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authorsinterviews

~ My interviews with many authors

authorsinterviews

Monthly Archives: October 2013

Here is my interview with Suzi M

30 Wednesday Oct 2013

Posted by fionamcvie1964 in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Name Suzi M

Age: old enough

Where are you from: New York City

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

Suzi lives with her husband, son, and house panther in the wilds of Pennsylvania. When not writing she enjoys reading, spinning yarn, and knitting lace. She has also released several stories and novellas under the names Xircon and James Glass.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?
Suzi: Working on several new projects, one is the next installment of the Murdered Metatron. The most recent works are ‘The Vampire of Plum Run’ written as James Glass, and my story ‘Blood in the Water’ was just released in the Wrapped in Red vampire anthology.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?
Suzi: I started writing in high school. Come to think of it, I wrote NEMESIS, the first book in my Immortal War series, in my senior year. My writing came about as a side effect of my English teacher trying to coax me to use a new technology: a laptop. Man, that makes me feel old as hell.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?
Suzi: When it became clear that calling myself an ‘epic storyteller’ left people confused.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?
Suzi: My 12th grade English teacher, though I have to admit my intention was not to write an entire novel at the time.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?
Suzi: I have several specific writing styles, it just depends what name I’m writing under at the time.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?
Suzi: Going with the main character’s name for the title seemed like a good way to go.

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Suzi: Yes and no. Depending on the story, sometimes it’s just a story. Since I have several novels and novellas, it’s hard to choose just one and say ‘This is the message’ because each reader will infer his or her own meaning from the work, regardless of what I might say. If someone contacts me to discuss my work, I’m happy to discuss their interpretation versus how I felt about it, but I won’t spoonfeed my readers.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?
Suzi: Again, depends on which book or novella we’re talking about. For example, my post-apocalyptic novella ‘The Lazarus Stone’ (written as Xircon) was very much realistic. I put a lot (maybe too much) research into it to the point I have a pretty decent description of how to build a functioning fallout shelter. My vampire novels feature formerly real places in New York, but it was a landscape that existed well over a decade ago. A lot has changed since then.

Fiona: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Suzi: I never kiss and tell.

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?
Suzi: Wuthering Heights is one of my all-time favorite books. I’m also a huge fan of old Gothic literature. The Monk and Castle of Otranto are fantastic.

Fiona: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Suzi: I don’t know if I would consider anyone a mentor, per se, but as far as influences go I would rate Stephen King, Ann Radcliffe, The Bronte Sisters, HP Lovecraft, and Edgar Allan Poe all in the top spots.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?
Suzi: I’m reading a few. Monster in the Box, and A Guilty Thing Surprised – both by Ruth Rendell, re-reading Liber Null & Psychonaut by Peter J. Carroll, Dr. Sleep by Stephen King, and The Rise and Fall of the Nephilim by Scott Alan Roberts

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Suzi: Quite a few, actually. Jaime Johnesee, Kat Yares, Armand Rosamilia, Cherie Priest, and Patrick Greene, just to name a few.

Fiona: What are your current projects?
Suzi: So many projects! The new installment of The Murdered Metatron series is in progress, the next volume of Second-Hand Sarah, edits to a new novella, and the mumblings of a third installment of The Murdered Metatron series.

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

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?
Suzi: It would be nice, but I’ll keep my day job, too. It’s not everyone who gets to do something they love.

Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Suzi: That would be The Murdered Metatron, and I would have specifically dedicated it to my mother.

Fiona: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
Suzi: It started as writing a journal, then notes in class, and finally novels and stories in the evenings.

Fiona: Can you share a little of your current work with us?
Suzi: It’s still in first draft form, so unfortunately it’s not ready for human consumption just yet.

Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Suzi: Writer’s block. It’s horrible.

Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
Suzi: That’s a tough one. I can’t pick just one. I enjoy authors who bring more to the table than just doom and gloom, I like a little depth, a little comedy, and some horror. I’m not a big fan of everyday kinds of horror, however. I prefer it to be fantastical rather than something that CAN actually happen.

Fiona: Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?
Suzi: I don’t get out much.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?
Suzi: I have had the pleasure of working with several excellent cover artists, as well as designing some of my own covers here and there. The artists I have worked with are Shawn Conn, Robert W. Cook, and Jeffrey Kosh.

Fiona: What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Suzi: Depends on the book. In the Immortal War series books, it was a lot of exorcising my inner demons. In The Lazarus Stone it was doing the research and writing about the very realistic threat of a nuclear apocalypse. I think the hardest part of The Murdered Metatron  was figuring out the best walking routes to places using Google Maps and my own memories of places (then discovering how much those places had changed since last I saw them).

Fiona: Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
Suzi: I learned during the writing of The Lazarus Stone how to build a working fallout shelter, how close I live to a giant target, and that if there is a nuclear assault I don’t think I actually want to be a survivor.

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?
Suzi: You need to love writing and not jump into it because you think you’re going to be the next big thing. If you go into it with the idea that you’ll make a fortune, you picked the wrong creative outlet.

Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Suzi: If you have questions, feel free to ask. Other than that, thank you for reading. Be sure to leave a review (and this isn’t just for my work, but for anyone’s work you read). Believe it or not, I do read the reviews and take thoughtful, constructive criticism to heart.

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies
Suzi: I spin yarn – literally. I knit and crochet, and I love to read to my son.

Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching
Suzi: Adventure Time, American Dad, Ghost Mine, Paranormal Witness, Sleepy Hollow, American Horror Story, and Duck Dynasty.

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music
Suzi: As far as food goes, it depends on my mood. A good penne a la vodka or eggplant parm is pretty much heavenly, though. My favorite color is indigo, and my favorite style of music is industro-goth.

Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done?
Suzi: I’d have liked to have worked in the film industry in some capacity, be it set building/painting, audio production, or makeup artist.

Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? if so what is it?
Suzi: Sure do. The blog is at http://suzi.typepad.com and I’ll list the Amazon Author pages below:

Suzi M Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Suzi-M/e/B003TTLGP2/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

James Glass Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/James-Glass/e/B009K6RSG4/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_3

Xircon Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Xircon-Z/e/B005N099QS/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1383102350&sr=1-1

