writing

Author Chat: Ben Starling

Jun 3, 2015 | Authors

Author Ben Starling’s upcoming romance book includes something for everyone: corporate criminals, a beautiful island, a mysterious box, the struggle between a successful career and fulfillment, and even marine life. Ben’s novel sounds like both an epic adventure and a beautiful, honest romance. January 2016 can’t come fast enough! Good thing we’ll have some prequels to tide us over.

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Your debut book (title reveal coming soon) will be published next year. How far along are you in the writing process?

My current novel will be released on January 21, 2016. I am in final edits of the manuscript – nearly there now! Since I find the flow of water critical for spurring on creative activity, I’ve taken to swimming nearly every day to speed up the process. I’m developing gills.

Right now I’m also working on a series of prequel short stories to be released from September 2015, set in the same world as my upcoming novel.

Can you tell us a little bit about your upcoming book? The blurb on your website says:

What if to be with the man of your dreams… you had to give up your life? On the verge of losing her job, a side-lined journalist is forced to travel to the South Pacific to untangle a mystery where she meets a reclusive ex-boxer with a message. When a syndicate of corporate criminals invades paradise, she must either defend the island with her life or accept the plum promotion that will save her career.

Other highlights in this tale include: a mega yacht, a super sensitive whale, two environmentalists with a passion for concrete garden angels and Scrabble, verdant tropical island politics, seaweed farming and a faithful blue-footed seabird stowaway. And a love that lights up two lives and reaches past the grave.

Who will this story appeal to? Those who love the works of Nicholas Sparks, Nora Roberts and Colleen Hoover.

What else can you tell us about it? Can you give us a glimpse into your main character?

My heroine Teal’s character came to me out of the ether one day (I credit my muse, Edington – a beloved Great Dane I once had – for that gift). I was so fascinated by Teal that I had to sit down and write her tale.

Teal’s courageous and vulnerable, ambitious but still finding her own strengths and confidence, still determining what she truly believes in. She’s the girl from Nantucket who dreamed of being a reporter amidst the bright lights of New York. And achieved it.

Yet it is not the satisfying path she thought it would be. She’s still searching for the one magical thing that that will make her life complete. When she picks up an unopenable box in the street with her name carved in it, she finds herself headed for a mysterious island on the other side of the world – and maybe to the magic she was looking for.

Do you mostly write in contemporary fiction or do you dabble in other genres? If so, which ones?

I love mysteries, sci-fi, thriller, contemporary fiction, classics, adventure, historical, great love stories – but am interested in just about everything. I think there’s something to learn from all genres, so I like incorporating strong elements from several different genres when I write.

But while other genres inform my writing, I keep coming back to my true passion. My upcoming novel and the series of prequel short stories to be released from September are contemporary fiction. And perhaps more importantly – they are love stories.

In them, you can expect to find obstacles, ecstasy and some tragedy – I like to write stories about passionate and spiritual kinds of love. Really when you think about the big picture, does anything else matter?

Did you plan this book with an outline, character development exercises, and/or other pre-writing activities? Or are you just writing it as it comes to you?

I am a big believer in the value of planning ahead. Every minute spent planning is a month saved. Maybe more. I don’t have time not to. The Writer’s Journey, by Christopher Vogler should be on every writer’s bookshelf.

And after all the planning is done and the outlines made – I toss them all in the air and gallop off free flowing and four feet off the ground with the wind in my ears. It’s important to plan the route to one’s destination, the final climax at the end of the book. And it’s important to also revel in the journey to get there.

Is there anything in your life that inspired you to write your upcoming book, or is it purely from your imagination?

My upcoming novel was inspired by the loss of my partner at forty-five years of age to ovarian cancer, just thirteen weeks after her diagnosis. In the aftermath, an old friend challenged me to turn that grief into something positive.

Remembering a conversation with a charismatic Polynesian fisherman (I visited there once) about his people’s vision of death and the afterlife, I began to write. The story kind of took off from there.

You have a lot of your own marine art on your website. Does marine life inspire you to write or just to draw?

My interest in marine life has taken me across three oceans over the past three decades. Our oceans are critical for our future. The human body is sixty-five percent water and about seventy-one percent of the earth is covered by water. We can’t do without it.

I have done a fair amount of research on this topic for personal interest over the years – so it is true that the marine theme in this novel is close to my heart. I do worry about what kind of state the world will be left in for the next generation.

Are any of the characters in your book based on people you know or have seen/talked to in real life?

Every character I write comes as a complete surprise! They are like no one I’ve ever met before but, in the case of the good guys, they are people I’d like to meet. They seem to arrive on a beam of light direct from Edington. But the villains frankly scare me!

Are you part of any writers’ groups? If so, what do you like about them? How do they help you or inspire you? If not, why not?

Yes and no. I don’t attend a scheduled writers’ circle. On the other hand, I do have friends who are writers and journalists. We regularly turn to each other to bounce ideas around. I also work closely with my editor – she helps me and I edit her work in return.

Do you read the kinds of books you like to write? Do you watch movies similar to or the same genre as your writing?

