Interview - The Wonderful Ronel Janse van Vuuren

Interview - The Wonderful Ronel van Vuuren

Today I have the great honour of having Ronel Janse van Vuuren on my blog, and she has been kind enough to answer some of my questions.

1. Hello and welcome back! For those who are new here, would you like to introduce yourself and tell everyone what it is you love to do?

Thanks, Tasha. I’m award-winning, dark fantasy author Ronel Janse van Vuuren. Though I mainly write for children and teens, I have short stories in various anthologies meant for older readers. I tend to use lots of folklore and mythology in my writing. And though I love writing, I’m also a Rottweiler pack leader, chicken wrangler, horse servant and compost enthusiast. I also blog about folklore on my website. www.ronelthemythmaker.com

2. What draws you to be a writer and means you can never give it up?

Creating new worlds and seeing how people react to situations. I guess I can throw crazy situations at real people, but it probably won’t be legal (and it might get me locked up with the criminally insane).

3. What is the first thing you ever remember writing?

Something about faeries, lady bugs and a rock garden. Sadly, that story got lost in time.

4. Dark Fantasy is one of those terms that seems to pop up a lot these days, how would you define the genre?

Dark fantasy is all about examining the human condition, looking at the consequences of actions and decisions, and how the beliefs we hold can change the way we see our world. It can contain some gore, darker and frightening elements of fantasy, atmosphere of dread, but it mostly deals with studying the dark and frightening sides of our nature.

5. What is your writing process? Are you a planner or a pantser?

Is there a term for something in between? Basically, I’ll have an idea of what I want to write (theme), create basic characters and an outline. Then I have fun with a first draft (getting to know the characters better) before doing a synopsis and a rewrite. Though, this differs from one project to another.

6. You have a new book out, what's it about?

“Magic at Midnight” is about a farmgirl who takes care of her pegasi until one she is “asked” to take the place of a princess at a gathering of all the princesses from all the lands to compete for the hand of the prince of Acacia Wood. Conspiracies, betrayals, magic and romance become part of her life as she does her best to prevent war. She doesn’t want her pegasi to die needlessly in a senseless war.

Some readers have called it a “Cinderella” meets “Miss Congeniality” coming of age story.

7. Which aspect of the new book gave you the most trouble?

Writing about Amy’s feelings for Rachel. This is the first time one of my main characters have revealed to me their bi-sexual gender identity. (I’m not rude enough to ask if it isn’t pertinent to the story.) So dealing with Amy’s feelings, society’s rules against it, and juggling the other ways Amy can get killed made for a troublesome -- but fun! -- time.

8. Which aspect of the new book was your favourite to write?

The scenes with the pegasi. I based them on my chickens and horses -- and a bit on my Rottweilers! -- and it was by far my favourite time spent writing this book. For some readers, the pegasi made the book.

9. Do you have a favourite character from your new book?

Idil. She’s a pegasus and Amy’s best friend. (She’s also on the cover -- though the how’s and why’s are only revealed near the end of the book.)

10. What is your comfort read book(s) – the one(s) you can go back to when you need something you know will relax you and bring you joy (like and well-loved cardigan)?

“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen. The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling. The Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr. “Coraline” by Neil Gaiman.

11. Do you enjoy movie/TV adaptations of books, or do you find they never do the source material justice?

I enjoy adaptations. Sometimes they are my first introduction to a book/series! Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Mortal Instruments, and Vampire Academy are a few that come to mind. Of course, you should see them as their own story and not compare them to the original book.

12. What part of the writing process do you love best, getting the first draft down, editing the first draft or polishing the final draft for publication?

Depends on my mood and the time of year. Spring and Autumn are best for first drafts. Summer for editing and Winter for polishing. But we don’t always get what we want. There’s always treats (bribes!) for getting through the not-so-much-loved parts.

Thank you so much to Ronel and don't forget to check out her new book below. Sounds exciting!

Magic At Midnight

by Ronel Janse van Vuuren

BETRAYAL.

CONSPIRACIES.

MAGIC.

Amy has only known one life. Now she needs to put it all on the line to save what is precious to her. Can this simple farm girl survive court-life? Can she stop a war from burning down her world? And what of the mysterious princess of Hazel Wood and her covert glances…? Not to mention the prince of Acacia Wood who might or might not be involved with the prophecies ruling their kingdoms. With mysteries and secrets threatening the life she longs to return to, can she separate her feelings from the mission?

TO WHAT LENGTHS WILL SHE GO TO SAVE HER LOVED-ONES?

Buy on Amazon

About Ronel

Ronel Janse van Vuuren is the author of New Adult, Young Adult and children’s fiction filled with mythology and folklore. Her dark fantasy stories can be read for free on Wattpad and on her blog Ronel the Mythmaker. She won Fiction Writer of the Year 2016 for her Afrikaans stories on INK: Skryf in Afrikaans. Her published works can be viewed on Goodreads.

Ronel can be found tweeting about writing and other things that interest her, arguing with her characters, researching folklore for her newest story or playing with her Rottweilers when she’s not actually writing.

All of her books are available for purchase from all major online retailers.

Connect with Ronel on:

Amazon | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads | Newsletter | Ronel the Mythmaker | Instagram 

Author Interview - Ronel Janse van Vuuren #WriterlyWednesdays

Greetings and welcome to Writerly Wednesday. I am very pleased to welcome the lovely Ronel Janse van Vuuren to my blog today, some of you may know her as Ronel the Mythmaker. She has very kindly agreed to do an interview, so settle in and enjoy.

Author Interview - Ronel Janse van Vuuren

Section 1 - Introduction

1. Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m a Rottweiler pack leader and horse servant (my haughty mares look down on my obsessive cleaning of their pasture and stable) who lives in South Africa with a whole menagerie to inspire me. I’m fascinated by folklore and mythology; researching it and using it in my writing makes me happy. I also spend (a lot of) time on my compost heap while stories are sorted out in my head. Sometimes you can hear me arguing with my characters…

I’ve been writing since I was a tween (twelve), but seriously started writing a decade ago. It took a while to find my voice, a genre I love and to do the world-building necessary to “just write”.

I blog regularly about folklore and the writing life over on my blog Ronel the Mythmaker and I also guest blog monthly over on Writing Wranglers and Warriors. Instagram – and taking good photos for it – is something new I’ve been trying out. It’s actually a lot of fun!

2. Tell us about your book(s). 
“Once…” is a collection of tales, myths and legends of Faerie (as the subtitle says). The secrets about how Faerie changed, why Faerie changed, who the rulers of Faerie truly are, the secrets of the seasons, and how magic and fae have infiltrated the mortal realm all make up part of the stories – the rest is about the characters, their choices and experiences.

I wanted to write about what the original fairy tales never shared: the how of it all. Somehow it all came together…

I started with writing how Faerie changed, learned about the publishing competition on INK: Skryf in Afrikaans and then wrote the rest of the stories by drawing from notes and character sketches in my notebooks. It turned out to be fortuitous: The Afrikaans edition of “Once…” (“Eens…”) won the competition and got published.

Since then I’ve ran around like a nearly-headless chicken to figure out the publishing side of the author business – scary! – and both translations of “Once…” are available now in print, audio and eBook editions globally.

