Here is my interview with Kevin Wignall

 

Name – Kevin Wignall

Age – Varies

Where are you from – England

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

I was an army child, so I was born in Belgium and lived in different countries as a young child.  I studied Politics and International Relations at Lancaster University.  I don’t think anyone needs to know more than that.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

K: I suppose the big news at the moment is that the film of “For the Dogs” is edging towards production (hopefully in the next couple of months).  It’s been in development with different parties for eight years, so it’s been a long time coming.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

K: Well, I was one of those kids who always wrote and made stuff up.  I suppose I started writing seriously – i.e., a novel – when I realized I’d been talking about it for long enough without actually doing it.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

K: Probably when I sold my first book.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

K: Time pressing on.  That’s what inspired me to actually sit and write.  The story was just there.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

K: Yes.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

K: For the first book? I don’t remember – it was thirteen years ago.

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

K: No.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

K: All of it, albeit in a heightened form.

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

K: In one way or another.

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

K: “The Silver Chair” by CS Lewis, and a short story called “The Lumber Room” by Saki – between them they convinced me that I would one day be a writer.

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

K: If you read properly, they all become your mentors.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

K: “Joe Victim”, the new novel by Paul Cleave – he’s a superb author and even though I’m only a few chapters in, I know I’m in safe hands.

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

K: Chris Womersley, an excellent Australian writer. I’ve also just read “Norwegian by Night” by Derek B Miller and loved it.

Fiona: What are your current projects?

K: I rarely write during the summer so I’m not working on anything right now.

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

K: I don’t understand the question. An entity?  If you mean a writers’ organization or something like that, none. You’re on your own as a writer – it’s how it has to be.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

K: I’m not sure if you mean for me personally or in general terms. I’m a full-time writer and I know lots of other full-time writers, so I suppose the answer is yes in either case.

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

K: No.

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

K: The book and story I mentioned earlier – I think in different ways they opened my eyes to the alchemy that the best authors perform, and I wanted to be able to do that.

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

K: I’m not working on anything, and I’m afraid I wouldn’t anyway.

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

K: No.

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

K: Oh, I have a cabal, including Graham Greene and Stephen Crane, Jane Austen, Evelyn Waugh, Byron and Keats, too many more to mention.

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

K: I travel a lot and it usually ends up in the books. I also travel increasingly to promote them as well.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

K: Various designers. I’m rarely involved.

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

K: All writers are different, but I’ve never understood this question. It’s such an inherent part of what I do that I don’t see it as hard or easy.

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

K: Learn? No. Understand, possibly.

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

K: A writer writes.  Never forget that you’re telling a story.

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

K: Everything I want to say is in the books and stories.

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies

K: I just live life and try to walk lightly on the world.

Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching

K: I don’t watch much TV but I graze, and pick up bits of everything. I’m a big film fan, everything from classic noir and screwball comedies through to modern Japanese art-house cinema.  For some reason, though, I tend to miss “big” films – I’ve never seen, Bambi, ET, The Shawshank Redemption, Forrest Gump, and the list goes on…

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music

K: I’m a foodie, so no particular favourites, though I like game.  I don’t have a favourite colour (I am in fact colour blind).  I like a huge variety of music – probably easier to say what I don’t like, which is certain forms of jazz.

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

K: I’m sure you’ve had this answer countless times before, but it’s true – if I were not a writer I would want to be a writer.  This is it.

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

K: www.kevinwignall.com

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Here is my interview with Charie D. La Marr

 

Name Charie D. La Marr

Age 59 (for the next two weeks)

Where are you from?

Born in Washington, DC – been a Nyer since I was 5.

A little about your self `i.e. your education Family life etc.

Started college when I was in my mid 40’s. Have my BFA in Interior Design, but I have never practiced. Family life is very strange – I live with my mother who has dementia, my 27-year-old son Travis who is ADD and I am bipolar. The two Shih Tzu’s Bailey and Jeter are kind of crazy, too. One snores and the other cries in his sleep. Can dogs be bipolar? I thik they are. Basically it’s a sitcom in the making.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

Well I just sold my first Circuspunk anthology Bumping Noses and Cherry Pie to Chups Cabra. Circuspunk is a genre I developed based on my 9 years as a professional clown. Look it up, it’s in Urban Dictionary and under the Punk page at Wikipedia! Also Solarcide just chose me for their September featured writer with a very unusual piece. Best birthday present ever.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I started writing when I could hold a pencil. On my mother’s side. I am a third generation writer. My grandmother and uncle were both journalists. My uncle was also a ghostwriter and wrote military non-fiction. On my father’s side I am distantly related to Mary Shelley. My paternal grandmother was a Godwin like Mary Shelley’s father. Although I have never been able to get through his book!

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When I was five. My first poem is hanging on my father’s living room wall. I apologize to Sylvia Plath for naming it “Daddy”. I was just a kid. I didn’t know. I always wrote stories in marble notebooks. Wish I still had them all.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

My first book—which I am still trying to sell, was actually inspired by a piece of jewelry I own. It is a 17^th century French portrait on ivory and the book is my story of the necklace—who she is, how it made it to 20^th century New York, etc. It is a thriller called Something Old. The book I just sold was inspired by my days as a clown and magician. It is a collection of short stories—everything from Victorian to Lovecraftian to Noir to pathos to full out Bizarro and splatterpunk. My partner Alex S. Johnson had a lot to do with it, too. He refers to it as “pee your pants funny.” He has such a way with words.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

Nope. I guess that working as I have as a ghostwriter for athletes, I have learned to write in many voices and styles. I recently added Bizarro to my repertoire. I find it incredibly liberating. I can write in any style from Seussian to historical and everything in between.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

The title of the book I just sold is Bumping Noses and Cherry Pie. In clown lingo, bumping noses means having sex. Cherry pie is extra work that a circus worker is asked to do for extra money. It’s like a bonus. Both figure into the stories.

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

YES!! I want people to stop telling me they hate clowns and they are afraid of them. I was an adorable pink girly clown. Kids loved me. Men often asked to bump noses with me.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

Very little. One story is actually based on something that happened to me as a clown.

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

Well, in the sense that a lot of it comes from what I know of circuses and magic.

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

So many. I fell in love with We Have Always Lived in the Castle as a teenager. Cat’s Cradle, Lamb, Anything by Daniel Silva, I read everything.

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

Christopher Moore. But I have Alex S. Johnson, my partner, and that is almost as good.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

Killer Weed – it’s very cool. Reminds me of the “old days.”

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

Well since I am new to Bizarro, they have all grasped my interest. But I have always had this thing about being attracted to first novels. I like seeing where people start off.

Fiona: What are your current projects?

My computer is loaded. A Western style Romance Novel (I had to try), a story for Chupa’s Eco anthology, a story for the Ugly Babies anthology, and several joint projects with Alex for starters. A screenplay is in the wind. I have talked to the author of the book about it recently. I have a publisher currently reading a book called The Squid Whores of the Fulton Fish Market. A lot of fun.

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

I would have to say two. Alex and Dr. Hogsette my comp professor in college who once told me he would accept “fluff” from anyone in the class accept me. He saw more in me and wouldn’t let me slide.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

Yes.

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

Nope. Except maybe find a way to stuff more stories into it.

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

From my grandmother and uncle. My grandmother mostly. She was a newspaperwoman and also a research assistant for several authors in the 60’s.

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

“Then there was the trick where she stood with her back to Raja, legs wide open, and he poked his trunk in between and lifted her high in the air. Having an elephant’s trunk up your twat night after night wasn’t exactly fun. And as any veterinary student knew, a male elephant could touch its trunk tip to a trace of female urine and then carry it to the vomeronasal organ at the roof of its mouth to check for mating hormones. In other words, on the days when the ride in had made her come, this particular trick could cause Raja to become horny.

The last trick they did was when Raja stood on his front legs with his fat ass up in the air and Donatella stood underneath him for the big finish and bow. On the days when Raja was horny, by the time they did this trick he was good to go and Donatella was treated to a blast of pachyderm bukkake. God, how she hated her job.” From Tarot Cards, Elephant Spunk and Cotton Candy—The Story of Fabrizio Parsinelli

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

In my case, trying new genres.

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

Daniel Silva for one. I love the way he crafts a thriller and his research and detail.

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

Wish I did. I hope to.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

It isn’t done yet. I can’t wait! I want a wild circus poster!

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

Getting the focus in a house full of crazies. Actually sometimes that really helps.

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

I always learn. I have learned that Bizarro is a great way to just let go ad let my imagination carry me away.

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Well, everyone always says read more. And I agree, but take time to get out and observe. Some of my best characters have been people I have watched at the food court at the mall. I hear Wal-Mart is a great place to observe people, too. Haven’t tried that – yet. But in NYC, there are tons to observe. Also if you can interview people. And research! You are sitting in front of the most amazing tool ever created by man! Use it for something besides playing Angry Birds! I never write without at least 20 windows open for research.

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

Buy more books – let us know how you like them so we can write better books.

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies?

That is funny. Collecting shoes and jewelry—a girl cannot have enough of either. Changing the color of my nail polish almost daily. And baseball. I am a rabid Yankees fan. I even have my own museum in my house. Real women love baseball. AND baseball players—except when they scratch and spit and adjust on camera. And I have an obsession with tiny things. Objects, that is.

Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching

The Borgia’s, The Newsroom. Perception and then wacky reality shows. Dance Moms, Project Runway, Gold Rush, American Pickers, Pawn Stars. Nutty people inspire me.