Yes, I do read in my genre as well as in others. Maeve Binchy’s work, for example, is always moving, and I was astonished by the movie Titanic. I also enjoy reading across genres and am particularly interested in the way different authors address and solve problems. I read for the intrinsic joy of the story – but I can also convince myself that this is research! Sooner or later a technique I admired in, say, a thriller, proves useful to me and then that time reading delivers a double reward.

If you could write anywhere in the world – in a fictional or nonfiction place – where would you write?

In a house by the ocean. It would be warm but not hot – and the sea breeze would waft over me. I’d be able to gaze at the waves though an open window. Inspirational!

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BIO

Ben Starling is passionate about marine conservation and boxing, both central themes in his upcoming novel. He is Oxford’s only ever Quintuple Blue (varsity champion five years running), was Captain of the university boxing team, and coached and boxed competitively. Ben graduated from Oxford University with a Master of Arts and an M Phil. He was born in the USA but has lived in the UK since childhood.

Connect with Ben!

‘You should write a book…’ Guest Post by Maurice G. Miller

May 27, 2015 | Authors

A few months ago, I had the pleasure of being consulted on a new author’s debut book cover. We exchanged a few messages on Goodreads and ended up talking quite a bit more about writing and publishing. Maurice Miller, author of the recently released The Budapest Experiment, is an active, sociable writer you’ll want to get to know. Why not start here?

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When sharing life experiences that are perhaps out of the norm, interesting, or compelling, how many of us have heard the phrase ‘You should write a book…’? Having always considered taking on this challenge, I finally decided to dedicate myself to this monumental task. It has been a long, interesting journey so far, and I look forward to both the trials and successes to come as I continue on my writing/publishing career.

In the early 1990s one of my entrepreneurial ventures led me to working as a trade consultant in Hungary. At that time, the country was transitioning from a state to market economy and offered many business opportunities. In the 2+ years that I travelled there, I met lots of characters in both the business and political arenas. The Budapest night life could get quite crazy at times, if your ‘meetings’ and social engagements led you to certain places. For me it was always interesting ‘playing games with the faces’, as Simon and Garfunkle would put it. Sometimes my colleagues would identify people in a crowded room, saying ‘I heard he is associated with the Mob’ or ‘she is one of the Organization’s women.’ It was these real life experiences that inspired me to write my debut fictional novel, The Budapest Experiment.

The book follows the journey of the protagonist, Michael Rousson, an adventurous but struggling American entrepreneur. While Michael shares a lot of the same traits as I did budapest experiment cover photo back then, most of his experiences in Budapest are quite different than what mine were. In the course of doing business he eventually becomes involved in the Russian Mob’s business operations that were centered in Budapest. Enticed and seduced by the Organization’s women, money, and power, he accepts what he thinks is a part-time consulting position with the Mob.

Inspired by things I dealt with back then, philosophical dilemmas evolve as Michael gets a remote glimpse into the darker worlds of sex, drugs, and arms trafficking. ‘At what price does one sell their soul?’ and ‘What is the greater evil in the world? Those that profit from the vulnerable in society, or those of us that just stand by and watch, complacent to the plight and suffering of the human condition around the world.’ The experiences and encounters that the protagonist endures in the book are fictional and extreme, but these questions are ones that we face ourselves, to some extent, every day. How much of our resources of time, treasure, and talent do we allocate to those less fortunate vs. what we keep for our own benefit and pleasures?

On what you might call a lighter note, I should mention that there are erotica scenes in the book. As a newbie author, my decision to include these was a bit of a struggle. I considered glazing over these scenes, but in the end I felt it was important to capture the intimacy between Michael, the ‘Mob women’, and a flirty interpreter. My hope was that by including the details of these encounters, readers would better comprehend the internal conflicts of the main character as well as familarize themselves with the behind-the-scenes life stories of the women he encounters.

Special thanks to Christie for inviting me to guest blog.

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maurice miller headshot The Budapest Experiment is now available in Print and Kindle eBook. You can check it out here: http://amzn.to/1z1g09v. There are 3+ chapters in the ‘Look Inside’ feature on the Kindle page to help you get acquainted.

You can gets lots more info including my author profile, blog, entry to win one of 15 free eBook copies on June 1, social media contacts, and much more by visiting my website www.mauricegmiller.com.

For those of you on Goodreads, be sure to watch for my second giveaway of 3 authographed author copies starting on Friday May 29. You can check my Goodreads author profile http://bit.ly/1DO6y6k and while you are there please send a friend request.

Thanks.

– Maurice

Do your words serve your story – or do they serve you?

May 18, 2015 | Writing

by Anita Stratos, Proof Positive editor

Picture this: you’re craving apple pie – one of those “just gotta have it” days – so you go to your favorite café and order up a slice.

Your mouth waters when the server puts your pie in front of you, but when you look closer, you see cranberries, blueberries and pecans mixed with a few apples inside a coconut crust.

“What’s this?” you ask your server with disappointment. “I just wanted a simple apple pie.”

“That’s our pastry chef’s version of apple pie,” she answers. “He likes to stretch his creative culinary muscle.”

Do you think you got what you ordered? Or did you get a more complex dessert, a berry-apple-nut pie with a unique crust? The chef promised apple pie on the menu, but he loaded it up with lots of other things and topped it off in a nontraditional way.

