Sara Jo Easton - The Zarder

It is our pleasure to have Sara Jo Easton with us, stopping by to promote her novel The Zarder.

Where do you currently live?
I currently live near Atlanta, Georgia, which from what I've discovered so far has an interesting arts and culture scene. I'm new to the area, which can be intimidating, but I have the benefit of being near family.

Tell us a little bit about your life.
I've come face-to-face with a bear, walked on the trail of the spiritual octopus, and somehow managed to survive living in a household with six younger siblings. The stories I tell at parties are often not believed.

When did you first start writing?
My mother has a copy of a "book" I wrote when I was four.

What was your very first story about?
It involved a pumpkin named Halloween who found his girlfriend, a pumpkin with giant eyelashes and a bow. I'm sure it made perfect sense to my four year old self.

Have you written anything that you were too afraid to let anyone read?
I'm ashamed to admit that I've written some love poetry that would give the Vogons a run for their Constructor Fleet. It turned out that it fit the subject matter, though, so I have no regrets. I will never let anyone see that poetry; I'm too embarrassed.

Did you experience anything you’ve written yourself?
I can't say that I've ever had to hide from a fire-breathing dragon-like creature who wanted me dead, but I'd be lying if I said I haven't experienced friendship or a desire to protect those I care about. As far as direct comparisons to my life go, I'm notoriously shy around men I find attractive, and I've noticed that my characters have a tendency to be shy around their crushes as well. It's a subconscious channeling of life into a story, I suppose.

Who are several of your greatest literary inspirations?
My three favorite writers of all time are J.R.R. Tolkien, Anne McCaffrey, and Oscar Wilde. It seems like a strange mix of styles, but that's the truth.

What kind of education have you received, and how has that affected your writing?
I have a college education in journalism, which has given me a focus on meeting deadlines that has greatly improved my writing skills. The most important thing about writing is motivation, and deadlines help with that.

How much research time customarily goes into your projects?
My fantasy world doesn't involve swords or something that could immediately be questioned by experts in the real world, but that doesn't mean I'm not spending time world-building before I write. I spent almost a decade creating the rules of the Sandleyr, making sure that those rules were easily understandable without too much explanation.

Who is your favorite literary character?
Eowyn of Rohan from "Lord of the Rings" is my minor obsession. She gets to slay bad things, and she gets the hot guy in the end.

Who is your favorite character of your own creation?
My favorite character depends on my mood and how troublesome they were in the editing process. Idenno was the first Onizard I ever drew, so he has a special place in my heart. I admire his bravery and the strength of his love.

If you were ever to write an autobiography, what would its title be?
Fact and Fantasy: The Sara Jo Easton Story

Tell us about your featured book.
The Zarder is the story of a human named Jena who accidentally gets her mind telepathically Bonded to the mind of a dragon-like creature, an Onizard named Senraeno. Since the ruler of the Onizards, the Fire Queen, believes humans are inferior beings who need to be "put in their place" through a fiery death, Jena has to fake her own death and go into hiding. The Onizards around her suspect that she may be the key to defeating the Fire Queen once and for all, but there is much to be done (and much to discover) before that happens.

Why did you write that?
It started out as something to do when I was bored, but it quickly grew into something I felt like I had to do. So I worked on the story until it looked like a story and not something an eccentric madwoman threw together haphazardly. It's been a great way to grow personally and creatively.

Is there anything special you would like your potential readers to know?
Thank you for taking a look at my story! I hope you've enjoyed what you've read so far, and I'm honored that you've spent your time on me.

What is your favorite season of the year, and what makes it so?
I love summer, because it brings fond memories of my grandmother's house and playing in the woods.

When you think of the word “Writer” what comes to mind?
Someone who neglects "normal" activities for a keyboard, blank paper and a pen.

If you had to live in another time period, which one would you choose?
I'd chose the 1900s so I could see women fighting for the right to vote and get a first edition of "The Picture of Dorian Gray". Realistically, the people of that time would probably call me an insane spinster and shun me.

What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to try, but never have?
I've always wanted to go hunting for diamonds in Arkansas. I made someone mad when I spent too much time rock-hunting on my last major trip. In my defense, I was finding pieces of petrified wood, and I had permission to take it off the property.

What is your favorite thing to do when you have a day to yourself?
I love reading; I do so whenever I get a spare moment. Since I'm a writer, that hobby should be obvious.

When were you most scared in your life, and why?
A well-meaning relative stole my writing notebook with all of my story notes and threatened to set it on fire for being "trash". Everything I'd worked for was about to turn into ashes, and I wasn't strong enough to stop it. That was the very day my fire-breathing villainess was born.

