Author Interview with Taj Thompson

1. Why do you write?

Writing for me has always been my way to escape into a world that only I could see. It was my way to get lost in my emotion and to convey what I meant through my words. Sometimes, you can try to explain ideas and feelings to another individual, but the power is only heightened when it is read through words. With speech, we may feel the need to limit ourselves, but for some reason, through the pen I have no limits. I can go as far as I would like. 

2. How many books have you written?

I have many works that are written that I have not released to the public. So far, I have released two shorts stories, and a novel. All three are available on Amazon.

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

My latest book released, Revelations: The Eyes Of God, came to me one day while I was sitting in church with my family. I remember hearing the pastor preach on about God claiming not to judge one another, and yet, thirty minutes into the sermon, he began to claim we needed to judge if we want to deliver ourselves from evil. It was at that moment that my thoughts consumed me, dwelling on the hypocrite representation of his words. I began to think that no one knows how humans really got here, so who had the authority to declare what was right or wrong. Who had the authority to tell us how to live our lives. At this moment, a story began to play in my mind drowning out the words of the pastor. In this story, no religion was right and no religion was wrong. I began to envision a world in which everything was simply misunderstood and taken out of context. In this new world, we built our current society on what our ancestors were only trying to explain but didn't know how to put into words. 

4. What is your favorite genre to read?

I love science fiction. Any other genre, I feel comes too close to reality and if I read and feel like I am still in reality, then I am not satisfied. I want to read and be able to escape into a world I would never have recognized if I hadn't opened up that book. 

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

I personally love Stephen King and he was one of my idols growing up. I do admit I often tried to emulate his style, but as I got older, I found that to be disrespectful. I feel as if every writer, who is a true writer, has their own unique style that was derived from the emotions only they can feel. For me to borrow from or even mimic his style, in my eyes, would be the same as plagarism and disrespect; being that I could never be better than the original. So over the years, I developed my own style and learned to stay true to it as all authors should. 

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

My favorite book written so far is Revelations: The Eyes Of God. I understand that from the title, many would believe it was a Christian novel, but it is far from the fact. I chose the title because one of the characters within the book reveals himself as the man who designated humans to be created on Earth. In the book he explains, that he is the one that humans seek because they seek their creator; but he isn't the one they worship on Earth as their almighty. Through this characters eyes, a strong foundation of disappointment toward human life is built, hence the title 'The Eyes Of God'. He is ashamed at what the Earth has become and he feels as if his main reason for creating human life has been defeated. He doesn't understand the religion's they follow or the beliefs they hold; but he has no pity for their lives because the world he is from is beautiful. The follow up to this book is titled Revelations: The Forbidden Wish. 

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

It may sound corny to say, but writing honestly has to come from your inside and strictly channeled through your emotions. I feel as if you schedule yourself to write a piece, the writing wouldn't be as fluid and natural as if your emotions had spontaneously taken over your body. For all my pieces, I only wrote when my mind was inspired. Only when the story was triggered to play in my mind like a movie, my pen would see the paper to translate the words. I never make a schedule because I want my readers to feel the raw emotion I felt when writing rather than the struggle of me being forced to write.  

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

I find a lot of times I see writers picking up a piece of paper to jot down ideas for their story, hoping it could piece together in the end of their pondering. I feel that if you cannot develop the story in your mind and have it play constantly as if you were watching a movie, from start to finish, then your story is not going to be solid. You should be able to close your eyes and see the characters interacting. You should be able to develop a whole life for each character as if you knew them since birth. In your mind you should know the conflict each one of them went through and be able tell the story you want to convey through any of their eyes. Each character should have potential to be the main character and this is based on the life you imagined them with. If you cannot see a brand new world filled with brand new people in your mind, then you are not ready to create a story. Once you have played that movie from beginning to end and feel as if you are satisfied, then you are ready to pick up your pen and write that introduction. 

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

I actually do. For the second book, Revelations: The Forbidden Wish, the protagonist remains the same but the story begins with him dealing with the aftermath of the horrific tragedy. Most of the time when I conjure these characters, I give them faces of people I've seen on television or in life. There is a character within the story, that while I was imagining the plot, he took life and began rambling on and on. For some reason, I couldn't imagine his face and his voice fluctuated from high to low. Meanwhile, in reality, I was watching the show "The New Girl" and one of the main characters began rambling on and on much to the other characters annoyance. Suddenly in my mind, the mystery man now had a face, and his voice had developed the perfect annoyance. And he kept rambling on and on. He is an interesting character and I think one of my favorites so far. 

10. Coke or Pepsi?

I have been asked this question before and I never seem to have a good answer. I must truly not be human because they both taste the same to me. I honestly would go for which ever I can get my hands on first. Which is usually Pepsi. 

