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It is time for a giveaway!! I still have a few more things that I’m working on to add to the prize package, and the image will be updated once they are done. I hope that you’ll take this time to not only enter the giveaway, but take advantage of the daily entry options that will help to promote the fabulous authors that we have on our site.
Tell us about yourself and your books.:
When I graduated from La Roche College with a B.S. in Advertising Design, I set out to be the best designer in the world and spent my career immersed in the world of advertising and marketing, creating original ideas for some of the world’s largest brands to some of the world’s smallest brands fighting the disease of mediocrity.
In 2001, that same commitment opened many new doors, including the ones to my own ad agency, built on a simple mantra: "Every brand has a soul. But not every agency has the heart to find it. We do." Likewise, I believe every story should possess a soul.
Today's audience are adrenaline junkies looking for original, entertaining, and an unpredictable novel that will take your emotions on a rollercoaster ride that ricochets between loving, crying, loathing, laughing and cheering for the protagonist.
Chasing my dreams has been a lifelong passion the latest involves sharing the Tale of Bronco & The Wizard, published on January 7 of 2020, a lighthearted urban fantasy about friendship, football, and wizards. From the outrageous to the most heartfelt moments we discover a nefarious cult where the game of football is not in the hands of the players, but in the hands of some powerful wizards.
And then there is my dark side. Day One: Birth is a death sentence, was published by The Amusement Park, LLC and released on February 4 of 2019. A wicked fiction thriller and the first of a three-part Kachada Series of the untold story of Kachada Toscano, an unlikely tale where two parallel universes—the chilling ancestral traditions of the Comanche Tribe and the ruthless code of the Sicilian Mafia—mysteriously intersect.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Having spent over forty years in the advertising world creating campaigns, brand strategies, and creative positioning I have learned early on how to identify a good idea from a weak one.
I make an outline and review it over a period of weeks visualizing the story chapter by chapter before I begin to write it. It is a method I used during my ad career that I found focuses me on the overall feel and attitude of the story.
Naturally, like any creative idea, it evolves but at least I know what I want the protagonist’s soul to represent throughout the storyline.
At that point, I begin the process of actually writing. I do not write for others. I write to entertain myself. If I am emotionally moved during the process then I know I have it in a good place.
It usually takes me three weeks to write an entire novel. I never try to make it perfect during that first writing. I just want the story down as a layout so I can evaluate it.
Then I return to it after a week and start the process of refining it. That takes another three weeks. Then I hand it off to a copy editor. Then I rewrite utilizing the notes I agree with. Then I hand it off to a line editor. Once I have those notes I then rewrite the areas I feel need attention. Then I hand it off to a proofreader. I then make those adjustments and hand it off to yet again another proofreader. I make those adjustments and then I publish.
What authors have influenced you?
This is going to sound odd, but I don’t have what I would call a favorite author or book. There are those I admire for different reasons. One such is the raw and honest dialogue writing of Elmore Leonard.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Since I am a new author I’m not sure I qualify to give any such advice. The only thought I would try to pass on is to write for YOU.
[Read more…] about Author Interview: Don Sedei
Tell us about yourself and your books.:
After I retired from law enforcement I decided it was time to write the story that had been sitting on the back of my mind for ages. I went to the local Barnes & Noble and bought all the magazines they had on writing. I knew I had to learn the craft. At the same time, I started the story. As I went to workshops, seminars and writer's conferences, I'd apply what I leaned to the story. After several years, I felt it was ready. A dear friend started a small publishing house and asked if I'd consider publishing with her. I did and I haven't looked back. I now have 12 books in publication. I have several series. One is a historical romance "Knights in Time," which has a time travel element. I have a contemporary thriller series set in Turkey called "Dangerous Waters." I've been writing a historical suspense series called "the Bloodstone Series." My new release, A Venomous Love, is the third book from that series. It is set in Victorian London and my protagonist is a London detective, Rudyard Bloodstone. I also have a WW2 romance novella series. I'm working on book 2 in that series.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I don't think so. I'm not superstitious by nature so I don't have rituals I follow when I sit down to write. I do set aside 3-4 hours in the afternoons to write and I try to do that six days a week. I try to get all my personal business done in the morning. I quit writing by five and spend the rest of the evening relaxing.
What authors have influenced you?
Bernard Cornwell writes the most visceral and dynamic battle scenes. In my Knights in Time series the Battle of Poitiers (1356) connects the heroes. I tried to recreate the visual strength of his works in my stories.