What is the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen?
The sunset over Newfoundland is awash with color, and the way the sun hits the water and the coastline as it slowly sinks down cannot be compared with a sunset anywhere else.

First thing you’d do if you were handed a million dollars?
I'd pay off my student loans and buy a house!

What was/is your favorite thing about your childhood home?
There was a laundry chute that went from the second floor to the basement. My brother and I used to tie string to a well-known talking toy and send it bungee-jumping down the chute. Amazingly, we did not get in trouble for this.

What do you most want out of your life? Your ultimate ambition, as it were.
I'd love to own a house and make a living out of writing.

Our thanks Sara Jo Easton for taking the time to participate with us. Her work can be found, just a click away, below.

KT Hall - Family History, Part 1

It is our pleasure to have KT Hall with us, promoting her book Family History Part 1.

How old are you?
6.3662π

Where do you currently live?
Laramie, Wyoming, USA.

Tell us a little bit about your life.I’m an avid Redditor, aspiring psychiatrist, and lover of chocolate milk. I’ve wanted to be a writer for just about as long as I can remember. 

When did you first start writing?
When I was six, I wrote a Tom-and-Jerry, Cat-and-mouse type story. I don’t remember the circumstances, but it ended up winning some kind of award. Positive reinforcement proceeded to tell my brain that being rewarded was awesome and that I should keep writing.

Have you written anything that you were too afraid to let anyone read?
I once wrote a poem about how stupid North Dakota was after my then-boyfriend moved there. It might still be on my flash drive.

Did you experience anything you’ve written yourself?
“The Dowry” was actually loosely inspired by a series of events, the basis of which being girl likes boy, but girl also likes this other boy.

Who are several of your greatest literary inspirations?
“Family History” was me trying to do something as spectacular as Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude.” It’s basically my favorite book of all time.

What kind of education have you received, and how has that affected your writing?
I’m currently working towards a physiology degree, which so far, has had no effect on my writing.

Tell us about your featured book.
“Family History: Part 1” and “Part 2” is about Collie Barrett and her descendants, and how they cope with an age-old curse that is passed through the family line. When Collie begins documenting her experiences in an old journal, the journal finds itself passed along from family member to family member, some of whom reject and attempt to cover up the book and the old family history.

Why did you write that?
“Family History” was actually somewhat of a hodge-podge between “The Dowry” and “Welcome to Northgate”. “Welcome to Northgate” was a project I had started and never finished, simply because I was too attached to my characters from “The Dowry”.

Is there anything special you would like your potential readers to know?
For the few people who chose to download “Part 2” for free, you do not necessarily need to read “Part 1”. However, the ending makes a little more sense if you do.

What activity or hobby, besides writing, do you find most enjoyable?
I love the outdoors, and I love taking pictures of the outdoors. Lately, I’ve especially gotten into blogging as well.

What was your favorite childhood toy?
I had a plethora of stuffed animals from Sesame street, and I used to play with them for hours, especially my Elmo doll.

If you lost the ability to see every color but one, which one would it be?
My favorite colors are blue and purple. The human eye has a more difficult time of seeing the color purple, though, so the answer would probably would have to be blue. The cool part would be that I could still see the sky.

How do you treat people you’re not fond of?
I probably just don’t talk to them. Though the other day, I found myself saying mean, horrible, nasty things about an ex-boss of mine – I told my boyfriend that she deserved to be unemployed. For the record, she did sexually harass a guy nearly a decade younger than her.

What is hiding in your closet as we speak?
I live in a tiny apartment with a tiny closet, so at the moment, nothing is really “hiding”. I just have a lot of clothes.

What do you see as your greatest achievement?
I got an A in Organic Chemistry last semester. That was pretty sweet.

What, to you, is absolutely wrong?
2 + 2 = 3

You’ve decided to buy an exotic pet, what do you go for?
A monkey, so I could teach it sign language. Actually, we would learn together.

If you could learn one new thing instantly, what would it be?
Probably how to speak Spanish, just because it’s practical and I will probably never attempt to learn it otherwise.

Finish this sentence. “I sometimes find it hard to…”
...not purchase fancy, overpriced restaurant food.

Who is your most favorite literary character?
Jenny Fields from The World According to Garp. She’s an accidental feminist whose first line of her book is “In this dirty-minded world, you’re either somebody’s wife or somebody’s whore, or fast on your way to becoming one or the other.”

Who is your favorite character of your own creation?
Right now, probably Richard Broozer of my current project, “The Night Life.” He’s a fragile soul who’s homosexual and terrified to admit it to anybody. He has no close friends, is a bit anti-social, and it’s pretty much a miracle that he hasn’t actually attempted to kill himself. He runs his father’s business and desperately seeks to please him, even though deep down, he hates every fiber of his father’s being. He “dates” a girl with no memory of her past because he can simply tell her that they’ve been together for a year and she willingly follows him.