I also have short stories in three anthologies: “Just Deserts” and “Lights” in “Cinderella Reimagined” – both are New Adult contemporary Cinderella retellings; “Black Moon” in “Unbound” – Valkyries and Furies fight over the souls of the recently dead; “The Inn” in “FairyTale Riot” – an Urban Fantasy retelling of Fitcher’s Bird (this anthology was released last month).

More excitement – and stories from Faerie – will follow in 2019.

Section 2 - Some More Serious Question

1. What started you writing?
The voices in my head needed to be quieted… Turns out they were characters vying for attention in the form of their stories being written down.

2. What inspired you to start writing in your favourite genre?
I read Holly Black’s “Tithe” and realised that this is my genre. My stories can be Urban Fantasy, Low Fantasy, whatever you want it to be – but it will always be Dark Fantasy.

3. What is the hardest part of a book to write, beginning, middle or end?
The muddy middle. Maybe because I know where the character starts out and where she should end up, but the middle can get boring – or overwhelming! – and turns into “work”.

4. Do you have any advice for other writers? 
Absolutely! But that will take forever… So just head over to my blog. I’ve added a new page “For Authors” listing the posts on my blog (with links) that will help.

5. Is there any genre you won't write and why?
Erotica. At least not under my own name. Why? Because I don’t want readers who know me to blush every time they see me.

6. What is your favourite genre to read and why?
Currently, I’m enjoying thrillers. Usually I read within the genres I write (Young Adult, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Fairy Tale retellings, etc.), but I’ve been seeing the tropes more than the stories of late, so I’ve decided to take a break and read a genre I like to watch. And it’s been quite inspirational.

7. How do you publish, print, ebook or both?
Both (when I’m in charge and it makes sense). When possible, I have it turned into an audiobook too.

8. What social media do you find most effective for connecting with your readers?
Twitter and Instagram. Images with a few carefully selected words, hashtags and links (when necessary) have been met with lots of likes (and retweets).

9. How do you approach constructive criticism, either giving or receiving?
It comes from a place of honesty and someone really wanting to help: so when receiving, I don’t get angry because that person didn’t “get me” or told me I have a crutch word I didn’t know about, rather, I look at what they said and figure out how I can make my story better. When I give constructive criticism, I sprinkle in the compliments of what I liked because it takes away the sting of the things I didn’t (or should change) to make it better – I also try not to take over the story and make it mine, remembering that it’s the work of another author.

10. Do your stories carry a message? 

Absolutely. Dark fantasy is all about examining the human condition, looking at the consequences of actions and decisions, and how the beliefs we hold can change the way we see our world. I think “Rumour Has It”, “New Divide” and “Castle of Glass” depicts all of this from different points of view about the same moment in Faerie history very well.

11. What makes this particular genre you are involved in so special?
I’d define “Once…” as being Dark Fantasy and New Adult. I already explained what makes Dark Fantasy special (all that digging around in the psyche and looking at reactions). New Adult is all about figuring out who you are, who you want to be and what you have to do to get there. Some would say it’s all about the journey of becoming an adult: the trials, decisions, and reactions to things in life that has far-reaching consequences. Taking all of that into consideration while writing a story means deciding how you want to depict the world and what message you want to share about growing up.

Section 3 - Less Serious Questions

1. Do you have conversations with your characters?
And arguments! And not just while I’m writing…

2. Do you have any odd (writing) habits?
Does staring at the blinking cursor count?

3. When do you have the most fun writing a book? When you first start? When you are blazing along with the main bulk of the plot? When you are rounding it all up?Definitely when I’m rounding it all up. There’s this feeling of elation when I know I’m putting the finishing touches on something I’ve been working hard on. Sure, starting a shiny new project is always fun, but actually finishing it is a much more satisfying.

4. If you could invite one character from your books to dinner, who would it be?
Cian, the Assassin who works for the Faerie Queen. There’s just something about him… I think he’ll be starring in more stories from now on.

5. Do you ever cast your characters with actors in your head?
Yes. For a while, Ian Somerhalder played the lead in many stories… Many others might be quite exhausted by now – seeing as they had to play major and minor roles not just in my writing, but in the works of other writers and in their actual jobs, too :-)

6. Do your characters every run away with the plot when you're not looking?
I’m sure someone’s trying to alter their destiny as I answer this question…

7. Why a faery dog - what was your inspiration?
Faery dogs – or Cù Sìth (pronounced “coo shee”) – play a major part in Faerie. They do not answer to the monarchs of either Court and are more powerful than any other fae (there are a few exceptions, but that’s for later). I like to sprinkle them in through my stories just to make sure everyone remembers that they are there even if they are not the main character (though, Tony is the MC in “The Fae of Bremen” in the anthology “Once…”).

As for my inspiration… As I learned more about faeries, I came across various dogs in mythology and folklore (Barguest, the Church Grim, the Cù Sìth, among others) and realised that I would like a powerful race of dog fae. I have had many Rottweilers in my life, taken away too soon. (I lost another one this year to a fatal disease.) So I decided to immortalise them in my writing.

The Cù Sìth – or faery dogs as I use them in short stories and Middle Grade novels – look just like Rottweilers and make for great protectors (and intricate characters).

Section 4 - Random Questions!

1. Are you a dog or a cat person, why?
A dog person. Dogs give unconditional love. I work hard enough to woo my characters to do what I want them to, I don’t want to win a cat’s affection anew every day.

2. What's your favourite colour, why?
Purple. It’s such a vibrant colour, filled with passion and life. (Maybe that’s just me?)

3. What is your favourite style of music?
A mixture of symphonic metal and hard rock (example: Within Temptation and Linkin Park). We were talking writing music, right?

4. Do you believe in the paranormal?
Yes. Check out my folklore posts for more… But I just go with: if I leave them alone, they’ll leave me alone. And everyone should stay out of the faery circle in the corner of my property – unless they want to end up somewhere else.

About the Book

Damsels in distress, curses, echoes of faery tales and tragic love affairs swirl together in sixteen stories found in a dragon’s lair by a curious half-fae.

Unexpected changes to reality causes more than one damsel to turn into a strong, independent woman who takes charge of her own life.

A collection of short stories about Faerie and the fae that live in the human realm. A few of the stories had won competitions and all of them had enchanted readers.

Learn their secrets and enter the realm of the fae…

Available on major online retailers in print, audio and eBook.

Audible | Universal Book Link

Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon CA | Amazon AU | Amazon FR
Amazon JP | Amazon IN

Also Available in Afrikaans as "Eens..." 

Excerpt:

Mortals cannot perceive the veil unless they are invited to – or extremely gifted. For centuries, Man and Fae have been kept apart, for nothing good ever comes from them mixing. The collection of The Adventures of Saphira the Faery Dog is proof of this.

Still, there are magical creatures that side neither with Man nor Fae.

Dragons are such creatures. They hold the knowledge of both worlds. Some even collect it in the written word, keeping it safe in their lairs.

An inquisitive half-fae once broke into the lair of a dragon known to hoard books. The knowledge she found was too much to keep to herself…

Here are a few tales, myths and legends from Faerie. Some may sound remarkably similar to legends held by mortals, while others are… well… as otherworldly as the fae themselves.

About the Author

Ronel Janse van Vuuren is the author of New Adult, Young Adult and children’s fiction filled with mythology and folklore. Her dark fantasy stories can be read for free on Wattpad and on her blog Ronel the Mythmaker. She won Fiction Writer of the Year 2016 for her Afrikaans stories on INK: Skryf in Afrikaans. Her published works can be viewed on Goodreads.

