Interview with urban fantasy author K.S. Augustin

Today’s special guest is KS “Kaz” Augustin. She’s touring her book The Complete Check Your Luck Agency with Goddess Fish Promotions. The book explores the myths and legends of the melting-pot that is south-east Asia. Come for the food, stay for the monsters! (Ghosts included at no extra charge.)

Kaz will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during her tour. To be entered for a chance to win, leave a comment below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit other tour stops and comment there, too.

Bio:

Kaz Augustin is a Malaysian-born author of SF, fantasy, romance and combinations thereof! She has worked on three continents and is currently based in the steamy tropics, one degree north of the Equator. She is also Chief Editor of the online magazine, Sci-Fi Romance Quarterly, which is full of release information, opinions and an original fiction piece, all geared towards the genre of SF romance.

Welcome, Kaz. Please tell us about your current release.

The Complete Check Your Luck Agency is actually five books in one! It's an omnibus that follows the adventures of Ursula Formosa, paranormal investigator. Now Ursula is a bit of a stubborn character. Although she has psychic abilities, they scare her, and she pretends that they don't exist until, that is, she's forced to confront reality.

What inspired you to write this book?

As much as I like urban fantasy, I found it very much geared to Celtic mythology. Coming back to live in Malaysia after years away, I was surrounded by such different beliefs that I knew I had to attempt to get some of it down in a book. To be honest, I think I only scratched the surface, but I hope that readers like what I managed to include.

Excerpt from The Complete Check Your Luck Agency:

“Did you have any difficulty finding the house?” Evelyn Long asked as she led me up a short flight of concrete steps.

“Well, the taxi driver wasn’t too keen to drive down the lane.”

Evelyn nodded her head. “The ignorant fear what they don’t understand,” she said.

I made a noise that might have indicated I agreed with her sentiment, and left it at that.

“I’m afraid Alfred is still meditating,” she began.

“I’m sorry,” I cut in, a shade too quickly, “I knew I shouldn’t have come. Perhaps I could pay him another visit some other time?”

I turned as if to leave and Evelyn Long grabbed me by the arm. No, “grabbed” was too gentle a term for it. Although her movement was smooth and she appeared to hold me lightly, I knew I would not be able to wrench free of her grasp without breaking flesh or limbs, or both, all of them mine. I looked up at her, startled, but saw nothing beyond polite interest. There wasn’t an ounce of strain on her face, nothing to show that she had me manacled with her slim, delicate-looking fingers.

Who – or what – was Evelyn Long?

“He won’t be much longer,” she said, as if commenting on the weather. “He’s been waiting to see you for more than a month now. We’re both glad you visited.”

And I suddenly realised that nobody knew where I was. Long and his supernaturally strong wife could do whatever they wanted with me, dispose of my dead body no doubt in the acres of primeval jungle behind their house and nobody would be the wiser. A wave of energy suddenly thrummed beneath my feet, a surge so strong I was sure that Long’s wife was able to feel it pulse through my body and travel to hers at our menacing point of contact.

“Why don’t I get you something to drink? You can relax while I fetch Alfred.”

What exciting story are you working on next?

I've got a couple of SF projects on the go at the moment; they're ongoing books in two series, both of them space operas. But I'm also plotting out a new fantasy series involving a thief, a dragon and a curse, although the first book won't be out till mid-2015. I like to plan ahead! :)

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I think I was eleven years old when a story I wrote was chosen to be included in our school annual. It's been a love/hate affair ever since! LOL

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like?  If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

Oh how I wish I could write full-time! No, in between writing, I also homeschool my two teenage children and run Sandal Press (http://www.SandalPressOnline.com), a micro-press that my husband and I own. I set aside several afternoons a week and late nights to do my writing and find that having a writing plan really helps keep me focused, so I don't waste too much time on distractions. (You know what kind of distractions I mean, I'm sure.)

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I write a full synopsis of a book, and have it critiqued by one of my wonderful editors, before I even sit down and type “Chapter One”!

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Oh, that's easy, a palaeontologist! I love teh dinosaurz!

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

There are no guns in this book! It's all down to brains, skill and friendships.

My website is at http://www.KSAugustin.com and a list of my books can also be found at http://www.SandalPressOnline.com. I occasionally tweet as @SandalPress.

The Complete Check Your Luck Agency is available from:

Amazon | Amazon UK | Apple | Barnes and Noble | OmniLit | Tomely 

Thanks so much, Kaz! 

Interview with YA novelist Adrienne Clarke

Today is a virtual book tour stop for Adrienne Clarke and her young adult fantasy romance novel To Dance in Liradon.

