Misha Gerrick Interview

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

Thanks for having me over! 

I’m a South African born and raised, and I live on a farm in the beautiful Western Cape with my family and a small menagerie of pets. I love writing most of all, but when I’m not doing that, I’m usually doing some craft or the other while watching TV, or reading.

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

I’m an eclectic writer, so my works in progress run the gamut from romance to time travel to epic fantasy… My currently published works are all fantasy of some sort. The War of Six Crowns is a YA Epic Fantasy/Portal Fantasy series, of which the first two book is published. 

Then I have the first book in an Urban Fantasy trilogy out as well, called Endless.

When did you start writing?

Depends on how you define “writing.” 

I was reciting stories and poetry to my grandmother before I went to school and dabbling with writing off and on throughout primary school.
But overall, I see myself as a writer starting the year 2001, because that’s the year I decided to be serious about writing and finishing my first novel. (It’s a romance novel. And I’m still working on it because it’s cursed, I tell you.) Sadly, I can’t be more specific than that, because I never marked the day I started, and sadly the first drafts of the book are all lost. Cursed.

Why do you write?

Writing and the arts are in my blood, so my life just feels incomplete if I don’t do it.

What would be your choice for a superpower?

I think I would like that time travel gift like in the movie About Time. I would probably use it to create more time for myself to read and write.

Who is your favorite author?

I don’t have one. I’ve honestly read so many good books in my life that it’s hard for me to pick out even a top 100.

What are you reading now?

Jane Eyre. It’s one of my bucket list books, and so far, I’m liking it a lot.

Who is your favorite character to write?

All of them. In a lot of ways, they’re alive to me, and often, even the ones I don’t like at all (looking at you, James) are still amazing to write because those are the ones that seem to come alive most, with my most vivid writing.

Do you have a writing process?

Yes. I rough draft by hand without planning anything. Then I take what I like from the draft and build a plan around it. After that, I rewrite to my computer, correcting the flaws and weaknesses I’d discovered during the rewrite. After that, I go through a slew of edits and revisions.

What advice would you give to an aspiring author?

Try all the writing techniques at least once, but figure out what works for you. And don’t let anyone tell you that you’re doing it wrong. (The right way to write is the way you use to actually finish what you started.)
Bonus tip: Back. Up. Your. Work. Right now. NOW. Why are you still reading this? Go. Shoo.

What inspired you to pursue writing?

Nothing. It’s always been something I did because I enjoyed it. Although I suppose I wanted to try it back when I was five because my gran is a writer/poet and I was still in that “me too” phase. You know the one. “I want to do that too, Gran.” And she, in her infinite wisdom/cruelty, enabled me in this folly.

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

I like basically anything and everything except for horror and erotica-type stuff, so I’m usually going through my Netflix, looking for something that strikes my fancy and suits my mood.

What are your current projects?

Depends on how you look at it. Current as in works in progress would be about ten open drafts.
Things I’m actively prioritizing at the moment: Book 3 in The War of Six Crowns, which I’m currently revising, and that cursed romance novel I mentioned, which I’m rewriting. A-freaking-gain.

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

If you do pick up my books, I just hope you enjoy them. And if you do, that you’ll get in touch to let me know.

Quick Fire:

Cats or dogs? Both. Also…horses.
Coffee or tea? Depends on the coffee…or tea.
Favorite food? Fillet steak with a cream-based mushroom sauce.
Vanilla or chocolate ice-cream? Vanilla
What are 3 things you never leave home without? Notebook, cell phone, something to read/do (e.g. crocheting/needlepoint projects.)
Laptop or desktop? Laptop
Who are 3 famous people you would to hang out with? Oscar Wilde, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens (and if one of them couldn’t make it, Mark Twain.)
TV or Movies? Both.

You can find me and my books : Blog: http://sylmion.blogspot.com
Tumblr: http://mishagerrick.tumblr.com
Twitter: @MGerrick1
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFRZK0eX_vgzbF7jM91N8DA
Facebook: http://facebook.com/MishaGerrick
Intragram: http://instagram.com/MishaGerrick
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/98437.Stories_by_Misha_Gerrick

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 FREE (mostly) Everywhere!

Amazon.com has finally come around and I am hoping that the rest of the Amazon stores will follow suit and reflect the price change soon enough. As the title says, the introductory book to my Realm of Ashenclaw series is finally FREE, almost everywhere. I must say, there's never been a better time to dive in and experience the tales that set these heroes on their path to become legends in Wothlondia.

