Jessica Jones Review

Good afternoon readers, writers and anyone else who happens to read my blog these days!

Netlfix Promo Screen

I wanted to chime in on the Jessica Jones series that just dropped last weekend on Netflix. I finally finished it. 

Twice.

****Spoilers ahead**** If you haven't finished watching the 13 part series, turn back now!

You've been warned....

First off, I wanted to say that it was very well done (4.5 out of 5 stars)--well-written and acted alike. Krysten Ritter surprised me in the role, able to pull off the ‘superhero’ moments better than I would have expected. The character she portrays is certainly dark and tormented, which we have seen from her before (Breaking Bad leaps to mind), but I wasn’t expecting much in the way of action, but she pulled it off very well.

The performers were extremely well cast and I enjoyed the acting choices of Luke Cage (Michael Colter), Patricia "Trish" Walker (Rachael Taylor) and especially Kilgrave (David Tennant) in particular. Even the supporting cast of characters were excellent in their portrayals, moving along the character development of Jessica, and fleshing out the world just a little bit more for the viewer.

NUKE!

I very much enjoyed Wil Traval’s version of the Will Simpson character, and when he said ‘gimme a red’, I got chills. Comic Book fans of Daredevil back in the mid 80’s will know the reference (and yes I know he was in other stuff, but Frank Miller’s writing is second to none.)

Rachael Taylor cast as Patricia Walker also ‘nailed it’, (plus she is some serious eye candy), and the character had some serious depth and she portrayed it well, fighting the demons from her past. The fact that she lives in a fortress, takes Krav Maga (I believe), and is willing to do whatever it takes to save Jess, really adds to her character depth as well as her love of Jessica. I think she was a wonderful choice for what I assume will soon be the hero known as Hellcat in the upcoming Defenders series.  The fight between her and Simpson in Jones’ apartment was extremely well choreographed too, almost as good as the one at the end of episode 2 of Daredevil (the hallway fight scene).

Be my Hellcat?

David Tennant played Kilgrave-- an extremely juvenile, twisted, egocentric mess of a man--to a “T’. His portrayal was good enough to win an award, in my humble opinion. His whimsical approach and his simplistic yet misguided disregard for anyone or anything, is undeniable. It is also pathetic to the point where he tugs at your heartstrings ever so slightly for pangs of sympathy, due to his childhood and lack of guidance over the years.

On to the minor quibbles…why no mention of Daredevil or anyone in Daredevil, until episode 13? I mean, they were dealing with lawyers for Chrissake?! I thought this one major ball drop could have at least been rectified by even mentioning the firm of Nelson and Murdock Law Office in their travels. The only way this is forgivable would be to say that the firm hadn’t existed yet, but the arrival of Nurse Claire Temple would indicate that the time frames are somewhat parallel.

Okay, so no Murdock, or any mention of he or Foggy, and I can understand it to a point. That point being that they wanted the show to stand on its own. I applaud that noble idea. But, as i said, a few name-drops would have been amazing as they are not only the same universe, but they are both in Hell's Kitchen! I cant believe that the characters have never bumped into each other. No mention of Fisk, or Landman and Zack, where Foggy's ex-girlfriend works, or anything else really identifiable, that would have tied the two series together. I know they mentioned the 'incident', the 'green guy', and the 'flag-waver', but it would have been nice to see someone else from the Daredevil series (no disrespect to Rosario Dawson.)

So, all in all, the series was excellent, and well worth watching. I cant wait to see Luke Cage, Iron Fist, the Defenders, and above all, more Rachael Taylor, hopefully gouging out the villain's eyes as Hellcat! 

Bye for now....

Visit me on my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE to borrow any of my books for FREE!

Best-selling author of Wake the Dead! On Amazon Kindle here!

All Artwork and covers of my works by William J. Kenney & Carlos Cara

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2014 unless otherwise noted.

What happened to Glenn on The Walking Dead?

**SPOILERS BELOW, so if you haven't watched last night's episode, go away***

Okay, so, first off, I haven't written a blog post in a while about anything and here I am again, but I'm quite off topic. BUT, the reason for the post has everything to do with writing, speculation, and where you might go with the story line, etc.

That said, here is my take on what happened last night on #TWD.

Dead or Alive?

I believe Glen is somehow alive still. The way they filmed it, did not confirm his death last night on Talking Dead​, makes me think that he is still alive. just my initial guess.

Secondly, and this is completely from the dark side of my brain, and what I would do if I was writing this show, is really mind-eff the audience.

If I were writing The Walking Dead, I might do something along the lines of...Glenn is alive, but when someone goes back to the area, they find his pocket watch, and some other belongings that are unmistakably his.

