The Banned Underground Series by Will Macmillan-Jones

A triple wammy this week on the Roaring Mouse. Last year,when I was digging around forums on the Authonomy website, I met a UK author WillMacmillan-Jones, who contributed far more frequently than I on the (infamous)Alliance of World Builders. Will had just been signed up by Safkhet Publishing,a small press based in Cambridge and now London. His first two books, The Amulet of Kings and The Mystic Accountants, have since been released and I had the pleasure of reviewing the second for Fantasy Book Reviews earlier in the year. With the third Banned Underground book hovering in the ether and ready to materialise any day I thought it a great time to badger Will for an interview.

 

The Banned Underground books follow the misadventures of a rock band whose member include a bog troll and several dwarves. Associated with the band are two human children, the nephew and niece of a rather cranky witch called Griselda. The first book is set in the Lake District, in the current day, wherein the home of the dwarves (the Helvendelve) has come under attack by sinister sorcerers (Caer Surdin, who happen to be accountants). What follows is a witty and chaotic adventure which rapidly establishes the bizarre hidden magical world in which the protagonists live.

 

The second story shifts the action to Wales and introduces us to an alcoholic dragon called Dai (of course). We see more of the beer loving Tuatha (drunken faeries) and the Edern (High Elf managers who talk about CEOs and the Board all the time).

 

I’d always been touchy about fantasy humour. Unlike many people I know I’ve never read Pratchett—it just never appealed. I think, common to many fantasy fans, I’m rather protective of the genre. There just seems so many things to take the piss out of in it. But Will has a definite love and respect for fantasy which shows in his work. His characters are well written and funny, and his wit shines in the dialogue. The gags range from double-entendres to astute satire of teenagers, corporations, music and, of course, accountants.

 

Book three, The Vampire Mechanic, is coming very soon and I look forward to reading and reviewing it. In the interim, go and treat yourself to a copy of The Amulet of the Kings—it’s a perfect antidote to the gloom of George RR Martin and the current wave of dark fantasy.

 

Me. Hi Will. Thanks for joining us. Where did you first dream up the idea of the Banned Underground?

 

Will: Hi Ross, the hard questions first, eh?  I love fantasy, and have one ever since I can remember.  It was just a natural progression to want to write a fantasy novel myself.  And when I did, it was awful!   I mean truly dreadful.(Hands up who said ‘No Change there, then’! No sweetie for you afterwards.)  But in the writing of that book, the characters that would form the basis of my series came to life inside my head.  It wasn’t long before they had taken over, and forced me to completely rewrite the whole book from a new perspective.  Their perspective. The Banned Underground were born…and already rocking.

 

As to where, well there was only one place for me to set the start of the series.  The Lake District.  Possibly my favourite place in the world.  A lot of the ideas for the first book started to arrive whilst walking there on the high places.  It’s no surprise to me that lots of writers have found their inspiration in the Lakes, and it’s an ambition of mine to one day be able to spend a lot of my time there, writing…

 

Me:  Is this a series which will run and run, or do you have a finite number of books in mind?

 

Will: I’m a very, very, lucky boy.  I’ve got a publisher who loves what I am doing, and has signed me for a whole series of eight books.  EIGHT! Some days that’s a terrifying idea, on others it is an exhilarating prospect.  The third book, The Vampire Mechanic, is about to be released, and I’m trying to finish the fourth book –Sax & Thugs & Rock N Roll as we speak. The submission deadline is November. The fifth book – The SatNav of Doom - is planned and started, and I have the concepts for the sixth and seventh books now.  The pressure really is to try and make each book better than the last.

 

Me:Anyone who writes fantasy and humour will inevitably face comparisons to Pratchett.Are you a fan of his work?

 

Will: Ah, the brilliant Sir Terry.  With a friend, I was privileged to hear the great man speak at the Hay Literary Festival this year.  How can anyone not be a fan of his writing?  He is warm, witty and so very human.  His books shine out like a beacon to those of us aspiring to write comedy of any sort, as a perfect example of it should be written. And more to the point, how to write a series. Look at the Discworld books.  Each is a complete story in itself, and if you read them out of sequence, it doesn’t really matter that much does it?  And THAT means that if the shop you are in doesn’t have them all, well that doesn’t stop you buying one does it?

 Brilliant.

 

Me:  What's the current work in progress? And feel free to tell us about new book!

 

Will: Right at the moment, I am very, very excited by the imminent release of The Vampire Mechanic. Yes, my take on the vampire stories so popular at the moment.  And, to kill two birds with one stone, the festive season gets a few knocks too as Santa’s Sleigh gets borrowed by His Little Helpers to get them to a gig by The Banned Underground.  But on the way, they crash into a hillside.  Now, they need some help getting The Sleigh fixed, and The Banned get dragged into another adventure.  All the usual cast of my characters get involved, and a simple situation quickly gets complicated.   Sax & Thugs & Rock N Roll (thanks to the great Ian Dury for the title!) is well in progress for the release date of next April.  Girls always get in the way,don’t they lads?  And this time there’s agirl who is determined to get in the way. She’s got something to prove, and a big bass guitar to prove it with…This one is a bit more about the characters,and a bit less of the usual wild romp. But a wonderful new character gets a cameo, and book Seven to himself!  Fear not, the Dark Wizards get the fifth book to themselves when they get sent on a dangerous quest to recover The SatNav of Doom…

 

Me: Ever considered a graphic novel of the Banned Underground?

 

Will: I’ve never considered a graphic novel, to tell you the truth.  They have worked well for Neil Gaiman though, haven’t they?  Actually,thinking about it, the books could do well in that medium.  A lot of the humour is quite visual really,and would translate easily.  Any offers,anyone?

 

Me:  Your love of music shines through in the books. Put together your seven song dream soundtrack for the movie of your book.

 

 

Will: I’ve been a music fan all my life, and I have music playing almost all the time. I work from home, so the stereo is always on,playing blues, jazz, and Rock.  To pick so few songs is a real challenge, as mood plays such a huge part of my selection on any day.  Well, here goes.

