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authorsinterviews

~ My interviews with many authors

authorsinterviews

Monthly Archives: May 2013

Interview with Tom Barczak

23 Thursday May 2013

Posted by fionamcvie1964 in Uncategorized

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Tom Barczak

42

Norman, Oklahoma

I am an Architect, Artist and Author, and father of three boys.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

My debut novel, Veil of the Dragon, will be out in May. My illustrated Kindle Serial, Awakening Evarun, is almost at an end in preparation of that. And also, I have recently been asked by Janet and Chris Morris, Authors of “The Sacred Band”, to write for their “Heroes in Hell” series.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I started when I was a kid, sitting on my front porch, illustrating every page. Then I stopped. One day about ten years ago I decided to start again.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Several years after that. It took me awhile, to gain enough confidence to own it and to take responsibility for what it meant.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

There has been a thread that has always run though my paintings and my music. One day I found out it was a story.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

Technique, no, other than I write something every day. Even if for only ten minutes.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

By listening to the story. But that also means letting it evolve.

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

My stories lean towards redemption, so I’d say that there’s always hope, no matter what.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

For Veil of the Dragon, aside from it being Fantasy, quite a bit. It has historic parallels, sometimes with different names. It definitely has a strong grounding in the real world so far as dress, equipment, cultures, ect. Its equivalent time would be the fall of the Roman Empire. No elves.

Fiona: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

It’s a heroes quest, which I think we all go on. So yes – my own, in a loose sort of way. You write what you know.


Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

As far as authors go: JRR Tolkien, David Eddings, Robert Jordan, Jim Butcher.


Fiona: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Right now, personally, Janet Morris.


Fiona: What book are you reading now?

Mage Blood by Janet Morris, and Black Earth, End of the Innocence, by David Alderman.

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

My two favorites right now, both contemporary, though not new, are Janet Morris and Jim Butcher. Different stylistically, but similar in how their fantasy is grounded in historical fact, which for me is important – also their lyricism and their rhythm.

Fiona: What are your current projects?

Two short stories, Blood and Ochre, and Blood and Ash. Apparently I have a blood thing going…Also finishing up my illustrated Kindel serial, Awakening Evarun, while I prepare to publish Veil of the Dragon. Veil is the first installment of my Illusrated Epic Fantasy Trilogy, Prophecy of the Evarun.


Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

The Architect Firm I work for during the day, Boynton Williams and Assoc.


Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

I do.


Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

Yes. But I’ll keep it to myself for now.


Fiona: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

I used to write on my porch as a kid. Just always wanted to.


Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us?

My upcoming novel, Veil of the Dragon, begins as Chaelus, Roan Lord of the House of Malius is raised from the dead by a child. Told he is the reincarnated prophet of a faith in which he does not believe, Chaelus is left to choose between the heavy mantle of prophecy and the loss of everything he has ever loved.

Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Balance. And patience.


Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

Please see my comments on Jim Butcher and Janet Morris above.


Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?

No. But I will be starting this Summer. Me and my boys are going on a bit of a Midwest book tour to support the release Veil of the Dragon.


Fiona: Who designed the covers?

I do all my own design and artwork.


Fiona: What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Same with everyone. The Middle.


Fiona: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

That I can do it and do it well.


Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Just write. Something every day, even for 5 minutes. No matter what. No other rules matter. Just write. The only thing that will stop you is you.


Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Only that I am deeply appreciative of anyone who takes the time to read my words. Unless they get read, there really was no point in writing them. I could have just thought them. So thank you.

Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done ?

Other than Architecture and Art? I’d have to say Geology.

Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? if so what is it?

www.tombarczak.com

www.tombarczak.com/blog

Interview with Blaze McRob

21 Tuesday May 2013

Posted by fionamcvie1964 in Uncategorized

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Name

Blaze McRob

Age

64

Where are you from

Currently living in Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA

A little about your self `ie your education Family life ect

My education, believe it or not, comes not from the literary or artistic pursuits of academia, but the sciences: primarily math and physics.

I have eight children: 3, 4, 7, 9, 10 11, 17, and 35. I am currently “happily divorced.” Some things are better left to follow their own course. Had I not been married, I would not be the proud father of such wonderful children. Had I not been blessed with the wisdom of getting a divorce, I would have never met the love of my life, Yvonne Bishop. At the moment, we are apart until personal things are resolved for both of us, but when we are united later this year, it will be paradise!

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

My latest news is that this year I have probably four novels coming out under Blaze McRob. After so many years of writing novels for other authors, it feels good knowing my own voice will be established.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I wrote my first novel in 1986. There was a story inside me that needed to be told, so I told it. I had brain cancer at the time and wasn’t given much time to live, so I figured it was time to do it.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

From the first word of the novel. The words just came out. It was easy for me.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

The Cold War. Things were winding down then, and I was thinking what might have happened had a few things from the past not been huge factors in post World War II.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

I do, now that I have no constraints as to fitting into another writer’s whims and fancies. It’s very liberating to say the least. I don’t like to be over descriptive when I write: just enough so my readers know what’s going on and a visual can form within their minds. I like to enable my fans to add in their own descriptions as suits their own lives, allowing them to tailor the books to their wants and needs. For example; if I describe three out of four chairs in a room, the fourth chair belongs to the reader. It’s their chair.

I like all my stories to flow. To me, that is the most important thing. A good solid story that moves along, bringing the reader into it is huge with me. For that reason, I don’t outline at all. In fact, I never know how my stories will end. My story people dictate everything to me. What could be more fun than that?

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

For the title of my next novel to come out, ” ’68 Buick,” I merely brought into play the biggest part of my story that sets it apart from all other Grim reaper novels: the vehicle used to deliver the souls to Hell.

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

All my novels have a message. ” ’68 Buick” is no different from the others. Good vs Evil is the biggest part, but I also wish to portray the fact that conventional dogma related to such understanding is open to interpretation and not under the strict auspices of what organized religion might foist on us. I’m not putting down the religious beliefs of anyone, but who can really determine the one TRUE religion? Certainly not me. And I also will not be told that I will roast in the fires of damnation forever because I’m a Baptist instead of a Catholic. We all need to look inside ourselves and see if we are good, decent people; regardless of our religious beliefs.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

All of my fiction is based on non-fiction. I delight in allowing my readers to think, “Hey, could this part be true?” How a writer embellishes the non-fiction is the determining fact that it is fiction.

Fiona: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

The experiences in ” ’68 Buick” are based on people I know-or have known- and events in my life. No sense in lying about it. That’s the way it is.

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

Anything Edgar Allan Poe, in particular “The Pit And the Pendulum.” Also, “Of Mice and Men” by Steinbeck; “The Old Man And the Sea” by Hemingway; “The World As I See It” by Albert Einstein; “The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer” by Mark Twain; “The Book Of Revelations” by St. John the Divine; and all of the musings of Will Rogers. I have to end here, because I would not be able to stop.

Fiona: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

I have no mentors. I enjoy reading and learning from great authors, but I do not wish to emulate anyone. I merely want to be the best me that I can be. Like any art, writing is subjective. There is no ONE way.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

You really have me here, Fiona. I am reading an exquisite piece of poetic prose for about the fourth time, but I am not at liberty to discuss what it is. When the time is right, I will let everyone in on it.

I also am reading books from some of my favorite authors that I will be doing reviews on soon.

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

Long, long list: Serenity Wickford, Stacey Turner, Carole Gill, Lisa McCourt Hollar, Cindy Keen Reynders, William Cook, Patricia Matthews, Scott M. Goriscak, Nomar Knight, Marissa Farrar, Kathy Rowe, T.K. Millin, Sue Midlock, Rebecca Treadway, Mark Edward Hall, Tim Marquitz, Mikel Classen, Armand Rosamilia, Sirrah Medeiros, and on and on. I haven’t even gotten warmed up yet.

Fiona: What are your current projects?

“Bokor,” the sequel to ” ’68 Buick; a ghoul novella; “The Mists Of Papoose Pond,” a zombie novel I’m writing online; “The Devil’s Tongue, ” a horror trilogy; “Last Chance,” a novella about the end days; “The Names On The Wall”, a political thriller; “Say It Again Sam,” a non-fiction book: and a bunch of short stories and flash fiction pieces. I also have in the vicinity of twenty completed novels I need to do my final edits on- I keep finding more in my storage shed all the time.

Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

No family members have ever supported me. Yvonne Bishop has been here for me since my jumping on to the scene as Blaze McRob. No wonder I love my little lady!

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

After all the novels I have written, and all that are on the way, I would say that yes, writing and I are career partners.

Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

Nothing.

Fiona: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

My Dad’s Dad, an old man of the sea, told me so many stories that I knew I had to become a story teller as well.

Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Quote:Chapter One “’68 Buick”

It’s here. I feel it. The pressure is immense, pushing on my lungs, making me gasp for every breath.

I open my eyes, as if that’s going to do any good: I’m totally blind in the dark. What the hell do I think I’m going to see? And if I could see in this absence of light, would I see what’s really here anyway? Often enough, I have caught glimpses of what might be present, framed against some subtle light filtering through the cracks in my room, only to have everything vanish into nothingness. But the presence never leaves.

My room. That’s a laugh for you. My room is my garage; my bed is an old couch. While the rest of my family sleeps in comfort, I suffer the indignity of sleeping in an overfilled garage with barely enough room to walk from the house to my bed.

I reach over and turn on my lamp. Once my eyes adjust to the sudden onslaught of light, my suspicions are confirmed: I can see nothing but huge piles of boxes stacked everywhere – the ultimate storage area. I leave the light on for only a short time. My pounding head needs darkness now. Whatever lurks here is secondary to me at the moment. My pain overcomes the fear.

