Introductions

[Ilyan]

Hi All,

I write fiction and non-fiction. My latest work is an end times fiction thriller titled Sevenfold. Get it free on Smashwords with coupon code MM97Z valid until the end of 2013.
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...


Sevenfold by Ilyan Kei Lavanway

[Edward]

First a big thank you to J.M. Guillen for inviting me to join the Volcano Lair. Much appreciated!

My name is Edward Parker, and I am a fiction writer specialising in horror and thriller fiction – but mainly horror. I so far have three novels published as Kindle eBooks: Blood Tide which was published by indie publishers Wild Wolf Publishing, and Clown Friday and No Devil Worse which I self published.

With regard to writers I read and who have influenced me, it will probably come as no surprise to you that Stephen King is a huge influence, closely followed by James Herbert, Shaun Hutson, H.P. Lovecraft, Ray Bradbury... to name but a few. More recently published authors I’m getting into are J.A. Konrath/Jack Kilborn, (Trapped was one of the most horrifying horror novels I think I’ve ever read), Blake Crouch, Russell Blake, and Iain Rob Wright. One of the great things about the digital publishing revolution is that there is a wealth of fine writers out there to sample who I might previously never have known about.

Thanks again for inviting me to join The Volcano Lair. I look forward to exchanging news and views – and finding even more good reads!

[Krista]

Well first things first...Thank you for the invite to the group :)
My name is Krista. I live in upstate New York (3hrs north of the city). I am an Administrative Assistant in an Emergency Department... soooo not what I got my degree in (Restaurant/Hotel Mangement)...I digress. It is what it is at the moment.
I love to read and I love books that provoke me to dig deep and think as well as ones that I can escape to another reality. I read all types of genres...if it grabs my attention we are good.
The beginning of this summer I started writing myself. I am far from a literature major, but those who have read what I wrote so far seem to like it.
So, again, thanks :)

[Deborah]

William wrote: "Deborah wrote: "J.M. wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Thanks for the invite :)
I'm fantasy author Deborah Jay - riding on a high as just sold my 1000th copy of my debut novel, only 10 weeks after publicatio..."

Hi William, yes I'm so glad I did the skill share marketing course with Laura Pepper Wu - it was well worth it :)
Re the small ads, I must admit I was less than scientific about it - I just did whatever I came across that was cheap, although I did check out testimonials and page hits before deciding to go with each.
I'm not sure how much influence each had, other than putting the cover in front of people on as many relevant sites (its epic fantasy) as often as I could. The only one I can say with any certainty was a marked success was eBUK (eBook Bargains UK) newletter, which showed a measurable spike in sales, especially in the Uk (wonder why...).
I took a 7 day ad with them, and I have two more of the same booked for future months.

[Anna]

Hi J M Thanks for the invitation. I am a children's book author and was inspired by our son Frankie who is at the moment studying as a commercial pilot and the other inspiration was living in Africa all my life and moving to the USA I realized that children wanted to learn so much about the outside world around them and authored "My First Travel Book" which I hope to get to my home country of Zimbabwe to the rural people who also want to learn so much of the world and unite them. A true story - a rural young person in the remote areas saw an aero plane flying above and carved and made out of sticks what he thought it looked like today it stands in a museum in the town we lived in, very touching and hoping to get a book to him soon.
Thank you again and have a great week. Anna

[Anne]

Hi everybody! So pleased to meet you all. I am Anne, the other moderator here at the Lair. My duties mostly revolve around making sure the drones are properly charged, the zombies are fed and the fridge is well-stocked. I am also not a writer; I am a reader. I'm thrilled to see so many authors here, as that means I get to go check out all sorts of new writing. If you ever need anything, and JM's not around, feel free to message me. I'll get back to you as soon as I get the chimera cage clean.

[Ashley]

Ello there.

Got an invite and thought I'd have a look-see and mingle a bit.

I'm a writer, currently seeking representation for my debut 'A Song of Sorrow', the first in a Gothic Fantasy series 'Of Bloody Reflections...'.

I'm also drafting OBR2, and have just finished a week with the local paper. I got my first publications, a handful of by lines.

Reading is eclectic at the mo: Scarlet Thomas binge, occasional Jonathon Strange & Mr Norrel, The Golden Bough, Angela Carter, Kafka and internet holes re things like ancient robots.

[Liz]

Thank you for the invite, JM! It's exciting reading what everyone is writing, reading, and plotting for our eventual world domination.

My name is Liz, and I'm currently elbows deep in my first publication. I'm a contributor and editor for The Midnight Carnival: One Night Only, coming out this month via the Mad Docs of Lit. One Night Only is a collection of stories set on Halloween in a carnival that is, like many carnivals, not entirely what it seems. For a visual representation of what we're about, you can take a peek at our tumblr.

