Author Spotlight no.63 – Kevin Broden

Complementing my daily blog interviews, today’s Author Spotlight, the sixty-third, is of comic book writer and illustrator, TV animation scriptwriter, novelist and interviewee Kevin Broden.

Seeking a career in comic books, Kevin Paul Shaw Broden took art courses throughout his education – only to eventually that no matter what the media, he was a storyteller at heart.

Kevin has been telling stories ever since.

His first published story was a science fiction tale that appeared in his college newspaper.

Since then he has written for television animation, including the Japanese series MIDNIGHT HORROR SCHOOL. Kevin is a member of the Animation Writers Caucus of the Writers Guild of America.

For over the last ten years Kevin has been illustrating and co-writing the online comic book FLYING GLORY AND THE HOUNDS OF GLORY which can be found at http://www.flying-glory.com.

The granddaughter of the world war two super heroine Flying Glory, Debra Clay discovers she has inherited super powers and convince her high school friends to become heroes to help support their rock band.

THE CLOCKWORK GENIE is Kevin’s first full-length novel.

He will soon be releasing a novel version of his online serial REVENGE OF THE MASKED GHOST.

And now from the author himself:

I’m writing this on my iPad, using a wireless keyboard, and I’m reminded of how as a child I had a watch with an attachable keyboard. It had enough memory in its note pad to hold a few thousand characters. That’s what I said, not words, characters. But I remember how on a long car trip, I ‘typed’ out one of the very first stories I ever wrote.

I would go back and change words to make them shorter so that I could write more of the story.

The basic idea of that little story was about aliens coming to earth and having to live as humans.

It wasn’t great, but I was only starting. What was important was that I kept writing because I had to know what was going to happen to my alien characters. Starting at the beginning and discovering the rest of the story as if I was the reader. Enjoying it as I went along.

In my first novel CLOCKWORK GENIE, I began with a concept and then began writing the first scene that lead into the second, and the third, and so on. It was only at the end that I looked back at where I had come from and found the bumps and potholes along the way that needed to be cleaned up, or discovered I had made a wrong turn with this part of the story or that. So I made the corrections and discovered all new characters and parts of the story that I hadn’t known were there before.

My second novel, REVENGE OF THE MASKED GHOST, available this month, came about in a very similar way.

I started with a simple question: “How does a family react to discovering that one of them is a costumed super hero?” With that in my head I began to write, and before I knew it I had the first chapter done.

I was soon writing chapter after chapter, first releasing them online as serial. I did very little outlining or plotting, I just kept writing. Not really knowing where I was going 25 chapters came into existence and completed the story.

Again, I went back and cleaned up the story where needed, but chose not to do much rewriting other than where I discovered major mistakes. Like using the wrong type of car as a taxicab in 1934.

As an author I find that the best stories come when I’m enjoying it as its being written, discovering what happens to the characters as if I was the reader picking up the book for the first time. I am fascinated to learn about my characters lives as they are living them on the page.

I really had fun writing CLOCKWORK GENIE, and equally had fun chasing after the characters of REVENGE OF THE MASKED GHOST.

Am looking forward to writing my next novel and the fun I will have with all the new words and characters.

I hope the readers enjoy them as much as I have writing them.

A creative writer’s watch, I love it! You can find more about Kevin and his writing via…

His blog: http://kevinpsbroden.blogspot.com

Pulp Serial: http://revengeofthemaskedghost.blogspot.com

Webcomic: http://www.flying-glory.com

Novel: CLOCKWORK GENIE for sale at Amazon.

You can also read my interview with Shannon Muir, Kevin’s collaborator on a number of his projects.

  

The blog interviews will return as normal tomorrow with romantic comedy author Sheryl Browne – the two hundred and ninety-fifth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, biographers, agents, publishers and more. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate further. And I enjoy hearing from readers of my blog; do either leave a comment on the relevant interview (the interviewees love to hear from you too!) and / or email me. You can read / download my eBooks from Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore and Kobo. And I have a new forum at http://morgenbailey.freeforums.org.

 

Blog interview no.294 with writer Sue Welfare

Welcome to the two hundred and ninety-fourth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, biographers, agents, publishers and more. Today’s is with murder mystery and contemporary women’s novelist and guest blogger Sue Welfare. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate further.

Morgen: Hello, Sue. Please tell us something about yourself, where you’re based, and how you came to be a writer.

Sue:  Hi Morgen, what a lovely place you’ve got here at WordPress.

Morgen: Thank you, Sue. (you can come again )

Sue: I’m in my mid 50s, and have been reading and writing for as long as I can remember. I always wanted to be a writer and part of me is still surprised that I’m actually here doing it! I love stories, not just books and films or on TV but overhearing snippets in cafes or in shops and then my busy brain fills in all the gaps. I can’t think of anything I’d rather do than write. I grew up and still live in Norfolk about two miles from where I was born – I’ve been to lots of other places but always come back.

Morgen: I’ve not gone far (about 60 miles). If you’ve been writing for years, is there a genre that you generally write?

Sue:  I write commercial women’s fiction – specifically Rom Com – but I began by writing for publication with a murder mystery, which ended up – heavily edited – as my first book, ‘A Few Little Lies’ with the murder taken out, and I still have all kinds of ideas for thrillers in various stages of production, including a couple of radio plays, tucked away.

Morgen: Oh! I’ve seen ‘A Few Little Lies’. I don’t have it, sadly, but will certainly get it next time I see it. What have you had published to-date? Do you write under a pseudonym?

Sue:  I’ve had about 25 novels published so far, 12 of those are erotic novels (under various pseudonyms!!) and the rest have been written as Sue Welfare, Gemma Fox and Kate Lawson.

I’ve also originated and written a radio soap that was broadcast on Radio Norfolk and had a sitcom performed during the Channel 4 Sitcom fest. Oh and I wrote a pantomime for my local Amateur Dramatic group which was huge fun.

Morgen: A wonderful variety (so you don’t get bored). Have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?

Sue: Lots, for everything from novels to TV script to articles! I always read them to see what I can learn from the comments, even if I disagree with them or get all hurt and huffy about a publisher or a production company not wanting my work! It’s easy to miss what’s being said because we all invest a big bit of who we are into our creativity – or at least I do. Those objective eyes and comments can be really valuable.

Morgen: They can providing they’re constructive – someone just saying you’re rubbish (or being more diplomatic) isn’t helpful. Have you won or been shortlisted in any competitions?

Sue:  I was one of the winners of the Mail on Sunday first 150 Words of a Novel Completion. I won the Wyrd Short Story competition in the late 1990s, and was amongst the winners of the Channel 4 Sit Com Festival in 1999 – more recently I was shortlisted for the Melissa Nathan Comedy Romance Awards.

Morgen: Ah yes. I don’t write romance (particularly, although I do write some comedy – hard to believe with all my dark stuff online) but have seen her two books during my ‘rounds’. Do you have an agent? Do you think they’re vital to an author’s success?

Sue:  I do have an agent, the fabulous Maggie Phillips at Ed Victor Ltd who had been a real rock in my career and become a very treasured friend over the years. She is the combination of great supporter and an informed, intelligent critic, which is a real plus when you’re developing a career, a style and a voice.

That said publishing is undergoing some huge changes, not unlike those seen by the music industry a few years ago, and while once upon a time I would have said yes having an agent was vital, things are changing so radically with the advent of epublishing that I’m no longer sure if that is as true. A lot of the universal truths of publishing seem to be on the move. I think enormous changes will hit the huge publishing houses with their vast overheads (which has meant for years that the creators of their product, we writers, getting only a tiny percentage of cover price) – So, to quote Mr Dylan, ‘Times they are a changin’!

Morgen: I, for one, are very excited. Are your books available as eBooks? Do you read eBooks or is it paper all the way?

Sue: Most of my titles are available as ebooks, and I’m seriously considering epublishing a thriller and a collection of short stories in the not too distant future.

I love my Kindle but tend to use it for books I would probably only read once and then tuck away on the shelf. I have no doubt I’ll be buying ‘proper’ books for years to come. I love the feel of books, love to browse, love to look through them – recipes books, craft books, big chunky hardbacks by favourite authors – so I’m going to be buying both!

Morgen: Almost everyone I’ve spoken to has said the same, and I’m no exception. pBooks for home (and I have hundreds of them) and eBooks for away. How much of the marketing do you do for your published works or indeed for yourself as a ‘brand’?