It’s midnight. I have two more hours to sleep. That’s if I can return to it. When was the last time I was truly able to sleep? The pain, the constant pain, never leaving – how long have I endured it this time around? And this…this presence, whatever it is, crawling over me, pushing on me, leaving a disgusting mold-like stench in my nose. I can hear it too, making almost a cackling sound, taunting me, laughing at me, daring me to do anything about it. But I never see it. Right now it envelops me with its horror. It attacks my body and my mind. Reality and fiction are blurred. Weird visions pop in and out of my brain, tormenting me with things I have never seen before: dark and obscure beings with evil at their core, moving slowly through fog filled landscapes, their red eyes shining in the darkness, greeting everything they encounter with hideous laughter before dragging them beneath the fog.

“ Show yourself, damn it! Show yourself!” I holler out.

Whatever it is doesn’t show itself, but neither does it leave. It never fucking leaves.

I slip in and out of sleep, too restless and in too much pain to stay asleep, but needing some sort of rest. Something comes crashing down at the far end of the garage, and I hear little scurrying feet moving around towards the cracks alongside the overhead door to escape whatever is there. Even the mice know it’s here, disrupting my life, tossing torment at me from every conceivable angle. The little furry bastards have no courage: for now, they retreat, but they’ll be back when things settle down. How could they possibly refuse the smorgasbord of delight spread out before them? My wife insists on storing flour and cereal out here – easy pickings for the little vermin. And when they’re done munching on that, they hop up on my couch in hopes of…in hopes of what? Nibbling on a couple of fingers for desert? I don’t think so. I can remember nights in Vietnam, lying down in the rice paddies to avoid detection by the ‘Cong, the rats – huge, hungry creatures swarming from everywhere – running all over me. It was tolerable as long as they kept moving, but when they stopped, planted on my chest just inches from my face, it scared the shit out of me. If they bit me, there would be a chance of rabies; if I moved too much, I would alert the enemy to my position. Fortunately, I was never bitten. These little mice in the garage are not my favorite sleeping buddies, but they are not as terrifying as the rats.

Until my alarm goes off at 2:00A.M., my unseen nemesis stays with me. It relishes most the moments when I have the dream: Vietnam, having just escaped from the POW camp, carrying my best friend in my arms, running barefoot for two days and two nights through the jungle, collapsing against a tree when I finally reach freedom, only to find out my friend is dead. My tears and my angst make this monster laugh.

“You always get fucked over, don’t you?” it says, this time distinct enough that I can tell whatever it is is male. “You never win; you always lose.”

Yes, he’s right, but I’m not going to give in to him. He scares the shit out of me, so close I can feel his breath on my face and smell his decaying, moldy odor. The stench is at once putrefying and suffocating; the pressure returns to my chest. Tasting his foulness, I must get out of the garage.

I slip into the house and use the john, my adversary choosing to remain in the garage. After that, I put a mug of coffee into the microwave and set it to boiling. For me, coffee has to be hot. While it’s heating up, I down my pain medication, grab an ice cube, and drop it into a cup. When the coffee is ready, I bring everything to my recliner: my morning ritual. Every morning, it takes me a good hour to attack my headaches. The ice, so deliciously cold against my head, starts working its magic. Nature in motion; the most basic of therapies. It makes a mess at times, the droplets cascading down my face, but what difference does it make? This isn’t a fashion show; this is pain, and I need to deal with it.

This morning the pain is especially bad and it takes two mugs of coffee and three ice cubes before I’m ready to go to work. For me, going to work is a little more involved than popping the key into the ignition and barreling down the road. I run to work. The pain makes it insufferable at times, but I have to do it. The blood needs to be shoved around my body, bringing its life force to every conceivable part of me. I brush my teeth, put my working clothes and lunch inside my backpack, check on my children, and I’m out the door.

The early morning air feels good on my tortured head, the coolness helping combat the pain. It’s not cool enough for sweat pants today. That means I’ll be battling the heat on my run back.

Work is only three miles or so from my house – yes, house: I have long since stopped calling it home. My seven children are here, but I can’t live with their mother any longer. While I’ve been fighting this pain inside me, she’s been playing slap and tickle with a former flame. Good woman: I work my ass off for her and my children, and she snubs me, even to the point of admitting it to me. “There’s enough love in my heart for both of you,” she says. What? Is this the stuff of marriage? Is this the for better or worse, in sickness or in health part?

The run always helps. I would be nothing without it. Nothing. It is the one semblance of peace in my erratic day. I enjoy my work and can escape within its insanity of schedule and chaos, but running makes me feel free. It is me; I am it.

My morning run is my favorite of the two. I can’t see in the darkness, but I can feel the contours of the road through my feet, and by keeping my stride short enough so my center of gravity is always stable, I won’t tumble if I hit a pothole. It’s worth it to enjoy the solitude, the almost virginity of the day, as if nothing like it has ever occurred before. And yet…

Peace is finally hitting my pain wracked body, and I begin to almost float along, lost in thoughts far removed from any I had last night. I am lulled into a sense of false security and don’t notice when a car jumps at me from the other side of the street. Its lights are off and the engine is purring so smoothly that it is almost like some sort of a phantom car. What the hell is this idiot doing driving around like this in the dark? Thinking of nothing better to do, I flip him off and holler at him to turn his lights on and watch out. This only seems to infuriate him more because he turns around, guns the engine, and comes after me again. I dart between a couple of parked cars and veer off across a dividing island. This puts some distance between us, but he makes it up rapidly, speeding around the corner like a demon possessed. As fast as I can move, I make it to some two story apartment units and run up the stairs. I’m safe up here. He certainly can’t drive up to get me. If he gets out of the car and comes after me, that’s one thing – that doesn’t bother me: I can defend myself from some road rage driver out of his car. A gonzo idiot behind the wheel of a big chunk of metal is another story.

The driver roars to a stop at the very edge of the stairs, gunning his engine, backing up a bit, and coming back to the stairs again. It’s almost as if he’s trying to decide if he can drive up the stairs. This is one hard core idiot here. After what seems like an eternity, he backs up and drives out of the parking lot. Shit! What do I do now? I still have two more miles to run before I’m at work. Do I hide up here in my safe haven and wait for the sun to rise, or do I get rid of my shackles of fear and suck it up like a man? This guy is probably just some drunk and might be stopped at some intersection right now, sound asleep and not even remembering having chased me up the stairs.

“C’mon, man. Get a grip. You’re letting everything get to you now,” I tell myself out loud, ashamed when I hear my own scared voice trying to calm myself down.

With as much boldness as I can muster, I walk downstairs and look around before I set out at a cautious pace, wanting to keep my guard up this time. I’m no more than a quarter of a mile away when the car pulls up again on the other side of the road, this time just ambling along, matching my speed but not exceeding it. It is still too dark to catch a glimpse of the driver other than the fact he appears to be wearing some kind of a hoodie. Oh, this is great: some stupid, wandering barrio kid on the wrong side of town. As for the car, all I can tell is that it’s not new, but it appears to have a shape built for speed. It looks familiar and yet…I don’t know; I can’t say for sure.

I pass the newly built elementary school and reach a big, wide open park – no trees at all, other than the skinny little whippets they plant just so they can say they’re planting trees in a park. He comes at me then, that finely tuned machine of his almost on me before I know it. It was all a trap! A damned trap that I was stupid enough to fall into. He has me now and he knows it. I’m his to do with as he pleases: the open target, his pawn, the morning merriment for his twisted mind. Stupid imbecile that I am, I deserve to be run over like some worthless pile of cow dung present in the surrounding prairies.

In one lucky stumble, I manage to fall just ahead of the lurching car. Turning again, much faster than I would have expected, he’s on me, and I run in a zigzag fashion to make it difficult for him to keep me dead center in his sights. He nabs me a couple of times, sending me to the ground, and my body starts wracking up wounds. Blood starts flowing freely from above my right eye and pours in, blurring my vision, my already erratic stumbling getting worse and worse. Hideous laughter pours out from the open window. He knows I’m his; whenever he decides it’s time, it’ll be over.

Lights from a car going up the hill flash on some sort of huge boulder, placed – for some unknown reason to me – in the middle of the field. I sprint for it, abandoning my zigzag approach for now; I have to get there. It’s my only hope. Just before being swept under the front of the car, I reach the massive boulder and throw myself up on it. The car makes an almost painful, hideous sound as metal meets rock. The rock wins.

I rest for a few seconds, making sure I will have the energy to give this guy, whoever he is, what he deserves. Expecting him to be in some stage of shock after hitting the boulder as hard as he did, I’m surprised to see him pulling the car off the boulder. Not trying to pull it off, but actually doing it. Any macho thoughts of mine are totally gone now: I run out of the park for all I’m worth and take the shortest street to the railroad tracks that I can find. Once there, I’ll be a lot safer. As short as the street is, I reach the tracks and am crawling in between a couple of stopped rail cars when the car arrives.

“This time you were lucky!” the driver shouts out. “There will be a next time.”

The rest of my run is in pain. I run past the huge microwave dishes and slip in through the security gates, heading straight for the shower. One look in the rest room mirror confirms what I already know: there isn’t a part of me that isn’t bruised, scraped, or cut. No shaving today. I hurt too much to mess with it.

The hot, soothing water runs down my body. I’m in no hurry to leave the comfort of the shower. Besides, I have to wait until the blood stops pouring down the drain.

“Give in to it. Let the pain go. You’ve endured enough.”

“Shut the fuck up!” I holler.

The blood finally stops flowing and I get out of the shower. No one is here. What do I expect, anyway?

Oh, shit. Like I really need this. I almost get killed running to work, and now a voice, the same voice I heard this morning in my garage, is talking to me at work. How much more of this can I take? I can see myself walking into the VA and telling them about phantom cars chasing me, voices telling me to just let go, and unseen monsters pushing down on my chest. Here comes the white padded room. No one can drive a car into there, though. I would be safe within the confines of the room: unless the monster pushed a wall down on me.