As you probably guessed, I trend toward darker reading material. I'm currently reading Spirit Houses by Die Booth and Lisey's Story by SK.

I'm looking forward to seeing more from this group!

[Sam]

Hi everyone - I'm Sam, wage slave in the bowels of IT hell during day and starving author of horror and dark fantasy by late night/early morning.

My horror serial, Half-Made Girls, is being published by JukePop Serials over at http://www.jukepopserials.com/home/re.... It's filled with meth head cultists, Lovecraftian gods, and one family's struggle to survive.

I'm a voracious reader with a wide ranger of interest, with a special interest in horror and pulp fiction.

This looks like a great, active group and I look forward to chatting with you all.

[Melanie]

Hi I'm Mel and please to be here.
My first novel Tumbling Through life was published a while back and I have been writing a kids novel (7-10) which has nearly reached completion and intend to write a follow up to Tumbling which is in the planning stages. I work part time as a primary school teacher and have three youngsters to keep me occupied.
I enjoy reading across many genres and am just about to start the new Stephen King!

[Melinda]

I think I'm a bit late to the party. Gmail spammed the invite. Glad I went fishing. Thanks for the invite JM.

I'm MJ. Like Sam up thread I'm an IT slave by day. I also own my own mobile game company. Game reviews are a pain to get too.

In all two seconds of my free time, I write mysteries. I'm currently on sub with publishers.

I read broadly and I'm told I write a pretty mean query letter if anyone needs help.

[Steven]

Thanks for the invite - I am from England and have just had my first novel; The Path To Redemption published by United PC Press - a historical novel set during the Crusades. I have spent about 20 years writing poetry, short stories, essays and articles but this feels like the 'real thing' as it were. More about me (if anyone is interested! :)) at stevenjsmith72.wordpress.com or join me on twitter - @stevenjsmith72

Looking forward to connecting and sharing knowledge/experience and thoughts here!

[Grace]

Thanks for the invite! My name is Grace, and I'm a librarian who writes a book blog called Books Without Any Pictures.

I read voraciously. Sci-fi and fantasy are my favorites, but I like a wide range of genres and genre blends.

[Nina]

Hi, I'm Nina Soden. I love to read - ANYTHING!
I write YA (The Blood Angel Series) Book 1 Awaken, and Book 2 Beginnings are both available in paperback and Kindle on Amazon.

I WOULD LOVE FEEDBACK! As a new author I am all about needing advice and feedback. Got any advice?

I also post author interviews on my blog if anyone here is interested.

www.ninasoden.wordpress.com Check it out.
www.facebook.com/bloodangelseries
Twitter: @Nina_Soden

[J.B.]

Hello everyone! I'm delighted to be joining this group. You can learn more about me at this recent author interview: http://ivymoonpress.wordpress.com/201...

My debut novel, LIGHT IN THE GLOAMING, is getting some great reviews. I'd love to hear what you think. There's a giveaway underway now -- 10 copies excited to find a home.

Check it out at: http://amzn.to/18HlZia and http://jbsimmons.com

Cheers,
J.B.


Light in the Gloaming

[Jaeme]

Deborah wrote: "J.M. wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Thanks for the invite :)
I'm fantasy author Deborah Jay - riding on a high as just sold my 1000th copy of my debut novel, only 10 weeks after publication.
THE PRINCE'S ..."

That's good to know, Deborah- mainly because I'm attempting to do promotion in the same way. Did you have a "brick & mortar" publisher or did you go indie this time with those sales?

[[deleted user]]

My memoir is up and running on Kindle, and starting tonight at midnight, you can click below to read all of Fifteen &...What!? PLUS a chapter in the soon-to-be-released final book :) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FI7QOVE

[Deborah]

Jaeme wrote: "Deborah wrote: "J.M. wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Thanks for the invite :)
I'm fantasy author Deborah Jay - riding on a high as just sold my 1000th copy of my debut novel, only 10 weeks after publicatio..."

Jaeme, I went indie. I have trad published non-fiction books and found myself doing all the marketing anyway, so when, despite being agented, TPM failed to sell to a publisher I thought, what the heck?, and I'm soooo pleased I did - loving the whole indie experience! Oh, and earning more and quicker than my trad books too :)

[Emmaline]

Hi! Thank you for the invite to this group. My name is Emmaline but most call me Emma or Em. S'long as no one calls me Emily I'm cool. I'm working on what will be my first novel (I've only published novellas and short stories up till now) and it's called Mortality. It's about a cop who gives his life to save his brother from armed robbers and then ends up stealing his brother's body in order to live again.
I'm a really huge Weird Al fan and I'm also working on a series of books inspired by his music.

