Interview with urban fantasy author Steve McHugh

I’m kicking off the week with urban fantasy author Steve McHugh. He’s here to chat about the new book in his Hellequin Chronicles series, Prison of Hope.

During his virtual book tour, Steve will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card (winner’s choice) to a lucky winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit his other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:

Steve McHugh is the author of the popular Hellequin Chronicles. The fourth book, Prison of Hope, released on April 14^th. He lives in Southampton on the south coast of England with his wife and three young daughters. When not writing or spending time with his kids, he enjoys watching movies, reading books and comics, and playing video games.

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

Prison of Hope is the 4^th book in the Hellequin Chronicles, which center around a 1600 year old sorcerer, Nathan (Nate) Garrett, and his life. In Prison of Hope, Nate is tasked with tracking down and capturing one of the Titan’s who has escaped from Tartarus before he can fulfill his plan to start a civil war between those within the world who would use his escape to gain power.

What inspired you to write this book?

The Hellequin Chronicles world features a lot of characters from various mythologies from ancient Greece, Roman, Norse, British and several others. I’ve been dripping these characters into the first 3 books, and this is the one where you get a meet a lot more of the Greek side. I wanted to give Nate a big enough story that he can cut loose, and really show why people fear the guy.

Excerpt from Prison of Hope:

France. Now.

My mistake came in the form of saying “yes”—a simple, but powerful word that along with its brother, “no,” can do a lot of good or a lot of damage. Once that first word had left my lips, I was duty bound to follow through. I could have come up with an excuse to get out of it—hell, I could have shot myself and said someone was trying to kill me. Should have, would have, could have. Instead, I convinced myself it wouldn’t be bad, that it might even be fun. I was wrong. It was hell in a carriage.

I’d agreed, for some foolish reason, which I liked to believe had to do with drugged food and drink, to accompany Thomas Carpenter and his daughter Kasey on a school trip to Germany. Traveling along with my closest friend and his teenage daughter were over a hundred of her school friends, several parents and guardians, and their teachers. All spread out over a four-carriage train.

Avalon—the hidden true power of our world—arranged the trip, like it did for all Avalon-funded schools. But teenagers are moody and temper prone at the best of times. Throw in the beginnings of their powers, be those magical or otherwise, and you had the makings of a tense atmosphere.

Many of the kids with parents in attendance pretended that their parents didn’t exist, while most of the parents silently watched their offspring with the attentiveness of an eagle searching for its next victim. Occasionally, one of the teenagers would say something inappropriate and receive a chastised glance or a discreet cough aimed in their direction, which in turn made the teen sigh or roll their eyes. It was like the Cold War all over again. I was half-expecting someone to turn up and start building a really big wall between the two sides.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I’m currently in the editing process for Book 5, Lies Ripped Open, which is out in Aug this year, and I’m writing my first science fiction book. Which is a huge amount of fun to write.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

When I got my first pay. That was the day I said, “well this is now your job.” That was a fantastic day.

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 have a fulltime job too, and I’m hoping that one day I will be able to write fulltime, but as I have a wife and three young daughters, I need to be in a place of financial security before that can happen. I write in the evening, lunch breaks, weekends, anytime I get a moment really.

Apart from spending time with my family, I read, play videogames and I really like Lego. I find Lego to be a nice relaxing way to spend an evening.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I really need to get myself some writing quirks. Like a parrot or a monocle. I guess the fact that I share my office with my bearded dragon, Kaiju. Who is currently looking at me as if he knows I’m writing about him.

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

A writer. Or a ninja. The latter of which didn’t really work out for me. Probably for the best, stealth is not something I’m all that good at.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I hope if you decide to give the books a read that you enjoy them. They were a lot of fun to write, and I hope that comes through in the reading.

Links: 

Blog | Twitter | Facebook 

Thanks, Steve!

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Interview with paranormal mystery author T.M. Williams

Today’s special guest to wrap up the week is paranormal mystery author T.M. Williams. She’s here to chat with me about her new novel, Clusters.

As she does a virtual book tour with Goddess Fish Promotions, T.M. Will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice) gift card to a lucky random winner. If you’d like to enter for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too!

Bio:

T.M. Williams began her writing career by accident when a song inspired a story. Once she discovered the writing bug she couldn't stop. Since starting her writing career late in 2012 she has gone on to write several more novels, including two Amazon best-sellers.

She writes experimental fiction and non-fiction. She is also a freelance journalist, copywriter, and public speaker.

Welcome, T.M. Please tell us a little bit about Clusters:

Seven year old Olivia Baxter and her dog vanish while playing in the front yard of her family's home. After a week of searching, Olivia's body was suddenly found in the closet, even after the police had thoroughly investigated the home.

Ethan Franco is a troubled journalist working for the Washington Gazette. His inability to move on from the past has deflated the passion he had for his career, causing him to lose his edge. Frustrated with Ethan Franco, but not wanting to lose his once star journalist, Editor-in-Chief, Jameson Stone assigns him a story to cover as a last chance to prove he could be the reporter he once was.

