A Q&A with Clark Burbidge, author of The Relic

Today, Clark is taking readers back to where it all began with the launch of an updated, expanded edition of StarPassage Book One: The Relic (Morgan James Publishing), where two teenage siblings find themselves desperate for answers when a mysterious relic reveals its age-old secrets and power.

Join our heroes on a series of dangerous adventures to solve the relic’s riddles, save lives, escape the ever-increasing Tracker threat, and experience some of the most dreadful and exciting moments in history. Will they learn from the past–should they change it if they can? Is there any hope for survival?

The action-packed, non-stop odyssey of the StarPassage series not only entertains readers but shows them how to persevere and find hope through everyday challenges and life’s biggest storms as well as helps give them direction, purpose and a reason to become something more than they otherwise might have been.

What inspired you to create this series?

A silver star at the top of my son’s family Christmas tree a couple of years ago. It was a beautiful setting as they placed it at the top and I commented that there was a good story there somewhere. The idea kept bouncing around in my head and then combined with the difficulties we experienced when I was growing up with what I now have come to understand was my Father’s struggle with PTSD from his experiences in the Korean War. Within a month the story was well underway. I wanted people, especially children who struggle to feel there is real hope that they can overcome family challenges and personal challenges. This book provides such hope and encouragement I believe.

How would you describe the characters Tim and Martie?

Tim is a sturdy 6+ foot high school sophomore. He is athletic and intelligent but feels helpless in his current situation. He is doing his best to try to understand and be the adult in his little sister’s life but feels unequal to the task. Martie is a gymnast and hopelessly optimistic go-getter. She is in middle school and 3 years younger than Tim. She believes anything can be solved and is a total sucker for any time of adventure. You might say she is fearless although it is partly because she isn’t experienced enough in life to understand the risks and consequences that sometimes are present. She is worried about her parents and really is having trouble comprehending how their perfect family could so quickly have run into such deep trouble. She is at a loss how to go forward with her life.

How would you explain the family dynamic between Tim, Martie, and their parents? How does it evolve through the book?

They are a very close family who really care about each other. They have always worked and played and discovered as a team. Their togetherness has always defined their family. But they are in complete disarray as the book begins. This is the central quest of the book. How to bring the family back together. It involves helping their dad deal with his PTSD and their mom overcome her related depression both of which is pulling them in opposite directions so they are no longer a team but fighting alone as individuals. Their travels through history are the relic’s way to help them pull together and overcome. Will they do it? Does it work? You’ll have to read to get the answers…

What was the most rewarding moment you experienced in writing StarPassage: The Relic?

I write as if I am experiencing the story for the first time so I honestly don’t know how it will end up. So when I got to Christmas in the book and they had the strange visitor and then I discovered who was going to come to dinner and resolved how that would happen it was an incredible experience. Intertwining history with the lives of characters that feel so real and current was a tremendously rewarding experience.

What was the biggest challenge you faced in writing this book?

How to set the stage and provide the background for the current challenge in an interesting and dynamic way. The Fugitives Drift chapter was very important to that because it creates an exciting event in the middle of a story and it hooked me without letting me know how it fits in. I feel the background happens through several chapters now interspersed with excitement and adventure. That was very satisfying to discover how it worked together.

As an author who has written multiple books, how did the process of writing StarPassage: The Relic compare to your past work?

There was a lot more research involved. My last trilogy involved a completely fictional world and that had its own challenges of creating the mythology and setting. However, in StarPassage not only am I dealing with contemporary settings that have to be real, I am dealing with several separate real historical circumstances that require accuracy blended with literary license in a believable way. This involved research on many levels and it created a different challenge that I very much enjoyed.

What does your writing process look like?

I don’t really set an outline per se. I like to write as if I am experiencing the story as the characters do. This means I don’t know what I will discover when I round the bend. It makes it very exciting for me to write and I can hardly wait to get back to it. In a way it is like what I hope my readers experience when they put my book down, I hope they can’t wait to find out what’s next. This also keeps me from experiencing writer’s block.

How much research did you do for the book? What type of research did you do?

As mentioned above there was a lot of research from very different eras. It took me to George Washington’s diary’s, old ship designs and google maps of the southwest to unpublished personal family histories and interviews with veterans as well as a ton of reading of a wide variety of books to try to get every angle of the experiences of the Carson family right. The actual research was on and off for about 18 months time.

What drew you to the genre of young adult fantasy adventure?

I believe young adults and middle readers need exciting reading that also inspires and uplifts with strong well designed characters that can be identified with and respected. They are not superheroes but rather regular people that demonstrate the power each of us have within to bravely stand for what we believe, have hope and the faith that we are never alone. I believe my books can make a difference with young adults and help give them direction, purpose and a reason to become something more than they otherwise might have been.

What is the key to attracting young readers?

I believe they want to have a story that transports them to an adventure where the can find something of themselves in the characters and identify with the process and thereby absorb the lessons so they can apply them in their own life. It is not just about attracting, rather it is about holding attention with real stories that compel and inspire. Making them memorable and raising their expectations in life and their courage in stepping up to do hard things. I believe all young people are better off if they learn that they can accomplish hard things.

What has been one of your own greatest adventures?

By far my greatest adventure has been marrying my wife Leah which created a blended family of 10 children overnight. It has been wonderful and full of unexpected twists and turns almost daily. This wild ride of course continues. We have overcome great challenges along the way and have much still to accomplish but it has been something we have done together and we both cherish every day, every challenge and every joy. Oh and by the way…they just keep on coming…

When did your interest in writing begin?

I have always been a story teller and have written some in the past. However, in 2010 I was out of work and trying to find a job. I had some stories that I had always wanted to put to paper so I did. Then I decided that I wanted to see if I could get published and actually have strangers like my stories. One thing led to another and I have found it very rewarding and satisfying every step of the way.

Which writers inspired you as a kid? Which writers inspire you today?