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music

Chocolate/pink, purple and black/Grateful Dead, but almost anything. Alex is getting me into heavy metal.

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

Interior Architect. I the idea of spending other people’s money on expensive stuff.

Here is our interview with JL Oiler

 

Name JL Oiler

Age Shh it’s a secret

Where are you from West Virginia

A little about yourself `ie your education Family life ect  I am married with 2 children, hold BA From Fairmont State University, and a MA from Ball State University.

 

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

 I Have a New release from Silver Publishing on Feb 11 (Part of thier Touch of Love Anthology) and my next from Rebel Ink Press (One Night Rodeo) on March 3

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

 I have been writing since my teen years but did not have curage to submit until 2009

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

After the publishing of my second book. With the first I was excted but did not know if it was repeatable.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

Wow I draw inspiration from so much I am not certain I cold pinpoint a single thing. However, It was during a time of great transition in my life so I suppose that had a whole lot of influence.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

No I don’t think.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

 Some Titles are instant others are a battle. Most the time I look at the plan for the story and brainstorm with my family or friends.

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

Life is filled with impossibilities we just have to open our eyes.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

Nearly all but the individuals involved. I believe it is the only way readers can truely relate with my characters. Too far left or right of realism and I would lose them.

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

Real life always finds ways to sneek in.

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

I have a small group of friends I work with and believe we sort of mentor one another; Bethann Beuhler, Lila Munro

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

 

I’m in the middle of edits so none at the moment.
Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

Kharisma Rhayne

 

Fiona: What are your current projects?

I have 3 Paranormal WIP in my file at the moment.

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

I have an entire family of writers that support me as well.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

Yes, I see it as my secondary career at the moment with a true hope of doing it as my primary career soon.

 

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

 No

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

 In reading, I am an avid reader (ok actually I’m a reading freak) and I believe it was a natural transition influence by my own desire to create unique stories of my own.

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

Here is sneak peek at my piece from Touch of Love Anthology (Silver Publishing 2/11/12)

 

She just shrugged and smiled as Christen moved to stand in front of her, placing a hand on the counter to both sides of her slender waist. Staring in her ice blue eyes, he grinned before leaning in to press a kiss to her lips. She kissed back but did not open her mouth fully to him, teasingly running her tongue along his lower lip then pulling away. With a growl, he looped one arm about Morgan’s waist, crushing her against his body as he gripped a handful of her hair with the other. Yanking her head backward he licked and nipped at her throat aggressively before capturing her mouth in a forceful deep kiss she could not deny.

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

 I like to change things up on occasion to create more challenge. Things like dabbling in a different sub Genre, or with unique characters I lack Knowledge of.

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

 Krelsey Cole is one of my favs and her characters make me want to be able to work with that same dimension in my own.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

I currently work with two publishers who have amazing cover artist…Silver Publishing – Reese Dante, and Rebel Ink Press – Carl Franklin

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

Saying goodbye to my characters at the end.

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Don’t fear rejection or challenge
Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

THANK YOU! Your feedback and support are very important and respected!

 

 Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? if so what is it? www.joiler.weebly.com

Here is our interview with Richard Godwin

Name Richard Godwin

Age 48

Where are you from London UK

A little about your self `ie your education Family life ect  Raised in London, worked in property and lectured in English and American Literature at Kings College London, travelled extensively, now a full time professional author.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

My debut crime novel Apostle Rising just sold foreign rights to the largest publisher in Hungary. My second novel Mr. Glamour will be published as a paperback by Black Jackal Books on April 12 2012. It is a mystery novel about a dark intruder in a Glamorous world.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

 I started as a teenager then worked. I have been writing professionally now for six years.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

 When I picked up a pen.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

The exploration of the darker aspects of the human psyche and the intersection between crime and horror, real horror exists in the things humans do to one another.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

I write in many styles, I have written satire, I write crime and horror, I also write mystery, bizarro, literary fiction, and poetry.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

 It was obvious when you read the book.

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

 Yes, evil has a corrosive effect on those who come into contact with it.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

All of it, every single page.

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

No. That may apply to certain types of writer but it is too often naively applied to writing, having said that it all comes through the unconscious.

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

 Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment and Graham Greene’s Brighton Rock.

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

 I don’t believe in mentors.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

William Gibson’s Burning Chrome.

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

There are many new authors on the internet, the list could be long, but I take it you are referring to those published in the traditional manner and I’d say the newest is Richard Montanari.

Fiona: What are your current projects?

I am writing the sequel to Apostle Rising, by popular demand. I also have a collection of short stories coming out as an E Book in the next few weeks, a project published by Pulp Metal Magazine. It is called Tales Of The Mustard Man. The Mustard Man is a character with a series of stories, there are some new ones in this.

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

 Art.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

 A vocation.

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

I may edit back a few scenes.

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

Yes I loved reading, great

writers articulate things we feel when we are younger.

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

 Try going onto my website

http://rchardgodwin.net

choose any story, and if you like it buy a copy of Apostle Rising. Here is the opening

The woods are cast deep in folded meadow shade, hues of blackness tinged with the heavy odours of autumn, rotting to nothing in the scattered leaves where insects scurry and blind slugs creep and grope their way to mulch.

The trees are perfectly silent now. The light is like some vermilion bleed.

An unbridled moon hangs overhead, a watchful eye casting the frozen promise of winter across the hushed landscape. The deer nose their way deeper into the soft warm fur of their sleep, feeling the hot pulse of their heartbeat regular as a jackhammer.

A path stretches and tilts into the woods, lost in thick shadows.

The sound of tearing.

A flash of steel. A figure lands heavily on the dense carpet of leaves. They rise and fall like spent currency as small nocturnal animals scurry away. A shadow leans over him now arcing the blade.

The leaves, russet in the autumn chill are flecked with red. Deep drops like wax. He struggles, thrashing his arms into the darkness. The other figure is faster and stronger and

leans his will into him. Soon the body lies there hacked like butcher’s meat. Then he tends to his work assisted by the watchful eye of the moon.

He alters the body and positions it precisely below a tree which by moonlight casts the shadow of a cross. Soon the woods are empty again, filled only by the heavy smell of rotting and nature’s turning, and this still and butchered Christ.

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

 There is no challenge in love.

Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work? I don’t have a favourite. I love among others Dostoyevsky, Dickens, Leonard and Greene.

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

Yes. I travel about four times a year to the States.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

 The cover of Apostle Rising was designed by an artist called Matt Swann.

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

 I don’t think there was a hardest part.

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

 You learn all the time, writing is a process, it is a beautiful process because you can never reach a ceiling.

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Write every day and read, try to see when you are reading how writers achieve their effects.

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

Thank you for all your support, it is truly appreciated. My next novel is well worth reading.

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

 Stayed in property I guess, who knows?

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

 I have my own site and my blog is The Slaughterhouse where I give popular interviews with writers, my Chin Wags At The Slaughterhouse

http://richardgodwin.net

and

http://www.richardgodwin.net/blog

Here is my interview with Stephen B. Pearl

Name: Stephen B. Pearl

Age:

Let’s put it this way. I’m not as young as I use to be, but I’m not as old as I’m going to be.

Where are you from:

A small rocky planet third out from a class G star in a remote spiral arm of an un-spectacular galaxy. I’ll draw you a map. J

A little about your self `ie your education, family life, ect:

Well, I’m told the interesting thing is that while I am severely dyslectic I graduated top of my class from a two year community collage program and completed about half an undergraduate degree in psychology before I ran out of money and endurance in equal measure. I have since completed a verity of classes had had six novels published by third party publishers.

Personally I have a wife and cats, live in a house that I am renovating and drive an older car that I am repairing. I’m quite handy.

 Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

My latest news is that my new novel, a paranormal romance, Worlds Apart has just had its official launch and I have another novel War of the Worlds 2030 coming out in mid September. Seeing a new book in print is always a rush.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

Twenty seven years ago. My gods it’s scary to think in terms like that. I swear I was 23 just yesterday.

As with most worthwhile endeavors I did it to impress a girl. A hot little number with the bluest eyes you could ever imagine and an English accent that sent a shudder up my spine. Nice thing is while I don’t really hear the accent anymore she still has those eyes and I love her more deeply now than that youth ever could have imagined. I wrote an absolutely horrible fantasy novel with her as the damsel in distress, yeah right, I honestly think Joy could scold a dragon into good behavior. In any case the book is awful and will never see print, but it showed me I could do it. Years later my writing has grown to a point where others want to read it.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Hmm. I think when I held a paper copy of Tinker’s Plague. There is something about holding a book you’ve written.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

            I think I answered this above. She was very cute, light brown hair with a pretty face.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

            Yes… Oh you want more. For me writing is a lot like role playing gaming. I design the world populate it with characters who have a predetermined skill set then throw situations up in front of them and say “cope.” I’m sure most of my characters would like to give me some lessons in coping. Funny thing is I tend to like my main characters. That may be why I have an addiction to having some semblance of a happy ending. Except for my dinosaurs they all die. I didn’t cause the great cretaceous extinction so don’t blame me. It’s a book I’m trying to market.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

For my temporally unavailable novel, Tinker’s Plague, the title was simple because it is about a Tinker, in this context a Doctor of General Applied Technologies, dealing with a plague. The tinker part came from a tinkerer or Jack of all trades.

For Nukekubi: www.darkdragonpublishing.com/nukekubi.html I used the name of the species of mythical beings from which my antagonist is drawn

For Slaves of Love: http://www.clublighthousepublishing.com/productpage.asp?bNumb=164 the story involves a drug that turns people into Love Slaves by heightening the infatuation response to ridiculous levels.

