Showing posts with label epic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label epic. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Thomas A. Knight


This week's interview is with Thomas A. Knight who is celebrating the release of his debut novel: The Time Weaver.

You can find out more about Thomas and his efforts Here

And you can buy The Time Weaver for Kindle Here


TAS: Let's get the plug out of the way.  Tell us a little bit about the project you are currently promoting - who will be interested and why?

TAK: The Time Weaver is about an unlikely hero, an ordinary guy working an ordinary job in a small town in Iowa. When he gets in a car accident one day on his way home, that's when things get weird. The accident should have killed him, but instead, time stops, and he is left scared and confused, wandering through his frozen town. But he's not the only one who's noticed the anomaly in the flow of time, and two sides of a conflict in a parallel world send somebody to retrieve Seth and take him back to their world, believing that he is the last of a race that can control time. That's where Seth's adventures really begin, when he enters the world of Galadir and discovers that it was he that stopped time and he must learn to control his powers and fight in order to save a kingdom from annihilation. The story is action packed, and should appeal to gamers, role-players and all types of sci-fi and fantasy fans everywhere.

TAS: What aspects of being an author do you most enjoy?

TAK: Being able to enter my world, to live and breath the sights and sounds, to create new and interesting races, people and places. You can sit down and read a book, and get into the story, and even experience it to an extent. But until you've created it for yourself, you can never truly understand what it's like. There's a certain divinity to it, to the creation of all things in my worlds, but at the same time, some of it takes on a life of its own, and its really interesting to see how it grows and flourishes, or withers and dies.

TAS: What aspects of being an author do you least enjoy?

TAK: Losing a much loved character. It takes a lot of time and effort to bring a character to life, and sometimes those characters have accidents, or they do silly things, or sacrifice themselves in truly selfless acts for the greater good. But whatever the reason, it hurts each time I have to say goodbye to one of them. They may only be words on paper, but each one represents an act of imagination, of creation, a personality and almost a living breathing thing. It's tough to let go of them.

TAS: What moment as an author have you experienced that you are likely to remember 20 years from now (good or bad)?

TAK: The moment I wrote the last words in the first draft of my first book. It was a moment of triumph for me, representing hundreds of hours of time and effort, of struggle to get through the hard parts, and breezing through the easy parts. There was a certain finality to it, to suddenly realize that I'd written 108,200 words and completed a book.

TAS: What bad habits do you have when it comes to writing/promoting your books and/or what do you wish you could do better?

TAK: I don't think I've developed what I would call habits yet. I have a tendency when I'm writing to repeat the same words or phrases numerous times. This is something I work on cleaning up during editing, and something that my wonderful test readers are very enthusiastic to point out when I do it.

TAS: Do you have any authors that you try to emulate? Why or why not?

TAK: J. Robert King is one of my favourite authors, with his action driven books. I would very much like to be able to write like him.

TAS: Do you have clear 'heroes' and 'villains' in your stories or are the lines more blurred?  Why do you choose that route?

TAK: In The Time Weaver, the sides were clearly defined, which made it a pretty easy book to write. But this is not a set-in-stone style of mine, just how it came out for that book. In the sequel (which I'm currently working on) the lines get a little more blurred as to who is doing the right and wrong. I don't think it will be who you expect it to be.

TAS: Do you have any pet peeves related to writing? Are there any things that other authors do that drive you crazy?

TAK: I don't think I could define it exactly, but things that jar me out of the story really bug me. Like, I'm reading along, totally engrossed with visuals in my head, and then something happens, or the way the author wrote something totally disrupts the scene. It's the kind of thing that makes me want to put the book down.

TAS: What's the greatest thing you can realistically imagine happening as a result of your writing? How likely do you think that is to actually happen?

TAK: The greatest thing? The sky's the limit? Being able to do my writing as a full-time job. Not that I don't enjoy my day-job, but everyone's gotta dream right? Being able to write full-time and get paid for it, that would be pretty cool.

TAS: Tell us about the most interesting thing you’ve ever eaten.

TAK: Wow, I've eaten some interesting stuff. Snails? Sautéd in a garlic butter sauce, and served on crackers. If you can get past the “biting down on an eyeball” feeling, they are actually quite good. :)

TAS: If you knew you would be trapped in an elevator for a couple hours and you could choose any living person to be trapped in there with you, who would it be and why?

