Michael Benavidez's Blog, page 3
March 22, 2016
When Angels Fail Re-release
So it is official, When Angels Fail shall be re-released.
When I first decided to take down WAF for proper edits and the like, I had thought of uploading it as a brand new book. However, as a year (and then some) passed, I thought it best if I published it under the same title and banner.
This is not the same book that was out, when I first released it. At that time, I was an overenthusiastic writer who just discovered the miracles of self-publishing. I did no research other than the basics, and from there jumped in feet first. I should have hit the ground hard and broken my legs (and my will to try again).
I didn’t. Thanks to a large group of fellow author and reader friends, my fall was not as bad as it should have been. They encouraged me. So I decided to take it down, while I did things the proper way. Which was to basically edit the stories and add more.
Now the time has come that I’ve completed all this. When Angels Fail was originally 4 stories with little to no complete edits. There are now 14 stories (with only one of the original 4 not making the cut), and have been thoroughly edited.
There is a cover being done by my sister, and several photos (also by my sister) that I am looking at to include excepts with while I advertise. Things are finally being pushed forward!
I will republish the book under the original title When Angels Fail: Tales of the Macabre, merely adding a second edition of it. Those of you who have read and reviewed the book (and only those who have), if you would like to read the new version before its release please private message me.
For those that are new, or prefer to buy it upon release, April 20th shall come quickly
P.S the 4/20 date was not chosen for the pothead day thing. Purely coincidental, I like even numbers and 20 felt nice. It wasn’t until this morning that it was pointed out to me.
When I first decided to take down WAF for proper edits and the like, I had thought of uploading it as a brand new book. However, as a year (and then some) passed, I thought it best if I published it under the same title and banner.
This is not the same book that was out, when I first released it. At that time, I was an overenthusiastic writer who just discovered the miracles of self-publishing. I did no research other than the basics, and from there jumped in feet first. I should have hit the ground hard and broken my legs (and my will to try again).
I didn’t. Thanks to a large group of fellow author and reader friends, my fall was not as bad as it should have been. They encouraged me. So I decided to take it down, while I did things the proper way. Which was to basically edit the stories and add more.
Now the time has come that I’ve completed all this. When Angels Fail was originally 4 stories with little to no complete edits. There are now 14 stories (with only one of the original 4 not making the cut), and have been thoroughly edited.
There is a cover being done by my sister, and several photos (also by my sister) that I am looking at to include excepts with while I advertise. Things are finally being pushed forward!
I will republish the book under the original title When Angels Fail: Tales of the Macabre, merely adding a second edition of it. Those of you who have read and reviewed the book (and only those who have), if you would like to read the new version before its release please private message me.
For those that are new, or prefer to buy it upon release, April 20th shall come quickly
P.S the 4/20 date was not chosen for the pothead day thing. Purely coincidental, I like even numbers and 20 felt nice. It wasn’t until this morning that it was pointed out to me.
February 19, 2016
Interview: Lily
Alright so it has reached that time again for an interview. As you know this Feature Week has been dedicated to Lily, creator of The Ash Garden and Cottonseeds, as well as several short stories within anthologies. One little tidbit that I love to share, is that Lily is the first independent author that I read. Needless to say, she set the bar high. She’s been a hell of an encouragement, and one of the main authors that I have been wanting to feature.
As always, my starts to these are rocky, so let’s just jump into the interview.
Me: First things first, you are the writer and illustrator of your own graphic novels. How did you come to deciding on taking that route?
Lily: I was an artist first, have been a graphic designer for many years. It's writing that's still new to me. So when I got the idea to illustrate The Ash Garden, two paths connected, and it just makes the most sense.
Me: I know the The Ash Garden is kind of on a hiatus while you work on Cottonseeds. How important are these two series to you? And how different/alike are they?
Lily: It’s not! I just have only one brain. It'll happen, Mr. Impatient. Geez. They both equally important and completely different. Ash Garden is more like an illustrated novel. Cottonseeds is closer to a comic book. Plus, Ash Garden is short, only 13 chapters.
Me: I can't help it. It's why I buy omnibuses. I hate the wait. Haha. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you had said you tried to have Cottonseeds as a novel. Instead you opted to turn it into what it is now. Is this true? If so, why the change of heart so to speak.
Lily: It is true. I had written several drafts of the story. So at least I had lots of practice. When I started Ash Garden, I couldn't help to see a lot of potential for other stories of mine that are unpublished and haven't been made public (yet). Cottonseeds is the first in line. Once I got started, combining everything I have to offer creatively, again, it just makes the most sense.
Me: Does this mean that you'll focus primarily on these comics? I say this because I know that you have several stories in various anthologies. But can we look forward to any sort of novels or collection of short stories from you?
Lily: Maybe in the future. One thing at a time. But I will say, I plan to offer illustrations with everything I do from now on.
Me: On the topic of your illustrations, I do believe that they are part of what helps your work stand out (apart from your words, of course). Why did you choose the style that you use?
Lily: I don't know. I don't think about it. I focus on the emotions or the emotional feel of the subject, whatever it happens to be, and just bring it out more.
Me: A lot of your inspiration seems to come from Vertigo comic titles. How have they influenced your style, if in any way?
Lily: Vertigo is the first comics I've ever read and they're still my go to comics. What I've always enjoyed about Vertigo is offering something different, pushing the envelope, going against the mainstream.
Me: How do you think Cottonseeds and Ash Garden are being influenced by these titles?
Lily: Ash Garden isn't influenced by Vertigo at all, though I can't help the Neil Gaiman influence, so I guess it's sort of connected. Cottonseeds is more influenced by Preacher and maybe a little from Books of Magic.
Me: Preacher I'm very familiar with, and can see some of its tint on Cottonseeds. Your graphic novels are in league (would that be the right word?) with Shroud Media, and you're also working alongside the company. What is Shroud Media, and what is your role?
