Anne E. Johnson - Green Light Delivery

We are very pleased to have Anne E. Johnson with us today to share her book 

"Green Light Delivery."

Where do you currently live?
Brooklyn.

Tell us a little bit about your life.
I worked for sixteen years as a professor of music history and theory. I recently resigned from teaching in order to write full-time. I’m married to a playwright, Ken Munch, who is the most wonderful friend and supportive spouse you can imagine. All in all, I’m ridiculously fortunate.

When did you first start writing?
I’ve been writing one thing or another all my life. My father is a journalist, so writing was a normal thing in my household. My third-grade teacher assigned us to write short stories, which was a real eye-opener. My first professional writing was non-fiction. I wrote some feature articles about music for the New York Times and some non-fiction books for kids for the Rosen Group.

What was your very first story about?
Can’t remember the stories from third grade. The first short story I wrote as an adult was a kids’ sci fi about some three-legged, swamp-dwelling aliens whose swamp is blocked off by a giant boulder. They have to band together as a community to move the rock. It was published under the title “Big Rock in the Big Slime River” in Knowonder! e-zine.

Have you written anything that you were too afraid to let anyone read?
Oh, by all means. After I die, somebody will go through my papers and say, “What the heck is this??”

Did you experience anything you've written yourself?
There are embellishments, details, that I take from my real life. But so far I’ve never been drawn to writing truly autobiographical fiction.

Who are several of your greatest literary inspirations?
It’s such a long list. But at the top of it are Anthony Burgess, Ursula K. LeGuin, Raymond Chandler, Kurt Vonnegut

What kind of education have you received, and how has that affected your writing?
My education has absolutely everything to do with my writing. My undergrad degree is in Greek and Latin languages. My masters is in music history. Having a broad liberal education and a comfort with all sorts of literature (and with libraries!) has made all the difference to me.

How much research time customarily goes into your projects?
That depends what I’m writing. For science fiction, very little. For historical fiction, of course, several weeks’ worth of research before I can even do much plotting.

Who is your favorite literary character?
Mr. F. X. Enderby, of Anthony Burgess’ Enderby novels. He’s a poet. Although I’m nothing like him (he’s a horrid slob, a loner, and a true misanthrope), something deep inside me relates rather desperately to his passion for writing, which blocks out the rest of the world.

Who is your favorite character of your own creation?
I love Webrid, the main character in Green Light Delivery. He’s got a bit of Enderby in him, insofar as he’s a slob with some social issues, but he’s certainly no poet. Yet he has perseverance and loyalty, despite his bad attitude. And I identify with how lost life makes him feel sometimes.

If you were ever to write an autobiography, what would its title be?
A Thousand Words a Day

Tell us about your featured book.
Green Light Delivery is a humorous science fiction novel, with a sort of noir feel. My publisher coined the term “spacepulp” to describe it.

It’s the story of Webrid, who works in the city of Bargival on the planet Bexilla, carting items here and there for clients. At the beginning, he’s attacked by a robot, who inserts a laser light into his forehead. Webrid learns that this is a special delivery job. It takes a lot of traveling and investigating to figure out who ordered this laser, what it is, and where it’s supposed to be delivered.

Why did you write that?
I’ve loved science fiction since I was a teen. And in college, I became a bit obsessed with classic pulp detective stories. Green Light Delivery is an attempt to pay homage to science fiction, but with a pulp sense of humor.

Is there anything special you would like your potential readers to know?
I love to write. Although I’ve published fiction in many genres, and for both kids and adults, I love it all equally. And I’m honored that you’re willing to read my work.

What's a negative trait about other people that you most notice, or that bothers you the most?
Fear of thinking for themselves.

Do you ever notice it in yourself?
No, but I have plenty of other faults.

If you were forced to give something you adore up for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I suppose I could live without Oreos. But I wouldn’t be happy about it.

Do you own any kind of art collection?
No, but when I was a kid I collected the stickers that come on bananas. You wouldn’t believe how many different designs there are.

What is the hardest thing about growing up?
Being weird and brainy.

Was it worth it?
Yes, because I get to be weird and brainy!

What is the biggest lie you've ever heard?
The more education you have, the more money you’re likely to make.

What is something you absolutely must have in your kitchen?
A cherry pitter. I only use it once a year for a huge batch, but there is no substitute gadget if you need to pit cherries.

What is pain to you?
A sensation I prefer to avoid. I do not find it to be a motivator.

What is your dream house?
A three-bedroom condo in Manhattan’s West Village.

Where would you want this house located in our wide world?
See above. The location is part of the point of having the condo.

You've been forced under various circumstances to choose a personal motto. What is it?
If you don’t write it today, somebody else may write it tomorrow.

You're pitching a television pilot to a network. Describe it.
A pair of aliens, of two different species, try to keep a bed and breakfast going when their planet is opened to intergalactic tourists.

Have you ever received a present you really hated? If so, what was it?
A panda cookie jar. Now, I love pandas and I love cookies, but this ceramic was so poorly rendered that it looked like Zombie Panda. Terrifying.

What's the weirdest thing you've ever eaten? Would you have it again?
When I was little, my friends and I used to bite off the base of clover petals while lying on our backs, looking at the clouds. I wouldn’t do it today because I’d be afraid of what might have trod on those clovers!