[Alexander]

It's interesting to see what a diverse group we have here and all the different things everyone has written :)

I'm Alexander Kosoris, and I'm a fantasy/sci-fi writer about to publish my first novel, Lucifer, about the Prince of Darkness's office antics in Heaven. I'm soon to have an Indiegogo campaign up and running, once the promo video is finished (and, seeing the first edit, it's definitely worth the wait).

[Eric]

Thanks for the invite. I think I joined the group weeks ago but have been in a personal transition. Basically moving houses and acting in a play for the last few weeks. I have recently (October 27, 2013) released my debut novel which is available on http://www.amazon.com/The-Veil-Eric-M... and am just glad to be here. Hopefully looking forward to many stimulating conversations.
www.ericmaskell.com

Thanks

-E-

[Robert]

Thanks for the invites. It's great to have another place to come and talk publishing, writing, and...sorry, what else is there?

I'm a technical author by day, and a writer when the kids are in bed. It's tough to get the time to write, but I know that if I didn't do it, something would be missing in my life.

I've recently self-published my first novel The Face Stealer and am finding that yes, it is tricky to get people to review your work.

[Deanna]

Hello!
I work primarily as a freelance writer for marketing gigs but I have a real estate license as well. I have 5 different shorts, novellas and novels in various stages of development. I'm a bit of a start up junkie be it business or books and have trouble finishing anything. Maybe I have adult ADHD, who knows. I tend to write horror, sci-fi, and paranormal. Anything spooky without a love story, unless one or more of the love interests winds up beheaded.

I just finished Ocean At The End of The Lane and loved it, starting Handmaiden's Fury next :-)

[Michell]

Hey Everyone. Let me begin by saying, I love the title of this group. You see, my co-editor and I created an anthology titled: A Method to the Madness, A Guide to the Super Evil. Volcano lairs, as you might imagine, play a big role in Super Evil. :)

And who am I? My name is Michell Plested. I am a writer, blogger, podcaster, sock herder and...yes, I am also an evil mastermind (in my own mind, anyway). My first published novel is Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero and I have the aforementioned Mad Scientist handbook.

[Kim]

Thanks for the invite, J.M, and hello to everyone. I'm looking forward to checking things out around here. Interesting premise for the group that I'm eager to explore further, as time permits.

My name is Kim Welsman and I'm a science fiction and fantasy author. I also read just about any kind of good speculative fiction I can find.

I'm working on the Alien Encounters Series, a serial about Earth and other realms/planets in a dystopian future, filled with strange mythologies, flying cars and worm holes. My other writing time is juggled between a paranormal romance (not the mooshie kind by the spooky kind, done in the Regency tradition, Jane Austen style) and a straight up New Adult Science Fiction with a strong female protagonist. I like to keep busy.

Looking forward to this eclectic group!

Cheers, Kim

[Decater]

Hi everyone,

I'm a firmly committed indie author and blogger. I just released my first full length work, a mashup novel called Ahab's Adventures In Wonderland (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GG8S76O).

I've been living in Beijing, China for the past 13 years, but I'll be moving back to Eugene, Oregon next summer. Although I try to write every day, I'm mostly just at the beck and call of my 4-year-old beagle.

I'm happy to be part of the group. I'm especially interested in promoting other indie authors. We have to stick together.

Cheers,
Doc
http://entropy2.com

[Peprah]

Hello everyone! My name is Peprah Boasiako. I'm an army veteran turned author. My first book The Hitman: A Short Story was self-published on October 1st, 2013 and I can't wait to read reviews from goodreads readers. I'm currently working on my second project, The Sextape: A Dedication to the Ladies which will be published in the next three months. I'm currently reading Sundays at Tiffany's by James Paterson.

Anyone interested in reading my new book, The Hitman can download it for free here: www.lulu.com/spotlight/peprahboasiako

[Ahimsa]

Hi everybody! I'm a short and long spec fiction writer. From the Pacific Northwest but currently traveling and teaching in Asia--have 2 months in Thailand to get my current novel finished.

I read quite a bit (110 books this year); currently it's Choke, Jesting PIlate, and the Red Knight. I wouldn't call myself an indie author, but it's my hope to be something of a hybrid.

[Kerrie]

Hey everyone,

My name is Kerrie, and I am a 23 year old Law graduate living in Ireland with my family. I'm currently unemployed and looking for work, but it could be going better.

In the meantime I am taking advantage of all of this free time. I write short stories, poems, and my current novel; The Unwitting Thief. I also write a blog and film videos for my youtube channel (I love book tube!)

The first chapter of my novel, The Unwitting Thief, is up here on GoodReads, and I would be over the moon if anyone would take a few minutes to read it, and let me know what they think.

https://www.goodreads.com/story/show/...

[R.K.]

Greetings! Thank you for the inclusion. I look forward to my time in the squid tank (I have a killer aioli recipe).

