Category: Q&A

Q&A: Liam Sweeny

6/10/2012

Liam Sweeny has just re-released his first novel, Anno Luce, into the world. I've read it and thoroughly enjoyed it, so I wanted to ask Liam some questions about it. Here's what he had to say.

Tell me about your book.

Anno Luce is about the return of Jesus (in the book, Yashua King). I wanted to focus on realism with it. Yashua is a character, aside from who he is. He doesn’t exist in a vacuum of religious dogma, and those who come to believe that he’s the returned Jesus go through much doubt and scepticism. There’s something for everyone in the book; humour, contemporary culture, current events and controversy. Though it’s considered Christian fiction, it doesn’t read like that.

What was your motivation for writing it?

When Hurricane Katrina hit, in the days following, I felt tremendous emotion for the people trapped and displaced. And when I heard certain televangelists (who shall remain nameless) say that God used Katrina to punish a sinful city, I had to write a book in which Jesus could confront people who would say such things in his name. But about ten pages in, the story took a life of its own.

How long did it take you to complete?

It took four weeks of writing time, seven weeks total (I spent three weeks in Louisiana in between).

What's your favourite part of the creative process?

I like getting in that zone where I have my coffee by my hand, the cigs aplenty and a scene and a voice that are just coming out of me. That opening line; that opening paragraph. The first interchange of dialog that sets the tone between characters.

How much difference does an editor make?

An editor makes all the difference. I never realized that until I had an editor. Authors write from what is in their head, and what is their style. But, while both are important, you can’t always make people see what’s in your head, and your style, however good it may be, can confuse people. Above all, you want a book that people will want to read. An editor makes that possible. Editors are readers with an expertise on what readers expect, and can accept.

What are your views on e-book pricing?

E-book pricing is a touchy subject. The reason, in my mind, that it’s so tricky is that, while there will probably never be an objective pricing standard among independent authors, there is an objective ‘number of sales’ — it is a number of e-books sold. I’ll give an example; author A and author B write a similarly-sized book in the same genre, both books equally good, and both authors put in an equal amount of effort in marketing. Author A sets the e-book price at $5.99, and author B sets their price at $0.99. Author B will sell more copies, due only to price. Now if there was an equal author C who gave their book away for free, they would ‘sell’ the most copies. It becomes a race to the bottom.

Setting various levels of e-book pricing can be considered a marketing tool, but if ‘e-book only’ authors want to make a living as authors, some consensus around e-book pricing needs to be reached; otherwise, it’s the wild, wild, west.

How do you feel about interviews?

I like interviews. I’m a loudmouth. But even if someone isn’t, they’re important. People want to know about the person who writes a book they enjoyed, or might be interested in buying. Anything to promote interaction.

How do you feel about reviews?

They’re more important to authors than readers think. Many readers pick up a book on Amazon, read it, like it and don’t take that last step to go back to Amazon and say a quick word about it. Reviews tell sellers like Amazon that a book should be moved up in the ranks.

In terms of detailed reviews, good or bad, they’re still bringing attention to the book. So they’re always good. But it’s more difficult, I think, getting people to review longer books.

Thanks, Liam. Anno Luce is available from Amazon in the UK and in the US.

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Q&A: Pete Sortwell

3/10/2012

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I'm delighted to welcome Pete Sortwell to the blog today. Having appeared in a number of anthologies with his darkly funny short crime fiction, Pete's just published his first book, a comedy novella.

Tell me about your book.

The Village Idiot Reviews is something of a new concept (if I do say so myself). It’s certainly something I haven’t seen before. It essentially a comedy novella, however it is written entirely in the format of a person leaving a review. If you didn’t guess, it’s written by a load of idiots who live in a village.

A few of the reviews will start to appear on Amazon. Although I’ve written them in such a way that should anyone suspect them not to be just a laugh then they may well find themselves in the title of the next idiot review book.

What was your motivation for writing it?

Simply put, I wanted to make people laugh and take another step toward being a ‘writer’. I also saw a lot being written this summer about the review process and what better way for a writer to use the subject other than to take inspiration from it and write, and if I could do it well, even better. Basically I put all the effort I could have put into moaning about the behaviour of others into writing this and as a result, I’ve come up with possibly the best thing I’ve written so far.

How long did it take you to complete?

Two weeks. Putting in between three to six hours a day most days. Then another two days to do the second draft, which I put in about twelve hours on both days.

How much difference does an editor make?

It makes a huge difference, certainly to my work. All my work goes through an editor these days. It’s a relationship that I need to trust someone and that’s something I’ve found in my editor. I couldn’t ask for a better professional. Once I’ve been through my own work a couple of times it’s always positive for someone else to and who better than someone who does that for a living? I certainly believe my work is something worth investing in.

How important is a good title?

I think they’re pretty important, it’s the thing that will get spoken about the most, other than your name (and I’ve got a pretty good name too) so if it’s catchy then people will be more likely to remember it. I’ve not really thought myself good at choosing titles before now, I normally steal one of my musician friend’s song titles. So Low, So High and Die Happy, Die Smiling being two of those. I do think I’ve managed to get something decent with this one, something that gives me scope to take the series onto other things.

How important is a good cover?

Again, I think it is very important and is something else I’ve invested in for this book. I think what me and the designer came up with is really good. I’ve seen some covers on Amazon from self-pub’d writers and they’ve been embarrassingly shit. Funnily enough most of the covers in the charts on Kindle, particularly all seem to have decent covers.

What makes you keep reading a book?

If someone makes me laugh, that would. I like new and interesting stories and topics. The ultimate page tuner for me is one with good dialogue, lots of it.

What are you currently working on?

I’ve just started the second Idiot Reviews book, The Idiot Politicians Reviews. Hopefully out at the end of October, if not before.

How can we keep up to date with your news?

