Mark H. Jackson

An interview with science fiction author, Jakob Campbell

Posted on December 17, 2018December 18, 2018 by Mark H. Jackson

I am pleased to introduce the talented writer, Jakob Campbell, author of the science fiction novel, The Serenity Revolution. Jakob has opted to take the self-published route with his first novel and has offered some cogent advice for anyone planning to undertake a similar journey.

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Jakob Campbell, I’m twenty-five years old and I am a first-time author. I’m passionate about understanding reality and our limitless potential as conscious beings in this amazing universe of ours.

I was home-schooled after the age of thirteen, as I had a strong desire to learn multiple languages and this did not fit in with the school timetable. Studying outside the constraints of formal education allowed my inquisitive nature to really develop. When I was fifteen, we set off around Europe to explore and experience different cultures and countries, mostly ending up living between France and Austria for almost three years.

In Europe, whilst my home-schooling continued, I set about becoming a competitive tennis player with a view to eventually becoming a coach. When we returned to Scotland I carried on with tennis, but it soon became clear to me that in order to play at the top level, you had to have taken up the sport pre-birth! That was when I started going to the gym seriously and began a career in the fitness industry.

Working flexible hours gave me time to write – and this was when things got interesting. I have been meditating since my early teens, but my sessions took a much more mysterious turn as my mind began to question the fabric of the world around me and, day by day, I started to understand reality in a way which was at odds with the teachings of mainstream science. Concepts would materialise in my mind, allowing me to peer inside the mechanisms of the universe, and I began to get a feel for how things worked. This fascinated me. And these glimpses of how the universe interacts with our consciousness often form the basis of my writing.

2. What do you do when you are not writing?
I love working out. Physical well-being and fitness is very important to me. But aside from that, I enjoy listening to music – especially many Scandinavian artists. I like walking, cooking, and reading anything to do with archaeological or historical mysteries. My teenage years gave me the travel bug, and experiencing new cultures, landscapes and languages is something I can’t get enough of.

3. Do you have a day job as well?
Yes. I am a personal trainer and fitness instructor. I work in the gym by day and I write by night – I’m a very happy man!

4. When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?
I started writing about five years ago, working on an early prototype of what ended up as my first published novel, The Serenity Revolution, which was released December 1st 2017. The story went through many changes from the initial concept to the finished article, and I can honestly say I am really happy with how it turned out. This story, these characters, are all finally down on paper to share with the world.

5. How did you choose the genre you write in and where do you get your ideas?
Figuring out reality has always intrigued me. I’ve never gone in for the idea that science and religion have to be constantly at odds – indeed, I think one can help the other. I wanted to write a book that bridged these two, seemingly incompatible, understandings of reality, and show that there is logic to the divine. I shaped my story around this concept.
I would often be listening to music when a scene would just come to me, almost as if watching a film. I am very thankful for these moments of inspiration.

6. Do you ever experience writer’s block?
Not really. I’ve heard a lot about this, but I can’t say I’ve ever experienced it. To say my imagination is overactive would be an understatement! As I explained, more often than not, a scene will come to me out of the blue and I will write it down as an idea. Then later, another scene will come. And another. Suddenly, when I look down, I’ve got the basis of an entire novel before me. It’s almost like the story is being channelled to me. When I write, I just get the essence of it down and then worry about re-writing and editing later.

7. Do you work with an outline, or just write?
When I start writing a book, I usually have a rough outline with about seventy percent of the details filled in. I know the overall concepts and the important scenes that need to take place. However, beyond that, I am open to any spur-of-the-moment inspiration.

8. Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?
Growing up, I enjoyed reading books by J.K. Rowling and Anthony Horowitz. As an adult, I admire the work of Paulo Coelho and Andy McDermott. These are four very different authors, but I have learned and drawn inspiration from all of them.
If I had to pick one story, however, as my favourite, it would have to be Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist. For me, the story has an almost biblical quality to it, and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone, regardless of individual beliefs, as the concept can be understood and appreciated universally.

9. Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?
How long have you got?
I joke, but there was certainly a steep learning curve. I think, to be honest, the biggest difficulty in self-publishing is just understanding how everything works. Formatting the text correctly for both e-book and paperback was a major issue for me. I got there in the end!

10. If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you would change?
No. As I said, the learning curve was steep, but ultimately it was hugely beneficial. I learned a lot and will be wiser moving forward, and therefore I wouldn’t change it.

11. How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?
I mostly use a mixture of Instagram and Twitter. I set these up with the intention of sharing my philosophical insights with the world and communicating with other free-thinkers, as well as informing readers of current and upcoming projects. I contacted quite a large number of people on social media in the hope that they would read and spread word of my work. In addition to this, I have also recently started a blog – it’s a work in progress, but I plan to discuss not only my writing, but also the elements of the stories such as philosophy and spirituality. I really want to try and engage my readers and hear their views.

12. Have you written a book you love that you have not been able to get published?
No. Part of the beauty of self-publishing is that if you have a message or story to tell, you’re not reliant on outside forces saying yes or no. You can bypass the middleman and go straight to your readers.

13. Can you tell us about your upcoming or recently published book?
The Serenity Revolution, first book in The Kingdom of Creation trilogy, is currently available worldwide on Amazon as both an e-book and in paperback. It is an adventure novel exploring who controls the world and mankind’s impending spiritual awakening. Book Two, The Promise of Euphoria, will be coming out next year and picks up exactly where The Serenity Revolution left off.

I have written this trilogy very much with film sequences in mind, so the reader should see scenes play out in their mind as if watching a movie. The stories are heavy on dialogue, and are a very quick-paced read. I take great inspiration from the work of Aaron Sorkin in the television world. I love his snappy, straight-to-the-point, witty style.
The tale follows Robin Rylander, our newly “awoken” protagonist. He has discovered that the world is not as it seems, and that he has tremendous creative power at his disposal. What he sees in his mind, he can bring into reality.

But there are some who wish to suppress his abilities – and prevent the rest of humanity from realising they all possess this power. None more so than The Commander, a man who has single-handedly controlled and manipulated the entire world for thousands of years.

Finding himself at the forefront of an effort to overthrow The Commander, Robin is guided by Eva Forest, the shapeshifting First Lady of the United States. She is thousands of years old, and her past is a mystery, but it seems inextricably linked to Robin’s.
Joining them in their quest to free the world from the spiritual shackles of The Commander, are Sanna Larsson, a Swede with a nature that is sometimes too inquisitive for her own good, and Jake Schneider, a German bodybuilder whose brute physical strength makes him a force of nature. The two don’t always see eye-to-eye, especially when it comes to Jake’s fondness for untimely public nudity, but they are an invaluable asset in the fight to free humanity.

14. Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?
There are always going to be elements of you in your work, even if it’s just the manner in which people speak. Although the story itself is fiction, yes, many of the locations, characters and events have all been inspired by something in real life.
I think the concept of a mass worldwide awakening – a major component of my book – is something many of us can relate to. We see it happening all around us right now: people are no longer taking what they hear on the news as gospel, and we are increasingly questioning the official stance on history, science and politics. In the past we were encouraged – by both religion and science – to think and reason within rigidly defined frameworks, but those frameworks are starting to look very shaky.
I’m not saying that everything that happens in my book is true. But I am saying ‘What if…?’

15. What project are you working on now?
I am currently in the process of editing Book Two, The Promise of Euphoria. I am also just now completing the third part of the trilogy – which shall remain nameless until a later date – and I’m incredibly happy with how things are shaping up. I can’t wait for it to get out there!
I can reveal that much of Book Two revolves around discovering what really went on two thousand years ago that led to the final events of The Serenity Revolution. The same thing couldn’t possibly happen twice, could it?

16. Will you have a new book coming out soon?
I will indeed. The Promise of Euphoria will be out next year. Uniting the world can only be a good thing. But there again… it depends on who’s at the helm. This planet will never be the same. Euphoria is coming.

17. Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?
There are. At present I have two spin-off novels planned and a few other ideas in the pipeline. The two spin-offs will centre around the supporting characters of the initial trilogy as they come into their own and find themselves engrossed in their own adventures.
Jake and Sanna will get their own story, and this will take place after the events of the initial trilogy. And, knowing these two, whilst an adventure will be at the heart of the story, there will doubtless be a few laughs along the way.
Eva will also get her own title, but her story will be set just over two thousand years ago and will focus on how she came to be the survivor that she is today. It’s essentially her “origin” story.

18. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been your greatest compliment?
That’s easy.
The toughest criticism: Thankfully it wasn’t to do with the story. It was my computer skills. My editor informed me that the formatting of the entire novel was off by a mile. I remember the word “unreadable” being tossed around. Before you ask, yes, it was corrected!
The best compliment: When someone said they couldn’t put The Serenity Revolution down and they were eager for part two. Saying it read like a movie really made my day because that’s exactly how I envisaged it.

19. Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?
Don’t. The last thing I need is MORE competition.
Seriously though, the main piece of advice I would give to anyone thinking about writing is to have faith in yourself. Don’t underestimate your own story or your ability to tell it. Immerse yourself in the world and the characters you are creating. If you have fun writing then that will come across to your future readers.

20. Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?
Thank you so much for your support. I really hope you enjoy the story and the characters as much as I enjoyed creating them.

You can follow me on both Instagram and Twitter where I update regularly on any and all news regarding my writing, as well as my own philosophical musings and the occasional fitness challenge. Of course, my family dog, Alfie, makes the odd appearance too.

Please feel free to get in contact and direct message me any time, as I love discussing my work and I am always open to hearing other people’s thoughts on spirituality and the world around us.

I’d also like to thank you, Mark, for this opportunity to talk about both myself and my work.

No problem at all and thank you for taking part. Please join me in thanking Jakob Campbell for his candid and insightful responses regarding the publishing industry and for sharing his journey as a writer. If you would like to ask any further questions, please either use the facilities available below or contact Jakob direct via the below social media links. Merry Christmas to all.

https://www.instagram.com/jakob_campbell_author/

Tweets by AuthorJakob

http://jakobcampbell.blogspot.com/

Please show your appreciation by checking out Jacob’s work on Amazon.

An interview with fantasy author, Amanda Crozier

Posted on December 3, 2018December 4, 2018 by Mark H. Jackson

Welcome to the latest in my series of author interviews from talented writers around the world. Today I am pleased to introduce the very talented, Amanda Crozier, creator of the fantasy novel, Ride the Wind. Amanda has selected the self-publishing route with her work and I’ve enjoyed hearing her take on the pros and cons of taking that particular road.

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Born in London, I have lived in Middlesex, Essex and Derbyshire before finally settling down in rural Suffolk. I am married with three grown up children and a grandson. A springer spaniel and a mini lop rabbit complete my family. They say never work with children or animals – I have done both in addition to working in customer service with the public. I am an avid reader, have a sense of humour, enjoy rock music and love to dance. I have a love for dragons and a tale to tell.

2. What do you do when you are not writing?
As well as writing, I enjoy stitch work. I have many bespoke tapestry and cross stitch pieces that have gone to customers worldwide. I believe the furthest travelled pieces are two chair seats that went to New Zealand. I love making jewellery and my favourites are bead woven necklaces. Other interests are photography, gardening, and, of course, reading.

3. Do you have a day job as well?
I retired from working in early years childcare (2 to 4 year olds) three years ago and now do occasional bar work for events. I also earn from my stitch work.

4. When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?
Whilst in High School, English was my favourite subject and all my essays were way above the requested word count. Since September 2000, I have been volunteering at my local Primary School, hearing children read, where they need extra support. I work with all ages from Foundation Stage (4 years) up to year 6 (11 years). One lunchtime, in the school library, I had an idea for a children’s story but it was years later that I actually did something with it. A Nativity poem that I wrote for Pre-School was published in an anthology in 2013 and a short story “The Inheritance” which was originally written for my ‘O’ Level exam, was published in 2014 in a new anthology. Ride the Wind was completed in 2017 with a final pre-publication edit early in 2018.

5. How did you choose the genre you write in and where do you get your ideas?
Having been around horses for most of the first half of my life, as a young adult I progressed from “pony” books to westerns. Whilst having to lay flat following an injury to my back, a friend introduced me to Anne McCaffrey’s “Dragon Riders of Pern” books. I was immediately hooked! A dragon was so much more than a horse and my allegiance changed from a lover of equines to a lover of dragons. Since then, with a few author exceptions, Sci-fi/fantasy has been my favoured genre to read.
I do not know where I get my ideas. The story flows from within me and I am often surprised when I read back. The number of times that things tie in to clues that I did not even know at the time would be a clue never ceases to amaze me. Sometimes I will see a person for the first time and think to myself that they are exactly as I already imagined a particular character – it then makes it easier to describe them and bring them to life. I also once saw a fellow passenger waiting for a train who had the most amazing carved walking stick/staff, so I just had to write it in somewhere

6. Do you ever experience writer’s block?
No, never. I guess I have been lucky that way, but then I do not write if I am not in the right frame of mind for it.

7. Do you work with an outline, or just write?
When I started, I had a good general overview, because it was intended as a shorter children’s story. However, when I got to the concluding dragon hatching, I realised that this was not the end but merely the beginning of something far larger. I rewrote the beginning and 400 pages later, I came to the realisation that there was too much for one book. Turning my thoughts to the sequel, I decided that it could be split into three and become The Dragonlore Trilogy. Once I started on the larger story, it simply flowed as I typed. When I write, I see a picture in my mind as if I am watching a scene from a film, and I write what I see. Now and again I will see a specific scene that I have to write down, even though I may not have got to it yet – but these have been in the second book rather than the first. I do know how the second book will end, and one event that will conclude the trilogy. Meanwhile, I await the words appearing on the page from the image in my mind to truly know what will happen.

8. Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?
I have always loved books. I was read to by my father at bedtime every night before I could read and later loved reading for myself. The three authors who have inspired my love for dragons are Ann McCaffrey, her son Todd McCaffrey (both together and separately have penned the Pern series), and Robin Hobb.

9. Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published (self-published or traditional)?
I was lucky to have the support and advice of a very good friend who is a creative writing teacher and has worked in publishing. So getting self-published was not as challenging as it would have been had I been in the position to try and do it alone without advice and support.

10. If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you would change?
I would not have had the first book on an online site, but instead, would have self-published straight away. I was happy with the take up rate for readers, except for the fact that very few leave a review whether it is positive or negative, which is frustrating to not know how it had been received.

11. How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?
My book has not been out long, and I have had a steep learning curve, learning to use social media platforms. I have designed A6 handouts and A4 poster which I keep with me when I am out and about so I don’t lose an opportunity to promote or advertise it. In some ways, though, you cannot beat the old fashioned word of mouth, although online recommendations are also a great help. I have several other ideas for promotion, but it is early days and I need to take one step at a time. I also have my own website. One problem with the Sci-fi/fantasy genre is people either love it or you get the reaction “Oh no, I don’t read that” even when you know they never have tried the genre.

12. Can you tell us about your upcoming or recently published book?
My first book has recently been self-published and is available in large format paperback and Kindle editions and is available from Amazon, your local bookstore or local library. Ride the Wind is the opening book in the Dragonlore Trilogy, written under my pen name Amanda Crozier, which also happens to be my birth name (I was adopted from birth so it was only used for a few weeks). The trilogy is suitable for any age of reader including YA.
The back cover blurb reads:
Zysal was the only person who truly believed in dragons, the ancient guardians of the peace. A War Lord has invaded, subjugating peaceful folk and taking all in his wake. Zysal’s sire, Zimadon, returns from his travels with this news for the village Elders at the Kevii Hall.