They bring the materials back to the camp, while glenn is either lost (he repeatedly asked Nicholas 'which way?!' last night) OR he is taken by the Wolves (who may or may not be working with ENID, yes, yet another theory) and cannot find his way back so the group believes he is dead.

Maggie, in turn, takes her own life before Glenn finally escapes/returns, only to find this happened and...well....its The Walking Dead, so you can guess the rest. 

Now, what would you do or what do you think will happen next? PLEASE DISCUSS!

Visit me on my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE to borrow any of my books for FREE!

Best-selling author of Wake the Dead! On Amazon Kindle here!

All Artwork and covers of my works by William J. Kenney & Carlos Cara

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2014 unless otherwise noted.

Stephanie O' Brien Interview

First off, tell us a little bit about you, Stephanie... 

I’m a genre-hopping fan and creator of fiction, who spends more time with my head in fictional worlds than is entirely good for my schedule and navigational skills. (Oh, I was supposed to turn left there? Shoot, I was busy writing a novel in my head.) My favorites tend to be sci-fi stories, but I also love fantasy, and if something is really good, genre is no object.

Tell us about your books/What genre do you consider them? 

I’ve written in multiple genres. “My Fugitive” and “Voice of a Silent Fugitive” are wartime psychological suspense novels, starring a mute, wounded warrior and a young civilian girl who are trying to keep each other alive in enemy territory. “Heroic Lies” is a superhero sci-fi novel which takes the classic hero-villain-reporter trio and puts a dark new spin on it, and “Catigrl Roommate” is a comedy novel.

When did you start writing? 

About as early as I knew how. I finished my first full-length novel when I was 12, and wrote a short book and a few half-finished projects before then.

Why do you write? 
Because I enjoy it. I like creating and exploring worlds and characters, and evoking emotions, that reflect and yet differ from the ones we encounter in everyday life.

What would be your choice for a superpower? 

The ability to magically create any object I wanted, with no negative side effects to myself or the universe. This would pretty much enable me to replicate any other superpower.

Who is your favorite author? 

That’s a tough one, but I’m going to say Karen Hancock.

What are you reading now? 

 “The Wizard’s First Rule”.

Who is your favorite character to write? 

I think so far Zorei from “Heroic Lies” has been my favorite. He’s one of those rare gems who practically writes himself, but I enjoyed writing Alexandra, too. They play off each other so well.

Do you have a writing process? 

 First, I write a quick outline. As much of each scene as pops into my head at the time. This lets me see an outline of the whole story, and rearrange parts of it if need be to ensure that it flows well and that all the events are in order. Then I go through the whole book and flesh it out. If a new scene pops into my head, or I get a burst of inspiration to write a scene later in the book, I write it down and then go back to where I left off.

What advice would you give to an aspiring author? 

For one thing, don’t wait to write “candy bar scenes” until you get to that part of the book. If you’ve got a scene that you’re REALLY looking forward to writing, and it’s vivid and wonderful in your mind, write it down NOW. There have been several times when I’ve had an amazing scene write itself in my head, but I waited for months to actually type it out, and by the time it did, the sparkle was gone. It was three times as hard to write, and the result was half as good.

Another piece of advice is, don’t be afraid to make your characters really unusual or unique. Give them quirks, even if the characters and quirks are minor. How many times have you seen a minor character become an internet sensation, just because people loved the one little oddity that they displayed?

A third is to remember that bestselling authors are just that: best SELLING authors, not best WRITING authors. I really hated this piece of advice when I got it, but it’s true: if you don’t sell many books, it isn’t necessarily because you’re a bad writer; it’s because you aren’t marketing and selling your book effectively. So if you plan to self-publish, or even if you want to catch a publisher’s attention, you need to learn how to get people interested.

What inspired you to pursue writing? 

As noted earlier, I enjoy it. Despite my above advice, I’ll admit that I probably don’t spend nearly enough time marketing my books, because most of my marketing efforts are focused on my other business. And yet, I keep writing, because I like it.

What are your favorite TV shows/Movies to watch in between writing? 
“Farscape” is my current favorite. “Puella Magi Madoka Magica”, “Firefly”, “Serenity”, and “Star Trek” are also high on my list.

What are your current projects? 

I’m currently working on a comedy novel for cat lovers, called “Catgirl Roommate”. It’s about a poor college student who accepted an offer of free rent in exchange for taking care of his “special needs” roommate. Unfortunately for him, his new roommate is a catgirl. She’s the size of a human, but with all the bad habits of a cat, so I’m sure the cat owners reading this can imagine the crap he has to put up with.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to readers? 