You can ‘like’ the Pete Sortwell — Author page on Facebook. That’s where I’ll be doing most of the talking until I stop spending all my money on book covers and editing and pay for a website. Or, of course, if I make some money from this writing lark.

What would your epitaph read?

‘I wouldn’t look behind you, that bloke is touching himself.’

Cheers, Pete — best of luck with the book and with the rest of the series. The Village Idiot Reviews is available from Amazon in the UK and in the US.

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Q&A: Stephen Mellor

14/6/2012

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Today I'm delighted to welcome Newcastle-based writer Stephen Mellor, whose debut novel The Long Sleep was made available on Amazon last month. I asked Stephen some questions about writing, reviews, and interviews.

Tell me about your book.

My book is called The Long Sleep. It’s a science fiction detective novel set in an arcology built over the ruins of Newcastle, although it starts off in a spacecraft orbiting a planet several lights year away.

The first ever colony ship has been sent to a terraformed planet. However, when it gets there, it blows up. Back on Earth a private detective called Kem Logan is hired by a member of the ruling Executive Committee, Lize Carr to find out why it happened. She is convinced that it was sabotage but she can’t get the Committee to agree to an official investigation.

The investigation ends up being a lot more dangerous than either Kem or Lize bargained for and the changes it makes in both of their lives, before they discover the reason behind the New Argo’s destruction, will make a massive impact on them and their loved ones ...

What was your motivation for writing it?

It was actually taken from a short story that I wrote, while sitting on a beach in Northern France. I was really pleased with the short story but people kept telling me that it needed expanding and there was more there. I’d never even thought seriously about writing a novel before this — although I’ve always written stories — but with this encouragement, I thought I’d go for it.

What's your favourite part of the creative process?

This is a really difficult question. The easy answer is that I love it all but that’s probably a complete lie. There are times when I’m trying to write when the words just won’t come — my wife is actually great at filling in nouns when my mind goes blank, as it does far too often! — and I feel that I’m never going to get another useful or interesting sentence down ever again. But then, there are times when it just really flows and I discover that I’ve suddenly got one thousand words written. I love that, to find the words just springing from somewhere, almost bypassing my consciousness and just appearing there on the paper or on screen ... it’s breathtaking.

How much difference does an editor make?

An editor is utterly vital. For The Long Sleep, I had the wonderful Jean Rogers who, although not a professional editor, is certainly as good as one. I was able to talk to her through the whole process and she helped me no end. Then, she went through the whole book with a fine-toothed comb and helped me make it better.

My second — as yet unpublished — novel, Down Among the Yla, was different. I wrote that in much larger chunks before showing them to Jean and then didn‘t do any real editing until the end. I also got a lot of help from an editor at a ‘real’ publisher who was that close to accepting it (but then didn’t ...). She suggested a couple of changes that made the whole story so much stronger and just made it make more sense.

How important is a good title and cover?

They are both vital. Although there is the whole ‘you can’t judge a book by its cover’ thing, everyone does. There has to be something there to make someone pick up the book in the first place. You can only get away with a boring title or a dull cover if your name is A Name. I mean, JK Rowling’s next book could have been called JK Rowling’s Next Book and have a blank grey cover and it would still sell millions. I hope that the cover I designed for The Long Sleep is eye-catching and the name makes people wonder what it means.

How do you feel about interviews?

This is my first one! I like it!

What are you reading now?

I’m a bit of a book slut really. I’m usually in the middle of several books, as well as my regular comic book orders and various graphic novels — but British Summertime by Paul Cornell and Periodic Tales by Hugh Aldersley-Williams are the paper books I’ve got on the go and Doctor Who — Lungbarrow by Marc Platt, Into The Shadows by Steven Miscandlon and The Indie Author’s Guide to the Universe by Jeff Bennington on my Kindle. I don’t know why I’m like that, I’ve always done it from when I was young.

What are you currently working on?

I am currently trying to finish my third novel, Ghostkin. This is a contemporary supernatural thriller. The psychic trauma caused by the First World War created a massive rift in space-time, allowing all manner of mythological, fantastical and magical creatures and beings to come through into our world. The actual story is about a small time crook who gets caught up in a gang war between humans and vampires. I’ve practically finished it — in fact, I’ve made a pledge on Twitter that I’m going to complete it before I go on holiday at the end of July. This is quite something, because, due to a combination of depression and stress, I haven’t actually written anything for about nine months. But, I’m just about to be made redundant which, strangely, has actually lifted a lot of the stress and depression, and I am feeling like I can write again.

I’m also preparing a collection of short stories that I have written, mainly science fiction stories, but there are also a couple of completely non-genre pieces that I wrote to see if I could — one of which is actually one of my favourite pieces of my own writing.

With my impending redundancy, I plan on focusing on the writing for a while and seeing what I can do with that. Obviously, I’m not going to be the next Stephen King or Neil Gaiman — at least not for a while — but hopefully, I’ll end up being the first Stephen Mellor.

How can we keep up to date with your news?

I am on Twitter — @samarcand; Facebook — https://www.facebook.com/SamarcandBooks and Livejournal (although that has been another casualty of the recent lack of writing — I’m starting it up again, though) — http://samarcand.livejournal.com/. I also have my own website — http://www.samarcand.co.uk — where you can read a sample of The Long Sleep and buy copies.

~ ~ ~

Thank you, Stephen! The Long Sleep is available for Kindle from Amazon in the UK and the US at just 77p/99c. And if that's not cheap enough for you, it will be free all this weekend, from Friday 15th June to Sunday 17th June. (The paperback edition is £6.50.)

