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.

Johanna Garth

This week's interview is with up-and-coming author Johana Garth.  Johanna's great debut novel, Losing Beauty is just out in paperback and available at Amazon .  You can also get if for  Kindle or buy a signed copy from  Fantasy Island Book Publishing .  Please also check out her blog here .

Losing Beauty is the first book in the Persephone Campbell series and has been getting some great press.  You can read reviews:  here, here, and here.

TAS: Let's get the plug out of the way.  Tell us a little bit about Losing Beauty - who will be interested and why? 

JG: Losing Beauty is a modern retelling of the Greek myth of Persephone and Hades.  The people who are the most gaga over it seem to be smart women, thirty and over.   I think part of the book’s appeal for this demographic is that it’s a fun, quick read that still feels substantive.

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

JG: Uhh, the writing!  Just kidding!  On second thought…I’m serious.  I really do love the writing the best.

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

JG: The writing.  Oops, that was my answer to the last question.  There’s only a thin line between love and hate and that’s precisely how I feel about writing.  On any given day I can be on either side of the fence. 

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

JG: The first time I saw the cover.  All of a sudden Losing Beauty went from a bunch of sentences that I’d written down, to a real live book.  The cover kind of took my breath away, and I want to give props to the extremely talented cover designer and writer, Ceri Clark, who designed it.

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?

JG: Really, Gary?  You want me to share my bad habits??  Okay, they’re numerous but here goes.  Easily distracted/snacks while writing/spends too much time on Twitter/quits writing when I’ve hit my word goal instead of when I’ve followed an idea to its logical conclusion/spends too much time on Facebook and Google+/answers the phone when my friends call.

If I could pick just one thing to change, it would be the first one.  Sometimes I feel like a kitten chasing any piece of string that happens to pass in my line of vision.

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

JG: When I first started writing I wanted to be a modern-day Colette (without the husband locking me in the attic until I finished my book business).  That goal hasn’t changed.  She was, and is, an accessible writer who explores the human condition in a way that entertains and amuses.  She’s totally my heroine and the Claudine Stories are some of my favorite books of all time.

TAS: How important do you think a cover is to a book?

JG: Ridiculously important!  I tell my kids they should always try to look clean and neat but a book cover has to do even more.  It has to make you want to pick it up.  Once a potential reader picks it up or clicks on it to read the book blurb you’ve already achieved a certain measure of success.

TAS: Would you paint your web-site on your chest and streak the Superbowl if you KNEW it would make your book a smash hit?

JG: Oh my goodness!  You’re asking me a Superbowl question?  I have trouble differentiating between basketball and baseball and you give me a sports question? J   I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t streak but I might be open to a preconceived ‘wardrobe malfunction’.

TAS: Have you ever changed the way you worded something you were writing because you weren't sure the grammatically correct way to say it as originally imagined?

JG: All the time.  I think that’s what people mean when they say one of the biggest challenges of writing is technical.

TAS: Tell us about the most interesting person you’ve ever met.

JG: My French ex-boyfriend’s mother, she taught me about subtlety and how to make a kick-ass vinaigrette. 

TAS: What city that you've visited has the most interesting food?  Tell us more. 

JG: I lived in New York City for a long time and it’s hard to beat for interesting food.  You can go to Queens and get amazing Greek, Chinese or Italian.  In Manhattan you have everything from world class restaurants to little holes in wall where the cooking and serving are done by someone’s Russian grandmother.   My favorite thing about eating in NYC is there’s always that great feeling of conquest when you find a place that is undiscovered.

TAS: Tell us about a guilty pleasure.

JG: Cheetos.  I hadn’t had them in fifteen years.  I tried one the other day and now they’re all I can think about.

TAS: If you were, literally, the last person on earth, what would you do?  Would you go on?

JG: That’s such a sad question and it makes me think of Cormac McCarthy’s book, The Road.   That book ruined my life for at least three weeks.  Hopefully, my last person on earth situation would be more like a Disney film, and I would find a bunch of happy bunnies and tweeting birds to keep me company.

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...

Jacqueline Hopkins

This week's author is Jacqueline Hopkins.  Her first  book is Wilderness Heart -  A contemporary Romance set in the Idaho Wilderness.  She is currently busy working on a serial killer thriller, a murder mystery and a fictional mainstream set in Alaska.

You can buy Wilderness Heart in paperback HERE or as an eBook in a number of formats including but not limited to:  Amazon  Smashwords  Sony  iTunes  Diesel  Barnes & Noble  Xin Xii

And as a special offer in celebration of her Birthday on July 7th, Jacqueline is offering her book for only $0.99 throughout the month of July.  Just go to the Smashwords link and use coupon code GT64D for a free copy in the format of your choice.  And please share that link and code with your friends. 

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?

JH: Well I hope everyone would be interested to read Wilderness Heart but since it is a contemporary romance, probably only women will be interested in it. Although, I do have to say the first purchase and review I received on Amazon was from a man and he said he quite liked it.

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

JH: Seeing my words in the printed book, holding it in my hands, seeing my name on the cover, knowing people enjoy and like what I have written.