If you were ever to write an autobiography, what would its title be?
I was actually thinking of writing an autobiography-type work entitled “Tales from the Vending Machine: An Autobiography Written in Creative Works.” Basically, I would just go and track down old pieces of my writing, put them in the book, and explain what the hell I was thinking when it was being written. However, I feel as though it would end up coming off as extremely vapid and awful, so I may not do it. Other than that, though, I feel as though my life is too short to really pick an appropriate title for an autobiography.

What if it was a biography of your favorite person?
Right now, my boyfriend is my favorite person. If I had to title his autobiography? Maybe “Escaped From Redneckism.”

To be or not to be?
…that is the question.


Thanks again to KT Hall for participating. Give her work a look, then reward yourself with delicious cupcakes.

Lynne North - Gertie Gets it Right (eventually)

Our featured author today is Lynne North, with her book Gertie Gets it Right (eventually.)

What is your name?

Strangely enough, I even have a story to tell about my name. My actual name is Lynne Northing, but I write under the name of Lynne North. No, this is not a tax dodge. I have spent so much of my life being mailed as Lynne Nothing, that I was determined that awful name would NOT accidentally appear on my first book cover! They can’t go far wrong with Lynne North…I hope.

Age?

I could be said to be in my second (or even third?) childhood. If truth be told though, I don’t think I ever left my first one…

Where do you currently live?

I live in a lovely countryside area in the North West of England.

When did you first start writing?

Way back in my school years I always enjoyed my English classes and being asked to write stories. I began to write for myself in my mid teens, and before long was earning money for magazine articles. That was great, but what I always wanted was to write a book. To actually have them published is a dream come true!

What was your very first story about?

My first attempt at book writing was a children’s fantasy tale (what a surprise!) The story involves a village blighted by an evil wizard and a quest to find the necessary ingredients for a spell to end the curse. Uhm, maybe I should blow off the cobwebs and think about a rewrite?

Have you written anything that you were too afraid to let anyone read?

Amazingly enough, no! Not that I can think of, anyway. If I have, it is buried so deep in my mind, even I can’t find it…

Did you experience anything you’ve written yourself?

It’s funny you should ask that, because I am currently working on a series of macabre Twist in the Tale short stories for an anthology. One of the stories for this is loosely based on a strange experience I had when I was 12 years old. And no, I’m not giving any more away about it!

Who are several of your greatest literary inspirations?

There are so many, but if I have to choose a few they will be Terry Pratchett, Terry Brooks, JRR Tolkien and JK Rowling.

What kind of education have you received, and how has that affected your writing?

I was educated up to degree level, achieving an honours degree in psychology. Does that affect my writing? In a strange way it probably does. To develop characters you have to analyse people and situations, know what your characters would and would not do. I guess a starting point of psychology is a good enough place to begin the analysis!

How much research time customarily goes into your projects?

Most of my writing is straight from my mind, and involves no research whatsoever. That’s the beauty of fantasy. Anything goes! No one can say you are not right about a fantasy you create yourself. Where research is necessary (and of course it sometimes is) then I will spend as long as it takes to get it right.

Tell us about your featured book.

Gertie Gets it Right (eventually) is a children’s humorous fantasy novel aimed at the eight years of age to young teen market.

Gertie Grimthorpe comes from a long line of witches. Unfortunately, she hasn’t really got the hang of it. Being blonde haired, blue eyed and free of warts isn’t much of an advantage. Try as she might, Gertie’s spells fall flat. She manages to give her bat-headed umbrella the ability to talk, but then wishes she hadn’t when all he does is complain and insult people. Even finding an owl to be her Familiar doesn’t help. Then again, he is extremely shortsighted… Gertie is sent to The Academy to improve her spell casting skills. She soon has a best friend in the form of Bertha Bobbit, a big girl, with a matching appetite. Add to that a Moat Monster with a flatulence problem, the weirdest array of witch’s Familiars possible, and a warlock determined to ruin Gertie’s chances of success, and the story unfolds. Not to mention the demon...

Why did you write that?

That’s quite hard to answer, because it was simply a story that was inside me. I love to write humorous fantasy, and even if I’m not trying to be humorous, my writing has a habit of turning that way unless I keep a very tight reign on it. I began the story and it developed quickly. Before long the characters took over, and kept me going until they had reached their last page.

Is there anything special you would like your potential readers to know?

Though written for children, I receive many positive comments from adult readers. If, like me, you still have a childlike outlook on life and a silly sense of humour, give it a go!

Where is the one place you’ve traveled where you’ve felt most like you fit in?