Adrienne will be awarding winner's choice of a Kindle touch, Nook Simple Touch, or a $100 Apple gift card, and one crystal Faerie necklace similar to what Brigid wore to the Faerie ball to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

To be entered for a chance to win, make sure to leave an e-mail address with a comment below. And if you'd like to increase your chances of winning, visit other tour stops and leave comments for Adrienne.

Welcome, Adrienne. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I think I became a writer because the world inside my head was so real and vivid, sometimes more so than the outside world. In some sense I have lived parallel lives, present in my real and imaginary lives in different ways. Because much of my childhood was spent searching for faeries or reading about them, it is natural that my work encompasses fairy tale themes and other magical elements. In the words of Tennessee Williams, forget reality, give me magic!

Adrienne has previously published short stories in The Storyteller, Beginnings Magazine, New Plains Review, and in the e-zines A Fly in Amber, Grim Graffiti, Les Bonnes Fees, The Altruist, The Devilfish Review, and Rose Red Review. Her short story, Falling was awarded second place in the 2008 Alice Munro short fiction contest. To Dance in Liradon is her first published novel.

An avid reader of fairy tales and other magical stories, a thread of the mysterious or unexpected runs through all of her work. When she’s not writing Adrienne can be found searching for faeries along with her daughters Callista and Juliet.

Please tell us about your current release.

Drawing on elements of Celtic fairy tale mythology, To Dance in Liradon is filled with magic and romance, but it’s also a story about growing up, about the deceitful nature of appearances, and, most importantly, about what it is to be human and to love.

What inspired you to write this book?

The story for To Dance in Liradon has been with me for a long time. I have a shared passion for fairy tales and Celtic mythology, and I knew I wanted to write a book that drew on the magic and romance of both. I’ve always loved stories about the Irish Tuatha De Danann: Tall, beautiful, proud, and amoral, who have a propensity for falling in love with humans. To Dance in Liradon explores what happens when the human and Faerie worlds collide.

Excerpt:

(The excerpt included here shows Brigid’s exceptional talent for dancing. It’s one of the things that set her apart from the other villagers, who believe Brigid’s lightness of step is a sign she’s been touched by the Faerie.)

Brigid allowed the sweet music to seep into her veins and then she was away. Away from the disapproving eyes of the other villagers, away from her mother’s fond but anxious expression, away from Connell and his undecided intentions. Once she was inside the music nothing else mattered. She felt as free and untouchable as the lord himself. As she advanced around the ring, her feet tapping lightly against the ground, she was dimly aware of the other dancers. Two had already left; their desire for more ale greater than their desire for the cake. Ahead of her, Isibeal, Tanner’s daughter, stumbled and Brigid danced around her like the wind.

Brigid never got a cramp in her side or lost her footing. Once she started dancing her tiredness fell away from her like a heavy, velvet cloak. She could go round and round the ring until a new sun rose in the sky. But she would not have long to wait for her victory. One by one the other dancers began to tire. Fin, the Falconer’s son, one of Brigid’s long-ago playmates, fell to the ground gasping for breath.

“No more,” he said before struggling to his feet.

  

Mary, Baker’s daughter, and Isibeal also took their leave. Brigid could feel their jealous glances burning into her back after they rejoined their families who stood around the ring waiting to see who would falter next.

Now only Brigid and Deirdre Faolan were left. The two girls danced alone together on many such occasions. Deirdre did not possess Brigid’s love of music, or her graceful footwork, but she was sturdy and strong from her work in the fields, and the desire to win radiated from her well-muscled limbs. 

The dancers shared the same steps but their movements were as different from one another as the sun and the moon. Deirdre’s brow glistened with sweat, two hectic spots of colour staining her ruddy cheeks, while Brigid felt as cool and weightless as a shadow. But if her feet held some magic, her shoes possessed none. Already worn through in several places, she felt the soles of her feet connect with the hard ground. Still she danced on, her pale face upturned to the sky, which was now well and truly dark. She wished she could dance her way up to the highest star and disappear into the sky’s inky blackness.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I’m very excited about my novel in progress, Opium Ghosts. It’s a supernatural mystery set in Victorian London at the height of the spiritualist movement. I’ve always been interested in séances, ghosts and mediums, and I loved the idea of writing a historical novel that was part romance part ghost story. The growth of spiritualism also marks a fascinating period in women’s history – all of a sudden young middle class women found themselves in positions of real power. Some of the most famous mediums of the day were teenage girls who captivated their audiences with ghostly materializations, or not, depending on whether you believe in spirits or trickery. I’ve done research for all my novels, but the research for Opium Ghosts has definitely been the most fun.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When I was in grade two I wrote a poem called “Dreamers,” that to my astonishment made my teacher swoon. It’s my first memory of feeling like writing was something I was good at. After that I was hooked.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

My day job involves working as a mediator, but right now I’m on an extended maternity leave. I write the days that my 2-year old daughter is in daycare, and when I can manage it I get up really early to write before everyone else wakes up. It can be a difficult balancing act, but I write because I must – there’s no choice involved.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I write all my first drafts long hand – an increasingly odd practice!