For The Hollow Curse: http://www.clublighthousepublishing.com/productpage.asp?bNumb=114 The curse that drives the action was the source of the title both because of the way it makes my protagonists feel and the fact that in essence it is a hollow thing devoid of real power.

For Worlds Apart: http://www.darkdragonpublishing.com/worlds_apart.html it is a love story involving a Wiccan Priestess from our world and a wizard from a parallel earth. Thus they are from ‘Worlds Apart’ yet oddly closer than many who were born on the same world as themselves.

For War of the Worlds 2030: http://damnationbooks.com/index.php this is the publisher’s home page address because the book will not be released until mid September. This is homage to the brilliant work of HG Wells who stood as midwife at the birth of my love of the Science Fiction genera. It takes some of the ideas he addressed in his book War of the Worlds and updates them while spinning an original tale. It seemed only right to use a title that harkened back to the masterpiece that inspired this work.

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

            Yes, now enjoy the books and if I’ve done my job well it will slip in without you noticing. This is something a lot of folk seem to forget. The first duty of fiction is to entertain, if it can enlighten or educate as well it may transpose from good to great, but unless it has the foundation of entertainment to stand on it has failed as fiction.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

This depends very much on the title. Tinker’s Plague is a realistic extrapolation of current trends.

A lot of things are taken from the real world in all my books. I have spent time in many of the real world environs I use in my books. I also incorporate bits and pieces from my life and experience often in a twisted form. I have worked as a professional psychic and done some ghost busting and the knowledge and experience from that is incorporated into my paranormal works. I am a good general handyman which tends to be reflected in my characters. I’ll leave you all guessing when it involves my smutty books. 😉

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

            I’ve never battled a Nukekubi, traveled between parallel Earths or fought in a war (thank the gods for this last and all honor to those who have faced the great folly of man). I have however dealt with spirit phoneme, faced people who hated me because of my faith, Note: I’ve also known people of other faiths who helped me in need and demonstrated the best of human traits.

            I think what a writer, epically a speculative fiction writer, does is find a parallel to his characters’ experience in his own life and draws out the emotion from that and puts it on the page.

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

Lord of the Rings, it taught me how to live.

Dune, it taught me how to think.

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

            I would think HG Wells. His books were very fast paced for the era he wrote in and he got to the point. He strove to be consistent with science as he understood it but never lost sight of the fact that science affected society and human beings and that was what the story was really about.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

            The Cupid War by Timothy Carter ISBN 978-0-7387-2614-4. So far I’m enjoying it. Then again I expected to. I’ve read Tim’s other young adult novels and really enjoyed them.

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

            Ira Nayman, he is possibly the funniest person I have ever read, his book Welcome to the Multiverse (sorry for the inconvenience) ISBN 978-1-908168-09-2 is brilliant.

Fiona: What are your current projects?

            I’m working on a cyber punk comedic piece called Cats, where a group of people get trapped in a VR5 immersion Video game where they are turned into cats. They can’t leave the game because the crazy ex-boyfriend of one of them has tweaked the code so that the nanobots in their brains that allow for the VR interface will rip their brains apart if they try.

            I’m doing a short story set in the Tinker universe for a post apocalyptic anthology I’d like to submit to.

            I’m promoting Worlds Apart and War of the Worlds 2030.

            Breathing is a nice hobby; I’ll have to take it up when I have time.

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

            My cat is family so I won’t give his name. I could name several friends, but I don’t rank  people like that. Let’s just say if you have shown me kindness and respect it is remembered and I will try to reciprocate. My Gods rank right up there as well. I don’t mean this in a pushy holly roller way, faith is a personal thing and a source of personal strength it shouldn’t be peddled like door to door vacuum cleaners. The names you use are unimportant so long as it calls on you to try and be better, more loving and respectful to all. If it does that then it is a source of strength that can help you though life’s challenges.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

Yes.

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

In War of the Worlds 2030, no not really. Having read a bit more about chimps since I wrote it I think the brutality I show with my battle-apes (genetically modified chimpanzees used as foot shoulders) is just about right.

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

            Books helped save the life of a very lonely and depressed teenage boy. I found the written word had a power to reach into a person and transport them to lands of wonder. To heal a broken heart and mend a shattered spirit. I wanted that power. I wanted to influence the thoughts of others in a way they were not defending against. If power is open to you, the power to mold the world towards your ideal your utopia for all that you grasp it.

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

WAR OF THE WORLDS 2030

 

By

 

Stephen B. Pearl: www.stephenpearl.com

 

From

 

Damnation Books: www.damnationbooks.com

 

Chapter One

FAREWELL HOPE

The two black zodiacs sped noiselessly towards the shore. Their four occupants were silent, attention focused forward. Richard and Zane sat in the bows knowing they were already dead. All that remained was to see if they’d died in vain. The glow of city lights lit the horizon. Zane sniffed the air, detecting a faint hint of sulfur from the steel works.

“Beach ahead,” warned Richard. He was dressed in black, body-armor and wore a backpack, as did his companions.

“Give me the range,” whispered the man at the tiller.

“Ten meters. Kill the engine. Five meters, four, three, two, one.” The bow scraped onto the beach.

Richard leapt ashore, placing the anchor. He scanned the area with his night-vision goggles then pressed a clicker on his chest twice.

Zane leapt ashore, placed his anchor, looked around then hit his clicker twice, confirming the all clear. The men still in the zodiacs began tossing duffel bags to the two on shore, who sorted them into piles.

“Where are they?” Richard whispered when the last duffle was unloaded.

“Janis will be here. She hasn’t let us down yet.” Zane’s voice was like gravel.

“I hope you’re right. Too much is riding on this.”

“Snap Snap. Whoo Whoo,” sounded in the stillness of the night.

Richard hit his clicker twice, counted to five then hit it again. Shadowy figures stepped into view.

“Hurry.” Zane pointed to the larger of the two piles of duffels with his biological arm. The dark figures moved closer resolving into people wearing ragged clothing.

“Come on, move!” Richard waved at a group that separated from the others and raced to the zodiacs.

“Darling,” whispered a voice in the darkness. Richard and Zane turned to see Janis move out of the shadow. She was dressed in worn camouflage pants and jacket. Her dark-brown hair was cut close to her scalp and there was a rifle slung over her shoulder. She was lean and limped slightly on her right leg, while her face was smeared with blackout.

“My love.” Zane strode forward, took her in his arms and held her close.

“If you two are quite finished?” Richard passed the anchor from the first of the zodiacs to the people who had boarded it and pushed the boat out to sea.

“Right.” Zane moved to the second boat and with a single push of his cybernetic, left arm sent it on its way. The two small craft disappeared into the distance.

“Standard pick up?” asked Janis.

“Sub is two miles off shore. Let’s go.”

The shadowy figures that had taken the first pile of duffels had disappeared into the night. Richard picked up one of the three remaining bags, Janis and Zane took the others. Janis led the way to a storm-sewer access. The tunnels were pitch black. All three humans activated night-vision goggles that showed the world in shades of green.

Janis paused and hit a clicker twice.

Two clicks answered from down the passage.

Janis clicked once.

Ten seconds passed then three clicks answered. She sighed and moved on. A second later they passed a side tunnel where three people crouched with their guns trained on the newcomers. No words were exchanged as Janis led them into the maze of passages. After a long walk in the dark the thing they’d been dreading occurred. There was the sound of scales being drawn over concrete.

In seconds Zane had his night-vision goggles off and the scope of his rifle to his remaining eye. The tunnel was cast in shades of green. He scanned over Janis, who also had her gun ready, and Richard who had drawn an electro sword, in case the beast they faced was impervious to bullets.

The wall burst in, blasting concrete and crushed rock into the corridor. Zane threw himself on Janis, knocking her to the ground and lying on top of her, allowing his body-armor to absorb the brunt of the attack. A creature loomed out of the hole in the wall. Its face was vaguely human, but its body was that of a centipede and it was the size of a large crocodile. Twin rows of spikes ran the length of its back, with a small vent behind each spike. The beast sucked air in through the vents and expelled a stinking cloud.

“Masks!” Richard ripped down the veil that covered his face and slapped a compact breather, which had been clipped to his belt, over his nose and mouth. Zane rolled off Janis and mimicked Richard’s actions. Janis scrambled to her feet and fell back along the tunnel, firing at the beast.

“High low,” ordered Richard.

“On it,” replied Zane. The beast lunged into the corridor and turned to Janis. It started after her but a burst of automatic fire from Zane’s rifle caught its attention. The bullets bounced off its armored sides, no more than mosquito bites to the beast.

“Come on ugly. Your father was a lady bug.” Zane remained on the ground firing. “Shit! I’m jammed.”

“Bloody hell!” Richard pulled a small, round grenade from his belt and rushed their foe’s side.

The beast turned towards him, snapping at its attacker with a set of pincers that attached to its lower jaw.

“Hey, it’s me you want, ugly!” Zane pulled his side-arm and fired into the Centipedal. It turned to face him and he kept firing.

Richard leapt, landing on the creature. The stinking cloud expelled through the vents then it began to inhale. Richard dropped the grenade into an air hole and leapt away.

“One one-thousand,” he shouted.

“Richard, could use some help here,” called Zane. Before Richard could react a shot rang out from down the corridor. Janis had taken up position and was now shooting at the beast.

“Two one-thousand.” Richard pulled his side-arm.

The beast turned towards Janis, leaving Zane behind.

“Three one-thousand.”

The Centipedal rushed Janis, who kept firing.