I sit down on a chair next to the shower and take a breather. This will not be an easy day: no rest last night and this morning’s escapade through the streets have gotten me to the point where I can hardly move. Blood starts flowing into my eye again. Shit! And that disgusting mold odor is in the room as well. I retch on the bile rising from my innards and just make it to the toilet on time, forced to crawl on my knees because I can’t stand up any longer. Everything lets loose. The acidic mess flows out, replaced by blood. My hands slip on the puke/ blood mixture on the toilet seat and I fall to the floor.

“You can’t get up, can you? You’re finished; you just won’t accept it.”

I refuse to answer this time. He’s goading me, pressuring me into giving in to his maniacal demands. Demands for what? If I give in, I’m dead. Forty years of pain and I’m going to quit now? I haven’t fought this long for nothing.

Once more, I drag my worn out carcass across the blood stained floor tiles toward the shower, the grout already a disgusting shade of brown from the fusion of blood. I have to take another shower, damn it! The last one was difficult enough. At least I hadn’t dressed before: my clothes would be a bloody mess by now.

Slower than before, I get into the shower, hugging the walls so I won’t fall down. Thank God the water is still hot and I can steal its rejuvenating powers. The blood stops flowing, and I get out again. It’s somewhat easier this time because my stomach’s not forcing me to barf, but the rest of the pain and the weakness is still there. No more voices this time, so I towel down, get dressed, and do a sort of hobble, stutter walk down the hallway to the shop. It’s a long walk – almost 100 yards through this cavernous area – but by hugging the wall, I make it to the door of my shop and slip my badge across the door security code device.

I walk in and plop down into my chair, leaving the light off. I need to rest for a while. No one else will be here for another hour yet: I’m always early. Maybe I can even catch a few winks.

“No sleep for you!” the voice shouts.

Blood pours into my eye; unbearable pressure forces itself onto my chest, forcing me to gag on the blood coming from my throat; and I taste the mold before everything goes black.

Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

For me, writing is fun. Marketing is the challenge, but it is necessary.

Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

Edgar Allan Poe has always been my favorite author. His greatest talent was creating a theater of the mind where senses overlapped and the unknown grabbed at your very being.

Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?

Right now I don’t have to travel, but I want to travel once my life regains balance with my affairs of the heart, soul, and physical things taking away from my creative time.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

Rebecca Treadway is the artist for my co-owned publishing house Angelic Knight Press. Sue Midlock does the cover art for my novels coming out with Vamplit Publishing.

Fiona: What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Writing is all joy for me, Fiona. There are no hard parts.

Fiona: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

I learned that the people in this industry are fantastic! I have made many new, great friends. My approach to writing is laid back, and as such, it opens the door for me to meet and interface with genuine, caring people.

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Don’t work on perfection for your first draft. Hemingway once said the first draft of anything is shit. He was so right. Write, re-write, and get better every time. And then, make sure you have a good editor to help you out because no writer ever catches all of their own mistakes.

Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Yes, Fiona, I do. Writing is important to all of us in the craft, but there are many other things that take priority: children’s laughter; good health; lovers being together. I would gladly give up all my seventy something novels if we could find a cure for diseases that make children ill and cause them to die. And for the love of my lady, and being with her, I would do anything.

Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done ?

I have done many things in my lifetime. Writing is the most honest, genuine thing I have had the pleasure of doing.

Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? if so what is it?
http://www.blazemcrob.com/
http://www.angelicknightpress.com/

http://www.fridayfrights.ws
.

Interview with SB Knight

19 Sunday May 2013

Posted by fionamcvie1964 in Uncategorized

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Name: SB Knight

 

Age: 36

 

Where are you from: West Virginia USA

 

A little about your self `ie your education Family life ect: 

I attended college for drafting and design. I’m a project engineer for a Civil Engineering Company. Finally I’m married with two children and one cat. 

 

Fiona: Tell us your latest news? 

My new novel, Drago’s Revenge, will be released October 31. The paperback edition of Born of Blood, my debut novel, will be released between November and December. Finally, my third novel will be released in March 2013.


Fiona: When and why did you begin writing? 

I began writing about 6 years ago as a release from a dark situation in my life. Soon my writing became an extension of who I am and now I can’t imagine not writing.


Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

 I considered myself a poet when my first poem was published. I considered myself a writer when I finished writing my first novel and I considered myself an author when I signed my first contract with a publisher.


Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

 I’m a fan of vampires and creatures of the night first and foremost. I also saw it as a challenge to write a unique and genuine vampire novel. I have since developed stories for werewolves, witches, demons, and other things.


Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

 I find that I don’t dwell on giving to much detail. I give enough for the reader to see the scene and what is happening but I don’t tell them every single thing. I also like an upbeat pace with periods for the reader to relax a moment before taking off again. Oh and you never know what character will make it through one of my novels. So far, surviving is a happy ending.


Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

 The title for Born of Blood was easy. It popped in my mind with little thought. I always knew that was going to be the title; it just fit with the story so well. Drago’s Revenge was a little tougher. I wanted it to stand on it’s on but also tie in with the first novel.  


Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to

Grasp?

 Interesting question. I would hope that they see no matter how dark things get there is always hope…even if that hope is merely to survive. More importantly, I want them to see that vampires can be brutal, cunning, and everything we remember them to be and still have new and unique stories to share.


Fiona: How much of the book is realistic? 

The origin of the vampire is realistic to a degree because it is based on a person and an event that took place in history. The methods of torture and killing is realistic as I researched many of those aspects. Some of the scenes are realistic but in the end, it is a work of fiction.


Fiona: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

 I would say the characters have a little of my personality in each of them. Some of the characters were inspired by events and people but mostly they come from my imagination.


Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most? 

The Bible, The Lord of the Ring Trilogy, The Wheel of Time, and The Shannara Series to name a few.


Fiona: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

 Overall writing would be Stephen King. When it comes to making it as an author in the current market I would go with Vincent Zandri. He has been successful in both the traditional and independent publishing world. 


Fiona: What book are you reading now?

LOL, Drago’s Revenge…I’m also reading Bram Stoker’s Dracula


Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

 Victoria Ley, Armand Rosamilia, and Dan O’Brien to name a few. 


Fiona: What are your current projects?

 Currently I am writing the third book of The Blood Chronicles. Born of Blood is book I and Drago’s Revenge is book II.


Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

 My publisher


Fiona: Do you see writing as a career? 

Yes, I do, once I get a few more novels under my belt.


Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book? 

This is another interesting question as I am writing one novel and reviewing the galley for the other novel. Which means I have the opportunity to make changes.


Fiona: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

 Absolutely, the fire ignited when I read Tolkien and burned hotter as I read Brooks and the late Jordan. At the time I was writing in a journal and penning poetry. From there it was a straight line to writing a novel…after I learn the ropes about writing a novel. 


Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us? 

Sure, here is the book blurb – The birth of a child is a time for joy and celebration. For Sam and Reba, it is a time for concern and worry. Concern for what could be and worry for what lurks in the shadows. They both know Reba’s baby, Christian, is special. But Drago waits in the darkness, and he, also, knows how special the child is. He knows what the child’s birth means. Now Drago stalks them, waiting for his moment to strike and claim Christian for his own evil purposes. As he unleashes his sinister plan, Sam and Reba fight to survive and keep their newborn out of his clutches. Chased by a group of would-be vampires manipulated by Drago, Sam and Reba are forced to abandon their home and find sanctuary in once forgotten locations. But they are not alone in this fight as family and friends arrive. Will it be enough? Life will be lost, blood will be spilled, painful memories, and emotions will torment minds…all part of Drago’s revenge. 

 

Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

 For me to write or for the reader? I’m still developing my craft so I challenge myself with a different aspect of writing a novel with each new work. As for the readers, I give them plenty of twist and turns throughout the novel. As soon as you think you know what’s going on….things change.


Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work? 

I really don’t have one. There are so many great authors out there writing great books. It’s impossible to pick just one.


Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)? 

No, not yet but next year I plan to participate in a few cons and schedule a few book signings.


Fiona: Who designed the covers? 

My publisher, MuseItUp Publishing, provides their authors with a cover artist. Mike Zambrano is the cover artist for both Born of Blood and Drago’s Revenge.


Fiona: What was the hardest part of writing your book? 

The romance and sex scenes in Born of Blood was the hardest to write. Making sure I tied up loose ends and continue the story smoothly to the third book was the hardest part of Drago’s Revenge. 


Fiona: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it? 

I learn a great deal with each novel I write. I learn about my voice and I identify the weak areas of my writing which I attempt to work on. I also discovered that I like a fast pace with my stories which, at times, I have to remind myself to slow it down at times. 


Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

 Keep writing, don’t stop, if you want it…go after it. Remember, rejection is part of the game but in the end all you need is one yes.


Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? 

Thank you. Thank you for taking the chance on me. I will continue to improve my craft and deliver high quality novels for your enjoyment.

 

Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done ?

 I’m not sure, at this point in time I can’t imagine not writing. 

 

Fiona: Do you have a website/blog if so what is it?

 I have both! Website: http://www.sb-knight.com/ Blog: http://www.sbkdarkfantasy.blogspot.com/

Interview with Keira Kroft

18 Saturday May 2013

Posted by fionamcvie1964 in Uncategorized

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Name

Keira Kroft

Age

41

Where are you from?

Sweet home Chicago, but I have recently moved to Oak Lawn, IL, a suburb that hugs the big city. So I have the best of both worlds; the quiet of the suburbs, but can be in the city in minutes.

A little about yourself `ie your education Family life ect.