Ethan Franco begins his investigation into the mysterious death of Olivia Baxter and other unexplained disappearances, believing there may be a connection in the cases. No sooner did Franco begin his investigation then he realizes he is being tailed by government agencies.

Large footprints in the woods, strange sounds, foul stenches, and a looming government presence become pieces of the puzzle in cases of the missing.

Inspired by real events, the author of the Bohemian Grove trilogy and the Apocalypse brings forth a story that has been kept a secret for over a century -- a story that a large group of people are still trying to keep under wraps.

Excerpt from Clusters:

Just as Michael reached for the pot of coffee, replaying that scene in his head for the thousandth time, a noise from the back room stopped him. Claire was closest to the hallway where the sound came from and she spun around quickly, drawing her gun.

Deena shot up to her feet, her eyes bright with concern. “Who’s back there?” she whispered to the officers.

The Captain shook his head. No one was back there. Michael had checked the bedrooms just an hour before, like he had done every morning, hoping to find some missing clue as to Olivia’s sudden disappearance. Claire backed up to the north side of the hallway while Sean and Craig flanked the other side, their guns drawn as well.

The noise came again, clearer this time. “Is that a dog?” Claire whispered, her eyebrows drawn together in a deep V.

Whimpers filled the home, followed by – scratching? Claire narrowed her eyes as they made their way quickly down the hallway toward Olivia’s bedroom, with Michael leading. As they entered her room it was clear where the noise came  from.

“I think that’s our dog,” Deena said, wide-eyed.

The rangers all exchanged looks. The family dog had disappeared the same morning as Olivia.

Michael approached Olivia’s closet door and motioned for Craig and Sean to flank his right. He opened the door in one quick motion just as the frightened looking dog bounced out of the closet, causing Michael to stumble back at the sight inside.

Deena’s tortured scream pierced the air as she fell to the floor, crawling over to the dead body of her little girl, curled up on the closet floor.

What exciting story are you working on next?

The Bohemian Grove Trilogy, inspired by Sumerian mythology and ancient aliens is concluding this Spring. So we’re working on releasing that. I also have a psychological thriller called Children at the Window coming out this Summer and 2 more books in my Twisted Fairy Tale series releasing this summer. The first was Alice Hill in Silent Wonderland, an illustrated dark Alice in Wonderland tale.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I accidentally stumbled upon the passion of writing when I began writing at the end of 2012 and haven’t stopped since. I was offered a publishing contract 10 months later (it took me 4 months to complete my first manuscript) and you would think I considered myself a writer at that point. It wasn’t until I published my 5^th book that I actually considered myself a writer and not just some weird fluke.

Strangely, I’ve had other authors tell me they still don’t consider me a writer because it’s not the only thing I do and that I only became interested in the last few years. (My background is business and marketing and I still am very much an entrepreneur). My response to that is; I’ve never really cared what anyone thought about me anyway, so why start now?

Weirdly enough, I considered myself a novelist before I considered myself a writer. I’ve never done anything in the right order anyway.

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. After figuring out that I love to write and am pretty good at it (it actually took me longer to figure out the latter) I ended up getting a lot of writing gigs. So I’m a full-time writer, just not a full-time novelist. I also do a ton of freelance journalism.

My work day is pretty typical of a working mother. I’m juggling a million things at once and wondering how I’m not falling apart half the time. So far, so good.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

My Brand and my business is The Accidental Writer because my writing career happened by accident. The genre I write is experimental fiction and non-fiction. It encompasses pretty much everything but what makes it unique is the style of writing. I write what the story calls me to write – whether it’s in first person prose or third person epic. I don’t follow any traditional storylines and can sometimes start the story with the ending, skip linear storylines, or even have a multiple climax storyline. It just depends on the book. You’ll either love it or hate it. Fortunately, most people seem to love it so far.

If you want a predictable story that follows all the rules, then I’m definitely not your author. If you’re the type of person who likes to stick to one genre because it’s comfortable then that’s not me either. If you want a book that makes you think, especially outside the box – then I recommend my books.

I guess the easier question would be, what isn’t a writing quirk for me? I seem to break all the rules.

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

Important. It’s true. I think that’s why I’ve never really stuck to one course in life because I just wanted to do something meaningful and empowering. Fortunately, I’ve been able to impact people with my work and am proud of that.

But, there was a long time I really wanted to be an archaeologist. I wanted to travel the world and go on adventures discovering things. My parents said it was unrealistic and isn’t something I could live off of. So I didn’t go that route. Now I find that I’m doing exactly that through my writing. It’s interesting how we tend to come full circle.

Links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Blog | Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Thanks, T.M.!

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Interview with science fiction author James Mascia

Today’s special guest is science fiction novelist James Mascia. He’s chatting with me about The Leviathan Chronicles: The Last Stand at Aeprion.

