• About Megan Cashman
  • Author Interview Guidelines
  • The Dark Proposal
  • Video Services for Authors

Megan Cashman

~ Author

Megan Cashman

Category Archives: Author Interviews

Wednesday Interview: Christine Meunier

05 Wednesday Jun 2013

Posted by Megan in Author Interviews

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

author interview, authors, books, equine industry, horses, interviews, self-publishing

Most writers write what they know. In the case of Australian author Christine Meunier, she wrote what she loved. Horses have been her passion from an early age, and she is beginning to write novels about the equine industry. Her first book, Horse Country, will be out on July 1st and it’s not just for those who enjoy horses. It is for anyone interested in New Adult books.

MC: Please tell us about yourself, especially about how you became to love horses.

CM: I’ve had a love for horses from a very young age and believe that that was something ingrained in me, rather than something that I chose to have an interest in over time.  It wasn’t until I was 13 years of age that I was blessed to be able to lease a pony and then have my parents buy him for me six months later.  Reign in my story Horse Country is based on my gelding, Pride.

I’m originally from South Australia but moved to Victoria with my family at a young age and have come to love living in this state.  I now live in North East Victoria, which is considered the horse mecca of my state!

Currently I’m studying an equine science degree and I teach horse studies at a local TAFE, having worked in the horse breeding industry since 2004.

MC: What made you want to write your novel, Horse Country? Was it to talk about the equine industry in Australia or just horses in general?

CM: I would often tell my parents about things that had occurred to me or friends at work and had them laughing about some entertaining events.  My mother kept on telling me I should write these down and that’s how the story started. horsecountry

Now the main idea of releasing Horse Country is to invite others to discover how much fun it can be to work in the horse industry – anywhere around the world – and what great characters can be met, travel opportunities and career opportunities.

MC: You say your novel would appeal to the New Adult audience. Why do you think so?

CM: Horse Country follows the lives of four young women over a 6 year period.  Wes is the youngest, starting out at 16 years of age whilst the other three are in their late teens.  It follows the women finding their role in life, following their dreams and balancing work and study.  For this reason, I believe it fits the New Adult category.

MC: You are selling your book on your website. Do you have any plans to sell it on Kindle, Smashwords, CreateSpace or any other format?

CM: The book has be published through Lulu.com, consequently it’ll be available for sale from here, with a link provided to this from my website.  The book is also being organised through Amazon and ebooks should be available for reading via an iPad, Nook, Kindle, etc.

MC: What advice would you give to any aspiring authors?

CM: Write down ideas as they come to you!  It’s a great habit to carry a pen and paper with you – or have access to a word processing device if you’re a keen typist.  It’s sometimes the random ideas that generate a great scene or character.

Read a lot – about writing and publishing, as well as the genres you hope to write about.  This can help you to develop a feel for what’s necessary with regards to marketing your book and what has been published already in your genre.

Learn more about Christine and her work at these sites:

http://www.horsecountrybook.com/

http://www.facebook.com/HorseCountry


Wednesday Interview: Price McNaughton

17 Wednesday Apr 2013

Posted by Megan in Author Interviews

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

authors, interviews, mysteries, mystery novels, NA, New Adult, novelists, novels, writers

The future of New Adult continues to look brighter! Price McNaughton’s latest book, Murder is Ugly, tells of a young woman looking for a direction in her life, as well as the truth about a murder mystery.

MC: You say storytelling is something you’ve always loved. What made finally decide to tell stories professionally?

PM: I was involved in a horseback riding accident that left me bed ridden for about three months. It was definitely a turning point in my life. At the time, I was miserable and in a lot of pain. Due to a concussion, I spent a lot of time in dark rooms with no stimulation to help keep the terrible headaches at bay. Believe it or not, this was pretty boring! I thought up a murder mystery plot and focused on it. I developed the characters and the storyline completely in my head. Once I was cleared to use a computer, I wrote down everything I had thought out and my first book was born. Since then, I’ve become addicted to writing. Final Cover Murder is Ugly

MC: How did living in the South inspire your novel, Murder is Ugly?

PM: It’s probably one of the main inspirations for my writing. The greatest memories from my childhood are the ones spent around the kitchen table with my grandmother and mother and various family members, telling and hearing family stories. My father was also a great story teller. He insisted on hearing about our days, in detail, over supper. Myself and my siblings would compete for the best and most entertaining stories. I find the South to be a great place of tradition, love and joy as well as sadness and tragedy. It’s influenced every part of my life. When I was writing Murder is Ugly as well as A Vision of Murder, I never considered them being set anywhere else. It was a given that the stories would occur in the South to southern characters in my mind. It’s what I know and what I feel comfortable writing.

MC: Did you subconsciously decide to make your main character, Jinx, to be a college graduate or do you decide because the New Adult category is gaining momentum among readers?

 PM: Jinx was born that way! I hadn’t even heard of the New Adult category when she was written. It was similar to what I was going through at the time, being newly graduated and unsure of the direction that I wanted to go in. As I begin investigating the best ways to market my completed story, I stumbled across the New Adult category and I have to say I really like it.

MC: Do you think New Adult has a future much like YA?