Art by William Kenney

If you are so inclined to begin the journey and experience the tales that introduce you to my world and it's inhabitants, it can be found mostly everywhere now for free. And I am excited for that.

The book can be found here:
➲ KINDLE ➲  iTunes ➲  NOOK ➲ Smashwords  ➲ WattPad

I wanted to re-post some lovely things that the editor of the series, Stephanie Dagg, said in an interview--things which I could never have even conceived about my own writing, etc. And so, this is what she had to say about Wothlondia Rising...

I’ve worked on all sorts of books during my 25 years of editing, most of them as a freelance, and it’s true to say that fantasy is one of the more interesting literary genres. Fantasy authors are not only creative, extremely so, but of necessity also very methodical. Does that sound contradictory? What I mean is that because they’re creating a unique universe, they have it all mapped out in their heads, and often physically too. I made plenty of use of Gary’s map of Wothlondia during my editing, to check that when he said certain characters were heading northwest towards Greymoors from Chansuk that they were. (Editors have to keep an eye on everything!) Gary clearly knows his way around Wothlondia like the back of his hand since and he never put a foot wrong there!

Another example of fantasy writer organization. In one of the new stories, A Rose in Bloom, I felt we needed a couple more sentences in one part where a character, Ganthorpe, was rattled by the ringing of the bell for midnight. So I sent a request to Gary. Now, some authors tend to panic when an editor asks for extra material, and rattle something - anything - off. You duly slot it into place, only to find a few pages later that this new stuff proves to be inconsistent with later events, so it’s back to the drawing board. Not with Gary. He sent me a well-constructed replacement paragraph that lent the clarity I was after, and mentioning Brogan the timekeeper, so I put those in. I’m currently reading Covenant of the Faceless Knights and was delighted to come across a mention of Brogan and his bells in an early chapter! Everything fits together perfectly, not only in this story but in the way all Gary’s tales interact.

Fantasy has its own lexicon with words such as phylactery, mage and goblinoid that you won’t find in other genres. The language also tends to be more formal with some archaisms. I’m always delighted to come across those since I’m all for using as diverse a range of vocabulary as possible in writing. And the different races that inhabit the fantastic world have their own way of speaking. You can tell an elf from a dwarf from an ogre simply by listening to them.

Other distinguishing features of fantasy, on top of these elements of a cracking good plot, organisation and rich language, are the idea of a hero (or heroine) on a quest, the common ‘humanity’ of this central figure that means we empathise with him or her, the existence of magic and the supernatural, and the fight of good against evil. Alongside the quest there often comes a journey of self-discovery, and this is very much the case with Gary’s characters. You’ll see this strongly in the Wothlondia Rising series of short stories, particularly in Maturation Process and Reflections.
I guarantee that you will be deeply moved by the latter.

And all Gary’s heroes and heroines are likable because they’re so real. We get clear, detailed physical descriptions of them and their personalities quickly emerge. We can see parts of ourselves in them, even if they’re elves, or barbarians or half ogres. For example, Rose Thorne enjoys a glass of wine, Rolin Hardbeard doesn't like riding horses, Saeunn has her eye on the handsome lad from the next village, and Elec lets his personal hygiene slip a little when he’s on his own. They could be any one of us... But imperfect as they are, when put to the test they’ll do what’s right.

Fantasy mirrors not only real people but a real world. Wothlondia has many of the same terrors and threats that we have, such as racism, dishonesty, violence and crime. I’m just grateful we don’t have the added complication of Blood Rot Zombies!
In conclusion then, editing fantasy, and especially Gary’s Wothlandian fantasy, is an interesting and rewarding challenge. And memorable. Here are a handful of sentences from Gary’s stories that have stuck in my mind because of their sheer power or beauty:

Nimaira still lay on the cold ground, rubbing her jaw, with tears—not tears of pain, but tears of what might have been—welling in her beautiful eyes.
His eyes were reflections of the bluest of skies, quite unlike those of any ogre, whose eyes were always as black as the darkest caverns of the Subterrane.
The Paladin felt the darkness closing in on him, wresting control of his soul.
He merely stood frozen in place while a tumult of emotions bombarded him.
She had wept for countless hours and felt there should be no more tears left to cry, yet still they came, unbidden and unending.

You’re going to enjoy Wothlondia Rising, make no mistake.

(Originally posted here on Feb 12, 2012) 

Thanks and I hope to see you in Wothlondia!