As a kid I read a lot of Isaac Asimov and Ray Bradbury (Sci-Fi). In my 20’s and 30’s I enjoyed more of Tolkien and CS Lewis as well as history and historical fiction. Nowadays I am always reading a couple of books trying to appreciate good writing styles and discovering interesting parts of history.

Was your family involved in your writing process? To what extent?

They acted as readers and provided some helpful feedback on flow and interest levels and hooks. Also they have acted as models for some of the art in my books. However in StarPassage they were the inspiration for the relic and the concept of PTSD which were very central to the story. My wife and I are currently writing a book together and it has been tremendously satisfying and fun to share that experience.

What does your family say about your books?

They like them and probably are way too easy judges. I must say though by the time one is published they get a little tired of hearing the scraps of story and doing read throughs and having ideas bounced off them and hearing me up at 2 in the morning because I had a new idea and I had to record it right then.

In what ways do you hope readers are inspired by StarPassage: The Relic?

I have kind of addressed it but I hope it will inspire them to have confidence that they can overcome any difficulty and that they will never be alone in doing so. They have a Father in Heaven who cares, is involved and is always there for them in both spiritual and real, practical ways.

About the book

Two teenage siblings find themselves desperate for answers when a mysterious relic reveals its age-old secrets and power.

Tim and Martie Carson are the only ones who can save their family from a downward spiral fueled by their parent’s struggles with PTSD and depression. When they realize that an ancient relic discovered under mysterious circumstances holds the key to unlocking answers hidden in the past, the siblings embark on a race against time to learn the relic’s secrets while avoiding the Trackers, sinister shadowy figures doomed to haunt history and drawn to possess the relic for their own evil purposes.

Travel through history with the Carson family as they struggle to understand the relic’s secrets. In their race against time can they decipher the clues and piece together the puzzle containing the answers they desperately seek? Or will they be trapped forever by the evil forces relentlessly pursuing them?

Sharing is Caring 🙂

Twitter

Pinterest

Tumblr

Linkedin

Facebook

Google

Stumbleupon

Reddit

An interview with Martin Knight, author of ‘Justice Killer’

Martin Knight is the Sunday Times best-selling biographer of several ’60s and ’70s superstar footballers, including George Best and Peter Osgood. He also ghosted the memoirs of Gypsy Joe Smith, the bare-knuckle boxer turned pro golfer, which was selected as Observer “Sports Book of the Year”. Martin also wrote Justice For Joan about an unsolved 1948 murder and an autobiography of the founder member of the Bay City Rollers pop band among many other books. Martin had a long career in the media monitoring industry and is co-owner of niche publisher London Books. He is married with five children and lives in Surrey.

Who is your favourite dragon in literature?

I have to confess I cannot bring to mind any actual dragons in books I have read. I guess they would have been in childhood and now distant memories. I did gobble up the C.S. Lewis books and I think a dragon or two figured there. However, I was greatly impacted by the film Enter The Dragon back in the mid-1970s about the time I left school. It was a vehicle for martial arts supremo Bruce Lee and I assume he was the “dragon” of the title. Hero worship of Bruce spread like a wildfire among teenage boys of the era. Kung Fu Fighting a song by Carl Douglas was top of the pop charts and kids couldn’t engage with each other without spinning around and jump kicking the air above the other boy’s head. I remember vividly seeing the film and leaving the cinema full of adrenaline after. When my bus pulled up and the doors opened I leapt on emitting a high-pitched war cry like Bruce and raised my hands karate style. The driver looked at me and unflustered said: “Where to, mate?”

I’m not going to be reviewing your newest novel, but from your other published novels, is there one that is your own personal favourite? 

My favourite previous novel is Battersea Girl written some twenty years ago. It was a lightly fictionalised account of my grandmother’s 100 year life. She was born in the year Jack The Ripper committed his murders and endured two world wars and grinding poverty. Her first husband perished in the so-called Great War. Her sister and niece were killed in the second world war bombardment of London. While I tried to stick to the broad facts and the characters were real people, of course, I had to imagine conversations, feelings and some events. Much of the content was based on stories told to me by my Grandma in the last years of her long life. I was comforted to discover as the years went by and ancestry web sites burgeoned that most of those stories – some incredible – could be confirmed.

Everyone has a ‘first novel’, even if many of them are a rough draft relegated to the bottom and back of your desk drawer (or your external harddrive!). Have you been able to reshape yours, or have you abandoned it for good?

My first novel was probably Justice Killer which is my latest novel just being released. It started off when I put pen to paper twenty or more years ago about a real-life local murder that happened by my school, while I was there in the 1970s. A young milkman, whose siblings were in school with me, was shot dead in the course of an armed robbery. The execution had a big impact on me and was a big part of the curtains drawing on my childhood. It was a truly shocking affair. The Man From Uncle or The Avengers it was not.  I didn’t know where to go with it and the development of the book got regularly parked as different projects came my way. Then the notion of an ordinary man who felt he didn’t have much to live for seeking justice for victims of crime and finding purpose again formed in my mind and Justice Killer started to motor forward. The premise of an everyday person with no previous disposition to violence drifting into serial murder fascinated me.

Over the years, what would you say has improved significantly in your writing?

I would hope my writing has acquired some wisdom and insight that comes with age. But that has to be balanced against perhaps more energy and passion in the earlier writing.

Some authors are able to pump out a novel a year and still be filled with inspiration. Is this the case for you, or do you like to let an idea percolate for a couple of years in order to get a beautiful novel?

Most of my books have been non-fiction so a novel every seven years is more applicable. I’d love to write a novel a year, especially as at my age (65) I am becoming increasingly reminded that you cannot take the years for granted. I am often referred to as a “ghost writer” which is a term I dislike. I was in the offices of a large publisher one day when I was writing the autobiography of footballing legend George Best and a publishing executive welcomed me to his office by saying “Are you the ghost?” It stripped away any creative illusions I had about myself and suggested I was just a cog in a publishing machine. Which, of course, I was.

I have heard of writers that could only write in one place – then that cafe closed down and they could no longer write! Where do you find yourself writing most often, and on what medium (pen/paper or digital)?