Sue:  I do quite a lot and would quite like to do more – I gives talks, do signings, write articles, go on local radio and do all kinds of online things. I think it comes with the territory these days; it’s not enough just to write a book you have to help support and promote it too.

Morgen: Indeed but that means you get to meet your readers. Do you have a favourite of your books or characters? If any of your books were made into films, who would you have as the leading actor/s?

Sue: I like Hot Pursuit (written as Gemma Fox) and Just Desserts (written as Sue Welfare) as both stories had percolated around in my head for years before they finally made it to the page. And characters? Probably Molly Foster, the lead character in Mother of The Bride (written as Kate Lawson) I imagined her being played by Caroline Quentin.

Morgen: She’s a great actress. Did you have any say in the title / covers of your book(s)? How important do you think they are?

Sue:  Both can be a sore point! Titles are often changed by other people on the editorial team. The means that occasionally (but rarely) it’s been something I’ve hated. Oh I did find myself once being asked to write strawberries and champagne into a book because that was what the artist had put on the cover and everyone thought they looked fabulous! Book covers and titles are obviously really important because they are what first catch the eye of the reader – but you have to trust that your publisher understands and knows the market.

Morgen: You do, exactly and (hopefully) they get it right. What are you working on at the moment / next?

Sue: A new book currently called Cooking up a Storm – more romance, but with some interesting twists and recipes!

Morgen: Ooh, I like the sound of that – I’m a big fan of twists. Do you manage to write every day? With everything you do, do you ever suffer from writer’s block?

Sue:  I do – it’s more of an obsession than a career! And no, I haven’t ever suffered from writer’s block, but, like with everything else in life, some days are better than others creatively and so if I’m feeling a bit grim I’ll concentrate on email and admin or any writing project that isn’t the one I’m struggling with!!

Morgen: Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?

Sue:  I plan a lot, not always on paper but developing the story in my head, collecting notes and little snippets of conversation or ideas or scenes – the very last thing I do is actually write the book. I always know before I start where the book is going to end, although even with all that planning the story almost always takes twists and turns that I hadn’t anticipated and it’s nice to go ‘off plan’ – although it still ends up taking me to what I think is the most satisfying ending.

Morgen: I love it when the characters take over. Do you have a method for creating your characters, their names and what do you think makes them believable?

Sue:  For me the people in my books are the most important part – I know a lot about them when I begin to write but my starting point for their creation is often one tiny characteristic which I then add to and add to till I know them well enough to get going. I also like to imagine following them around the supermarket seeing what is in their basket or trolley.

Morgen: And hopefully being surprised / mortified. Do you write any non-fiction, poetry or short stories?

Sue:  Yes, to all those, although my main focus is full length fiction.

Morgen: You’ve written so many books now, do you do a lot of editing or do you find that as time goes on your writing is more fully-formed?

Sue: I don’t do formal drafts – instead I edit constantly as I go along, usually going right back to the beginning and reworking from the opening line at least 3 or 4 times as I write and get to know the people and the situations better. I usually begin my working day by re-reading what I’ve written the previous day and editing it. I really enjoy the reshaping and re-working part of writing a book.

Morgen: From one of my least favourite aspects to another, do you have to do much research?

Sue:  Some.  I like to visit the places in my books, even if – which is often the case – they are places I already know.

Morgen: A great excuse for a coffee stop or window shop. What point of view do you find most to your liking: first person or third person? Have you ever tried second person?

Sue: I almost always write in the third person but like the first person too – I’ve never tried to write anything in the second person – but I’ve just been looking up some examples and might now you’ve pointed it up!

Morgen: Oh do! I love it. I’ve got some starters here – help yourself. Do you have pieces of work that you think will never see light of day?

Sue:  Oh yes!!! I think everyone has a few (in my case make that lots!) but that’s part of learning the skills, the art and the craft of writing to get published. Some of them I keep planning to rework and rewrite as the story still excites me, it’s just the presentation and the telling that is bad! But others are just plain awful and will stay buried!

Morgen: What’s your favourite / least favourite aspect of your writing life? Has anything surprised you?

Sue: I love editing, I hate… actually I like it all really!

Morgen: I said (implied) earlier that my least favourite were editing and research but I do love it when I know it’s polished and who doesn’t love trawling the internet. What advice would you give aspiring writers?

Sue:  Write and read, do as much as you can of both.

Don’t give up, success is as much about perseverance as talent.

Learn how to set out a page properly.

Be nosy, ask questions.

Value your unique take on life.

Morgen: Is there a word, phrase or quote you like?

Sue:  Don’t get it right, get it written (moral: you can always make something better in the edit, but if there is nothing on the page there is nothing to work with)

Morgen: Ah, ha. The heading of your guest post for me the other day – I like it. Are you involved in anything else writing-related other than actual writing or marketing of your writing?

Sue:  I teach writing skills in various places and am currently working with a local university encouraging academics to express themselves more clearly, and in way that is more accessible to people outside their specialist subjects. I do this under the umbrella of a group called WriteOutLoud which I set up with two others to help people develop their own creative voice. We work with memoir and have been into prisons, day centres of adults with learning difficulties as well as Joe Public.  In October 2010 we took WriteOutLoud out to Nigeria, to a conference for aid workers, which was amazing.

I also run creative writing  & memoir writing workshops independently and love teaching; it’s such a sharp contrast to the hours send alone tapping away at a keyboard!

Morgen: It’s certainly not the same thing but I love running my writing groups. I leave my day job this week and will have to start looking at other ways of bringing in an income and a chap emailed me the other day as he thought he did courses. I don’t… yet. What do you do when you’re not writing? Any hobbies or party tricks?

Sue: I make rag rugs and handbags – and teach other people how to do that, too.

I read, walk the dog and work in the garden – oh and I love photography and cooking.

I’m very seldom found sitting around doing nothing and my idea of hell would be a beach holiday!

Morgen: Me too, and my last two-week holiday (August 2001) was just that. I went to Malaga with three girlfriends and expected that we’d hire a car and investigate but all they wanted to do was sit around drinking (smoking in one case) and talk. Now, I can talk for England but even so… It was before I started creative writing so nowadays I would have taken a laptop or suitcase of notepaper. Fortunately it was a friend of a friend’s apartment so there was a bookcase and I ended up reading 11 books plus a few I had on Walkman so was actually in my element although my ‘friends’ weren’t impressed and we didn’t keep in touch. What do you think the future holds for a writer?

Sue: I don’t think people will ever lose their taste for stories and with the advent of the new forms of delivery it’s a really exciting time to be a writers or story teller – but it is a time of change and flux which can be unnerving as the routes to success are less clear.

Morgen: I definitely think it’ll be a stronger outlook for writers, which from this side of the table, is a wonderful thing. Where can we find out about you and your work?

Sue:  I’ve got a website: www.Katelawson.co.uk – but you’ll probably find out a lot more about me on Facebook! You’ll find me there as Sue Welfare. Please feel free to friend me!

Morgen: (I have ) Is there anything else you’d like to mention?

Sue:  Oh yes please! My new book for One Night Only is out on March 1st. I had huge fun writing it. It’s very slightly darker than my previous books which I think that may be my inner thriller writer finally rearing her ugly head! Thank you, Morgen, for interviewing me – xx

Morgen: You’re so welcome. Thank you, Sue. Good luck with ONO.

If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the questions. You complete them, I tweak them where appropriate (if necessary to reflect the blog ‘clean and light’ rating) and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know. You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore and Kobo.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them) on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry. And I have a new forum at http://morgenbailey.freeforums.org.

 

Tuesday Tales picture prompt 001: ‘Badge of Honour’

Armed with the picture prompt below, my first for online writing group ’Tuesday Tales’, and a 300-word limit, I got writing and below is the result.

Tuesday Tales usually provides a new one-word prompt each week, but this was an extra and fun.

It follows the same format whereby the members write a story inspired by it and post it on our blogs / websites. Then we email the link and first two or three sentences to Jean Joachim.

She then posts them on the Tuesday Tales blog (on a Tuesday ), gives us the link **** WHICH IS HERE **** then we go out and shout about it. So, without further ado, here is my 259-worder ‘Badge of Honour’ (no surprises that it’s a second-person viewpoint)…

Badge of Honour

You know it could be anything, but you’re pretty certain it’s a body. You want to say something to Neville, but you know he’ll laugh at you, as he does. Never with you. So you leave him topping up his suntan lotion, escape before he asks you to rub factor 30 into his gorilla-like back. Again.

