Here is my interview with Tom Vater

Name  – Tom Vater

Age – Too old to die young

Where are you from

I was born and grew up in Germany. I moved to England when I was 18, first to study publishing and English literature, then to play in RocknRoll bands. I moved to Asia gradually in my late 20s and I have lived in India and Thailand ever since. I am a nomad.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

Check out my latest novel, The Man with the Golden Mind, out with Crime Wave Press.

In my second Detective Maier adventure (the follow-up to The Cambodian Book of the Dead), Julia Rendel asks the former war correspondent turned PI to investigate the twenty-five year old murder of her father, an East German cultural attaché who was killed near a fabled CIA airbase in central Laos in 1976. But before the detective can set off, his client is kidnapped right out of his arms. Maier follows Julia’s trail to the Laotian capital Vientiane, where he learns different parties, including his missing client are searching for a legendary CIA file crammed with Cold War secrets. But the real prize is the file’s author, a man codenamed Weltmeister, a former US and Vietnamese spy and assassin no one has seen for a quarter century.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I always wrote, short stories and articles for the school magazine which I edited and got in trouble for, then as a contributor to the college magazine in the UK. In my early years in Asia, I kept a very detailed and exhaustive diary, which helped a great deal while I was writing my first novel, The Devil’s Road to Kathmandu.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

In 1997, I was living on Freak Street in Kathmandu, Nepal, in a cheap guesthouse. My room neighbors were a Portuguese-Swiss couple who’d cycled from Europe to Nepal and were writing about their experiences. Their English wasn’t great, so they asked me to help them edit their work. I visited the offices of The Rising Nepal, a Nepalese daily with them, and tidied their work on an old manual typewriter. I asked the editor whether he would take a story of mine and he asked me what I could write about. At the time I was receiving a small grant to record indigenous music in Asia from the British Library so I knew a little about Nepali folk music. A month later, I published my first article on the subject. The paper gave me the weekend supplement, two or three pages with photos, and a fistful of rupees. That was an epiphany and set me up for life. I’ve written ever since, made a living from writing ever since. I’ve published some twenty books to date – non-fiction titles, illustrated books, travel guides and three novels, as well as countless articles and photographs. I’ve written three documentary screenplays that have been made into films. I am currently a correspondent for Germany’s largest independent travel publisher in Thailand and report from Southeast and South Asia for many different publications.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

My first book was a non-fiction title called Beyond The Pancake Trench – Road Tales from the Wild East, a semi coherent collection of my experiences in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Nepal, Pakistan and India. It focused on the fate of the region’s indigenous people, music and youth culture and contained a fair bit of Gonzo-esque personal navel gazing. My first novel The Devil’s Road to Kathmandu (currently published by Crime Wave Press), a story about three friends on the Europe Asia hippy trail in the 1970s whose drug deal in Pakistan goes horribly wrong. One of the three travelers disappears with all the money. Twenty five years later the remaining two get an email from their ling lost friend to come to Kathmandu and collect their share of the cash. Of course, once they get to Nepal, all plans go horribly wrong.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

My writing style evolves and keeps getting better, I hope.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

I wanted a title suitable for a spy story. The first Maier book, The Cambodian Book of the Dead was an obvious play on The Tibetan or the Egyptian Book of the Dead. So this one is an obvious play on The Man with the Golden Arm/Gun.

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

The Man with the Golden Mind is a historical crime novel that closely examines US atrocities in Southeast Asia in the 1960s.

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

The book is meticulously researched – I co-wrote the screenplay to a documentary on the US secret war in Laos – The Most Secret Place on Earth – and much of the deep background to the novel comes out of this almost forgotten aspect of US and Asian history. Together with director Marc Eberle, I interviewed former CIA, US AID, Hmong and Thai secret army veterans, US whistlebowers, witnesses and academics.

Check out the documentary here –

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most? a mentor?

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S Thompson, The Master and Margerita by Mikhail Bulgakov, Geek Love by Kathryn Dunn, Killing Mister Watson by Peter Matthiessen.

When I was a teenager, my parents paid for guitar lessons. My teacher was a staunch old school German communist. So besides learning to play to read music and play guitar, I also got an early training in left liberal politics. The closest I ever had to a mentor in my adult life was Fred Branfman, the US whistle blower and author who discovered and reported the secret mass bombing of Laos by the US. On a philosophical and humanist level, he’s been my greatest influence. RIP Fred.

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest and who  is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

I have many favorite authors but since you put me on the spot here, I will pick one at will – Jim Thompson. This American Noir author, a member of the American communist party and friend of Woody Guthrie, wrote stories of despair, of the small time loser losing big. I have found his stories reverberate in our reality – The sense of injustice when a man is crushed by the system, the sense that the cards are always stacked against you unless your daddy owns the factory. The sense that given enough pressure, even the most fair minded amongst us turn into animals.

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

My friends.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

It is my career.

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?

Not exactly, but I always felt the need to deconstruct the world in order to understand it. First I did that by playing music. But writing suits me better and I am better at it.

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

The first few chapters of The Man with the Golden Mind are available free at Amazon.

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

I write some gun for hire work. Writing for cold hard cash is a challenge.

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

I’ve been on the road more or less constantly since the early 90s. On average I travel six to eight months a year and I rarely spend more than three months in any one location at a time. Nomadism it is and will be.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

The Man with the Golden Mind was first published worldwide by Exhibit A (now defunct). They designed the covers for the two Maier novels. Crime Wave Press republished the book last year and Hans Kemp, its co-director designed the cover.

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

Finding the time to write for long periods when I also have journalistic assignments can be difficult.

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

This warrants an extensive answer that probably goes beyond the frame of this interview. In short, I learned that I am happy spending large parts of my life alone at a desk and in a hotel room, typing.

Fiona: If any of your books was made into a film who would you like to play the lead

No Idea. Film rights to all three novels are with my agent.

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Write and read a lot. Love your mentors, sponsors and supporters. Hate your detractors. Don’t listen to your parents or the system about how you should organize your life. Leave your country and experience different cultures if you have the opportunity. It’s not for everyone, I guess.

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

Anyone who has written any of my books or stories, thanks very much. If you bought my books, an even bigger thank you. You make my life possible.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

Just finished The Butterfly by James M Cain, about a man sleeping with his daughter. Not perhaps in the league as his other work, but still gripping. Also just read Hollywood by Charles Bukowski which I loved for its happy tone. America can be so great. And I just finished Because the Night by James Elroy which I disliked profoundly, because Elroy moves in a personal never-world of right wing vigilantism, anger towards minorities and loathing towards free thinkers that I don’t share. Yes, he writes well, but so do lots of other people who aren’t bigoted.

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

Treasure Island by Stevenson is definitely an early influence.  Also a little known (in English) novel called Krabat, by German author Otfried Preußler, the story of a young boy who joins a black magic school run by the devil in Bohemia. I guess you’d call that YA these days. In the same vein, I loved Pardon Me, You’re Stepping on My Eyeball! by American author Paul Zindel had a huge impact on me as a teenager.

 

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

Sleaze and mediocrity.

Fiona: Is there one person pass or present you would meet and why?

Probably met her/him last night.

Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone and why?

I don’t care.

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies?

I still travel. I play guitar, occasionally on a stage or in a studio. I read a lot.

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

I have never owned a TV. I rarely go to the movies. But I do like trashy B movies when they are well done and I am occasionally intrigued by TV series. In the 90s I loved Twin Peaks. More recently I enjoyed the first season of Westworld and the first three seasons of House of Cards. But I don’t really think one can tell a meaningful story in this current Netflix series medium. Too much financial pressure and almost always a nasty, right wing undertone under the liberal veneer. Great food for academics, opium for the rest of us.

 Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music

I love Indian or Middle Eastern food.

I like RocknRoll music from Elvis and Chuck Berry to The Rolling Stones, The Velvet Underground and the Stooges to the Jon Spencer Blues Xplosion. Also listen to a fair bit of Jazz, Mingus to Miles. And some Country. And some Blues. And some Soul.

I wear black every day, even in the pool. Have done for decades. Must be my favorite color.

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

Guitar player. I had a go. I was too young, too unfocused and too enamored with the supposed RocknRoll lifestyle. Writing suits me better.

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

www.tomvater.com

 

www.crimewavepress.com

http://thedevilsroad.com/

 

https://www.amazon.com/Cambodian-Book-Dead-Tom-Vater-ebook/dp/B008GDT8QU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458133027&sr=8-1&keywords=the+cambodian+book+of+the+dead

Here is my interview with Brian Stoddart

Fiona: Name?  Brian Stoddart

Fiona: Where are you from?

I am now based in Queenstown New Zealand but have lived and worked in a dozen different countries as an academic, consultant and writer. Now I also do lectures on international cruise ships and write columns on international affairs.

 

 

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

Latest news is that my most recent crime novel A Straits Settlement is entered for the Ngaio Marsh awards in New Zealand and the Ned Kelly awards in Australia. Currently also involved in some other writing projects

 

 
Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I have in a sense always been a writer, but for many years that was focused on non-fiction from an academic base. Then I started writing for wider audiences and worked through biography into memoir. From there is was an easy step into fiction.

 

 
Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Proabably about ten years ago when the actual writing started to become a predominant part of my life. While I have continued as a consultant in higher education and other things, my conscious focus has been with writing now for several years.

 

 
Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

My very first book was in the academic field and that was a natural evolution in my growth as a professional historian. My first crime novel emerged as a natural step from writing other things while reading a lot of crime fiction, to becoming a crime fiction writer myself.

 

 
Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

My crime fiction is set in British India so is based directly on my original academic historical research. Because of that, readers say they enjoy the scene setting and the historical context that tells them a lot about that colonial story. I try to focus on setting a great sense of place, on creating characters who are believable in that place, and on using the factual story of that period to raise a believable plot line.

 

 
Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

A Madras Miasma was the first in the Le Fanu series. Madras (now renamed Chennai) was a major town in British India, and a place where I have spent a lot of time living and researching. The Miasma reference came from a wish to create an air of mystery, and to throw in some alliteration!

