Author interview with mystery writer Price McNaughton

Complementing the full interviews on this blog, which have now dropped to weekend mornings only, another new interview on my interview-only blog has been posted! The (670+) interviews from this blog are there as well so there’s plenty to read.

The latest interview on the new blog is with mystery author Price McNaughton and can be read in full at http://morgensauthorinterviews.wordpress.com/2013/04/11/author-interview-with-mystery-writer-price-mcnaughton.

***

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 information. They do now (January 2013) carry a fee (£10 / €12.50 / $15) for the new interviews on this blog but everything else (see Opportunities on this blog) is free.

Alternatively, if you’d like a free Q&A-only interview, I now have http://morgensauthorinterviews.wordpress.com on which I’ve rerun the original interviews posted here then posted new interviews which I then reblog here. These interviews are Q&A only, so I don’t add in my comments but they do get exposure on both sites.

If you go for the interview, it’s very simple; I send you a questionnaire (I have them for novelists, short story authors, children’s authors, non-fiction authors, and poets). You complete the questions, and I let you know when it’s going to go live. Before it does so, I add in comments as if we’re chatting, 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.

** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!

See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0

or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel, which is being serialised on Novel Nights In!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.

For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.

As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do. If there’s anything you’d like to take part in, take a look at Opportunities on this blog.

I welcome items for critique for the online writing groups listed below:

Morgen’s Online Non-Fiction Writing Group

• http://nonfictionwritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/335526669896374

Morgen’s Online Novel Writing Group

• http://novelwritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/508696639153189

Morgen’s Online Poetry Writing Group

• http://poetrywritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/388850977875934

Morgen’s Online Script Writing Group

• http://scriptwritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/319941328108017

Morgen’s Online Short Story Writing Group

• http://shortstorywritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/544072635605445

We look forward to reading your comments.

 

Author interview with science-fiction adventure novelist Erren Grey Wolf

Complementing the full interviews on this blog, which have now dropped to weekend mornings only, another new interview on my interview-only blog has been posted! The (670+) interviews from this blog are there as well so there’s plenty to read.

The latest interview on the new blog is with science-fiction adventure novelist Erren Grey Wolf and can be read in full at http://morgensauthorinterviews.wordpress.com/2013/04/05/author-interview-with-science-fiction-adventure-novelist-erren-grey-wolf.

***

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 information. They do now (January 2013) carry a fee (£10 / €12.50 / $15) for the new interviews on this blog but everything else (see Opportunities on this blog) is free.

Alternatively, if you’d like a free Q&A-only interview, I now have http://morgensauthorinterviews.wordpress.com on which I’ve rerun the original interviews posted here then posted new interviews which I then reblog here. These interviews are Q&A only, so I don’t add in my comments but they do get exposure on both sites.

If you go for the interview, it’s very simple; I send you a questionnaire (I have them for novelists, short story authors, children’s authors, non-fiction authors, and poets). You complete the questions, and I let you know when it’s going to go live. Before it does so, I add in comments as if we’re chatting, 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.

** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!

See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0

or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel, which is being serialised on Novel Nights In!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.

For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.

As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do. If there’s anything you’d like to take part in, take a look at Opportunities on this blog.

I welcome items for critique for the online writing groups listed below:

Morgen’s Online Non-Fiction Writing Group

• http://nonfictionwritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/335526669896374

Morgen’s Online Novel Writing Group

• http://novelwritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/508696639153189

Morgen’s Online Poetry Writing Group

• http://poetrywritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/388850977875934

Morgen’s Online Script Writing Group

• http://scriptwritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/319941328108017

Morgen’s Online Short Story Writing Group

• http://shortstorywritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/544072635605445

We look forward to reading your comments.

 

Author interview with contemporary novelist Stacey Covington-Lee

Complementing the full interviews on this blog, which have now dropped to weekend mornings only, another new interview on my interview-only blog has been posted! The (660+) interviews from this blog are there as well so there’s plenty to read.

The latest interview on the new blog is with contemporary novelist Stacey Covington-Lee and can be read in full at http://morgensauthorinterviews.wordpress.com/2013/04/01/author-interview-with-contemporary-novelist-stacey-covington-lee.

***

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 information. They do now (January 2013) carry a fee (£10 / €12.50 / $15) for the new interviews on this blog but everything else (see Opportunities on this blog) is free.

Alternatively, if you’d like a free Q&A-only interview, I now have http://morgensauthorinterviews.wordpress.com on which I’ve rerun the original interviews posted here then posted new interviews which I then reblog here. These interviews are Q&A only, so I don’t add in my comments but they do get exposure on both sites.

If you go for the interview, it’s very simple; I send you a questionnaire (I have them for novelists, short story authors, children’s authors, non-fiction authors, and poets). You complete the questions, and I let you know when it’s going to go live. Before it does so, I add in comments as if we’re chatting, 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.

** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!

See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0

or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel, which is being serialised on Novel Nights In!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.

For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.

As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do. If there’s anything you’d like to take part in, take a look at Opportunities on this blog.

I welcome items for critique for the online writing groups listed below:

Morgen’s Online Non-Fiction Writing Group

• http://nonfictionwritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/335526669896374

Morgen’s Online Novel Writing Group

• http://novelwritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/508696639153189

Morgen’s Online Poetry Writing Group

• http://poetrywritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/388850977875934

Morgen’s Online Script Writing Group

• http://scriptwritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/319941328108017

Morgen’s Online Short Story Writing Group

• http://shortstorywritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/544072635605445

We look forward to reading your comments.

 

 

5PM Fiction 172: Escapism (and Twitter micro fiction)

Welcome to the one hundred and seventy-second in this daily series that is ‘5pm Fiction’.

Late April 2011 I discovered http://StoryADay.org and the project that is to write 31 stories in 31 days. Anyone who knows me or follows this blog, knows how passionate I am about short stories so my clichéd eyes lit up at this new marvel. And just a few days later there I was, breathing life into new characters. This went on to become (with some editing of course) my 31-story collection eBook Story A Day May 2011.

I was nearing completion of the 2012 project when I decided that I didn’t want to stop at the end of May so 5PM Fiction was born. I put a load of prompts on the 5PM Fiction page and today’s was to write a story using a mixed bag. A while ago in one of my Monday night workshops we played a consequence-type game where we had to write a first name (fold over, pass on), surname (ditto), age, town / street, emotion, family member, animal, room in a house and word count, and the version I received back had: Jordan, Lockwood, 22, Orangeberg, anger, aunt, meerkat, basement and 28 – as it turned out I only had myself to blame for Orangeberg! So here is my 28-worder!

*

Escapism

Orangeberg made 22-year-old Jordan Lockwood angry. He was unsure why but his aunt’s meerkat didn’t help; screeching away in the basement. Until one day it escaped, Jordan followed.

*

And then this week, I was invited North London Literary Festival to write some Twitter fiction, in less than 140 characters to include their hashtag of #twitfic13 (also see the details on NLLF’s website) so I converted the 28-worder above into:

London made Jordan angry. His aunt’s meerkat didn’t help; screeching away in the basement. One day it escaped, Jordan followed.

(I figured ‘Orangeberg’ wasn’t obvious as a town name).

So I created http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/5pm-fiction/micro-fiction. I created another micro story (pared down from http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/2012/07/15/5pm-fiction-045-just-desserts) both of which are on the Micro Fiction page:

“I love a tart,” Ernie said to Nora, mouth full. Ernie’s now buried in the garden, by the lemon tree, and they’ve never tasted so sour.

***

Picture above courtesy of morguefile.com.

** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!

See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0

or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel, which is being serialised on Novel Nights In!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.

For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.

As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do. If there’s anything you’d like to take part in, take a look at Opportunities on this blog.

I welcome items for critique for the online writing groups listed below:

Morgen’s Online Non-Fiction Writing Group

• http://nonfictionwritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/335526669896374

Morgen’s Online Novel Writing Group

• http://novelwritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/508696639153189

Morgen’s Online Poetry Writing Group

• http://poetrywritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/388850977875934

Morgen’s Online Script Writing Group

• http://scriptwritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/319941328108017

Morgen’s Online Short Story Writing Group

• http://shortstorywritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/544072635605445

We look forward to reading your comments.

 

Author interview no.679 with science fiction / fantasy writer Peter F Hamilton

Welcome to the six hundred and seventy-ninth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, biographers, agents, publishers and more. Today’s is with science fiction / fantasy writer Peter F Hamilton. 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, Peter. Thank you for joining me today. Please tell us how you came to be a writer.

Peter: Almost by accident.  It was one of those thoughts in the back of my head that I’d like to give it a try one day.  So when I was 27 I did just that.  It took another three years to get published, though.

Morgen: You clearly enjoyed writing enough though to persevere. There’s a Wikipedia page about you (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_F._Hamilton), which says you’re best known for writing ‘space opera’, could you please explain that genre.

Peter: Space Opera tends to be about huge conflicts in the far future, which an accurate enough description.  I don’t like the idea of trying to classify everything in the genre, though.

Morgen: Me neither; I write a bit of (almost) everything. Have you considered other genres, perhaps under a pseudonym?

Peter: I’ve just finished writing three children’s fantasy books, and they’ll be published under my name.

Morgen: It is hard enough getting established in one name so I don’t blame you. You have had 18 novels, a novella and over 20 short stories published to-date, do you have any favourites or your books / stories or characters? If any of them were made into a film, which actors would you choose?

Peter: The favourite is always the current one.  If any of the Commonwealth universe books were filmed, I think Grace Parks would make a great Paula Myo.

Morgen: I’d not heard of Grace so Googled her (thank you Wikipedia – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Park_(actress)) but then I’ve not seen the programmes she’s been in, which doesn’t help. You’ve written series and standalones, do you write any of the series books to be read as standalones?

Peter:  My trilogies are effectively one story that has to be split into three volumes from practical reasons.  I don’t think it’s a good idea to read the second without reading the first – that’s also why none of them have ‘what happened before’ sections at the start.

Morgen: I know it’s not the same but I never used to read prologues until I was involved in a prologue / epilogue debate so read the prologue of the next book I started and it did make the book feel more complete. Are your books available as eBooks? Do you read eBooks or is it paper all the way?

Peter: I think most of them are available in ebook format.  And my UK publisher (Tor / Macmillan) has them as DRM free, which was a great step forward.  I do have a Kindle, but my reading is split 50 50 with paper and ebooks right now.

Morgen: Very few of the authors I’ve interviewed have said they only read eBooks and the split for most is about the same as yours. There’s an announcement on your website that your book ‘Great North Road’ (which one of your website guests has said “blends sci-fi with crime, horror, doomed romance, and a bit of political / action thriller”) is available as an audiobook on Audible. Were you involved in that at all?

Peter: Several of my books are on Audible.  Apart from helping with pronunciation (where I can) my involvement is minimal.

Morgen: You have various fan sites dedicated to you / your writing (some listed on your http://www.peterfhamilton.co.uk/index.php?page=Links page), are you involved in them at all?

Peter: They’re run by fans, which is very kind of them to spend so much time looking after them.  I help to a small degree.

Morgen: They clearly enjoy doing that. Authors can be quite easily anonymous. Have you ever been recognised when you’re not at a literary event?

Peter: Thankfully not.

Morgen: <laughs> Have you ever been tempted to self-publish anything you’ve written that’s not yet been traditionally published?

Peter: That day might well come.  There are some ideas for books that aren’t quite SF that I’d like to get out there.  The trouble is finding the time to write them.

Morgen: That’s the trouble with being an author these days; there are so many aspects to life that means we never have enough time for the actual writing. You were at the London Expo Comic Con in October 2012, how important are live events to you as an author?

Peter: I enjoy meeting readers at conventions.  I do use Facebook but a face to face (or interview like this) is more is more personal.

Morgen: I’m delighted to accepted my invitation, and of course I appreciate you taking the time to talk to me. The next three questions are actually from one of your readers, Kevin Machin, (a writing friend who asked me to invite you actually). Thank you, Kevin…

Kevin: In your Confederation and Commonwealth sagas, for example, how do you keep track of the huge casts of characters? Do you ever get them mixed up between the different universes?

Peter:  Not between universes – not yet anyway.  I have extensive notes and chapter outlines which prevents me from mixing them up, and if I do the copy editor usually saves me.

Kevin: When creating a multi-volume story, do you plan the entire thing out first, or is it more of a write-by-the-seat-of-the-pants thing?

Peter: I have to have it planned out.  I spend months developing the worlds and characters before actually starting the book.

Kevin: What would be your number one piece of advice for a wannabe SF writer?

Peter: Develop your idea as much as you can, you have to know what you’re going to say.  And don’t try to write what you think other people want, this is your book.

Morgen: Absolutely. Thank you, Peter. Artwork for your genre is famously stunning, how do the artists that you work with translate your writing to graphic art?

Peter: I have no artistic ability of my own whatsoever.  So I usually provide them with a section which I think will make a good visual, then answer questions about small details.  After that I stand back and admire what they produce.

Morgen: ‘Admire’ for sure. You have different cover artists for different countries (UK, France, US etc), is there a reason for this?

Peter: Different publishers.  It’s that simple.

Morgen: Do you choose the titles of your books? How important do you think they are?

Peter: The titles are all my own.  They’re important, but not critical.

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

Peter: I’m doing the editing on the children’s books, and finishing the notes for The Abyss Beyond Dreams, which is book one (of two) of the Fallers – set in the Commonwealth universe.

Morgen: I’m sure Kevin will be looking forward to that one when he reads this interview. You mentioned one of your characters, Paula Myo, earlier – do you have a method for creating your characters?

Peter: Not a conscious one, they develop in tandem with the plot.

Morgen: You’ve said that you’re currently editing your children’s books – do you do a lot of editing or do you find that as time goes on your writing is more fully-formed?

Peter: I revise on a daily basis.  But I always need editing.

Morgen: I think every author does, although I would imagine it must get easier having so many books under your proverbial belt. Do you have to do much research?

Peter: If there’s a technology or idea which features heavily in a book, I’ll research as much as I can.  The trick is in knowing about the subject without letting those details flood the book, the reader doesn’t need to know the tiniest components of everything.

Morgen: They don’t and I’ve heard some say that they’ve read books where it feels as if the author has “shown off” with all the superfluous detail they’ve included. What point of view do you find most to your liking: first person or third person? Have you ever tried second person?

Peter: I prefer third, and all my books have been written in that so far.  Some shorts have been in first person.  I’ve never tried second, because none of the stories have required it, yet.

Morgen: As a fan of second person, I’m delighted to hear “yet”. Do you have pieces of work that you think will never see light of day?