Here is my interview with Sarah I. Sellers

30 Wednesday Oct 2013

Posted by fionamcvie1964 in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Name-   Sarah I. Sellers
Age-    15 (Almost 16!!)
Where are you from-  Fairview, North Carolina
A little about your self `ie your education Family life ect-
I was raised with my two older sisters and my parents, until I was 9. Tragic events occurred, and I was sent to live with my grandparents- while my 2 sisters went to other family. When I was 13, I moved in with my best friend’s family. I now have 3 more sisters, two dogs, and a pig (Plus my recently passed Sugar Glider). My new parents own a local restaurant in Fairview.  I’m in the 10th grade. I enjoy writing and drawing, I also enjoy the ROTC program at my school.
Fiona: Tell us your latest news?
My first published work is Blood Ties, in the Wrapped In Red Anthology- which came out today (10/29/13)
Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?
I guess I began writing when I was almost 10, and I started writing to deal with everything that was happening in my life at the time.
Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?
About a month ago!
Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?
I just decided ‘Why not?’ The opportunity came up, so I took it.
Fiona: How did you come up with the title?
Not really sure, It ties into the story- I suppose. It made sense in my head, at least.
Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?
The book The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton. It makes you think differently about life and friends and family. The book A Long Way Gone, by Ishmael Beah (I’d like to thank my 10th grade English teacher for this one)- It also makes you think greatly about life- makes you look at what you have, and appreciate it… rather than just wanting more.
Fiona: What book are you reading now?
I’m currently reading two- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, and The Shack by Paul Young
Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?
I can see it as a hobby, but not as a career. But you never know what could happen.
Fiona: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
I have always enjoyed reading and if I wanted to read a certain kind of book- and I couldn’t find one, I could write it instead. It was also a way for me to escape my reality, and go into a world of my creation- where anything I want to happen, will happen.
Fiona: Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
S.E. Hinton is one of my favorite authors. The way her books are written, you become part of the book, you feel what the characters feel. I would also call John Green one of my favorite author- Why? Well, have you read his books?
Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies?
I enjoy drawing and reading- and after school activities (ROTC- Drill and Raider)
Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?
I liked the shows House, Monk, and Lost. But only in the earlier seasons. Movies that I enjoy are: August Rush, Princess Bride, The Gods Must Be Crazy, and The Lion King
Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music?
I like pizza (What teen doesn’t?), and anything from my parent’s restaurant. My favorite color is green. I like the bands: Anything by- Yellowcard, The Fray, Snow Patrol, and American Hi-Fi, as well as Tim McGraw, Montgomery Gentry, and Kenny Chesney.

Here is my interview with Bryan W. Alaspa

30 Wednesday Oct 2013

Posted by fionamcvie1964 in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

 

Name: Bryan W. Alaspa
Age: 42
Where are you from: Chicago, IL
A little about your self `ie your education Family life etc.:  Well, I grew up in the Chicago area. I am the oldest of two brothers. I have always had the support of my parents, who always encouraged me to write. In fact, I never would have discovered my love of writing without their love of reading and the fact that my mom left out her electric typewriter once when I was in the 3rd grade and I wrote my first short story. I went to Webster University, where I ended up studying communications and falling in love with broadcasting, particularly radio. I spent quite a few years trying to get a full time job in radio, then spent 8 years working in human resources, before going back to writing and what I loved back in 2006.
 
Fiona: Tell us your latest news?
I just published a horror novella called Strange Fruit and the Slender Man, which is my take on the Slender Man phenomenon. This past year also saw the publication of my first YA Novel – Sapphire, which has garnered some of the best reviews of my career. I just had a vampire short story published in an anthology called Wrapped in Red. This Christmas, the third novel in my Sin-Eater series is due to be published. I plan to publish the first novel in a four-novel Young Adult series next year. I am currently also writing TWO novels, both of which I intend to release in a serialized format. Whew…

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?
I remember loving books for as long as, well, I can remember. I was fascinated, as a kid, by sharks and during my young days (in the mid-70s) everyone was reading JAWS. I remember being fascinated by the cover, with that big shark on it, fascinated that someone had written this story. I wrote my first short story when I was in the third grade – and it was a total rip-off of Jaws. I loved the feeling of creating my own characters, my own world.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?
 Probably after I self-published my first novel. This was back in 1998 and it is still out there – lurking. It is an overly-ambitious sci-fi action novel called The Ballad of the Blue Denim Gang.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?
Well, my actual first novel was handwritten in high school and my early years in college. It will always stay forever in a binder on my bookshelf because, well, it’s awful. It’s a murder mystery called Among Friends and all of the characters are based on friends I had in high school. The murderer kills off all but a couple characters, this making the mystery not quite mysterious.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?
Not that I am aware of. I like to vary my style. I wrote my thriller novel After the Snowfall during my Cormack McCarthy days and didn’t put any quotes around the dialog. I have done first person and present tense. I always like trying new things to keep myself intrigued and interested.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?
I wish I knew. The titles just come to me – much like the stories. When my brain settles on a title, however, it is virtually impossible for me to change it.

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
I write to entertain. I don’t usually have a message. In my novel VICIOUS I did try to convey a message about cruelty to animals, in particular dogs, but I also wanted to just entertain and scare people.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?
I try to set my books in reality so that the audience can relate. However, most of my horror involves a supernatural element introduced into the real life part.

Fiona: Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
There are quite  a few characters based on real people in my life. The events in the novel are usually wholly fiction.

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?
Gosh, that is hard to say. Jaws, obviously, since it was the first thing to inspire me to write. Stephen King’s work in general has been the biggest sole inspiration. Some of my other big inspirations: HG Wells’ War of the Worlds, Robert R. McCammon’s Boy’s Life, Blake Crouch’s RUN, Thomas Tryon’s Harvest Home and The Other. I am sure there are more – and I discover new authors all the time.

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

Fiona: What book are you reading now?
Right now it is Scott Nicholson’s novel After: The Shock.

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Blake Crouch, Iain Rob Wright, Ian Woodhead, Patrick Greene, JA Konrath, Scott Nicholson, Bryan R. Dennis, Ronald Malfi – to name a few.

Fiona: What are your current projects?
See above!  I have so many, and I still work a full-time day job. I hope I can get to them all.

Fiona: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
My teachers. I had two great teachers in my life: my six grade teacher Mr. Tatone, and my high school Composition teacher Mrs. Rundio.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?
I dream of it every single day. I long and ache for the day when I can spend my days just doing my stories and writing my novels. I write both fiction and non-fiction, and I would love to write my books all day instead of the day job, you know?

Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
 No.

Fiona: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Mostly finding the time. These days I get up very early to work on my writing before I have to start my day job.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?
My current novella cover was designed by a friend named Tim Bliznick. The covers to my novels Sapphire and Vicious were designed by Stephen Bryant. My covers for One Against Many and RIG were designed by Erin Engelmann.

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?
Always write. Never give up and never let the world tell you that you cannot do it. Even if you write for just a few, write. Write even if you just put your work in a drawer for now.

Fiona: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Always remember that indie writers, like me, rely on feedback and reviews that you find on Amazon. Word of mouth is so key to us achieving any kind of success, so telling others about a writer and work that you like is key.
Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies.
I love movies and I try to see as many as I can. I watch way too much TV. I love listening to the radio, including shortwave radio. I read a lot.
Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching.
Marvel Agents of SHIELD, Blacklist, Once Upon a Time, Parenthood, Hostages, American Horror Story. My list of films is just so long it would never end.
Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music
 Sushi, blue and Pink Floyd
Fiona: If you were not a writer what else would you like to have done ?
Geez, I have wanted to be a writer since the third grade, but working in radio (even though I never did more than part-time) was always a blast. If I could work in that field, I would be very happy.
 
Fiona: Do you have a blog/website? if so what is it?
Yes, my website and blog is www.bryanwalaspa.com. You can find links to all of my books there, too.

