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~ My interviews with many authors

authorsinterviews

Monthly Archives: January 2019

Here is my interview with Maureen Larter

31 Thursday Jan 2019

Posted by fionamcvie1964 in Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Hello and welcome to my blog, Author Interviews. My name is Fiona Mcvie.

 

Let’s get you introduced to everyone, shall we? Tell us your name. What is your age?

My name is Maureen Larter and I’m now 71.

Fiona: Where are you from?

I was born in England, but came to Australia when I was only a toddler.

Fiona: A little about your self (ie,  your education, family life, etc.).

Mum and Dad are long gone now, and as I have no siblings – there’s not much to tell. I am divorced and live alone. I have a daughter that lives in Ballina, N.S.W. with her family, which includes two lovely grandchildren. My son is seperated and lives close by. I see his two children on a regular basis.

I went through University and then on to teaching English, Social Studies and Music. I still teach piano and violin at home. Of course, my other love is writing – and when I’m not teaching, or out in the garden, I’m busily writing.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

My latest news is that I am now publishing (as Sweetfields Publishing) for other authors. I’ve also got three books coming out this year, with more ready to write in my head.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I can’t remember the time I wasn’t writing. My first novel was written when I was eight!! Where it disappeared to, is anybody’s guess!! I started writing seriously about 12 years ago when I retired.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

I write because I love books. I love reading – so that was my inspiration.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

I have now written 15 children’s chapter books, 5 middle school age children’s chapter books and two adult drama novels. The titles come to me when I write. And as there are so many, I won’t list them all till the end of the interview.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style? Is there anything about your style or genre that you find particularly challenging?

Not really. I just write what is in my heart and head. I’m probably more into ‘nice’ books ( discounting the adult novels) and try to educate with every story. In the picture books, I also include a page at the end for follow-up projects in schools.

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

Mostly, my children’s books are fantasy, but my adult books have some basis in reality – not necessarily mine, but the things I have observed and learnt throughout my life.

Fiona: To craft your works, do you have to travel? Before or during the process?

No. I travel in my head!! However, I have travelled quite a bit and can use the things I have learnt, in my books.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

Mostly, I do. I have occasionally used professional designers, but prefer to do my own.

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

Always. Every book I write, I strive to educate my readers.

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

I haven’t got a favourite author! I just love to read!

Fiona: Outside of family members, name one entity that supported your commitment to become a published author.

Unfortunately, I have had no support other than myself. I self-motivate myself, and I have taught myself computers and publishing, as being on an age pension, I couldn’t afford to do it any other way.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

Not at my age. I just love the challenge. Of course, if I make money, I am thrilled – but that isn’t my reason for writing.

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

No.

Fiona: Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

The book I am writing at the moment has taught me about endangered animals and the problems this planet has keeping up with unscrupulous people.

Fiona: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

Good question. The only books that could become films would probably be better as animations.  Three of my chapter books are about fairies! As far as the adult novels – I really have no idea.

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

The best advice is write, write, write. You will improve all the time. Perservere.

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

My books should be enjoyed, and I really would love my picture books to be read by parents to their small children, so they pass on the love of reading to the next generation.

 Fiona: What book are you reading now?

‘In a Sunburned Country’ by Bill Bryson.

 Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

Not exactly. But I still have, in my book case, ‘The Folks of the Faraway Tree’ and ‘Come to the Circus’ – both by Enid Blyton.

 Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

I love a good comedy, but I have found the new movies very seldom make me laugh.

The thing that makes me cry are when my children are hurt, if animals are hurt, and the amount of violence in this world.

 Fiona: Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?

As a musician – I would have loved to meet Beethoven!

 Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

I read, I knit, I garden and I cook.

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

I love the Harry Potter franchise, Star wars etc.

These days TV shows are the pits – as far as I’m concerned, other than documentaries, there is nothing worth watching.

 Fiona: Favorite foods, colors,  music?

My favourite food is pasta, my favourite colour is purple and all its shades and my favourite music is classical from Bach to Borodin and everything in between.

Fiona: Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?

Read, read, read.

Fiona: You only have 24 hours to live how would you spend that time?

Visiting all my family and friends (If I was able). If not – I would hope they would come to me!

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

‘A kind, loving person, who tried to leave the Earth in a better condition than she found it’. Or something similar.

Fiona: Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers?

Yes. I have several social media options.

My blog is https://readeatdream.net/  – there are three pages to look at. It includes a catalogue of my books as well as a short story for your reading pleasure.

I’m also available on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/eBooksByMaureenLarter/?__tn__=%2Cdk%2CP-R&eid=ARCBaUJL2d4hbk9ho0cwroy3FdFsWiW1_11Mz8fMZlV6mt5Kz_beexV7DPtBxM2nZhtNXO8aoDrHhmgz

https://www.facebook.com/AlphabetanimalsofAustralia/

as well as my personal page.

as well as my personal page.

Twitter:- https://twitter.com/MaureenLarter?lang=en-gb

LinkedIn:- https://www.linkedin.com/in/maureen-larter-22571856/

 

Also Amazon author page :- UK  https://www.amazon.co.uk/l/B00ISCNZ4U?_encoding=UTF8&redirectedFromKindleDbs=true&rfkd=1&shoppingPortalEnabled=true #

USA https://www.amazon.com/Maureen-Larter/e/B00ISCNZ4U/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1548968443&sr=1-2-ent

UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/l/B00QB4TCO4?_encoding=UTF8&redirectedFromKindleDbs=true&rfkd=1&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

USA  https://www.amazon.com/Marguerite-Wellbourne/e/B00QB4TCO4/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1548929142&sr=1-2-ent

Here is my interview with Sarah Stuart

30 Wednesday Jan 2019

Posted by fionamcvie1964 in Uncategorized

≈ 6 Comments

Hello and welcome to my blog, Author Interviews. My name is Fiona Mcvie.

 

Let’s get you introduced to everyone, shall we? Tell us your name. What is your age?

Hi, Fiona, nice to meet you and all your guests. I’m Sarah… Sarah Stuart, and I’ve just begun to realise forty something has become fifty something, but never mind.

Fiona: Where are you from?

A tiny village with a restaurant and a pub but no shops or post office – very quiet and peaceful and close to the Weir, which winds its way to the sea through County Durham in North-East England.

Fiona: A little about your self (ie,  your education, family life, etc.).

I’m an Adult Literacy Tutor, and a dog-obedience trainer – handlers and dogs, which developed out of showing my own dogs and judging. My daughter has completed her university degree, so it’s just me, my husband, and the dogs at home, unless she’s on holiday and we have her chickens to stay.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

That is very exciting! Book 1 of my new series about Richard and Maria, Three Against the World, was voted the winner of Read Freely’s Best Indie Book of 2018, and the beautiful engraved trophy has just arrived.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I began telling myself stories before I learned to write, so it was something that seemed to be a part of who I am. You Only Live Twice? I sure do – once in reality and again through my characters. Come to think of it, that adds up to countless lives.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When I was commissioned and paid for writing an article in a wildlife magazine that’s published worldwide.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

Several things. Having time as family responsibilities lessened and I moved away from the college where I’d been working – a career move for my husband.

A chance meeting with a superstar of stage and screen. “Meeting” isn’t really the right word. He bumped into me, literally, and bought me lunch to make up for trampling on my sandals. My first book, Dangerous Liaisons, is based on the secrets he confided about his life.

 Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

The book contains an incidence of the most dangerous liaison of all, so it fitted. It didn’t have a subtitle originally, but I think Dangerous Liaisons: The Backstreet Boy and the Royal Heiress gives readers a better idea of what to expect.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style? Is there anything about your style or genre that you find particularly challenging?

My writing style is very specific in that I never use dialogue tags. I know most authors do, but I find them intrusive, and they slow the pace of the story.

The biggest challenge about writing romantic suspense is publicity; it’s a very large genre, but I work hard at it because it’s the sort of book I enjoy writing.

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

I’ve explained the root of my first book, and the same character, Michael Marsh aka The Diamond Superstar, features in all four of the Royal Command Family Saga. They are the continuing story of the impact of one disastrous night.

I do use my own experiences often, but subtly. The Royal Command books are an argument against blood sports, and the Richard and Maria trilogy –I’m currently writing the third book, One Alone in the World – highlights cruelty to unwanted pets.

I should add I donate all my royalties to wildlife and rescue charities worldwide.

Fiona: To craft your works, do you have to travel? Before or during the process?

I have, and do, travel extensively, so all the settings are observed first-hand, but I don’t write anything that demands a special journey, except sometimes to London. When I first started writing novels, we lived only an hour away by train, and it is the main setting for all my books; it’s the showbiz centre of the world, together with New York, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles, and I have stayed in all those numerous times. Dynasty of Deceit, the third Royal Command book, was great fun to write. Roughly a third is set in America and the rest in countries throughout Europe.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

Ruth Coulson. She used to do it only for me, but practice makes perfect makes demand, so she does them for other authors too now.

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

Absolutely. We should be quicker to forgive and slower to condemn. I don’t write “Christian” fiction, but I am a Christian, and I found that influence came over very strongly in the second book about Richard and Maria.

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

I love reading books by new authors. I review books for Readers’ Favorite, so I find some there, but I watch for them on Facebook too. I’ve just had the privilege of reading an advance copy of Senan Gil Senan’s Spectral State, and I loved it.

How new is “new”? Authors I’ve discovered in recent years and follow faithfully include P. L. Parker, John Nicholl, Ruth Coulson – she of the book covers – Rhonda Hopkins. Grant Leishman, David William Allman and Diane M. Johnson. My absolute favourite is Lesley Hayes. I love the psychological depth of her characters, and all her books feature love in some form, so obviously that intrigues me too.

Fiona: Outside of family members, name one entity that supported your commitment to become a published author.

The simplicity of doing it via Amazon, and their helpfulness – emails the same day! At first, I only ventured into eBooks, but I now have print copies available, and my next project is audio versions.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

No. If I did, I couldn’t give away my royalties. I find it compulsive, and I do believe books are a force for good; we all need escapism sometimes.

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

I’ve just uploaded a new copy of Two Face the World, but only because a friend pointed out two very minor errors I’d missed and I’m a perfectionist. It’s actually the book I’m proudest to have written, which is as it should be if I’ve learned from experience. That, and the beautiful cover ready and waiting, cause me sleepless nights sometimes, wondering if my current writing can match or exceed it.

Fiona: Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

That Christian beliefs can surface when you least expect them.

 Fiona: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

I’m not a huge fan of films, so I’m not the ideal person to answer that question. I was once invited to discuss Dangerous Liaisons and Illicit Passion with readers on Goodreads for a month, and they came up with Nicole Kidman for one of the female leads.

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

If their books are well-written and selling, no. I spend hours doing my best to advise people who submit poorly-written books to Readers’ Favorite for review. Sometimes, there’s nothing to say but “you need an editor and a proof-reader” – don’t we all? Others have a great idea they’ve spoiled in some way and I can help. Some authors even say thank you, but I understand those who don’t. I’ve criticised their “baby”, and it’s hard to take, especially if you know it’s true.

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

If you enjoyed my book, read the next one? I love reviewers who say they have read the previous book/books, or those looking forward to the next.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

I’m not allowed to reveal the titles of books I’m reading for Readers’ Favorite, and I’ve just started one. I’ll probably look for another by Lesley Hayes next; I haven’t read them all yet.

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

Not personally, no. Before I could read, my mother used to read to me, and the first time it was chapter one from Oliver Twist. A bit advanced when I was about two or three, but it left me with a love of classical literature.

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

Laugh? Not so-called comedians! I did ask for jokes – clean – on Facebook recently to use in my current book, and they had me in fits of giggles. People showing extraordinary courage can make me cry. I’m not sure why.

Fiona: Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?

Any serving member of the UK government or opposition, so I could ask them why they’re all sure incompetent, self-serving, fools.

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

Driving, walking my dog/s, music, music, and more music.

