C. David Cannon Interview

I ran into C. David Cannon on twitter and he agreed to share his story with us here at Eye on Ashenclaw. An interesting path surely taken, the journey has brought him here to aid in entertaining and enlightening....

First off, tell us a little bit about you...
I was born in Houston Texas and currently reside in Humble, which is on the outskirts of the city. I am a high school drop - out that was kicked out of my house and placed in a thirty-day mental / drug rehabilitation center at the age of thirteen. After my stint there, I bounced between homelessness and a faith – based foster group home for boys until I was sixteen. At this point, I moved in with a family from the local church the residents of the boy’s home attended. I was able to earn my GED and get a Bachelor’s degree in elementary education. These were tough times for me. I went from work to school to bed. Then, got up and repeated the process again.

Fast - forward fifteen years to now, and I am married with three children. I am a fifth grade teacher of fifteen years and also have a Master’s degree in science instruction. I have always desired to express myself creatively. I was a skateboarder as a teen whose number one goal in life was to travel the country in a Volkswagen Beetle, skating different spots and surviving off the free fry crumbs they would give you at Long John Silver’s. I transitioned from this creative outlet to starting at Junior College as a voice major. When that didn't work out as planned, I looked at the degree plan that would best fit the classes I had already taken. This is how I stumbled blindly into a career in education. As an adult now, I only recently decided to write The Prominence League and pursue its publication to the end if I had to. Fortunately for me, it has worked out so far.

Tell us about your books/What genre do you consider your books?
I consider my books to be middle – grade dystopian fiction. While the text is a bit higher level than most fourth and fifth graders read, they really seem to enjoy them. However, my best feedback has been from adults. My books are quick reads, but are full of indirect and direct ideas hidden just beneath the surface of what I think is also a very entertaining story.

When did you start writing? I only started writing for publication three years ago. However, I have been a writer my whole life. From the voluminous love letters I’d write to my wife when we were in our teens and dating, to the collection of journals and memoirs I've written in faithfully since my youth. I have always been best at communicating via the written word. This has been especially true in light of how I seem to so often put my foot in my mouth when communicating verbally.

Why do you write? My series, The Prominence League is really written to expose my very Libertarian – leaning views to a younger audience. I really liked what one reviewer wrote when they said, “The Prominence League is perhaps a more believable dystopian future than most I have read.” This desire however, has transitioned into a story that I have both fallen in love with, and become madly passionate about. Every word seems to be influenced by some part of my life.

What would be your choice for a superpower?
It would have to be immortality. I am fearful of death as I truly have no idea what it holds. I’d love to think that my consciousness could live on in some way. Even answering this question now makes my heart beat a little faster. Having such a tumultuous upbringing, I struggle everyday with abandonment issues, anger, and insecurity. I hate the thought of not being able to be around for my kids to make sure they don’t suffer the same.

Who is your favorite author? I hate saying Suzanne Collins because I feel like people will think I am shallow because of it. But she is a great writer and the Hunger Games books are amazing stories. I actually only recently read Collins though. I grew up on C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. I got lost in The Chronicles of Narnia, and still re-read from the Lord of the Rings books today.

Fiction aside, nowadays my favorite reads are non-fiction, science related books. I am fascinated by the life sciences and quantum mechanics.

What are you reading now? The Self – Aware Universe: How Consciousness Creates the Material World by Amit Goswami, Ph.D. Yes, I am a science geek now, and am especially excited about the very idea of consciousness. The fact that something we see as immaterial (as in non – matter) actually exists in some substantive form, and has the ability to influence material things is amazing to me. As someone who was programmed with Christian ideology from birth through adolescence, I had walked away from faith altogether until reading some of these ideas. It perplexes me that religious people seem so threatened by them. This is the most spiritual stuff I have ever read.

Who is your favorite character to write? The main character in my series name is Carriane. Yep, she is a sixteen year old girl. When I started writing from a female perspective, it never dawned on me that it could be construed in a weird way. It wasn't until one day at one of my son’s baseball practices that a fellow coach was giving me a good – natured hard time about it, that I realized it was a bit different. I did get embarrassed at first, but now just go with it. I felt like a female would be more introspective and thoughtful about her life. That is why I wrote from her perspective.