You head back to the long, narrow orange and white boat, to the cobalt-blue sacking, the human-shaped canvas that made your heart race when you walked past it yesterday, solo, during Neville’s siesta.

As you pull at the sacking, you scream and jolt backwards into a tall islander.

“Hello ma’am,” he says in his strong Jamaican accent.

All you can do is laugh nervously. You’re sure he’s the boat owner… sure he’ll overpower you if you try to make a run for it, that’s if you could get past.

He looks at the face. The woman’s. You think she’s a woman, you can’t really be sure, and he laughs. An indistiguishable laugh, but it makes you uneasy. You’re too far from Neville, from anyone, to make screaming again worth it, so you decide you’ll reason with the man, but before you can say anything, he speaks.

“You thought…?” and he laughs again, this time his green eyes sparkling, then he pulls away the sacking, revealing her body. Limp. Lifeless. Hollow eyes. Then you see her name badge, ‘Anne’, and you realise what she is. Beside her is a first aid kit and the man’s uniform featuring his badge, ‘Montego Bay Rescue Service – Trainer’.

The details of Tuesday Tales can be found on my Tuesday Tales page here on this blog. Do go and check out the Tuesday Tales site – it’s a wonderful idea supported by talented writers. My story ‘Badge of Honour’ appears within these stories.

So, not only can you read these stories but you could also write your own using the prompts given each week. There’s no word count limit. Single-word prompts are something I regularly give my Monday night workshop and it’s amazing how different our stories can be. You can read some of mine (free and otherwise) at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore and Kobo. And I have a new forum at http://morgenbailey.freeforums.org.

 

Blog interview no.293 with writer Charlene Wilson

Welcome to the two hundred and ninety-third of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, biographers, agents, publishers and more. Today’s is with paranormal and YA contemporary romance author Charlene A Wilson. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate further.

Morgen: Hello, Charlene. Please tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.

Charlene: I was labelled a writer when I was 16.  I’d write short stories about dreams I had and shared them with my friends.  One of the favourites was a little story called Misty Moon.  I was shocked when a few years ago I ran into an acquaintance I hadn’t seen since my youth.  Honestly, I didn’t remember her until she reminded me that she was a friend of a friend.  She had been invited to a church youth function and evidently on the way (it was an hour drive to the dance), I shared my stories… as usual.  Well, she was all smiles and told me she remembered Misty Moon and actually told the story to her children at story time before bed.  I was floored and a little shy about it all.  She asked if I still wrote and, of course, I had to tell her about my published work.

Morgen: And Misty Moon went on to be a best seller? What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?

Charlene: I write paranormal romance and I do have some YA contemporary romances on the side-lines.  Actually, I do have several story ideas and that bring me into science fiction and suspense.  I don’t think I could ever write horror.  That’s one genre I don’t enjoy.  Sorry.

Morgen: That’s OK. A lot of people don’t (but then a lot of people do). If we all wrote the same genre we’d have even more competition. What have you had published to-date?

Charlene: My first novel, Cornerstone Deep, was published in November 2010 by Class Act Books.  I never felt such an amazing array of emotions as I did when I held my first book in my hands.  I couldn’t believe it.  My baby was in print.  And now, Cornerstone Deep Echoes was released February 15th.  There’s just nothing like it.  I hope this feeling never gets old.

Morgen: I think if you’re passionate enough about what you do, it won’t. I’ve interviewed a few authors who have written more than a dozen books and they say they still get a buzz each time. Do you write under a pseudonym? Do you think they make a difference to an author’s profile?

Charlene: I don’t have a pen name but have several friends who do.  They do very well with them.  I’m not sure I could take on the task of promoting and marketing two or more names.  Lol.  That would be a lot of work I don’t think I’m up for…not yet anyway.  For now, I’ll concentrate on Charlene A. Wilson. *smile*

Morgen: Do you have an agent?

Charlene: I don’t have an agent, though I would like to have one.  I think if you have someone who knows the business and how to make things happen, it can be a great asset.  Especially for someone like me that finds it hard to push my own work.  Give me someone else’s that I believe in, and I’ll shout it to the world.

Morgen: Oh I’m rubbish too. I put a sentence at the end of each post but it’s definitely not enough. It’s easy to shout out about other writers’ works because then we’re supportive not touting – you just have to hope that they do the same for you. You say you’d love an agent, do you think they’re vital to an author’s success?

Charlene: No.  Some authors do an amazing job on their own.  There’s not just one right path when it comes to this career.

Morgen: Indeed and I, for one, am really excited. One of the paths is eBooks – are your books available as eBooks? If so what was your experience of that process? Do you have any plan to write any eBook-only stories? And do you read eBooks?

Charlene: Yes, my books are available in e-formats and paperback.  I’m not planning on writing books only for e-readers.  I’d like to have them available for those who still love the feel and smell of a book.  Of course, that isn’t meant to take away from the e-books.  Not at all.  I love reading with my Kindle app.

Morgen: Very few of my interviewees have said they’d only read eBooks. The ‘feel and smell’ is still a huge part of the reading experience. I do think they’ll chug along side-by-side. For me it’s pBooks at home, eBooks away. How important do you think titles are?

Charlene: I think titles are as important as the cover.  There was no problem with the titles I chose for my books.  There aren’t many books out there called Cornerstone Deep. *wink*  Lol.  And I love the titles, so I’m glad they were accepted.

Morgen: Many authors have little say so you were very fortunate and yes, I don’t know of another (although there is a literary consultancy company in the UK called ‘Cornerstones’). Do any of your books have dedications? If so, to whom and (if appropriate) why?

Charlene: Yes, my books have dedications.  Those closest to me get that honor.  Cornerstone Deep was dedicated to my mother.  She never told me it couldn’t be done.  She was a poet and I think it makes her proud to see I “got that talent from her.”  Lol.

Cornerstone Deep Echoes was dedicated to my daughters.  If there is anyone who might go without that little extra attention during revisions, edits, meeting deadlines, etc., it’s them.  And they supported me wholeheartedly with encouragement, quiet time, and—dare I say this out loud?—cooking and helping each other.  I love them with my whole soul.

Morgen: Have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?

Charlene: Is there an author alive that hasn’t had to deal with those nasty rejections?  Lol.  Of course I have.  Several.  I have them all tucked neatly away in their own file and I plan to keep every one of them.  From the first one I received, I took it as a guide on how to make my writing better.  Luckily, I haven’t received any that were ugly.  I’ve heard horror stories of agents or publishers that threw the boot, stinky socks, and kitty box back at the author instead of constructive advice or even a form letter rejection.  In those cases, if that had been me, I would have been glad I found out they were like that then instead of signed with them and had to work with that person for x amount of years.

Morgen: I have had a handful of authors who’ve not received rejections but most haven’t sent anything out which always helps. What are you working on at the moment / next?

Charlene: I’m revising the first book in another series called Aumelan.  There are three books written in that series, and I’d like to have things ready to submit by the end of the year.  It’s the story of Chad, a Tsosey Master who’s sweet on his server, Dee.  His heart feels at home with her even though he has a girlfriend—his childhood sweetheart.  He dreams of what might be if the only thing that stood between them was the air between them.  But, there’s more than just placement separating them.  His people have a unique need.  They can’t produce life sustaining energy and require a host to survive.  Before there could ever be a true love between them, he’d have to free his people of that need and then free Dee.

He leaves his cavern home and steps beyond the borders of the World Beneath the Rock to the World of the Sun to find answers.  And he finds them alright.

Morgen: Wow. What an imagination you have… and it sounds like you won’t be running out of ideas any time soon. What advice would you give aspiring authors?

Charlene: “Believe in the magic that’s in you, its potential, what it can achieve.  But, most of all believe in yourself and create a world where dreams become reality.”

Morgen: I love that. Where can we find out about you and your work?

Charlene: Author site, Blog, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn.

Buy Links: CAB: (Kindle), CAB: (paperback), Amazon Kindle, Amazon paperback.

Morgen: Woo. Is there anything else you’d like to mention?