What's the first thing you would do if you could become invisible?
Put on a trench coat and fedora.

Do you ever have recurring dreams? What is your most common one about?
No. I dream a lot, but it’s haphazard.

What is the kindest thing that anyone has ever done for you?
Encouraged me to believe in myself.

Our very special thanks go out to Anne for being with us. More information can be found on her website: http://www.AnneEJohnson.com

Linda Acaster - Reading a Writer's Mind

It is our pleasure to have Linda Acaster with us today to share her book "Reading a Writer's Mind: Exploring Short Fiction - First Thought to Finished Story."

Where do you currently live?
Yorkshire, northern England, part of the United Kingdom (of her ma’am, Queen Elizabeth II).

Tell us a little bit about your life.
I live in a house, drive a car, shop at the local supermarket, complain about Government taxes. It’s as boring as most people’s; that’s why I write fiction.

When did you first start writing?
At school. I was hopeless at music, hopeless at maths, hopeless at sport, but found I enjoyed composition in English. My teachers took an interest in my stories, too. Nothing beats encouragement!

What was your very first story about?
A boy and girl going through a wood and being hunted by wolves. I was about eleven and it was the first I wrote for myself. It ran to fill an exercise book. Don’t ask where it came from, I have no idea. It certainly wasn’t any life experience – but that, I think was the whole point. It has been the point in my writing ever since.

Have you written anything that you were too afraid to let anyone read?
No matter how much I’ve had published my heart always beats fast when it is shared for a response. But yes, there is one novel that I stopped at p80, despite it being well outlined. It was so dark that I decided that I didn’t want to go there, never mind have anyone else go there.

Did you experience anything you’ve written yourself?
Not in its entirety, though I mine parallel emotions. The closest “this happened to me” was a near-death experience that triggered a novel idea while I was still experiencing it – how bizarre is that? It still has to be written further than the opening.

Who are several of your greatest literary inspirations?
Oddly enough, I don’t think I have any. I’ve liked different writers in different genres through my life, but if I were to re-read those books now I think I’d go… meh. They were right when I needed them and I certainly learned from their techniques.

What kind of education have you received, and how has that affected your writing?
I have no degree or higher educational certificates. I left school at 16 to go to work – oh that life was that simple for the current generation – but I’ve never stopped learning about what catches my interest. I think this is a must for writers, or anyone. Going with what you have been dealt can be seriously limiting.

How much research time customarily goes into your projects?
Depends on the project. I’m currently on the second of a trilogy of supernatural thrillers set in university cities in the north of England. The first, Torc of Moonlight, was set in my home city of Hull and I set it up so that readers can use the novel as a route-map round the city. What can I say? I like to make things difficult for myself. Having marked this structure I have to follow it through with the next book which is based in York about an hour from where I live. Although it is a contemporary novel, a main thread deals with its Celtic and Roman origins as a fortress and colonia. So apart from internet research which is on-going, I have enough books and maps about the city to rewall the boundary to the front of my house, enough photos to fill a hard drive, have been on guided walks, attended lectures, visited museums, talked to people with the knowledge I’m after, and generally soaked up the atmosphere of the mediaeval city centre so it becomes a character in its own right. Doing this sort of thing opens up unexpected plot strands so I would never skimp it, but it’s not something that can be done over a couple of wet Sunday afternoons.

Who is your favorite literary character?
Shakespeare’s Falstaff – because he’s so flawed yet so rounded.

Who is your favorite character of your own creation?
This is a movable feast, depending on what I’m working on, but it is never the main character, always a subsidiary which takes on a momentum of its own. In my Mediaeval Hostage of the Heart it was a reeking Welsh wise-woman with penchant for natural poisons, and readers have mentioned her when they’ve contacted me. In Torc of Moonlight it was Murray, the main character’s rugby-playing mate and sounding board.

Tell us about your featured book.
“Reading A Writer’s Mind: Exploring Short Fiction - First Thought to Finished Story” does as its title states. It shows the detailed thinking behind the writing of ten of my short stories across a range of genres using different methods of delivery. I’ve had over 70 print published and these were chosen specifically as the examples. The Horror story comes with a warning; it’s not for the faint-hearted.

Why did you write that?
In a separate life I critique genre fiction for the Literary Consultancy in London. 95% of beginner writers make the same mistakes, the mistakes I made when I first started. Having an aspect pointed out as working or not within the context of a story is neither use nor ornament unless there is the explanation as to why. In the book I had space to explain why I made the decisions I did.

Is there anything special you would like your potential readers to know?
It’s going to be the first of a series of what-to-consider when writing fiction. The next will be about handling character, the centre around which all other elements revolve.

What activity or hobby, besides writing, do you find most enjoyable?
Reading – obvious, really.

What was your favorite childhood toy?
A red fire engine.

If you lost the ability to see every color but one, which one would it be?
Green – the tones are a kaleidoscope in themselves – and green is relaxing.

How do you treat people you’re not fond of?
As little as possible.

What is hiding in your closet as we speak?
You want to look? Go ahead, I’ll call the ambulance now for what falls on you.

What do you see as your greatest achievement?
Having what passes for a non-dysfunctional family.