But that’s not all. During his virtual book for the novel, James will be awarding 5 copies of the ebook in either mobi or epub formats to 5 lucky winners. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit his other tour stops and enter there, too.

Bio:

He fights evil across the known universe and crushes them between his fingers (at least, he does this with his words).

James Mascia is an accomplished writer with a bestselling series, High School Heroes, as well as a bestselling graphic novel, The Poe Murders. He has always been a fan of sci-fi, and is glad to be delving back into the galaxy once again.

James teaches in Maryland, where he also writes. He has a lovely wife and a tiny terror (a two-year-old) driving him mad, but making him laugh.

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

Still reeling from his wife's murder, Joel tries to escape the alien hunter and fulfill a promise he made to her. Years of searching for the fabled planet, Aeprion, has left the space freighter captain torn between giving up the search or giving himself up to Kraxem, the alien hunter. When Kraxem and his minions attack Joel's ship again, he is forced into the nebula, where he'll have to do repairs. Once their, his thoughts revert back to the final day of Kate's life and the promises that were made. Learning to come to terms with her loss and release the guilt that he feels will be a hard battle to fight, but giving up will prove to be even more difficult and, perhaps, deadly. Steeling his resolve to forge on, Joel vows to find the fabled living planet before guilt devours his soul.

What inspired you to write this book?
I had some old stories stashed away that I wrote when I was back in college. I thought it was time to revisit them. So, starting from the ground up, I took the ideas from these old stories and completely rewrote them.

I wanted to write them as if they were vintage pulp sci-fi stories, like in the old magazines from the 1930s – 50s. I thought this was a cool idea, because I love those old stories and admire them. So, when I decided I was going to rewrite these stories, I decided to give them a classic feel.

It’s been a lot of fun.

Excerpt from The Last Stand at Aeprion:

Joel ran from the cargo bay to make a beeline for the cockpit. “We’ll talk about this later.” Then he addressed the computer. “Wanderer, raise shields and start the engines.”

“Yes, Captain.”

Kate was two steps behind him. “What are you going to do?”

“Clean up your mess, as usual.” He jumped into the pilot’s seat and grabbed the controls. “Hold on!”

Through the viewport, Joel found himself staring down the barrel of a particularly nasty-looking plasma cannon. Behind that cannon stood a group of aliens with yellow, wrinkled skin over a wide-stretched head and bulbous eyes sticking out at each side.

One of these aliens, who appeared to be in command by the way he was barking orders at the others, wore a cape that flapped in the gusts being created by the revving engines. This particular alien glared at him with a piercing stare that seemed to bore into his skull.

“Would that be the other interested party?” He toggled some switches, helping the engines cycle up faster.

“Yeah, that’s him.”

“I think he really wants that rock.”

The ship shuddered again and the viewport filled with a blinding light as the cannon fire struck the shields. Alarms beeped rapidly on the console until Joel slammed his fist down on it.

“I take it back. He wants to kill us, and then he wants the rock.”

“Shields down to 60 percent,” Kate warned.

Another shot hit the shields, setting off another round of blaring alarms.

“35 percent.”

Joel stared at the alien. Having never encountered this particular species before, he wasn’t an expert at reading their facial expressions. But if he had to describe what he was looking at, he would have said it was unchained rage.

“Open the loading ramp and drop that stupid rock out.”

Kate glared at him in disbelief. “What? No!”

Joel spun in his chair to face her. “I’m assuming you’ve already scanned the hieroglyphs on it, right?”

Kate nodded, her bottom lip quivering, knowing what he was about to tell her.

“Then we don’t need it anymore. This guy obviously wants it, and is willing to do anything to get it. And since I don’t want to die today, let’s let him have it.”

What exciting story are you working on next?
I am finishing up my High School Heroes series—a set of YA books about a group of teenagers who want to be superheroes, but high school keeps getting in the way.

I am working on more stories in The Leviathan Chronicles series.

And finally, I am writing an as yet untitled novel that is a combination spy thriller and sci-fi story set in the 1950s. All I can say about this at this time (since I’m still in the early stages of the novel) is that it will be about both the Communist and U.F.O. scares of the 1950s, and will be weaving in many historical events of the time period.


When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I want to say always. I’ve been writing since I was a child. I wrote picture books when I was only a couple years old. And I wrote plays and stories when I was in elementary school. I even rewrote Shakespeare plays and shot them as videos for projects in high school. So, I can honestly say there has never been a time, when I wasn’t a 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 feel like I write full time. I certainly put in enough time during the week to be considered a full time writing. But, alas, I do have a day job. I am an English teacher in high school.