Zysal is drawn to return to a cave where he gains access to a hidden way, leading him to discover a large egg from which a dragon hatches. Magic has frozen time allowing the pair to mature together before returning to the village over the sacred waterfall.

He has to adjust to his new status as a Rider with help from two guardians who are as old as the mists of time, and whilst his sire agrees to return to the coast to gather more information, the pair need time to grow in strength, but what can they do to help the situation that is so far from their remote village?

They discover that the Kevii’s apprentice, Axen, can communicate with his dragon, Opalina, so what part will he play in the adventure that unfolds, and what will Zimadon learn when he travels down the coast with two fishermen?

13. Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?
I draw from life observations; after all, emotions are the same whatever the setting – whether real or made up. I also draw from half a lifetime spent with horses and most of my life living in a deep rural setting to create the type of world in my book. Place and people names are made up – I will see a name and think if you change a letter there and another there, that would give a good name. Mostly though, it is the product of my imagination.

14. What project are you working on now?
I am halfway through the second book of the trilogy “Weather the Storm”.

15. Will you have a new book coming out soon?
Hopefully, Weather the Storm will be ready to publish late Autumn/winter 2018.

16. Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?
I would like to do a prequel with the back story of Opalina’s dam Carnelia and Zysal’s ancestor Kethraine.

17. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
The toughest was receiving a rude post in response to one of mine in an online book group from someone who had never even read my book. The best was when a friend who does not normally read the genre came to me after she read it saying that she had really enjoyed it and could see everything so clearly.

18. Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?
Believe in yourself, especially in those moments of self-doubt! Don’t rush the end the story; let it evolve at its own pace. I find that keeping a time line helps with continuity, especially when events occur in different places.

19. Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?
To anyone who has taken time to read Ride the Wind – thank you for helping the dream become reality, I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. It was only becoming an author that made me realise just how important reviews are to an author. So, please, always leave a review, even if it is only a few words such as “I liked it” or “good book”.

Please join me in thanking Amanda for her comprehensive answers and for sharing her experiences of the modern day publishing landscape. If you would like to ask any further questions, please either use the facilities available below or contact Amanda via the following links.

Ride the Wind by Amanda Crozier ISBN 9 781975 939373

Amazon Author page:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B07GL8QKP8

Social media contacts:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmandaCrozierAuthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amandacrozierauthor/
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/authorcrozier/
Website: https://www.amanda-crozier.com

Cover photo (waterfall) by Bernd Hildebrandt (User: Barni1 http://www.pixabay.com).
Skogafoss, Iceland

An interview with romantic thriller novelist, SR Garrae

Posted on November 16, 2018November 12, 2018 by Mark H. Jackson

Welcome to my latest author interview in the series. This afternoon I am delighted to welcome the outstanding novelist, SR Garrae, author of the romantic thriller; Death in focus. It has been fascinating to discover her journey to publication and I look forward to hearing more from her in the future.

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I grew up in a smallish village in Scotland, but spent all my working life based in London, with a year in Russia, dealing with international finance. I read for work, I read for a hobby: basically my life revolved around reading. Then one day I was diagnosed with an incurable, but manageable, eye condition, and I re-evaluated my life and started to write. I wrote fanfiction (and still do); then I was asked to write a screenplay for a major international sector conference, which was professionally filmed, and after that and a couple of bouts of eye surgery I retired to write original works full time.

2. What do you do when you are not writing?
Now, I’m retired. I go to the gym, I still read a lot, I do cross-stitch and embroidery, jigsaw puzzles, travel, and deal with my small family. I have a lot of friends all over the world and I write to them, too. I have a garden, which has more weeds than flowers, so I’m trying to tidy it up a bit.

3. Do you have a day job as well?
Not now. I did have, when I began my book. It was pretty full on, but I retired in March 2018.

4. When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?
I started writing (fanfiction) about 5 or 6 years ago. I finished my first original book in January 2018.

5. How did you choose the genre you write in and where do you get your ideas?
It was a natural choice, as I’d been writing romantic crime fiction in fanfiction for a while. However, I wanted to use my own characters, not someone else’s. The case ideas in Death in Focus came from my own experience when doing a science degree – I didn’t personally see scientific fraud, but we all knew that it existed – and in finance, where I did see fraud and the significant temptation of lots of money. The first character who came to me was O’Leary, who simply dropped wholesale into my head on a business trip. The others took longer to develop. None of them are taken from real life, though Casey Clement has taken elements from every successful professional woman I’ve known, myself included.

6. Do you ever experience writer’s block?
Yes. But when my original work is blocked, I go back to fanfiction, which generally clears my head.

7. Do you work with an outline, or just write?
When I start, I only have a very broad outline – key plot points of character, relationships, and the case. Then I start to write the story, and as I go along I expand the outline so that it’s a summary of all the key points, colour coded for case, each relationship, and team. That way I can pick up plot holes and knit them back together by using the outline to find where they should have begun, and I can make sure that I don’t leave case issues hanging. The outline is as dynamic as the full manuscript.

8. Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?
No. I’ve read pretty much every genre from slush romance to outright horror; classics to very modern. I reread many authors, and I’d say that you can’t be any sort of a decent author if you haven’t taken time to read widely as well.

9. Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published (self-published or traditional)?
I tried to find an agent, and failed. Self-publishing with Amazon was surprisingly easy: the biggest challenge was formatting the cover for the paperback.

10. If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you would change?
I would edit harder, and make sure that there was more dialogue.

11. How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?
I mainly market through Twitter and Amazon advertising, and there’s a certain amount of word of mouth. I could do a lot more, but I’m taking it fairly slowly.

12. Have you written a book you love that you have not been able to get published?
No, but that’s the benefit of self-publishing.

13. Can you tell us about your upcoming or recently published book?
Death in Focus is a romantic police procedural set in Manhattan. Casey Clement, a driven detective, leads a team of misfits: giant, gay O’Leary; ex-Army Tyler; technogeek Andy. All of them have secrets in their past, and none of them play nice with others outside the team. When obsessive photographer Jamie Carval, searching for a new theme, stumbles across the team and their latest corpse, he’s found his new exhibition – and he’s found Casey. As he tries to follow the team, the team are more interested in solving the murder of a top-class scientist, and following the multimillion dollar trail of motives to the door of billion-dollar business. However, Carval won’t give up his exhibition no matter how much Casey pushes him away, and as he begins to discover why she hates photographs he also begins to be accepted.

14. Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?
The science and the financial elements are all based on real life, though the shenanigans in the lab are not. The fraud isn’t directly taken from real life, but is a composite. The setting is real (there was a lot of wandering around Manhattan using Google Street View) as are such things as the police Academy and the CSU lab. The story is all imagination, as are all of the characters.

15. What project are you working on now?
I’m working on a sequel to Death in Focus, which will feature the same team as they delve into the ugly underbelly behind the modelling world. Past history will return to haunt the team and Carval.

16. Will you have a new book coming out soon?
I’m about 2/3 through the first draft, so it’s unlikely that my next book will be ready before March/April 2019. I’ll need to edit it and get it independently read once I’ve actually finished and done my editing.

17. Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?
I want to stay with Carval, Casey and her team. They’ve got a lot of issues to explore and interesting cases to be solved. I’m especially fond of O’Leary, as my first really big original character.

18. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
The toughest criticism was that my writing was naïve. The best compliment, though, was that the reader couldn’t stop turning the pages.

19. Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?
Read everything you can get your hands on – even if you think you’ll hate the author and the genre.
Get a good spelling and grammar check.
Two things I learned from writing the screenplay which translate to novels: (1) have a bio for each of your notable characters – not just your main character but the subsidiaries as well. It really helps with visualisation and continuity; (2) read your dialogue aloud to ensure it’s what people would say, not a “novelised” version of speech. Real people rarely use names in conversation, for example, and they almost always use contractions (isn’t, don’t). It really, really helps.

20. Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?
Thank you! I hope you enjoy reading Death in Focus and I’d love you to join me on the next one. I take questions and comments on Goodreads and Twitter, and they will be answered.

Please join me in thanking SR Garrae for engaging with me and opining up with some revealing insights into the life of an author. If you would like to ask any further questions, please either use the facilities available below or contact her via the following links.

Social media contacts:
Twitter: @Garrae_writes
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/srgarrae

Please show your appreciation by checking out SR Garrae’s work on Amazon:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B07D5DPKNK
Death in Focus on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D59T9VV

An interview with contemporary romance novelist, Kate McBrien

Posted on November 9, 2018 by Mark H. Jackson

Welcome to the latest in my series of author interviews from talented writers around the world. Today I am pleased to introduce the very talented, Kate McBrien, creator of the contemporary romance novels, Waiting For You and Discovering You. Kate has selected the self-publishing route with her work and I’ve enjoyed hearing her take on the pros and cons of taking that particular road.

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and live by the beach. I have a BA in humanities and an MA in art history. I taught art history at a local college, but quit when I realized I’d rather be a student than teach.
I love the Beatles, the Kinks, and the Moody Blues (music plays an important role in my books).

2. What do you do when you are not writing?
I enjoy reading, cooking, art, movies, taking my dog to the beach, listening to music…

3. Do you have a day job as well?
I work part-time as a dental hygienist. Free advice: everyone should floss.

4. When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?
I’ve always enjoyed writing for school, but that’s a lot different than creative writing. In 2007, a friend convinced me to try National Novel Writing Month and I loved it!

5. How did you choose the genre you write in and where do you get your ideas?
I started writing historical fiction, and I swear I will finish that book one day, but I wanted to write something with a happy ending. So, I decided to write a contemporary romance.

6. Do you ever experience writer’s block?
YES. Hasn’t everyone?

7. Do you work with an outline, or just write?
It depends. I’m a panster by nature, but I do outline.

8. Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?
Katherine by Anya Seton fuelled my interest in historical (romance) fiction
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett was exquisite.

9. Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published (self-published or traditional)?
There are so many books out there, it’s overwhelming. I decided to self-publish. The challenges are great. So many different hats to wear in order to get a book out there. Finding the help you need and can afford is a constant challenge.

10. If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you would change?
I would have spent more time working with a community of writers to find reliable beta readers or a critique partner. I’m very social by nature, but when it comes to my writing, I’m pretty isolated. I’m reluctant to show my work to just anyone. I want to really learn the craft and not just gather opinions because listening to so many differing opinions can be misleading. I have to seek advice when I need it, but ultimately, I’m the one who must choose what changes to make.

11. How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?
I just self-published my first book July 2018, so this part is new to me and I’m still trying to figure it out. The romance market is huge and it’s a challenge to get noticed. I did hire a PR company to do some promo work. It definitely helped get my book in front of people I would never been able to do on my own, but because it’s my first book it’s difficult to know how much this translated to actual sales.

12. Can you tell us about your upcoming or recently published book?
My first book was the first book of a trilogy. The second book will be released in October, and the third book will be released in January.

13. Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?
My trilogy is about past lives. I had a friend who really believed in it and I thought it would be an interesting subject to work with. I mean, what if it was true?

14. What project are you working on now?
The novella that will follow up the trilogy. Because the trilogy is angsty, I thought it would be fun to write something more fun.

15. Will you have a new book coming out soon?
Waiting for You is the second book of the Indigo Trilogy. It releases October 15, 2018.

16. Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?
Writing a trilogy is a world-building experience. I hope to write three spin-off standalone novels using secondary characters.

17. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
Toughest: I use the word “toward” too many times.
Best: I write great banter.

18. Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?
Start writing. Keep writing. Never give up. Also, read the books by authors you admire.

19. Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?
I appreciate each and every one of you and I hope to write many more books that explore contemporary relationships with passion and wit.

Please join me in thanking Kate for her comprehensive answers and for sharing her experiences of the modern day publishing landscape. If you would like to ask any further questions, please either use the facilities available below or contact Kate via the following links.

Social media contacts:
Website: http://http://www.katemcbrien.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KateMcBrien1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KateMcBrienWrites/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17988289.Kate_McBrien
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katemcbrien8315/?hl=en
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/kate-mcbrien

Link to publications:
https://www.amazon.com/Kate-McBrien/e/B07CW6W91Y/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1526092556&sr=8-1

An interview with Ugandan author, Achiro P. Olwoch

Posted on October 31, 2018 by Mark H. Jackson

After a brief break, during which I have got married and finally published my first novel, I am pleased to welcome you all back to the latest in a series of author interviews from talented writers around the world. Today I am thrilled to introduce the gifted Ugandan writer and film maker, Achiro P. Olwoch, author of Achiro’s Kamunye Conversations, Achiro’s Taste, and Achiro’s Notes. Achiro is self-published and I’ve enjoyed hearing her take on the process.

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Achiro P. Olwoch and I am a Ugandan writer, playwright and film maker.

2. What do you do when you are not writing?
I enjoy watching movies, binging on boxsets or reading.

3. Do you have a day job as well?
I am a full time freelance writer and film maker.

4. When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?
I started writing about 15 years ago but I was transcribing and writing someone else’s books as he recorded his thoughts using a voice recorder. Soon after that though, I started my own book and wrote it in three months.

5. How did you choose the genre you write in and where do you get your ideas?
I usually write drama stories. Most of my stories are based on real life situations but I add a twist of imagination unless I am shooting documentary film, then it is as is.

6. Do you ever experience writer’s block?
Yes, yes and yes. But sometimes I think it is more procrastination than anything else.

7. Do you work with an outline, or just write?
I start off with an idea and then start to write. When the ideas start to flood, then I make an outline. I also allow my thoughts to flow freely so even if I am writing from an outline, I may not always stick to it.

8. Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?
Yes, J.K Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkein and Alexander McCall Smith. The first two authors because their sense of imagination is just out of this world. And Alexander because he captures the attention of the reader with his sense of humour and his power of description.

9. Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?
So far I have self-published all my books. I have been turned down numerously by publishers mainly because what I had was not what they were looking for at the time. My biggest challenge as a self-published author is marketing my books.

10. If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you would change?
I would start marketing it way before it has been printed.

11. How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?
I use social media especially and word of mouth. My family and friends have been my best marketers to date and this has worked well so far.

12. Can you tell us about your upcoming or recently published book?
My upcoming book is set in the 70’s and is a story about life of the people in Uganda during the rule of the dictator Idi Amin through the eyes of one man.

13. Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?
It is based on a couple of real life stories but I dare say it is getting cloudy now because those stories are re-occurring this day and age by the present government. It is almost like history is repeating itself as I write my book.

14. What project are you working on now?
Working on completing my late Father’s book; completing a couple of documentary films; and writing a feature film.

15. Will you have a new book coming out soon?
Hopefully, yes with the coming year.

16. Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?
I love history and drama and I love to write on real life situations.

17. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
I will start with the compliment; my writing is easy and down to earth. The toughest criticism, I occasionally breeze through a story and do not describe the situations enough.

18. Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?
Keep your day job until you can actually pay your bills through your writing. Still, do not give up on your writing and try and write a bit every day even if it is just in your diary.

19. Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?
Thank you and keep buying my books and films.

Please join me in thanking Achiro for taking part in this interview and for sharing her experiences as a self-published author. If you would like to ask any further questions, please either use the facilities available below or contact Achiro P. Olwoch via the following links.

Social media contacts: Twitter: @achirop

Website: http://www.achiropolwoch.com

An interview with multi-genre Author, Owen Richards

Posted on October 15, 2018October 15, 2018 by Mark H. Jackson

Welcome to the latest in my series of author interviews from talented writers around the world. Today I am pleased to introduce, Owen Richards, multi genre author of number of novels including, “A Fool’s Errand” and “Neither Here, Nor There.” Owen has opted to take the self-published route with his novels and has offered some cogent advice for anyone planning to undertake a similar journey.