Peter: A lot of the old short stories are now are safely buried. I don’t think there’s anything there that will ever be resurrected.

Morgen: What a shame. Although “safely buried” does sound as if it’s the right thing. Have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?

Peter: Not recently, thankfully.  I do have the obligatory drawer-full of rejection slips from when I was beginning.  When you get one, you learn what you can from it and move on.

Morgen: It’s the best way to approach them. Do you have an agent? Do you think they’re vital to an author’s success?

Peter: I have had the same agent for twenty years.  I wouldn’t be without one, but I know some authors are perfectly happy to go it alone.

Morgen: We are, although I’d never say never. As well as your website (http://www.peterfhamilton.co.uk), you have a Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/PeterFHamilton) and you’re on Twitter (https://twitter.com/PeterFHamilton1). Do you have to do much of the marketing for your published works or indeed for yourselves as a ‘brand’?

Peter: The twitter account was set up by someone to feed from my facebook page, (which is apparently bad form) I don’t tweet myself.  I try and post something every couple of weeks or so, but I don’t blog.  Promotional tours are an accepted part of being an author.  It sounds glamorous travelling round from city to city, but trust me, it’s not.

Morgen: I rarely travel but in the past couple of weeks I’ve been to Scotland (crime writing workshop) and London twice (doing a talk on blogging then as a guest on one of Brendan Foley’s seminars (journalism, it was fantastic)) and, although I had a great time, that’s enough for me for a while. You have a new (US) trailer for Great North Road (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrOv7qXog6I). How important do you think trailers are?

Peter: That’s the first one a publisher has done for me, and it’s very cool.  How effective?  I’ve no idea.  Time will tell.

Morgen: It is a great trailer. Which authors did you read when you were younger and did they shape you as a writer?

Peter: The classics, Clarke, Asimov, Niven, May.  Everything that came out in the 70’s and early 80’s.  I was inspired rather than influenced, I’d say.

Morgen: What’s your favourite / least favourite aspect of your writing life?

Peter: Sitting down for years at a time writing one project can be a bit of a slog by the end.  But I work from home and get to see more of the kids than a lot of dads, so it’s hardly something to moan about.

Morgen: I’ve been home-based (no day job) for just over a year and it’s fantastic. I have to rent out two of my bedrooms to pay the bills but it’s definitely a fair exchange. If you had to choose a single day from your past to re-live over and over, what day would it be and why?

Peter: The day I first met my wife.

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

Peter: Niven’s: “Think of it as evolution in action.” It’s one of those I wish I’d said myself.

Morgen: I love it. What do you do when you’re not writing?

Peter: Surfing is my mid-life crisis.  And my daughter is already better than me.

Morgen: <laughs> Children are usually miles ahead in terms of technology. I get away with it because I don’t have any, although my dog thinks he’s a child so I’ve learned not to let him anywhere near my gadgets. What do you think the future holds for a writer?

Peter: We’re all waiting to see where ebooks go.  Personally I hope we don’t wind up with author playlists bundled with the content.  I don’t think mine would impress anybody.

Morgen: Oh dear. I’m sure there are plenty of readers who would disagree. I have high hopes, certainly for the independent author, but as you said earlier, time will tell. Thank you very much, Peter, for joining me today, and thank you, Kevin for asking.

***

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 information. They do now (January 2013) carry a fee (£10 / €12.50 / $15) for the new interviews on this blog but everything else (see Opportunities on this blog) is free.

Alternatively, if you’d like a free Q&A-only interview, I now have http://morgensauthorinterviews.wordpress.com on which I’ve rerun the original interviews posted here then posted new interviews which I then reblog here. These interviews are Q&A only, so I don’t add in my comments but they do get exposure on both sites.

If you go for the interview, it’s very simple; I send you a questionnaire (I have them for novelists, short story authors, children’s authors, non-fiction authors, and poets). You complete the questions, and I let you know when it’s going to go live. Before it does so, I add in comments as if we’re chatting, 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.

** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!

See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0

or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel, which is being serialised on Novel Nights In!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.

For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.

As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do. If there’s anything you’d like to take part in, take a look at Opportunities on this blog.

I welcome items for critique for the online writing groups listed below:

Morgen’s Online Non-Fiction Writing Group

• http://nonfictionwritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/335526669896374

Morgen’s Online Novel Writing Group

• http://novelwritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/508696639153189

Morgen’s Online Poetry Writing Group

• http://poetrywritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/388850977875934

Morgen’s Online Script Writing Group

• http://scriptwritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/319941328108017

Morgen’s Online Short Story Writing Group

• http://shortstorywritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/544072635605445

We look forward to reading your comments.

 

Author interview no.675 with children’s writer Natasha Wing

Welcome to the six hundred and seventy-fifth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, scriptwriters, biographers, agents, publishers and more. Today’s is with children’s author Natasha Wing. 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, Natasha. Please tell us something about yourself, where you’re based, and how you came to be a writer.

Natasha: I’m a children’s book writer who lives in Fort Collins, Colorado. I’ve been writing for 21 years and chose to become a writer after working at a metropolitan newspaper and an advertising agency. I wanted more creative projects and freedom.

Morgen: You write children’s books, was there a reason to choose this genre?

Natasha: While working in advertising I had one of those magical moments where another children’s book inspired me to write for children instead of consumers. Plus I love books with illustrations and the inventiveness of children’s books, so I chose to write for young kids.

Morgen: What have you had published to-date?

Natasha: I am mostly known for my Night Before series that is a twist on The Night Before Christmas. I have 16 books in that series with more on the way. I also enjoy writing biographies. An Eye for Color: The Story of Josef Albers is about an abstract artist who lived down the street from me when I was a kid in Connecticut. I have a book about Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis that is coming out in 2015, and I just finished a manuscript for the founders of the National Park Service.

Morgen: What age group do you write for?

Natasha: My audience tends to be 3 to 8 years old. I do have a middle grade being shopped around that is for pre-teen girls that I’m excited about. I would love to write more for this age group.

Morgen: Which authors did you read when you were younger and did they shape you as a writer?

Natasha: Dr. Seuss for sure influenced me! His writing was silly and rhymed, so I do enjoy a good bouncy rhyme. I enjoyed Cinderella, too. That was my first pop-up book. It had a crepe paper pumpkin that rose up from inside the cover.

Morgen: Do you think it’s easier writing for children than adults?

Natasha: I do. I tried to write a sci-fi novel and trying to keep track of all the plot threads was challenging. I also am the type of person who likes to scale down. I don’t wear a lot of jewellery. My house is not cluttered. So I like the act of cutting out the unnecessary and clarifying what it is I really want to say with as few words as possible.

Morgen: Do you get a second opinion on your stories before they’re published – if so from adults, children or both?

 

Author interview with humourist novelist and short story writer Ira Nayman

Complementing the full interviews on this blog, which will be dropping to weekend mornings from March, another new interview on my interview-only blog has been posted! The (630+) interviews from this blog are there already so there’s plenty to read.

The latest interview on the new blog is with humorist novelist and short story author Ira Nayman and can be read in full at http://morgensauthorinterviews.wordpress.com/2013/02/12/author-interview-with-humourist-novelist-and-short-story-writer-ira-nayman.

***

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 information. They do now (January 2013) carry a fee (£10 / €12.50 / $15) for the new interviews on this blog but everything else (see Opportunities on this blog) is free.

Alternatively, if you’d like a free Q&A-only interview, I now have http://morgensauthorinterviews.wordpress.com on which I’ve rerun the original interviews posted here then posted new interviews which I then reblog here. These interviews are Q&A only, so I don’t add in my comments but they do get exposure on both sites.

If you go for the interview, it’s very simple; I send you a questionnaire (I have them for novelists, short story authors, children’s authors, non-fiction authors, and poets). You complete the questions, and I let you know when it’s going to go live. Before it does so, I add in comments as if we’re chatting, 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.

** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!

See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0

or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel, which is being serialised on Novel Nights In!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.

For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.

As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do. I welcome items for critique for the online writing groups listed below:

Morgen’s Online Non-Fiction Writing Group

• http://nonfictionwritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/335526669896374

Morgen’s Online Novel Writing Group

• http://novelwritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/508696639153189

Morgen’s Online Poetry Writing Group

• http://poetrywritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/388850977875934

Morgen’s Online Script Writing Group

• http://scriptwritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/319941328108017

Morgen’s Online Short Story Writing Group

• http://shortstorywritinggroup.wordpress.com
• http://www.facebook.com/groups/544072635605445

We look forward to reading your comments.

 

 

Author interview no.628 with children’s writer Dr Cherrye Vasquez

Welcome to the six hundred and twenty-eighth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, biographers, agents, publishers and more. Today’s is with children’s author Dr Cherrye Vasquez. 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, Dr. Vasquez. Please tell us something about yourself.

Dr. Vasquez: I am a public school administrator and an adjunct professor. I’ve obtained a Doctorate of Philosophy in Curriculum & Instruction; a Master of Education in Special Education; and a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Pathology / Audiology. My specialties include Multi-cultural education and I hold certifications in Early Childhood Handicapped, Mid-Management and Educational Diagnostician. I live in Houston with my husband, Roy and my daughter, Kelly.

Morgen: You write fiction, how do you decide what to write about?

Dr. Vasquez: My writing, although fiction; mirrors my personal life, so my characters were created to fit the story line of my book, so that I could best tell my story and the message that I want children to learn from my book.

Morgen: They say to write about what you know. What have you had published to-date?

Dr. Vasquez: I have published three books to-date. My first book, No Tildes on Tuesday, is a children’s chapter book geared toward children aged 7-13 years old. In addition, I’ve published two Daybooks: Affirmation Daybook and Diversity Daybook. These are journal writing books with the purpose of children journaling about their uniqueness while affirming who they are and what they will become in life.

Morgen: What a great idea. Journaling is so popular with adults that it makes sense to encourage children to do that. Writing can be so therapeutic. Have you self-published? If so, what lead to you going your own way?

Dr. Vasquez: My publisher for No Tildes on Tuesday is Tate Publishing & Enterprises. They do not consider themselves to be a vanity publisher, but many people consider this for them since they require upfront costs to actually publish your work. Tate produced an excellent book for me. My two Daybooks were published through CreateSpace.com

Morgen: If you’re happy with them that’s the important thing. Are your books available as eBooks? Do you read eBooks or is it paper all the way?

 

Author interview no.619 with non-fiction and scriptwriter Mary Batten

Welcome to the six hundred and nineteenth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, biographers, agents, publishers and more. Today’s is with non-fiction and scriptwriter Mary Batten. 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, Mary.

Mary: Hello, Morgen. Thank you for this opportunity to be featured on your blog.

Morgen: You’re very welcome. I’m delighted you could join me. Please tell us something about yourself, where you’re based, and how you came to be a writer.

Mary: I write nonfiction books, magazine articles, and television shows for children and adults. Most of my work deals with nature and science, although I get quite political in my blog. I’ve been writing since I was eight years old and I knew I wanted to be a writer at that early age. I don’t know why the writing bug bit me, but I know my grandmother played an important part. When I was in the second grade, I lived with my grandparents, as my mother was expecting her third child and our family doctor thought it would be less stressful for me (I had had rheumatic fever the year before and everybody was worried about my heart) and my mother if I lived with my grandparents whose house was just five minutes down the road. During that year, my grandmother and I played a storytelling game almost every day. She would make up a story and then I would make up a story. In retrospect, I realize we were “writing” with our imaginations.

I live on the East Coast of the United States in Virginia.

Morgen: What a wonderful grandmother. I totally understand about the writing bug biting, it got me in my late thirties. With your non-fiction, how do you decide what to write about?

Mary: Sometimes an editor calls me and asks whether I’d be interested in writing about this or that topic. Otherwise I write about things that fascinate me.  Nature is always a great source of ideas. I’m drawn to unusual, often bizarre behaviours of animals and plants, such as mating behaviour and pollination.

Morgen: The great thing about nature is that there’s so much of it. You’d never run out of inspiration. What have you had published to-date?

Mary: To date, I’ve published some 15 books. These include my new eBook, How To Have Sex If You’re Not Human: Intimate Journeys in Natural History, Sexual Strategies: How Females Choose Their Mates, Aliens From Earth, Hungry Plants, Anthropologist: Scientist of the People, Please Don’t Wake the Animals: A Book About Sleep, Hey, Daddy!, and Wild Cats. I also have a short story, “The Rabbit”, in the forthcoming edition of IN GOOD COMPANY, a short story anthology published by Live Wire Press.

Morgen: A great variety. You’ve self-published, what lead to you going your own way?

Mary: Only one of my books is self-published, How To Have Sex If You’re Not Human. I decided to step into the digital publishing world and self-publish my first eBook. Digital technology makes it so easy for writers to publish their work. It’s a whole new publishing arena that gives writers control of their work, higher royalties, and elimination of the middle level of agents and publishers. I find it very exciting and it’s clear that digital books are the books of the present and the future. However, there’s a tradeoff. The writer must take on the challenge of marketing her work. You aren’t going to sell any books unless you climb the steep marketing curve. Marketing is time consuming and difficult. It definitely cuts into writing time. You have to become your own publicist, interact with social media, blog, do podcasts, and anything else you think will help sell your book. Some writers hit it big by self-publishing digitally, but most writers who go this route don’t. Most of my books are published by traditional publishers. I think pursuing a mixed publication strategy is best for me.

Morgen: I think you’re very wise. Authors these days have to do plenty of marketing, needless to say more so when they go it alone but then we get to contact our readership directly which is great. Are all your books available as eBooks?

Mary: I have two eBooks: How To Have Sex If You’re Not Human, which I self-published, and Hungry Plants, which my publisher, Random House, released in digital format.

Morgen: For the traditionally published books, did you have any say in the titles / covers of your books? How important do you think they are?

Mary: Yes, I come up with most of my titles and others evolve from brainstorming with my editors. I sometimes make cover suggestions; in other instances, my editors and publishers come up with the cover idea in collaboration with the illustrator. I am so fortunate to have wonderful artists like Higgins Bond, Paul Mirocha, and Beverly J. Doyle who have illustrated my books. Titles and book covers are extremely important in catching a reader’s attention. They’re the first thing a potential buyer sees.

Morgen: They are indeed, and you have striking titles and covers (Sexual Strategies is my favourite of the three you’ve sent me). What are you working on at the moment / next?

Mary: I’m working on a two-part memoir project.

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

Mary: Usually I write something every day.  I’ve never had writer’s block.

Morgen: You’re very fortunate. I rarely get stuck but then like you, I write a variety so it does make it easier. Do you do a lot of editing or do you find that as time goes on your writing is more fully-formed?