You can find Taj's books - available for Kindle - here and join the fan page for "Revelations: The Eyes of God".

"An American Werewolf in Idaho" by Katella Stegmann

I strolled the parking lot scanning for Joy’s car amidst the menagerie of colors of students’ cars. I inhaled through my nose and was able to catch the scent. It smelled like Joy: textbooks and paper.

There was another engaging aroma filling my nose. I closed my eyes as I walked towards the sweet scent.

When I opened my eyes I saw him. He was leaning against a black GT. The boy I had been daydreaming about all morning was now right in front of me. We had the entire parking lot to ourselves. I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. I had been obsessing about meeting him all day long, but I had never decided what I would say to him when the time came.

Oh, God. Think, Cassie. Think! Ugh, don’t vomit on his expensive car.

He looked at me with the same gaze he had given me earlier this morning. Finally, my brain started to work again, and I was able to form an introduction.

“I’m Cassie.” I smiled.

His facial expression remained the same as he politely met his eyes with mine.

“Jackson. Nice to meet you.”

When he smiled back my heart picked up its pace. We locked eyes and I felt my soul burning with passion. Hmm, this was new.

My brain was frozen in an idiotic state. As he glanced around the parking lot I quickly dabbed the edge of my mouth to make sure I wasn’t drooling like a dog. When he looked back at me I smiled again and nervously chuckled. My brain screamed at me to say something.

“It’s nice out.”

The weather? Was I really talking about the weather with someone I had never met? I could have smacked myself. Where had the verbal part of my brain run off to? The only thing running through my head was an inner monologue of things that weren’t even remotely helpful.

Duh, me woman. You man. Me like you. You hot. We kiss now?

“I like the cold weather,” he responded.

He didn’t run away screaming. I was surprised.

Play it cool. Don’t do that nervous girly jabbering thing you do. I was startled when I heard Kat giving me advice.

I swallowed a knot and cleared my throat and then made eye contact with Jackson again.

“I like the cold weather, too. The winter can get brutal here, but I love the snow.”

Crap. I was jabbering. I tried to get a read on his thoughts again.

Still nothing.

“You’re new to Crossport, right?”

“That obvious, huh?”

“It’s a small town. When someone new comes into town everyone notices.”

God, why was I so nervous?

Just be yourself. Sean tried to help me.

That’s the worst advice I’ve ever heard.

If I did that Jackson would surely run away in terror.

If you enjoyed this sample, be sure to read the rest of "An American Werewolf in Idaho".

Author Interview with Katella Stegmann

1. Why do you write?

So many reasons. It’s hard to narrow it down. I’ve been writing since I was able to scribble in crayon in preschool. It was the only thing I was ever able to focus on when I was in school. I was a trouble-making ADD kid and the only way my teachers could get me to sit still was to stick a pencil in my hand and tell me to write. They knew that if they made me use my imagination I wouldn’t be riding down the school hallway on an electric floor buffer or using the kiln in the art classroom as my own personal microwave.

2. How many books have you written?

Published? Three. And the fourth is on its way. Not published? I have hundreds of stories I’ve written over the years. My family and friends were all forced to be dragged into my adventures when I was growing up. I still don’t think they have forgiven me for that.

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

I wrote my series ten years ago, but it wasn’t until recently that I got the stones to publish and share my insane ramblings with the world. I wanted to get my voice out there, and to overcome my insanely neurotic fear of showing my work to others.

4. What is your favorite genre to read?

Humor. You have humor in your books and you have won me over for life.

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

I think we are definitely shaped by our environment. I will be honest, I did not read a lot of books when I was growing up. Getting me to read a book was like pulling teeth. I was more of a television and movies baby. I was always fascinated by some of the scripts I read. Joss Whedon in particular had a style that made me adore his shows. Bill Lawrence and Christopher Titus always knocked it out of the park on their scripts, too. But just because I’m a giant TV nerd doesn’t mean I don’t read once in a while! I have just recently discovered the world of books. Seeing the last Harry Potter movie twisted my arm into checking out J.K. Rowling’s fantastic books. I have always admired her. I just finished reading, “The Help” too. I could not put it down. I love strong witty characters!

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

Naughty, naughty! Getting me to play favorites! I have really enjoyed my characters throughout the series. I originally created The Barking Mad Tale of a Teenage Werewolf series with a direction set in mind.

The first book, “An American Werewolf in Idaho” is all about the sassy protagonist Cassie Hill and how she deals with the fact that she has been assigned a duty to protect her town from evil-doers while trying very hard not to fall in love with the new guy in town, Jackson Tucker.