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Q&A: Howard Linskey

7/4/2012

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Howard Linskey was originally from Ferryhill in County Durham, which made us practically neighbours, although he's moved around a fair bit since then and now lives with his wife and daughter in Hertfordshire. He has worked as a barman, journalist, catering manager and marketing manager for a celebrity chef, as well as in a variety of sales and account management jobs. He has written for newspapers, magazines and web sites on a number of subjects.

Howard's debut novel, The Drop, was one of my top five reads of last year. The follow-up has just been published, and he was kind enough to stop by and talk about it.

Tell me about your book.

My new book is The Damage, published on April 2nd, which is the follow up to my debut novel The Drop. It follows reluctant Geordie crime firm boss, David Blake, as he tries to avoid becoming the victim of a gangland hit.

What was your motivation for writing it?

I wanted to write a story that showed the reality of life as a gangster. It’s not that glamorous and it must involve huge stress, with the constant fear of imprisonment, injury or death.

How long did it take you to complete?

This one took me a year.

What's your favourite part of the creative process?

The fine tuning when you are almost there and you finally like what you have produced. I tend to not be so keen on the first draft of anything I write because I am pretty hard on myself. Starting a new book is always hard, knowing that you have about a year of hard slog and 90,000 words to go!

How much difference does an editor make?

A huge difference. That second set of eyes is really important to me. They make me question everything and cut out anything that slows down the turning of pages. I was lucky to work with Keshini Naidoo on The Damage because she is a great editor.

How important is a good title?

Along with the cover it’s the first thing you notice, so I guess it needs to be both catchy and evocative. That way someone might actually take the time and trouble to read the blurb on the back cover and hopefully you can reel them in.

How important is a good cover?

I did an event at ‘Wordfest’ the other day and members of the audience all admitted that they really do judge a book by its cover, so it seems they are hugely important. I’ve been lucky with mine though. Alan Forster’s cover designs for The Drop and The Damage are superb.

What are your views on e-book pricing?

It’s a bit all over the place at the moment but I am sure it will settle down eventually.

What aspects of marketing your book do you enjoy?

Anything that involves meeting people. It’s great to chat to crime fiction fans at signings and events. That’s what I enjoy the most.

How do you feel about interviews?

I quite enjoy them and I’m getting a bit more used to them second time around. I used to be a journalist, so I have interviewed stacks of people but I’d never been on the receiving end of the questions until The Drop was published last year.

How do you feel about reviews?

They were universally positive for The Drop, so there was nothing for me to get upset about but ask me again in a month after The Damage has been reviewed and I might feel differently! My attitude is you should bask in the afterglow of a good review but not take a bad one too seriously. Just keep on doing what you are doing. Writing is very subjective so I wouldn’t take a negative review too personally … I hope!

Where do you find out about new books?

I get recommendations from friends and read reviews but usually I do it the proper way, by browsing the shelves of my local book shops until I discover something I like the look of. To be honest I struggle to get the time just to read all of the books that friends have written these days, so I am always in a permanent state of guilt.

What are you reading now?

JJ Connolly’s Viva La Madness which is great so far. I bought it because he is adapting The Drop for TV and I was very keen to read his follow up to Layer Cake.

What makes you keep reading a book?

If the story is fast paced and I care about the characters enough to want to know what happens to them, I’ll keep turning the pages, particularly if I can’t actually spot the ending before I reach it.

What are you currently working on?

I’ve just finished a short story for Paul D Brazill’s Brit Grit Too which was interesting, as I had never written one before. I’m having a bit of a break from writing while I plot my next book.

How can we keep up to date with your news?

I have a really good page on my publisher’s site and I have my own web site too.

Other than writing/being published, do you have a claim to fame?

No, it’s only ever been writing with me. I’m afraid I’m a bit of a one-trick pony.

What would your epitaph be?

When I finally snuff it, all I really want carved on my tombstone is ‘Howard Linskey – Top Five Thriller Writer of the Year 2011 – The Times’. That’ll do me! Don’t even need any dates or a RIP. It’s my ‘they can’t take that away from me’ moment.

Thanks for an interesting and informative Q&A, Howard. Good luck with The Damage, and I can't wait to see The Drop on TV!

Howard's books are available from Amazon in the UK and US.

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Q&A: Richard Godwin

31/3/2012

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Richard Godwin is a writer of dark crime fiction, horror, and satire. He is undoubtedly one of the best — and one of the most prolific — writers working today. (Check out this list of publishing credits. This material is available for you to read online.) I'm a big fan of Richard's writing; the dark, lyrical prose, believable dialogue, complex characters and cleverly constructed plots draw you into a story and hold you there, before finally spitting you out breathless and wanting more. His first novel, Apostle Rising, was one of my favourite reads of last year. His latest novel, Mr. Glamour, has recently been published and is already getting very positive reviews.

Here's Richard to tell us a little more about his books.

Tell me about your book.

Apostle Rising was my first novel. It is about a serial killer crucifying politicians. I think the general public found a killer they had great empathy for. He won their hearts and minds.

My second is out now. Mr. Glamour is about a glamorous world of designer people who are being targeted. It is about a killer who is watching everyone.

It contains two of the most unusual cops you will ever encounter. Flare and Steele have problems, lead double lives, and catch the killer.

The sub plot concerns an obsessive suburban housewife with a dark and shocking secret. And the characters from the main plot stray into her world.

The ending is a series of shocks. It is already getting great reviews.

What was your motivation for writing it?

Exploring the human psyche. And entertaining.

How long did it take you to complete?

A year.

What's your favourite part of the creative process?

Writing a good story.

How much difference does an editor make?

A lot if they are good.

How important is a good title?

Most important.

How important is a good cover?

Extremely important.

What are your views on e-books?

I like them, I like the challenge they present.

What aspects of marketing your book do you enjoy?

Meeting new readers and writers.

How do you feel about interviews?

I love giving them and receiving a good interview.

How do you feel about reviews?