Lily: Cottonseeds is also published with Shroud Media. I'm the media consultant part of the team. We will have more titles soon. Shroud Media is a digital publisher of creator-owned comic books/graphic novels. You own it, you get 95% royalties, we distribute.
Me: What was the idea behind the making of Shroud Media?
Lily: Brian approached me, asked if I would be interested in starting a publishing company. I had thought about it, but no way I could do that on my own. So we pooled our resources and created Shroud Media.
Me: It seems like a pretty large undertaking, but one that is pretty worthwhile. As far as your graphic novels, what can we expect from future issues?
Lily: In general? Which title? Lol
Me: You caught me wrong on Ash Garden, so both lol
Lily: Okay, I plan to finish all of the remaining 11 chapters of Ash Garden at once, then release it as one book. It'll probably be around 250 pages, give or take. So you see, it's not on hiatus (:P). I’m just taking the time to finish the whole story. Cottonseeds will be a longer running series with possible sequels. At least 30 issues. I don't expect to finish the whole first series for another 2 - 3 years.
Me: Sorry to be spreading such heinous rumors (:P to you too), and anything as far as written works? I know you've participated in a handful of anthologies (and it really is an honor to be included beside you in some of those). Are there any plans for more anthologies or solo stories?
Lily: Why thank you, same to you! No plans at the moment, but you never know. I'm kinda all over the place. I gotta be me.
Me: Haha perfectly understandable, and thank you! I think that may be all the questions, i have at the moment. I'll set it all up on Word later, see how long it is and if necessary I may shoot you some random questions before Friday's release. hope that sounds good to you?
Lily: It took forever! Kidding. It's been a pleasure.
And there you have it folks. Lily’s interview, one that I’ve been waiting to do for the longest time. Check out her work, they truly are unique.
Follow the links, she’s released an 8 page preview of issue three for Cottonseeds.
A trailer for a collection of issues 1-3 for Cottonseeds
And of course the entirety of her site, and Shroud Media.
Her personal site- http://lilyauthor.com/graphicnovels/c...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJ7av...
http://shroudmediallc.com/
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/Lily.Author/...
Twitter- https://twitter.com/neonvagabond
As always, my starts to these are rocky, so let’s just jump into the interview.
Me: First things first, you are the writer and illustrator of your own graphic novels. How did you come to deciding on taking that route?
Lily: I was an artist first, have been a graphic designer for many years. It's writing that's still new to me. So when I got the idea to illustrate The Ash Garden, two paths connected, and it just makes the most sense.
Me: I know the The Ash Garden is kind of on a hiatus while you work on Cottonseeds. How important are these two series to you? And how different/alike are they?
Lily: It’s not! I just have only one brain. It'll happen, Mr. Impatient. Geez. They both equally important and completely different. Ash Garden is more like an illustrated novel. Cottonseeds is closer to a comic book. Plus, Ash Garden is short, only 13 chapters.
Me: I can't help it. It's why I buy omnibuses. I hate the wait. Haha. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you had said you tried to have Cottonseeds as a novel. Instead you opted to turn it into what it is now. Is this true? If so, why the change of heart so to speak.
Lily: It is true. I had written several drafts of the story. So at least I had lots of practice. When I started Ash Garden, I couldn't help to see a lot of potential for other stories of mine that are unpublished and haven't been made public (yet). Cottonseeds is the first in line. Once I got started, combining everything I have to offer creatively, again, it just makes the most sense.
Me: Does this mean that you'll focus primarily on these comics? I say this because I know that you have several stories in various anthologies. But can we look forward to any sort of novels or collection of short stories from you?
Lily: Maybe in the future. One thing at a time. But I will say, I plan to offer illustrations with everything I do from now on.
Me: On the topic of your illustrations, I do believe that they are part of what helps your work stand out (apart from your words, of course). Why did you choose the style that you use?
Lily: I don't know. I don't think about it. I focus on the emotions or the emotional feel of the subject, whatever it happens to be, and just bring it out more.
Me: A lot of your inspiration seems to come from Vertigo comic titles. How have they influenced your style, if in any way?
Lily: Vertigo is the first comics I've ever read and they're still my go to comics. What I've always enjoyed about Vertigo is offering something different, pushing the envelope, going against the mainstream.
Me: How do you think Cottonseeds and Ash Garden are being influenced by these titles?
Lily: Ash Garden isn't influenced by Vertigo at all, though I can't help the Neil Gaiman influence, so I guess it's sort of connected. Cottonseeds is more influenced by Preacher and maybe a little from Books of Magic.
Me: Preacher I'm very familiar with, and can see some of its tint on Cottonseeds. Your graphic novels are in league (would that be the right word?) with Shroud Media, and you're also working alongside the company. What is Shroud Media, and what is your role?
Lily: Cottonseeds is also published with Shroud Media. I'm the media consultant part of the team. We will have more titles soon. Shroud Media is a digital publisher of creator-owned comic books/graphic novels. You own it, you get 95% royalties, we distribute.
Me: What was the idea behind the making of Shroud Media?
Lily: Brian approached me, asked if I would be interested in starting a publishing company. I had thought about it, but no way I could do that on my own. So we pooled our resources and created Shroud Media.
Me: It seems like a pretty large undertaking, but one that is pretty worthwhile. As far as your graphic novels, what can we expect from future issues?
Lily: In general? Which title? Lol
Me: You caught me wrong on Ash Garden, so both lol
Lily: Okay, I plan to finish all of the remaining 11 chapters of Ash Garden at once, then release it as one book. It'll probably be around 250 pages, give or take. So you see, it's not on hiatus (:P). I’m just taking the time to finish the whole story. Cottonseeds will be a longer running series with possible sequels. At least 30 issues. I don't expect to finish the whole first series for another 2 - 3 years.