Would it be cliche and obvious of me to say “check out my books”? Haha. (PS. Go check out her books here! ~ GFV) Just as importantly, for all the fans and writers who are reading this: have fun with it, fearlessly. If you have a story to write, go and write it, just the way you want to – not the way that you think will sell best, or the way you think other people want you to write it. And if you have a story or franchise you totally adore, geek out about it. Get into communities of people who share your passion, and be honest about your obsession. After all, fiction helps us to connect with each other, and with parts of ourselves that don’t have enough room to stretch their legs in day-to-day life, so why not love it?

Quick Fire:
Cats or dogs? Cats, even if their bad behaviour inspired me to write a book.
Coffee or tea? Tea.
Favorite food? Chocolate.
Vanilla or chocolate ice-cream? Chocolate, of course. :)
What are 3 things you never leave home without? My purse, the clothes on my back, and my cell phone.
Laptop or desktop? Laptop.
Who are 3 famous people you would to hang out with? Masashi Kishimoto, Wayne Pygram, and Mary Morrissey.

TV or Movies? TV. I like how it has more time to develop the characters, world and plot.

Visit me on my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE to borrow any of my books for FREE!

Best-selling author of Wake the Dead! On Amazon Kindle here!

All Artwork and covers of my works by William J. Kenney & Carlos Cara

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2014 unless otherwise noted.

Wothlondia Rising Cover Update

I have decided to try something new on older cover art. Wothlondia Rising,  my free anthology of short stories that introduces the reader to each of my main characters in the subsequent novels, has undergone a slight transformation.

What do you think?

 KINDLE

iTunes 

NOOK

Visit me on my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE to borrow any of my books for FREE!

Best-selling author of Wake the Dead! On Amazon Kindle here!

All Artwork and covers of my works by William J. Kenney & Carlos Cara

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2014 unless otherwise noted.

Rae Elliott Interview

Tell us about your books/What genre do you consider them?
I write mostly in the Fantasy, Science Fiction, and YA genres.

When did you start writing? 

As long as I can remember I've been writing, but if I had to narrow it down, I’d say my first memory hits on the age of six.

Why do you write? 

Because it is my undying passion. I cannot imagine not writing, and I wouldn’t be whole if I couldn’t express my thoughts, my views, through stories and characters that speak to other readers. I know it is my strong suit, but I feel it is more than just a hobby.

What would be your choice for a superpower? 

I think I would be a morpher or body changer, so that I could become anything that suits the occasion, or the need.

Who is your favorite author? 

 Man that is a really tough one. I have a huge nostalgia-inducing pull towards J.R.R Tolkien, but I often love how F. Scott Fitzgerald puts a really beautiful and unique perspective on a person or the world in just a few words.

What are you reading now? 

Unfortunately, nothing too fantastical. Really, just indie author homework. How to Market Ebooks, gain loyal readership- those sort of books. And quite a few at a time.

Who is your favorite character to write? 

My favorite character I have written thus far has to be my main female character in my science fiction novel Fractured. Queen Darphina. She is a battered wife and mother, but she shows complete selflessness and unwavering bravery in the face of a man who could kill her and their beloved children with ease. That man being her husband, King Magnus.

Do you have a writing process? 

My writing process usually goes like this: I have a wild idea, begin writing it down right away, maybe even making it five or six chapters in, and then once the writing spree is over, I look it all over again. By that point I re-flesh the whole thing out, organize it, and change up a mess of things, including major edits like character or chapter cuts. Then I typically read it to a willing ear, usually my husband, and he helps me flesh out the ideas a bit better. That process gets repeated.

What advice would you give to an aspiring author?

 The writing advice I can give other authors is the same question that guides me with every book I create: "Why does your reader care?" If your reader does not care about your characters and what happens to them, then you have no audience no matter what genre you write in.

What inspired you to pursue writing? 

The fact that I have always loved writing stories and found that it was my strong suit. Over anything else I have ever done, my love and passion always comes back to writing stories. I knew I had to try to make some kind of a career off of it, and even if it doesn’t go anywhere, at least I shared my story with a few people out there.

What are your favorite TV shows/Movies to watch in between writing? 

Oh man. This list is too long for words but I’ll sum it up. Favorite shows: Freaks and Geeks, The Blacklist, Gilmore Girls, Criminal Minds, Downton Abbey, Sherlock, Doctor Who, Parks and Recreation, Broadchurch. And, a few movie faves include: The Lord of the Rings Series, Gladiator, Frequency, Forest Gump, The Planet of The Apes, Brave, Ever After, Wall-E, The Count of Monte Cristo, Man of Steel, and the list could go on.