 

Author interview no.616 with multi-genre writer Carmen Anthony Fiore

Welcome to the six hundred and sixteenth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, biographers, agents, publishers and more. Today’s is with multi-genre author Carmen Anthony Fiore. 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 Carmen. Please tell us something about yourself, where you’re based, and how you came to be a writer.

Carmen: My real name is Carmen Anthony Fiore, which is also my professional writing name. After a three-year sojourn in Florida with my wife, Catherine, who is a professional artist and art teacher, we moved back to our home state, New Jersey. The Toms River area is only about five miles from the Atlantic Ocean. I was born in Trenton, NJ. Anyone from Great Britain who is interested and familiar with the interlocking history of our countries will note that the battles of Trenton and Princeton in 1776-77 (Christmas holiday time) against the Hessians and the British troops played a pivotal role in the American Revolution and Gen. Washington’s rejuvenation as a winner, overcoming the loser he was prior to those battles. Talk about a momentum switch!

I’ve always marched to a different drummer, and I was always highly alert to my environment when growing up, as well as having an active imagination. Looking back, I realize how important that was to my becoming a writer. But I shouldn’t discount growing up with my father’s barbershop occupying the front room of our house. I used to sweep the hair and shine shoes in it while listening to the adult male conversations. I found them intriguing. It was an education you can’t buy or get in school. Of course, as an adult I held positions as a social worker, a schoolteacher and ad a civil servant for the State of New Jersey where I dealt with the public on a daily basis. My work background contributed to the grist that fed my writer’s mill, writing part time while maintaining the jobs, and now that I am retired, I write full time and I’m loving every minute of it. I hold a B.S. in Commerce from Rider Univ. and a Master of Education Degree from Rutgers Univ. (both in NJ). And my all-time favorite author is William Shakespeare. I’m such a fan of his I wrote a supplemental textbook for high-school kids titled SUPPLEMENT TO SHAKESPEARE which is supposed to be published this year by a small independent education press. It compares Shakespeare / Elizabethan entertainments to the present-day entertainments in all their electronic glory.

Morgen: An active imagination certainly does help a writer although it sounds like you’ve had an interesting life to write what you know. What have you had published to-date?

Carmen: So far I’ve published (print / e-books) 26 titles. Twenty-four titles are available on the Kindle e-book reader and other hand-held devices as follows:

Full-length novels priced @ $2.99 per download:

• AVARICE CAN BE DEADLY (private-eye/mystery-suspense) ASIN: B006QG7N5M
• ITALIAN INTERLUDE (private-eye/mystery-suspense) ASIN: B0073GQMOM
• THE DREAM LADY (private-eye/mystery-suspense) ASIN: B006SMKVXA
• TILL DEATH DO US PART (private-eye/mystery-suspense) ASIN: B007139TG0
• EROTIC PRIEST (drama) ASIN: B006GV89SC
• LITTLE OSCAR (erotic drama) ASIN: B00564R9HC
• SEARCHING (racial drama) ASIN: B003KN3Z1U
• SZABO’S SONG (social drama) ASIN: B006OELY42
• THE BARRIER (racial drama) ASIN: B005230PZ0
• THE COLORED KID (family/racial drama) ASIN: B006M47M0O
• THE LINCOLN CAPER (what-if historical fiction) ASIN: B0064D6CZ4
• THE SNAKESKIN (juvenile adventure) ASIN: B004VSYMOM
• VENDETTA MOUNTAIN (family/suspense drama) ASIN: B004X2HTLE
• A CASE IN PRINCIPLE (amateur-sleuth/mystery-suspense) ASIN: B007DCBIFY
• AND BABY MAKES THREE (amateur-sleuth/mystery-suspense) ASIN: B0081KQ1LI

Novellas priced @ $1.99 per download:

• A RESTLESS SPRING (family drama) ASIN: B005BYXAIE
• MIXED DOUBLES (mystery-suspense) ASIN: B005C6CHB2
• SPORTS CAN BE LETHAL (private-eye/mystery-suspense) ASIN: B006VEZ518
• THE DEVIL’S WORKSHOP (private-eye/mystery-suspense) ASIN: B006YDMNKW
• WHERE’S THE PARTY? (drama) ASIN: B005A1IYIE
• YOUNGBLOOD STALLION: boy writer (humorous drama about writing, publishing) ASIN: B00767V43M

Full-length nonfiction:

• GETTING WHAT YOU WANT FROM DIFFICULT PEOPLE (self-help) ASIN: B005CKIBWM
• HOW TO BE EMBARRASSMENT PROOF (self-help) ASIN: B005D7V8QU
• NOBODY LOVES ME LIKE I DO (self-help) ASIN: B005EHRVB0

I have two books in print that are not on the Kindle:

• YOUNG HEROES OF THE CIVIL WAR (creative young-adult historical nonfiction)
• VOICES OF THE DAUGHTERS (nonfiction-interviews of Italian-American women/co-written)

Morgen: Wow. It makes me tired just reading that list. Have you ever written under a pseudonym?

Carmen: I have never used a pseudonym and never intend to.

Morgen: I wouldn’t say you need to with a great name like yours. You’ve self-published, what lead to you going your own way?

 

Author Spotlight no.155 – Lauren Grimley

Complementing the blog interviews, today’s Author Spotlight, the one hundred and fifty-fifth, is of urban fantasy author Lauren Grimley.

There are benefits to growing up in a small town.  One of them is that often you are forced to use your imagination to create excitement.  Growing up in Grafton, Massachusetts, Lauren Grimley frequently dreamed up stories and often wrote them down to share with her family and friends.  She also frequented both the town and school libraries, though never lingered in the fantasy sections, preferring historical fiction or horror stories at the time.  She did, however, have a fantasy of her own: seeing her name on one of those book jackets.

Putting aside her childhood dream for a job that paid the bills, Lauren became a middle school English teacher after graduating from Boston University.  It was her seventh graders who set her back on the writing path when they convinced a rather skeptical new teacher that vampire stories were worth reading.  Lauren now spends her time writing them when she should be correcting papers. If she finds free time beyond these activities, she’s likely to spend it on a beach with a book and bottle of wine close by.

Lauren Grimley’s debut novel, Unforeseen, was published as an ebook in April 2012 and as a paperback on September 28, 2012. It is the first book in an adult urban fantasy series featuring a strong heroine, plenty of action, a healthy dose of romance, and, of course, some vampires.

The second book in the series, Unveiled, is expected out early 2013.

And now from the author herself:

The world doesn’t need another vampire series. I know this, yet I’m writing one. The logical question that follows is, “why?” The answer touches upon the very reason I write. When I came home from an evening jog with the opening scene of the novel fully formed in my mind, I sat down with my notebook and began writing–because it was fun. The story that was developing in my imagination was the kind I liked to read for enjoyment. I wasn’t setting out to change the world of modern literature. I wasn’t writing with a larger audience in mind at all. I was writing for entertainment, mine and eventually, as I realized this was the novel I was actually going to finish, for other fans of the genre. Still, during that first year of writing, I found myself apologizing for choosing a genre so popular that it had become a favourite target of critics. As soon as the word vampire left my lips I’d feel the heat in my blushing cheeks.

I’m past that now. I’m perfectly happy to tell people I write about vampires and gifted humans and can do so without a hint of pink in my cheeks. Part of this change stems from being published. Even just having the backing of a small press does wonders for one’s confidence. Another part of it is knowing that my novel has something to add to the previous mythology. The urban fantasy world I’ve created is unique and offers readers of a popular genre something new to discover. Really, though, it’s about being reminded why I began writing to begin with, for enjoyment. There is no greater joy than when a reader tells me the book made her laugh or kept her up late. Realizing that the same words that entertained me (and sometimes frustrated me) during the writing process could offer the same escape to a reader is thrilling. If a critic wants to bite into a book simply because of its genre, I can now smile while telling them in the words of my main character, Alex, “Go flash your fangs at someone who cares.”

Unforeseen is the story of twenty-five year old Alex Crocker, a teacher who thought she had all the answers. She was sure gifted was a term delusional parents applied to their strictly average children, vampires were gorgeous dead guys in her eighth-grade girls’ novels, and Seers was a middle schooler’s misspelling of a department store known for power tools. Teachers, however, don’t know everything–-it’s Alex’s turn to be educated.

Running alone the night before school ends, Alex is violently attacked. She quickly learns she’s sought after for possessing a gift she never wanted, one that could kill her or provide the power she’ll need to protect herself and those she cares for. Hunted for her gift and haunted by her dreams, Alex is driven to fight, even if it means allying herself with those just as deadly as her enemies.

You can find more about Lauren and her writing via…

• Her personal website: http://www.laurengrimley.com
• Blog: http://blog.laurengrimley.com
• Twitter @legrimley: http://twitter.com/ – !/legrimley
• Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/AuthorLaurenGrimley
• YouTube – book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4jIAt-U1iQ
• Unforeseen: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Smashwords and Barnes & Noble
• Unknown (a short from later in the series): Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk

***

The blog interviews will return as normal tomorrow with multi-genre author Carmen Anthony Fiore – the six hundred and sixeenth 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.

** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!

See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0

or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.

For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.

As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do, and a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words (and post stories of up to 3,000 words), or posted for others to critique (up to 5,000 words) on the new Morgen’s Online Short Story Writing Group. 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 posting it online in my new Red Pen Critique Sunday night posts, then do email me. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry and Morgen’s Online Poetry Writing Group.

Four new online writing groups:

• Morgen’s Online Novel Writing Group (http://novelwritinggroup.wordpress.com / http://www.facebook.com/groups/508696639153189)
• Morgen’s Online Poetry Writing Group (http://poetrywritinggroup.wordpress.com / http://www.facebook.com/groups/388850977875934)
• Morgen’s Online Script Writing Group (http://scriptwritinggroup.wordpress.com / http://www.facebook.com/groups/319941328108017)
• Morgen’s Online Short Story Writing Group (http://shortstorywritinggroup.wordpress.com / http://www.facebook.com/groups/544072635605445)

We look forward to hearing your comments.

 

Author interview no.615 with poet and short story writer Clayton Bye

Welcome to the six hundred and fifteenth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, biographers, agents, publishers and more. Today’s is with poet and short story writer Clayton Bye. 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, Clayton. Please tell us something about yourself, where you’re based, and how you came to be a writer.

Clayton: Hello Morgen. I’m a permanently disabled, 51 year-old author who spends my days stretched out on a couch with pillows at my back and who has a laptop that never sleeps. I’ve been writing since 1994, when I became old enough to understand I had collected the life-experiences necessary to write believable fiction and non-fiction. The disability, while unfortunate, has given me the opportunity to become a full-time writer (within the parameters of my illness). I live in Kenora, Ontario, Canada on the beautiful, world famous Lake of the Woods.

Morgen: I get sciatica and sometimes I can’t stand up straight but I’m very fortunate that it happens once or twice a year. My heart goes out to you, having to suffer that all the time. My laptop (a Mac) also never sleeps, and hasn’t since I bought it. Apparently with electrical equipment, what kills them is powering them up / switching them off repeatedly. I have mine set to open all the programmes I need when it does get rebooted so it would take a while. Do you write poetry to form or as it comes? If to form, what are your favourites? Are some easier than others?

Clayton: I seem to write to a natural beat or rhythm. This makes it easy to structure my poetry to that form. There’s no reason for any particular restriction: it’s like writing a song, actually. I get the sound and some written lines to go with that music, then I go through the process of making everything fit. This is important, as I believe that by imposing structure, we create clarity of meaning. For example, if my rhythm is 4/7/4/7/2, then I must search for words to fit that structure while also saying exactly what I mean. I also find that the cadence one can achieve when reading such poetry to an audience often brings a greater emotional meaning to those people.

By the way, the longer the poem, the more difficult it becomes. And because I’m a firm believer in enjoying myself, I write short poems.

Morgen: I write very little poetry so I always learn something when speaking to poets, part of the reason I set up http://poetrywritinggroup.wordpress.com. Do you generally write rhyming or free verse?

Clayton: I prefer free verse, but have been known to go on the occasional rhyming binge. It’s a bit like being a reformed alcoholic.

Morgen: What have you had published to-date?

Clayton: I published a few poems in 2009 at Publishing Renaissance and (maybe) at the Write Room. But being a writer of books, rather than shorter forms, I decided to answer a certain inspiration and write a book of poems. This was self-published as an ebook in 2010 and as a paperback May 1st 2012.

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

Clayton: I have had exactly one rejection slip in my entire life. You see, at age 18 I wrote a poem I knew was good. I sent it to The Fiddlehead and received the rejection slip with the comment “Great imagery if a bit wordy.” I decided right there and then that I would never write to anyone’s standards but my own. And I didn’t. When I decided to start writing in 1994, I formed my own publishing company—we do everything but the actual printing, and if it was economical, we’d have bought a printer years ago. As for poems? I never wrote another poem until 2009. They must have been stored away, because I wrote one a week for 50 weeks, then created my book, “What I Found in the Dark.”

Morgen: That’s good going. It’s a shame that the rejection put you off for so long, but you’ve been making up for it ever since. Do you enter competitions? Are there any you could recommend?

Clayton: Never and No. I write to my own standards and couldn’t care less for others.

Morgen: The joy of self-publishing. Do you deal with publishers directly or do you have an editor / agent? Do you think they’re vital to an author’s success?

Clayton: Obviously I believe independent publishing is a viable instrument. And the only thing vital to an author’s success, whether he has gone traditional or independent, is himself or herself. If you do not throw yourself into a year-long marketing campaign once your book is published, then forget about seeing any money.

Morgen: I released my debut novel last November so I have a few months to go, although I’ve not really promoted it yet. The plan was to get my second-written (in 2009, there have been four more since) online shortly after but I’m still in final edit mode (or I would be if I actually got to it!). Are your books available as eBooks? How involved were you in that process?

 

Author Spotlight no.154 – Joyce Elferdink

Complementing my daily blog interviews, today’s Author Spotlight, the one hundred and fifty-fourth is of science-fiction novelist Joyce Elferdink.

These are a few of Joyce’s favorite things: science fiction (and most other books, too); stimulating conversation (she admits that should be at the top of the list); any shades of pink and purple; and trying new things and visiting new places (especially with her grandchildren).

This is what she thinks you may want to know: She has a masters’ degree in Communications and Urban Studies from Michigan State. The Urban Studies component enabled her to be an economic development director, bringing jobs to communities. The communications focus has allowed her to teach public speaking, English and writing at the college level, starting with a public speaking class at a military base. She says she never planned to teach public speaking because she didn’t take the course in college—out of fear. Neither did she plan to go into the Peace Corps but volunteered after her children left home and was in the first group ever to go into Kazakhstan.