Me: Sorry to be spreading such heinous rumors (:P to you too), and anything as far as written works? I know you've participated in a handful of anthologies (and it really is an honor to be included beside you in some of those). Are there any plans for more anthologies or solo stories?
Lily: Why thank you, same to you! No plans at the moment, but you never know. I'm kinda all over the place. I gotta be me.
Me: Haha perfectly understandable, and thank you! I think that may be all the questions, i have at the moment. I'll set it all up on Word later, see how long it is and if necessary I may shoot you some random questions before Friday's release. hope that sounds good to you?
Lily: It took forever! Kidding. It's been a pleasure.
And there you have it folks. Lily’s interview, one that I’ve been waiting to do for the longest time. Check out her work, they truly are unique.
Follow the links, she’s released an 8 page preview of issue three for Cottonseeds.
A trailer for a collection of issues 1-3 for Cottonseeds
And of course the entirety of her site, and Shroud Media.
Her personal site- http://lilyauthor.com/graphicnovels/c...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJ7av...
http://shroudmediallc.com/
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/Lily.Author/...
Twitter- https://twitter.com/neonvagabond
October 30, 2015
Stuart Keane Interview
So this week’s feature focused on an author that fits the Halloween season. Not to mention, he has a release coming out on Halloween:
Since I’ve yet to get any good at introductions, let’s just hop into this.
Michael Benavidez (Me): So your work ranges from realistic horror to the supernatural, crossing the two as much as you can. How would you describe your work to people who have yet to dive into your stories?
Stuart Keane (SK): I think my horror is more based in reality, I find I'm more comfortable in that realm. I've said it many times, the best horror is the stuff that can happen to anyone - a man standing in the dark corner of the room watching you as you sleep, someone invading your home, someone kidnapping a member of your family. I like to poke at people's fears, with only a hint of supernatural thrown in, something that the readers mention in reviews on occasion. Plus, as a horror writer, it's nice to work a story that can potentially terrify me.
Me: Looking at your book of short stories
, that really does show. With that said, do you find yourself trying to take out the supernatural element at times? Or do you just let yourself ride the wave of what comes?
SK: I usually find that I write without the supernatural element involved. With
, my only supernatural book to date, I started it with the idea in mind. It’s a decision I make before I put words to a page. Obviously, authors have a right to merge - for example, Rendezvous in Whispers started out as straight horror before I introduced the supernatural swerve to the tale. And there's a lot of fun in letting the wave take you, it can produce some amazing results.
I find not restricting yourself is a lot more relaxing, productively and creatively. I would still class myself as not 100% comfortable with the supernatural element mainly because a lot of the books I tend to prefer are mostly realistic – Laymon, Hutson, etc. Both of these authors dabble in the supernatural, but at heart, they are more urban horror – much like my own work.
Me: That's actually true. There's nothing like writing freely, and not caring how or where it's going. Which is kind of a segue into my next question(s). What is your process to writing? Because you do both, short story and novella/novel length formats. Also do you ever get to the point that maybe the content of the story is breaching that too far, or not far enough border?
SK: Good question. I have a variety of ways, but nothing concrete. It normally starts with an idea and goes from there. For example,
started as a novella/short novel (I was aiming for 30k) but it ended up at 50k. The characters just grew on the page and increased the length by quite a bit. However, I knew the story - beginning, middle, end - when I started, so the writing was immensely fun. I wasn't bothered about going over the 30k, I don't believe in restricting myself because it short changes the product and the readers. As a result, Cine came out fantastic and is one of my favourite books to date.
Short stories - I normally know if the tale will be short in length, but I started writing these for anthologies. Normally I have a theme and a word count provided by the submission call, so that already gives me something to aim towards. It's also a very fun way to challenge your writing ability – authors, I highly recommend doing this on a regular basis. As a result, to date, I haven't written a short for myself, but that's about to change, so watch this space.
I think any author knows if they have gone far enough or not enough, with both word length and story boundaries, it's an instinctual thing. Weird. Lol. It's instinctual, but a good tool. I like to think I have a grasp on when a story is exceeding the fun limit, becoming boring or dragging on and you can flip the same rule, which applies if it's too short or immediately boring.
MK: Haha that's always something that has interested me, far as the process goes. Speaking of Cine, which may be out by the time this goes live, from your updates it seems like this is one that may go farther than you anticipated. Is that right, or would you say this was a boundary free book once you started it? Were there any times where you had to go back and think, the fun is starting to dip a bit?
SK: Cine is out now, but I believe it went a bit further than my previous work. I think the book was boundary free - the ending is pretty graphic and I always envisioned this as the ending from the very start, but how the scene plays out, how it shaped over time, was the process I looked forward to the most. There's always an element of mystery to how things will flow onto the page, so I think boundaries were out the window pretty quickly. For Grin, which is due on Halloween, the boundaries were obliterated, this book went to a very dark place, as many will soon find out.
For All or Nothing, I removed an entire chapter because I felt it ruined the flow of the book. Luckily, so far, I have been able to get the length right on many stories. Some reviewers have said certain books should be longer, which is a great compliment, but the process speaks for itself. Sequels are always possible if that is the case, and an author needs to be the one who makes the decision of churning our sequels, but it's very thin ice, one of the most difficult parts of writing. Should you fit the story in one book or two or five? All depends on the writers style.
Me: Ah yes, sorry haha I switched titles. It's hard to keep track, but that brings me to the next question. You're pretty fast with releases, be them for anthologies or your own novels. Do you ever feel overwhelmed at times with projects, or with ideas for future projects? Or, hell, even found some components of one story drifting into another?
