Rach's Blog
September 9, 2014
Soul Seed will be $0.99
Soul Seed will be $0.99 from September 12th through the 14th. Soul Seed is a YA Fantasy.
Landra had long since given up playing mage, a magick user. When she hears a voice in her head telling her to save the Prince, she thinks she’s crazed. Never had she considered that she may actually have magick. This will be the start of an adventure that will change her life and a world she’s never known.
February 19, 2014
Author Interview with Agostino Scafidi
Name: Agostino Scafidi Author of:The Invisible Papers and The Anchor That Stopped The World*Interviewer comments are in bold.
1. What inspired you to write your first book? I have toyed with the idea of writing a novel of some kind over the years. I never quite knew how to go about starting it and simply had no idea what I’d write about to fill up such a length of pages! One day, I don’t know which day exactly, I seemed to have more gusto about the idea than ever before and I even had some inspiration concerning the book’s subject matter! I basically ran with the seedlings of ideas I had and developed it as I went along. The first book I wrote is called The Anchor That Stopped The World and it’s not a novel of traditional length. It’s 107 pages but it feels like a complete story with all the loose ends tied up so to speak!When you have the inspiration run with it. Inspiration can be far and fleeting so take advantage of it when you have it, but don't dismiss the write every day work ethnic either. I can't promise everything you write will be good, but you are sure to improve.
2. What genre do you consider your book(s)?Well, I’d classify the two I’ve written thus far under Fiction, however each book is a different sub-genre.3. Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life? In The Anchor That Stopped The World I drew from personal experience in many instances to write the story, however I made sure I changed things up enough to keep things in the Fiction classification as well as to keep me out of trouble. ;) As for The Invisible Papers, I again deferred to many instances of personal experience but there is a large portion that is also purely fictional and just like the other book, it all was run through a fictionalization process per se! 4. What books have most influenced your life most? A number of books by Carlos Castaneda have had a great influence on me.The writings of Eckhart Tolle as well. I have taken something so many things, large and small from almost every book I’ve ever read. Another huge favourite of mine is Stieg Larsson’s Millennium series. I remember Cloud of Sparrows affecting me quite a bit many years ago although my memory is vague on it now. Jiddu Krishnamurti, Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len… I can’t think of anything else at the moment.
5. If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor? Stieg Larsson and/or Carlos Castaneda.
6. What book are you reading now? The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out Of The Window and Disappeared
7. Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest and why? I can’t really say. I’ve kind of been in a mode where I’m reading books from non-current authors, so I haven’t really gotten around to anything contemporary recently, except of course for The Hundred Year Old Man... but I could hardly say I’m a huge fan of the author since this is my first instance of exposure to him. 8. If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book? No. I wouldn’t change a thing. 9. Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it? What I learned specifically from writing The Invisible Papers is that even though I’m walking forward in the dark, as long as I follow that connection and inspiration, I will reach an end and it will make sense.
10. Do you have any advice for other writers? Don’t follow anyone’s advice. ;)
11. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? Well if you are a reader of mine and you are reading this, I’d like to say thank you so much for reading!12. What do you do to overcome writer’s block? I look within and connect to the unknown and limitless source that’s in us all and that connects us to the universe. Otherwise, I just take a break and do something else. 13. Do you write an outline before every book you write? No. If I ever feel the need to then I will but up to now, I haven’t needed one.
14. Have you ever hated something you wrote? Hated? No. Disliked? Maybe. 15. What was you favorite book or series as a child? I liked Dr. Seuss books. I don’t really remember anything else.16. What is your favorite television series? It’s impossible to choose just one series. I enjoy many different TV series and have enjoyed many. Okay… Star Trek (TNG, Voyager, DS9, etc)… Oh my… I can’t think of even one other series at the moment! I’ve seen so many! … I am still drawing a blank. Unbelievable. Anyway, next! 17. Do you have any unique talents or hobbies? It’s not really unique, but I can play the guitar. I’ve been playing for over 16 years.18. How can we contact you or find out more about your books?My eBooks are for sale on the Amazon kindle store and accessible via http://amazon.com/author/agostinoscafidiYou could contact me on http://twitter.com/AgostinoScafidior at http://goodreads.com/AgostinoScafidiand if you really try you can find me on Facebook. 19. What can we expect from you in the future? I’ve been getting into reviewing the books I’m reading and the TV shows and movies I watch, so you can expect to see some more of those (I’m reviewing tv and film on IMdB). I will probably be getting started on a new novel once I finish my promotion cycle for The Invisible Papers, but I have no idea when I will begin or what it will entail.
February 18, 2014
Author Interview with Julia Legian
Name: Julia Legian Author of: The Ugly Daughter A Memoir*Interview comments are in bold
1. What inspired you to write your first book? My Grandmother and God.2. How did you come up the Ideas for your book? Based on my own life experienced and it was a promise I made to god.3. What genre do you consider your book(s)? Nonfiction, women memoir4. Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life? My own.
5. What books have most influenced your life most? Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill and The Power of Positive Living Norman Vincent Peale.
6. If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor? The late Norman Vincent Peale. 7. What book are you reading now? The Alchemistby Paulo Coelho.
8. Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest and why? Anh Do, because we came from a similar background, he’s a Vietnamese-born Australian author, actor and comedian. His memoir, The Happiest Refugee was inspiring and written with humor and was hilarious.I myself have not read many memoirs so I have not had the pleasure of reading The Happiest Refugee. Maybe that's because I am a younger reader or maybe that's just because of my reading tastes.9. If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book? No because it was written with honesty and sincerity. 10. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? Yes, I had to relive 30 years’ worth of pain and tragedies all over. The pain was too great and I had to seek counsel and at one point I was put on a three days suicidal watch. I had to put aside my writing for several months so that I can put myself together again. 11. Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work? Norman Vincent Peal. His book is practical, positive and one of the most inspirational books I've ever read. It helps reader like me to find peace, happiness and to have a worthwhile life. 12. What was the hardest part of writing your book? To relieved the pain and tragedies all over again. 13. Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it? I learn the power of forgiveness, the power of letting go and to be compassionate towards the people that hurt me and the realization that I’m the only person that could free me from the prison of pain. And happiness is a personal decision and a personal choice and it has very little to do with our circumstances. 14. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? Thank you in advance for reading The Ugly Daughter memoir. Without all of your love and support I would not be able to share my story. 15. What books/authors have influenced your writing? The Power of Positive Living by Dr. Norman Vincent Peal 16. Do you ever experience writer's block? No.17. Do you write an outline before every book you write? No, I just wrote everything down on paper.18. Have you ever hated something you wrote? Yes, quite a few to mention.19. What was you favorite book or series as a child? The Little Mermaid, Cinderella and Snow White.20. What is your favorite television series? Revenge
21. Do you have any unique talents or hobbies? I’m jack of all trades and master of none LOL.22. Have you found that one of your books has sold better than the others? Why do you think that is? No. This is my first memoir I’ve written. The second book has not yet been released.23. If you could choose one goal that was at the forefront of your mind while writing, what would it be? To inspire the readers.24. How can we contact you or find out more about your books? Julia@theuglydaughter.comor www.theuglydaughter.com
25. What can we expect from you in the future? The Ugly Daughterbook 2
December 19, 2013
Absence from interviews and reviews
I apologize for not posting interviews and reviews for the last couple of weeks. I had finals and final projects in college, but now I'm on break! I will have time pick back up the interviews, and review reads.
December 4, 2013
Author Interview with G. Eldon Smith
Name: G. Eldon Smith Author of: Murder in the Rockies*Interviewer comments are in bold.
1. What inspired you to write your first book? First, I would like thank you for this interview and an opportunity to communicate with readers of your blog.
Years ago, I wrote short story about three siblings and their bikes and a tricycle. That sold to a Sunday school magazine that I don’t even remember the name of today. But the itch was still there to write a real novel. In answer to your question, the computer with Word and the ability to go back and make changes without using ez erase typing paper, it was the computer that inspired me to write my first novel. 2. How did you come up the Ideas for your book?When I was a youngster, my father and uncle read westerns, Max Brand, Luke Short, etc. and traded them back and forth. As a grown up, I thought I would write a western, because that is what I had seen at home. I also liked the courtroom drama genre because they have a definite ending…the accused is either found innocent or guilty. Aha, a cowboy western lawyer.