 

Jailhouse Rock. (Elvis) Classic Rock N Roll. Elvis will always be the king, and Scotty Moore – his guitarist – knew everything about timing a groove.

 

Johnny B Goode. (Chuck Berry) Every band worth anything can play this.  And do.  Why? Because that riff is hard wired into the heart of Rock N Roll.

 

Rock N Roll.  (Led Zeppelin) From the moment Bonzo hits the skins this one takes off, and the greatest Rock Band ever are flying.

 

Jumping Jack Flash (Rolling Stones) Yes.  Just yes.

 

Back to Black  (Amy Winehouse)  Such a talent, such a loss.

 

Whole Lot Of Rosie (AC/DC) And a classic riff from Angus.One for my funeral play list.

 

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? (Dusty Springfield) A voice to melt chocolate. And me.

 

Me, Myself, I (Joan Armatrading ) Because it says a lot about where I am personally at the moment.

 

There you go.  Problem is, if you ask me tomorrow, you will get a different list.  I’m presently learning The Green Manalishi,and that would make the list, as would…

 

Of course, that’s rather my current list.  At heart, the guys are a blues based dance band, and that’s what they would play. Can you see a bearded, slightly drunken dwarf crooning ‘Will you still Love Me Tomorrow?’ convincingly?

 

Me:  For the newbies in the world of publishing have you any sage-like words of wisdom on how to get your book out there, or even garner a publishing deal?

 

Will: How to get your book out there?  Well there’s more choice than ever now, isn’tthere?  If you listen to traditionally published authors, a lot of them are extolling the virtues of self publishing.  The ‘snobbery’ that used to be attached to self publishing has been eroded, especially by the emergence of the ebook and the way Amazon and Smashwords have made it so easy for anyone to produce a book.  And everyone wants to see an actual copy of their own book on a bookshelf, and again CreateSpace and Lightning Source have made it possible for anyone to have that at a reasonable cost.  Before going down that route though, everyone is going to research agents and publishers and try to get a traditional contract.   But you need to have the right book, and be in the right place at the right time…I’m not going to pretend that my books are way better than anyone else’s.  I was just lucky with my publisher.  They are a small house, yet they get over 80manuscripts sent to them every week…

 

The advice I’d give a prospective author is this: select your  publisher or agent carefully, then read everything you can about them: then follow TO THE LETTER the submission guidelines they post.  If you do not, you will be rejected with your work unread, however good it may be.

 

Me:  You're published by Safkhet publishing- tell us a bit about them and how things are going there.

 

I think I’m really lucky with Safkhet Publishing.  They share my sense of humour and we share the same ethics and goals.  They are committed to getting some really great fantasy and rom-com books published in a professional manner, and have made a brilliant start in their first full year of operations.  We get on really well as people too, and that is important.  If you can talk to your publisher as a friend as well as a business partner, then the relationship is going to be fruitful for both parties.

 

This is going to be a really exciting second year for Safkhet Publishing, and I’m pleased and proud to be a part of that.

 

Thanks again for an awesome interview there, Will. Here are some of the links to check out Will,his website and his books!

The Banned Underground website
Safkhet Publishing
Will's Amazon author page in the US of A
Will's Amazon author page in the UK

(Banned Underground band image (c) Sam Dogra. Used with permission)




 

Heart Search by Carlie Cullen

One of my good friends, Carlie Cullen, is releasing her new book in a few weeks time (October is going to be such a good month... Carlie's book, Alison De Luca's re-issue , and my new one too). The book, Heart Search, is already down for a definite Roaring Mouse slot... with the mandatory questions, of course. In the interim, Carlie has been good enough to let me have a taster of her new cover and also the blurb for the book. Just to whet the appetite!

One bite starts it all . . .

When Joshua Grant vanishes days before his wedding his fiancée Remy is left with only bruises, scratch marks and a hastily written note. Heartbroken, she sets off alone to find him and begins a long journey where strange things begin to happen.

As Joshua descends into his new immortal life he indulges his thirst for blood and explores his superhuman strength and amazing new talents while becoming embroiled in coven politics which threaten to destroy him. But Remy discovers a strength of her own on her quest to bring Joshua home.

Fate toys with mortals and immortals alike, as two hearts torn apart by darkness face ordeals which test them to their limits.

Sounds excellent! It'll be released in association with Myrddin Book Publishing, which is a new indie author collaborative, which Carlie, Alison De Luca, and me. are involved in. Exciting time ahead...

Covenant of the Faceless Knights by Gary Vanucci

In the endlessly running sitcom ‘Friends’ there was an episode where Joey was in Vegas and saw a croupier with the same hands as him. He dubbed him his 'hand twin.'
In a similar fashion, via the medium of Tweet I have located my author twin- Gary Vanucci.

Gary writes fantasy with an unashamedly DnD influence, focusing on detailed action and intricate world building. His Wothlandia books are set in the Realm of Ashenclaw, a land populated by adventurers, dwarves, elves, demons and dragons. Gary has developed a wealth of material to support his books- a DnD sourcebook, a great web-site, and a fantastic partnership with author-artist William Kenney. The covers are fantastic, bringing to mind the classic sixties and seventies styles that adorned sword & sorcery classics by Moorcock et al.

 

But a book is far more than its cover, and Gary's work doesn't fail to impress. My first exposure was one of his prequels (now collected in a single volume) and from that I went on to read Covenant of the Faceless Knights.

 

Covenant tells the tale of Garius, a rather dour Inquisitor, who assembles a group of disparate heroes to accompany him on a mission to rescue some priests. The heroes struggle to integrate initially - as you'd expect from a barbarian, a thief and an elf alchemist. However their journey brings out their extraordinary talents and they knit together as the story progresses. In the backstory we have a demonic warlord making alliances with succubi queens, evil dwarves and a lich. Yep, a lich! Only one down from a beholder for sheer classic DnD! The main purpose there seems to be to set up books 2+, which is something that I (as well as authors like Martin and Erikson) like to do.