What, to you, is absolutely wrong?
Stealing. I’ve worked hard for what I have. I expect others to do the same

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Show, don’t Tell – explained by a writer during a lecture many years ago. It’s the advice I always pass on.

You’ve decided to buy an exotic pet, what do you go for?
I’ve got one. I wear his ring. He takes a lot of looking after. Either that or I’m bad at training.

What do you classify as an “Adventure?”
Life. I think this goes with the in-built writer aspect of my psyche. Even a walk to the local shops can start a “Why if…” train of thought in motion.

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

Finish this sentence. “I sometimes find it hard to…focus.”
You know the saying, so much to do, so little time. I’m not a fast writer and fresh ideas queue, screaming to be heard. I need to write them down in case they drift off because they think I’m ignoring them and they can be seductive.

Our thanks to Linda for her time and engaging responses. Her book can be found just below, and when you give it a look, do check out her fiction as well.

Heather Ross - Highway 90

We are honored to have Heather Ross with us today to talk about her book Highway 90.

Where do you currently live?
Los Angeles. Right next to the airport so I can envy all of the people going someplace else.

Tell us a little bit about your life.
I'm obsessive compulsive about certain things during certain times of the month. Weird, I know. I'm a germaphobe when not in my own home, which means I don't mind eating something that hit the floor unless, of course, it's yoghurt or honey. I think I have adult ADHD, but not sure since my four-year-old keeps me hustling throughout the day. I home school my daughter, but won't list teacher on my resume, ever! (read what you will into that statement)

When did you first start writing?
Can't exactly put my finger on it partly because I'm old. I do remember a high school poetry project for my English class, which I took pretty seriously. I wasn't sure any of my poems were worthy until my brother read one I wrote about him and got teary eyed. Later I started keeping journals, which I'm glad I still have, you know, for reference and such.

What was your very first story about?
Oh geez, don't remember. Probably something about a dog, candy and roller skates.

Have you written anything that you were too afraid to let anyone read?
Yes. Still haven't let anyone read them and the outlook is grim.

Did you experience anything you've written yourself?
Yes. I'm in the details of my stories. Sometimes I write about things I WISH would happen to me.

Who are several of your greatest literary inspirations?
Robert Frost, Lois Lowry, Nora Roberts to name a few. All for different reasons. I like how writers are so varied in their craft. If they can make me feel something I envy them.

What kind of education have you received, and how has that affected your writing?
Well after graduating private high school I jumped around between three different community colleges before going on to university. I studied journalism for years at the CC's writing for the newspapers and magazines at each school. I liked it, but I was too...descriptive with my words so they all got butchered to the point it wasn't even my writing. I studied Public Relations at the university ('cuz I wanted to eat after I graduated), which I found interesting, however, boring. Come to find out, the degree isn't necessary to work in the field of PR and, for me, it was like the scarlet letter. Oh, to answer your question, I always felt pigeonholed with my writing, which is why I left it to pursue fiction writing.

How much research time customarily goes into your projects?
As much time as it takes to have the story makes sense on some level. Honestly, I'm not sure.

Who is your favorite literary character?
Winnie The Pooh. Does he even count? I just like how he's always so, shall we say, positive?

(Editor's Note: Winnie the Pooh always counts.)

Who is your favorite character of your own creation?
Probably Brooke from Highway 90.

If you were ever to write an autobiography, what would its title be?
"What The Hell Happened Here?"

Tell us about your featured book.
Highway 90 is a young adult novelette. It follows the MC through her thoughts and experiences, some good, others she'd like to forget. She's tired of life in a small town, but more than that, she's tired of the monotony, the cycle of "just surviving" and the lack of direction and meaning in her own life. After visiting a night club in Mexico with her best friend she's faced with a decision that will change her life, a change she's been seeking, but maybe didn't know it.

Why did you write that?
Memories of certain things in my life, places I've been, people I knew, came to my mind one night, so I just started typing. It helped to have friends around that I felt a real connection to while writing. One I consider my "muse" was particularly inspirational without knowing it. I don't believe the story would have been written if I were alone with my thoughts.

Is there anything special you would like your potential readers to know?
It's short and there are things you may not see coming. I've been told it's more for the female crowd too. (Probably just killed some sales with that tidbit.)

What's a negative trait about other people that you most notice, or that
bothers you the most?
People who talk incessantly, about themselves.

Do you ever notice it in yourself?
Now that you mention it...yeah I guess I do. That would explain all the "not everything's about you" comments I get.

If you were forced to give something you adore up for the rest of your
life, what would it be?
Raw honey. Sounds shallow, but I'm addicted.

Do you own any kind of art collection?
Not sure what comprises a collection, but I have five Lladro's (still in their boxes because that's how paranoid I am).

What is the hardest thing about growing up?
Taking it slow, living in the moment, NOT wishing I was a grown up every day. Did you mean one thing?

Was it worth it?
Growing up? Yes and no.

What is the biggest lie you've ever heard?
"Trust me, it won't hurt."

What is something you absolutely must have in your kitchen?
My Omega 8006 juicer.

What is pain to you?
God telling me I'm alive, appreciate it.

What is your dream house?
A huge warehouse with lots of glass block, a pool, skylights that open and a loft.