Charlene: Oh, yes.  I’d love to let everyone know that I’ve been celebrating the release of Cornerstone Deep Echoes with a month long blog tour and prizes!  There have been special blog stops that gave extra chances to win and weekly giveaways including PDFs of both books and a Bath & Body Works gift cards.  All leading up to a grand prize that will be given away on March 3rd.  You can find all the details at http://ShiloManor.com/cd-echoes-tour. Drop by use the form provided to enter and Good Luck Everyone!

Thank you so much for having me here today and being a part of my virtual book tour, Morgen!  It was a real treat.

Morgen: My goodness, you’re so welcome, Charlene. Thank you for having me as a stop.

I then invited Charlene to include an extract of her writing…

Exhaustion racked Cole’s body. He squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath to cleanse his lungs. The harm he’d caused Anna pulsed through his fatigued mind in fits of memory—distorted flashes that reminded him of the deceit, broken covenants, and ethereal anger. Pressing his palms onto his brow, his head sank deeper into the pillow. Did his actions really cost her soul six life times?

He dragged a hand down his face and blew air through his pursed lips. He’d bound her soul and even with his formidable skill with spells, he was unable to undo his wrong. Whatever cost Arylin saw fit to impose, he was grateful for the intervention. Only the Goddess of Love, with her boundless benevolence, would have found a way for them to continue their souls’ progression.

His gaze returned to his love at his side and he listened to the sweet sound of her steady breathing. Strands of sleep-messed hair fluttered along the pillow each time she exhaled.  As the morning sun’s light inched up the comforter’s patchwork pattern, he hitched his knee around her legs, forming his body to hers. For Arylin to return Anna’s soul to a previous life blessed them both beyond his dreams. It freed the binding and… He buried his face in her long waves and the scent of roses filled him. He had Mianna back.

A writer of paranormal romance, Charlene loves what magic can add to relationships.  She currently lives in a small rural town in Arkansas and enjoys close family ties with her two beautiful daughters.

Charlene’s interest in writing began in her early teens and she took any creative writing courses available.

Many of the attitudes and personalities woven into her characters were taken from those she worked with while serving as a Deputy at a large detention center.  From kindness to bigotry, the variety of personal outlook was amazing.  As time now affords her, she is able to pursue her love of writing and incorporates those experiences into some of her work.

Her first novel, Cornerstone Deep, was published in November 2010 by Class Act Books.  Her second, Cornerstone Deep Echoes, was released February 2012, also by Class Act Books.

If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the questions. You complete them, I tweak them where appropriate (if necessary to reflect the blog ‘clean and light’ rating) and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know. You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore and Kobo.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them) on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry. And I have a new forum at http://morgenbailey.freeforums.org.

 

Post-weekend Poetry 010: ‘Another Mermaid Story’ by Rose Mary Boehm

Welcome to Post-weekend Poetry and the tenth poem in this series. This week’s piece is by literary author, poet and interviewee Rose Mary Boehm, which she tells me is based on an old Celtic legend.

Another Mermaid Story

A small, brown village
on the Cornish coast.
Ruby married Fred.

She’d had enough of filing
in the ‘Museum for Fishing and Smuggling’.
Fred liked Ruby because she was round
and sleek as a seal.
A slight scent of ocean
hovered over her skin.

Ravenous triplets sucked her dry.
In the supermarket she pushed
a tank with three activated
missiles from aisle to aisle.

Ruby soon neglected them.
Preferred to watch
the silvery catches
in the harbour.

Fred hired a nanny. Took to her.
Ruby took to the fishermen.
Both grew into the comfortable
co-existence of mutual dislike.

Ruby disappeared.
Fred drank her health.
In the bar that night a fisherman
mentioned that he’d seen a selky
swim out into the Celtic Sea.

Thank you Rose.

A German-born UK national, Rose Mary Boehm now lives with her second husband in Lima, Peru. Only after 20 years immersed in the English language did she attempt to write in her new ‘mother’ tongue.  She travelled extensively, made a career in advertising, worked as a copywriter, founded her own business(es), married her first husband and had two children, had a one-woman show of her drawings in London, UK, then moved to Madrid, Spain, where she finally retired from the corporate world, moved to Peru, and now dedicates her life to writing.

Her two novels, COMING UP FOR AIR and THE TELLING, have been published in the UK in 2010 and 2011 respectively, as well as her first collection of poetry, TANGENTS.  She won a few prizes for poetry and photography, and three of her latest poems will appear in US poetry reviews in end-of year and Spring editions. You can find out more about her from poetry (and more blog http://houseboathouse.blogspot.com and her book blog http://www.coming-up-for-air.com.

If you’d like to submit your poem (40 lines max) for consideration for Post-weekend Poetry take a look here.

The blog interviews will return as normal tomorrow with Paranormal and YA contemporary romance author Charlene Wilson – the two hundred and ninety-third of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, bloggers, biographers, agents, publishers and more. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate further. And I enjoy hearing from readers of my blog; do either leave a comment on the relevant interview (the interviewees love to hear from you too!) and / or email me. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore and Kobo. And I have a new forum at http://morgenbailey.freeforums.org.

 

Bailey’s Writing Tips podcast ‘short stories’ episode no.8

Bailey’s Writing Tips podcast ‘short stories’ episode number eight, part of a series tucked in between hints & tips or red pen critique sessions, went live today.

I’ve been starting off the first few weeks with the flash fiction that have appeared on my blog as ‘Flash Fiction Fridays’, reading out three per fortnight. I am running out so do email me should you like to submit your own.

Today’s are: ‘You are what you don’t eat‘ (981 words) by Joy V Smith, ‘The Red-Haired Girl‘ (100 words) by Smoky Zeidel and ‘A Damned Hot Day‘ (477 words) by Michael C Boxall.

I don’t critique the stories but just simply reading them out and I hope you enjoy this format. I will warn you though that I put on some seriously dodgy accents (the French sounding more Italian at times) for Joy’s story so I apologise to you but especially to Joy!

Joy V Smith was born on a farm in Wisconsin and still love barns and the smell of silage (“an acquired taste,” she says).  She lived in Boston after graduating from college, and is now back in Florida (not retired) where she spent some of her childhood.

After selling wildlife habitat in the country, she bought a foreclosure earlier this year and had to replace the kitchen, among other things. They’d even taken the kitchen sink! Thanks to NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), which takes place each November, Joy’s now written three novels. Joy’s writing blog is http://pagadan.wordpress.com.

Smoky Trudeau Zeidel is the author of two novels, On the Choptank Shores and The Cabin; a recently-released collection of stories, Short Story Collection Vol. 1; and two nonfiction books on writing which have recently been combined into one book, Smoky’s Writer’s Workshop Combo Set. She is the author of Observations of an Earth Mage, a collection of prose, poetry, and photographs celebrating the natural world. All her books are published by Vanilla Heart Publishing. Smoky lives in California with her husband Scott (a college music professor and classical guitarist), her daughter (a college student and actress), and a menagerie of animals, both domestic and wild, in a ramshackle cottage in the woods overlooking the San Gabriel Valley and Mountains beyond. When she isn’t writing, she spends her time hiking in the mountains and deserts, splashing in tide pools, and resisting the urge to speak in haiku. Smoky’s website is http://smokyzeidel.wordpress.com.

Michael C. Boxall is an expatriated English magazine journalist-turned-novelist currently living in North Vancouver, B.C. He is obsessed with the sales of his newly-published thriller, The Great Firewall. Even for a debut work by a writer no longer in the first flush The Great Firewall had a long gestation. The original idea came after a trip to Shanghai to do a travel piece. It was for a story set in the White Russian community in the 1920s, and it was to be not a novel but a multimedia game. But one thing led to another, and after aborted incarnations as a radio play and a movie script it became what it is now: the story of bankrupt software genius Daniel Skye, “Orson Welles with a laptop,” and his quest to Shanghai to find money for his dream project, and the enemies he makes in the process. You can read more about it (and see more short fiction on the blog) at www.thegreatfirewall.com. Even better, you can buy it at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk. Reviews much appreciated.

Thank you for downloading / listening to this short story episode and my other podcasts. They have, up to now, been weekly but I’m embarking on editing my four novels so I shall be dropping the podcasts to fortnightly – one episode of short stories per month, one episode of hints & tips or red pen session.

All the details of these episodes are listed on the podcast page of this blog and my email address to submit a short story for critique (or review for the Short Story Saturdays) is morgen@morgenbailey.com.