 

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

The Le Fanu series aims in many ways to tell the story of British imperialism in India from several different standpoints, and to show something of the pressures that applied in different ways to all the players. It was a society in change that threw up tensions and moral choices, and Le Fanu himself is at the heart of that with all his professional challenges and trials that extend directly from his journey through the colonial landscape

 

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

One thing I am very pleased about is that reviewers from Chennai (formerly Madras) say I have “got it right” in telling the story of the city and the region. The works are based solidly on my research of “what happened” through those times in the 1920s and 1930s, and the characters are set into that historically accurate locale. Then, some of the characters who appear were real people like, for example, Lord Willingdon who was Governor of Madras straight after World War 1. Other characters display stories and idiosyncrasies that belonged to other real life people who I discovered through the research.

 

 
Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most? a mentor?

There are a lot of writers (in the broad sense) who have had an influence on me. Some were academic – like George Rude who wrote about people as individuals in the French Revolution. I have always tried to discover those sort of stories ever since, and that now appears in my fiction I think. There are a lot of books that have an impact at different points. In recent years, for example, David Finkel’s The Good Soldiers and Thank You For Your Service have moved me greatly because, again, they are about forgotten people, American soldiers as individuals in the Middle East. It is the books that make you think that have the most impact, by combining excellent writing in the technical sense with a great sense of explanation and understanding.

 

 

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest and who  is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

Tough question because there are so many favourite authors for me: Ian Rankin, Andrea Camilleri, Michael Dibdin, Denise Mina, Phillip Kerr, Charles Cumming, Parker Bilal, Fred Vargas, Michael Connolly, Chan Ho-kei and many others. Looking at a list like this tells me I am fascinated by “crime and place” with the crime serving as the entrée to explaining much about specific cultures and places. Among the newer writers who do the same I would put Jane Harper (The Dry, set in Australia, is wonderfully good), Valentina Giambanco, Marlon James, Sarah Ward, Steph Brodribb, Anna Jaquiery – again, they are all really good at place and characters.

 

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

Over the years a lot of universities and academic funding agencies supported the archival and other research that allowed me to accumulate all the materials and knowledge that now feed into the crime fiction I do.

 

 
Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

Well, it is now my fulltime focus and avocation so in that sense the answer is “yes”.

 

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

I don’t think so. Some readers got irritated with some of the things I had my protagonist do, especially in his personal life, but that was part of making his life story as realistic as possible. Some heroes in other books seem never to have a life challenge, and I for one find that hard to relate to!

 

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

Like most people it probably started with reading. I was always a keen reader and that leads to seeing differences in purpose and style, and by natural process that leads on to writing. I wrote a little poetry and prose while at school then transferred the writing focus into the academic work. From there the chance to work in radio and TV and film allowed me to learn other skills and build on the base.

 

 

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

I am working on a new crime novel and also on a true crime book. Different genres, of course, but mutually reinforcing.

 

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

I wish that from the start of the crime series I had kept a detailed spreadsheet of characters and their actions. Basically I am a punster rather than a planner as a writer but with a series, of course, what happened before is important, and no-one’s mind can keep track of all the details. So now I am having to do all that retrospectively.

 

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

I go back to India and Chennai as often as possible in order to refresh the atmospherics. Even though I write historical crime fiction, the cultural context is a fabulous reminder as well as inspiration for other ideas. More broadly, I do travel quite a bit doing different things and, again, that is a great source of ideas and angles and settings. In addition I often do archival search in places where I go and that adds further stock.

 

 
Fiona: Who designed the covers?

Hans Kemp at Crime Wave Press did a fabulous job on the covers (although the eagle eyed South Indians think the scenes are too much North Indian! You can never win).

 

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

This again relates to a series. The first Le Fanu book I really had no problem writing at all, apart from patching up storylines and all the rest. The subsequent books, however, have to also relate to what has gone on before, and threading that in while creating new stories and that is not straightforward.

 

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

In a sense I learned I could write fiction. There have been some lovely reviews and responses from other writers I admire. For me, getting to fiction was an evolution and I was never sure I could do it. Now other people tell me I can, and that means a lot.

 

 

Fiona: If any of your books was made into a film who would you like to play the lead?

Ha. From the beginning I have thought that Le Fanu should be played by Rupert Graves (Lestrade in Sherlock alongside Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman). I sent the first books to his agents but don’t know whether or not he has seen them.

 

 
Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Same as anybody else I think: don’t give up, keep learning, keep persevering, learn how to promote the work, talk to other writers, try and enjoy what you do.

 

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

Keep telling your friends about Le Fanu! But also, keep giving me the great feedback and encouragement because I really do learn from you. Many things that now happen to Le Fanu have been designed on the basis of reader comments.

 

 

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

Right now I am about to start into Jacqueline Winspeare’s Maisi Dobbs, having just finished dKeigo Higashino’s The Devotion of Subject X and having re-read a couple of Michael Connolly’s Bosch series. Have also just finished some non-fiction on match fixing in cricket and a biography of Sir Mark Sykes who was one of the architects of the Sykes-Picot secret agreement that set the course for what we now see in the Middle East.

 

 

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

Not really because it was probably a baby’s book, my mother was an avid reader. The first things I really remember are A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh books (which I now have in first editions), Robert Louis Stevenson, a lot of English comics like Tiger and Lion, then a lot of books on cricket.

 

 

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

I love great humour so really like people in the style of Michael McIntyre who find absurdity in the every day. Then I both laugh and cry at the body politic these days because there is real absurdity. I despair where people suffer, especially so in places like Syria where I actually lived and worked for a while and came away with a wonderful set of experiences.

 

 

Fiona: Is there one person pass or present you would meet and why?

In the present lineup, probably one of the great TV writers like Sally Wainwright  (Happy Valley; Last Tango in Halifax) or a singer-songwriter like Jimmy Buffett. Of those who have left, definitely David Bowie.

 

 

Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone and why ?

“He Could Write!”  Because it is the greatest compliment I can give anyone, including “She Can Write”.

 

 

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies ?

Very serious photographer. Collect a lot of art, and Straits Chinese porcelain.

 

 

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

These days I really like great TV series like The Bridge, Line of Duty, The Game and all the rest. I am looking for the great writing that enables great acting.

 

 

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music?

Like a lot of food including Italian, Indian, Mediterranean and all the rest as well as the accompanying wine (but these days have access to the great central Otago pinot noir). Agnostic on colours but like blues and greens with a fair bit of red. Music is a mix of baroque classical including Handel opera; singer-songwriters like Bonnie Rait, Willie Nelson and John Hiatt; international artists like Feyruz and Amaarn Malik; jazzers like Birele Lagren and Martin Taylor.

 

 

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

 I played a lot of good cricket including in the Caribbean but would like to have been a lot better a player. The same goes for golf.

 

 

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

Find me at: https://brianstoddartwriter.com/

 

 

Bio:

Brian Stoddart

After a long career around the globe as a university teacher, researcher and administrator, Brian Stoddart is now a consultant and writer. He has published fifteen books of non-fiction covering mainly sport, Asian affairs and, more recently, global events.

He writes regularly for the press and several websites, appears on radio and television, is a frequent keynote speaker at conferences and seminars around the world, and also works as a speaker-lecturer on cruise ships. Brian Stoddart maintains his own blog at www.professorbrianstoddart.com.

Books: A Madras Miasma, The Pallampur Predicament, A Straits Settlement

Book:

https://www.amazon.com/Straits-Settlement-Superintendent-Fanu-Mystery/dp/988145848X/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1493473796&sr=1-4&keywords=Brian+Stoddart

 

 

Here is my interview with Derek Adam

Name: Derek Adam

Age: 36

Where are you from: I was born in a wee town called Owosso in Michigan, but spent most of my life in the metro Detroit area where is where I currently live now

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

I’m the worst kind of person for planning when it comes to personal stuff. Which is amusing given that my career for the last decade has been in marketing which requires a ton of planning. I’m just way more spontaneous. That resulted in a lot of job hopping over the years, trying new things, playing with new hobbies. Now at 36, I’m like a jack of all trades and master of like… three.  That also means I didn’t stick with anything education wise. I studies psychology, then switched to emergency medicine and did that for a while. No formal education in writing though – I actually tested out of my required English courses in college because I didn’t want to have to take them!

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

My biggest journey right now is to finally get healthy. I caught a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes at the beginning of the year (2017) and immediately made some drastic changes. Happy to say at this point that I’m down 80 lbs, diabetes is under control, and I’m in better shape than I have been in almost 20 years. Exciting stuff!

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I’ve always been really creative. I’m the youngest of 5 siblings, none of which had any real inclination to play with me when I was a kid. I usually went and did my own thing and relied on my imagination. I started writing stories in like 5^th grade and never stopped. There were also a LOT of Dungeons and Dragons campaigns written in my teens. Big foundation in fantasy and sci fi.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Probably about 10 years ago. When I retired from EMS I started freelance writing to work from home. Clients loved my work and it came naturally. I haven’t looked back since. It’s great to finally move from non-fiction business writing to embracing my imagination again.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a while, and had been working on one fantasy book for years but it was hard-core stalled. I linked up with an old friend I hadn’t seen since 7^th grade and she encouraged me to scrap it and start over with something I knew. Like my EMS career.

3 weeks later, I finished writing my first book, Mass Casualty. I give Jillian Elizabeth a ton of credit for helping to inspire me even though she refuses to take credit.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

I was influenced a lot by Koontz. He has always been one of my favorite authors. The first time I read Odd Thomas I immediately locked onto the way Koontz handled first person story telling. It felt natural to me while reading it, putting me in the characters shoes. The first time I tried writing that way, I was hooked. I think, for me, it’s the best way to tell my stories.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

It wasn’t even a brainstorm session. I didn’t cycle through titles. I had just started writing the new book and when I went to save it I realized I hadn’t titled it yet. And I just typed it. “Mass Casualty.” It was perfect. It fit everything I wanted to convey in the book.

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

For sure. The men and women that work in emergency medical services are taxed to their limits on a daily basis. It’s a roller coaster of emotions that you can’t really show. You have to keep doing your job, taking care of your patients. It takes a tremendous mental toll, to the point that some people choose to end their lives early. Others lose their way. It’s a thankless job, and in writing Mass Casualty I wanted to inject the reader into their shoes to really experience the psychological and emotional trauma we experience every time we climb in a truck for a shift.

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

The majority of the incidents in Mass Casualty were influenced by encounters that either I, or someone I knew, had with patients. When readers experience these traumatic events in the book, they’re going through incidents that are very realistic, and indicative of the kinds of things EMS professionals like myself experience every day.

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most? a mentor?