Ronel can be found tweeting about writing and other things that interest her, arguing with her characters, researching folklore for her newest story or playing with her Rottweilers when she’s not actually writing.

All of her books are available for purchase from all major online retailers.

Amazon | Twitter | Pinterest | Google+ | Goodreads | Newsletter
Ronel the Mythmaker (blog) | Instagram

Thank you again to Ronel for giving such a thoughtful and interesting interview. Don't forget to visit her blog - her "For Authors" section really is amazing.

Guest: C.D.Gallant-King - Hell Comes to Hogtown - Interview #WriterlyWednesdays 34

Please join me today in welcoming C.D.Gallant-King to my blog. It's his second visit here and today he will be talking a little about himself and about his wonderful new comedy horror, Hell Comes to Hogtown.

C.D. Gallant-King
Hell Comes to Hogtown - Interview

A comic book nerd and a pro-wrestler try to clear their names in a kidnapping while evading a bloodthirsty demon hobo…

THE TRAILER!

THE INTERVIEW!

When last we spoke you had just released your first book, Ten Thousand Days. Your new book is called Hell Comes to Hogtown - tell us a bit about it.
Hogtown is a horror comedy about two losers who get involved in a paranormal mystery and wind up in way over their heads. The protagonist, Fitz, is an awkward, socially inept underachiever whose life is turned upside down when he encounters a beautiful woman in a comic book store. Through twists and turns completely outside his control, the chance encounter ends up getting him implicated in a murder and kidnapping plot involving the prime minister’s family. His best friend Dee - a narcissistic, drug-addled professional wrestler - winds up dragged along for the ride. In addition to the cops and the feds on their tail, Fitz and Dee have to deal with an even more dangerous threat: a drunken, demonic hobo with a taste for blood.

Fitz sounds a little different than what we normally picture as the hero for a paranormal mystery.
Yeah, from my experience one would usually picture a tortured hero with magical abilities, cool skills or some sort of special destiny. Fitz on the other hand, is not special. Like, at all. He’s a hapless loser who gets shoved into extraordinary situations without the skills or knowledge to deal with it. And he doesn’t always succeed. He makes mistakes, he stumbles, and he even runs away (repeatedly) before he figures out what he has to do. I don’t like characters that are special or magical or have ridiculous skills, like genius hackers who are experts at hand-to-hand combat, or smooth-talking superspies that can speak a hundred languages. I don’t find those kind of characters believable or relatable. I want to see a regular, flawed person who gets in over their head succeed by pure luck and stubbornness. Or maybe they don’t succeed. That’s way more interesting than the hero that pulls out victory by the skin of his teeth when you never really believed he was in danger in the first place.

When did you write your first book and how old were you?I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember, but the first "book" I know I wrote and still have is actually in French. I wrote it when I was about eight years old. It’s called “Bras d’or” (which means “Golden Arm”) and it’s about an elf archer who has to defend his village from a giant blue ogre. Like, really giant, like Godzilla-sized. It’s completely illustrated in all my third-grade glory, and the monster is so big I think you only ever see his feet. The archer eventually has to defeat it by luring it into a volcano.

I don’t remember why he was called “Bras d’or.” I remember he used a golden arrow, but that has nothing to do with the colour of his arm.

What motivated you to become an indie author?
Impatience and self-respect. I don’t want to spend a year querying authors and agents for what will probably amount to nothing. I tried it in my youth when I had time to mess around with it and it’s frustrating and demoralizing. Now, with a full-time job and a wife and kids and a million other responsibilities, I don’t have time to grovel and beg trying to get someone’s approval as a writer. I’m not looking for their validation. If I feel that I’m improving at writing, and people enjoy my book, that’s all I’m looking for right now. Getting an agent or a publishing contract is no guarantee of fame or money anyway (today more than ever). I can publish a book myself and get the same non-guarantee.

What is your role in the writing community?
That’s an interesting question. Am I a cautionary tale, perhaps? In other words: Don’t do what I do? I’m far from a leader and not really a cheerleader, but I try to be supportive of my fellow indy authors by promoting their work, giving them encouragement and picking up their books and writing reviews when I can. I know I’m ahead of many people as I’ve not only finished a couple of books but I’ve also put them out them out there for the world to see, for better or for worse. If I have to be something I hope to serve as an example that you can do this for fun and produce good work without living or dying on your next sale or review. I don’t have a long term marketing plan or branding strategy. I’m not doing this to become famous, to win an award, to make a living writing full time or to create some esoteric piece of art. I do this for fun, in my way, under my rules.

THE BOOK!

Title: Hell Comes to Hogtown
Author: C.D Gallant-King
Genre: Comic Horror
Length: 65,000 words
Cover Art: Jason Salvatori and C.D. Gallant-King
Editing: Amy Allen-MacLeod
Release Date: July 1, 2016

Fitz is a broke night manager for a grubby comic book store. His only friend Dee is a drugged-out, womanizing pro-wrestler. Together they’re the most pathetic losers on the face of the planet. Their lives cannot possibly get any worse.

And then they’re implicated in the kidnapping of the prime minister’s wife.

On the run from the cops, Fitz and Dee discover there is something far worse than the RCMP stalking the dark streets of Toronto. They are being hunted by an ancient demon of unspeakable evil with an insatiable taste for blood... or maybe it’s just your run-of-the-mill giant murderous hobo?

Either way, life in prison might be better than whatever the creepy drifter has in store for them…

THE LINKS!

You can purchase Hell Comes to Hogtown at any of the fine retailers below:

AMAZON.COM | AMAZON.CA | AMAZON.CO.UK

KOBO | BARNES & NOBLE | iTUNES

CREATESPACE | SMASHWORDS | GOODREADS

THE WRITER!

Writer, tabletop gamer, pro-wrestling aficionado. Dad.

C.D. Gallant-King is an independent writer originally from Newfoundland, Canada, though he's not fond of fishing and hates boats. He moved to Toronto to study theatre, and then later moved to Ottawa where he does absolutely nothing related to theatre.

He hangs out on Twitter and Facebook, and blogs at Stories I Found in the Closet and Rule of the Dice.

Guest Interview - Author Jay Mountney #WriterlyWednesdays 30

Please join me today in welcoming the lovely Jay Mountney to my blog. She had kindly agreed to give an interview for Writerly Wednesdays this week.

Jay Mountney - AuthorInterview

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I started writing as a small child and 'wrote' a play (scribed by my mother) which the Brownies performed for the village when I was five. I can remember very little about it other than that it was a fairy story, which I suppose means it was my first foray into fantasy. After that I wrote mostly plays and poetry for the entertainment of myself and my friends throughout my childhood and teens. Sometimes my efforts saw publication in school or parish magazines. When I started teaching my creative energies were sidetracked into teaching materials, some published and some just for use in the classroom. Then when I retired I found I had stories waiting to be told. I have always loved reading, and also telling myself stories when reading was inconvenient, such as after 'lights out' at boarding school, or on long car journeys. So I suppose in some ways I have always been a writer.

Tell us about your book(s).

I had a couple of short stories published in online zines and then decided to self-publish three books. These were two fantasy m/m novellas (one a 'twisted' version of The Lady of Shalott and the other an equally changed version of Snow White) and a collection of short m/m stories, also with a fantasy focus. You can find them via my Amazon and Smashwords pages.