“Four one-thousand.”

Richard fired at the creature, the bullet causing it to pause about halfway to Janis.

“Five one-thousand.”

A sound like a very large belch filled the cavern. A blast of liquefied guts shot out the Centipedal’s breathing holes. Its eyes flew out, propelled by streams of gore then its hard shell collapsed.

The two men picked up the packs and rushed to rejoin Janis.

“Nice work,” she commented. Richard and Zane removed their breathing masks.

“Fortunately Centipedals tend to be solitary, a carryover from their original genetic, but we shouldn’t stay here,” said Richard, his voice sounding very much the British professor.

“Still Richard, isn’t he?” said Janis.

“Would you want him any other way?” Zane took a moment to scratch at the seam where the simulated scar tissue that covered the cybernetics on his left side met his real skin, before returning the defensive suit’s veil.

“No, I guess not.”

“Did I say something amusing?” asked Richard.

“Richard, I’m resistance. The Darmuks have been using that type as sewer guards for three years now. I probably know things about them you couldn’t even guess at.”

“Oh. I did not mean to be…”

“Relax. It’s comforting that some things haven’t changed. I’ll send a team to harvest it in the morning.”

“Harvest?”

“Yes. The legs taste just like lobster if you boil them.”

“Zane, please tell me she’s joking?”

“Personally, I think they taste more like crab,” replied the younger man.

 

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

            Being dyslectic the straight mechanics of language can be difficult. I end up editing and reediting a lot and my proof readers still catch things. It’s the price you pay. Everybody’s got something it’s just a question of do you let it stop you of fight through. I will say this, sometimes the smart thing is to stop and put your effort in another area only the individual can make that decision.

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

J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings. Wonderful writing and an incredible story ark.

For living writers, Jim Butcher. Any of the Harry Dresden Wizard for Higher books. They are a pleasure to read, fast paced, internally consistent and a whoot. Jim also happens to be a nice guy

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

            Locally a fair bit to Cons, festivals and the like. I have about a two hour driving limit at this stage in my career which is a completely commercial decision. I hope that as my sails ramp up going farther afield will become a viable option.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

Tinker’s Plague (Draumn Edition) Alayna Lemmer: www.alayna.net

Nukekubi: Evan Dales: www.wavstudios.ca

Worlds Apart: Evan Dales: www.wavstudios.ca

War of the Worlds: Cover Artwork by Dawné Dominique: www.dusktildawnDesigns.yolasite.com

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

            Over all I’d say the rejection. It is easy to start doubting oneself.

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

            Umm, I research for my writing. I’ve studied myths and legends, solar and wind energy, biology. It’s all fascinating.

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

If you aren’t yet addicted save yourself and get out while you can. I’m not kidding. It’s a hard slog and it’s getting harder to make a name for yourself all the time.
If you’re trapped do the best work you can. Don’t worry about the “in thing”. By the time you’ve written something to match the “in thing,” it won’t be the “in thing” anymore. Before you pour your heart and soul into shorts have a novel ready to go. The real commercial value of shorts to an author is that they are great advertising. As a literary form shorts are fine in and of themselves, but I’m speaking of the commercial value.

Don’t bother anybody until you are over the “It’s my baby and you can’t touch it” stage. The only way to get good is to have others tear your work apart  so you can put it back together stronger than before. If you aren’t ready to do this and bite your tongue on all the things you want to say to defend your work then don’t waste other people’s time or ruin their day.

Remember that if you have to explain the work for people to get it than you have failed as a writer because you won’t be there to explain it to the majority of your audience. Of course some people wouldn’t get an elephant if it was standing on their chests, so take this advice with a little moderation.

If you are ready for constructive criticism join Critters http://critters.org/ it is an online writers group and a valuable resource.

Be braced for rejection. Realize that editors have a pile of stories cross their desk every day. They are looking for reasons to reject you, ninety percent of all manuscripts are rejected unread for formatting errors because these can be seen at a glance. So if you watch your formatting you “improve” your odds to ludicrously slim from imposable.

Be prepared to bleed and hurt and have people look at you like you were a retarded Dalmatian. Being a writer is like being on a never ending job hunt, its nerve racking and it seems like your successes are dismissed while your failures are magnified. This is writing, do it if you dare

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

            Thank you for your time and I hope that my books appeal to you. Keep smiling it makes them wonder what you’re up to.

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

            Mechanical Engineer.

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

Contact information for Stephen B. Pearl

Website:  www.stephenpearl.com

Blog: http://stephenpearl.blogspot.ca

YouTube reading: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlMDmlb-Los@

You Tube channel: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC14QVfS9kiuc6sK7P3-yOmg/videos?view=0&flow=grid

Face Book: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/StephenBPearl

Polka Dot Banner: http://www.polkadotbanner.com/index.php?option=com_comprofiler&task=userProfile&user=528

Here is my interview with Charlie Wade

 

Name

Charlie Wade

Age

41

Where are you from

I was born and grew up in a small Oxfordshire village. I went to University in Kent then moved around various places in Oxfordshire until meeting my other half Karen and moving to her neck of the woods on the edge of the Peak District in Derbyshire.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

My crime thriller Seven Daze was released by Caffeine Nights in May. The main character is Jim, a petty criminal who takes up contract killing and spectacularly messes up his first hit. The book follows his race to make ten grand in compensation for his new boss in seven days while also becoming smitten with a city worker called Charlotte.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I’ve tried a few times over the years: when I was eighteen I had a brief attempt at a book. Then, when I was twenty five, after reading a lot of Sherlock Holmes, George Orwell and Irvine Welsh I started again, the result being a half-written Spy / British Revolution thriller. Then about five years ago, I started again and have since written about thirty short stories and three books: a comedy spy thriller, a post credit crunch dystopia, and Seven Daze.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When one of my stories was accepted for Out of the Gutter Magazine it was a turning point. I thought maybe I’ve got a chance at this.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

The first book I tried writing (the Spy/Revolution one) basically came from a dream and ideas running round my head. I’d like to have another bash at re-writing it one day, but advances in mobile phone technology have since killed most of the original plot. I quite like the idea of capturing the feel of the mid 90’s – the country was struggling out of a recession and dance music was in its infancy and yet to be heavily commercialised.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

I usually use third person, concentrate on one specific character and try to put humour in whenever’s relevant. I try to make the characters as realistic as possible without describing what they look like as I think readers want to create their own vision of them. I like a good twist so always try to chuck one in somewhere.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

I’ve always struggled with titles. Seven Daze started as a working title that was a play on words but I never thought of anything better so it stuck. I haven’t a clue what to call the next book.

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

Not a message no. I occasionally rant or moan about the direction society seems to be heading in, but apart from that there’s little overall message.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

Hopefully a lot of it. But, I’m not and have never been a criminal so have had to rely on newspapers, books and television programs to teach me about crime. There are always going to be certain elements that are far-fetched, most books would be mundane if they described the average Joe on the street doing normal things.

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

No. Every character I write is made up. I do sometimes see people in a pub or walking down the street and think their mannerisms would be good to use in a character. So far though, I haven’t used any.

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

1984, Filth by Irvine Welsh and A Clockwork Orange. All have influenced in different ways. Filth taught me that crime writing could be a lot more than Miss Marple. 1984 and A Clockwork Orange taught me a book could make you think about life in a different way.

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

Stephen King. Obviously not a mentor in that I’ve never met him, but I enjoy reading him and reading is the best way to learn how to write. His characters are so lifelike that you can’t help but be influenced by him. If I could write half as well as him I’d be happy.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

Open Doors by Ian Rankin. It’s been hard to avoid knowing the plot, especially after it was televised but I’ve managed to keep myself in the dark about it. I like Ian Rankin’s style and hope that he’ll write more non-Rebus books.

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

I always look out for short stories from Matthew C. Funk and am looking forward to reading a novel of his one day.

Fiona: What are your current projects?

I’m halfway through my next book. Seven Days was written through the eyes of a petty criminal but this time round I’m swapping sides for a police Detective as a main character. A world weary, slightly cynical detective investigates a series of murders trying to find not only the killers but also if there’s a link between them. Though a crime novel, it’s got more than a touch of comedy. The detective, DI Britwell, has appeared in a few of my short stories before and I’m enjoying writing him into a larger role.

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

Work has been very supportive. It’s been weird and humbling as I wasn’t expecting just how much support I would get. Apart from that, the online e-zines that have put up my short stories have definitely helped me meet people and get published.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

I’d love to write full time but the reality is life costs money. Hopefully one day I’ll have a writing room overlooking a beach or whatever, but for now it’s as and when I can.

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

I changed the ending four times before settling on it, so I think it’s about how I want it. I did think of changing Charlotte’s name, but previous experience told me it’s difficult to pick up all the changes and best left as is.

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

From Seven Daze

 

            Jim looked again. They didn’t look like killer’s eyes. Brown surrounded by bloodshot white. Pale eyelids that flickered. Shifty, nervous as hell. Yeah, they were hiding something; something dark. But they weren’t killer’s eyes.

He turned from the mirror. The bedside clock still read six fifty-five a.m. It hadn’t changed since his last look. He briefly wondered if it was broke, but digital clocks didn’t freeze or go slow. When they break, the display just blanks.

Moving, he sat on the hotel bed. Bouncy. Springs long gone from illicit overuse and age. He knew he shouldn’t be feeling like this. It was the first day of his new job for fucks sake. He should be happy. It definitely shouldn’t have made him throw up. After all, it was the chance to meet new people. The start of a new adventure.