Julie Anne Long writes wonderful romances. I am not terribly comfortable writing love scenes and read through hers to give me direction.
Joe Wambaugh writes brilliant cop stories. He was with LAPD for years and knows how create police officers that have great humor and pathos.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Commit to putting aside time to write. It is so easy to say you'll do it tomorrow. Writing is dedicating time to sit and type words on the page. Even if your busy day only allows fifteen minutes. Use them.
Also, join a critique group if possible. Fresh eyes need to see your work, not just family and friends who might not be honest so as not to hurt your feelings.
[Read more…] about Featured Author Interview: Chris Karlsen
Tell us about yourself and your books.:
My name is Roland Sat Page a military brat born in New York now living in St. louis Mo. I'm a husband and a father of four with a passion in many aspects of art. I was a former tattooist until Lupus threw a monkey wrench into my career it affected my hand motor skills. My book "eating the Forbidden Fruit" is a urban fiction loosely based on true events in my past career as a St. Louis police officer convicted of federal crimes due to my childhood affiliation. It's a tale of karma, confession, and redemption. Truly a roller coaster of emotions drama, humor, and romance.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I have insomnia so once I'm engaged I can't stop. My wife complains I don't get enough sleep. If i get writer''s block I drive for a hour or so. Also I have to drink a cup of Maca green tea to relax my mind so words will flow.
What authors have influenced you?
S.E Hinton for "The Outsiders" and Walter Mosley"Devil in a Blue Dress" I like novels I can relate to that reflect human error.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Well I'm a new author therefore staying humble, being open to constructive criticism, and constantly networking has worked for me. Being a tattoo artist helped me nurture a marketing grind about myself.
[Read more…] about Featured Author Interview: Roland Page
Tell us about yourself and your books.:
I left Trenton, New jersey in 1957 to join the Navy, where I served for 20 years, sailing the seven seas. My duty assignments sent me to serve aboard destroyers, diesel electric submarines, aircraft carriers, auxiliary vessels, reconnaissance attack squadrons and patrol gunboats in Vietnam. I retired as a chief petty officer and went on to receive undergraduate and graduate degrees. Since retiring from the Navy, I have worked as a shipyard welder’s helper, epidemiologist, adjunct graduate instructor, small business owner, pharmaceutical trainer and international radio host.
Exposure to Agent Orange while in Vietnam led to the Veterans Administration declaring me fully disabled. I now live in Jacksonville, Florida in close proximity to my three children, four grandchildren and a brand-new great grandson.
Since 2010 I have written and self-published ten books which span several genres.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I am a seat-of-the-pants writer who has a general idea where my work is going when I write each day, editing and revising the previous day’s effort. I talk to my characters often” “Well here you are in such-and such a situation. What are you going to do about it?”
What authors have influenced you?
James Thurber, John Mortimer, Jaroslav Hasek and more recently Hampton Sides.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I am in no position to offer advice to anyone.
[Read more…] about Featured Author Interview: Bob Stockton
Tell us about yourself and your books.:
I am an author of a heart-wrenching novel called 'Written'. It's about a little girl who has been told her whole life has been planned by her parents and that she has no choice but to honour their plans for her.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
My book started from a journal that I wrote into to express the trauma and challenges I was going through in my own life. The book idea came when I pieced together my own life by reflecting on fragments of my journal. It took 16 years to write the book because I was on a road to discovering myself. The book has been like a loyal friend to me and over the years has taught me how to be true myself. I wrote most of my book on the train to work and back, it was the only true time I had. In those precious 30 minutes I brain dumped everything I had in me and then pieced together my story.
What authors have influenced you?
Khaled Hosseini's, Kite Runner. I love this book so much that I have read it three or four times.
Arundhati Roy: The God of All Small Things. She writes so beautifully, it was one of my first literary books that I had read and had inspired me to write more.
Rabrindranath Tagore – My father used to recite his poems and it had an influence on my creative angle.
Maya Angelou: 'I know why the caged bird sings.' I could relate to this book, I have found that Maya's words of courage always helped me overcome my fears of pushing through to the end goals.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Tell as many people about your idea and commit to writing it. It may take years but don't give up, keep chipping away at it, little by little and eventually you will be happy and proud of yourself. It takes a lot of courage and commitment to write, don't be put off by when life gets in the way sometimes, you will succeed.
[Read more…] about Featured Author Interview: D.A. Lee
Tell us about yourself and your books.:
I write erotica. Sharing the inner thoughts and emotions of characters is the ultimate voyeurism.