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

Also, 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!

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

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

Coming Back For More?

I was thinking to myself just the other night as I was writing book 5 of my what-will-probably-be a 6 part series: what have I gotten myself into?! I'm sure other fantasy writers have gone through this as well.

Is it a lot of hard work to take on a huge project such as a fantasy series as your first writing effort? Probably. That being said, I am having a ton of fun. It's a lot to keep straight, but overall, the experience is worth it to me. And I am sure that many other authors that are writing a series would agree with me on this one.

I look back on it and kick myself sometimes though, thinking that I could have easily just done a one-shot stand alone story that has a finite ending that left readers satisfied. But, instead, I have one major over-arching story line that encompasses the whole series with each individual book having its own self contained plot that comes to a resolution, as many classic fantasy series' do.

on to another group of thoughts now. I know, I'm all over the place today!

Each of these questions might be answered completely differently by each of you, but I believe they are still relevant. Are you as a reader easily able to follow multiple characters in a series throughout the whole book without getting lost? Would it be beneficial to read about one character for a few chapters at a time or do you like to jump around and meet all of them in short snippets? Do you usually come back for book 2, 3, 4, and so on in a series? I know I do.

So, among all of the other questions, what brings you back for more in a series?

As always, I am looking for feedback from my readers, so feel free to jump in and respond! Have a great week every body and happy reading!

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!

All Artwork and covers by William J. Kenney

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!

photo from http://www.sxc.hu/

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

Upcoming Promos & New Release!

SЄƇƦЄƬƧ ƠƑ ƬӇЄ ЄƁƠƝƖƬЄ MƖƝЄS is on SALE NOW! In honor of this I have done a price reduction on ƇƠѴЄƝƛƝƬ ƠƑ ƬӇЄ ƑƛƇЄŁЄSS ĶƝĮGĦƬS for the kindle version. Since it is BOOK! in the series, ut will be $2.99 for a week, starting the day I release Secrets, so keep your eye on Twitter, Facebook and here!

This is to entice any who are going to purchase the new novel to get the first one too!

AND, I have reduced the price of ШΟΤΗLΟŊÐΙΆ ŔΙSΙƝԌ: ƛƝƬĦƠŁƠGƳ to $2.99 for the foreseeable future! What more could a fantasy fan want?

So, if you wanted to read the prequels and get all 5 of the Wothlondia Rising short stories PLUS the FREE extra one (REFLECTIONS), there has never been a better time!

Here is another sample of Secrets of the Ebonite Mines to whet your fantasy appetite:

“How long has it been since we left that sickening temple?” asked Rose Thorne who sat lazily at the small table in the center of the wagon. She held the magnificent dagger Zaedra—one of a pair with Avorna—in her left hand, admiring its expertly-made hilt and blade. She absently twirled her long, red hair sporadically with her right hand as she looked out the porthole, waiting for an answer.

Saeunn sat in a chair to her right while Orngoth lay down on the floor where the group had spread out several bedrolls in an attempt to make it more comfortable for the giant half-ogre. The three apprentices were present, including the badly injured but recovering Rolf, who was not in the best of shape, but whose condition was stabilized at least.

Elec Stormwhisper and Garius Forge moved about the caravan, pacing back and forth. Garius was brooding and Elec seemed to be suffering from an intense nervousness of some kind.

Rose regarded Garius just then, inspecting silently the powerful Inquisitor from the Order of the Faceless Knights, a very esteemed and feared organization. Garius continued walking the floor with ease in his heavy plated armor, seeming not to tire. He wore it as effortlessly as a sage might wear a robe, Rose noted. She found herself, strangely enough, wondering what his body might look like beneath it, lean and full of muscles, she guessed.

“Two days now,” Garius suddenly answered her question. His words startled her and she happily disengaged from her embarrassing line of thinking.

“We near the northernmost section of the Oakcrest Mountains,” stated the Inquisitor as he paused to stare out the porthole opposite Rose, “as you may be able to tell from the sudden rumbling of the wagon rolling over the uneven road below. We shall be reaching that point within the next half day, and then will be heading back due south around the mountain. Once we hit Heartwood Valley, beyond the Oakcrest Mountains, we will stop for several hours where you will be able to stretch your legs. The road should become less treacherous, too.”