What are your current projects? 

I am always in the middle of a few different projects, but to narrow it down I'm in the final editing stage of two different books. One is the first in a Fantasy/thriller/YA series called "Treefell: Legend of the Wood", and the next is a how-to-guide for indie authors about marketing their work on Pinterest to their advantage.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to readers? 

I hope you enjoy my books, each story is meant to speak a very real problem one and all have either faced ourselves or have seen the results of. I think a lesson can be learned from each character and what course they choose, in the face of real, relatable problems.



Quick Fire:Cats or dogs? Always Dogs.
Coffee or tea? Tea
Favorite food? Thai food.
Vanilla or chocolate ice-cream? Chocolate
What are 3 things you never leave home without? My wallet, my phone, and my Nintendo 3DS.
Laptop or desktop? Laptop

Visit me on my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE to borrow any of my books for FREE!

Best-selling author of Wake the Dead! On Amazon Kindle here!

All Artwork and covers of my works by William J. Kenney & Carlos Cara

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2014 unless otherwise noted.

Rachel Pattinson Interview

First off, tell us a little bit about you, Rachel...
Hi Gary, thanks for having me today! I'm Rachel and I'm a Young Adult sci-fi author. I'm 24 years old and I'm an English girl, born and raised. I love tea, cake, Lord of the Rings, bread and butter, and rain. You have to learn to love the rain if you grow up in the north of England.

Tell us about your books/What genre do you consider your books?
I write YA science fiction. Sci-fi is a genre I kind of accidentally fell into; all my previous attempts at writing have been YA dystopian/apocalyptic novels. I never set out thinking that I'd end up writing science fiction. Don't get me wrong, I love science fiction films and I love reading other YA sci-fi books – learning about new technology/civilizations and the way in which these things impact on society have always fascinated me. But it wasn't until I was a good halfway through writing Synthetica that I even realised I was writing sci-fi. I just thought I was writing a 'futuristic' YA novel...it wasn't until I had to define it in a category for my query letters that I realised it was, in fact, sci-fi. And now, I can't seem to stop thinking of other science fiction stories to write...

When did you start writing? 
I don't remember a time when I wasn't writing. Even in primary school, I remember folding up coloured pieces of A4 paper to make a book, scribbling a story in the first few pages and then abandoning it (that habit hasn't actually changed that much – only, now I use a computer rather than random bits of paper). Making up stories has been the only thing that's been constant throughout my life – I've never doubted I'd become a writer one day, but it's only in the past few years that I've decided to take that ambition seriously. I first started writing novels three years ago, when I was about to graduate from university. It was while I was waiting to hear back from the hundreds of job applications I'd sent out that I decided to write my first novel and see what became of it. I've stopped and started a lost of books over the last few years, but I finally feel like I'm ready to take my writing career seriously.

Why do you write? 
I write because I simply can't imagine not writing. I'm always making up stories and characters in my head. Apparently some people narrate their life in their minds – I make up stories in mine. Most of the time when someone is talking to me, my mind will start to wander and I'll be making up whole worlds in my head, when I'm actually supposed to be listening to what they're saying. This is a very bad habit, but I can't seem to stop myself!

What would be your choice for a superpower?
Fire. Lots of fire. The ability to conjure up fire from your fingertips has always fascinated me – it looks cool, and no one would ever dare to mess with you again.

Who is your favorite author? 
I've loved J.R.R. Tolkien ever since I first read LOTR at ten years old. He's the only author I've bothered buying other works/companion novels for. I'm so in love with Middle Earth and it's rich history – there are times when I forget it's made up! But lately, I have to say that George R.R. Martin has competed for my affections too – probably because Westeros is just as rich in history and characters as Middle Earth!

What are you reading now
? I've just finished reading Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig. Having suffered from panic attacks in the past, and continuing to suffer from anxiety now, I found this book incredibly liberating. I was going through a rough patch when I bought it, and it really opened my eyes and made me realise that no one has to suffer depression alone. I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who has, or has experienced depression and anxiety. I've also been hoarding books for my Easter break – including Half Wild by Sally Green, Burning Kingdoms by Lauren Destefano, and Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Steifvater, so I'm really looking forward to taking break and digging into them over the next few weeks!