PM: I do. I was (and still am!) a great reader of YA novels as well as adult novels. For many years, i’ve found that a great divide was happening in the areas of both styles of writing. In general, YA were staying typically the same while Adult novels were becoming darker and more adult oriented. It was becoming increasingly harder to find a style of writing that fell comfortably in between the two genres. I’m hoping that New Adult fiction will fill this void and so far I have to say that it has. I find the NA category to be very similar to YA in style while being a bit more complex. I only see New Adult growing in popularity.

MC: What does the future hold for Price McNaughton?

PM: I’m not sure. I’m currently writing a dystopian trilogy that I have been working on for a few years now (it will also be NA) and a sequel to my first novel, A Vision of Murder. I hope to stick around for awhile, but I’ll guess time and reader response will tell!

Check out more about Price McNaughton here:

http://www.talebearers.com/
www.facebook.com/PriceMcnaughton?ref=hl
www.amazon.com/Price-McNaughton/e/B00AIYOPYA/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
www.twitter.com/PriceMcNaughton

Wednesday Interview: Matthew Head

27 Wednesday Mar 2013

Posted by Megan in Author Interviews

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

authors, books, fantasy, interviews, new books, self-published authors, self-published books, short stories, supernatural, writers

When some authors decide to do a series, they put out a prequel so their readers would understand what is going on in their story. Often, that prequel is another novel.

But Matthew Head has done something different. His prequel, The Chronicles of Darkness: Prequels, is not another novel – but three short stories, each about the characters in his forthcoming novel, which will begin the series. Matthew is here to discuss this plus his writing process:

MC: Was there ever a book that inspired you to write books yourself? If not, what did inspire you to write? IMG_0073

MH: I remember being impressed when “The Da Vinci Code” came out and there was all that massive hype around it – I remember people going to Paris and other locations from the book to try and hunt down the clues for themselves, it was mad! And I thought wow, all of this excitement from a book!

Then I went to university and we studied quite a bit of heavy literature there – it sunk in just how important the written word is. I guess I was enticed into it by the magic of the written word, because I think there is a magic to words – if written correctly they have to power to make us laugh, cry, feel anger, feel love. That’s colossal power and it’s thrilling to be involved with that.

MC: What is it about dark fantasy/supernatural that entices you?

MH: I’ve always loved that sort of thing – I think the idea that there’s still some mystery in the world is so exciting. The very fact that once upon a time people believed in all these creatures and beings is fascinating – regardless of whether or not there’s any real truth to it or not. I mean let’s face it, life today can be pretty dull – it’s all shopping at the supermarket and sitting at a desk and getting a bus, yawn, yawn, yawn. I think it’s a terrific escape to imagine fighting off a ghoul in a graveyard or encountering a werewolf in the woods.

MC: You’ve written three short stories that serve as prequels for “The Chronicles of Darkness: The Box of Infernos”. This is not something a lot of writers do. What made you do your prequel this way?

PrequelsCoverMH: I decided very early on I wanted “The Chronicles of Darkness” to be an immersive world. There’s going to be five books in the series but I want it to expand beyond that, I want my readers to be able to delve deeper and experience more. These prequel tales allow you to do just that.
They also serve as a literary smorgasbord, a tasting session before the feast of the books to come! In these prequels you’ll get a feel for all the themes that will be prevalent in my actual books. There’s “The Darkness at Down Street” which is spine-chillingly terrifying, then there’s “The Destiny of Melissa Smith” which is heart-breakingly sad. And then in “Beauty and the Beast” there’s a real blood-pumper of a story with a sting in the tail. Something for everyone!

MC: What advice would you give to any aspiring author?

MH: Don’t be put off by rejection from mainstream publishers. Believe in yourself, believe in your work. The publishing world is changing and with the ever expanding digital age that we live in the author has more of an opportunity to get their work out there than ever before. You could have written a stonkingly brilliant book but if the publisher doesn’t think it will sell copies because of its genre then they won’t touch you. That doesn’t mean your work isn’t worth reading – many people will love it! Roll up your sleeves and make it a success yourself!

MC: What can we expect from Matthew Head in the future?

MH: Well as I say “The Chronicles of Darkness” is a five part series so I’ll be getting those out into the world in the next couple of years starting in July. Then after that – who knows? I’ve got a almighty pile of ideas for a whole range of books in my brain and if I’m blessed with a long enough life then I’ll do my very best to get them all written!

Here’s where you learn more about Matthew Head and his books:

Facebook
Personal Website

Amazon

Wednesday Interview: Deborah Nam-Krane

13 Wednesday Mar 2013

Posted by Megan in Author Interviews

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

authors, books, eBooks, interviews, NA, New Adult, novelists, publishing, writers, writing

The New Adult category is moving, and more authors are producing books with main characters between the ages of 18 – 26.

One of them is Deborah Nam-Krane, who will be publishing her first book in a few weeks. Born in New York City, but raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Deb has had a long love for writing and is excited her novel, The Smartest Girl in the Room, could soon be read by book lovers like her. Deb Nam Kane

MC: What was the big moment for you when you realized you wanted to be a writer, particularly a novelist?

DNK: I always looked at the really sweeping sagas that were in bookstores- and made into television movies!- and thought, “I really want to do that.” But it was when I was thirteen that the story I had to write came to me. All of the things I’d been reading- Judith Krantz, Nabokov, Austen, Bronte- percolated into something that just wouldn’t let me go.

At the age of 35- 22 years after the initial thought came to me- it still hadn’t let go. My characters just kept tugging at me until I got it right.

MC: Where did the idea for “The Smartest Girl in the Room” come from?