Once I'd taken the plunge into self-publishing I felt able to tackle the publication of my fantasy detective series about an elf who wants to be an investigator. The first book was already written.  My heroine has some magic, including special skills, to help her, but life among the elves includes murder and mystery, and can be dangerous for Genef and for the people (and the dragon) she loves. The first two books in what will be a six book series are now available and I feel a sense of accomplishment (not least at actually achieving versions acceptable to Amazon Kindle and Smashwords) but also a deep fear about marketing the novels and making sure people have heard of them. I believe I have written stories worth sharing and that with help from others they are well edited and fit to face the world but I can only share them with a wider audience if I can make that audience aware of them in the first place.

What's easier for you, action, or dialogue, or description?

I love world building, so I love writing descriptions and I try to base these in reality even though my stories are fantasy. I take landscapes I am familiar with as the starting point for my worlds, and use plants and animals I know something about. I think it's important to give readers something they can  imagine easily and relate to strongly. Even when I'm describing an elf or a flower with an elvish name I enjoy making them as real as possible for an earthbound audience. I also like writing dialogue, listening to my characters and making sure I have their voices just right and distinguished from each other. I'm less happy with scenes that involve a lot of extreme action such as fights. I have trouble with the choreography and need help and encouragement from my beta readers. However, action such as travel is pleasurable to write and I get seriously immersed in the details of murder! On behalf of my heroine, of course!

Do you have any advice for other writers?

I write in the first instance for myself and I think all writers should be considering whether their story is one they would want to read. If it isn't, why are they writing it? And also, if it isn't, can they really make it come alive for their readers? It isn't possible to please everybody; tastes differ and even a writer's closest friends and family may find their books don't appeal to them. There will be readers out there who share the writer's tastes and will enjoy their writing. Authors owe it to them to make sure every book is well edited, carefully proof read, beautifully presented, and in short, the best it can possibly be. Otherwise, it might as well have stayed in the writer's head.

Is there any genre you won't write and why?

Obviously, I have tastes and favourite genres, too. I am not a great fan of horror stories and would find them, I think, impossible to write. I'm not talking about the momentary horror of a murder in a detective story, but the kind of horror that is cumulative and is the focus of the book. I'll leave that to others. If it's well done I will read and admire, but I don't think I would ever write it myself.

What is your favourite genre to read and why?

I enjoy fantasy, particularly low key fantasy rather than high epic fantasy. I like the world building more than the battles and the home magic more than the public actions of wizards. My comfort reading includes Terry Pratchett and Tanya Huff although I have read and re-read Lord of the Rings. But I also enjoy crime stories, especially historical ones such as the Falco Series by Lindsey Davis. I like the puzzle element and the way I need to empathise with the detective solving the case. I enjoy well written m/m romance, too, though I prefer it combined with another genre such as a detective story or some science fiction. I don't think I have an absolute favourite and tend to read first in one genre and then another. That's perhaps why I chose to combine genres for my novels.

How do you publish, print, ebook or both?

I publish my work as ebooks. I decided on self publishing partly to retain control over what happened to my work and partly because I realised that it could be very difficult to break into the market with stories that might be the wrong length, the wrong genre or both for publishers. I use people I trust as beta readers and editors - people whose writing I admire and with whom I can work confidently. I make my own covers, using my own photographs and a great deal of 'photoshopping'. I also do my own formatting, which is perhaps the most challenging and scary part of the entire process. I have author friends who have used publishing sites such as Lulu to get print versions of their books but unless you can guarantee a huge print run the paperbacks end up too expensive, to my mind, for today's market so I have avoided print so far.

Do you have conversations with your characters?

I certainly have conversations with my characters. They tell me the story, sometimes all at once and sometimes unfolding it a chapter at a time. I always know the overall direction and of course things like the central crime, but the characters add details and their own perceptions which make things more interesting for me as I write. They also tell me things about themselves which I can add to their descriptions or can simply remember so that I can make them come across as truly three dimensional people.

Do your characters every run away with the plot when you're not looking?

Yes, sometimes they run away with the plot. Not the central crime (though they might convince me about the identity of the criminal), but definitely various sub-plots such as romance or other relationships with minor characters. I think this tendency on the part of characters is what keeps writing interesting both for the author and for the eventual reader.

Are you a dog or a cat person, why?

I've had both dogs and cats most of my adult life and love both equally. I am awed by the unstinting affection a dog will offer and I am mesmerised by the grace and dignity of cats. I am impressed by the intelligence of both species and love learning more about both. I find cats easier to write about and I'm not sure why. Perhaps cats lend themselves more to fantasy with their air of mystery whereas dogs are very firmly in the here and now, on earth? If I really had to choose one or the other for myself I think I'd have to choose a cat, but that's sheer laziness because they're so much easier to look after.

What's your favourite colour, why?

My favourite colour is purple: anything from pale lavender through various hues of plum and lilac to deepest royal purple. I can only wear the darker shades but love all of them. I have no idea why I like purple so much although I do like a lot of purple flowers: lavender, violets, irises and lilac are among my favourites. I don't try to impose my own tastes on my characters. It seems only polite to ask them for their favourites and attempt to please them whenever possible.

Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings? Why?

This is an incredibly hard question to answer. I love the magic in Harry Potter and as someone who went to a British boarding school I love the way the school background echoes my own, with magic added. Yet I adore Lord of the Rings and admire the way it paved the way for modern fantasy of all kinds. I think I would have to say that I loved the Harry Potter films more than the books, perhaps because I came to the entire series as an adult, but that whilst I love the Lord of the Rings films I have always been able to lose myself in the books and perhaps for that reason would have to choose it as my favourite of the two series. Harry Potter gives me a world to enjoy as an outsider  but Lord of the Rings gives me a world I can retreat to.

.............

Finally, I'd like to thank Tasha for giving me this opportunity to reach out to what I hope will be a wider audience. I also hope I have given you, her readers, something of interest this Writerly Wednesday!

~*~
About the Author

Jay Mountney, a writer of fantasy and m/m romance, is a retired English teacher who spends her time between north west UK and central Portugal. She enjoys the landscape in both countries and uses it to underpin world building in her work. As well as nature and the environment she is interested in travel, architecture, and photography. Her stories are self-published as e-books and can be found on Amazon and Smashwords.

You can find Jay:

Website/Blog | Facebook | Amazon | Smashwords

~*~
Book Information

The Skilled Investigators by Jay Mountney

This is a fantasy detective series with two books published so far and four to come. Genef, the  heroine, is an elf in a world where elves and humans live sometimes side by side and sometimes just across borders. She needs a career and wants to be an investigator - a detective in our terms. Murder and mayhem follow her attempts to begin her chosen path. She is assisted by a teenage dragon (imprinted on her at his hatching) and her gay brother whose affairs of the heart provide the romance sub-plot. The stories follow the cases that make up Genef's training during which she receives the skills that give the series its title.

Book 1 The Scroll

Genef has to fight family and unknown villains to reach the capital, Lonis, and gain a place at the Guild where she can begin her training. The story starts when she receives her Scroll, which should tell her about her career and where she will work. But someone has tampered with her Scroll and is trying to force her into a life she does not want. And someone has committed a murder she desperately needs to solve. The people she meets are not always what they seem, and she struggles to find a way to make her dreams come true.