Who is your favorite character to write? 
This is a hard one to answer! Although I love all the characters in Synthetica, there are two in particular that I couldn't wait to write: Clay Winterbourne and the Hacker. I loved writing Clay's chapters because he's such a misery guts and he's got such an intriguing background, that I could have a lot of fun exploring his reactions to certain situations. He's not used to being around people and suddenly he's thrown into this situation where he not only has to interact with people, but he also has to go back to the Imperial City and try to face his personal demons head on. He's turned his back on the city that framed him for murder, but he has to decide whether he's stubborn enough to refuse help to someone who genuinely needs him.

And the Hacker – well, who doesn't love writing about villains? I always knew I wanted the Hacker's POV dispersed throughout the novel, so we could get a sense of his motivations and why he was committing the crimes he did. It was a challenge to get across his personality in such short scenes, while also making him a bit of an enigma. The Hacker continued to surprise me throughout the book – I always knew he was going to be a sociopath, but I found myself constantly wondering exactly how far he'd go to achieve his goals. He's a man who genuinely has no regard for human life, which makes the stakes all the higher when Anais encounters him.

Do you have a writing process? 
When I first think of an idea, I'll quickly jot it down on my phone or on a piece of paper. On my laptop, I have a special folder called 'Ideas', and in that folder is a file called 'Random Notes'. Any story idea I have, no matter how weird or stupid, goes in there. Although I'll probably never write 90% of the novel ideas that are in there, I think it's a good practice to have, as it gets me used to thinking about different stories and characters. Occasionally, I'll think of an idea that I just can't get out of my head, and I'll be thinking about it constantly on my commute to work, while I'm at work, while I'm watching TV...it's when I get one of these ideas that I'll create a brand new Word doc on my laptop and write down every singly thing that occurs to me about that story. It might take a few weeks or months, but eventually, I'll bring all these notes together and start plotting the outline of the novel. Once I have an outline, I'll write my detailed synopsis, which is where I get to plan out every stage of the novel to see if it works. Then I'll leave that synopsis alone for a month or so, and it's only when I've come back and looked at it with fresh eyes that I'll finally start to write the actual novel. As you can probably tell, I'm definitely a planner when it comes to writing novels!

What advice would you give to an aspiring author? 
Don't give up. I'm not going to lie - writing a book is hard. It takes a lot of perseverance. There are times when you're halfway through writing your first draft and you suddenly realise everything you've written is awful, or you've written in a character that doesn't work with your plot anymore, or you've just spotted a gaping plot hole. It can be disheartening, but remember, no first draft is perfect. Just keep going, and eventually it all comes together. First drafts (and second, and third , and fourth drafts...) can always be rewritten and restructured, so just keep writing. You can change the words you've written, but you can't change anything on a blank page.

What inspired you to pursue writing?
Even though I've always imagined I'd become an author one day, it's actually my anxiety that has been the main driving force behind my writing. After university I was stuck in such a dark place, and one day I said to myself, 'you know what? I'm not going to let this stop me anymore.' There have been times when I thought I've never achieve my dream; but each time my anxiety has come back, I've forced myself to slow down, take a break and remind myself that I'm the only one in control of my life. If I want to write, I will. I'm not going to let my mental health define me, or keep me back from my dreams.

What are your favorite TV shows/Movies to watch in between writing?
My favourite TV shows at the moment are Better Call Saul, American Horror Story and Orange Is the New Black. I love anything with a strong plot and characters that break the mould. Me and my partner tend to binge watch Netflix over the weekends, so we're constantly on the lookout for new shows!

What are your current projects?
At the moment, I'm currently having a lot of fun writing the sequel to Synthetica, which I hope will be published before the end of the year. Just a word of warning - if you thought Synthetica was dark, it's nothing compared to what's in store for book two *evil laugh*.

I'm also currently outlining an idea for a standalone novel, which I'm working on during my breaks from the Synthetica series. Nowadays, people seem to put a lot of emphasis on the amount of 'likes' or attention they get on social media (myself included), and this got me thinking – what if you took this concept and applied it to a situation where it actually mattered how many 'likes' you received? For example what if in this world, the amount of 'likes' you had decided whether you lived or died...? I'm super excited to explore this idea, although at the moment I'm having a hard time getting the characters of Synthetica out of my head!

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to readers?
I can't express how grateful I am for everyone's support both while writing and publishing Synthetica. For an indie author like me, your support means everything, so thank you so much! Without your support and encouragement, I wouldn't be where I am today. Every single day, it's the thought of my readers that inspires me and keeps pushing me forward, even when I feel like giving up. Without you, I wouldn't be able to do the job that I've been dreaming about for so long – so, thank you :).