DNK: Shortly after that first story idea, another one came to me. Both sets of characters spent so long in my head together that I realized- fifteen years later- they belonged in the same universe. Then things started getting interesting; the main characters gave each other a strength they hadn’t had before.

But I still couldn’t quite get it. I kept thinking about the phrase “write what you know”. Well, there were snippets of interesting things I’d been witness to, particularly in college. I went to Northeastern, which back then was a mix between a commuter school and a place with a lot of international students. There was much more socio-economic diversity than there is now, which might explain why there was also an undercurrent of tension around class. That aspect I really ran with here. SmartestGirlFinal

It was easy for me to put that story in Boston, and it was easy for me to write about that setting- I’ve lived here for over 22 years! That world took on so many contours so quickly, and I thought it was just the right setting for “my old friends”. Once I put those characters in with my new characters, it was as if the story wrote itself. Is that a cliche? Well, maybe we use those for a reason.

MC: Do you believe NA/New Adult is just a passing fad, as some say, or on it’s way to having it’s own space in a bookstore or online book store?

DNK: I didn’t think there was anything extraordinary about setting a story in college, or making a main character nineteen years old. I also thought that since the character would be what I thought was the older side of “young adult” it wouldn’t have trouble finding some interest in the market. But when I first started looking into publishing about two and a half years ago, the categories were really rigid. Eighteen was old for the young adult market, and romance and women’s fiction seemed to be interested in people that were already firmly “adults”- unless it was a historical romance, but mine wasn’t.

When I poked around and started asking agents informally about my character’s age, two recommended that I make the character eighteen instead. While I was willing to make some changes to get published, that just seemed silly.

I think New Adult is here to stay because I’m not the only writer- or reader- that wants to read about people that age. Having said that, while I think it’s going to continue to do really well online, I think it’s going to be a couple of years before the bookstores get around to displaying them in their own section, if they ever do. I think it’s more likely that they’re going to be included into general fiction or whatever other genre they fall into. And that’s fine, as long as booksellers can talk about them and readers can find them.

MC: You say that you much prefer to hold a book and turn it’s pages. How do you feel about the increasing popularity of eBooks?

DNK: I don’t object 🙂 Believe me, there have been plenty of times that I’ve carried around a heavy library book- plus a notebook- and thought, you know, maybe I should have looked for the eBook. I don’t object to anything that makes it easier for people to read.

I’d say I’m more worried about what eReaders can do, whether you have a dedicated device or you’re reading from your phone, tablet or computer. I don’t think people realize just how much information is being tracked when you use them to read. The most popular eReaders know whether you’ve finished something, how long it took you, where you stopped, how long you stayed on which page and what search terms you looked up. That information is then used to figure out what else you’re likely to buy.

As an author, great! It is now that much easier to find and sell to someone. As a reader… I don’t know if I want that much information about me in anyone’s database.

MC: What other plans do you have in your writing career? What can readers expect more from you?

DNK: The Smartest Girl In The Room is the kick-off book for The New Pioneers series. I have three more full-length sequels already written, and those are coming out as soon as I can get them spiffed up by my editor (and as soon as my fabulous designer can come up with something that’s as gorgeous as this cover). I also have a number of short stories that fill in some of the time gaps between the novels and delve into some of the backstories of these characters. This is definitely romance/women’s fiction, so expect a strong female focus, but there are a couple of fascinating male characters who inhabit this little universe too.

I might delve out of this universe eventually, but everything that follows is probably always going to have a connection to The New Pioneers, if only in my own mind.

Find out more about Deborah Nam-Krane:

My writing blog
Twitter
LinkedIn
Facebook Page
Pinterest
Google +
 

Wednesday Interview: Irving Podolsky

27 Wednesday Feb 2013

Posted by Megan in Author Interviews

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

authors, eBooks, indie authors, Indie books, interviews, self-publishing

Imagine coming of age in the 1970s. Sounds like fun considering all the wild hedonism of that decade – the sex before the AIDS crisis, the drugs before cocaine was realized to be addictive. There was also no Internet, no cable and no cellphones.

Author Irving Podolsky takes a look of a young man in his early twenties trying to figure out life in such a time in Los Angeles in his New Adult trilogy – Irv’s Odyssey. Podolsky knows that era pretty well, and came up with an interesting reason to explore that time period. 16505_20x16_P_MM

Here he is:

MC: What inspired you to become a writer?

IP: What inspired me as a writer? To answer that question I should tell you want motivated me first. To be totally honest, if I write, I want to be read.

Why is it important to be read?

So I feel like I matter, that I’ve made a tiny positive ripple in the World.

I don’t know how, when and why I grabbed the idea that I need to justify my existence, but I’ve been pushing it since I was little – in fine art, playing music, working in the film business, and this time by writing a series of three novels.

So back to your question: What inspired me to become a writer?

When I started authoring extended prose, the reactions from readers showed me I had engaged them, and that they wanted more. Only then did I think to myself, ‘Yeah. I can do this!’

Before that, the challenge of organizing thousands of interesting words was intimidating. I got past that by chunking down my story into shorter sections so that I could give them out for criticism and advice. (This is the job of book editors in traditional publishing.)

By getting feedback along the way, I never veered that far off course and the enthusiasm I was feeling from readers encouraged me to keep writing and finish all three books. That’s how I became a novelist – I knew, out of the gate, that what I wrote wanted to be read, and just not by friends.