While that gourmet pie might be delicious and welcome on any other night, this time you wanted apple pie and trusted what was written on the menu. So even though the recipe might win a James Beard award, it’s most unwelcome and unappreciated by you at this moment.

Two things went wrong here, and the same things can go wrong with your writing, too.

First, don’t promise something in your title, cover image, or book blurb that you don’t deliver in your story. A book blurb that describes a fantasy novel but delivers a romance is bound to get bad reviews. Your writing may be superb, but you attracted the wrong audience.

The first takeaway: Don’t write “apple pie” on the menu when you’re crafting a multi-berry-apple-nut coconut-crusted pie.

Second, write your prose in a way that best serves your story, not in a complex way that doesn’t match the story or reflect something within the book or character(s). Unnecessarily complex writing gets very tiresome very quickly, slows readers down, and could sound pretentious.

The second takeaway: Serve apple pie to people who love apple pie, and save the gourmet blends for a different audience.

Universal Harmonics: Guest Post by Josh de Lioncourt

May 6, 2015 | Authors

Many authors say that their characters lead their story places they didn’t know it would go. How about a character whose entire personality changed when her author gave her a new name? Josh de Lioncourt’s guest post is an outstanding example of characters who take over their own stories to help everything come together.

On the opening page of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain writes, “Huck Finn is drawn from life; Tom Sawyer also, but not from an individual—he is a combination of the characteristics of three boys whom I knew, and therefore belongs to the composite order of architecture.”

This is true for most, if not all, literary characters whether or not the author realizes or acknowledges it consciously. Writers draw from their life experiences, people they’ve known, and things they’ve loved when telling a story. This is, perhaps, the most basic and unchanging truth of writing.

But it’s true of each and every human being on the planet as well; we are all drawn, colored, and sculpted into the individuals we become by the experiences we have had, the friends or family who’ve touched our lives, the things we’ve discovered, and the places we’ve been. Or, to use Mark Twain’s more eloquent phrasing, we all belong to the composite order of architecture.

As I write this, Harmony’s Song, a short story that ties into The Dragon’s Brood Cycle series of novels, has just been released, and I find myself reflecting on the bits and pieces of my life that inspire my work, make me the person I am, and influence the characters I create. It’s always easier to connect the dots looking back, at least for me. I’m rarely, if ever, aware of the sources of my inspiration while I’m writing.

Sometimes I rediscover a phrase I wrote and see it in a whole new light that reminds me of some author I admire; sometimes I hear the echoes of those I’ve known in the voices of my characters; sometimes the words or melody of some old and well-loved song surfaces as I read over a scene or wander along forgotten passages. Most times, though, lightning simply strikes, and it’s fun to just let the magic of creation run its course and not bother with the whys and wherefores of the fickle Muses; they are as likely as not to rescind their blessings.

But there are times, too, when the universe simply gives you a gift, and it’s best to accept it with grace, even if that means rewriting large portions of your current project.

I received a gift like that while writing Harmony’s Song. The story’s title character began life in my imagination and then in the bits and bytes of my MacBook with an entirely different name. Daniel, an orphan living on the streets of Ravenhold, befriends a new orphaned girl who comes to town, and who was, in the earliest draft of those first few pages, named Shanna.

One Thursday afternoon, after I’d written perhaps a third of the first draft, I was taking a break and enjoying a game show. One of the contestants was named Harmony.

What a pretty name, I thought, and then I went on listening to the show.

It wasn’t until the show ended that I found myself wishing that I’d bestowed the name Harmony on Daniel’s friend. It would’ve made such a perfect name for her, I thought.

It was then, of course, when my conscious mind finally caught up with my subconscious. I could name her Harmony. It would be the perfect name.

And so began the process of what I thought would be a simple swap of one name for another. If you’ve read the story, you’ve probably realized by now that it didn’t turn out quite that way.

As I read through the first part of the story, exchanging each “Shanna” for “Harmony”, something strange began to happen. The character’s new name took on a life of its own, working its way into the fiddler’s songs and, I hope, into the very fabric of the character herself and the story as a whole. While the basic plot remained the same, the tale of Daniel and his mysterious friend acquired a luster that hadn’t been present in the earliest draft. It resonated, and I loved it.

In music, two notes played together makes an interval; three notes, harmonious with one another, make a chord. But the real magic is frequently when two or more independent melodies weave together to form something better—something bigger—than any on its own. It is the wedding of melodies into something beautiful that separates the lullaby from the symphony, or, in literary terms, the one-dimensional character from the fully realized soul who lives and breathes within both the confines of the page and the wide open spaces of our imaginations.

It’s a miracle of sorts how one creature, whose parts have become more than their total, can breathe life into another. Since time out of mind, humans have disdained flat and lifeless characters of prose and poetry, while simultaneously doing the same to those living in the real world who defy the norms of convention.

In the end, whether we are a Tom Sawyer, an orphan on the streets of a mythical city, or just another human being trying to make our way through life, we all gloriously belong to that composite order of architecture. May we celebrate that, and may we make the sweetest of harmonies.