Elferdink returned to her birthplace, Holland, Michigan, three years ago from Detroit where many of her friends were nuns and other activists. She is now an adjunct instructor at Davenport University where she challenges her students to take up the tools of verbal and written communication, our greatest resources for “being the changes we wish to see in the world” (Gandhi).

And now from the author herself:

Why do I write? I couldn’t answer that question until I came to terms with why I haven’t written. Even that must be clarified: I have always written, but never even thought of writing a book until I started writing Pieces of You. I wrote in a journal as a child, but it was primarily about my parents’ conflicts. Then I took up journal writing again as a divorced adult, but my second husband destroyed that book. (Evidently he thought the memories of my former male friends would be erased if the pages on which they lived were eliminated.)

I wrote for work—annual reports, marketing material, curriculum, and other such works required of a bank manager, economic development director and then college instructor. I remember a former boss, the head of Battle Creek Unlimited, commanding me to write a book while in the Peace Corps.

I did not. I had nothing to say.

Yes, I had many amazing experiences while in Kazakhstan and while living a life that was never the typical fairy tale. I was always busy trying to accomplish—and to escape. And I always read novels–to escape and/or to learn, so I could accomplish more. But I didn’t find the inspiration to share what I was learning… until my friend’s death.

In trying to answer the why question, I have concluded that, for me, writing a book is about sharing what has changed me enough to believe (or at least hope) I can answer questions others have, too.  When the model for my protagonist died unexpectedly, I had lots of questions: Where was he? Why did he have to die just when our relationship was becoming something very special?  Why weren’t prayers answered? To answer some of those questions, I had to do considerable research, soul searching, and creative thinking. As I detected answers, I began writing his story—or what I believe could be his story.

Why do I write? More specifically, why did I write my first novel at 60 something? I finally have something to say. When I faced my haunting questions, I found some incredible answers.
In February of 2012, after four years of writing and revising Pieces of You, I met editor Linnet Woods through LinkedIn, the professional networking site. Although we’ve never met—Woods lives on a schooner in the Balearic Islands of Spain—as a team, we quickly completed the seventh version of the manuscript and are now discussing further collaboration on a sequel tentatively entitled Battle of Jericho 2025.

More information about the author can be found…

• on her Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/jelferdink
• blog: http://harmlessjoyce.wordpress.com
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/harmlessjoyce
• and Pieces of You can be purchased as a Kindle eBook or in paperback through Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Pieces-You-novel-based-story/dp/0615664490.

***

The blog interviews will return as normal tomorrow with poet Clayton Bye – the six hundred and fifteenth 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.

** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!

See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0

or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.

For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.

As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do, and a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words (and post stories of up to 3,000 words), or posted for others to critique (up to 5,000 words) on the new Morgen’s Online Short Story Writing Group. 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 posting it online in my new Red Pen Critique Sunday night posts, then do email me. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry and Morgen’s Online Poetry Writing Group.

Four new online writing groups:

• Morgen’s Online Novel Writing Group (http://novelwritinggroup.wordpress.com / http://www.facebook.com/groups/508696639153189)
• Morgen’s Online Poetry Writing Group (http://poetrywritinggroup.wordpress.com / http://www.facebook.com/groups/388850977875934)
• Morgen’s Online Script Writing Group (http://scriptwritinggroup.wordpress.com / http://www.facebook.com/groups/319941328108017)
• Morgen’s Online Short Story Writing Group (http://shortstorywritinggroup.wordpress.com / http://www.facebook.com/groups/544072635605445)

We look forward to hearing your comments.

 

Author interview no.614 with historical mystery writer Eleanor Sullivan

Welcome to the six hundred and fourteenth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, biographers, agents, publishers and more. Today’s is with historical mystery author and spotlightee Eleanor Sullivan. 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, Eleanor. Please tell us something about yourself, where you’re based, and how you came to be a writer.

Eleanor: I live in St. Louis, Missouri in the States, and I’ve been writing since forced to in graduate school. Later, as a professor, I wrote professional articles and textbooks and for the last 10 years I’ve been writing mysteries.

Morgen: It’s interesting you say ‘forced to’. It clearly didn’t put you off. What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?

Eleanor: I only write mystery fiction but I have two series—a contemporary and a historical series. No, I only read mysteries so that’s all I have enough interest in to write.

Morgen: Historical and mystery are two of the most popular genres. I’ve had three agents tell me face-to-face that they’re after more historical and crime, one telling me she wants cosy crime, more Agatha Christie. What have you had published to-date? Are your books available as eBooks?

Eleanor: I have four books published, three in the Monika Everhardt series (Twice Dead, Deadly Diversion, Assumed Dead), and the first in the Singular Village Mystery series (Cover Her Body). Yes, they are all available as eBooks.

Morgen: Great titles. Morgen: 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?

Eleanor: I definitely love my new series and the midwife protagonist, Adelaide. The series is set in the village where my ancestors settled after they escaped brutal persecution in their native Germany to come to America. My own distant grandfather was their leader so he becomes a realistic adversary for my midwife protagonist.

Morgen: Wow. They say to write what you know, and it always helps with getting your facts right. Did you choose the titles / covers of your books? How important do you think they are?

Eleanor: I think both titles and covers are vital to a book’s success, and I’ve been delighted with both my nonfiction and fiction titles. Sometimes I’ve been asked about a cover and found the publisher responsive to my comments, even changing one that I found inappropriate.

Morgen: It’s great that you can have that say. Many authors, especially with mainstream publishers, don’t have a choice and it must be so hard marketing something your heart’s not with. What are you working on at the moment / next?

Eleanor: I’m working on the next Singular Village Mystery, Graven Images. When an itinerant artist is found hanging in a barn, local villagers are quick to blame an Irish traveller conveniently passing through town. A young midwife fears that if she can’t discover the real murderer before the traveller’s broken leg heals, he’ll be turned over to the American authorities where he’ll surely be hanged.

Morgen: What a great plot. You sound very busy, do you manage to write every day? Do you ever suffer from writer’s block?

 

Author interview no.611 with scriptwriter & crime writer Tony Glover

Welcome to the six hundred and eleventh of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, biographers, agents, publishers and more. Today’s is with scriptwriter & crime author Tony Glover. 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, Tony. Please tell us something about yourself, where you’re based, and how you came to be a writer.

Tony: I live in Newcastle upon Tyne.  I was born in Northumberland – the Debateable Lands, as they were known in the past – England’s last wilderness. I started writing as a child – I was always making up stories in the car on the way to school. When I was at secondary school I had some of them published in the school magazine.

Morgen: I love it when I hear that someone started writing early. I was in my late 30s and would have loved to have realised earlier how thrilling it is to make things up, but I remind myself that I have all those years’ experience to write about. What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?

Tony: My first love was writing for film – shorts and so on.  Then I had a radio play on the BBC which won a bronze Sony award. After that I had a pilot for a drama broadcast on ITV.  I’ve had a couple of stage plays produced.  But it was only recently I started writing crime stories.  My first book was about an Elizabethan spy in the service of Sir Francis Walsingham.  I had that ready to go when another writer brought out a book on the same subject – I remember reading the review in the Observer. My blood ran cold! So I put that back on the shelf and started a crime novel.

Morgen: I used to read Stephen King in my teens (under the duvet with a torch, they were so gripping) and loved Roald Dahl’s Tales of the Unexpected so it was inevitable my writing would have a dark side. I’ve written chick lit, lad lit and mystery, but my heart is with crime too. I started a crime series for NaNoWriMo 2012. What have you had published to-date?

Tony: This is my first published novel. I’ve written a book about wartime Darlington and a collection of folk tales but I’ve always pursued film writing, which is an odd sort of career. You are working blind in that you never know if your story will ever see the light of day.  I’ve recently sold a script for a feature film but once a script leaves the writer, anything can happen.  I’ve loved working on the current book because I’m not waiting for a decision from a producer or commissioning editor.

Morgen: I have heard many scriptwriters say how hard it is to get taken up, more so than prose, I think, and many books who have their film rights bought often never come to fruition, which is a real shame because someone saw the potential. I guess it’s all about money. Have you self-published?

Tony: I prefer to be a writer, rather than be a publisher.  Self-publishing is a very respectable option but I don’t have all the skills to promote a book.  I was lucky enough to be approached by two publishers for ‘Cars Just Want to be Rust’.  Both were very able but I knew the folk at Crafty Publishing would give it their best shot.

Morgen: Are your books available as eBooks? How involved were you in that process? Do you read eBooks or is it paper all the way?

Tony: Yes. ‘Cars Just Want to be Rust’ is available as an ebook on Amazon, Smashwords and the Crafty Publishing website.  I learned as much as I could about the process – software, layout, publicity. I bought some software, which wasn’t right!

I read 50% on the Kindle and 50% paper. Sometimes you just need to hold a ‘proper’ book, don’t you?  I love the smell of books – the aroma of ink is intoxicating!

Morgen: You do. I’m the same, pretty much. My house is a small library so I think I’ll always be reading ‘pBooks’, then there are so many free eBooks coming my way (I promote many via my 5am Flashes) that they all go on my Kindle. 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?

 

Morgen’s Saturday Shout-out 002 – what a difference a week makes

Last Saturday I started this section of the blog to say what I’ve been up to. It did go on a bit (you can read it here) and although a lot’s happened this week, I’ll try to keep this short (I do waffle for England).

Last Sunday morning while going round the park with my dog, I came up with the idea (although it had been milling for a while) of expanding, or at least diluting, the red pen critique I do, and build a blog where others can more involved in critiquing short stories.

Morgen’s Online Short Story Writing Group was then born… and a few minutes later Morgen’s Online Poetry Writing Group… then by the end of Sunday, Morgen’s Online Novel Writing Group, and the following day Morgen’s Online Script Writing Group.

So, there are now four groups where… readers and writers critique each others’… short stories, poetry, novels and scripts. I then created Facebook pages for them (listed at the end of this post’s footer), inviting some of my Facebook friends. If you’re on Facebook, feel free to join in.

I put a shout-out on Facebook and Twitter that these blogs / groups exists and have had almost a dozen submissions already for the first three groups (so if anyone has a <5,000-word script extract they’d like to submit…!).

To-date I’ve posted:

• 001: Novel extract by Lianne Simon (novel group)
• 002: The Dreamt Child by Yvonne Hertzberger (novel group)
• Poem 001: His Mac by Ina Schroders-Zeeders (poetry group)
• Poem 002: Punchinello by Salvatore Buttaci (poetry group)
• Poem 003: Australian Hendecasyllabics by Phillip Ellis (poetry group)
• Story 001: Mine Own Land by Nathan Weaver (short story group)
• Story for Critique 002: The Coffin Route by John McGowan (short story group), with Red pen session 012 – critique of ‘Shooting Stars’, a short story by Graham Smith posted in between
• Nothing yet for the script group

Plus I’ve started daily exercises with four prompts for each so an hour’s worth of writing every evening for those who say they can’t find the time, or inspiration, to write… most of us, I think.

Because of these groups, I’ll be stopping the Red Pen Critique slot after the two I have booked in (tomorrow and Sunday 20th) – (a) because I’m doing the same thing in the short story and novel groups (I’m not qualified to really comment on poetry or script as I don’t write much of them but no doubt I will have something to say!) and (b) because I’ve been doing my red pen and then typing up the notes which takes a few hours each – for example I’ve written 14 sides of a shorthand notepad (about A6-size) just for a 2,200-word story!

The Short Story Saturdays (sss) slot has also now stopped because it was also posting and reviewing stories so is duplicated by the new short story group.

I’ll also be cutting down on the blog interviews: I’m currently booked up (still at one-a-day) until the end of June, when they will go to weekend mornings only, with the author spotlights then moving from Wednesday and Saturday evenings to weekday mornings. I am now charging (£10 / €12.50 / $15) for the interviews (because they take at least an hour a day to do – I add in comments as if we’re chatting) but everything else will still be free of charge. Wednesday evening will become another guest blog spot and Saturday evenings… not sure yet, maybe I’ll be posting some writing of mine.

I’ve also handed over the reins of my (in-person) Monday night writing group to a colleague who’s now going to host it every other Monday at her house. I’ll still go from time-to-time but it’s one less thing I have to do.

Last Sunday saw the start of the new Novel Nights In slot, where I run a guest novel in a maximum of 10 instalments. The novels can be self- or traditionally published but if the latter, I’ll need permission from your publisher that they’re happy to run it.

The 5pm Fiction has had a break since I started NaNoWriMo at the beginning of November but that returns February 1st. The idea was that it would give me three months to edit novel number two (a mystery written in 2009) but it’s making slow progress.

So, all-in-all a busy week with a lot of changes (I’m hoping for the better). No writing of my own done (not even the exercises – tut tut!), but hopefully the groups will more or less take care of themselves with a bit of admin from me. I will critique each one but the plan (from now on) is not to put the critique on the blog but provide links to scans of my markings. Invariably they’ll look scary but hopefully everyone will learn something from them. Each blog group has a ‘Submissions’ page stating what I need but do email me (morgen@morgenbailey.com) if you have any queries.

I quit my job in March 2012 so I could spend more time writing, I’m hoping 2013 will see me actually doing just that!

***

** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!

See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0

or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.

For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.

As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do, and a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words (and post stories of up to 3,000 words), or posted for others to critique (up to 5,000 words) on the new Morgen’s Online Short Story Writing Group. 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 posting it online in my new Red Pen Critique Sunday night posts, then do email me. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry and Morgen’s Online Poetry Writing Group.

Four new online writing groups:

• Morgen’s Online Novel Writing Group (http://novelwritinggroup.wordpress.com / http://www.facebook.com/groups/508696639153189)
• Morgen’s Online Poetry Writing Group (http://poetrywritinggroup.wordpress.com / http://www.facebook.com/groups/388850977875934)
• Morgen’s Online Script Writing Group (http://scriptwritinggroup.wordpress.com / http://www.facebook.com/groups/319941328108017)
• Morgen’s Online Short Story Writing Group (http://shortstorywritinggroup.wordpress.com / http://www.facebook.com/groups/544072635605445)

 

Flash Fiction Friday 069: Fantasies by Elizabeth Cage

Welcome to Flash Fiction Friday and the sixty-ninth piece in this series. This week’s is a 780-worder by erotica commercial short story, non-fiction author, poet, interviewee and spotlightee Elizabeth Cage. This story will be podcasted in episode 24 (Sunday 5th May).

Fantasies by Elizabeth Cage

Jonathan had always been a greedy man. 