Although, this answer has missed the point so far. My favorite character to write is Micah McAdams. Only slightly mentioned until Part Two of the series, Micah is the younger brother of Carriane. He was taken from his family at birth and under false pretense. Now he is forced to fight in brutal spectacles in Community Two. He only speaks when he has to, and says the bare minimum at that. He is quiet, strong, and self – confident. He is everything I wish I was, but am not.

Do you have a writing process? Yes, but I don’t recommend it. It is very disorganized as I scribble down ideas in a journal as soon as they come to me. When I visit schools, I tell the kids that I have started writing maybe eight books or more that haven’t gotten past the third chapter. The Prominence League series is the only one I have ever been passionate enough about to finish.

What advice would you give to an aspiring author? Write frequently and jot down ideas the moment they come to you. Just never try to start a manuscript if you are not passionate about the premise.

What are your favorite TV shows/Movies to watch in between writing?I try not to watch movies or television. I feel like they are designed to control our minds via a group-think mentality. Yes, I can be a whack – job conspiracy theorist. But yes, it is inevitable. I guess my life just isn't interesting enough to avoid them altogether. Once I like a movie, I will watch it over and over again. There are just movies that tend to put me at peace just by having them on in the background. The main one being, The Last Samurai starring Tom Cruise. That plus, I am a fanatic that has memorized every episode of The Office from season one until now. Well, except for this last season. Once Michael Scott (Steve Carrell) left, it just wasn't the same.

What are your current projects?The Prominence League: Part Three is in the works!

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to readers?Buy my books of course! But really, I just want the story to spread. If you can’t pay for them, just email me and I will send you a copy somehow. Follow me on twitter @cdavidcannon. Check out my website at cdavidcannon.com. Like my Facebook pages. And of course, Amazon reviews are greatly appreciated!

Quick Fire:
Cats or dogs? Small Dogs, My Boston Terriers need me for companionship. Whenever I lay down, they nestle right on up.
Coffee or tea? Both – sometimes the acid in coffee is too much, especially if I drank too much wine the night before L
Favorite food? Any form of man – meat J
Vanilla or chocolate ice-cream? Vanilla all the way, gotta be able to put fruit in it.
What are 3 things you never leave home without? Iphone, wallet, kissing my kids goodbye
Laptop or desktop? Desktop - laptops never work out well for me.
Who are 3 famous people you would want to hang out with? Not sure, I kinda feel like meeting any would be awkward anyway.
TV or Movies? TV – I love watching the Astros play baseball!

Please join me and the other amazingly talented authors over @ Skulldust Circle where we have formed a Writer's Circle that must be seen--a collection of brilliant, up & coming independently published speculative fiction authors with much to give both now and in the future!

Visit my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Also, please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2012 unless otherwise noted.

Man of Steel Review

While this is the only movie I've seen in the theater since Dark Knight Rises, I can say that it was worth the price of admission. It had strengths and flaws, the flaws being abundant, but it was entertaining. Let me expand on the comment. Christoper Nolan's is probably the best in the franchise to date, but that isn't saying much. There are spoilers ahead, so if you haven't seen it, look away. Oh, and Superman is a difficult character to write. You are somewhat limited by the fact that the guy is indestructible unless kryptonite is involved. Just a silly idea from Jump Street...but I digress.

Man of Steel promo

If you are looking for character development or depth, turn away. Seriously. It's just not there. I was 3/4 of the way through and did not care if anyone lived or died. Almost no one, anyway. If you want to accept that this is a movie about superheroes destroying a city when aliens invade, come on down! (Sound like Avengers a little bit?)

The cast was pretty good. Henry Cavill played a believable, albeit silent, Superman. The best parts and acting in the movie was the peripheral characters--the bystanders. The Kents, played by Costner and Lane were excellent...probably the best of the movie. Crowe was not terrible as Jor-El and Amy Adams was an excellent Lois Lane...at first, anyway. She was a sassy, take-no-crap reporter that went to her limits to tell a story. And then, she met Superman. Her character morphed from that sassy, strong woman into a smitten, starry-eyed school girl. (Just my opinion, some may disagree.) She did show backbone and fearlessness entering the ship of Zod, and from there on, she tried to hold it together.

Fishburne played a nice Perry White, too, though he was not in many scenes. The invasion and fight scenes were fun. There was some tongue in cheek comedy in small one-liners and it suspended my belief for a while, where I was just inundated with super beings pummeling each other all over Metropolis. I must say, I very much liked Zod's lieutenant, Faora-Ul, played by German-born Antje Traue, who I thought was cold and callous as a villain, just the way I like 'em!