 

The characters are great: lots of fun, interesting, with abilities verging on super powered. In fact I could pick up a big comic-book influence in Gary's style ( just like me :-D ... Truly we are author twins).

 

I felt genuinely curious about what happens next when the book finished, and look forward to reading the sequel. I interviewed Gary about being a self-pub author, so without further ado, over to my US 'twin.'

 

Me: Where did you draw the inspiration for the Wothlondia series from?

Gary: I wanted to do a series of prequel short stories that actually added not only history to my world, but character development. I am attempting to set the characters up in the mind of the reader to allow them greater depth, motivation and a sense of what makes them tick. The whole series came to me from decades of writing my own D&D adventures, campaigns, etc. Most of the story, background, maps, etc. came from those years with quite a bit of tweaks and changes to give them the feel of the Realm of Ashenclaw setting. All of the characters are my own creations. They are not old characters.

Me: You've assembled a great cast of characters. Who do you like writing the most out of them all?

I can’t choose that! It’s like asking “who is your favourite child?” I do enjoy writing them all. Orngoth to me is kind of like the Hulk. I picture this massive monster of a man and go from there. Garius is your typical leader-type with very little in the way of emotion or humor. He is slightly emotionally stunted I guess, though this is a kind of social impedance in that regard. He puts his work and his devotion above all else. Saeunn is a cold, heartless warrior with a chip on her shoulder. She has suffered great loss early on, especially if you have read Tears of Blood, and it continues in Covenant. She has become very callous and guarded emotionally, aside from her mother. Elec is a kind of young adult to me. He is very naïve and growing, kind of inexperienced and yet, extremely intelligent and full of potential. He is becoming more and more addicted to the adrenaline rush of combat as well as his elixirs. It should be a very relatable tale with him moving forward. And Rose is really developing on her own, moreso than any of the others. She started out with a rough childhood, got used to a certain lifestyle afforded her by Ganthorpe and the Thieves’ Guild and currently, she is realizing that she was missing out on the action. She has a hidden side that really enjoyed working hard and she misses the ‘thrill and excitement of her youth. And, above all else, I try to write my characters so that they seem real, with real emotion and motivations.

Me: How much has playing (and presumably DMing) role-playing games influenced your writing? Do you worry that such influences may pigeon-hole your work amongst fantasy readers?

Gary: Playing and DMing has given me more to draw on and opened my mind, as has everything else I have ever done with regards to creativity and exposing myself to other imaginary worlds. All of my past hobbies have influenced me greatly. I feel that I can place a spin on the typical good vs. bad and make it unique, fun and even engaging enough to make people want to read it. I don’t think that pigeon-holing is what I would worry about. I am telling high fantasy and a reader comes along with certain expectations in that genre, which I am fully capable of providing. However, I feel that I can place an exceptional stamp on my characters, my writing and my world that will make the experience very unique.

Me: What are your big literary influences?

Gary: R.A. Salvatore. He is amazing. I have never read an author that can put so much detail in the world, speak so uniquely, introduced so many awesome characters and still give you a fight scene that is incredibly written. I also enjoy Michael Moorcock, George Martin, Terry Brooks, Robert E. Howard, Frank Miller, Peter David, and Alan Moore. There are really too many to name. Also, I must say that there are seriously tons of good fantasy writers on the indie side that need to be read as well. Mind you, there is also a lot of garbage, which is the con about self-publishing, but there are quite a few gems out there as well. Visit Skulldust Circle and you very well may find some good ones there! *hint-hint* As a side note, I am currently reading your Darkness Rising novel and feel that I must say, your writing is brilliant and elegant, and more people really need to discover your prose as I believe they will greatly enjoy it. As a fan of epic fantasy, I would recommend it!

Me: The covers are amazing- tell us something more about them.

Gary: They developed from my mind and I give Mr. William Kenney (also another Skulldust Circle author and my artist!) the descriptions and he churns out something amazing for me. It is truly amazing to work with someone who shares your vision on what the quality of the covers should look like, what the characters need to look like and the overall feel and ambiance of the world I am trying to create. If you need some amazing, character-focused artwork, please look him up!

Me: Fun question: in the Hollywood blockbuster who would play your main characters?

Gary: I’ve been asked this before and still have no good answers. I’d really love Olivia Wilde to play Rose in my movie. I think she would be amazing as a smart-ass rogue-type. I think I’d like Karl Urban to play Garius. The dude is extremely intense and his scowl is unmatched. Imagine him shaved bald with a long beard…lol. The elf-like character that appeared in Hellboy 2 might make an awesome Elec. Aside from a few stars to carry the movie, I’d try to introduce some new actors in an attempt to give some fresh talent a chance to make it in the big town of Hollywood!

Me: With the advent of e-publishing, people have been predicting the end of print. I recall the same predictions with the boom of multi-player Internet based gaming that the same would happen with RPG. What are your thoughts on this?
Gary: My opinion, albeit a strong one, is: It will never happen. Never. Mark it down. There will always be a want and therefore a need for publishing houses to continue on in print. It may never be lower than it is now, but it certainly will never disappear completely. I think it would be foolish, irresponsible and short-sighted. What if something happened to the internet? All we would have left would be print.

Me: So what are your current projects? 

 

Gary: I am currently writing Book 4 in my series, called Dance of Deceit, which continues the saga of my heroes and which I expect to be released by this Christmas…if all goes well. There will be quite a few reveals and (teaser) quite possibly a death of a character in there. (WHAT?!)

I also have a short story that will be out shortly with some of the guys from Skulldust Circle! You may have heard of them. My story is the Legend of Ashenclaw (the giant red-dragon queen whose namesake is the branding of my world!) IT should be epic for any fans of my world and there are several other amazing short stories in there that need to be perused as well. I think this cross-promotion anthology will be an awesome endeavour that introduces many readers to our work that otherwise may not have taken the chance.