Where would you want this house located in our wide world?
On a mountain high above the sea with lots of trees.

You've been forced under various circumstances to choose a personal motto. What is it?
"Press On Regardless."

You're pitching a television pilot to a network. Describe it.
A curious monkey, big red dog and a bunch of puppets come together to open a day care. What? Too far fetched?

Have you ever received a present you really hated? If so, what was it?
Yes. A candle holder. One, single, solitary candle holder painted bright colors, lacking a mate and candles. (I know what you're thinking and no, it wasn't from one of my kids.)

What's the weirdest thing you've ever eaten? Would you have it again?
Snails. No, I'm done trying to impress people.

What's the first thing you would do if you could become invisible?
Jump up and down thankful that no one could see my "muffin top." (Google it.)

Do you ever have recurring dreams? What is your most common one about?
Yes. Spiders. I don't like them, maybe it's their long legs or quick movement, but they've always freaked me out. My dreams usually entail one of them crawling on me, near me or biting me. (I blame you if I dream about them tonight.)

What is the kindest thing that anyone has ever done for you?
Hugged me.

More information about Heather can be found on her website: HeatherRoss.net

Aliya Anjum - An Arranged Marriage

It is our pleasure to have Aliya Anjum with us today to speak about her short story An Arranged Marriage.

How old are you?
Age is a state of mind, and my age can -without exaggeration- range between 8 - 80

Where do you currently live?
I live in the city of Karachi, Pakistan. It's a city by the sea, with a population of 25 million and growing. Its a city of paradoxes, where you can buy Prada and Gucci and also buy handmade fans made from straw and where you can ride a traditional camel or a quad at the beach. It hosts an 8,000 year old Hindu temple where the legendary Ram of Hindu Holy scriptures rested. It's also a city that never sleeps, you can see cars on the road at 3 am. It hosts an international book festival every year and it is home to people of the most diverse ethnic and religious groups in Pakistan, including Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Zoroastrians. Every time I go outside the country, when I am on a return flight home and the pilot announces we have entered Karachi airspace, my heart does a somersault.

Tell us a little bit about your life.
I grew up in Karachi and attended university here, after which I joined a French Bank. I worked in Banking for over two years and then headed off to the US for graduate school. After returning, I worked for the government for another two years. Since quitting from that job, I took a one year long hiatus from work and then turned into a full time author last year.

When did you first start writing?
I used to write snippets about life, and poetry from the age of seven onwards. Unfortunately none of that survives today. I have been writing for newspapers since the age of 17. I first wrote YA short story fiction in 2008. It won me a Commendation Certificate from the National Book Foundation (NBF). I have won a first prize from NBF for small children's short stories. These stories are however, unpublished todate.

What was your very first story about?
My first story is titled "The Farmhouse." It's a YA short story with a 14-year-old male protagonist who gets himself into trouble after being dared to show bravado. It's a horror tale and I got chills narrating the scenes, which was fun.

Have you written anything that you were too afraid to let anyone read?
I once wrote a novella, which showcased the dark side of human nature. I later thought that it was a bad idea to write about evil, so I deleted it.

Did you experience anything you’ve written yourself?
Plenty! All fiction has an element of truth to it. Sometimes, the experiences are my own and sometimes they are of friends and family. At other times they are observations. Pure fantasy is not believable, when it comes to adult fiction or even YA.

Who are several of your greatest literary inspirations?
Most writers who have endured the test of time are inspirational for me. Fine writing captures human hopes, emotions and desires. It is thus timeless.

What kind of education have you received, and how has that affected your writing?
I hold an undergrad in Business from Karachi, and an MS from the US, in Textile Marketing. Education is however, a continuing process and I owe my education more to books than to degrees. I am a very avid reader of non-fiction. It helps hone my worldview and I am able to see things from an informed perspective, which I hope carries over in my fiction. I may add that I have also penned three non-fiction titles relating to history. One of which won an NBF Prize.

How much research time customarily goes into your projects?
I write fiction about subjects that I have read about, which cuts research time, since I may already be familiar with the subject. It does take a few weeks to research about my specific subject. However, when I am writing non-fiction, research time can stretch anywhere from six months to two years.

Who is your favorite literary character?
Scheherazade. She is the epitome of feminine mystique, combining intellect with charm and witticism.

Who is your favorite character of your own creation?
The hero of my latest novel, which is a work in progress.

If you were ever to write an autobiography, what would its title be?
A wonderful life!

Tell us about your featured book.
My featured short story "An Arranged Marriage" is inspired from true events. It is based on the lives of women Physicians of Pakistani origin in the US. It covers diverse themes such as immigration, assimilation, the Pakistani diaspora, immigrant subcultures and last but not the least, arranged marriages.

It would take readers through 11 years of my protagonists life, beginning in Pakistan and ending in the US.

Why did you write that?
I know a lot of Physicians. Most immigrated to the US, they include family and friends as well as friend's husbands. Through them, I met other Physicians and I noticed a common theme, amongst some women Physicians. Thus this story was born.