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Buy the short story here!

Connect with Josh:
Twitter
Goodreads
Amazon
Dragon’s Brood Cycle series Facebook page

Author Chat: Marnie Cate

Apr 27, 2015 | Authors

Have you ever thought of something fantastic that inspired you to write, whether it was a sentence or an image or even a general idea? Marnie Cate has, and she wrote and published her first book based on it. In fact, it’s the first book in a series. Get inspired by Marnie, who turned a thought into a whole book!

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Is Remember: Protectors of the Elemental Magic your first book? How long did it take you to plan it before you began writing it?

Remember is my first book. It was really random how I started. Three years ago, these words came to mind: “A blinding light surged through me and I fell to my knees. Stumbling and confused, I found myself being led to safety by Gram. She told me to hide in a crevice in one of the old oak trees that had split.” I decided that day that I was going to write. I started writing without really knowing where I was going.

Do you plan your writing out with outlines, character development exercises, and other pre-writing activities? Or do you just write as it comes to you?

I just write as it comes to me. Typically, I will have an idea come to me that I want to include and it changes my original thought. In my second book, I have issues from the first book that need to be addressed. This has created a new way for me to think about writing but I am still finding that free writing leads to my best work.

Is this book part of a series? If so, when can we look forward to the next book being published?

This is planned to be a series. The second book, Exigency, has a solid start and the ideas that have come to me have confirmed that I do have more than one book inside me to be written.

Do you mostly write in this particular genre or do you dabble in other genres? If so, which ones?

I never really planned to write in any genre. I think my books will always have their “feet” planted in the world I know and wander into the world I dream.

What do you think makes your work stand apart from other works in your genre?

There are so many fantastic books in the fantasy genre. My thoughts on magic and its origin are different than anything I have read. The relationships that Mara has formed are the true story. I think relationships are universal but I would like to think that my characters are unique and ever changing.

Remember’s book blurb starts out with a quote from the main character’s great-grandmother that changes the MC’s life. Was this inspired by something that happened to you in real life? Or is it purely from your imagination?

“Hiding the truth from you is no longer protecting you. Sit and I will tell you what you need to know.” is spoken by Mara’s grandmother, Mae Veracor (Gram). Gram is the daughter of Genevieve Silver.

I can sadly say I was never told that my family were the protectors of magic. The reality of the story is that I do have a little sister that I adore and I was lucky to have the best grandmother in the world.

Tell us a little bit about the magic in your book, if it won’t spoil the plot. What is it like and how does it work? What’s original about it?

Without giving away too much, I can say that the magic in Remember is elemental magic. This encompasses the ability to call upon the elements (Air, Fire, Water, Earth). Many books talk about the elements and their use. In my book, there are not just the elements but the elementals that teach Mara to use her gift.

You’re a fan of Dame Judi Dench, so much so that it’s on your Amazon author profile. What do you love so much about her? Have you based any of your characters on her in Remember?

The character of Mae Veracor is a combination of my grandmother, Judi Dench and my imagination. There is something that can’t be named when I watch movies, television shows or interviews of Dame Judi. She has a spirit for life that is contagious.

What inspires you to write? Music? Other books? Real life events? Just an incredible imagination?

I fear it is my imagination that keeps me writing.

Are you part of any writers’ groups? If so, what do you like about them? How do they help you or inspire you? If not, why not?

I have connected with several writers’ groups: #IndieBooksBeSeen and #Awethors. Both groups have very supportive authors who are about encouraging and helping each other. It is a great way to see that I am not alone on the island of indie authors.

Did you do any research for this book, even by reading other fantasy books?

The only research I did was to make sure that the ingredients in the spells in the book would not hurt anyone if they decided to try it. I would never recommend trying something you read in a book.

Do you read the kinds of books you like to write? Do you watch movies similar to or the same genre as your writing?

When I decided to write, my book reading dropped. I cannot narrow down just one genre of books that I like to read. One thing I did allow myself was to keep up with two series that I had stared before I decided to write. Each is very different from my book. As far as movies, I love all kinds but I do not think there is a movie out there quite like my book. I would love to see my book on the big screen one day.

If you could write anywhere in the world – in a fictional or nonfiction place – where would you write?

Either a flat in London close to the theatre or in a cabin in the woods with no distractions.

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BIO

Marnie Cate was born and raised in Montana before adventuring to the warmer states of Arizona and California. Her love of Dame Judi Dench and dreams of caticorns and rainbows inspired her to chase her dreams. One great sentence came to mind and the world of elemental magic and the humans they lived amongst filled her mind. With Remember, the story has begun.

BUY THE BOOK

Amazon: http://amzn.com/1508795320
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/520293
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/remember-marnie-cate/1121537003?ean=9781508795322

SOCIAL MEDIA

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Author Chat: Bradley Cannon

Apr 20, 2015 | Authors

Did you ever wonder what might happen if you didn’t die when you were meant to? Author Bradley Cannon explores the possibilities of this in his first novel, Extended Stay. And don’t be afraid to love his work – he’s got six more novels in the works!

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Extended Stay is your debut novel (congratulations!). How long did it take you to plan it before you began writing it?