The more research I did, the more often the year 1890 came up. Old photos were dated 1890. The cornerstone of the Colorado State Capitol Building was laid in 1890. I had no choice; the novel had to be set in 1890. Denver was not a cowboy town any longer. With a population of over 100,000, Denver was an urban center in those days. Thus the situation presented itself. Denver in 1890 was not really my idea at all.3. What genre do you consider your book(s)? Murder in the Rockies is a historical mystery. It is definitely not a western, any more than Sherlock Holmes is about knights in armor. 4. Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life? Many of the characters are composites of people I’ve known. Or to be honest, characters I’ve seen in movies and on TV. The characters’ experiences and reactions to those experiences needed to been seen through 1890 eyes. As a youth, I observed my grandparents generation. What I learned, without knowing it, was the basis of most of the dialog, expressions, and attitudes demonstrated in the book.
I wrote the beginning and the ending. I knew what was done and who-dun-it, but the characters wrote the plot. Some characters that entered the story were completely unplanned. I simply operated Spell Check and the rest wrote itself. I never outline.
I understand both of the sentiments here. I often get character inspiration from actors, though not always when they are filling a role dictated by a script. I have talked about this in an earlier post. Characters are very much the driving force behind my plot, there are things that they would never do or say and to write them going against their nature feels very wrong. I also find that certain aspects of characters are very tiny parts of me, just magnified to a greater degree. 5. What book are you reading now?I just finished Fallen Women by Sandra Dallas. She is a remarkable author who deserves the vast audience she has accumulated over the years and her best selling novels. I met Dallas at one of her book signings, and found her to be a very gracious and charming lady.
Fallen Women is also set Denver and the year is 1885. Much of Dallas’ research overlapped with my mine. Fallen Women and Murder in the Rockies are both mysteries with the same time and place settings and they present many of the same historical facts. Yet they are two completely different stories. We put emphasis on different aspects of the same era.6. If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book? Every once in a while I think of a sentence that could have been worded differently. I tell myself that I have to let it go, and move on to the next project.7. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? The most challenging thing is to keep in mind that the setting was 1890 and modes of transportation were different, slang was different, and technology was different. I try to keep everything authentic, and sometimes that is hard.
I based some key parts of solving the mystery on the many innovations that were introduced in the late nineteenth century. The people of that era were just as overwhelmed and amazed by the inventions of that day as we are with today’s constantly changing technology. 8. Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it? I learned a great deal about Colorado history. You will find historical facts sprinkled throughout the mystery and mayhem of Murder in the Rockies. I also use bits of information in my blog, Thoughts and Opinions, in a section called “Bet You Didn’t Know.”
The section reminds me of a local radio stations "Don'tch Know" contest. Try saying that in a bad Minnesotan accent. The radio hosts will ask a question (mostly random trivia) and the call has to say, "don'tch know it's ______," to win. 9. Do you have any advice for other writers? As a novice author myself, I am in more of a position to ask for advice than give it. If you are fortunate enough to get advice or suggestions from experienced, writers, editors, or publishers, listen to them, and be willing to change.
G. Eldon Smith can be found on his webpage at http://garyesmith-author.net/index.html and on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7237054.G_Eldon_Smith
His book is available on Amazon at http://amzn.com/1938467701
1. What inspired you to write your first book? First, I would like thank you for this interview and an opportunity to communicate with readers of your blog.Years ago, I wrote short story about three siblings and their bikes and a tricycle. That sold to a Sunday school magazine that I don’t even remember the name of today. But the itch was still there to write a real novel. In answer to your question, the computer with Word and the ability to go back and make changes without using ez erase typing paper, it was the computer that inspired me to write my first novel. 2. How did you come up the Ideas for your book?When I was a youngster, my father and uncle read westerns, Max Brand, Luke Short, etc. and traded them back and forth. As a grown up, I thought I would write a western, because that is what I had seen at home. I also liked the courtroom drama genre because they have a definite ending…the accused is either found innocent or guilty. Aha, a cowboy western lawyer.
The more research I did, the more often the year 1890 came up. Old photos were dated 1890. The cornerstone of the Colorado State Capitol Building was laid in 1890. I had no choice; the novel had to be set in 1890. Denver was not a cowboy town any longer. With a population of over 100,000, Denver was an urban center in those days. Thus the situation presented itself. Denver in 1890 was not really my idea at all.3. What genre do you consider your book(s)? Murder in the Rockies is a historical mystery. It is definitely not a western, any more than Sherlock Holmes is about knights in armor. 4. Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life? Many of the characters are composites of people I’ve known. Or to be honest, characters I’ve seen in movies and on TV. The characters’ experiences and reactions to those experiences needed to been seen through 1890 eyes. As a youth, I observed my grandparents generation. What I learned, without knowing it, was the basis of most of the dialog, expressions, and attitudes demonstrated in the book.
I wrote the beginning and the ending. I knew what was done and who-dun-it, but the characters wrote the plot. Some characters that entered the story were completely unplanned. I simply operated Spell Check and the rest wrote itself. I never outline.
I understand both of the sentiments here. I often get character inspiration from actors, though not always when they are filling a role dictated by a script. I have talked about this in an earlier post. Characters are very much the driving force behind my plot, there are things that they would never do or say and to write them going against their nature feels very wrong. I also find that certain aspects of characters are very tiny parts of me, just magnified to a greater degree. 5. What book are you reading now?I just finished Fallen Women by Sandra Dallas. She is a remarkable author who deserves the vast audience she has accumulated over the years and her best selling novels. I met Dallas at one of her book signings, and found her to be a very gracious and charming lady.
Fallen Women is also set Denver and the year is 1885. Much of Dallas’ research overlapped with my mine. Fallen Women and Murder in the Rockies are both mysteries with the same time and place settings and they present many of the same historical facts. Yet they are two completely different stories. We put emphasis on different aspects of the same era.6. If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book? Every once in a while I think of a sentence that could have been worded differently. I tell myself that I have to let it go, and move on to the next project.7. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? The most challenging thing is to keep in mind that the setting was 1890 and modes of transportation were different, slang was different, and technology was different. I try to keep everything authentic, and sometimes that is hard.
I based some key parts of solving the mystery on the many innovations that were introduced in the late nineteenth century. The people of that era were just as overwhelmed and amazed by the inventions of that day as we are with today’s constantly changing technology. 8. Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it? I learned a great deal about Colorado history. You will find historical facts sprinkled throughout the mystery and mayhem of Murder in the Rockies. I also use bits of information in my blog, Thoughts and Opinions, in a section called “Bet You Didn’t Know.”
The section reminds me of a local radio stations "Don'tch Know" contest. Try saying that in a bad Minnesotan accent. The radio hosts will ask a question (mostly random trivia) and the call has to say, "don'tch know it's ______," to win. 9. Do you have any advice for other writers? As a novice author myself, I am in more of a position to ask for advice than give it. If you are fortunate enough to get advice or suggestions from experienced, writers, editors, or publishers, listen to them, and be willing to change.
G. Eldon Smith can be found on his webpage at http://garyesmith-author.net/index.html and on Goodreads at https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7237054.G_Eldon_Smith
His book is available on Amazon at http://amzn.com/1938467701
December 3, 2013
Three Ways to Improve Any Interview Experience
Interviews are a huge part of the book bossiness. They provide exposure, learning, and networking all in one shot! To make the best of this opportunity I've simmered down a few tips.
1) Be professional. Sounds obvious, but it is so important I thought this should be the first on the list. This spans your emails with interviewer and the interviewee (whatever side of the table you are on), your questions and responses, and any photos you may provide. If you're not courteous in your interactions, people might be less than eager to work with you.
2) Make your responses and questions worthwhile. Weather you're the interviewer, interviewee, or the reader you are being asked to give away your time. The thing to remember is your want is written to be the best possible reflection of you. Does that mean you shouldn't share? No, show who you are as a person, because people want to relate. What is the first thing you do after being introduced to a new person? You look for common interests.
3) Be positive. No one likes to listen to anyone complain. People do it to blow off steam, but it can be misconstrued as part of your own personality. "Oh, I don't like talking to so-and-so because she/he is so grouchy." Everyone has come across this at some point. You know how it feels to talk to someone complaining. Please don't do it to your readers.
I hope these tips are helpful.
1) Be professional. Sounds obvious, but it is so important I thought this should be the first on the list. This spans your emails with interviewer and the interviewee (whatever side of the table you are on), your questions and responses, and any photos you may provide. If you're not courteous in your interactions, people might be less than eager to work with you.
2) Make your responses and questions worthwhile. Weather you're the interviewer, interviewee, or the reader you are being asked to give away your time. The thing to remember is your want is written to be the best possible reflection of you. Does that mean you shouldn't share? No, show who you are as a person, because people want to relate. What is the first thing you do after being introduced to a new person? You look for common interests.