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

The last film I saw in a cinema was Mamma Mia, the Movie, which was one of the few filmed musicals that was completely different from the stage version and each is as good as the other. Very rarely, I watch DVDs – Goodnight Mr Tom – The Railway Children – Shakespeare in Love… Live TV is a bore that goes ignored beyond my laptop, except sometimes for quizzes or a properly-researched drama.

Fiona: Favorite foods, colors,  music?

Fillet steak with mushrooms, chicken chow mein, bananas, apricots, black cherries, fruit cake, and chocolate chip cookies.

Red, shades of blue, and white when it’s frost sparkling on green grass.

Songs from musicals and opera, classical, and country.

Fiona: Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?

Catch up with my “to be read” list, very likely on a cruise ship.

Fiona: You only have 24 hours to live how would you spend that time?

Committing suicide as fast and painlessly as possible.

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

Nothing. Headstones are a waste of space, or they are on a tiny island like the UK, and they encourage people to leave flowers on graves to die.

Fiona: Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers?

http://sarahstuartweb.wordpress.com

 Amazon Authors Page UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/l/B00MA9XLHI?_encoding=UTF8&redirectedFromKindleDbs=true&ref_=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1&rfkd=1&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

USA https://www.amazon.com/Sarah-Stuart/e/B00MA9XLHI/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1548858848&sr=1-2-ent

Here is my interview with Ian Roberts

30 Wednesday Jan 2019

Posted by fionamcvie1964 in Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments


Hello and welcome to my blog, Author Interviews. My name is Fiona Mcvie.

Let’s get you introduced to everyone, shall we? Tell us your name. What is your age?

Hi, I am Ian Roberts.  At school, I was called Jimmy and at college Harry.  When my parents watched me play rugby they wondered who Jimmy was.  I’m a bit older than I was this morning.

Fiona: Where are you from?

St Helens in Lancashire (now part of Merseyside, but Lancashire, really) and living in the lovely Welsh village of Rhuddlan opposite a castle.

Fiona: A little about yourself (ie, your education, family life, etc.).

I was born in the ‘back streets’, in a tiny house, into an extensive and loving family.  My childhood was fabulous, with family all around me and my grandad caretaker of the local army barracks – hell, he showed me the armoury: rifles, machine-guns, grenades – imagine that for a little boy – but I was never allowed to touch them.  He’d fought in WW1, in the cavalry, and was highly-decorated, for rescuing wounded from no-man’s-land and killing a German sniper, but rarely spoke of it.  My dad once told me a story about my grandad.  One Sunday morning, dad and his siblings were cleaning an outside lavatory after a dance at the barracks.  Someone had done a ‘poo’ in an alley.  My dad ran to my grandad and said, ‘Dad, I’ve found a turd.’  My grandad replied, ‘It’s okay, son.  If nobody claims it in three months, you can keep it.’

My dad and his two brothers fought in World War Two and saw a lot of action.  So, my childhood was filled with stories of the war.  I once asked my dad how many Germans he’d killed personally.  He’d served on a battleship and never saw a German in six years of war, so his answer, with a grin, was, ‘Not many.’  Both my uncle Wilf and dad were wonderful raconteurs and loved humour.  They were a big influence on me.  My own humour sometimes gets me into trouble, but it’s never meant to be offensive or hurtful.  My uncle Stan, the eldest of the brothers, served in the forces of occupation, in Germany, after the war.  He married a German lady and lived in Hamburg, so I didn’t get to know him.

I was very fortunate and got a good education at the local selective grammar school, where I was frequently in trouble.  I once wrote a spoof history essay filled with gibberish.  I thought it was very funny.  The headmaster didn’t.  Getting your arse caned is very painful, so I never got caught again.I’ve still got the marks on my buttocks.

I played rugby until I was forty-five and love the game.  Unfortunately, I have a stinking temper and was sent off quite a lot.  I once called a referee a dumb sonofabitch.  For some reason, he took offence and off I went again.  Some people have no sense of humour.

Following school, I worked as a trainee accountant – a wonderful idea, as I hated maths.  I was a bit ‘dumb’ and probably still am (I‘ll sue if you repeat that – you can contact my lawyer at http://www.sue/anyone.com – a lovely guy).

Then college to train as a teacher, followed by Keele University for my degree.  A term teaching at the local college then off to university in California at Long Beach.  Ostensibly, I studied for an MA.  In reality, I played rugby, got a great tan and drank lots of beer.  I watched the movie Jaws when in California (great white sharks roamed the coastal waters) – I’m now scared of having a bath.  When water-skiing, and waiting for the boat to take up the slack of the tow-rope, I used to imagine monsters speeding from the depths to devour me.

California was a wonderful time and gave me an insight into the USA.  When I was growing up, after the war, in England, people too often said ‘I don’t like Americans’ and used the expression ‘Over-paid, over-sexed and over here.  They’re all the same.’  As I grew a bit wiser I realised that such generalisations were ludicrous.  No-one is ‘all the same’, and my experience of Americans is one of warmth, generosity and humour.  I made great friends with some lovely people.Accents were a problem – they thought I was Australian.  I sued them.  I think it was George Bernard Shaw who coined the phrase ‘two nations separated by a common language’.  I found that to be very true.  ‘Shagging a ball’ has different connotations in England.

On returning to England, I taught in a very good school in Liverpool until retirement.  I’m still in touch with former pupils, most of them great lads.  For the most part, teaching was a joy but very hard work.  It taught me a lot about myself as well as my pupils.  Racism comes to mind.  I taught kids of all races and religions.  Quite quickly, you forget what colour people are, or should do, and they become people just like you and me.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

My news is that I have an abdominal herniaI call The Alienand look nine months pregnant with triplets (the ultrasound scan showed one of each). It’s painless but ugly and embarrassing.  It’s been there for almost a year and we’ve become quite close.  I take it for walks and show it to children to scare them.  I hope to have surgery soon.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

When I was in my first year of grammar/high school, the teacher gave us homework: ‘What are your ambitions?’  Mine were to play rugby for St Helens, which I did, and to write a book.  Much later, 1976, I was in the library in Seal Beach, California, and reading a book.  I thought, ‘I can do better than this!’  On returning to England, I began to write and thought, ‘Easy, a year to write it then a best-seller and retired by age thirty as a professional author.’  Forty years later, I’m still working on it.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

As soon as I began writing – how wrong I was. I’ve learned that it’s not only aspiration and hard work and inspiration.  It’s a skill, which demands patience and analysis and perseverance just like any job. And you have to remember that publishing is a business.  No matter how good you are, it’s about money and market forces.  Still, every best-selling author was previously a ‘nobody’, so don’t give in.  JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books were rejected many times, before she became published

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

Some way into the book, Catch the Sun, I wrote a scene and it hit me – that’s the title.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style? Is there anything about your style or genre that you find particularly challenging?

That’s a difficult one, Fiona.  With historical fiction, you have to be careful in order to provide ‘authenticity’.  Research is essential, but I hope I’ve achieved it to some extent.  Once you get into the rhythm of writing the book, it becomes easier, but you must be careful to maintain the ‘historical’ style.  Having said that, it’s ‘story’ that counts – we want to entertain and inform and amuse.

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

I hope it’s all realistic.  The characters are part me and a cocktail of those I’ve known or read about.  Events in my own life?  Of course.  I’ve known trials and tribulations and pain, as we all have.  ‘Pain’ is useful when writing.  It enables us to dig deep when trying to express ourselves.

Fiona: To craft your works, do you have to travel? Before or during the process?

Travel would be a great idea, but I had to make do with extensive research – although I crossed the Sahara Desert, in a Land Rover, twice, when I was twenty, and that experience provided many ideas, regarding people and places and the diversity of our race.  It was a wonderful education and changed my perspectives.  I still ponder it.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

Me, with help from Alexie Aaron, for two of my books.  I don’t like the cover of Catch the Sun and hope to change it.  The fool who designed it included the Post Office tower in London.  I doubt if there were many post office towers on the South African landscape in 1899.

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

Yes – live, laugh, explore, never give in, fight evil, don’t take yourself too seriously, respect others and don’t be too quick to judge.  Our initial perspectives can be superficial and not based on the difficulties and pain others may have suffered.

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

Another difficult one: Dickens, Steinbeck, Shakespeare, Pat Conroy, Frederick Forsyth, Hemingway, GlendonSwarthout…I’ve recently discovered Nelson Demille and Peter Robinson, plus Peter May is awesome.  The journalism of John Pilger.He tells the truth and is hated by the establishment.  William Boyd is fabulous, and JK Rowling is an inspiration.

Fiona: Outside of family members, name one entity that supported your commitment to become a published author.

Two people I met in writers’ groups – Alexie Aaron and Tom Winton, both on Facebook and wonderful writers.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

I’d love it to be but will continue to write, whatever.

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

I’m working on that – a book is never finished.

Fiona: Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

Yes, you can always improve your writing and learn from the past and from others.  It’s an ongoing process and we must all accept advice and positive criticism.  Sometimes you think you’ve written something really great but you must be prepared to delete it and not be self-indulgent.Also, I recommend that you don’t accept your first version of any writing.  Sleep on it and see how it looks the next day.

Fiona: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

I often ponder that.  One of the leads would be Liam Neeson(I’d be the other lol). In fact, I have a pal who is into amateur dramatics, and I intend to give it a try once I’ve had surgery.

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

If you love it, don’t give in, but it sure as hell isn’t easy to be successful.  If that need to write is there…just do it!

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

Yes, I love you all very much so please buy my books by the thousand.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

A Peter Robinson detective novel – he’s excellent – anda book on Martin Boorman, Hitler’s ‘accountant’.  Despite the ‘authorities’ attempts to discredit the author (his son was murdered), it seems the Nazis are alive and well in South America.I believe that conspiracy theories have been discredited to avoid the truth.  There is much more going on beneath the surface than we can imagine.

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

Not really, but my dad bought me a book of Robert Louis Stevenson’s poetry when I was ten.  I still read it.

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

I find humour in most things, except cruelty, racism, misogyny.  I enjoy satire and self-mockery and find bathos extremely funny – imagine a rock concert at the forum in ancient Rome, with Caesar on lead guitar and Billy Idol singing White Wedding.  I cry when I see the corruption and greed in our world and the way it devastates the lives of the innocent. I can cry at the love of close friends and family.

My grandchildren are very precious, and I’m proud of my son Jacob.  He has a degree in Sports Journalism and is a boxing fanatic.  He’s written for boxing websites and is very good indeed, although it’s difficult to get work in journalism unless you know someone in the business.  He shares my sense of humour, so I hope we don’t get arrested together.

Fiona: Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?

Several, a long list: Mandela, Billy Connolly, Margaret Thatcher’s head in a bottle, Barack Obama, Matt Damon, Peter Sellers, the lady who hit my car, last November, and drove off (I hope to invite her for coffee and pour it down her knickers), Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Stalin (hanging upside down on a meat hook), my mum and dad again, JK Rowling…too many to mention.

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

The three Rs, Reading Riting and Rugby, plus laughter.  I used to enjoy the exhilaration of surf-kayaking.  When that water is breaking over you as you try to control the kayak you feel alive.  It’s an incredible feeling, and you feel the power of the ocean.

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

A variety: war movies, biopics, documentaries, comedy, wildlife.  It’s difficult to choose, but I’d number From Here to Eternity, Saving Private Ryan, Gladiator, Some Like it Hot, A Beautiful Mind, The Longest Day, amongst my favourites.  Meryl Streep is a genius, and I admire Tom Hanks.

Fiona: Favorite foods, colors, music?

The colour pink should be illegal.  Blue is my favourite.  Foods?  I have wide-ranging tastes but in large portions.  Bless the person who invented bacon eggs and sausage.  Music would be from AC/DC and melodious rock to Beethoven and Jean Sibelius.  I love Carol King and James Taylor.  I like the music and lyrics of Bob Dylan, but he sounds like a cat with a marrow up its arse and being strangled.  I find rap pretentious and with filthy lyrics for the sake of it.  That isn’t clever and has a bad influence on kids.  Successful musicians have vast followings and make huge amounts of money.  Responsibility should come with that.  I don’t know enough about classical music and intend to find out more.  When I grow up, I want to be in AC/DC.