Thanks! It’s been great to finally let people see what I’ve been working on. The beginning ideas for Extended Stay taunted me for about a year before I finally figured out how to go about writing it. I had a theme in mind all along, but the actual storyline took a while to develop. I have no idea why the pieces of the puzzle finally came to me when they did. I didn’t question it at the time. I just jumped right out of the shower at that moment (no joke!) and ran around the house wet and butt-naked for the next hour to write down all of my ideas.

I have never had so many plotlines and themes come to me so quickly for any other novel. I outlined more than half of Extended Stay’s chapters that day and began writing the first draft by the end of the week, which took around nine months to complete. The next seven drafts took four years. Then the publishing process took an additional year before the book ultimately became available January 26, 2015.

Do you typically plan your writing out with outlines, character development exercises, and other pre-writing activities? Or do you just write as it comes to you?

I always have an overarching outline of where a novel should go, chapter by chapter, from beginning to end before I start writing. I do this because I find that the constant worry of wasting six months only to corner myself with no proper conclusion slows me down more than any creative freedom would otherwise speed me up. However, I don’t think writers should ever be afraid to deviate from an outline if a particular scene or moment compels them to do so.

As for writing activities, I usually only do character development exercises if I am creating a character who is not partially based on a real person (or people) that I already know. My favorite prewriting exercise is to visit a location (e.g., a swamp, a bus station, or a movie theater) before writing about it. I do that often!

Your book, Extended Stay, is based on the idea of nobody dying within a 50-mile radius of Chattanooga, TN for 30 days. Is this concept about overpopulation and its effects, people taking life and death for granted, or something else?

Have you ever wondered why someone you knew had to die the way that they did? Extended Stay is my opportunity to express the answer to that question by showing how bleak the world would become if people never died at all. Along the way, many characters lose their sense of purpose and begin to make bad or reckless decisions to reveal why death, in all of its gruesomeness and bluntness, is actually a very necessary part of being human.

What do you think makes Extended Stay stand apart from other works in its genre?

There are numerous stories where an immortal character tells a mortal character about how tired or hardened they feel because they have lived for hundreds or thousands of years. However, the majority of Extended Stay spans a mere 30-day timeline in order to show a big picture of how quickly people would begin to change if they couldn’t die. That’s been a really fun angle to pursue that I haven’t heard as much about in the past.

Also, the Final Destination series is a major source of inspiration for the novel. However, Extended Stay focuses on the fact that people are not in control of when or how they will die, and then the novel goes on to show how this may actually be a good thing. As one reviewer put it, Extended Stay “makes readers think about their lives, privileges, and surroundings.”

It looks like you have two more books in the works, one literary fiction and one historical fiction. Extended Stay is gritty commercial fiction. Which of these three genres would you say you like writing the most, or do you like them equally?

Each novel and genre has had its own unique set of challenges. I suppose I felt the most comfortable writing Extended Stay. The novel has a lot of characters, each with their own storylines brimming with opportunities to pull in different readers. This forced me to do a little more research than usual, but it also gave me a lot of wiggle room to switch between stories on bleak days when I was feeling less inspired. Also, the idea of writing about people who avoid more than 40 forms of death was a blast to write about, and it created varying levels of suspense in each and every chapter. I didn’t want the novel to become some 800 page philosophical tome, so I took the fast “gritty commercial fiction” route instead, which I found to be an especially exhilarating and entertaining style to write in.

On the other hand, my literary fiction novel, The Wholesome Bell (coming summer 2016?), has been a little more challenging. In this novel, four uneducated men move into a doublewide trailer and create a bunch of utterly outrageous rules that they believe will bring them closer to happiness. Fortunately, I had already learned the value of writing about a familiar location in Extended Stay, so I placed The Wholesome Bell in Collegedale, TN to ensure that I always understand the setting. There is also a lot of dialogue in The Wholesome Bell, which I tend to struggle to describe after a while, especially when I am trying to be…well, “literary.” The solution to this problem has involved reading a lot of dialogue and implementing a variety of language tools, such as direct quotes, indirect quotes, summaries, and so forth, depending on the situation. The biggest difference between this novel and Extended Stay is that The Wholesome Bell is written in the first person, meaning that readers will have much more time to get to know a small group of characters, especially the main protagonist and narrator, Nick Johnston. That’s something I really wanted to try out after writing Extended Stay.

The historical fiction novel Darling, Schatzi has been the most daunting by far. This novel is about my grandmother’s experience growing up in pre-WWII Germany and how she eventually fell in love with my grandfather, an American soldier. The first draft of this novel is now finished, but there were many times that I had to go “over the hill and through the woods to Grandma’s house” for backup. I’m sure I’ll have to visit her again as soon I start working on future drafts too. After all, how was I ever supposed to write about life in pre-WWII Germany when I couldn’t even imagine what life in pre-WWII America was like? I really could not have completed the first draft without my grandmother’s support. I have spent many hours speaking with her to get all the pieces of her journey, which I believe has revealed a truly miraculous story of incredible growth and courage.

Did you do any research for Extended Stay?