3) Be positive. No one likes to listen to anyone complain. People do it to blow off steam, but it can be misconstrued as part of your own personality. "Oh, I don't like talking to so-and-so because she/he is so grouchy." Everyone has come across this at some point. You know how it feels to talk to someone complaining. Please don't do it to your readers.
I hope these tips are helpful.
December 1, 2013
Author Interview with Pearson Moore
Name: Pearson Moore Author of: Deneb*Interviewer comments are in bold.
1. What inspired you to write your first book? Stories have always been a place for me to become immersed in another world. The greatest thrill in my life is the moment when I can plunge a circle of friends into such a strange new place. I wanted to sustain this thrill, to tell a story that took hours or days, not short minutes. When I figured out how to do it, by creating memorable characters who could act as guides through fascinating worlds, I wrote my first novel, Cartier’s Ring. With Deneb, my 18th volume, I ramped it up, bringing in dozens of characters and a storyline that appeals at several different levels: action/adventure, unusual character development, epic story, strange world, and deep symbolism. 2. How do you come up with ideas for your book? It’s not so much an idea as a problem. I try to come up with problems that require input from several characters with mixed or complementary skill sets, with different kinds of drawbacks or imperfections, so they really don’t know how they’re going to solve the problem. It’s not like I know, either! But when I bring together characters with diverse backgrounds, invariably two or three of them have abilities or ideas I wouldn’t have considered, and then we’re on our way to figuring out how to address the problem. 3. In which genres do you write? Denebis a traditional ‘hard’ science fiction epic, meaning that all the stuff that happens in the novel is explainable through science or reasonable extrapolations from scientific principles. But I enjoy writing in several genres. Cartier’s Ring, for instance, is historical fiction, while my best known books, such as LOST Humanity and LOST Identity, are nonfiction works providing commentary on television series like Lost, Game of Thrones, and Breaking Bad. What I most enjoy, regardless of the genre I’m writing, is to approach ideas in ways readers don’t expect. The intention is to force readers to think about ideas they’ve never considered, or to confront ideas in completely new ways. I’ve always thought that in expanding our perspective we enjoy a fictional world far more than we would when everything is familiar and comfortable and predictable. In Deneb, for example, I take away the familiar concept of woman/man pair bonding. Women and men still have sexual relations, of course, but there is no courtship, no romantic love, no dating—in fact no marriages—no mothers and fathers as such. How would a society function without pair bonding or marriage? Is this anything that could work? Why would people build such a culture? This is just one of the interesting problems Deneb tackles. 4. Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life? I try to bring actual experience and real-life quirks to my characters. When I began writing essays and short stories I often created characters similar in many ways to friends and acquaintances. But in my novels I find myself thinking of basic character traits and histories and I allow the characters to work out the details for themselves. Each character is her own person, with her own backstory, her own way of doing things. While they’re not based on people I know, I think they are real in their own way, in a sense that carries far more integrity than if I forced a character to conform to a set of behaviors defining a particular person. They’re real people, and far more real than if I had attempted to mold them into individuals they are not and should not try to be.
I understand what you mean about molding them into individuals they are not meant to be. Occasionally I will write a scene where a character is doing some thing they would never do. Then I have to rewrite that scene. 5. Which books have most influenced your life? Most of your readers, I imagine, have heard of Isaac Asimov. He was my favorite author in my teenage years. But I have read many writers now. Probably Ken Follett has influenced me more than any other writer, though Pierre Berton writes history with a novelist’s flair, and I have read nearly two dozen of his thick tomes. I enjoy Tolkien, except for The Silmarillion (I tried to read it!). I like thinking about the world of Westeros somewhat more than reading about it (Martin’s prose style tends to drive me up the wall) and I tried to bring something of the complexity of A Song of Ice and Fire to my seven-culture world in Deneb. 6. Which writer do you consider a mentor? I try to emulate the format, not so much the style, of Ken Follett. It seems to me Follett has developed a consistent way of inviting readers into his worlds. He connects with me far more than other writers, and I try to immerse readers based on what I’ve learned from him.
World building is such an important part of fiction writing. I have read so many novels that have fallen flat because the world isn't developed. Even if you setting is Earth, you still need to describe the character's setting, because that is their world. 7. Which books are you reading now? I always have several books going. I’m reading El laberinto de la soledadby Octavio Paz, The Barbarous Yearsby Bernard Bailyn, The Third Chimpanzeeby Jared Diamond, Smuggler Nation: How Illicit Trade Made America by Peter Andreas, and Néandertal: Le Cristal de Chasse by Emmanuel Roudier 8. Which new authors have grasped your interest and why? Steven Barnes is by no means a ‘new author’ but he’s new to me. His Great Sky Woman, I think, is going to be considered a classic of early human prehistoric fiction. Shadow Valley is next on my to-read list. 9. If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book? No, I wouldn’t change one word. I struggle with my novels not for weeks or months but for years. I submit them for rigorous critiques and beta-reading; Deneb, for instance, was critiqued over 130 times. So I write the first draft and give it to the critters. They tear it apart and hand it back to me, usually in tatters and shreds, and then I have to put it back together again. I come back with a second draft and it goes back into the human shredding machine. When you do that a few times you end up with a pretty strong story. It’s never perfect, but it’s as good as that particular story can be. Then it gets polished, edited, proofread a half dozen times, and finally submitted to my publisher. 10. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? Everything is a challenge! If I didn’t find this whole business at the very edge of my capacities I suppose I would quit doing it and go do something else. 11. Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work? Ken Follett, for me, is the definitive master of the thriller and, with The Pillars of the Earth, historical fiction as well. But I read a lot of history, too, and there I believe Pierre Berton has no equal. As far as emotional connection, probably the best writer is Thomas Merton. It’s hard not to become personally involved in his autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain. 12. What was the hardest part of writing your book? All of it is challenging, but one of the additional difficulties of an epic like Deneb, a story sprawled out across a quarter million words, is that there are so many details to remember and propagate through the story. It weighed me down after a while, to the point that in addition to having an outline I had to create a detailed spreadsheet to keep track of everything. Readers don’t have to do that—unless they’re trying to piece together the conlang (constructed language, called Tasblish) I created for the novel. 13. Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it? I give several hundred hours of research to every book I write. For DenebI spent several thousand hours in research, so I learned thousands of things, especially about Neanderthal and Cro Magnon cultures. For instance, most of the dark hand outlines that often appear next to animal figures in prehistoric cave paintings are the outlines of women’s hands, not men’s. That was a shock to me, since I always thought those hands represented the artists who created the animal figures, and I assumed those to be the work of male hunters. I had to throw out the hunter idea and replace it with the theory that the animals were painted by female shamans. I was also surprised to learn that most Europeans and Asians carry somewhere between one and four percent Neanderthal genes in our DNA; all of us descend from Neanderthals. Fascinating!
I'm assuming you are talking abut the Lascaux Caves? They used to be a tourist site, until scientists realized that the exposure to our air and pollution was actually destroying all of the artwork. They have since been replicated and the original caves are sealed. 14. Do you have any advice for other writers? Don’t write. If you’re not committed to reading and writing all the time, for many, many years before you publish your first work, don’t write. Writing is lonely, thankless, hard work, and it’s not for everybody. Writing with such depth and imagination that people feel good about paying for the privilege of reading your stories is not a skill one is born with or can develop in weeks or months. As with any endeavor requiring expertise, you’re going to have to put in at least 10,000 hours—roughly two million words—before you’re ready to publish. Yes, you can publish before that. But be prepared for a lot of one-star reviews of what readers will tell you is low-quality material.
If you insist on plowing ahead, I feel you cannot write unless you have demonstrated mastery of the language. If you don’t know the subjunctive mood from a subordinate clause—if you don’t understand the rudiments of your language—you have no business pretending to have a flair for wordsmithing. Language contains every tool and weapon in the writer’s arsenal. Before you begin those long 10,000 hours, then, you need to have complete facility with the English language, including grammar, spelling, usage, and syntax.
I personally do not completely agree with opinion, writing is as much about learning and improving same a any profession. There can always be improvement. Always, but if you have the drive to continue to always learn, always improve, The thing's mentioned in the previous paragraph can always be learned and relearned. Authors keep book on grammar on their shelves for a reason -because even they are not master. There are some rules that are not hard and fast either, our languages are always changing. Part of writing is being a word connoisseur, you have to develop your tastes. You do this be reading, researching, and writing.