I am a big believer in plot and character development.
I want the characters to be as real as possible. Character motivations drive the events and sexual activities.
Sex scenes are detailed and graphic. I want to always give a perfect picture of exactly what is happening and why and how and how the characters feel physically and emotionally.
While I believe there is way too much shaming out there in the world when it comes to sex and things sexual I also think dirty acts and a sense of wicked naughtiness are wonderful in erotica.
I have two degrees and am dedicated to providing the highest quality erotica.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I'm sure my massive intakes of caffeine are quite normal for an author….
Considering the genre I write in it may be considered unusual I often write (type) with people near me in various settings who have no clue what I'm up to on my laptop.
When I edit a book I do three complete edits where I read every word. The unusual part is that I also do each one a little differently. In order to better spot errors, even small ones like an extra space between words, I change the font, font size, and type color with each edit.
Edit 1 : Times New Roman, 12 point, black
Edit 2: Bookman Old Style, 14 point, green
Edit 3: Random grab bag font, 16 point, purple
Even with that I still miss some errors!
What authors have influenced you?
The living legend JJ Argus and the other living legend, silkstockingslover. Her works, mostly short stories, can be found on literotica.com. And Stephen King!
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I'm pretty new myself so advice from me is presumptive at best. However, I can pass on advice I received (okay, some from me as well). That is to be patient. When you write and publish something no one knows unless they are psychic. No matter how good it is it may not get sales. For instance, "Moby Dick", the great classic, after the initial poor first year of sales, went on to sell an average of 27 books a year for 34 years. Once the author Herman Melville died it later became popular and "discovered". And Melville was a successful author BEFORE he published that book!
Once someone finds one of your books you, as an author, need to make sure it make them, the reader, happy. The book is for the reader, not the author. That is the mission. Take the time to edit thoroughly, have someone else read it to make sure each little part makes sense to others.
Make sure it is realistic even within the realm of the fantastic. Realism is more interesting than having readers say again and again, "That would NEVER happen." If your story loses credibility than you, the author, automatically do as well.
Cream rises to the top but can also float up a bit faster if you communicate in all ways — email responses, blog, web site, and, yes, promotion.
[Read more…] about Featured Author Interview: Jordan Church
Tell us about yourself and your books.:
I'm a family doctor. I am also a university professor. I took pride in serving others and found meaning in teaching and doing research.
When I was diagnosed with cancer, one of the hardest things for me was losing the identity of the professional. Beyond not living long, what troubled me was that I wasn't sure I would be able to do what is meaningful to me while I am still alive.
Cancer led me down the path to my authentic self more quickly. I had the urgency to find my authenticity. I was running out of time, and I had to work double as hard while my energy tanked. I had to read more and write more. It was vital for me to find meaning and to find it now.
Cancer also humbled me. I became aware that before being a doctor and a researcher, I am a person. And because of that, I can serve better. I can do things for others in ways I was never able to before. To my patients, I can be the doctor who also understands their experience because he is a patient himself. I can hear as a researcher what others do not hear because I suffered.
I found purpose and authentic conversations in being with others as they pursue what is of value to them and what is right. I found meaning in telling the stories of those who have little space to share their stories.
Cancer also led me to be more empowered, to always seek the truth, and to speak truth to power.
My book is "Roads to Meaning and Resilience with Cancer: Forty Stories of Coping, Finding Meaning, and Building Resilience While Living with Incurable Lung Cancer."
I interviewed thirty-nine people with lung cancer, and in the book, I share aspects of our stories.
They are like you, men and women with busy lives, families, and friends. Some worked as doctors, teachers, writers, builders, and managers. Others stayed home to take care of their loved ones.
We are living longer than we initially expected, and this has made our experiences resemble nothing that many of us have lived or witnessed before. Many of them have captured with their words some of the essences of our existence as humans.
If you have developed lung or another type of cancer, or if you have struggled with an illness, you will find aspects of your story reflected here.
From these thirty-nine individuals, I have learned far more than I have through any reading or writing. By sharing their experiences, I am merely opening the space for them to teach others.
The book is about the essence of human experience. It is for every reader.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Because I work as a physician and professor, there was little time to take off and write. I wrote mostly in my evenings and weekends. I also took a one week vacation and used that time to write.
My writing is reflective and intends to build on the qualitative research I have conducted by interviewing patients.
What authors have influenced you?
Patti Lather in her book Troubling the Angles was an influence. She wrote about the experiences of women living with HIV AIDS. I did similar work on the experience of people living with lung cancer. I am, however, one of the people living with this disease.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write. Edit and re-edit.