SK: I haven't got to the point where I am overwhelmed. The end of 2015 has been an odd one, I started Cine and Grin back in March and then had the fortune to be invited to a couple of fantastic projects, which includes Kids Volumes 1 and 2, two new anthologies with Dark Chapter Press and an actual editing position with DCP too. The position has been massively rewarding, so I let the work slip a little, releasing Whispers - Volume 1 in the meantime. So, even though the slate has been busy, and multiple releases are happening, this isn't the norm for me and I may scale back a little heading into 2016. However, I am also a full time writer now, so we'll see.
So far, the only component that has mingled with another story is a scene in Grin, which I lifted from another piece I'm working on. It seemed right to combine the two, since the characters were similar. I feel it made Grin that much more interesting too, and it was one of the better scenes in the story.
Me: Wow so you're quite active aside from your regular writing duties. A couple things interested me though, we talked a little about short stories. You're constantly participating in anthologies and projects of the like. Is it something that you do as a challenge to see what comes out, or any other reason that makes these anthology participation a seemingly regular thing?
SK: I initially started anthologies to get some of my work out there. In 2014, I subbed to several and was accepted, which gave me a huge confidence boost. Since then, I have featured in 14 anthologies of varying theme and length. I love the challenge of the entire thing - the word count, a set theme, I find that actually hones my work, allows me to write faster because I usually have the idea down before I start, as I mentioned before. I haven't subbed as much this year, what with the vast workload, but I am currently working on Whispers 3, with Whispers – Volume 2 due in November.
Also, short stories are awesome for those ideas that just won't fit in a longer book, which means more ideas get used at some point. This is a crucial tool, one that any author should utilize to ensure maximum productivity.
Me: And it's also a great way to see the growth of an author from the beginning to current, and future projects. Do you see yourself continuing a growth in your style? Like do you feel you've hit that stride that says 'this is a Stuart Keane book because you can feel it has a Stuart Keane voice'?
SK: I've never felt that, but I have been told by multiple readers who notice that I am growing through my work. I feel my writing is getting better, which is a natural side effect of writing 3000 plus words a day, and why I strongly encourage writers to keep at it. I feel I have a certain style to my writing which is slowly becoming unique to me - again, through comments from avid readers - so it’s nice to have that feedback. I just want to write horror for horror fans and if the readers love it, that's awesome. I think I have a way to go before finding the 'Stuart Keane voice' but, if the feedback is anything to go by, I seem to be on the way.
Me: that's pretty excellent to hear haha. I think I just got a couple more questions. The first one being, your writing does space more towards reality than supernatural, but sometimes the supernatural does possess more of the story. So I was curious if you ever had any thoughts of moving into different genres to try them out, seeing as you have the ways to go all about expanding different genres.
SK: Hmmm. I would like to create a few more supernatural books, but I feel I need to develop a little more first. I actually have three ideas in the works which will test this, and one penciled in for early 2016. My reluctance to jump into the supernatural is cliché; most of it has been done before. The classic horror tropes like vampires, werewolves etc. have taken a bashing in the past few years, although some authors are nailing these monsters, and ghost stories seem to be a dime a dozen. I like to avoid cliché, avoid the same stories. However, sometimes the odd idea pops up that I haven't seen elsewhere, and this is when I will step up and think, 'Yeah, that could work.' I am an avid reader of thriller and espionage fiction, apocalypse stories, comic books and graphic novels, and I highly expect that to feature in my future works. Also, once people read Grin, you might get an idea of where I'm going with this...
I am also working on Omerta (gangster horror/thriller), The Cerebral Series (a zombie trilogy) and Aftermath (an apocalypse trilogy). Genre bending is a skill in itself, one I cherish experimenting with, so watch this space. Note, I will only try genres I am familiar with, I'm a stickler for accuracy – for example, writing Omerta will be fun because I have an actual Sicilian Italian as a consultant. So far, she's been amazing and has really honed the mafia back story for me.
Me: That sounds pretty wicked, and can only imagine what they'll be like haha. You mentioned briefly the thought about sequels. Is this something you play with while writing the story, or more of an afterthought once it's been published? Also is there any that you would mention, or are they still under wraps?
SK: I don't ever plan for sequels...aside from my planned trilogies, but funnily enough there is demand for a sequel to Charlotte. I can confirm I plan to write it, it will be called Amy and released in late 2016 or 2017, schedule pending. Again, once people read Grin, they will understand my reluctance to discuss sequels in details…go get it and find out.
Me: Haha again that sounds like a pretty amazing thought, since Charlotte was the one that felt more open for a sequel. As for my final question, it's a bit cliché, but what should fans and new readers be expecting for these coming months?
SK: Other projects? When Darkness Falls is due in 2016, it's the tale of six boys who discover a dark evil lurking in a local abandoned world war two bunker, one that holds the town in a grip of terror. I am also writing 89, a short novella that details the horror of an author stuck on a long distance bus journey with a creepy fan.
In the coming months? Whispers - Volume 2 is out in November, I am currently working on a personalized horror novella with Zachary Walters of The Mouths of Madness. He won the prize in the Cine giveaway. Also, Kids Volume 1 should be finalized in the coming weeks. Otherwise, I think I mentioned everything else lol.
Me: I'll be sure to keep updated on all of that, and you're pretty sociable on your sites, so people should really follow and keep tabs on your work! That’s about all that i have for today, and would like to thank you for doing this interview.
Be sure to check out his library of work on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Stuart-Keane/e/...
Facebook:
facebook.com/stuartkeanewriter
Twitter:
@Skeane_Author
Since I’ve yet to get any good at introductions, let’s just hop into this.
Michael Benavidez (Me): So your work ranges from realistic horror to the supernatural, crossing the two as much as you can. How would you describe your work to people who have yet to dive into your stories?
Stuart Keane (SK): I think my horror is more based in reality, I find I'm more comfortable in that realm. I've said it many times, the best horror is the stuff that can happen to anyone - a man standing in the dark corner of the room watching you as you sleep, someone invading your home, someone kidnapping a member of your family. I like to poke at people's fears, with only a hint of supernatural thrown in, something that the readers mention in reviews on occasion. Plus, as a horror writer, it's nice to work a story that can potentially terrify me.