Here is my interview with Christa Lynn

29 Tuesday Oct 2013

Posted by fionamcvie1964 in Uncategorized

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Name  – Christa Lynn

Age –  You’re gonna ask a woman that?  Hehe, mid 40’s

Where are you from – Atlanta, Georgia

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

 

Married for 16 years and I have a 15 year old son and a 20 pound Yorkie.  I work a full time job and write in my spare time.  I attended college for only a year so I don’t count that.  

 

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

 

Just released my debut erotic/mature adult romance novel, Running from Destiny.  The first book in a series of two.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

 

If you’re looking for the “I’ve wanted to write all my life” answer, you won’t get it.  I read.  A LOT.  And one night I was lying in bed thinking, “I can do that!” So the next morning I got up and started typing.  Before I knew it, my first book was done. Though, it hides in the bowels of my laptop collecting dust.  I may or may not revisit that book at some point.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

 

I’m not sure I do now.  Have I written a book?  Yes, but the success of that book remains to be seen.  I think when I am holding the paperback version in my hands I’ll believe it.

 

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

Honestly?  Nothing really.  I  wanted to see if I could do it and what the outcome would be, so I challenged myself.  I love reading and being entertained, so I wanted to pass along that entertainment to others that also like to read.  

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

 

Mostly first person.  I write like I am telling the story, so I can get in to the character’s mind and put my true feelings down on paper.  I think people can relate to that, rather than having someone else tell the story.  I also like to keep it real, which means the grammar may not be what people expect.  Don’t get me wrong, the grammar is correct – but I tell the story like you  would tell a friend the story – In real time, so to speak.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

 

In Running from Destiny, Ally Sanders is pursued buy media mogul Jackson Bentley.  She fights him off and continues to run from him, but at the end decides that her destiny will follow her.

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

 

Several actually.  The heroine is not a model. She is short, curvy and normal.  She’s not what you would expect a heroine to be.  She’s down on herself and has no idea why this man desires her.  The story also touches on Bulimia and addresses young women to learn to be happy with the way they are.  That it’s okay if you aren’t model thin.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

 

 

I guess it could all be realistic to a point, depending on the person. But it is all completely fiction.

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

 

I too, am short and curvier than most women, so in a sense – it is me telling the story.  But I have never suffered from any eating disorders or  <<spoiler alert!>> been kidnapped, so it’s mostly fiction.  

 

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

 

  I read the Hunger Games trilogy and that series made me realize that I love to read, when in turn helped with wanting to write my own novel.

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

 

I love Lisa Rene Jones, Sylvia Day and Maya Banks.  They take chances with their writing and I can only dream of being as successful as they are.  I also admire Indie authors, as they have the added pressures of being noticed and seen.  

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

 

Not currently reading anything at the moment.  But I have several on my list.  Just finished Promise Me Light, by Paige Weaver.  

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

 

Paige Weaver is an inspiration.  I love both of her books!

Fiona: What are your current projects?

 

I have completed Accepting Destiny, the sequel to Running from Destiny and have began another WIP that has yet to be named.  Also working on a collaboration short story with a fellow Titan author.

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

 

My publisher, Titan Publishing House.  They have been amazing.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

 

Probably not.  I do have a life and a career outside of writing, but I enjoy it and hope to continue as long as my creativity continues to flow.  But then again, never say never!  Only time will tell what will happen.

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

 

Oh, I already did.  I self published the first time around and had actually given up on the promotion of it.  With working a full time job, being a full time mother and wife, I just didn’t have the time to promote.  I’m glad things have turned out the way they have.

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

 

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

<<I can post the synopsis here if you like>>  

I don’t want to give too much away.  Just that it’s about an ordinary girl and a not so ordinary man, who pursues her and she doesn’t understand why.  It takes place in Atlanta, Miami and New York.  Jackson has secrets and when those secrets come out, Ally and her friend are placed in a dangerous situation.

 

 

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

 

Yes, writing sex scenes in the male POV.  I’m finding that extremely difficult in my current work in progress.  

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

 

Again, love Lisa Renee Jones – she takes things to the limit and makes it sexy.  Maya Banks does the same.  Love them both! The have no problem crossing the line to tell their story.  They are both amazing authors.  

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

 

Not yet, and unsure how that will play out.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

 

My publisher designs my covers

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

 

Finding the time.  And, describing the internal issues that each character goes through.

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

 

I learned that writing is not as easy as it looks.  Trying to put what you are thinking in to words can be a challenge, and those brick walls love to come down on you just when you don’t need it.

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

 

Keep going and don’t give up on your dreams.  Take the bad reviews and file them away and enjoy the good reviews.  Write what you want to write and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do it.  

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

Just to thank them for their support.  Putting your work out there for the world to see is stressful and nerve racking.  Knowing you have fans out there that support you and love your work, makes it easier.  So thank you for that.

 

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies

My son plays ice hockey – yes I know, hockey in the south.  So that keep us busy too.

 

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

 

I love Sex and the City, Criminal Minds, Vampire Diaries.  But with two men in the house, I rarely get to see my favorite shows.

 

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music Food?

 Did someone say food?  And I love rock music, both old school and the newer stuff.  Also some pop – anything that gets my spirits up.

 

 

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

 Well, I’m doing it already.  I just hope I can be successful in whatever I do.  

 

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

 

   Just a Facebook page – Author Christa Lynn and Twitter @authorclynn

 

Here is our interview with Derrick LaCombe

29 Tuesday Oct 2013

Posted by fionamcvie1964 in Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Name Derrick LaCombe

Age 51

Where are you from New Orleans, La.

A little about yourself, your education Family life ect.

I am married to a wonderfully understanding woman. (She had to hear the book over and over!) LOL!!! I am a Registered Nurse and have worked in the Operating Room for 27 yrs. We have 5 children (all grown). I have always been fascinated with nature, space, science fiction, reading, and writing. I grew up loving the Mardi Gras, art, great food, architecture, and a unique culture.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

D.L. I have a recently published novel titled, “After Death!” out on Amazon.com

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

D.L. I started the novel 25 months ago, because of an article that I read in a nature article about zombie ants. Yes …they are indeed real!!

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

D.L. When I finished this book!! I really felt a HUGE sense of accomplishment!

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

D.L. I was inspired from childhood to write a book. I loved reading all sorts of things, from ghost books, to astronomy, to nature articles. I loved Jacques Cousteau!! (but I didn’t get around to writing anything until about 5 years ago).

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

D.L. I think it is reminiscent of Ray Bradbury in his later years. I like to get to the point rather quickly!

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

D.L. That question will be buried in the book. A mystery to figure out!!!

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

D.L. Yes! That’s a good question, but I don’t want to be a spoiler of my own story. The question will come to them somewhere towards the middle of the book.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic?

D.L. That is a tough one! I’d say that the science of the zombies is potentially possible. HELA cells are real. I had West Nile Virus and can relate to what these characters go through. I think my characters relationships with each other are as real as you can get in the situation they’re in. I describe their wounds with a knowledge of anatomy and physiology thrown in.