 I am happily married for 11 years, and have an 18 year old daughter, a smarty pants that is going to DePaul University on a scholarship. My husband and I own a comic book store in a mall, and a publishing company. We have two awesome cats, Sawyer and Scamper.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

I have a vampire book, Inamorata slated to be released by Hellfire Publishing in July. It’s the first in a trilogy entitled One Bloody Night.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

Almost 18 years ago, I would watch my daughter play in the park, while I scribbled in a notebook. I thought I was so good back then…honey please. LOL I had to gut my first book before it went to a publisher, and then after that, it took me three years to be published.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Always, because I did indeed write.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

Characters in my head needling me for their story to be told.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

Yes, I am one of those dreaded deadbeats that starts with the end, then the beginning, then the middle, and then I go back and let the characters talk to me, and fill it in that way. Not the way you are supposed to write at all.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

I really don’t know how I come up with the titles for my books. They just come to me along with characters and the main plot.

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Yes, don’t screw with a mother, because they will fight you like a barracuda to protect their child.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

100% I researched all my facts and I was in a very similar situation. So I was able to tell it in a very real way.

Fiona: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

My Heroine in Glow in the Dark is a bartender, and is stalked by a patron in the bar, an old man. Of course this turns into several murders and some hot nights with her firemen lover. I didn’t have the hot fireman luxury and no one died. But an old man did harass me and actually follow me home, stalk me and such.

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

None, I enjoy to read. But my characters are their own.

Fiona: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

JoAnn Ross was actually my mentor. She has always been wonderful to me, and gone out of her way to show me the way. So much so, that I would give anything to be like she was for me, for someone else. I started a website to aid struggling and unpublished authors, but it fizzled within a year. But not for lack of trying on my part, and many other authors pitched in and helped. I would someday love to try that again.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

I am going back and forth between Relic and Bloodbreeders: Living in Darkness (for the 3rd time), and I am a comic book reader as well, so I am always reading those.

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

Well, several. I own a publishing company; so my authors have definitely peaked my interest. And, my publisher, Decadent Publishing has some authors that I have really enjoyed reading their work.

Fiona: What are your current projects?

I am working a on a vampire trilogy and a Alabama cop series.

Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

Her name is Savannah Rayne. She has been anything and everything that I needed her to be. Cheerleader, best friend, assistant.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

No, I see it more like breathing.

Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

Absolutely not!

Fiona: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

Oh yes, it was a beautiful day full of champagne and flowers, I had been struggling as to what I wanted to do with my life.  It hit me that I loved writing, and I wanted to make that my career, it was a weight lifted. The people in my life at that time, said that they loved the way I wrote, and they thought I made the right choice. It would have been a difficult decision because, at the time I was a single mother with a baby, and let’s face it a writing career is not paved with gold and diamonds. But I somehow knew that one day I would be “here”, and it would all be worth it. And damn! I was right! As far as how it actually started; that was with pen, paper, and an idea. But otherwise, I have always been a writer of sorts.

Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Sure, here is a synopsis for Glow in the Dark (Romantic Suspense)

Single mother, Corey Nolan lands a job at a downtrodden Chicago nightclub on the very same day she spills onto the local firehouse curb, meeting smokin hot firefighter, Jake Gilroy. 

 

Jake is her one true love, he knows it and she knows it. But, Corey’s faithfulness to her deadbeat boyfriend Mark Norris stands in their way, until a series of diabolically masterminded events, orchestrated by an unknown psychopath sends Corey bolting into Jakes safe arms. 

 

They barely have enough time to bask in their loving afterglow, when this heinous stalker amp’s up his game to deadly new heights. Corey then realizes she must emerge from her cocoon of deep-rooted fear and insecurity, risking everything to save her daughter’s life.

And here is a synopsis for Bad Moon Rising Over Oz (Horror)

 

Bad Moon Rising Over Oz is a version of, The Wizard of Oz like nothing you’ve ever read before…

 

It is not for the squeamish or the weak.

 

Auntie Em has made a deal with the devil. She gave up her niece, Dorothy’s soul in exchange for a plentiful harvest. Em was smart and worked a clause into the contract. Satan could only have Dorothy’s soul in death, but she must also agree to meet the dark lord himself and shake his hand. Everything is going splendid until…

 

Dorothy unaware of her untimely demise or any satanic contract embarks on a journey through the Land of Oz, seeking the great Wizard in hopes that he will return her safely home. As she unwittingly marches through hell, she begins to notice that nothing and no one is what it seems and there is no turning back…

 

There is indeed a bad moon rising over Oz.

Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Pre-editing before it goes to a professional editor, because apparently, I go blind when I am reading my own work. When it’s anybody else, I have a very quick eye. I will be reading and saying things like, oh that’s wrong, that’s misspelled, what was he thinking? lol. But mine looks perfect to me 🙂 Fiona, please stop rolling your eyes, lol 🙂

Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work? John Saul has always been my favorite. It’s because he is so great in his character description; that ten people reading the story get the same exact visual of characters and background from it in their interpretations. It’s like he manipulates you without you even realizing it, and I find that fascinating. And he does all that without spelling it out for you.

Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?

No, not at all.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

Dara England

Fiona: What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Learning as I went along.

Fiona: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

Yes actually, two things. One, it’s uber hard work, and very, very time consuming.

The second was that you can’t force anything on the reader. You have to lay subtle ground work, and let them interpret the story in their own way. But that’s very hard. You really want to make sure that the reader gets your point.

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

 I always give the same advice, lol. I do! I always say if writing is for you, and that is where your heart is at; then go for it, and never give up, ever! But if you are only in it because of the fame, it will end up being too hard, and you will alienate a lot of good people in the process. It’s an art and should be treated as such, always.

Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

I love you! And I am always good for a beer, so be sure to look me up  🙂

Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done?

Oh god, that is a tricky question with a long answer. I would have been an editor, which I am. Or a publisher, which I am. And I had lifelong dream of owning a comic book store, and I do. So I am, or have all my alternatives, lol. I did go to paramedic school, which didn’t pan out for me in the end. I do have a degree in vet assistance, but it was such heart breaking work for so little pay.

Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? if so what is it?

Perhaps I will give you the short version. I am a website and blog hog,  LOL.

Big hugs,

Keira

www.keirakrfot.com

www.keirakroft66.blogspot.com

Interview with Robin Renee Ray

17 Friday May 2013

Posted by fionamcvie1964 in Uncategorized

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Name:

Robin Renee Ray

 

Age:

Robin: 48 kissing 49

 

Where are you from?

Robin: Southern Texas but have lived in New Mexico for more than 25 years.

 

A little about yourself `ie your education Family life ect:

Robin: I am known as a Multi-genre Author. I’ve only been writing for five and a half years, but I’ve come to love everything about the world of being a novelist. I began in the paranormal romance genre then jumped into horror, and then right on into suspense thrillers. I must add that writing the short horror reads would be my favorite thing out of all the genres that I put my hand to. 18 novels and numerous short stories later, some say that I am well on my way? ; ) I now resides in Southern New Mexico with my husband, David, and we live very close to our two beautiful granddaughters.

 

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

Robin: I am so excited about book two in my Bloodbreeders series, The Revenge being release this month, Jan 2012, with Hellfire Publishing…as well as Arrival of the Prophecy another full length novel that shows my love of the paranormal werewolf world which is also being released this month with Vamptasy Publishing. Very exciting

.
Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

Robin: I had never had any dreams of being a writer, never really even wrote much more than a postcard my entire life, but along came my first muse in the shape of a wonderful new born baby. I looked down into my first born grandchild’s face the second she was born and knew something more than her birth had just changed in my life. My grand’s are the reason that I put pencil to paper that very first time and have continued ever since.


Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Robin: Not until I became published and had the first outside people, not family, say they enjoyed my work. ; ) I wrote four of those years almost non-stop but just didn’t feel like I was a real novelist until others actually told me that I was. Strange to feel that way, I know, but starting out at the age I did, I guess I needed the confirmation..LOL


Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

Robin: Well, other than my grand’s bringing this old brain to life, it would be the place that my first book Bloodbreeders Living in Darkness starts out and that would be the little town of less than 60 people, Burkett Texas, where my mother was born and raised that put the seed of creation into my mind. Bet she never thought I would base a vampire novel on her life and hometown…but the place is hauntingly beautiful!

 


Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

Robin: Yeah, my style..LOL I have no training, no schooling to speak of, and I write with what others call a raw talent. When you have a Dyslexic disorder and an education that spans into two weeks of the tenth grade of High School, you tend to create your own style, and yes, I am still a pecker and more than likely always will be..LOL

 

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

Robin: I have forever been a freak on horror movies and anything that puts the chills up the spine…I wanted this series to be different from anything I had ever read, or seen in a movie. Though the book is about vampires, you will not find the word anywhere in the five book series. Bloodbreeders had popped into my head the moment I began writing the story. I figured they bred by way of the blood, so bloodbreeders it was. ; )

 


Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Robin: Not really…I would just want them to enjoy the fact that the series is a running story of the world of the Bloodbreeders and it doesn’t much have anything to do with the outside world. Survival is a HUGE point in this first book. Humans are either on the menu or they’re the eyes when my characters can’t use their own.


Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

Robin: Other than my main female character meeting her night walking maker, the entire beginning of this book is based on facts. The series never comes into the ‘now’ and I do my best to keep it as real to the 30’s and 40’s as I could, getting the information of the times and area straight from my mother who lived it. The cemetery in the book is the very one that anyone can visit to this day and find a few headstones that are in the book. I loved using family history to write a great deal of this first book.


Fiona: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Robin: Yes, right up to the point that my main female character is bitten on the neck. ; ) Then the fantasy begins. Though I have added people and their personalities through the whole series..LOL


Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

Robin: Above all others…Alfred Hitchcock and anything he has ever made, movie wise, or written. However, since him there are writers like Stephen King and Laurell K Hamilton and so many more.