I have a few that I love, that fill my bookshelves: Dean Koontz, R.A .Salvatore, Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman (Dragonlance), Stephen King. There’s also a lot of poetry that I’ve digested over the years. Absolutely love Robert Frost, his work has been a large influence on my writing and deep thinking.

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest and who  is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

Amy Briggs. I’m new to the romance genre so I’ve been trying to read as much as I can from other authors to experience what this genre has to offer. So far, Amy’s work has been the most impressive and immersive to me. I love her writing style.

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

Jillian. She has been there for me every step of the way through Mass Casualty, from the moment she encouraged me to write it. I honestly can’t imagine what life would be like without this woman now. I’m so excited that we’re teaming up to work on additional books in the same universe as Mass Casualty.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

Absolutely. Up to this point everything has been non-fiction writing for businesses, but my goal is to transition to full time fiction writing.

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

Not at all. I’m very proud of where it’s at and the feedback from beta and ARC readers has been tremendous.

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

A lot of free time as a kid. I had so many little toys (army men, micro machines, legos, etc) and I would create these intricate scenes and playscapes with them. I started writing to give more life to that stuff and get the scenes out of my head.

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

Yes! So the next book after Mass Casualty is called Due Soldati. I’m writing this one with coauthor Jillian Elizabeth. It features two characters that made a brief appearance in Mass Casualty – two homicide detectives. Due Soldati, Italian for “Two Soldiers, tells the backstory of Carter Avery and Nick Farzo in a fast-paced romance/cop thriller as they work to solve a string of murders in a tight time frame before all hell breaks loose in the city of Detroit.

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

Not so far, but it’s I’ve only just begun. I imagine some day I’ll come up against some hurdles that slow me down. I’m not the type to give in though, so bring those challenges on.

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

Nope, but I’m looking forward to heading to some of the author conventions in the next year to meet some readers and fellow authors.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

Emma Rider of AWT Cover Designs, who is absolutely amazing to work with. She’s a sweetheart, a great designer, and I love her face.

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

I had to dredge up some memories and go to some pretty dark places that I hadn’t gone in a long time. Drawing on past experiences means unlocking doors that should have stayed shut. I had to relive a lot of grief and pain to draw inspiration for Mass Casualty – the hardest part being that it doesn’t come out in a trickle. You unlock those doors and everything comes out, including the people I knew who couldn’t cope with the difficulties of the work and wound up taking their own life.

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

Despite being 36, I can still run on just a few hours of sleep. Also, writing romance resulted in writing myself horny more than once which is an interesting experience.

Fiona: If any of your books was made into a film who would you like to play the lead

Probably someone like Dominic Purcell for the lead (Bobbie), and Chris Pratt for his partner (Hunter)

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Just write. Write what you know. Write what feels good. Don’t overthink it. It’s art. You can’t every overthink art. You have to feel it.

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

I am absolutely humbled by the responses I’ve received so far. The idea that I have fans, even before the book is published (June 1^st for Mass Casualty) is crazy to me. I love all you magnificent people.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

Fired Up by Amy Briggs, part of her Brotherhood series. LOVE it.

 

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

Vividly. I was maybe 7 or 8. I read Stephen King’s IT. That hooked me on finding stuff with similar depth and gave me a love of thriller/horror stuff.

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

So many things. I love to laugh. I try to inject humor in everything. I spent a lot of years wrestling with depression and it feels good to be alive. I don’t want to waste it. I take every chance to laugh with those around me, over whatever.

Fiona: Is there one person pass or present you would meet and why?

Of all the people in the world, I would love to sit down and have an evening with Gary Oldman. I love his range in acting. He fascinates me and I’m a huge fan.

Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone and why ?

“They can never say he didn’t try.” If I found something I wanted to do, I did it. I tried it. Even if I failed, and I’ve failed a lot, it was important to me to give it a go. It’s how I shaped who I am today. Even those failures are a part of me. I’m proud of that, and proud that my children will have that as a model for living their lives.

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies ?

Holy hell, a lot. Comes from trying so many things: gaming, sketching, working with clay, painting, paintball, fishing, camping, hiking, shooting at the range, hunting is fun, I still play with legos and hot wheels with my son, love movies, picnics… I could seriously go on forever.

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

Deep, deep stories with great twists and arcs. Sons of Anarchy, Breaking Bad, Fringe just to name a few. With movies I prefer a little more comedy or action. Also a fan of the survival reality shows – not the ones with contestants but the ones that actually show people making their way and living their lives in remote locations. That rugged lifestyle fascinates me.

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music

I’ve switched to loving healthier foods now as I work on cutting weight and getting lean – 6 months ago I would have said pizza. Not now. Now it’s all about good protein. I’ll still wreck some ice cream though…

Color? Green. Love Green. Green is smart, sexy, and attractive to me.

Music: EDM, heavy metal and acapella. I know that’s a weird mix but I spent every year and every semester in choir from 7^th grade through graduation and I love to sing (one more hobby)

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

If I couldn’t express myself through writing, I don’t know if I would want to be alive anymore. I can’t imagine doing anything else in life.

 

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

No website yet. Eventually. Plenty of other links though!

Facebook page: facebook.com/authorderekadam

Good Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16752969.Derek_Adam

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Derek-Adam/e/B071NGZK4W/

 

Here is my interview with Laura Aranda

Name Laura Aranda

Age 33

Where are you from- Southwest Louisiana

Upon graduating high school, she attended Jackson College of Ministries where she majored in Overseas Missions. She has worked in poverty-stricken El Salvador, Grenada and in the streets with the homeless in New Orleans.  She teaches a Victorious Living class each Sunday.  She and her family attend a First United Pentecostal Church in Southeast Texas. She is on the board of the SWLA Abolitionists group in Lake Charles, LA. She wrote this book to bring spiritual awareness to human sex trafficking in Houston, Texas area. Her prayer is that this book reaches people she cannot reach and gets into the hands of people who can make a change in our world. Modern-day slavery is a $32 billion dollar industry. Pushing Back the Darkness is a riveting Christian thriller that addresses the realities of modern day slavery. It is an adventure you will not forget and a call to shine the light of Christ into your world.

Fiona: Latest News?

 I published my first book, Pushing Back the Darkness April 3, 2017 through Our Written Lives Publishing (OWL, LLC) and have sold 100 copies and have over 10 different Keynote Speaking events scheduled to bring awareness to human sex trafficking from now until the end of the year in Texas and Louisiana.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I have always written since I was a little girl in grade school. I never would have imagined that my first book would have been about sex trafficking and modern day slavery. I wrote this book because I came face to face with the reality of human trafficking in Houston, Texas three years ago. This is something you can never ‘unknow’ and how do you just walk away and try to go back to normalcy when there are people selling people for a profit? I do to do something, so I picked up my pen.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I suppose when I was a teenager. I would post poetry on writerscafe.org and the first time someone actually bought one of my poems for an online magazine and sent me a check for $10 in the mail, I was over the moon! I really felt special and decided to keep pursuing my calling. Writing a book was my purpose. This book will outlive me. It will go farther and touch more people than I can ever imagine.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

When I first became aware of human trafficking, I knew this was part of my calling in life. I needed to let the world around me know about this crisis in America. How can we do something about it if we don’t know. I prayed and ask God to give me the words to write. He is an author! He loves authors and once he breathed life into this work, I knew this book would go places and touch lives.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

Christian Fiction.

I hope my style sets my first writing apart and makes it unique. Style is the way writing is dressed up (or down) to fit the specific audience. Word choice and my voice — all contribute to the style of my book. With that being said, I used mostly a narrative to tell a fiction story. I knew I wanted something more than expository. This book had to be more than just the facts. My main audience is Christians. This is a Christian fiction book bringing spiritual awareness to modern day slavery and what we can all do about it through prayer and spiritual warfare.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

Pushing Back the Darkness.

Human trafficking is one of the most evil things another person can do to degrade someone. It is a filthy dark world and I believe the light of Christ through prayer and intervention can do exactly what the title promises. Push back the darkness of evil and shine the light of Christ into the nightmare of those victims.

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

Yes. Prayer. If America returns to prayer then we will have stronger families. Stronger families create stronger churches. Stronger churches create stronger communities and victims will become less and less. The backbone of a healthy society is the family unit. Over the past decade or more, the family has eroded away. This book is a reminder that when we return to prayer and family values, we can rescue and restore the brokenhearted.

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

The book is loosely based on my first experience with Elijah’s Rising in Houston, Tx. The book is fiction. This is NOT my life story or a book about anyone that I know personally.

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most? a mentor?

The Giver written by Lois Lowry was one book I read over and over while in grade school. I loved it.

Matt Maddix is my mentor. He is an incredible life coach and world changer. He is one of the most positive men you will ever get the chance to meet and I am blessed to be able to call him a friend. I look up to him and all he has accomplished as a former pastor in Florida, a missions coordinator working with the homeless and prostitutes in major cities across America and now as a life coach endeavoring to open his own publishing house.

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest and who  is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

Francine Rivers and James Patterson are my favorite authors. I wish I could write like them.

John Harrison has written and published a book titled, Fighting Back. This book is also written about human trafficking. Neither of us knew the other was writing about the same topic. His book is also faith based. I would highly recommend picking up his book as well.

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

My friends. I had a core group of friends that encouraged me and read the book prior to it being released. I truly believe that God opened the right doors for me and placed the right people in my life to help get this book published.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

YES. I want to sell a million copies. I want this book to be in every church bookstore in America. I also want to write a second book concerning emotional healing once a victim has come out of that situation.

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

I would create better dialogue between the characters. I would also figure out some way to incorporate the music from Nefarious, Merchant of Souls. I don’t know how I could do that but I would listen to those songs over and over and over again as I cried and wrote and edited this book over the past three years.

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

I was in grade school and I would be writing a story while other kids in the class had to be doing their homework. When tattled on, my teacher, Ms. Poole would tell them to leave me alone…I was going to be a famous author one day and this was practice.

I never forgot that and I am pleased to say that I knocked on her door last week and presented her with a signed copy of my first book.

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

I am currently marketing and advertising and building a brand. I assumed I would be finished with this book and move on but I am busier now than when I was in the editing stage. I am evolving into a Keynote speaker on this subject and that has taken over my life right now. I want to be the most confident public speaker than I can become.