I wish I could say no! Unfortunately I am not a police officer, lawyer, oncologist, exterminator, or any of the other professions that appear throughout the novel. I did use several locations and occupations that I do understand (e.g., lawn maintenance! Haha!). However, I also have had to ask people questions about everything from Catholicism to their experiences during a tornado in order to make sure the story remained both credible and incredible at the same time.

If you could write anywhere in the world – in a fictional or nonfiction place – where would you write?

I would write in a soundproof room with nothing visible in front of me except for a computer screen and a keyboard. Even the desk and chair beneath me would be invisible. The Internet would only work for occasional research. The room would have no door, no telephone, and it wouldn’t let me out until I complete at least 1,000 words. A slot where snacks magically appear would be a great bonus.

Going out into the world to discover new stories is integral to write any book, but privacy away from all distractions is absolutely necessary as well. This is not to say that I always want to be secreted away. For this magic writing room to be truly perfect, it would also stop time while I am inside so that I can see family, friends, and readers as soon as I get done. I greatly appreciate all of your support over the years and look forward to seeing and hearing from you at each and every opportunity.

Thank you, Proof Positive, for hosting this interview and for all you do to support authors. Everyone else, thank you for reading this interview; I hope you enjoyed!

BIOGRAPHY

Bradley Cannon was born March 26, 1991 in Cleveland, Tennessee. He attended Bradley Central High School and recognized his interest in literature at the early age of 15. After that, a few long-winded ideas spiraled into several novels in excess of 100,000 words each. So far, six complete novels have emerged, all in different draft stages from one to seven.

Bradley graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga as an English Major/Communication Minor in summer 2013. Besides getting up early to write, he also works as a writer for Psi Chi Central Office, the International Honor Society for Psychology.

Bradley is now 24. He enjoys criticizing and praising television and looks forward to one day creating his own continuing selection of work. On his birthday, he proposed to his wonderful new fiancée, Leslie. They married in the summer of 2014.

POPULAR LINKS

You can view the first few pages of Extended Stay for free, check out customer reviews, and purchase a print or Kindle edition of the novel at Amazon.com HERE.

The Extended Stay video trailer is available on YouTube.com HERE.

You are also invited to connect with me via Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, LinkedIn, or Google+.

Awethors Event: Why I Love Supporting Indie Authors

Apr 11, 2015 | Authors

Get Down With The Awethors co-creator D.M. Cain graciously suggested that I should do an interview too. As I haven’t published a full book yet, I thought I’d take her up on it in a different way: by telling you why I love all of you.

Indie authors have something really special about them: a sense of community. Why is this so special? Because even though we’re all technically competing with each other, we put that behind us as something that doesn’t need to be acknowledged, as something that is really not the point, and instead we focus on supporting each other. Where else can you find a sense of community that strong?

We exchange books, we give honest reviews, we spread the word on social media for each other, we comment on each other’s work before it’s published. There’s no end to indie authors’ generosity, and it always makes my day to see indie authors working together. Events like the Awethors Facebook event help us not only connect with readers but network with each other. And those relationships last forever.

Just a few of the amazing authors Proof Positive has interviewed and some of the books we’ve worked on!

One of the reasons I started my editing business is to help indie authors succeed, not only through editing but through exposure. I have read some of the most incredible books by indie authors, and I’ve found that I end up reading bestselling traditionally published books mostly to keep up with publishing trends – not because they’re better. This was a big eye opener for me when I first discovered it, and I hope to help open other readers’ eyes to the fantastic talent right in front of them.

Congratulations to all of you who have had the ambition and courage to publish your own books or even get your start by publishing your own books. I hope to join the ranks of such an awesome group soon.

~~~

Christie Stratos is an editor and award-winning writer who holds a degree in English Literature. An avid reader of all genres and world literature, Christie reads everything from bestsellers to classics to indies, and is an audiobook reviewer at AudioBookReviewer.com. She is also a writer of short stories, poetry – some of which have already been published – and upcoming novels. She dabbles in all genres.

Connect with Christie

Author website and blog
Twitter
Google+
Pinterest
Goodreads
YouTube
LinkedIn
AudioBookReviewer profile (scroll down!)

Connect with Proof Positive

Facebook
Twitter (same as my personal one!)
Google+
LinkedIn
AUTHORSdb

Awethors Event: Interview with Rocky Rochford

Apr 11, 2015 | Authors

Our eighteenth awesome author in the countdown until the Get Down With The Awethors Facebook event on April 12 is Rocky Rochford. Co-creator of this outstanding event, Rocky has several books, at all different lengths and on many subjects, available for purchase – and some to win!

~~~

1. What will you be sharing with the group on April 12 at the Get Down With The Awethors event? Free book giveaway, sneak peek, merchandise, holding a competition, discussion?

For starters I’ve added a number of works for a free giveaway as part of a book bundle. I’ll be posting cover art, extracts and doing a general Q&A about anything and everything, as well as taking part in our Cover Wars contest.

2. What is your latest book or work, and where can we find it?

The Spirit of Iris is the title of released work, the first installment of the Rise of the Elohim novels (Elohim being the Jewish word for Watchers, Guardians), to which I have a series of four full-length books currently planned.