 


Fiona: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Robin: I would have to say two, Stephen King and Alfred Hitchcock.


Fiona: What book are you reading now?

Robin: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins…my daughter turned me on to it and I would have to say…Pick it up, you will not be sorry! So far, I am loving it!!!


Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

Robin: Absolutely and everyday it seems. Savannah Rayne, Keira Kroft, Edward McKeown, Christie Silvers and the list just goes on and on!!!


Fiona: What are your current projects?

Robin: I have this little thing about starting more things than I should without finishing what I have going first, so I have more than a few projects in the works..LOL


Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

Robin: God!


Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

Robin: For the rest of my life!


Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

Robin: Not one thing…I say stick with your guts on all counts in life. Even if you have made a mistake you’ve learned something from it. 😉


Fiona: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

Robin: I think it began when I starting reading in my mid-30’s…yep, I was a late bloomer, so to speak..LOL My daughter was in college and she brought me the first 8 books in Laurell K Hamilton’s Anita Blake series, I was hooked after that but didn’t even dream of writing until after that first grand was born.


Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Robin: I am working on completely a few novels right now, once I get around a few edits projects, but the main thing I am looking forward to in 2012 is writing my father-in-laws person bio. It will be a dream come true. He is my real-life Hero!


Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Robin: I haven’t found anything as far as writing in concerned. But I do find it a challenge when it comes to finding the peace and time that one’s needs to complete a project.

 


Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

Robin: I would have to say Stephen King as a whole. He says, and I love this, if you have to look words up to put in a paragraph or a piece of dialog then you have the wrong. I dig that because I write the way that I talk. Most would say that my work is simple and you don’t need a dictionary to figure things out.


Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?

Robin: Only when it comes to making a conference or hitting something I’ve been invited to. In October of 2011 my Bloodbreeders book one, Living in Darkness got me invited to the Anne Rice Vampire’s Ball in New Orleans, which was a 2000 mile round trip for me. I had a blast and am still in shock at meeting so many wonderful authors, one being the amazing Laurell K Hamilton.
Fiona: Who designed the covers?

Robin: Dara England does both of my books from Decadent and Hellfire Publishing and Nicola Ormerod does them with the company in the UK, Vamptasy Publishing. I personally think they do out-standing work!


Fiona: What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Robin: The first book was the hardest for me because I had no skill with typing, spelling, or the knowledge of proper grammar. 😉 So I wrote it on 4 tablets and with several pencils. That first year was a rocky start, and I am still a pecker on the keyboard and always will be..LOL


Fiona: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

Robin: Oh yes…that even a drop-out from the 70’s that has a learning disorder can do anything they put their minds and heart too! I learned to stop saying, “I can’t!”


Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Robin: Never, ever give up…even when the old dark enemy called writer’s block comes a knocking on the ole brain pan. Take a walk, open a blank page and hit something else for a while, or what I love to do…soak in a nice hot bubble bath to your favorite jams. Those thoughts on what you originally started with will without a doubt, come flowing back in.


Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Robin: Listen to your heart…It knows you better than anyone around you and even yourself!

 

Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done ?

Robin: Well, at my age, I’ve pretty much already done it..LOL I was a cook for 25 years and I also cleaned homes for a living. Not the best two jobs on earth, but they were honest and when you have no education you do what you can to support your family. Then, of course, I had the best job on earth…I was and am still a mother. Like I said, I had already done everything I had ever wanted to do. This is all icing on the cake.

 

Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? If so what is it?

Robin: I do! http://www.robinreneeray.blogspot.com

http://www.robinreneeray.webs.com

 

Thank you so much for allowing me this time to share part of my world with you, Fiona. It has truly been a blast!

 

Where to find me: http://www.hellfirepublishing.com

http://vamptasy-publishing.webeden.co.uk/#

http://www.facebook.com/robinreneeray

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Robin-Renee-Ray/152163104811999

 

Interview with Lyn Croft

17 Friday May 2013

Posted by fionamcvie1964 in Uncategorized

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Name: Lyn Croft       

Age: 36 and regressing…

Where are you from: Earth, although several studies are still in effect to try to determine this…

Fiona: A little about yourself `i.e. your education Family life ect.

Lyn: I was “born” and “raised” in warm, sunny, southern California. I enjoy all the little things life has to offer, and have tried my hand at a few. I’ve been certified as a Notary Public, Forklift driver, a veterinary assistant, and Multimedia and Graphics Director; just to name a few. I’m now a published author, full time single mother, as well as scheduler for a large company. Oh, and my Agua Chile will burn the socks off your feet.

 Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

Lyn: My new book, Blood and Lilies – Bloodlines is coming March 30, 2012! That and my coffee pot is now empty…hmmm

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

Lyn:  I have been writing ever since I can remember. Mostly poetry, with a few stabs at stories. It wasn’t till a few years ago that I began trying my hand at full length novels. I’ve always had a fascination with books, and decided I would challenge myself into writing one. Now I am completely in love with storytelling, and there is only more to come.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Lyn: The day I signed my first contract. Best feeling ever! Ok, it was the day I got the acceptance letter. Signing the contract just finalized it…

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

Lyn: It was a challenge to myself. I wanted to see first if I could finish a complete novel, but also wanted to see if I could market it. I’m now proud to say I accomplished that challenge, and have only expanded with it, since then.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

Lyn: Chaotic? I’m fueled by my emotions, often kicked around by my muse, and my characters seem to always be in charge, taking me down uncharted territories. Is that a style? Believe me, I’m not even sure how it all comes together into a “working” piece sometimes, but between the muse and the characters; they seem to have it figured out. I’m just the messenger…

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

Lyn: For Blood and Lilies, I have to give that one to my Muse. I can’t always explain the things that pop in my head. One minute there’s nothing, and next…it’s still a mystery…It truly popped into my head one morning, and I told myself: Love the title, gonna write a book for it! And I did… J

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Lyn: I don’t see good and evil as black and white. I think there are so many shades of grey, and as sappy as this sounds…I believe there is good in everyone, no matter how small it may be. Sometimes, we have to side with evil to create more good. Or is it just that a little good makes the evil so much more enjoyable…

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

Lyn: I guess it depends on your beliefs. Characters…purely fictional. Demons and Angels battling over our souls…completely realistic!

Fiona: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Lyn: I wish! My characters like to create their own experiences. They find me boring and mundane, and have no wish to share any relations to me, what so ever…it is what it is…

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

Lyn: I’m not sure if it’s really the books themselves, but more the authors that wrote them. The work that goes into a book takes a lot of time, discipline, and faith within yourself. And then to suffer rejection over and over, yet to pull through in the end… that’s what inspires me. It’s the journey these authors take. They both encourage me, and give me drive to never give up.

Fiona: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Lyn: It would be the King! That man is insanely brilliant, or should I say brilliantly insane? I grew up begging my father to run me to the book store or library for more of his books. My shelves still hold his legacy, and will forever. Oh, and for those who aren’t sure…We’re not talking Elvis here. :p

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

Lyn: Yes, check out Hellfire Publishing. The authors there rock! Especially Robin Renee Ray. I don’t know if you’ve noticed; but that girl is on fire!

Fiona: What are your current projects?

Lyn: Blood and Lilies II is in the works. I also have a few other Sci-Fi novels that are in the works as well… Battle for Phang Lore, Bad Blood, Echo the Raven. Stay tuned for those.

Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

Lyn: That’s easy. The one and only almighty God. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for his strength and love. (see, I’m not all that evil…muahahaha)

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

Lyn: Yes, I do! It is my ultimate goal to do writing full time. You wouldn’t have to ask me twice to leave the corporate world. I’m passionate about writing, so for me to do this all day, every day…well. I think it goes without saying.

Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

Lyn:  No! And have the characters all upset with me? Geeze! Do you have any idea what they do to me when they are not happy? Seriously though, I did enough changes to the book already. I think I still have some hair on my head…We’ll just leave well enough alone…J

Fiona: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

Lyn: I would have to say it was all the teachers throughout my schooling. Many would tell me I had something extra, and that I needed to pursue this. Without them, my family, and my friends…well, I thank them all for believing in me. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have believed in myself.

Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Lyn: But of course! Here is a small excerpt from Blood and Lilies – Bloodlines

            The evening sky pulsed, hues of deep purples and blacks engraving blurry lines above the earth. The night echoed its cries, carried by angry breezes through the hills of the land. The cemetery, cascaded in carved tombstones that sprouted from the ground, laid empty and dormant; except for the busy yet silent whispers of the dead.

The ground, wet and damp, gave way beneath Cara’s bare feet as she trudged through the mud pushing between her toes. She looked down, noticing her body was hugged by a simple, yet elegant white dress that graced below her knees. The plunging neckline stopped just beneath the cleft of her breast, as the sleeveless silk hugged the tops of her shoulders, exposing her bare delicate skin.

 

She peered around her, alone and frightened, like a young child strayed from its mother. It was so dark, and the crested moon, swarmed by rolling darkened clouds, offered no safe haven of light to guide her way. She took each step, slow and unsure, waiting blindly for an edge that would send her spiraling down into a never ending abyss, swallowing her whole.  The shadows danced in front of her, playing tricks on her unfocused eyes as her feet took her step by step.

Where was she? How did she get her? She could hear faint whispers of the dead crying out to her from the spirit world. Their words made no sense, as they all jumbled together like a soft, but unmelodic hum in the air. Her ears strained to make out parts of the words, hoping to piece together some language so that she could better understand why they had brought her here.

Realization struck. They had brought her here. She knew this, but not why.

 

She turned toward where the whispers seemed to grow, louder and more needing. She followed them as they increased, vibrating through her head as if they were coming from inside her brain, instead of swimming in the air around her. The darkness frightened her, yet she still continued; following the only guidance she had.

