Author Interview: Viktoria Faust

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author interview, author interviews, authors, Balkan conflict, Balkans, Croatia, interviews, vampire novels, vampires, writing

Having people of all different backgrounds read your book is something all authors dream of. It is even better when your work is translated into different languages, allowing for a much wider audience.

Viktoria Faust is living this opportunity. The award-winning Croatian author recently had her vampire novel, Beauty of the Beast, translated into English. Her book is also different from the other vampire books out there – hers centers on the Balkan conflicts of the early 1990s.

Here she is now!

MC: Tell us about what inspired you to be an author.
VF: I first realized I’m a writer when I was 13, when I wrote my first novel. It was childish, written in notebook, but it had beginning, middle and the end. And it was horror. Something about people who can turn themselves into owls. So, I’m doing this for 30 years now, and it’s more about the way of life then about inspiration. For me to write is the same as to breath – it comes naturally, and I can’t do without it.

MC: How did the conflict in the Balkans effect your writing?
VF: I was 18 when war in Croatia began, just finished high school.  I was about to start my life as adult, but everything around me was standing still, only trying to survive. Nothing was normal. So that’s why I made my vampires a war vampires – what would attract vampires more than everyday fresh supply of blood and dying? That’s why they came to that corner of the world. It seemed logical – monsters are attracted by monstrosities. Beauty of The Beast was written two years after the war. It’s the only novel I’ve written set in that time period. The same way my main character escapes horrors in her home town, I escaped that part of my life with that book.

MC: How are your vampires different from others?
VF: As I said – they are war vampires, they feed on battlefields. But that is only first layer of the liars they are. Beauty of The Beast is first of seven books (I’m writing the third part right now). In second part, Unspoken Story, I’m reviling more of their true nature. So – spoiler alert! They are vampires who feed on vampires. Not because of some moral reasons, but because they are so powerful that they can do that. They like the taste of vampire blood. Actually, they like all nonhuman blood. Some of my characters describe themselves as ‘Buffy meets Blade and going nuclear’. They are Bogyman of monsters.

MC: What inspired you to translate your books from Croatian to English?
VF: My Croatian readers were asking me for years if I have plans to translate it. I had, but I haven’t had an opportunity. So when opportunity presented itself, 15 years after novel was firs published in Croatia… I shortened it – in Croatian the novel is almost twice as big, and it’s still a long novel in English – 168.000 words. There is something in that book that people respond to. Sometimes readers tell me: I read that book 10-20 times! And I always ask: tell me what I did right in writing it, I want to know, so I can write the same way every book I write. Well… I haven’t had proper answer yet. I guess there is no formula in writing a book people like. It just happens.

MC: What is more rewarding: being an award-winning author or to have many fans?
VF: I value the opinion of readers’ best, so I appreciate readers best. Awards are symbolic, opinions are honest. Opinions are based on emotions, and because of them I’m a horror writer. For example, I heard once of one woman naming her son after one of my characters. That was realization for me – I was able to touch a person I never met on such a deep level. No award ever made me feel that way.

MC: What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
VF: Just write. Don’t let anything get in your way. Being an author is hard and under-appreciated profession. You should do it, because you cannot stop doing it. You should do it, because you cannot help yourself. It’s an addiction, the best and a most positive one. Trust yourself. Learn from your mistakes, and mistakes of other writers – you must read a lot to do that. Persist. Don’t indulge in other people’s opinions, but listen to them. And never trust an advice of other writer literally, because every person is different and there is no magic formula.

Here’s where you can find Viktoria online:

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/430880730435779/

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/ViktoriaFaust

Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25918852-beauty-of-the-beast

Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Viktoria-Faust/e/B014VZ0W3E/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

Introducing…Video Services for Indie Authors!

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affordable, author interview, author interviews, book trailers, books, indie authors, indie writers, interview, self-published, self-published authors, trailers, video, videos

Hello everyone!