The second book, “A Tale of Two Shih Tzus” delves more into Jackson’s past and his world. The novel follows Cassie and Jackson through an obstacle ridden journey while they deal with the fact that there is an impending battle.

The third, the most recent, “The Labrador of the Rings” is about character growth and learning to take off your blinders when it comes to love. I think if I had to choose I would say book three is my favorite because of the growth that takes place.

And of course, the fourth and final novel is always going to hold a special place in my heart…because of the way it all concludes. There is all out war between good and evil…and the book gets intense. In this war, anyone is fair game.

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

Honestly, not to sound corny, but the art of writing probably saved my life. It has opened all kinds of doors and has pushed me to become a better person. It’s the healthiest outlet I have ever had. I think that writing is good for the soul.

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

Write what you feel and have fun with it. Never get discouraged. Believe in yourself, believe in your writing. Learn to accept constructive criticism, but don’t compromise your story just to please a few people. It is impossible to please everyone. So take a few risks and stand by them.

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

Generally the most outrageous and idiotic stunts my characters pull are based on my childhood. I did a lot of stupid stuff when I was younger, but if I had played it safe I wouldn’t have such harrowing tales to tell!

I also have to give credit where credit is due: my nerdy friends inspired me to throw a little sci-fi trivia and pop culture into the books. I’m a nerd, but I’m a bad nerd who doesn’t know Star Wars from Star Trek (don’t chase me with pitchforks!). I relied heavily on my friends to help me with the nerdy pop culture references. I can’t tell you how many time I texted my friends, “What happened in the Lord of the Rings again? Did Elijah Wood defeat Voldemort?” They just hang their heads and laugh at me.

10. Coke or Pepsi?

Water. I’m spazzy enough as it is without adding caffeine to the mix!


You can find Katella's books here (available in paperback too!), as well as keep up with her on Twitter and Facebook. 

Author Interview with Larry Beaufort

1. Why do you write? 
Writing to me is like a gateway to happiness. I have always been a fan of English and writing while in school, and just decided to perfect my craft. Writing is a way of expressing yourself to others in a very unique manner. The many things that I have been through have helped to shape me as a better writer.

2. How many books have you written? 
So far only 2, but more on the way.

3. What inspired you to write your (latest) book? 
I was inspired by seeing the things that we all go through in life. the battles and the storms. Things such as sickness, hurt, death... Seeing people go through such things made this book possible because we all go through storms in life and we all want answers on how to deal with those storms. So, through my book I'm giving you a spiritual insight into how to handle these things with God on your side.

4. What is your favorite genre to read? 
I would have to say the Christian Genre followed by the suspense genre.

5. Is your writing style at all influenced by those of your favorite authors? 
I would not say that it is. I believe that every writer had their very own unique writing style that fits only them.

6. Which is your favorite book that you’ve written? 
My latest, After The Storm, I love it!

7. What is your opinion of the art of writing? 
The art of writing... The gain the true art of writing after you have gone through something in life. Many authors, whether are fictional or non-fictional writers, usually base their stories on things that are close to their very own life. You master the art of writing when you can do that and it inspires the life of somebody else, because once they read it, they too realize that hey, this speaks on me a little as well.

8. What advice would you give someone who is just beginning their own novel? 
Take your time and do it right! Don't be in a hurry to get your story out there. True success comes with true patience. We have greater success in life through our patience. Also, proof-read, over and over and over again! People realize even the small mistakes, lol.

9. Do you have any funny and / or interesting stories about how you’ve come up with plots or characters? 
Being that I have written a non-fiction book, I would say the plot is strongly based off of myself and my life situations that can also affect others!

10. Coke or Pepsi? 
Neither one, not too big a fan of dark sodas. If I had to choose one just because, it would be coke!


You can find Larry's books - available for Kindle - here. 

"Princess Rose" by Mary Aris

There was a time, long ago, when England was quite young, in the Kingdom of Carlisle,
lived an old king and his queen. They were a very happy couple indeed and their
subjects loved them. The queen was a lovely woman, but was getting on in years and
the king worried if there was ever going to be an heir to the royal throne. The couple did
their best to conceal their sadness. The palace was filled with music and there were weekly
tournaments with prizes and monthly banquets with minstrels, musicians, and pantomimes.
The castle was filled with music, laughter and merry-making.