No matter where I might travel, home is where I prefer to be, and where I know that I truly belong.

What activity or hobby, besides writing, do you find most enjoyable?

Actually, I love console gaming! I find fantasy role-playing games to be very therapeutic when I take a break from work and writing.

What was your favorite childhood toy?

There were so many, but I will probably have to choose my first teddy bear. We met on my second Christmas in this world, when she was sat staring out of my Christmas sack. I still have her, and wouldn’t part with her for the world!

What is your most valued personal possession in life? Who gave it to you?

This too is hard to pinpoint, but I will choose a Myth & Magic ornament with the title of Reflections. It is a wonderful dragon, looking into an ornate mirror made up of a lovely faceted blue crystal. My Mum bought it for me during 1997, and moved it away as a Christmas present. Sadly she died suddenly before that Christmas, so it almost felt like a present from beyond. I still think that if I do see my Mum again in this life, she will be reflected in that crystal…

If you lost the ability to see every color but one, which one would it be?

Blue, every time. It is such a beautiful colour. The sky, the sea, calmness, and my eyes!

What do you see as your greatest achievement?

Seeing two of my books published, Gertie Gets it Right (eventually), and Zac’s Destiny.

What, to you, is absolutely wrong?

Injustice, lack of gratitude, and hearing of old people who have lived through two World Wars being hurt or killed in their own homes.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

Never give up, and follow your dreams.

If you had to explain the concept of “love” to someone who’s never heard of it before, how would you?

Love has more facets that the most expensive diamond. It can bring the greatest joys, and the deepest sorrows. There are so many different kinds of love, but they all play such a huge part in our lives. A life devoid of love, would be a life not worth living.

You’ve decided to buy an exotic pet, what do you go for?

I’d go for a unicorn, but I guess I might have a little trouble finding one…

If you could learn one new thing instantly, what would it be?

Confidence. The one thing that holds me back in life is lack of confidence. I write confidently, but I don’t live the same way.

Finish this sentence. “I sometimes find it hard to…”

…Give the best of myself in public!

Who is your most favorite literary character?

Terry Pratchett’s witches, and JRR Tolkien’s Hobbits. Sorry if I cheated a bit by choosing more than one!

Who is your favorite character of your own creation?

Oh, how to choose. Possibly the dual characters of Cer and Ber who appear in the children’s fantasy I am currently writing, “Be Careful What You Wish For.” Sorry, can’t give any more away!

If you were ever to write an autobiography, what would its title be?

Something like ‘Chasing Rainbows’

What if it was a biography of your favorite person?

‘The Real God of Discworld’, of course about my hero Terry Pratchett.

Name three things about that person that influenced or inspired you.

The ease with which he seems to write, the brilliance of his humour, and the fact he appears to be a genuinely nice, down-to-earth man despite his fame.

Our very special thanks to Lynne for sharing her fantastic responses with us. Her work is available in both paperback and e-book format. Go check it out today, before the planet is covered with ice, it's too slippery to go anywhere, and you're stuck without anything to read.

Jed Fisher - Armor Academy Space Cadet

It is our pleasure to have Jed Fisher and his novella Armor Academy Space Cadet with us today.

Jed is 47 years old and currently lives in Oklahoma.

Tell us a little bit about your life.
I was born and raised in a small town right on the Ohio River. My two wonderful parents were school teachers and I have five sisters and two brothers. I served 24 years in the US Army and in 2008 I retired and settled near a military base.

When did you first start writing?
In junior high school.

What was your very first story about?
A guy is driving a modest car and is harassed on the road by the driver of a big, ugly tractor-trailer. My mother, a university English professor at the time, thought it was good and edited it and sent it off to a small press’s writing contest in Maine. Never heard back from them.

Have you written anything that you were too afraid to let anyone read?
Yes. I wrote a very dark novel. The characters were pure evil and did some despicable things. It was a dark time in my life.

Did you experience anything you’ve written yourself?
Yes. I wrote a non-fiction piece about riots in Korea in the 1980s. That, and much of my fiction is exaggerated, embellished, or just as often subdued representations of some things I have done. For example, I used my experience with commercial airline travel as a basis for describing space flight.

Who are several of your greatest literary inspirations?
Hemmingway, Carver, Richard Wheeler, David Drake, and the Battletech and Star Trek novel series. And Jane Austen, she writes well. She demonstrates the best use of passive voice and narrative summary. And the lesser-known writers who influenced me the most because they took the time to teach the art and craft of writing in the classrooms of Cameron University: Hardy Jones, Bayard Godsave, and Mark Spencer.

What kind of education have you received, and how has that affected your writing?
I have a BA in English from Cameron University and that education has made my writing publishable. Without that education, I’d be nothing but another illiterate ambitious scribbler.