Faora-Ul

Anyhow, the movie ends with what I was hoping he (Nolan) would avoid doing and yet it happened. I cringed. Clark Kent, glasses and all, was introduced as a reporter for the Daily Planet. Ack! Stop it! Do you seriously believe that tossing a pair of glasses on a guy changes his appearance that much? Let me tell you it doesn't. I got my first pair of glasses in 5th grade, and those barely developed, inexperienced, unwise children knew exactly who I was when I walked into the classroom. Boo! Oh, well... Better luck next time.

Please join me and the other amazingly talented authors over @ Skulldust Circle where we have formed a Writer's Circle that must be seen--a collection of brilliant, up & coming independently published speculative fiction authors with much to give both now and in the future!

Visit my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Also, please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2012 unless otherwise noted.

TOWER OF TORMENT Preview

First off, Happy Father's Day where applicable!

Secondly, my fourth book in the Realm of Ashenclaw series, the first of a new trilogy, is in the final stages of editing. It is entitled Tower of Torment, the trilogy will be entitled Embers of War, and it picks up right where Secrets of the Ebonite Mines left off. If you haven’t been keeping up, shame on you!

To recap, The BEGINNINGS trilogy starts with Book 1, Wothlondia Rising, which is a collection of short stories, but is important in that it lays the ground work for the next book. I feel that getting to know the protagonists before they get together is very important and so, this book has become a must-read in the series. Book 2 is the first full-length novel, entitled Covenant of the Faceless Knights and is actually the first book I wrote, but is second chronologically. This book picks up right after the last short story in the Wothlondia Rising Anthology and puts our group of lovable heroes together on a quest to recover a dangerous artifact, an amulet that contains the soul of an evil being—one that would grant lost power to the lich he has become.

Book 3, Secrets of the Ebonite Mines, continues our heroes on their quest, still looking for the artifact. However, as they continue their search, they meet up with a group of highwaymen led by a dwarven ex-noble, and his unique group of sellswords. Things escalate quickly as the two groups meet and some unexpected events leave our heroes with more disturbing information on the whereabouts of the artifact.

Book 4, TOWER OF TORMENT, progresses our story-lines as romance develops, new evils are discovered and tragic events become all-too-real for the group of companions along their quest. An underlying evil grows in strength and tragedy is faced all too often. All of this must be overcome, lest the realm fall to that very evil.

Without further ado, here is a preview from the 4th installment in the Realm of Ashenclaw series…

The incredible artwork of William J. Kenney

Garius immediately realized the futility of that last spell of healing. The man was dead instantly and the precision of the shot did not offer him even the slightest of chances at using his gift of divine healing.

 The bolt had not only penetrated the man’s heart, rendering him dead before Garius could even begin to tend his wound, but the area around the injury appeared covered in a poisonous substance. He could smell it.

Instead he removed The Repentant from its resting place upon his back and gripped its handle firmly. He infused the hammer with the divine magic that flowed freely within him and the runes lit up along with the hammer’s head. It felt light in his hands and he swung it hard, its massive head connecting with a slagfell warrior at the base of the three steps leading up and to the wine cellar, who was unwittingly—and justifiably!— giving his full attention to Orngoth.

 He recalled the first time he’d laid eyes upon the half-ogre as he shattered the skull of a slagfell warrior beneath his own helmet and smirked in remembrance. He quickly climbed the steps into the wine cellar and mouthed the words to another spell. That enchantment sent forth a blessing of divine power that settled over his allies. As the spell bathed them in holy light, he gripped The Repentant firmly in his hands once more and moved to intercept another of the slagfell assailants. 

Elec’s seat radiated with pain as his tailbone slammed against the floor. That was the least of his concerns though as he peered down to examine the pair of bolts that extended from his chest. He immediately refocused on the threat of the poison and carefully ran his fingers along his bandolier of elixirs until he found the proper one. Using his teeth to clamp down onto the plug, Elec removed it and downed the contents of the flask before replacing the stopper, and then the flask, into the bandolier.

He looked up in time to see one of the slagfell standing over him, an axe raised above his head in one hand, a crossbow in the other. A cruel grin was evident on his face beneath his thick, black beard and a crazed look was in his eyes beneath his steel helm.