Is there anything special you would like your potential readers to know?
Yes. Despite the fact that this story showcases an unfortunate turnout of events following an arranged marriage, it does not mean that there can never be a happy ending with such arrangements. Arranged marriages run the whole gamut from being blind marriages to serving only as introductions. Most of them lead to stable, successful and relatively happy marriages. They are practiced in Asia and Africa, by more than half of the world's population.

Where is the one place you’ve traveled where you’ve felt most like you fit in?
Nowhere! I am too eastern for the west and too western for the east.

What activity or hobby, besides writing, do you find most enjoyable?
Swimming and Travel.

What was your favorite childhood toy?
Barbie! I may add that during the 1980's, they were smuggled in Pakistan. They were only available at one or two stores in the country, which happened to be close to my house. My father bought me one and I was over the moon. I later did the customary thing of buying accessories including Ken (yes he is an accessory). My father must have shared Art Buchwald's sentiments when the latter lamented in his column that Barbie was overly ambitious to keep seeking new professions, which always meant new purchases.

What is your most valued personal possession in life? Who gave it to you?
My books, which I have collected over the years. They have taught me so much.

How do you treat people you’re not fond of?
I try and be the bigger/better person and make an attempt to be nice.

What do you see as your greatest achievement?
Being able to sell books that people are reading in three continents :)

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
My mother always says to me "we have to do the right thing, no matter what."

If you had to explain the concept of “love” to someone who’s never heard of it before, how would you?
Love comes in all forms. Love should not be reduced to a romantic notion, although romantic love is precious. To be loved by anyone, is a gift which we must learn to value.

What about “hate?”
Hate is a negative emotion, which does not exist in a healthy mind. Haters hate you because a) either you are a reflection of what they want to be, b) they are angry about life and act vindictive or c) they have been taught to hate.

You’ve decided to buy an exotic pet, what do you go for?
I love animals and I'd be happy to keep as many pets as possible. However, if by exotic pets you mean Iguanas and other reptiles, then I'd take a rain check.

What do you classify as an “Adventure?”
A trip to the Amazonian rain forests.

If you could learn one new thing instantly, what would it be?
Native level fluency in Italian.

Our special thanks to Aliya for taking the time to be with us. Please check out her book below.

Alisa Jeruconoka - Unparallel Worlds

We are pleased to have Alisa Jeruconoka here today. She will be sharing with us her book "Unparallel Worlds."

Where do you currently live?
I live in the best city in the world London! Samuel Johnson once said that ‘’When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life…’ I completely agree, there is still so much to see and do here even though I have been here for the best part of my life. London is really cosmopolitan, my friends come from all over the world and we enjoy a different night out every time we meet over the years, from drinking in Cuban themed bars to eating great Ethiopian food and that’s on top of always finding great attractions and buildings to visit.

Tell us a little bit about your life.
I was born in Latvia but moved to London when I was young. I enjoyed school and eventually went to University to study medicine. However when I left University I did not stay in medicine but got a job as a professional interpreter/translator for a private multinational corporation, I did this job for 10 years. A couple of years ago I got married and decided to start a family, I also decided to work freelance during this time so that I could have more time to write.

When did you first start writing?
I started writing when I was young. My mum got me into the habit of writing fantasy fiction as a way to enjoy homework from school. She always told me that if I enjoyed school I would enjoy learning and if I enjoyed learning I would always enjoy and do well in life. So as a small child I would write imaginary stories for her and as part of my schoolwork, and then at weekends I would read and act out my stories to my mum, we both enjoyed this immensely.

What was your very first story about?
Although I had written stories before this, my first proper story, or the one I am most proud of, came when I was 9. I had been to a funfair with my mum and on the way back in the evening we stopped at the roadside to admire the night sky. I remember it being full of twinkling stars and then for the first (and last time since) I saw what my mum explained was a shooting star. She told me that this meant that a special person had come to visit earth. Being so young I believed my mum and so when I got home I gathered all the best chocolate sweets for the visitor and while I waited over the next few days to meet him/her I decided to write a story about the visit, it was called -‘ My Special Guest’.

Have you written anything that you were too afraid to let anyone read?
Yes, I had written some poetry for a friend who wanted to present this in a valentines card to a girl he was (as all boys are at 18) deeply in love with. In the end I never gave it too him or let anyone read it since, for although I spent loads of time on it, the best way to describe the final outcome was that it was completely cheesy and if a boy gave that to me I would have run a mile away in minutes, I could not do that to my friend.

Did you experience anything you’ve written yourself?
As much as I would like to say yes, the truth is no, Unparallel Worlds is so rich as a fantasy fiction in all aspects that nothing in its pages could happen in real life.

However I will say that our world is as beautiful as any imaginary world and things such as diving in the red sea to witness the sea life around coral reefs is an experience as good as any in my book.

Who are several of your greatest literary inspirations?
This is a hard one as I love so many books and writers, but if I was stuck on a desert island and had a choice of three books then I would take Tad William’s ‘The War of the Flowers’, Neil Gaiman’s ‘Neverwhere’ and Kim Newman’s ‘Anno Dracula’. All three have the ability to not only take your mind into completely different worlds but also to get you thinking about the areas and parts of the books world that they have not written about.