Me: Looking at your book of short stories
, that really does show. With that said, do you find yourself trying to take out the supernatural element at times? Or do you just let yourself ride the wave of what comes?SK: I usually find that I write without the supernatural element involved. With
, my only supernatural book to date, I started it with the idea in mind. It’s a decision I make before I put words to a page. Obviously, authors have a right to merge - for example, Rendezvous in Whispers started out as straight horror before I introduced the supernatural swerve to the tale. And there's a lot of fun in letting the wave take you, it can produce some amazing results.I find not restricting yourself is a lot more relaxing, productively and creatively. I would still class myself as not 100% comfortable with the supernatural element mainly because a lot of the books I tend to prefer are mostly realistic – Laymon, Hutson, etc. Both of these authors dabble in the supernatural, but at heart, they are more urban horror – much like my own work.
Me: That's actually true. There's nothing like writing freely, and not caring how or where it's going. Which is kind of a segue into my next question(s). What is your process to writing? Because you do both, short story and novella/novel length formats. Also do you ever get to the point that maybe the content of the story is breaching that too far, or not far enough border?
SK: Good question. I have a variety of ways, but nothing concrete. It normally starts with an idea and goes from there. For example,
started as a novella/short novel (I was aiming for 30k) but it ended up at 50k. The characters just grew on the page and increased the length by quite a bit. However, I knew the story - beginning, middle, end - when I started, so the writing was immensely fun. I wasn't bothered about going over the 30k, I don't believe in restricting myself because it short changes the product and the readers. As a result, Cine came out fantastic and is one of my favourite books to date. Short stories - I normally know if the tale will be short in length, but I started writing these for anthologies. Normally I have a theme and a word count provided by the submission call, so that already gives me something to aim towards. It's also a very fun way to challenge your writing ability – authors, I highly recommend doing this on a regular basis. As a result, to date, I haven't written a short for myself, but that's about to change, so watch this space.
I think any author knows if they have gone far enough or not enough, with both word length and story boundaries, it's an instinctual thing. Weird. Lol. It's instinctual, but a good tool. I like to think I have a grasp on when a story is exceeding the fun limit, becoming boring or dragging on and you can flip the same rule, which applies if it's too short or immediately boring.
MK: Haha that's always something that has interested me, far as the process goes. Speaking of Cine, which may be out by the time this goes live, from your updates it seems like this is one that may go farther than you anticipated. Is that right, or would you say this was a boundary free book once you started it? Were there any times where you had to go back and think, the fun is starting to dip a bit?
SK: Cine is out now, but I believe it went a bit further than my previous work. I think the book was boundary free - the ending is pretty graphic and I always envisioned this as the ending from the very start, but how the scene plays out, how it shaped over time, was the process I looked forward to the most. There's always an element of mystery to how things will flow onto the page, so I think boundaries were out the window pretty quickly. For Grin, which is due on Halloween, the boundaries were obliterated, this book went to a very dark place, as many will soon find out.
For All or Nothing, I removed an entire chapter because I felt it ruined the flow of the book. Luckily, so far, I have been able to get the length right on many stories. Some reviewers have said certain books should be longer, which is a great compliment, but the process speaks for itself. Sequels are always possible if that is the case, and an author needs to be the one who makes the decision of churning our sequels, but it's very thin ice, one of the most difficult parts of writing. Should you fit the story in one book or two or five? All depends on the writers style.
Me: Ah yes, sorry haha I switched titles. It's hard to keep track, but that brings me to the next question. You're pretty fast with releases, be them for anthologies or your own novels. Do you ever feel overwhelmed at times with projects, or with ideas for future projects? Or, hell, even found some components of one story drifting into another?
SK: I haven't got to the point where I am overwhelmed. The end of 2015 has been an odd one, I started Cine and Grin back in March and then had the fortune to be invited to a couple of fantastic projects, which includes Kids Volumes 1 and 2, two new anthologies with Dark Chapter Press and an actual editing position with DCP too. The position has been massively rewarding, so I let the work slip a little, releasing Whispers - Volume 1 in the meantime. So, even though the slate has been busy, and multiple releases are happening, this isn't the norm for me and I may scale back a little heading into 2016. However, I am also a full time writer now, so we'll see.
So far, the only component that has mingled with another story is a scene in Grin, which I lifted from another piece I'm working on. It seemed right to combine the two, since the characters were similar. I feel it made Grin that much more interesting too, and it was one of the better scenes in the story.
Me: Wow so you're quite active aside from your regular writing duties. A couple things interested me though, we talked a little about short stories. You're constantly participating in anthologies and projects of the like. Is it something that you do as a challenge to see what comes out, or any other reason that makes these anthology participation a seemingly regular thing?
SK: I initially started anthologies to get some of my work out there. In 2014, I subbed to several and was accepted, which gave me a huge confidence boost. Since then, I have featured in 14 anthologies of varying theme and length. I love the challenge of the entire thing - the word count, a set theme, I find that actually hones my work, allows me to write faster because I usually have the idea down before I start, as I mentioned before. I haven't subbed as much this year, what with the vast workload, but I am currently working on Whispers 3, with Whispers – Volume 2 due in November.
Also, short stories are awesome for those ideas that just won't fit in a longer book, which means more ideas get used at some point. This is a crucial tool, one that any author should utilize to ensure maximum productivity.
Me: And it's also a great way to see the growth of an author from the beginning to current, and future projects. Do you see yourself continuing a growth in your style? Like do you feel you've hit that stride that says 'this is a Stuart Keane book because you can feel it has a Stuart Keane voice'?