Amazon UK | Amazon US | Smashwords

Book 2 The Market

Genef's second case takes her overseas, without her mentor but with her brother and her dragon. She has been sent to retrieve some stolen royal jewellery but her task is far from easy. There is murder on the royal yacht, and in the exotic Spice Islands slavery and kidnapping threaten her companions. Genef has to rescue everyone as well as fulfilling her mission.

Amazon UK | Amazon US | Smashwords

Book 3 The Crown

In this book, to be published later in 2016, Genef accompanies her mentor, Rathien, to The Ice Country in search of a crown that was sold before she could reach it on her previous mission. Scratch, her dragon, goes with them, hoping to find more dragons in the north. More death, slavery and kidnapping dog their steps but eventually they return to Lonis with the crown.  

You can learn more about the elves and their land in a page titled The Skilled Investigators on Jay's Wordpress blog. 

Author Interview: Roland Clarke - #WriterlyWednesdays 23

Please join me today in welcoming the lovely Roland Clarke to my blog. He has been kind enough to give me an interview.

Roland Clarke - Interview

Can you tell us a little about yourself? 

As a kid, I wanted to be a farmer so writing was a side road that came along – once I started scribbling fantasy and SF shorts in my teens. Well, there was an essay competition that I won when I was younger, but that wasn’t career moulding. Anyway, one failed sci-fi fanzine later I became a journalist, and then a photographer. But I got distracted and for some years sold organic fruit and vegetables. Eventually, I returned to journalism, until I retired in 2005 due to ill-health – multiple sclerosis.

Tell us about your book(s). 

To date, I have had one novel published – “Spiral of Hooves” – a murder mystery set against the equestrian world that I covered as a journalist. Although I wrote a sequel, the novel wasn’t promoted very well and is out of print – for now. I’m unsure whether to self-publish or search for a new publisher, as I’ve left the original one.

Since then, I have written a post-apocalyptic saga set after a mega-solar storm. “Storms Compass” is, I hope, in the final stages of polishing, but will need a publisher – unless I find the resources to self-publish.

There are other draft novels in the pipeline, both mysteries and speculative. But the pipeline has many sink-holes and dead-ends.

What started you writing?

As a teenager, reading great SF and fantasy. In later life, having experiences and ideas that seemed to be the basis for novels. Dreams also play a part, as some of my best/craziest ideas come at night. (I’m not referring to the journalism as that was a different motivation.)

Is there any genre you won't write and why?

Writing speculative fiction and mysteries, and having tried my hand at writing children’s stories – with mixed results – I feel that the two areas where I would struggle are erotica and humour. I don’t have the knack. But I hope that there are some humorous snippets in my writing, and I don’t avoid writing naked and intimate scenes. However, I prefer ‘devious’ and ‘mysterious’ so lean towards that.

What is your favourite genre to read and why?

I’m a bit of a magpie with my reading, choosing books by their blurb rather than by genre. However, I tend to read more speculative and mystery, with the latter edging ahead on my ‘Goodreads counter’. That’s probably because I get swept along by clever plot devices and twists, and good characters. But change the setting to steampunk with a mystery, or a historical crime and you’ve got me hooked.

What new projects do you have in the pipeline?

Beyond “Storms Compass”, there is my NaNoWriMo 2015 novel, “Fates Maelstrom”. It’s the first part of a detective mystery series set where I live in Wales, and features a female Goth detective. However, I also have the first draft of the “Spiral of Hooves” sequel, stories in various stages that develop the “Storms Compass” world, a half-written draft sequel featuring my Goth detective, as well as an idea for an alternative history set in a 21st century Viking World.

I just have to learn to focus on one project at a time, although that depends on what gets the kind of reception from beta readers that inspires me to continue.

If you could invite one character from your books to dinner, who would it be?

Possibly Jarilo, the shaman protagonist from “Storms Compass” as he has a different perspective on life from most of the others. Strangely, I have two writer friends that are practising shaman, but as yet neither have come to dinner. And I have an affinity with pagan religions and practises.

If you could invite one character from someone else's books to dinner, who would it be?

Has to be Gandalf from my favourite book, “Lord of the Rings”. He has seen so much and is content to mix with all kinds of people from hobbits to kings. Plus, he’d get on with Jarilo, if I ensured it was the same dinner party. Between them they might save my writing career.

Do you ever cast your characters with actors in your head?

Most of my characters get cast with an actor, but only those get interviews and detailed profiles. I find it helps with the visualisation, even when I re-cast a role. For instance, the NCIS character Abby (Pauley Perrette) was my original Goth detective – until I saw a picture of Noomi Rapace, although not in “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”.

Do your characters every run away with the plot when you're not looking?

When I get bogged down, or hit a road block, they can take over – even help. During NaNoWriMo, my characters wanted another murder to take the plot in new directions. Or was that me thinking about my readers?

Star Trek or Star Wars?

Toughest question last.

I grew up with the original Star Trek – and with Doctor Who – so they were central to my growing passion for science fiction. I’ve followed them both through their various incarnations, but… well, Stars Wars hooked me when it came out and then with the sequels. I even survived the prequels – by accepting that they were backstory, of a sort. I have yet to see the new film, but only because wheelchairs and cinemas don’t mix. But the Blu-ray will be a must.

Currently, I’m obsessed with Star Wars… so I’ll choose that for now. Anyway, I’m off to play the MMORPG “Star Wars: The Old Republic” set 4,000 years before the movies, but still involving the struggle between light/Jedi/Republic and dark/Empire/Sith.

~*~
About the Author

I am a retired equestrian journalist and photographer, who used to be a regular contributor of articles and photos to Eventing Magazine and other equestrian media. Sadly, Multiple Sclerosis clipped my wings and I was unable to meet deadlines so easily and found it increasingly hard to get to equestrian events.

Once retired I was unable to abandon the scribbling and so I found time to complete my first novel, “Spiral of Hooves”, which was of course set against the world of eventing.  Published on December 9th 2013, the novel is currently out of print.

My current Work In Progress is Book 1 of my post-apocalyptic Gossamer Flames saga - Storms Compass. I am also writing “Fates Maelstrom”, a psychological mystery set in Snowdonia, which is the first of another series.

My wife Juanita and I live in Harlech, Wales with our two cats Willow & Kefira, plus two dogs, Quetzal & Treeky. Our beloved cat Whisper’s ashes are on the mantle alongside Juanita’s daughter Carrie’s ashes and those of my old cat Oliver.  Our office has an inspiring view of Snowdon and the surrounding mountains, and across the estuary between Harlech and Porthmadog.

And I usually call myself The Silver Scribbler….

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Author Interview: Diane Riggins (Fantasy Author and Blogger)

Today I am very pleased to welcome author and blogger Diane Riggins to my blog. She has very kindly agreed to be interviewed.

Diane Riggins

Interview

Can you tell us a little about yourself? 
Wow, this is hard. What does one say about themselves. :) I guess I would start with how I started writing and that was in high school. I was one of those students that was into art, drama, and writing. I took art and drama classes and belonged to both the art and drama clubs. I continued the arts in college and have a media arts degree with a focus in screenplay writing. I love to play online games and that has led me to start creating games.

Tell us about your book(s).
I published two short stories in 2015. The first one is an urban fantasy story called Town Curse and is included in the Anything Goes Anthology. This was the first story I have ever had published. I’m considering writing a book using the main character from Town Curse. The other story The Loss is an epic fantasy story and was published in December 2015. I consider The Loss to be a prequel to the epic fantasy series I’m working on. It gives readers an introduction to the main character Aleesia. I’m currently working on the epic fantasy series as well as a vampire series, a shapeshifter series, and several more short stories.