They are necessary. If a reviewer asks themselves what is the writer trying to do and did he succeed and they are impartial that is fine.

Where do you find out about new books?

I get so many emails from so many sites.

What are you reading now?

Elmore Leonard's Fire In The Hole.

What makes you keep reading a book?

A strong style and consistency of characterisation.

What are you currently working on?

I'm writing the sequel to Apostle Rising. Many questions will be answered.

How can we keep up to date with your news?

Please go to my site and subscribe to the feeds.

Other than writing/being published, do you have a claim to fame?

I made lunch for Pablo Picasso and redesigned baked beans.

What would your epitaph be?

I'm right behind you.

Muah ha ha! Thanks for a great Q&A. And fans of Richard's writing might be interested to know that I'll be putting up a guest blog post from him tomorrow.

Richard's books are available from Amazon in the UK and the US.

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Q&A: Carrie Clevenger

10/3/2012

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Today's guest is Carrie Clevenger, who lives in Austin, Texas with her ever-so-patient family. Main influences include Maynard James Keenan, Stephen King, Anne Rice, and the late Peter Steele. She recently published a novella, Blood and Fire, in collaboration with Nerine Dorman and her debut novel, Crooked Fang, will be published by Lyrical Press in August 2012.

Tell me about your book.

Blood and Fire is a collaborative crossover between the Crooked Fang and Inkarna universes. We set out to provide a somewhat neutral ground for Xan Marcelles and Ashton Kennedy to interact on. It’s a pro-edited novella via Dark Continents Publishing and packed with magic and action.

What was your motivation for writing it?

As one of the authors of this book, I would hope that Blood and Fire offers a little edge-of-the-seat tension, action, and enough snark to make our readers chuckle. It’s a perfect commuter length, or way to while away a lazy afternoon.

How long did it take you to complete?

Blood and Fire from initial mindstorming to finish took about twenty-two weeks. During this, we also were arranging for an appropriate cover.

What's your favourite part of the creative process?

The escape. A focus on something besides day-to-day life’s doldrums. I love placing my characters into new situations and then letting them fight their way out of it. Usually, I’m just as surprised as everyone else.

How important is a good title?

I think that a good title is very important, because it’s the ultimate punch line for browsing would-be readers. A carnival come-on, and coupled with the cover, can make or break the sale of a book.

How important is a good cover?

Terribly important. We as humans tend to be visual creatures, and as technology has improved, lackluster covers on books can be enough to keep our eyes roving to the next selection. The cover needs to grab attention, invoke a sense of curiosity, and show enough ‘leg’ to draw a reader in.

What are your views on e-book pricing?

I really hate seeing so many low-cost e-books. The 99 cent e-book has become the expected norm, with the next step being free. Free doesn’t inspire me to create more. It makes what I do worthless. However, on the same page, free can be great, to offer a sample risk-free to a cautious new reader. It can go either way.

How do you feel about interviews?

I don’t really enjoy them, mainly because I’m a writer, not a journalist. I’m not looking to share any obscure wisdom, nor do I feel I am qualified to. But I do realize that sometimes people want to know more about the person behind the books, so interviews are a necessary evil.

What are you currently working on?

Currently I have Crooked Fang’s revisions on my plate. Once I finish getting ti ready for publishing, I’ll either continue to work on its sequel, Pale Rider, or drag out a brand new concept. I have more than a few pots boiling on the backburner.

How can we keep up to date with your news?

I participate in Twitter at @carrieclevenger or post news/giveaways and such at Crooked Fang’s Facebook page which is here: http://www.facebook.com/CrookedFang

I also post flash fiction at: http://www.carrieclevengerstories.com/

What would your epitaph be?

“The End”

Thanks, Carrie, for a great Q&A.

Blood and Fire is available from Amazon in the UK and the US.

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Q&A: Andy Frankham-Allen

3/3/2012

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Today's guest is Welsh-born Andy Frankham-Allen, whose passion for writing began with a love of Doctor Who. After years of writing as a hobby, in 2001 he began an ongoing fan-fiction series called Doctor Who: The Legacy, which carried on until 2006. It is now being published by Frankallen Books through www.lulu.com under the umbrella title Legacy, in aid of Cancer Research UK. This led to professional Doctor Who short stories in Big Finish’s anthology series, Short Trips, from 2004 to 2009, and an audio drama for Noise Monster’s Space: 1889 series. In 2007 he created and co-edited a new eZine called Pantechnicon, for which he also wrote short stories and interviews.

Late 2010 saw Andy become a part of both Untreed Reads Publishing, and Hirst Publishing. Both companies published his début novel, Seeker (Book one in The Garden Quadrilogy) in March 2011. He has several short stories released through Untreed Reads, and he wrote the opening book and is the range editor of their new steampunk eBook series, Space: 1889 & Beyond.

Tell me about the Space: 1889 & Beyond series of books: how did they come about?

Space: 1889 was created as a Role Playing Game almost twenty-five years ago by Frank Chadwick and the Game Designers Worksop; it was, essentially, steampunk before that name was even coined. In the mid-2000s an audio production company called Noise Monster produced four audio plays based on the property, the final of which was co-written by me. Since 2006 I’ve had the idea for developing a series of Space: 1889 prose books, but it was only in 2010 and the interest Untreed Reads Publishing had in creating a steampunk series that the opportunity really presented itself. I was already an established author for the company, and had a way in with Frank, so when Jay Hartman (editor-in-chief at Untreed) told me he was looking to publish some steampunk books I suggested developing Space: 1889. I made first contact with Frank, explained to him my plans for the series, and introduced him to Jay and KD Sullivan (Untreed’s CEO). They worked out the license, and I was hired as series editor.

How would you describe your role as series editor?