How much research time customarily goes into your projects?
For my last novel I spent about two months pondering, sketching an outline for the plot, and making notes of key phrases before I actually started writing that novel. For science fiction it’s a lifetime of experience plus thumbing through my old physics textbook. And flipping through channels on TV. Sometimes a scene or phrase I need presents itself, although, often times I see a bad scene and put a much better version of it in my fiction.

That, and I’ll occasionally ‘people-watch’ in public to find models for character behavior.

Everything is research, life is research, for fiction.

Tell us about your featured book.
Armor Academy Space Cadet is a military science fiction novella intended to develop the central character and establish the universe of the trilogy that follows. It goes from about noon of the day the main character graduates from a mercenary military academy to about noon the next day, when the main character sets off to find a job.

Why did you write that?
I wrote Armor Academy Space Cadet because of the response I was getting from readers about the three novels of my War for Profit trilogy. I’d assumed the Trilogy would only appeal to hard-core military sci-fi readers so I left out some character development, setting descriptions and premise common to military sci-fi. Apparently my books appealed to readers who don’t usually enjoy sci-fi so I needed to accommodate them.

They needed more setting and character development so I wrote Armor Academy Space Cadet as a prequel novella to clarify those areas. Readers who aren’t military sci-fi fans now have a foundation from which to enjoy the three follow-on novels of the War for Profit trilogy.

Is there anything special you would like your potential readers to know?
Yes. Some readers may feel I take a somewhat cavalier approach to describing military service, doing a disservice to those who served. Well, I served. I’m one of those guys.

Expecting me to exalt military service as some mythical thing would be like expecting a retired NFL player to ‘ooh’ and ‘ah’ his way through the displays of the football hall of fame.

Where is the one place you’ve traveled where you’ve felt most like you fit in?
Germany. While there, I lived in a small town on a river which reminded me of home.

Also, the area where I grew up was settled throughout the 1800s by waves of German and Dutch dirt farmer immigrants, so many aspects of the German culture were familiar. The language was a bit of a challenge, but besides that it was easy to fit in.

What activity or hobby, besides writing, do you find most enjoyable?
Shooting. Pistols, rifles, and shotguns. Marksmanship is very enjoyable, and I’m pretty good at it.

What was your favorite childhood toy?
My bb gun, I guess. Never put an eye out.

What is your most valued personal possession in life? Who gave it to you?
My ‘retired military’ ID card. The Army issued it to me when I retired. I don’t go anywhere without it.

If you lost the ability to see every color but one, which one would it be?
Green. I used a graphics program to run through all the colors, and the absence of all but green, that picture looked the best overall.

How do you treat people you’re not fond of?
I ignore them as much as possible, but when that isn’t possible I’m outwardly civil and use biting sarcasm when I’m forced to speak with them.

What do you see as your greatest achievement?
Serving in the military, serving long enough to retire honorably.

What, to you, is absolutely wrong?
Hypocrisy. It is the basis of the mindset that allows people to do all other kinds of evil.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
“Always tell the truth and you won’t have to remember anything.” (by Samuel Clemens.)

What do you classify as an “Adventure?”
A challenging journey where the outcome is uncertain and the reward is unknown.

If you could learn one new thing instantly, what would it be?
Korean. I’d like to be as skilled in Korean as I am in English.

Finish this sentence. “I sometimes find it hard to…”
“…pronounce words correctly.” To spell correctly when I write, I’ve developed my own pronunciations for many words, so that they are spelt the way they sound in my head.

Then when I have to read aloud, I have to remember to use the proper pronunciations.

Example, “Char Act Err” for character.

Who is your most favorite literary character?
Walter Mitty, from O. Henry’s “Secret Life of Walter Mitty.” His imagination, his escapism, is intriguing and easily sympathetic.

Who is your favorite character of your own creation?
Master Sergeant Sevin, a grizzled veteran who plays a key role in all three novels of the War for Profit Trilogy.

To be or not to be?
To be. To be, regardless of circumstance. Standing on a ledge in a cold, stiff wind or dangling from a cliff by the tips of the fingers, or curled up in pain in a hospital bed. No matter, life is precious and just one more moment of life is worth it. To be alive, that’s what life is all about.

We would like to thank Jed once again for being with us today. Go check out his work, before you're struck with a crippling fear of snails.

George L. Potter - Death in the Empty Quarter

We are very pleased to have George L. Potter and his book Death in the Empty Quarter with us today.

What is your name?

George L. Potter

Age?

I turned 70 on September 11th

Where do you currently live?

I live in Asheville, NC – I’ve been living here for about 10 years now since I retired from the oil ‘bidness’.

Tell us a little bit about your life.