Fiona: Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?

I can’t imagine that.

Fiona: You only have 24 hours to live how would you spend that time?

24 hours isn’t enough time to teach the world that family and friends are more important than money and status.

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

I hope I made people laugh and made a difference, as well as ‘It wasn’t me, ref.’

Fiona: Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers?

I’m on Amazon, somewhere or other but don’t have a blog.  Maybe I should do.  I’m not very good at promotion of my books.  This is a weakness.  I’m still waiting to be discovered and for that offer from Speilberg for the movie rights.

 Amazon authors page UK

https://www.amazon.co.uk/l/B001KHDSJM?_encoding=UTF8&redirectedFromKindleDbs=true&ref_=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1&rfkd=1&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

USA https://www.amazon.com/Ian-Roberts/e/B001KHDSJM/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

Here is my interview with Carolyn Belcher

30 Wednesday Jan 2019

Posted by fionamcvie1964 in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments


Hello and welcome to my blog, Author Interviews. My name is Fiona Mcvie.

 

Let’s get you introduced to everyone, shall we? Tell us your name. What is your age?

Carolyn Belcher. 74

Fiona: Where are you from?

Now, Stowmarket, Suffolk. But, I’ve moved about during my 74 years. South Lincolnshire, Liverpool, France etc.

Fiona: A little about your self (ie,  your education, family life, etc.).

Bachelor of Education, Liverpool Uni. Taught drama and dance in Knowsley. Married twice. 3 children. 3 Grandchildren. Now a widow.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

My 3rd novel, Angela’s Pin will be published later this year.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

Carolyn: In 1986. I wrote a piece Private Lives, for my students to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. It achieved Pick Of The Day in The Scotsman.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Carolyn: Then. I got the writing bug.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

Carolyn: A tutor on the writing course I attended in 2003. She said the short story I had written in response to an exercise she set, was the first chapter of a novel.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

Carolyn: The publishers didn’t like my working title, Silence Is Not Agreement. We brainstormed other possibilities and came up with, Crocodiles And Angels.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style? Is there anything about your style or genre that you find particularly challenging?

Carolyn: I think my writing style is quite poetic. Genre? Realistic fiction.

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

Carolyn: Most novelists agree they draw on their life experiences and use aspects of people they know in their work. I am no exception. I am an Autolycus, ie a snapper up of unconsidered trifles. In my loo is a notice which says, be careful what you say, you could end up in my novel.

Fiona: To craft your works, do you have to travel? Before or during the process?

Carolyn: No.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

Carolyn: Re the first 2 novels, I don’t know. The publisher chose them. Re the third, George Wicker. I have changed publishers.

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

Carolyn: That essentially we are all alone.But once we have accepted this, we can move forward.

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

Carolyn: No one in particular. I belong to a book club and we read a huge variety of novels. One of my favourite authors is Anne Tyler. Her books have integrity. I love the pictures she paints.

Fiona: Outside of family members, name one entity that supported your commitment to become a published author.

Carolyn: The Bury St Edmunds writers’ group, Write Now.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

Carolyn: No. I am a retired drama teacher. Writing is a way of life. My deceased husband said I was a figment of his imagination.

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

Carolyn: No, not now.

Fiona: Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

Carolyn: That when I thought I had done the final draft, I hadn’t. But that’s the same with all my writing.

Fiona: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

Carolyn: I have no idea who would play Angela as a child. Maybe Emma Stone should play Angela as a young to middle aged woman and Helen Mirren or Meryl Streep, Angela in her 60’s.

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

Carolyn: If you love writing never give up. Be prepared for rejection. Then mentally bin them and carry on.

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

Carolyn: If by page 40 you are not enjoying the novel, stop reading. There are too many wonderful books out there to continue with one you are not enjoying.

 Fiona: What book are you reading now?

Carolyn: Americanah by Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie

 Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

Carolyn: No. It might have been Winnie The Pooh.

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

Carolyn: Many things. But in particular, Stewart Lee re laughter, the cruelty human beings are capable of re crying.

Fiona: Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?

Carolyn: There are quite a few, but out of them all, David Attenborough. He epitomises, for me, the joy we all could take in our planet and its flora and fauna.

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

Carolyn: Gardening, theatre, cinema, classical concerts, dance performances, reading, having friends round for a meal, Discord choir, supporting Liverpool footy club, book club.

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

Carolyn: Scandinavian crime dramas like The Bridge. Last Tango in Halifax, Sherlock, Little Boy Blue. (I taught Stephen Graham!) Re films, Mama Mia, but not no 2. Stan and Ollie. Superb performances. Midnight Cowboy. West Side Story. Moulin Rouge, the musical, The Phantom of the Opera. But my favourite film is Lars and the Real Girl, with Ryan Gosling.

 Fiona: Favorite foods, colors,  music?

Carolyn: I love food. Possibly roast shoulder of lamb where you make cuts in the meat and rub a mixture of crushed garlic, oil, lemon juice and coriander in the cuts.

Colours, autumn colours. Music; classical music like Bruch’s violin concerto. The pop music of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. I love the music of the Beatles, Ultra Vox and Queen. I also love the music of musicals.

Fiona: Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?

Carolyn: It’s hard to imagine. I’d would be an actor or a director (plays not a firm.)

Fiona: You only have 24 hours to live how would you spend that time?

Carolyn: With my family. But they wouldn’t know I only had 24 hours left.

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

Carolyn: Nothing. I will be cremated and my ashes scattered in the sea at Old Hunstanton.

Fiona: Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers?

Carolyn: Not yet.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pavements-We-Walk-Carolyn-Belcher-ebook/dp/B01HDRDQU8/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1548838799&sr=1-2&keywords=Carolyn+Belcher

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Crocodiles-Angels-Carolyn-Belcher-ebook/dp/B010GI1H2A/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1548838841&sr=1-1

Here is my interview with Matthew John Benecke

29 Tuesday Jan 2019

Posted by fionamcvie1964 in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Hello and welcome to my blog, Author Interviews. My name is Fiona Mcvie.

 

Let’s get you introduced to everyone, shall we? Tell us your name. What is your age?

Hello, Ms. Fiona, and thank you for including me on your wonderful site. My name is Matthew John Benecke and I’m 35, turning 36 this coming March.

Fiona: Where are you from?

I hail originally from Brooklyn, New York. I’ve had family in the same neighbourhood for more than eighty years and am proud to say that I am a born and bred Brooklynite! I currently live in coastal New Jersey and absolutely love it here in Hazlet.

Fiona: A little about your self (ie,  your education, family life, etc.).

I’m married to the love of my life, Heather, and we have three wonderful children—Timmy, Sarah, and Jackson. My wife and I met at Baruch College as members of the first graduating class of the Macaulay Honors College. We both earned B.B.A.s in finance but I wanted to pursue a career that was more intrinsically fulfilling for me, so I pursued and earned an M.A. in Adolescent English Education from Brooklyn College.

I spent the better part of ten years working in education with duties ranging from S.A.T. prep instruction and college guidance counselling to classroom instruction and private tutoring. Since 2010 I have been at home with my children pursuing my writing career.

 Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

Later this year I will be releasing my fourth novel called The Quest for the Key. It serves as the penultimate installment of my speculative fiction series, Kosmogonia, which explores the traditional battle between good and evil infused with a variety of writing styles and genres. Writing speculative fiction allows me to pull from a multitude of resources to create a unique blend of influences and elements that I hope my readers find both interesting and engaging.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I began writing in elementary school thanks to the encouragement and guidance of several of my teachers. I remember Mrs. Michelle Shapiro DeBiasi and Mrs. Nancy Mail, in particular, emphasizing creative writing as part of our curriculum when I was in fourth and fifth grade, respectively. I enjoyed the freedom that came with writing as a creative outlet and the opportunity both to develop and inhabit fictional realms of my own design.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

April 9th, 1990! That was the date that I had my first piece of writing published—a poem about animals that I penned in first grade that was included in a small, local newspaper’s creative arts section. The thrill of seeing my name in print coupled with the excitement of having my writing read by others planted the seed that, nearly thirty years later, is finally beginning to grow.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

My first novel, The Lion in the Desert, was a culmination of a panoply of influences and experiences that I accrued throughout my adolescence and early adulthood. I have always been intrigued by the unknown and unexplainable—the paranormal and supernatural aspects of the world, but what truly fascinates me is when and how they intersect with the mundane, everyday experiences that we all share. I had several “what if” questions that combined to form the foundation of my plot—queries such as:

“What if someone was plagued by a recurring nightmare that was so terrifyingly real that they began to question whether it was merely a dream or a vision of some hellish future?”

“What if an ordinary office worker was on an elevator that got stuck and, when the doors opened suddenly between floors, instead of a concrete wall they showed a beautiful girl sitting in a sunny field?”

“What if an ordinary, everyday guy discovered that the world was going to end and no one believed him?”

From there, I pulled from a variety of influences—literature I had read, movies and television shows that I had watched, and video games that I had played—to create an exotic concoction of the occult and the ordinary—the supernatural and utterly normal. I try always to keep my characters grounded and based in reality, no matter how bizarre or otherworldly the events and experiences are that they share. As such, I want any reader exploring my work to be able to relate to them and to believe that the same things could happen to them, because it puts them in the same headspace as my characters; it makes the things that they think and feel—the actions that they take that much more plausible and thus relatable.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

The title for my series, Kosmogonia, comes from the Greek root of cosmogony, which is the study of the origin of the universe. I’ve always been fascinated with mythological origin stories as well as the science surrounding our own esoteric beginnings. I have also thought at length about the inherent nature of good and evil, and the idea of the soul and soulmates—essentially of love, itself.

I thought that it would be a fun and interesting endeavour to explore those things in the context of an origin story. Science and religion are often at odds when it comes to explaining the ways of the world and so I wanted to proffer something that is secular but sound—scientific but blended perhaps with a little magical metaphysics. Those are the driving forces of the series but they exist more as a backdrop to the individual plots and the metanarrative that links the five books together.

The first entry in the series, The Lion in the Desert, was inspired by a few lines from one of my favourite poems—The Second Coming by William Butler Yeats. That work has an apocalyptic feel to it that connects thematically with not only The Lion in the Desert but my Kosmogonia series as a whole. I envisioned not an actual lion passing through the swirling sands in some godforsaken desert but rather a figure that might or might not be a man, disappearing into the dunes as the wind whips wildly around him.

The title is more metaphorical than it is literal. The lion is a dichotomy, referring to both the danger in the desert and the everyman hero destined to face it. It represents the threat of the former and the courage of the latter.

I try to imbue all of my titles with multiple levels of meaning. I have always enjoyed playing video games, watching television shows and movies, and reading books that do the same. Games such as Final Fantasy, shows like LOST, the Twilight Zone, and Stranger Things , movies like Inception and The Matrix, and books like James Joyce’s Ulysses fascinate me because they have their superficial plots but they also have deep mythologies that can be plumbed and probed for those who are willing to undertake the journey; that is what I strive for in my work as well.

Book number two, The Walking Ghosts, refers literally to a subset of characters in the novel but metaphorically to the main characters who find themselves as the sole survivors of the end of the world, walking like ghosts among the wreckage of a world that has moved on. A tertiary reference is to the walking ghost phase of radiation poisoning, which I found fascinating when I was conducting research for the novel.

Book number three, The Metamorphoses, is purposely pluralized. It refers to a very literal metamorphosis not unlike that undertaken by a creature in a chrysalis, but also to the unseen changes that the characters undergo in terms of maturity and personality. It is my most character-driven novel and thus focuses heavily upon the lives and traits of the quartet of characters that make up the cast of protagonists as well as the primary antagonist.

My upcoming fourth novel, The Quest for the Key, has both literal and figurative elements to the title as well. There is, of course, a literal key that they must seek out but the chest to which it belongs holds within it a very special object—the key to their ultimate survival. There is some wordplay involved with homophones as the concept of qi is critical to the plot as well, with the heroes seeking to develop the life force that will be the light battling the darkness to come.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style? Is there anything about your style or genre that you find particularly challenging?