I write in Microsoft Word on a PC. I write mainly at home in outer London and am lucky enough to have requisitioned a room as my study. However, being a busy family hub my day is subject to regular interruptions, so when I really need solitude to bash out words in big numbers I visit a cottage in the countryside where I can get up to 5,000 words a day if my writing juices are really flowing and I can go for salubrious, bracing walks to empty my head when I need to.

Before going on to hire an editor, most authors use beta-readers. How do you recruit your beta-readers, and choose an editor? Are you lucky enough to have loving family members who can read and comment on your novel?

I occasionally have the benefit of a trained editor when one of my books is being published by the big companies but mostly my friend John King will review and provide honest feedback. He is a very successful novelist and I do the same for him. It works well. I used to try and read my books as they formed to my wife and children but when I looked up and saw them buried in their smart phones or their eyes glazing over, I gave up.

I walk past bookshops and am drawn in by the smell of the books – ebooks simply don’t have the same attraction for me. Does this happen to you, and do you have a favourite bookshop? Or perhaps you are an e-reader fan… where do you source most of your material from?

I love bookshops. They are sanctuaries of peace and contentment in an urgent, frantic and often scary world. When in central London I like to visit Foyles which is a palace of books. My parents were both librarians in public libraries and met in one. Books are in my DNA. Before I was ten I was reading three or four books a day and had by then had exhausted the canons of Charles Dickens, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Denis Wheatley and had moved on to the gritty working class novels of Alan Sillitoe. I don’t like ebooks as much as physical books and rarely read one online. The smell, look and feel of books is a pleasure I won’t lose but sadly the next generation/s will not have that attachment.

I used to find myself buying books in only one genre (fantasy) before I started writing this blog. What is your favourite genre, and have your tastes changed over time?

I started by only reading novels but after working through almost every established/famous writer in wide circulation in the 1960s and 1970s I moved into non-fiction and especially true crime. In my twenties and thirties I became almost snobbish about fiction taking the view why waste time reading about made up things when there is so much true material out there. When I reached my forties I rediscovered my love of fiction and now I’m in place where I read 50% non-fiction, 50% fiction.

Social media is a big thing, much to my disgust! I never have enough time myself to do what I feel is a good job. What do you do?

I have mixed feelings about social media and technology generally. I resent my mobile phone. I resent the fact that people expect you to answer immediately. I remember when we had a telephone at home (eventually) as a kid when the phone rang in the hall (never in the sitting room) we would decide whether to answer it or not. If we were watching a good programme on the television we ignored it. Technology and phones have gone from being servant to master in a few decades. I have dabbled in social media but again have mixed feelings. I dropped Facebook early on – just didn’t like it. The whole concept of collecting friends or being collected turned me off. Never did Instagram but I have embraced Twitter. You do get some sensible debate on there and it gives you alternatives to a homogenous news media. I have been on ten years now and do promote my books there. It helps.  I spend too much time on Twitter and am consciously trying to reduce on line time. Probably spend 2 hours a day, which is too much.

Answering interview questions can often take a long time! Tell me, are you ever tempted to recycle your answers from one to the next? 

Inevitably sometimes you asked the same question and then you will be repeating yourself but as a rule, no. Your questions have been different from many of the stock ones I get asked which is nice. Thank you.

About Justice Killer

Not a whodunnit but a hedunnit, told from the perspective of its central character, Justice Killer marks the crime fiction debut of the best-selling biographer of George Best and other cultural icons. It takes you inside the mind of an ordinary man who finds an extraordinary new purpose after the death of his beloved wife. Disgusted by the injustice of the world, he strives to bring justice to his small corner of England. A murderer and an elderly former child abuser, both of whom think they’ve got away with their crimes, soon find themselves in his crosshairs…

Purchase the novel here on Amazon

Sharing is Caring 🙂

Twitter

Pinterest

Tumblr

Linkedin

Facebook

Google

Stumbleupon

Reddit

An interview with Emma Roberson, author of Beast

Emma Roberson writes about monsters and creatures because she is obsessed with them. She started drawing as a child which led to writing the scenes for the pictures she had created. Emma has worked with horses, reptiles and invertebrates such as spiders and scorpions. All the creatures which scuttle or run across her path find their way into her writng and illustrations. These illustrations are often included in the books.

Emma has worked as a stable hand, as a farm hand, attempted hospitality and warehousing. She works full time and spends her spare time with her animals as well as writng and illustrating. She aims to one day write and illustrate full time.

What is your favourite dragon in literature?

Tricky question. I adore Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon, but I also enjoy a more traditional monster-style dragon like the Hungarian Horntail from Harry Potter or those seen in the Witcher games, show and books. I strongly believe that the dragon and its personality must suit the style and feel of the story. And in the previously mentioned examples, I feel the authors accomplished this and created believable and unique dragons.

What comes next? And why should readers be interested?

Beast is book one of a five book fantasy series, The Leviathan Series. I am currently working on book two and should have it ready to be released in 2024.

Beast and the following books contain themes which I did not deliberately write into the story. From the feedback that I have been given, every person that reads this story receives a unique message and meaning.

Everyone has a ‘first novel’, even if many of them are a rough draft relegated to the bottom and back of your desk drawer (or your external harddrive!). Have you been able to reshape yours, or have you abandoned it for good?

Beast, book one of the Leviathan Series, is my first book. The story and characters have changed drastically over the years, and I have worked on it, abandoned it, loved and loathed it for well over a decade. The second book of the series is in progress, and I am enjoying writing this section of the story more than the first. The beginning is always the hardest part to write.

Over the years, what would you say has improved significantly in your writing?

I have received feedback that the dialogue in my book is good, which I was not expecting as I find dialogue to be quite difficult.

Some authors are able to pump out a novel a year and still be filled with inspiration. Is this the case for you, or do you like to let an idea percolate for a couple of years in order to get a beautiful novel?

My first book, Beast, took over a decade of compiling random ideas until it came to fruition. The second book, however, appears to be coming along quite quickly, within a year, as I know where I want to go with the story, and I understand the motivations of the characters. My attention span is short, I quickly become bored, so I find it best to use the dig in an get it done approach.