You’ve probably been wondering what I’ve been up to in recent weeks, since announcing I will be getting back to writing the sequel to The Dark Proposal. Well, I have been scribbling notes here and there, plus writing background stories on each character in order to flesh them out more. I am totally loving this process! Why didn’t I think of it before?

But I have also been developing something else to help the indie author scene. Some of you may be aware of my Author Interviews, where I conduct and post interviews of self-published authors. It’s been a thrill to do this, especially since the authors and the readers of this blog seem to enjoy them.

But lately, I’ve been working bringing my author interviews to the next step, and I know I am ready to unveil it.

I will be offering video services for self-published and small press authors. The services will be:

Post-production book trailers

Video interviews of authors.

You see, I have a background as a video journalist, and I would like to use the equipment that I still have to help authors reach their audiences. Book trailers seem to be the obvious route, especially since I have a video editing software. I would love to create book trailers that will include actors and cool effects, but alas, I could only work with the usual stock images and stock music. But maybe someday…

As for video interviews of authors, this is where I will take my author interviews to the next level. I will do short videos where the author simply talks about their books, the inspiration behind it, its writing process and what they hope readers will get out of it. It will be a promo video where the author voices their book’s journey to their audience. I don’t think many authors get the chance to vocally speak to their audience, so this would be a great chance for them.

However, there’s one small problem: I could only do this for authors in the New York City area. I don’t have the funds or team to do this outside of the Big Apple, so unfortunately, my target area is limited. Granted, there are many writers in New York, but it would be great for me to get those in, say, Michigan, Florida, Oregon, Canada, Europe, etc. Well, maybe next time…

Anyway, so here are my services and my rates. If my rates seem low, well, its because I understand that many self-published and small press writers have very tight budgets. I’m trying to be fair here.

POST PRODUCTION BOOK TRAILER:
– 1 minute trailer          $150
– 3 minute trailer          $200
– 4 or more minutes     $250

In addition, if the author wishes for me to purchase the music or stock images, that would be added to the tab. I am willing to discuss who should be responsible for purchasing such items for the book trailer. But if it is me who does it, I will have the author reimburse me when I forward an invoice.

VIDEO AUTHOR INTERVIEWS
– 3 to 6 minutes             $250

BOOK TRAILER WITH SNIPPETS OF AUTHOR INTERVIEW INCLUDED:
– An extra $100 included to whichever aforementioned service you choose.

I will be including each video – of either service – on not only this blog, but a YouTube channel I will set up. I will also promote it on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. I will also allow the author to use the video of his or her website and author platform. There will be an agreement between the two of us over this so nothing gets confused.

Sounds interesting to you? Let me know by shooting me an email at megancashmanbooks [at] gmail [dot] com

Author Interview: Tiffany Apan

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author, author interview, author interviews, books, indie authors, interviews, novellas, novels, paranormal, self-published authors

For some writers, writing is not the only art form where they express their creativity. Some are musicians, painters or actors. One author, Tiffany Apan, is one of those kinds. She is also a musician, singer and actress. However, writing is her main love, as she explains in her interview below:

MC: Tiffany, not only are you an author, but you are also a musician, singer, actress and producer! You’re a true artist! What drives your need to create?

TA: Well thanks! I’d say a very active imagination that began as far back as I can recall and never truly went away. My brain always seems to be active, which I do consider to be a good thing (better to have an overactive mind then one that gets absolutely no use, right?). But I’m also a great learner. I love learning, especially of history and other places. And when I learn something new, I automatically want to integrate it into an art form of some kind, be it writing, music, filming, or all of the above. 🙂

MC: Out of all of your artistic talents, which one do you enjoy the most?

TA: I would say writing. To me, writing can easily encompass music and film. Writing and plotting a story – be it for a novel, a song, or a screenplay – is at the root of a lot of creations and bringing a story to life.

