Author Interview with Gwen Perkins

1. Why do you write?

I write because I love it. To be honest, I can't imagine not writing. It's also one of the ways that I explore the world around me, particularly aspects of it that I find disturbing. Sometimes I deliberately write characters that have traits I dislike or backgrounds that confuse me so that I can learn how those people think and find empathy for those who are different than I am.

Another side effect of writing is that I have the opportunity to research and learn about things that I otherwise might not look into for my everyday life. After all, what are the odds that I need to learn medieval swordfighting to live in the suburbs? (Failing a zombie apocalypse, of course.)

2. How many books have you written?

I've published one book, The Universal Mirror, and am working on the sequel, The Jealousy Glass. My publisher, Hydra Publications, has been great to work with and I look forward to continuing with the series.

3. What inspired you to write your (latest) book?

A lot of my writing comes from frustration with the world around me and a wish to change something specific. The triggers for each book that I write aren’t what I’d consider obvious. In the case of The Universal Mirror, there were two things at play. The first was listening to my youngest daughter complain about how beautiful the people always were in the fantasy novels she was reading at the time and that she wanted “to read a book about regular people.”

The second, oddly, was my frustration with the whole universal healthcare debate and my dissatisfaction with the political process on both sides. The book is about two men who defy the government so that they can heal others and the moral complications that come with the experimentation involved. Those are issues that exist in our society--I wanted to explore them in a medieval setting to see how that changed the ways in which those kinds of questions were dealt with.

4. What is your favorite genre to read?

That depends on my mood. I am constantly reading history books of one kind or another since, as a museum curator, I spend much of my time searching for the story behind an artifact or photograph. At home, well, I still read history books (I love history, particularly biographies) but I balance that with a lot of fantasy, science-fiction, and horror. I dabble in other genres but those are the ones that I most enjoy.

5. Is your writing style at all influenced by those of your favorite authors?

To be honest, my writing is more influenced by authors I dislike! There are stereotypes in the fantasy genre that I'm really not fond of and Mirror was, in part, a reaction to that. I like heroes that are flawed, romances that aren't easy or reliant on physical appearance, and characters who try to do the right thing even when it looks wrong from the outside. Those are things that I don't find as often in fantasy as I'd like.

6. Which is your favorite book that you’ve written?

I've only written the one. :)

7. What is your opinion of the art of writing?

Writing isn't an easy thing, even to those of us who do it constantly. Like any art, it requires practice and the best writers are often those who spend years honing their skills.

That said, the one thing about writing is that I genuinely believe anyone can write. No two lives are the same and we all have our unique stories to tell and ways in which to tell them. Every book has its reader waiting--the trick is simply to discover who that is and how to put that novel in their hands.

8. What advice would you give someone who is just beginning their own novel?

"Don't give up" is the advice that everyone gives but it's very true. I would add to that, however, "don't look back." It's too easy to fall into the trap of editing over and over without actually finishing your work. Finish your book and then edit it. Don't obsess too much over the tiny details but let the story tell itself.

9. Do you have any funny and / or interesting stories about how you’ve come up with plots or characters?

My kids are always after me to name characters after their obsession of the week. I do have a character named Nicolas in the second book who was named after Nicolas Cage because of their deep love of the cinematic classic "Con Air" (no, I'm not being sarcastic. At all.). Currently, I'm being encouraged to name a character after Martin Freeman's John Watson in the BBC Sherlock. Thus far, I'm resisting.

I take a lot of my plots out of newspaper articles. The worlds in which I write are distant and different from our present circumstance so it's very easy to twist thoughts and come up with something that's unrecognizable from the original event I started with.

My characters also often throw a wrench into any plan I come up with! I am a strict outliner but only when it comes to the main plot and event-based subplots. I never outline relationship developments but rather, let those happen organically. This means that I often end up having to return to my plot outlines but that's not a bad thing. (Though I sometimes wonder what life would be like in an alternate universe where the characters involved made different choices!)

10. Coke or Pepsi?

Pepsi. :) (Especially Mountain Dew. I'm a total dew addict.)

You can find Gwen's book here, find out more about it here, watch the trailer here, and stay posted on her blog. 

"A String of Momentary Silences" by L. S. Burton

Coming out of the theater and blinking in the sunlight is always an abrasion, a clash of how you feel on the inside against what you see happening around you. Wherever you look you should see meaning, a man hanging by his fingertips from a ledge, spies sending secret signals down dark alleyways, people chasing fleeting loves across the city, racing frantically towards the airport. Yet that’s never the case. Dusty sidewalks, dogs sniffing fire hydrants, taxis blowing horns and waving belligerent fists, a vast multitude of shiftless extras without cues to work with, who don’t know where to stand, lines only half memorized, that’s all there is to see. An undirected mess compared to the focused complexity of the cinema show. I stepped out on the sidewalk with my two companions, shielding my eyes against the glare, and blended into the background, adding to the web of chaos, the lofty illusions of the past hours fading. Now what do I do with myself?

I was about to find out. Bill and Bob weren’t finished with me yet. They blinked and yawned and stretched, clearing the movie daze away. They looked around, decided on a direction, looked at me, and started off. I followed as if attached by an invisible towline.

If you enjoyed this sample, be sure to read "A String of Momentary Silences", available here.