The podcast is available via iTunes, Google’s Feedburner, Podbean (when it catches up), Podcasters (which takes even longer) or Podcast Alley (which doesn’t list the episodes but will let you subscribe).

You can read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore and Kobo. And I have a new forum at http://morgenbailey.freeforums.org.

 

Blog interview no.292 with writer Leon Puissegur

Welcome to the two hundred and ninety-second of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, biographers, agents, publishers and more. Today’s is with novelist and short story author Leon Puissegur. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate further.

Morgen: Hello Leon. Please tell us something about yourself, where you’re based, and how you came to be a writer.

Morgen: I live some 70 miles from New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.  I have been writing since in Jr. High, but never published any of my works.  I lost almost all my writing from the Hurricane Katrina when 8 feet of water invaded my former home in Violet, Louisiana.  I love to write and send articles to Louisianaconservative.com on a regular basis.  It is only since I retired that I have had the time to devote to writing as much as I would like to. My ancestors came directly from France to New Orleans and they are now spread across the United States. I am a disabled Vietnam Veteran and do not have the monetary resources that may be needed to bring a good book to the forefront for all to be able to read and enjoy, but I am working on every avenue I can to get my latest work out so people will enjoy a good action / adventure novel.

Morgen: I think every writer dreads losing their work but obviously people lost a lot more so something to be thankful for. And as for bringing your book to the forefront, let’s hope this interview helps a little. What genre do you write?

Leon: I do fiction and have written short stories of science fiction in one of my books, called Approach To Reality.  I had my first 3 books done without a very good edit on them and I am waiting for the contract to expire with the publisher so I can make them sing like my recent book, “THE OIL MAN”.

My first book, “Forward The Colors” is a book of facts seldom if ever told about the War Between the States. It covers facts that most history books leave out. It can also be found at Amazon.com also, along with “Approach To Reality”, a book of 14 short stories, and “The Iron Works” a book about reverse discrimination.

Morgen: “Make them sing” I love that. What have you had published to-date? Do you write under a pseudonym?

Leon: I use just my first and last name and have at the moment, 4 books in print, the last one; “THE OIL MAN” is perhaps my best yet. The first book I wrote was, “Forward The Colors” a book of seldom told facts about the War Between the States and it has sold more then the other books. My other books are, “Approach To Reality” a book of 14 short stories, and “The Iron Works” a fictional account of reverse discrimination.

Morgen: (love short stories ) Have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?

Leon: I had many rejections, and my first 3 books were not given a very good edit even after I had requested one.  I just kept writing and sending off queries and Savant Publishing liked my latest book, “THE OIL MAN”, and worked with me on a very good edit.

Morgen: I don’t think anyone, even household authors, can write a perfect book on their own. My editor not only finds errors (fortunately not many) but comes up with some great suggestions. Have you won or been shortlisted in any competitions?

Leon: I have won a couple of awards for a couple of poems I have written, but none for my books as of this date, but I am looking forward to maybe getting that soon.

Morgen: Fingers crossed. Do you have an agent? Do you think they’re vital to an author’s success?

Leon: I do not have an agent, but I am sure if an agent was working with me my books may have been done much better and gotten out to a much larger audience, not that Savant Publishing is a bad publisher, because they are the best ones I have been able to work with without an agent.

Morgen: More publishers are happy to work directly with authors now – it’s certainly an interesting time. Are your books available as eBooks?

Leon: I had some word that one of my books would be available on eBooks, “Forward The Colors”, but have not been able to verify that as of yet.  “THE OIL MAN” will be an eBook later this year.

Morgen: How much of the marketing do you do for your published works or indeed for yourself as a ‘brand’?

Leon: I am doing a lot of work sending out emails, tweetering, facebook, and any other media I can find to get my new book, “THE OIL MAN” in front of the public. I also promote my others, but due to the lack of a good edit on them, I only push “Forward The Colors” as much as I do “THE OIL MAN”. If I had a good edit on the others, I would push them also.

Morgen: When you get them back… Do you have a favourite of your books or characters? If any of your books were made into films, who would you have as the leading actor/s?

Leon: My favorite book is my last one, “THE OIL MAN”, The characters of John Marx and Josh Platur, Josh’s friend through out the action / adventure book.  I have one review that states, “I can see this story becoming a successful movie and especially at this time of political and environmental unrest.” Reviewed by Carolyn Dargevics. Given this idea, I would have a great cast with Bruce Willis as John Marx and Matthew McConaughey as Josh Platur.

Morgen: A great mixture. Did you have any say in the title / covers of your book(s)? How important do you think they are?

Leon: I had total control over every aspect of my books, and with “THE OIL MAN” I had the last say.

Morgen: What are you working on at the moment / next?

Leon: I actually have a couple of books in the works, but the Sequel to “THE OIL MAN” is going to be the next book and I hope to have that one out around November. After that one, I am going to have a science fiction novel – title to be determined.

Morgen: Do you manage to write every day? Do you ever suffer from writer’s block?

Leon: I try to write everyday, if not on my books, on an article or two.  I do suffer writer’s block and when I do I go to the woods and look around and get back into the story I had on my mind.  I seldom keep notes of what I am doing and never follow any planned format for the story.  I keep track of the characters and their names so I don’t mess them or their descriptions up.  In one of my short stories in “Approach To Reality”, I made the mistake of changing the girls hair color in the first few pages, I wanted to get it right, but that publisher ignored my requests.

Morgen: That’s what I find hard about novels; keeping everything consistent (which is why I stick to shorts now ). So you just get an idea and run with it…

Leon: I usually just sit down and begin writing the story as it comes. I have tried to plot the story once and found out I just could not fit it to the way I write.  I just sit down and begin the story and allow the words to flow with the story changing as it goes along.

Morgen: And the characters take over. Do you have a method for creating yours?

Leon: I draw the characters from people I have been around, from some at work, at the mall, from hunters out in the woods, all sorts of people.  I have no tried and true method of creating the character, I just begin with what the main character does then move on from there.  I build the story around that character then add what is needed to make it interesting.

Morgen: You mentioned short stories, do you write any non-fiction or poetry?

Leon: My first book, “Forward The Colors”, is actually a book on History, that has somewhat been swept under the rug in favor of the “politically correct” version of the War Between the States.  I have had two poems published by Illiad Press.

Morgen: Do you do a lot of editing or do you find that as time goes on your writing is more fully-formed?

Leon: In my first 3 books, the editing is not there at all, of those 3, only “Forward The Colors” may be close to being right, and it really needs to be not just updated, but also to have a tighter edit. Now on my latest book, “THE OIL MAN”, a full and complete edit was done.

Morgen: And you’re clearly proud of it, which is lovely. Do you have to do much research?

Leon: I spent about 6 years doing research on “Forward The Colors” before I actually sat down and write it.  On “THE OIL MAN” I did a little research, but most of the ideas had come from actually doing the work offshore myself along with some of the other ideas in the book. On the Sequel to “THE OIL MAN”, I am doing some research, but not that much as I am now trying to meet my own placed deadline of having most of it done in the rough by April.

Morgen: What point of view do you find most to your liking: first person or third person?

A: I like to move around in all phases since that develops the characters a bit more and it also allows me to get into their heads and see what they see along with doing what they may wish to do.  I guess you could say that “THE OIL MAN” jumps around to nearly all phases of character writing.

Morgen: What’s your favourite / least favourite aspect of your writing life? Has anything surprised you?

Leon: I love to write but it is the idea that the books are not selling that drive me mad.  I would love to see all my works fly off the shelves, but I know right now that only two of them are even worthy of that honor.

Morgen: So far. What advice would you give aspiring writers?

Leon: I would tell them to keep at it and one day if your work is good, you may well be able to make a living out of it.  It takes a lot of determination to stick with the art of writing.  If I would not be retired though, I may be just a tad lack of money as I am now.  One has to establish themselves early in their life or have an extremely good book to make it into the big leagues of being an author.

Morgen: A successful author is one who didn’t give up. If you could invite three people from any era to dinner, who would you choose and what would you eat?

Leon: I would invite Earnest Hemmingway, Clive Cussler, and Mark Twain, I would have Louisiana style seafood of all types on a big table for all to eat then share their stories of how they come up with their ideas.

Morgen: Buffet. I love buffets. Is there a word, phrase or quote you like?

Leon: “The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them.” Mark Twain.

Morgen: Absolutely. Are you involved in anything else writing-related other than actual writing or marketing of your writing?