[Read more…] about Featured Author Interview: Morhaf Al Achkar
Tell us about yourself and your books.:
I chose to get a doctorate in clinical psychology because I find depth of study beyond the ordinary to be of special interest. That means a focus on ourselves and our society. Life should never be a closed book and the world is full of potential even when we are in crisis. My desire to explore led me to write these books about mermaids and how they represented the empowerment of women as crisis was exploding. While mermaids are a myth, the rest of it may be seen as fantasy but in fact represents what is happening in our world now.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I think the most unusual thing is that I talk to my characters. Part of the reason I do is that they often show up demanding attention and inclusion. As a psychologist I understand what is happening. They represent parts of me and what I adore. So, of course I talk to them and it enhances the work.
What authors have influenced you?
I can't focus on a limited list. How we are and what we write comes from a multitude of sources.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Writer/Psychologist here. Be yourself. You have a life experience and a multiple layer personality. Go in and see what you find, not what you think other people may think you should be doing. There is an awful lot inside of everyone and releasing in a creative endeavor is personally and collectively fulfilling.
[Read more…] about Featured Author Interview: Roger Burt
Tell us about yourself and your books.:
Hey, everyone! I'm USA Today best-selling author CM Albert, but you can call me Colleen. I write steamy contemporary romances that have a lot of heart, a little dash of humor, and a whole lot of heat. Kind of like life, I celebrate both the human side of relationships (growth, disfunction, overcoming adversity) and the physical aspects (intimacy, sexual, pushing boundaries). All of my books have a happy-ever-after, because above all else, I believe in the power nd healing ability of love.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I usually always type my books on my laptop, but for some reason, my newest unpublished book came to me fast and furious and wanted to be handwritten out. Because I started with a Scentos scented gel pen, I have since handwritten every chapter using one! This is the weirdest way I have ever written a book, but it's also been fun and very liberating.
What authors have influenced you?
Bertrice Small, Colleen Hoover, Melissa Foster, Haven Kimmel, Skye Warren, Nora Roberts, LJ Shen . . . so many!
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be patient and don't give up! I didn't publish my first book until I was 42 — and I'm now a USAT best-selling author. It didn't happen over night. You have to learn the business, be humble, make connections, observe those you respect in the field, be an active reader in your genre, and STAY AT IT…even when you want to quit. I truly believe that if you have a book inside you, it will keep screaming at you until you let it out! You got this!
[Read more…] about Featured Author Interview: C.M. Albert
Tell us about yourself and your books.:
I love to write. Marketing not so much. I enjoy both the research and the wordcraft of writing!
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
7-10 four nights a week and Sunday for 4-5 hours.
What authors have influenced you?
Furst. Conrad. Shakespeare. Yeats. Smil. Crichton.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Write daily. integrate writing into your life style, like exercise, eating and sleep.
[Read more…] about Featured Author Interview: JOHN GRAVES
Tell us about yourself and your books.:
Becoming a writer wasn’t even on my bucket list. My professional life had been spent in the aviation business. I’m now 71 years old, and it astounds me how God could have blessed someone like me—one who has made so many mistakes along the way.
Our aircraft companies supported outreaches to destitute people around the world, and even sponsored a chaplaincy program in a Texas facility for troubled youth. But I became burned out after so long and decided to retire at the age of 52. That’s when the real trouble started, the beginning of a sixteen-year-long wilderness in my life.
First, we lost 80% of our retirement in the financial markets crash of the year 2000. After that, I lived in a state of depression and panic for several years. It was a type of PTSD, I realize now. I tried hard to trust God through it all, but eventually I didn’t even trust myself any longer.
Thereafter, I failed at everything I tried. After sixteen years, I was so defeated that I could no longer see any purpose for my life. I ran out of options, and the boredom coupled with failure was killing me. I reached the point of wanting God to just take me home.
Through it all, my wife Carla was a rock. She never wavered in her trust for me or for her Lord. She’s my hero. I wish I were more like she is.
After I came to the end of myself, something miraculous happened. One night, out of nowhere a story invaded my head about a US Marine pilot who . . . well you get the picture—Cody Musket, a man who has reached the point of desperation, who meets a heroic woman whose faith is unbreakable.
The story grew in my head for months, but it never occurred to me to write a book. (Doofus!) I even asked God to take this story out of my head because it was disrupting my life. Finally, after about six months, I told Carla about the story. I told her I was gonna go crazy if I didn’t at least write it down. She said, “I think you should.” That’s it. “I think you should.”