“Time ta’ die, methinks!” But instead of a death blow, Elec witnessed a shadow fall over them both. The slagfell craned its neck about slowly in time to see the unforgiving surface of a club as it crushed both skull and helm. Elec winced at the ferocity with which the blow was struck, glanced up to see that both the helm and everything beneath had conformed to the shape of the heavy club, and also took note of the mask of rage set upon the half-ogre’s features. He silently thanked the gods that he was not the recipient of that unbridled ferocity.

Elec quickly returned his attention to the twin shafts and winced as he removed them from his flesh as quickly as possible. His lifeblood emerged in excess from beneath his leather jerkin and he removed a rag, soaked it in the alcohol that gathered in puddles on the floor, and placed it firmly against his chest, waiting for his potions to do their work.

He hoped that they would take effect before he passed out from the pain.

 

With that, Ganthorpe stood and stared deep within the shadowed recesses of the hall leading back to the kitchen. He caught a glimmer of auburn hair as it disappeared within the darkness. 

His heart raced and he became flush.

She is here!

“Are you all right?”

Ganthorpe turned and regarded the huge man who stared at him. He blinked at him a few times before realizing he’d asked him a question.

“Of course,” he lied, straightening his jerkin and running a hand through his dark hair. He sat back down in the chair and leaned in close again.

“I need to make use of your private office.”

Fabian looked at him queerly and then nodded. “Of course ya’ can use it. Do I—“

“No. no questions asked. Just give me the key. Or don’t. Either way.” Fabian reached below the collar of his apron and removed a chain with a key dangling on its end. He handed it to Ganthorpe who accepted it absently and looked to his guards. “Stay here. I will return soon enough.”

His men also looked at him as if they all wanted to question him, but none of them uttered a word.

He nodded to them and proceeded up several flights of stairs to Fabian’s private office, inserted the key, turned the knob and walked in. The space was bathed in shadow as it only had one window on the opposite side of the room. Fabian had it built that way as the man was more than a bit distrustful. And reasonably so, as he operated an illicit gambling setup as well as a delightful kitchen.

“Hello, lover boy.” His heart skipped a beat. A shadowy figure emerged from the recesses of the darkness and a flash of auburn hair shone briefly in the light of the window.

“Are you trying to have me killed?” 

Saeunn realized Elec’s plight with horror. She hoped that it would not be the last time she spoke to the elf, realizing that he was finally beginning to excel in the ways of combat. The thought of losing another made her angry beyond words. She’d felt terrible loss before—many times, she recalled. And she would not allow another to die while she still had life within her.

Her bloodlust came calling just then and she did not contest it. Instead she kicked out and shoved one slagfell back, diving forward and under a wide arcing swing of an axe, landing further away, where she could make good use of her powerful sword. Until now, she’d been choking mid-way up the sword to the top of the handle and using it defensively.

The time for defensive fighting was over.

I hope this enticed you, teased you and made you squirm a little. Hope you all have a great rest of the weekend!

Please join me and the other amazingly talented authors over @ Skulldust Circle where we have formed a Writer's Circle that must be seen--a collection of brilliant, up & coming independently published speculative fiction authors with much to give both now and in the future!

Visit my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Also, please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2012 unless otherwise noted.

Pierre 'WriterOfEpics' Gilson Interview

I've known Pierre from social media for a year and he has always been inspiring, energetic and kind. Pierre jumped at a chance to share his epic tale with the audience here at Eye on Ashenclaw and so, the following is the result of that interview. I hope you enjoy getting to know this young man!


First off, tell us a little bit about you 
Well my name is Pierre Gilson. My pen name or pseudonym is Pierre “WriterOfEpics Gilson. I was born in Dover, Delaware and went to school in Phenix City Alabama. I currently live in California to pursue my writing even further.

Tell us about your books/What genre do you consider your books? I write Scifi/fantasy, Christian, Action-Adventure, Romance, Suspense, Comedy, and Drama. I pretty much just write epics in term go with my name as you see. WWOAH (World Without A Home) is my ongoing series of stories that I’m working on. The base of the story is about the youth who are soldiers searching for the peace which they all need so much. I incorporate every element that comes to mind to make it standout more than other books. Scifi/fantasy has to be my favorite because it can contain an unlimited amount of things.

