paint. I couldn’t refuse. I love working with them way too much. So now they’re set to come back next year, with the reissue of Catching Hell Part One: Journey arriving in Q1 of 2021.

I quite miss our yearly drink catch up at When Words Collide. Since we weren’t able to have a one-on-one beer together, tell everyone on the internet what else has consumed your time since the 2018 interview.

And I miss it as well, Konn! As the first person in this writing world who really took notice of me and reached out, I owe you a lot and I enjoy catching up face-to-face.

I have been busy with learning how this self-publishing thing works and educating myself. I wrote the lion’s share of this collection in November of 2019, and I spent a lot of time after that figuring out my next move with it, and then making sure the steps I took were educated ones. It is unique and interesting and incredibly freeing! I don’t know if I want to abandon my desire to be primarily traditionally published, but my respect for the DIYers out there such as yourself has grown considerably.

However, I’m still just looking after my life and all the non-writing aspects of it. Kids need to be coached and taken places, or entertained when nothing is going on (like, say, March to June of this year). Work still needs to be done, and the lawn doesn’t mow itself! I don’t double-down on writing very often. Now that this is released, I’ll likely move on to something else. Or not.

For aspiring writers and established authors, tell us about how you approach your writing and author career. It’s quite unique and it could relieve a lot of unneeded stress people put on themselves.

Gladly! As I’ve stated before, I am an anti-author. I don’t want to write full time or sell a million copies to retire early. I like my life outside of writing very much and I look forward to doing other things. I am a hobbyist author. A day tripper. It’s why I’m not pounding out two or three books a year. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it’s not how I personally want to spend my time.

By anti-author, I mean that I somewhat fly in the face of the traditional author stereotypes with this way of thinking. I write only when I want, and never for more or less than I feel is needed. I don’t set writing goals ever, and I don’t actively participate in events like NaNoWriMo (despite accidentally “winning” it…twice…). The measure of success we give ourselves can be just as damaging as it is rewarding. If you only write 10 words in a week for whatever reason, that’s fine. If you smash out 10,000 words in a day, more power to you. Just don’t let what you perceive to be required to be a “successful” author hold you back or push you forward in a dangerous way.

Let’s thank Marc Watson for joining us!

You can find Marc Watson through the following links below. Check out his new anthology as well. I snagged it and it is sitting next on the to-read list.

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Find Between Conversations Tales From the World of Ryuujin from the links below:



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Synopsis

In the world of Ryuujin, heroes rise and fall, but there are always stories that slip through the cracks. The tales of the people who shape the years to come. Heroism and betrayal. Conversations between friends and enemies that will change the course of the world. These are nine stories from a world that is historic, modern, and terrifyingly futuristic. A world where science and magic intertwine, and give birth to the unknown souls who become heroes, and the legends who fade away into history. From the author of the renowned dark comedy Death Dresses Poorly, and from the world of his hit science-fantasy duology Catching Hell comes a collection of adventure, drama, joy, and terror as we look into the lives of the powerful, the meek, and the people who make the world turn over the course of centuries.

The post New Fantasy Anthology by Author Marc Watson appeared first on Konn Lavery.

Podcast: Seed Me – Episode 03

Episode 3 of the Seed Me novel episodic audiobook is here. As with previous weeks, a new chapter will be shared on Thursdays. Enjoy the podcast below and share it around:

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Logan joins his friends, Janet and Skip, to get a hangover breakfast and check out the farmers’ market. There’s a new vendor there, who only raises Logan’s suspicions about the Vicky’s look-alike from the pub. Vicky is dead by the way. Logan isn’t too sure about this new vendor…

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