I write mostly speculative fiction, which is work that pulls from a variety of genres and styles without delving too far into any one of them. My novels all have horror, thriller, and supernatural elements—occasionally sci-fi and fantasy as well—but none of them would be considered pure novels of a given genre. What I love most about writing speculative fiction, though, is the ability to take seemingly disparate elements—say, a gothic character placed in a fantasy environment—and to meld them into something new and refreshingly different. I feel like my style is representative of me, as a whole, as I have a motley mix of interests and sources of inspiration.

Growing up, I was influenced a great deal by some of the best fiction writers in their respective genres. As a younger child, I was thrilled by the Twilight Zone-like twists that R.L. Stine employed in his Goosebumps series—moments that you often couldn’t see coming and that stayed with you long after you shut the book. As I grew older, I loved Stephen King’s knack for crafting bone chilling horror, but what stuck with me the most was his ability to create memorable moments and characters that you actually cared about.

When I began to develop my own writing style, it was at a time where I was experiencing a seismic shift in my literary influences. I still loved popular fiction but, between my later years in high school and then college and graduate school, I began to explore classical literature. I fell in love with the works of many of the great gothic writers like Mary Shelley, Henry James, and Emily Bronte, as well as Irish and English literary heavyweights like Yeats, Joyce, and Keats.

While I loved the commercial aspects of books by popular American authors, I developed an appreciation for the technical skill employed by literary novelists. I found that, all too often, writers of horror, science fiction, and fantasy were dismissed from the conversation of what constituted high quality writing by critical consensus. Those genres were treated as being inferior to the classics and so, as I developed my own writing style and discovered my voice as a writer, I wanted to find a way to defy those perceptions.

I decided to employ some of the approaches and techniques that I learned from studying classic literature—whether it was literary elements like alliteration and assonance or simply ascribing themes and motifs to different characters—in my fiction. I wanted to create great stories but I hoped, too, that the writing itself would be considered of a higher quality. I wanted to show that commercially appealing novels could also have literary merit. I don’t know  whether or not I have succeeded in my efforts but my work feels authentic to me so I suppose that’s what counts!

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

One of the challenges that I love the most about writing my Kosmogonia series is keeping the events realistic even as they grow ever more bizarre and otherworldly. I have always connected more with characters who remain believable even in the most extraordinary of circumstances—Batman as opposed to Superman. Sure everyone would want to root for the invincible, perfect superhero archetype, but, deep down, I think that we can all relate far more to the one who struggles not just with adversaries but with his own inner demons.

Regardless of the setting and the circumstances, I try to make my characters relatable. One of my most ardent hopes is that, when a reader gets to one of these moments that test belief, that he or she looks at the character’s reaction and identifies with or understands their motivation and course of action. If someone says, “Yes—I could see myself doing the same thing” or, even better, if it prompts someone to think, “What would I do in that same situation?” then I feel like I have achieved what I set out to do.

With regards to what everything is based upon, I believe that all writing is autobiographic to some extent. None of my characters are exact replicas of existing people but they are all undeniably amalgam s of individuals that I have known or interacted with; the same goes for the plot elements, as well. Tim Channing’s office in my first book or his journey along the Alaska Highway in the second one are both places that I have been to, personally, and that have imprinted themselves upon me.

Fiona: To craft your works, do you have to travel? Before or during the process?

What a great question! From a technical standpoint, I do not need to travel for my writing but, at the same time, it would be impossible for me to write without travelling. So many of the experiences that my characters have stem from my own journeys. Getting out and seeing the world (or, at the very least, the continental countryside here in the United States) is critical not merely to building one’s cache of experience but in growing as a person as well. It’s one thing to look at photos of places but it’s something else entirely to inhabit that place—to see the full 360 degrees around you while you’re there and to interact with the people who call it home.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

I designed the covers of my first three books and had the pleasure of working with Anthony Jensen, an absolutely incredible artist based out of New York City for my fourth. The Lion in the Desert cover features a photograph that I took in western New York while hiking at Watkins Glen State Park. It’s meant to represent the descent into an underground bunker that takes place in the book while also evoking a sense of dread and mystery.

The Walking Ghosts cover sports a photo that I took locally at a nearby reservoir. It is meant to convey a post-apocalyptic barrenness that falls in line with the novel’s setting. I wanted it to have a feel of otherworldly desolation, despite remaining in the modern American landscape.

The Metamorphoses is my favourite of the first three and it features the work of the best photographer I have ever encountered—Andrei Cosma of Photocosma (https://www.photocosma.net). He and his brother produce some of the eeriest, most spine-tingling photos from their native Romanian countryside. The photo speaks to the theme of change and metamorphosis—both metaphorical and physical—that the novel explores, and features a detail that I edited in that speaks to the supernatural elements therein (take a peek at the hands emerging from the tree and count the fingers!)

My latest cover and the accompanying promotional images for The Quest for the Key were created digitally by Anthony Jensen (http://www.anthonyjensen.com). The promo image depicts the eponymous key mentioned in the title while the cover itself displays several critical plot elements and locations from the book. Anthony’s ability to bring to life so accurately something that previously existed only in my mind continues to astound me. He is a rare, rare talent, and I am fortunate to call him both a creative collaborator and a friend.

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

The Kosmogonia series doesn’t have any underlying moral message or theme that I am trying to convey to my readers. Instead, my hope is simply that they enjoy the journey and can share in the sentiments and mindsets that my characters experience throughout the books. It is a series about the battle between good and evil, our internal struggles with identity and the relationships that we share with others, and, ultimately, about the nature of love and the idea of soulmates. Life is filled with light and darkness and, though they are at constant war with one another, we cannot have one without the other; balance between them is, I think, what we all strive for and seek within our individual lives.

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

I am extremely fortunate to be a part of a wonderful group of writers (and readers!) spearheaded by Andrew Christie called Books & Everything. He has facilitated a forum that allows us all to interact with each other despite our disparate geographies (he and most of the writers are based out of South Africa while some of us are here in the United States, in the U.K., and many other places abroad). Among my fellow writers in the group, I have been impressed with the works of Sarah Key and Raashida Khan (who you interviewed in February 2018!), and I look forward to exploring their latest writing throughout the year. I would also recommend the works of Melina Lewis, Sian B. Claven, Toni Cox, and Ilse V. Rensburg as I have enjoyed their writing in the past as well.

Regarding my favourite writers, James Joyce is, to me, a master manipulator of the English language. I am in awe of what he has been able to do with works like Dubliners, Ulysses, and Finnegans Wake, and I find him to be a constant source of inspiration. No one has approached writing the way he did; he had a truly unique mind.

In terms of popular fiction, J.K. Rowling and Stephen King remain my two favourite authors. Rowling’s ability to engross her readers on a deeply emotional level and King’s penchant for penning tales that titillate the darkest, innermost recesses of our minds are what draw me time and again to their works, especially Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and The Stand, respectively.

Fiona: Outside of family members, name one entity that supported your commitment to become a published author.

I am fortunate to have had the support of several influential professors and teachers who encouraged me to pursue this path and who gave me the belief in myself that I could. Professors Jessica Siegel and Carey Harrison at Brooklyn College, Susan Locke, Anne Swartz, Carmel Jordan and Bridgett Davis at Baruch College, and at James Madison High School, Mr. Punzone, Mrs. Bendrihem, and Mr. Edelman all proffered invaluable words of encouragement and provided me with the tools necessary to hone my craft.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

I do see writing as a career but one that is volatile and variable, at least at the onset. For most writers to make money, initially, I am sure that they must support themselves through other means. Even within the confines of writing professionally, most fiction writers likely have to branch out and explore a multitude of outlets beyond their preferred one.

I consider writing to be my current career, albeit one that is in its infancy. I have written for decades but always as a creative outlet with the goal of someday pursuing it professionally; now, I believe, that time has finally come for me to do so.

As far as that career being a successful one, I might be employing a different metric than most writers. While being financially self-supportive and obtaining national or international renown are both worthy goals to have, the ones that ultimately fuel me and my writing are more small-scale and intrinsic. If I can continue to create works of fiction that are genuine and authentic to the vision that I have for them, and if I am able to develop even a modest but consistent readership, then, in my eyes, I will be having a successful writing career.

Fame and fortune are great but they are merely matters of scale and scope; I am content with far less and aspire for different forms of fulfilment.

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

I wouldn’t change anything in The Quest for the Key but it would be great to be able to go back to my first two books and add in some details. The problem with hindsight, as a writer, is that it’s a tantalizing tease: you didn’t know then, at the onset of your project, what you know now, and so you are bound, to an extent, by what’s already in print.

Certain character connections and various events exist and will come to fruition in books four and five that have their foundation in the first three novels of the Kosmogonia series. Others would have been great to have established early on but part of the fun is the challenge of figuring out how to incorporate those things into the as-yet-to-be-written while remaining true to all that precedes them.

Fiona: Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

This is another excellent question. I believe that each project offers the opportunity for the writer to learn something new, whether about him/herself or the world at large. From a factual, knowledge-based standpoint, I learned a lot about different cultural mythologies as I researched the people and places that populate The Quest for the Key’s Avalonian landscape. I strive for authenticity in my settings and my cast of characters, and so it was paramount to me to design and to fill them with descriptions and voices that remain true to their inspirations.

I would say though that the one thing I will take away from this particular writing experience is the value in ceding creative control to those who are better equipped to handle those aspects. One of the elements that I love about being an independent author is being able to influence all aspects of my work, from the writing itself to the cover art and marketing. The Quest for the Key was the first time I collaborated with an artist for the cover design and, simply put, I can’t see myself doing it any other way in the future.

Anthony Jensen’s immense talent is a combination of his own inborn artistic vision as well as his ability to take feedback and to create something that is truly in line with the commissioner’s initial concept. Anthony has created several pieces for me including a painting of the opening scene to The Lion in the Desert, a map from both The Walking Ghosts and The Quest for the Key, and the cover image for the latter that features several important objects and moments from the Kosmogonia series. With every single one, the finished product far exceeded what I had in mind, thanks to both his prodigious artistic skill and his creative input.

Fiona: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

One of the aspects of my writing that I pride myself on is my descriptive sections. I usually have very vivid images in my mind of the various places my characters travel to and so I strive always to paint the clearest picture as I can for my readers while still allowing them the flexibility to form their own ideas of what they look like. A consequence of this approach is that I have been told that my writing has a powerful cinematic appeal.

I would love, someday, to see my novels translate to the big screen, and it’s something that I’ve dreamt about—a motivator from the earliest days that got me excited about writing and envisioning where the future would take me. I would often daydream of a time when my books were made into movies and thus I developed a dream cast—one that comprises actors who both resemble my mental image of my characters and embody the characteristics and acting styles that would render them perfect for the roles.

As such, here is my dream team cast for my collection of characters:

Tim Channing (Paul Rudd or George Newbern)

Sarah of Avalon (Jennifer Connelly)

Marcus Taylor (Dwayne Johnson)

Kaitlyn McCarthy (Bryce Dallas Howard, Amy Adams, or Jessica Chastain)

Tony Luu (Jet Li)

The Creature (Lance Henriksen)

Vladimir Barintov (Daniel Craig)

Kurt Kane (Jere Burns)

Claire Brennan (Laurie Holden)

Samantha Brady (Shailene Woodley)

Susan Channing (Frances Sternhagen)

Stephen Channing (Clancy Brown)

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

Get out of your comfort zone regularly—both with regards to your writing and your writing career. So many writers are tremendously gifted from a creative standpoint but don’t know the first thing about marketing or how to build a brand, so exploring the business side of writing is critical to developing a path to success. And, above all else, take risks and do not be afraid to put yourself out there.

I would say that the biggest challenge facing new writers, in particular, is fear—fear of failure, fear of writer’s block, and fear of negative feedback. The only way to get past those roadblocks is to take that first step towards moving past them: actually getting started! The notion that you cannot fail if you do not try is inherently false: if you never try then you’ve already failed.