I was born in rural Louisiana and attended Louisiana State University earning degrees in Chemical Engineering and Law. Worked for a time in the paper industry, but spent most of my career in the oil industry. Moved around frequently – spent several years living in Yemen where I was the assistant general manager for my company’s operations in that country. My wife and I have been married for 48 years now and have two children and six grandchildren (and three spoiled dogs).

When did you first start writing?

My first effort was in high school. In the mid 50s I was a science fiction reader and a friend and I wrote a couple of short stories and submitted them to two of the sci-fi periodicals. I wish I had kept the rejection letters from back then. I started on a novel in the early 1980s but demands of career and family side-tracked that effort. I saved all my notes and drafts and eventually incorporated much of that into In Search of the Yellow Dog which I started after retiring.

What was your very first story about?

Our first sci-fi stories in the 50s were about aliens invading the earth – my first serious story was In Search of the Yellow Dog, a mystery set in my hometown of Bogalusa, Louisiana.

Have you written anything that you were too afraid to let anyone read?

I was somewhat leery of having my daughter and granddaughter read some of the steamier scenes in Death in the Empty Quarter, but I believe the scenes were “tastefully” crafted so I got past that fear.

Did you experience anything you’ve written yourself?

I put a lot of myself in both my books, embellished to some extent.

Who are several of your greatest literary inspirations?

I’ve been a prolific reader all my life and almost everything I’ve read has had some inspiration. My favorite authors include Robert A. Heinlein, Isaac Asimov, Ross MacDonald, Dick Francis and James Lee Burke.

What kind of education have you received, and how has that affected your writing?

As I mentioned earlier I have both an engineering and a law degree. Even as an undergraduate in engineering I took English courses as my electives. I practiced law for awhile which involves a lot of writing – I took a couple of seminars in writing.

How much research time customarily goes into your projects?

Considerable. I don’t know how I could do as much research as I have to do for my writing if it wasn’t for the internet. I have two “works in progress”, both requiring extensive research. One involves the search for lost confederate gold and the other is set in North Africa during the early days of World War II.

Tell us about your featured book.

Death in the Empty Quarter is set primarily in the country of Yemen. As I mentioned, I lived there for several years and it is a fabulous place with great, hard working people. It is about a fictitious oil company which won an oil concession there, but a sexy muckraking reporter wonders how the small company beat out the industry giants for that concession. It traces a family feud from sixty years previous for control of valuable oil rights in south Louisiana which in turn led to the acquisition of the Yemen concession. It has incest, murder, kidnapping, international terrorism, espionage.

Why did you write that?

It was always in me fighting to get out – it was a story I had to tell!

Is there anything special you would like your potential readers to know?

Only that I write for my readers – I’m certainly not going to get rich off this work. It’s a hobby and a means to express myself. I only hope I can provide my readers with some good entertainment.

Where is the one place you’ve traveled where you’ve felt most like you fit in?

I felt most comfortable living and working in Yemen. I made good friends with many of the locals and life long friends with many of the expatriates I worked with there.

What activity or hobby, besides writing, do you find most enjoyable?

I’m an avid amateur astronomer. I have several telescopes ranging in size from 3” refractors to an 11” Schmidt-Cassegrain. I love to photograph deep space objects. I’ll often spend all night photographing a single object. The wonders of the universe never cease to amaze me.

What is hiding in your closet as we speak?

Statute of Limitations may not have run on some of these things, so I’d better not get too specific.

You have decided to buy an exotic pet, what do you go for?

The dachsunds running around our house are as “exotic” as I can stand.

If you could learn one new thing instantly, what would it be?

I would learn to speak several foreign languages – I took Spanish in high school and still have trouble ordering in a Mexican restaurant. I’ve tried to learn German without success, but I most would love to be fluent in Arabic as is my protagonist in Empty Quarter.

Finish this sentence. “I sometimes find it hard to…”

Just do one thing at a time – there’s so much to do in this word, so much to see and so many people to get to know.

Who is your most favorite literary character?

It varies from time to time, but at present my favorite would be Dave Robicheaux, James Lee Burke’s main character in his novels set in south Louisiana. He’s about my age and has a “no nonsense” attitude about things that I just relate to him.

Who is your favorite character of your own creation?

The main characters in both my novels, Randall Oliver in Yellow Dog, and Bert Franks in Empty Quarter, are a lot alike in many ways, and I have to say they’re both people I identify with greatly. In Yellow Dog, Oliver is an older man (about my current age) while in Empty Quarter, Franks is early middle age. In my coming prequel to Yellow Dog, which I have titled, The Treasure of Money Hill, I have created a female character that I have fallen in love with. I guess that’s a hazard of being able to create your own characters.