MC: You say the main character of your Irv’s Odyssey trilogy lives in your mind. Did the character come to you on it’s own, or did something in your mind lead to the creation of Irv?

IP: Who is Irving Podolsky? He’s that part of me that makes wiser, more mature decisions. He does that because he’s got a “coach” watching his moves and correcting them on the page. When I read what Irv does and says, I realize I could be more like my guy if only I let my Inner Advisor guide me like it shapes Irv.

Check out Irving's Odyssey on Amazon!

Check out Irving’s Odyssey on Amazon!

Before I took on that massive job of scribing three novels, I had written a number of screenplays under my own name, one of which was bought and packaged but never went into production. All of those scripts were totally fabricated plots and characters.

But with the Irv’s Odyssey trilogy, I decided to tap a resource of story content I had never used before. That well of characters and plots was my own bazaar life from 1970 to 1975. But I didn’t want to write my memoir. I wanted to write a novel. Hence, the character Irving Podolskly was born who tells his story in the first person.

Okay, you’re doing the math. Unless Irv was five in 1970, and even if he WAS five in 1970, he’s OLD now.

Yep, the real ME is “old”. Sort of. But I’m young too. You don’t have to give up youth to gain years of maturity. Irv is that part of me that first discovered the secrets of life and was wowed by them. They don’t go away if you don’t stop looking and I still watch for magical jewels everyday.

And I’m still amazed.

That’s what I mean when I say that Irv lives in the mind of this writer. He’s the Peter Pan in us all; that spirit that doesn’t grow old unless we ignore it.

Also, “Irving Podolsky” is my writer persona and not the ME my wife asks to take out the garbage and refill her coffee cup.

MC: What made you decide to self-publish?

IP: As many writers and readers know, the publishing industry is drastically changing. Financing is tight and the price readers are willing to pay for content is dropping. The traditional publishing industry can no longer afford to take risks and the boutique publishers don’t have the cash for saturation marketing. That means every publisher is trying to sell what is already popular and every writer (except the super stars) are left with the responsibility of building his or her own platform – our fans, followers and book sales.

I am a debut novelist and I did not write within a trendy genre. Consequently, not a single agent would read my manuscript. After the first six rejections I saw the message on the wall. Sure, I knew that six passes weren’t many, but the reason always the same: I had not written what was currently producing mass sales.

I knew I could spend a year soliciting more agents or I could use that time getting published. I also knew that self publishing would probably be a better option, unless the Big Six took me on with a lot of promotion. Without an agent, and without a paranormal, YA romance, that was highly unlikely.

So I produced the books myself and here’s the upside of self publishing.

I own everything. I hired the cover design artist and guided his illustrations. I controlled all interior content and design. And best of all, I control distribution and royalties.

Within traditional publishing, if an author’s work doesn’t catch fire within six months, his/her book is pulled from distribution and bookstores. For a nominal fee I can keep my books in world wide circulation indefinitely. And that’s important because it gives me the time to build a following and draw reviewers.

Print-On-Demand publishing, print-as-needed instant distribution of content, changed the rules of book publishing forever, and to the benefit of we writers.

MC: Some believe NA/New Adult won’t go anywhere because it is not a real genre and only a marketing gimmick. What are your thoughts on that?

IP: I don’t think that “New Adult” is a marketing gimmick. I think it’s another marketing sub-category. Nothing wrong with that if it helps writers connect with readers.

I did not set out to write for any genre when I started my books. Once finished I called them coming-of-age, which is out of fashion. Actually the concept isn’t, but the genre name changed. It’s now called young adult or new adult.

In February of 2011, an agent asked me where she would find my novels in a bookstore. I told her they would be stacked on the shelf next to Poe, as in Edgar Allan – Podolsky…Poe…Potok…etc.

Putting my work amongst literary fiction wasn’t secure enough for her and she passed on my pages, again without reading them. Just eighteen months later, I can tell her now, “Irv’s Odyssey would go to the New Adult section.”

That’s how fast the book business changes. As I said, it’s currently working better for writers. If agents and publishers need another category in order to pitch a book, let’s give it to them. I’m happy about the New Adult Genre.

Learn more about Irving Podolsky at these sites:

Goodreads

Click here to learn more about Irv’s Odyssey – www.IrvingsJourney.com.

Wednesday Interview: Arlene Blakely

30 Wednesday Jan 2013

Posted by Megan in Author Interviews

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

eBooks, interviews, New Adult, post-apocalyptic, self-published authors

New Adult keeps growing, and there is proof to that with self-published author Arlene Blakely releasing two books – the chick lit/light urban fantasy Illegal Media, and the post-apocalyptic anthology Doom Days – that could easily fit into the developing category. Here she is talking about her work and the future of New Adult!

Megan Cashman: What inspired you to be a writer and what made you decide to publish?

Arlene Blakely: I’ve always been a writer. As a little kid I made story books, and in middle school my best friend and I worked together on our own “How To” book. I wrote a column for the local paper in high school, and I published a short story in a magazine in college. Years later, I wrote a play that a friend of mine turned into a short film, and I won a short story contest which got me published in a journal.  Blakely Painting

So deciding to publish wasn’t really a decision. Once I finished Illegal Magic, I contacted agents, and received positive feedback from several of them. Unfortunately, while quite a few agents liked the book, none of them lurrrved it.