Thanks for having me and I look forward to an interview with you as well!

Thanks, Gary, especially for the mention of my work!!! The Skulldust anthology will be out soon, and in the interim check out Gary’s excellent style at the links below and on his website.

Gary's Amazon page

Realm of Ashenclaw website

Covenant of the Faceless Knights

The Charm by Alana Siegel

One of the coolest things about Twitter, and something that compensates for its vampiric ability to devour time, is meeting new authors. I met Alana in my earlier days on there and downloaded her book during a promo. The first thing that struck me, and this is something I have later learned is THE key factor for self-pub books, was the awesome cover. The Charm is perfectly pitched: a teen modern sci-fi/paranormal/fantasy mash-up.

The story is taken from the perspective of Olivia Hart, an average insecure sixteen year old in a US High school. Olivia is struggling after her relationship with the school bad-boy, and moreso as her older brother has left for college. So far, so Degrasi Junior High, until Olivia is sat in the canteen with her friends and sees her ex getting angry... and lightning bolts arcing out of his head.

There is a glut of paranormal romance in the YA market at the moment, jolted along by the runaway success of Twilight and Vampire Diaries. To an old Marvel fan like me it was refreshing to see one that is essentially a superhero story, agreeably with a Percy Jackson-esque mythical bent. As Olivia discovers weirder and weirder events, she finds that strange powers are coming to fore in both herself and her friends... The Gifted.

The emergence of powers and the effects they have on the characters and their relationships is setting the series up well to run and run. There is a continual cinematic feel to the book, and for me to get all interested in a US high school novel is an achievement Alana should be proud of!

I interviewed Alana about her first novel, The Charm, not long after the release of her second in the series. So, without further ado, let's quiz Alana...

Me: The high school setting of your book, The Charm, suited the YA genre of the book perfectly. It's difficult to avoid stereotypes in such a well-used setting, though. How do you go about designing your characters to do that?

Alana: I’ve heard people say that you should write what you know, and so I allowed my personal life to inspire the dynamic characters in the Olivia Hart and the Gifted Program series.  Many of the situations are based (loosely) on people and events in my life.  For example, in high school, my ex-boyfriend brought flowers to a girl in the same class as me, just to make me jealous (it didn’t work!).  I dream of the day that I am on the Ellen DeGeneres show with my high school friends and readers get to see real live versions of my characters.  ;-)

To answer the next questions on the tip of your tongue, I didn't have super powers when I was in high school, but who wouldn't want to add special abilities when you are rewriting history? 

Me: Olivia is a wonderful and complex main character. I think we all put part of ourselves in our creations. How much of you is in Olivia- or indeed any of the characters?

Interesting timing for your question!  The Retreat, book #2 in the series was launched a week ago, and I received a review on the Amazon page from a reader who wasn't a family member or friend.  He wrote, "Alana Siegel is a girl at heart, and enjoys writing the joys and challenges of enduring love, and friendship."

For a minute, I was stunned.  How did this random reader know me so well?  Then, I was unbelievably happy because I realised Olivia had translated my passions perfectly.  I am a self-professed Tween Queen.

Me: I'm just completing a series of fantasy novels and have tied up my story arcs. Is your series a pre-determined length or have you left it open/flexible?

Alana: I always hoped to write a trilogy or a series.  I love to get lost in an adventure with old friends.  My outline maps out Olivia's path, however, there are still open ended questions about her relationships and journeys.  I love feedback from readers and will incorporate their ideas into my writing.

The Retreat added 2 new characters - Great Aunt Evelyn who is a 97 year old woman with spunk and Luca Hale who knows a thing or two about charming.  I am toying with an idea for book 3; perhaps having the book begin by questioning Aunt Ev's innocence and building up a Team Justin vs. Team Luca rivalry for Olivia's affection.

Me: The boom in e-publishing has created a whole new generation of writers putting their stuff out there. What advice could you give to those starting out on the path to self-pub?

The publishing industry is changing for the better.  Great books can now be read by the masses without getting tangled up in the politics of the publishing industry.  With websites to post book reviews, the end users (the readers) are now the final judges of a book, instead of the large publishing houses.

Joining twitter, I was able to contact thousands of authors (like yourself!), and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that they were welcoming and willing to help.  They retweeted my novel to their followers, shared my story on their blog, and passed along helpful tips and advice.  Goodreads is also a fantastic place to connect with fellow readers and writers.

If you turn writing into a hobby instead of a job, you will find instant gratification. Enjoy the journey, and never give up.

Me: My preconception of New York comes from superhero comics and cop shows. What's it like living and working there?

Haha!  Growing up in New York was great.  It is truly the city that never sleeps, and Manhattan was my playground when I went to New York University.  This past June, my fiance and I moved to San Francisco.  I miss the skyscrapers, but my lifestyle is definitely more relaxed!  I insist you take a trip to both cities!

If only! Thanks very much to Alana for a fun interview, and good luck in the cool city of San Francisco. Here are the links to her books and web-sites. Hope you get chance to look in.

Website: http://www.oliviahartbooks.com
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/embed/fO7GhrerfgU
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Olivia-Hart/198744080212227
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/AlanaSiegel

Dark's Daughter Hope by Joshua Bigger

Every so often you read a book that stays with you afterwards, whether that’s because it provokes thoughts and feelings within you that need allocating into their relevant compartments in your brain, or because they were crap and you think why did I squander valuable oxygen whilst I read that?

 Joshua Bigger’s fantasy book Dark’s Daughter Hope definitely falls into the former category. It’s a self-published work that I downloaded during a promotional run via Twitter. It had some emotive reviews on Amazon US and so I thought I’d give it a go.