I have heard of writers that could only write in one place – then that cafe closed down and they could no longer write! Where do you find yourself writing most often, and on what medium (pen/paper or digital)?

Most often, I will write at home, in my room, looking out of the hills with a whisky glass or a mug of tea. If I write at night, I will often have a pet python sitting on my shoulders or head. During the day, my writing companion is usually one of my Blue Tongue Lizards.

I have become more proficient at writing directly into a Word document, but I still enjoy using pen and paper.

Before going on to hire an editor, most authors use beta-readers. How do you recruit your beta-readers, and choose an editor? Are you lucky enough to have loving family members who can read and comment on your novel?

I am one of the lucky few, my family members and friends are the first readers of the first full draft. After the first round of readers, I approach a literary assessor. From there my book continues to the editor and publisher.

I walk past bookshops and am drawn in by the smell of the books – ebooks simply don’t have the same attraction for me. Does this happen to you, and do you have a favourite bookshop? Or perhaps you are an e-reader fan… where do you source most of your material from?

I prefer a paperback or hardback, but I understand the appeal of ebooks and other such options. To be honest, I have rarely visited bookstores in recent years as I have been working on my own projects and admittedly, I am not an avid reader, I have always preferred to create my own stories. That having been said, I enjoy the second-hand bookstore experience the most.

I used to find myself buying books in only one genre (fantasy) before I started writing this blog. What is your favourite genre, and have your tastes changed over time?

I have a broad range of interest, but well written fantasy and fiction draw me in. I do enjoy a good thriller or horror.

Social media is a big thing, much to my disgust! I never have enough time myself to do what I feel is a good job. What do you do?

My publisher is amazing, and I can request marketing material such as book graphics and animated excerpts which I use to promote my book. However, my sister and her partner provided me with an excellent piece of advice. I do not solely promote my book and illustrations on my chosen social media platforms. I often post reels and photos of my interests, my animals. This has drawn interest and now I have consistent followers. I am still learning how to optimise my access to social media, but I do think that it is working in my favour, for the most part.

At this time, I manage my own profile, and this is mainly due to the options available to me. I have gone down the self-publishing route and I do not have limitless funds so often the marketing of my book lands with me. I try to post daily, but it is difficult to do and maintain the habit. I am not naturally social media inclined so it is a challenge to give it my time. I must admit I do enjoy the challenge of learning how to market my book.

Through my publisher I have also been linked with the national library service so bookstores and libraries can purchase my book. I do need to place more effort into contacting libraries and bookstores. My other option for promotion, which I have begun utilising, is book reviewers.

Answering interview questions can often take a long time! Tell me, are you ever tempted to recycle your answers from one to the next?

Definitely! The only time I will recycle answers is if I am given the same question – as the response will be the same!

Where can readers and fantasy enthusiasts find you and your work?  

Facebook
Amazon
Booko
Instagram – author_emma_roberson

About Beast

FORCED FROM THE SEA HE ONCE ROAMED AS AN APEX PREDATOR, THE LEVIATHAN MUST FIGHT TO SURVIVE ON LAND.

With a new face and name the Leviathan carves a place for himself in a volatile and violent world where monsters and humans wage war against each other and amongst themselves for survival and supremacy.

An unlikely alliance is forged between the Master of the Vanguard, the leader of the kingdoms royally sanctioned monster hunters, and the Leviathan, once the most notorious and elusive monster of the sea. United by terrible circumstance and bound by a shared purpose, the Master and the Leviathan struggle to overcome the hatred and fear which rules and rots the realm.

The Leviathan must defend the realm from all things monstrous, including himself. He must find a way to conquer the turmoil of the kingdom and the darkness of his own nature.

Sharing is Caring 🙂

Twitter

Pinterest

Tumblr

Linkedin

Facebook

Google

Stumbleupon

Reddit

An Interview with Julian Fogel, author of Tiloran: An Abandoned Home

Julian Fogel is a writer based in Colorado and has been writing stories for over a decade with his first novel self-published at the early age of just 25 with Tiloran: An Abandoned Home. What started as a hobby quickly turned into an activity he would love to turn into a career. While his initial dream was to get into the movie business through writing screenplays, he was eventually persuaded to give writing a novel a try by friends and collogues. So, if any stories of his have a cinematic feel to them, that would be his love for visual mediums of storytelling bleeding through.

What is your favourite dragon in literature?

Hmm… good question. Does Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon count? Definitely him, if it does. I just love the dynamic between him and Hiccup. If not, the first ones to come to mind are Falkore and Smaug, which seem pretty typical of answers, but they are classics.

I’m not going to be reviewing your newest novel, but from your other published novels, is there one that is your own personal favourite?

Well, I currently only have three novels published (all on Amazon, feel free to check them out *wink wink*) and they’re all part of the same series of Tiloran. It’s hard to pick a favorite out of any of them, especially anyone’s first published book. That one will always be very special, but if I had to pick one, then I think I would choose the second installment, Rise of the Worthy. There were just some themes and moments during writing that one that I didn’t know how well they could be explored until I wrote them. Very unique. But I still love the other two as well, obviously or I wouldn’t have released them, haha.

Everyone has a ‘first novel’, even if many of them are a rough draft relegated to the bottom and back of your desk drawer (or your external harddrive!). Have you been able to reshape yours, or have you abandoned it for good?

My first novel was technically An Abandoned Home, which I released, but funny enough, my original passion for writing came in the form of screenwriting. So, all of my first writing projects are currently screenplays and even the first draft of my first novel was a screenplay. That being said, while I’ll probably redo some of those as novels, my very first one needs a lot of work (as I’m sure many writers feel, haha). I don’t necessarily know if I’ll ever get around to doing that one again. Certainly not anytime soon, anyway.

Is there a running theme in your writing you tend to create, accidental or not?