Eventually, I realized that I had three choices: give up on my book, substantially revise it, or publish it myself. I wasn’t willing to give up and I didn’t want to revise anymore. So I said, “What the heck” and took the indie-publishing route.

Megan Cashman: What inspired the Doom Days anthology?
DDcover

Click here to buy!

Arlene Blakely: When I moved back to North Carolina after spending 8 years on the west coast, one of the first things I did was start a writers’ group. The group really gelled into something remarkable: a perfect combination of support, critique, and accountability.

I’d been playing with the idea of a story set in a post-apocalyptic world for a while, but I couldn’t seem to find my way inside it. Then I got to thinking about the old Thieves’ World books that I used to read as a kid. The Thieves’ World anthologies had a common setting and shared characters, but the stories were written by different authors.

I approached the other writers in my critique group, and pitched the concept of creating a similar kind of anthology, set in a post-apocalyptic world. They thought it was a good idea, and before long we’d created a world with a back story and characters and conflict.

Megan Cashman: Your books, Illegal Magic and Charmless, seem to be different from most other urban fantasy novels because of their “chick lit” twist. What was the idea behind them?

coversmallbest

Buy book at Amazon

Arlene Blakely: I’ve always been drawn to stories that combine romance, mystery, humor, and some element that makes the reader willing to suspend disbelief. Done well, that combination results in the Myth series or Looking for Alaska or the Dresden books or Veronica Mars or anything by Jennifer Crusie or Joss Whedon. None of these examples are exactly “chick lit” – even Crusie’s novels are more romance or paranormal romance than chick lit – but all of them contain the same elements that make chick lit fun to read.

My writing is heavily influenced by my taste in reading (and TV shows). Because I’ve seen how potent it can be to “mix and match” elements from different genres, I don’t think it’s necessary – or desirable – to isolate romance or mystery or humor or magic. Blended together they make a story stronger and more compelling. I guess that’s why I feel comfortable grafting chick lit to urban fantasy.

Megan Cashman: Do you hope those two books to attract chick lit readers who don’t read urban fantasy, and vice versa?

Arlene Blakely: I hope people will enjoy reading my work. If it appeals to readers who usually gravitate toward urban fantasy or chick lit, that’s cool with me. For what it’s worth, I think we spend too much time categorizing books into separate genres. There are amazing writers in every genre – and it’s worth exploring broadly to ferret them out.

Megan Cashman: NA/New Adult is gaining more attention these days from readers and the book publishing world. Some say the category is pointless and will fade away. Do you think that is true?

Arlene Blakely: Stories about people on the brink of adulthood have been popular for a long time, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. Regardless of whether we apply the NA label, I find it hard to imagine that people will stop wanting to read about characters in their early 20s.

Megan Cashman: What is your advice to anyone who aspires to write books?

Arlene Blakely: First and foremost, WRITE! I’m a really slow writer, so I know how hard it can be to finish a book. But getting words on paper is at least 75% of the challenge. It feels wonderful to complete a project!

I also suggest reading. Not only will you stay up-to-date on what’s being published, you’ll also be able to analyze the technique of writers you admire. Pay attention to what works for other writers, and you’ll be able to incorporate it into your own work. I’m always surprised when I meet writers who claim to read very little contemporary fiction. If you’re writing fantasy for today’s market, but the last fantasy novel you read was The Return of the King, that’s a problem.

Finally, I highly recommend joining a writing group. Getting feedback on a regular basis is super motivating, and it’s great to have other writers to share ideas with. You can find a variety of writing groups on meetup.com, including my group, Writers’ Cramp. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, start your own!

Find out more about Arlene Blakely at these places:

Website: http://overskooled.yolasite.com/
Doom Days site: http://doomdays.com/

Wednesday Interview: Michael Brookes

05 Wednesday Dec 2012

Posted by Megan in Author Interviews

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

authors, books, criminal minds, criminals, indie authors, interviews, psychopaths, writers

It’s that time of the week again!

This week, we have British novelist Michael Brookes. Author of “The Cult of Me”, Brookes is a game

developer when he is not writing stories about the criminal mind:

Megan Cashman: What inspired you to become a writer?-1

Michael Brookes: I’ve always enjoyed telling stories and I seem to be full of them. I started with short stories and more recently moved into full novels.

Megan Cashman: Describe your writing process

Michael Brookes: Everything starts with an idea, usually in the form of a ‘What if?’ question. For The Cult of Me it started with wondering what would happen to someone who grew up with a power that meant he had no real boundaries.

Megan Cashman: Your novel “The Cult of Me” is about a prison inmate that can be described as a psychopath. What made you want to tackle such a subject?

 

Michael Brookes: On the face of it the main character might appear as a psychopath, but the reality is a bit more complicated. In essence he’s a kid that hasn’t had to grow up, because he’s ability to invade people’s minds means that he can always do what he wants.

Another aspect that interested me is the angle of bad people doing good things for the wrong reasons.It’s a theme that a lot of my writing covers.

Megan Cashman: What do you think fascinates people about criminals and psychopaths?

Michael Brookes: There are two reasons for this interest. The first is a perceived glamour. Rightly or wrongly there is the idea that the life of certain criminals is an interesting one, compared to what people think are their own lives.

The other reason is one of understanding. Some criminals have a mind set that most people cannot understand. People like to try and understand what they don’t.