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

I strived to paint a realistic picture of sex trafficking while being as inoffensive as possible. I didn’t want the book to be too graphic for young readers but I wanted a shock value to the book that would stick with them and make them open their eyes.

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

I do. I have an event, a speaking engagement, a festival or conference almost every weekend and I wouldn’t have it any other way. This is my dream! I want to be a sought after speaker on this subject all over America.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

My editor, Rachael Hartman has been a godsend. She requested an old friend of hers, David Lisenby to come and do a photoshoot of my models for the front cover of the book. He did an excellent job. I did not want to use stock photos so I asked a friend and a family member to come out to help me. When you see the cover, you will notice just how beautiful it turned out!

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

The hardest part was all the time I spent away from my family. I have little ones that had to get used to Mommy working and researching. The more I learned about human trafficking and specifically sex trafficking, the more desperate I got to finish this book. This is a fiction book but the events can all be pulled from any news channel’s headlines. This is very real and heartbreaking.

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

Yes! I learned so much and even though the book has been published there is still new reports coming out weekly. Youth age 12 to 17 are more at risk of homelessness than adults. 75 percent of runaways are female. The Department of Justice estimates that human trafficking is the third most profitable criminal activity in the world after drug and arms trafficking, and often those three go hand in hand. As reported by National Runaway Hotline, “One out of every three children that run away is lured into sex trafficking within 48 hours of leaving home

Fiona: If any of your books was made into a film who would you like to play the lead

Anna Kendrick or maybe Talisa Soto would play the heroine-Claire Sullivan

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Find a main audience that you want to write to. Millennials? Young business owners? Christian families? Who is your target audience. When you decide that, you can write accordingly.

Find your street team, those who will be Beta Readers for you and give you advice and constructive criticism. Also, never give up! As Matt Maddix says, “Work your face off!” Don’t allow anything to stand in your way if you a message for the world!

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

Thank you for picking up this book to read. It proves that this generation has an interest in changing the world around them. Compassion is not dead. Become an activist. Create an abolitionist group in your school, your community, your church. Do something. You are never too young!

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

Praying for Change-A comprehensive Prayer Guide written by Courtney Francois

Called to Write Chosen to Publish-inspiration for Christian Writers written by Rachael Kathleen Hartman Our Written Lives

He Called Her: Pentecostal Women in Ministry written by Daniel Koren

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

I don’t. My parents would always read to me…which is something I need to do more of with my own children.

There was a series of little golden books as a child I loved to read and look at the pictures. Mother Goose rhymes. I was an avid reader. I would read anything I got my hands on. Avon books, newspapers, cereal boxes, comic books.

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

I love to laugh. I often have to remind myself to calm down and get out of the center of the room’s attention. My friends, Riq and Issa make me laugh. My sister, Lynsey Marlene makes me laugh. She is that one part of my childhood that came with me and she knows me better than anyone else in the world other than my husband.

Feeling overwhelmed and the feeling of my hands being tied and unable to control a situation makes me cry. I like everything to be neat and orderly but situations are not always complete and wrapped up and tied with a bow on top when finished. Unresolved issues in life make me cry. Loneliness for distant family and the desire for my children to have a huge core family filled with aunts and uncles and grandparents make me cry.

I suppose human trafficking should still make me cry but it does not anymore. It broke my heart and devastated my mentality of America..and I did cry back then but I have moved past that. I have decided to pick myself up from crying and make a change. What can I do about solving this situation? How can I help?

Fiona: Is there one person past or present you would meet and why?

I would love love love to meet James Patterson. (And Mr. James, if, by chance or fate that you are out there and you read this…well, I am serious! Let’s do lunch! Please!!)

Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone and why ?

How big is my headstone? I have a lot to say. I guess this will work:

Laura E. Aranda 1984-2087 Mother. Wife. Friend. An agent of change. May her written works long outlive her.

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies ?

When I have the chance, I love to Flounder fish.

I love to travel (I will be in Denver for the first time next month!)

I am a foodie. I love to try new foods. I am not afraid to eat anything at least once. Twice if I like it.

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

My husband is from Chicago so we love to watch Chicago P.D, Fire, & Chicago Justice. We often joke about there being a Chicago Nursing Home edition coming out or any other Chicago series.

 

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music

Favorite food would be Mexican food. Authentic Mexican food, of course but I could each a plate of messy nachos every day.

Favorite color would be any earth tone color. Muted browns, tans, greens. Calming colors

Favorite music would be anything by Mat Kearney.

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

I would have opened a coffee shop bookstore. A place with open mic nights and local artists’ artwork. I may still do that…..

 

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

Yes! www.authorlauraaranda.com

I also have a Facebook author page as well.

Here is my interview with Angelica Kate

Name Angelica Kate (pen name)

Age 43

Where are you from:

I grew up in Marinette, Wisconsin and have moved around a bit for family and job obligations.  I currently reside in Sarasota, Florida.

 

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

  I am the oldest of six kids and grew up in a small Midwest town. I attended college at Dallas Baptist University attaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology. I am married and have two fabulous girls – ages 22 and 17 who are polar opposites as one is a graphic design student having graduated last year and my youngest is currently in College pursuing a Marine Biology degree in research. We have a large and very involved family on both sides and have for years been a foster family for children also – so our house is normally a loud crazy mess and that is how we love it.

 

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

I have several small romance novellas in the works which is my first and favorite genre, but I am writing a huge multi-book science fiction series that is always ongoing and I hope to bring the first book to market in early 2018 Spring. That project is a huge bucket list series I have been dreaming about but is a ton of work to bring something that large and expansive to fruition.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I have always written for as long as I can recall I was doodling in journals and that progressed to manuscripts. I had a rough childhood as my father was mentally ill and journaling was a way to document what was going on around me without confrontation.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

 Wow – I still say I’m an aspiring writer when people ask. I always thing writer as someone accomplished in this work, and I’m definitely still a work in progress.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

 My own childhood and overcoming it was my inspiration for Loving Abby.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

 I write what I feel at the moment, no outlining or hard structure. Sometimes I have multiple doodling projects going, and then scrub and fine tune after I feel I have the entire story on paper.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

I found that children from hard situations are in disbelief of one thing, that someone could love them despite everything. From this place of fear and the characters overcoming so much heartache and scars I chose the title.

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

Never see someone for the scars they carry or project to the world, always try to see the true nature below the surface. You could be missing a true gem by not looking past the surface of a person.

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

It was based on some experiences I personally had, but also from news and foster children stories and pasted together to create this story.

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most? a mentor?

 Wow – that list is expansive. I love finding a book that speaks to me regardless of genre, message or the like. Sometimes the books I enjoy the most are ones that I completely disagree with the message but it caused a visceral reaction in reading. I love to read books to learn new writing styles, methodologies and the like to keep growing in my own writing.

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

My church family was wonderful when my first book came out everyone from my Priest to reading groups read and provided me valuable feedback.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

 I always struggle with this one when asked because I don’t think I will ever completely quit “working” outside of writing to support myself. Writing though defines who I am that my career to date never can. I write on vacation, in the car, at lunch and a million other times and places it is almost like breathing for me. A career is something I feel people do for money – writing for me is something different.

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

No.. I always like to tell the story and when I feel it is out of my system and done organically I feel it is concluded. Some have ended or had aspects I didn’t think were as good as others, but that is life and every book deserves it’s place good, bad or ugly.

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

 As an escape from my childhood. A school counselor recommended it when I was maybe in first or second grade and it stuck with me.

 

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

My latest project is huge and expected to cover 7 books in total by the end. It is a science fiction epic story that I had to outline and put more planning time into that anything I have done to date. I had lots of feedback from a writing group, family, friends and the like on this project. I expect it to weave in and out of other writing ventures and be released over the course of 2 years. I am excited and so nervous about that one I cannot describe it fully.

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

 

Fresh material and trying to give each character a unique voice. Recently I have had to switch up Beta Readers and writing groups to ensure that as my group of projects grows that each has a unique flavor. Feedback from a single source I find tends to flow toward one genre and vantage point. For me mixing up my vehicles for getting feedback has been one way to keep things fresh.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

My daughter Liz who is a graphic designer by trade does all my covers. This is another area I try to stay away from mainstream cover styles, and go with more artsy story telling covers. Many of them she has hand drawn and I love adding that personal touch also to my offerings.

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

Deciding to share it through publishing to the masses. Much of my writing I loved for years just for the release and storytelling it allowed me. Making the plunge a few years ago to start sharing these stories with the world was the hardest most frightening thing I believe I ever did. These are personal heart filled projects for me and when that first bad feedback came it was rough.

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

Even bad feedback allows you a learning moment. I think I have probably improved more in my writing in response to negative posts, and today I’m grateful when someone takes the time to provide me substantive feedback so that my next project can benefit for that knowledge they shared.

 

Fiona: If any of your books was made into a film who would you like to play the lead

Absolutely not! I am a writer and prefer to stay behind the scenes penning the story never acting it out – I would be a horrid actor.

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Don’t let anyone limit your dreams, and stick with them. If you want to write the next big screenplay, figure out that roadmap through research and networking and stick with it. Absolutely nothing worth doing in this life will be easy, if you are up for the bumps and the smooth sailing alike you can make anything happen.

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

Thank you. Everyone who reads one of my books is appreciated. Being able to tell stories that others want to read is the joy of my life. I try to keep my books all priced so they can be enjoyed by everyone, and I love hearing from anyone who has read one of my books – good or bad feedback always appreciated!

 

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

I just counted 11 books I have been gifted for reviews ( I always try to read everything people send – sometimes it just takes longer when I am writing).  And I have 43 in my kindle – currently reading Mail Order Groom and Second Chance Ranch but I have a vampire romance up next.

 

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

 

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

Children. They are the most honest, trying and funny things on earth.

 

Fiona: Is there one person pass or present you would meet and why?

Sandra Day O’Connor – love her tenacity, passion for her beliefs and never giving up on her vision.

 

Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone and why?

No headstone – I want to be cremated and spread out on the ocean to continue my travels. I hope that I live in the memories of at least one life I touched on this crazy trip called life.

 

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies?

Anything outdoors – rock climbing, kayaking, hiking, swimming etc.

 

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

Bones (I cried at the last episode)

Blindspot

Prison Break

 

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music

I love chocolate – Green – Contemporay Country

 

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

Missionary – helping set up educational centers in the far flung countries of the world.