I think I tend to write stories that showcase characters dealing with some kind of mental struggle of some kind like depression and/or loneliness. My first book has heavily themes of this and the rest of the series, while exploring other human conditions, will continue that trend. I find it fascinating and I feel you don’t find many stories dealing with those things as far as epic fantasy goes. Maybe I’m wrong and just haven’t found the right pool to read from, but it’s certainly unique to me.

Over the years, what would you say has improved significantly in your writing?

Just about everything, haha. Re-reading some of my earliest stuff, I can pick out all of the bad dialogue, the poor story structure, the non-descriptive descriptions. The only thing I really feel I may have been good with from the start was character arcs. I still think I made pretty good and well-paced character arcs from the get-go. Of course, that’s improved over the years as well, but the main and biggest improvement I’ve seen in my own writing is pacing. My older stuff would really just be all over the place with its pacing because I didn’t really have the fundamentals of storytelling down and it’s taken me a long time to really figure some of that out. It’s definitely something I think I’m still learning, honestly, I certainly don’t want to claim I’m done learning about it, no one ever really is, I think. There’s too much to know.

Some authors are able to pump out a novel a year and still be filled with inspiration. Is this the case for you, or do you like to let an idea percolate for a couple of years in order to get a beautiful novel?

Ooh, percolate is not a work I hear very often, good choice. I have no clue how people write so frequently. I always have something to work on, but my problem is finding time and motivation. As an author who can’t quite count on writing being my main job, it’s not something I can dedicate most of my time to. Who knows, maybe that’d change if it was more of my main job. If I think of a story idea, I definitely have to let it sit for a while before I really get the story beats down. I think some people just make a novel with whatever comes to them and that’s totally fine, sometimes it works out great, but I need to achieve a certain feeling to actually feel the novel is worth writing. What that feeling is, I’m not sure how to describe. It’s kind of like finally getting home after an extremely long road trip and all you’ve been seeing is roadblock after roadblock and there’s just this sense of the roads feeling right again and this sense of relief and peace like you know you’ve accomplished something, maybe even overcame something, if that makes any sense.

I have heard of writers that could only write in one place – then that cafe closed down and they could no longer write! Where do you find yourself writing most often, and on what medium (pen/paper or digital)?

Ouch, I can’t imagine getting myself all hyped up for a good writing session and finding out the only cafe I wrote in is closed, that would be unbearably frustrating, haha. No, luckily, I’m only comfortable writing in my home, preferably in my room on my computer. That’s kind of my safe zone where I can try and think of whatever ideas might work and which ones might not. I personally can’t imagine writing anywhere else, good on anyone who can, though. Sometimes I wish I felt comfortable doing so. But I certainly don’t think I’ll ever find my home closed… I would hope not anyway (insert scared expression here).

Before going on to hire an editor, most authors use beta-readers. How do you recruit your beta-readers, and choose an editor? Are you lucky enough to have loving family members who can read and comment on your novel?

I am lucky enough to have some good friends who will read my novels before release and thank goodness I do. It’s terrifying releasing something nobody has commented on or told you if it’s even worth reading, I would feel way more anxiety if I didn’t have those people in my life. As far as editing goes, I just mostly do that myself. Call it poor man’s editing or anything you want, but currently, I can only really let myself do it and whatever feedback I get from my friends on the books I write, I take into account, but I only really change things based on if multiple people call out the same thing. Because some story beats or moments might not work with one person, but may with another, so I need a group vote, basically, if I end up changing anything in the story.

I walk past bookshops and am drawn in by the smell of the books – ebooks simply don’t have the same attraction for me. Does this happen to you, and do you have a favourite bookshop? Or perhaps you are an e-reader fan… where do you source most of your material from?

I actually do love the smell of new books. Fresh paper should be an air freshener scent, haha. I definitely prefer physical books to ebooks, but I’m not a stickler for either. Ebooks are super convenient and physical copies are much more satisfying to get through, I’d say I read physical books more than ebooks. Though, I do enjoy a good audiobook, as well. No favorite bookshops, though, unfortunately. I just go to whichever one I can find.

I used to find myself buying books in only one genre (fantasy) before I started writing this blog. What is your favourite genre, and have your tastes changed over time?

I love almost all genres of storytelling. The only one I’m not very big on is erotica, never got into that. But I think I love fantasy/sci-fi the most. I love worlds that immerse me and take me out of this one. Escapism is very important sometimes. It can be dangerous if we get too lost in it, but staying only in this world our whole lives seems like a missed experience to me. If that’s what some people want and like, that’s their business and I can respect that, but I think they’re missing out just a little, at least, haha.

Social media is a big thing, much to my disgust! I never have enough time myself to do what I feel is a good job. What do you do?

On social media? I actually don’t get on social media very much (I know, go ahead and scald me for it). I know it’s kind of a self-published author’s necessity, but I just find it boring most of the time and the time-consuming aspect of it is very mind numbing. I will probably be getting more into it in the future as it does have it’s benefits for writers like me, but as of right now, I’m definitely in the same boat — not much of a good job going on with it from my end.

The only current profiles I have are Goodreads and Facebook. I manage them, I’m not on them very often and all I really add to them are book covers. I contact book bloggers for mentions and reviews, some websites sell advertising packages I go for (though you have to be really careful with those with all the scammers out there). I occasionally take advantage of the free book promos and ad campaigns kindle allows me to throw out there.

Answering interview questions can often take a long time! Tell me, are you ever tempted to recycle your answers from one to the next?

As I’ve not done very many interviews yet, I definitely haven’t felt the need to recycle many questions/answers, thankfully. I’m not a fan of repetition, so I’d like to try and vary my answers up as much as I can, but I can definitely see a point of being asked the same question where I run out of different responses eventually. It may take a long, long time, but I can definitely see it. All your questions have been great, though! No repetition here!

About the Book

Isaac, an average man, is thrust into a world of six war-fueled gods and must find a way home with the help of the allies he meets along the way. The world of Tiloran is vast and unfamiliar and Isaac does not belong. Along his way, he will be forced on an emotional and epic journey to accept a reality he isn’t ready to face.