If you were ever to write an autobiography, what would its title be?

I’d probably not try to get a descriptive title – that would be bragging. Something simple – “The Life and Times of Me”.

To be or not to be?

I would certainly choose to be!

Our thanks again to George for participating. Now go and give his work a look before the crust of the earth begins to disassemble itself.

Warren Haustrumerda - Tall Tales of Felony and Failure

Our special guest today is Warren Haustrumerda and his novella Tall Tales of Felony and Failure.

Warren is 39 years old and currently lives in Oakdale, Connecticut.

When did you first start writing?
I wrote a little in high school, but didn't actually start my first honest effort, which eventually became Tall Tales of Felony and Failure, until a few years ago.

What was your very first story about?
My favorite topics: treachery, felony, dereliction, and alcohol consumption!

Have you written anything that you were too afraid to let anyone read?
Yup, this story. That's why I'm rocking this awesome pseudonym!

Where is the one place you’ve traveled where you’ve felt most like you fit in?
Fremantle and Perth, Australia.

What activity or hobby, besides writing, do you find most enjoyable?
Homebrewing like a son of a *****!

What was your favorite childhood toy?
GI Joe and Star Wars action figures. Like a boss.

If you lost the ability to see every color but one, which one would it be?
Blue. But how would I be able to differentiate between anything?

How do you treat people you’re not fond of?
With the greatest respect imagineable (when I'm not able to avoid them completely) to mask my planning for their demise.

What is hiding in your closet as we speak?
Foul intentions.

What do you see as your greatest achievement?
My two wonderful children.

What, to you, is absolutely wrong?
Being dishonest with yourself. It's fine, and often required, to be dishonest with others. You shouldn't bull**** yourself, though.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Money doesn't buy happiness, but it sure helps smooth over life's rough spots.

If you had to explain the concept “love” to someone who’s never heard of it before, how would you?
Love is an evolutionary trait required to ensure propagation of the species and care of our young. It's needed to override our big, rationale brains.

What about “hate?”
Another evolutionary survival mechanism.

You’ve decided to buy an exotic pet, what do you go for?
Uggh. I'm already waiting for our dog to pass so I can "de-pet" my life. I'm not keen on adding a new, more complicated animal.

What do you classify as an “Adventure?”
Every waking moment, if you're doing it right.

Who is your favorite literary character?
Cranston Staigne!

Who is your favorite character of your own creation?
Cranston Staigne! Redundancy!

If you could learn one new thing instantly, what would it be?
Mad ninja skills, like in the matrix.

Finish this sentence. “I sometimes find it hard to…”
resist just about any temptation.

What kind of education have you received, and how has that affected your writing?
Very limited formal education, which has probably limited my writing. Ignorance is bliss, though.

If you were ever to write an autobiography, what would its title be?
One Big, Dumb, Dirty Bas****

What if it was a biography of your favorite person?
No One's Been Where I've Gone: Hunter S. Thompson Is King Of The Universe

Name three things about that person that influenced or inspired you.
Contempt for authority, ability to ruthlessly identify core motivations behind the events he reported, ridiculous tolerance to recreational pharmaceuticals

Did you experience anything you’ve written yourself?
I've experienced just about everything I've written. I'm not clever enough to make things up.

Who are several of your greatest literary inspirations?
Hunter Thompson, John P. McAfee, Joseph Heller, and now Joe Abercrombie. Also there's Anthony Burgess, Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs, Ken Kesey, George Orwell, Kurt Vonnegut, Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck, Aldous Huxley, and H.P. Lovecraft. And a ton of others I'm sure I've forgotten to include. Also, Pink Floyd.

How much research time customarily goes into your projects?
Absolutely none.

Tell us about your featured book.
Tall Tales of Felony and Failure is a hilarious, mind altering, soul deadening ride through the eyes of a mildly insane and somewhat super-powered protagonist, Cranston Staigne. After discovering his ability to control time, Cranston embarks with his cohort Tom on a drunken escapade across three continents. During their travels, the pair commit numerous crimes, evade authorities, and cheat death. It’s magnificent decadence and dereliction as they explore unlimited power and unrepentant failure.

The Tall Tales of Felony and Failure extended ending is also available as a free download at http://malum.org/2011/07/tall-tales-of-felony-and-failure-extended-edition-ending-available-as-free-download/

Why did you write that?
I felt current fiction was too classy, and someone needed to drag it through the gutter for a bit.

Is there anything special you would like your potential readers to know?
That I am a compassionate man who cares about them all, individually and completely.


To be or not to be?
To Be, mother****er.

Special thanks to Warren for being with us today. Give his work a look, because it's not at all fattening.