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A writer, a ballerina, and a magician – in that order.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I hope that if you do decide to read To Dance in Liradon you’ll let me know what you thought. Connecting with readers is one of the best things about being a writer. I’d love to hear from you!

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter 

Buy Links:

Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK) | Barnes and Noble | Kobo 

Thanks, Adrienne.

Readers, don't forget about the fabulous giveaway being offered! To be entered for a chance to win, leave an e-mail address with a comment below. Good luck!

Interview with historical novelist Vickey Kall

Welcome to almost mid-November. I'd like to introduce you to historical novelist Vickey Kall. She's here to tell us a bit about her novel, Death Speaker.

You can read the first 5 chapters of Death Speaker for free. Here's the purchase link for a print copy from CreateSpace, and any format of e-book from Smashwords.

Bio:

Vickey Kall is a freelance writer with a passion for history. In fact, a few years ago she went back to college to get a masters degree in history from Arizona State University. From ancient Gaul to Vaudeville or even Baby Boomers and Pet Rocks, she finds it all fascinating.

Welcome, Vickey. Please tell us about your current release.

Death Speaker tells the story of Emyn, a Celtic peasant who hears ghosts. Emyn lives at a dangerous time: Julius Caesar has begun an invasion of her homeland, present-day France. Emyn’s spirits whisper that Caesar will destroy everything she loves.

But ghosts do not always tell the truth. As Emyn travels to warn druids and kings about the Roman threat, she savors love and endures betrayal, relying on her gods and her own stubborn strength to see her through the dark days ahead.

What inspired you to write this book?

I intended to write something quite different, but could not get the dramatic coastline of Brittany and the stories I’d heard out of my head. I finally plunged in, and the character took over. Once I delved into the ancient history of the area, everything I read gave me ideas.

Excerpt:

Emyn cried out, but could not hear her own voice—only the long scream of other-worldly beasts. She had never seen war horns before; they rose from the bushes, their slender trunks like saplings, taller than men.

The horns screamed for battle, and from all sides, men responded.

Horses reared, throwing centurions off their backs. The few Romans who managed to hold onto their mounts crouched and raced away like scared dogs, their red cloaks flailing behind them.  

Shrieking to match the horns, tribal warriors burst from the bushes to give chase. The gentle slope in front of the bushes changed from green to speckled brown, alive with men leaping down as if it were a disrupted anthill. Emyn tucked in her arms and turned away, overwhelmed.

The war horns blared again. She stood in a river that seemed shallow and still as death for a moment. Then the warriors ran past her, holding their swords and axes high. One man tripped over tree roots and fell. Before she could jump out of his way, others ran straight at her, screaming in triumph. Emyn threw her hands over her face as river water splashed up and soaked her.

The screams and horns stopped; a crowded murmur filled the silence. She shuddered and felt dry ground beneath her feet.

“Tell me what you saw,” the druid said.

Emyn shook. “A battle begins.”

What exciting story are you working on next?

The next one is exciting in a different way—I’ve been collecting trivia and stories for a book on Baby Boomers’ Christmas memories—aluminum trees, Slinkies and Frisbees, food, songs, TV specials—everything. This is will be non-fiction, of course.

I’m also working on a novel of the Gold Rush era in California, built around the craziness and greed that overtook men and a few women back then. In fact, the working title is Greed.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Does second grade count? That’s when I tried writing my own version of Peter Pan. . . I guess today that would be called fan fiction.

But once I got my history degree, nine years ago, and went looking for writing gigs rather than a real job—THAT’s when I realized I truly was a full-time writer.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I do write full time, and it’s hard to pick a typical day. When I was writing Death Speaker I often worked on that for 14, 15 hours a day, every day, then I’d take a break for a week and do some paying work for magazines.

Now I’m working on two books, two blogs, odd jobs and a technical writing gig, as well as promoting Death Speaker, so my days are very different. Most successful writers I’ve met—meaning financially successful—have a dozen different projects going at once, so I feel like I’m moving in the right direction.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Hmmm…gotta be that I love the research as well as the writing. Most folks hate the research part, but for me it’s fun, like doing puzzles all day.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A writer was in there—but also a ballerina, ice skater, astronomer, and actress. And a nun, a fashion designer, and princess.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I’d like to invite your readers to enjoy the first five chapters for free at DeathSpeaker.com. My guess is that you’ll want the rest of the book, and there are links right there to allow you to buy it.

Thanks for stopping by, Vickey and sharing a bit about your writing and this novel with us!