I began to write feverishly and could not stop for two years. I studied hard to learn how to write fiction. No Pit So Deep, The Cody Musket Story was released in 2016 as a stand-alone novel, and I have now expanded this saga to a four-book series with a combined 440 customer reviews from around the world, many of which reveal lives that have been impacted. The first book has been on the Kindle #1 Bestseller list twice, and has won several awards.
So, there I was just a few years ago, thinking my life was over. Feeling abandoned. But if my life had not slowed down to an agonizing crawl, I would never have written this story. If I had achieved the retirement I had always dreamed about, I might have missed a greater destiny.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Writers’ habits differ according to personality and purpose. I’m not striving to become known as an author, but I would love it if my character, Cody Musket, and his counterpart, Brandi Barnes, became household names. Their stories represent us all.
What authors have influenced you?
When I was 8 years old, I read The Mark of Zorro by Johnston McCulley. Even though I was a kid at the time, that one still stands out. The Zorro character had honor and purpose.
At the age of 12, I read Serenade to the Big Bird, a personal memoir by Bert Stiles, a WWII US bomber pilot.
In recent years, Wild at Heart by John Eldredge and The Three Battlegrounds by Francis Fragipane both had a tremendous impact on me.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I can only advise myself, because we all have different goals. Here is my personal mantra: Write better but fewer books. I feel that many authors sell themselves short because they are rushed, thinking that the more books they write in a given amount of time, the more popular they will become. That only works if your finished product is the very BEST you can produce. Our modern culture is held hostage by time. Time can be a tyrant, ticking away like a relentless metronome in your mind, robbing you of your best creativity. Don’t be afraid to set aside your book for a few weeks, then come back to it and read what you’ve written. You will be surprised at what you see. That’s when my greatest creativity seems to kick in.
[Read more…] about Featured Author Interview: James Nathaniel Miller II
Tell us about yourself and your books.:
I was born in the Netherlands and raised in a small town called ‘Bussum’ situated only 20 minutes away from Amsterdam. Already in my youth I wrote short stories with my two year older sister, Marianne. We were given a selection of postcards displaying beautiful places across the globe, triggering our imagination. In later years I picked up writing again while working as managing director for the Benelux branch of a US based finance company. At the end of each day I summarized by email my everyday activities, including anecdotes about my interaction with businessmen. My PA always had a good laugh about it. She advised me to write down my experiences. Over a period of ten years I managed to finish my first semi-autobiographic fiction book, describing these encounters. I did this after working hours and I was quite relieved when the job was done. Unfortunately I decided not to publish that specific book (Nice Doing Business With You Ma’am) since it required a substantial rewrite due to some unexpected circumstances. At the time, I felt not very motivated to start re-writing it given the fact it already took me 10 years to produce the current version! The story of a psychic combined with the climate changes around the globe and some further investigation in both area’s put me back to writing; that was the beginning of the Jessie Golden Earth Series with 3 parts completed in the series, i.e., Quest to the Unknown (part 1), Darkness and Light (part 2) and The Prophecy: the seven disasters before the Apocalypse (part 3). Part 1 and 2 (18th July, 2019) are published. I still work full time by the way as a development and operations director for an international French IT Finance and Services company.
Apart from these fiction books I completed a non-fiction work which I am currently editing to make it more accessible to read (Learn To Understand Your Original Self).
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
Not that I am aware of. Usually the story is unfolding in my head and when I feel I am ready to start I sit down and begin to write. Sometimes I can’t finish and continue until the early morning. I think that I am very lucky I don’t need much sleep at night. This allows me to continue writing after my regular working hours.
What authors have influenced you?
The first book I really felt in love with was The Other Side of Midnight by Sidney Sheldon. I was in my early teens when I was introduced to his work and have been a great fan ever since. The themes he used such as intrigues, betrayal, passionate love and hatred combined with female heroines influenced my writing a lot. Other authors that inspired me are Noel Barber (Tanamera), Danielle Steel (The Promise), David Baldachi (The Summer and other work), Jilly Cooper (Polo and other work), Jacky Collins (The Lucky Santiago saga) and Joy Fielding (the other woman)
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Just write that book, get it edited and published! Today there are many ways to get your book in front of a large audience.