MC: Your “The Birthrite Series” is filled with history, dark fantasy and romance. Where did the inspiration from this come from?

TA: Oh many, many, many things. Back in late 2011/early 2012, I had a rather vivid dream that pretty much stayed with me. The dream entailed me in deep conversation with a person that would go on to become a key character in The Birthrite Series. And it’s interesting, because what was originally supposed to be a more fun and adventerous time travel romance under the working title Through Time, eventually morphed into something completely different. In fact, none of the main characters from the first book in the series even appeared in the original draft and concept. But as I wrote Through Time, it just didn’t feel right. I mean, the general idea was there but something was missing. At the time, I was also reading through Stephen King’s On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft. In one passage, he compares writing a story to discovering a small fossil, and then continuing to dig until you uncover the entire dinosaur. And sometimes it will seem as though you are shoveling nothing but crap. But eventually you will make the great discovery. That is exactly how writing The Birthrite was, so I can totally relate!

As time went on, more characters seemed to literally just “walk on,” and characters I thought were just going to be minor ended up being major key characters. The story seemed to build upon itself as I did research and created the world in which the people of the story inhabit. And the story went from a fun adventurous romance one to one that was still fun, adventurous and romantic, but darker and having a lot more mystery. Add to that my passion for history and research of it.

The working title then had to change due to the story’s new direction. Bloodlines was the new working title (which I knew would eventually be changed since there already are so many projects out there with that title).

In early 2013 as I was fleshing out what would be the official first draft, I started posting chapters and excerpts of my unedited work onto what is now my official blog in order to gain a perspective of how much interest there might be in the story. Well, the interest definitely seemed to be there, so in the midst of that little experiment, I started revising and copyrighting it for print.

Finally in I believe that in early 2014 (or late 2013), I settled on the official series title, The Birthrite and decided to call book one Descent. Then I decided to release a spin off novelette with Descent titled Sacred Atonement: A Novelette (The Birthrite Series, #1.5). As of December 2014, the beginning of the series has been officially available both digitally and in paperback form. The next installments are set for release later this summer.

Recently, I started work for the Depreciation Lands Museum, a historical museum dedicated to bringing the 18th century to life. With all the intense research I did for Descent and Sacred Atonement, working for this museum has given me even more access to sources that allow for deeper research. Those running the museum also take care to immerse the workers in all things 18th century, including offering training in period tasks such as cooking over a campfire and hearth oven to drop spindle classes (I will be taking the latter this month). Since The Birthrite Series delves deeper into history as the series continues (half of the first book, Descent, takes place in the mid 1800s and the latter half in the year 1931), I feel this will add new layers to the story and my writing in general.

As I research more and more, I am fascinated with how distorted many events and eras have become over time. Combine that with my love for Tolkien, Stephen King, Edgar Allen Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, the Brontes, and romantic stories, and you pretty much have my inspiration for the series.

MC: What are your plans for “The Birthrite Series”?

TA: Well as of now, the first installments, Descent (The Birthrite Series, #1) and Sacred Atonement: A Novelette (The Birthrite Series, #1.5) and Made In Heaven: A Birthrite Series Short are available both digitally and in print. As for the next ones, Kindred (The Birthrite Series, #2) and Saturn Sun: A Novella (The Birthrite Series, #2.5) in late July and mid August. The 29th of this month (June) will bring the cover and synopsis reveal for Kindred and Saturn Sun. A few great blogs are involved, including Screamzine and the official blog of urban fantasy author, Susan Reid. Then in late August, I plan to send the series on a blog tour. So stay tuned for that. 🙂

Regarding writing the series as a whole, the plan is to have five novels with a couple novellas and shorts in between. However, I don’t believe in confining a story (and usually stories do not want to be). So if it has to go beyond the five novels, than so be it. There is also a lot of history and back story within the series. Meaning that even after the final book is written, there may be room for a prequel or a Birthrite-verse spinoff. So we shall see. 🙂

MC: Describe your writing process. For example, do you write with a laptop or by hand? Do you use a specific kind of pen, etc?