My other thought is if someone tells you can't, do it because you can. 15. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? Be involved! If you enjoy my stories, tell me. If you have questions or ideas, tell me. If a story moved you, brought tears to your eyes or a snarl to your lips, let me know. Reading and writing and discussing, to my mind, are the same activity. 17. Do you ever experience writer's block? I suppose there are moments when I am less expressive than I’d like to be, but more often than not my shortcomings present themselves as an over-abundant eagerness to write. I tend to write more than I should! 18. What do you do to overcome writer’s block? Write. And if I suffer from insomnia I sleep it off. How can I do it? Maybe because I have an iron will. Yessir, I can resist anything. Well, I can resist anything except temptation. And I have the patience of a saint—except when I’m in a hurry :) 19. Do you write an outline before every book you write? Most of my books start as an outline. I did some stream-of-consciousness work in LOST Humanity. 20. Have you ever hated something you wrote? Of course—but I never publish anything unless at least a dozen people tell me it’s ready for publication. Having a work exhaustively critiqued is not much fun, but it’s a whole lot better than being told—after publication—that the novel I slaved over for two years is no good! 21. What was you favorite book or series as a child? The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov. Dracula by Bram Stoker was another favorite. 22. What is your favorite television series? LOST. It’s the best thing ever written for television.
I never have watched LOST. Mostly because you have to watch every single episode in order for anything to make sense, at least that's what I've been told. 23. Do you have any unique talents or hobbies? Nothing unique, no, although I sometimes acquire unique insightsinto problems. I am a professional chemist with expertise in pharmaceutical purification process design from biological matrices. I used to race bicycles; the hill climb and the double century (200 miles in a single ride) were my specialties. I read widely, I speak several languages. Somehow I have managed to fit into my schedule every episode of Survivorthat has ever aired. 24. Have you found that one of your books has sold better than the others? Why do you think that is? My best selling book by far is LOST Humanity. It is the #1 bestselling ebook ever written about LOST and for 15 weeks in 2011 and 2012 it was the #1 bestselling paperback on the series, too. Why do I think that is? Somehow I connected with both the show and with fans of the show. I still don’t know how! 25. How can we contact you or find out more about your books? You can find me at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Pearson-Moore/e/B004SAVKKM/
I’m at Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pearson.moore.7
And I have an author page at Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4772196.Pearson_Moore 26. What can we expect from you in the future? I’m working on three projects: A companion book called Breaking Blue for all five seasons of Breaking Bad, a single-culture prequel to Deneb, and a cultural history of the United States from 1607 to 1890 called Patriot Cause: The Roots of Independency and Incivility in America.
Breaking Blue is a color-based discussion of Breaking Bad, looking at the symbolic meaning of Walter’s white underwear, Heisenberg’s black pork pie hat, Marie’s fascination with everything purple, and the boldest colors in the series: yellow, orange, and blue.
I’m most excited about the Deneb prequel treating early Tasfit (Neanderthal) culture. The last 15 years have seen an explosion of new information about Neanderthals, to the point that most pre-2005 theories about the species have to be thrown out. The new research is leading to revolutionary ideas, and I hope to bring the full force of these radical new concepts and findings to the pages of my book. Even the title of the book reflects the excitement—so much so that the publisher has asked me not to reveal the title. I can’t say I’ve ever experienced a prohibition like that before!
Patriot Cause: The Roots of Independency and Incivility in America, 1607 to 1890 is literally and figuratively revolutionary in its treatment of subject matter all of us believe we understand. In fact, though, recent scholarship allows for the sober proposal of a disquieting thesis: The guiding force of the American Revolution was not Enlightenment philosophy but economic practicality, boiling down to virtually unfettered opportunity and the fabled mindset we call ‘rugged individualism’, but also culturally codified and expected greed, deceit, and selfishness. I think anyone with even a mild interest in history will find this study absorbing and thought provoking in its rejection of just about every philosophy-based theory of the Revolution. This analysis sees Samuel Adams and Thomas Paine, among others, as the real heroes but casts major players like George Washington and John Hancock as mediocre contributors who did little to advance the new country’s cause. Others, like Thomas Jefferson and his nemesis, John Adams, helped to craft the new myth of American identity that allowed the country to survive its self-destructive years immediately following the revolution. I’ve been working on this immense history for several years, and hope to present it for publication late in 2014.
November 30, 2013
Author Interview with Kyoko M.
Name or pen name: Kyoko M. Author of: The Black Parade*Interviewer comments are in bold.
1. What Inspired you to write your first book?It actually came from several different sources. I began writing The Black Parade in 2009 while I was still in college taking a class on Greek mythology. I had always loved epic poems and stories of gods and immortal beings, and I also was a huge fan of Christian mythology as well, particularly Paradise Lost by John Milton. I wanted to create a modern day story with these types of characters in it, but with my own slant to the story. For one, supernatural/paranormal fiction doesn’t tend to have enough main characters who are women of color, so I decided that it could be a new avenue to explore.
I can relate to this. I got the idea for the world in my book Soul Seed while I was sitting in a history of modern design class. I would not have had that idea without taking that class.
My second inspiration came from the 2005 film ‘Constantine’ directed by Francis Lawrence. This sounds odd considering the adaptation, which is based on the Hellblazer comics, bears little resemblance to its original source, but the story is what drew me in and so I took the idea and melded it with what I already had in mind based on Paradise Lost. Somehow, it gave birth to The Black Parade.
On a more personal level, I have been writing since I was old enough to hold a pencil. I tried to write novels before I got to this one and they didn’t have the juice to make it, but this one finally had all the right elements. I learned enough about the craft and the creative process to finally get everything down on paper and edited to the point where it was a coherent story that I hoped people would enjoy. I wrote it because it was something I would like to see out in the world—a black protagonist in a crazy, supernatural setting, and one who doesn’t fall into too many stereotypes.
2. How did you come up with the title? The title comes from the My Chemical Romance song entitled “Welcome to the Black Parade.” In the song, the black parade is a metaphor for death, as in one joins the black parade when they die. Jordan is a Seer, or someone who has the ability to see, hear, and assist souls with unfinished business. Therefore, she is almost like the drum major in the black parade, leading people towards their final resting place. 3. What genre do you consider your book(s)?Officially, I believe the novel counts as urban fantasy, but it has also been categorized in the paranormal and supernatural genres. 4. Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?Oddly enough, most of the experiences in the novel aren’t drawn from my life or someone I know. My characters sort of sprung forth fully formed and their inner thoughts and motivations came with them. One of the real experiences that occur in The Black Parade is related to Jordan’s withdrawn nature and hesitance to let other people in. I was a bit of a loner as a kid and it was always difficult for me to make friends, and that was something that I wanted to show on a personal level in the novel. Loneliness can hit anyone, even girls who see dead people and regularly chat with archangels.
Another thing that is based on experiences of mine is Jordan and Michael’s relationship. I’ve always had that sort of banter with guys that I’ve liked in the past: the underhanded flirting, the teasing, the playful insults, etc. I enjoy reading about and watching couples with antagonistic chemistry, and so it’s something I write naturally as well.
5. What books have most influenced your life most? ‘Paradise Lost’ by John Milton, the Redwall series by Brian Jacques, and the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Milton’s work painted this vivid, beautiful picture of a fantasy world that I found myself dying to explore. The Redwall series taught me about creating nuanced details to ignite the imagination and how to write a spread of personalities. The Dresden Files taught me how to create a balanced, three dimensional character with a fully formed supporting cast.
I love the Redwall series!
I’d also like to pay homage to Judy Blume’s ‘Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing,’ which comforted me a lot as an awkward kid with few friends and made me love reading and writing. I read that book so many times that my copy of it has fallen apart. It was such a fantastic little beacon of hope for kids out there who are still looking for their place in the world.
6. If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor? I actually have a mentor. His name is Andy Rattinger. I call him my writing sensei. He’s a brilliant screenwriter and independent filmmaker who I stumbled across on Twitter several years ago. I don’t know why he was kind enough to take me under his wing, but I am eternally grateful that he did. His advice has always pushed me out of my comfort zone, and we often end up in long Twitter debates about writing techniques, but he’s sharp as a tack and he’s got a good heart. I’ve learned so much from him and I hope to someday be that kind of mentor for a young author because I know I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am without him.
7. What books are you reading now? The Unconsciousness of an Ethiopian Princess by Talisha Harrison, The Geek’s Guide to Dating by Eric Smith, Hellboy: On Earth as It is in Hell by Mike Mignola and Brian Hodge, and Dante’s Inferno. I’ve also got my eye on Frozen Heat by Richard Castle, Shadowland by Meg Cabot, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, Good Omens by Neil Gaiman, and Moon Called by Patricia Briggs. It’s going to be a busy Christmas on Amazon for this author.
8. Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest and why? I mentioned Talisha Harrison’s book of poetry earlier. She’s a hardworking lady with a beautiful grasp of language. She’s also working on a post-apocalyptic novella about zombies that I’m excited for and will check out when it’s published. She’s a huge advocate for diversity in fantasy and sci-fi genres, like me, so I’m happy to support her and other new authors like her to reach for the stars.
9. If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?I’d probably work on the third act and take my time developing the climax. It took me around two years to finish The Black Parade, and most of the time was spent trying to write myself out of a corner. Jordan, Michael, and Gabriel come up against a great evil that they never could have predicted, one that was so powerful that it took me a while to figure out how to defeat him. While I’m satisfied with the novel as a whole, I would have taken more time to resolve the climactic battle scene towards the end. 10. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Certainly! The first is always plotting out the novel. For instance, I’ve already written the second book in the Black Parade series and I’m currently writing the third. I started the third novel in May of this year, and I actually got to 50,000 words rather quickly. Then I stopped and read it through one time and realized the plot was hard to understand and the pacing was abysmal. I had a long, detailed chat with my writing sensei and then went back and rewrote a large chunk of it. The novel’s events have always been a challenge because Jordan and Michael and the good guys go through so much in the first two books that it was hard to stay original and creative with the third one.
Another issue is presenting difficult solutions for the characters and showing them struggle in a way that makes them human. Jordan and Michael make some tough choices in the upcoming novels, and several are of the unsavory sort. To me, it’s important that the readers still care about the characters even if they don’t agree with their actions.
For instance, the novel Changes by Jim Butcher is the book in the Dresden Files series that upends damn near every single thing in Harry Dresden’s life. I was so crushed by the ending in that book that I (a) actually physically slapped the book and (b) couldn’t read the next novel in the series for a whole month because I was so emotionally torn up. Granted, I hope my readers get attached to the characters, but I also don’t want to alienate them if the characters make bad decisions. It’s always a tricky line to walk as an author.
11. Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work? Right now, it’s Jim Butcher, full stop. I’m 100% head over heels in love with Harry Dresden. Butcher’s talent is just insane. He writes beautifully, and yet he still has time to make me laugh hard enough to bust a gut, and then can switch the mood to the point where I’m tearing up as I read. He makes the most perfect nerdy references and yet they never seem overbearing or pretentious. Everything in his work flows smoothly. He is one of the few authors who gives me the full spectrum of emotions while I’m reading his work. It’s disgusting how in love with his writing I am right now.
12. What was the hardest part of writing your book? Finishing. For me, it’s so easy to start a novel. It’s usually very easy up until I hit the 40,000 word count, and then things tend to wind down. Endings have always been very hard for me because it’s where the story hits its peak. The pacing and the character’s motivations are at their most important, and expectations are always going to be high. I fret over it constantly because I want to live up to my own expectations as well as the readers. Honestly, at my core, I just want to write someone’s favorite novel. It’s not enough that your beginning and your middle are good: one has to follow through to the end in order to truly write a great novel.
Finishing is always tough, I tend to drag it when I get near the end because I don't want to be done writing the draft, but at some point I just get over it and finish. I think I wrote the last three chapters of Soul Seed in two days.
13. Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it? I learned how to discipline myself, first and foremost. The easiest thing in the world to do is not write. You can come up with a thousand excuses and you’ll never get the novel done if you let them control your life. Sometimes it feels impossible to squeeze a paragraph out, and other times I write for an hour straight without even flinching. Still, the one thing that I’ve learned is to keep pushing through, even after I’ve hit a wall or I want to give up because no one gives a flying monkey frick about my work. I write because I love it. If I’m lucky, other people will love it too, but until then, the most important thing is to do the work. Even if I can’t write every single day, I make sure to edit or rewrite things I’ve already written so that I’m constantly moving forward. Writing is about momentum, no matter how basic.
14. Do you have any advice for other writers? Don’t give up. You’re going to be tempted every single day to throw down your pencil, your pen, or your laptop and just quit for whatever reason. You’re too busy to write. You have bills to pay. You have a day job. No one cares about your work. No one will ever care about your work. You’re stressed out. Your writing is terrible. All of those things are going to crop up at some point and you’re going to consider letting your insecurities conquer you. Don’t do it. Successful authors aren’t the ones who are flawless wordsmiths—they’re the ones who don’t quit when everything in life tells them that they should. Writers are stubborn people. What we do matters, if only to us. Our stories need to be told. So tell them, and don’t apologize for it.
15. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? You are not alone. Even on the worst night, there’s a voice out there for you to connect with and all you have to do is crack open a book and find it. It doesn’t matter where you find it as long as you do. If it’s in my novel, I’m grateful for your time and your interest. You’re a treasure beyond measure. Keep reading and keep imagining.
16. What books/authors have influenced your writing? I grew up reading various things, but one that I’d like to mention because it’s a bit obscure now is the Symphony of Ages series by Elizabeth Haydon. My brother and I used to read the first three novels all the time when I was younger because they were these huge, sprawling fantasy stories that were dense and intricate. It was the first high fantasy novel series I ever read, and it’s still one of my favorites even if it is a bit dated by today’s standards.
One of the things that influenced me was Rhapsody as the main protagonist. Up until that point, I hadn’t read many fantasy series with female leads. Rhapsody has a lot of Mary Sue traits, but she’s still an interesting lady and her world is incredibly interesting. Haydon’s world building skills were masterful. I still find myself remembering the level of details she breathed into her series, and that is something I aspire to with an upcoming novel I’m working on that has to do with elementals and war.
17. Do you ever experience writer's block? Constantly. After all, I’m only human. Or so I let you all believe…18. What do you do to overcome writer’s block?
First, a nice dose of Chuck Wendig’s writing advice always helps calm me down when I’m in a tizzy about being stuck in a rut. Chuck Wendig’s blog is overflowing with excellent advice regarding anything related to writing. Anytime I find myself stuck, I thumb through his books and his blog for help.
Second, I crank up the inspirational music. No, I’m not talking Chariots of Fire: Oasis, Fun., The Stranglers, Beirut, Blink 182, Eels, Vampire Weekend—all the musicians whose work make my soul light on fire when I hear their lyrics. I drown myself in music for a good half hour or so until I feel all my creative juices flowing again.
Third, I backtrack over the nearest chapter in order to see if I can detect what started the blockage. Most often, it’s just a scene that I don’t feel like writing either because it’s difficult, or it’s not what I’m in the mood to write. If I’m uninterested in a scene, I pick it apart and try to discover what makes it feel boring to me. Then I try to spice it back up.
19. Do you write an outline before every book you write? Nope. I usually have a general idea of my plots before I begin and I write about a good third to half of the novel, and then I outline in order to keep my timeline straight and to get a better perspective of my pacing. I advocate outlining to the fullest extent, though. I simply use it in an odd fashion. It’s incredibly helpful for straightening out storylines and details that I may have lost later on. 20. Have you ever hated something you wrote? Is the Pope Catholic? The Black Parade is only my first successful novel. I attempted a novel three times before it came along, and sadly, all three attempts were steaming piles of monkey poo. The one that I hate most of all is a romantic comedy novella I wrote about two best friends in college: a gay guy and a straight girl who were roommates (Gee, sound familiar?). The guy, named Nick, gets a call from his sister who announces that she’s getting married and wants him to come home for the wedding, but since he hasn’t come out to his parents, he doesn’t want to go. His best friend, Cassidy, convinces him to go, but when they get there, Nick panics and tells the family he and Cassidy are lovers to avoid coming out to them. Meanwhile, Nick’s gorgeous cousin, Jason, gets suspicious of their relationship and sets his sights on Cassidy, who is attracted to him as well but doesn’t want to blow her cover.
After I wrote it and re-read it, there were a billion issues with it. The main one was lack of conflict, and that’s why it didn’t even make it to 50,000 words. My dad read it and loved it and wanted me to write it as a screenplay and sell it, but I truly hate the way I wrote Nick’s predicament. Now that it’s been years since I wrote it, I may someday revisit the manuscript and rewrite it, but as of now, it’s my most loathed story. 21. What was your favorite book or series as a child?Like most writers, I was an enormous Harry Potter fan. I’m older now and I have fondness for it, but I sort of drifted apart from the series after the fifth novel. However, I will always be grateful to J.K. Rowling for creating such a vibrant, beautiful world, and for teaching an entire generation to love reading. Harry Potter’s legacy will continue for decades to come and I am so happy to have grown up with an author guiding me with a kind, mature, loving hand. Rowling knew how to tell a story, tell it well, and tell it without insulting our intelligence. The series continues to stand the test of time because it can be enjoyed by adults and children alike. It’s just plain amazing.