It’s a wonderful book. Joshua manages to weave an intricate, adult plot that seamlessly merges world-building, memorable characters and multi-layered topics. The narrative follows several characters through a period of significant change in the world of Galan. Tanlray is attending a festival called The Choosing, in which the sorcerous God-kin select groups of eager young pups to join their servants, on the premise that they too begin to wield magic. This magic is focused through acquisition of Sharka gems that relate to channels of power running through organs, with the God-kin being the possessors of all seven. Tanlray becomes inadvertently involved with Blak, who is a mysterious individual fighting against the God-kin.

At the same time we follow further sets of characters—Bendit, Miran, Valadin and Krantz—who become associated with a bitter sorcerer, Maan. Their adventure runs initially parallel to Tanlray’s journey, but inevitably everyone meets together and learns the secrets of the Sharka gems.

The tale is brutal and uncompromising—this is not a fantasy book for the easily upset or offended. It treads the same ground as dark fantasy writers like George RR Martin, Joe Abercrombie and Steven Erikson, and ups its game to rival those writers. The characters are diverse and challenging, and not all likeable. Their needs are sometimes petty and sometimes selfish, and this makes them interesting and realistic. The action is visceral and makes for harsh reading at points, but is laced with a very black streak of humour (one scene, when we first meet Blak, he focuses his Svad and Mulad magic from his aching penis and decapitates his opponent).

The book works on several levels, as all good books should. Bigger’s underlying theme about the corruption and deception of blind faith is a key focus of the book. The God-kin are, by and large, arseholes who manipulate and abuse those who are devoted to them. That two of the main characters are God-kin and, despite their appalling behaviour, become anti-heroes that you almost enjoy reading about, is a testament to Bigger’s text. Ultimately the themes of love, comradeship and appeasement emerge and I was left having enjoyed the book and looking forward to the sequels. And, simply put, the characters of Cat and Stinker are inspired....

I asked Joshua a few questions about the book and about his writing:

Me: Let's start gently, Joshua. Who are your biggest influences inand out of the fantasy genre?

Joshua: Hi, Ross, thanks for having me!

I always stayed up late as a kid, reading by my Donald Duck night light, or with a flash light under the covers. I’ve read thousands of books! But to keep it manageable, here’s a short list,sans all the emotions, meaning, and memories associated with them.

Lloyd Alexander, David Eddings, Terry Brooks, Frank Herbert, Roger Zelazny, JohnNorman, Dennis Schmidt, Tad Williams, Robert Jordan, Robin Hobb, and George RRMartin. Several other great influences are Carlos Castaneda, George Gurdjieff, and Jiddu Krishnamurti.

Me: Dark's Daughter Hope has a superb system of magic. I loved the integral way it plays into the plot line.  Where did you develop the idea from?

Joshua: The notion of energy predators is ancient, from demons and vampiresto modern Republicans. We see and experience it in daily life all the time. It’sthe basic feudalism of human society, with all of its dominance issues, money,food, and sex. Recently, the film ‘The Matrix’ beautifully expressed theseideas visually, human beings serving as batteries for elites of whatevernature. 

Secondly, I wanted to explore basic perversions of life energy,so chose the chakras as a system somewhat familiar to the casual reader. I alsoliked the idea of transmitting talent or energy in David Farland’s ‘TheRunelords,’ but instead of  a direct one-on-onecorrespondence between the transmitter and receiver, I preferred a more general, random fire in the population at large.

Finally, since the book is thematically non-dual, or Advaita Vedanta,the action, the universe itself, is all happening in the context of an Infinite,Conscious Being. Which is a challenge to verbalize in and of itself.

Me: I thought that the some of the sexual violence in the book, although vital, was hard to read. They must be tough sections to write?

Joshua: Those scenes, though brief, are difficult because they’re generally expressions of emotional immaturity, or corruption. Something twisted, blocked, or denied,instead of free flowing sexual/life energy. At the same time, we are animals, with all of the urges of an animal, combined with our unique capacity for manipulating our own nervous systems via imagination. So, those scenes are graphically masturbatory, as they involve a one way taking. Dardaryk abuses authority and power by raping a human being he should be protecting. In the case of Maan, his need overrides his reason while Miran is unconscious. In those two instances, consent and sharing is impossible. Both scenes illustrate a profound inability to deal with another living being. It's masturbation in different forms.

Thoughts and desires rise mechanically in all of our minds, and if the average person were honest, they’d admit to living in a mental cesspool of fear, lust, hunger, and frustration. When these urges and emotions arecombined with the awareness of impending death, the desperation drives men and women to extreme acts in spite of the denials or justifications, in spite of the consolations and dreams, of their contrived personas

Me: Fantasy series are notoriously like series of Lost- going on with no end in sight. You got a set number of books in mind?

Joshua: I hear you. I’ve waited for over twenty years to finish reading ‘TheWheel of Time.’ Unfortunately, even though I like Brandon Sanderson, I no longer have any interest in Rand and company (though I must say, the first six books are an incredible achievement).

The ‘Dark’s Daughter’ series will remain a fast-paced trilogy.The same is true for the ‘Wielders’ series. ‘The Servants’ is projected to be five books. I want the illusion and feel of Epic Fantasy without thousands of tedious pages describing buttons, lace, and pony-tail pulling, or the minute particulars of some city bureaucracy

Me: Your bio mentions acting in your life. What do you bring from that to your writing?

Joshua: The poetry, rhythm, and music of language. There’s an enormous difference between reading silently, and reading aloud. With Shakespeare in particular, the images are huge and hyperbolic, the action intense and over the top. The stage is a necessarily exaggerated and extreme means of exploring human nature and possibility because the action is right there in your face.

As an author, you play God in your worlds. You’re everycharacter, and none of them. That’s a life lesson in acting as well as inwriting.

Me: Self-publishing can be a lonely place- what advice would yougive first time authors starting on the road?

It has been a primarily lonely place with very few lights in the darkness. It’s an evolving learning process and crisis of fire. How do I reach people? Why aren’t people reading or responding? Is the work totally worthless? No potential at all? Do I lack the talent to succeed? Maybe I’m not as smart as I’d like to think I am. I’ll live in this car until it becomes my coffin. Etc.