Author Interview with L. S. Burton

1. Why do you write?
If I had to give a reason for why I write, I would have to say, Because I’m good at it. As early as seven, I said I would be a writer when I grew up. I wrote a lot during junior high. I wrote every day in high school. Of course in high school I wanted to be a poet, and I have many old notebooks still sitting in my old room at my parent’s house that I need to burn someday.
For a while I let myself be convinced that writing was not a viable career path (That may, unfortunately, yet prove to be true). I studied English in university until I dropped out after two years. Then I got a science degree in Anthropology, studying Osteology and Archaeology, until I realized I would, at best, be a mediocre archaeologist, and that simply wasn’t good enough.
One day I decided I would write, and that was that.
At the time I was living in a bush camp a hundred miles from civilization in the north of British Columbia. I still remember the exact moment when, in the middle of the forest, I stood up, looked around, decided I wasn’t going to go back to do an archaeological thesis – I would write instead – and I was happy.
At the end of the summer, I returned home and wrote a terrible novel.

2. How many books have you written?
I have completed three books. I have two in states of undress.
My first novel remains untitled, best left buried in my bookshelf. It was a compilation of true hitchhiking stories to a fictional place, tales that I had either experienced myself, or compiled from the experiences of people I knew.
My second novel was A String of Momentary Silences, which is the only novel-length piece I currently have available through Amazon and Smashwords, about a man who decided to step off the hamster wheel of his dreary life. He stutters rather badly and hates his existence, and decides he’d be better off never speaking to anybody ever again. After he does that, life is easier for him, and he explores his world as an unspeaking individual. He meets a fellow who runs the puppet show at the local market, a man who also doesn’t speak, and the two become friends. Meanwhile he meets a woman online, and struggles with wanting to tell her that he can talk to her as he feels terrible lying to her with his silence. A String of Momentary Silences is not a long novel, but I always have trouble describing it.
My third is unfinished Twice Against the Same Stone, about a woman nearing her golden years, but who’s lived a bit of a criminal life, and she’s trying to make amends for her many mistakes.
My fourth is Raw Flesh in the Rising, about a man exiled to the leper colony on the Hawaiian island of Molokai in the late 1800s. There, the one healthy man among the sick, he becomes the leper among the lepers.
My fifth, and current work in progress, is where I relinquish my grip on five-word titles.
Systematic Rube, my first non-fiction book, is a rough outline of the silviculture industry as it represents rite of passage in Canada. I received a grant from the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council to work on Systematic Rube in the spring of 2011.

3. What inspired you to write your (latest) book?
My latest book is Systematic Rube, exploring tree planting as rite of passage in Canada. It was not born from inspiration; rather it is a child of exasperation.
I spent thirteen months, working every day, writing Raw Flesh in the Rising. Then I spent sixteen months editing , every day, seven hours a day. I didn’t work for those two years; I wrote.
Six months into editing I needed a break. I wanted to write – firstly – something new, and – secondly – something fun.
I had learned so much from writing Raw Flesh in the Rising. I wondered what my first person writing would look like. One day I sat down and began to write, cataloging my favorite stories from my years working in the forests of British Columbia. At the time, thematically, it was very free-flowing. Having since gained purpose, it has become regimented and directed, though I still love working on it as I can do anything I want as long as I stay within the boundaries I’ve set for myself.

4. What is your favorite genre to read?
I read roughly equal amounts of literary fiction and science fiction, and then a smattering of fantasy, history, and science writing. If it’s well written, engaging, and/or introduces me to new ideas and concepts, I’m game to read it.

5. Is your writing style at all influenced by those of your favorite authors?
My style is influenced in different ways by different authors. Firstly, stylistically, I love writers with a flair for language, such as Jack Kerouac, Louis Ferdinand Celine, Henry Miller, Allen Ginsberg, Herman Melville, Thomas Wolfe, and others. I first fell in love with Kerouac when I was sixteen. I read On the Road, decided it was over-hyped, and set it aside. Back then, however, I would read every book twice; only by reading it twice, I had decided, could I truly get a good grasp on the flavor of the book.
I finished On the Road for the second time two days later, and already I was in love. The man was a genius with language. To think that everything he wrote is a first draft still blows my mind.
Steinbeck is my favorite conventional author. His stories capture straightforward characters doing everyday things – and they are stories told simply as well – yet they add up to an amazing thematic complexity which I love. Very powerful.
I won’t say I’ve been influenced by either. More like inspired and admired. In the end, they are benchmarks.

6. Which is your favorite book that you’ve written?
My favorite book, to this point, has to be Raw Flesh in the Rising. I spent two years writing and editing the novel to my satisfaction, crafting everything the way I wanted. Then, when I was finished, I cut 50,000 words out of it. To say that any other novel was my favorite would be a harsh pill to swallow at the moment.
Luckily, it’s paid off. In 2011, I won the Percy Janes First Novel Award for Best Unpublished Novel in the NL Arts and Letter’s competition. I’m currently shopping the book to publishers.
I should probably flash this around more often while I still hold the award:
http://www.tcr.gov.nl.ca/tcr/artsculture/artsandletters/2011/lee_burton.pdf

7. What is your opinion of the art of writing?
Writing is an art like any other. One can be an artist who understands every facet of the history of his art and how his own work relates to all the other work which has come before him, or one can simply be an artist for fun and enjoyment. There’s value in both, and the best writing, in my opinion, combines the two.