SK: I've never felt that, but I have been told by multiple readers who notice that I am growing through my work. I feel my writing is getting better, which is a natural side effect of writing 3000 plus words a day, and why I strongly encourage writers to keep at it. I feel I have a certain style to my writing which is slowly becoming unique to me - again, through comments from avid readers - so it’s nice to have that feedback. I just want to write horror for horror fans and if the readers love it, that's awesome. I think I have a way to go before finding the 'Stuart Keane voice' but, if the feedback is anything to go by, I seem to be on the way.
Me: that's pretty excellent to hear haha. I think I just got a couple more questions. The first one being, your writing does space more towards reality than supernatural, but sometimes the supernatural does possess more of the story. So I was curious if you ever had any thoughts of moving into different genres to try them out, seeing as you have the ways to go all about expanding different genres.
SK: Hmmm. I would like to create a few more supernatural books, but I feel I need to develop a little more first. I actually have three ideas in the works which will test this, and one penciled in for early 2016. My reluctance to jump into the supernatural is cliché; most of it has been done before. The classic horror tropes like vampires, werewolves etc. have taken a bashing in the past few years, although some authors are nailing these monsters, and ghost stories seem to be a dime a dozen. I like to avoid cliché, avoid the same stories. However, sometimes the odd idea pops up that I haven't seen elsewhere, and this is when I will step up and think, 'Yeah, that could work.' I am an avid reader of thriller and espionage fiction, apocalypse stories, comic books and graphic novels, and I highly expect that to feature in my future works. Also, once people read Grin, you might get an idea of where I'm going with this...
I am also working on Omerta (gangster horror/thriller), The Cerebral Series (a zombie trilogy) and Aftermath (an apocalypse trilogy). Genre bending is a skill in itself, one I cherish experimenting with, so watch this space. Note, I will only try genres I am familiar with, I'm a stickler for accuracy – for example, writing Omerta will be fun because I have an actual Sicilian Italian as a consultant. So far, she's been amazing and has really honed the mafia back story for me.
Me: That sounds pretty wicked, and can only imagine what they'll be like haha. You mentioned briefly the thought about sequels. Is this something you play with while writing the story, or more of an afterthought once it's been published? Also is there any that you would mention, or are they still under wraps?
SK: I don't ever plan for sequels...aside from my planned trilogies, but funnily enough there is demand for a sequel to Charlotte. I can confirm I plan to write it, it will be called Amy and released in late 2016 or 2017, schedule pending. Again, once people read Grin, they will understand my reluctance to discuss sequels in details…go get it and find out.
Me: Haha again that sounds like a pretty amazing thought, since Charlotte was the one that felt more open for a sequel. As for my final question, it's a bit cliché, but what should fans and new readers be expecting for these coming months?
SK: Other projects? When Darkness Falls is due in 2016, it's the tale of six boys who discover a dark evil lurking in a local abandoned world war two bunker, one that holds the town in a grip of terror. I am also writing 89, a short novella that details the horror of an author stuck on a long distance bus journey with a creepy fan.
In the coming months? Whispers - Volume 2 is out in November, I am currently working on a personalized horror novella with Zachary Walters of The Mouths of Madness. He won the prize in the Cine giveaway. Also, Kids Volume 1 should be finalized in the coming weeks. Otherwise, I think I mentioned everything else lol.
Me: I'll be sure to keep updated on all of that, and you're pretty sociable on your sites, so people should really follow and keep tabs on your work! That’s about all that i have for today, and would like to thank you for doing this interview.
Be sure to check out his library of work on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Stuart-Keane/e/...
Facebook:
facebook.com/stuartkeanewriter
Twitter:
@Skeane_Author
August 28, 2015
Quentin Wallace Interview
I have had the pleasure of helping Quentin Wallace release his new book of short stories
Here is the interview that we arranged, and since I suck at these introductions, I'll just jump right in!
Michael Benavidez (Me): alright on with the show, shall we? So you've got a bunch of books under your belt aside from the
and
books. These would be books under the Kindle Worlds banner I believe? What would you say is your standout book or series of books overall, so far?
Quentin Wallace: My personal favorites are the Brackett Hollister novels, The Werewolf Pack and Outlaw Voodoo. However, the Game Warden of Black Swamp seems to be the most popular of my original novels. I think that's just due to the genre. Black Swamp is more of a straight horror genre, and Brackett is a Weird Western, and the WW genre just hasn't taken off the way I'd like it too. Did that answer your question or did I just meander?
Me: No, you answered well lol. Now, I haven't read the Game Warden yet, but Brackett Hollister tends to be a multi genre mash-up of more than just a lone western with horror elements
QW: Yes, I tried to put a little bit of everything in: Horror, Action, Humor, Classic Western, etc.
Me: Which all come through with excellent clarity! I mean, I’ve known you longer than I knew of your books, and you're a pretty funny guy, and it shows through both your characters. Sticking to the Brackett Hollister, you tried to go a bit darker and more serious tone with this second book. Was that intentional or did it just seem to go that way?
QT: First of all, thanks, I'm glad you appreciate my sense of humor. I didn't intentionally go darker for Outlaw Voodoo, that's just where he story took me. And as a teaser, I will let you know the third volume will be by far the darkest of the three.
Me: Is it looking to be limited as a trilogy? Or do you intend to do with a longer series?
QT: It will be longer. I don't really have an end in sight yet. If I can make it last 100 volumes I will!
Me: Would it be safe to say that, as well as favorite book, that they are your favorite characters so far?
QT: Yes. Brackett, Chula, Fire, Stranger, Highbuck. It's hard to beat that cast, at least at this point.
Me: Understandable, they're a pretty addictive group. So going back to the Game Warden, how exactly would you describe the book to those who haven’t read it yet, like me?
QT: It's about a haunted swamp populated by any and every monster you can imagine, and the Game Warden who is put in place to keep all of the creatures in line. His job is similar to a regular game warden, but instead of dealing with deer and fish, he's managing werewolves and vampires, just to name a few of the things he encounters.