As a child, I was always most interested in fantasy, first captivated by a series of dreams I used to have about a warrior by the name of Jacka-riah Jackal, whose sole duty was to defend an ancient kingdom and its empress ruler from hoards of monsters and beasts. Then my brother got a Nintendo 64 and I played Ocarina of Time for the first time. Ever since my first quest with Link, I’ve been a huge fan of the Legend of Zelda series, and I played Final Fantasy X a couple of years later, which for me just sealed the deal. Ever since playing this game, I wanted to write something on the type of scale the stories of those video games projected, so this was where the idea first started gathering momentum. Also because of that, with a deep love of Zelda, which led to me working on a number of Zelda parodies, I took to doing my own fantasy story, one that would see a young male protagonist take charge in a bid to free his home world from an ancient evil.

As for where can you find it, it is available on:

3. What drives you to write? Music, an interest in the human mind, is it cathartic for you?

I write purely for the sake of writing, and sleep. I have so much going on in my head that I find it really hard to just switch off, so many fantasies and the like, so writing is a great way to get it all out, make some space and share my deranged musings with all those who are crazed enough to delve into them.

4. What’s your favorite book in the world? One you couldn’t imagine having lived your life without reading.

Oooh tough one, but if I had to pick one, Bram Stoker’s Dracula was the one book I just had to read. I enjoyed it so much more than the film.

5. When will you be at the Awethors event on April 12? All day or at a certain time?

I’ll most likely be on most of the day, as much as I possibly can, to help keep the whole thing moving.

~~~

Author Bio

My name is Rocky Rochford and I am a scuba diving, photo taking, adventure seeking, sword collecting writer and marine conservationist. I’m a handful of years into my twenties, but after living life on the road, going town to town before finally settling down, I’ve gained great insight into the world and her workings. From day one I have been a writer and a writer I shall forever remain.

I like to consider myself to be a student of everything and yet a master of nothing, who does not choose what he writes, but writes what chooses him, be it fantasy, crime, poetry, philosophy or even adventure. After all, life is a journey we all get to experience, just like a good book.

Every read of one of my typed works is another trip into the imagination of my mixed up, crazed and deranged mind. Welcome to the World of Rochford.

Connect with Rocky

Feel free to get connected with me on any of the following site locations:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IamRockyRochford?fref=ts
Twitter: @RockyRochford
Wattpad: http://www.wattpad.com/user/RockyRochford
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7310280.Rocky_Rochford
Personal Website: rockyrochford.wordpress.com

Awethors Event: Interview with D.M. Cain

Apr 11, 2015 | Authors

Our seventeenth awesome author in the countdown until the Get Down With The Awethors Facebook event on April 12 is D.M. Cain. She’s one of the authors who started this wonderful event and her writing is outstanding (first-hand knowledge!). Don’t miss her giveaways!

~~~

1. What will you be sharing with the group on April 12 at the Get Down With The Awethors event? Free book giveaway, sneak peek, merchandise, holding a competition, discussion?

I’ve got 2 swag packs for A Chronicle of Chaos to give away, which will include a paperback copy of the book, a notebook, pen and pack of chocolates. I will also be offering sneak peeks of my upcoming book, The Shield of Soren, and giving some insight into the influences behind my books. I’ll be hosting the event all day so I’ll be around to chat with all the other authors, as well as being available to answer questions.

2. What is your latest book or work, and where can we find it?

My most recent book is A Chronicle of Chaos – a YA epic fantasy, the first in a long series of 13 or more stories. You can find it here: http://www.amazon.com/Chronicle-Chaos-Light-Shadow-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00NJ89B8M/

3. What drives you to write? Music, an interest in the human mind, is it cathartic for you?

I am always inspired by music. I like to listen to large-scale orchestral music, which instantly paints vivid images in my mind. I love to get away from the stresses of being a teacher, author, wife and mother by delving into my own worlds and losing myself in my characters. It is so cathartic for me, even when I’m exhausted from a hard day’s work, and nothing relaxes me more than writing.

4. What’s your favorite book in the world? One you couldn’t imagine having lived your life without reading.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. I think it’s the one book I’ve read that has literally everything I’ve ever wanted in a story. It is devilishly witty and funny, but at the same time dark and foreboding. It is the most quotable story I’ve ever read, but hits quite a powerful nerve by the end too. Wilde was an incredible writer.