Quick Fire:
Cats or dogs? Cats
Coffee or tea? Tea – I am English after all
Favorite food? Cake. Any kind of cake.
Vanilla or chocolate ice-cream? Vanilla
What are 3 things you never leave home without? My phone, my purse and my glasses
Laptop or desktop? Laptop
Who are 3 famous people you would like to hang out with? Jennifer Lawrence, J.K. Rowling and Barack Obama
TV or Movies? TV – it lasts longer

About the author
Rachel Pattinson graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a BA Hons in Publishing Media. Born and raised in the north of England, she shares a love for anything to do with tea, cake, bread and butter, rain, the dark, lakes, fells and Lord of the Rings. She now lives in Norfolk with her partner in crime, and is currently working on several new projects, including the sequel to Synthetica. Find out more at www.rachelpattinson.blogspot.co.uk and follow her on Twitter: @REPattinson1

Author links

 Blog: www.rachelpattinson.blogspot.co.uk

Twitter: @REPattinson1
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25003055-synthetica?ac=1
Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Synthetica-Rachel-Pattinson-ebook/dp/B00V5D68P2/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_2

Visit me on my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE to borrow any of my books for FREE!

Best-selling author of Wake the Dead! On Amazon Kindle here!

All Artwork and covers of my works by William J. Kenney & Carlos Cara

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2014 unless otherwise noted.

Jeff Roberts Interview

I've recently had the pleasure of meeting Jeffrey Roberts, writer of science fiction, fantasy, horror and comedy. Author of THE HEALER. Jeff, thanks for stopping by and sharing with the readers of the blog over here and best of luck moving forward. So, let's discover some info about Jeff....

First off, tell us a little bit about you

I was born in New York City on 2/24/1949. I attended Northern Arizona University, in Flagstaff, AZ, where I received degrees in writing and American history. I’m an advocate of disclosing the truth about UFO’s; I’m an airplane freak, and I’ve lived in Tucson, AZ for 4 years, having moved from my hometown of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Tell us about your books/What genre do you consider them? 

 I write science fiction, horror, fantasy, and comedy/fantasy.

When did you start writing? 

I started writing in college.

Why do you write? 

To create worlds that never were – but might; characters that never existed – but could; and strange situations in this life- and others that can only be imagined.

What would be your choice for a superpower? 

I think perhaps either invisibility, or the power of teleportation.

Who is your favorite author? 

 I have no 1 favorite author, but several come to mind: Ray Bradbury, James Thurber, Thornton Wilder, Arthur C. Clarke, Ray Bradbury – and I kind of like me, at the risk of sounding conceited!


What are you reading now? 

Nothing right now. Too busy writing and promoting.

Who is your favorite character to write? 

The underdog, the iconoclast that saves the day and gains new found respect.

Do you have a writing process? 

 I write in long hand first, on black & white composition books, where I edit ceaselessly until it looks like I’ve hemorrhaged all over it. Then I transfer the final version to my computer, on WORD 2007.

What advice would you give to an aspiring author? 

Buy all the books you can about the craft of writing, study them—then toss them in the garbage! Because if you follow them to the letter, your book will end up bloodless, like a dry textbook. And it will read like everyone else that did the exact same thing! Do you think Hemingway or Steinbeck followed all the rules? Hardly. They had their “Own voice”. Develop your own voice, your own style! March to the beat of a different drummer, and you’ll be remembered for it!

What inspired you to pursue writing? 

Hard to say. My Dad was a writer for radio after the war. Perhaps creativity is genetic. I reasoned that since I didn’t have the math skills to be an astronautical engineer with NASA, I would use the one mental gift I did have, a creative mind- to write stories that challenge the imagination.

What are your favorite TV shows/Movies to watch in between writing? 

Sleepy Hollow, Grimm, Constantine, Supernatural, Scorpion, and Ghost Adventures, to name a few. Plus the History and Travel channel.

What are your current projects? 

My next book, a fantasy entitled IN THE SHADOW OF THE HOUSE OF GOD, should be out in about a month, and I’m working on a horror novel, THE HORROR ON THE HMS COTTINGLY.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to readers? 

Please buy THE HEALER, by Jeffrey G. Roberts! It is a 5-star science fiction novel whose plot has never been done before!


Quick Fire: Cats or dogs? Cats, but I adore puppies, and all animals.
Coffee or tea? Coffee, but I enjoy tea also.
Favorite food? Anything that doesn’t eat me first! But out of many things, probably steak and pizza.
Vanilla or chocolate ice-cream? Definitely chocolate.
What are 3 things you never leave home without? My clothes, my wallet, and my phone.
Laptop or desktop? Laptop, a HP 2000.
Who are 3 famous people you would to hang out with? Nikola Tesla, Capt. Glenn Edwards, for whom Edwards A.F.B. was named after, and scientist Dr. Thomas Townshend Brown, who experimented with electrostatic propulsion in the 50’s.
TV or Movies? TV.