Basically, you’re confronted with yourself. You are challenged, you are pushed, you don’t know what to do or where to go. You’re laying it all on the line, and maybe that all isn’t very much.

All I can say, really, is that the opportunity for success is there, if people know you exist, and share your concerns. I’ve learned that many people will simply ignore books from certain genres. Some self-published authors appear to have many, many friends helping them. Others not so much. Every situation is unique.

You can have thousands of Twitter followers without having anyone, ever, visit your Blog or read your books. That’s the reality. You have to deal with it. And you wonder why, but don’t have enough information for an answer,aside from the serpent whispering, You’re not good enough, you’re not good enough…

All you have is yourself, all you have to work with is yourself.Trust yourself, even, and especially, in front of the firing squad. What else can you do? Trust yourself. Be patient. Write.

Thanks to Joshua for some incredible answers. If you want to check out his book then follow the links and his web-site is also listed:

UK amazon link is here
US amazon link is right here...




And his website is http://www.joshuabigger.com/apps/blog/

Binary by Jennifer Jeff Coons

Young Adult fiction as a genre has become synonymous with paranormal romance over the last few years, following the immense popularity of Twilight, Vampire diaries and the like.  The new film of the Hunger Games and the explosion of interest in the trilogy may, however, be set to topple vampires from their pole position.

I considered myself new to YA fiction until I considered that I've read a fair few books over the years that could be classed that way, or certainly would be in that section in WH Smiths. The one that springs to mind is Northern Lights, by Philip Pullman- a mash of allegory, fantasy, Steampunk and sci-fi.

And the featured book this week, Binary by Jennifer Jeff Coons, enters a similarly tricky to classify arena. I read the book earlier in the year when Jen was on the same publisher as me. She's since gone full indie and is self-pubin' Binary and the sequel Polaris on Kindle. I was immediately charmed by the almost fairy-tale quality of the sci-fi romance story, and look forwards to the sequel.

Binary is based on the premise of a parallel alien culture to ours which is linked in some mysterious fashion with Earth. The inhabitants of Gliese enter into a war with the Erisians, an invading planet with superior technology. Gliese is home to a range of bizarre and colourful races, of which the hero is the prince of. The ruling Gliesians have the ability to teleport (flash) and the hero, Prince Tyche, utilises this ability to reach our planet seeking help. This is driven by a memory he has of a girl called Brooklyn, who joins him with her friends, on a mission to fight the Erisians.

The story is told with alternating POV from Tyche and Brooklyn's perspectives and this first person style suits the romantic theme well. The story has a great momentum and an almost tele-visual quality to it, as the duo explore Gliese to gain advantage over the Erisians. It definitely finds it feet in the finale with action, suspense and betrayals all creating a strong conclusion.

In short it's a really enjoyable YA romance with a sci-fi setting and imaginative characters. Tyche is likeable, although seemingly perfect, and Brooklyn makes a strong female lead.

I interviewed Jenn about her work and her chosen genre-

Me: I'm not a big YA reader, but I really enjoyed your book. What inspired you to write a YA sci-fi fantasy versus the more usual YA paranormal?

JJC: A while back I took my kids to the Museum of Nature and Science here in Denver.  We wandered through the exhibits and ended up in the planetarium.  They were doing a question/ answer show.  Everyone was asking about a newly discovered planet named Glise- 581g.  I guess it had been in the news a lot recently... I hadn't heard about it.  By the time we left the planetarium, my kids were practically jumping up and down with excitement about this new planet.  Most of all they were excited because this planet was in the so called "Goldilocks Zone" (It is not to hot or too cold but the planet was just right for life to exist.)  I decided that day that I needed to write a book about that planet. 

Me: You clearly love sci-fi. What are the main influences on your work within the genre?

JJC: Okay so this is embarrassing... I had never read sci-fi before I wrote my book.  80% of what I read is YA.  Most of that is Paranormal or adventure like books.  Although now that I wrote Binary, I have read a lot of Sci-fi.  So no sci-fi author influenced me... YA authors influenced me. The author who influenced me the most is probably Rick Riordan's work.  Even though it is more mid grade.  I love his writing style and his attention to detail.

Me: I loved the twist at the end of Binary, and it took me by surprise. When you write are you someone who plots out meticulously or are you more free-form in your ideas?

JJC: I don't plot out my books.  I write like I read... I sit down at the computer and it spills out.  I am glad I have been blessed with long fingers so my hands can keep the pace of my mind, most of the time.  The end of Binary surprised me to, but it just wrote itself and when it was done I loved it.

Me: Binary has a curiously parallel culture to ours existing on another world. Is that concept, that an alien culture resembles ours in some ways but not others, something you'll explore in future books?

JJC: Yes, you will learn in the rest of the series that there are reasons the culture on the planet Glise resembles ours.  I believe I will write more books about aliens like us, because I really believe that is fact. In my mind I truly feel we aren't alone in the universe.  Even more I think there are human like aliens out there living lives much like ours.  Who knows maybe someday we will really meet them.

Me: Ok, fun question. Which is best, Twilight or Hunger Games, and why?

JJC: Hmmm- good question.  This is a tough one for me because I LOVE YA ROMANCE.  In Twilight the romance rocked! It also opened up a new genre to the world that never really existed before.  Paranormal YA Romance ... But, with that said... Hunger Games would still come out as number one in the comparison because the author is a better writer overall. 

Me: After the glut of paranormal YA romances on the market where do you see YA fiction going next?

JJC: I hope they sway to sci-fi... lol. Honestly, I think paranormal romances are here to stay. I think YA readers don't like to be treated like children.  They want to read about teens put in adult situations and thrive in them.  I believe if someone can capture that concept in their writing, they could create the next fad in YA literature.

Me: Last question- what are you reading at present and what are you working on now? (ok, that's two questions)

JJC: Lately, I have been exploring indie authors on Amazon.  I have found some amazing authors and books that are self published.  Currently, I am finishing up my third book in my Binary series.  I am also working on a YA adventure/romance called Genealogy where some teens discover Earths family tree.