Click here to find "The Cult of Me" on Amazon!

Click here to find “The Cult of Me” on Amazon!

 

Megan Cashman: What sort of future do you think the publishing industry has?

Michael Brookes: A tough question. The big publishers will continue to dominate the actual money making for selling books. I can see programs like KDP Select where authors are paid for readers borrowing their book becoming more significant.

A big issue for authors (and other media content producers)is the devaluation of content. If you look at the prices of e-books in particular they are often less than the price of a cup of coffee. Becoming supported by a more subscription based system seems like a more sustainable way forward as well as supporting new authors.

Here’s where you can learn more about Michael Brookes:

Blog: http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6452691.Michael_Brookes

Twitter: @TheCultofMe

Wednesday Interview: Rob Watts

28 Wednesday Nov 2012

Posted by Megan in Author Interviews

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

authors, books, folklore, Iceland, indie authors, interviews, writers

Say hello to this week’s featured author, Rob Watts! He is the author of horror/suspense novels with a folkloric twist to one of them, called “Huldufolk”. Here he is:

Megan Cashman: What inspired you to get into writing?

Rob Watts: When I was in college, I took a creative writing class as an elective, not expecting to get much out of it other than hopefully a passing grade so I could complete the required credits for my degree. As it turned out, I really enjoyed it. If memory serves, I wrote a short story about a detective who solved a murder case the very same day of his retirement. Turned out, his son was the murderer. My teacher gave me high-marks on that assignment, and from there on, I think writing has been one of my biggest methods of expression. These days, however, it’s very much therapeutic for me. Being able to think of a storyline, sitting down and executing it, and finally completing it, there’s a real sense of accomplishment in such an undertaking. Plus, what better way to share your creativity with others? Everyone loves a good story and encouraging a little bit of reading in this day and age isn’t exactly the worse thing you can do to a person.

Megan Cashman: Describe your writing process.

Rob Watts: I find that I’m better suited for writing in the early morning, when my mind is well rested and it hasn’t been polluted with the days events, phone calls and other distractions. When possible, I’ll take a walk along the beach to clear my head a bit. I’ve also just recently taken up meditation,which has improved my everyday life as well as my writing. Once my mind is “cleared for take off”, I’ll turn the cell phone off and put some background music on. A lot of writers can’t work with any noise in the vicinity, but I need a little bit. Just music though, no television, city traffic or crying babies.

Megan Cashman: Where did you get the idea to write “Carman”?

Rob Watts: The story of “Carman” came to me one night when I was actually in the same situation as the main character “Bill” in the story. “Carman” is a short story about a guy who’s driving home one night on his way from work and picks up a young female hitchhiker. I too was driving along a long dark road one evening and saw a woman thumbing for a ride. I kept going but thought to myself the horrible different ways I could have brought trouble upon myself had I stopped to pick her up. Shortly thereafter I wrote the story of “Carman”, and yes, things went terrible wrong for the guy who picked her up.

Megan Cashman: Your love of traveling helped you come up with the novel “Huldufolk”. Please explain how this story all came together.

Rob Watts: I’ve been back and forth from Iceland for many years since 2003, and during those first couple of visits I would hear stories about elves, trolls and gnomes called hidden people, or Huldufolk as it’s referred to in the Icelandic language. At first I thought it was a made up tale for the sake of the naive tourists. After further research, and talking about with with friends from the country, it turned out that it was legitimate folklore throughout the country. I was fascinated with the notion that almost half the country of Iceland believed that such creatures existed. Their government takes it seriously enough, where-in-fact they will suspend any construction projects if they believe they are disrupting a Huldufolk dwelling. Once learning about this, I was hooked.

When I started writing Huldufolk, I wanted to incorporate their folklore into my horror story without being disrespectful to the Icelandic people. I approached it as a typical American haunted house story, where a young couple honeymoons in Iceland and disturbs a Huldufolk dwelling, returns home to their new home in New England and discovers that it’s haunted. Perhaps it’s due to the Huldufolk? Perhaps it is due to something else? I don’t elaborate on it because I left the ending as a cliffhanger. I’m still getting hate mail as a result of it.

Megan Cashman: How did the idea to have “Huldufolk” be the first in a series of interrelated novellas come about?

Rob Watts: It wasn’t my plan at first actually. It was intended to be written as a standalone novel in its infancy stages. Once I started developing the characters, the neighborhood, et cetera, I began thinking about if this was a real life situation, then life is going on for the rest of the people in the neighborhood. So why not give them stories of horror as well. So for example, the characters in “Huldufolk”, Susie and Jeffrey, are dealing with owning a possessed home. Perhaps on the next street over from them, someone is going through their own torment. At that point I decided that I wanted to create a series based around all the characters that life in the fictional town of Cedar Grove in which a horrific series of events are unfolding around them. My latest book in the series “CRABAPPLES” deals with a young girl new to the town who gets bullied because her mother is institutionalized. This story takes place during the time of “Huldufolk.” The last two books in the series will follow the same format when they’re released in 2013.

Megan Cashman: Do you believe print books will eventually fade and eBooks will be the norm?