On the Eve of the queen’s fortieth birthday a Royal Gala Ball was organized by the king.
The Great Hall with its majestic dance floor and elegant fireplace was scrubbed clean and
decorated with gold curtains and festive tapestry. The tables were set with fine gold and
silver china and silver cutlery. Bouquets of roses and daisies served as centrepieces and the
crystal chandelier in the midst of the hall was bedecked with garlands of greenery and golden
bows. Servants hurried to and fro with platters of roast beef, roasted suckling pigs with red
shiny apples in their mouths; Platters of pheasants accompanied by dishes of gravy and
relishes, and all sorts of seafood platters imaginable. The Great Hall was set to honour the
queen on this her fortieth birthday. On the morning of her birthday the queen’s ladies- in -
waiting drew her bath with rose petals, champagne and white orchid- scented bubble bath.


The musicians arrived at half-past five O’clock and assembled their instruments on the far
right side of the Great Hall. The guests arrived by half Six and the king and queen made their
entrance as the danced their first dance of the Evening as the Trumpeters announced their
arrival. The servants ,with their trays of oysters and caviar and champagne, went around the
Great Hall serving the hungry guests who were congregating in groups around the reception
hall, while the dance floor shimmered with the soft shadows of the chandelier as the king and
queen danced and twirled accompanied by other couples of the gentry. The Palace was alive
with music and dancing. After dinner the queen was presented with a large birthday cake
adorned with roses and carnations. On top of the great cake was a fountain with champagne
cascading down in rivulets collected by the base of the fountain. ‘Happy Birthday, Your
Highness!’ all her subjects wished her. The queen looked down upon her cake, but a tear
formed in her eye in spite of this happy moment, and she could not contain herself.


On this special Evening the queen couldn't contain her sadness any longer, so in the midst of
her Majesty's birthday banquet, she ran from her throne and went to the moonlit garden. There she
kneeled by the Gilded Pond and wept bitterly. Her tears made small ripples on the pond's golden
surface.


You can get "Princess Rose" available for Kindle here, as well as Mary's other books. 

Author Interview with Mary Aris

1. Why do you write?
Ever since I was nine, I loved writing stories and poems. I have always had a great
imagination and creativity. It was always an ambition of mine to be a Novelist. In
high school I took a Poetry course. It was this course that taught me about the
different types of poetry, metric schemes and poetic devices. After high school, I
took a job as a Library Assistant at the West New York Public Library in West New
York, NJ, a position I held for twenty years. During my work as an assistant librarian,
I began to write more poetry and stories. In 2001 I was made interim Children’s
Librarian and supervised the Children’s Department. I hosted Story Hour and other
after school activities. I used to read the children stories that I had written. One of the
stories I began writing in 2001 while I was working as an interim Children’s Librarian
at the Children’s Department at the West New York Public Library was Princess
Rose. Princess Rose came to me while I was working at the Library. I remember
getting home and rushing to my desk to begin writing. The story, about a pair of
ancient Monarchs, tells the story about how they longed for a baby and heir to the
throne of Carlisle. The queen, distressed because she was ‘getting on in years’ and
still had no child, lamented by the Gilded Pond. To her surprise, seven blithe sisters
calling themselves The Moonbeam Fairies heard her cries and took the queen’s tears
to Queen Celeste who immediately granted the queen’s wishes. All was well until the
king’s evil magician, Astrociousnov, concocted a scheme to capture the throne for
himself. I write because I love to tell stories and put my creativity to its limits.


2. How many books have you written?
I have written eight books. I have written three poetry books, three children’s
books, one gothic novel and one autobiography.


3. What inspired you to write your (latest) book?
The idea for The Curse of Anna Greene, published in 2011, came to me by my
love of gothic novels and Halloween. I wrote a similar story in the 1980’s for one of
my English classes. I was inspired by the Salem Witch trials which I read about in
high school. Unfortunately, during my moves I lost the manuscript to the story. In
2010 I entered my first Nanowrimo competition and I resurrected the idea behind the
story of The Curse of Anna Greene. I wrote the 70,000 word novel in a month.
Jewelz the Juggling Cat, also published in 2011, is based on a true story. I wrote
the story in memory of one of our cats, Morris, who my brother found as a kitten in a
parking lot near our apartment in the early 1980’s.


4. What is your favorite genre to read?
This is difficult because I love all sorts of genres. I love horror and suspense
novels. I enjoy reading the likes of James Patterson, Stephen King, and Grisham. I
also enjoy Romance novels, fairy-tales and comedies.


5. Is your writing style at all influenced by those of your favorite authors?
I think I have a unique writing style but I’ve been influenced by Perrault, The
Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson and Charles Dickens.


6. Which is your favorite book that you’ve written?
My favourite books are Princess Rose and Bartholomew and Jewelz the
Juggling Cat.