Okay, so I realise a lot of blokes fantasise about having sex with two women.  Fair enough, I suppose.  I mean, if you presented me with the opportunity of having a threesome with two hot guys, preferably Daniel Craig and Johnny Depp, then no doubt I’d give it a go.  So I had some sympathy with Jonathan’s fantasy.  But three women?  Well, that is sheer piggery, in my view.  Still, a girlfriend aims to please, so I decided to make the necessary arrangements, in secret of course.  I believe it is the element of surprise that elevates a fantasy from a mere standard meal to a gourmet feast…

Lying here, my wrists tied to the bedpost with black tights and my ankles lashed to the foot of the bed with my company tie, I tremble with anticipation. My girlfriend, Lexi, had a delicious glint in her eye as she pulled the knots tight.  We’ve been together for a while now and she understands my needs so I had the feeling she might do something like this to celebrate my birthday – and my recent promotion.

‘Is he ready?’

I don’t recognise the woman’s voice coming from downstairs.  It isn’t Lexi.  Who has she brought in?  I experience a rush of excitement, tinged with a little fear.  What if she has enlisted Carla, our sexy next door neighbour?   Or perhaps the gorgeous brunette who works in the local betting shop?  Lexi knows I fancy her.

‘Nearly ready.’

What’s this? Another voice, different again.  I hear footsteps coming up the stairs, approaching the bedroom.  I know they are outside, deliberately making me wait, to increase my anticipation.  Slowly, the door opens, but I can’t see who’s there because Lexi has used a towel to blindfold me. I wish she’d chosen something softer, or at least used fabric conditioner in the wash, because the material feels all scratchy on my face.

‘Here – you’ll need this.’

Another woman?  How many has she invited? I’m beginning to feel unexpectedly nervous.

‘Well, he’s certainly ready for it.’  Ah, at last.  A familiar voice.

 

Author interview no.609 with non-fiction writer Yves Johnson

Welcome to the six hundred and ninth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, biographers, agents, publishers and more. Today’s is with non-fiction author Yves Johnson. 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, Yves. Please tell us something about yourself, where you’re based, and how you came to be a writer.

Yves: Hi Morgen.  I’m the Founder of Christ Is My Savior Ministries.  I’m a preacher by trade and I’ve just started my “moonlighting” career as a writer.  I was based in Fort Washington, MD but my family and I moved to Tucson, AZ this June.  God inspired me to write this book.  I wanted to write an entirely different book!

Morgen: Maybe you could write that one next? What have you had published to-date?

Yves: I wrote There Is No Gray In Moral Failure: A Practical Guide In Preventing Financial and Sexual Misconduct.

Morgen: You’ve self-published, what lead to you going your own way?

Yves: I spoke to several well-known publishing companies.  I thought I was going to go with one but I did not like some of the restrictions.  I spoke to several self-publishing authors and liked everything about controlling the birth creation of my first book.

Morgen: I’ve been offered a couple of publishing contracts and felt the same (although I’m still on good terms with both publishers). I did everything myself and it was fun. Is your book available as an eBook? Do you read eBooks or is it paper all the way?

Yves: No, it is not an e-book yet but I plan on having it as an ebook. I read paper books.  I’m going to the Ukraine so I will try ebooks and see how I like them.

Morgen: I’m sure you’ll enjoy them. It’s different to the real thing (most people say not as good) but I have 400+ books on my iPad so imagine lugging those around. Did you have any say in the titles / covers of your books? How important do you think they are?

Yves: Yes, I had total say in creating my title.  I think it’s very important since it’s the first thing to catch a prospective reader’s eye.

Morgen: It is, that’s true. Do you manage to write every day? Do you ever suffer from writer’s block?

 

Guest post: The Making of a ‘Good’ Villain by TJ Perkins

Tonight’s guest blog post, on the topic of villains, is brought to you by Y.A. fantasy, mystery novelist, guest blogger and interviewee TJ Perkins.

The Making of a ‘Good’ Villain

It is said that in order to create really great characters that your readers care about you must absorb yourself into their psyche; you must take a part of your own personality and place it into ‘them.’  I’m sure many of you have done that – think back – go on…ahhhh, so you remember how that damsel in distress was a part of you when you were going through a tough time, or how the great warrior in your latest fantasy novel resembled your thoughts and feelings on a matter.  This is all great and wonderful for the good guys in a story, but what about the bad guys?

The same holds true for the villains – yes, the author’s darker side.  Sure, everyone wants to see the hero triumph, but in order for that to happen you have to have a really good bad guy, someone that will challenge your hero, someone who will throw out all the obstacles that he can to make the hero really struggle.  But to love the hero one must also love the villain.

It’ll take an exceptional villain, one with much evil, dastardly doings and underhandedness to capture your reader’s hearts.  He or she will have to pull out all the stops and really be nasty to the hero, doing all they can to destroy him and thwart the whole saving the world thing.  But how do you do that?

Unfortunately, my friend, you’re going to have to get evil.  Yes, that’s what I said.  You need to think mean and nasty, and allow the dark corners of your demented mind (and yes, I know you have them) to trickle out.  You have to actually draw out from your being all the demented, twisted ideals from the very fabric of your soul and entwine these ideals throughout the story.  The villain will challenge the hero from the very beginning and the storyline must have a balanced roller-coaster ride of really bad stuff happening, then a lull, then more bad stuff happening.  All of which the villain is instigating.

If you’re having trouble coming up with great ideas for the bad guy to do to the good guy think of opposites.  Example:  In a store line someone may allow another person to cut in line.  What’s the opposite?  What mean thing could be done?  I’ve found a lot of negative, dastardly stuff in cartoon movies, anime, or even by watching some of the best villains in current HBO shows.

There are actually a lot of great ideas out there, you just have to look.  Once you find them you must embrace the dark side, allow your villain to be the most evil, scheming, conniving villain he/she can be, and make your readers love to hate him/her.  Give them a twisted since of humor.  Make them sarcastic.  Make them a complete asshole.  The choice is up to you.

Go, now, and create.  Enjoy the dastardly events that will make your hero miserable and the reader cheer, yet cry, when you villain is defeated.

Happy Writing!

That was great, thank you, TJ. Great to have you back.

***

TJ Perkins is an award-winning author of the mystery / suspense genre. Her writing style has been compared to that of Mildred Wirt Benson A.K.A. Carolyn Keen (Nancy Drew).  Mystery books for ages 8-14 are Mystery of the Attic, On Forbidden Ground, Wound Too Tight and the first 5 books in the Kim & Kelly Mystery Series.

TJ has recently expanded into the world of fantasy for teens. Publisher Silver Leaf Books has contracted to release Shadow Legacy, a 5-book series of fantasy.  The first installment of this new exciting series, Art of the Ninja: Earth, is an award-winner and has been classified by readers and reviewers as a cross-genre of fantasy/manga.

TJ lives in Baltimore, MD with her 2 cats and an imagination that’s bursting at the seams.

You can read sample pages of TJ’s writing (www.authorsden.com/tjperkins), see the book trailer (www.silverleafbooks.com), check out TJ’s blog, follower her on Twitter, friend / like her on Facebook and find her books at Goodreads (all her books are available on Kindle, Nook, iPad – just look them up by TJ Perkins).

***

If you would like to write a writing-related guest post for my blog then feel free to email me with an outline of what you would like to write about. If it’s writing-related then it’s highly likely I’d email back and say “yes please”.

The blog interviews return as normal tomorrow morning with non-fiction author Yves Johnson – the six hundred and ninth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, bloggers, autobiographers 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.

***

** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!

See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0

or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.

For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.

As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do, and a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words (and post stories of up to 3,000 words), or posted for others to critique (up to 5,000 words) on the new Morgen’s Online Short Story Writing Group. 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 posting it online in my Red Pen Critique posts, then do email me. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry and Morgen’s Online Poetry Writing Group.

 

Author interview no.608 with non-fiction writer Karen Kilby

Welcome to the six hundred and eighth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, biographers, agents, publishers and more. Today’s is with non-fiction author Karen Kilby. 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, Karen. Please tell us something about yourself, where you’re based, and how you came to be a writer.

Karen: I live in Kingwood, Texas, which is northeast of Houston.  It’s known as the “Liveable Forest”, not typically what one might think of in Texas.  I never thought about being a writer but was encouraged by close friends and family to share my God moment life experiences with others.

Morgen: I think we in the UK think of Dallas when we think of Texas, all high-rise buildings in the cities and ranches on the outskirts. You write non-fiction, how do you decide what to write about?

Karen: My life experiences have given me more than enough material for writing my short stories.

Morgen: I find the same. It doesn’t take much (often just one word) to get a story down. What have you had published to-date?

Karen: I have over thirty stories published in Chicken Soup for the Soul series and other faith-based books.  Becoming a Woman of Purpose – A Thirty One Day Devotional is my first complete work.

Morgen: The Chicken Soup books are incredibly popular over here, and books like them. Is your book available as an eBook? Do you read eBooks or is it paper all the way?

Karen: Yes – it is available as an e-Book however, I prefer good paper!

Morgen: Most people do. I have so many books in my house that I don’t think I’ll ever run out, even if I don’t buy anymore, although I do love the Kindle app on my iPad. Did you have any say in the titles / covers of your book? How important do you think they are?

Karen: Yes, my publisher, Tate Publications, gave me wide range in the title and design of my cover.  I believe these are very important elements in the success of my book.

Morgen: It’s a great cover. Clean a simple. What are you working on at the moment / next?

Karen: Gathering stories for a second book and submitting individual stories to Chicken Soup.

Morgen: Do you manage to write every day?

Karen: No, I do not write every day. Mostly when the mood hits me or a memory recalled.

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

 

Author Spotlight no.152 – Sherry Gloag

Complementing my daily blog interviews, today’s Author Spotlight, the one hundred and fifty-second, is of romance novelist, guest blogger and interviewee Sherry Gloag.

Multi-published author, Sherry Gloag is a transplanted Scot now living in the beautiful coastal countryside of Norfolk, England.  She considers the surrounding countryside as extension of her own garden, to which she escapes when she needs “thinking time” and solitude to work out the plots for her next novel.  While out walking she enjoys talking to her characters, as long as there are no other walkers close by.

Apart from writing, Sherry enjoys gardening, walking, reading and cheerfully admits her books tend to take over most of the shelf and floor space in her workroom-cum-office.  She also finds crystal craft work therapeutic.

And now from the author herself:

There are two things about my latest release, Vidal’s Honor, you may not know. Because it is a Regency suspense romance— it required a great deal of historical research, which I find a huge challenge, and I bombed at history at school.

So why on earth did I choose to write a Regency story? And why did I situate it in a time and place of a genuine battle in 1812 before ensuring my heroine arrived in London in time for a particular ball at a particular month of the year?

The battle of Salamanca took place in Spain in July 1812. That is a fact. And I based the opening of Vidal’s Honor around that truth.  It is also a fact that the troops suffered through one of the worst thunderstorms during the night prior to the battle, so I used that snippet for my opening scene. But since that only accounted for a few hours I had to go deeper, much deeper. And knowing I bombed at history in school, I wasn’t looking forward to digging for facts and trying to make sense of them. So imagine my surprise when I found myself enjoying the chase. For to me, that is what research amounts to.  The fact(s) you are seeking become the fox, and the researcher becomes the hunter.

I found myself buying books I’d never have considered, and by doing so came across several authors whose other books I will buy.  I bought DVDs and spent hours watching documentaries and films in order to absorb the scenery and atmosphere. And I a friend, Sandy (White) Nachlinger, who generously allowed me to use some diary entries from her own experiences when walking the Camino De Santiago De Compostela. I also haunted google earth and google maps and woke up one day to find my submission deadline perilously close, *grin*.

So—not only did I enjoy writing Vidal and Honor’s story, but I expanded my horizon in so many different directions with the books and films I found, the documents I scoured, and the challenge of how to include what I’d learned without creating an ‘info-dump’ for the reader to digest.

Will I do it again?  You bet!  But next time I’ll make sure I don’t box myself into a corner called ‘time.’ I’ll make sure I don’t find myself running out of time the way I boxed myself in with Vidal’s Honor.

I learned several unexpected lessons from and while writing Vidal’s Honor, many of which I’ll take on board in future, others that I will explore more deeply.

For me, it’s not just about writing a story, as each story is like a new journey. I meet new people, my characters; I travel to new places, the settings I have to research, the pictures I find, the information I uncover, and finally, but certainly not least, I meet my readers.

To all of you I offer my thanks and belated best wishes for 2013.

Thank you, Sherry, and you.

Sherry sent me some photographs which I’m sure you’ll find interesting…

“This is an overview from Spain towards Gibraltar, and I used this picture to asses whether it was possible to ‘swim’ across the border and enter Spain.  I decided, that with quite a bit of licence it could be done.”

“This one gave me the scene and events that happened when Honor was caught up in a landslide later in the story.”

“The picture on the right is the sort of scene Honor would see during her escape across Spain, although not specifically described.”

“And then finally, on the left, is a picture of the map showing the Pyreneen Mountain pass boarder town from Spain to France. Honor and Vidal could not drop down to the coast as the bay was controlled by the French navy, so they had to chance going overland through France to reach the Channel coast and escape to England.”

Wish I was there, for sure. Thank you, Sherry. You can find more about Sherry and her writing via…

• Her website: http://www.sherrygloag.com
• My Blog: http://sherrygloagtheheartofromance.blogspot.com
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/sherry.gloag
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/SherryGloag
• Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Vidals-Honor-ebook/dp/B009ZUXCOC
• Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vidals-Honor-ebook/dp/B009ZUXCOC
• Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/250882
• B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/vidals-honor/1113726614?ean=2940015900422
• Book Strand: http://www.bookstrand.com/vidals-honor
• Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Vidals-Honor/book-pGNWcYHNukSsEwGrXE4TnA/page1.html?s=_AyuW9PrgUe6i8iafiHdSw&r=9
• All Romance: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-vidal039shonor-987501-152.html
• Duty Calls Kobo http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Duty-Calls/book-xKbd85N-i0GAyS_3boUQRQ/page1.html?s=6QB2_jmGp0C8JZqlrsuqVQ&r=4

***

The blog interviews will return as normal tomorrow with non-fiction author Karen Kilby – the six hundred and eighth 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.

** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!

See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0

or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.

For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.

As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do, and a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words (and post stories of up to 3,000 words), or posted for others to critique (up to 5,000 words) on the new Morgen’s Online Short Story Writing Group. 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 posting it online in my new Red Pen Critique Sunday night posts, then do email me. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry and Morgen’s Online Poetry Writing Group.