How do I find the time to write? The honest answer to that is, I don’t know. When I get up in the morning, I write before I leave for work. And then I put in some more writing between my two jobs. And then I do more writing when my son goes to bed. I’d say I write on the weekends, but I usually don’t, as I use that time to either spend with my family, or go to different conventions to sell my work.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I hardly do any planning for my writing. I find writing more interesting when I don’t know what’s going to happen. I like to start off with an idea and a basic conflict and then let the characters take over from there and lead me through the story to the end. So, I would say that’s my writing quirk.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be everything. I wanted to be an actor, an artist, a stand-up comedian, a film director, just about everything. It’s funny, because if you look at all of those things, I always knew I wanted to be an entertainer of some kind. I just didn’t realize that writing was what I wanted to do.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
Take a look at my books. You won’t be disappointed in them.

Thanks for having me on your site.

Check out some of my other work through these links:

https://www.islandofdren.com

https://www.twitter.com/masciajames

https://jmascia.deviantart.com

http://www.amazon.com/James-Mascia/e/B005I3HX3Q#

You’re very welcome. Thank you for being here today!

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Interview with YA paranormal romance author Pembroke Sinclair

I’m happy to introduce YA paranormal romance author Pembroke Sinclair today. We’re chatting about the newest novel in her series, Dealing with Devils.

During her virtual book tour, Pembroke will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card (winner’s choice) to one randomly drawn winner; a paperback copy of Dealing with Devils (US only) to another winner; and an e-book copy of Dealing with Devils to 5 other winners. All prizes will be awarded via rafflecopter. To be entered for a chance to win one of the prizes, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too.

Bio:

Pembroke Sinclair is a literary jack of all trades, playing her hand at multiple genres. She has written an eclectic mix of fiction ranging from horror to sci-fi and even some westerns. Born in Rock Springs, Wyoming--the home of 56 nationalities--it is no wonder Pembroke ended up so creatively diverse. Her fascination with the notions of good and evil, demons and angels, and how the lines blur have inspired her writing. Pembroke lives in Laramie, Wyoming, with her husband, two spirited boys, a black lab named Ryder, and a rescue kitty named Alia, who happens to be the sweetest, most adorable kitty in the world! She cannot say no to dessert, orange soda, or cinnamon. She loves rats and tatts and rock and roll and wants to be an alien queen when she grows up. You can learn more about Pembroke Sinclair by visiting her at http://pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com/

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

Dealing with Devils is the second book in The Road to Salvation series. The Appeal of Evil is the first. Here’s what Dealing with Devils is about:

Dating a demon has its advantages, like helping deliver souls to Hell. Wait...what?

Katie’s world has been turned upside down. She's fallen for Josh—despite the fact that he’s a demon from Hell. Wes is finally out of her system and her life. Convinced she can change Josh, she sets out to make him a better person, only to find out things aren’t as simple as she’d originally thought. For one thing, Josh has Katie help him deliver souls to Hell, and she kind of likes it. And to top it off, other more powerful demons are battling for her soul, and revelations from the past could change the course of her life forever.

What inspired you to write this book?

I was thinking about women and how it’s accepted/expected for them to date the “bad boy,” and I started wondering, “What if they were really bad? Like demon from Hell bad?” And I used to book to explore that answer to that question.


Excerpt from Dealing with Devils:
A red light shone in front of them, growing in intensity as they approached. It was reminiscent of the last time she was in Hell, and she expected to see the edge of a cliff that overlooked a red lake. Instead, they stepped into a massive cavern. In the middle was a pit that sucked every last ounce of light from the immediate area. Katie imagined that was probably what a black hole looked like. Demons of every shape and size milled around the wide space. Wings flapped above her, and her gazed drifted upward, but she couldn’t see the demons, only their glowing white and red eyes. Was it because of the darkness or was the cave so massive? She didn’t know. Her gaze drifted back down. Katie instantly noticed large, black, winged creatures and heard the distinct buzz of Tormentors. She tensed, wondering where they were and thankful the sound wasn’t close to her ear. Hell Hounds zipped through the crowd, and white demons with fire-red eyes towered above them all. They looked almost like bats without wings. Their skin had a leathery sheen, their eyes were beady. Fangs protruded from their lips. Her heart skipped as she looked at them. Dread tried to push through the other feelings, but it couldn’t. Despite the heat, a chill ran through her. But so did fascination. The demons were unlike anything she had seen before, and they were so thin and frail looking, Katie was amazed they were upright at all. She thought a gentle breeze would snap them in two.

What exciting story are you working on next?

I recently finished Good Intentions, which is the third book in The Road to Salvation series.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Some days I still don’t. But since I get paid to do it at my day job, I suppose I’m more of a writer than I’m not.

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 don’t write fiction full-time, but I write for a university foundation for a living. I try to find time to write for fun when my boys are at wrestling practice/tournaments or on the weekends.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

For Good Intentions, I handwrote the entire manuscript in a notebook before transferring it to the computer.

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

I don’t remember, but my mom likes to tell me that I wanted to grow up to be Barbie.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

Thank you so much for having me on your blog! I hope you enjoy The Road to Salvations series!       

Links:

Blog | Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Facebook | Twitter

Thanks, Pembroke!