7. What is your opinion of the art of writing?
The objective of writing is to communicate, educate and in the case of fiction...to
entertain. One of the tasks of a writer is to build a good rapport with his or her
readers or audience. The author does this in two ways; first the author crafts his or
her words wisely, like a sculptor or artist. The Author diligently works with words in a
way that would best convey the story and set the mood and tone of the story in a
clever way to capture the audience’s attention, keeping them on the edge of their seat.
Secondly, the task of a good writer is to learn what to say as well as what not to say; to
weave the story using language as a yarn to knit the story together. The author must
show not tell the story and he or she does so by using action verbs and by letting the
characters do the work in telling the story.
An author is also like an artist who can paint with words like an artist paints with
brush and acrylic paints on a blank canvass. The author’s craft is the written word
which he or she turns into a masterpiece. Using another analogy, the author is like the
Creator.....turning the empty page into something that wasn’t there before.


8. What advice would you give someone who is just beginning their own novel?
I advise all new aspiring authors never to give up writing. Never be daunted by
rejections or bad reviews...just keep on writing. I advise them to find a good literary
agent. Don’t just submit stories to publishers unsolicited. Find a good agent that
accepts the genre of your Novel no matter how long it takes. JK Rowling waited ten
years before her Novel got accepted by a publisher. Another alternative of getting
your books published is to be an Indie Author (Self-published Author).....just don’t
discount the option of finding a good agent first. Every writer should start a writer’s
journal, a journal to write all your ideas, subplots, characters, etc.
One of my favourite books on the subject of writing is The Writer’s Handbook. This
is an invaluable book for new or aspiring authors. Not only does it offer useful hints,
but also gives you a list of literary agents and publishers with instructions for
submissions. One last thing: to become a writer one must read; read as much as you
can; read good books by great authors and always write; never let your ink run dry.


9. Do you have any funny and / or interesting stories about how you’ve come up with
plots or characters?
The idea behind Bartholomew came when my husband and I visited Stratford-
Upon-Avon and as we were strolling along one of the little avenues I spied upon this
topiary in the form of a bookworm reading a book. As my husband and I strolled
along the avenue, the story of a talking bookworm living at the William Wayne Public
Library emerged fully formed. Once we got home I sprang to my laptop and began
writing Bartholomew.


10. Coke or Pepsi?
I definitely love Coke.


You can learn more about Mary at her website, and follow her on her blog, Twitter, or Facebook. Her books are available on Amazon and Lulu. Be sure to check out her poetry as well!

"Murder Ballads" by David Grigg

“You’re taking me where?  Oh, God, I hate folk music! And you’ve got a freaking guitar strung over your back? Michael, you look like a [g******] hippy!”

His heart sank.  This was not a promising start.

It was only their third date.  Well, two-and-a-halfth, maybe.  The first had really just come about by chance when they found themselves at the same table in the canteen, and spent a glorious hour bitching about their physics professor.  He’d fallen for her then, in a big way.  He loved her dark eyes, her slender neck. And her passion – her family were Italian.  He found that he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Then they’d had dinner together at the cheap Vietnamese noodle shop he knew.  They had discovered a mutual interest in Terry Pratchett’s books, and had spent the time yelling over the hubbub at each other about their favorite characters.

Somehow the subject of music hadn’t come up until now.  Stupidly, he’d thought to surprise  her.  Well, he’d done that all right.

They were still walking together down the street towards the club. At least she hadn’t stormed off, that was something.

“Why do you hate it?” he managed.  “Traditional music is important.  Well, that is, I like it,” he finished clumsily.

“Oh, I don’t mind the melodies.  Some great tunes.  It’s just the awful lyrics.  All folk songs are about someone dying, or getting killed, or being murdered.  Murder ballads, isn’t that what someone called them?”

“Nick Cave,” he said bitterly.  “Or at least he put an album out called that.”

Despair was weighing on him.  He really, really liked Claudia, had had high hopes.  But this was a little like being a Christian and then finding out that your date was a militant atheist.  Or that you loved meat and she was a vegan. It was the end of everything.

Desperately, he rallied. “Not all folk songs are like that, not at all.  And anyway, there’s a lot of dying in most love stories – Romeo and Juliet, Tristan and…”

“Isolde, yes.”  Now she shifted ground, a dangerous sign. “And they all treat women as pathetic objects, always being carted off against their will, or having their fathers or their husbands kill their lovers.  Either that, or they are killed themselves for being unfaithful. Mamma Mia!” She added the last just for effect, she spoke hardly any Italian.

“It’s not all like that,” he said stubbornly.  “Anyway, what kind of music do you like?”, he asked, hoping to find common ground.

Surprisingly, she seemed slightly abashed, took a moment to answer.  “Well… Modern classical, I guess you’d call it.  Arvo Pärt, John Tavener. Philip Glass?” She added the last looking up at him with a slight frown. “You must have heard of Philip Glass?”