It’s very involved! It’s best equated with the role of Show Runner on a TV series; I’m the one who develops the ongoing story, creates the main characters through who the story is told, and seeks out the creative team (authors, cover artist, cover designer). I am, basically, the creative force behind every element of the series. I work intimately with every aspect of the series. I work with the authors in developing their stories (which might involve simple suggestions, or it may involve a heavy shopping list of things to include), I commission the artwork for the covers, guiding David Burson in the direction I want each cover to take. And, of course, I edit every single line the authors write. Even then, it’s a very collaborative effort, and everyone gets their say; Jay, KD, the authors, and Frank. As much as I do, I’ll never take full credit since the books are not written in a vacuum. We succeed and fail as a team. And, I’m very glad to say, we’re mostly succeeding, with each book currently riding high in Untreed Reads’ top ten best-sellers list (five months the series has dominated that list!).

The cover artwork for the books is stunning. How much importance do you put on a book cover?

Thank you! Covers are essential; even with eBooks it’s the cover that will attract the reader first. We’re an aesthetically-led people. A cover can make or break a book. How many times have your eyes drifted past a bad cover, for something more interesting? With this series, I was looking for a style that would be reminiscent of the kind of art you’d see on the cover of The Strand Magazine in the later 19th century, with a bit of Tintin thrown in there, and I think David captures that. Like every aspect of the series, the covers were a bit tentative at first, but they are improving in leaps and bounds. The latest cover, for A Prince of Mars, is simply superb! Possibly David’s best work yet.

What’s next in the series?

Just released is A Prince of Mars (conveniently, due to scheduling delays, it’s been published near the release of the new John Carter movie, based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’s A Princess of Mars – we couldn’t have planned that better, really!). This book is a very important release in three ways; #1, in the ongoing narrative, as it changes the live of both leads on a very visceral level; #2, it’s the first book set on Mars, which has always been the most developed world in the Space: 1889 universe and remains a firm fan favourite; and #3, it’s written by Frank Chadwick, the creator and owner of the property. (Interesting fact, I had always planned to have Frank pen a book at some point – opening series two – but our writers for story #5 fell through due to other commitments, so I called on Frank since I needed someone who would do Mars justice, and who better than the man who created the property? His intimate knowledge of Mars is evident on every page of the book, and really is a joy to read.)

Following that will be Dark Side of Luna, our epic series one finale. But more on that next time. :)

You’ve written a number of Doctor Who stories for Big Finish. How did you get involved in that?

The producer of Doctor Who (and let us not forget, in 2004, Big Finish was official Doctor Who), Gary Russell, became aware of me via mutual friends and several encounters at various conventions. I made a point of not discussing my desire to write for Big Finish, since I have always wanted to succeed on my own merit, not because I happen to know the right people. Anyway, in the event Gary did learn of my desire, and out of the blue I received an email from him asking me to submit some ideas for a forthcoming anthology he was editing – which became Short Trips: Repercussions. So while I was working on a few ideas (or ten!), I asked him at a pub meeting why he approached me, and he told me that this was my chance to make it or not. So, you know, no pressure there! The rest is history, as they say. Gary liked a few of my ideas, in particular the one that became The Dead Man’s Story, and after agreeing to make the gay lead straight (*head scratch*) I got commissioned. Which, curiously, lead to me getting to write for the Space: 1889 audio series and a further Gary Russell-edited anthology. It also led directly to my third and (thus far) final Big Finish commission, for the Short Trips: Snapshots anthology, edited by Joseph Lidster. Over a drink in a rather lovely wine-bar down Cardiff Bay, Joe asked me to submit an idea for his book because the way I handled The Dead Man’s Story was exactly the kind of thing he was looking for. Which was nice!

As a post script to my Big Finish career, I have to make mention of Re: Collection. Once they reached the end of their licence for Doctor Who short stories, Big Finish decided to publish a Best-Of book, collecting one story from each of the Short Trips anthologies, each picked by their respective editors as the best examples of the books in question. For Repercussions Gary chose my story – my first professional piece of published fiction. This is a big deal, and a proud moment. A lovely bit of icing on my own slice of Big Finish cake.

Tell me about The Garden Quadrilogy.

The Garden is my magnum opus – not to demean my other works, of course, but this is the one series that is wholly me. It’s a series of four novels (and novella interludes) that tells the epic story of Willem Townsend and Samuel Mayal. It’s a series that delves into various mythologies, that deals head-on with several issues that obsess today’s culture (sexual identity, the concept of karma, the disillusionment of young people in the UK). It has variously been labelled as a gay series, a vampire series, a supernatural series, but none of these labels are strictly accurate. It’s very much a cross-genre series, blending all my favourite genres into one melting pool. There’s a supernatural aspect, a mythological aspect, a thriller aspect, real world drama ... The whole lot! And some change. And yes, there are gay characters in it, but then there are also straight characters in it. Indeed, by virtue of the nature of the upyr (my take on vampires) immortality, the concept of sexuality is challenged.

I should point out, trying to do something new and original with vampires is no easy task. But I think I’ve achieved that to some extent, by going back into some rather obscure vampire lore and building on that. In so doing, I’ve pretty much swept away most, if not all, contemporary vampire conventions. Of course, the irony in labelling The Garden a vampire series is that, when book two is released, it will become very clear that the upyr are but a small part of much bigger mythology. But that’s a while away yet, since I’ve yet to finish writing book two – although I do have a publisher interested in picking up the rights to the series. In the meantime, book one (Seeker) is only available as an eBook from Untreed Reads; although there are a very limited number of paperback copies available from The Comic Guru in Cardiff.

What's your favourite part of the creative process?

In truth pretty much all of it. I love coming up with the initial ideas, and developing them. I love the actual writing, since it’s only then that the characters start to breathe and determine the true course of the story.

What’s next for you?