Thanks to Jen for a great interview. You can look at her book voa the following links:

Amazon UK Kindle here.
Amazon US Kindle right here...

My Goodreads review is right here, that's it, just click the link. My Amazon one has disappeared :-(

The Assassin's Wedding by Wilf Morgan

I discovered Wilf's book, The Assassin's Wedding during the time I spent on Completely Novel.com, where it was posted for free reading. Wilf's book is a great example of the power of a good cover. I haven't read thrillers since I trudged my way through Steig Laarson's Millennium trilogy.  The ultra-stylish cover (features of all Wilf's books) caught my attention immediately- I scanned the blurb- and dove straight in.

And what a discovery. The book begins at a wedding, with the main character, Mike, introducing us gradually to his covert world of assassinations. Very rapidly we get a sense that this is going to be an atypical (and funny) journey with Mike. The humour is subtle for the main, built (in true British style) around awkward situations, splendidly drawn characters, well-observed cultural differences and irony. Wilf's particular strength is in his pop-culture references, of which there are plenty.

There is a strong cinematic vibe that runs through the book, both in the evolving plot and the way the scenes are set. It is most apparent in flashback chapters of Mike's life, which are written like scripts. It felt odd initially but it works well, taking some potentially dark psychological scenes and making them readable.

The plot progresses in a wonderfully intricate way, with twists and turns that get Mike further and further into trouble. Perhaps it was the aforementioned cinematic tinge to it, or perhaps it was the dark humour and assassins, but the book brought to mind the classic Grosse Point Blank. The assassin aspect to it varies in its dominance of the tale, ultimately it is a story of relationships, truth and trust.

So that's enough of my rambles- I interviewed Wilf Morgan about the book and about his journey into self-publishing. He gave a fantastically detailed interview:

Me:  I was struck by the very cinematic nature of your book, The Assassin's Wedding. Was that intentional or just a by-product of how you write?

Wilf: Being into films (like most people!), I'm definitely a fan of the cinematic style. I always imagine things very visually so that's how I write them, too. It's not that I'm just trying to write a 'film on paper' - prose has very definite differences to screen and some very definite advantages, so you'd be foolish to simply try to recreate one medium in another. But I do like reading things that flow in that very dynamic, visceral way. I'm also a big comic fan. Comics are kind of a halfway house between film and prose - they capture that visual aspect as well as being presented via written word. So between film and comics, there are definite influences there for me.

Often, in books, I find that action scenes (for example) are quite slow and overly intricate, even when they're meant to be fast and desperate. That's partially down to the very nature of reading words off a page - you can only process words so fast. But I've tried to take lessons from certain writers (Doug E Winter's 'Run' for example) as well as certain comic book writers regarding brevity and allowing the reader to fill in the blanks in their mind. You won't have to describe everything in endless detail, slowing down the action. And because people are so used to watching films, they tend to fill in the details using that visual language. That's probably one reason why books written this way do tend to feel somewhat cinematic.

Another big thing I'm into is having a strong concept or 'point' of a story and then wrapping it in action. It's just a stylistic thing I like and it probably comes from watching too much Star Trek! On the surface, a typical episode / film of Star Trek is about people flying around in starships fighting Klingons or some other menace - and all the associated explosions and gunfights therein. But in reality, the stories are always 'about' something - getting older, dealing with grief, innocence of childhood, accepting bad choices in early life etc. Those two aspects are what I really enjoy in films/tv I watch and books I read. So I definitely try to recreate that in my own work. In The Assassin's Wedding, for example, we have an assassin taking on various targets and getting into all kinds of scrapes. Yet, the story is really about 'can a person accept that who they are isn't necessarily the best thing - and do they have the maturity to recognise that changing for the better isn't necessarily 'selling out' but 'growing up').

So yeah, I think it's a big mistake to simply write a book to reflect what you think you'd see on the screen - but, if what you're writing lends itself to it, I think there are definitely some elements from the visual media that can make prose work in a more dynamic way.

Me: The comedy-crime tone of your book was very well done. What writers in the genre inspire you in your writing?

I'm not sure I can think of too many writers that inspire me from a style perspective but there are some definite people that inspire me just generally;

Iain M Banks' stuff is great because it pulls you so completely into a fully realised world (or, I suppose, galaxy). It feels totally real and it's almost like you're simply reading a 'diary' of events that have really happened (ditto Tolkien with Lord of the Rings and R R Martin with Game of Thrones). Robert Rodriguez is my favourite film director / writer because of his brevity, speed and dynamic approach to even the most potentially boring of scenes. I'm also a massive fan of dialogue so I really like Quentin Tarantino and William Shakespeare (yes, I did just put them both in the same sentence!). Both writers do brilliant, witty, clever and flowing dialogue. In the same vein, I'm also a fan of comic book writers Mark Millar and Peter David. But my favourite writer right now (and hopefully for a long time to come) is Patrick Ness. He wrote the Chaos Walking trilogy as well as 'A Monster Calls'. They are Young Adult books but written with a kind of maturity that a good number of adult books lack. Quite simply, he knows how to tell a damn good story.

With regards to the dark humour in The Assassin's Wedding, I think I adopted that tone because making an assassin your main character (and hence someone you're meant to root for) can be a very difficult thing to pull off, especially if you're going to be 100% serious about it. At the end of the day, these folks kill people for money - that' just not nice! Adopting a kind of black humour means that I'm not really taking everything too seriously but still allows me some space to address some of the darker, more serious aspects of the story (Mike's family history, for example). Also, my previous book, Lost Angels, was so serious and so dark, it almost sends you into depression reading it - so I was determined to write something that was more fun this time around!

Me:  What made you decide to establish 88tales and where do you plan to take it? What is it about self-publishing that appeals to you most?