Hope edged back in him. It seemed as though she did want to find some agreement, too.

If you like this excerpt, you can find a full listing of David's books - available for Kindle - here.

"Nereid" by David Grigg

Underwater, she dreams.

Her sky is made of silver, and her stars are made of foam.

She dreams.

Into the peace of her dream comes suddenly a great dark shape, cleaving the heavens above! It passes in bare moments, leaving behind it a tormented trail.

And with it a strange creature, thrashing as it falls from the sky into her domain. Into herdomain! In her dream she remembers her outrage, tastes it anew.

She seizes it and holds it still, despite its desperate thrashing. Now she sees it is a mere mortal, a man, fallen into her realm by chance and not design. She holds its face close and gazes deeply upon it. It is dying. Dying. Such is the fate of such beings, so she is told. Shortly it will enter the long blackness that, for her, is not fated except by choice.

Dreaming of it now, she remembers the slow access of a strange emotion roused in her by the creature. Angered, half-disgusted, half-pitying, she thrusts it up, up, up into the sky from where it came. It thrashes more, but as the moments pass it seems to calm.

She returns to her realm, leaving the man embedded in the surging sky. Then comes the cleaving shape once more, and at last the invader is gone.

Underwater, she dreams beneath a sky of silver.

She dreams, and longs for his return.

You can find a full listing of David's books - available for Kindle - here.

Author Interview with David Grigg

1. Why do you write?

It's an itch that has to be scratched.  Basically I think that I can't not write – though I managed to suppress the urge for a very long time in the middle part of my life.

I was a voracious reader when I was a kid, and I decided that I wanted to write my own stories when I was maybe 10 or 11 years old.  I was so determined in this that I finally managed to persuade my parents to buy me a second-hand typewriter for my 12^th birthday, on which I proceeded to write my first (utterly unpublishable) science fiction novel.

I was determined to persevere, and taught myself to touch-type by the time I was 14.  But it wasn't until my early 20s that I started to have stories accepted for publication.  I had some modest success for a while, but then in my 30s the difficulties of holding down a full-time job and raising a family seemed to get in the way.  It's only now that I'm about to retire that I've been able to return to my first love.

2. How many books have you written?

Four in total.

Two of them, Halfway House and Shadows, are gothic fantasies aimed at an early teenage audience. These were written a long time ago, in 1975, and were published by Cassell Australia. They are now available as e-books.

Islands is an anthology of my science fiction short stories, all but one of which were published in professional magazines and anthologies in the 1970s and 80s.  Again, it's now available as an e-book.

A Torrent of Story is a collection of short stories in a variety of genres, and has just come out as an e-book. 

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

As you can tell from my previous answer, most of my work was written and published a long time ago.  I hadn't written any fiction for over 26 years, but as I neared retiring age (I'm now 60), my thoughts began to turn more and more towards trying to write fiction again.  But I was filled with a lot of self-doubt.  Could I still come up with story ideas? Could I still develop characters? Did I still know how to write, in fact?

Well, I answered these questions with a bit of a bang.  I saw a reference on Google+ to a writing challenge being run by Becky Raymond. The challenge was to write a story every day during the month of November 2011, each story to be based on a visual stimulus – a photograph or artwork.

I decided to at least try it out and see if I could come up with anything.  Well, as it turned out, I was the only participant to write something for every day during the challenge. Although the challenge was mainly intended to elicit 'flash fiction' – short and pithy stories, perhaps three or four paragraphs in length  – I found myself writing much longer pieces each day, really quite fully-formed stories.  As the month went on I became more and more determined to write something every day.  I ended up with 30 original pieces of fiction totaling 33,000 words.  This was the first fiction I had written in over 26 years!

Once the challenge was over I decided that it would be worth collecting these stories into an anthology, which I have called A Torrent of Story.  Along with each story I include a detailed description of how I came up with each day's story idea, how the story was structured, and how I think it could be improved.  The idea is that the book may be a useful resource for a creative writing class, or just act as an inspiration for individuals who are learning to write fiction.

4. What is your favorite genre to read?

I read fairly widely but probably not very deeply. I'm very fond of the English classics like the works of Austen, Dickens and Trollope, but I am often to be found reading science fiction and mystery novels.

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

It's hard for me to tell.  I certainly don't consciously try to emulate any particular author, but I'm sure that my style is shaped by everything that I have ever read.  But if I had to pick one writer who I have been particularly influenced by, it would be Ursula K. Le Guin.  This comes not only from reading her wonderful novels, but also her essays on the craft of writing, and because I was fortunate enough to attend a week-long writer's workshop she held some years ago.