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Owen G. Richards is a pen name – I take the credit/blame for all my efforts as Owen.
Youngest child of nine, went to sixteen different schools by the time I was sixteen – due to travelling with the family.
My work experience has included Telecommunications, Information Technology, Building, Plumbing and Electrical work and international contracts, ranking from basic dogsbody to manager and back again.

2. What do you do when you are not writing?

When I’m not writing, which tends to be periods of short duration, I fill my time either playing mind numbing games to eradicate any lingering thoughts relating to any of my work, or I’m messing about with Twitter, which is a fairly recent development. TV? No, don’t have one.

3. Do you have a day job as well?

My occupation is that of a teacher of English as a foreign language and it can be very demanding. However there are times when the rewards far outweigh the effort I put in to the lessons. Most recently a student commented that it had been a pleasure to have the lessons.

4. When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?

I first started writing at school, though my early efforts were stifled by the requirement for essays in place of fiction. I resumed writing later in life perhaps mid-thirties when I realised that with my ex-wife in control of the television, the evening’s entertainment would consist of soap operas, soap operas and more soap operas. I finished my first novel (an epic) within six months, if I recall correctly.

5. How did you choose the genre you write in and where do you get your ideas?

The genres that chose me to write them are predominantly SciFi, Fantasy and Horror, though I am experimenting with others. As for where the ideas come from that’ll be anything, anywhere and at any time. One story was provoked by someone saying – “It doesn’t matter.” – at an inappropriate time.

6. Do you ever experience writer’s block?

Writer’s block is a right royal pain in the butt, and when we first encounter it, it seems insurmountable. But there are various methods for getting round it, from taking a break to changing the subject to one you wouldn’t normally write about. It takes time to identify what works for you, but don’t be afraid to try anything.

7. Do you work with an outline, or just write?

A bit of both, and it depends which story I’m working on. Sometimes there is no time for planning as the story demands to be told NOW!
8. Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?

There are too many to mention, from a wide variety of genres, though my reading has been dramatically curtailed since I started writing. I actually studied English Literature for a while and if I have to blame anyone for the pleasure I get from writing it would be my English Literature Teacher.

9. Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published (self-published or traditional)?

I am self-published, but I am not someone who is any good whatsoever at the marketing aspect. I produce the book, publish it and usually make a single announcement just to say it’s out there on the bookshelf. I can’t ring the bells and bang the drums and shout – “look at me and my stuff”.

10. If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you would change?

With any first efforts you’re either a total genius, which I’m not, or you have regrets. My biggest regret is impatience. I rushed to write, without gaining any real experience and without remembering how others wrote their books. And I rushed to publish and perhaps should have tried harder to find an agent or publisher.

11. How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?

Answered that one – I’m bloody useless at it.

12. Have you written a book you love that you have not been able to get published?

I love all my books. I’m hoping to take my current WIP – probably a trilogy – down the agent publisher route. People seem to be quite excited about it when I describe it, or share snippets.

13. Can you tell us about your upcoming or recently published book?

My WIP – a sixteen-year-old orphan is thieving from a military shipyard in an effort to produce something to provide him with a future that does not include the draft. He gets shanghaied by an escaped blob of pico-technology and finds himself starting his adventure aboard a salvage vessel – the Resurrection. His father died in an experimental spacecraft, his mother subsequently committed suicide – at least that is what he believes. You’d need to follow his adventures to find out if he is able to discover the truth, or not.
Nope, not good at writing a synopsis either!

14. Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?

Some small (undisclosed) parts are based on experience, but a lot of it is fiction. To write without including something of yourself in the story – even in horror stories – leaves the writing a little flat. Experience, desires, aspirations are all good elements to include. If you can’t feel it, your readers won’t feel it either.

15. What project are you working on now?

The Trilogy – Resurrection, Renegades and Revelations are the three working titles – the saga of Thomas Andrew McNulty.

16. Will you have a new book coming out soon?

Soon, no… I hope to finish all three books before I begin touting them around.

17. Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?

I take each and every theme on it’s own merit. Maybe I do revisit some themes because they are related to the better qualities of the human animal. I’d revisit characters if they could be written into stories with continuity, or episodes.

18. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

The toughest – a report written about my first story, produced by a “reader”, whom I am pretty sure was on her menopause – though I will admit it was badly written – she gave 0 encouragement – hence I had a long hiatus before returning to writing.
The best feedback – when a reviewer compared my most recent publication to ‘Game of Thrones’ – they said it could have been an episode.

19. Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?

Learn from any source, any person, any other written work but mainly be prepared to learn from experience – and those can be the best lessons, though some will be brutal, some will be sublime.

20. Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?

To my (few) readers I say – thanks for taking the time/making the effort to read my work. And fans… don’t know that I really have any, but I’d like to say – I hope that I can continue to produce works/commentaries that you can appreciate and enjoy.

Please join me in thanking Owen Richards for his candid and insightful responses regarding the publishing industry and for sharing his journey as a writer. If you would like to ask any further questions, please use the facilities available below and show your appreciation by checking out his work on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Owen-G.-Richards/e/B01LYI7AZE/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

An interview with the author, Tadeous Furlepa

Posted on October 8, 2018 by Mark H. Jackson

Welcome to the latest in my series of author interviews from talented writers around the world. Today I am pleased to introduce the author, Tadeous Furlepa, creator of the upcoming military biography, Limited Duty – A stateside soldiers WWII experience. Tadeous is a first time author and at the stage of selecting his path – Traditional or self-pubbing. As such it has been interesting discovering his take on the pros and cons of each route.

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m a 58 year old, first time writer. I live with my wife in South Florida.

2. When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?
I started writing in 1995, and I finished my first book in August of 2018.

3. How did you choose the genre you write in and where do you get your ideas?
The genre was chosen based on wanting to learn about my father’s WWII military experiences.

4. Do you ever experience writer’s block? Yes

5. Do you work with an outline, or just write? Outline

6. Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?
John Stanford, Stephen Ambrose, John Grisham, Og Mandino

7. Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?
This is the first book I have completed and it’s not quite ready for the publication stage. I am starting to negotiating with editors/proof-readers which is tough. It is hard to know who to trust especially in such a crowded market. It is a matter of trying to find out who has experience e in my genre and if they have worked with any other authors of which I have heard. I am weighing up my options on whether to self publish or go the more traditional route. I guess it comes down to the freedom of self-publishing and having full control over working with a company who have a track record of generating excellent publications and marketing them. That said, I have submitted my manuscript to two publishing companies, and it is currently under review.

8. How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?
Marketing is still something I need to understand. I have been using social media to get my book noticed but it is tough. Generating follows on twitter and facebook seems to be an art form in itself. I will get there though. If I don’t have faith, who will?

9. Can you tell us about your upcoming book?
Limited Duty began as a project to chronicle my father’s WWII military experiences. He was drafted into the United States Army, after failing to be accepted by the Army Air Corps, and the United States Marine Corps. He entered the U.S. Army with the designation “Limited duty” as a result of having lost an eye in a childhood accident. I take the reader through my father’s life leading up to his induction into the Army, and his experiences until he returned home four years later.

10. What project are you working on now?
I have a book in the works, this time about my grandparents, and their journey immigrating to America. I find history fascinating, especially social history and my family in particular. I can only begin to understand the hardship they must have faced when immigrating from Poland to the United States, driven only by their desire to fulfil their American dream. I am currently in the early development/research phase but it is looking good so far!

11. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author?
As a new writer I appreciate all criticism as I believe it helps to refine my writing style. I take criticism as a learning opportunity, and a means to improve.
The toughest critique was combined with my greatest review from a New York Times best selling author I met at a writer’s conference. She asked for submissions and I provided her with a excerpt from one of the chapters. She reviewed the 15 or so pages, and remarked to me that I had a million dollar story, I just needed to develop who the main character was, my father. She said the reader needed to be intrigued by who my father was as a person, because he had so many fascinating experiences.

12. Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?
Don’t give up, and take all criticism as constructive.

13. Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?
My desire is that my readers will be enamored with who my father was as an individual. Be inspired by all the obstacles that he had to overcome in his personal life, and during his military service.

Please join me in thanking Tadeous for sharing his experiences as a writer. If you would like to ask any further questions, please either use the facilities available below or contact Tadeous via the following links.

Please show your appreciation by following him on Twitter and Instagram:
Social media contacts:

Tweets by limited_duty

http://instagram.com/limited_duty

An interview with horror author, Scott West

Posted on September 28, 2018September 27, 2018 by Mark H. Jackson

Welcome to the latest in my series of author interviews from talented writers around the world. Today I am pleased to introduce the gifted author, Scott West, creator of the horror novel, “Ghosts On The Highway”. Scott selected the self-publication route after attempting to track down a traditional contract. It has been interesting hearing his take on the positives and negatives associated with both routes and his experience in general.

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I’m a writer/musician living in the pacific northwest. We moved up here when I was three years old and I guess I’ve got moss growing on my toes and mountain-fresh river-water in my veins because it’s still a place I love. I’m a comic book collector and horror movie aficionado. I also like to occasionally use words like “aficionado” to make myself seem smarter. Trying to be an adult and not lose my sense of wonder or love of the strange and offbeat.

2. What do you do when you are not writing?
When the weather is good, I might be hiking around in the woods, looking for Sasquatch. Most likely, you can find me with a book in my hand, though. I haven’t played in a band for a couple of years now, but I haven’t put my guitar away forever. It seems that when I’m playing music, the writing takes a back seat. But increasingly the writing has become the focus of my life and music is more of a hobby at this point.

3. Do you have a day job as well?
I work for the library.

4. When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?
I’ve been writing all my life, but got serious about it about ten years ago. If you mean, when did I start the book, itself–that would have been in 2014. I finished it in 2015 and published it on New Year’s Day, 2016. There was a long and winding path to that finally happening.

5. How did you choose the genre you write in and where do you get your ideas?
I think the genre generally chooses the writer, and my muse has always been a bit of a devilish figure that lurks in the shadows, beckoning me to write about the weird, the fantastic, the frightening or the preternatural. I’ve always had a fascination with horror–in fiction, movies, comics, etc. This is where my writing tends to lean, although I will write about anything that to comes to mind, takes up residence and refuses to leave until I type it out. Ideas are all around us. Learn to observe and remember. Eventually, a couple of disparate things will clash unexpectedly and often a story will be the result.

6. Do you ever experience writer’s block?
I experience periods of laziness, where if something is proving too hard to describe the way I want I will let it lie and tell myself it’s writer’s block. But I’ve never just had nothing to write about.

7. Do you work with an outline, or just write?
I might have a vague idea in my head where a story is going, but I’ve never been able to work to an actual outline. I like the freedom of the story going wherever it wants to (to an extent–I also like playing God and forcing my will on the poor saps inhabiting my stories).

8. Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?
Ray Bradbury. As a kid I loved his work for the wonderful language and sheer brilliant imagination. As an adult I have a whole different appreciation for the bravery (although I doubt he thought of it that way) to truly be himself, to be one-of-a-kind, and not change his work to fit in with accepted styles of the time. And he succeeded spectacularly! Reading Tom Sawyer as a child, and then Huckleberry Finn a couple years later, was also hugely influential. Mark Twain, Ray Bradbury, John Steinbeck, Stephen King, Philip K. Dick and Harlan Ellison – those are pretty much to my go-to guys.

9. Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?
I tried, unsuccessfully, to find a traditional publisher. The rejections I received were pretty uniform: “We don’t know what genre this falls under”, “We wouldn’t know how to market this”, etc. Honestly, part of me was relieved. Coming from a DIY, sort of punk rock music background, I have been pretty used to having creative control over my projects. I had a great cover–an eerie, black and white picture by a local photographer, Tom Moore–some little visual things inside–and I really wanted to hang onto those. The real challenge is that I sat on the book for about a year while I was going through some personal struggles, and when I came out on the other side of that and had to start thinking about what to do with it, I had no inclination to go through another round of rejections. About this time, I found out a co-worker was self-publishing books and after talking with her pretty extensively about the pros and cons, decided that would be the best course for Ghosts On The Highway.

10. If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you would change?
Although I’m happy with the way things turned out, and the amount of support and great feedback I’ve gotten from people, I think if I could go back I might actually try a little longer to find a traditional publisher. Mainly, because I’m just curious to see what would have happened.

11. How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?
Marketing has always been the hardest part, and that goes for all my musical projects, as well. I’m just not interested in that aspect of being a writer (or musician). Unfortunately, it seems more and more that an artist really does need to also be their own PR person. I’m getting slightly better at it. I was highly skeptical at first, but Twitter has actually been very effective–I’ve sold quite a few books through Twitter, even with my extremely limited marketing skills. Because my book is a little fuzzy around the edges, genre-wise, I’m able to deceptively infiltrate a lot of different literary enclaves, which is beneficial. It seems like the horror community has been very receptive to the book, which makes me happy because, even though Ghosts On The Highway doesn’t easily fit into that genre, it does share some aspects and I think a lot of horror fans have picked up on that. Other avenues for me have just been lots of word of mouth, networking with other writers, especially indie writers, and sharing each other’s work.

12. Have you written a book you love that you have not been able to get published?
Oh, several! Maybe someday they will see the light…

13. Can you tell us about your upcoming or recently published book?
The book I’m working on currently is the story of a very buttoned-down, well-adjusted, no-nonsense young man who has an unexpected encounter with something so mysterious and foreign that his entire life is upended and he begins to question everything he’s ever believed, all the minutiae–all the way down to the One Great Question of the Ages: What’s it all about?

14. Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?
The main character, John, is based partly on a real man I met at a gig in Seattle–a huge Native American who was living on the street and writing poetry in journals that he carried around in a garbage bag. John’s struggles with mental illness and medication are inspired by own experiences in those areas. The mythology that holds the story together is based on Coast Salish legends and history. The story itself is pure imagination, though.

15. What project are you working on now?
I have the above-mentioned novel and several short stories in the works. I also just recorded the first episode of a podcast I’ll be doing with my friend and co-host, Mike Longmire, who played bass in my first band. We’ll be talking about our musical misadventures with many, hopefully interesting, tangents. It’s called Feedback and Forth and should be out soon on iTunes and hopefully a few other platforms.

16. Will you have a new book coming out soon?
Swan River Press just released the anthology, “Uncertainties Volume III” which contains my story, “Ashes to Ashes”. I’m very humbled to be included alongside Joyce Carol Oates, Lisa Tuttle, and several more award-winning writers.

17. Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?
My head is so full of vivid characters, I’m usually happy leaving the ones I’ve already written about where they are and move on to the next. As far as theme, I feel like I’m chasing the same one or two, but in different ways. There’s always something more I’m trying to understand about myself. I think I put my characters through the wringer in the hopes that if they can make it through, then probably I can, too.

18. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
I’ve never had a criticism levelled at me that I couldn’t learn from. Probably the harshest was being told by an editor that my “endings suck”. I actually couldn’t argue with her about that. But it forced me to work harder to fix that, and I hope that I have gotten better.
The best compliment, easily, was from a friend who told me that he never reads fiction, but he read mine because we’re friends, and he told me that he went from reading Scott’s book, to reading A book, to actually getting lost in the story and not realizing it until he came to the end. That, coming from a non-reader, really meant a lot to me. I think that’s the ultimate compliment for a writer.

19. Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?
Read as much as you write, and write every day.

20. Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?
Just to say thank you and I very much appreciate every single person who has bought, read, reviewed, passed on or even mentioned Ghosts On The Highway to someone else. Read voraciously and if you have any kind of creative urge, yourself–follow it! There can never be too many stories!