TA: When I am first getting a concept down, I do use the old fashioned method of writing by hand. For some reason, that actually allows me to more freely develop back story and make research notes. But when I sit down to do an actual draft, I’m all about the laptop.

I usually write at my desk in my office/creative space, either early in the morning or late at night when all is still and quiet. Though sometimes having on a piece music that reflects the mood of a particular character and/or scene definitely helps.

MC: What advice would you give to someone who dreams about writing and completing a novel?

TA: Be prepared to do a lot of leg work if you want to do it well. You might find yourself having to do much research and fleshing out of character backgrounds long before you can even begin to write the actual story. While there are some authors that can “get it right the first time”, those are usually the experienced writers who have been writing a really long time. And even they need at least one revision for typos and clunky sentences. Don’t be afraid of the revision and editing process, and get it out of your head that everything you write will be absolutely lovely and flawless. Because it won’t be. In other words, don’t be that guy who uploads his or her first draft loaded with errors to Amazon.

Also, the nice thing about publishing independently is that it does give you plenty of opportunity to periodically look through your manuscript and make corrections, even after it is published (because there will also be something you missed).

But all in all, when you see your story and characters come to life and the book is the best it can be, the feeling of accomplishment is tremendous. Especially when you know you are doing yourself and characters justice by putting all of you out in the best light possible.

To learn more about Tiffany, check out her many presences online:

Official Website: http://tiffanyapan.com

Official Blog: http://tiffanyapanwritingproject.blogspot.com

New online magazine: http://partingofveilswebzine.blogspot.com

Facebook Artist Page: http://facebook.com/tiffanyapanfanpage

Twitter: http://twitter.com/TIFFANYAPAN

YouTube: http://youtube.com/TiffanyApan

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/tiffanyapan

Authorgraph (for digital autographs!): http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/TIFFANYAPAN

Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/tiffanyapan

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

Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/tiffanyapan

Author Interview: Anton Troia

Tags

apocalyptic, author interview, author interviews, authors, books, environment, green, novels, writing

It’s always good to support your own. In this case, I am supporting fellow Staten Islander Anton Troia, author of “The Last Overseer”. Not only is it exciting to know about other authors from my old home, but Troia’s novel sounds very deep with a lot of points to consider. He also has an interesting perspective on how to pursue your passions despite the risks:

MC: What made you decide to become an author?

AT: I always loved stories, especially science fiction stories. If I had to pick one thing I love about science fiction, it’s how prophetic most of it is! I’m a die hard Trekkie, and I grew up reading Phillip.K. Dick novels, and other prophetic writers such as H.G. Wells, Frank Herbert, and Arthur C. Clarke. And I realized that science fiction was always a good platform for theology. Ever since I was a kid, I dissected the universe, the mathematical rules that orchestrate the cosmos and how it all relates to being human. I always asked myself questions, and I always tend to ask the ones that cannot be answered. At least not yet! And so, I began writing my debut novel, with the idea of wrapping a compelling lesson with a high octane action story, in hopes of shedding light on some of the deeper themes in literature. Overall, The Last Overseer is a theosophical body of work, and so writing this novel was a perfect way to get things off my chest and introduce my story to the world!

MC: You say you are now writing full time. Does that mean you took the plunge, left your job and now write? What advice would you give to any writer who’d like to do the same thing?

AT: I’ve been self-employed now for 2 years, and I work at home. I’m also a property owner, and so I have the opportunity to find the time to live out my dreams. If you’re a writer and want to dedicate all of your time to the very craft you love so dearly, then do it! Make that sacrifice, because sacrifice, willpower and dedication always pays off! Write the story you want to read and don’t let nothing get in your way.

MC: You like to write about the negative impact technology can have on society. Explain why you think this way, and what should society do to solve it?