More about Julian

In Julian’s spare time, he enjoys any form of story, whether it be movies, tv shows, video games, books, or even popular RPG tabletop games such as Dungeons and Dragons (Improvising stories and characters on the spot). He loves spending time with his friends and finding whatever adventurous activity he may be able to do when he can.

While he only has a couple of novels published on amazon for the time being, he plans on writing plenty more, starting with the rest of the series of Tiloran, currently awaiting the next installment of the series.

Among his fantasy series, he also loves to write for any genre including science fiction, drama, thrillers, and potentially horror, though that last one may be fairly far into the future. As for with all his stories, he sincerely hopes anyone who picks up his books thoroughly enjoys and perhaps even connects with them in any way and, while releases may be slow, he’s excited to share more for as long as he can.

Sharing is Caring 🙂

Twitter

Pinterest

Tumblr

Linkedin

Facebook

Google

Stumbleupon

Reddit

Interview with Skyler Peterson, author of The Isle of Falidor

Skyler E Peterson was born in Roswell Georgia and spent most of his youth either having adventures out in the world, or at home in written one’s. After spending so much time imagining himself alongside his favorite heroes in books he decided it wasn’t enough and has been writing ever since.

What is your favourite dragon in literature?

Unfortunately, I’ve not read a lot of books that have had Dragons in them! I kind of feel that people either worry about not representing dragons with the proper power they should have, or have the thought that “Oh everyone knows about dragons, let’s try something else!”. Though, now that you’ve brought my attention to that, I think I may have to add a Dragon to one of my future books! As for my answer, I think Tolkien did it right with Smaug. This extremely greedy and powerful creature who knew how powerful he was, to such a degree he failed to worry about his weakness until it was entirely too late.

Everyone has a ‘first novel’, even if many of them are a rough draft relegated to the bottom and back of your desk drawer (or your external harddrive!). Have you been able to reshape yours, or have you abandoned it for good?

Oh gosh, I do still have it saved and have occasionally looked over it. Though I don’t think it will be dusted off and reshaped, that’s only because my last reading through I noticed that the series I have been writing has a lot of correlation with it. I think I may have subconsciously given it new life with a different story.

Over the years, what would you say has improved significantly in your writing?

Punctuation, without a doubt. I keep all my old writings so I can look back so I can see how far I’ve come, and looking back at my original longest fanfiction it’s always both embarrassing and uplifting. It was only ten pages, but at that time that was very impressive, and it has all of about four periods. It’s embarrassing seeing all that, and seeing how the story wasn’t so great, but it’s also so uplifting and humbling knowing I’ve grown so much. I think that’s an advantage writers have, at least if we keep our old works. We get to see our growth over the years and get to see that we’re better now than we have been.

Some authors are able to pump out a novel a year and still be filled with inspiration. Is this the case for you, or do you like to let an idea percolate for a couple of years in order to get a beautiful novel?

I like to think I am constantly filled with that inspiration, largely because I do spend a lot of time thinking over my books, noticing where there are flaws, and finding ways to fix them. I’ll take time to deepen a character that was lacking in growth and try to figure out where I’m going to put that. Though I’m also very aware of how long it’s taken me to put together this novel, so the answer is a bit of column A, a bit of column B, mostly B though haha.

I have heard of writers that could only write in one place – then that cafe closed down and they could no longer write! Where do you find yourself writing most often, and on what medium (pen/paper or digital)?

Thankfully I don’t struggle with that, well I suppose not to that degree. I do somewhat require some quiet to write of course, but location wise it’s never been a problem. As for medium, I’m fine with both pen and paper, as well as digital! Though digital is far superior, largely due to how quickly I can type compared to handwrite, Isle of Falidor was initially handwritten. I was on a mission for my church when I had started, in my free time I got my notebook out and just started writing, and when I got home from it I put it all into Word.

Before going on to hire an editor, most authors use beta-readers. How do you recruit your beta-readers, and choose an editor? Are you lucky enough to have loving family members who can read and comment on your novel?

I am indeed very lucky in having family and friends who took the time to read my books! I have nieces and nephews who are huge fans, and I do my best to not let it inflate my ego, haha. I am very aware though that you can only take the word of family and friends so far, that’s always been in the back of my mind, so when I have had editors look over the books and give their reports and said they also think they’re good that’s when I first thought I was onto something. Not to disregard my families’ kind words, because they were very much a driving force.

I walk past bookshops and am drawn in by the smell of the books – ebooks simply don’t have the same attraction for me. Does this happen to you, and do you have a favourite bookshop? Or perhaps you are an e-reader fan… where do you source most of your material from?

I have my book on all forms of media! Listening to my book being read by S L Albert (Hopefully I can give her a shout-out, she did amazing work) was the first time I didn’t physically cringe when someone read my work out loud. With that being said, there will never be a proper replacement for the physical copies! My brother is very forward-thinking and he knows the future is E-books and digital media, and I agree it is. But there will always be those of us who want to hold the books in our hands, read the real words off the pages, and of course smell them! There’s nothing like it.

I used to find myself buying books in only one genre (fantasy) before I started writing this blog. What is your favourite genre, and have your tastes changed over time?

It has to a degree. Fantasy has always been a love of mine, but I used to be so much more into Sci-fi, and horror! I grew up reading the Goosebumps series and Animorphs, both of which really kicked started my desire to write, but it wasn’t until Harry Potter that I leaned much more into Fantasy and started reading Tolkien and R A Salvatore, and from there it’s been magic and sword.

Social media is a big thing, much to my disgust! I never have enough time myself to do what I feel is a good job. What do you do?

I am right there with you, I am not a big fan of social media at all! I’ll admit it’s a good thing when it comes to keeping up with friends, families, and new books coming out, but it has such a downside too. I’ll simply leave that there, because I don’t want to rant, if I do that I’ll have to get my stick and demand kids get off my lawn, haha. What’s honestly terrible, for me anyway, is that I’m horrible with keeping up with social media, and that’s especially bad since I am self-published and I very much rely on the internet to get my voice out there. So you have discovered my missing Scale, so to speak, as it is something I need to work on. Thankfully I have an amazing Fiance who does her best to help me keep up on it, but we’re both busy and you simply just forget. My primary platform is Facebook and as for time it’s quite bad, I would say at best about an hour a week. I really am horrible at it. I really don’t mind doing it so much, I suppose it’s more you can only advertise yourself and shout about what you’ve done into the void hoping you’re heard, so I overall wouldn’t say I hate it, nor do I enjoy it, just neutral.