What kind of education have you received, and how has that affected your writing?
I have two degree qualifications, one in medicine and the other in international business, none of these have actually had an influence on my writing, but whilst at college I studied A level literature and A level Drama. Both these studies helped me a lot, Literature got me writing like a writer but Drama showed me new a way of writing, I started planning my stories out like a play so when you read ‘Unparallel Worlds’ you will see that it can be converted to a play very easily. I also think that using this style of writing helps build a stronger picture in someone’s head when they are reading my story.

How much research time customarily goes into your projects?
I spent almost 6 months researching opposite effects that occur in nature and cultural belief. This ranged from Ying and Yang in Chinese culture, to the effects on our planet of night and day and how this developed both human and animal psyche. In between I also studied a bit of chemistry to understand the universe within an atom and understand how the positive and negative charges in it help it to exist.

Who is your favorite literary character?
It has to be the Wicked Witch of the West from the Wizard of Oz. She fascinated and scared me at the same time when I was a child and fascinated me even more when I read Wicked by Gregory Maguire.

Who is your favorite character of your own creation?
I would say that it’s Zalion- The King of Darkness. Although the book starts by portraying him as hateful towards the light side and evil in everything he does, later you understand that it is the events that happen on the light side that have made him this way, especially him knowing that the weird mutations occurring on his side of the planet are a result of events on the light side.

If you were ever to write an autobiography, what would its title be?
‘My Own Adventure’


Tell us about your featured book.
"For any reader who is hoping to be transported to a different world, this is the book of choice. The imagination oozing from the pages of this novel is transcending. Picturing completely new worlds that are either bright beautiful and happy, or dark dangerous and full of monsters is the easy part of reading this novel. Though fantasy and science fiction don’t typically overlap, the reference to mythological characters along with the incorporation of scientists (rather than someone magical, like a wizard) is what makes this book teeter in the sci-fi genre. ’Unparallel Worlds’ opens an original world of dual dimensions of Light and Darkness that hints to the making of a new series.’’
-Amelia Albanese EZRead eBook Specialist.


Why did you write that?
One day I visited a bookstore with my fourteen years old niece to choose a book. She’s read a lot of fantasy books and she did want to find something different where it’s not written only about mythological livings and superheroes. That’s when I decided I would use this time to write a book for her age group that was completely different to anything else out there.

Is there anything special you would like your potential readers to know?
I mixed many genres in my book ‘Unparallel Worlds’- romance, magic, otherworldly fantasy and urban fantasy. Most importantly I would like to say that I wanted to create a book like no other out there and from the reviews I have received on Amazon I think I might have done it. What’s most important is that people enjoy it.

Where is the one place you’ve travelled where you’ve felt most like you fit in?
For me it has to be the Red Sea from Sharm el-Sheikh. It is paradise on Earth for scuba divers like me; the corals and sea life that you can see so close to the shore are amazing, I could stay there all year round.

What activity or hobby, besides writing, do you find most enjoyable?
I love swimming and travelling to new countries around the world.

If you lost the ability to see every colour but one, which one would it be?
It would have to be indigo! I love the deep rich feel it gives you.

How do you treat people you’re not fond of?
I try to be nice if they speak to me but otherwise I try to ignore them.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Live each day as if it’s your last.

If you had to explain the concept of “love” to someone who’s never heard of it before, how would you?
A dizzy dreamy feeling of joy and comfort every time you are with a special person.

What do you classify as an “adventure?”
Something new I have never experienced before whether I like it in the end or not.

If you could learn one new thing instantly, what would it be?
To be an astronaut, I would love to go to space.

Finish this sentence. “I sometimes find it hard to…"
Wait for exciting news!


Our thanks to Alisa for taking the time to be with us today. The cover below will whisk you away to her website. The included video is a one minute trailer for the book.

Cege Smith - Edge of Shadows

We are pleased to have Cege Smith with us today to share about herself and her book Edge of Shadows.

Where do you currently live?

A suburb of Minneapolis, MN.

Tell us a little bit about your life.

I have a full-time job (in sales) in addition to my writing. I've been married for almost 5 years to a man who is completely supportive of me in all I do, which I appreciate more than I could ever express to him. I have two very grown-up stepsons who are 9 and 10, and we also have the pleasure of living with an adorable miniature long-haired dachshund named Juliet.

When did you first start writing?

I vividly remember starting to write my first novel when I was twelve. I was an avid reader before that and one day decided to give writing a whirl.

What was your very first story about?

It was about two sisters trapped inside a haunted house that was shifting through time.

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

Aside from my daily journal, any first draft I've ever written.

Did you experience anything you’ve written yourself?

I think if I looked closely, I would find semblances of many different life experiences I've had. I think that comes from that writing advice of "write what you know". I do incorporate a lot of myself in my stories.

Who are several of your greatest literary inspirations?

My admiration for Stephen King goes back as long as I can remember. I think he is a fantastic storyteller and I take anything he says about the mastering the craft to heart. Edgar Allan Poe also had an early influence on me. His characters and settings were (and still are) haunting.

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

I have a Bachelor's in Speech Communication and a Master's in Ethics in Leadership. If anything, I would say that my education ensured that I understood the proper mechanics of writing.

How much research time customarily goes into your projects?

It depends entirely on the topic of my project. For a standard length article, if interviews are included, then probably 2-3 hours. For my novels, I usually spend time researching the settings so that they can be as accurate as possible for my readers. Depending on the depth, that could be hours or days of research.