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

I'm currently very fond of my latest book A Torrent of Story, because it represents a real renaissance of my writing career after a long, long, hiatus.  But I will be even fonder of my next book, if I ever manage to write it!

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

I don't think anyone who hasn't tried writing realizes what hard work it is.  It's certainly hard to write well, to create viable characters who are authentic and believable, and very hard to construct a credible, well-structured plot.  A lot of my early attempts at writing stories seemed to trail off at the end or to go nowhere.  I found that it's not enough just to imagine a particular situation or even particular characters; the story has to have a strong narrative necessity and come to a satisfying conclusion.

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

It would probably be presumptuous for me to do so, since I have only had two short novels for teenagers published.

For what it is worth I would say that you need to have a strong sense of the structure of the book you are about to write, have a definite feeling about where it is going.  But – this is the important part – don't be afraid to have your novel change itself under your hands.  There's a huge difference between the map (your plan) and the territory (the actual words you find yourself writing). 

As you write, you'll encounter plot issues and situations that you hadn't considered, and you'll have to find a way to write around them, or go along with them.  And don't be surprised to have your characters come to life in your head and tell you that they won't do what you are trying to make them do, or that they would rather do something else.  If that happens, listen to them!

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

One of the stories in A Torrent of Story is based on a terrible pun I thought up.  From that pun came the whole story.  It's about a little girl who stays up one winter's night so she can see if someone very special comes to visit her house.  But it's not who the reader expects it to be. Not Santa Claus, but... ah, but that would give away the punchline of the story!

10. Coke or Pepsi?

Yuck to both! Give me a coffee anytime.

You can find David's website here, his blog here, as well as his books available on Kindle here.

Author Interview with Gayle Ramage

 

1. Why do you write?

Because it's a bit of a buzz to be able to create characters, worlds and decide what their fate is. I suppose it is like playing God, but then again so is playing The Sims computer games!

2. How many books have you written?

So far, I've written two short stories/novelettes, and two short anthologies. I'm supposed to be in the middle of writing my first full-length novel, but that darn internet distracts me too much!

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

Well, the novel is part of a series about time-travelling assassins. What inspired me to write the series was lying in bed at night, in the dark, and wondering what would happen if someone came into my room and chopped my head off.... but my head carried on 'living', as it were. Odd, I know!

4. What is your favourite genre to read?

I suppose it's magical realism/urban fantasy - magic meets mundane life, but I also love reading crime stories, particularly ones penned by Stuart MacBride and Mark Billingham, though I couldn't write a crime novel myself!

5. Is your writing style at all influenced by your favourite writers?

I'm not quite sure, to be honest. One of my favourite authors is Sir Terry Pratchett, creator of the Discworld series, and I think back in the earlier days of my writing, I probably did try and copy his style but I do think that after a while you tend to develop your own writing style. Saying that, however, I'm not sure if I could describe my own writing style. Perhaps that's best left up to the readers of my books.

6. What is your favourite book that you've written?

Without a doubt, The Shoemaker's Son, part of the time-travelling assassins series. It has all the ingredients I love in a book: historical setting, time travel, mouthy women, flawed characters, a dash of humour, etc. 

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

Well, I think everyone has their own way of writing. There are 'rules', but they're not set in stone and are made to be broken. What doesn't work for one person can work well for another. 

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

Get it written, first and foremost. Don't panic about spelling, grammar, etc. Get the story down first, then you can start sculpting it afterwards. And enjoy it! 

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

Well, apart from the 'chopping my head off' scenario I mentioned above, I came up with a story about a man who finds himself on a ladder in a seemingly never-ending dark tunnel, after listening to a BBC Radio 4 programme about the history of the game Snakes & Ladders. Not a particularly funny or interesting answer, but hey it may come up in a trivia quiz sometime in the future. ;-)

10. Coke or Pepsi?

Probably Coke, though the 'fat' coke, not 'diet' or that awful 'Coke Zero' (or whatever it's called) stuff. In fact, I'm weaning myself off Coca Cola at the moment. It's one of my very few vices.

You can find Gayle's book here, follow her on Twitter and her blog.

Author Interview with Kimberly Grell

1. Why do you write?

I write because I know it is a part of myself that I want the world to see and know. I love to write because I feel my writings hook my readers in and help them to better understand things in their lives and what is happening around them. 

2. How many books have you written?
As of right now, I have 2 books out on Amazon.com, but the latest one is part of a series that will expand greatly till I feel that everything has been covered. My latest book is titled Celebrate Life With The Simple Things: A Poetry Collection I. It is exactly as it seems, poetry all about the simple thing in life that are overlooked and taken for granted. 