Answering interview questions can often take a long time! Tell me, are you ever tempted to recycle your answers from one to the next?

They certainly can, and I kind of enjoy it to a degree! I put on some of my writing music and get myself zoned in and just go! I haven’t been tempted yet, I don’t think I ever will either, simply because I want people to see the genuine me! They’re not going to get that from a copy-paste of my answers. There certainly are some stories I like to repeat and tell because I think those are fun, but overall not a chance. I think it’s quite fun to answer interview questions and give people an insight into how I think, even if being in my head is a bit scary! Haha.

About the Book

It all started with disbelief. When Earth stopped believing in magic, and began to believe in science, another world was created. A realm where magic ran wild. On this world is an island named Falidor where war has raged for five hundred years. For months General Kalibrach has had recurring dreams that he would find an answer to the bloodshed, an answer in the form of a hero from Earth. Yet will this hero be what they expect, or will she be something more?

You can purchase this novel from Amazon

Sharing is Caring 🙂

Twitter

Pinterest

Tumblr

Linkedin

Facebook

Google

Stumbleupon

Reddit

Interview with Dianne Corbeau, author of “Six Days in Detox”

Dianne Corbeau has been writing and working as a professional writer, artist, and anatomy professor. Her experience from the past couples it with learning from the present lessons and presents you with memorable stories about truth and self-reflection.

The reflection is internal and external. Internally, backstories are interwoven throughout her books to have depth and understanding. Externally, through stories of truth, Dianne finds learning, humor, and growth. Her debut novella, Six Days in Detox, has received excellent reviews. Ms. Corbeau continues to work and live in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

What is your favourite dragon in literature?

Falkor, The Never-Ending Story. “Never give up and good luck will find you.” Falkor is wise, dignified, and optimistic. He gives advice when people lost all hope. His openness and ability to make friends touched everyone he encountered. The author of Never-Ending Sory, Michael Ende, hated the movie, they left out chunks of the book and the author removed his name from the movie. He created this beautiful character.

Everyone has a ‘first novel’, even if many of them are a rough draft relegated to the bottom and back of your desk drawer (or your external hard drive!). Have you been able to reshape yours, or have you abandoned it for good?

I wrote my first novel ten years ago and it was stolen by my editor. She renamed it, changed it to fiction, and won a prestigious book award. When I realized this, I was in a relapse, hence the novella, Six Days in Detox. I never took action.

Over the years, what would you say has improved significantly in your writing?

I understand my writing process better and the techniques are being developed on deeper levels. I continue to study and learn daily.

Some authors are able to pump out a novel a year and still be filled with inspiration. Is this the case for you, or do you like to let an idea percolate for a couple of years in order to get a beautiful novel?

The time span varies. It can be years after the experience or weeks that I am writing about it.

I have heard of writers that could only write in one place – then that cafe closed down and they could no longer write! Where do you find yourself writing most often, and on what medium (pen/paper or digital)?

My favorite place to write is my cottage. If I am not writing at my cottage, I have special locations in the libraries on Cape Cod.

Before going on to hire an editor, most authors use beta-readers. How do you recruit your beta-readers, and choose an editor? Are you lucky enough to have loving family members who can read and comment on your novel?

Since my first editor stole my first manuscript, I have been shy. I have educated myself in editing future manuscripts because I only give my finished manuscripts to proofreaders at the publishers. I realize there were grammatical issues with Six Days of Detox, which I learned from for future publications.

I walk past bookshops and am drawn in by the smell of the books – ebooks simply don’t have the same attraction for me. Does this happen to you, and do you have a favourite bookshop? Or perhaps you are an e-reader fan… where do you source most of your material from?

A special past time I have is going into used and rare bookstores. The environment, being surrounded by those books, is comforting to me.

I used to find myself buying books in only one genre (fantasy) before I started writing this blog. What is your favourite genre, and have your tastes changed over time?

Nonfiction. But I like to read and study a great deal in various genres.

Social media is a big thing, much to my disgust! I never have enough time myself to do what I feel is a good job. What do you do?

I manage my profiles. Social media is ongoing and unavoidable. I like Goodreads.

Answering interview questions can often take a long time! Tell me, are you ever tempted to recycle your answers from one to the next? 

I don’t recycle any of my answers because I am in a different place each time. I like to think about the questions so I can gain insight into the work and myself.

About the Novel

This memoir is a compelling story about a woman who relapses after twenty-six years of sobriety. And returns to a state mental institution to begin her journey back into the beginnings of recovery. The story is a hard look at what happened internally (with Dianne) and externally (with the system) as Dianne gives it her all to survive the battle for her life. The fast-paced read is relentless and unforgiving at times, yet it brings you the fragility of the human spirit.

Six Days in Detox by Dianne Corbeau | Goodreads

Sharing is Caring 🙂

Twitter

Pinterest

Tumblr

Linkedin

Facebook

Google

Stumbleupon

Reddit

Interview with Eric Ferguson, author of “Cold Record”

Eric Ferguson was born in Texas, but migrated west as a preschooler and was raised in Los Angeles. The son of writers and a lifelong reader and rereader, he earned his undergraduate degree in history from California State University, Los Angeles. After several years as a journalist, freelance writer, marketing copywriter and editor, he attended Chapman University School of Law, where he served on the editorial board of the Chapman Law Review and graduated with honors in 2004.

Eric joined the district attorney’s office for a major Southern California county in 2005, and spent his first five years in a colorful trial assignment on the rural fringe of the county. He then moved to his office’s appellate unit in 2010, and has since focused primarily on post-conviction writs and motions, including habeas corpus, DNA and discovery litigation in murder cases. He has also represented the People at more than 50 parole-suitability hearings for inmates convicted of murder.