I totally (sorry I'm cringing at the word totally, sounds to childish. It's such a shame that some words get to overused and abused that people end up trying to avoid them whenever possible.) agree with you. I love J.K. Rowling. I once forced my parents to drive me an hour and a half (the nearest bookstore at the time) so I could buy Order of the Phoenix on the day it was released. I haven't had the time to read her latest book, I really want to. 22. What is your favorite television series?Oh, why did you ask me that? Now I have to gush about a little show called Castle. It basically changed my life. If you’re not in the know, Castle is an ABC cop procedural dramedy starring geek god Nathan Fillion and the eternally funny and beautiful Stana Katic. Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) is a world-famous crime novelist who grows bored with his golden goose main character, Derrick Storm, and kills him off. Thus, he’s looking for something new to write about. He meets Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) when she comes to him after a murderer stages his victims the way Castle wrote them in one of his novels. Intrigued by her fierce intelligence and heart-stopping hotness, Castle asks to consult on the case and they solve the murder together. He then weasels his way into shadowing her because he’s friends with the Mayor of New York, and the show takes off from there.
Castle is currently in its sixth season and I’m just as in love with it now as I was when I watched the pilot, if not more. The chemistry between Castle and Beckett is unreal. Plus, the show’s writers are sharp as tacks. They have created one of the best on-screen couples in recent history. They know how to make me laugh, cry, and root for my wonderful cast of characters every single week.
More than that, though, Castle is actually my dream. I hope to someday become a bestseller so that I can move out to LA and meet other authors and live the life I’ve always wanted. I’ve had humble beginnings and I want to see the world and explore it before my time on this old dust ball is over. Castle reminds me of where I want to be someday, and I work towards it every time I write.
OH MY GOODNESS! Now I have to gush too. I am habitual in watching Castle. I have always been a huge fan of Nathan Fillion, I mean Firefly and Serenity whats not to love? Put Nathan in anything and it has to be amazing. The did a great job in casting for this show.
23. Do you have any unique talents or hobbies?Nothing really unique. I love to draw, but not in a professional sense. I have a Deviant art account and every so often when I’m stressed out, I take a couple hours to myself and draw. Typically, it’s just characters from my novels. I find it very relaxing to draw and color, regardless of my skill level.
I find drawing out characters to be a huge help in picturing them as I write. I find often I know their personalities better than their physical features, so while I could write pages and pages describing their personalities and how they interact, I forget that sometimes I need to draw in the description of their physical appearances.
24. How can we contact you or find out more about your books?Easy. I’m always available on Twitter with the handle @misskyokom, my email address is theblackparadeseries@gmail.com, and my website is http://www.shewhowritesmonsters.com. I also have a Facebook page of the same name. I’m always excited to meet readers and fellow authors so please feel free to drop in and say hi. I love new faces. You can purchase The Black Parade at http://www.amazon.com/The-Black-Parade-ebook/dp/B00E3HLHIK
25. What can we expect from you in the future?The Black Parade is the first in a trilogy. If you purchase the novel, either as an eBook or a paperback, you’ll be able to read an excerpt from the second novel in the series, She Who Fights Monsters. It will be coming to bookshelves in summer 2014, and the third novel will debut some time in 2015.
1. What Inspired you to write your first book?It actually came from several different sources. I began writing The Black Parade in 2009 while I was still in college taking a class on Greek mythology. I had always loved epic poems and stories of gods and immortal beings, and I also was a huge fan of Christian mythology as well, particularly Paradise Lost by John Milton. I wanted to create a modern day story with these types of characters in it, but with my own slant to the story. For one, supernatural/paranormal fiction doesn’t tend to have enough main characters who are women of color, so I decided that it could be a new avenue to explore.I can relate to this. I got the idea for the world in my book Soul Seed while I was sitting in a history of modern design class. I would not have had that idea without taking that class.
My second inspiration came from the 2005 film ‘Constantine’ directed by Francis Lawrence. This sounds odd considering the adaptation, which is based on the Hellblazer comics, bears little resemblance to its original source, but the story is what drew me in and so I took the idea and melded it with what I already had in mind based on Paradise Lost. Somehow, it gave birth to The Black Parade.
On a more personal level, I have been writing since I was old enough to hold a pencil. I tried to write novels before I got to this one and they didn’t have the juice to make it, but this one finally had all the right elements. I learned enough about the craft and the creative process to finally get everything down on paper and edited to the point where it was a coherent story that I hoped people would enjoy. I wrote it because it was something I would like to see out in the world—a black protagonist in a crazy, supernatural setting, and one who doesn’t fall into too many stereotypes.
2. How did you come up with the title? The title comes from the My Chemical Romance song entitled “Welcome to the Black Parade.” In the song, the black parade is a metaphor for death, as in one joins the black parade when they die. Jordan is a Seer, or someone who has the ability to see, hear, and assist souls with unfinished business. Therefore, she is almost like the drum major in the black parade, leading people towards their final resting place. 3. What genre do you consider your book(s)?Officially, I believe the novel counts as urban fantasy, but it has also been categorized in the paranormal and supernatural genres. 4. Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?Oddly enough, most of the experiences in the novel aren’t drawn from my life or someone I know. My characters sort of sprung forth fully formed and their inner thoughts and motivations came with them. One of the real experiences that occur in The Black Parade is related to Jordan’s withdrawn nature and hesitance to let other people in. I was a bit of a loner as a kid and it was always difficult for me to make friends, and that was something that I wanted to show on a personal level in the novel. Loneliness can hit anyone, even girls who see dead people and regularly chat with archangels.
Another thing that is based on experiences of mine is Jordan and Michael’s relationship. I’ve always had that sort of banter with guys that I’ve liked in the past: the underhanded flirting, the teasing, the playful insults, etc. I enjoy reading about and watching couples with antagonistic chemistry, and so it’s something I write naturally as well.
5. What books have most influenced your life most? ‘Paradise Lost’ by John Milton, the Redwall series by Brian Jacques, and the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. Milton’s work painted this vivid, beautiful picture of a fantasy world that I found myself dying to explore. The Redwall series taught me about creating nuanced details to ignite the imagination and how to write a spread of personalities. The Dresden Files taught me how to create a balanced, three dimensional character with a fully formed supporting cast.
I love the Redwall series!
I’d also like to pay homage to Judy Blume’s ‘Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing,’ which comforted me a lot as an awkward kid with few friends and made me love reading and writing. I read that book so many times that my copy of it has fallen apart. It was such a fantastic little beacon of hope for kids out there who are still looking for their place in the world.
6. If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor? I actually have a mentor. His name is Andy Rattinger. I call him my writing sensei. He’s a brilliant screenwriter and independent filmmaker who I stumbled across on Twitter several years ago. I don’t know why he was kind enough to take me under his wing, but I am eternally grateful that he did. His advice has always pushed me out of my comfort zone, and we often end up in long Twitter debates about writing techniques, but he’s sharp as a tack and he’s got a good heart. I’ve learned so much from him and I hope to someday be that kind of mentor for a young author because I know I wouldn’t have gotten to where I am without him.
7. What books are you reading now? The Unconsciousness of an Ethiopian Princess by Talisha Harrison, The Geek’s Guide to Dating by Eric Smith, Hellboy: On Earth as It is in Hell by Mike Mignola and Brian Hodge, and Dante’s Inferno. I’ve also got my eye on Frozen Heat by Richard Castle, Shadowland by Meg Cabot, The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, Good Omens by Neil Gaiman, and Moon Called by Patricia Briggs. It’s going to be a busy Christmas on Amazon for this author.
8. Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest and why? I mentioned Talisha Harrison’s book of poetry earlier. She’s a hardworking lady with a beautiful grasp of language. She’s also working on a post-apocalyptic novella about zombies that I’m excited for and will check out when it’s published. She’s a huge advocate for diversity in fantasy and sci-fi genres, like me, so I’m happy to support her and other new authors like her to reach for the stars.