[Read more…] about Featured Author Interview: Annelies George
Tell us about yourself and your books.:
I emigrated from Austria and became a U.S. citizen, I love living here. I just retired and have all this time to continue writing and reading. K-9 Cop is my first book and I have written a couple of feature screenplays. My book has won 1st place in the Good Read Competition from awomenswrite.com and my screenplays have won various awards.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I just have to push myself. Getting started is the most difficult part. Once I start there’s no stopping me.
What authors have influenced you?
I love John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway and the Israeli author Ephraim Kishon.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Do a lot of marketing. What’s the use if you have a great book and no one knows about it? Marketing is key. The internet is full of services and marketing tips. Beware of high-priced marketing services that bring you nothing. Check out the Writer Beware blog: https://accrispin.blogspot.com/
[Read more…] about Featured Author Interview: Erna Mueller
Tell us about yourself and your books.:
Hi, My name is Rob Shackleford and I live on the Gold Coast in Australia with Deborah-Jane, my partner. We each have a son and a daughter and, because they are living away from home and have not yet decided to have kids, we are in that sweet spot in time when we can, and do, travel when we can.
I have written a few books but I have only one, Traveller Inceptio, that is published so far.
Traveller Inceptio is a blend of Science Fiction and Historical Fiction which examines what could really happen if we placed 21st Century researchers into 11th Century Saxon England. If you were placed there, would you survive? How do you think you would fare with the food, the clothes, the language or the superstitions? What about the lack of law and order and the threat of violence?
My inspiration came after I was ripped off by a dishonest business partner and I sat on the beach and was forced to look at my options. While there I looked at the buildings around me and imagined what the location would look like 100 years in the past, then 200 years when white explorers first arrived, then 1000 years ago. A story began to form, which became Traveller Inceptio. Inceptio means "Beginning" in Latin, the religious language spoken in the time. I had to add that part of the title because, have you seen how many books there are with the title, 'Traveller'? Dozens!
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I generally write in the morning. If I have a flash of inspiration, that means I can get up as early as 4am. After a few hours we go for a walk and a coffee. By midday I gym and then sometimes play the Play Station while I think about my research or seek inspiration while I am killing zombies or whatever.
I do research a lot! With Traveller Inceptio I lacked the confidence to write so I thoroughly researched for about a year before I dared write anything. I live in terror of having wrong information, of a historian saying – "Oh, this is rubbish because xyz!" My local library banned me at one stage as I had a really good book on Saxon history out for 6 months.
The most unusual thing is how sometimes I can write and it doesn't feel like I am writing, where the story develops in ways I had not anticipated, where I go, "Wow! I didn't know that was going to happen!"
What authors have influenced you?
There are so many!
I admire the beautiful descriptive writing of 'The Life of Pi's Yann Martel, 'Shantaram's Gregory David Roberts, or Colleen McCullough's superb series of novels on Rome.
I love brilliant imagination and the ability to story-tell as shown in the warped imagination of Steven King, Tolkien and even the simplicity of 'The Martian's Andy Weir.
I am also astounded by the pure brilliance of the research undertaken by historian Simon Sebag Montfiore and his range of excellent novels, and of course Bernard Cornwell.
Last but not least I adore the Science Fiction greats – Arthur C Clarke, Frank Herbert, Robert Heinlein, Greg Bear and so many others who make our imaginations soar beyond the stars.
And these are but a few. I will post this and then say – "How could I have forgotten …?"
Do you have any advice for new authors?
1. Persist. I heard a cheesy saying from an author I can't recall, which goes: "The successful Author is the one who persisted." Take some hope in that most authors have had to scarper naked through the valley of death.
2. Being an author is about being commercially viable. Modern publishers want to make money off you, web sites want to make money off you, the various nebulous publishing services do too. Be judicious about where you spend your money and understand this is a business like the music industry. In the end you will have to watch out!
3. Be true to yourself. You work is your work, but also accept that sometimes a suggestion might be good for you. The first time I had Traveller Inceptio edited it was by a grumpy old bastard of an Englishman who tore off my arm and beat me over the head with it. Thanks to his bemoaning of my abilities I was compelled to relook at what was written, removed some chapters, cut the length of my manuscript, and essentially was forced to concede that I had a lot to learn. He also hated one of my characters as it reminded him of a kid who bullied him when he was at school, which was brilliant! It meant my character development touched a chord in him, even though it might have been negative.
4. Each literary masterpiece started with the first written word. Start your work and don't be too hard on yourself. Let the work emerge when it will, but write something! It is easier to edit than to make the first utterance. Good luck and have fun!!
[Read more…] about Featured Author Interview: Rob Shackleford