AT: Ok, this is a great question. I look at technology, and I wonder if we are using it correctly. For example, take a look at the combustion engine…how much longer can we go on with a technology that harms the environment? There are many forests all around the world that have reached their maximum carbon dioxide saturation point. Meaning that they are no longer able to absorb any more Carbon Dioxide. I could go on and on, but my point is, that we had the opportunity to introduce electric cars to the public back in 1908, but the technology was suppressed by the global, industrial complex. It’s easy to understand why too, after all, the world economy thrives on oil. If free energy is introduced to the world, then, what would all the oil people do with their lives?

Besides the effect fossil fuels have, the method in which some companies are using to harvest crude oil is also a cause for concern. Certain methods such as hydro-fracking are very risky, and some other facilities such as the HAARP installations in Alaska have been rumored to not only aid in weather manipulation, but it is used to scan beneath the Earth’s crust for oil reservoirs. I can only wonder if this is affecting the geology in any malevolent way!

And so, I say, that the only way to solve this climate mess is to move on to the future and go Green, Green, Green! The Earth will heal itself over time.

MC: Why do you weave mythology, paranormal and historical fact with your stories? A lot of authors do this. Explain why you think they do this rather than write about our world as it is?

AT: Writers make for good thinkers, And so, a lot of authors create, theorize and speculate, using real history as a basis for their myth. Once in a while, fundamental science feeds off of religion and seeks to prove more than what was previously chained and measured. I myself, a thinker, spend lots of time thinking about how the metaphysical world relates to our measured world. This drive of mine increased a few years ago after a freaky event that I just couldn’t explain. I began writing my debut novel, “The Last Overseer” in 2010 after having an out of body experience. After experiencing this freaky event, it changed me, because I realized that there was a lot more to our existence, and my eyes were opened to this new world of the paranormal. I gained an affinity for not only the occult and paranormal, but cryptids, mythology, religion, and even new age topics like ancient astronauts and indirect extra-terrestrial evidence. This sudden fascination was exhilarating, and I suddenly felt as if there was a world out there that was previously unknown to me, and until then, I always thought it was limited to science fiction and myth. I mixed up the folklore, science fiction and religion to let readers realize that these topics are not mutually exclusive. I try best to examine all those topics in hopes of determining how they all relate to what you call – “The World as it is”

MC: Why do you choose to write about deep topics such as political or psychological issues?

AT:  I truly feel that we are living in a crucial time and a transition period for humanity in general, and I find that using fiction as a political platform is the best way to get through to people—more than non-fiction I think! I truly believe we are on the cusp of a new industrial age and renaissance, and with every renaissance, comes a shift in consciousness. A lot of this is because of the information age we live in, and a lot is energetic as well. Or what I believe is what Darwin meant when he coined “evolution” I truly believe people are experiencing a consciousness shift right now. And so, I wrote a story, with exaggerated and artistic expressions of political themes that embody many of today’s real world topics, such as Obama-care, socialism, GMO foods, and so on—all I did was add color as well as fantastical elements to these themes.

All in all, the heart of my stories are the characters, and the plot of course. And the message comes third.

MC: What can we expect from Anton Troia in the future?

AT: The sequel to “The Last Overseer” is a work in progress and is moving along smoothly! The 1st draft is complete and I hope to publish it by Spring 2014! I’m also outlining the 3rd and final book in my trilogy as well, and I hope to publish them via traditional publishing models, but if it doesn’t work out, I’ll self publish them and continue to write beyond this first trilogy of mine. Because writing, and bringing though provoking stories to one’s coffee table is what I love to do!

Thanks Megan for having me! If anyone is interested in my work, feel free to take a look at my book’s official website-

www.antontroia.com/

For more on my blogs and special giveaways, be sure to check my facebook page for a chance to win some goodies!

www.facebook.com/AntonTroia

Wednesday Interview: Christine Meunier

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.

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