George L. Cook III - The Dead War Series: Book 1

It is our pleasure to have George L. Cook III, author of The Dead War Series: Book 1, with us today.

George is 43 years old and currently lives in Hillside, New Jersey.

When did you first start writing?
When I was 11 years old.

What was your very first story about?
I starting writing right after my first time seeing Star Wars so it was a Star Wars ripoff. Right down to the bad guy wearing a helmet and all.

Have you written anything that you were too afraid to let anyone read?
Oh of course. I have written many poetry books and as a matter of fact my latest book is my first fiction release. I have been very nervous about entering the science fiction genre so I have many stories and books written that I may never release.

Did you experience anything you’ve written yourself?
There are some experiences in my current book especially with the main characters nickname that come from my personal experiences. The military sequences also fall back on my time in the US Army / NJ National Guard.

In my poetry books I have not written about anything that I have not personally experienced.

Who are several of your greatest literary inspirations?
That's a good question. To be honest until you I don't know if I have any. I love books by many authors and poets. Especially those by independent and self published authors. I just like to write and could not honestly say I have a favorite author.

What kind of education have you received, and how has that affected your writing?
I went to college and then went in the army. Those life experiences have definitely influenced my writing. I think before that my writing came from a very narrow point of view. I think that my time in college and in the army gave me the ability to look at things from many different angles and views which is something I try to do in my stories.

How much research time customarily goes into your projects?
Depending on the topic, a lot. Since my book is science fiction I try to stay within the realm of possibility. You just can't go writing something that may not be possible. I study a lot on military advances in weapons, tactics, and equipment. I also read up a lot on technology advances. I think I owe it to the reader to know what I am writing about.

Tell us about your featured book.
In the year 2053 the dead walked. Mankind was caught off guard at first but within six years mounted a massive military assault on the dead.

These are the stories of some of those men and women that fought back. These are the stories of some trying to find a “cure”. These are the stories of those that are just trying to survive the nightmare of the walking dead. These are the stories of those that caused The Dead War.

This book contains the first chapter of The Dead War Series which features the hero of the series, Sergeant Richards . It also contains three short stories that explain certain elements of The Dead War World.

Why did you write that?
I always wanted to write a military science fiction book. I chose to make the dead the antagonist as to avoid the usual bad guy stereotypes. Islamic terrorist, The Chinese, and the like.

Is there anything special you would like your potential readers to know?
I think those that love action and horror this is a great read. But beyond that the question of what would you the reader do in certain situations to survive. i want the reader to ask themselves that question and I know there are two situations where I hope the reader will stop and think about what they would have done.

Where is the one place you’ve traveled where you’ve felt most like you fit in?
Henderson, North Carolina. Nice and quiet.

What activity or hobby, besides writing, do you find most enjoyable?
I am into politics as an elected school board member which I find very fulfilling. I love football and basketball and have coached both and would love to get back to coaching one day.

What was your favorite childhood toy?
GI Joe with the kung fu grip.

What is your most valued personal possession in life? Who gave it to you?
My family. God.

If you lost the ability to see every color but one, which one would it be?
Blue.

How do you treat people you’re not fond of?
Professionally. If I don't need to deal with them I don't.

What is hiding in your closet as we speak?
I'm a wrestling fan.

What do you see as your greatest achievement?
Other than my family it would definitely be serving on my local board of education.

What, to you, is absolutely wrong?
That anyone in the United States go hungry.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
To always cut out the middle man whenever possible and deal with others personally.

If you had to explain the concept of “love” to someone who’s never heard of it before, how would you?
I would say that love is being willing to sacrifice everything for another without expecting anything in return.

What about “hate?”
Hate is the absence of love for others and for ones self

You’ve decided to buy an exotic pet, what do you go for?
A Grizzly Bear. It would come in real handy at board of education meetings.

What do you classify as an “Adventure?”
My time in the army and doing anything new for the first time. (that's not painful.)

If you could learn one new thing instantly, what would it be?
To sing.

Finish this sentence. “I sometimes find it hard to…”
Be patient. I have a very hard time waiting for things to come to fruition. Many times I find the process of getting things done excruciating.

Who is your most favorite literary character?
Conan, the barbarian not the talk show host.

Who is your favorite character of your own creation?
Sergeant Richards, the hero of The Dead War Series. He is a compilation of other characters I have written in older stories.

If you were ever to write an autobiography, what would its title be?
Stay Still.

What if it was a biography of your favorite person?
"You ain't cute. The answer is still no!" That would be to my daughter.

Name three things about that person that influenced or inspired you.
Her belief in the good in people.

She is truly color blind and treats everyone equally.

I want her to be proud of her daddy.

Our very special thanks to George for answering our questions. Check out his work today, because procrastination leads to sticky situations.