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

D.L. Yes … my own when dealing with West Nile. My experiences as a Hospital Corpsman in the U.S. Navy for the tactical situations of the book (when necessary).

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

D.L. I’ll answer that one by listing a few authors I love. Steven King, Anne Rice, Ray Bradbury, and Mark Twain.

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

D.L. Ray Bradbury

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

D.L. “Harvest of the Dead” by Ian Woodhead, a great author.

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

D.L. Owen Baillie, author of “Murder Inc.” He’s from Australia! It’s not out yet. I was a beta reader.

Fiona: What are your current projects?

D.L Editing the sequel to “After Death!” In a month or so it will go to Monique Happy, editor who will add the polishing!

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

D.L. That’s a very difficult question. A year ago I met a few zombie authors at the Zombie Walk in Long Beach, Ca. Through them, I have met many, many other authors of the genre and other genres as well. I will name a few: David Forsyth, Ian Woodhead, and Saul Tanpepper. Check out their work.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

D.L. Of course, but what you call a career is up to interpretation. Whether it’s earning a living from writing or not, I can say that I will forevermore write books (no stopping me now). Lol!

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

D.L. Not a thing. I hope that’s not being too conceited. I really put a lot of thought into it and arrived at what I thought was the best book I could write.

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

D.L. Reading all of those Scholastic Book Club books I would order in elementary school. My mom pretty much let me buy whatever I wanted.  I really think children need to be big time readers. Of course, some are more hands on and that can be cultivated into reading.

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

D.L. The sequel which takes place in the town next to the one where all of the action takes place in Texas for “After Death.” This town is the real home town of Bob Wills (The official King of Country Swing). His music can be found on You Tube. It’s really an awesome sound whether you like country swing music or not.

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

D.L. I try to tell a good story and it just flows out of me. When my creative juices are pumping, I really can’t slow down. So the short answer is no. Again, not trying to sound conceited.

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

D.L. I really don’t travel much directly concerning my books, because while I travel for my other love (Travel Nursing), I soak in that knowledge for my books. It’s kind of a win-win for me. I did however pass through the area where the fictional town is supposed to be.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

D.L. Derek Edgerton – a really fantastic artist. Look him up on facebook.

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

D.L. Editing over and over again. (If I had to choose something)

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

D.L. I learned the more you write the better that you become at the craft …and the faster you can type without looking! LOL!!

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

D.L. No matter what you do, write something every day during the story building portion. Never give up! Use social media to get the word out that you’re writing a book. Go to functions related to writing in your genre.

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

D.L. My novel is a common sense approach to surviving the zombie apocalypse. Not everyone will find a bazooka on the street to take out zombies. Not everyone is fearless when faced with the zombie threat. Pick out a character from the book and BE that person. See if you could make it until the last bone crushing page. If you don’t make it … just choose another character. LOL

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies

D.L. I love to karaoke, and I love to travel!!!

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

D.L. My favorite T.V. show is the “Walking Dead.” I also love anything related to science, nature, comedy and New Orleans Saints football.

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music?

D.L. Favorite foods are anything seafood and Cajun. Colors: Blue, Green, Red. I really love all colors though. MY current favorite music is from the band “Leftover Cuties” and “Steam Powered Giraffes.” You can find them both on You Tube.

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

D.L. Fortunately, I have my first love which is, Operating Room nursing.

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

www.facebook.com/zombieauthor (Please like my page), or go to amazon.com and purchase a copy of my book (105,000 words). If you have any questions, you can ask them on the zombie author page site until I get my website up and running. You can also tweet:  @DerrickLaCombe; and follow me for other exciting news to come.

Here is my interview with Michael Matula

29 Tuesday Oct 2013

Posted by fionamcvie1964 in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Name Michael Matula

Age  35

Where are you from

I was born and raised in the Chicago area.

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

There isn’t too much to say.  I went to Glenbard North High School, enjoy watching movies when I can scrape up the time, and I find that I’m getting more obsessive-compulsive as each day goes by.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

My latest short story, “My Boss is a Vampire,” will be appearing in Wrapped in Red, the new anthology from Sekhmet Press, on October 29th.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I always wanted to be a comic book artist.  I wrote and drew my own comics as a teenager, usually during study hall, but occasionally during classes.  But I had too many ideas for the stories, and I couldn’t draw fast enough to keep up with everything I wanted to do.  Nor could I quite match the images that I was seeing in my mind.  So I wrote out a side story for one of my characters, and I never really looked back after that.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Pretty much right away.  I finished writing my first book in high school.  Looking back, it wasn’t very well-written, and I’d probably die of embarrassment if anyone read it now, but I still hold a lot of the characters and the story very close to my heart, and I hope to one day rewrite it.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your story?

I had an idea for a woman who was not too dissimilar to me.  She’s struggling to find work, doing lots of odd jobs while trying to be a writer in an age where print is dead.  And basically, every job she takes goes wrong somehow, though she would never admit to it ever being her own fault.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

I mostly just write the story as the character, placing myself in their heads as much as possible, and whatever they would think is usually how I tell it.  I always think that the key to writing is to find characters you like.  Then, the characters do most of the heavy lifting for you.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

I think I had the title before I actually wrote the story, which is often how I do things.  A good title can give you inspiration for the story, and makes me excited to write it.

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

Be wary of kids who learn voodoo curses off the internet.  You might have career trouble later in life.

Fiona: How much of the story is realistic?

Not much, if I’m being honest.  It’s part parody, part suspense, and hopefully all fun.  If any parts of it are realistic, then it’s probably unintentional.

Fiona: What books have influenced your life most?

Sunglasses After Dark was one of the books that made me want to be a writer.  That, and the Wheel of Time series, along with some of Michael Crichton’s books.

Fiona: What are your current projects?

I just completed the sequel to my first novel, Try Not To Burn, which is about three people struggling to escape eternal damnation and redeem their sins.  It’s part suspense, part psychological thriller, and part monster movie.

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

A teacher I had in elementary school, Mrs. McArdle, pushed me to join an advanced program, which may have helped steer me into a creative path.  I also remember one time that I was supposed to write down an answer to a question “What’s one thing you do better than anyone else?” It was supposed to just be a fun thing, a throwaway question, but I didn’t have an answer, as I’ve never felt particularly special.  So I asked her, and she said I was better at making her laugh than anyone else.  It was something that will always stick with me, and it was one of the first times as a kid that I’d ever felt like I mattered.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

I’d love it to be.  There’s nothing I’d rather do full-time than write.

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

I try to let go of the stories once they’re out in the wild.  I obsess so much over them while I’m writing, making changes up until the very last minute, that once they’re in someone else’s hands, I feel like I’ve done all I can to prepare for them to leave the proverbial nest.

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

I’m not sure if I’m allowed to share any of my vampire story.  But here’s a quick excerpt from Chapter 1 of Try Not to Burn:

“What happened to me?” Brand asked her, staring at the large gun pointed at his forehead, assuming the red dot of the laser sight was dancing merrily right between his eyes.