How do you come up with blogging topics?
I sit down with my calendar at the beginning of the month and decide what topics I and followers of my blog might be most interested in reading about. I usually try to make sure the topics fall into one of several categories: books, movies, writing, and gaming. I throw personal updates about my writing and what is going on with the game I’m designing in there as well.

What inspired you to start writing in your favourite genre?
I was inspired to start writing fantasy when I sat down and read The Hobbit and Lord of The Rings as an adult. I had read them when I was younger and became a fan but I didn’t know what genre(s) I wanted to write and after reading them again I realized I wanted to write fantasy whether it’s epic or urban.

Do you have a favourite character from your fiction? Why?
This one is hard. I love all of my characters but if I have to pick one it would be Aleesia, the main character from my newest story. I’m having fun writing her story. She is an elf captain in the King’s guard in the story The Loss and is the main character for the fantasy series. She has worked her way up to being in the guard and has to deal with a lot of issues that come with that and what other female elves think of her. She is the only female in the guard. She’s powerful but at the same time can show her sensitive side and she does have doubts about things.

What is the hardest part of a story to write, beginning, middle or end? 
For me, it’s the end. I have a hard time trying to tie everything together. I tend to leave cliffhangers even when there shouldn’t be.

What is your favourite genre to read and why?
My favourite genre to read is fantasy both epic and urban fantasy.  I’ve always loved reading about elves, magic, wizards, witches, etc.

Do you have conversations with your characters?
I try not to but wind up doing it anyway especially if the character keeps drawing my attention to their part in the story.

What is the most random thing you have ever blogged about?
Nothing really comes to mind as being random but I guess it would be some of The Hobbit/Lord of The Rings posts I wrote in 2015. Some of those topics were pretty random.

When do you have the most fun writing a piece of fiction? When you first start? When you are blazing along with the main bulk of the plot? When you are rounding it all up?
It depends on the story I’m working on at the moment. With some of them I have the most fun writing the beginning and others I have fun writing the main bulk of the plot. I have a hard time with rounding it all up with any of the stories I write. Endings are the hardest to write I believe.

Are you a dog or a cat person, why?
I’m both. I’ve always had dogs and cats living in my house at the same time. I have one dog and three cats in my household now and they get along to a certain point. :)

What is your favourite film of all time, why? 
Wow, this one is hard as well. I would have to say it’s The Lord of The Rings trilogy. I can’t pick just one of the films. All three are my favourite. It’s hard to say why they are my favourite but if I have to say why it would be that Middle Earth is brought to life on the big screen in such a great way.

~*~

Books

Town Curse (Anything Goes Anthology, volume 2)
by Diane Riggins

Nathan’s hometown has been cursed for hundreds of years. It’s up to him to break the curse and with some help from friends he might just succeed or die trying.

Amazon US | Amazon UK

The Loss
by Diane Riggins

Aleesia, an Elf is a captain in the King’s Guard. She has to do some things she doesn’t want to while trying to protect the King. She will give her life if need to protect those around her.

Amazon US | Amazon UK

~*~

About the Author

Diane and her family live in South Carolina with their three dogs and four cats. When she’s not writing she can be found reading her favorite books which include The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and anything paranormal set in the city of New Orleans, playing online games like her favorite one Lord of the Rings Online, watching some of her favorite movies (Fast and Furious Franchise, Harry Potter Franchise, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings) and tv shows (Supernatural, Grimm, Sleepy Hollow, The Originals, and Arrow), and spending time with her family and friends.

Blog: A Creative Mind
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/drigginswriter
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sjledge2

Guest Interview: Dorothy Massey - #WriterlyWednesdays 17

Please join with me to day to welcome fellow author Dorothy Massey to my blog for Writerly Wednesdays.

Interview - Dorothy Massey

Can you tell us a little about yourself? 

I live in a small town in the Northeast of England with my football-crazy husband, rock guitarist son, and a collie cross rescue dog called Zero. I remember writing poems and stories when I was still in primary school, and when I went to secondary school, regularly contributed to the school magazine. I also remember presenting the latest instalment of a hopelessly soppy play to my best friend on the school bus as well as writing and performing a speech about earthworms! Many years later, after publishing a few poems and articles in magazines, a short story competition entry led to a commission to write three stories featuring mischievous twin ghosts, Wiggle and Woo. I’ve since had more short stories for children published both in print and online. Recently I’ve enjoyed both reading and writing picture books and poems on the website Storybird as doromass.

I’m self-employed as a tutor of literacy and English, which means I’m able to share my passion of reading and writing with others in the evenings and still have free time to write during the day. I’ve authored several educational resources, including a guide to creative writing workshops and a couple of poetry study packs.

My family loves rock music and we enjoy concerts, gigs and festivals. We also enjoy the beautiful British countryside, despite the rainy climate. At this year’s Download rock festival an overnight downpour resulted in a leaky tent and very little sleep. Most of our belongings were soaked, but rather than miss our favourite acts we spent the second, slightly less uncomfortable, night in our car. A much more pleasant experience was a short break in a roulotte, or traditional gypsy caravan, in the Scottish Borders. Here we were able to enjoy the sound of the rain pattering on the wooden roof without getting wet.

Tell us about your book? 

Red God/Black God is my first published children’s novel.  A contemporary real life drama, with a target audience of  upper Middle Grade, it’s creating a lot of interest among adults too. The novel explores family relationships and the transition into early teens through the eyes of a young Maasai girl, Neema, whose tribe is undergoing a parallel transition - attempting to uphold traditional values against the encroachment of modern-day advancement. The warring red and black gods of Neema’s favourite legend represent her own individual struggle to make sense of what’s going on around her and gain a much-desired education.

2.2. Do you believe contemporary fiction is a valuable educational resource?

I believe fiction, and not just contemporary fiction, is a valuable asset to people’s lives in many ways. Fiction provides a vehicle with which to learn about other people’s views, culture and issues; it allows us to visit other times, places, experiences and cultures. Moreover, exploring fictional worlds and identifying with fictional characters enables the reader to explore his/her own world, beliefs and emotions. Children’s and young people’s fiction is becoming more diverse and experimental which can only add weight to its value.

However, there is a danger that overexpressing the educational value of a piece of fiction could take away from the sheer enjoyment of  story. Writers, educators and parents should encourage and allow children and young people to read for pleasure. The educational value should be a bonus; the fiction a catalyst for further exploration.

What is the hardest part of a book to write, beginning, middle or end? 

Undoubtedly, the middle. For that reason I’ve developed the habit of writing the beginning of the novel, then the end, leaving the middle until last. Having written the end helps me to focus on taking the plot towards the resolution. I also reread and edit as I go along. I know a lot of writers believe you should complete a full draft before editing, but that doesn’t seem to work for me.

Do you have any advice for other writers? 

If you truly want to write something, don’t let anyone or anything prevent you. You will find a way. Gather a carefully chosen group of people who support you and continue to build a firm relationship with each of them. Make sure you support them constructively in return.

How did you decide on the topic for your current book? 