 

Author interview no.607 with thriller writer Ethan Jones

Welcome to the six hundred and seventh of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, biographers, agents, publishers and more. Today’s is with thriller author Ethan Jones. 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, Ethan. Please tell us something about yourself, where you’re based, and how you came to be a writer.

Ethan: I have always liked to read and I tried my hand at writing when I was 13-14. I would read a story or watch a movie and then go to write how I wanted the story or the movie to continue. Then life happened. After finishing law school, I also continued my graduate studies and got a Master of Laws degree. As a part of my degree, I had to write a 150-page thesis. The process of research, writing, rewriting and editing inspired me to return to my childhood passion. I was blessed with time and I learned things as I wrote.

I live in Canada with my wife and my son.

Morgen: Oh yes, I know all about life happening. I left my job March 2012 and have got one novel online since then (I have another four written, they just need the dreaded editing). The time goes so quickly, it’s crazy. We (time) and I used to be good friends – I’m hoping we rekindle our friendship this year. What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?

Ethan: I love spy thrillers and suspense stories and I like to write about things I love. Besides spy thriller, I’ve started to work on a murder mystery set in the US, called A Complicated Justice. A Court of Appeals judge goes missing and the detectives are trying to find him, the reasons why he has disappeared and the whole truth.

Morgen: That sounds great. Do let me know when that’s available. What have you had published to-date?

Ethan: My debut spy thriller, Arctic Wargame, was released on Amazon.com on May 22, 2012 as an eBook and paperback. At the same time, I released two short stories: Carved in Memory––which is a prequel to Arctic Wargame and explains an important aspect of Justin’s background–– and The Last Confession––about a dying NY mobster confession to his priest. Most recently Tripoli’s Target, which is the second book in Justin Hall series. This time, Justin and his partner, Carrie O’Connor, return to North Africa to meet with one of the masterminds of a terrorist network. The man in question has promised them high-value intelligence, related to an assassination plot against the US President during her visit to a G-20 summit in Tripoli, Libya. The US Secret Service is informed about this plot, and they take all necessary measures to protect the President. However, new intelligence points at a large flaw in Justin’s and Carrie’s plan.  They must now scramble to avoid the disaster. Tripoli’s Target was released in fall 2012.

Morgen: Which have been 5am Flashes free eBooks a few times (and I have them, thank you). You’ve self-published, what lead to you going your own way?

Ethan: I shopped my two novels, Arctic Wargame and Tripoli’s Target (out in fall 2012), to a few hundred agents and publishers over the course of 2009-2011. I received some great feedback. A few agents asked for a partial manuscript and two or three for a full. But no one was willing to make an offer or sign a contract. In the meantime, I kept writing. I had not considered self-publishing because it seemed like a lot of work and I had truly hoped an agency or a publisher would pick up my works. Upon the suggestion of a good friend, I dusted off my first novel, Arctic Wargame. I found three great beta readers, all published writers, and we took a new stab at my gibberish. Then I worked with two great editors and proof-readers, to create the best possible work.

Morgen: A “few hundred agents”? Wow, that’s determination. I stopped at just after a dozen, because I could see how simple it was (once you got the hang of it) to eBook. Are all your books available as eBooks? How involved were you in that process? Do you read eBooks or is it paper all the way?

 

Author interview no.604 with multi-genre writer Rebeccah Giltrow

Welcome to the six hundred and fourth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, biographers, agents, publishers and more. Today’s is with multi-genre author Rebeccah Giltrow. 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, Rebeccah. Please tell us something about yourself, where you’re based, and how you came to be a writer.

Hello. I’m Rebeccah, a 30-year-old procrastinator based in the small village of Kessingland, just outside of Lowestoft (famous for being the most easterly town in England).  I started writing as soon as I could hold a pen and wrote for many years until I fell out of love with all things literary when I was about 15 or 16 years old.  My love for the subject was rekindled a few years later and after taking a creative writing module the 3rd year of my degree at University of Essex, I realised that I wanted to write.  Strike that.  I needed to write.  I took a year out after graduating to make some money, and returned to university in 2006 to study MA Creative Writing.  Since then, it’s the only thing I do that makes me happy.  It’s not easy, but I enjoy it, and I’m learning so much by doing it.

Morgen: What a shame you fell out of love, but great that you came back to it. And yes, I know all about that ‘need’. I’ve described you in the introduction as being a ‘multi-genre author’, what genre do you generally write?

Rebeccah: I don’t have a specific genre.  I like to poke my finger into many pies just to see if I can do it.  My novel, Lexa Wright’s Dating Sights, is a chic lit romcom.  That’s the first time I’ve written anything like that, and I really enjoyed it, so it’s something I may write again.

I tend to steer towards ‘real life’ writing, even if it is fiction.  I love the idea of fantasy, where you can be as extreme as you want, making up unusual words and inventing mystical places, but I always find myself writing about things that could happen in reality.  One day I’ll take the leap into something more exotic!

I think I’d consider all genres, and only decide against them once I’ve tried to write them and realise that I can’t do it, or I don’t enjoy it.

Morgen: My first-published novel is a chick lit and like you, it was great fun (just as well as I wrote the 117,540-word first draft for NaNoWriMo 2009. What have you had published to-date?

Rebeccah: In 2009 I was asked to write for a local magazine, The Kessingland and Broadland Times.  I contributed children’s stories, articles, interviews and poetry to the bi-monthly publication.  I have also self-published a collection of short stories; 12 Days of Krista May Rose, inspired by the traditional song, The Twelve Days of Christmas, and my full-length novel, Lexa Wrights Dating Sights.  I published both books through Createspace for Amazon.

Morgen: I’m thinking of going that way for my novel, although I’m still getting constructive feedback on it so am waiting until that peters out. You’ve self-published, what lead to you going your own way?

 

Author Spotlight no.151 – Kathryn Vercillo

Complementing my daily blog interviews, today’s Author Spotlight, the one hundred and fifty-first, is of non-fiction author Kathryn Vercillo.

Kathryn Vercillo is a San Francisco-based freelance writer, blogger and crochet lover. Her most recent book, Crochet Saved My Life, is a non-fiction account of her experience using crochet to heal through depression.

Kathryn has also authored two previous books (Ghosts of San Francisco and Ghosts of Alcatraz) and a booklet of articles called When Grandma Isn’t Crocheting, She’s Hunting Big Game. She has been a contributing author on other book projects.

Kathryn’s work has been published in magazines including Latina Magazine and Skope. She has worked as a professional blogger for numerous websites including PC World, Dial-a-phone, SF Travel, and Houzz. Her online articles about crochet have been published around the web on sites that include Crochetvolution, Crochet Liberation Front, SF Indie Fashion and Handmadeology.

Her Crochet Concupiscence blog was voted one of the top 5 2012 craft blogs in Inside Crochet Magazine and was a 2011 runner-up for a Flamie award from the CLF.

Kathryn writes from the heart of personal experience, using her own unique view of the world as a starting point to connect with others. She fervently believes that writing should not only be used as catharsis and confession but also worked as a tool to create connections between people.

And now from the author herself:

I am the kind of writer who would write even if nobody ever read my words, the kind of writer who keeps journals and pens compulsively because of a deep inner need to put my own experience down.

I am lucky to live in a place and time where I am able to share my writing with others because I believe that writing can be an amazing way to connect with other people. We each have this great individual story to share and by doing so we open others to our world and open ourselves a bit to theirs as well.

My newest book, Crochet Saved My Life, really epitomizes my experience of this as a writer so far. The book begins with my own story of surviving a fifteen-year battle with depression. One of the ways that I did that was through the craft of crochet, which I found to have a multitude of benefits. It allowed me to relax, break a negative cycle of rumination, create something productive that rebuilt my waning self-esteem and served as a starting point of connecting with others in the crafty community.

I went on to interview nearly two dozen amazing women who shared their own stories with me about how crochet had helped them to heal from conditions as diverse as schizophrenia and pregnancy labor pains. I felt touched to be entrusted with these women’s stories and worked hard to share them in a clear, honest, approachable way.

I then supplemented all of this writing with extensive research into why arts and crafts are healing for people with many types of ailments. I looked at occupational therapy history, the history of crafting, art therapy models and found research to support the idea that a handcrafted hobby can be healing. So in the end, the book starts from my personal experience, includes the true stories of others and is rounded out by the research to be a whole project that is approachable by people from many walks of life, whether or not they’ve dealt specifically with depression or enjoy the craft of crochet.

I hope to continue this approach in all of my future projects as well. I want to always draw from the well of personal experience, hear different experiences from others and see what studies have been done that support this anecdotal evidence no matter what I’m writing about.

You can find more about Kathryn and her writing via…

• Her website: www.kathrynvercillo.com
• My book’s page: www.crochetsavedmylife.com
• My Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Kathryn-Vercillo/e/B001JPC6IO
• On Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kvercillo
• On Twitter: @KathrynVercillo

***

The blog interviews will return as normal tomorrow with novelist Rebeccah Giltrow – the six hundred and fourth 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.

** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!

See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0

or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.

For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.

As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do, and a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words (and post stories of up to 3,000 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 posting it online in my new Red Pen Critique Sunday night posts, then do email me. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

Short Story Saturday story 003: The Bus Driver Who Stopped and Then Didn’t by Dan Purdue

Welcome to the Short Story Saturday story slot and the third story in this series. Because I have a 1,000-word limit on the Flash Fiction Fridays, I’ve decided (helped by first story contributor Jane Risdon) to add a story to the SSS slot, running roughly every other Saturday, in between the short story reviews, and here I’m delighted to share with you one of my favourite short stories (and one of the few I’ve given 10/10 to in the H.E. Bates Short Story Competition judging – this one once of the late-2011 entries – it had me hooked at the title!) by short story author Dan Purdue. The copyright remains with Dan.

Since he submitted this story, Dan’s told me that he’s submitted another for the late-2012 competition and one of the shortlisted (I only know the stories by the number our Competitions Secretary gives them and this year they all had the title / theme ‘A Walk at Midnight’ so it doesn’t help!) so I’ll get to meet him at the prize-giving next Friday 11th Jan (at Northampton’s Moulton Theatre, NN3 7RZ if you’re UK-based and free!).

The Bus Driver Who Stopped and Then Didn’t

Roland wasn’t built for running. Every flat-footed slap of his trainers onto the pavement shot a searing bolt of pain from his ankle to his hip. He was in poor shape, and right now he felt the weight of every excuse he’d ever made to skip the gym, every tube of Pringles he’d scoffed in front of the television. For a moment, Roland imagined his rippling flab, filmed and then played back in slow-motion, might have an imposing, monolithic quality, like a landslide or a chunk of ice breaking off a glacier. Then he caught sight of himself in a shop window. He looked like a giant blancmange bouncing down a metal staircase.

Roland’s lungs were filled with hot treacle. His throat was parched; his nose streamed. Sweat ran in greasy rivulets down the groove of his spine, soaking the waistband of his underpants.

A swarm of If-Onlys chased him, like a belligerent flock of birds dive-bombing without mercy. If only he hadn’t snapped a lace in the hurry to put his trainers on. If only he owned a decent travel bag, instead of having to cram everything into a decrepit rucksack. If only he hadn’t taken so long to work out what Hannah had been trying to say – that he had one last chance, providing he was sitting next to her on the plane when it left for Paris. If only he still had the car, if only he knew a shortcut, if only, if only…

So Roland ran. He ran like he’d never run before, like a man chasing down his last hope of happiness. The neighbourhood he’d lived in for years warped and changed around him. Streets stretched vindictively towards the horizon. Paving slabs reared up, determined to trip him, leaving him stilled on the pavement, a heartbroken bundle of frustration and chipped teeth. Every road he had to cross heaved with traffic, the sleepy suburb inexplicably transformed into a miniature Mumbai.

His one prayer, his mantra, was a simple one: Please, God, please let the bus be later than I am.

#

Maggie had only been driving the King’s Road route on her own for two weeks. It was long enough to be familiar with the journey, the timings, and the apparently permanent road works near Asda, but not long enough to be complacent. “I have to stay on my guard,” she explained to her husband over breakfast. “Let your mind wander for just a moment, and bang!” – she clapped her hands together – “you’re in a whole world of trouble.” Driving a bus, after all, was a very serious business. Her husband, never much of a talker, simply nodded and sipped his coffee.

So far that morning, Maggie had lost time stuck behind an old woman stubbornly blocking both lanes while trying to park right outside Boots. Then for a while it had seemed every traffic light in town was in on the conspiracy too. But now rush hour was dying down and Maggie was confident she’d be back on target within a couple of stops. Running late constituted a cardinal sin in Maggie’s imaginary book of bus-driving etiquette. Her passengers relied on her to chauffeur them to where they needed to be, at the exact time the bus company stated. She liked to think there were all sorts of important reasons for people to be in particular places at particular times. There was, of course, a chance that it would turn out to be something trivial, like picking up some stamps or taking a jumper that didn’t quite fit back to the shop, but Maggie didn’t like to underestimate anything.

So instead she told herself every one of her passengers was heading to a job interview, or going on a first date with a future spouse, or visiting a housebound, elderly relative. Important things. Maggie was the self-appointed keeper of their promises, the guardian of their good intentions. She drove with the dedication and care that would be appropriate if her bus was filled with world leaders travelling to an international peace summit. She didn’t think this was over the top, no matter what her husband had insinuated with his raised eyebrow. “People need to be able to rely on the timetable,” she told him. “Sometimes it’s just a few seconds here or there that decide how the most important events in life turn out.”

#

Roland came barrelling around the corner, head down, afraid to look towards the bus stop some two hundred metres up the road. His thighs were on fire; his arms were useless bags of meat hanging from his shoulders. His lungs hurt most of all; a cannonball of agony had struck him in the chest and lodged there. He wiped his face with his sleeve and looked up. The sight that met his eyes lifted him clean off the ground.

There were people at the bus stop. People – waiting for a bus yet to arrive. He was going to make it!

At that precise moment, two things happened. Firstly, the bus overtook him. Distracted by this, Roland didn’t notice the second thing, which was a middle-aged man in a tweed jacket finishing his conversation and swinging the door of the telephone box open. The door slammed into Roland’s shoulder, spinning him around. Fighting his own momentum, Roland stumbled and fell, crashing onto the pavement and rolling over and over.

He was only dimly aware of the tweed man’s apologies and the hands helping him to his feet and dusting him down. His gaze was fixed farther up the street, to where the bus was pulling in at the stop, its doors opening to welcome its new passengers. Beyond that, in his mind’s eye, he saw Hannah standing at the check-in desk, maybe scowling at her watch or even glancing towards the entrance. He imagined her pursed lips and the little crease of her brow as she concluded he’d let her down for the very last time.