8. What advice would you give someone who is just beginning their own novel?
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
Don’t rely too much on writing guides or you’ll just end up writing like everybody else who’s read them.
Remember the lessons of your high school teachers when it comes to making jot notes and outlines. They work.
Walk sometimes instead of driving. And without headphones.
Listen to critics, but don’t write their words in your heart.
Grammar, spelling, and punctuation, are supremely important. A writer not using the tools of his trade properly would be akin to a carpenter trying to build a house by hammering screws with a wrench.
Don’t emulate the best in your genre, but the best writers in general.
Read a lot; and again, read the best.
Write a lot. Make sure you love your writing for what you’ve written, not because it’s you who’s written it.

9. Do you have any funny and / or interesting stories about how you’ve come up with
plots or characters?
In my novelette, Do Unto Others, which I’ve published to Amazon, the mayor and priest of my fictional town of Scanlon are based on the real historical characters, Bernard and Pierre Clergue, the local bailiff and parish priest of the town of Montaillou, France, in the 13th century. Pierre was a womanizer who used the priesthood to seduce women, and Bernard a bit of a brute who used his authoritative position to become wealthy. Also, and I’m still not sure if I consider this funny or not, but I began writing Raw Flesh in the Rising on a whim. It was supposed to be about forty pages and take me a month. It consumed the next two years of my life.

10. Coke or Pepsi?
I never use caffeine while I work. I find the caffeine and sugar low balances out any
benefit you get.
Other than that: tea. Always.

You can find Lee's books here, as well as keep up with him on Twitter. 

Author Interview with Kate Aaron

1. Why do you write?

Because if I didn't I'd go mad! That's the shortest and most honest answer. I've just always written, as long as I can remember I've had scraps of stories floating round on bits of paper. I've just got more organised in the last year.

2. How many books have you written?

I've published five books, with a sixth in the pipeline and due for release around March 2012. I've currently got two novels, Blood & Ash and Fire & Ice, and a short story, Fenton: the Loneliest Vampireavailable in my Lost Realm fantasy series, plus a collection Four Chances: A Short Story Quartet, and a contemporary short, Danny's Boy.

3. What inspired you to write your (latest) book?

The book I'm currently writing started life as a short for Four Chances but it grew and grew. It's a reaction piece to some of the more trite Happily Ever Afters I've read. I wanted to write about a real relationship, warts and all. Too much of romance is fantasy. This story starts with the end of a 'perfect' relationship, and asks how anyone finds the courage to love and trust again when the fairytale has failed them.

4. What is your favorite genre to read?

I read pretty much anything, the Victorian classics are a favourite, and contemporary m/m romance (my own genre). I also enjoy fantasy and literary fiction, and I read a lot of non-fiction as well: usually literary biographies or queer theory texts.

5. Is your writing style at all influenced by those of your favorite authors?

I don't think so. I like to dissect what defines a particular author's voice, but then if anything I steer clear of that kind of style. I don't want to emulate anyone else.

6. Which is your favorite book that you’ve written?

Oooh, tough question! I love them all in different ways: Blood & Ash is my firstborn, and will always be special. Fenton is something very different from my usual style, it's much slower-paced and there's something haunting about it that I just love. Fire & Ice is probably my most complex work to date, and there's moments of great emotion in there that still get me when I re-read them now, even though I wrote them. Danny's Boy is the closest thing I've written to an autobiography: growing up gay in a small town, moving to the city and then having to move back home again and readjust is my story, and there's a lot of my own experience in there. Then Four Chances has the story that I'm probably the proudest of in it - Loss. It's a heartbreaking tale of the conflict between love and duty, and I've had people email me to tell me that they could barely finish it for crying. Every author wants to hear stuff like that!

7. What is your opinion of the art of writing?

I think a lot of guff is written about it (and I should know, I've got a BA in Language and Literature!) Honestly, different books are written for different purposes. I don't profess to be the next Alan Hollinghurst or Jeanette Winterson, I'm not trying to write literary fiction. I basically write brain candy, which might occasionally get you in the gut, or make you think. When people talk about the "art" of writing it cunjours up images of the starving poet in his garret, trying to craft a masterpiece. Ultimately learning to write is a bit like learning to play an instrument: it's all about practice. As you go on, you get better, it becomes easier.

8. What advice would you give someone who is just beginning their own novel?

It is both easier than you ever realised, and more difficult than you ever imagined, to self-publish. These days anyone can bang anything out on Amazon and people might or might not buy it. But if you're serious about this there's much more to it than just writing a good story. Editing is everything: being self-published is no excuse for a poorly edited or formatted book. Your book should be as slick as if it had been published by one of the Big 6, if not slicker. We have to be better than them, because we're the ones trying to prove ourselves.

9. Do you have any funny and / or interesting stories about how you’ve come up with plots or characters?

Not so much with plot or characters, they just comes to me as I write. However being a gay woman writing about men getting it on, there are certain areas that, let's just say, I'm no expert in. I've asked my friends questions that have turned them prematurely grey. Sadly, I'm not sure they're stories you can share on your blog!!

10. Coke or Pepsi?

Diet coke. It's a habit I'm trying to break. It's harder than giving up heroin!