I was studying for my MA in Writing for Children at the University of Central Lancashire and was given the amazing opportunity to visit both Zambia and Kenya. Those visits gave me insight into many aspects of African life, including the education system, where the poverty divide was painfully evident. I was impressed by the African people’s determination and ability to make the most of whatever resources they had, no matter how limited. Shared values and interests, especially the tradition of storytelling and strong sense of community were key inspirational and motivating factors in writing Red God/Black God.

How do you publish, print, ebook or both?

I’ve written educational resources for publication in the traditional way, but have also embraced digital publishing. My stories for children have featured in print anthologies as well as online downloads and podcasts. Deciding to self-publish, edit and market my début novel was a bit of a rollercoaster ride and I learned a lot along the way. Formatting the novel for different types of publication, for example, was extremely frustrating and time-consuming. At times, when challenges and setbacks occurred, I wondered whether I’d been over-ambitious, but having people read and give feedback on my book has made it all worthwhile. Being shortlisted for a Children’s Novel Award recently was a wonderful and unexpected bonus.

Do you ever get lost down the research rabbit hole ... just one more click? 

Yes.  Previously, when I heard writers talk about researching their books I used to picture them in stuffy offices, pouring over piles of academic books gathering and checking facts and figures. It was not an inspiring picture. In practice I’ve found research to be exciting, enjoyable and fun. Research for Red God/Black God involved a trip to Kenya, where I stayed at the Maasai Centre and visited a market (both of which feature in my book) and the discovery of  interesting and informative books, blogs, legends, photographs, videos and more. At first, while I was looking for inspiration, I researched widely, but as I began to write, the research became more specific as I knew what I needed to know and found innovative ways of obtaining it. The process by which the research assimilates itself into and enriches the story, taking it in new and unexpected directions, is amazing, even to the author.

If you could invite one character from someone else's books to dinner, who would it be?

I couldn’t chose between Katniss Everdeen (the Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins) and Mina from (Skellig and My Name is Mina by David Almond). Both are strong female characters with qualities I admire – intelligence, guts and determination. They’re both outdoor types too so we’d eat in the wild - a meal we foraged and cooked ourselves - and talk for hours round an open fire.

Do your characters ever run away with the plot when you're not looking?

Yes, and they’re usually seemingly minor characters whose importance to the plot unravels and develops as I write. For example, in Red God/Black God, I’d intended the visitor in the jeep to be Aunt Sifa. Instead the jeep arrived in the village with a completely new character. Likewise, in the novel I’m currently writing, The Forest of Imaginings, I’d never intended a meeting between the two main characters, Tarnock and Viola, but the plot veered in an unexpected direction and there they were, together.

If you could pick one person from history to have a chat with, who would it be and why?

Believe it or not, I’ve already talked with Mary, Queen of Scots. Many years ago, as a budding magazine journalist, I interviewed one of my favourite writers, the Scottish author Liz Lochhead. Her play Mary Queen of Scots Got Her Head Knocked Off was featuring in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival at the time so I asked Liz if she’d like to be interviewed as Queen Mary. It was a fun interview, and I couldn’t wait to get home to transcribe it for the magazine. To my horror, the tape was blank. In my nervous excitement, I’d failed to press the correct buttons on the tape recorder. I phoned Liz and told a little white lie, explaining that the quality of the recording was poor (well it was!). Liz invited me to meet her at the theatre where rehearsals were being held and I got to interview Mary Queen of Scots (aka Liz Lochhead) for the second time. I doubt whether the real Queen Mary would have been so obliging.

~*~

Book Information

Red God/Black God
by Dorothy Massey

Becoming a teenager is always involves challenges and Neema seems to have more than her fair share. She wants a secondary school education like her brother, but their father has more traditional plans for Neema’s future. Her mother’s mysterious illness and aunt’s strange message make her wonder whether her family has indeed been cursed by the vengeful Red God.

In standing against Maasai tradition, Neema risks the wrath of her father and community. With determination and the kindly Black God on her side, can Neema finally find a way to continue her education and break the family curse?

Create Space | Amazon UK | Amazon US | B&N

~*~

About the Author

Dorothy Massey lives in a small town in the north-east of England where she writes children’s fiction and educational materials. She has published several short stories for children in print and digital media and has won several competitions. Red God/Black God is her first published children’s novel.

DorothyMassey.com | Amazon Author Page | Goodreads | Storybird

Guest Interview - Glenn Benest author of INK

Today I am very pleased to welcome fellow author Glenn Benest to my blog to talk a little about himself and his new book INK.

Interview - Glenn Benest

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I always wanted to be a writer, from poetry to playwriting to screenwriting and now to fiction. I had a very influential teacher in college, William Alfred (now deceased) who was the playwright of Hogan’s Goat and other well-known stage plays. He inspired me tremendously. I wanted to be a playwright as well but realized I couldn't make a living at that, as only a very few playwrights actually support themselves writing plays – Neal Simon being the one who instantly came to mind at the time. So I was in L.A. and decided to write screenplays.  But it was always the theatre that I really had a great passion for – at least when I was starting out.

Tell us about your book(s) 

This is our first novel and is intended as a series of books. I wrote it with Dale Pitman, my writing partner. It actually started out as a screenplay and then evolved from there. We were tremendously encouraged by our manager, Mary Louise Gemmill from Writers Ascending who insisted the project would really work better as a novel.  I had never written a book before so I was incredibly intimidated by writing one. But it didn't take long for me to realize you could do so much more with fiction than you could with screenwriting – in terms of going much deeper into the psyche of your characters. Then it became a pure joy. We worked on this book for a good four years, getting lots of notes from Beta readers and doing multiple rewrites. I saw that it was getting better and better and that really kept us going during all this time. Now I have no desire to go back to screenwriting. I want to continue with fiction, writing more books about these characters.

Writing horror – why?

I've always loved horror, beginning as a child being frightened by scary movies (including Carrie of course, Poltergeist, Jaws and many more). There’s something about horror that really relates to childhood experiences where there are forces beyond your control, and the wild imaginations that children have - the monsters under the bed and all things that go bump in the night. My first two screenplays were scary films, both directed by Wes Craven, the great master of horror. He taught me a lot about horror and how you get scares. But after those two films I didn’t want to be typecast as a horror writer so I branched out – doing thrillers and drama and biographies and every other genre you can think of. Now I’m returning to the thing that first inspired me to be a writer and it feels really good.

Do you have a favourite character from your book(s)? Why?

I guess my favorite character is the supernatural entity that is the creation of our protagonist: The Highwayman. He’s been around for thousands, millions, maybe trillions of years, trapped by a timeless curse. He’s summoned by the cries of those who have been wantonly murdered and he gives them the chance for justice, either through vengeance or mercy. The Highwayman can’t see through the veil of how this happened, who cursed him or why – but he knows without his help those murder victims will be trapped on earth as ghosts, unable to transition to the afterlife, so his intervention is all important for their salvation. This character fascinates me as he’s terrifying to behold and yet sympathetic - as he’s unable to figure out his own background or identity. And in the course of our novel, he falls in love with a mortal being which makes his plight even more poignant.

What is the hardest part of a book to write, beginning, middle or end?