He wondered if that was the problem with contract killing. The only new people you met, you killed.

From Untitled New Book

Britwell followed him to the cell. Someone in cell six was slurring and shouting his innocence. Britwell didn’t envy Dave his job. Night time custody sergeant, the job sounded good – the reality different. Wave upon wave of youngsters drinking themselves into oblivion then picking fights with anything that moved. Dave still had a bit of enthusiasm for the job but Britwell could see it waning. He’d give him five years before he asked for a transfer, ten before he quit and found something more worthwhile to do with his life.

Britwell waited by the oddly shaped high-heeled shoes outside the cell while Dave unlocked the door. He guessed the shoes must be specially made. Probably mail order or internet. He didn’t dare guess what else a budding transvestite could buy on the internet.

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

No travel at all for Seven Daze. Living in Oxfordshire then Kent taught me as much as I needed to know about Central London when I was in my teens and twenties. I used Google to double check a few things and had two people who live in London read it to spot any glaring geographical areas. My next book’s set in Derbyshire and I know the area quite well now so it should be easier.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

Mark (Wills) Williams designs all Caffeine Nights covers and I think he did a fantastic job with Seven Daze, I had a basic idea of what I wanted, but he took that idea and created something very impressive.

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

Finding the time to sit down and write. Once I’m writing it comes out easily enough but life has a habit of getting in the way of writing time.

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

I learnt that maybe some form of planning is a good idea. Jim was supposed to be a contract killer, but I couldn’t make him pull the trigger. I then had to rethink the entire book to create him as a failed assassin rather than an actual assassin. In hindsight, I created a character that wasn’t a cold blooded killer. If I’d have planned it, I probably would have picked that up.

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Read books. Any will do, just keep reading.

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

Thanks for your support. People saying good things about your work makes you want to write more.

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

I’m sort of happy with the day job, but as I’ve got older I’ve more into gardening. Not flowers, but fruit and veg. I grow a lot of chilies in the greenhouse, and after visiting a chili farm in Devon last year, I suppose that would be my ideal job.

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

I’m in the middle of setting up a website. At the moment the link feeds through to my blog, but in a month or so it will be finished.  Link is http://www.charlie-wade.com

The link for Seven Daze is www.amazon.co.uk/Seven-Daze-ebook/dp/B00D4BFY30/

Here is my interview with Amanda Kyle Williams

 

Name Amanda Kyle Williams

 

Age 54

 

Where are you from –Born in Norfolk, Virginia, moved to Colorado when I was tiny, then to Georgia, my true love. 

 

A little about yourself `ie your education Family life etc

AKW: I’ve spent most of my life in the American South.  My family would have been considered middle class. That was when there was still a thriving middle class in America.  My parents came from opposite ends of the political spectrum—a conservative father, a liberal mother. They divorced when I was nine years old.  I have almost no formal education. I dropped out of school at 16 and joined the work force. I could barely pick my way through a job application at the time. But I could bluff. And that’s what I did. For many years. Forms, printed text, long texts, and instructions—it all threw me. Later in life I was diagnosed with a form of dyslexia. I have recognition and comprehension issues with reading. It didn’t play out well in school. At the time dyslexia was not something parents and educators were aware.

 

 

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

AKW: Well I just finished revising book two in the Keye Street series, Stranger in the Room. I’m starting Keye three, Don’t Talk To Strangers.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

AKW: I can tell you when. I was about 28 years old when I wrote down a few lines and got the writing bug.  Why?  I’m not sure.  I learned to read late in life.  I didn’t read my first book until I was 23.  I wasn’t diagnose dyslexic until I was in my twenties. Once I had some tools for learning, once there was a name for what I had, a kind of love affair was born with words and with books.  It wasn’t always easy going, a kind of love-hate thing. I’m still a slow reader. I still wrestle with words. Yet I feel compelled to write.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

AKW: After I wrote my first book, a small press book back in 1989. It wasn’t very good, to be honest. It was kind of practice writing. But that’s when I knew I could get better if I kept working at it and when I knew it was what I wanted to do.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

AKW: Reading writers that know what they’re doing. It’s what always inspires me.

 

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

AKW: Hmm. I do. Like all writers do once they’ve found their voice.  But I wouldn’t know how to name it.  I want my characters and their dialogue to be accessible, to feel real.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

AKW: The Stranger You Seek came from a line in the book. The killer is writing letters and taunting police.  The title came from one of the letters to my homicide Lieutenant from the killer.

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

AKW: Not sure I’m really a message writer.  I’d rather be a writer that keeps readers turning the pages.  I guess if there is a message there it’s that you never really know anyone below the surface. And nothing is black and white. There’s a scene in The Stranger You Seek where the killer fills a cat food bowl to make sure the cat is cared for while the owner is tied to a chair in the basement half dead. It’s an example of that grey area. People aren’t all one thing. Not even the bad guys.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

AKW: My main character, Keye Street, is quite real. She thinks about things everyday people have to think about, paying bills, struggling with personal demons. She battles addiction. She has a sense of humor. She also has inappropriate laughter from time-to-time.  I worked hard to make sure forensics in the books are as accurate as possible, though I never want to overload the reader with that. I’m not writing CSI. I’m writing about a woman who failed, who lost her career and her marriage because of some very poor choices. And because she wasn’t managing her addiction.  When the series begins, Keye is four years out of rehab and four years sober. She picked herself up and found laughter again. Lots of it.  And work, a business to keep her busy.  She’s applying skills she learned in law enforcement to her private detective business and working as a consultant with local law enforcement on repeat violent offender cases.

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

AKW: You mean in the book, The Stranger You Seek?  Let’s say the characters are a compilation. Bits of myself, bits of everyone I know.  As for storyline, I used some of my own experience as a process server working with an Atlanta private detecting company. It got interesting sometimes trying to serve papers to someone who doesn’t want to be served.  We had to get creative.  This job informed my writing in a lot of ways.  Plus, I was all over town everyday and I learned Atlanta in a way I’d never known it.  So when Keye’s out there on the streets trying to track someone down and get a subpoena in their hand, I’ve been there. I write a lot of fiction around it, of course.  Keye’s much smarter and braver than I am. I also don’t carry a weapon. Keye does.  She really likes her Glock. Maybe too much. Another way I am unlike my character is that she can eat Krispy Kremes every day. Her metabolism is like a buzz saw.

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

AKW:  Since I came to reading late, those first few books I read really rocked me.  I fell in love with fiction. And just the concept that people actually read for pleasure. My relationship with words until then had been a wrestling match.  Funny because the books that influenced me couldn’t have been more different.  Jane Austen and Robert Ludlum. Put those two in a blender and see what comes out.

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

AKW: Well quite a few writers have been very generous to me with excellent reviews and blurbs, Tess Gerritsen, P.J. Tracy, Karin Slaughter.  Julia-Spencer Fleming, Eleanor Brown and Vicki Lane have been incredibly kind in helping to promote my book to their fans.  But I’ve been closest with my editors. It’s where I’ve gotten the most wisdom and wise council. They are really exceptional people. Writers get the credit. Editors get the blame. They are as madly in love with words and books and writers as anyone I’ve ever known. They’re my rock stars. I get a little giddy when I’m with Kate Miciak from Random House.  And if I get an email from Imogen Taylor at Headline, I get all a flutter. Totally star-struck. They are both brilliant.

 

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

AKW:  Several. This is normal. I usually have at least two books going. V is for Vengeance by Sue Grafton, Explosive Eighteen  by Janet Evanovich and Tiger, Tiger by Margaux Fragoso. Also on my bed table and yet unopened, Ann Patchett State of Wonder and Ridley Pearson In Harm’s Way.

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

AKW: Tea Obreht captured everyone’s attention, didn’t she? I mean she has ridiculous talent. Writers all over have spent the year in bars weeping at finding out she’s like twenty-five and The Tiger’s Wife was a debut.

 

Fiona: What are your current projects?

AKW: Book 3 in the Keye Street series Don’t Talk To Strangers. Book 2, Stranger In The Room, will be out sometime in 2012, hopefully. Book 3 in 2013.

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

AKW: Just one?  Friends.  But to be fair, animals have played just as big a role in my physical and mental wellbeing.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

AKW: It is my career. I do it fulltime. I’m living the dream.

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

AKW:  I am an obsessive reviser.  I would probably change a million small things. I can rethink a sentence for hours. Makes me slow as hell. But the major thrust of the book pretty much landed right where I wanted it to.

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

AKW: Reading.

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

AKW: In Stranger in the Room Keye Street investigates a crematory where something is very off. The bodies are quite literally piling up.

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

AKW: Being still. Seriously. Just having the discipline to sit down and do it every day.

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

AKW: Pat Conroy is up there on my list. He has descriptive powers, that man. Doesn’t matter if you’ve ever been near the coast, you know when you read Prince of Tides what the sea smells like. He transports you into his world—the mark of a great writer.

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

AKW: I had a brief tour after the US release of The Stranger You Seek.  That was fun. I had an opportunity to meet readers and some other writers at conferences. I’ve never known other writers. They are an interesting lot.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

AKW: My publishers. Random House in the US. Headline in the UK.  Rowohlt Verlag in Germany, etc, etc. We also currently have Dutch and Norwegian translations, a French translation is forthcoming as well from French publisher Albin Michel.

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

AKW: Again, for me it’s just being still for hours. It’s challenging.

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

AKW: Yes. Mainstream publishing is collaborative. My publishers, their editors and marketing and publicity teams are all vital to the success of a book, from the cover to editing to figuring out the best way to let the public know what’s special about The Stranger You Seek amongst a sea of other books. I also learned that these people are generally a lot smarter than I am.