You can find Kate's books on Amazon, All Romance Books, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords.

Keep up with her on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Author Interview with Camellifolia

1. Why do you write?

Two different reasons. First I write sermons for my church. I am what is called a Lay Speaker. We fill-in when the Pastor is away. I am currently compiling the sermons I've written and will be self-publishing it soon. Secondly I write because I love words and story telling.

2. How many books have you written?

I've written one novel and self-published it. I am about half way done with a second novel. And as I mentioned I'm compiling my collection of short sermons.

3. What inspired you to write your (latest) book?

Capitol Terror was inspired by living in the post 911 Washington D.C. area. I've lived in Maryland most of my life and life has changed since 911. But life goes on. People still fall in love, get married, go to football games etc. This story is about that with the threat of a terror attack woven throughout.

4. What is your favorite genre to read?

I like spy stories, some science fiction, action and adventure.

5. Is your writing style at all influenced by those of your favorite authors?

No. I read famous authors like Tom Clancy and Robin Cook but I don't write like them. I like to inject a little humor even when the story is about bad things happening.

6. Which is your favorite book that you’ve written?

The one I'm writing now. It is a detective story introducing a private investigator named Collin Carter.

7. What is your opinion of the art of writing?

The story is more important than technical perfection. The basics of English usage, spelling and simple grammar, keep the words from slowing down the story but perfect technical English is - or can be - boring.

8. What advice would you give someone who is just beginning their own novel?

Keep notes or an outline with a time line as you go. After 40 or 50 thousand words you tend to forget what you wrote in the beginning. To keep the story consistent and accurate you need keep a written log of who did what when.

9. Do you have any funny and / or interesting stories about how you’ve come up with plots or characters?

Names can be very difficult. You want the names of the characters to be interesting but not crazy sounding. I have used calendars and advertisements to find a word that became a character's name after I removed a letter from the beginning. For example: the word posting became Osting, As for the plot and the characters - they just jump into my mind fully formed. I see them in full color as if I were watching a movie. But I keep the physical details to a minimum because people form their own images as they like people to be. If I say a character is handsome or beautiful everyone has a mental image of how that should look. I don't want to spoil that image with too much detail.

10. Coke or Pepsi?

Pepsi.

You can get Camellifolia's book "Capitol Terror" at Amazon.com, Amazon.uk, and Amazon.de.

Follow her and her book on Facebook, as well as read her blog! 

"Maiden" by Deborah Bonnar

And then “Marcus Pinarius” was finally called for the ultimate battle and Sarah watched him walk onto the field.  He was in uniform and armed with his two-foot sword and a shield, small and round rather than the large rectangular one he’d always carried before.  He looked huge and fierce and Sarah felt sorry for whoever would have to face him in combat.  He turned to Sarah, stood as if at attention, and then bowed from the waist to her.  She smiled at him and blew him a kiss.

            “Pinarius Silvanus” was called and Sarah turned white as Silvanus strode onto the field in all his glory.  For Sarah, time slowed to a crawl.  Her eyes seemed to become a single lens that zoomed in and so enlarged his image that he took up the whole screen of her vision.  She could literally see nothing but Silvanus.  Even the noise of the crowd disappeared for her.  She heard each sandal hit the earth, heard the muted “clink” of the metal he wore, heard the “slap” of leather on skin, heard even the slow and confident inhalation and exhalation of air as he breathed. 

            His every movement was athletically graceful and confident and Sarah realized for the first time that he walked like a cat.  And not the small domesticated variety but the large and deadly kind.  How had she never noticed that before, the sheer power evident in his stride? 

            She seemed able to differentiate each muscle that came into play in his legs to propel him forward, saw the ripples as his arms moved in perfect synchronization with those legs.  Her eyes seemed able to catch the glint of reflected sunlight from each “scale” of his upper body armor as if they were randomly sparking as he moved. 

            Finally Marc returned to her view but only because Silvanus had reached him.

            Marc no longer looked huge and fierce to Sarah.  Suddenly, two inches taller, he looked like a child about to be slaughtered before her eyes. 

            Silvanus turned to face her.  As Marc had before him, he stood as if at attention, then bowed from the waist to her.  Sarah merely stared at him, her eyes huge, not sure she was capable of responding.  She was not, in fact, certain she was breathing.  She did suddenly realize her mind was unguarded and that, if he was at all interested, he had already heard her frank appraisal.

If you enjoyed this sample, be sure to check out "Maiden" here.

Author Interview with Deborah Bonnar

1. Why do you write?

You've asked me why I write as if I have a choice in the matter. There's so much constantly going on in my head ~ stories starting or picking up in mid-stream ~ that I think NOT setting them down would be impossible for me.  Even while I'm writing one book, I'm jotting notes for another.  I LOVE writing even more than I love reading and you'd have to understand my thirst for books to know how deep that goes.

2. How many books have you written?

I've completed three, a trilogy, and am working on a fourth. My trilogy is called Sarah's Story and consists of Maiden, Mother, and Wise Woman. It's hard to label genre-wise so I try not to. For me, it's a story I needed to tell and I hope I've done it justice. It's somewhat fantastic but I'm encouraged by reader reviews saying they believed in the characters and the events so much that they continue thinking about the characters after finishing the final book and wondering what they're up to.