Don’t be afraid of what others might think. Share your work with people you trust but be emotionally and mentally prepared to hear their honest opinions. View their voices as only one of many and trust your internal vision for your work. You cannot possibly please every single person who will read your work but, if you please yourself by remaining true to your vision, than anyone else who is happy is merely a bonus.

The best writers are voracious readers. Read constantly but branch out; if you remain mired in the same genres then your writing will become one-dimensional. The most well-rounded musicians are the ones whose work is inspired by a multitude of sounds and styles; the same can be said for the greatest writers.

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

Writing is an inherently intimate, isolated act. There is no audience—only the writers, their thoughts, and a keyboard or pen and paper when the stories are put into print. Still, if we write without our readers in mind, then we fail to create something worth reading.

I would like simply to say thank you to anyone who has read my books. Writing is half of a creative compact that is rounded out by the readers who explore our work. The fact that you would take the time to read something that I have written means so much to me given the plethora of options that you have available to you.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

I am reading several books concurrently. I’m about to finish up Melina Lewis’ After You Died… and I just began Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird—an influential novel that I first read when I was younger and that I’ve now introduced to my nine year old son. I’m also absorbed in Sarah Key’s Tangled Weeds and, for some more recreational reading, I picked up This Dark Chest of Wonders: 40 Years of Stephen King’s The Stand by Andy Burns.

 Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

Sun Grumble by Claudia Fregosi and In a Dark, Dark Room by Alvin Schwartz. They were two of the stories that my mother would read to me when I was a child and I remember being able to read them on my own around the age of four. I can still envision the artwork and even smell the pages as if I were flipping through them right now!

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

Both are centered around my children and my wife. They are four of the funniest people I know and so they keep my heart constantly filled with joy and our house filled with laughter. What makes me cry, though, is the realization that my time with them is so fleeting. As parents, my wife and I get this evanescent stretch where we get to serve as their whole worlds before our children grow up and move on—something I have been musing upon recently with my youngest son beginning school full-time this September and my oldest being one year away from double-digits.

That’s life in a nutshell though—smiling through the tears and appreciating the laughter-filled moments that drown out the occasional sorrow that darkens our days.

Fiona: Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?

From the past I would love to meet with James Joyce. I would appreciate the opportunity to discuss his linguistic gymnastics with him and to confirm both the identity of Mcintosh and the true meaning behind U.P. up.

From the present, I would love to spend a day with Corey Taylor—lead singer of the bands Slipknot and Stone Sour and author of several New York Times bestselling books or Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters. I got the opportunity to meet Corey a few years back prior to a show and he struck me as an incredibly insightful, grounded, genuine guy whose perspective is far-reaching and salient. I’ve never met Dave but he strikes me as a similar personality. If given the opportunity, I would love to discuss everything from comics and music to cosmology and philosophy with each of them.

 Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

I have several but the ones that I love the most are music, photography, and basketball. I am a voracious consumer of music and I listen to an eclectic array of artists and styles. I also play guitar and piano, which is great because, as a creative outlet, it allows for an immediate release of energy and emotion that I can tailor to my mood and mindset in real time.

I’ve been an avid photographer since I was a child. In fact, before digital cameras became prevalent, I used to carry a disposable camera on me at all times just in case a photographic opportunity presented itself to me while I was out and about. I prefer shooting landscapes but I do portraiture as well and have had engagement photos commissioned before.

I’ve always enjoyed watching and playing basketball but, now that I have children who are old enough to play, I get the pleasure of coaching them as well. It allows me to combine my passion for teaching with my love of the sport.

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

My favourite television show of all-time is the Twilight Zone. The storytelling, the acting, and, above all else, the writing remains untouched in the annals of the media. The reboot of The Outer Limits from the 1990s is another favourite of mine along with Dawson’s Creek and Seinfeld from that era. In terms of modern shows, I enjoyed LOST, Fringe, and Jericho when they were on, as well as Breaking Bad.

With regards to current programs, I love Game of Thrones, Westworld, Into the Badlands, The Walking Dead, and Stranger Things. I cannot wait to explore Castle Rock, which is a Stephen King-centric show, and possibly Black Mirror, which I’ve heard great things about.

Movie-wise, I have a diverse olio of favorites. I loved the television versions of The Stand and Stephen King’s IT, and I absolutely cannot wait to see the continuation of the latest film iteration of the latter. I love the Matrix trilogy, Inception, Interstellar, the Marvel Cinematic Universe films, but my favourite, darkest movies would hardly top most people’s top film lists. They include In The Mouth of Madness, Event Horizon, The Ninth Gate, Dark City, The Mist, Ravenous, Paranormal Activity, The Blair Witch Project, 10 Cloverfield Lane, and The Prophecy trilogy with Christopher Walken.

 Fiona: Favorite foods, colors,  music?

As a native New Yorker, I have to go with Brooklyn pizza from Victoria’s Pizzeria but bagels from Gem’s House of Bagels here in Hazlet. They have French toast bagels that are sublime and some of the best everything bagels I’ve ever had. Shake Shack’s burgers, chicken sandwiches, and fries would definitely be my choice for either final meal or one thing I could eat for the rest of my life.

Color-wise, I’ve always been a blue and green guy. I’m more a fan of color schemes than individual colors, though. As a devoted Ravenclaw, I love silver and blue (though I know the true colors are blue and bronze)!

As for music, my favourite bands are Slipknot and Stone Sour at the heavier end of the spectrum and the Foo Fighters and Incubus as we move towards a more alt-rock oriented sound. I enjoy industrial and rap/rock crossover acts like Rob Zombie, Static-X, and Linkin Park but I am also a fan of softer and more classic rock. I love Billy Joel and Elton John alongside other more eclectic performers such as Loreena McKennitt and Jason Mraz.

I’m a huge fan of instrumental music as well including Nobuo Uematsu (composer of many of the Final Fantasy soundtracks), John Williams, Andy McKee, Victor Wooten, and Adrian Von Ziegler whose music served as the soundtrack for my Quest for the Key writing sessions. Bands with big guitar sounds like Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, Zac Brown Band, and alternative groups like The Wallflowers, Third Eye Blind, Fuel, and Lifehouse also get a fair amount of airplay in my home.

Fiona: Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?

I would focus more on music and improving my drawing abilities so that I could enjoy multiple creative outlets. Career-wise, I would likely enter the classroom once more or resume an office-oriented career that relates to education. Though, admittedly, it is difficult to imagine a future where I no longer write!

Fiona: You only have 24 hours to live how would you spend that time?

If I had only 24 hours to live then I would want to spend the bulk of that time forging lasting final memories with my wife and children. I would want to do things with them that would give them positive, happy recollections of our time together. I would also write each of them a letter thanking them for all that they have done for me during our journey together and point out the specific things that I loved and appreciated about each of them. I would also write and record a piece of music for each of them so that, whenever they listened to it, they would think of me and how much I love them.

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

Here lies a good father and husband—an honest man who is respected in death for all that he did in life.

Fiona: Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers?

I do! The best resource for information about me and my writing is my primary website at http://www.matthewjohnbenecke.com. Prospective readers can find out about past, present, and future works, keep up to date regarding releases and events, encounter other authors and artists whose creative pursuits I support, and find my contact information.

With regards to social media, I am most active on Facebook and have an official author page here: http://www.facebook.com/matthewjohnbenecke. I use Instagram @matthewjohnbenecke and Twitter @beerwhisperers, so feel free to give a follow on either of those and of course a like on Facebook if you enjoy my work!

My craft beer blog features mostly reviews of the different breweries that I have been to but there are other craft beer related entries as well, all of which can be found at http://www.thebeerwhisperers.com. I also have a craft beer-centric novelette called FOMO that is available along with Beer & Fitness on my Amazon author’s page.

The best place to find my work is on Amazon.com at https://www.amazon.com/Matthew-John-Benecke/e/B01KG4L9AE but it is available also through Barnes & Noble at http://www.bn.com.

Thank you so much for your time, readers, and especially Ms. Fiona for interviewing me!

Here is my interview with Renee Harless

28 Monday Jan 2019

Posted by fionamcvie1964 in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Hello and welcome to my blog, Author Interviews. My name is Fiona Mcvie.

Let’s get you introduced to everyone, shall we? Tell us your name. What is your age?

Thanks for having me. I’m Renee Harless and I’m 34.

Fiona: Where are you from?

Virginia

Fiona: A little about your self (ie,  your education, family life, etc.).

Renee, her husband, and children live in Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. She studied Communication, specifically Public Relations, at Radford University.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

I’ve recently released an enemies to lovers office romance titled, Screw You.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

Growing up, Renee always found a way to pursue her creativity. It began by watching endless runs of White Christmas- yes even in the summer – and learning every word and dance from the movie. She could still sing “Sister Sister” if requested. In high school she joined the show choir and a community theatre group, The Troubadours. After marrying the man of her dreams and moving from her hometown she sought out a different artistic outlet – writing. I penned my first novel in 2012, but didn’t publish until 2015.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

In the fifth grade I wrote in a fictional journal constantly. That’s when I knew it was something I was passionate about.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

I read Twilight and caught the fever.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

My first book was originally titled Stone Shattered. It followed the breaking of a woman’s heart by the protagonist Alex Stone.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style? Is there anything about your style or genre that you find particularly challenging?

I constantly want to throw in a suspenseful plot twist, but it’s not always necessary in every book. It is a challenge sometimes to tone down that dark part of my style.

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

I attempt to steer clear of realistic plots, but I do draw character behaviors and quirks from people I’ve met or spoken to.

Fiona: To craft your works, do you have to travel? Before or during the process?

I don’t! Surprisingly I do my best work when I’m sitting in bed.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

Porcelain Paper Designs.

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

I usually have two. 1) That appearances aren’t always as they seem. 2) Never underestimate someone’s strength. I make it a point to always portray my female characters as strong self-reliant women.

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

I don’t get a chance to read as often as I’d like, but I am always drawn to Kathleen Brooks. She is one of my few one-click authors. The way she can spin a tale into multiple books and series always amazes me.

Fiona: Outside of family members, name one entity that supported your commitment to become a published author.

The director and my costar of the theater company I was a part of were the first people to read my novel. They have been behind me since day one.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

That is my ultimate goal. It’s a challenging and filled with rough terrain but I’m up for it.

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

Not a thing. I knew that people would love it or hate it. And so far the feedback has been positive!

Fiona: Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

That I work much better when it’s a story that comes out of nowhere. I never planned the book. It came to me one day and I wrote it down as quickly as possible.

Fiona: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

I could see someone like Nick Bateman playing the lead character Zack.

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

Write, everyday!

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

That I do it all for them. They are the reason I continue to put pen to paper, so to speak.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

I’m re-reading R.L. Mathewson’s Neighbor from Hell series.

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

Unfortunately, no.

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

I’m not sure if it’s a specific thing. I can cry at a commercial and laugh out loud at a random thought in my head.

Fiona: Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?

Walt Disney – he is an icon and a true tale of never giving up on your dreams.

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

I do graphic design on the side and theater is still something I’m passionate about.

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

I watch a lot of YouTube and HGTV.

Fiona: Favorite foods, colors,  music?

Food: Kraft Mac and Chees

Color: Pink

Music: Hard rock

Fiona: Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?

I have a full time job in the pharmacy field, I’d most likely continue that.

Fiona: You only have 24 hours to live how would you spend that time?

With my family at Disney World.

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

She Learned. She Loved. She Lived.

Fiona: Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers?

www.reneeharless.com

Amazon authors page USA https://www.amazon.com/Renee-Harless/e/B00VAHGAWE

UK  https://www.amazon.co.uk/l/B00VAHGAWE?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1548715099&redirectedFromKindleDbs=true&ref_=sr_tc_2_0&rfkd=1&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&sr=1-2-ent

Here is my interview with Ronald Craig

28 Monday Jan 2019

Posted by fionamcvie1964 in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Hello and welcome to my blog, Author Interviews. My name is Fiona Mcvie.

 

Let’s get you introduced to everyone, shall we? Tell us your name. What is your age?

Hello! My name is Ronald Craig and I’m 42 years of age.

Fiona: Where are you from?