Me: Doesn’t sound too bad, would that be more of a horror genre or action like Brackett Hollister.
QT: It’s really very much like Brackett, but a little darker. Let's say Brackett is 50% horror, 50% action, Game Warden is more like 70% horror, 30% action.
Me: Then it's pretty safe to say that you're a fan of genre mash-ups, right? Keeping the audience on their toes with all sorts of surprises?
QT: Yes, very much so.
Me: So then this new book that you're releasing, will that be a genre mash-up, or more 100% horror.
QT: The new book, Tales from the Dark Distance, is a short story collection. Each story does stay mostly to a specific genre, but the book overall will of course have several different genres. Horror, mystery, science fiction, humor, etc. Also, there's a novella in the collection: Brackett Hollister: The Black Swamp. It's going to be a very important novella because it ties the two universes together, Brackett Hollister and The Game Warden of Black Swamp. It also will serve as a prequel for the next Game Warden novel, which I don't have a release date on yet. Now, I am currently working on a horror novel that will be straight up horror with no genre mixing. Technically it will be the first novel I've written to stick entirely to one genre.
Me: I'm going to focus on the Brackett novella for a minute, but would it be necessary to read the Game Warden?
QT: Not at all. It's a standalone story, but if you do read both series, you'll see things that you otherwise may miss.
Me: not bad not bad at all, and by the time of this interview's release, this collection will be available via Amazon?
QT: Let's hope so, yes. I'm aiming for an August 28th release date, barring unforeseen circumstances
Me: This coming horror novel, what can we expect from it?
QT: Dark Supernatural Horror complete with gore, scares, and overall creepiness. I want this one to stick with you once you put it down for the night and try to sleep.
Me: well damn that's a complete turn over from the stories I've seen from you.
QT: My other work has shown glimpses of my darker side, but this novel will give you a full view of it. At least, as much of it as I'm comfortable showing lol.
Me: lol is there any chance of getting any other single genre sides of you later on? Such a romance or sci-fi, and the like?
QT: I don't know about romance or sci-fi, but I would like to try a classic western, without the supernatural elements. I'd also like to write a hard boiled type crime novel, along the lines of Elmore Leonard or Mickey Spillaine.
Me: well we did get a glimpse of the noir taste from you in
. Kinda forcing a segue here, but do you have any anthology hopefuls in line for the future?
QT: Not at the present, but I'm always open.
Me: I'm pretty much close to being out of questions so I'll set up the end here, lol. I know as far as anthology entries, there's a list of author's I'd love to be published alongside. Are there any authors that you're looking forward to possibly join alongside?
QT: Probably some of the same ones as you lol. Stephen King would of course be number one. Clive Barker and Jonathan Maberry also. Really there's just too many to name! Just to throw a few more names out there: Neil Gaiman, Joe R. Lansdale, Dean Koontz. The list just goes on and on
Me: There really are lol. And I'm officially out of questions, it was a pleasure to be able to interview you and I’m glad this got to happen. I’d shake your hand if possible, but I’ll do the next best thing. I'll get your upcoming book and look forward to finishing it.
QT: Thank you for the interview, it was my pleasure. I hope you enjoy the book!
Me: I'm sure I will, good luck with your future work!
You can follow Quentin at the following links, and don't forget to get yourself a copy of Tales from the Dark Distance, now available on Amazon!
http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Dark-Dist...
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/quentinwallace
Website:
http://www.amazon.com/Quentin-Wallace...
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Quenti...
Here is the interview that we arranged, and since I suck at these introductions, I'll just jump right in!
Michael Benavidez (Me): alright on with the show, shall we? So you've got a bunch of books under your belt aside from the
and
books. These would be books under the Kindle Worlds banner I believe? What would you say is your standout book or series of books overall, so far?Quentin Wallace: My personal favorites are the Brackett Hollister novels, The Werewolf Pack and Outlaw Voodoo. However, the Game Warden of Black Swamp seems to be the most popular of my original novels. I think that's just due to the genre. Black Swamp is more of a straight horror genre, and Brackett is a Weird Western, and the WW genre just hasn't taken off the way I'd like it too. Did that answer your question or did I just meander?
Me: No, you answered well lol. Now, I haven't read the Game Warden yet, but Brackett Hollister tends to be a multi genre mash-up of more than just a lone western with horror elements
QW: Yes, I tried to put a little bit of everything in: Horror, Action, Humor, Classic Western, etc.
Me: Which all come through with excellent clarity! I mean, I’ve known you longer than I knew of your books, and you're a pretty funny guy, and it shows through both your characters. Sticking to the Brackett Hollister, you tried to go a bit darker and more serious tone with this second book. Was that intentional or did it just seem to go that way?
QT: First of all, thanks, I'm glad you appreciate my sense of humor. I didn't intentionally go darker for Outlaw Voodoo, that's just where he story took me. And as a teaser, I will let you know the third volume will be by far the darkest of the three.
Me: Is it looking to be limited as a trilogy? Or do you intend to do with a longer series?
QT: It will be longer. I don't really have an end in sight yet. If I can make it last 100 volumes I will!
Me: Would it be safe to say that, as well as favorite book, that they are your favorite characters so far?
QT: Yes. Brackett, Chula, Fire, Stranger, Highbuck. It's hard to beat that cast, at least at this point.
Me: Understandable, they're a pretty addictive group. So going back to the Game Warden, how exactly would you describe the book to those who haven’t read it yet, like me?
QT: It's about a haunted swamp populated by any and every monster you can imagine, and the Game Warden who is put in place to keep all of the creatures in line. His job is similar to a regular game warden, but instead of dealing with deer and fish, he's managing werewolves and vampires, just to name a few of the things he encounters.
Me: Doesn’t sound too bad, would that be more of a horror genre or action like Brackett Hollister.