 

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

http://angelicakate.com/

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Angelica-Kate/e/B00JTL5MLI/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1493340055&sr=8-1

Here is my interview with James Wallace

Name: James Wallace

Age: 42

Where are you from: My mom’s… Oh you mean geographical. Central California

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

Ok so I have an AA in Psychology but after working in all the fields (Project Manager, AT&T wire monkey, Shoe store manager & other fun ones) I have dabbled in. I should have a road scholar masters. I have two kids, love them to death.

 

 

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

Just had my Ulnar Nerve moved and .. for the 2^nd time. I am working on a new book I guess could be classified as a Space Opera.

 

 
Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I have always wanted to be a writer. But never had the time nor oomph to do it till I was waiting for my first surgery. So I was late 40 when I finally got to write.

 

 
Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I still don’t, to tell you the truth. Maybe when I start making Tufo money I will consider myself a real writer.

 

 
Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

I always had an idea in my head for a story. But never had the balls to do it till my best friend roommate Tanay told me to get off my ass and do something. So I sat down and wrote the book that sat in my head.

 

 
Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

I am a Pantser, I come up with an idea and an ending but I never know what is going to happen in the book till I write it. When I read back what I wrote I am always surprised.

 

 
Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

That was the hardest thing to do. I bounced like 40 titles back and forth. In the end I debated with my wife (of the time) and my three mentors Mike Evans, Will Allen and his brother M.C. Then I had a small mental breakdown (j/k) and finally chose Zombie Theorem The Culling.

 

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

All my books circle around growth. Dan Welko my main character, grows into a leader from just a normal everyday guy. All my characters have personal growth.

 

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

Well there are Zombies in the book, so not very realistic. But I try and put as much reality and emotion into my characters to make them believable.

 

 
Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most? a mentor?

There are so many writers that I idolize. Before I found the Indie world I was a giant Clive Cussler, Stephen King, Larry Bond, Tom Clancy, and enter all other greats. Now that I am in the Indie community I have all new idols. First my mentor Mike Evans. My other faves are so many. Ricky Fleet, TJ Weeks, Stephen Knight, Tim Long, the Allen brothers, and so many many more!

 

 

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest and who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

Mike Evans, the man is a machine with his writing. His Orphans series is the stuff of legends. I love how he makes you fall in love with his characters.

 

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

Well she is kind of family. In the fact that Leslie Bryant has unofficially adopted me. She is my first beta reader and since then has pushed me harder and harder to improve my writing.

 

 
Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

I really hope so! I am trying just as hard as the other thousands of Indie Authors. But I will continue doing this as long as my fans keep reading my stuff.

 

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

I would get a content editor to clean up my writing a little more. But honestly, I love my books. My characters are my friends, and they kind of talk to me.

 

 

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

I would read others work, and found I was able to guess their twists and endings.

 

 

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

Uhm.. I can add an Excerpt sure.. Just remember that the excerpt is very raw, has not been edited.

Meredith slammed down on the table shaking everyone from their dark thoughts. “I refuse to just give up!” she turned her head to Richards. “General what teams will you be using to attack the Killore and Fillion?”

Richard let a little smile play on his lips as he spoke. “Aces, headed by Lieutenant Chun, and Zephyr, headed by the newly promoted Lieutenant Barth.”

Meredith smiled back, but in confusion. “How in the heck did you get Butch to take the promotion? He has threatened us both bodily if we forced his promotion from Master Chief of Aces.”

“He is still pissed at me, but he saw the writing on the wall after hearing what happened to Serenity. He handpicked his team the next day and has been whipping them into a formidable fighting force.”

“How long will it take to get Aces and Zephyr to Earth?”

Richards looked down to his tablet sheepishly. “I already cut the orders before coming in here. I figured it would be best to get them moving, and call them back, then to have to waste time getting things together.”

 

 

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

The technical stuff, like grammar and sentence structure. The rest comes easy,

 

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

Back and forth to my “Magical Coffee writing café!”

 

 
Fiona: Who designed the covers?

My awesome great Tattoo artist! Chase P Weggeland.

 

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

That is the hardest thing to answer. The physical action is the hardest part. My surgeries sometimes make it hard to type. I have to use one hand sometimes, and that slows things down.

 

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

My research on Military equipment, including vehicles, weapon systems, and air craft.

 

 

Fiona: If any of your books was made into a film who would you like to play the lead?

I was talking about this very thing with my fans the other day in a post.

Dan Welko would be played by the great Joseph Gordon Levitt.

 

 
Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Yeah, just write. That’s it just write. But I do want to warn you, if you are getting into writing to just make money, you might as well give up. Instead enjoy the ride, write to have fun.

 

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

Keep reading, cause I am not looking to stop!

 

 

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

I do not have much time to read lately, but I am big on Audible. I am listening to Larry Correia and John Ringo in the Monster Hunter series. Sinners is the one I just finished.

 

 

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

No, probably some Dr. Seuss book.

 

 

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

Lots of things make me cry and laugh. I have written some scenes that made me cry.. and some that made me trip balls.

 

 

Fiona: Is there one person pass or present you would meet and why?

Hemmingway! Cause he is the outlaw author. Drinker, smoker, partier and he stole a mafia bosses’ girlfriend. The man was an inspiration!

 

 

Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone and why?

That is a strange question. “He was a good father, and tried his best to make people smile.”

 

 

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies?

I love Movies. The cheesier the better. I collect movies.

 

 

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

I hate watching TV now days. But I love the old stuff like A-Team, Star Trek, Knight Rider, and Charlie’s Angels.

 

 

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music

TACOS!!! Blue I guess is my fave color. I adore almost anything 80s. Def Leppard is my fanboy music.

 

 

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

I would enjoy going back to being a Project Manager, but no matter what I would still keep writing.

 

 

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

http://www.malleuspublishing.com/

Amazon Authors Page https://www.amazon.com/James-Wallace/e/B01LJRJ1G6/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

 

And let me say! Thank you so much for this interview. I appreciate you giving me your time.

Here is my interview with Fiola Faelan

Name  Fiola Faelan

Age 59 in people years, 38 in mischievous, pixie writer years

 

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

I was born in Norman, OK to a Chief Naval Officer and freelance writer/photographer. My early years were spent flitting from naval base to naval base. The chief, or Dad as we affectionately called him, encouraged reading from the cradle. We landed in San Jose, CA when I was five, way before Silicon Valley was even in gleam in its eyes.

As a teenager, I was an avid horsewoman, riding gymkhana on my Appaloosa and specializing in barrel racing.

I have two bossy older sisters who I wouldn’t trade for anything, and who have encouraged me in my writing and are even known to occasionally brag about their romance writer sis.

I left the Bay Area as a single mom when my son was 11 to get him away from the crime, smog, and all around craziness. We landed in Portland, OR and have been thriving here ever since!

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

I recently got back edits on a romance filled with danger, stalking, and attempted murder weaved in. Well, and of course two people shooting sparks at each other before the sexiness, kisses, love and HEA happens! I have three others in the works and hope to have at least two books published this year. The one described above, and one from an alter ego I’m playing around with who’ll write westerns as Gemma Blake.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I started writing with crayons when I was about four and a half, according to my mama. I don’t remember, though! <grin> As a child, I always loved to fiddle with poetry, and short stories throughout middle and high school. As an adult, I was famous for volunteering for every newsletter a company put out.

I’m chagrined to say I didn’t sit my butt down and write a romance until 2009! What the heck! I’ve been unstoppable since then – well, except for those couple of years I was working 75+ hours at the day job. I must admit I let that put a kink in things. I’m back at it though! Ditched the job and full speed ahead!

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I actually considered myself a writer long ago, when I was just penning poems and writing articles. My father was a poet, even in the Navy, and my mom was a freelance writer for 20 years or so. They taught me that you didn’t have to actually be a best seller, or even sell your stuff, to be a writer.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

Delilah Marvelle inspired me to write my first book. She’s an amazing local Pacific Northwest author. My son knows her, and introduced us. She encouraged me to join the local writers group, which I did that year and haven’t looked back once. <schmooches Delilah!>

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

I’ve been told more than once that I “have an interesting take and a strong voice”. I think I agree with that! I’m what they call a pantser, where I think of a scene or scenario in my head and then as I’m writing, build a world for my characters around that one scenario. I rarely plot out the story before beginning.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

I came up with Holiday Hearts Awakening because in the story, the heroine’s heart is all but ash, and Christmas is looming. She doesn’t want anything to do with her sexy neighbor or his little girl, but as the story unfolds, between the season, the man and his child, her heart awakens to love and happiness once again.

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

I want readers to grasp that there are second chances at life, and at love. I’ve had setbacks in life which made me question those concepts, but I’ve always found a way to pull myself up by my bootstraps – sometimes all on my own, and sometimes with the help of family and friends. I want people to know that love is out there somewhere, along with happiness, and hope. Don’t push people away because of the pain – perhaps let them nudge the pain out and replace that space with something that’s good.

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

I’ve taken snippets from my own life – someone tried to abduct me from the school bus stop when I was five. I’ve pulled from the memories of letting pain and heartsickness push people away when in hindsight, maybe something wonderful would have come into my life if I hadn’t kept them at arm’s length. I’ve never felt the pain of losing a child, but have a son who was chronically ill as a child and the emergency room visits when he was having trouble breathing were terrible. I would sit there by myself and agonize over how I would cope if anything happened to him.

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most? a mentor?

I don’t remember ever really having what I would consider a mentor growing up, although I did meet and know Anita Southern when I was ten. She is the woman better known as Neeta Snook – she taught Amelia Earhart how to fly! She was so independent, taking care of her disabled husband living in a house she built, atop a hill in Los Gatos and raising miniature Shetland ponies. I think just being around her for the few months was a subconscious nudge to believe I could master anything I put my mind to, and could overcome any adversity.

As for books – I think the one that opened my eyes to true story telling was one my father gave me on my ninth birthday. It’s “Stories from an Indian Cave”, and it’s a compilation of stories told by the Cherokee Cave Dwellers. I was fascinated, and it opened me to a world of make-believe and perhaps, who knows? The unbelievable perhaps happening as told by those that witnessed it.

 

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest and who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

Oh, my goodness, you don’t ask any hard questions, do you? <grin> Every time I think I’ve found my new favorite author, I find a new author that blows my socks off. I’ll pull up a very recent find – an author I just LOVE! The Thing About Love by Julie James blew my socks off, and after finishing it, I went back and reread her other books in the series that came before it. She had the perfect combo of sexiness, the hero and heroine’s push and pull, and an undercover investigation to heat things up.