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Interview with YA sci-fi adventure/horror author R.J. Merle

Today's special guest is R.J. Merle, a young adult, sci-fi writer. We’re chatting about the new novel, Savage Winds (Children of the Elements, A Secret City Science Fiction Adventure Series, Book 1).

While the author tours with Goddess Fish Promotions, the author will be awarding a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card (winner’s choice) to a randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit the other tour stops and enter there, too.

Bio:

Author R.J. Merle stepped out of the realm of Top-Secret documents (shh, don’t tell…) to write sci-fi and paranormal fiction. R.J. survived and escaped both the entertainment field and the government-contracting environment, craves the Walking Dead, and entertains what-if tidbits about “supposed” technological and biological advances. No stranger to the goings on in the city of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, R.J. Merle blends a down-home flavor with a former in-the-know—hypothetically, of course—technical background to craft the twists and intrigue of Secret City Adventures.

Welcome R.J. Please tell us about your current release.

Savage Winds (Children of the Elements, A Secret City Science Fiction Adventure Series, Book 1)

 

A dangerous conspiracy unfolds...

In Author R.J. Merle’s whirlwind start of the Children of the Elements series, a clumsy teenage techno-geek struggles to protect kidnapped children from a covert government organization responsible for creating their abilities to control the five elements.

A mighty wind…

Eighteen-year-old Stedford Thackett’s conspiracy theorist brother ensnares him in a real life children-as-weapons plot, while a determined scientist grooms happy-go-lucky five-year-old Darcie Lynn Carpenter to use the wind as a deadly weapon.

Out of control...

Despite the firm hand of Scientist Nora Hicks, Stedford struggles to rescue the kids and escape, even as Darcie Lynn fights to gain control of the surging power of the savage winds.

Children of the Elements, A Secret City Science Fiction Adventure Series

Five full novels, one huge story
When nature refuses to be controlled, can mankind endure?

Ripped from their idyllic lives in the East Tennessee Mountains, a cluster of children with psychic powers to control the five elements—wind, earth, fire, water, and the void—are brought together by a covert government agency to be tested as weapons of mass destruction. Their struggle to free themselves and survive in the hostile mountains causes their super hero powers to go terribly wrong, creating chaos and threatening an apocalypse.

What inspired you to write Savage Winds?

I’ve always been intrigued by teen adventure and horror featuring teens faced with extraordinary circumstances and their struggle to survive.

Excerpt from Savage Winds:
Dead men don’t tell tales, yet the late project head’s records held revelations kept from Scientist Nora Hicks for far too long.

In an office deep inside an East Tennessee mountain, Nora snapped a black leather-bound book closed.

Except for the carved stone ceiling, the office mimicked a non-descript working office in Anywhere, USA. Bulky military-issue metal and wood furniture stood as a harsh legacy to the covert Secret City project and to the starkness of her life.

Sitting at the borrowed hulk of a desk in a dank underground office, she asked, “Why was this kept from me?”

Across the desk in a guest chair, General Gardner, with thin hair sprouts sprayed into place, said, “Ever since Oak Ridge existed but did not even appear on a map, the city continues to hold and foster more than its share of secrets. As a trusted senior scientist and manager of the project, Dickenson claimed you and your son were the only ones involved.”

“How long have you known there were more of us?” Her grip on the desk’s metal edge forced her gloved hands to stop shaking. The usual underground chill pressed into the heat of her temples and an off-putting tartness oozed over her tongue.

Were Scientist Daniel Dickenson not already dead, she would kill him with her bare hands.

Slowly.

What exciting story are you working on next?
Currently, I am writing two first books in two YA series.

Legend Marsh is the first in the Eleven Quest Trilogy featuring teens that go from a survival outdoor boot camp to a realm of elves, trolls, and dragons.

The first book in the other series features psychically gifted teens in competition for the lead roles on a ghost-busting TV reality series and involves their haunting adventures.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I have written and have been a writer as long as I can remember. Writers write, so I wrote and wrote and wrote and continue to write.

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 write full-time. Part of the time, I write on at a computer keyboard at a writing table, then, part of the time, I write at a treadmill desk, but then again, I write in my head most of the time. (That’s that dazed, er, contemplative expression on my face.)

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I tend to act out the motions of actions scenes, such as fight scenarios, with arm and leg movements, not an easy task while sitting in an office chair or while on a treadmill.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted to be a writer.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?
A Word-o-Gram for the Children of the Elements Series would include descriptions, such as Psychic Powers, Telekinesis, Apocalypse, Electro-Magnetic Pulse, Zombies, and Mutants.

Happy Reading!

Links:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo

Thanks, R.J.!

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Interview with educator and writer D.A. Russell

D.A. Russell is here today to talk about and give us a glimpse into his book, Lifting the Curtain: The Disgrace We Call Urban High School Education, 2^nd Edition.