I am from Fishburn, which a small coal miners village in the land of the prince of Bishops, Uk. I now live in Redcar, which is a sea side town about 30 minutes from Fishburn.

Fiona: A little about your self (ie,  your education, family life, etc.).

I have worked within family businesses since 13 years of age. In my adult career, I choose to work within the mental health sector, working with individuals with specific needs. Which was an amazing time of my life, meeting people from all walks of life. I did however have to educate myself to better understand and help people. I studied, PTSD-diploma, health and social care level III, Equality and diversity level II, inequality in woman’s services level I, DBT and an abundance ofin house training. This empowered me to try and understand people with individual needs.

I have two amazing daughters Sophina is now 4 years of age going on 14 & Scarlett nearly 2 years of age going on 20. AKA… Nina & Lettie the witches. They are my muses and ever ending fun and fears of the world. I’m also a stay at home dad, very hard at times.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

Mainly sad news, my sister (Sharon). Who is one of the strongest people I will ever meet. Passed away on 3rd of jan 2019. I only mention this because I’m so amazed by her will and strength, she was one of them people you only get to meet once in your life. And I can only hope I can be that person for my daughters.

On a more upbeat note. I have two books published of The Little Witch series and one different story that me and my daughters have come up with. It astounds me at such a young age the imagination and insight they have helped me to write more stories than I have time to write.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

When my daughter Sophina was born. It was one of them nights, she had her last bottle for the evening. It was cold out, snow, ice and strong winds that found gaps in the cold house we lived. I sat and watched Sophina sleeping in her Moses basket. I began to wonder what the world will be like for her and how I could express, interject or project my thoughts on this world to her.Like I said it was a cold night my partner was out working in the cold helping empower people in the community (medically, physically and mentally supportive). The Little Witch was born, I’ve not stopped writing since.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I write for my daughters I’d love to believe I’m creating something individual for them. Books, audiobooks and hopefully a cartoon. As claimed to be a writer! I think I’d leave that down to my daughters to say when they are older.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

My daughters are my main inspiration. Everyday, something new happens in their lives. Whether it’s understanding emotions or life experiences, although they has such abundant information going through their little heads the games they play help me create characters.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

Sophina was at that stage of her life where her eyes changed shades daily and her hair was starting to curl. I had the thought that she must have magic changing her look everyday. So we wondered who she was going to take after me with dark brown eyes and dark hair or her Mam with green/blue eyes and fair hair. So the title The Little Witch came to my mind.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style? Is there anything about your style or genre that you find particularly challenging?

I like to keep the words to a minimum as possible. I tend to babble or go around the long way to say what I’m wanting to say. ‘Words matter’ and a times I find it difficult to understand the experience I’m wanting to share. It does take time sometimes, but it does seem to work it self out. Eg… I have charters through my stories called The Under-Bed Trolls. I didn’t know what they were or whether they are to be friend or foe. All I knew is they are Scottish and have clans that make up these little magic creatures. The song ‘Jammin’ called by Bob Marley came on the radio and it came to me. A world underground a world of culture and karaoke loving trolls. The large amount of information about the characters is so funny and interesting it is difficult to put them all individually on paper.

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

A lot of the experiences in the story are through my life experiences. I have a complex family with many ‘secrets if you like’. Such as family I’ve never seen or knew about, another side to my family I’ve never known. There’s also the Thomas family named in kind after my late father-in-law John Thomas. Who is a hug charter in him self. The boy living next to Nina And her family The Whosley’s. One morning he stands outside looking up the street for someone.

A sample from my unedited third book, below.

Nina sat next to mother at the table.

‘What is John Thomas doing outside he looks odd stood there?’. Asking mother.

‘He’s waiting for his older brother, before the potion wore off, from the Key Lime Pies. Mr Thomas told me his son was coming to call and see them. He has been saying this for years but never calls. He promised John-Thomas he would take him to town for the day and that he missed him. Mr Thomas warned John-Thomas about putting hope in his older brother but he’s young and hopes for the best’.

‘That’s awful’ Nina voiced.

Mother nodded in agreement, as the family listened on.

Mother continued…

‘He’s not a bad person but I guess when he calls he’s under the influence of good ideals, and good ideals makes you say or want do things that you can not do or keep sometimes. Like father when he sets about fixing something’.

The family laughed as father looked up, saying ‘Hey’ with a playful tone.

This is from my childhood waiting for my brother to come home for a weekend. Without a father he was my nearest person I could relate to with different experiences. But once he was home he would go out drinking and see his friends. Being a sad experience especially when he would come home from drinking and say you can come over to mine for a night we will get a video and a takeaway which was the most exciting thought I could think of. But by the morning it would have changed, he would be working or say he couldn’t remember saying it and it never did happen. This is almost the same as John Thomas but there is a story all of its own there.

Fiona: To craft your works, do you have to travel? Before or during the process?

I’ve not travelled much, this is something I would like to do in the future. I have two girls to inspire and show them the world of wonder and arts and let them learn new experiences I will never know.I have many things to learn myself as I learn new life experiences.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

I designed and illustrated my books myself, albeit basic but colourful. I’ve left charters from the illustration from the books for future professionals.

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

Yes! The charters are the story, a young girls story is told by someone who gave everything for his family. She ‘Nina’ too will experience the worse that magic is. Also a story to show all people but especially my girls and individuals can achieve something they may not know now but will learn internally and emotionally. Things are not always what they seem and Nina & Scarlett will find out in life like we all have to.

Fiona: Outside of family members, name one entity that supported your commitment to become a published author.

My family aren’t that all supportive, in fact they only read my stories when I buy them for they. My old headmaster Mr Handley is one of the of the most amazing people and teachers I could ever hope to meet and know. His inspiring Sarah Stuart was the first author I

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

I don’t think anyone writing would not want to have a career in writing. It’s not something I would be interested if it was in say, tabloid. It’s something more to me it’s after all for my daughter’s, which I’d say was more personal. I will continue to write for my girls and hopefully inspire them to follow on with writing.

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

Without a large budget I would say it would be the same process that I’ve ended in now. Small steps on a tight budget. I’d say though this is not something I could do on my own, PA’s and other outlets and management teams will have vast amounts of experience. And I also think you need to be told what to do at times.

Fiona: Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

Yes. I’ve learnt so much about having a family and understanding what my family is and what it means to look after someone so precious. All I can do is put my experiences into what I’m trying to achieve with my writing.

Fiona: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

I want a cartoon with all the emotions and funny characters I can put into a cartoon so much more and that would be amazing. I’ve got my first book as an audiobook and I wanted the producer to be my main man. A face to put to the words, I’m not an out spoken person so with the talents he has that would have be great. But this is not to be, as he’s decided to peruse his career away from audiobooks. We still talk at times. He’s what I’d call my Mr Handley (headmaster, who inspired all he teaches).

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

Yes. Document your thoughts and ideas constantly it’s a great way to hold on to ideas. And be carful of social media no one does anything for nothing. I’ve heard so many tales of people being ripped off.

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

I find its better to gain friends rather than people who want from you. I’m here to make friends and there are so many individuals out there I’ve learned to understand them differently. And I think words matter rather than the number of words.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

Me and my Donna are reading a lot of school books and stores for our girls. Mainly my partner, who out speaks me leaps and bounds. My main books are from Sarah Stuart, LeiveSnellings and books my daughters love such as The tiger comes to tea, Where’sBear and another hundred books. We also lost to audiobooks such as The Gingerbread Man, Tiger comes to tea and our audiobook The Little Witch and the Lost Boy.

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

It was a book told to me by Mr Handley. James and the giant peach, it was an amazing story and my imagination was amazed by the concept. This was probably the first book I’ve read or any other from Roald Dahl.

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

I’m not much of a crying type. But I do like a good comical movie and it maybe a bit sad but we both like Ben and Holly one of our kids favourite cartoons. There is a grown up element and we find ourselves laughing along. Our favourite stand up comedian is Micheal Macintyre.

Fiona: Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?

My sister again. And maybe my father who ran off before I was born. But mainly I think I’d like to witness times in history rather than meet an individual.

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

Golf and football once in a while. We enjoy camping and spending days out on family adventures.

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

Recently I’ve watched Ray Donovan, Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones. Bohemian Rhapsody. And resent films from horrors to comedy movies.

Fiona: Favorite foods, colors,  music?

Pizza and spiced foods. My partner make rice dishes and dinners. My favourite colour is deep red I also like bright colours. I have a mixed taste of music, not keen on heavy rock but I’m like most people I tend to like most music.

Fiona: Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?

Everything I do in the future is for my family. I would work hard and give my girls the best future I could.

Fiona: You only have 24 hours to live how would you spend that time?

I would do all the things I want to show my girls. Travel to places I want to see with my family. I have so much to do and show my girls, 24 hours would not cover it. There are to many special moments I want to have and show my family.

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

Read my books. Help make money for my girls.

Maybe, ‘My sweetest thoughts of my girls fill me with sadness thoughts’Fiona: Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers?

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01M9JRBYO/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B078HSDYKY/

https://www.facebook.com/ronaldcraig.books/

Amazon.com: Ronald Craig: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks,

USA https://www.amazon.com/Ronald-Craig/e/B06XZ6WJQP%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/l/B06XZ6WJQP?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1548713680&redirectedFromKindleDbs=true&ref_=sr_tc_2_0&rfkd=1&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&sr=1-2-ent

ronaldcraig.books@icloud.com
ronaldcraig.books@googlemail.com

 

Here is my interview with Tom Winton

28 Monday Jan 2019

Posted by fionamcvie1964 in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Hello and welcome to my blog, Author Interviews. My name is Fiona Mcvie.

 

Let’s get you introduced to everyone, shall we? Tell us your name. What is your age?

I’m Tom Winton, and I’ll be 71 years young next week.

Fiona: Where are you from?

For the most part, I grew up in Queens, New York.

Fiona: A little about yourself (ie, your education, family life, etc.).

Education? I made it as far as community college, but Uncle Sam cut my stay rather short when he decided to draft me into the military. That was during the Viet Nam fiasco. As for my family, I live in Florida with my wife of 45 years and have three grown kids.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

I’m closing in on the end of the final draft of my ninth novel—Nameless on No Name Key.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I started stringing words together when I was about 45. Had my first novel, Beyond Nostalgia, published when I was 62.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When my first baby was published and became a bestseller. I was very fortunate in that it sold so well from the start that Amazon decided to feature it on the home page of their book site. And its cover was placed right smack in the middle of four New York Times Bestsellers.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

I had done a good amount of reading and found myself finishing only about every fourth book I started. One day I said to myself, “You need to put a pen to paper. Most authors can’t hold your attention. You can do better than those guys

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

Again, the title of my first novel is Beyond Nostalgia. It’s about a middle-aged man who loved two different women for decades. Although he was estranged from his first love for many, many years, he always knew that his lingering memories and feelings for that love were far beyond nostalgia, hence the title.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style? Is there anything about your style or genre that you find particularly challenging?

Among other things, I’ve been called a man who writes with his pen dipped in his soul. And I sure like to think that’s true. Whether I might be writing romance, suspense, or anything in between, I try very hard to make my reader’s feel my words rather than just read them.

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

Fiona, this author has but three wells to draw his ideas from: things he’s experienced, things he’s heard about from others, and whatever he can cull from his whirring, hyperactive imagination. That’s it—three wells. Now, what percentage of a novel comes from each one? There really is no way to measure that, and even if you could it would vary greatly from book to book.

Fiona: To craft your works, do you have to travel? Before or during the process?

Personally, I don’t need to travel just before or while I write a book. Although I still do quite a bit of travelling and absolutely love hitting the road.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

I’ve had some of my covers designed for me by different artists, and some I’ve done with the help of my wife.

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

I really don’t spend a whole lot of time thinking about messages when I’m trying to put together a new novel idea. All I do is search my mind for a story line that I feel will be worth spending 6 to 9 months working on. But to get back to your question about messages, I believe that every well written novel ultimately winds up with its fair share of thought-provoking messages in it.