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

My best friend, Sudha, who has actually become a sister from another mother, so I guess she is a family member! LOL So, non-family member – my daughter-in-law’s cat Nudge. She warms my lap when I’m writing, meows at my door in the morning to make sure I’m up and, if not writing, at least thinking of writing!

 

 

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

I do see writing as a career. If I had enough bucks in the bank, I’d be writing full time and wouldn’t have a day job. Since that isn’t going to happen any time soon…..hey! Publisher’s Clearing House, over here! <waves madly>

Oh, did I mention that’s how I afforded the move to Portland? I won ten grand in the early 90’s from them! Big cardboard check, flowers, balloons, the whole shebang. I digress!

Anywhoo, I do consider it a career. It’s just that, at this time in my life, I have a day job in the tech industry, and a night and weekend job as a self-employed writer.

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

I’ve wondered off and on if I shouldn’t have made it holiday-themed. I feel that may be one reason sales tend to uptick around the holidays and fall away the rest of the year. But then I remember that Christmas was an integral part! So, probably not. Now, the first draft, before I had a professional editor look it over? Yeah, that needed work and I did change a few things around!

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

What a great question! I don’t have a memory I can pinpoint, but I’ve always thought it was seeing my mama and dad writing. Every single day. I don’t remember a day where one of them wasn’t putting pen or pencil to paper, or banging away on a typewriter, back when it was ribbon and keys hitting the paper.

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

The book just returned from the editor has a woman who’s kept herself hidden away for a couple of years from an ex-husband, who’d love to do away with her. She discovers he’s been killed, so she has no reason to stay hidden. Just when she’s trying to decide whether to reveal her secret to her best friend, strange things start happening to her. Enter her sexy, muscled landlord, a not-so-stray shot, and it takes off from there!

The other one that I’m just a few chapters into has a military guy recently separated from the service, mild PTSD, thinking about donning his cowboy hat and getting back to the ranch.

Also, another Christmas one for later this year that has some fun paranormal elements working to bring together two unhappy people.

So many stories in my head, only two hands and limited time!

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

I have trouble keeping other stories from encroaching on the one I’m actively writing. I’ll be crafting a scene for my current characters, and something will trigger me to think, “Oh! I should do so and so for Book X”.  My brain also works faster than my fingers, although I type over 100 words a minute, and that gets frustrating sometimes.

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

I do have a few trips planned in the next year or two! I curbed my travel the past couple of years because of the long hours at the day job, but I’m starting a new day job – Monday the 1^st! – which will have more “normal” hours. I’m looking forward to getting back to my old haunt in San Jose for some research, the Oregon Coast, as well as a trip next year to North Carolina! I’ll post pictures!

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

Jimmy Thomas and a designer he works with designed the cover. I love his covers, and if only he had an uncle, about 55 – 65 years old that was single, looked like him, and lived in the Pac Northwest.  LOL

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

The hardest part used to be fitting writing into 75 hour day job work weeks and sleeping. Thank goodness I don’t have that problem anymore!

Now I have trouble with repetitive words! It’s also an ongoing work in progress to “show not tell” when writing. The editor I work with is great at pointing out those flaws, though.

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

I did! I learned how very fulfilling it is to actually finish the book. Not the first draft, but the finished product – after editing and having a book you’re confident is ready for publishing

I also learned that no matter now often I proof-read, I can NOT catch all my typos. I kinda knew that already, but challenged myself to try to catch them all with the last book, then gave the manuscript to my sister Sudha, who promptly found five grammar and spelling errors sprinkled throughout the book.

Fiona: If any of your books was made into a film who would you like to play the lead.

I’d have to say Terry Crews or Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. I love the tough-guy look, and am partial to muscles on top of muscles. Again, if either of those guys has an uncle, around my age, single, lives in the Pac NW, yada yada. LOL

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Yes! The advice given to me, I’d like to pass along. Research! Cruise around the internet, Googling things like “newbie writer mistakes”. I didn’t do that, and in my first novel, which is collecting bytes instead of dust on the hard drive of my computer, I made the classic mistakes. I did an info dump in the beginning of the book instead of sprinkling the info around here and there.

I did more telling than showing. I bounced from one POV (point of view) to another without warning the reader.  Anyway, research what the newbie mistakes are, and maybe even bullet-list them out and tack them to your wall right in front of your desk! Make a checklist of what not to do and then when you go back to edit, make sure you correct any areas where you slipped a bit.

If you’re a romance writer, Join RWA, then join the local romance chapter of same. Or, if you don’t have a local chapter that you can physically attend, join one in another town. The internet will keep you connected.

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

I’d love to say THANK YOU for reading my book. I’d also like to shamelessly ask that anyone who has read it, pretty-please leave a review. Even if it’s just a few words, like, “Loved it!” (that’s optimistic-me), or “It was okay but I didn’t care for the holiday theme”, or even “Loved the sex-scenes!” <grin>

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

I’m actually rereading “The Spy Who Wants Me” by Lucy Monroe. Lots of snark, humor, danger and sexiness!

 

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

I think the very first book I read was one of the Little Golden Books – Nurse Nancy. I think the first actual good-sized, meaty book I read was The Forest of Mystery by James H. Foster. I still have the book!

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

Oh boy, you’re making me fess up to everything, eh? Well, as for crying, believe it or not, the Budweiser football commercials always make me tear up. Any situation where someone has been wronged, etc. I’m telling you, the stuff happening here in the US brings tears to my eyes almost daily now. I’m strongly empathetic, so seem to have my tears jerked more frequently than I would like. It’s been about five years since I’ve cried, though. I’m not a dainty crier!

Laughing! I love to laugh, and I love to make people laugh. My son and daughter-in-law are always making me crack up with their antics. Also, when my sister Sudha and I get together, we make each other laugh with our snark and joking around.

Fiona: Is there one person pass or present you would meet and why?

For someone in the past, I would love to meet my great-grandparents who immigrated from Ireland. I want to ask them what their life was like, why they immigrated, and pick their brain on ancestors so I could fill in those pesky blanks that no one seems to know.

For the present, I would love to meet Michele Obama. She’s courageous, strong, and a great role-model for young and older women alike. I wouldn’t want to ask her intrusive questions, but would love to just have a great conversation with her.

Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone and why?

“To my son and daughter-in-law: Love you MORE!”

“Don’t wait, don’t put it off, DO IT NOW!”

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies ?

I do have other hobbies, although I’ve let them fall by the wayside. I’ve promised myself to pick up at least one of them again, if not more! I used to never leave the house without my camera in my hand. I love taking pictures, and I’m not half-bad.

I also love to hike, but having Lupus, I can’t be in the sun, and so am not quite as enamored of walking around covered up whilst everyone else is in shorts and tanks.

And last but certainly not least, I miss riding horses! Gotta get back to that, too.

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

Ohhh, that’s actually a hard question now, but only because I have an issue with vertigo and motion sickness that’s gotten worse in the past few years, especially with how they film movies and TV shows (and commercials!) now. They move that camera around as if a person was bouncing around while they were watching something happen. Annoying as all get out. I haven’t watched as much as a commercial since 2012.

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music

Chocolate! Cheesecake! I’ve become adept at changing around recipes, though, since I have a list of foods to avoid that’s about the length of my forearm. My darling DIL makes me cheesecake without gluten or sugar, and it’s outta this world! Love me some chocolate, too. Yum!

Red! I adore red. Oh, okay, and green. The color of the forest or meadow in the morning.

Credence Clearwater Revival blasting while I’m driving, Al Green crooning for romantic music, and kick-ass Tina Turner.

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

If not a writer, then a photographer or horse-trainer. Would love either of those!

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

I do have a blog/website! I’d love for people to swing by and visit. It’s https://fiolafaelan.com/

https://www.amazon.com/Fiola-Faelan/e/B00QPRYJI6/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

 

Thanks so much for interviewing me, Fiona! You have wonderful, insightful questions and I had a blast answering them. Even the hard ones. Hugs!

Here is my interview with M. M. Koenig

Name:  M. M. Koenig

Age:  35

Where are you from:  Minnesota

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

M.M. Koenig enjoys being active and has a variety of interests that coincide with her passion for life. Always one to try new things, she has acquired a variety of skills. Her sarcastic nature and multitude of experiences tend to find their way into her novels.

When she has free time and isn’t writing, she spends as much time as she can with friends and family. To fuel her soul, she is constantly looking for new music, movies, and books to keep the writer’s block at bay.

 

 

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

Currently, I am working on a prequel series to the Secrets and Lies Series.  It’s the Someday Series (Fighting for Someday and Waiting for Someday) and follows Bri and Trey, who you meet in the Secrets and Lies Series.  I’m also working on a the High Society Series, which takes place after the Secrets and Lies Series and follows Jackson Reid.  Fighting for Someday and Waiting for Someday will be released later this year.

 

 
Fiona: When and why did you begin writing? 

I’ve been writing throughout my entire life.  In the beginning of 2013, with a good push from my best friend, I started writing the Secrets and Lies series and have been writing nonstop since then.

 

 
Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

It was probably after I hit publish on Conflicted.  After releasing that book, things definitely shifted for me and I’ve learned so much in the past four years through self-publishing and the indie and blogging community.

 

 
Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book? 

Mia’s story had been with me in some form for nearly ten years.  My best friend really gave me the push to follow the dream and finish her story.  It was the best advice I’ve ever gotten and I’m so grateful for her and her continued faith in me.

 

 
Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style? 

I generally outline the story, but I’m also a fly by the seat of my pants kind of writer.  I go where the characters take me at times and that sometimes differs than what I might have originally thought out.

 

 
Fiona: How did you come up with the title? 

I’m terrible at coming up with titles.  In the Secrets and Lies series, I only picked out the title for Complicated.  With each book I write, it’s getting easier to think of titles, but I do rely a lot on my beta readers and critique partner for their thoughts.

 

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

I’m sure there is in the long run, but mostly I shoot for telling a good story that entertains readers.

 

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

In the Secrets and Lies series, there are a lot of people and experiences that are in the story.  I enjoy putting a little bit of myself, not only into the characters, but into some of the situations as well.  It’s always fun when someone I know catches those parts and has a good laugh at seeing it.