My second urban fantasy went live this month on Amazon (Assassins) and I'm shepherding it through the growth phase whilst starting on the third book in the series.

I'm in Japan right now, so if I don't respond right away, it's due to time zones, not jerkification.

Cheers!

[[deleted user]]

Great to be here, I wasn't specifically invited, but here I am nonetheless.

I write horrible little stories with horrible endings. I have a few works-in-progress, but the big one is an urban fantasy apocalypse with the working title "Silence Falls". It's about the reawakening of a series of Lovecraftian-esque dragon horrors that enthrall a selection of humanity in order to form a magical master race and kill all the people.

I might be writing it as an excuse to kill off all my enemies without going to jail, or maybe it's a stepping stone for further evils. Either way, I've always empathized with the villains (they usually have the best fashion sense) and want to shed some light (for lack of a better word) on the dark side.

Other than that, I married a dark wizard, am working on a degree in aggressive corporate takeovers and possibly have the world's most useless hench-puppy.

[Alexander]

I love horrible little stories with horrible endings! Would love to hear some *wink*.

[[deleted user]]

Hello everyone, thanks for the invitation!

My name is Sandy. I write fantasy and gothic novels and short stories. I've recently published a collection of gothic short stories on Amazon. I also write a blog and publish free stories on my website (spycherbooks.com).

Apart from that, I'm a literature student at university in Switzerland. Even if it's sometimes tiring, I try to work on my studies and novels at the same time.

[Joyce]

Thanks for the invite! I'm Joyce, a writer and astrologer. I recently made the leap into fiction from writing mostly non-fiction about astrology and spirituality. I live in Northern California and am a prolific blogger. Nothing has honed my writing skills better and faster than blogging! My first novel was released in Nov. 2013, a humorous mystery called The Crystal Ball that's also classified as metaphysical and visionary fiction. I feel like I'm morphing! Not only am I focusing on a new genre; I'm trying to learn how to use GoodReads as an author and not just as a reader. I look forward to getting to know you and to learning and laughing together!

[Michael]

Thanks for the invite J.M.!

Book 1 in my 5 book series, Drift, was released back in November by Limitless Publishing. It's a YA paranormal genre. Book 2 is currently set for release this spring.

I'm still going over edits (as we know that seems to be never ending) for the series and am also trying to write a new series. Basically, just having fun!

Love your group here! :)

[Isabella]

Hey guys! Thought I'd join this group because I simply LOVE the title and the idea.... it's pretty awesome.

I'm 20 and I write fiction, specifically Superhero novels at the moment.

Here's my two wonderful novels :



I'm going to take a look around in here and hopefully make some new awesome friends!!

Cheers :)

[Leo]

Hi all, and thank you for the invite!

I'm a journalist based in The Bahamas and an aspiring scribbler. I'm also an editor with a small indie publishing house, Inklings Press. So far, we have published three short story anthologies - covering fantasy, horror and, the latest, Tales From The Universe, plunging into science fiction. I blog regularly with author interviews, reviews, free stories etc too, mostly covering the same kinds of genre. Feel free to nudge me and say hey, about those interviews... :)

I have my own small short story anthology up on Amazon too as a taster. Novels are being hammered away at in the background.

Looking forward to catching up with you all!

[[deleted user]]

Thanks for the invite! I'm a writer and a teacher from Omaha, NE. My 3rd novel was just released by The Novel Fox. It's called Former and I think it's pretty epic.

[Leigh]

Hi Leo! Glad to meet ya! I'm the Editrix from the Deep Dark Woods in charge of many punctuation interrogations in the Volcano Lair. A good bit of the party has moved over to FB, so feel free to friend me there!

[Carol]

Hello,

I'm Carol Holland March. I write and read sci fi and fantasy. Have several books on Goodreads. Currently looking for magical realism, literary romance books to read.

My two newest short reads, That Day in the Desert, and Return to Radasam, both contemporary fantasies, are set in the same world as my upcoming trilogy, The Dreamwalkers of Larreta.

Hope to chat with some of you.

[Leigh]

Oooh, hello Carol Holland March, who writes Scifi! I'm the Editrix of the Deep Dark Woods. Hope you're enjoying your stay at the Volcano Lair. Much of the party has moved to Facebook, so feel free to friend me there.

I'll sneak you into R&D when the other keepers of the lair aren't looking. That's where we keep the laser sharks, obviously, as well as the various Steve clones whom we've successfully given arachnophobia. Hey, I was voting for large and menacing but fuzzy and blue, very pretty; it was the ~other~ guys who decided they should be small and plentiful. Poor Steves. Poor Steves' crevices.

So, anyway, if you have any experiment that might benefit from trying on a virtual Steve clone, you know where to find them And me. And the other guys. Don't worry; we're harmless... enough... for most purposes... as long as you aren't a virtual Steve clone with arachnophobia.