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

As far as contemporary authors are concerned, I think guys like Neil Gaiman and T.C. Boyle are extremely talented. Some of my all-time favorites are Steinbeck, Pat Conroy, Jack London and Hemingway. What strikes me about the works of my favorite authors? I’d have to say their exceptional abilities to bring a story to life, and to make readers feel like they’re right there—walking in the shoes of the characters. And then there are details. It’s amazing how a few well-chosen well-placed details add so much more authenticity to a story.

Fiona: Outside of family members, name one entity that supported your commitment to become a published author.

After my wife, my muse was my next biggest supporter. He’d been locked inside the most distant recesses of mind for decades, and suddenly started screaming to get out.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

When running really big promotions, I’ve occasionally sold over two thousand books in a single weekend. But that’s only happened a few times. For the most part I only supplement my retirement income with sales from my books. If the day should ever come that day in and day out I start selling enough books to make a nice living, only then would I ramp up my work schedule. As for now, I only write for a couple of hours each day.

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

I wouldn’t change a thing in my 8 published books. But, as I said earlier, I’m working on the last draft of number 9 now, and I am thinking about changing things a bit in the last chapter.

Fiona: Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

The only things I learned were a few factual tidbits from what little research I needed to do.

Fiona: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

I’d think about giving Brad Pitt an audition.

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

Whenever writer’s block sets in forget what you’re working on and read something from an author you highly respect. That’s worked for me several times.

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

If you like a good yarn, full of drama and emotion, pick up one of my books. Seriously though, if I were to tell my reader’s one thing it would be many thanks for all the kind words and reviews you’ve given me. Those are the things that keep me going back to my keyboard.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

I’m not reading anything right now. I’m spending my reading time on my writing.

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

The Old Man and the Sea was one of my first. I was eleven years old at the time and, since I loved fishing, I fell in love with the story.

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

Funny things and sad things. LOL

Fiona: Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?

Ernest Hemingway, because I admire the life he lived.

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

Fishing is one. My other past time is weight training, although I can’t really call it a hobby. It’s more of a necessity.

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

I LOVE watching my taped episodes of Jeopardy. Another good one is 48 Hours.

Fiona: Favorite foods, colors,  music?

My favorite foods are Italian and seafood, though Mexican is pretty darned good too. As for colors, I don’t think there’s anything that can touch the pink of a new dawn when it first lights up the eastern horizon. As far as music is concerned, give me that good old classic ‘60s and 70’s rock and roll.

Fiona: Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?

Read and travel.

Fiona: You only have 24 hours to live how would you spend that time?

I’d hit a Las Vegas casino. And, with my luck, I’d probably win big that one time since there’d be no tomorrow to spend the money.

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

“Martin Scorsese should have made all my novels into movies.”

Fiona: Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers?

I haven’t used those much of late. But many of my readers have friended me on Facebook, and I’m quite active there.

Tom Winton’s Amazon book links:

Beyond Nostalgia – https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Nostalgia-ebook/dp/B00650O686/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_4_D5DW#_

The Last American Martyr – https://www.amazon.com/The-Last-American-Martyr-ebook/dp/B005GFM764/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_img_3_Q201

Four Days with Hemingway’s Ghost – https://www.amazon.com/Four-Days-Hemingways-Ghost-ebook/dp/B008FBXENQ/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_img_3_XJ20

Within A Man’s Heart – https://www.amazon.com/Within-a-Mans-Heart-ebook/dp/B00B29JHR0/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_img_1_DDVE

A Second Chance in Paradise – https://www.amazon.com/Second-Chance-Paradise-Tom-Winton-ebook/dp/B00GM2IR64/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1384215372&sr=1-1&keywords=a+second+chance+in+paradise

Forever Three – https://www.amazon.com/Forever-Three-Tom-Winton-ebook/dp/B00S8JKS5M/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1421263913&sr=1-1&keywords=forever+three

A New Dawn in Deer Isle – https://www.amazon.com/A-New-Dawn-Deer-Isle-ebook/dp/B01B8MZMQA/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_img_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=15YVVN5KMC2K9EXPHXN1

Tripping on Coconuts – https://www.amazon.com/Tripping-Coconuts-Authors-Adventures-Misadventures-ebook/dp/B01FGKDVMM/ref=pd_rhf_dp_p_img_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=Z41YHBXRVDVGTM9QF1AD

 

Tom Winton’s Author’s page on Amazon USA – https://www.amazon.com/Tom-Winton/e/B005H2T7AA/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/l/B005H2T7AA?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1548702545&redirectedFromKindleDbs=true&ref_=sr_tc_2_0&rfkd=1&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&sr=1-2-ent

 

Here is my interview with Laurie Larsen

28 Monday Jan 2019

Posted by fionamcvie1964 in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Hello and welcome to my blog, Author Interviews. My name is Fiona Mcvie.

 

Let’s get you introduced to everyone, shall we? Tell us your name. What is your age?

Hi Fiona!  Thanks for having me back and for the warm welcome.  My name is Laurie Larsen and I am midway through my FIFTH decade!

Fiona: Where are you from?

I’ve spent the vast majority of my life living in Illinois in the middle of the US, but I’m thrilled to report that my husband and I have now made the big move to coastal South Carolina.  This is where I’ve always wanted to live, this is where I’ve finally made it to, and this is where I’ll stay!!!

Fiona: A little about yourself (ie,  your education, family life, etc.).

Even as a little girl, I loved to read and write, so when I went to college, an English/Written Communication major was the obvious choice.  I spent a year working as an assistant editor at a lovely little family-owned magazine publishing company for tiny wages, before I made the difficult decision to switch to a huge Fortune 50 corporation where I could actually build a career and make a living.  Although I enjoyed my work there, and my career flourished, I always missed the publishing world.  So, in 1999 I started writing my first novel, it got published in the year 2000, and my second career of published novelist began!  Since that first book, I’ve never stopped writing.  Juggling the big dayjob with my writing became a way of life.  Nineteen years later, I have 20 published novels, have done some freelance editing, retired from the demanding day job, and now write whatever and whenever I want!

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

The fourth book in my Murrells Inlet Miracles series, Capsized, was published last week!  It’s an exciting, adventurous, sweet inspirational romance that will get you cheering for the main characters, Sadie and Jett, while catching up on the primary couple from the first book of the series, Shaw and Nora.  Reviews so far have been extremely positive, some of my super-readers telling me it’s the best book in the series so far!

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I’ve written my whole life; even as a child I wrote journals and stories.  But as an adult it took me a little bit to figure out what TYPE of writing was for me.  Once I wrote my first full-length novel, I knew that was my format.  It took me a little while, then, to figure out what TYPE of novel was best for me.  I experimented with my first eight books or so, writing contemporary romance, Young Adult romance, family saga, etc., before finally discovering where my true comfort and strengths lie:  inspirational romance that takes place at the beach.  That’s my brand now, and it flows so freely.  I’m a woman of faith, and a romance writer, so I blended the two.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I was one of the lucky ones whose first novel was picked up and published by a publishing company.  So, I had no idea if my first book was any good until I got the offer and signed the contract.

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

Capsized takes place in the world of competitive yacht sailing, and I wanted a title that made that clear, along with the cover art.  Capsized is a sailing term referring to when a boat goes over on its side and under, but I also want it to refer to a life that goes under and capsizes due to aspects being out of balance.  And who is the One who can bring balance to a capsized life?  God.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style? Is there anything about your style or genre that you find particularly challenging?

I hope my writing style is casual, fast-paced and easy to read.  The most challenging thing about my genre is that I want it to be heart-warming and inspirational, yet I don’t want to “preach” to the reader or feel like I’m stuffing the inspirational message down readers’ throats.  I want them to close the book with a feeling of peace and love.

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

Absolutely none of this book was based on my own experiences.  In fact, I knew absolutely nothing about sailing before I started writing, requiring me to do some hefty research into the sport.  That led me to engaging with three expert sailors, as well as one expert marathon runner to help me get those extreme sports sections right.

Fiona: To craft your works, do you have to travel? Before or during the process?

Since all my books take place at the beach, frequent trips to the beach are required or recommended!  Fortunately, I’ve now permanently relocated and the beach is only a five minute drive away.  I get there every day that I possibly can and soak in that inspiration.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

The extremely talented Steven Novak of Novak Illustrations.

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

Keep at it, and do it because you love it and can’t imagine not doing it.  Not because of some ultimate reward you might be expecting.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

I recently discovered the NYT Bestselling Author Rachel Hauck and I’ve devoured her whole Royals series and loved them.  Now I’m reading her breakout book, The Wedding Dress.

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

My grandpuppies make me laugh.  Both my sons have dogs and they are a hoot, especially when they get together.  I’m a sap for sentimental movies/videos and they will always make me cry!

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

I’m addicted to true crime shows like Dateline, 20/20, 48 Hours, and my new favorite, Homicide Hunter.  I love the logical approach that investigators take and I could binge-watch them for hours.

Fiona: Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers?

Yes!  My website is www.authorlaurielarsen.com  and there is a tab for blog entries.  Thanks for interviewing me today Fiona!!  It was fun.

Website:  www.authorlaurielarsen.com

Amazon page:  https://www.amazon.com/Laurie-Larsen/e/B007GRLY0A

Author Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/authorlaurielarsen/

 

Here is my interview with Gregory C. Randall

28 Monday Jan 2019

Posted by fionamcvie1964 in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Hello and welcome to my blog, Author Interviews. My name is Fiona Mcvie.

 

Let’s get you introduced to everyone, shall we? Tell us your name. What is your age?

My name is Gregory Randall. Greg to everyone, except my wife when she’s vexed. I use the middle initial C. because there areother Gregory Randall’s out there. We all think we are unique until we google ourselves, then it’s just embarrassing. Especially for the guy in the Colorado State prison system with my name.

I’m just shy of my seventieth birthday, but feel like I’m going on forty-five. It’s an age when you have the skills to perform, but the body continually reminds you to order more ibuprofen.

Fiona: Where are you from?

I was born in a small town in northern Michigan (for your UK readers, a state in the Midwest of the United States). Traverse City, even today, hasn’t really changed all that much. It’s grown during the last seventy years, but still didn’t have a Starbucks coffee shop when I was there last May. I grew up in the suburbs of the Southside of Chicago where my father worked downtown in the Loop and later built a small manufacturing company. After I completed my Batchelor of Science degree at Michigan State University, I moved, with my bride of two weeks, to California. We have been here ever since.

Fiona: A little about yourself (ie, your education, family life, etc.).

My father was a gypsy, or so its seemed. I went to five or six different grade schools. He was trying to find that perfect job that would eventually take care of his growing family. Eventually we landed on the Southside of Chicago. High school was fun, I did well.I then went on to study industrial design at Kent State University and landscape architecture and urban planning at Michigan State.

After college, I worked in a number of professional design firms in San Francisco. Living in San Francisco in the 1970s and 80s, was wonderful. That was before the city began to fall apart (and believe me it has). In 1993, I opened my own urban design firm, Randall Planning & Design. We planned new cities, communities, apartment complexes, commercial, and office facilities. It was a blast. Right now, in 2019, we have essentially closed that company and I have retired to write fulltime.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

Fiona, lots of exciting works to add to my twelve published books. I have new four books coming out this year. Chicago Fix was published the first of the year, Limerick For Death (the sixth Sharon O’Mara thriller) will be released this summer. Both of these are self-published under our Windsor Hill Publishing imprint. Saigon Red, will be published on March fifth, this thriller is the second in the series for Thomas & Mercer Publishing.And,if I can get my act together, a World War II thriller will be edited and published toward the end of 2019. Look for at least two more new titles next year.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I’ve written professional project description, environmental impact reports, and other technical journals for most of my professional architectural career. However, in 1991, one early morning as I commuted into San Francisco, I watched a bum panhandling in the BART transit station.People were turned off by his aggressiveness. Then he stole a bag from a woman and ran off. I sat down, wrote out the incident, imagined a scenario of what might have been in the bag, and began the first book in the Sharon O’Mara series, Land Swap For Death. It took me eighteen years to finally publish it (there had to have been a hundredrewrites).