Right now, although it’s paused in favour of answering these questions, I’m writing Conspiracy of Silence with Frank Chadwick, which will be the novel that opens the second series of Space: 1889 & Beyond. This will be a series defining book, which is unsurprising since it’s being written by the series editor and the property creator. Following that I’ll be moving straight onto Cast from the Heavens, a novel in the Scattered Earth series from Crossroad Press. That novel will be a nice departure, since I’ve never really written fantasy before, plus I’m hoping to channel a lot of Celtic mythology in the writing, which will be much fun. Loads of research for me there!
Hmm, what else is coming up? Obviously I’ll be working heavily on all aspects of Space: 1889 & Beyond series two (some brilliant stories coming up!), and later in the year, all things being equal, I shall be working on a non-fiction Doctor Who book.

How can we keep up to date with your news?

A few ways. You can find me on Facebook, on Twitter (@FrankhamAllen), my Welsh-Londoner blog and, possibly by the time this interview is released, on YouTube with my new vlog.

What are you reading now?

I’m on book four of The Alera Codex by Jim Butcher. As I’ve mentioned, fantasy have never really been a big thing for me, but last year I decided I wanted to read something a little different, so I picked up The Furies of Calderon and seriously got hooked. I’ve now only two books left to read in that series. And it’s Jim Butcher’s work there that inspired to write a bit of fantasy next. Don’t know if Cast from the Heavens will be as clever and inventive as Butcher’s work, but I’ll give it my best shot.

Other than writing/being published, do you have a claim to fame?

Quite a few. But for the sake of this interview, my claim to fame will be Charlie Condou. British readers who are familiar with Coronation Street will recognise his name as the actor who plays Marcus, the midwife boyfriend of Anthony Cotton’s character (the name of whom escapes me). Charlie and I went to the same high school, and occasionally attended the same drama class. It’s brilliant seeing how he’s married his commercial success with his personal success; a fantastic actor (check him out – he’s been in a wide variety of shows, including a fantastic role in Gimme, Gimme, Gimme), who’s openly gay, in a long-term relationship, and has fathered two children. In so many ways he’s quite an inspiration and has my total respect.

What would your epitaph be?

Now that’s a tough one. Let me see... Actually, yeah, I’ll paraphrase a line from Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse; “He always tried to be his best.”

Thanks, Andy, for a fantastic Q&A.

Andy's books are available from a variety of sources including Untreed Reads, Lulu, and Amazon in the UK and the US.

And an advance notice that Serere (The Garden Prelude) will be free on March 8th for one day only from Untreed Reads.

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Q&A: Andrez Bergen

25/2/2012

4 Comments

Today's guest is Andrez Bergen, an expatriate Australian journalist, musician, photographer, DJ, artist, some-time filmmaker, wayward graphic designer, and ad hoc beer and sake connoisseur who’s been entrenched in Tokyo, Japan, for the past 10 years. He is the author of Tobacco-Stained Mountain Goat, a post-apocalyptic sci-fi/noir yarn about love, crime, cinema and intrigue — served up with a martini and a paper cocktail brolly. The book has been very well received. Respected reviewer Elizabeth A. White had this to say about it: 'I can say without qualification that not only is Tobacco-Stained Mountain Goat one of my Top 5 reads of 2011, it is one of the most creative and engaging books I’ve ever read. Period.'

Tell me about your book.

Tobacco-Stained Mountain Goat is sci-fi-lite, at least according to one of my mates — which surprised me since I believed it safely slotted into the sci-fi genre and I didn’t know there was a style called sci-fi-lite. Probably he was making it up.

Most people are now telling that TSMG is far more oriented toward noir than science fiction, which I guess is attributable to the heavy influences of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett as much as other writers like Philip K. Dick and Graham Greene. Does that actually tell you anything about the book? I hope it does. I’m terrible at snap-synopses.

How long did it take you to complete?

This is going to sound over-the-top, but it actually took half my life to finish this novel. Really. It should be a perfected epic in that case, but much of the time the various manuscripts were stuck in dusty drawers or under cardboard boxes in closets, and I didn’t think about the story at all. The genuine focus periods were in 1992, 2002, and 2006-2010.

What's your favourite part of the creative process?

Probably getting the revelations. Rather than being lobbed at me by some god-like character, these come via stimuli around me — often basic, everyday sights, sounds, train stations or conversations, or just by tuning in to music that moves me, given the mood I’m in at a certain moment. Out of these come snippets of dialogue, throwaway lines, and set pieces that I can knit together in the overall story. Or unstitch and hide.

How important is a good title?

For me this is incredibly important, since I probably won’t bother picking up a book with a bland title. And it’s not that hard to play with the name, or go off on a tangent. I do music as well, and one of the fun parts for me is creating the track titles. A lot of other musicians stick with the mundane and it makes me sleepy.

How important is a good cover?

Again, vital. I know it’s drummed into us never to trust a book by its cover and that not all glittering things are gold, and yet … If you get a superb image and wonderful font worked together into a stunning whole – matched up, of course, with a humdinger of a title — then I will go and judge it and probably give the book a shot.

This has led to some bitter disappointments over the years, but there are things you never learn. To the other degree, I’m sure there are some sensational stories I’ve never read just because the cover is shoddy. Why am I so shallow? God knows.

How do you feel about interviews?

I think they’re fun, but I’m biased — I’m a journalist, and have been interviewing other people for over fifteen years. It’s kind of interesting to reverse the flow, but I do find myself trying to get people to ask me certain questions I think would work better. In a subtle way, I hope.

Where do you find out about new books?

Often I find out via word-of-mouth from friends, although I have such a diverse range of mates that I don’t always trust their taste in books even if I think their ideas about music are revelatory, and vice versa. Recently I’ve been able to hook up with a few like-minded writers and reviewers who I respect and trust, so that’s opened things up a bit.