9. If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?I’d probably work on the third act and take my time developing the climax. It took me around two years to finish The Black Parade, and most of the time was spent trying to write myself out of a corner. Jordan, Michael, and Gabriel come up against a great evil that they never could have predicted, one that was so powerful that it took me a while to figure out how to defeat him. While I’m satisfied with the novel as a whole, I would have taken more time to resolve the climactic battle scene towards the end. 10. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Certainly! The first is always plotting out the novel. For instance, I’ve already written the second book in the Black Parade series and I’m currently writing the third. I started the third novel in May of this year, and I actually got to 50,000 words rather quickly. Then I stopped and read it through one time and realized the plot was hard to understand and the pacing was abysmal. I had a long, detailed chat with my writing sensei and then went back and rewrote a large chunk of it. The novel’s events have always been a challenge because Jordan and Michael and the good guys go through so much in the first two books that it was hard to stay original and creative with the third one.
Another issue is presenting difficult solutions for the characters and showing them struggle in a way that makes them human. Jordan and Michael make some tough choices in the upcoming novels, and several are of the unsavory sort. To me, it’s important that the readers still care about the characters even if they don’t agree with their actions.
For instance, the novel Changes by Jim Butcher is the book in the Dresden Files series that upends damn near every single thing in Harry Dresden’s life. I was so crushed by the ending in that book that I (a) actually physically slapped the book and (b) couldn’t read the next novel in the series for a whole month because I was so emotionally torn up. Granted, I hope my readers get attached to the characters, but I also don’t want to alienate them if the characters make bad decisions. It’s always a tricky line to walk as an author.
11. Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work? Right now, it’s Jim Butcher, full stop. I’m 100% head over heels in love with Harry Dresden. Butcher’s talent is just insane. He writes beautifully, and yet he still has time to make me laugh hard enough to bust a gut, and then can switch the mood to the point where I’m tearing up as I read. He makes the most perfect nerdy references and yet they never seem overbearing or pretentious. Everything in his work flows smoothly. He is one of the few authors who gives me the full spectrum of emotions while I’m reading his work. It’s disgusting how in love with his writing I am right now.
12. What was the hardest part of writing your book? Finishing. For me, it’s so easy to start a novel. It’s usually very easy up until I hit the 40,000 word count, and then things tend to wind down. Endings have always been very hard for me because it’s where the story hits its peak. The pacing and the character’s motivations are at their most important, and expectations are always going to be high. I fret over it constantly because I want to live up to my own expectations as well as the readers. Honestly, at my core, I just want to write someone’s favorite novel. It’s not enough that your beginning and your middle are good: one has to follow through to the end in order to truly write a great novel.
Finishing is always tough, I tend to drag it when I get near the end because I don't want to be done writing the draft, but at some point I just get over it and finish. I think I wrote the last three chapters of Soul Seed in two days.
13. Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it? I learned how to discipline myself, first and foremost. The easiest thing in the world to do is not write. You can come up with a thousand excuses and you’ll never get the novel done if you let them control your life. Sometimes it feels impossible to squeeze a paragraph out, and other times I write for an hour straight without even flinching. Still, the one thing that I’ve learned is to keep pushing through, even after I’ve hit a wall or I want to give up because no one gives a flying monkey frick about my work. I write because I love it. If I’m lucky, other people will love it too, but until then, the most important thing is to do the work. Even if I can’t write every single day, I make sure to edit or rewrite things I’ve already written so that I’m constantly moving forward. Writing is about momentum, no matter how basic.
14. Do you have any advice for other writers? Don’t give up. You’re going to be tempted every single day to throw down your pencil, your pen, or your laptop and just quit for whatever reason. You’re too busy to write. You have bills to pay. You have a day job. No one cares about your work. No one will ever care about your work. You’re stressed out. Your writing is terrible. All of those things are going to crop up at some point and you’re going to consider letting your insecurities conquer you. Don’t do it. Successful authors aren’t the ones who are flawless wordsmiths—they’re the ones who don’t quit when everything in life tells them that they should. Writers are stubborn people. What we do matters, if only to us. Our stories need to be told. So tell them, and don’t apologize for it.
15. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? You are not alone. Even on the worst night, there’s a voice out there for you to connect with and all you have to do is crack open a book and find it. It doesn’t matter where you find it as long as you do. If it’s in my novel, I’m grateful for your time and your interest. You’re a treasure beyond measure. Keep reading and keep imagining.
16. What books/authors have influenced your writing? I grew up reading various things, but one that I’d like to mention because it’s a bit obscure now is the Symphony of Ages series by Elizabeth Haydon. My brother and I used to read the first three novels all the time when I was younger because they were these huge, sprawling fantasy stories that were dense and intricate. It was the first high fantasy novel series I ever read, and it’s still one of my favorites even if it is a bit dated by today’s standards.
One of the things that influenced me was Rhapsody as the main protagonist. Up until that point, I hadn’t read many fantasy series with female leads. Rhapsody has a lot of Mary Sue traits, but she’s still an interesting lady and her world is incredibly interesting. Haydon’s world building skills were masterful. I still find myself remembering the level of details she breathed into her series, and that is something I aspire to with an upcoming novel I’m working on that has to do with elementals and war.
17. Do you ever experience writer's block? Constantly. After all, I’m only human. Or so I let you all believe…18. What do you do to overcome writer’s block?
First, a nice dose of Chuck Wendig’s writing advice always helps calm me down when I’m in a tizzy about being stuck in a rut. Chuck Wendig’s blog is overflowing with excellent advice regarding anything related to writing. Anytime I find myself stuck, I thumb through his books and his blog for help.
Second, I crank up the inspirational music. No, I’m not talking Chariots of Fire: Oasis, Fun., The Stranglers, Beirut, Blink 182, Eels, Vampire Weekend—all the musicians whose work make my soul light on fire when I hear their lyrics. I drown myself in music for a good half hour or so until I feel all my creative juices flowing again.
Third, I backtrack over the nearest chapter in order to see if I can detect what started the blockage. Most often, it’s just a scene that I don’t feel like writing either because it’s difficult, or it’s not what I’m in the mood to write. If I’m uninterested in a scene, I pick it apart and try to discover what makes it feel boring to me. Then I try to spice it back up.
19. Do you write an outline before every book you write? Nope. I usually have a general idea of my plots before I begin and I write about a good third to half of the novel, and then I outline in order to keep my timeline straight and to get a better perspective of my pacing. I advocate outlining to the fullest extent, though. I simply use it in an odd fashion. It’s incredibly helpful for straightening out storylines and details that I may have lost later on. 20. Have you ever hated something you wrote? Is the Pope Catholic? The Black Parade is only my first successful novel. I attempted a novel three times before it came along, and sadly, all three attempts were steaming piles of monkey poo. The one that I hate most of all is a romantic comedy novella I wrote about two best friends in college: a gay guy and a straight girl who were roommates (Gee, sound familiar?). The guy, named Nick, gets a call from his sister who announces that she’s getting married and wants him to come home for the wedding, but since he hasn’t come out to his parents, he doesn’t want to go. His best friend, Cassidy, convinces him to go, but when they get there, Nick panics and tells the family he and Cassidy are lovers to avoid coming out to them. Meanwhile, Nick’s gorgeous cousin, Jason, gets suspicious of their relationship and sets his sights on Cassidy, who is attracted to him as well but doesn’t want to blow her cover.
After I wrote it and re-read it, there were a billion issues with it. The main one was lack of conflict, and that’s why it didn’t even make it to 50,000 words. My dad read it and loved it and wanted me to write it as a screenplay and sell it, but I truly hate the way I wrote Nick’s predicament. Now that it’s been years since I wrote it, I may someday revisit the manuscript and rewrite it, but as of now, it’s my most loathed story. 21. What was your favorite book or series as a child?Like most writers, I was an enormous Harry Potter fan. I’m older now and I have fondness for it, but I sort of drifted apart from the series after the fifth novel. However, I will always be grateful to J.K. Rowling for creating such a vibrant, beautiful world, and for teaching an entire generation to love reading. Harry Potter’s legacy will continue for decades to come and I am so happy to have grown up with an author guiding me with a kind, mature, loving hand. Rowling knew how to tell a story, tell it well, and tell it without insulting our intelligence. The series continues to stand the test of time because it can be enjoyed by adults and children alike. It’s just plain amazing.