Visit me on my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE to borrow any of my books for FREE!

Best-selling author of Wake the Dead! On Amazon Kindle here!

All Artwork and covers of my works by William J. Kenney & Carlos Cara

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2014 unless otherwise noted.

Wayland Smith Interview

Here is the next in the series of ongoing author interviews, and we have the pleasure of meeting Wayland Smith!

Tell us about your books/What genre do you consider your books? I write whatever the little voices tell me to, so I’m all over the map. My published novel is about a terrorist attack on Washington, DC, the ones I have drafts of or am shopping around range from urban fantasy, weird western, or mysteries.

When did you start writing? I played with a few things when I was a kid, but I started getting serious about it roughly seven years ago when a friend talked me into doing NaNoWriMo for the first time. I’ve been writing pretty steadily ever since.

Why do you write? I have stories to tell. The characters or scenes come to me, and pretty much pester me until I get them down. I hope I’m entertaining people along the way as I tell my tales.

What would be your choice for a superpower?Super-speed. You can do so many cool things with that.

Who is your favorite author? Toss up between the late Robert B Parker of Spenser fame, and Jim Butcher, author of the Dresden Files.

What are you reading now? My current book is Full Force and Effect, Mark Greaney continuing Tom Clancy’s world of Jack Ryan.

Who is your favorite character to write? Oh, that’s hard. I write about a team of superhuman mercenaries called Wildside, Inc., and Sprynt, their speedster, is usually pretty entertaining.

Do you have a writing process? Not really. I get an idea, be it a scene, or a character, or a “What if…” kind of idea, and I just go with it. I don’t outline, I just charge ahead when I start.

What advice would you give to an aspiring author? Sit down and write. I’ve been to talks by New York Times bestsellers, local writers, and all kinds of others, and that’s the point they agree on. Writers write. You will get nowhere by talking about, or thinking about writing, until you start putting fingers to keys or pen to page, however you do it. Then get someone you trust to give you actual feedback to go over it. Anyone who just says, “Oh, this is cool,” or something like that isn’t helping you.

What inspired you to pursue writing?Like I said before, my friend Harry Heckel (AKA Jack Heckel and Lee Lightner) pushed me into doing NaNoWriMo, and I’ve been going ahead since.

What are your favorite TV shows/Movies to watch in between writing?Top of the list, I’d have to say, would be Flash, Walking Dead, Gotham, Mentalist, and Longmire.

What are your current projects?Many, among them a zombie novel, vampires in the American Revolution, the superhuman mercenaries I mentioned above, and a monster hunter in modern Boston.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to readers?If you find a writer you like, buy their books, review then on Amazon and Goodreads, and talk them up. I think I end up reading more books from people I hear that are passionate about them than from any other source.

Quick Fire:
Cats or dogs? Both. I love animals.
Coffee or tea? Neither. I’m one of the rare ones who are allergic to coffee and I can’t stand tea (I just alienated all my potential readers in the UK).
Favorite food? Chinese. I could order varieties of that all the time.
Vanilla or chocolate ice-cream? Of those two, chocolate, though I prefer mint chip.
What are 3 things you never leave home without? My badge (been in law enforcement for about 13 years), my business cards, and a mini-Mag flashlight.
Laptop or desktop? Both, sometimes at the same time.
Who are 3 famous people you would want to hang out with? Harrison Ford (who I met once and is amazingly kind to fans), Jim Butcher (same comment), and Pink.
TV or Movies? If I have to pick just one, movies as long as there’s popcorn, although I enjoy both.

Visit me on my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE to borrow any of my books for FREE!

Best-selling author of Wake the Dead! On Amazon Kindle here!

All Artwork and covers of my works by William J. Kenney & Carlos Cara

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2014 unless otherwise noted.

Michael Cairns Interview

 Hello all! Once again, I recently had the pleasure of meeting with Michael Cairns, so strap in and get ready for an exciting Q&A with the author of several genres that he coins 'fantasy type stuff'.

First off, tell us a little bit about you...
My name’s Mike. I began writing at school, but never did anything serious until about three years ago when I sat down one weekend and wrote the first ten thousand words to my first novel. Since then I’ve written over two and a half million words, published six books, dozens of short stories and maintained a fiction blog for well over a year. I love pineapple and chocolate, often at the same time, and I am also a professional drummer. I’m a passionate reader of all genres and get very angry with people who suggest comics aren’t a genuine style of literature.