 

 
Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most? a mentor?

I’m a huge fan of Colleen Hoover and Rebecca Donovan.  I love stories that really make me feel and pretty much everything those two women have written always bring out the rainbow of emotions in me while I read and I love that in a book.  The Slammed Series, Hopeless Series, and the Breathing Series are some of my all-time favorites.

 

 

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest and who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

There are so many new authors out there and I’ve really enjoyed meeting them at events along with the bloggers and readers.  If I had to pick a favorite author, I’d say Colleen Hoover.  She’s very real and relatable in the stories she tells while entertaining all the same.  The way she weaves in a lot of dry humor within in it all is just amazing.

 

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

I’ve gotten a lot of amazing support from the blogging community, especially Read, Review, and Repeat and Books and Boys Book Blog.  I’ve also been very lucky to find some amazing beta readers out there that have been so amazing and patient with me while I write and edit.  And I’d be nothing without my critique partner.  She’s absolutely amazing and her insight has brought so much more to my writing.

 

 
Fiona: Do you see writing as a career? 

I would love for it to turn into a career, but try to keep my goals realistic.  It would be a dream come true if it did turn into a career though.

 

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

I would’ve created less characters in the Secrets and Lies series.  It got to be a lot when wrapping up the series and making sure all of the character’s story lines were wrapped up.

 

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

My grandmother always encouraged me to be creative and tell stories as a child.  We’d sit at her kitchen table and tell stories all the time and up until her death she always insisted I never stop using my imagination.

 

 

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

Here is a little peek at Fighting for Someday.  Please keep in mind it is unedited at this time.

 

FIGHTING FOR SOMEDAY
THE SOMEDAY SERIES #1
By M. M. Koenig
PUBLISHED BY M. M. KOENIG PUBLISHING LLC
COPYRIGHT © 2017 M. M. Koenig

A loud growl erupted from my stomach, interrupting my train of thought. Trey barked out a laugh and my cheeks turned bright red. He gestured toward my stomach and pointed out, “It sounds like you’re a tad on the hungry side. I don’t know about you, but I think you might want to eat something if we’re going to keep on playing this game.”
I gave him a sheepish smile before getting up and resting my hands on the back of my chair. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Drinking on an empty stomach has never ended well for me and I’d rather not go to school tomorrow feeling hungover. Are you sure you’re up for risking whatever we might walk into by going back downstairs?”
Trey tossed back his drink before putting the bottles and glasses on the tray and standing up. The last couple of shots seemed to calm him down and seeing his signature cocky smirk backed up that theory. “I think I’ll survive. And I wouldn’t mind eating something.”
I laughed while opening the patio doors. Before we headed for first floor, he set everything on the bar and stood in the center of the room and the longing look that had taken over his face brought a wide smile to mine. I linked my arm with his and teased, “We can come back and play later. I wouldn’t miss a chance to kick your ass at any of the games in here.”
His eyebrows furrowed cutely together and he was back to biting the insides of his cheeks to keep quiet. I jabbed my fingers in his side. The last thing I expected was for him to wince and my heart instantly dropped. He smoothed out his face to try and cover up his pain, but that didn’t do much for the iciness coasting through me. I opened my mouth to ask what happened, but he gave me a stern shake of the head, so I sealed my lips as we made our way downstairs.
My anxiousness got the best of me and I started twisting the long strand of hair covering my shoulder with my free hand. With each step we took, he ever so slightly brushed his fingers along the inside of my arm. The sparks he created with each stroke helped elevate the regret still sifting through me. Almost as though he was reading my mind, he stopped mid-step, took both my hands into his, and whispered, “You didn’t do it on purpose so stop beating yourself up. I would hate for you to have a meltdown.”
I released a soft laugh and mumbled, “No, we wouldn’t that now would we.”
The lopsided grin on his face sent a warmness through me that had nothing to do with my raging hormones and everything to do with the way he his grip tightened with his every word. My body tingled in ways I’d never felt before and it was a damn shame when we started moving again. He kept one hand interlocked with mine as made our way down the last few stairs.

 

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

I have to see the scene in my head before I can write it so if there is something unclear whether it is dialogue or the setting, it gets difficult for me to write.  In those times, I rely a lot on music or just taking a break until it comes clear.

 

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

I usually do three to four author events a year.  I love attending them and interacting with the readers.

 

 
Fiona: Who designed the covers?

I work with LJ over at Mayhem Cover Creations for all my covers.  She’s fabulous and always creates something that speaks to the characters in the story.

 

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

My books have a lot of twists and turns to them.  Dropping the clues to those twists is sometimes the challenging part because you want to give the reader an idea, but you don’t want to give too much away.

 

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

I’ve learned so much in writing all my books.  With each book, there are so many things I learn.  I think the biggest thing has been to show the reader what you’re saying and not tell them.

 

 

Fiona: If any of your books were made into a film, who would you like to play the lead? 

I get this question a lot from readers and I honestly have no idea who’d I put into the lead roles.  I will say while writing I visualized Ethan as Dan Conn and Maggie Grace as Mia.

 

 
Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Be open to criticism.  It’s what makes your work better in the long run.

 

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

Thank you so much for being so patient in between books.  Your continued support is what drives me at the end of the day.

 

 

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

I just finished reading Hopeless for probably the twentieth time.  I will forever love Sky and Holder’s story.

 

 

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read? 

I don’t remember the first book, but I do remember the first series I got into as a child and that was the Babysitters Club Series.  As an adult, I got back into reading with the Twilight Series.

 

 

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

I have a pretty dry sense of humor so any scene with a quick-witted zinger is sure to make me laugh.  I tend to cry at things I personally relate to whether it’s on a show, movie, or book.

 

 

Fiona: Is there one person pass or present you would meet and why?

It would be really cool to meet Lauren Graham.  She’s such a phenomenal actress and author.  It would be a dream come true to meet her and pick her brain.

 

 

Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone and why? 

I’m not entirely sure on this one.  Probably something along the lines of she lived life to the fullest and cared unconditionally for her family and friends.

 

 

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies?

I love playing sports, rollerblading, watching movies, following my favorite TV shows, and reading.

 

 

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

I’m a big fan of comedies and dramas.  I have a hard time narrowing down my favorites.  For comedy TV shows, I’d say the Big Bang Theory.  For a good drama franchise, I’d go with the Fast and the Furious.

 

 

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music:

I’m a big fan of different kind of salads when I’m trying to watch what I eat.  When I want to treat myself, I like a good deep dish pizza.  My favorite color is black.  My music taste is across the board.

 

 

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

When I’m not writing, I work in the title insurance industry and have been a title examiner for over sixteen years.

 

 

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

www.mmkoenig.com

Readers can follow me at these links

https://www.facebook.com/authormmkoenig/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1551613128496611/
https://www.instagram.com/mmkoenig/
https://twitter.com/M_M_Koenig
https://www.pinterest.com/koen0092/

https://www.amazon.com/M.-M.-Koenig/e/B00HBH4L7I/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1493252778&sr=8-1

 

 

Here are the S&L Series links

Conflicted (Secrets and Lies #1)
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1AoyD5K
B&N: http://bit.ly/1s5uPlC
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1a96gie
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/conflicted/id971511940…
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1ug1SEe

Complicated (Secrets and Lies #2)
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1ONftNh
B&N: http://bit.ly/1sVzMtJ
Kobo: http://bit.ly/10fzIi5
iBooks: http://apple.co/1ONfW26
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1FmhiKw

Concealed (Secrets and Lies #3)
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1VjttEa
B&N: http://bit.ly/1LffU3T
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1PHY5IJ
iTunes: http://apple.co/1QHrP8O
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1Vk2fIj

 

Here is my interview with Aaron L Speer

Name Aaron L Speer

Age 31

Where are you from Sydney Australia

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

Born and raised in Sydney. Family are all Australians, though when you get to the great grand parents I’m from all over the world. England, Ireland, Scotland etc. Though I do love travelling, (HELLO AMERICA) I still call Australia home.

 

 

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

Very proud to announce my third novel in the Undeadly Secrets series, Shadow Chaser has been released this April

 

 
Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

Because writing and acting were the only thing I’ve ever wanted to do. It is the best cure for boredom, and I don’t think of it as a job. Ever since I was 7 or 8 I’ve enjoyed composition and my imagination. I was a horrible student, and mainly because I was a dreamer. I didn’t want to be there, so I would imagine being places I would rather be. It all stemmed from there

 

 
Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I don’t really know if there is a sudden event that makes one a writer. I think I’ve always been one. Anyone that jots thoughts down is a writer, though they may never publish a book.

 

 
Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

My love of vampires, and my desire to make them different to what had been done before. I would make them gritty, more grounded. Peel back the romance and focus on them as a race, a group or as individuals. Blood, violence and gore.

 

 
Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

I would hope my style is unique. But in a word; fast. I write like I like to read. I like something to always be happening. When there is violence on the page, it’s presented graphic. Same as the sex scenes. I don’t dwell on these aspects, but the reader knows that when they pick up a book by me, there will be blood and steam.

 

 
Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

I came up with the first three books titles in about thirty minutes. Night Walker, Day Dreamer and Shadow Chaser. It was just a matter of focusing on what the books were going to be about and they came really quick.

 

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

Forget what you know, trust what you discover

 

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

Hmmmm….interesting question. Ok, the topic is vampires, but the events inside the novels are much more real than people would probably believe. And that’s not a marketing gimmick.

 

 
Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most? a mentor?

The Godfather, The Harry Potter series.

 

 

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest and who  is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

Valerie Roeseler has come on in the last few years with her Helio Trilogy. I’m in love with her work and her brain. The way she can build her world is astounding. Angels mixed with various mythologies. She writes passionate scenes in a way Ive never really seen before.

Whereas I write graphic scenes of that nature, she gives and overview that is in no way lacking of detail. You see everything in your mind without her having to compound you with “thrusting…heaving…hot wet pussy etc”. A true gift of a great writer is to be able to say everything while writing almost nothing.

 

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

My fans. It’s not fair to name one specific over another. But they know who they are. They support me and hold me up when I’m down or unsure. The make teasers for me, trailers, ask for reviews from blogs, pimp my stuff. Just because they care. I’m grateful to each and every one of them

 

 
Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

I would love to. But at the moment it’s a side job

 

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

No. I’m actually very pleased with how it come out.