3. What inspired you to write your (latest) book?

I'm planning to surprise with the book I'm writing now so I think I'll continue talking about the three I've finished, if that's alright. To be honest, in a rather odd way the Twilight saga by Stephenie Meyer inspired me. Although I really enjoyed all four of her books and can't understand the Twilight-bashers out there, my concept of a vampire is very different from hers. I wanted one that made more sense to me, scientifically speaking. I also wanted one that wasn't quite so full of angst and regret, as so many "recent" vampires have been.  That led me to think about other literary vampires, witches, and supernatural creatures. Although I think Anne Rice's Lestat is fabulous and her Mayfair Witches are legendary, even they weren't what I was seeing in my mind's eye. And so I started sketching out my own concept, which led to the birth of Silvanus, one of my two main characters.

4. What is your favorite genre to read?

I am with books as I am with music and movies ~ I love everything. Maybe that's why my own books don't fall easily into a particular category.

5. Is your writing style at all influenced by those of your favorite authors?

I'm not sure this counts as being influenced by him but I've always loved the way Stephen King writes.  You're not so much READING one of his books as listening to him (and his characters) tell you stories.  And, no matter how outlandish one of his plots might seem from a blurb, you absolutely believe in his characters and storylines as you're immersed in his novels.  I know he's a huge bestseller and an icon but I don't think that man can possibly win too many awards or be too celebrated as an author.

6. Which is your favorite book that you’ve written?

My next one! Seriously, I suppose Mother is my favorite. Maiden was a lot of fun; I enjoyed introducing Sarah and Silvanus. But I'm not much of a secret-keeper and I had to try hard not to look too far ahead; to keep the reader guessing about what was coming up next. I think I did a good job of that as readers tell me that, each time they thought they knew what was going to happen next, it didn't. Given my nature, I take that as a great compliment. And writing Wise Woman was fun, too, but there was always that niggle at the back of my mind that Sarah's Story was coming to an end ... and I didn't want it to. 

7. What is your opinion of the art of writing?

Writing is as varied as people. Each author has a unique voice and something important to say. All people do but few invest the time and energy in setting down the stories they have to tell.

8. What advice would you give someone who is just beginning their own novel?

I honestly think the best piece of advice is to NOT listen to anyone's advice. If you converse with ten successful authors, you'll get ten different versions of the best way to write a book. I believe each author needs to find his or her own best way of doing it just as each person needs to find his or her own best path through life.

9. Do you have any funny and / or interesting stories about how you’ve come up with plots or characters?

I don't know if anyone will find it funny or interesting but I'll tell you how I do it. Creating Silvanus was easy. I knew what I thought a vampire should be. I also knew the kind of man I find attractive and sexy. And I've long had a fascination with late Republican Rome. There he was, in all his glory, fully formed.  Sarah was a bit more difficult. I wanted her to be strong and independent yet sensitive. I needed to find a way of making it believable that a creature like Silvanus would fall in love with her; what would he find fascinating? At the same time, I needed her to be supremely curious and a little ruthless in her own right. I didn't want her seeking immortality solely to spend forever with Silvanus and I didn't want her to leave all the "dirty work" to him. I wanted her to be a witch but I also wanted to raise questions about the characters of gods and goddesses in the way that The Prophesy raised questions about the characters of angels.  As for the plot, it wrote itself. Once I had the characters as I wanted them, it was more like watching what they did and setting it down to share with others.

10. Coke or Pepsi?

This is the most difficult question you've asked me as I like them both. Can I be really specific and answer Vanilla Coke?

You can find Deborah's books on Amazon, as well as keep up with her on her blog or MySpace.

Author Interview with Nancy Fairbrother

1. Why do you write?

I write because I want to help people discover the hidden talents they possess so they can live their best life. I find that the way to live your best life is to be true to yourself by being who you are and doing what fulfills you.

2. How many books have you written?

I've written one book, "You Were Born to Succeed: Finding Your Purpose through Numerology."

3. What inspired you to write your (latest) book?

I'm a retired psychotherapist and a fulltime mystic. In my practice, my greatest desire was to help guide my clients on the path of their life purpose. I discovered my own life purpose through Chaldean numerology, and I wanted to share my experience with others. I realize numerology is not for everyone and is not the only way to discover your life purpose. There are many processes people can practice to discover their life purpose. Most of these processes take weeks, months, or years to complete. I know because I've tried some of them. When I discovered Chaldean numerology, I was impressed with how quickly and easily my life plan was laid out for me, and with the way it fit me to a "T." I was able to work it out in a couple of hours, and I knew others would be as thrilled and impressed as I was. My Chaldean Soul Chart guides me to this day. I also want to show people that ancient sciences like numerology and astrology are powerful, practical, twenty-first-century tools that can help people improve their lives.

4. What is your favorite genre to read?

I love biographies. It's inspiring to read stories of how people overcome obstacles to achieve their dreams. I'm also fascinated with the way people think and what makes them tick. I'm doing a research project now to find out if people in certain groups might have numbers in common, such as artists, entertainers, geniuses, etc. If so, numerology might be a way to detect these traits early in someone's life and help guide them to fulfill their purpose from a young age. In the case of serial killers, sociopaths, people who suffer from depression, schizophrenia, etc., numerology may be a way to detect these traits early and help heal them before they result in chaos for themselves and others. 