When did you start writing? I've been writing since I was seven I believe. During my senior year of high school I knew it was the path for me to take.

Why do you write? 

I write because I truly know it is the purpose of why I’m given life. It has open doors for me that can’t be explained and has made me into a better person and a man.

What would be your choice for a superpower? Infinite confidence, that’s a power I believe we all wish we had.

Who is your favorite author? Terry Brooks is pretty good by me, I like the spiritual sense he brings to his worlds.

What are you reading now? Comics, lots and lots of comics. The best one I read so far has to be Aquaman New 52. If you read the entire volume one you will be definitely hooked to the creative process and growth of his character.

Who is your favorite character to write? I have probably over 50 characters but I would have to say all. Sorry but every single one has their own story and personality that brings something completely new to me. 

Do you have a writing process? Yes I gain inspiration by observing and living. I plot out way before I start writing and what that does is give me a blueprint so when I get to the “pre-written” work I can pretty much fill in the blanks and or gaps



What advice would you give to an aspiring author? Believe in yourself and God and you will accomplish anything and I mean anything.

What inspired you to pursue writing? Life in general. There is so much to write about and I know that I have to write it in my own special way.

What are your favorite TV shows/Movies to watch in between writing? Star Wars, Teen Wolf, Legend of Korra, Naruto, Kung Fu Flicks, Romantic-Comedies, Dramas, Musicals, LOTR, Marvel/DC broadcastings, and Animes.

What are your current projects? WWOAH (World Without A Home): Vol.2 which is very close to completion and I assure you this one is astonishing. I also have WWOAH: Sunrise which is a comic series that is under development and yes artists are welcomed to join the team.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to readers? Just bear with me I write to carry a message and to inspire so sometimes a volume might take a little more extra time to reach perfection. Nevertheless I really enjoy you for reading what I have to say and loving it.

Quick Fire:
Cats or dogs? Dogs! Siberian Husky!!
Coffee or tea? Tea! I only get coffee if there’s a beautiful woman working the counter.
Favorite food? Anything Spicy!
Vanilla or chocolate ice-cream? Vanilla, Chocolate doesn't do the tango with my intestines properly.
What are 3 things you never leave home without? My thumb drive, wallet, and creativity.
Laptop or desktop? Laptop, I’m always on the move.
Who are 3 famous people you would to hang out with? George Lucas, Stan Lee, Samuel L. Jackson
TV or Movies? That’s a tough one but I would have to say movies just because I want to see someone’s work as a whole.

Please join me and the other amazingly talented authors over @ Skulldust Circle where we have formed a Writer's Circle that must be seen--a collection of brilliant, up & coming independently published speculative fiction authors with much to give both now and in the future!

Visit my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Also, please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2012 unless otherwise noted.

Kindle or Nook? Something Else?

Just a curious question I had the other day, talking to some friends. As an indie writer and self-publisher, I am curious if it is worth diving into the world of Nook. Would doing the Smashwords thing expose my book to more e-readers and readers alike? I initially released one of my books on the Nook and it met with limited results.

The big question: Is it worth leaving the Kindle KDP Select? I’ve heard mixed reviews…

First of all, do you have a kindle or Nook? I am assuming if you read, you have an e-reader. I personally have a kindle—just the reader, not the fire—and I do like it. And I know there are other devices out there: Kobo, iPad, tablets, etc. As a matter of fact, some might say that a tablet is even better than the kindle/Nook as they can just download the app. ID that is the case, are you doing the kindle or Nook app?

Anyway, I was toying with the idea of making my work available again for the Nook, but am wondering how many readers actually ignored the 800 pound gorilla that is the kindle to get the Nook instead? Many? Based on some numbers I had seen and forecasting, the Nook and B&N might be in some trouble. Then in other recent news, I heard that the Nook might be bought by Microsoft, so who knows? Again, that is all speculation. Another interesting tidbit is that Amazon, as of an article in March, is going to buy Goodreads. How will that affect book sales?

I am asking you, the reader, what do you use if you have the choice: Kindle or Nook?

Oh, and as a shameless self-promotion on my birthday, all books were reduced yesterday to $2.99 and under for the week. So if you wanna do me a solid, feel free to pop on over and check out my Realm of Ashenclaw, pick up an inexpensive book and enjoy some heroic, old school fantasy! Or don't...either way, we are cool! :)

Please join me and the other amazingly talented authors over @ Skulldust Circle where we have formed a Writer's Circle that must be seen--a collection of brilliant, up & coming independently published speculative fiction authors with much to give both now and in the future!