In the mid-nineties, I began work on a non-fiction book about urban planning and post-World War II housing. That book was called America’s Original GI Town, Park Forest, Illinois. It borrowed extensively from British town planning. Johns Hopkins University Press published it in 2000. I brought out a new edition in 2010.

But it was the “Great Recession” that really gave me the time to focus on my writing. When your industry implodes and there’s no work, well there is truth to the adage, “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.” I applied myself and wrote seven novels in five years.

 Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

The day I held the hardback of GI Town. It inspired me to up my game and continue writing fiction.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

As I noted earlier, an incident on a train platform. That has led fifteen novels (eleven have been published). The others will follow.

 Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

Usually out of thin air. I thought Land Swap For Death was cool. Not a lot of marketing analysis on for this one – that’s changed with most of the others – titles do sell books. Sometimes in the course of the writing the novel, a phrase will appear that just works, I never know. But for some books the title has changed at least five or six times.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style? Is there anything about your style or genre that you find particularly challenging?

I like relatively short and specific sentence structures, and that is hard to do. Early on, it was pointed out—by helpful people of course—that my sentences were too long and had too many commas. I was annoyed, really? But they were right. I rewrite with this in mind. I’ve learned (and still learning), that the reworking of the manuscript is necessary. Brutal use of the delete button is required. There’s lots of guidelines out there, cut 10%, pull out the adverbs, etc. What matters is the flow and the measure of the sentence, the paragraph, and the chapter. Sometimes long is good, sometimes one word is best.

Overall, my style tends to be familiar, not thick and academic. Similar to how a storyteller would describe the action and the characters. I like the right word for the right situation (often changing them until both the flow and intent works). I often tell the story through dialog and conversations between the characters and minimize the narrative and descriptive side.

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

Often, it is said, the first book a writer writes is his autobiography. Not a true autobiography but a story drawn from their life. My young adult and coming of age novel, The Cherry Pickers, is exactly that. Autobiographical by location and setting, I changed the family dynamics to essentially tease out the characters, their stories, and their challenges. It’s won a couple of awards. I quite proud of that effort.

My other books, almost all of them, come out of my own personal experience. I understand the planning profession and used it in two books, GI Town and Land Swap For Death. I’ve been to the locations in the stories, Mexico, London, Venice, Paris, San Francisco, and Chicago to name a few.

I do rely on travel guides, maps, histories, other author’s work, Google and other search engines. Youtube videos put you right on the streets of the locations, they are handy. Some of my characters are based on real people I know, have run into, or have seen on television or found in other books. Who they are is my secret.

Fiona: To craft your works, do you have to travel? Before or during the process?

In most cases I write about where I have been. I have an extensive collection of photos and videos I’ve taken. These are extremely helpful. For the Alex Polonia thriller, Venice Black, I walked every scene of the story, shot video, described the site conditions, and tweaked the final manuscript to fit the exact conditions. The first review published in Amazon self-righteously said that I’d never been to Venice, they went on and on about how wrong I was. I guess I destroyed their illusion of the city and they wanted to get even or something. On the other hand, many of the scenes, using online research, information, and photos, formy O’Mara thriller, Diamonds For Death, take place in Cuba. One review complimented me on my attention to detail and wished they could have travelled, as I did, through the countryside. I’m not a big fan of Cuba, and will probably never go there.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

With the exception of Venice Black and the newest Alex Polonia thriller, Saigon Red (out March 5, 2019), I have done all the artwork for all the covers.

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

The silliness and often cruelty of people. How history can directly affect things in our modern societies even fifty years later. I’ve used backstories of WWII, Vietnam, the Bosnian War, the gangland days of Chicago in the 1930s (the Detective Tony Alfano thrillers). Even in today’s world, these events still have impacts, and probably will for the next hundred years.

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

 I like the obvious writers of the day, Michael Connelly, Don Winslow, and Martin Cruz Smith. But there are some new writer’s I enjoy: James L’Etoile, Robert Dugoni, Tim Tigner, Les Egerton, Michelle Cox, Alan Furst, the list could go on and on. Recently, I’ve been writing some science fiction and fallen for John Scalzi and Jason Anspach and Nick Cole.

Fiona: Outside of family members, name one entity that supported your commitment to become a published author.

One of America’s current bestselling authors, Robert Dugoni. Years ago, I took a few writing classes (they were more about story structure) from Bob. Since then I have considered him a mentor. He’s been kind enough to read my manuscripts (why, I don’t know), offer suggestions, and been an inspiration. I like his style, his characters, and when he was signed by Thomas & Mercer, it was my goal to someday be in the same publishing house – and now I am.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

I see writing as an obsession.If you love it, you can’t walk away. I’ve had a very successful professional career outside of writing that now allows me the freedom to write what I like and about subjects that interest me. Do I “make a living” doing this? No, but maybe someday. But then again 95% of serious writers don’t either. But if you don’t go to the dance you can’t find the right partner. There are hundreds of examples of writers turned down by publishers and then, suddenly, became an “overnight success.” Mark Sullivan is a good example. Unlike me, who came late to the dance, Mark wrote for years, teamed with other writers, probably made a few bucks, then hit hard times. His historical novel (and true story) Beneath a Scarlet Sky, was turned down many times until it was picked up by Amazon’s Lake Union Publishing. It was the right book at the right time. It’s sold millions, has over 25,000 reviews, and I would guess has regenerated Mark’s belief in his story telling abilities. Some will call it lightning, I call it perseverance.

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

Saigon Red, out March 5, takes place in Ho Chi Minh City, the old Saigon. I wish I could have spent time there, breathing in the atmosphere, seeing the city, tasting the food. I relied on research and friends who had recently visited the city. Nonetheless, like my Venice Blackcritic, this is one place I would have liked to have experienced. I do not think anything would have changed in the story or the structure, but maybe the texture would have been a little richer.

Fiona: Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

DNA, how interconnected we really are as a species, the treatment of the bastard children of American servicemen left in Vietnam after the war, the guilt that some vets still suffer fifty years later, the massive extent of the modernization of this war-torn country, the fact that 75% of the Vietnamese people have been born since the end of the war, and that they bear almost no ill will against Americans. Where to stop?

This is why my books almost always have an historical component or back story. I write to learn.

 Fiona: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

My character Alexandra Polonia, with her Cleveland cop backstory, and her new life as a security agent working for a private international defence and security firm creates some challenges. She is forty-two, blond, athletic, yet carries an Eastern European (Polish) heritage. Maybe Jennifer Garner (without that Affleck guy), or Jennifer Aniston, or any other actress named Jennifer.Maybe Scarlet Johansson. There’s Sharon Stone, she would be great – playing the mother role. Mary McCormack would kill the roll, but she’s just a little too old.

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

Never ever: stop writing, thinking about writing, reading about writing, reading other writers, or think of quitting.

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

Please go out and buy all MY books (currently you can do that for less than $20 USD), and spend your summer reading the million plus words I’ve written—and I picked only the best words. And thanks. But to my readers, please understand thatwriting is an art, it must be nurtured, studied, and most especially practiced. Pick up a cello, run the bow over the strings, and tell yourself you are Yo-Yo Ma—then, through practice, spend the next twenty years proving it to yourself.

And to my readers, these are my stories. I write what interests me, and I hope that they interest you. Sometimes what I write will make you uncomfortable and challenge you and your beliefs. Sometimes they will support your dreams and aspirations, sometimes you will not finish my story. But thank you for at least giving me a try.

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

Doing research for a couple of new novels, so they are non-fictions works about the south of France during WWII. A couple are memoirs of the occupation of France by the Nazis. Just received Max Hastings Vietnam, An Epic Tragedy, will be digging into that. Matt Farrell’s What Have You Done, Kristin Hannah’s The Great Alone, and Bleak Harbor by Bryan Gruley. I’m a book junkie, what can I say.

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

The first “big” novel I read was Leon Uris’s Battle Cry. I still admire and love all of Uris’s books. If I could write like that . . .

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

Ironic stories well written that play with the imagination. A friend of mine, Philip Donlay writes these incredible thriller fantasies using natural elements, hurricanes, weather, meteors, etc. as the bad guys and his characters get caught up in the disasters that ensue. Phil was a private jet pilot so his books have aircraft as the primary tool. Imagine flying through the mountains of Austria in a Boeing 727 at 400 miles per hour in the dark in the rain, chasing the bad guys in a car who have kidnapped your wife. That’s what make me laugh.

The last chapters of my novel, The Cherry Pickers, still make me cry.

Fiona: Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?

Ann Rand, she would be an interesting person to talk to for a few hours.

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

Gardening, photography, now it’s book design and travel. At one timeI built boats (real ones not models), once played a respectable game of golf, and oil painting.

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

Man in the High Castle, Marvellous Mrs. Maisel, The Rookie, NCIS, Blue Bloods, shows with good story lines. The Thin Man films, most Humphry Bogart movies, good noir films, etc. My favourite is movie is the 1996, Independence Day – go figure.

Fiona: Favorite foods, colors,  music?

Italian pastas, red, all types of music – quite eclectic.

Fiona: Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?

Take up trout fishing in Montana.

Fiona: You only have 24 hours to live how would you spend that time?

Not nice. I’ll wait and see what’s left on “to be completed” list.

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

He Gave It His Best

(My father’s reads: ‘Bah Humbug,’ really it does.)

Fiona: Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers?

www.writing4death.blogspot.com

www.gregorycrandall.info

Amazon Authors Page USA https://www.amazon.com/Gregory-C.-Randall/e/B001K91MF2/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/l/B001K91MF2?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1548698676&redirectedFromKindleDbs=true&ref_=sr_tc_2_0&rfkd=1&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&sr=1-2-ent

 

Gregory C. Randall

Authors Biography

Gregory C. Randall, Michigan born and Chicago raised has made the San Francisco Bay Area his home with his wife for the last 48 years. A graduate of Michigan State with a degree in landscape architecture, Mr. Randall has 48 years of community design and urban planning experience. He has his own design firm, Randall Planning & Design, Inc., and has designed hundreds of residential, commercial and retail properties throughout the western United States.

Mr. Randall is represented by the Kimberley Cameron & Associates, Inc. and is published with Thomas & Mercer Publishing and Windsor Hill Publishing.

However, his early childhood on the south side of Chicago was the inspiration for his first book, a non-fiction work titled America’s Original GI Town, Park Forest, Illinois. This is the account of the creation of the first town designed for the GI’s returning home after WWII. It was first published by Johns Hopkins University Press in 2000 and updated in a new edition in 2010. He is considering a new update to this book to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the village’s founding.

Mr. Randall has enjoyed writing for almost thirty years, but it has become a more serious vocation during the last twenty years. Greg is the author of the five book series, The Sharon O’Mara Chronicles. He also has just published the third book (Chicago Fix) in the Detective Tony Alfano noir thriller series set in 1933 Chicago. The first book Chicago Swing won a silver medal in the 2016 Global Ebook Awards. His young adult novel, The Cherry Pickers has won acclimation and awards from the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) and Northern California Book Publishers Association (BAIPA).

In the spring of 2018, Thomas & Mercer Publishing released the first book in a new series, Venice Black. The main character is a women detective, Alexandra Polonia, from the city of Cleveland, Ohio. The second book in the series, Saigon Red, is to be released in March 2019.

Two World War II thrillers are to be published during the next two years with Windsor Hill Publishing. These are tentatively titled This Face of Evil and Pawns in an Ancient Game.

Mr. Randall is represented by the Kimberley Cameron & Associates, Inc. and is published with Thomas & Mercer Publishing and Windsor Hill Publishing.

Mr. Randall and his wife have their own independent publishing company, Windsor Hill Publishing. He is a book cover designer and artist and is well versed in the ebook conversion process. All of his books are available through the usual sources, but most specifically Amazon Book

Thank you Fiona, I enjoyed this immensely.

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  • Here is my interview with Alexander Saunders
  • Here is my interview with S. C. Mitchell
  • Here is my interview with Jaden Sinclair
  • Here is my interview with Paul L Arvidson

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