Tell us about your books/What genre do you consider your books?
My books are all the stuff I’ve spent my life reading, crammed in together! I write in various genres, all under the broader banner of fantasy type stuff  My Planets series is superhero science fiction, my A Game of War series is Young Adult science fiction, my Thirteen Roses series is paranormal, post apocalyptic zombie fiction. Upcoming is the Assassin’s Cycle, which is dark fantasy and Ninja Zombie Killers, which is a Gonzo zombie musical comedy series.

When did you start writing? Properly, near the end of 2012. On a daily basis, I began on 1st January 2013. That what I started to view myself as an author. I first published in 2013 and first started tracking word count. Basically, that was when I started taking it seriously.

Why do you write? Because I now couldn’t imagine not writing. I’ve made stuff up my entire life and I realised a couple of years ago that I should have been writing it down. Also, I’ve got so much pleasure and joy from reading my entire life, that the thought of being able to give that to someone else is deeply compelling. Also, I like zombies.

What would be your choice for a superpower? I’m one of those weirdos who has thought long and hard about this question and still can’t find a satisfactory answer. I would love control over water, like my character Neptune from The Planets. I’d love to be able to make everyone tell the truth all the time. I’d quite like to be Iceman from the Spiderman and his amazing friends TV show, so I could do all that cool sliding around on ice ramps. Okay, I’ll stop now.

Who is your favorite author? I can’t name one, sorry, so here’s a few: Neil Gaiman, Steven King, Joe Abercrombie, George RR Martin, Sarah Waters, Kate Atkinson, Neil Stephenson, Terry Pratchett, Terry Moore, David Lapham, Jaime Hernandez, Alan Moore, Steven Erikson. Okay, I’ll stop now.

What are you reading now? The Wise Man’s Fears, by Patrick Rothfuss. The guy writes with such wonderful poetry and lyricism and has built a wonderful world. I love it, but I can’t decide whether it’s as good as everyone thinks…

Who is your favorite character to write? I have a bunch. I have a character called Scarlet, who is sort of Harry Potter, if he was female and grew up one of the nastiest estates in West London. She’s sarcastic and grumpy and so much fun to write. Then there’s Dave, who’s the guitarist/zombie killer/saviour of the world in my Ninja Zombie Killers series. He’s great because he’s a real hero, but he still can’t stop lusting over the wrong women and saying the stupidest things at the worst time. Finally, the aforementioned Neptune is a fave, just because she cares far more than she should and is totally bad ass.

Do you have a writing process? Sit down. Open Computer. Write.

What advice would you give to an aspiring author? Write every day. There is no excuse. Any excuse probably means you don’t actually want to be a writer.

What inspired you to pursue writing? Interest followed swiftly by obsession. I love reading and always have and it came as naturally to me as drumming, so it made sense.

What are your favorite TV shows/Movies to watch in between writing? Ooh, tough one. TV show faves are Buffy, Angel, West Wing, Firefly, Scrubs, Dead Like Me. Movies, all sorts, but the classic zombies by Romero are probably my faves. Also a huge fan of Kevin Smith, QT, James Bond and Indiana Jones. Come to think of it, the latest few Marvels have been pretty awesome.

What are your current projects? I’m in the middle of writing book five of Ninja Zombie Killers. The series is what would happen if Buffy grew up, grew a pair, grew an unhealthy addiction to hot choclate, moved to London and learnt how to Rock. Also featured is copious swearing, violence, action movie cliches and, hopefully, funny stuff. Pure escapism run through with characters that matter and more musical smilies than you can shake a maraca at.

Do you have anything specific that you want to say to readers? I write with the sole aim of helping you escape from the world. I write characters that you may well know, in situations you almost certainly won’t. Also, check out my #15for2015 challenge, the maddest and coolest thing I’ve ever done. Except maybe having kids.
Visit Mike here.


Quick Fire:
Cats or dogs? Cats
Coffee or tea? Tea
Favorite food? Chocolate
Vanilla or chocolate ice-cream? Vanilla
What are 3 things you never leave home without? My notepad laptop. My wallet. My pants.
Laptop or desktop? Laptop
Who are 3 famous people you would like to hang out with?
Emma Stone, Ani Difranco, Joss Whedon
TV or Movies? Movies. No, TV. No, movies. Ahh, dammit. Books.

Visit me on my AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE & my SMASHWORDS PAGE!

Best-selling author of Wake the Dead! On Amazon Kindle here!

All Artwork and covers of my works by William J. Kenney & Carlos Cara

All maps, names and content copyright Ashenclaw Studios 2014 unless otherwise noted.