Leon: In a way yes, I also write articles in “opinion” columns and sometimes they are published.

Morgen: What do you do when you’re not writing?

Leon: I love to go into the woods and hunt, and also go out on the water and fish, even if I don’t get anything, it is the idea of being out on the water or in the woods that calms me down.

Morgen: A lot of authors have attributed clearing their heads to fresh air. Are there any writing-related websites or books that you find useful?

Leon: I get the Writer’s Digest Magazine and it supplies a lot of information and I have used some of that information to bring to life some of my characters.

Morgen: We don’t have that here (although we could probably order it) but I subscribe to all the UK ones… it’s just finding time to read them all. Are you on any forums or networking sites? If so, how valuable do you find them?

Leon: I am on Facebook and also on Twitter@alvinpui.  I find they are decent, but one cannot gauge if they do any good for promotions since they do not show people using the networks to obtain the books.

Morgen: I’m on LinkedIn too and whilst you get the occasional tout, people do tend to become interested (and buy!) other authors’ books but getting to know them. It’s a great resource and I’m so excited to be an author now. What do you think the future holds for a writer?

Leon: I believe that the next phase of writers will be on the internet and few if any will ever make a solid living from books due to the use of Kindle and the likes.  They will be able to sell their stories, but at a much smaller dividend and many will just give up and go away.  There will be many outlets for people to write, but few of them will pay enough to raise a family on unless one works for a magazine, or other type of market.

Morgen: Lots of fingers of lots of proverbial pies. Where can we find out about you and your work?

Leon: The following place has excerpts, reviews and a brief bio; Leonsbooks.com, Savant Books and Publications.com and Amazon.com.

Morgen: Is there anything else you’d like to mention?

Leon: Anyone interested in contacting me about how a bookstore may obtain copies of my book may contact me at writer522@juno.com for more information.

Morgen: Thank you Leon.

I then invited Leon to include an excerpt of your writing and this is taken from THE OIL MAN 

Chapter 1

John Marx was a self-made man. He’d worked himself through Texas A&M in petroleum engineering, and later through Stanford’s Department of Energy Resources Engineering, but in the end, there was nothing like the experience of working with a dedicated drilling crew and the thrill of the moment of discovery. He’d enjoyed working on contract to Rustic Oil ever since they’d returned to jack-ups like Rig Twelve, the particularly tall one he was standing on, were constantly animated by the ever- present hum from the hydraulics that kept the platform steady in all sorts of seas. This jack-up had three, 400-foot long legs when fully extended, and was much more stable than submersed or floating platforms since, in an emergency, they could be plucked from the sea and moved elsewhere.

John paused on his way to an interior door to peer down…

Leon Puissegur grew up just 7 miles from the edge of New Orleans, Louisiana, the Mardi Gras Capitol of the world.  He wrote when he was young, but raising a family kept him from writing as a living.  He retired and upon retirement, he began writing again and published 4 books, the latest, “THE OIL MAN” which may well be the best. His other books vary with themes from History to Science fiction.  “Forward The Colors” is a history book of facts about the War Between the States that are seldom told. In “Approach To Reality” he bears 14 short stories ranging from fiction to Science fiction. “The Iron Works” is a rough idea of fiction based upon reverse discrimination.

If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the questions. You complete them, I tweak them where appropriate (if necessary to reflect the blog ‘clean and light’ rating) and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know. You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them) on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.  And I have a new forum at http://morgenbailey.freeforums.org.

 

Tuesday Tales 011: ‘Small Steps’

Armed with the prompt of ‘dress’, my fifth short story for online writing group ‘Tuesday Tales’, below is the result (a second-person short story for a change).

Tuesday Tales provides a new prompt each week, the members write a story inspired by it and post it on our blogs / websites. Then we email the link and first two or three sentences to Jean Joachim. She then posts them on the Tuesday Tales blog (on a Tuesday ), gives us the link then we go out and shout about it.

So, without further ado, here is my 162-worder which features with 22 other writers on the Tuesday Tales blog post dated 28 February 2012:

‘Small Steps’

It doesn’t bother you that you have to teach him to dress himself. All over again.
It doesn’t bother you that he doesn’t remember your name.
It bothers you that you’re the reason he’s like this.
A constant reminder that you didn’t take any notice when he asked you to slow down.
Begged, even.

Totally out of character, you chased the other car.
The driver.
The woman who’d cut you up.
The woman you recognised from the picture.
 
You were only supposed to be giving Andy a lift to football.
They weren’t supposed to be playing.
Didn’t usually in the rain but he’d had a text at the last minute, too late to walk or take his bike.
So he missed the game, and you missed the bend.
A lamppost slamming into the passenger door as the car spun.
The woman stopped then, ran back, helped you both, all the time crying.
“Jack loves you, Emma. We’ve only ever been friends.”

The links to the earlier prompts, and resulting stories, and the forthcoming prompts can be found on this blog’s Tuesday Tales page. Do go and check out the Tuesday Tales blog – it’s a wonderful idea supported by talented writers.

So, not only can you read these stories but you could also write your own using the prompts given each week. There’s no word count limit. Single-word prompts are something I regularly give my Monday night workshop and it’s amazing how different our stories can be.

You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore and Kobo.

And I have a new forum at http://morgenbailey.freeforums.org.

 

Blog interview no.291 with writer William Bell

Welcome to the two hundred and ninety-first of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, biographers, agents, publishers and more. Today’s is with multi-genre author William R Bell. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate further.

Morgen: Hello William. Please tell us something about yourself, where you’re based, and how you came to be a writer.i

William: My name is William R Bell. Most everyone calls me Bill. I live in Canon City, Colorado with my wife. I am a retired criminal investigator for the State of Colorado. Most of my life has been in Law Enforcement. I guess my first exposure to writing was in high school. While I was busy flunking English, I got an internship with a small town newspaper and had a by-line writing results of high school track meets. Writing police reports for over 30 years gave me experience with the pen. Prior to retiring I wrote several articles for Law Enforcement trade Magazines. Since I was investigating felony crimes in prisons I noticed there was little in the way of text books. I wrote a book on criminal investigations in correctional facilities. The next stop was fiction and I became hooked on it and continue to write fiction.

Morgen: I went to creative writing evening classes seven years ago and as soon as the characters took over I was hooked. What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?

William: I usually write in Action Adventure (with a spattering of crime / mystery / suspense) but have dabbled in self-help (a book on my experience with prostate cancer) and Historical Fiction. I even wrote a book of poetry for my former police department in Michigan.

Morgen: Plenty of variety to stop you getting bored. What have you had published to-date?

William: My non-fiction works include “Practical Criminal Investigations in Correctional Facilities” and “Save My Penis – The battle with prostate cancer” My historical fiction novella is “My Flag My Country – The story of Ishmael Day”. I have two novels that scream for their own Genre as they are Action / Adventure / Thriller / Crime / Mystery etc. (Please help me find my voice) The First is “The Stewart Hypothesis”, followed by “The Tenth Crusade”. I wrote one book of poetry “Life and Times in Dearborn”

Morgen: I don’t write under any genre either (I’m finishing my job next week to edit four novels; lad lit, general, chick lit, crime) and these days I don’t think it matters. In fact I think it’s better – if you start with one genre it’s what your readers come to expect of you then if you produce something different you’ll disappoint someone (but maybe get a new audience ). Have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?

William: Of course, we are all rejected. Most of mine came from Agents who apparently didn’t see my vision. I have dealt with the rejections by self publishing.

Morgen: I have had a handful of authors who’ve not received any rejections but some haven’t submitted so that does help. Have you won or been shortlisted in any competitions?

William: I’ve only entered two writing contests. One isn’t to be judged until late this year. The other was a 40 word or fewer essays on my secret for a long loving relationship. I came in second and won a night in a motel, flowers and a bottle of Champaign, which my wife and I immediately used.

Morgen: Oh, wow. I love flash fiction. The lowest story I’ve written to-date is a 28-worder. Do you have an agent? Do you think they’re vital to an author’s success?

William: No, I don’t have an agent. It is absolutely vital when publishing traditionally, (except text books) because publishers won’t look at your work unless you are with agent.

Morgen: Most mainstream certainly. Independents probably prefer it as there’s no commission but there’s little doubt that agents can secure a better deal thereby earning their keep. Are your books available as eBooks? Were you involved in that process at all? Do you read eBooks or is it paper all the way?