“You died,” she answered simply.

Brand glanced toward the girl. She nodded soberly, the smile fading in intensity until it was almost fully extinguished.

“We’re all dead,” she told him.

He aimed his eyes down toward himself, straining to lift his head as far up as he was able. From what he could tell, most of his uniform was missing. He only had on his white undershirt and dark blue slacks. His belt and gun were gone. His jacket and shirt were gone. His badge was gone.

Momentarily, he wondered if the two women had nicked them, but they didn’t seem to know he was a cop.

With his limited range of motion, he glanced around the room, trying to get some sense of his current location. He was lying on a dusty floor in a small, nondescript room. Entirely unfurnished, the room made a monk’s quarters look extravagant. A flimsy door sat to the right with nary a chain lock or deadbolt, and a single window peered out from the center of the far wall. He couldn’t see a thing through the filth-smeared glass, which looked darker than the lining of a smoker’s lungs.

He grimaced again as he turned his head back toward the pair of women.

“How can I possibly be dead? I still feel alive. In a lot of pain, but alive.”

“Trust me,” the black-haired woman told him, “what you feel is an illusion. On Earth, a coroner’s probably zippin’ up a body bag over your head right now.”

He stared at her for a few seconds, trying to decide if she was serious or not. He wasn’t sure.

“Where am I?” he eventually asked.

“Your new home. Hell City.”

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

Trying not to overwrite is something I have to watch out for.  I like to be very visual with my writing, and sometimes I can get a bit carried away.

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

Most of my favorites are ones I keep from childhood.  It’s hard for a new writer to work their way into my favorites list, since they don’t have the benefit of all those warm fuzzies of nostalgia.  I’d say Nancy A. Collins is my favorite.  She can be quite dark, but her characters can really stick with you long after you’ve finished reading.

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

I’m probably the last person to be giving advice, but I like writing characters who have some meat to them.  Back stories are important, even if you never tell the reader what they are.  They’ll give the characters’ actions meaning, and add weight to the story.  Birthplaces, favorite foods, past relationships, etc.  It all adds up, and can help make them come alive. You don’t have to use it all in the book, but I think it’s worth thinking about.

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

Hi, there!  Thanks so much for reading.  Wow, you look good in that outfit.  Have you lost weight?

Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching

I like a lot of action and horror movies.  I rewatched the original Alien recently, and it really stood the test of time.  It might be my favorite movie of all time.  Some of my more recent faves include Inception, The Orphanage (one of the best horror movies I’ve ever seen), and Attack the Block.

I don’t watch much TV as it airs, as I usually only pick up box sets these days, but I really like Homeland and Game of Thrones.  I’m really going out on a limb with those choices, aren’t I?

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music

Food: I’ve yet to find any Mexican food that I dislike.  A Chimichanga is quite possibly the world’s most perfect food.

Color: Gray or black.

Music: I like a lot of industrial and alternative.  I don’t tend to know which genres most bands fit into, typically, but anything I can jog to is usually A-okay with me.

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

I’d love to be an artist.  I’d also have made a great time traveller or space pirate, but I think I might have been born in the wrong millennium for those.

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

http://michaelmatula.blogspot.com/

Here is my interview with Michael G. Williams

29 Tuesday Oct 2013

Posted by fionamcvie1964 in Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Name Michael G. Williams

Age     Physically 39, mentally 23.

Where are you fromI was born near Asheville, NC, and live in Durham, NC.

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

I grew up in a very rural area surrounded by shadowy woods and oddball characters and, though I moved as far away as I could manage the second I had the opportunity, I am extremely grateful for that upbringing. The middle of nowhere is both sheltering and smothering. In college I became a brother in St. Anthony Hall and a brother in Mu Beta Psi, both of which did a lot to encourage creativity. I have a degree in Performance Studies from UNC Chapel Hill and work in information security. I’m a professional geek, which is a lot like being a very specialized type of plumber. It demands a type of creativity very different from writing, which I find is important to having anything left to devote to my work.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

My very latest is that my short story “Daddy Used to Drink Too Much” will be featured in Wrapped in Red: Thirteen Tales of Vampiric Horror from Sekhmet Press. This has been an extremely productive year for me overall: I published a short story on my own, published Tooth & Nail (the sequel to my first novel, Perishables) and have a short story titled “The Several Monsters of Sainte-Sara-La-Noire” in the recently-released Theme-Thology: Invasion from HDWP Books.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

Storytelling is highly valued in my family and in traditional Appalachian culture in general. I was listening to people relate oral histories as a tiny child and wanted to get in on the action. I tried to write a novel in third grade. It wasn’t very good, but it was a lot of fun. I was lucky enough to have some teachers who really encouraged me, very early on in life, so by the junior high school I was really trying to mimic my favorite writers and explore different ideas. Again, I’m not saying they were great – I was no savant – but I was doing my adolescent best.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I considered it an important hobby by age 14 or so. I started calling myself a writer, however, when I started doing National Novel Writing Month and was really working to accomplish long-form stories and challenging myself to work across different genres. That was in my late 20’s. Prior to then it was something I enjoyed but not something I considered myself always to be doing. NaNoWriMo really put me in a mindset of always being preparing for the next project. That made a huge difference in my thinking.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your story?

“Daddy Used to Drink Too Much” is based in part on a desire to see the other side of a vampire story: the perspective of the people who are victims, the people who have to try to put their lives together once the Count is sated and goes on his merry way. Vampire tales are often encrypted stories of abuse, of personal relationships (sexual or otherwise) fouled by power disparities and of the corrupting, intoxicating nature of that power. Lots of works derive their horror from a close study of the monster and I wanted to focus instead on the humans who may find themselves just as monstrous in their own way.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

Almost everything I write is genre fiction, usually some flavor of vampire or detective story or, when I’m really feeling it, vampire detectives. I also write the occasional science fiction story. I enjoy literary fiction but genre fiction is also literature and it’s way more enjoyable to write. I also write almost exclusively in first-person. It’s much easier for me. It lets writing be a role-play exercise and I find myself just as surprised by the ending as the characters are.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

Titles are very, very important to me. I almost always have a title before I have a story. The title is something about which I’ll do a little brainstorming and then I’ll let it bake until one pops into my head. The rest of the story is informed by that title. I knew for this anthology, for instance, I wanted to write a vampire story set in Depression-era Appalachia. It was a setting I hadn’t explored but of which I’d heard many stories from relatives. I knew right away I wanted the title to feel a little colloquial to reflect the rural setting and to give it the right ambience. The word “daddy” occurred to me right away so I let that sit for a day or two as various phrases cropped up: “Daddy Won’t Wake Up” was one that came to mind but for which I didn’t have a story; “Daddy Darkness” was another; “Fetch Daddy a [Something?]” was another. Eventually the phrase “Daddy Used to Drink Too Much” came to mind. I liked it, and it immediately suggested the question of to whom it could be attributed. That got me thinking about a narrator and the story blossomed from there.