Rob Watts: I’m afraid to say it but they already are. More and more e-readers and computer tablets are being produced and sold everyday and sadly the market for print books suffer greatly. I don’t think print books are going to die a painful death anytime soon but their fate has pretty much been sealed as of late. Unfortunately, consumers are no longer buying books to sit down with and actually read. There is too much multitasking going on in today’s world. They want instant gratification. Download a book while watching television, while texting their friend, while eating a sandwich. I do see the appeal though. I myself download certain books but I still purchase physical books because they mean something to me. As time goes on, however, I don’t see many people having relationships with books the way they once did. Unfortunately, Books are now intangible.

Learn more about Rob Watts here: RobWattsOnline.com 

 

Wednesday Interview: John Harrison

21 Wednesday Nov 2012

Posted by Megan in Author Interviews

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

eBooks, fantasy books, interviews, novels, self-published authors, writers

For this week’s Wednesday Interview, I have here John Harrison. He has released two eBooks on poetry, and recently he self-published his first novel, Shadow Dance, which is the first book in his Shadow saga. This interview focuses on his novel writings:

Megan Cashman: What made you decide to be a novelist?

John Harrison: Well…to be honest, it was a bet. One of my ex co-workers bet me dinner that I couldn’t write a novel. Now although I have finished one and on to my next, we never did settle the bet. So if anyone knows George Decker from the Boise, Idaho area; let him know that I won. 🙂 Now that is not saying that I never dreamed about it before. I have always been writing story ideas or telling stories to others. I even created a role-playing game system just so I could tell a story that involved more input than normal.

Megan Cashman: You grew up in Okinawa, Japan. Did this have any effect on you as a writer?

John Harrison: Yes, I believe it did. My experience as a young child in Okinawa really helped me fall in love with their culture and their beliefs. One of the things that i picked up on was a knack for talking around a point, but never truly stating my thoughts on the topic. I have found this helps in script writing as well as story telling. It allows the reader to determine what happened for themselves in parts of the story. This allows them to become more connected to a story as well as drives their enjoyment to a different place.

Megan Cashman: Your novel “Shadow Dance” is labeled as a fantasy book. What draws you to fantasy?

John Harrison: I think the fantasy genre is more accessible to people. It also has the most opportunity to challenge someone’s ideals without making them feel threatened. I think really helped me when I was younger. I felt like reading a book by JRR Tolkien or Piers Anthony, I was transported to another world that was like ours, but different enough to allow me to wrestle with issues from our world in their terms.

Megan Cashman: What makes “Shadow Dance” unique from other fantasy stories out there?

John Harrison: Everything…and Nothing. I feel that every story offers a unique take on any topic, but I also think an author should try to challenge themselves and their audience in ways that they are not fully in control of. That being said, the Shadow Saga (Shadow Dance is the first book int he series) is written in a way to bring the whole story in front of the reader as it happens. I tackled this by not letting the book stick to one character. Instead of it just focusing on Namir, it actually devotes time to all of his friends and a few of his enemies so that the whole story and plot twists can be more visible. I have also found that it helps to hide the seeds that propel the story forward easier as well. From what I have been told this series has a very visual feel to it and that it lends itself to the visual side of the imagination easier than others because of the style it is written in.

Megan Cashman: You are a self-published author. Do you have any advice for anyone wondering if they should go down that route?

John Harrison: Yes. Before you decide to become an author in general, figure out why. Why are you writing and what is the purpose? What is it that drives you? If it is the desire to be a big international star and the idol of millions, go to school and start with Non-Fiction. It is far easier to make a big break by being a Subject Matter Expert and then writing a book about it , than it is to to write a work of fiction and then get discovered. If the reason you write is to share your ideas with people and to touch lives with your stories…then by all means jump in and never look back, but do it intelligently. Don’t quit your “day job” and become the master of your time. Every minute not being used for something else can be used for writing. I discovered that just having my cell on me in lines has helped me because I can jot a quick text to myself with ideas for my story. Now as for whether you should self publish or go traditional, that is a personal choice. I tried going the traditional route, but then found a way to self publish at a time when I needed to in order to propel my writing forward. I guess that is the crux, do whichever you need to get to where you feel you need to be in your writing career. These days there are so many writers that have decided to self publish that it has lost a lot of its negative branding, but there is still the lure to not have to do everything yourself. That’s the freedom of the traditional route. You get to be free to write. As a self published author I have found that marketing is a lot harder and more time consuming than any other part of the process. Thankfully there are a lot of resources out there to help.

Learn more about John Harrison here:
Twitter: @John_A_Harrison

Blogs: http://johnaharrison.tumblr.com/ & http://jaguarmusings.blogspot.com/ & http://darqueworld.blogspot.com/

Here are links to John Harrison’s works:
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6554416.John_Harrison

Amazon: amazon.com/author/johnaharrison

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/johnharrison

Wedneday Interview: Judith Victoria Douglas

08 Thursday Nov 2012

Posted by Megan in Author Interviews

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

authors, books, interviews, New Adult, self-published authors, writers, writing

Good to have internet access again.

As some of you may know, Staten Island was hit by a Nor’easter last night. Yeah, I know, just what we needed after Hurricane Sandy devastated the east and south shores of the area. But this Nor’easter knocked out my cable and Internet services, which caused me to stare at my apartment walls all night.

At work, we didn’t have Internet access until just a few hours ago, which caused a huge sigh of relief throughout the office.

Anyway, that is why I am posting my Wednesday Interview a day late. Hey, better late than never!

This week, we have Texan Judith Victoria Douglas. She is the author of several books, including A Price of Love: Ariel’s Cottage, which can be considered a New Adult story.