Otherwise I just find novels I’ve never heard of in the local 200 yen second-hand book shop here in Tokyo. And, yep, usually it’s the covers and titles that win me over.

What are you reading now?

I actually just started Graham Greene’s novella for The Third Man, which I’ve never read. This is weird because I’ve seen Carol Reed’s film version at least a hundred times — I’m not joking, but the way. It’s one of my favourite movies, so I’m curious to see how the book pans out.

What are you currently working on?

I’m currently working on two projects: my next novel, and an anthology related to Tobacco-Stained Mountain Goat.

The novel is about an identical twin geisha who lives to be one hundred and harbours venomous feelings toward her sister. It’s narrated by a dead man and kicks off in Japan in 1929 — but looks like brushing up against Melbourne in the 1970s as well. These are just the basics. I’ve got no idea how the rest will develop.

The anthology is steam-rolling ahead much faster, and will also be coming out through Another Sky Press in the U.S. We’ve got writers on board from the UK, the ‘States and Australia, although I don’t want to name them just yet as some are partially committed — it depends on our old friend, time. All the stories will be set in the dystopian, near-future Melbourne occupied by Tobacco-Stained Mountain Goat, but with more of a noir/hardboiled edge.
Oh yeah, and I’ve got a short story coming out in the next Crime Factory anthology.

How can we keep up to date with your news?

Probably the easiest way is via Twitter (@andreziffy) or my website for Tobacco-Stained Mountain Goat.

Other than writing/being published, do you have a claim to fame?

I’ve been making hack music for 17 years under aliases like Little Nobody, Nana Mouskouri’s Spectacles, Slam-Dunk Ninja, Dick Drone, and Schlock Tactile — which I think allows you to guess just how seriously I take that hobby, much as I do love it.

Thank you, Andrez, for a great Q&A.

Tobacco-Stained Mountain Goat is available from Amazon in the UK and the US.

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Q&A: Dani Amore

18/2/2012

3 Comments

Today's guest is Dani Amore, an incredibly prolific — and hugely talented — crime novelist living in Los Angeles, California. Her first novel, Death By Sarcasm, cracked the Top 100 Mysteries on Amazon.com and introduced readers to Mary Cooper, a Los Angeles-based private investigator with a quick wit and a steady aim. (Read my take on it here.)

Her second novel, Dead Wood, introduced readers to John Rockne, a disgraced ex-cop and private investigator looking into the murder of a woman who built custom guitars. There are six additional titles, and more planned for this year. I'm a huge fan of Dani's writing and it's an absolute pleasure to have her here today.

Tell me about your book.

The Killing League is a thriller about a retired FBI profiler who discovers a competition among active serial killers, and that he, and a woman whose life helped save, are the grand prize.

What was your motivation for writing it?

The same reason I once drank fourteen bottles of Heineken in one hour. To see if I could do it. I’d read about serial killers and the fact that they were competitive. I wondered — if an active serial killer wanted to compete with other killers, how would he do it? How would he set it up? How would he force the others to ‘play?’ The answers are The Killing League.

What's your favourite part of the creative process?

I get very violent and destructive during the first draft, and the first revision. I allow myself to throw things, smash glass items, and shout the worst kind of obscenities one can imagine. That’s about the only part that I truly enjoy.

What aspects of marketing your book do you enjoy?

The endless cocktail parties I throw for my fans. When booze is tax-deductible, count me in.

How do you feel about interviews?

Mostly, I like the cuddling afterward.

What are you reading now?

I am reading a fantastic book called The Ranger by Ace Atkins. Ace is the real deal, folks.

What are you currently working on?

I’m working on two projects right now: the sequel to Death By Sarcasm, which I’m calling Murder With Sarcastic Intent. And I’m also writing another story featuring a guy I call The Garbage Collector. He’s a lot of fun to hang out with.

How can we keep up to date with your news?

Your best bet is my Facebook page, Twitter, or my blog.

I also appear quite frequently in my newspaper’s Local Crime Report.

That was great fun, Dani, thank you!

Dani's books are available from all the usual places, including Amazon in the UK and the US.

3 Comments

Q&A: Eric Beetner

11/2/2012

6 Comments

Today's guest is the multi-talented and highly prolific Eric Beetner, award-winning short story writer, former musician, sometime filmmaker, film noir nerd and father of two.

Tell me about your book.

Well, I have a few. I’m in several great anthologies I should mention: D*cked, Grimm Tales, Pulp Ink, and Off The Record. And there are two novellas that came out only a week and half apart at the end of last year so I’ll mention those. Dig Two Graves is an e-book from Snubnose Press that is a gritty revenge tale about a would-be bank robber who gets sold out by his prison lover. I hate talking about myself so I’ll let others do it:

‘Dig Two Graves is the product of a diseased mind, and I mean that in the very best way. If you like stories about revenge and criminals fucking up their own shit, this one's for you.’
Scott Phillips, author of The Ice Harvest and The Adjustment

‘Dig Two Graves is everything you want a blackly comic revenge tale to be: fierce, fast, funny, and deliciously foregone. You'll know on page one that this story isn't going to go well for anybody involved, but read that page and see if you can look away. I couldn't. It's all in the voice, and Eric Beetner's got a live one. I look forward to hearing more of it.’
Sean Doolittle, author of The Cleanup and Safer

‘It’s dark, funny, fast, and gleefully, wonderfully wrong entertainment. Beetner handles tension like a veteran and the action and suspense sequences are a fucking hoot, but what really sets this novella apart is Val’s voice. The Nerd advises you to pick this shit up toot-fucking-sweet.’
The Nerd of Noir, Spinetingler Mag

‘Beetner’s novella is so crisp and expertly put together, you can’t help but go along for the ride. Razor sharp writing.’ A best of 2011 selection.
Nick Quantrill, author of Broken Dreams

Then there is Split Decision, book #3 in the Fight Card series. Each book is written by a different author, all under the pseudonym of Jack Tunney for e-books, and our own names for the print version. They are set in the 1950s and real throwbacks to the sports pulps of the era. The whole series is great and there are some amazing entries coming later this year.