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

AKW: Don’t wait for the big idea. Just sit down and start building something brick-by-brick, word-by-word. Trust the process. Inspiration will come once you’ve started laying your foundation.

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

AKW: I hope they enjoyed the first book in the series. I’m so grateful to the readers who bought my book and shared it with friends. I hope they will be onboard for the rest of the Keye Street series.

 

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

AKW: I had a dog walking and pet sitting business for years. I loved it. I connect with animals. And I was always moving. It kept me fit.

 

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

AKW: www.AmandaKyleWilliams.com . I have free sample chapters on my website.  The book trailer is up as well, a Meet Keye Street section and my own bio. I worked hard with my web designer to make it an interesting and fun site to visit. I hope your readers will check it out. There’s also a link to my email. I read and answer my email. Love hearing from readers.

Here is our interview with E. A. Irwin

Name

Patricia A. Matthews, but now write under the name E. A. Irwin.

 

Age

You are never supposed to ask a woman that question, though I’m old enough to know better and still young enough to mess that scenario up.

 

Where are you from?

I live in Fresno, CA, a town located in the Central San Joaquin Valley, home of the Dancing Raisins and known for our two seasons—Heat and Fog.

 

 

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

I am single with no children, and have a mother, sister and a nephew who was recently killed. I’m second generation Irish here in the United States. My grandparents met here in Fresno after travelling thousands of miles from Ireland, never knowing each other, and ended up living on the same block, which to me is interesting. I now live on that same block.

In college I was a microbiology and vocal performance major. I eventually left school without graduating to work, but continued singing solos and sang with several groups which travelled, as well as sang with choirs involved with our local symphony. Singing was my true passion. I’ve also worked in several aspects of the health care field from convalescent hospitals to in home care and have taught some classes in medical terminology and medical assisting. Although I will admit my terminology skills are rusty.

I also paint land and seascapes in oil and love taking pictures to use as potential subjects for paintings or to frame.

 

Fiona: What is your main job?

I fix other people’s mistakes for eight hours a day, longer if I have to do overtime work.

 

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

First, let me thank you, Fiona, for allowing me to do this interview. I really appreciate your interest in my work.

The most current writing news is the inclusion of six pieces of flash fiction, three pieces each in Pill Hill Press’s Daily and Daily Frights Anthologies published for 2012. I also have three stories out there, lying in a publisher’s slush pile, which haven’t been either rejected or accepted, but I’m holding out hope for the latter.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

Honestly, I never intended to write anything other than letters or whatever needed writing on previous jobs. However, around seven or eight years ago, I was laid up with an injury for quite awhile and read several books a week because I couldn’t do much else other than go to physical therapy. I kept thinking I could write something at least as good as some of those books. Of course you have to remember I was in bed with not much else to do and my brain was obviously over thinking my ability at that time. But, I had this continuing story in my head which I kept growing to keep my mind from getting too bored at work, so I just started writing it down. After several years living with those characters at work and elsewhere I knew them and their storylines so I could go almost anywhere with the stories, which I did.

Two hundred thousand plus words later I finally put The End on the page and cried. I had finished the tome and I hadn’t given up and also started which would now become the third book in that series since I know that first endeavor needs to be divided into two books. I haven’t worked on that series for awhile but that was my first huge work and became the Shamrock Series, an umbrella under which the Riley McCabe series will fall when out there. I stared big due to my ignorance at not knowing anything regarding writing. I laugh all the time at my grandiose adventure. But since then the writing bug bit and here I am.

Fiona: Do you consider yourself a writer?

Not really even after that previous long answer. I consider myself someone who puts a pen to lined paper and scribbles thoughts until they make some sort of sense. I know I’ve put author on several things since I’ve written them, but in my head writer means a person with a vast repertoire of work behind them and who has made it in the world as “writer.” Perhaps storyteller with a pen would be a better description since I haven’t made it to the big time.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

Most people who have read my work have said I do. Not quite sure what it is but apparently others recognize it more easily.

Fiona: How did you come up with titles for your work?

Usually, I begin with a title which interests me and is perhaps the theme of the story. As I write sometimes the work changes and so does the title. I try to make the title a bit intriguing so I am able to get people to read. There are lots of stories out there to compete with so often a title makes the difference.

Fiona: Is there a message in your poems and short stories?

Not always, it just depends on what I’m writing and if it is for a certain anthology or book. The criteria is different if you are submitting short stories or poetry to anthologies since often you have to write within the publishers idea of the book and not strictly for your own pleasure.

If something is particularly important to me I may work it into the piece and try not to make the story a “cause” story. I think you can write effectively and make people think without hitting them over the head with your ideology, unless you’re writing non-fiction, which I don’t write. I do have several stories in the works which do have strong messages because I have very strong convictions on the subjects, but I am hopefully writing them in a way which will be entertaining fiction and allow the person think about the subject for themselves.

I don’t consider myself a crusader in my writing life, however, there are times when fiction and reality collide and a story springs to life with a message imbedded.

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

The Bible, the Encyclopedia Britannica, the Winnie the Pooh and the Nancy Drew series, plus many I can’t remember the names of since I’ve been reading a long time. One other book sticks out as well. I believe the title was a children’s book, “The Phoenix and the Carpet” or something similar. I don’t actually remember the story but to this day I remember the feeling of adventure as I read. I read at a very early age so most of these books gave me ideas about what I wanted to be or thought I could become. Mostly, I wanted to be a secret agent when I grew up so it was fitting that I fell in love with mysteries and thrillers and knew locations and all the trappings of a spy.

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

You mean which writers would I like to mentor me? Jeffery Deaver because I like the non obvious way he approaches a mystery and thriller, yet is intricate and cunning, and Stephen White, who writes the Alan Gregory series and is a psychologist, who could really get inside my head and help me figure out all the intricacies of human behavior I want to write about.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

Currently I’m reading Vince Flynn’s first book “Term Limits” and look forward to reading all of his work. I really enjoy listening to him discuss real non-fiction topics, such as terrorism, and I love reading good thrillers. I am also continuing to read through Patricia Cornwell’s “Kay Scarpetta” series because I like the character and subject matter. Can you tell I’m a series junky? Probably why I want to write a good mystery series.

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

There is Blaze McRob, who is not new to writing, but is writing under a new name. I enjoy reading his work. There are so many new indie writers out there I’m sure I would miss someone. I don’t get a lot of opportunity to read since my work schedule is hectic and I’m trying to write, so I tend to play catch-up with writers I am familiar with so I can relax.

Fiona: What are your current projects?

I am working on writing the first novel in my short story series “Myth to Life: The Rise of Riley McCabe.” The working title is the “Blood-filled Kiss” as well as writing on other short stories or novellas which are screaming to be finished in my computer.

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

Not exactly sure what you mean by entity. But I have been lucky to be supported by a few people I work with who have read the Riley McCabe series and give me feedback, as well as a few writing forums where I have been able to post stories and poems for feedback. Honestly, I can’t do any of this without readers and helpers, nor do I want to. Writing is difficult since you’re alone with your thoughts for endless hours. It helps to occasionally have someone willing to have ideas bounced off so you can tell if you’ve been living inside your head too long.

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

Probably. The latest work I submitted could most likely go deeper in the characters approach to the story since I like to get inside the character’s heads and mess with their thoughts and psyches, but I was working against a strict word limit so there were parts I couldn’t expand. Most likely I’d change most of my work but there comes a time when you have to stop dinking around with it and say done. Perhaps this is just me, but is anyone ever satisfied with their work and doesn’t want to tweak it?

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

I was always an avid reader, especially of mysteries. The genesis, as I stated earlier, for writing came out of wondering if I could actually write since I was bored and doing little else. Could I keep myself interested in what I wrote?

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

Working title: The Blood-filled Kiss. Riley McCabe is a psychic and occasionally works with the police to solve crimes. Her current case takes her from her home in Scotland back to England to help solve crimes committed against children by a serial killer. While there she encounters an entity other than the killer who she knows is keeping track of her efforts. She isn’t sure if the entity is friend or foe, but senses protection from them. Eventually, she meets this entity and her world is turned on its head. Not only are some of her secrets revealed but she discovers there may be more enemies hunting her than she realized even though she has a vast array of enemies already coming after her from her past. Who gets to use whom and for what reasons plays into the theme here.

I am taking the readers of the short story series back to the beginning of where Riley McCabe met Braedon Carlisle and far beyond since this is a series. Each short story will eventually work into novel length or get combined into a novel.

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

Everything. From sitting down and facing a blank piece of paper to doing final edits, there is nothing which doesn’t challenge me. But in that is the prize. If I weren’t challenged I probably wouldn’t do this. There are far easier ways to pass the time and not get judged for it.

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

I don’t have a favorite author since there are so many, but I do love reading Anne Perry’s Thomas and Charlotte Pitt and William Monk series, respectively. You actually feel as if you’re in Victorian England and living their lives with them. Likewise, I go back to Stephen White’s Alan Gregory series because he’s made the lead, who is also a psychologist, vulnerable to every human emotion while having to perform his job. I also like P. N. Elrod’s vampire series with P. I. Jack Fleming, which is set in 1930’s Chicago.

Fiona: What was the hardest part of writing poems and short stories?

Staying focused with the subject. Novel writing allows a bit more leeway with subplots and such, more than short stories and definitely poetry. Not rambling in poetry is challenging in keeping it succinct.

Fiona: Did you learn anything from writing your poems and short stories?