I totally (sorry I'm cringing at the word totally, sounds to childish. It's such a shame that some words get to overused and abused that people end up trying to avoid them whenever possible.) agree with you. I love J.K. Rowling. I once forced my parents to drive me an hour and a half (the nearest bookstore at the time) so I could buy Order of the Phoenix on the day it was released. I haven't had the time to read her latest book, I really want to. 22. What is your favorite television series?Oh, why did you ask me that? Now I have to gush about a little show called Castle. It basically changed my life. If you’re not in the know, Castle is an ABC cop procedural dramedy starring geek god Nathan Fillion and the eternally funny and beautiful Stana Katic. Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) is a world-famous crime novelist who grows bored with his golden goose main character, Derrick Storm, and kills him off. Thus, he’s looking for something new to write about. He meets Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) when she comes to him after a murderer stages his victims the way Castle wrote them in one of his novels. Intrigued by her fierce intelligence and heart-stopping hotness, Castle asks to consult on the case and they solve the murder together. He then weasels his way into shadowing her because he’s friends with the Mayor of New York, and the show takes off from there.
Castle is currently in its sixth season and I’m just as in love with it now as I was when I watched the pilot, if not more. The chemistry between Castle and Beckett is unreal. Plus, the show’s writers are sharp as tacks. They have created one of the best on-screen couples in recent history. They know how to make me laugh, cry, and root for my wonderful cast of characters every single week.
More than that, though, Castle is actually my dream. I hope to someday become a bestseller so that I can move out to LA and meet other authors and live the life I’ve always wanted. I’ve had humble beginnings and I want to see the world and explore it before my time on this old dust ball is over. Castle reminds me of where I want to be someday, and I work towards it every time I write.
OH MY GOODNESS! Now I have to gush too. I am habitual in watching Castle. I have always been a huge fan of Nathan Fillion, I mean Firefly and Serenity whats not to love? Put Nathan in anything and it has to be amazing. The did a great job in casting for this show.
23. Do you have any unique talents or hobbies?Nothing really unique. I love to draw, but not in a professional sense. I have a Deviant art account and every so often when I’m stressed out, I take a couple hours to myself and draw. Typically, it’s just characters from my novels. I find it very relaxing to draw and color, regardless of my skill level.
I find drawing out characters to be a huge help in picturing them as I write. I find often I know their personalities better than their physical features, so while I could write pages and pages describing their personalities and how they interact, I forget that sometimes I need to draw in the description of their physical appearances.
24. How can we contact you or find out more about your books?Easy. I’m always available on Twitter with the handle @misskyokom, my email address is theblackparadeseries@gmail.com, and my website is http://www.shewhowritesmonsters.com. I also have a Facebook page of the same name. I’m always excited to meet readers and fellow authors so please feel free to drop in and say hi. I love new faces. You can purchase The Black Parade at http://www.amazon.com/The-Black-Parade-ebook/dp/B00E3HLHIK
25. What can we expect from you in the future?The Black Parade is the first in a trilogy. If you purchase the novel, either as an eBook or a paperback, you’ll be able to read an excerpt from the second novel in the series, She Who Fights Monsters. It will be coming to bookshelves in summer 2014, and the third novel will debut some time in 2015.
November 29, 2013
Fan art of a character from Soul Seed!
I just found out I have some fan art from my book, Soul Seed. The link to the artwork is posted here: http://netsketch13.deviantart.com/art/Soul-Seed-Gareth-416787861?ga_submit_new=10%253A1385778101
Here is a picture of the work, posted with the artist's permission.
Soul Seed is available at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GG0PWOM/
Here is a picture of the work, posted with the artist's permission.
Soul Seed is available at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GG0PWOM/
Author Interview with Maria Miller
Name: Maria Miller
Author of: Abandoned China Dolls, Dandelion Project, Chasing Fate, A Tribute to the Mother of the Waters, andSaving Emma *Interviewer comments are in bold.
1. What inspired you to write your first book? We were living in Costa Rica when I wrote my first novel, Abandoned China Dolls. A friend who had lived in China for a short time told me a story about seeing young girls in cages being sold at a local market.
I'm curious to know if Maria did more research on this as she wrote, or if most of it is fabricated fro her imagination. 2. How did you come up the ideas for your book?I have no idea where the ideas for my books come from.3. What genre do you consider your book(s)?I don’t write in a particular genre. I write novels as I come up with the ideas.
This is a very hard sell for most authors. So many readers expect an author to stick to one or two genre's. Thus the pen name can be quite useful if your audience expects only a particular kind or book from you. 4. Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life? The only novel that was based on somebody I know was Dandelion Project. My cousin, who was only 31, was found dead in her house. I’m not sure exactly how the coroner ruled her death, but I’ve always believed that she was murdered. I dedicated the novel to her memory.
5. What books have most influenced your life most? I can’t cite any particular book that’s influenced me.
6. If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor? I read many books by many authors, so I can’t really pick one.
7. What book are you reading now? Right now, I’m reading The Nightlife: New York by Travis Luedke.
8. Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest and why? Van Krishna, author of The Last Strand, really grasped my interest. I had to force myself to put his novel down because I wanted to absorb what I was reading! He got so many negative reviews of his novel that I wrote him and told him to ignore those reviews. His novel was fantastic!
I don't know how I feel about this. I have not read Van Krishna's novel, but to some extent you need to listen to your bad reviews, if only to learn how to write better. Authors get so close to their work, actually this goes for any sort of artist, that they become oblivious to mistakes. 9. If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book? I’m never satisfied with my novels. I can always think of something that needs to be improved. I have to force myself to quit editing and publish.10. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? Since I write fiction that has some element of reality in it, sometimes the research is challenging. I’m currently writing Revenge Is Sweet, which is a sequel to Saving Emma. In it, my character (an American) is detained at the U.S.-Canadian border. I scoured the internet for information about being detained at the border, what happens to detainees, where they go, etc., but found very little. I finally found somebody on Nanowrimo who had been detained and could answer my questions. 11. Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work? My favorite author is Graham Greene because he writes fictional stories based on true events.
12. What was the hardest part of writing your book? LOL! I wrote Saving Emma and Revenge Is Sweet from a male point of view, so that was the hardest part!
Funny, I have several MCs that are male and I so not find it difficult to write from their point of view. Mind you I write from Limited Omniscient so I am not in that characters head space all of the time. I do find that some of the characteristics of my male characters are rather infuriating. I was so mad at one of my favorite characters when I was nearing the end of Soul Seed. I knew he was acting true to himself, but I was just sick of it. I wanted him to change.
13. Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?When I wrote Saving Emma, I had to pick a profession for Luke. Rather than pick something generic like a doctor or lawyer, I had him implode buildings. Never having done this myself, I had to do a lot of research for it. I emailed several people with a few questions about imploding buildings, but I did not get any answers. (I guess people were afraid I was a terrorist.) I did learn, though, that, when imploding a building, the crew puts the charges on the top floor and blows it out. Gravity then takes over and destroys the building. This is contrary to the stories about Timothy McVeigh and how he parked a truck bomb under the Federal Building and blew it up.
14. Do you have any advice for other writers? My advice for other writers is to use your talent to help somebody else. My husband and I wrote A Tribute to the Mother of the Waters, which is about an untold story of the Vietnam War. Writers need to tell stories that don’t make the local news. (By the way, this is banned on Kindle.)15. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? Remember that reading is supposed to be enjoyable!16. What books/authors have influenced your writing? N/A17. Do you ever experience writer's block? I don’t write on a schedule or force myself to write one hour a day. I write when I have something on my mine, so writer’s block is never an issue.18. What do you do to overcome writer’s block?N/A
19. Do you write an outline before every book you write? My first three books were written with an outline. After that, I just wrote the story as it came into my mind. I think those stories are more fluent.20. Have you ever hated something you wrote? I’m never satisfied with my writing, so I guess my answer here is “everything.”21. What was you favorite book or series as a child?N/A22. What is your favorite television series?N/A23. Do you have any unique talents or hobbies?N/A24. Have you found that one of your books has sold better than the others? Why do you think that is?I’m still a struggling author. So far, though, my young adult novel Chasing Fate is probably my best seller.
25. How can we contact you or find out more about your books?You can visit me on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maria-Miller/320837814628632?ref=hl. I’m also on twitter at https://twitter.com/MariaMi76180982.
26. What can we expect from you in the future?I find writing very stressful. When I finally publish a novel, after having worked with that character for so long, I feel like I’m saying goodbye to my best friend. Even though I can read my novel anytime I want, I’ll never “see” him again like I did when I was writing. I always say I’m finished writing, but I’ve written three novels since the first time I said it. I’ll probably be around for a few more years at least!
I feel this way when I kill off a character. Spoiler! I killed of a dog based on a dog that I actually own. I also plan to kill off another one of my favorite characters which I absolutely hate. She is such a role model. She's the strong women type which I look up to. I had wrote her in with the intention of killing her later in the series, but I didn't expect to fall in love with her.
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