Bio:

D. A. Russell has spent the last ten years as a math teacher in one of the urban high schools that is the subject of Lifting the Curtain. He is an honors graduate of Dartmouth College, and has his master’s degree from Simon School, where he was valedictorian of his class. Russell is a decorated Vietnam veteran. He has two children that he treasures, and four grandchildren. His son is a police officer who served in the US Army in Afghanistan, earning a Bronze Star for valor. His daughter is a lawyer and his most passionate fan and honorary literary agent. Russell has a passion for children that dominates his life. He has taught and coached children for decades. Few things are more important in Russell’s view than to cherish the children who are our real treasures in this world.

He is a contributor for education matters to the Huffington Post, and runs a personal blog at: LiftingTheCurtainOnEducation.wordpress.com dedicated to letting teachers’ voices be heard in the real problems with education.

Welcome, D.A. Please tell us about your current release.

Lifting the Curtain is the result of three years of research, including interviews with hundreds of teachers and students, to identify the real issues that have stolen a good education from a generation of children. Today’s discussion of a failed education system always seems to be based upon the false mantra that education is failing because of “…bad funding, bad unions, bad children, and bad teachers.” From outside the classroom it certainly can appear that way. Only if we lift the curtain and let people see beyond the school entryway is there hope of real change.

LTC was written from what both Kirkus and Clarion praise as “…an impassioned look at the shortcomings of public education, from the perspective of an inner-city high school teacher,” and as Margo Dill cited in her review “…his passion for getting to the root of the problem and helping teenagers is all over these pages.” It includes dozens of passages written by teachers nationwide, includes the survey results from three years of research, and benefits from thousands of posts and emails from teachers and parents.

What inspired you to write this book?

Four years ago I was listening to my favorite talk show on Boston radio when one of the hosts made a joke about the latest fiasco in education: “…to fix education, just shoot all the teachers.” A light bulb went on for me. I realized that if someone that insightful and intelligent could miss what is really happening in schools, then we would never be able to fix education. I started designing the research project, and writing the book that very night.

Below are summaries from a few of the chapters in the book:

Systemic Failure #7: The untouchables – Parents and Teacher Unions

The problem with discussing the contribution of these two groups to systemic failures in education is that they are untouchable in any practical manner. It is hard to see what can be done to directly (there are indirect options) influence the minority of parents whose actions (or inaction) hurt the education of their own children. And the difficulties with changing union approaches to education are well known, and would be a topic that could fill three more books.

Systemic Failure #8: Rewards unrelated to performance

The final systemic failure in education is that the vital cause-and-effect relationship between an employee’s rewards, and their performance, does not exist for teachers. Worse, the only significant differentiator in pay between two teachers in the same position is that one might be receiving special assignments (coaching, club leaders, etc.) because of blatant cronyism in administration’s assignment of those duties.

The solution – Surprise! There is one, and it is not more money!

The final chapter in Lifting the Curtain is a set of twelve practical and achievable solutions to the systemic failure of urban education. All will be strongly contested by those with vested interests in the current system, and who profit from the terrible education we are providing our children. Expect loud opposition from bureaucrats whose jobs depend upon churning out ever more useless and harmful mandates, the "clique" of cronies who abuse the system, and a minority of parents who want to just see Johnny "pass" whether or not he actually learns anything.

And the surprise of all is that these initiatives will reduce education costs rather than just throw more money at the failed policies that have destroyed urban education for our children.

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 am simply a classroom high school math teacher, with a passion for children, who is deeply frustrated about how we have failed today’s school children. I was in high tech management for years until 9/11 destroyed my business. Rather than retire, I made the decision to chase a dream I had put aside decades earlier to become a teacher. I wish I had been a teacher from day one!

Other than that, I have two children, and four granddaughters. I’m a Dartmouth honors graduate, master’s degree from the Simon School, a decorated Vietnam vet, and a FIFA gold medalist as goalie for the 2000 world champion over-50 soccer team.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Sleeplessness! I am cursed by one of those brains (at least the three remaining functioning marbles) that seems to come up with the most powerful ideas and concepts during the night. I wake up with an idea and simply have to write it down. I started with a pad of paper at bedside, but that was a complete fail – I’d wake in the morning to find a line something like “…haxe Grenoble dg the sneeasm!!!!!” It’s very frustrating knowing you lost out on a five-exclamation idea based upon something called a sneeasm.

So I finally gave in and started to get up and head to the computer. I have a folder on my desktop called “Ideas in the night.” It has worked well, and I’ve not had a single sneeasm since I started with it.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

By far the most valuable thing I can share with new authors is that there are far more scammers than helpers out there ready to promise you fame and fortune, take your money, and deliver nothing.

I spent a great deal of time looking at publishing and marketing options. My first publisher (for a fiction book I wrote a few years ago) seemed good in all regards, yet turned out to be far from that. I recall getting a phone call from an “excited” agent of the company who felt, after reading my book, that it was so good he wanted to include it in a national advertisement for just $800. There were only two problems with the offer. First of all, I had not sent in the text of the book yet, so his ability to read a book that did not exist was somewhat suspect. Second, I managed to find prior examples of the ad, and discovered they were completely about promoting their publishing and marketing services to new authors, and my inclusion was a ½ inch cover thumbnail at the bottom of the ad along with a dozen other covers.