5. Is your writing style at all influenced by those of your favorite authors?

I wish I could write like my favorite authors. I haven't been writing for very long. My book and my blog are the extent of my writing so far. I'm still learning, and life has been moving so fast for me I haven't put the time into studying writing styles that I could. I belong to a couple of writing groups and have learned a lot through them and am learning a lot on the Internet, too.

6. Which is your favorite book that you’ve written?

My one and only book.

7. What is your opinion of the art of writing?

Good writing is certainly an art. When words flow like water across the page, juxtaposed and combined in just the right way to express with absolute clarity the essence of an experience or a feeling, that is artful writing.

8. What advice would you give someone who is just beginning their own novel?

You've heard this before. Sit down at your keyboard or your writing pad and write. Don't edit yourself - just let it flow. If your mind is blank, make something up til the words start flowing. Sooner or later ideas and structure will emerge, and you'll have something to build on.

9. Do you have any funny and / or interesting stories about how you’ve come up with plots or characters?

Being a non-fiction writer, there are no plots or characters to create, obviously. My intention is to write  about my experiences and the concepts I want to share in such a way that my readers can identify with them. I've learned when I have trouble expressing myself it means I'm not writing about what I need to be writing about, or I'm in my head instead of my heart, or I'm making writing a hard job instead of enjoying the process. So I tune into my spiritual guides and they help me get clear. And sometimes my guides do the writing and I take dictation. I like that a lot.

10. Coke or Pepsi?

I used to love Classic Coke. Then I loved the original Pepsi. Now I love coffee.

You can find Nancy's book available for Kindle, Nook, and on Smashwords. Be sure to visit her blog!

Author Interview with Maria Tehuti

1. Why do you write?

I would dry out like a flower if I wasn't to write. It is a passion of mine like painting and dancing.

2. How many books have you written?

I have written five books and will publish my sixth book around Spring 2012.

3. What inspired you to write your (latest) book?

I had thought to myself one day: "If I could go back in time when I was a teenager which book would I give myself to read?"

4. What is your favorite genre to read?

Spiritual or inspiring books.

5. Is your writing style at all influenced by those of your favorite authors?

No.

6. Which is your favorite book that you’ve written?

'Parenthood on Earth - Refreshing Tips for You.' This book is my favourite published book. However, my sixth book which is not yet published is definitely my favourite book of all.

7. What is your opinion of the art of writing?

I do not have a particular style of writing. I write as it comes to my mind. If it makes sense ...

8. What advice would you give someone who is just beginning their own novel?

Follow the voice of your heart and it will guide you through the writing process. Reject the voice of fear which will attempt to convince you why you shouldn't start, continue or complete your book.

9. Do you have any funny and / or interesting stories about how you’ve come up with plots or characters?

As a heterosexual woman I was very surprised when I woke up one morning, after having had a dream where I was meditating and chanting with a group from the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community. I am a person who doesn't believe in coincidences therefore, I knew this dream to hold a message. I asked the Creator why He had shown me this vision. No sooner than asking, I heard the word 'book' being said in me. I was to write two inspirational books for the LGBT family. The Creator chose to spread insights and words of comfort through a vessel who did not know anything about this subject. These two books are a solid proof that the Creator of Life does not judge and loves ALL His children.

The books names are:

"I Love It! A Spiritual Guide for Lesbians, Gays and Transgenders"

"Beautiful Prayers for Lesbians, Gays and Transgenders"

10. Coke or Pepsi?

Blessed water.


You can find Maria's books here, and visit her website.

Writing Prompt #9

One very useful thing to try when practicing your craft (a word that has been stressed to me quite recently) is to look at pictures and write a scene about what happened, who was there, etc. 

(If you want, you can take a gander at my Flickr gallery to get some ideas jumpstarted.)

Happy Writings!

Author Interview with Robyn Porter

1. Why do you write?

I couldn’t image not writing. For as long as I can remember, I’ve always played out adventures in my head. Whether it was to entertain myself as a child, or help me fall asleep at night, I’ve always created something. It wasn’t until a few years ago, that a friend told me I should jot them down. It took me awhile to commit to it, but once I did I’ve never looked back.

2. How many books have you written?

Currently I have five books out and three others that are done and going through editing. I’ve started working on two other novels and have many more in the works.

3. What inspired you to write your (latest) book?

A dream I had a year or so ago. I tend to remember most of what I dream, so when something seems interesting I try and see if it can turn into a plot idea. This one was great. It’s my first stab (pardon the pun) at writing horror, but one of my best stories yet.

4. What is your favorite genre to read?

I don’t have one favorite. I adore fantasy and urban fantasy but I also love horror and medical thrillers. I think it is great to have a wide range of tastes as it keeps things interesting.

5. Is your writing style at all influenced by those of your favorite authors?

I take things I’ve learned from other authors and see what works for me. Some things do, others don’t. But then again, most people take what they see all around them and absorb it into their own routines all the time. Writing is no different. :)

6. Which is your favorite book that you’ve written?

My favorite book is a new Fantasy series I have releasing in the next month. The series is called Guardians of Nature and the first book is titled Keepers of Water. I adore nature and love the belief in magic and this book combines those two aspects. I also have a real affinity for nature and the harm we, as humans, are doing to it. This addresses how the neglect we are giving to our world ends up endangering another world.