Galvanised by this thought, Roland let out an anguished howl and pushed aside the little crowd that had gathered around him. He sprinted towards the bus, onto which the last of the waiting passengers was now climbing. Pain thrummed deep in his knee, his grazed and swelling skin chafing inside his jeans. He’d lost a shoe, the one with the broken lace, and something was tickling his neck – the fall had crushed and split his rucksack and a cable, from his phone charger or maybe the earphones of his iPod, was poking out. No matter. The pain, the shoe, the disintegrating bag – they’d all have to wait. The bus was already indicating, ready to move off again.

#

Maggie spotted the running man in her left-hand mirror. Her attention was focused on the right-hand side, on the stream of traffic into which she was preparing to thread the bus, but she knew better than to leave any mirror unchecked before setting off. A quick assessment revealed that the man had none of the physique, attire, or technique of a habitual jogger. He was potentially, therefore, a latecomer hoping to get onboard. Maggie plunged into a dilemma, flicking her gaze from right mirror to left as a gap in the traffic approached considerably faster than the lumbering fatty. Her chance came and she seized the opportunity, noting with satisfaction that she’d pulled away from the stop bang on time.

“You know I’m not an unkind person,” Maggie told her husband later. “But I can’t give people outside the bus priority over the ones onboard. That really wouldn’t be fair, would it?” Her husband shrugged, shook his head in a non-committal way, and went back to his crossword.

#

Roland couldn’t believe it. The bus belched a gritty cloud of diesel smoke in his face and drew away from him. An almighty burst of adrenaline rocketed through his body and he surged forward, managing to get within an arm’s length of the bus. He hammered on the side with his fist three times before his legs finally gave out and he dropped to his knees.

#

The sudden noise surprised Maggie, who hadn’t expected the chubby fellow to cover the ground so quickly. In her mirror she saw him kneeling on the pavement, a figure of such abject hopelessness that she couldn’t help but feel for him. Shaking her head, she flicked the indicator back on and steered the bus towards the kerb.

#

The bus stopped! Roland scrambled to his feet and limped along the length of the vehicle. He floated in a warm fog of relief, the pain and exhaustion melting away as he searched his pockets for the fare. Still panting hard, he stretched an ingratiating smile across his face, ready to gush thankfulness at the bus driver.

Somehow – despite everything – he still had a shot at getting to the airport in time.

#

The latecomer reached the doors. Maggie hesitated, her finger poised over the ‘open’ button. She stared at him through the glass, taking in the sweat, the reddened cheeks, and the rucksack.

“There was just, I don’t know, something about him,” she explained to her husband that night, suspecting he was only pretending to be asleep. “He had this creepy, manic grin, you know? And he was so worked up, so – what’s the word? Anxious. Yes, a bit too eager to get onboard. And that rucksack, well, you just don’t know, do you? I saw wires sticking out of it. Wires. He didn’t look like, you know… but how is anyone supposed to know for sure, these days?”

Maggie looked at the man on the other side of the door. She thought about all the lost minutes she’d worked so hard to win back and was now losing once again. She thought about her busload of world leaders. She shuddered. Picking up the agitated straggler suddenly seemed a very, very bad idea indeed.

#

The doors remained resolutely shut. Roland watched the small, nervous-looking woman at the wheel turn away from him and slip the bus into gear. He banged the palm of his hand against the glass as the engine note deepened and the bus began to move.

“Hey!” he shouted. “What are you doing? Open the door! Stop! Please, stop!”

But it was no use. The bus pulled out and accelerated away, leaving Roland standing, his shoeless foot in the road, watching the vehicle climb the hill. As the last glimpse of it was swallowed up by the horizon, the cannonball jammed in his ribcage detonated. The full blast of his failure squashed his lungs and cut his legs from beneath him. He staggered to a bench and sank his face into his hands.

Tears singed his eyes. His throat knotted so tightly air wouldn’t go in or out properly. His entire body quaked with muffled sobs.

Just as he was thinking nothing else could go wrong, Roland felt somebody sit down beside him. He shuffled to the end of the bench, striving to occupy as little room as possible. He curled up, ashamed of his bulk, the heat radiating from his body, the rank smell of his sweat. But the stranger moved closer. Roland drew breath and looked up, ready to tell whoever it was to get lost.

It was Hannah. She sat with her hands in her lap, swinging her legs like a child. She looked so pretty, sitting there in the dappled sunshine, Roland couldn’t be sure it wasn’t a dream. “You,” he squeaked, his voice full of helium. He cleared his throat. “You’re supposed to be at the airport…”

Hannah smiled at him. “Yeah, well,” she said. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I missed the bus.”

***

Thank you Dan for letting me share your story.

Dan Purdue lives and writes near Birmingham in the UK. His short fiction has been published in many places online and in print, including Writers’ Forum magazine, MicroHorror.com, Defenestration, Every Day Fiction, The View From Here, and The Waterhouse Review. His stories have won prizes in the 2010 Chapter One International Short Story Competition, Flash500.com, and the Seán Ó Faoláin Prize. He was also shortlisted for the 2010 James White Award and The Guardian’s 2009 Summer Short Story competition.

“Somewhere to Start From”, an anthology featuring many of his published and prizewinning stories, is available in print and as an ebook. He blogs at http://Lies-ink.blogspot.com and tweets as @DanPurdue.

You can find his book at:

• Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Somewhere-Start-Dan-Purdue/dp/1447676963 (print)
• Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/262944 (eBook)
• plus the iTunes Bookstore and other retailers.

***

Up next (in a couple of hours) is my author spotlight of non-fiction author Kathryn Vercillo, then the blog interviews will return as normal tomorrow with multi-genre author Rebeccah Giltrow – the six hundred and fourth 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.

 

** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!

See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0

or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.

For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.

As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do, and this feature ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words (and post stories of up to 3,000 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 posting it online in my new Red Pen Critique Sunday night posts, then do email me. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

Morgen’s Saturday Shout-out 001

Hello everyone. This is me… on the right – a water baby – except of course I’m a bit older and wiser (and almost as far away from the sea as one can get in Britain).

A couple of weeks ago, I created http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/me/morgens-saturday-shoutouts to inspire me to put a weekly post up about what I’ve been doing, see as the other posts are either about or by my guests.

I’d love to tell you that since that page went up that I’ve been working hard at my own writing, but sadly (and as per usual) this blog’s taken over and I’ve done nothing to my second novel, a mystery entitled ‘After Jessica’. What’s more annoying is that I have six wonderful first readers (hi Jenny, Graham, Tony, Robin, Catherine and Jessica) all waiting for me to get it done and send it over. Of course I don’t expect them all to come back to me (and certainly no quicker than I’ve been) but just knowing that one or more of them might should be pushing me to get it done… I know, it’s down to me to find the time and had it been November, I’d be doing just that for NaNoWriMo. I shouldn’t be hard on myself because I did / won my fifth NaNo in November and then had a backlog of emails etc then there was Christmas. Yeah, I know… it’s only three days.

So, in the meantime of me doing anything productive of my own, in case you’ve not stopped by my Morgen With An ‘E’ page, I’ve replicated it below to prove that actually I can sit my bum in my chair and do some work. I hope you’re sitting comfortably…

Hello. I’m Morgen With An E, a writer of over 7 years (although I do remember writing a story about an ampersand when young and dabbling with limericks in my 20s, and I’ve always had my head in a book; formerly Stephen King but my tastes have softened somewhat… to crime and humour). I’m passionate about the craft, and wanted to share with you my knowledge and experience gleaned to-date, having studied under the tutorledge of Sally Spedding, Judith Allnatt, Sue Moorcroft, Joanna Barnden, Jane Adams, and Myra Schneider, and most recently Helen M Hunt. My contact details are here.

I write fiction, mainly short stories and novels with some poetry, and have been published in the UK, the latest being two flash fiction pieces in Cake issue no.3. I also submit to magazines and competitions  in the UK and overseas and won Ripping Pages competition January 2008 with a poem ‘Fight for life’, was shortlisted in the Verulam Writers’ Circle ‘Get Writing’ Competition 2010 with Feeding the Father, a based-on-a-true-story monologue, which was also shortlisted in the Writers’ News Short Story Competition October 2010 (so near and yet so far). I won the Northampton Writers’ Group Members Only Short Story Comp July 2010 and was also shortlisted at Verulam Writers’ Circle ‘Get Writing’ 2011 Competition. ‘Feeding the Father’ is available as a free eShort here (there are three other freebies) and will feature in an upcoming anthology ‘It’s all about me’.

I’ve written four and a bit novels (three for NaNoWriMo – www.nanowrimo.org: 53,000 in November 2008, (novel no 2 Jan-Oct 2009), 117,540 words in Nov 2009 (in 29 days!), 51,300 words November 2010 and scraped through the 50,000 barrier (with less than an hour to spare) in 2011. The ‘bit’ is a conversion of my Script Frenzy 2010 script which I’ll continue at some stage.

I wrote my first-ever script for NaNo’s sister site Script Frenzy – www.scriptfrenzy.org – which was a challenge to say the least. The target was 100 pages rather than 50,000 words but the layout so different that it was a much slower process. Although I’m glad I did it  (102 pages), it didn’t make me want to be a script writer (although I wrote a 5-minute play for Northampton Literature Group’s July 2010 task which was fun) so am sticking with the novels, short stories and occasional poetry. I have also had one of my monologues displayed alongside one of Jaroslaw Ancuta’s drawings – see www.jaroslaw-ancuta.com.

I’ve also had writing-related articles published in the NAWG April 2011 ’Link’ magazine (Chorleywood Literature Festival Review), August 2011 (Blog interviews & Bailey’s Writing Tips) and October 2011 (The Benefits of Attending Writing Events) and a twisted fairy tale in April 2012 editions. I’ve been mentioned on Rosanne Dingli’s website as well as a short story (‘The Threadbare Girl’) published on Nathan Weaver’s site. This blog’s My Collaborations page lists everything to-date. ‘The Threadbare Girl’ is available as a free short story and part of my ‘Story A Day 2011′* anthology on Smashwords ($0.99 (£0.77 / AS$1.50)) *which has just received its first review on Amazon, a glowing 5*.

In July 2011 I guested on Tia Silver Bach’s blog on the subject of NaNoWriMo. In September, Jodine Turner invited me to talk about writing essentials. Later that month I said what it was (is) like to be a writer in the U.K. entitled The view from across the pond on JD Mader’s non-fiction blog.

In December 2011 I was nominated (by K.S. Brooks), and awarded (by JD Mader), a Versatile Blogger Award. Coming a few hours after the first (a 5*) review for my The 365-Day Writer’s Block Workbook they certainly made my day. Then Chaz Wood’s wonderfully dark blog I talked again about writing essentials (yes, it’s deja vu ).

In January I guested on Fiona Veich Smith site to talk about overcoming writer’s block.

Then late February 2012 Cindy Vaskova bestowed a ‘Liebster Blog Award’ on myself and four other bloggers: Nerine Dorman, Icy Sedgwick, Sonya Clark and Emma Newman. One of my duties is to 1. Link back to Cindy (easy). 2. Nominate five others (not quite so easy but doable). 3. Post the award on my blog (done). 4. Bask in the love from the most supportive people in the blogosphere (easy, I do that already ). 5. Have fun and spread the karma! (peasy). Thank you, Cindy.

In April I was one of Catherine Noble‘s ‘crafty fella‘s… that’s certainly a first. Thank you, Catherine, and later that month I was added to the Towcester Writers Group website, was awarded a ‘Lucky Seven’ by Kasia James, and listed as a top blogger by Finish Your Book (another WordPress site). I also met up with JD Mader again on the topic of the art of interviews.

Late May I was presented (online) with a ‘Beautiful Blogger Award’ by Sean Durity followed by another Versatile Blogger Award from Darlene Jones, and then another ‘Beautiful Blogger Award’ by Dicy McCullough. And I revisited the topic of writing essentials for Nancy Dodd and then on Siggy Buckley’s site with a piece entitled Do as I do, not and as I say.

In June I was no.7 of 21 on a list of other bloggers who interview authors, won another Versatile Blogger Award from DK Thomas and a WGT Kreative Blogger Award from Siggy Buckley. I was also Jadis Shaw’s ‘featured book’ with a Story a Day May 2011 giveaway. Also that month I became an Associate of the Society of Authors.

Then in July I was listed 12th in Best Colleges Online’s Top 100 creative writing blogs, on the Fantastic Books Publishing blog as a ‘Useful Resource for Writers’ and a ‘helpful people & sites’ on Burrst.com.

In August I was awarded a Sunshine Blogger Award by Sophie E Tallis then I spotted my blog as one of Sheila Pearson’s favourites and Sophie E Tallis awarded me a Very Inspiring Blogger Award (I never knew there were so many). Tony Riches asked me for 10 writing tips for new writers then a few days later I wrote a guest post for Tom Rizzo on crime writing. Later that day, Sheron McCartha listed this blog’s Books: Other’s Peoples / Novels & Novellas page on her sci-fi book review blog. The next day Gail M Baugniet listed this blog as an awesome blog to visit and a few days later I was mentioned on Helen Yendall’s blog. On the 22nd Christopher Farley awarded me a One Lovely Blog Award. It was a busy month!

Then in September Agnes Meadow invited me to be a (paid!) speaker (as “Queen Blogger”) at her Loose Muse event in Covent Garden, London, mid-March 2013 (I accepted, of course), Jaidis Shaw named me as one of her Author Resources on her new blog. and the same day Dorit Kedar told me via Facebook that thanks to some advice I’d given her she had a short story placed in an anthology. Mid-month novelist and writing guru Jane Wenham-Jones mentioned me in one of her Woman’s Weekly ‘Just Jane‘ columns. Then on the 24th September I was announced as one of Tribal Messenger Daily’s Top 50 blog for authors.

October 2012 started with me being nominated by Anne O’Connell for a Super Sweet award, then on the 2nd I was interviewed by Tom Blubaugh. On the 6th I signed up to (using my Twitter account, it was that easy) with RebelMouse which picks up my content from Twitter and Facebook as I produce it so I never have to do a thing. Then mid-October I I’ve joined Wattpad. Are you on there? Do let me know. A couple of days later I was notified that a free eBook entitled ‘Ditch the Publisher’ I’d contributed to (my section’s no.7, entitled ‘The eBook revolution’) was released. Then William R Bell ‘This is Your Life’d me. And late October I received an email inviting me to join storylane where I was asked to lay myself bare (not literally, you’ll be pleased to know) but perhaps sharing a little too much information about my private life… including my most embarrassing moment!