There are so many contests you can enter that I had to route them to my junk mail filter after a while.

Finally, scam marketers and publicists are all over the web. Caveat emptor is the word of the day. Many simply mass email a précis you write to dozens of mistargeted sites. The whole process takes them about five minutes, and has nothing to do with the customization and “personal contacts” that were promised.

Now, cynicism aside, there really are good helpers and sites out there! They are just hard to find, and limited. It has taken me 3-4 years to find a handful of excellent ones. You can find them too – just don’t buy the snake oil.

Links:

Amazon | Website | Blog | Facebook

Thanks, D.A. Readers, you can find out more about D.A. as he does a virtual book tour with WOW-Women on Writing by visiting other tour stops.

Interview with pulp and fiction writer Shannon Muir

An emerging voice in new pulp and genre fiction, writer Shannon Muir wraps up this week on Reviews and Interviews. She’s here to talk about her pulp tale, “Ghost of the Airwaves” and the Newshounds anthology.

Bio:

Shannon Muir’s most recent genre fiction release is the Single Shot "Ghost of the Airwaves," a New Pulp tale, preceded by her debut genre fiction story "Pretty as a Picture" in the anthology Newshounds from Pro Se Productions. Prior to venturing into the world of New Pulp, Muir is best known to genre readers as co-writer of the long-running webcomic FLYING GLORY AND THE HOUNDS OF GLORY with her partner, Kevin Paul Shaw Broden (featured in Pro Se's anthology THE BLACK FEDORA, his own story in Newshounds, and the self-published REVENGE OF THE MASKED GHOST). She tends to gravitate towards writing stories with females in leading or influential roles, which can prove a challenge in the time periods that pulp stories are set in. Muir aspires to bring different perspective to a classic time period by taking on this viewpoint. Muir also has credits in new adult contemporary fiction, as well as published textbooks on the animation industry, a field in which she's held writing and production positions as part of her nearly twenty year career focused in family entertainment. She currently resides in Glendale, California.

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

My current release is a digital single (short story) from Pro Se Press entitled "Ghost of the Airwaves," which is a tale of mystery and murder in radio's golden age. A radio actress' husband is murdered under mysterious circumstances, and police are certain they know what happened. A mysterious letter sent to the actress by someone known only as "Ghost of the Airwaves" sheds new light on the case and she's determined to see justice done… no matter the cost.

What inspired you to write this story?

I actually wrote a live action TV script in college that was produced and got national recognition from a television honor society called FROM THE FATAL HEART. In it, a modern day DJ with a love request call in show thought his wife committed suicide after battling with a disease, but finds this not to be the case. After years went by, there were things in that script I wish I'd done better despite the accolades – I wished the DJ had been more proactive and wondered how the story would have gone with a female lead. I switched genders, moved the time period and the focus of being on the radio, and let my imagination fill in the blanks. This story is the result of that and I really love how it turned out.

I also decided to give this a try after I really enjoyed doing another story for Pro Se Press that was media-based in nature, based on their pre-established characters. The anthology, called Newshounds, followed a group of folks at a newspaper using the written word to right wrongs in the big city. The story that I wrote for it, "Pretty as a Picture," primarily focused on the two women of the group as they worked to uncover dastardly dealings at a charity benefit.

Excerpt from “Pretty as a Picture” found in Newshounds:

"Are you out of your mind?" Margie Haviland insisted to her editor in the main press room of the Partisan, a paper known for exposing more than a few dirty downsides of the city and fighting for the everyday citizen. "You expect me and Viv," Margie said, thumbing a finger at Vivian Bailey, the tall and knockout female reporter of the group, "to just go and crash some charity function?" '

"Definitely not crash it, at least not openly," Red responded, much calmer and collected than the saucy, petite Margie. "We don't want to call attention to ourselves. But the reality is you and Viv are the only female reporters we've got that can swing this kind of a high pressure undercover job. As you know though, there are, shall we say, added complications."

"Such as the fact that Margie comes from the same rich elite that will be attending this function," pointed out Ted Boland, the lead male reporter for the Partisan. "Some of these folks could even be family or friends."

"Trust me, they'd be no friends of mine," Margie all but spat in Ted's face. "I left that life behind a long time ago."

"Not only are you our top photographer, you also know how to get around and what to look for," the editor reassured Margie. "That's why you and Viv need to do this. Augustus Morton says he's doing this all as a charity benefit, allowing a sneak peek at next year's European styles before they trend in the States. All the proceeds would be to benefit business scholarships to further the education of young people, including internships with Morton's companies."