William: Yes, four of my works are available in eBooks. I went with Amazon Kindle and was totally involved in the process. I haven’t read any eBooks but only because I don’t have a reader. That is all about to change as I just purchased a Nook for my wife.

Morgen: Oh, great. I bought a Kindle a month ago and I love having so many books with me when I’m out (because you never know when you’ll have a few minutes’ gap) but it’s still paper books at home, mainly because I have hundreds I still want to read. How much of the marketing do you do?

William: I only recently got involved in marketing my books and am trying to learn the ropes. I am using Twitter, Facebook and my website right now and looking for other methods.

Morgen: LinkedIn is very good (and I’m pretty sure I’ve spotted you on there?). I’ve met some wonderful authors on there who I’ve then gone to hook up with on Twitter and Facebook. I’m signed up (free) to others like Goodreads, Branch Out etc but not investigated them properly yet. Do you have a favourite of your books or characters? If any of your books were made into films, who would you have as the leading actor/s?

William: My favourite characters are Mark Stewart a criminal investigator, Zach Dolan an ex Navy Seal, and Ishmael Day a real life character from the American Civil War. I really haven’t given it much thought about movies, but the leading actors should he seasoned (older) and not very good looking.

Morgen: That makes a change. So no Brad Pitt or George Clooney then. Did you have any say in the titles / covers of your books? How important do you think they are?

William: I have had control of the titles of all my books and actually created the covers for some of them. I really need to let someone else do my covers, or learn how. I do think that titles and covers are very important and I am currently researching methods to improve my work.

Morgen: I think it’s seeing what other people do and practicing. I’m sure if the story and description are great then having a dodgy cover (or title – James Patterson’s ‘The Quickie’) wouldn’t stop a reader buying (especially with eBooks) but an attractive package certainly helps lure them there. What are you working on at the moment / next?

William: Actually I have three projects going now, two of which are rather inactive at present. I am trying to showcase my work by writing a novel on my website and allowing people to read and comment on it as it’s written. It is called “Intended Victims” and is a sequel to “The Stewart Hypotheses”.

Morgen: Oh, wow. That’s quite a brave thing to do, although most people will be firm but fair, I’m sure. At least you can cherry pick the feedback… and hopefully get plenty of it. At least a second person’s opinion is vital – we’re always too close to our own writing. Do you manage to write every day? Do you ever suffer from writer’s block?

William: Only recently have I taken my writing to the level of constant effort and do try to write everyday. I also try to work my marketing into the workday. Of course Golf season is approaching and I may slow down a little. I wouldn’t call it writers block, but I do have times when I am less creative and usually have to go back and re-do what I write during those times.

Morgen: But then you have a choice of genres so I think that helps your brain stay fresh. Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?

William: At first I tried to plot a story and put it on a story board. I found it less interesting and it bonded me to a certain result. Now I just fly with an idea, sometimes just a title or maybe one incident, or the ending.

Morgen: Me too (and most of the other interviewees). Do you have a method for creating your characters, their names and what do you think makes them believable?

William: No, I don’t have any particular method for creating my characters, but sometimes rely on people I have met. I often use myself or rather my alter ego. My wife sees a lot of me in my characters mannerisms and lack of proper English. I use the computer to find interesting names, especially from different cultures.

Morgen: The good old internet. So you’ve written some non-fiction and poetry, how about short stories?

William: Yes, only two non-fictions and one poetry book. I plan on writing some short stories. I think short stories would be fun. In fact I would like to be considered for your Flash Fiction segment.

Morgen: Ooh, absolutely. Send it over. I’ve got really low on it actually so that would be great. Do you do a lot of editing or do you find that as time goes on your writing is more fully-formed?

William: Wow, that’s funny. Yes I have to do a whole crap load of editing and re-editing, and accept help from my wife and sister-in-law. (Retired English Teacher)  I don’t think anything I do is fully-formed. In fact I am not sure that my brain is fully formed yet.

Morgen: Plenty of time yet. I’ve been writing (on and off) for seven years and I’ve only recently felt like I know what I’m doing, and we’re still learning, even some ‘household names’ have said that. You mentioned using the computer to look up names, do you have to do much research generally?

William: Most of my work is inspired by actual events. (Not often based on) I do have to do research though. I want my weaponry, locations and vehicles to be authentic. When I wrote my historical fiction, which was based on a real character, I had to do a lot of research on the civil war and the character.

Morgen: Some people adore researching but it’s one of my least favourite (that and editing) but I’m so grateful for the internet – it does make life SO much easier. What point of view do you find most to your liking: first person or third person? Have you ever tried second person?

William: I am more comfortable with third person, but enjoy a well-written first person story. (Lee Childs) I may try that some day. To tell you the truth, I don’t think I even know what second person is.

Morgen: A lot of people don’t (I’m championing it on LinkedIn as it’s quite obscure). If you take a look at my Tuesday Tales page there are some of my second-persons on there. I’ll warn you, it can be quite dark (as if my free eShort The Dark Side) although I write dark and light so probably why I like it. Two Hearts is quite upbeat. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_person_narrative explains it pretty well. Do you have pieces of work that you think will never see light of day?

William: I have put several into the shredder and I am sure I will create several more that will never go anywhere. I am pretty sure that if I don’t like them, no one else will either.

Morgen: You’d be surprised. And anyway, tastes vary incredibly. I had some 4* and 5* on another of my free eShorts ‘Feeding the Father’ but then someone left a 1* the other day saying she was glad it was free because she would have asked for her money back and it’s put her off reading anything else of mine. I obviously think it’s a shame but at least she’s read it and felt strongly enough to comment. So you can’t please everyone. If you find someone who likes it then the chances are that there’ll be many others who do. What’s your favourite / least favourite aspect of your writing life? Has anything surprised you?
William: I guess I enjoy writing fiction because for over thirty years I had to write factual police reports, affidavits and warrants. Now I can write anything I want and I can make the good guys win all the time if I like. I must say that I really enjoy story telling and that was a big surprise for me.

Morgen: Isn’t it great. What advice would you give aspiring writers?

William: DO IT! Start small and grow. Don’t try to impress anyone with your works. Talk in your normal voice; don’t rely on a thesaurus to make yourself sound smart. (Unless of course you are) Write what you know about or are passionate about… From the heart, not the brain.

Morgen: I love that (esp. the smart bit). If you could invite three people from any era to dinner, who would you choose and what would you cook (or hide the takeaway containers)?

William: I would probably invite three of the many people I owe a dinner to now. I would grille up thick steaks, potatoes and beans and top it off with a case of cold beer.

Morgen: Yum. Is there a word, phrase or quote you like?

William: Yes, “Life is tough; it’s tougher if you’re stupid” (John Wayne)

Morgen: <laughs> Are you involved in anything else writing-related other than actual writing or marketing of your writing?

William: Yep, I am working on a biography of my father to pass on to the grandkids. Well shit, I guess is actual writing. How about, I am doing the research for a biography of my father? I am at the point when he landed on Iwo Jima during WWII.

Morgen: There’ve been a few films about Iwo Jima – it may help watching those… and what a good excuse. “Yes, it’s a movie, dear, but it’s research”… like staring out the window. What do you do when you’re not writing? Any hobbies or party tricks?

William: I enjoy golf and shooting. I try to keep up with the house chores, at least the ones I don’t have to call, “the guy” for. My writing is my job now, but I enjoy it so much it is more of a hobby to me.

Morgen: Me too (an obsession). Are there any writing-related websites and / or books that you find useful?

William: I use LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Morgen: Ah yes, I thought you were on LinkedIn. Are you on any forums or networking sites? If so, how valuable do you find them?

William: There is this lovely lady named Morgen Bailey who has a fabulous website.

Morgen: <blushes>

William: I also use Aspiring writers blogs, book writer, writers café, writers world, book marketing, creative designers, two bits and writers. The creative penn with Joanna Penn and Taleist with Steve Lewis have both been extremely helpful in learning how to market.

Morgen: When the day job goes (this Friday – hoorah!) I plan to investigate the net more and get more involved in the things I’m on already. I don’t tweet enough (these blog posts are automated) or thank those who retweet for me enough. What do you think the future holds for a writer?