7. What is your opinion of the art of writing?

It is something that comes from within, really. Anyone can write down an idea, but to draw another person into that world and allow them to feel what your characters feel, see what they see, that is a talent that is not always easy to develop. Some are more natural at it than others, but if you can do it, it’s an amazing feeling seeing the worlds one creates come to life.

8. What advice would you give someone who is just beginning their own novel?

Read, a lot. It is one of the first things I was told. The more you read, the more you will understand the world you want to create and how others have successfully done so. Also, research what is involved. Sadly, there are many pitfalls out there waiting to snatch up new writers and cause them to pay out the ear for things they should not. Lastly, find writer groups and join them. You would be amazed at the wealth of knowledge out there and most authors/writers are more than willing to give advice and tips.

9. Do you have any funny and / or interesting stories about how you’ve come up with plots or characters?

One of my really creepy scenes from When Darkness Falls actually came from a dream my hubby had. Now, this is interesting only because my husband tends to never remember his dreams. This one freaked him out so bad and made him feel so sick that I had him give me every detail he could recall. (poor hubby, he cringed with every word). I loved it so much it went into one of the scenes, and so far, that scene has been the one most people say is the creepiest. J

10. Coke or Pepsi?

Hah! Neither. J When I was younger I was told I had to stop drinking dark sodas due to migraines. Not touched them since I was 18. I do love Orange Crush and Sprite though.


Be sure to check out Robyn's books for Kindle and Nook, as well as her website and blog!

Author Interview with Joshua Isaacs

1. Why do you write?
As the last child still living with my parents, my imagination is still active without much outlet. Writing lets me open up those little 'worlds' and help them grow. . . And it's hugely fun.


2. How many books have you written?
No full length novels, but about a half-dozen short stories.


3. What inspired you to write your (latest) book?
A shadow on a wall.


4. What is your favorite genre to read?
Sci-fi, horror and thrillers mostly.


5. Is your writing style at all influenced by those of your favorite authors?
More or less; it's more common that I find a writer that writes in a style I want to learn to write in. Richard Matheson, for instance, has recently become my favorite author simply because of his endings. I just adore a good ending. More than anything, though, I want my style to be uniquely my own.


6. Which is your favorite book that you’ve written?
Each story is unique to me, representing something I've been going through at the time, so I can't pick a favorite. It'd be like choosing a favorite sibling—each helps you through different circumstances, but none are more or less favored than the other(s).


7. What is your opinion of the art of writing?
Everyone has their own life and experiences, and each mind perceives things differently and so everyone has a different story to tell. Telling that story can be fun, but it can also be quite painful. It can bring the reader and the writer to laughter or to tears. It opens the mind to new ways of thinking, new ways of imagining things. It allows for pure, unbridled creativity and application in a world totally unique to itself, free of the complications of real life.


8. What advice would you give someone who is just beginning their own novel?
Always know where you're going with a plot or subplot to avoid getting 235 pages into a novel only to realize you've worked your way into a hole. With each section/chapter, it's best to know where you're going with it, how you're going to get out of it, and how it will affect the story as a whole. Loose ends, like why a certain character fell into a coma and relived her childhood, annoy a lot of readers.


9. Do you have any funny and / or interesting stories about how you’ve come up with plots or characters?
My latest story was, as stated before, inspired by a tree's strangely shaped shadow. That's probably the most odd inspiration I've had so far.


10. Coke or Pepsi?
I'm trying to quit both... But Coca Cola.


You can download Joshua's book "Perceptions" here and read his blog here.

"Covert Dreams" by Michael Meyer

It was 1984 and people were doing crazy things to other people in the name of one thing or another, and Dabbie Hodson could see it clearly. She had but seconds to live. And just because she had been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

She was helpless to do anything about it, but her eyes would be her weapon. They would remain open, probing, pleading, rebelling.

“I really don’t know that much.” She repeated this over and over, but seemingly on deaf ears, until she realized the terrible choice of words she had used. That much? What was that supposed to mean? How was he to take such a thing?

She knew something of Munich, of course, and of Berlin, but not that much about what was being planned for Saudi Arabia, but she really only knew bits and pieces, not enough to be killed for. What threat could she pose? The little bits and pieces added up to such a fragmented picture of the thing.

He stopped. He looked at her, and his face was kind. Her twenty-one-year-old face was truly beautiful. “Shhh,” he said. He gently stroked her hair, her cheek. “It won’t hurt a bit. I give you my word on that.” He even smiled. He had terribly white teeth and boyish long hair.

She struggled harder, though she knew it was only wasted energy on her part. She was held securely. Duct tape and rope had seen to that. All she could do was resign herself to her fate. There was absolutely no reasoning with this man. She had already tried everything, but she had failed miserably each and every time.

But she was determined. She would go with her eyes open, despite whatever might come. She would see it all just as it happened. She would look him squarely in the eyes, force him to see that she saw, her only real weapon.

He went to work. He was meticulous. Dabbie couldn’t tell exactly what he was doing, but she knew very well what the end result would be. If only she had stayed back home. If only she had not come to Europe. If only she had not stumbled into all of this. If only she had not met Gus.