Eric and his wife Susanne are the parents of two adult children now living abroad. Cold Record, written over a period of more than a decade, is his first novel.

What is your favourite dragon in literature?

I hate to be predictable, but the only dragon I know well is Smaug, and it’s a little hard to imagine there’s a more impressive one. I should qualify by admitting that I largely missed out on Game of Thrones – not that it’s too late to read the books, of course!

I use an ‘egg rating’ system here on The Cosy Dragon when I rate books. Do you have a favourite way of eating eggs? I’m partial to fried eggs, with a base of rice and some spicy sauce.

Omelettes, ideally cooked very firm, though I’ll settle for plain scrambled!

Everyone has a ‘first novel’, even if many of them are a rough draft relegated to the bottom and back of your desk drawer (or your external harddrive!). Have you been able to reshape yours, or have you abandoned it for good?

I actually have two, and the first is certainly abandoned – it was an idealistic political tale, of all the obsolete ideas in America! I do wonder whether the second could be revived.

Over the years, what would you say has improved significantly in your writing?

Self-discipline, organization and the willingness to “kill my darlings.” (I do miss a few of them!) And in law, I’ve finally found something I know enough about to explain with confidence.

How long did your debut novel percolate?

Well over ten years. I’m not sure the exact date when I started, but I know I was looking for a properly inspirational setting when I was in northern California in 2011! (And found it, though I’ve altered and renamed it in the book.)

I have heard of writers that could only write in one place – then that cafe closed down and they could no longer write! Where do you find yourself writing most often, and on what medium (pen/paper or digital)?

Only on my laptop, overwhelmingly at home. I’ve occasionally jotted down an idea on a notepad, but can’t imagine writing a book by hand, or even on a typewriter – more than anything, I know how compulsively I want to edit and refine!

Before going on to hire an editor, most authors use beta-readers. How do you recruit your beta-readers, and choose an editor? Are you lucky enough to have loving family members who can read and comment on your novel?

I do have loving family members, and undoubtedly they’d have humored me with feedback, but I chose to write and edit the book almost entirely alone – in part from wanting not to make a fuss of it, and in part because I did want to make it as legally authentic as possible, which meant a lot of technical thinking. In its late stages, however, I connected with a good friend, Mike Goodenow Weber (also an Amazon author), who was utterly invaluable as a proofreader, question-asker and perspective-shifter. And I did have the benefit of a read-through by a close friend who is a judge. If I summon the initiative to write another novel, I’ll certainly share it more widely – while I believe my internal editing process was ultimately effective, and am happy with the final structure, it was certainly time-consuming and mood-dependent.

I walk past bookshops and am drawn in by the smell of the books – ebooks simply don’t have the same attraction for me. Does this happen to you, and do you have a favourite bookshop? Or perhaps you are an e-reader fan… where do you source most of your material from?

I love bookstores, and physical books. To be fair, the only e-reader I’ve used was a very basic Kindle, but I didn’t find anything about it compelling, so aside from creating a Kindle version of the book, I am fully analog! These days, the only physical place I regularly shop for books is Barnes and Noble – but that is normally good enough for me, unless I find myself grumbling about their selection. A bookstore always lifts my spirits.

I used to find myself buying books in only one genre (fantasy) before I started writing this blog. What is your favourite genre, and have your tastes changed over time?

The safest answer is mystery, because I discovered Agatha Christie by way of my mother when I was about ten years old, and have never yet tifred of reading her books. (I’ve long since read every one, many of them five or more times.) But the more accurate answer would be that I think more in terms of favorite authors, and they vary across genres. I love John le Carre, yet haven’t read many other spy novels. I love Daniel Woodrell, whose genre is hard to define. I appreciate Cormac McCarthy, though “love” isn’t really a word to apply to his books or his style! I’ve immensely enjoyed several long historical epics, like “The Far Pavilions” and “The Pillars of the Earth.” And as far as changing taste, I’ve discovered Larry McMurtry and do have a strong new interest in Western novels, but have barely scratched the surface. So I’m a bit of an omnivore about fiction, but don’t get too far off the beaten track.

Ironically, I have never been much of a fan of legal novels. I tend to find them overheated, contrived and full of sinister motives and silly complications. But I may well not have read the best examples yet.

Social media is a big thing, much to my disgust! I never have enough time myself to do what I feel is a good job. What do you do?

A great topic, since I know it’s very important but am starting from scratch. I signed up for Twitter a decade ago, probably, but only to follow a very few people, and have never yet posted anything myself (!). I don’t take myself seriously enough yet to imagine I have a “profile” to manage, but I’ll probably have to get with the program, and that will require advice. With help from GoDaddy and my reliable friend Mike I now have a website, and will soon embark on Amazon ads and a few other things, including a second book giveaway on Goodreads. But I’m just getting started, and basically clueless.

Answering interview questions can often take a long time! Tell me, are you ever tempted to recycle your answers from one to the next? 

Apart from an interview we generated for the website, this is the first time I’ve ever had the opportunity to answer questions from the perspective of a writer, and I’ve found it quite painless and satisfying. Thank you for giving me the chance!

About the book

An indie book, Cold Record was released on September 15, 2023, and is 385 pages.

Cold Record depicts the investigation and trial of a brutal killing, its unexpected aftermath, and the impact of the crime on all those it touches. A courtroom drama that evolves into an unpredictable legal mystery, Ferguson’s novel reflects the justice system as he has found it to be in his nearly two decades as a prosecutor. Rather than the caricatures of win-at-any cost DAs, imperious judges, and deceptive defense lawyers, Cold Record presents attorneys and judges as skilled, ethical and — like the accused himself — all too human.

Cold Record is available in hardcover, softcover, and e-book.

Eric’s website is at www.ericmferguson.com

Sharing is Caring 🙂

Twitter

Pinterest

Tumblr

Linkedin

Facebook

Google

Stumbleupon

Reddit