TAK: Stephen King. The man is a genius, and I'm sure the last thing he wants to do is talk writing with a no-namer like me for a couple hours in an elevator, but it would be the chance of a lifetime to just sit and chat with a legend.

TAS: If you could have any super-power, what would you choose and why?

TAK: The ability to control time would be very cool to have. But I'm biased, because I just wrote a book about a guy that can do just that. So often I find myself stressed because I don't have the time to get everything done that I'd like to get done. Having the ability to slow time down and give myself some extra time to do that kind of stuff would be great.

TAS: Would you cut off your right leg for $500,000?

TAK: Well, considering that my day-job is software development, and I write on the side of that, I don't use my right leg that much. $500,000 would pretty much secure my future, so I would have to say yes.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Ceri Clark



This Week's author is Ceri Clark.  Ceri has written 3 books:  Two in her A Simpler Guide instructional series on Gmail and Android Apps and her first fiction book:  Children of the Elementi.  I've read COTE, and I thought it was great!  It's an epic fantasy adventure with interesting characters, fascinating other worlds, mysterious powers, events etc.  It has a little bit of everything and is very well-written.

You can check out Ceri's website and find links to buy and learn more about her books here:  http://cericlark.com/

And you can find out more about her and link up with her on Facebook, Twitter etc. here:  http://about.me/cericlark



TAS: Let's get the plug out of the way. Tell us a little bit about the project you are currently promoting - who will be interested and why?


CC: I’m promoting Children of the Elementi at the moment. It is a fantasy novel with a smidgeon of science-fiction. The prologue starts off with an Empire defeated and five children sent through time and space to grow up in safety but the real story begins on present day Earth.


Jake has just turned 14 and has already discovered that he can do a few party ‘tricks’ but when he finds an ancient crystal heirloom his powers are magnified and he learns he is the next High-King in another dimension. The story then follows Jake as he searches for the other heirs before the people who killed his parents finds them first.


TAS: What aspects of being an author do you most enjoy?


CC: I've always been a daydreamer but being an author means I get to share the weird ideas and worlds I think of with other people.


TAS: What aspects of being an author do you least enjoy?


CC: I really hate promotion. I am a bit shy and if I could spend my days hiding behind a keyboard tapping away I would.


TAS: What moment as an author have you experienced that you are likely to remember 20 years from now (good or bad)?


CC: I sent Elementi to a critique agency after I first finished it. Before this I was going through a bit of a crisis in confidence. I can’t tell you how great I felt when the critiquer said it was a page turner in the best possible sense! I nearly cried. oh, ok I did cry - but just a little.


TAS: What bad habits do you have when it comes to writing/promoting your books and/or what do you wish you could do better?


CC: I do procrastinate a lot. I am a messy soul but when I come to a particularly difficult part of the book, or any promotion my study sparkles, and the bathroom, and the kitchen...


TAS: What is your favorite book and why?


CC: I don’t really have a favourite book. I do love the Darkover series by Marion Zimmer Bradley. I think she was an amazing writer and I could read her books time and time again.


TAS: Do you prefer to write when the room is quiet . . . or do you like to have some background noise?


CC: I couldn’t write without a bit of Bon Jovi or Bryan Adams blaring in the background.


TAS: Do you have any pet peeves related to writing?


CC: Not really. I wish there were more hours in the day but everyone probably thinks that!


TAS: Do you think bestsellers are typically better books than books that don't sell as well? Why or why not?


CC: I think bestsellers are lucky. If you were traditionally published in the past then you have a name (and your lucky to have written books in the past!) but I think otherwise you have to strike a chord with people. it has to be enough that they want to share the book with their friends and they want to share with their friends etc.


TAS: Is there anything that you look forward to that gets you through a tough day?


CC: Chocolate!


TAS: Is the World a better or worse place in 2011 than it was in 1970 and why do you answer the way you do?


CC: The world was a worse place, because I wasn’t in it yet - just kidding. I think it was worse because of the technology we have now. I can’t imaging living in a world where I can’t look at the internet while waiting for a bus, get my frozen shopping delivered to me ice-cold after ordering it online the night before or having less than four channels on the TV!


TAS: If an aging friend with painful, terminal cancer asked you to kill them, and you knew there wouldn't be any legal problems, would you do it?