”Internships with him will just teach them how to play dirty pool. This Morton's got a history of being nothing but trouble," stressed Viv. "He looks so great on the surface with what the public sees, but as you all know we've turned up a few dirty things about him. Unfortunately, we never quite witnessed his involvement in those dealings."

"Which is why we can't miss this time, doll," Ted responded.

"You're walking on thin ice calling me doll and you know it, Mr. Boland," Viv threw back, not even giving him the respect of answering with a first name.

"All right you two, we get it," spoke up Dice, the circulation manager. "I think everyone knows what's at stake here. We all got to play it like pros. Viv, Margie, come up with a strategy of how to get into this special event. The big thing, our friend Augustus Morton," Red underscored sarcastically, "emphasized in his little invite is that this charity fashion show will culminate with the unveiling of his new personally discovered star, name of Kitty Kline."

"Knowing you Red, you researched like crazy about this star doll of his," ace reporter Ted added in. "So, what kind of dirt did you uncover?"

"That's the thing. I came up with nothing."

"You mean she's squeaky clean?" asked Margie.

"I mean, I found diddly squat. All my years in this biz and I can't even turn up a hint as to who this gal is."

"If she even exists at all," Viv pointed out. "Maybe that's the ultimate joke of it. Morton's pulled bigger ruses and gotten away with it."

"That's true," Red agreed. "But what's Morton's game, if that's the case?"

A young woman came into the room just then, about eighteen years of age. She seemed mousey and vulnerable at the same time, even though her blond curly hair would probably make her look quite alluring if she just lost the glasses. Margie didn't see an ounce of professionalism in the girl. As for the three main men of the Partisan, they were rather easily distracted.

"I've got your mail, Mr. Dillinger," the young lady said to the editor of the paper. "Should I just put it on the desk?"

Redmond Dillinger just sighed, exasperated.

"Kathy, how many times do I have to repeat this? No interrupting when we're having a meeting here. It could wait," Red reminded the young woman, but very gently. He was going really soft on her, something that didn't get by either of the ladies.

"But sir," Kathy responded innocently. "Your next big story could be in this pile."

She batted her eyelashes.

"That may be true, but I won't be able to psychically read it in the middle of a meeting and change course. Believe me, it can wait."

What exciting story are you working on next?

Besides having several other stories still waiting in the wings to appear with Pro Se Press, I am working on my own collection of short stories called DYING WITH HER NAME IN LIGHTS. These stories will still be entertainment industry focused in nature, and many occurring in historical time periods versus the modern day of my other independently published work. However, these would be a bit more character driven versus the action-driven nature of what I do with Pro Se Press. Having said that, I still think character is an important part of any story.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I considered myself a writer for years, back when I was a child. If you mean as a published author, my very first stories were in print (in exchange for subscription copies) to a bi-monthly high quality Play By Mail magazine called PAPER MAYHEM. Basically, think board games by mail, but that's oversimplifying some. Anyway, I started doing fiction based on the game I was in at the time, with the permission of the people that ran it, and really fell in love with doing that. If that sounds in a way like fan fiction, I guess you could call it that, albeit sanctioned fan fiction. I continued until 1998 when the owner, Dave Webber, unexpectedly passed away. Without that support, I don't think I'd have ventured further into submitting to outlets like Pro Se Press or others, as well a self-publishing a few stories I want to tell that I think have too niche an audience to be distributed by others. In the future, though, I hope to do more work such as I have been fortunate to do with Pro Se Press. Tommy Hancock and his team are very passionate about new pulp and genre fiction, and are getting a lot of interesting materials out there; I'm glad to be part of it.

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 not write full time as I hold down a regular job as well. Fortunately I take public transit, and have mastered the use of the smart phone. While at time a challenge to do, I have a Microsoft Word compatible program on my Android and will tap out short scenes or outlines, and then email them to myself for easier integration. It's really helped.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

To be playing LORD OF THE RINGS ONLINE on one of my dual monitors while working out story problems in Microsoft Word on the other.

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

Believe it or not, a writer. My sister and I collaborated on our first novel when I was around 10 years old. Teachers in the fifth and sixth grade had my poetry and stories on display at the local mall as part of school district creative arts displays; I kind of started getting a hint that way. Later, once I became a teenager, I also wanted to write for animation; years later, I became one of two Western writers to write for a Japanese produced program. Definitely, my childhood dreams did come true.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

My hope is that I am able to create characters that are interesting enough that readers will want to follow them on whatever adventure they are on – a murder mystery, a saga of self-discovery, or a flight of epic fantasy. I believe that at the heart of any story that will impact a reader there must be a strong character. That doesn't necessarily mean deep, though mine often are. What it does mean to me is that the reader truly buys into the fact this character has these adventures and behaves in consistent ways. Most of all, I hope readers keep exploring and discovering the worlds created by all kinds of writers, for what we do is meaningless without readers to enjoy those words.

Links:

Website | Twitter | Amazon Author Page | Smashwords Author Page 

Thanks, Shannon!