Gus began to hum to himself as he worked. His hands never stopped. Dabbie tried to tilt her head, to get a better look, but she couldn’t budge. She had to content herself with seeing his profile, with listening to his humming, with knowing that her eyes would be filled with defiance when the time came.

If you enjoyed this sample, be sure to check out "Covert Dreams" here.

Author Interview with Michael Meyer

1. Why do you write? 

I have always been fascinated with words. For instance, when a cashier at a store wants to swipe my card, I become alarmed. Why would I want someone to swipe my card when I am swiping it? If you are going to come visit me, are you coming or going? The possibilities are endless. My Master’s thesis was on categorizing two-word verbs. There is a huge difference between snap to and snap at. Language is all-powerful. I love the magic of words, of creating scenes and dialogue that will get the reader’s rapt attention.

2. How many books have you written? 

I have published three books now on Amazon Kindle. COVERT DREAMS is an international thriller set in both Saudi Arabia and Germany. THE FAMOUS UNION is a rollicking romp through the halls of academia with often-eccentric characters who are forced to cope with the comical chaos created by the powers-that-be. THE SURVIVAL OF MARVIN BAINES is a whimsical look at one man’s attempt to cope with middle age.

3. What inspired you to write your (latest) book? 

I love to read thrillers set in exotic locales, and, since I previously taught at a university in Saudi Arabia and since I was once a student in Germany, I wanted to create a suspenseful thriller set in two locations I know very well.

4. What is your favorite genre to read? 

I am an eclectic reader, but I often find myself reading history, the fall of the Tsar, World War II recollections, the early days of the Weimar Republic.

5. Is your writing style at all influenced by those of your favorite authors? 

Absolutely. One reviewer of my THE FAMOUS UNION said that he saw flashes of Vonnegut. And of course similarities to CATCH-22 are quite evident in the book also. COVERT DREAMS has been compared by some of my reviewers to the works of Ludlum and Baldacci.

6. Which is your favorite book that you’ve written? 

I love all three, but my friends and family members all say that COVERT DREAMS is my best novel yet.

7. What is your opinion of the art of writing? 

It is an art. Using language to garner laughter, sorrow, or any other emotion is an art in itself. And, as in any work of art, hard work is demanded in order to get things just right.

8. What advice would you give someone who is just beginning their own novel? 

Keep at it, and write for yourself. Write something that you would enjoy reading. Have fun as you create, not knowing precisely how things will end. Be a reader as you write.

9. Do you have any funny and / or interesting stories about how you’ve come up with plots or characters? 

I spent over forty years as an English professor, and bits and pieces of the often-absurd behavior I observed, mainly in meetings, found its way into THE FAMOUS UNION. When my wife was forced by Saudi Arabian men to get out of our car and push it, since females are not allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia, making me steer because we could not get the engine started, I learned from personal experience the huge unbridgeable differences of cultures that also find a home in COVERT DREAMS.

10. Coke or Pepsi? 

Neither. Beer for me, preferably IPA.

You can find Michael's books here, available on Amazon Kindle.

"My Life with Kate Bush" by Riaz Ali

PROLOGUE

In 1980, when I was nine years old, my father popped out for a pint of milk. Six months later he came back with another wife. There was an uncomfortable atmosphere in the living room. My mum didn’t like it one bit.

“So, you’ve been to India then,” she said.

“For milk, Abba?” I said.

I called my father ‘Abba’. This is the Aramaic name for father which, as he was a Muslim, was what he wished my sister and I call him. It wasn’t, as I thought in later years, because he was a huge fan of the Swedish pop group that went by the same name. The picture of Fernando in the hallway was just a coincidence.

Abba cleared his throat and said, rather gravely, “This is your second mum.”

I thought about this.
“Where’s the milk?” I said.
“I know it’s difficult,” he said, “but we can work around it.”
“You went all the way to India for milk,” I continued, tears forming in my eyes, “and came back with another wife? What sort of weird shops do they have over there?”

I didn’t say that of course. I wasn’t a witty nine-year-old. I was an over-sensitive boy who wanted stability, security and love. What I really got were a couple of mothers, a divorce and heaps of introspection. My saving grace was watching Rentaghost on television and an Amstrad computer I received for my thirteenth birthday.

And Kate Bush.

I was born and raised in Cwmbran in South Wales. It’s a sleepy mining town, notable for its complete absence of miners.

And mines.

Come to think of it, there are no quarries either or coal seams or girls in black pointy hats and red shawls handing out daffodils. Maybe I should just drop this romanticising of an idyllic Welsh town and tell you the truth.
Cwmbran is best known for its valves. We are known throughout the world for our impressive valve making abilities. The biggest employer in Cwmbran made car valves back in the 1950s. It’s where my mother’s father worked and where Abba was to become employed for a short while. Abba was an immigrant, travelling here from Bangladesh in 1967, the summer of love. The ship docked at Newport, just five miles west of Cwmbran. Instead of seeing the world, or at least, travelling to London to search for streets paved with gold like Dick Whittington, he managed to walk the five miles to Cwmbran and promptly got a job at Saunder’s Valves, a large factory on the outskirts of town specializing in the manufacture of valves. Bamp (my mother’s father) was a line supervisor in those days and he would oversee the assembly of the valves as they rolled off the rubber track.

If you enjoyed this excerpt of "My Life with Kate Bush" by Riaz Ali, check it out here!