5. When will you be at the Awethors event on April 12? All day or at a certain time?

I’ll be there for most of the event! For me, it will be 8 am–11 pm UK time (which is about 4 am–7 pm EDT). I might pop off to do other things every now and then, but rest assured I’ll be back. I wouldn’t want to miss much!

~~~

Author Bio

D.M. Cain has been writing since the age of thirteen, but her first full length novel was self-published in May 2014. The Phoenix Project is a psychological thriller set in a dystopian future.

Her second book, released in October 2014, was A Chronicle of Chaos – the first in a dark fantasy series. In February 2015, she began to work with U.S. publisher Booktrope.

She is currently working on the next novel in the series – ‘The Shield of Soren’ and a short story to accompany it.

Cain lives in Leicestershire, UK with her husband and young son, and spends her time reading, writing and reviewing books, playing RPGs and listening to symphonic metal.

Connect with D.M.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DMCainauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DMCain84
Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/XevZH
Website: www.dmcain84.com
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+DMCain/posts
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7888430.D_M_Cain
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/D.M.-Cain/e/B00LTTX3PA/

Book Links

The Phoenix Project: http://www.amazon.com/Phoenix-Project-D-M-Cain-ebook/dp/B00K974TOM/

The Phoenix Project blurb:

A thought-provoking and compelling dystopian world that will change the way you view justice…

In prisons across the country, inmates are forced to fight to the death in a weekly bloodbath while the nation cheers them on.

Raven Kennedy, a bitterly depressed young prisoner who has never forgiven himself for his unspeakable crime, struggles against his own guilt and self-loathing. But even as the real war wages within him, Raven is forced to battle some of the prison’s most ruthless killing machines. Can he survive long enough to unravel the anger and regret that shackle him—and one day find the forgiveness he seeks?

“The Phoenix Project by D.M. Cain is a superbly written debut, soaked in tension and intrigue.” Jack Croxall, author of the Tethers trilogy.

A Chronicle of Chaos: http://www.amazon.com/Chronicle-Chaos-Light-Shadow-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00NJ89B8M/

A Chronicle of Chaos blurb:

In the deepest bowels of Hell, five demons have been summoned, their bonds to the fires of damnation severed. For the first time in millennia, they have been called to the Human Realm to put an end to a battle that has raged for centuries.

The world is split in two – an immense and ancient battleground. The Children of Light and The Brotherhood of Shadow dominate the war-torn land, each yearning to rule the planet. Finally, The Brotherhood has summoned the demons, a weapon that could destroy their enemies once and for all, if they can only keep them under control.

Chaos, a soldier in The Children of Light, basks in the glory of being the highest-ranking fighter of his generation, but his arrogance and impulsiveness prevent him from being given the opportunity to prove himself. He believes himself beyond the law, superior, a god amongst his people, but a fateful coincidence puts him at the mercy of the demon, Anathema.

The two warriors, a demon and a human, strike up an intense rivalry, but their obsession to destroy one another only leads them closer together. They must decide which side they belong on before all existence is sucked into one final Armageddon.

Awethors Event: Interview with Rebecca McCray

Apr 10, 2015 | Authors

Our sixteenth awesome author in the countdown until the Get Down With The Awethors Facebook event on April 12 is Rebecca McCray. If you can’t wait to read her latest novel, get it on Amazon now at a special countdown rate just for this event!

~~~

1. What will you be sharing with the group on April 12 at the Get Down With The Awethors event? Free book giveaway, sneak peek, merchandise, holding a competition, discussion?

Several items: I’m happy to answer questions about my novel and series throughout the day. Two of the giveaway book packages include copies of my e-book. I also expect my book cover to compete well in the Cover Wars! Finally and for the event, my book will be on a countdown special on Amazon (US and UK).

2. What is your latest book or work, and where can we find it?

My novel, The Journey of the Marked, can be found on Amazon (print and e-book). The book leans toward fantasy, but with a sci-fi influence and was written with the YA reader in mind, though it appeals to a wide variety of readers. At its core, the story focuses on the value of differences (i.e. ability, culture, perspectives) and how these together can increase the likelihood of overcoming obstacles…like individuals trying to kill you.

3. What drives you to write? Music, an interest in the human mind, is it cathartic for you?

Writing settles me. A story plays in my head constantly. My imagination tends toward the dark and terrifyingly vivid. I find that writing helps me focus in all parts of my life.

4. What’s your favorite book in the world? One you couldn’t imagine having lived your life without reading.

I struggle with questions like these as they’re narrow, so I’ll answer it a little more broadly. There are three genres that have influenced me and that I love: fantasy/sci-fi, mysteries, and culturally-based (auto)biographies. Cultural differences fascinate me as is evident throughout my story.

5. When will you be at the Awethors event on April 12? All day or at a certain time?

I plan to attend on and off during the day. However, as I live in the western part of the US, I likely won’t surface until afternoon for those of you in Europe. You should be able to find me from 9am-11am Pacific Time (17:00 to 19:00 GMT), as well as possibly other times. To help with the day, I volunteered to chaperone the 5pm-9pm Pacific Time slot (1:00 to 5:00 GMT Monday), so I’ll definitely be online then.

~~~

Author Bio

Rebecca always has a story “playing” in her thoughts. If she puts a book down, her imagination grabs the story and starts creating alternate storylines, expanding on the world to which she’s already been introduced by the author. Over time, she began developing the concept of an advanced species that is the imminent example of the “survival of the fittest” evolution theory. That species was the beginning of her series, The Miyran Heir. The first book in the series, The Journey of the Marked, is now available on Amazon.

An avid reader, she enjoys fantasy, sci-fi, mysteries, and culturally-based biographies/travel stories. She is intrigued by cultural differences and this appreciation for variations throughout the world can be seen in her writing.

Connect with Rebecca

Website: www.rebeccamccray.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MiyranHeir
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rebpai
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/RebPai

Book link:

smarturl.it/journeyofthemarked (one link for all Amazon websites!)

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