 

CARA

She could hear it now. Through the vast echo of the whispers, she could make out her name. They called to her, begged her to come near. She obeyed.

Cara felt something hard hit her toes, shooting instant pain up through her legs, like lightening igniting through her to her very core. She felt her body fly forward as she reached out to stop her fall. She expected a large stone to split her head, or perhaps the tip of a metal cross to impale her through her chest and end it all, without knowing or seeing in the darkness before her. But there was nothing, only her shaking body hitting the soft ground beneath her.


She felt the grass lace itself through her fingers as she looked up to the gravestones in front of her. The clouds that had hugged the moon so well now broke; lighting the etched carvings before her so that she could see. What she read before her shook her to the core. How her eyes couldn’t process; couldn’t comprehend what she was seeing before her.

Cara L. Chadwick
Beloved Friend and Student
We will miss you always
Oct. 18, 1992 to Dec. 21, 2012

 A cry escaped her lips as Cara pushed herself up from the ground as fast as she could, stumbling backwards. She wanted to turn away; run and never look back. There was no way in hell she was going to stay here to hang out with her own tomb. And the date… it was this Friday’s date… or had it already come and was now in the past? Cara realized she had no idea of what time it was, or the day, but that she needed to escape and get out of this place as fast as her bare feet could carry her.

Laughter filled the air around her, swirling and vibrating through her head as Cara searched to find where it came from. She knew the sound all too well, deeply etched in her head from the nights before. She knew immediately that running would get her nowhere. She was a lost cause already. From the moment she had stepped foot in this graveyard, and the moment she saw her own grave laid out before her; she knew they would win.

 

Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

Lyn: Stephen King, all the way. That man knows how to scare people. He has a special way of hooking you into his stories, and doesn’t care if he angers you, or scares the crap out of you. You can’t stop reading his work!

Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?

Lyn: I haven’t yet, but look forward to it!

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

Lyn: Dara England, of Hellfire Publishing. Isn’t she amazing?

Fiona: What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Lyn: Trying to stop rewriting it. I kept coming up with new plots, or different character traits. I was never happy, and with every re-read, I would change it. I finally had to step away and leave it as is. I knew the changes would never stop!

Fiona: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

Lyn:  Ok, this is going to sound so corny, but it’s very, very true. I can accomplish anything I set my heart and mind to! That, and I may be even crazier than I thought I was…

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Lyn:  First, do it because you love it! Don’t do it for anyone else. Second, make sure your passion for writing pours in through your characters, by their words and actions. Finally, never give up, and read, read, read!

Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Lyn: Hmmm…yes. Well, “They” told me I had to post this…

Warning! Please be advised! Due to ongoing governmental testing to determine the origins of Lyn Croft, readers may be held for questioning, and may be subject to possible quarantine.  There is the highly sensitive nature of possible contamination, from subconscious messages that she “may” impose throughout this interview…. Please be forewarned…

Wait… Is it too late to tell them that now?

Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done ?

Lyn: Oh goodness.  There has been a list for this… I put it somewhere, I swear! How about anything my heart desires at any given moment! That, and take over the world!

Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? if so what is it?

Lyn: All should freely, and willingly, stalk me through facebook. Here you’ll see what I’m up to, pretty much at any given moment, along with updates/news for Blood and Lilies – Bloodlines. Hope to see you there!

Don’t forget! Mark your calendar for March 30,2012… I’ll be watching…

https://www.facebook.com/?sk=lf#!/profile.php?id=100002386426181

I blog more for others than I do for myself. I know…so unselfish of me. ❤ But you’ll see these through facebook…

You can also catch up with the release of my book, as well as the other amazing authors @ http://www.hellfirepublishing.com/

 

Interview with Patrick Royal

15 Wednesday May 2013

Posted by fionamcvie1964 in Uncategorized

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Name: Patrick Royal

Age: 46 on the 19th of March

Where are you from?

Patrick: originally born in Virginia, raised in Hobart, In., and have resided in Ky. for nine years.

A little about your self `ie your education Family life

Patrick: I have a few loves. Wood work, wood carve, paint, draw, and write.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

Patrick: Hellfire has contracted “Whispering Dead”, and is due to be released August 2012.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

Patrick: I have always wanted to be. A writer, which is weird because as a kid I hated to read. I guess what got me interested in writing was the awesome reaction of whom ever read my creation.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Patrick: That would have to be after I wrote my first manuscript. I believe you’re a writer whether you’re published or not. You should write because you love it, not for success.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

Patrick: The desire to create.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

Patrick: Third person.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

Patrick: The young boy , Jacob, discovered things from his closet, so I named it Jacob’s Closet.

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Patrick: Good v/s evil.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

Patrick: None

Fiona: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Patrick: All fiction.

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

Patrick: All books have because it reading drives me to create.

Fiona: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Patrick: Stephen King.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

Patrick: Clive Barker’s Dream Weaver.

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

Patrick: I like Kiera Kroft, Robin Ranee Ray.

Fiona: What are your current projects?

Patrick: Mind Shadows I: SHATTERED, Whispering Dead, and Sleep Stalker.

Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

Patrick: An Editor named Sassy Sipe.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

Patrick: Yes.

Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

Patrick: No.

Fiona: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

Patrick: Scary movies.

Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Patrick: Yes.

MIND SHADOWS I: SHATTERED                

Coming  March 30th, 2012

All multi-published, award winning horror author, Tom Elliot, wanted was to move to the country for a change of scenery and relaxation. In the country-side of southern Illinois, he had picked out a wonderful spot, miles away from the closest neighbor and even further away from civilization.Nevertheless, upon writing his next best seller, he struggled to get started. Many thoughts ran through his head, and he wondered if he had made a mistake moving from the big city Chicago. Could it be as his best friend, Michael Gully, had said? Being in the country has taken him out of his element. That he couldn’t quite answer, yet.

     Once establishing words on paper, Tom is unaware that his imagination is getting the best of him and runs rampage. The very characters that he creates will torment him, driving him to a state of mind that will disable him from distinguishing fiction from reality.

 

 

Whispering Dead

Coming August 2012!  

All Danny and Erin Shelton wanted was to fulfill their dream; to live in a big house overlooking an ocean. It seemed that they won the lotto when a realtor accepted their bid, and they became the new home owners of a beachfront house and a small bait shop. Nevertheless, they seemed to get more than they bargained for because shortly after they move in, terrifying occurrences begin emerging. Does the house hold a dark secret? Or something more sinister?

SLEEP STALKER

COMING SOON!

 

When was the last time you had a horrifying nightmare that seemed to stay with you for days?What about having one so disturbing that it left you leery of falling asleep because of the fear that it would revisit you? Ever recall one of these nightmares where you were being chased or hunted? 

     Have you ever heard of the saying that if you die in your sleep, you die in real life? This all sounds far-fetched; however, in this terrifying tale it’s very true.

SLEEP STALKER takes you into the lives of a group of people who are experiencing nightmares; however, they are a bit more than just bad dreams.      

     After numerous reports of an outbreak of nightmares, unexplainable deaths begin to occur. Then three decades later, it happens again. There is speculation that the deaths are at the hands of a demon. Is it a Demon or something more sinister? If it is a demon, can it be stopped?

Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Patrick: Distinguishing what publishers and editor want. It seems they all want different things.

Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

Patrick: Stephen King. I love how he takes the reader into his character’s heads. It also amazes me how he an write ten pages about someone crossing the street.

Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?

Patrick: When I’m promoting a book, I like to go anywhere someone will have me. I make it a priority to get into the newspapers and on the TV news.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

Patrick: SHATTERED and Whispering Dead are by Hellfire Publishing. Sleep Stalker is by Wild Child Publishing.

Fiona: What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Patrick: I sometimes have problems with POV issues.

Fiona: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

Patrick: Yes, I seem to learn something every time I write a new book. I call it honing your skills.

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Patrick: Keep writing and never give up. For every rejection, there’s a lesson to be learned. Don’t get discourage, It makes one a better writer, plus it’s all part of it.

Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Patrick: thanks for choosing to read my creation.

Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done ?

Patrick: A wood-smith

Interview with Doug Simpson

10 Friday May 2013

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Name

Doug Simpson

 

Age

Senior citizen

 

Where are you from?

I live in Ontario, Canada, and Florida in the USA, depending on the season.

 

A little about yourself?

I am a retired high school teacher who has turned his talents to writing. My first novel, a spiritual mystery titled Soul Awakening, was published in the United States in October of 2011, by Book Locker. Interested readers can check it out at http://booklocker.com/books/5754.html . It is available in print and eBook format through most book stores around the world. My magazine and website articles have been published in 2010 to 2012 in Australia, Canada, France, India, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. My articles can be accessed through my website is at http://dousimp.mnsi.net.

 

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

The latest big news is the publication of my first novel, Soul Awakening, in October of 2011.


Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

For some reason, my heart and soul always wanted to write. I have started novels a number of times over forty-plus years and either abandoned them or decided they were defective and beyond resuscitation.


Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Good question! After I retired I had time on my hands, and I started seriously researching the archived readings of the legendary American mystic, Edgar Cayce. Over 300 books, including over 30 biographies, have been written about Edgar Cayce or using his detailed psychic readings. Definitely not the pedigree of a quack! Over 10,000 of his readings were medical readings, where he diagnosed, at times, medical problems that the doctors could not identify, and at times prescribed treatments and medications which were not yet invented. The second largest group of Edgar’s psychic readings was life or reincarnation readings, some 2500 sessions for 2000 different individuals. It was the reincarnation readings that mesmerized my soul. With my new-found understanding of the survival of the soul after death of the body and its reincarnation possibly hundreds of years later, I commenced writing articles using the information contained in Edgar’s readings. Even I was surprised at the interest they garnered. Once on a roll, my self confidence grew like a snowball rolling down a hill.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

After the success of my articles and the thorough knowledge I acquired from my study of the Edgar Cayce readings, one day the light just popped on: Why don’t you try writing another novel!


Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?
I guess I do, but it is totally self-developed. I have a general idea of what the book is to be about and then let the ideas flow as I write. Soul Awakening did not start out as Soul Awakening, but in a somewhat different direction, then at an intersection along the journey it turned a corner and went off on its own. In short, I write more by inspiration than planning.

 

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?
After the manuscript turned that just-mentioned corner, the title simply popped up too.

 

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Definitely! I am convinced that our souls are real and do not die with our bodies, but survive on-the-other-side, or in Heaven if you prefer the term. Then, in most cases, years later each soul will inhabit another body. Curious researchers asked numerous questions of the unconscious Edgar Cayce, about life, death and souls, and received some miraculous responses. In brief, all souls were created by God and from God in one planned explosion of God’s energy field. Souls are on an educational journey to become God-like again, as they started out. Unfortunately, our souls are blessed with the karma acquired through each lifetime, and if the individual is a nasty so-in-so, regression takes place instead of progress.

 

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?
Pretty much all of it, I believe. The unenlightened will think it is pure fiction, but that is their problem, not mine.

 

Fiona: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Actually, both. All of the major events described in Soul Awakening have been experienced by me, someone I know personally, or by individuals who confided in someone I know.


Fiona: What books have most influenced your life?

No contest there. They are the numerous books about Edgar Cayce, along with the archived readings he gave over almost fifty years.


Fiona: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

I guess that would be Dan Brown. He taught me that if the reader guesses what while happen next in the story, expect to guess wrong.


Fiona: What book are you reading now?

It is called Trapped, written by Fran Macilvey about her personal experiences with cerebral palsy. It as yet is unpublished, but available for reading at www.authonomy.com. If you want to read about courage under exceptional circumstances, do not miss reading this one.


Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

I seldom take much time to read, so that is a tough question to answer.


Fiona: What are your current projects?

I have written Book 2, in what I call the Dacque (my protagonist) Chronicles. It is currently titled Soul Rescue, and I am doing some final editing on it. I have a rough manuscript for Book 3, currently titled Soul Justice, and have started into Book 4, Soul Karma.


Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

Her name is Claire Gardner, and she is the archivist at the Edgar Cayce Foundation, which owns the copyrights to the Edgar Cayce readings. The ECF must approve the use of these readings for publication purposes, like my over twenty Edgar Cayce articles. Her advice and encouragement has been priceless.


Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

At my age, it better be my last career.


Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Not much. I like the story line, but sometimes pick out grammatical improvements that could be made.

 

Fiona: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
In an earlier incarnation I was an English teacher, so writing may be part of my soul’s makeup.

 

Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us?
Soul Awakening is a work of fiction, inspired by a series of actual events. It is a spiritual mystery involving the apparently accidental, though actually orchestrated by Divine Intervention, meeting of three total strangers and their ultimate discovery that they shared previous lifetimes together. It delves into reincarnation, past lifetimes, spirit communication, messages from God, past-life regression sessions, Guardian Angels, past-life recall in the awake state, and soul attraction, the reincarnation of groups of souls together in more than one lifetime.

 

Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
In this lifetime I was not an English teacher, so I regret that my spelling and grammatical skills are not better.

 

Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about this individual’s work?
I love the way Dan Brown creates suspense.

 

Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?
Not yet.

 

Fiona: Who designed the covers?
My publisher, Book Locker, has an excellent cover designer. He did a wonderful job, in my opinion.

 

Fiona: What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Making sure the genealogy worked when the characters shared some lifetimes together, but not all lifetimes together.

 

Fiona: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
Confidence! After my numerous ill-fated attempts to write novels in the past, it took a while to realize that I actually produced a marketable manuscript.

 

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?
I hesitate to say this, as it may only be unique to me, but my advice would be to not over-plan your story. Have a general idea of where you want the story to go and then allow your soul or inspiration to take over along the journey whenever it chooses to do so.

 

Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

If you are curious about reincarnation, investigate it. Do not let others talk you out of it because they believe it is nonsense. They have the right to be wrong.

 

Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done?

I am quite happy being a teacher turned writer.

 

Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? If so what is it?

http://dousimp.mnsi.net

Interview with Lori R.opez

07 Tuesday May 2013

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    Name  Lori R. Lopez

   Where are you from  Ripon, Wisconsin

   A little about your self `ie your education Family life ect

I never attended college, though I graduated with honors from a journalist course at the Defense Information School.

    Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I was constantly writing as a kid:  stories, books, plays, poems.  I decided at age fifteen to become a novelist, but my parents signed me up for the U.S. Navy halfway through Eleventh Grade, telling me there were no jobs besides pumping gas in the small Florida town where we lived at the time.  I said I wouldn’t join the military unless I could do something creative (I had wanted to be a writer, artist, actress and musician since I was small).  Based on my test scores, the closed rating of Journalist was opened for me.  Then I said I was a Conscientious Objector and was told I couldn’t say that.  I had been nominated for the American Spirit Award in Basic Training, then was sent to Spain for a few years after the journalist training, then assigned to a base near Key West, Florida.  I wasn’t very happy the whole time, about four and a half years.  I did some local illustrated editorial columns eventually, and I now do columns for my website including a monthly one that compels me to take time out from prose to write poetry.  But I mainly write fiction, which had always been my goal.

    Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

 I guess I’ve considered myself a writer since at least Third Grade, when I composed my first poem.  It’s something most writers are born with, a need to play with words and sentences like kids play with toys, using imagination to entertain themselves and others.  It came easily to me, and I received a great deal of praise from teachers on what I wrote.  Then there were years in which only my belief in myself kept me going, but writing was always there in one form or another — from songs to nonfiction and fiction and poems.

    Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

My first finished book was a collection of stories called OUT-OF-MIND EXPERIENCES.  I was already working on a nonfiction project and a novel when I started writing a few short stories.  I hadn’t done that since I was a child.  I had many ideas for other novels, but books are usually a slow process.  I was thrilled that I could get an idea and write it quickly, not just start it then push it aside until I could get to it.

    Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

I find that I write in a range of styles, some more humorous or inventive than others.  Each individual project dictates the style that fits best, and I might change the style along with the voice as I develop a project.  My first novel DANCE OF THE CHUPACABRAS actually began as a screenplay written for my sons, inspired by a local television news story on a chupacabra sighting near the border at the end of Ninety-Six.  I wanted to write novels, and the idea kept growing into a trilogy and then a trilogy of trilogies.  Layers of edits led to what Tome One is today, a very unique piece of literature with an extremely quirky style that combines heroic adventure, myth and legend, historical fact with avant-garde technique, poetic description, cartoonish and inventive wackiness.  Not an easy thing to pull off, and I fully expect that some readers will hate the style and wish the plot were more simply put and straightforward.  Sarcasm is one of the many genres I have Frankensteined together for this book.

    Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

My sons were Mexican folkloric dancers, and I loosely based the brothers in the novel on them.  Dance is an important theme in The Dance Trilogy, the first three books of THE TOME TRILOGY OF TRILOGIES.

    Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

The book is rather complex and has a number of messages throughout.  A central theme is the relationship of the brothers, being there for each other.  But they must overcome sibling issues along with their own self-doubts, ultimately becoming stronger themselves as well.  Books are obviously an important theme, and my reverence for the written word is a thread that binds all of the tomes together.

   Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?  Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

DANCE OF THE CHUPACABRAS encompasses not only traits borrowed from my sons, I put some aspects of myself into the character of their mother.  Then there is the Mexican history tied in, as well as details from the performance background of my sons, things like that.  There is a real setting, the Baja California desert, which I have turned into a magical realm I call Zone Zero.  It lies along a latitude where some of the most extreme points on Earth exist, such as the Himalayan Mountains and the Marianas Trench.

    Fiona: What books have most influenced your life?

I have to go way back to the first book I loved, “Where The Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak.  What a story!  It had monsters and a kid with plenty of imagination.  I was enthralled by Washington Irving’s “The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow”.  Well, my love of rhyme began even earlier than these, with Mother Goose.  Then, in Fifth Grade I read Mary Shelley’s FRANKENSTEIN, OR THE MODERN PROMETHEUS, and wow!  I wept for the monster.  There are so many tales I loved as a child, including THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS and a book series called ALFRED HITCHCOCK AND THE THREE INVESTIGATORS.  But Lewis Carroll’s ALICE IN WONDERLAND and THROUGH THE LOOKING-GLASS were very very special too.  As an adult, I started reading Stephen King and Dean Koontz and knew I wanted to write Horror.

    Fiona: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

I guess Shakespeare.  He invented so many words and wrote with such beauty and poetry, as well as depth and wisdom.  His works define the concept of classic.  They are positively brilliant!  I still can’t believe he wrote so well and prolifically with the old quill-and-ink method!  As much as I rewrite, it was tough enough back in the days of the typewriter.

    Fiona: What book are you reading now?

I was reading THE TALISMAN by Stephen King and Peter Straub.  It’s been pushed aside indefinitely, and I’ve mainly had time for an occasional short story these days.

    Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

Yes, various indie authors and a lady who published a number of novels with major companies but has since joined the ranks of us independents, Billie Sue Mosiman.  I greatly admire the work of Jerry W. McKinney.  There are others I plan to read including Ruth Barrett, T.W. Brown, Trent Zelazny, Jeffrey Kosh, Lisa Lane, Jaime Johnesee, Christine Sutton and more.  I recently enjoyed a story by Anthony Servante, and a poet I respect is Phibby Venable.  Excellent nonfiction authors I’ve read are Geri Small-Graham, Lynn C. Tolson and Angela Shelton.

    Fiona: What are your current projects?