I’ve learned quite a bit. I was on a writing site and entered both short story and poetry contests. One poetry contest lasted three weeks and you had twenty-four hours to write a poem to a specific prompt. That was a huge challenge. Sticking with that taught me discipline to the craft, not that all the poems were stellar, but working through a variety of forms and meters to get a finished product. I also was on several flash fiction writing teams there and had to produce a piece of flash every day to a prompt for several weeks. Another hard adventure, but I am now rewriting or editing some of those flash pieces and submitting them, as with the poetry, to different outlets and some are now published, such as the six for Pill Hill Press.

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Keep hacking away at the forest in front of you. Success truly lives between your ears and nowhere else. Don’t be afraid to admit you know absolutely nothing; people will eventually respect you more than coming in with a huge ego and proving you know nothing. Seek people who will give you an honest appraisal of your work, not who will agree with everything you’ve written, there is a huge difference. Always work toward being your best no matter what, find a good editor because everyone needs an editor, and don’t settle for “that’s good enough” it usually isn’t.

Fiona: Have you any of your poems or stories published?

Yes. I’ve had several poems and short stories published, as well as my short story series “Myth to Life: The Rise of Riley McCabe.” If anyone is interested in what has been published I would love for them to drop by my website and find out and read the items I’m currently participating in, in my blog.

 

Fiona : Do you have a blog/website

Thank you, Fiona, I do. You can find me at http://www.eairwin.webs.com

Here is my interview with JamieLynn Boothe

 

Name: JamieLynn Boothe

Age: 46

Where are you from: Moneta, Virginia but currently live in Torrington, CT

A little about your self `ie your education Family life ect. Well my family isn’t very close. I am single, divorced and looking lol…I am a high school graduate. I am basically a pretty laid back type of person who likes it quiet but at times likes to get out and have some fun. I’m not hard to please. I believe in true love and honesty, true friendship and helping others. I believe in morals and ethics and not hurting others.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

I am excited to say that I am getting ready to publish my newest book, a Novella called The Journey

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I’ve wanted to write most of my life but for personal reasons I didn’t actually begin writing my first novel until August of 2012. To be able to create something that others can enjoy and relate too, to be able to share some of the things about myself and my imagination, to escape into another world is why I write. It’s a magical and helpful world for me.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Even though I have written poetry over the years growing up I didn’t actually consider myself a writer until I sat down and started my first novel Nightmares and Dreams.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

 I finally got into the mind frame that I will never get it written if I don’t sit down and start writing it, plus my life had improved on personal levels so I could focus on it.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

Honestly I write from my heart. I write something that others can relate too. I write what I hope will touch others hearts and souls and if I’m lucky will make them cry. What I enjoy writing are things that could happen in the actual world and on some levels actually do. I do however have a paranormal in the works too. More will be revealed on that later.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

 Nightmares and Dreams title came through how society is, as far as the Nightmares part goes. What Christy goes through in this story is possible and realistic but also nightmarish. The dreams part is her and her partner Heather spending the rest of their lives together, married and happy without the nightmares that has followed Christy through the years.

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

 I want people to know that no matter what you are going through that the power of true love is stronger than anything. I want people to know to not allow anyone steal that away from you and to be true to yourself. Don’t let others judgements and close-mindedness kill your dreams.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

All of it in my opinion. Everything about Nightmares and Dreams could happen to someone. It’s unfortunate and powerful but it’s very realistic.

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

 Some of it is yes. To be honest and I know this is putting myself out there A LOT but the character Allen, Christy’s brother, is me in every way. Also Moneta, Virginia is my hometown.

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

Well even though I don’t write like him Dean Koontz is one of my favorite authors, but in some ways Nicholas Sparks style has influenced me greatly. To be able to write a powerful love story with the characters going through immense odds and still make it out of the other end. Also Tiffany Carmouch and Marni Mann are great influences for me. I love their style and books.

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

I would have to say Nicholas Sparks.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

 Right now I am in between Tiffany Carmouches Obsession and Sacrifice and The Exorcist lol.

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

 Tiffany Carmouche and Marni Mann

Fiona: What are your current projects?

I am currently finishing up my second book which is actually a novella called, The Journey. It’s about addiction and recovery.

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

My Higher Power and friends in recovery.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

 Yes, I hope to one day be successful enough to be able to write for a living. Maybe have an actual publishing contract.

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

No I think it’s exactly how it is supposed to be.

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

 Well I read a lot growing up and always dreamed about being a great writer like the ones I was reading.

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

Actually I will do better than that I will give you the synopsis.

                                                            The Journey

    Samantha Jenson is trapped in a world like so many others; a world full of death and shame. A world where the disease of addiction has an iron grasp on her life and controls her soul so powerfully even the strongest of men would cower down on his knees and beg for mercy. A world where she struggles to escape and tries to live at least somewhat of a normal life.

    Here is the story of a young woman, deeply addicted to the drug called “Intimacy”. Her life has been a disaster because of her addictions through the years but this particular drug is her master. Samantha has lost everything but most importantly her desire to live.

    Can Samantha escape the talons her demons have on her? Can Samantha regain control of her life and tear down the walls of despair? Will she regain hope, her desire to live and her family? Travel with her on her journey and see what happens in her world. You just might be able to relate.

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

 Sometimes when I am writing something painful that is happening to someone in my book it’s difficult yes. I am not a hurtful person so I find it hard to write things like that.

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

Nicholas Sparks. I love the way he captures your heart and soul. I love the way he makes everything realistic and so powerful with the characters and circumstances.

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

 Not yet but one day I hope to be able too.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

 The first one Nightmares and Dreams was made by Jessica O’Bryant. The Journey hasn’t been made yet.

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

Certain parts of the story because like I said I am not a hurtful person and to make one of my characters go throuogh that type of stuff was hard for me. Also some that has happened to me was also a little difficult. Things I can relate too.

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

 That dreams do come true with hard work, faith and patience.

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Never give up, if you really want it you have to keep working at it. It will happen. Maybe not as fast as you want but it will.

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

Stay open-minded. Open your hearts and enjoy what is in front of you.

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies?

I love to read, I love art and being with my true friends. I also enjoy watching football and golf and I love music and cats and cooking.

Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?

M*A*S*H, Ink Master (I love tattoos) chick flicks, dramas, comedies and some of the older shows that are hard to find on television today.

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music?

I love southern cooking since I am from the south, Purple is my favorite color and I love country music, classic rock, the 80’s, easy listening soft rock and Yanni.

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

 Being a cosmetologist. I think I would be a great fit for that field.

Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? if so what is it? http://jamielynnboothe.wordpress.com/

Here is my interview with John M Simmons

 

Name

John M. Simmons

Age

49

Where are you from?

I grew up in the Salt Lake Valley, in Utah. I lived there until 1995 when my wife, my four sons, and I moved to Central Michigan. In 2006, we moved back to Utah. We now live in Kamas, a small mountain valley about 20 miles east of Park City.

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

 Let’s see, education… incredibly average student up until I dropped out of college after a year studying Manufacturing Engineering.

I started a family business in 1988 doing manufacturing. Family members later joined me and we created our own line of chemical pumps that are used in plants that manufacture microchips. White Knight now employs about 50 people and sells pumps around the world.

My wife and I are the parents of nine children (five still living at home). The first three are our biological children. One, (our eighteen-year-old son who has Down syndrome) was adopted, here, in the States. We have four daughters who are biological siblings that we adopted from Russia, and an unrelated son who we adopted from Russia at the same time.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

I recently resigned as the President/CEO of White Knight (the company I started)  to focus on writing, orphans and adoption advocacy. I’m am now Chairman of Ele Lembra, a 501(c)(3) public charity that assists children who are aging out of orphanages.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

During our adoption foray into Russia, I fell in love with all of the children who wait—day after day—for a family to choose them. I wanted people who could change their lives to learn about them; to fall in love with them.

 

 

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Since the beginnings of White Knight, I always did quite a bit of writing for the company. But I guess I began considering myself to be “a writer” as I published my first book, The Marvelous Journey Home.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

When I saw orphaned children walking up to our adoption coordinator and asking him if he had found their parents, yet. He told them, “no,” but he was still looking. When I told him how heartbreaking that was, he said, “No, what is heartbreaking happens when they get to be seven or eight and they stop asking me. The give up and just don’t talk to me anymore.”

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

I like to write in a kind of colloquial, conversational style. I want the reader to feel like they are having a conversation with me and to feel like they are my friend. I also reveal my thoughts a lot as I write. I tend to do this in a different font to make it clear that I didn’t actually speak something that I shouldn’t have. But it helps the reader to feel more intimate with me if they know I am a normal guy, with normal thoughts, just like them.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

My memoir, To Sing Frogs, was written under several different titles, which just never seemed right. In the book, I refer to my wife as a “God Works In Mysterious Ways Believer.” For my wife, there’s always and explanation… “It’s a miracle!” I’m an engineer. I plug numbers into a calculator and find out why. As we journeyed through our adoption experiences, more and more things happened that my calculator couldn’t explain. About two-thirds of the way through the book, I am talking with someone and they say a phrase that translated directly into English is; “To Sing Frogs.” When I mentioned the translation, the person said: “But that doesn’t make any sense.” I replied that, maybe there was something lost in translation, maybe I just didn’t get it, or maybe it just didn’t make sense, and that I was becoming more and more convinced that some things weren’t supposed to. As I wrote of that experience, I realized that was the entire point of the memoir. To Sing Frogs was the perfect title for the book. It fits kind of nicely with the sub-title: A true story about family, friends, life, and other things that don’t make sense.