William: I think the writer’s world is going to do nothing but expand since the arrival of eBooks and self-publishing. It is giving more writers the chance to be heard. I love actual paper books and do not think they are in any trouble and I think with the SP and EB some of these agents and publishers will have to quit being twits. Only the ones who actually are twits. I wouldn’t want to put a blanket description on them all.

Morgen: I totally agree about paper books staying around. I do think that bookshops (very sadly) will dwindle and there’ll be more author=reader direct relationships, which is no bad thing. Where can we find out about you and your work?

William: http://www.williamrbell.com

Morgen: Is there anything else you’d like to mention?

William: No, but thank you for this opportunity.

Morgen: You’re so welcome. Is there anything you’d like to ask me?

William: Yes, where do you get the energy to take on so many simultaneous projects? It’s hard for me to walk and chew gum at the same time. Oh yes, one more thing. Will there be a way to direct my fan to see this interview?

Morgen: ‘Fan’? Just the one? I’ll email you the link as soon as this goes live and you can send him or her over, give me a shout in advance and I’ll put the kettle on. Thank you, Bill.

William R Bell is a writer of both fiction and non-fiction works. He’s a retired criminal investigator and former police officer. He’s a cancer survivor and as with his professional experiences, has committed his experiences to books on the topics. Born in Dearborn Michigan, Mr. Bell served in the U.S. Navy in the early 1960’s. He spent 14 years with the Dearborn Police Department in patrol, narcotics and swat. He then went to Colorado where he became a criminal investigator for CDOC. He specialized in contract murder cases and often posed as a “Hit Man”.  Mr. Bell is the author of several articles featured in trade publications. His technical opus, “Practical Criminal Investigations in Correctional Facilities” is regarded as the textbook for conducting criminal investigations within prisons. Other works include a pair of novels, fictional thrillers which make liberal use of his first-hand professional experiences to enrich the action sequences.

If you are reading this and you write, in whatever genre, and are thinking “ooh, I’d like to do this” then you can… just email me and I’ll send you the questions. You complete them, I tweak them where appropriate (if necessary to reflect the blog ‘clean and light’ rating) and then they get posted. When that’s done, I email you with the link so you can share it with your corner of the literary world. And if you have a writing-related blog / podcast and would like to interview me… let me know. You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything… and follow me on Twitter where each new posting is automatically announced. You can also read / download my eBooks and free eShorts at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore and Kobo.

Unfortunately, as I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t review books but I have a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words. Alternatively if you have a short story or self-contained novel extract / short chapter (ideally up to 1000 words) that you’d like critiqued and don’t mind me reading it / talking about and critiquing it (I send you the transcription afterwards so you can use the comments or ignore them) on my ‘Bailey’s Writing Tips’ podcast, then do email me. They are weekly episodes, usually released Monday mornings UK time, interweaving the recordings between the red pen sessions with the hints & tips episodes. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry. And I have a new forum at http://morgenbailey.freeforums.org.

 

Author Spotlight no.62 – Sarah England

Complementing my daily blog interviews, today’s Author Spotlight, the sixty-second, is of short story author, novelist and interviewee Sarah England.

Sarah England first started telling stories as a child, but only began to write them about 5 years ago. Since then she has had enough rejections to wallpaper the downstairs loo, but also managed to have over 100 published in women’s magazines, newspapers and anthologies to date. With a background in nursing and later, medical sales, much of the inspiration comes from real life situations and particularly comedy; hence her first novel, which is now available on Amazon Kindle ebooks. ’Expected’ is a comedy romp ie a comrom as opposed to a romcom! More info to follow – meanwhile to click on the book link and read a free sample.

And now from the author herself:

When I turned 40 I changed. Not physically – although nothing improved you understand – but something inside. Suddenly there was urgency and I realised how unwell I was. I had headaches and neck pains and overwhelming tiredness. I couldn’t sit through another meeting or be bored by another manager. All my life I had wanted to write books – to be a paperback writer. I’d read copiously as a child and got my English ‘O’ Level at 14. Was it too late?

As fate would have it my husband was offered a job in the South West and I had the ideal opportunity to jack in my sales and marketing job with a major pharmaceutical company. Alas I also had to jack in the hefty salary and the Beamer but – God it was wonderful! I came home on the train with no luggage – free!

The joy, however, was short lived. Convinced I was going to hit the world literary stage with a blockbuster I spent 2 years submitting dire tomes of utter tosh to long-suffering agents. It was then the realisation hit me – this wasn’t easy! So I did a brief correspondence course in creative writing and I started studying short stories in magazines in an effort to learn my craft. I even went to a writing conference with one of my sad tomes and had a 1:1 with an agent. She read the first few lines and said, “My God this is boring.” Crushed? I went home in tears.

There is a happy ending – bear with – about a year after a started writing and submitting short stories I finally got a yes! From a chap called Dan McDaid at My Weekly. I have since had over 100 short stories bought and published in magazines, newspapers and anthologies. Bridge House Publishing were the first publishing company to take my short stories into an anthology and the latest one, Mosaic, is now not only in paperback but has just gone onto Amazon Kindle at a fraction of the price. It’s a pretty classy collection with not only well-known authors but also some award winning ones too. Here’s the link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0069BF92S. My 2 stories are ‘Adele’ – a glamour puss who has settled for life in a back terrace in Rotherham with a somewhat ordinary and quite bemused bloke. And ‘Different Colours’ – a bit of a steamy piece – my first and only sex scene!

Then came a bit of a leap – after years of trying I finally made it into Woman’s Weekly Fiction. My story ‘Another Man’ caused a bit of family friction but it was that story, published earlier this year, that was the first to make it. They have since bought 7 and the latest were now out in the 2011 Christmas Special Issue and the Fiction Special (Issue 10). This is hugely exciting for me and I’ve really felt that I can push the boat out for them – in terms of humour and difficult subjects ie that there is no agenda except an entertaining read. I’m hoping to write a serial for them as my next major project.

But the other leap this year was ‘Expected’. Now this has been a mixed bag. On the one hand I decided, after being told by agent after agent that they really liked it but the women’s commercial fiction market was too difficult at the moment – to market it myself on Amazon Kindle ebooks. Good and bad. I had to do all the editing, presentation and promotion myself – and I knew nothing about fb, twitter, blogs and websites, so I had to learn the ropes and fast. It took weeks and weeks and I’m still not doing well in terms of being known or selling the book. However, my learning curve has been extremely steep and I’m now pretty savvy when it comes to negotiating my way round the internet. I’ve also discovered ether books, which I wouldn’t have otherwise done – and loaded up 4 short stories. One is horror – ‘3am and Wide Awake’ which I have on good authority will scare the pants off you. The other 3 were published in the small press but didn’t see much daylight and so ether has offered a wider audience for ‘Cold Melon Tart,’ ‘Islands,’ and ‘Rough Love.’

Now before you go I would hate to chat and not tell you just a little about my girl, Sam Sweet, in ‘Expected’. You see – she’s expected to do what other people want her to do – that is to get married to a man she doesn’t love and to have his children. Sam is from a rough working class background and all she’s dreamed about is a career. But now she’s stuck. And said career is sliding away with jealous colleagues and a hateful boss. Miserable, she comfort eats and she shops – don’t we all – thus making her situation even worse. She has to find some power – a voice! If she doesn’t then she will not be free to make her own choices in life. I hope I’ve created a gutsy, funny heroine who finds her way out of the paper bag, and I hope it’s a fast and furious read that the reader will enjoy. Here’s the link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005OMBA1C

Next project – well the serial for Woman’s Weekly and also a psychological thriller that’s been spinning around in my head for a while. With a background in nursing and pharmaceuticals a lot of my stories inevitably revolve around illness or mental problems. If you aren’t well then the world is a whole different ball game and that fascinates me. I want to write always – for ordinary people – for everyone. I just need to get my books out there as well as my stories and hopefully that will eventually happen. One day………….

You can find more about Sarah and her writing via her website: http://www.sarahengland.yolasite.com.

The blog interviews will return as normal tomorrow with crime writer William R Bell – the two hundred and ninety-first of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, biographers, agents, publishers and more. A list of interviewees (blogged and scheduled) can be found here. If you like what you read, please do go and investigate further. And I enjoy hearing from readers of my blog; do either leave a comment on the relevant interview (the interviewees love to hear from you too!) and / or email me. You can read / download my eBooks from Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore and Kobo (Amazon to follow). And I have a new forum at http://morgenbailey.freeforums.org.