Megan Cashman: What inspired you to be a writer?

Judith Victoria Douglas: I always knew I’d write. When I was young my mother aspired to be a writer so belonged to a local writer’s club and attended classes. I went with her and I think I absorbed a lot more than I could tell about from those experiences. When I was a teen she asked if I thought I’d ever write and I answered, “When I have something to write about.”

An undergrad professor (when I returned to finish my degree) encouraged me after reading some of my beginning attempts at children’s stories while studying a course on writing for children. I learned a lot from the course even though I wasn’t quite able to complete it. I’ve always be disappointed by that.

A master level professor suggested I write psychology/self-help books because I could write well. He meant in that educated jargon used among professionals, but I didn’t see anyone reading those books that really needed them. I wished to write fiction because I’ve always believed people learn more and better when it’s fun. I know I do. Just look at all the misinformation that abounds from movies and books so many think is fact.

Megan Cashman: Romance is very popular these days. Can you give your own thoughts on why that is the case?

Judith Victoria Douglas: When I began to write I would have never called myself a romance writer, but discovered I had strong leanings toward it. I think, because of that insight, it’s a natural response to want to love and be loved.

Most of us have our ideas of what romance is and I think its universal. We enjoy reliving the experience over and over since it tends not to be relived on an everyday basis. Vicarious experiences are internally as affective to us as the real experience. Along with those feelings is a desire to share all the scenarios where two people can come together and find such a deep attachment, more than just attraction.

While I do write intimate scenes they are never truly erotic because I don’t think erotic and romance are always compatible. One can lead to the other, one the beginning and eventually include the other, but not always.

Love is a very basic and strong need connecting all of us, especially for woman, but I think many men are becoming more romantic. They can certainly write very good stories about it when they are.

Megan Cashman: “A Price for Love: Ariel’s Cottage” could appeal to NA readers. Why do you think so?

Judith Victoria Douglas: I think it’s due to Ariel’s age, 22 years, but also because she’s stuck at seventeen mentally and emotional. As with many victims’ experiences, her trauma arrested her normal maturation process and certainly denied her some normal experiences. It doesn’t have to be a big trauma as it was with Ariel, but a significant one to the individual. Many can identify with it at this age.

 Megan Cashman: Do you believe NA has any potential to be a successful category for readers?

 Judith Victoria Douglas: I think it’s a very important and too long overlooked category. YA has long been an too encompassing only option so to break it down like with the younger ages – their unique age-associated situations has been the norm – this group can show they have an outlook of their own.

Megan Cashman: You’re a self-published author. Why did you choose that route and not the traditional?

Judtih Victoria Douglas: I’m an older writer, waiting too long to decide to pursue publication, and, frankly, it’s difficult for me to trust someone like an agent I don’t know to watch out for my best interest. And I certainly could never believe a publisher would do me any favors unless, maybe, I was making big money for them. Plus, the process is very long and slow. I tried working with a publisher, but got stuck on the cover. She did a fine one, but didn’t seem to think I agreed, so dropped my story. I don’t have time to wait if I want to see all my stories published. I had a book out in a month once I decided to do it all myself.

Megan Cashman: What advice do you have for self-published authors or those considering that route?

Judith Victoria Douglas: Use the first book as a learning experience so pick a small/short book, maybe an anthology, and consider everything about what a finished book should look like. There’s a lot of online information about how the interior of a book is put together. Keep a big publishing house copy nearby for reference, one with an overall appearance you like, inside and out.

And don’t ever skimp on the cover. It sells the book or not, so those cut and paste covers are tacky and only appropriate for children’s books and characters.

To find out more about Judoth Victoria Douglas check out her sites judithvictoriadouglas.com 

judithvictoriadouglas.net
Check out A Price for Love: Ariel’s Cottage on Amazon.

 

 

 

← Older posts
Newer posts →
August 2022
S M T W T F S
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031  
« Apr    

Archives

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

The Dark Proposal by Megan Cashman

Now on Kindle!

Also on Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/276775

My Facebook Page

My Facebook Page

Twitter Updates

Error: Please make sure the Twitter account is public.

Categories

  • Author Interviews
  • Being an Author
  • Between Light and Dark
  • Blog Awards
  • Book Trailers/Videos
  • Books
  • Characters
  • Entertainment
  • Miscellaneous
  • My Books
  • On Writing
  • Random Thoughts & Opinions
  • Reading
  • Reviews
  • Self-Publishing
  • Staten Island
  • Storytelling Musings
  • The Cats
  • The Dark Proposal
  • The Future
  • Vampires
  • Word Grammar Punctuation

Recent Posts

  • Vampires Today: Smartphones
  • Who is Your Audience?
  • Are Vampires Passe?
  • Why Do I Write?
  • “The Dark Proposal” – on tour at Bewitching Book Tours

Top Posts & Pages

  • Disclaimer: This is a Work of Fiction...
©Megan Cashman and Megan Cashman Books 2012 - 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Megan Cashman and Megan Cashman Books with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Blogroll

  • Discuss
  • Get Inspired
  • Get Polling
  • Get Support
  • Learn WordPress.com
  • The Dark Proposal – Now on Kindle!
  • Theme Showcase
  • WordPress Planet
  • WordPress.com News

Archives

wordpress stats plugin

Blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • Megan Cashman
    • Join 1,392 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Megan Cashman
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...