3. What inspired you to write your (latest) book?
The simple things are what inspired me to write my latest book.. I feel in today's world we focus too much on the big expensive materialistic things in life. This series will spark the imagination in the readers to see the simple things in a greater scale. 

4. What is your favorite genre to read?
I love to read all kinds of books, but the books I tend to continue to go back to frequently are Fantasy and Sci-Fi books.  

5. Is your writing style at all influenced by those of your favorite authors?
No. My writing style is of my own unique style in literature. My writing takes you on journeys and adventures inside your mind, heart, and soul. Everything is written with deep thought and is inspirational, motivational, and mentally stimulating. 

6. Which is your favorite book that you’ve written?
My favorite book that I've written has to be my new series, Celebrate Life With The Simple Things: A Poetry Collection I. Everything is written so it is not overly complex and that it can appeal to people of all ages.

7. What is your opinion of the art of writing?
I feel writing has evolved greatly over the generations. The many ways, or styles, of writing are what can make or break a book. You can always tell of the ones who are really passionate about their writing. Not only can you see it in their words, but if the writer has true passion for writing, you'll be able to feel it as well. 

8. What advice would you give someone who is just beginning their own novel?
Take your time and don't rush things. Don't try to force your mind to come up with ideas, or plots, it come come naturally, and when it does, you'll know and everything will fall into place.

9. Do you have any funny and / or interesting stories about how you’ve come up with plots or characters?
My inspiration comes from my 5 human senses. It's whatever sense is heightened at the moment, them my mind beings to create a meaning/reason behind the object, word, sound, or taste, etc. 

10. Coke or Pepsi?

Pepsi. I had a cat a while back that was named Pepsi. He was given to us by our neighbor. Our neighbor could no longer afford to feed him, so we reached out and fed him whatever left overs we had from dinners. She eventually came to us with a proposal, we could keep him. She could no longer afford the rent and had to move away. She couldn't have pets, so we took him in. He was a great cat, which lead me into my love of the actual soda drink, Pepsi. He later passed away from a feline illness, which left us heart broken. I feel he lives on through the soda drink, Pepsi. 

You can find Kimberly's books here and keep up with her on Facebook.

Author Interview with George Cook

1. Why do you write?

I have a really lively imagination and just want to share with others whether it's one person or hundreds. It's also a release for me and believe it or not I actually relaxing when I'm writing. I know it sounds odd but I'm at peace when I'm creating.

2. How many books have you written?

I have written five. Two books of poetry, two children's books, and my latest a horror /sci fi action book.

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

I always release a new book at the beginning of every year. I had promised myself that I would release a fiction book this year and that's what I did.  

The inspiration for this particular book came from the fact that I am a fan of walking dead movies and stories. I wanted to put my own spin on the genre and I decided to come at it from the military's perspective. I wanted to go into how would the soldiers called on to fight the dead feel and react to their situation.

4. What is your favorite genre to read?

I'm all over the map. I love biographies. I like horror. I enjoy science fiction but I would have to say that action adventure tops my list. I like a good action story with great antagonist and protaginist. 

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

I would say not. I am very conscious of trying not to write like others. I think I am influenced more by visual mediums such as television and movies. I have a very visual style and always write as if the story is a movie with ideas of how I want a scene to look and feel. I can even here the soundtrack i my head as I write. My latest book The Dead War Series was written while listening to Kanye West and Jay Z's Church in the Wild on a continuous loop.

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

Without question my latest. I love the action and took a lot of time on every action sequence.

I also got to bring to life characters I had written for other books that I never finished. I can't wait to write Book 2.

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

To me writing should be fun and not a task. If you truly are into what you are writing the words should flow. Then of course there are those times when you just hit a wall. Trust me I have about five or six unfinished books that are proof of that. But even with those five or six unfinished books there was material and ideas that could be used in other books. I believe that even a never before finished work has it's uses.

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

I would say start off with a good idea of what the story will be and how it will end. Having an idea where you are going can help keep you interested in what you are writing. 

I'm not saying map the whole story out because you never know where a story or characters may take you but definitely have some idea of what story you are trying to tell.

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

I had one  character in The Dead War who had a few lines spoken dialogue but never had a name as I knew he would be killed off. He served a purpose of showing the strain fighting the dead was taking on the soldiers. After finishing the original draft I decided he was a very interesting character and fleshed him out a little bit with a name and a back story which is featured in one of the short stories included in the book.

10. Coke or Pepsi?

Pepsi of course. The label has the same colors as my favorite football team, The NY Football Giants. Go Big Blue!

You can find George's books on Amazon, as well as keep up with him on Twitter and Facebook.