 

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

As a kid, watching TV and writing my own version of what happened on the screen when I didn’t like it.

 

 

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

A serial killer is stalking Sydney. One that leaves no traces. No evidence. The Police are stumped but are trying to keep the truth under wraps. One cop reaches out to Alex Hensley, hoping an outsider might help.

She thinks its clear the killer isn’t human. But she also discovers her vampire allies are searching for him as well. He isn’t a vampire either. So the question is, what is he, and how can he be stopped?

 

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

Filling out pages between plot points

 

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

No, but I hope that will change soon

 

 
Fiona: Who designed the covers?

Deranged Doctor Designs

 

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

The final draft

 

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

Trust myself, but seek advice for things that scared me

 

 

Fiona: If any of your books was made into a film who would you like to play the lead

Me J Just kidding. Nah not really. I would love Margot Robbie to play Alex.

 

 
Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Keep going. But please do not use social media to bemoan how awful your sales are, why aren’t people buying full priced books etc. I’ve seen that a lot and people msg ME saying how grateful they are I do not do that, and they would never touch these authors who appear to complain so much. Ask questions, get advice. No one way works for everybody.

 

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

Thank you so much for giving me a chance to entertain you. The Speerverse will always be there to welcome you back.

 

 

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

Vermillion Horizon by Valerie Roeseler

 

 

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

Magic Faraway Tree

 

 

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

Children and animals being hurt

 

 

Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone and why ?

Here lies Aaron L Speer. He did his best.

I think that’s the most true statement about me. Wasn’t always right, or wrong. But I tried

 

 

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies?

Lol not really except spending time with my wife. Movies. Dinner etc. Enjoying what I can out of life.

 

 

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

Game of Thrones, Supergirl, Big Bang Theory, Family Guy, Marvel/DC nerd here

 

 

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music

Chicken. Black. ANYTHING

 

 

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

Act.

 

 

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

I’m in the process of updating and revamping it.

https://www.amazon.com/Night-Walker-Undeadly-Secrets-Book-ebook/dp/B00NB59QVA/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1493249582&sr=1-1&keywords=Aaron+L+Speer

https://www.amazon.com/Day-Dreamer-Undeadly-Secrets-2/dp/1508895813/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1493249582&sr=1-3&keywords=Aaron+L+Speer

https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Chaser-Undeadly-Secrets-3/dp/1544844409/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1493249582&sr=1-2&keywords=Aaron+L+Speer

 

Here is my interview with Chris Morgan

Name Chris Morgan

Age 30

Where are you from

Detroit, Michigan

Fiona: Tell us your latest news?

I have a novel, The Ash Heap of History, being released by Tirgearr on May 24.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

In college, I majored in film, which involved both creative writing (scripts, etc.) and critical writing, both of which I do to this day.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I guess when I started making real money from writing. Not good money, mind you. I do not wear a top hat and monocle when I amble through the city.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

I was living in Los Angeles, working on the fringes of the TV writing business. You know, writing TV scripts, getting good feedback, but not getting anywhere. I had an idea for a story that I felt worked best as a book, and so I decided to give it a try.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style?

I write comedy, and my work is very pop culture influenced. I grew up an avid watcher of TV and movies, and my love of pop culture makes its way into everything I do. I’m also a fan of turning phrases and eclectic word choice. I like to be able to look at a sentence and say, “That’s a funny collection of words to be used in this fashion.”

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

It comes from a Ronald Reagan speech, albeit one that took place after the events of the novel. The phrase “the ash heap of history” refers to things left behind by the inevitable passage of time. Reagan dances around the periphery of the book, so I thought it was a fitting choice. Plus, it’s a cool phrase.

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

Nope! It’s just a bunch of stuff that happens that hopefully is funny and interesting.

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

None of it is based on my own life, or the life of anybody I know. It’s about a private investigator in 1980s Los Angeles, after all. However, I made sure the pop culture references in the book were specific and realistic. If I mention an episode of TV, that episode actually aired on that day in that year.

Fiona: What books have most influenced your life most? a mentor?

If I’m being honest, I’m much more influenced by TV and film. The writers I consider role models are TV writers. John Swartzwelder, George Meyer, Conan O’Brien, et al. In terms of influencing this specific book, though, Thomas Pynchon’s Inherent Vice definitely has its fingerprints on The Ash Heap of History.

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest and who  is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

My favorite author is a non-fiction author largely, and that’s Chuck Klosterman. He’s an interesting writer, because half of what he writes is genius, and half of it is ridiculous. That being said, he has a lot of engaging thoughts on pop culture, and he things about subjects like Saved by the Bell deeply, which is something I admire. He’s also got a real way with words. Klosterman is one of those writers that, if I read their work for an extended chunk of time, my internal monologue starts to mirror their writing style.

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

I don’t really have an answer here.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

Well, it’s how I make my money, so yes. Now, I don’t do it from fiction. I write a lot of online pieces about pop culture. I’d love to start making a living writing novels or what have you, but that’s a plan for another day.

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

It probably sounds arrogant, but not really. I mean, not in a grand sense. I am sure there are small things. Sentences I’d want to reword and what have you. It’s not perfect, but in an overarching sense I’m quite pleased with the book.

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

I don’t know if there is any specific point I can highlight. Ever since I was 18 I’ve wanted to be a writer. That’s when I started writing scripts and stuff, and decided I wanted to try and be a TV writer. The Simpsons probably played a big role in that. I loved The Simpsons, and I still do, and I started to gain affinity for that show’s writers thanks to audio commentaries on their DVDs. It put the idea of writing in my mind. Plus, I have something of a knack for it.

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

Here are a couple gimmicky TV scripts I wrote:

http://supertotallyawesome.com/speedway-squad-in-color/

http://supertotallyawesome.com/non-90s-post-an-f-troop-spec-script/

And here’s a non-fiction book I wrote about the TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000:

https://www.amazon.com/Comic-Galaxy-Mystery-Science-Theater/dp/0786496789/

 

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

Sometimes you have a great turn of phrase or a chunk of text in your head, and then the time comes to put those thoughts to paper (or computer screen) and they don’t come out right. Then you have to try and pick it apart to make it resemble your original intent.

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

Zero percent!

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

The good folks over at Tirgearr handled that.

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

The book is told in the first person by the protagonist, and you have to be sure to keep the story in their voice, and to avoid omnipotence and to stay consistent with the character. You also have to be able to keep the story going in spite of the fact you have to be in the protagonists head the whole time.

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

Related to the previous question, how to write a first-person novel. I had never done it before. I had never written a novel this long. I wrote one novel previously, just to do it, and I threw it up on Amazon without trying to get it traditionally published. It’s pretty good, but this was definitely a step up, and the novel I am currently writing, I imagine, will be better than The Ash Heap of History.

Fiona: If any of your books was made into a film who would you like to play the lead

If The Ash Heap of History was made into a movie I’d like to see Kate McKinnon as Blondie. Or maybe Anna Faris. She played a stoner in a movie called Smiley Face, and she was quite good in that film. It’s a worthwhile movie overall. I’d recommend that one.

Fiona: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Be prepared for rejection. I spent years in LA trying to get into TV writing, and I was largely a failure. Even in the realm of book writing, and in the realm of writing about stuff online, I get plenty of rejection and hear a ton of nos. However, and this is especially true when it comes to writing a book, the worst case scenario is that you put it out yourself. You wrote a book, which is a tremendous accomplishment, and if you put it out people will be able to read it and see your work. That has value to it.

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

I hope you enjoy it. I hope it’s funny. I hope the mystery elements work. I hope you love ’80s pop culture, because then you will almost assuredly like this book.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets by Simon Singh

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

No. I remember in first grade, when we began assigned reading, I was given some book about an orchestra. It proved to be too easy to me so they gave me a book about a dog. I didn’t know the word “through” on sight, so they declared it success. Eventually, I was reading The Borrowers books before the year was out.

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

The Simpsons is the best thing humanity has ever done. Here’s something that made me laugh uncontrollably recently. I was watching the old game show Sale of the Century. They unveiled the prize, and it was a painting of a woman eating strawberries, and the model on the show was also eating strawberries to mimic the painting. It was so profoundly weird and wonderful and I just couldn’t stop laughing. If this is the kind of thing that sounds funny to you, please buy The Ash Heap of History. You’ll probably like it.

Fiona: Is there one person pass or present you would meet and why?

John Swartzwelder, the legendary Simpsons writer. He’s a genius, but he also has a reputation for being an eccentric, semi-reclusive weirdo. Although, he’s also a chain smoker, so maybe meeting him wouldn’t be so great. In that case, Simpsons writer George Meyer. Or any of the iconic panelists from the ’70s version of Match Game.

Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone and why ?

I know this is just an opportunity to come up with something pithy or clever or profound or emotional, but I am not going to have a headstone, because cemeteries are largely a waste of space, and I don’t think bodies should be buried in that fashion. It’s one thing to bury a body for it to decompose quickly, but I personally want to be cremated, and then have my ashes thrown in a volcano. I’m not going to waste a centimeter of space in death.

Fiona: Other than writing do you have any hobbies ?

Mostly, I watch TV and movies, which is probably obvious by now. I love playing trivia. I go to a Simpsons bar trivia thing every month. I’ve auditions for Jeopardy twice, but haven’t gotten on the show yet (I’d also love to be on the current iteration of Match Game).

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

Five best shows of all time: The Simpsons, Futurama, Mythbusters, Arrested Development, Mystery Science Theater 3000

Five best movies of all time: Repo Man, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, The Big Lebowski, Goodfellas, Real Genius

Fiona: Favorite foods / Colors/ Music

I do not have a favorite color. I’m not sure I have a favorite food, although I enjoy pad Thai and spanakopita. My favorite band is Pavement. I listen to a ton of female-fronted indie rock bands of modern vintage. Diet Cig, Frank Cosmos, et al.

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

 Honestly, I literally don’t know if there is anything else I could have done. Maybe something in TV, like a game show researcher. Maybe I could have worked in a record store back in the day.

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

Twitter is the best place to find me: https://twitter.com/ChrisXMorgan

Amazon Authors page:

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_ebooks_1?ie=UTF8&text=Chris+Morgan&search-alias=digital-text&field-author=Chris+Morgan&sort=relevancerank

Book links: http://www.tirgearrpublishing.com/authors/Morgan_Chris/the-ash-heap-of-history.htm

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y2JBXZK/