Again, I’ll leave it to others to comment on my own work:

‘Beetner's tale is darker than either of the preceding entries, but it's just as compelling and does a fine job of capturing the era. He has the knack of putting his protagonist in an impossible situation and then making the reader race along to find out how it's going to get even worse. Split Decision is a prime example of the sort of variety and adventurous storytelling we can expect from the Fight Card series, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommended.’
James Reasoner, author of Texas Wind and Dust Devils

‘There is nothing predictable about the third installment of the Fight Card series, Split Decision by Eric Beetner. Split Decision has a very different feel from the first two Fight Card stories, but still delivers the same hard punching thrills in a distinctly noirish tale. If had been made into a film in the Golden Days of Hollywood, John Garfield would have played Jimmy Wyler. It’s that kind of story. I finished it in one sitting. It’s that entertaining. Highly recommended.’
Permission To Kill

How long did it take you to complete?

I write fairly quickly and novellas are easier, obviously. I think with each of these I spent maybe two months each. I spend about four on a full length novel, I guess, from starting to finishing a polished draft. That doesn’t count all the thinking time beforehand. I think a lot before I decide to start writing. I’m always juggling ideas and trying to decide what to write next so if I don’t think I know the whole story I’ll wait on it and finish something else first.

What's your favourite part of the creative process?

I love when I surprise myself with a line or a thought. I outline and know where it is all headed, but that frees me up to take detours and change course a bit. Sometimes it effects things greatly, sometimes it is a line I forget about until I’m doing rewrites and I feel like someone else wrote that part. I love when I don’t remember having written something. The bits I like, anyway. Some of it I’d like to disavow. Funny how those are the parts I remember clearly.

How much difference does an editor make?

I need a good editor to fix my silly mistakes and bad habits. I’ve gotten much better at self-editing so my first drafts are much cleaner than they used to be. I am always amazed, though, at how little things still slip by.
I don’t look to an editor for story. I try not to be too precious about things, but I won’t send anything out unless I feel the story is solid and doesn’t need big changes. That said, I have given in and changed an ending here and there, but nothing I felt uncomfortable with.

I think for self-published authors though, a good editor is key.

How important is a good title?

It’s a grabber so I think it is very important. I love a good title. It does draw you in and makes you interested in a story. Generic thriller titles make me pass over a book as do confusing, wordy titles. But take something like Frank Sinatra In A Blender by Matt McBride. How could you not want to read that book?

How important is a good cover?

I’ve been doing my own covers. Dig Two Graves is my design. My first two novels with JB Kohl, One Too Many Blows To The Head and Borrowed Trouble were mine as well. And I’ve been doing covers for Snubnose Press. So, yes, I think a good cover is really important. Nothing makes a small press book look cheaper and less professional than a boring cover with no style done with bad fonts and zero creativity.

I’m a big fan of old pulp covers (who isn’t?) and I take a lot of inspiration from that. Also masters of design like Saul Bass and Chip Kidd. I have very limited Photoshop skills but I like to play around. I wish I could do more to get the ideas in my head to come out on a page. But in my effort to be a jack-of-all-trades and master of none, I guess I can add book cover designer to my resume.

What aspects of marketing your book do you enjoy?

I like interviews because I like hearing what people will ask. Other than that, I hate most every aspect of it. I hate blowing my own horn. It feels as much like masturbation as that analogy sounded. My book sales have suffered surely because I don’t self-promote enough but I already feel like what I do is obnoxious enough.

But, yeah, the interviews give me a reason to talk about the books because someone is asking. Otherwise I feel like a loudmouth at a party.

How do you feel about reviews?

I like getting reviewed. Maybe because I’ve been very lucky and haven’t had anyone unload on me yet. I like hearing what others see in a book of mine. I know what I think about it, but you never know if what you intended will come across.

And yes, I do regard reviews when I choose books to buy. If I know and respect the opinion of the reviewer, it makes a difference.

What are you reading now?

I just started Stephen Blackmoore’s City of the Lost. It’s an urban fantasy crime novel that starts off like a rocket. Only fifty pages in I know I will love it. And here’s where I can again stump for Hell on Church Street by Jake Hinkson, a recent read. So damn good. Jake is getting amazing press all over and it is all true. Get this book!

What makes you keep reading a book?

If it goes to unexpected places. I like to be surprised. I’m not usually a procedural guy or a simple who-done-it guy. I like a plot that propels forward all the time. That’s why I know I can always rely on writers like Allan Guthrie, Victor Gischler, Duane Swierczynski, Steve Brewer.

What are you currently working on?

I just moved so I haven’t written squat in about a month, which is rare for me. I have two outlines loaded in the chamber ready to go. I’ll be able to start in about another week or so. Still not sure which of the two I’ll go with. Other than that, just waiting for the call from my agent that any of the five manuscripts I’ve fed him in the past year have sold.

How can we keep up to date with your news?

Another year, another vow to keep up my blog more consistently. (See the above reluctance to crow about myself constantly) but I keep all my info and updates and free stories at ericbeetner.blogspot.com.

Other than writing/being published, do you have a claim to fame?

I’m a TV editor so my name is on TV quite a lot. You have to look fast, but it’s there. I used to be a musician and my old albums are out there for real cheap on eBay. I’ve posed for a painting as an X-Men trading card once. The film I wrote and directed is out there in the world if you do some digging. (I need to work on getting it more easily available.) None of this, it should be said, has made me famous. Including publishing.

What would your epitaph be?

No regrets.