Visit my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Also, please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2012 unless otherwise noted.

The Nicolas Wilson Interview

I ran into Nicolas Wilson just the other day in my search for new authors. Nic is a speculative fiction/thriller/Sci-Fi writer and was kind enough to give an interview! Here is how that went...

First off, tell us a little bit about you~I've been writing for half my life. In that time I worked as a journalist for a couple of years, which I recently collected into an ebook, free on Smashwords. I started seriously publishing last summer, and my first two novels are out, along with a handful of short story collections. I've got six more novels in various stages of editing.

Tell us about your books/What genre do you consider your books?I tend to dabble, and mix genres. The two most consistent threads are probably science fiction and thrillers. I'll detail the projects that are out, now, and the one that should be out in the next couple of months.

Dag is a thriller mixing in elements of genetic engineering, following a low-level government employee caught up in a series of strange events that start to unravel a military-industrial conspiracy, and filling in her adoptive family of misfits, with mutants.

Whores is a speculative fiction story about women's rights. It's a bit like the Handmaid's Tale meets 1984, but with a proactive cast of heroes that are essentially terrorists, and act accordingly.

Nexus follows the crew of a generational arc ship, the second of its kind, send out amongst the cosmos to secure interplanetary mining rights. It's a bit like if the Enterprise's voyage was sponsored by Halliburton, and focuses on how the crew react to their company's ethical lapses (hint: it involves laser gun battles).

When did you start writing?I started writing back in middle school. I fell in with a literary crowd, and we started writing stories basically in the round. One person would add a sentence to carry the story forward. We had terrible ground rules, so as often as not I'd spend my sentence trying to undo the damage of the last to make the story somewhat coherent, after someone tried to completely nuke it.

  Why do you write? That is an excellent question. I could be flip and say, “Because real work is hard,” but that would be disingenuous, since I've always had to have a day job. I think it's because I'm compelled. Part of it is that I'm a shy person, in person, so I don't express myself often, and even when I do, I do it inarticulately. So I think I'm pent up, with a lot I'd like to say.

What would be your choice for a superpower?Easy, particularly for a comic nerd like myself. Superspeed. It seems like I've never got enough time. As an example, I've got one novel written for every five I've outlined in detail. And I'm still working through editing a backlog of novels. I've cut back my writing schedule until I get the novels I have written published.

Who is your favorite author? That's tough. Amy Hempel has probably the prettiest prose I've ever read. Elmore Leonard writes some of the most complicated plots with some of the wittiest dialog. But I think I have to go with Hunter S. Thompson. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is still my desert island book.

What are you reading now? The Dragonbone Chair. My wife insists that I read it before I start my own fantasy story, which I'm shooting for starting early next year and publishing in regular, possibly quarterly novellas.

Who is your favorite character to write?Pawn, from the Necromancer's Gambit (one of those as-yet unpublished drafts). He's definitely the story's butt-monkey, and he's a racist, sexist, bigoted mess of a human being- so you don't feel too bad when he gets kicked around. But he's a bit like a puppy- repeatedly kicked, and he's got some bite to him, and I think a human, relatable core, despite how frequently horrible he is.

Do you have a writing process?
I tend to outline a lot. And because of my hectic schedule, my outlines battle it out like reality TV show contestants, until the sluttiest story is left standing when the next hole opens up. I still write and publish stories sequentially on my blog, but these days I usually write in binges. As an example, I just wrote my first erotic novella, which I'm still mulling whether or not I'll ever publish. It's 25 pages and I wrote it over the Memorial Day weekend. The rest of the process is about editing, I do a draft, and pass it to my wife, who is also my editor- and the cruelest, most ruthless editor I've ever had, bar none (and I love her for it. Remember that, honey, when you're proofreading this!)- until we start passing back and forth drafts with almost no changes in them. That's when we know we're rearranging the deck furniture. The editing process sounds pretty quaint, there, but it represents 80% of my writing time- so it's easily the most substantial part.

What advice would you give to an aspiring author? Stick with it. Writing is hard. And the editing is even harder. And odds are really terrible that you'll ever be able to make it into a career.