Please join me in thanking Scott for his open and candid responses regarding the publishing industry and for sharing his experiences and journey as a writer. If you would like to ask any further questions, please either use the facilities available below or contact Scott direct via the following links.

Social media contacts:
Twitter: @ScottMWest
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5448463.Scott_West
Facebook: @KingDinosaur6669

Please show your appreciation by checking out his work on Amazon:

Ghosts On The Highway (novel) – currently available at Amazon.com in paperback or Kindle format
“Sepulchro de Demonios” (short story) – Corpus Pretereo (anthology)
“The Monster in the Meadow” (short story) – Tales of the Talisman (magazine)
“Ashes to Ashes” (short story) – Uncertainties Volume III, currently available at http://swanriverpress.ie/titles.html

An interview with Science-Fiction author, Emanuel Andrei Cosutchi

Posted on September 22, 2018September 21, 2018 by Mark H. Jackson

Welcome to the second in a series of author interviews from talented writers around the world. Today I am thrilled to introduce the Romanian writer, Emanuel Andrei Cosutchi, author of the science fiction thriller, The Restoration. Andrei has selected the self-publishing route and I enjoyed hearing his take on the ups and downs of the experience.

The restoration by Emanuel Andrei Cosutchi ©2017-2018 Emanuel Andrei Cosutchi, All rights reserved

Starship Apple of Discord©2018 Emanuel Andrei Cosutchi, All rights reserved

SS Vagabond by Emanuel Andrei Cosutchi ©2018 Emanuel Andrei Cosutchi, All rights reserved

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Hello and thanks for having me. To begin, my name is Emanuel Andrei Cosutchi, friends call me Andrew. I was born in August ’77 therefore I chose my nickname ACE977. I do not use a pen name. I live in the European Union (rubbing it in for your English readers – Ed.), Romania – best known as Dracula’s homeland more recently, Simona Halep, the world number one tennis player.
My goal is to become a professional writer and my dream is to have one of my books turned into a movie.

2. What do you do when you are not writing?
Like every good writer, I spend most of my downtime reading (particularly books in the science fiction and fantasy genres), but also enjoy a good film, gaming, travelling, cooking, nature, wildlife, geography, history, astronomy, science, space exploration and weird phenomena (UFOs and USOs (unidentified submerged objects) – possible alien vehicles or living fossils like Megalodon). I listen to epic music when I write. I like Two Steps From Hell, Audiomachine, Lindsey Stirling & Peter Hollens, Hans Zimmer and Jan Chmelar.

3. Do you have a day job as well?
I work as IT Engineer and write novels in my spare time.

4. When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?
Once I was a consumer of books. I watched movies and I played video games, but one day I decided I’d had enough of imagining the creations of other authors and sat down to create my own Sci-Fi universe. I write my novels with the reader in mind and always try to see my work through the eyes of a potential consumer. As a result, the project named Starship “Apple of Discord” was born. Labelled as a space opera, I completed the first three volumes (350K word count) towards the end of 2017. I’ve spent the time since querying the concept and I’m awaiting answers from several publishing houses from the US, UK, Canada and European Union. I know nothing happens fast in the publishing industry and I’m developing a thick skin while I’m awaiting. I’m just worried the project is a little large in scope for a debutant author – but hey, even Stephen King was a debutant once! If you know any agents or publishers, don’t be afraid to put in a good word and send them my way!

5. How did you choose the genre you write in and where do you get your ideas?
I’ve been writing seriously since August 2016, and chose the Sci-Fi and Fantasy genre simply because I love it and wanted to share my stories with people. I get my ideas from science stories appearing in journals and books and websites around the world. It helps I have an untamed imagination!

6. Do you ever experience writer’s block?
I certainly have but learnt how to deal with the issue. When I am exhausted or have no inspiration, I simply leave my writing desk for a while and recharge my batteries with a completely different activity – walking, swimming etc. It seems to work for me!

7. Do you work with an outline, or just write?
I always start with a title. Then I create a short plot outline which will form the backbone of my story. I add characters and details on the fly as they come to me. I like to allow my ideas to flow and not restrain they with an overly detailed outline. The feedback from my beta readers seem to confirm this works. I create my own book covers using GIMP and other free software. I try to include as many subjects as I can in my stories – physics, mathematics, biology, psychology, genetics, history, geography, computer science, chemistry, astronomy and xenology – the sky is the limit (or not) when I’m in the creative phase. In my genre inventing new names a even language is part of the draw. I now have a massive database of information otherwise I’d lose track!

8. Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?
My favorite Sci-Fi books are:
Roadside Picnic by Arkadi & Boris Strugatsky
The Men in the Jungle by Norman Spinrad
Dune by Frank Herbert

My favorite Fantasy books are:
A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin
Rune Swords by Clayton Emery and multiple authors

9. Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?
Although working on Starship “Apple of Discord”, in the spring of 2017 I decided to take a break and learn more about Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). Therefore, I created a Sci-Fi story named The Restoration. The initial impression was favourable and The Restoration received 4.5 stars. Unfortunately, later, Amazon decided to change the rules in the middle of the game and removed all reviews posted by people who received free books on promotions. This happened to The Restoration. Now it has 3.5 stars, because the person who posted this review said that this is a great book but complained about my English skills. My English was rough when I started to write, but the more I write, the more my style is evolving.

10. How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?
I am trying to raise the awareness about my writing mainly through self-publicising myself on social media. Marketing is my kryptonite. I’m trying and hope it clicks for me soon.

11. Have you written a book you love that you have not been able to get published?
Yes, Starship “Apple of Discord” but I’m trying hard! As I’ve said, I’m still waiting for a reply from several publishing houses. In Starship “Apple of Discord”, I’ve created a number of interesting alien species, worlds and technology and love describing the numerous space and ground battles littered through the books. I’ve spent hundreds of hours carefully sculpting my Sci-Fi vision and hope the readers will fall in love with the series as much as I have. I’ve certainly been told it has all the ingredients for a successful book and perhaps even a movie…

12. Can you tell us about your upcoming or recently published book?
I published a revised edition of The Restoration in the summer of 2018. This book is available on all Amazon websites.
I am only couple chapters away from completion and intend to release a Sci-Fi novel called, SS Vagabond, during the autumn/winter of 2018.
SS Vagabond: In a distant dystopian future, Captain Edward Turner is struggling to survive, transporting goods and passengers with his freighter, SS Vagabond. Eileen, the second in command and Edward’s lover, urges him to accept a risky yet lucrative mission to Mars.

13. What project are you working on now?
Once SS Vagabond is complete, my plan to write a fantasy novel and aim to publish sometime around Christmas 2018. Ideally I’d like to add another volume to my Sci-Fi book series Starship “Apple of Discord “.

14. Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?
I am in my comfort zone writing science fiction. I enjoy writing Fantasy, but I find this more challenging. IMO there is little room for manoeuvre in the Fantast genre and you must create genuine stories if you want to hook the readers. Plus competing with the likes of J. R. R. Tolkien, J. K. Rowling, George R. R. Martin, and Clayton Emery isn’t easy!

15. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
The weirdest rejection I received was the first one. This came from a publishing house from my country. They responded me that my book Starship “Apple of Discord “, I quote, “it doesn’t fit in our editorial line”. This publisher is also a retailer and sells Sci-Fi and Fantasy books among others. Unfortunately they promote only well known foreign authors, like Isaac Asimov and G.R.R. Martin, and they don’t encourage local authors like me. This was the reason I first began to write in English.
People who bought The restoration and my beta readers said only good things about my books. This encouraged me to keep writing.

16. Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?
Write, publish, repeat.

17. Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?
I hardly believe that it’s been a full year since I became a published author.
I want to thank those who read my first chapter and asked for more. You gave me the courage that I could really do this.
I want to thank those who purchased my book, The Restoration and helped me through my fear that I wouldn’t sell any.
I want to thank those who recommend my work to their friends and continue to spread the word about my writing.
I want to thank those who continue to encourage me through social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Deviantart, Linkedin, Google+)

To all of you, I promise I will publish more great books soon.

Please join me in thanking Andrei for his honest assessment of the industry and for sharing his experiences and the problems associated with writing in a second language. My hat goes off to him – I certainly couldn’t do it!

If you would like to ask any further questions, please either use the facilities available below or contact Jon via the following links. Please show your appreciation by checking out his work on Amazon:

Social media contacts:
Website: https://sites.google.com/view/cosutchi/about
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ACE977

An interview with the multi genre author, Ellington Norris

Posted on September 10, 2018September 10, 2018 by Mark H. Jackson

Welcome to the latest in my series of author interviews from talented writers around the world. Today I am pleased to introduce, Ellington Norris, multi genre author of number of novels including, “Killer’s Forest” and “Immortal Curse.” Ellington has opted to take the self-published route with his novels and has offered some cogent advice for anyone planning to undertake a similar journey.

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
My pen name is Ellington Norris, I’m in my 30s, and I’m married with four kids. I decided to write under a pen name because my wife was concerned that my co-workers and other acquaintances would read my writing and feel perturbed by the intensity of it all.

2. What do you do when you are not writing?
Outside of my day job, I enjoy reading, I just read “The Maltese Falcon” and I’m reading “Watership Down” right now. Having four kids also keeps me very busy taking time with them. Other than that, I enjoy movies, TV shows, and a few other odds and ends here and there.

3. Do you have a day job as well?
Yes! I’m a lawyer for a mid-size law firm. I primarily do litigation and court-room work, but also help with contract drafting and negotiating. It has helped in my writing career because I can represent myself.

4. When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?
I have wanted to be a writer since I was about 9-10 years old, and I wrote all sorts of things all the time from that age on. My first book I wrote was a collection of short stories I wrote with my brother about our experience selling alarm systems door to door in Kansas City. Killer’s Forest is my first novella, and it took me about 3 months to write my first draft, followed by about 2 years of editing!

5. How did you choose the genre you write in and where do you get your ideas?
I’m not tied to one specific genre. My next book after Killer’s Forest will likely be a detective-noire, meanwhile I have a spy novel and a sci-fi novel idea I’m working on as well. Many of my ideas come from long contemplation where I adapt little experiences in my own life into bigger, grander events. I also get quite a few ideas from dreams, as well, and adapt those into actual stories.

6. Do you ever experience writer’s block?
Of course, who doesn’t! My biggest struggle is getting through the middle-part of a book. I usually have a great beginning and an idea of where it will end, but bridging the middle-part is toughest.

7. Do you work with an outline, or just write?
I usually know where things are going, so I just write. Sometimes I’ll put an outline together for more complex stories with lots of characters to make sure I don’t forget anyone in the story.

8. Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?
Novels by Tom Clancy and Michael Crichton really spurred me forward in reading and writing in my teens. Those books were what kept me interested in reading for years, and really helped me get a good sense of what a book should feel like.

9. Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?
My biggest hurdle was editing my story into a stronger piece. Between the family, the day job, moving, selling my house, changing jobs, starting the new job, moving to the new job; all of that took time and energy and editing my novel just took a back-seat to all of that. Once I had it edited and in final form, I knew that if I took the time to shop around to agents and publishers, it’d be another year before it hit shelves due to my limited time, so I opted to self-publish.

10. If you had to go back and do it all over, is there any aspect of your novel or getting it published that you would change?
I would do it the same. I love the writing process and love seeing a story come together, and Killer’s Forest came together so well in so many ways that it just felt right every step along the way. I don’t mind being self-published, so I have no qualms there, either.

11. How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?
I enjoy marketing to “writer twitter” because there are great folks online who are happy to retweet or help you promote your work. I also am considering a small run of ads on amazon, but I haven’t taken the dive, yet.

12. Have you written a book you love that you have not been able to get published?
While Killer’s Forest is my first novella, I have a few other short stories and works that will likely never get widely published because of the limited market for short stories and the limited time I have to market my work.

13. Can you tell us about your upcoming or recently published book?
Yes! Killer’s Forest is a dark psychological thriller set in colonial Pennsylvania. It is about Al, Will, and Johnny. After Al and Will witness a murder in the forest near their small village, Al starts to feel himself drawn towards the idea of death. His friendships with Will and Johnny are tested, and when the new girl moving to the village takes an interest in Al, Al spins a web of lies to keep his dark desires a secret. It twists and turns several times before a great ending. I really enjoyed writing it and really feel like it is a book driven by the main character’s interactions with all of the side-characters. Killer’s Forest comes out August 26.

14. Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?
When I had the original idea for the book, it was actually supposed to be based upon four young boys who spur the Salem Witch Trials–telling lies and staging events so that another “witch” would get burned/hung. I thought that was too predictable and campy and moved it forward 50-100 years to 1750s Pennsylvania, instead, and that’s where the first paragraph of the book opens.

15. What project are you working on now?
Next up is my detective noire, set in modern day. The book opens on a suicide note that reads “this is not a suicide note.” The detective assigned to the case is a once-famous, turned lazy detective who has to dig deep and resolve his own demons to solve this one. I’m still not sure how it will end but its going to have a similar psychological feel as Killer’s Forest, but with many more side characters and a bit of a “whodunit” feel as it all comes together in the end.

16. Will you have a new book coming out soon?
So Killer’s Forest comes out August 26, then the detective-noire book will hopefully drop late spring of next year. My hope is to keep the releases around 9 months apart for all future books.

17. Are there certain characters you would like to go back to, or is there a theme or idea you’d love to work with?
I know that series are all the rage, but I have a hard time bringing myself to draft a series. I feel like character development is just so much fun to do, and having a series you really have to stall that character development in order to break up the book, and I hate to do that to my characters. I’d rather see them start, grow, and end (or die, in many case) instead of pause the growth for 25 chapters so that I can get a 2nd book out of it.
That said, I do have a few books that I think could work as a series, but they are much more story-driven than character driven…or they have so many deaths that the characters change a lot from book to book.

18. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
As far as criticism, I have had a few of those “1-star” amazon reviews that are not helpful, just something along the lines of “you have bad grammar your the worst writer” (ironically with poor grammar, itself) or people who just say “I just don’t like this kind of book.” The worst criticism to receive is the criticism that you don’t understand or that you cannot work on because its either vague or is based upon something you can’t change, like the genre of your work.
As for the best compliment? People saying they couldn’t put the book down is an amazing one. I’m the type of reader that, when I pick up a good book, I will not put it down for anything. I love knowing that someone felt the same about my book.

19. Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?
There’s the basic ones like “never stop writing” and “believe in yourself,” but here’s something else: write something real. Every story will have something real, whether that’s real emotion or real situations. Even if your story features space pirates or medieval dragons, you can write some real emotion from your own experience to make that book real to your readers. As an example, Killer’s Forest is a dark psychological thriller, but I put something of myself in each and every character to make sure that readers will find someone to connect with, and I’ve had numerous people say they either liked Al, Will, or Johnny the best of the three, which tells me I did something right. You can do the same. Make your characters real people with real feelings and your readers will accurately respond.

20. Is there anything that you would like to say to your readers and fans?
To my fan(s), thank you for reading my work and sharing it with friends. To readers who aren’t fans yet, please keep reading! I write the kind of books and stories that my mind has had trapped inside for years, and I’m sure I’ll tap into something you’ll love.

Please join me in thanking Ellington Norris for his candid and insightful responses regarding the publishing industry and for sharing his journey as a writer. If you would like to ask any further questions, please either use the facilities available below or contact Ellington direct via the below social media links.

Twitter: @ellington.norris

Please show your appreciation by checking out Ellington’s work on Amazon.com.

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