Wilf:  Eighty8Tales simply came about in the same way as plenty of other self-publishing ventures are coming about nowadays - in response to two main developments; the rise of print-on-demand and also the ease of web-based presence. Before POD, I was restricted to home A4 print-outs of my stuff for my own viewing. Then I discovered POD (lulu.com and then completelynovel.com) and was suddenly able to produce actual, real books! I've always been into my art and design so I was able to get my arty hat on and do my own covers, too. Throw in a website (in my case www.88tales.com) and bingo - you're your own publisher!

Yes, I still send my work to mainstream publishers in the hope of getting a deal, but that's almost just a reflex action, now. I found, very quickly, that I love the freedom of doing it myself. Yes, you don't get the same penetration in the bookstores (assuming you're one of the writers your big-name publisher decides to push, that is) but you do get to reach people online, through social networking, blogs like this one etc. Crucially, you can decide what kind of books to produce (full length novels, novellas, short story collection, whatever you fancy). Cover design, visual identity, tag-lines, the back-cover blurb - it's all down to you and you can do things that a 'real' publisher might never let you do in a million years (I made one collection 'The Greatest Show on Earth' look like a circus poster and I want to do another one to look like a vintage music album). At the end of the day, building a line of books under the Eighty8Tales banner is just total and utter fun..!

 Of course, the challenge is not to look amateurish and sloppy - the stereotypical image of the self-publisher - but it's a challenge I enjoy trying to overcome.

If I got offered a deal by a 'big' publisher, would I take it? Well, I suppose I'd just have to see at the time. But producing things under my own 'label' is really exciting - and knowing there are loads of people out there doing the same thing is even moreso.

 Me:  You have several books under your belt now. What advice would you give to starting out authors?

 Wilf:  Boringly enough, my advice is the same as many other writers' - write every day. It's advice I don't always take! But it's very important. The two main reasons for writing every day are;

a) It hones your technical skills. Just like kicking a ball or playing a violin, you sharpen your physical abilities and make them more ready to carry out whatever twisted tasks you come up with for them!
b) Stories almost never come fully formed out of your head and onto the page. It's a big process of layering. Throw whatever's in your head out onto the page. Don't stop and re-read and edit as you go...just keep moving. Don't look back! When you've done a big chunk (a chapter or three), then you can go back over it. It may well be a pile of crap (excuse my French). But that's good. Because that's the way it works. You go over the crap and it gives you ideas that you didn't initially have. Sometimes small, sometimes large. And then you refine and refine and refine. Until eventually, you end up with the finished well-written product. Always remember that it's much easier to turn crap into something good than it is to turn a blank page into anything at all.

Well, that's how it is for me, anyway..!

Me:  What's your opinion on social media as a marketing tool? Is it something you've considered?

Wilf:  Social Media is an absolutely brilliant thing regarding marketing of your work. I have to admit to not having used it to its potential yet. But even in the limited way I have used Facebook and Twitter (in particular), I have seen the benefits. Creating a Facebook page for your book and posting a link to it on your friends' pages, for example, is a great start. And as friends link to you, so their friends are made aware of it and so on. But that is only a start. You still have to do more work such as advertising online (eg. Google Ads), joining in forums and participating in blog conversations and so on. But if you funnel people from those activities to social media pages then any interest they show will be automatically broadcast to others. (On that note, the Assassin's Wedding is on Facebook - search for it! Yes, I know, totally shameless...)

Social Media is a great tool but it certainly won't do all the work for you (unfortunately!). I'm a typical writer in that I'd rather spend all my time writing and designing the books themselves and have someone else shout about them and tell everyone how brilliant and great they are and go and buy a copy right now etc..! Unfortunately, if you can't force yourself to jump into that stuff, all the work you do in writing will be for nothing because no-one but you and your mum will read it. Leveraging social media in conjunction with your book's (or publishing venture's) website can definitely yield results.

One last thing on the marketing / publicity aspect - I think it's a good idea to offer large chunks of your work for people to read online for free. As an up and coming writer, your greatest currency isn't money - it's word of mouth. One hundred people who know about you is worth more than fifty people buying your book. Because (assuming you are successful in capturing their interest and imagination through your work) they will tell others and spread knowledge of your stuff to others. If that keeps happening, the purchases will come naturally (especially when you realise that the vast majority of people much prefer to read a physical book than off a screen - so having your work available to read free online isn't going to really hurt you financially that much - unless you're J K Rowling!). Of course, it's down to each person to figure out the balance of what to give away and what to charge for. What works for one person won't necessarily work for another's marketing style, content type etc.

Me:  What's your latest project/WIP?

 Wilf;  At the moment, I'm writing my first children's book. My kids have long pestered me for something they can read and I foolishly gave in. Writing a kids' books is really, really hard! I had to figure out what age range I was aiming for and then find their level of comprehension; what kind of sentence structure they like, what they find funny, what they find boring etc.

I finally settled on aiming it at 9-12 year olds. It's called 'Arthur Ness and the Secret of Waterwhistle'. Arthur Ness is sent to live in a Nottinghamshire village (called Waterwhistle) during the blitz. He soon discovers that everyone there is scared of something. Something they can't see. There are guardians there, keeping everyone under a strange kind of control and only Arthur - a naturally very scared young boy - is free from their machinations. Only he, therefore, can do anything about it - if he can only realise the most important thing about fear and how to conquer it.

I've had a selection of children (friends' children as well as some kids from local schools) reading it as I'm going along to help me strike the right chord with it. After a very difficult initial period, it's now coming along very nicely. I'm aiming for it to be finished by the end of summer (depending on how much football / Olympics I end up watching..!). From there, it's onto the book I was going to start before my kids side-lined me, 'The Notorious Mr Locke'. But more on that nearer the time!

You can check Wilf's booksite out at 88 Tales

The Assassin's wedding is available on Kindle UK here for £0.88... a bargain!
As is his book The Cotton Keeper here, for the same price.

In the USA click right here for the Assassin's Wedding at $1.36 and on this bit here for the Cotton Keeper at the same price.