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

We are not the sum of our errors, nor are those we love cursed to bear them for us.

Fiona: How much of the story is realistic?

A great deal of it, actually. The notion of a family tucked away high in the mountains in a stagnant economy with little but one another and their overshadowing past is no feat of fantasy. There are elements drawn from my own ancestors’ biographies.

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

Hmmm. Given the content of my story, I think maybe I should plead the fifth on this one. Heh.

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

Reading Dracula in seventh grade was absolutely life-changing. The epistolary format and the notion of friendship and trust overcoming the looming darkness were incredibly important to me. It made me seek out close friends with whom I could create strong bonds and it made me want more stories about how big concepts or larger-than-life characters could impact the individual experiences of baseline humans. It’s a very personal novel, in terms of the characters and the narrative arcs they experience, and that gives it its power.

On the other hand, reading Foundation in college was also perspective-shifting. It’s a story about how whole societies can be affected by one small person at a time. Over and over again, Asimov’s stories are about how the fates of entire civilizations are decided in small moments by exceptional but entirely believable persons. They are amazing reading and they definitely inspired me to activism.

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

If I could attend a writing workshop with any writer, it would be Terry Pratchett. He creates such compelling characters and his stories are so driven by their motivations rather than by arbitrary events, but he has this incredible ability to keep the world alive and changing and tell a huge, overarching story over many, many novels. I could read his books over and over again for the rest of my life.

Anne Rice has to be the substitute teacher on days Sir Terry is under the weather, however.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

Real talk, here’s my currently-reading list:

Monsters of the Gévaudan: The Making of a Beast (Jay M. Smith): non-fiction about a completely real werewolf scare in early-Renaissance France.

Food for the Dead (Michael E. Bell): non-fiction about completely real vampire scares in 19th century New England.

The Black Knight Chronicles (John Hartness): humorous and adventurous vampire fiction set in NC.

Pirate’s Honor (Chris A. Jackson): fantasy adventure fiction set in the Pathfinder world and written by a really nice guy who lives on an actual boat.

House of Leaves (Mark Z. Danielewski): exceptionally good multi-format literary horror.

Junius and Albert’s Adventures in the Confederacy (Peter Carlson): non-fiction about two journalists who traveled south during the Civil War.

The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane (Robert E. Howard): classic tales of the renegade Puritan on a mission to scrub the world of injustice, mostly by stabbing it.

Operation Trojan Horse (John Keel): delightfully crazy ideas about the nature of all sorts of paranormal phenomena, UFOs and other bits of weirdness cropping up in the experience of humanity to exhibit highly irrational behaviors. Excellent reading for anyone who needs to refill their tanks with the truly weird.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg. I’m usually “currently” reading anywhere around a dozen books. It takes me forever to finish one, yes, but I have to be able to flit between them. We don’t get our ideas from nowhere. We get our ideas from what we consume and digest and so we must always be consuming if we want always to be producing.

Fiona: What are your current projects?

Right now I’m mostly working on editing Deal With the Devil, the third novel in The Withrow Chronicles, my vampire series set in the small-town and small-city South. It’s a five-book arc in which I tackle different genres by inserting into them a misanthropic gay vampire from the 1940’s who lives in suburbia. I love writing Withrow and I love getting to play around in suburban fantasy (as opposed to urban fantasy). It started with Perishables (a zombie story), then Tooth & Nail (vampire novel) and now Deal With the Devil is a superhero book. The fourth will be a spy novel titled Attempted Immortality and the fifth will be a war story titled Nobody Gets Out Alive.

I’m also crazy excited about the anthologies I’m in this autumn. Wrapped in Red and Theme-Thology: Invasion both consist of really incredible stories.

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

St. Anthony Hall (also known as the Fraternity of Delta Psi), hands down. My brothers and sisters are a community of people who believe in one another and the ideas of one another. It challenged me to think for myself, to defend my conclusions and to seek new ways to present myself.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

No, I see it as a vocation. It isn’t just what I do, and I’m not sure it will ever pay the bills, but it’s what I feel I should do.

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

Only a couple of hundred thousand things, I’m sure. I have never met the writer who was truly satisfied with a story, no matter its publication status. That’s one of the skills we have to develop as part of our craft: we have to learn when to type THE END and let it go so we can move on to the next idea. Some creators never figure that out. It was one of the first big unexpected temptations I experienced in self-publishing: realizing I could go back and “fix” the Kindle edition of a novel any time I felt like it. I’ve had to be very strict with myself.

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

From “Daddy Used to Drink Too Much”:

It was a high, lilting tune and in my mind I always saw a lonesome figure tracing some far horizon as they made their way from this world to the next. The boy’s voice was as pure as an angel’s and I barely breathed as he neared the house. I hadn’t thought on that song in years but it seemed to have been written just for me.

The singer–Percy–emerged from the woods singing one of the last lines: I want to shout salvation’s story in concert with the blood-washed band. He looked about my age with long orange hair and pale skin gone silver in the moonlight. He wore dark clothes and an old gray cloak called an Inverness coat. It had a coal company logo on it in bright white stitching. Percy was thin, like he’d snap in a strong wind. He smiled at me. His canine teeth were bone white, sharp and long as the blades on a pair of sewing scissors.

I knew exactly what he was, from books.

From Deal With the Devil:

A couple of other vampires and I were watching the local youth ballet perform Dracula in hypnotic slow motion when a perfectly pleasant autumn turned into a whole heap of trouble. It started with a scent: the faint but distinct sickly sweet bloodstench of a fellow predator – another vampire, one I didn’t recognize – in an auditorium I’d expected to hold only humankind. One sniff sent the hairs on the back of my neck straight to standing and I groaned to myself in over-privileged complaint. I’d gone there to get a little culture and found politics in its place.

The ballet performance was good but not great. To be honest, that’s one of the things I liked best about it. At human speeds of perception it probably looked fine enough, maybe a little rickety in the way of every event staged for proud parents and nervous instructors. Ground to a supernaturally slow pace, that same ballet performance took on a poetry improved by its imperfections. A child – a teen, but gods: a child! – was skillfully yet inexpertly donning the mantle of that classic monster and I loved every second of it. The best art speaks to something universal and at the same time to something deeply felt and personal: Faulkner’s tales of familial claustrophobia, a lasting pop song, painted landscapes that snare the viewer’s mind by rearranging all the colors and textures of their local palette into somewhere familiar they’ve never been. These kids were doing the same with the archetypes of predator and prey.

The teenager in the title role was depicting a monster we’d all seen a hundred times, sure, but he was also showing us himself as a monster: how it would look one day when he would stalk one or another type of prey. That probably didn’t occur to the average mom or pop in the audience but their children were on stage hunting and fearing and slaying one another to the applause of those who loved them and it was important – it was art – not just because of the skill or the time they’d invested in it but because they too would one day face monsters and chase each other and they would maybe kill or be killed. These children were dancing us a dream of the nightmares that kept them awake into the gray hours and so too their society. In wide arcs and graceful swoops – and trembling embraces and slightly staggered tempos – their frail vitality contrasted the inevitability of vitality’s end and I reveled in that irony.