QT: It’s really very much like Brackett, but a little darker. Let's say Brackett is 50% horror, 50% action, Game Warden is more like 70% horror, 30% action.
Me: Then it's pretty safe to say that you're a fan of genre mash-ups, right? Keeping the audience on their toes with all sorts of surprises?
QT: Yes, very much so.
Me: So then this new book that you're releasing, will that be a genre mash-up, or more 100% horror.
QT: The new book, Tales from the Dark Distance, is a short story collection. Each story does stay mostly to a specific genre, but the book overall will of course have several different genres. Horror, mystery, science fiction, humor, etc. Also, there's a novella in the collection: Brackett Hollister: The Black Swamp. It's going to be a very important novella because it ties the two universes together, Brackett Hollister and The Game Warden of Black Swamp. It also will serve as a prequel for the next Game Warden novel, which I don't have a release date on yet. Now, I am currently working on a horror novel that will be straight up horror with no genre mixing. Technically it will be the first novel I've written to stick entirely to one genre.
Me: I'm going to focus on the Brackett novella for a minute, but would it be necessary to read the Game Warden?
QT: Not at all. It's a standalone story, but if you do read both series, you'll see things that you otherwise may miss.
Me: not bad not bad at all, and by the time of this interview's release, this collection will be available via Amazon?
QT: Let's hope so, yes. I'm aiming for an August 28th release date, barring unforeseen circumstances
Me: This coming horror novel, what can we expect from it?
QT: Dark Supernatural Horror complete with gore, scares, and overall creepiness. I want this one to stick with you once you put it down for the night and try to sleep.
Me: well damn that's a complete turn over from the stories I've seen from you.
QT: My other work has shown glimpses of my darker side, but this novel will give you a full view of it. At least, as much of it as I'm comfortable showing lol.
Me: lol is there any chance of getting any other single genre sides of you later on? Such a romance or sci-fi, and the like?
QT: I don't know about romance or sci-fi, but I would like to try a classic western, without the supernatural elements. I'd also like to write a hard boiled type crime novel, along the lines of Elmore Leonard or Mickey Spillaine.
Me: well we did get a glimpse of the noir taste from you in
. Kinda forcing a segue here, but do you have any anthology hopefuls in line for the future?QT: Not at the present, but I'm always open.
Me: I'm pretty much close to being out of questions so I'll set up the end here, lol. I know as far as anthology entries, there's a list of author's I'd love to be published alongside. Are there any authors that you're looking forward to possibly join alongside?
QT: Probably some of the same ones as you lol. Stephen King would of course be number one. Clive Barker and Jonathan Maberry also. Really there's just too many to name! Just to throw a few more names out there: Neil Gaiman, Joe R. Lansdale, Dean Koontz. The list just goes on and on
Me: There really are lol. And I'm officially out of questions, it was a pleasure to be able to interview you and I’m glad this got to happen. I’d shake your hand if possible, but I’ll do the next best thing. I'll get your upcoming book and look forward to finishing it.
QT: Thank you for the interview, it was my pleasure. I hope you enjoy the book!
Me: I'm sure I will, good luck with your future work!
You can follow Quentin at the following links, and don't forget to get yourself a copy of Tales from the Dark Distance, now available on Amazon!
http://www.amazon.com/Tales-Dark-Dist...
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/quentinwallace
Website:
http://www.amazon.com/Quentin-Wallace...
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Quenti...
November 20, 2014
Brackett Hollister: The Werewolf Pack
Quentin Wallace presents us with a western vibe of mythical beasts in
. It's a fun ride of mayhem and witty remarks.
Here is the review! and the link for those who like to see the full review with the pictures included:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
5 Magical Stars!!
I was always more partial to vampire stories than werewolves, but Brackett Hollister: The Werewolf Pack may have changed that. What a delightful surprise!
The story immediately grabbed my attention and held it with fascinating characters, interesting plot, suspense, horror, humor, supernatural, and some additional back stories. It has something for every reader.
The villain, the legendary Prime Alpha,
was ferocious & scary.
The heroes Brackett Hollister,
& Chula,
were strong, brave, charismatic & hot!!
The wise and helpful Chief Highbuck,
provided some levity when things were looking grim.
And, of course, I fell madly in love with Fire & Stranger,
They were magic, pure enchantment!!!
This well written story had me engrossed, anxious and fearful throughout, culminating in the final battle between good vs. evil.
A captivating & extraordinary tale, indeed!
Quentin Wallace, count me in on the next adventure!
Ready whenever they are. ; )
A link to the rest of his reviews:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
And of course the link to get to buying:
http://www.amazon.com/Brackett-Hollis...
Also here is his author Facebook page, so go give him a like:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Quenti...
. It's a fun ride of mayhem and witty remarks. Here is the review! and the link for those who like to see the full review with the pictures included:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
5 Magical Stars!!
I was always more partial to vampire stories than werewolves, but Brackett Hollister: The Werewolf Pack may have changed that. What a delightful surprise!
The story immediately grabbed my attention and held it with fascinating characters, interesting plot, suspense, horror, humor, supernatural, and some additional back stories. It has something for every reader.
The villain, the legendary Prime Alpha,
was ferocious & scary.
The heroes Brackett Hollister,
& Chula,
were strong, brave, charismatic & hot!!
The wise and helpful Chief Highbuck,
provided some levity when things were looking grim.
And, of course, I fell madly in love with Fire & Stranger,
They were magic, pure enchantment!!!
This well written story had me engrossed, anxious and fearful throughout, culminating in the final battle between good vs. evil.
A captivating & extraordinary tale, indeed!
Quentin Wallace, count me in on the next adventure!
Ready whenever they are. ; )
A link to the rest of his reviews:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
And of course the link to get to buying:
http://www.amazon.com/Brackett-Hollis...
Also here is his author Facebook page, so go give him a like:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Quenti...