Who is your favorite literary character?

Scarlett O'Hara. She was strong but yet vulnerable, and she didn't depend on anyone to get what she wanted. I think it's because of her that I gravitate toward writing strong female protagonists.

Who is your favorite character of your own creation?

I had a fabulous time writing Angeline in my most recent novel, Heiress of Lies. Watching her grow and evolve through the book was amazing and I can't wait to see where she is going to go next. But I am currently writing the sequel to Edge of Shadows, and the main character, Ellie, has changed a lot since the first book. She is surprising me and as such is giving Angeline a run for her money.

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

Probably something like Lessons Learned. I feel like I am constantly learning new things and that natural curiousity helps make my life more vibrant and keeps me present in it.

Tell us about your featured book.

Edge of Shadows is the first novel I published. I feel like I came full circle with it because the story is set against the backdrop of a haunted house. My heroine, Ellie, is coming out a rather tramatic divorce. She's been a loner since her parents died when she was young, and trust isn't something that easily comes to her, so she seals herself off from almost everyone around her.

But through a series of events over a short period of time, Ellie is thrust into a situation where she's found a new love interest, and one of her friends puts her in charge of taking care of her house while she's away. Ellie gets caught up in the mysterious past of the house, and finds out that maybe some things in her life weren't as coincidental as they seemed.

Why did you write that?

As with all of my books, I wrote it because I had an image in my mind that wouldn't go away and characters that whisper to me until I wrote their story.

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

That things are just starting to heat up. What I know about the next chapters of those stories is very exciting.

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

Reading is favorite way to pass the time and I also enjoy travel when finances afford it. That's one of the reasons I enjoy watching the Travel Channel- I get to visit places all over the world from the comfort of my couch.

What was your favorite childhood toy?

A Whoopsie Doll- you would squeeze the doll's stomach and her pigtails would go up and she would scream out "whoopsie!". For a young girl, that doll gave me hours of endless entertainment.

What do you see as your greatest achievement?

I earned both of my degrees as a working adult. Finding the balance between keeping up at the day job and still managing to maintain good grades was one of the biggest personal challenges I've faced. Being successful in doing that was my greatest achievement, at least, until I published my first novel.

What, to you, is absolutely wrong?

People who hurt other people intentionally and enjoy it.

What is the best advice you’ve ever received?

That you can never go wrong by being kind to others, and always be true to yourself.

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

The willingness to give everything you have, and do whatever it takes to make someone else happy. And in the ideal situation, the person you love will do the same for you in return.

What about “hate?”

Hate is when you would rather be anywhere else than in the company of the person or people you are in because your skin crawls and you feel alternately sick and angry all at the same time.

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

Definitely a monkey. My kids would have a ball training it to do do all sorts of tricks, and I think it could also help with housework.

What do you classify as an “Adventure?”

Any story that involves some kind of quest to solve a problem or satisfy a need.

Our thanks to Cege for being with us. Give her work a look by clicking on the book cover below.

George Berger - The Crimson Scars

We are pleased to have George Berger with us today to speak about his book The Crimson Scars.

What is your name?
You can hug me and love and me and squeeze me and call me George... except for the hugging and squeezing and probably the loving parts.

How old are you?
I was born early enough in the Cold War era to have legitimately bought records at a record store when they were still a prevalent form of entertainment, and not 'audiophile' or retro-cool.

Where do you currently live?
In Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Tell us a little bit about your life.
I've had the traditional American lifestyle, I think. I was conceived, then born; I had a very forgettable (and now mostly-forgotten) childhood during which I was probably both precocious and irritating. Adolescence arrived right on schedule, leaving me alienated and ostracized. A bunch of other stuff happened, I fell in love, acquired a stalker, got adopted by a cat, got shot at, and discovered the hard way that the employment prospects for ugly misanthropes with attitude problems are very, very poor...

When did you first start writing?
I'm one of those sad people who has been telling stories of one sort or another since I was a wee anklebiter. I first started writing in, oh, middle school, I think. I had absolutely zero talent whatsoever, but a teacher encouraged me nonetheless.

What was your very first story about?
I don't remember any of the specifics, but I think it was probably “loosely” inspired by a computer game.

Have you written anything that you were too afraid to let anyone read?
With great frequency! It's fairly well-established that right now the audience for e-books is overwhelmingly female – something like eighty or ninety percent so. I try to ignore this fact as much as possible, because, despite all the instructions to “only write what you know”, I occasionally include sex scenes in some of my books. Not as erotica, or an attempt to titillate, but for mostly plot-related reasons. Well, usually. Anyway, on the rare occasions when I stop and think about it, it's pretty much bed-wettingly terrifying to think that women I don't know are reading these books and, well, rolling their eyes and sighing, or something.

Did you experience anything you’ve written yourself?
Many of the cynical life lessons in my slightly dystopian (and completely clean) first novel, Mendacities, are the product of first-hand experience. And my intimate familiarity with storm sewers came in handy when writing my thriller, Without A Spark.