I think I’d have to say the beginning.  That’s the hardest part of a screenplay for me as well.  Once I start and have pages done I can go over them and build some confidence. The beginning is really intimidating for me as I have all kinds of doubts about whether I really can pull this off, if I have talent and all the other fears that a creative person faces. But once I get going, I lose a lot of those fears and just knock out pages, knowing they aren’t perfect, I can always rewrite but at least they’re coming out one lonely page at a time.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

I have lots of advice for other writers but most of it comes out like this: Never give up. It’s not about how talented you are. That’s what I had to learn. I figured I had enough talent to get started, but it’s really about determination. What are you willing to sacrifice to make your dreams come true?  That’s the crucial thing you need. You need to be willing to pursue this profession no matter what the cost. I studied the great writers in high school and college (I was an English major). And I saw right away I couldn’t really compare myself with true geniuses like William Faulkner or F. Scott Fitzgerald or Tolstoy, etc, etc. But maybe I had just enough talent to do something that would be appreciated. So I learned how to tell a good story and I labored and labored to become better in the craft I had chosen. One thing I did have was determination and I was willing to go the distance no matter what sacrifices were required. And there was no Plan B. I had to make it happen no matter what.

Is there any genre you won't write and why?

The only genre I have never attempted is science fiction. As I mentioned before I’ve written comedy and thrillers and westerns and, of course, horror. But I never really enjoyed science fiction as a child and haven’t really read much since. I know there’s great science fiction out there but it’s just not my thing. So I never tried to write in that genre because it’s just not in my D.N.A.  It’s the same thing with super hero movies. I don’t really go see them or if I do, they don’t really reach me emotionally. It’s a little strange to admit that because the anti-hero of our novel – The Highwayman – is something of a super hero, a dark super hero at that.  But INK is definitely not science fiction. It’s horror with a paranormal romance lurking at its heart.

Do you have any odd (writing) habits?

There was a great screenwriter in the golden age of movies who used to write in his tub with a legal pad and pen and write his scripts. I thought that would be great but I didn’t like wrinkly skin. So now I sit on my couch with a pillow behind my back and write long hand on a legal pad as well. For some reason I can’t compose new pages straight into a computer. I need it to be long hand.  Then at the end of the day I input it into the computer.  The next day I’ll print out what I wrote and then go over those pages, polishing it as I go along and that gets me back into the world of my story. Once I’ve read over what I did the day before my mind is in the right place to continue on. It’s not easy to transition back to the world you’ve created, so that’s what helps me get into the groove for each day’s work. I always work from around 9:30 a.m. to around 1:00 or 2:00 pm. That would be a great work day for me. After that I get tired and a bit foggy headed.  One thing I learned about Ernest Hemingway has helped me tremendously. He advised writers to stop writing when it was going good. That would help you when started the next day – stop when it’s flowing, not when you’re confused or blocked in any way. That will just carry over to the next day and help you immediately get back into the groove.

If you could describe yourself in three words, what would they be?

Seriously determined, unable to do anything else (from cook to fix appliances or pound a nail), a lover of great literature.

If you could invite one character from your books to dinner, who would it be?

I’m a crazy dog lover and one of my favorite characters in the book is the protagonist’s white German shepherd, who has extra sensory perceptions. He can sense when something is wrong but he’s handicapped of course because he can’t speak. One of my most sorrowful moments is when we had to cut a chapter about Deke (our dog) regarding his backstory. It just got in the way of the forward momentum of the story. But I will definitely get that chapter in for the next book. William Goldman, the great screenwriter, said you had to kill your babies sometimes in telling a good tale. Well this was surely having to kill one of our babies when we had to cut that chapter.  And going back to the original question about inviting one of our characters to dinner – I have lots of good dog food as I have a new puppy at home. They’d definitely get along just fine and I’m sure my puppy wouldn’t mind sharing.

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About the Book

His studio has become his refuge and his prison—a place of boundless imagination and isolation. Brian Archer, creator of a series of successful graphic novels about a vengeful supernatural being called “The Highwayman,” has become a recluse after the adoration of a female fan turned to rage and violence.

But all that changes when he meets a renowned and beautiful illustrator, A.J. Hart, who carries emotional scars of her own. Their work together is fueled by the unrequited passion they share and a mysterious bottle of black ink that arrives one day at Brian’s doorstep.

The impossibly dark liquid has mystical properties, making their characters appear so real they eventually come to life, reigning terror on those who mean them harm and if not stopped—threatens to unleash an apocalypse on all mankind. Brian must break free of his self-imposed exile and solve the mystery that allowed these terrible creatures into the world.

INK a thrilling and spine-chilling novel guaranteed to give you goosebumps. (when’s the last time a book did that to you?) INK hits the streets on July 15th.

Early reviews for INK have been off the charts.
Pre-Order before July 15th and publisher will pay for the shipping!
The Larry Czerwonka Company and Writers Ascending!
Thanks William Cole for the fabulous cover photo!

Pre-order your copy TODAY: www.inkthenovel.com
Goodreads

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About the Authors

Glenn Benest

Glenn Benest lives in Glendale, California, along with his adorable puppy, Milton, so named after the renowned English poet. He’s an award-winning screenwriter and producer with seven produced feature and television movie credits. He has been a professional writer his entire career.

“Like the protagonist in our novel, I was a late bloomer when it came to reading, but when I got the hang of it, I spent many hours in the library, devouring everything I could get my hands on: Batman, westerns, sports books even pulp magazines. I also started writing poetry when I was in high school, then transitioned to the theatre at Harvard, where I realized I had to go for my dream. I quickly moved to Los Angeles where I got my master of fine arts degree at U.C.L.A., but soon realized I couldn’t make a living writing stage plays.”

Glenn began to write screenplays and by the age of thirty wrote two films for acclaimed horror director Wes Craven.

“I think I’ve written in every genre imaginable, including romance, thrillers, mystery, comedy, and drama. Writing fiction has been my latest endeavor, although INK combines two genres that have always fascinated me – paranormal romance and horror.”

Glenn and his writing partner Dale Pitman met in one of Mr. Benest’s screenwriting workshops and quickly discovered they shared a passion for comic books and the supernatural.

This is their first novel.

Twitter : @GlennBenest | Website | Blog

Dale Pitman

Dale Pitman was born in the shadows of the Burbank Studios, which is where his love of movies began.  As a kid, Dale got to play hookey and sit in with his father, renowned “Wrecking Crew” guitarist, Bill Pitman, on studio sessions for record, T.V. and most memorably, movie calls like the James Bond flick Dr. No, where Dale fell for the art of cinema (and Ursula Andress, though not necessarily in that order).

Dale began writing short stories, school plays and sketch comedy at an early age, and quickly became the “bard” of his East San Fernando Valley schools.  He received an A.A. degree in Journalism at L.A. Pierce College, then thereafter moved to Lake Tahoe, where he graduated from “the school of hard knocks,” working as a bartender at a local casino.

Upon returning to Southern California, Dale studied film at L.A. Valley College and apprenticed briefly in editing at Stephen J. Cannell studios.  In need of a “steady gig,” Dale quit tending bar and obtained a real estate license.
In 2008, Dale returned to his first true love… (film, not Ursula).  He immersed himself in studying the craft of screenwriting with teachers David Freeman, Hal Croasman, Robert McKee, the late Blake Synder, and most notably, his mentor and writing partner, award-winning screenwriter Glenn M. Benest, where they discovered their mutual affinity for the works of Poe and Lovecraft.

Dale lives in Newport Beach, CA with the lovely Kelly O’Reilly and their feline accomplice, Casey, and will continue writing, most likely, until someone pries the keyboard out from under his cold, dead fingers… and beyond!