CC: I don't think I could. Only because I can't bear the idea of hurting anyone. I know the cancer would be hurting them but it wouldn't be me physically doing it. I can't even scratch my husbands back when he asks me to! Maybe I shouldn't have said that...

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Danielle Raver






I have just finished reading Danielle's debut novel:  Brother, Betrayed, and I thought it was excellent.  It's an epic fantasy-adventure, but with a slightly different flavor.  The linchpin that ties the whole story together is the relationship between three brothers who must defend their kingdom and family from powerful forces that threaten to tear them apart.  And discovering the nature of those forces keeps the reader's brain active until the end.  I can't say much more or I'd be giving too much away, so check it out for yourself.  It's a very well written book and I'd highly recommend it.
In addition to writing, Danielle has a Master's degree in School counseling and has taught elementary school for 5 years.  She is currently working on a follow up to Brother, Betrayed called Flight Moon.
Check out Danielle's Website for links to buy Brother, Betrayed plus other cool info. including more details on Brother, Betrayed and Flight Moon.
TAS: Let's get the plug out of the way.  Tell us a little bit about Brother, Betrayed - who will be interested and why?
DR: Brother, Betrayed is a fantasy-set tragedy. Readers who like a strong emphasis on character development will enjoy it I think. There's also elements of magic, fighting, and classical fantasy (such as dragons, elves, and dwarves.)
TAS: What aspects of being an author do you most enjoy?
DR: I most enjoy being able to create something. Writing is my way to leave my mark, literally. I also enjoy spending time with my characters and falling in love with them. Their accomplishments become my accomplishments, their trials my trials.
TAS: What aspects of being an author do you least enjoy?
DR: Writer's block. I hate having the story in my head and not able to get it down on paper.
TAS: What moment as an author have you experienced that you are likely to remember 20 years from now (good or bad)?
DR: The moment I let go of Brother, Betrayed and said “okay, I'm done” will likely not fade from my memory. I was exhilarated and depressed all at the same moment. On one hand it felt like a child being born, on the other it felt like a good friend was moving far away without saying goodbye.
TAS: What bad habits do you have when it comes to writing/promoting your books and/or what do you wish you could do better?
DR: Hmm... I have a funny confession. Anytime I go out anywhere (since I published my book) I look at all the fellow shoppers or what not and I'm constantly thinking “How could I strike up a conversation with them about my book?” “I wonder if they would like my book?” “How could I get them to buy my book?” I guess that's the marketing side of it coming out.
TAS: If an editor suggested a change that you felt weakened the story but you also felt it would increase sales, would you do it?

DR: It depends on how strongly I felt about it. If it would increase sales, hopefully that means that it would make my book more appealing to a general audience. I've had to learn that while sometimes I stick to my guns about what I feel is right for the story, sometimes I'm just being stubborn.

TAS: If a movie studio intended to make a film of one of your books and you had a choice of $1,000,000, but you'd give up all creative rights, or $100,000 and you'd have a large say, which would you take and why?

DR: Does it sound awful that I would take the million? I guess I wouldn't find it that important to have everything just like my book. I've had my turn at creating my world and it's characters, and if people want to find about that they could read my book. I actually think it would be fun to see where a movie studio would take it.

TAS: Tell us about the most interesting place you've ever been.

DR: There are too many places that hold my heart to choose one. How can I choose between the way the wind sings in the pines of the Black Hills or the way the ocean smells right before dawn? Or how fireflies come out during thunderstorms in southern Alabama? Or how the full moon reflects off the sand in the Arizona desert? Or the silence that a billion people make in Hong Kong? Or the taste of fresh strawberries in a market in Adelaide? My heart is many places.

TAS: Is there anything that you look forward to that gets you through a tough day?

DR: Wow this is going to sound corny but I'd have to answer that with my children. When I get home and give my boys a big hug all the troubles of the day melt away. I realize that no matter what happens, life is good because we have each other.

TAS: Tell us about a guilty pleasure.

DR: Seriously? Okay, fine. Lucky Charms. My husband and I started a no carb, no sugar, no starch diet after our second son was born. But every once and a while I'll have a private “pity party” featuring either Lucky Charms or chocolate truffles.

TAS: What's the most childish thing that you still do?

DR: Uhh seriously? Okay.... whine to my husband after the kids go to bed.