Who are several of your greatest literary inspirations?
'Inspiration' is a bit tricky. I'm not really sure why I started writing fiction, but I suspect some of the blame might fall on the editor of some random old short-story anthology. Back in the day it was common for SF or fantasy anthologies to feature comments or introductions to each story from the editor, or the author... or both. I remember reading several such anthologies – Harlan Ellison's infamous Dangerous Visions series, and Robert Asprin's Thieves' World series come to mind – and being inspired by the apparent ease with which pretty average-seeming people produced memorable fiction. If they could do it, surely I could do it, y'know?

In a more general sense, I'm a big fan of the late Roger Zelazny; he had a distinctive but understated sense of humor that I feel some sort of kindred bond to – and the background to his story 'Unicorn Variations' always makes me smile. I also greatly admire the even-more-obscure E. Phillip Oppenheim, an amazingly prolific British writer who pretty much single-handedly invented the thriller genre as we know it today, and wrote a huge number of other works, as well. His novel Havoc is particularly brilliant, as far as I'm concerned.

What kind of education have you received, and how has that affected your writing?
I went to greatly overrated public schools, and was a pretty indifferent student. Around the fifth grade, I think, I decided I was probably going to be single all my life – the impetus for this decision can be found in my short story 'Nothing Like Love', available on Amazon – and so started taking classes with an eye towards perpetual bachelorhood. Where other boys were taking shop class, I was taking Home Ec, because being able to cook seemed more important than being able to make a cribbage board. Food and cooking feature largely in a lot of my fiction, probably for that reason, and in a rare display of actually writing-what-I-know, most of my male protagonists tend to be a bit oblivious to romance, which did not figure largely if at all in my formative years.

How much research time customarily goes into your projects?
I suppose that depends on the book, and how you define 'research'. I do extensive amounts of plotting and outlining prior to writing most books. As far as facts-and-figures research, it greatly depends on the title. I sometimes spend inordinate amounts of time fact-checking all sorts of strange details as I write. I try desperately both to get everything right, and not be one of those people who shares every detail he's researched with the reader; after doing research for Without A Spark, I know a possibly dangerous amount about how to manufacture chemical weapons in the comfort and convenience of your basement. Oh, and after writing a pair of early-Victorian stories, I know far, far more than I ever wanted to about the history of insurance. It was a bit of a nuisance to discover that theft and burglary insurance didn't exist until the late 1890s, as I'd plotted out a perfectly delightful comedy of errors about insurance fraud in the 1850s. Oops.

Who is your favorite literary character?
Y.T., the protagonist of Neal Stephenson's novel Snow Crash. She's pretty much just made of win, as the kids these days say.

Who is your favorite character of your own creation?
I'm not sure. I'm honestly not that attached to any of them, in particular. I know it sounds terrible, and perhaps it is. Most of my characters are – or so I like to think – very real, and very flawed, people. Not quite into anti-hero territory, usually, but... if I really had to pick one, it'd probably be Nataliya, from my first novel, Mendacities. She was extremely fun to write.

If you were ever to write an autobiography, what would its title be?
“Mr. Dumbass – or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Hate Myself”.

(Editors Note: Massive brownie points for a Dr. Strangelove reference.)

Tell us about your featured book.
I honestly have no idea. No, wait... It's a strange and quirky story of chance meetings, drunken frat boys, and the improbable ways in which love seems to, against all odds, function. It's not really all that great, but it's also not really very expensive...

Why did you write that?
I regularly haunt (though 'infest' might be a better word) the Writers' Cafe at Kindleboards. A couple times a month someone posts in desperate confusion wondering how on earth to write a short story. They're not trolling, usually; they've often written several novel-length books, but just can't wrap their heads around writing short fiction.

Now, because this is, alas, the Internet, they get a lot of advice, much of it less than completely helpful... My usual recommendation – and it's not necessarily any better or worse than any other arbitrary approach, of course – is to go out and study some perfectly ordinary, run-of-the-mill short stories, and then try to imitate them. Literally, pick an obscure short story at random somewhere, and read it critically, as a writer, thinking about the plot and everything. Then, take that plot, and create your own story, changing as much as you can. Do that a half-dozen times, and you'll probably understand much of what there is to know about how to plot a short story, which is 98% of the process, really.

While posting such advice several months ago, I realized with a certain degree of sappy nostalgia that it had been a long time since I'd done that myself, if only as an exercise. So, I found a magazine from 1912, picked the first story that wasn't an appalling period romance, and followed my own advice. The result is, well... strange. But so was the story that provided inspiration, once you got past all the extraneous bits; the author had apparently been paid by the word, and padded it out rather dreadfully. And to be honest, taking a story about a well-to-do bachelor, set in New York City around 1900, and producing a story set in the midwest around 2000, featuring a college co-ed, isn't as easy as it sounds.

If you had to live in another time period, which one would you choose?
The 1950s. Despite the civil rights problems and the Red Scare and the post-war housing crisis and tuberculosis and all that fun stuff, it seems, from a half-century later, to have been a time of this kind of wonderfully naïve optimism, where science and technology were constantly just months away from giving us the absolutely most awesome future. It seems like one of the few points in modern history where even I could have believed that the future held something more than bleakness and misery...

Our eternal thanks to George for being with us. His book can be found below. Just right down there...yes...yes, that's the one. Click it.