Rose peered outside and watched as the sun disappeared behind a cloud, pondering the recent events that had brought them here. They had been traveling for two days straight and planned to go another before stopping so that they could eat something other than dried bread or stale fruit. The construct that drove Nimaira’s magical caravan continued onward, seemingly paying no heed to those within.

Garius turned from the porthole and regarded the half-ogre, who occupied a huge portion of the caravan’s floor in front of the alcove where their beds were kept. His battered leg was elevated and resting on a chair. They’d all taken note that Orngoth’s leg was mending at a much faster rate than they’d anticipated but it seemed that the bone was fusing in an uneven fashion. They had not gotten the chance to set it properly after the escape from the temple and now it appeared it was too late, which Garius explained that he did not fully understand. Rose’s ankle and Saeunn’s elbow, however, were completely healed now thanks to a combination of both Garius’ healing abilities and Elec’s alchemical ointments.

They trudged along for another day. Elec conversed with Saeunn, in between his lengthy disappearances into his extra-dimensional lab space. When the barbarian did speak to the inquisitive elf, he intently consumed the information with an attentive gaze. But Rose spent all of that time in deep consideration as to why she kept thinking of Garius. And in ways she’d never thought possible after their initial encounter in the conference room of the High Council.

Final stage of cover art by William Kenney

Don’t forget to join the blog @SKULLDUST CIRCLE and know that we are preparing another anthology that will sample as many of us as possible. We are still trying to iron out the details as to when we can expect to have this book ready for you as all of us are feverishly working full time jobs as well as continuing our own sagas! I can tell you that my story will revolve around the history of the big, bad queen of the scorching drakes. So be prepared to have fun reading The Legend of Ashenclaw soon enough! Excerpts of my compilation will no doubt soon follow,

Once again, I hope you enjoyed the excerpt! Keep your Eye on Ashenclaw for more news!

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!

All of my work can be found on AMAZON -- Kindle versions here

See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase my full length novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights, the short stories: Wothlondia Rising, 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.

Wothlondia Rising 3: Maturation Process 99 cents on Amazon!

I just wanted to inform everyone that Wothlondia Rising 3: MATURATION PROCESS is live on Amazon KDP Select for a meager 99 cents! Experience the trials and tribulations of the youthful high elf, Elec Stormwhisper, as he faces decisions that will forever change his life.

Maturation Process is the telling tale of the high elf, Elec Stormwhisper, who lives in the overbearing shadow of his Father, Keryth. Treated as an outcast and feeling alienated from his own people, he exiles himself for a decade, finding a friend in a strange place and begins to accept his own unique destiny. Will this young and inexperienced elf ever find his true calling?

Wothlondia Rising is a series of short stories set in the original fantasy setting entitled the Realm of Ashenclaw. The series details life altering, significant events from the past that shape the course of these important characters, setting them on the path that will change their lives forever!

I hope you enjoyed the sample! See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase my full length novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights, the short stories: Wothlondia Rising, and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

Cover art by William Kenney!

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

Editorial Exposure!

I am having an extremely busy week and haven't had a chance to really prepare a well-designed post...*ack*! That being said, my editor and fellow author, Stephanie Dagg, did a recent blog post discussing my Wothlondia Rising series and I wanted to share that with you. Check it out on her site called BOOKS ARE COOL! She is an author as well and you may want to check out her books while you are there, too.

The post can be found here...CLICK ME

Until we meet again...

I hope you enjoyed the sample! See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase my full length novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights, the short stories: Wothlondia Rising, and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

Cover art masterfully executed by William Kenney!

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

Preview of Wothlondia Rising 3: Maturation Process

In book 3 of the series, I dive into the past of the high elf, Elec Stormwhisper! The genre is high fantasy/epic fantasy with a hint of young adult flavor once more as Elec, although advanced in years, is still a very young elf in the story. The book is entitled MATURATION PROCESS and will be available for sale by month’s end through the kindle select program. I am giving my readers a sample of the short story here as well as a preview of the amazing artwork for my cover provided by the absurdly gifted William Kenney! This also features the wondrous editorial stylings of Stephanie Dagg. 

 

The story covers a time in the past of Elec Stormwhisper where he is in a process of finding himself and discovering who he truly is. I hope you enjoy the sample and it will be on sale for a measly 99 cents! Keep an eye on my Amazon Author Page to see when it is released.

 

Also, I wanted to inform folks again that KINDLE has an app for the PC. If you own a PC and do not yet have a kindle, you can download it for FREE to your desktop.