But if you love it? It's worth it. It's worth it if you only ever reach a few hundred readers. Hell. For me it was worth it when I was publishing first drafts of everything on my blog. And now, it's infinitely more gratifying getting positive feedback from the community.

But if you want that feedback- put in the work. The difference between a decent draft and a good one is thorough and ruthless editing- which you can't do alone. If you find a good editor, marry them. It'll save you a fortune later. But know that you should be your own harshest critic. You're the only one who can murder your darlings- and knowing which ones to cull is the toughest part about writing- but it will also make your story better.

What inspired you to pursue writing?I don't know if anything did. Poe inspired me to get a day job, because pursuing writing turned an already miserable life into a tragedy.

But I guess if I had to pick I'd say Hunter S. Thompson. His work really showed me that good writing- and good journalism- could have a point of view, and a soul, without abandoning its principles. It didn't have to be a gutless, view-pointless blob like a lot of modern entertainment and news is. And it's not even like I think Thompson changed anything- but it's pushing for what's right- and that's important to me.

What are your favorite TV shows/Movies to watch in between writing?I watch TV and movies for the writerly aspects. I love a good plot. But because I can write it off on my intellectual taxes as research, I especially gravitate towards strongly written dialog. Deadwood's dialog is wonderful, and vile.

But as for things I watch for myself? We just finished binging on the latest season of Arrested Development. I can't believe the way they end it- and with the movie probably a year or more away, too. Argh.

And I'm so incredibly thrilled Community is back for another season- and with Dan Harmon back in charge of the ship. That's my two favorite showrunners back helming their very singular and personal projects. I'm kind of not used to this much good news, entertainment wise.

I'm a little sad Futurama got canceled a second time- though I'm fairly optimistic at this point that it'll end up someplace else.

What are your current projects?My current projects:

I'm working on Nexus for publication sometime in the next couple of months.

I've got another couple short story collections which will be out in the next month, exclusively on Amazon.

And in the next couple of weeks I'm going to tackle Old Glory, a novella about a grandson tasked with retrieving the family's Confederate battle flag for his dying grandmother.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to readers?Thanks. I'm still new enough to this that I'm humbled that anyone would want to read an interview, or that people would read my work. So thanks. If you want to get a taste of my work, you can try my website: play around in the archives, or grab one of the short story collections. My first one, Ghost Dust, is free everywhere, including Amazon.


Quick Fire:
Cats or dogs?Cats, generally. I have both, and love both. But with dogs I always feel like they want more love and attention than I give them. With cats it's the inverse.

Coffee or tea?Hmm... energy drink or a Coke are my preference. Green tea. Unless we're talking Frappuccino, and then Starbucks wins.

Favorite food?Potatoes. I love pizza, and burgers, which are certainly sexier. But over the last week I've eaten something like ten potatoes- and have another dozen cooked upstairs after the first batch didn't quite sate the craving. And just thinking about them, fried up with Italian or Mexican seasonings- I'm going to have to wrap this up to have breakfast.

Vanilla or chocolate ice-cream?Chocolate ice cream. White cake.

What are 3 things you never leave home without?My memory card, with backups of most of my writing. My laptop- most of the time I think I might have a second to get in the sneaky bit of writing. My PSP, to listen to music on, or have some TV on in the background, or for games, too.

Laptop or desktop?I prefer my laptop for most things. I'm typing this from bed. But anything more intensive- games, graphics, video- it's all about the desktop.

Who are 3 famous people you would to hang out with?Journalism taught me that meeting your heroes can be rough. That having been said, Adam West was damned amazing. So Adam West is a lock- he's just such a genuine and generous human being. I don't know that I could answer the other two. But it would have to be people who have that same quality, who remember their life before they were famous, and are gracious and kind. Bruce Campbell was kind of a pill in the written interview we did, but I met him once at a book signing, and he seemed exactly like that, like he loved and appreciated his fans to an almost masochistic degree. So I guess I'd say Bruce, too- with some minor trepidation. And I guess the only person who could round out those two would be Sam Raimi- who would be fascinating to spend time with- and as a bonus his presence would mean I wouldn't be the nerdiest guy there.

TV or Movies?TV. Movies have to simplify their characters, and rely on cliche and archetypes to outline ideas rather than explore them. TV has time to develop characters and ideas, and is far closer to novels- and far closer to real life.

 

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