I have several short stories to finish for a horror collection titled THE MACABRE.  There is a novel I wrote in January of 2011 that I need to finish polishing and illustrating:  AN ILL WIND BLOWS.  It received an award from Vicious Spirits, a group of authors.  I have Tomes Two and Three to polish for my TOME TRILOGIES, and sequels for two short-story series.  I also have a second volume of verse based on my “Poetic Reflections” column to put together and release.

    Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

Fellow indie authors in the past couple of years or so have made a huge difference for my career, from being published in anthologies and winning an award to encouragement and respect, friendship and other forms of support.  Meeting readers has been great too; getting to know some of the people who love my writing.  Oh, that’s two.  Well, in some cases it overlaps.  But I really have to mention the readers, because without them my voice as an author would go unheard.

    Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

It is my career, even though I barely sell anything yet.  It’s one of those jobs that you don’t do because you’re being paid . . . you love it and need to do it, there’s no choice.  Being paid would be nice, but I love writing first and foremost.  It is something I have always been doing and will never stop.

    Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us?

 Here’s the beginning of my novel AN ILL WIND BLOWS:

THE MOST EXTREME MOMENTS can sneak up on you when you least expect.  Suddenly, wham!  They’re right in your face — and you’re helpless to prevent them.  That has been my experience since I was very small.  Things just seemed to happen.  There was nothing I could do about it but accept whatever came.  Like standing in the path of the wildest wickedest storm that ever blew.  Or on some other catastrophic collision course.  You simply knew it was Fate.  And Fate could be one out-of-control unholy carnival of terror!

            My name is Arletta Trimble.  I’ll be your guide for this journey through the darkest night of my existence.  And probably yours too, unless you’re used to stepping off the edge into absolute craziness.  I don’t mean the kind that inhabits a rubber playroom where the toys have been dented and gnawed by sets of permanent teeth.  I’m talking mind-warping bizarre.  The stuff of nightmares and hallucinations.

            As I recall, I was sitting there minding my own beeswax when along came a wind that ripped the back door from the building where I lived.  It snagged grouchy Ben Doogan right with it.  He takes care of maintenance around here.  Well, he used to.  They never did find him.

            Once the door was gone, I had no choice but to poke my nose into the matter.  It isn’t that I’m snoopy like some people think.  I’m just naturally curious.  Which tends to make me prone to an abundance of problems, because following your nose can be a dangerous proposition.

            On this particular afternoon, that was precisely the case.  I should know.  I’m gifted that way.  My mother said I could smell trouble a mile away.  I don’t like to brag, but I think it’s more like ten miles.

            There I was, morally inclined to explore the event.  How could I have guessed it would lead to such diabolical disaster?  Well, I could have and should have and did.  And that’s one reason I had to investigate.

            Another excuse, I was on a mission.  A quest of sorts.  In fact, a treasure hunt.

    Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

For me, no.  For readers, some might not appreciate my style depending on the project.  In some cases I am more descriptive than in others or experiment more.  I like to make readers think.  I often write with depth and even with layers of meaning.  I love words and believe in using the full extent of language, along with foreign terms.  I will also make up words.  I tend to write prose with the ear and license of a poet.

    Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?

I can’t travel much at present.  I hope to in the future.  It would be wonderful to visit a setting that I wish to write about.  My imagination does the traveling now.

    Fiona: Who designed the covers?

I do the artwork for my covers and choose the font, colors and so forth.  My son Rafael assists with the technical side of putting it all together.

    Fiona: What was the hardest part of writing your book?

The many drafts for DANCE OF THE CHUPACABRAS, from screenplay to novel and beyond.  It is a novel in the true sense of the term, and I put so much into it.  Years of effort, between research and writing and expanding it.

    Fiona: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?

I have learned that it’s easier to start with an idea and just write the book than to write something and keep changing it, adding details and characters and significance after the fact, over more than a decade.  And yet, because of this process, I have created a unique piece of art.

    Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Write if it’s what you need to do.  Not because you think it would be an easy profession, or make you rich, or make you famous.  Write because you have to, and do not make excuses for not writing.

    Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

Keep an open mind.  Don’t judge everything I write by one story or book.  They’re different.  And don’t expect me to write like anyone else.  I’m different.

    Fiona: If you were not a writer, what else would you like to have done ?

I would be something else creative — an artist, actress, musician . . .  Wait, I can be those too!  I do my own artwork, play guitar and drums, and I have plans to do videos and films with my sons.

    Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? if so what is it?

Trilllogic Innoventions:  http://www.trilllogicinnoventions.com.

Interview with Katie Harper

06 Monday May 2013

Posted by fionamcvie1964 in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

 

Name Katie Harper

Age 32

Where are you from The Western United States. I’ve moved A LOT.

A little about your self `ie your education Family life ect

I started writing when two people showed up in my head and wouldn’t leave until I told their story. They had a party. Invited a few friends over. Now I spend my days doing the bidding of imaginary people. I live in a city made for sin on the edge of a desert with my daughter, no pets, and enough lemon bundt cake to feed a refuge camp.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news? I just finished editing my first novel, Never Say Just, and hope to have a release date soon. That is if my publisher can forgive me for once touching the naked body of Mathew McConaughey.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing? My husband passed away five years ago. I did not handle it well. I started writing as a way to memorialize him. It turned out to be better than two years of therapy and a few cases of Jack Daniels. Cheaper too.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer? I didn’t take writing seriously for a while. I considered myself a writer when someone contacted me on Facebook and said, “Holy Sh** your funny! Will you help me add humor to my manuscript?” It was then that I thought people might want to read what I had to say.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book? The first book I ever wrote was based on my husband’s experiences in Russia. It was about two spies (my husband was not a spy), a man and a woman. They were as opposite as humanly possible. Some of my early readers were bummed that they didn’t fall in love. I couldn’t see them falling in love so I took the characters out of that story and put them in one where I could see them falling in love.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style? Yeah, inappropriate.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title? You know when you walk into a room and someone is already in there and you startle them. What do you say? You always say, “It’s just me.” You should never say it’s ‘just’ me. It’s never ‘just’ you. It’s YOU. Everyone has worth.

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? Not really. If people laugh, they get it. Just kidding, the underlying message is that you can overcome anything.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic? The heroine, Hell Kat, is basically me. She has all my neurotic tendencies and hang ups. She also has a few of my strengths. I was never a mercenary/assassin, but some of our histories are similar.

Fiona: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life? Oh yeah, a lot of Hell Kat’s experiences are based on my own. I’ll leave it up to you to guess which ones.

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most? The Black Dagger Brotherhood series by JR Ward. She writes tough heroes with a sense of humor. They don’t stew over their lot in life. They’ve accepted what they have to do and move on. She also writes badass heroines and I’m all about badass females.

Fiona: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor? I have a real life mentor. His name is Benjamin Russell. He’s brilliant. Everything he commits to digital memory is genius. He gets me and all my crazy. Love, love, love him.

Fiona: What book are you reading now? HA! I don’t read anymore. I’m too busy. One of the days I’ll get to Envy by JR Ward.

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest? Yup, the last book I read was The Demon Side by Heaven Leigh Eldeen. She’s brilliant. Angels with metal wings that drip acid. That is all I’m going to say. She’s genius and there will be two more books! *Doing my giddy dance*

Fiona: What are your current projects? OK….I am proofing the second book in the Rat Bastards series, writing the second, and I’ve been asked to write two movie scripts. And at some point I’m going to take thirty seconds to pee.

Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members. Benjamin freaking Russell! Are you kidding me! This man helped me through writing issues, personal issues, smacked me in the back of the head when I was being stupid, and made me a better writer. I owe him my first born child.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career? It kind of already is. I don’t have a day job. I write.

Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book? Hhhhhmmmm…..Maybe I wouldn’t make the heroine so obviously me. But in the end  I think that gave her depth. So no, I probably wouldn’t.

Fiona: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated? Yes. Three years ago I died. I was dead for ten minutes. When I woke up in the ICU three days later I felt compelled to write. I’ve been writing ever since.

Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us? Which one? The second book is about a Force Recon Marine who saves an Afghanie woman from becoming the victim of an honor killing. The third is about a no nonsense hairdresser who falls in love with a Navy Corpsman. The movie script is about the first year of marriage and how it sucks.

Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? Love. I can’t write love. I’m not a touchy feely person. I have a very difficult time writing the more gooey emotions and the more explicit scenes. I want to rush through all that crap to get to a fight.

Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work? JR Ward. She’s funny, tough, and she doesn’t apologize for it.

Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)? No. My books are set in New Orleans. I’ve been there, but I do most of my travel online.

Fiona: Who designed the covers? Tara at Fantasia Frog Designs

Fiona: What was the hardest part of writing your book? Self editing. Everything I write is brilliant so it was difficult to cut any of my genius. HA! I’m kidding. The hardest part is not getting bogged down with the I sucks.

Fiona: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it? I learned a lot personally and professionally. I learned that you really need to have an idea where your story is going or the characters might run off with it and before you know it your on Jupiter worshiping the God of Legos.

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers? WRITE! Pianists don’t sit down at the keyboard and pound out Mozart on their first try. You shouldn’t expect to be JD Salinger right out of the gate. Also, the people who tell you where you suck are your best friends. If everyone tells you your brilliant you will never improve. And you might start to believe it and that’s the most dangerous sin of all.

Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? Yeah….I’m not the next F. Scott Fitzgerald. I have no desire to be taken that seriously. If you chuckle a lot and laugh out loud a couple times then I’ve achieved my goal.

Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done? At Disneyland they have this candy shop. Everyday there’s a candy chef inside making candy. I would want to be the candy maker at the Candy Palace on Main Street USA at Disneyland.

Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? if so what is it? Yes I do. http://katieharperwrites.blogspot.com/

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