 

FREE KINDLE APP FOR PC! Just click the 'Download Now' button at the top of the screen.

 

 

 

 

Cover of MATURATION PROCESS by William Kenney

 Maturation Process is the telling tale of the high elf, Elec Stormwhisper, who lives in the overbearing shadow of his Father, Keryth. Treated as an outcast and feeling alienated from his own people, he exiles himself for a decade, finding a friend in a strange place and begins to accept his own unique destiny. Will this young and inexperienced elf ever find his true calling?

Wothlondia Rising is a series of short stories set in the original fantasy setting entitled the Realm of Ashenclaw. The series details life altering, significant events from the past that shape the course of these important characters, setting them on the path that will change their lives forever!

Morning came once more and the passing of time did nothing to quell the guilt that Elec felt. He approached his alchemy that morning with passion unparalleled, diving into his work in order to forget about his problems. The hours passed and he continued mixing and testing elixirs, theorizing about different effects based on his findings.

Faorath entered his nephew’s workspace and found Elec engrossed in his work. He moved into view, startling Elec and nearly causing him to drop his latest potion, but fortunately he snatched it back in a flash.

“You have good reflexes,” Faorath proffered, nodding to Elec and watching him as he pushed aside a curly strand of dark hair from in front of his eyes.

“Thank you, uncle,” Elec answered, still focused on his experiments. When he finally managed to look up, he witnessed his uncle exploring the contents of his bookcase, which was filled with texts on the topics of magic and science.

“I wrote this one, you know,” Faorath informed him, pulling one tome in particular from the shelf. It was a book explaining the training and handling of exotic magical beasts.

“Yes, and it is something that I want to discuss with you,” Elec admitted. “I would like to train as a Wind Rider.” Faorath’s amber eyes widened at this revelation.

“Your father—“                                          

“Would be more than happy to be rid of me,” Elec finished the sentence for him. “I would no longer be a disappointment to the family and this would perhaps free my mind from the torment of spellcasting.”

Faorath stood silent for several moments and then nodded his affirmation. “Very well, I will approach your father on the subject.” He smiled a wide grin in appreciation of Elec’s decision as he strode to the exit.

When Faorath returned over an hour later, he found Elec once more deep in study, but this time he was reading the book his uncle had written. Elec looked up from the thick tome and smiled, nodding a greeting.

“I have read this book at least seven times,” Elec disclosed. “I have always wondered what it would be like to fly above the trees and into the clouds, to discover what Wothlondia and even all of Krotto has to offer in the ways of nature’s beauty.”

“It did not take much convincing for your father to agree to this,” Faorath stated bluntly as he stood with his hands on his hips. “He feels that if he presents this news to the elders, it will assuage their doubts and help his standing to remain as it was—‘unblemished’ was the word he used, I believe. No matter, Stormwhisper has been a powerful name in the family of high elven mages over thousands of years, as you are reminded each day.”

“Aye,” Elec agreed. “I feel that if I had been something of a real Stormwhisper mage, I could have stopped Jhaeronas.”

“You are a real Stormwhisper, Elec. Do not doubt this. Just because you do not show an aptitude for manipulating the powers of Arcana does not make you any less a family member.”

“That is not what my father says,” Elec refuted. “My sister and brother and all of the Stormwhispers before them were able to do this. I do not understand why I cannot.” Elec peered into a mirror. “I even look different than all of my family,” he added, twirling a lock of his dark hair in his fingers, then flicking it away in disgust. “I have dark hair and my eyes are unlike those of any of my kin. I have never seen another high elf with features such as mine!”

“Your masteries lie elsewhere. That is quite obvious,” Faorath offered, waving a hand over the workspace. “You are quite a remarkable alchemist, as well as an expert in the ways of mechanics. As for your features, you are exotic, yes, but it adds to your unique character. It does not detract from anything you do, nor does it define you. You will do well to remember that.”

Faorath headed to the door, pulled the handle and swung it wide open. “Come to me when you are ready to begin your training.”

Elec watched the door close behind him and returned to his book. But try as he might, this time he could not digest the words, for his mind was elsewhere. 

I hope you enjoyed the sample! See you in Wothlondia! Cheers!

Please visit MY HOME PAGE to enjoy an extended reading experience, see direct links to purchase my full length novel, Covenant of the Faceless Knights, the short stories: Wothlondia Rising, and to see what else Ashenclaw Studios, LLC has in store in the future!

Cover art masterfully executed by William Kenney!

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