A great start to November with the kick-off of my latest crime novel ‘Once Perfect’ (and this is going to be very grim) for NaNoWriMo 2012 and I uploaded my first (third-written) novel, my one-and-only-chick-lit-to-date, The Serial Dater’s Shopping List on to Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com and Smashwords (and will be on iTunes, B&N etc. shortly). On the morning of Wednesday 7th November, I woke up to find I’d received a Written Acts of Kindness Award. The next day, Yasmin Selena Butt mentioned me on her blog. Then on the 11th I was interviewed by Richard Godwin at his Slaughterhouse! On the 21st I woke up to a comment on my blog from Sophie E Tallis and a p.s. that she’d nominated me for a One Lovely Blog Award. Then I submitted a 55-word story to Austin Briggs monthly competition.

I finished NaNoWriMo, with a few minutes to spare, ‘winning’ with 51,555 words then on the morning of 1st December, I was shortlisted on Austin’s competition. One of my interviewees epic fantasy novelist Yvonne Herzberger won. I received an email late on 4th December telling me I had won a professional video trailer from Writania for The Serial Dater’s Shopping List (TSDSL) with my pitch of ’31 dates in 31 days – what could possibly go wrong?’. Then on the 5th I woke up to find I’d been nominated for a Blog of the Year 2012 award. On 9th December TSDSL was featured on online magazine Female First! On the 18th December, Tracy Kauffman added me to http://literary.yolasite.com/bloggers.php. and later that evening I posted a part 3 of 3 guest post by crime novelist Neil Yuzuk who announced that he’s named one of his characters (a secretary, and I was a secretary!) after Rosanne Dingli and me!

January 2013 got off to a flying start with Cheryl Carpinello interviewing me on the 1st.

There is more on the Morgen With An ‘E’ page but I think that’s more than enough. So, hopefully another thrilling instalment next Saturday with some news that I’ve actually accomplished something this week…

***

** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!

See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0

or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.

For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.

As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do, and a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words (and post stories of up to 3,000 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 posting it online in my new Red Pen Critique Sunday night posts, then do email me. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

Author interview no.603 with multi-genre writer Victoria King-Voreadi

Welcome to the six hundred and third of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, biographers, agents, publishers and more. Today’s is with multi-genre author Victoria King-Voreadi who’ll also be talking about her work with the late Don Schwarz. 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, Victoria. Please tell us something about yourself, where you’re based, and how you came to be a writer.

Victoria: I’m originally from southern California, but have been living and working in Greece since 1989.  I’ve always loved writing because no one can interrupt you! LOL!

My first year in Athens private TV was born, so there was a lot of demand for content.  The EEU MEDIA Programme meant that many Greek producers and directors needed to have their scripts translated into or written directly in English in order to apply.  The only downside was that they would wait till the last minute so I’d get more requests than I could possibly tackle.

My co-author Donald Schwarz was a native New Yorker.  Don claimed he started writing at CUNY because women preferred artists to mathematicians.  He was still based in NYC until his death late 2012, and spent most of his time at the New York Public Library.

Morgen: It’s really sad that I never got to chat with him – he gave me a wonderful short story (http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/2012/11/02/flash-fiction-friday-059-faulkners-ghost-by-donald-schwarz). What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?

Victoria: I don’t consider myself a genre writer.  I write about people and situations that capture my interest and fire my imagination.  As a screenwriter I have been commissioned to write a variety of projects – two of which received funding grants from the EEU.  One was a romantic comedy, the other a social drama.  I’ve also written two thrillers and I am finally editing a science fiction novel I’ve had in my drawer since 1994.  I don’t know if I could write series fiction, my curiosity drives me to seek out new characters all the time. Don also wrote a variety of stories, primarily as screenplays.  He did have a fetish for firearms and light bondage which often appeared as recurring details in his work.

Morgen: What have you had published to-date? Do you write under a pseudonym?

Victoria: Aside from some travel articles and a few lifestyle pieces, Interrogation Tango will be my first literary work to be published, for Donald as well.  It has been a fascinating process, by turns exciting and nerve wracking.  Donald wrote under enough pseudonyms for both of us! He couldn’t even remember some of them.  I have trouble keeping track of things with the hyphenation.

Morgen: Are your books available as eBooks? How involved were you in that process? Do you read eBooks or is it paper all the way?

Victoria: Interrogation Tango will be available in all the e-reader formats as well as trade paperback and as an audio book.  My first experience with an e-reader came in September 2011.  I was visiting family in Paris and my dad’s lady friend was raving about her brand-new Kindle.  I was sceptical but was surprised to find that reading on it was not at all tiring to my eyes.  I had always been a proponent of the “real” book, but my first thought was how great it would have been to have that technology when I was a student!

Morgen: I love audiobooks. I’d say it’s my favourite format because I can be doing something else (walking the dog, housework) at the same time, although paperbacks and eBooks make me sit still. Did you have any say in the titles / covers of your book? How important do you think they are?

 

Author Spotlight no.150 – Jenny Worstall

Complementing my daily blog interviews, today’s Author Spotlight, the one hundred and fiftieth, is of novelist and short story author Jenny Worstall.

Jenny Worstall is a teacher, musician and writer. Born in Portsmouth, she spent her childhood years in Dartmouth, Bath, Shaftesbury and Naples, and is now settled in London with her husband and two teenage children.

Singing in choirs has always been a passion and Jenny has performed most of the standard choral works with various choral societies (including the London Choral Society when Simon Rattle was Chief Conductor and the BBC Symphony Chorus where she met her husband).

Jenny’s first teaching post was in an East London comprehensive; she moved on to a grammar school in Surrey and then became Head of Music at a girls’ school in Kent. Starting a family meant giving up full time work in schools, giving her the chance to build up her piano teaching and at last find the time to do some writing.

Her first novel, Make a Joyful Noise, is the sparkling and sharply observed tale of a choir preparing for a Christmas performance of Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast in which we follow the adventures of a host of characters who are mercilessly sent up by the author: Tristan the lecherous anti-hero, Lucy the staggeringly trusting young music teacher, Claire the shameless and scheming temptress, Miss Greymitt the elderly, slightly confused and arthritic choir accompanist and a host of singers with nothing but resonance between their ears.

And now from the author herself:

The idea for Make a Joyful Noise came from my involvement in the world of classical music, a rich source of inspiration as it tends to nurture mighty egos.  I decided to take a performance of one of my favourite choral works, “Belshazzar’s Feast” by William Walton, make it the backdrop for a pair of love stories and then inject it with comedy. “Make a Joyful Noise” is a line from the libretto of Belshazzar’s Feast (selected and arranged from the bible by Osbert Sitwell – a terrifically dramatic and colourful libretto), and it is true to say that just as all does not smoothly for King Belshazzar and the inhabitants of Babylon in Walton’s score, so the characters in the novel suffer from hopeless yearnings, romantic misunderstandings and the unfortunate consequences of their own misguided actions.

I started the first draft of Make a Joyful Noise when my children were very young; the main thinking and planning went on in my head, then when I could find the time, I scribbled it down. I played the piano a lot before I had children but once they were around I found that when they were awake, they wanted to join in with the music and I always had an extra pair of hands “helping “me play, but if I played when they were asleep the music woke them up. In a strange sort of way, I think writing took the place of the piano for me for a while.

The novel falls into both a musical and choral genre but is also unashamedly a romcom. I love reading Barbara Pym, Katie Fforde and Jilly Cooper, and these writers have certainly influenced me to write about affairs of the heart in a light and humourous way. The musical influence comes from the score of Belshazzar which I always had beside me when writing. The chapter headings in my book are taken from the libretto: “The Idols and the Devils”, “Yea, we wept”, and so on.

Many readers have told me that they recognise characters in the novel as various musical types and have certainly met people just like them (good, so it seems realistic). Others have told me they know exactly who the characters are (for example Tristan is apparently “definitely” Simon Rattle – he isn’t by the way! Nothing like). Make a Joyful Noise is a work of fiction. That means it is all made up.

If my novel was made into a play for radio then I can suggest a voice that would be perfect for Tristan – Bill Nighy. His voice is just the right combination of honey-strewn gravel with a hint of depravity. I wonder if he is free?

At the end of Belshazzar’s Feast, poor King Belshazzar is slain in a mysterious manner after yet another evening of debauchery involving praising false gods, music and feasting. At the end of my novel Make a Joyful Noise, Tristan…well, you will just have to read it to find out.

You can find more about Jenny and her writing via…

• Link to Make a Joyful Noise: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Make-Joyful-Noise-Jenny-Worstall/dp/1478325542
• Jenny Worstall website
• Jenny Worstall UK Author Page
• Jenny Worstall USA Author Page

***

The blog interviews will return as normal tomorrow with multi-genre author Cyra McFadden – the six hundred and 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.

** NEW!! You can now subscribe to this blog on your Kindle / Kindle app!

See http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008E88JN0

or http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008E88JN0 for outside the UK **

You can sign up to receive these blog posts daily or weekly so you don’t miss anything. You can contact me and find me on the internet, view my Books (including my debut novel!) and I also have a blog creation / maintenance service especially for, but not limited to, writers. If you like this blog, you can help me keep it running by donating and choose an optional free eBook.

For writers / readers willing to give feedback and / or writers wanting feedback, take a look at this blog’s Feedback page.

As I post an interview a day (amongst other things) I can’t unfortunately review books but I have a list of those who do, and a feature called ‘Short Story Saturdays’ where I review stories of up to 2,500 words (and post stories of up to 3,000 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 posting it online in my new Red Pen Critique Sunday night posts, then do email me. I am now also looking for flash fiction (<1000 words) for Flash Fiction Fridays and poetry for Post-weekend Poetry.

 

Author interview no.600 with short story writer, novelist & tutor Della Galton

Welcome to the six hundredth (woo hoo!) of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, biographers, agents, publishers and more. Today’s is with prolific short story author, novelist and tutor Della Galton. 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, Della. Please tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.

Della: Way back in the mists of time when I was in my early twenties I bought a house with a guy – we did it as a business project but later we became romantically linked. He decided we didn’t have enough interests in common so he asked me if I fancied joining a writing class with him.  He lasted a term, I carried on. I still go to that class. It’s run by Ian Burton and is at Kinson Community Centre, Bournemouth. My erstwhile boyfriend actually said to me one day that I would never sell anything, so it’s been quite good fun proving him wrong. I did bump into him a couple of years ago and he said he’d read a couple of my restaurant reviews!

Morgen: I started by going to writing classes (lead by crime writer Sally Spedding) in 2005 and was hooked. You’re best known for your women’s magazine short stories, do you have a favourite genre and do you write any genres that they wouldn’t take, so submit elsewhere?

Della: I try to write what sells – but I think if I had to choose a favourite it would be either light hearted or very emotional. I know that’s two different ones, but it’s hard to say which I like best. Depends what mood I’m in. I also write fantasy – as in odd other worldly stories occasionally. I also write erotica, but under a pseudonym.

Morgen: I didn’t know that (about your pseudonym… maybe I should interview her another time ). Your short stories have been published in Bella, Best, Candis, Grace Magazine, My Weekly, People’s Friend, Take A Break, That’s Life, The Lady, The Weekly News, Woman, Woman’s Weekly, Writers Forum, and Yours – some of whom no longer take fiction, why do you think this is? Is there anything you think that might make them change their minds?

Della: I hope it’s nothing to do with my stories. Seriously I think it’s because not enough readers want fiction in their mag. It’s usually supply and demand with magazine editors. I doubt they’d take away something lots of people want. I have lots of students who join my writing classes wanting to write short stories for mags, but they admit they don’t actually read any.

Morgen: What a shame, and of course every writer should read, maybe they stick with novels (most people do). I have just over 100 of your short stories – I’m a nerd, having your 100+, and nearly 3,300 others, listed on an Excel spreadsheet… all in the name of research – I’d love to have been Ali or Tina in ‘The Banoffee Pie Survey’!

Della: Blimey, I’m stunned!! Tee hee, The Banoffee Pie Survey was real – well, in as much as that I did a Banoffee pie survey, it was great fun. Tasty!

Morgen: Research can be tough, can’t it. You’ve also had short stories in charity anthologies (including the gorgeous ‘Waiting’ from Sexy Shorts for Summer, I loved that Lisa and Mark were writers, and found it such a powerful story – yes, I was sniffing at the end – I also have Sexy Shorts for Christmas… Chefs… and The Beach. ). It must have been thrilling to be involved.

Della: Thank you Morgen, I’m touched that you liked Waiting. One of my favourites. No truth in that one I’m afraid.

Morgen: Two of your novels were published by Accent Press, who also publish Jane Wenham-Jones, did you find them or did they find you?

 

Author interview no.599 with horror-turned-crime writer Andrew Barrett

Happy 2013 and welcome to the five hundred and ninety-ninth of my blog interviews with novelists, poets, short story authors, biographers, agents, publishers and more. Today’s is with horror-turned-crime writer Andrew Barrett. 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, Andrew. Please tell us something about yourself, where you’re based, and how you came to be a writer.

Andrew: Hello, Morgen, I’m Andrew Barrett, and based in West Yorkshire, England. I began writing in the 80s, inspired by my favourite authors Stephen King and James Herbert.

Morgen: I was hooked on Stephen King in my teens (and blame him for me wearing glasses – book / torch / under duvet) but I hadn’t twigged that you could make a living at it… although I think most of us are still working on that one. What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?

Andrew: Naturally, I suppose, I began by writing horror. Charlotte’s Lodge was my first proper attempt at constructing and writing a book. I’m pleased to say that it’s still alive though will be undergoing a tune up in the near future, so will be on Amazon early 2013. The evil granny herself (Charlotte) would spin in her grave!

In ’96, I was offered the job as a Scenes of Crime Officer (SOCO, or CSI if you prefer), and so it seemed logical to steer away from horror, and into the crime / thriller genre, where there are an almost endless array of story ideas, and where my crime scene examination expertise might work to my advantage. I find that I can inject genuine authority into the crimes I write about, can even include the proper technical issues we deal with. And after being a SOCO for sixteen years, I’m still writing.

Morgen: And hopefully always will be if you love it (and you’ve been very useful in answering a couple of queries I had when writing my NaNoWriMo 2012 novel (thank you ). What have you had published to-date? Do you write under a pseudonym?

Andrew: Nothing on paper, but all books are available as ebooks. I don’t write under a pseudonym because I couldn’t think of one catchy enough! That aside, I’d never live it down at work if my colleagues found out was writing as Dirk Rochester.

Morgen: Maybe if you switch to romance. Sounds like they’re very supportive though, which is great. Have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?