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

Actually, there are two points. First, I want people to get to know these children who don’t have parents. I want them to fall in love with them, as I did. I want them to adopt these children and to give them families. I am particularly desirous of them understanding that they don’t need a new-born-baby, or a child who looks like them, as I incorrectly believed at one point.

Secondly, I want people to understand what happens to children in orphanages who never get adopted. I want them to fall in love with these kids and then see that if they don’t help them financially, that these perfectly good, wonderful, loving, kids will crash and burn.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

100%. That is one of the most lauded aspects of To Sing Frogs. Currently it holds a 4.9 of five-star rating on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. I believe that much of this is attributed to the fact that the book is honest and real; and that the honesty comes through loud and clear. To Sing Frogs isn’t what I want people to think. It is what it is.

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

To Sing Frogs is a memoir. It is the true story of my wife and me adding more children to our family though international adoption.

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

I love to read and I read a lot. The genres I read are pretty broad. Still, if I had to choose one, it would probably be Tuesdays with Morrie, by Mitch Albom.

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

Again, it’s hard to pick one, but I would choose Mitch Albom. I find his development as a person who writes (rather than his development as a writer) to be very similar to mine.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

Crooked Letter Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin.

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

I like Jamie Ford, author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet.

Fiona: What are your current projects?

I am currently working very hard in bringing awareness to orphans and to our charity, Ele Lembra. I’m also a regular contributor to the Huffington Post, and I also contribute quite a bit of content to other blogs and media of all sorts. In between all of that, I’m trying to find enough time to complete Sneg, the sequel to To Sing Frogs.

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

All of my friends at White Knight, where I used to work.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

No. I make my money from patents and the work I did at White Knight for over two decades. Any profits from my writing go to help children without parents. So… full-time-job? Yes, of course. Career? Not so much.

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

Ha! Who wouldn’t! I have to say, though, To Sing Frogs was the very best I could do when I did it. I am happy with the outcome.

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

It was so young that I don’t recall. I always felt like I had an ability to write, and always enjoyed writing as a part of the things I did.

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

This is the first part of Sneg:

Chapter One

Invasion

            The white reaper is always a common enemy shared by opposing forces whenever there are wars in Russia. Far more people have been dispatched by that executioner than bullets ever hoped to destroy. High winds churn the messenger and bringer of death in black clouds that descend lower and lower. Snow terrifies. It threatens annihilation and pushes life to the edge. Then it seems to relinquish. Snow is a cat. At first it only plays with the mouse. Finally snow finishes the job and the rodent is no more. Other mice watch from nearby, unable to intervene. Eventually the cat will come for them too. Snow haunts.

            The four-wheel drive Russian UAZ SUV rushed away, its deep tread tires throwing cleats of white death in the air. Zoya, a social worker in her early fifties, pulled the collar from her coat tighter around her neck to close the gap between it and the stereotypical Russian fur hat. She looked up at the tumultuous gray sky and shivered. Snow would be falling again before long. She pulled the black leather gloves on tighter, turned and walked back into the south half of the wooden shack-like duplex.

            “Will she live?” the other social worker asked Zoya as she walked back into the reeking shack.

            “Hmf. Who knows? Not likely.”

            “You can’t take my babies!” Oksana screamed.

            “Quiet, whore!” Zoya yelled back. Zoya didn’t curse often but she couldn’t help herself. This was the worst she had ever seen.

            The filthy twenty-five-year-old glared menacingly from behind the blackened implement. It sat centered against the wall that divided the twelve by twelve-foot room from the other half of the duplex.  The dwelling where Oksana, her boyfriend, and five children had existed had finally been invaded by the State. As overcrowded as the shack was, it wasn’t nearly as cramped as it had been before the parents of Oksana’s boyfriend died.

            There were now four children left in the house. The oldest three were girls and the youngest was a boy. They littered the dirt-floor dwelling. Mud surrounded the wood burning stove and drops dripped from melting snow on the roof, hissing and sizzling when they hit the black and rusted iron.

            Electricity serving the house was pre-Franklinian. It was not. Clothing for the children was Neanderthal in that it wasn’t used. Wind whistled and howled between cracks in the walls. Zoya cautiously approached the oldest girl. Svieta was seven and she was afraid. Her hair was a contrast of matting and lion-mane that mirrored the appearance of her mother. Zoya carefully, so as to not startle the child further, took her hand gently while speaking the comforting sha, ska, and shka sounds of Russian baby talk. Then the social worker spit on the back of the child’s hand. She rubbed the wetness circularly with her black glove while the liquid turned equally black. It wasn’t enough. Zoya spit again and continued to wipe. Finally she announced the findings of her scientific observation: “She’s white.”

            “You can’t take my babies!”

            “I told you to shut your mouth! You are not a person! You are an animal! You cannot talk! Shut your mouth!” Zoya’s screeching response was laced with even more profanity, the filthiest she could think of, mirroring the environment that surrounded her.

            “Load them all in the car,” Zoya ordered the other social worker.”

            “No!”

            Zoya turned abruptly to face the mother and spoke in a firm, quietly threatening voice that brought more fear than her screaming. “I swear to everything holy, I’ll kill you if you don’t shut your filthy mouth.”

            The social worker stood over the cowering woman while her counterpart carried the nine month-old little boy into a day of darkness that was far more bright than the shelter. After placing him on the passenger seat in the front of the old Russian Lada, she returned and led two year-old Maria and six year-old Natasha away while holding their hands.

            Then Zoya spoke skas and shas to seven-year-old Svieta while taking her hand again. “It will be alright my child. Don’t worry. Come with me. We’re going to get soup. Are you hungry?”

            A head nodded while eyes bulging out of an emaciated skull looked at the social worker without blinking.

            “Yes, soup,” the woman said while leading the child away from near blackness to the outside. There the darkness of a turbulent sky carrying a blizzard looked like a summer sun in comparison. “Borscht. I think that Borscht is the soup today. Do you like borscht, my child?”

            Each piece of framework in the little body could not have been more distinguishable had it been free from its covering of filthy skin. The rest of the bones seemed to nod with the bobble-head. Like her sisters, Svieta didn’t even flinch as her bare feet traipsed through the powdered snow. It was nothing new.

            “Bring back my babies!” the wretched figure in the door frame screamed.

            Zoya placed the child on the matting which protruded from large cracks in the vinyl of the back seat. Svieta looked at her two sisters while the social worker pushed the squeaking door closed with a “clump.”

            “Stop! They’re mine. The babies are mine! Bring back my babies!”

            The social worker spun on her heel and raced toward the open door of the shack. Her dark rubber boots slipped and slid as she rushed at the younger woman with visions of strangling the abuser with her bare hands. Two steps before reaching the intended victim the door slammed shut. Zoya beat the bottoms of her fist against the wood several times before thinking better. There was no lock. She could have forced her way in but it would not have been wise. The social worker waited for the adrenaline rush to subside and then she slowly returned to the car and took her place in the driver’s seat, next to the worker who held the baby boy on her lap. Bulging eyes from the skull in the back seat continued to look at the shack. Zoya was not the only one who wanted to kill the mother.

            The old rickety car was as gray and dirty as the interior of the factory where it was constructed. As it began to slip up the snow covered dirt-road, the door to the shack re-opened and the demon emerged in a flash. Screams to return her babies were swallowed and muffled out in the dense air of the approaching storm. Oksana repeatedly stooped and grabbed handfuls of snow to throw at the departing vehicle. Zoya didn’t look back as the screaming apparition slipped while throwing, fell to her backside, buried her face in her hands, and sobbed.

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

My biggest challenge is to get time away, where I can concentrate on nothing but writing for an extended period. That’s the only way I can do books.

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

Steve Berry is my favorite author. I’m just a junkie for historical thrillers.

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

Between the charity and the writing, I do a fair amount of travel. I just finished up a fifteen city book tour that pretty much covered the U.S. I used to travel a lot more, with business. I used to do quite a bit of business travel to Europe and Asia as well as the U.S.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

A Friend of mine, Laura Ashby, is an incredible (and professional) artist. She used a couple of my photos to create the cover.

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

Deciding which parts to leave out killed me. I still have some babies that I didn’t want to let go. But successful writers sort out their children, take the majority who will amount to the least, and kill them.

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

Wow. I guess with a memoir it’s kind of different from other books. You relive a part of your life over and over while thinking about it again and again in an attempt to best explain it to others. I think the thing I learned most about, was… me.

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Billy Crystal said it best in the movie Throw Mama from the Train. “A writer writes.”

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

Please do something… anything, to help children who don’t have parents. Get out of your comfort zone. Someone’s life, quite literally, depends on it.

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies?

I like to snowmobile, ride dirt bikes, and go fly fishing. I don’t take much time doing them, though.

Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?

I like brainless comedies. When I take time for entertainment, I want to laugh. If I wanted to think, I’d write. If I wanted to cry, I’d balance my checkbook.

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music

Food… I’m kind of a steak and potatoes guy. My favorite color is blue, but I like red cars. I like country, but I’ll listen to rock.

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

Well, I have been a mechanic, a machinist, an engineer, I have worked in sales, and I have been in management. I loved them all. If I had to pick a favorite, I would say machinist. But you can’t change the world by making gears and pulleys.

 

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

My web site is http://johnmsimmons.com/. I can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/johnmsimmons.author and my Twitter handle is @SimmonsJohnM.

I can only think of one question you didn’t ask…

 

Boxers.

Thanks for this opportunity!

John