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

I’m terrible at outlining and at plotting things out in advance. I tend to jump into the idea, mid-scene, and see what happens. I’m always terrified my story is going nowhere as a result but so far it’s worked out and it seems to be a necessary part of my process. The occasions on which I’ve tried to outline have large been exercises in measuring in how many syllables of written text I would utterly diverge from the planned outline.

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

Favorite? As in, one? Oh, I can’t. Let’s try three:

I am in constant awe of William Faulkner for his incredibly personal and unflinching stories of the good and the bad of life in a small town. The Sound and the Fury is a book every writer should read. Every single writer, bar none, even if they don’t like him, needs to read that book. It has taught me volumes about getting inside the heads of different characters.

Another of the ties for first is Anne Rice. Again, she specializes in the intensely personal and the passions of individuals bound together by fate and circumstance. She figured out how to talk about people whose lives are dangerously lived on the fringes of society: people whose loves or families or other priorities are inescapable by them and intolerable to society. If that isn’t compelling character design, I don’t know what is. Her descriptions are just to die for.

The third tie for favorite is Isaac Asimov. Lots of people find him dry and scientific but that’s part of what’s so amazing about him: his characters have passionate motivations derived almost entirely from their own intellectual pursuits. He didn’t write novels about people who come into conflict and meet with successes or failures just to provide events in a soap opera: his characters are chasing ideas.

Last, H.P. Lovecraft was just amazing. He’s considered to be incredibly creative, but it’s actually possible to see lots of earlier authors’ work in his own output. That isn’t to say he wasn’t creative, though. He worked slavishly to combine his own ideas and interests with a highly concentrated selection of the best and most intriguing ideas he encountered – as every writer does – to come up with something entirely new. I think there’s an argument to be made that he invented the horror/sci-fi crossover. Without him, our shelves would be much thinner, much less interesting. There would be no Alien, no X-Files and countless stories in between.

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

I do very few in-person events, though I would love to do more. I love traveling and I love sharing my stories with new people and getting to seek inspiration from those places. Every time I go somewhere I find myself seeing it through my characters’ eyes. Withrow loves Scotland; his cousin Roderick prefers Key West.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

The covers for The Withrow Chronicles have all been done by John Ward.

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

In the case of “Daddy Used to Drink Too Much”, it was definitely editing it down to the word count limit Sekhmet Press placed on submissions! Ha! I tend to be verbose. (Can you tell?) On the other hand, that was good, important work. It helped me come up with a voice I hadn’t used much before. Withrow is a rambler but the narrator of “Daddy Used to Drink Too Much” is much more terse.

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Write. Do not let yourself get caught up in anything that is a distraction from writing. Lots of writing groups and writing circles and meetups and the like exist for writers and they are all, in my experience, a way to prevent one’s self from doing actual writing. They are a way to talk about writing and pretending that’s as good as writing. Avoid that trap.

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

It’s my hope that my work makes them a little uncomfortable and a little intrigued and a lot entertained. I want my readers to like my characters enough to follow them into the darkness so I can show them something new once we’re there. It is so flattering when that happens: when a reader connects with my work and makes me feel it was worthwhile. I cannot overstate my appreciation for the generosity they show by giving me their time and attention and I sincerely thank them.

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies

I’m an avid runner, cyclist and gamer. Also, cats are cool.

Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching

I hate television. Well, most of it. I really love some cartoons: Venture Bros. and Futurama, for instance, and the anime series Darker Than Black, Cowboy Bebop and Big O. So far I am enjoying Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and I’ve probably watched Twin Peaks in its entirety a dozen times. I loved Buffy but was meh about Angel. I hate shows about cops or lawyers or doctors – especially if they constantly solve unlikely murders – despite S.H.I.E.L.D. sort of being cops and Twin Peaks being about an FBI agent solving a murder. My television tastes are extremely eclectic, which is a fancy-pants way of saying they’re weird and I can’t explain them and they’re mostly defined by what I dislike.

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music

I love to bake and I’m a runner so anything chock full of carbs is a good thing. My favorite color is definitely blue and my favorite bands of all time are The Cure, Depeche Mode, Erasure and Muse. I would cut a man in front of his own grandmother for a house concert by Rufus Wainwright. I would cut a man and his grandmother for a time machine and front row tickets to see Queen.

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

Everything about me and my writing can be found at http://www.theperishablesproject.com.

Here is my interview with Maynard Blackoak

29 Tuesday Oct 2013

Posted by fionamcvie1964 in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Maynard Blackoak

55

Lives in Pawnee County, Oklahoma

Prefers night to day and enjoys aimlessly walking along a dirt road or absorbing the darkness in a forgotten cemetery.  Two daughters, two granddaughters and one grandson with another due to arrive in December.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

I will have two short stories in the soon to be released anthology, A World of Dark Spirits and the Fay.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I began writing as a senior in high school at the urging of my creative writing instructor.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I honestly don’t consider myself to be a writer.  I just don’t have the body of work.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your story?

I was researching some interesting characters of the wild west and learned about a gunfighter who simply vanished from sight.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

I’ve never really thought about it. Perhaps I’m just a story teller in an old fashioned balladeer style.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

The title came from the main character, Dangerous Dan Tucker

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

I don’t know.  Perhaps it’s just to show that history can be fun

Fiona: How much of the story is realistic?

Only the main character is based on reality.  He was a lawman who decided he could make more money selling his gunhand.

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

I wish!

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

Dracula, Sherlock Holmes and A Christmas Carol

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

I’d be insulting one of the classic authors to consider them a mentor

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

I recently read The Grapes of Wrath

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

There are a few I’d like to read. However, there are still some classics I need to read first.

Fiona: What are your current projects?

I really don’t have anything new at the present.  I’m in somewhat of a holding pattern, waiting to see if something good happens.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

Not really.  I just don’t believe the talent is there.

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

I haven’t published a novel. So I can’t answer that.

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

My high school teacher suggested it. I just didn’t pursue it seriously until recently. One day about twenty years ago I dabbled with it, though.

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

About a month ago, I wrote a novella about antihero who tortures and assassinates corrupt politicians and corporate heads

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

The challenge is to get published. There are too many talented writers out there.

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

Poe for his darkness. Dickens for the images his stories paint in my head. Conan Doyle for the way his novels challenge my mind.

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

Keeping it unpredictable

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

I learned that going to my darkest place can be a good thing

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Have a thick hide and learn to appreciate failure

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

I am sincerely amazed and humble that anyone enjoys what I write

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies

Appreciating decay and ruin.  For there is beauty in the remnants of the past

Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching

The Walking Dead, Sons of Anarchy, American Horror Story, Haven and Being Human.  As a special message to the SYFY channel, please bring back Eureka and the proper spelling of your network

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music

I like dark, reflective music mostly. I also like a little of most genres.  I like black. It matches my soul.

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

Become a hermit…Oh wait. I did do that

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

Not at the present. I really have no reason for one

Here is my interview with Justine Dimabayao

29 Tuesday Oct 2013

Posted by fionamcvie1964 in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Name: Justine Dimabayao

Age: 25

Where are you from: Philippines

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

I’ve always been artistically inclined. I am lucky to belong in a family that encourages my penchant for the arts. The Catholic school I was educated in also encouraged my talents for drawing and writing. I was raised bilingual (English is the second language), and by the time I was in elementary school, I was among the best to express myself in English. I also love drawing and singing, and I’m also pretty good at both.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

I’m currently working on my first novel. It’s been in progress since I was about 13 years old. I’m glad I didn’t hurry too much to get it published; it’s gone through several revisions at this point, each better than the last.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I’ve had a good grasp at writing with good grammar in both English and Filipino by elementary school, but I didn’t know I can make a career out of writing until I was 11 or 12, when my best friend encouraged me to write Harry Potter fan fiction.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When I decided to make an original works of fiction.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your story?

“Born of the Earth” is actually part of a larger story telling the life of the blonde “bride” living with Count Dracula in his castle. It was initially my response to the whole Twilight craze, but when the pop culture obsession with vampire fiction died out on its own, it’s just simply my take on the vampire mythos and my expression for my love of vampire fiction.

 

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

I don’t quite know how to describe my writing style. My writing style can shift slightly depending on the setting and/or the main character. However, I make it a point to strike a balance between simple and concise and elegant and elaborate.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

I am fond of the version of vampirism where the new vampire literally rises from the grave, so I used that image in the story itself. “Born of the Earth” is also a reference to the main character’s name Aranka, which means “golden.” It comes from the same etymology (aurum) as the names Aurelius, Aurelio, and Aurelia.

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

Not really—it’s just a story meant to be enjoyed.

Fiona: How much of the story is realistic?

I highlighted the main character’s human life. I showed what it might be like to be a young woman who loves her family very much. We get to see how this affection is warped by her impending vampirism.

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

Not really.

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

The Harry Potter books and Stephen King’s Carrie have inspired and influenced me to become a writer.

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

Stephen King.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

I’m now reading The Hobbit. I totally missed out on reading Middle Earth novels, so I’m doing it now.

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

Developing the secondary characters are most challenging to me. It’s one of the reasons why my first novel is taking so long.

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

My favorite author is Stephen King. I’ve only read a few of his many books, but I can clearly see how intricate his writing styles are. I aspire to be as good.

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies?

I like to sing. I sing by myself at home and also sing in church.

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

I love watching Adventure Time.

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music

I really like dinuguan (a Philippine stew with blood as the main ingredient), papaitan (a soup with cow’s stomach), and eggplant parmigiana. My favorite color is green. I listen to a whole variety of music, but my favorite band is Flyleaf.

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

I might have become a health professional.

Here is my Interview with Denyse Loeb

29 Tuesday Oct 2013

Posted by fionamcvie1964 in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Name: Denyse but I only answer to domynoe these days

Age: 25…again

Where are you from: All over the US and Puerto Rico, but most recently settled in Georgia.

A little about yourself: Bachelor’s in English with a Creative Writing Concentration, Associates in Early Childhood Studies, self-trained baker. Been a teacher and an editor, about to go into baking to help the hubs get his name out therehe does the savory, I do the sweet, which pretty much defines our relationship…mostly. I get the spicy in there sometimes. I have four kids, three girls and one boy, and three kitty kids named after X-men. I also run Dreaming In Ink Writers Workshop, a free crit group/workshop that takes all levels of writing and all genres that just turned 11 this year. Also, I’m not as scary as some people seem to think, not a redhead, and am lots thinner than I was 3 years ago.

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most?

 

The Hobbit. Prior to that, I read all the standard classics for my age: 101 Dalmatians, Black Beauty, etc. A fifth grade teacher read a little of The Hobbit to the class every Friday, and I’ve never been the same. I immersed myself in fantasy, and now my brain defaults to that genre, even when I dream. Some of my biggest fantasy influences are Anne McCaffrey, Mercedes Lackey, the  Raymond E. Feist/Janny Wurts pair up, Melanie Rawn, Katherine Kurtz, Marion Zimmer Bradley:, and most recently Patricia McKillip (I want to grow up and be like her). Because of these authors, my writing is more visual and has more details in everything from description to culture. I love the beauty in McKillip’s writing and hope one day that mine will be as eloquent, richly textured, and lyrical.

Fiona: What are your current projects?

 

Out in the wilds are Assassin’s Choice, an epic fantasy on the small press circuit, and Blood Charms, an urban fantasy still being looked at by agents. I’m working on the second book for the Charms series, another epic fantasy in the same world but at a much later time than Assassin’s, and another urban fantasy in the same world as Charms but on the opposite coast and with a different main character. I can’t stop at just one….

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

 

Dreaming In Ink. I’ve grown a lot, not just in my actual writing but also in how I perceive it, because of the input from other members. And it allows me to be social while still focusing on what I want to do, which is write. And having others believe in you, others who don’t say something is cool just because they know you, when you’re having trouble believing in yourself is amazing. And watching them grow and develop their careers makes me proud to have been a part of their lives in even a small way. Past and present members have all been an amazing group of people.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?


I’d like to. I just need writing as a career to see me.

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

 

I’ve always dabbled in the creative, so probably an artist, an actor, possibly a musician. But never a singer. I’d couldn’t subject people to the torture. That’s reserved for characters.

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

 

Strangely, revising. I go through this phase when I absolutely hate what I’m working on. I only keep at it because I’m a glutton for punishment…and I refuse to let anything defeat me. The good news is that coming out of that phase and falling in love again is when I know a novel is about ready for that final polish.

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

 

Experiment and find what works for you as a writer, the process that will enable you to complete what you start, then don’t let anyone tell you that your process is wrong. When I started taking my writing seriously, I had people tell me how I was writing wasn’t the “right” way to do it, and it hung me up for years. Don’t get hung up on right or wrong when it comes to process. Do what works for you. On the flip side, if you’re not finishing projects, you probably need to try a different process, so feel free to experiment. And sometimes a book needs a different process than worked before, so again, experiment. Bottom line: it has to work for you and a pox on all those nay sayers.

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies?

 

I’m a mother to an autistic boy, run a writing workshop/crit group, edit intermittently, workout 2 hours a day, and bake. What’s a hobby? Who has time? I remember the days when I did cross-stitch and sewing and art and…STUFF. Now days I watch TV or listen to music and chair dance while writing and read for 30-45 minutes before I go to sleep.

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

 

I used to be a website glutton. Fortunately, I’ve managed to trim it down a little. The personal site is http://www.domynoes.com; the author site is http://www.Alden.nu; and the DII site is http://www.dreaminginink.com. I can be found on Twitter as domynoe and Facebook as domynoe and Denyse J. Loeb. Twitter, FB, and the DII forums and chat are more active than my websites at the moment, something I know will need to change if writing as a career ever finds me. They’re on my never ending to do list…always.

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