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

JH: Seems everyone says promoting...and I have to agree with them. It is very hard work and it takes away from your writing, but if you want to sell more books, you have to get your books and yourself out there.

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

JH: Holding my first proof, the printed book, in my hands and seeing my name on the front cover. That was very exciting and something I will treasure always.

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?

JH: Bad habits...hmmmm...I procrastinate until I put myself under pressure...but perhaps that is not a bad thing. It forces me to write if I give myself a deadline. I wish I could better market myself, either with more writing on my blog or learning those darn hash tags on twitter and what they are for and mean.

TAS: Do you have any moments or anecdotes that led you to want to be an author?

JH: No, I can't say there are any...at least none that I remember. My parents were a great example to me to want to and like to read. I love to read, but when I am writing, it is hard for me to read.

TAS: Do you write books that are part of a series or stand-alone? Why have you chosen as you have?

JH: Probably stand-alone because I am not sure I could come up with a sequel to a book, although my current thriller wip could be part of a series if I used the main character and put her in my murder mystery and then in the fictional mainstream. I've thought of that, but not sure if I will do it.

TAS: Have you ever written something that made you cringe to imagine your children/parents/significant other reading it? If so, tell us more.

JH: Well, yes...Wilderness Heart has about 3 really major love scenes and I thought it would be hard for me to have my kids, parents and friends read it and look at me differently. My daughter said she loved it as did my friends...they are suppose to say that, right, lol...But I had another gentleman read it from my office. Actually, I am the only female in my office and they were teasing about the love scenes when I first told them I published it. The one who read it said they were pretty steamy. Don't know his definition of 'steamy' but he did say he had to hide it from his 13 year old boy. Three out of the five men in the office bought the book...for their wives.

TAS: Have you ever changed the way you worded something you were writing because you weren't sure the grammatically correct way to say it as originally imagined?

JH: Oh, sure all the time. I still do it and will probably always do it. It has to be right and I hope I chose the right way in the end. But at work, I have the Chicago Manual Style of Writing close by, and at home I am a member of it online, so it is close as my mouse clicks and fingertips.

TAS: What's your favorite all-time cartoon, and when is the last time you saw it?

JH: That's a hard one...but probably Tom and Jerry and probably the last time I watched it was with my grandson, Aden when he was 2, and now soon to be 6 in couple of months.

TAS: Tell us about the area you live and what makes it unique (good or bad).

JH: I could write a book on Sitka. It is beautiful. We are right on the ocean with mountains right behind us. We have about 14 miles of road with the town in the middle and it is only about 1.5 miles wide. Only way here is by boat or plane, and the weather is like Seattle. We have lots of great fishing and it is a super place for settings in a novel. Only draw back is that the population is less than 9,000 so everyone knows everybody and what they are doing, and only one book store so hard to hold a book signing.

TAS: Tell us about an embarrassing moment.

JH: You know I am sure there were lots of them, and if you asked my friends and family, they could probably tell you about some, but I must not have been that embarrassed because I honestly can't even remember a one...I know boring, huh?

TAS: If you were going to be locked in a room and watch one of three shows for 24 hours solid, which would you choose: Gilligan's Island, Starsky and Hutch or the Love Boat?

JH: Gilligan's Island, of course. I love island shows, movies, the life style. I lived in Hawaii during my ex-husband's last duty station from 1988 to 1990, my daughter was born there in 1989 and I could certainly live there again. In January, I took my daughter back there so she could see where she was born...in the big pink Army hospital on the hill and we would definitely love to retire there, so Gilligan's Island would be fine. Besides, I used to watch it a lot when growing up.

Meagan Frank

I'm excited about this week's interview because it's our first non-fiction author.  Meagan Frank has worked as a reporter and free-lance author, but her first full-length book is Choosing to Grow: Through Marriage - a non-fiction, creative memoir.


You can find out more about Meagan and order her book here:  http://www.meaganfrank.com/



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?

MF: My current promotion is for my book  Choosing to Grow: Through Marriage. It is a record of an eight-year project that included a low in my marriage, two years of research, five years of application and a year of writing. I interviewed 70 women, read over 25 titles, and collected objective questionnaires from over 150 women. I think this book can appeal to anyone interested in getting married, in staying married, in navigating the married life and even those who are on the backside of the married experience. I interviewed women who had been married 60 years and women married less than 6 months. Set against the backdrop of my own growth, I recount their stories, their wisdom, their insight, and it is a fascinating look at how the institution of marriage is constantly evolving.

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

MF: I most enjoy the creative process. I enjoy research and compilation and then presenting my findings in a palatable and interesting way. I am fascinated by the connection and power of words, and I enjoy the challenge of continuing to learn more and more about my own voice and style. (Plus, I enjoy the flexibility I'm afforded to be a mom to our three kids--I can work my hours around their needs right now)

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

MF: I abhor self-promotion. I am increasingly realizing that it is tough to get your name circulating, to get your book out there, to get eyes on the things I've written, and I feel like a boring nag when I try to encourage (endlessly) people to take a peek at my work. It is a necessary evil, and my least favorite part about being an author.

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

MF: My favorite moment so far was my virtual Novel Launch through my publisher TreasureLine Books. It was a day of connection with friends, family, readers, book-lovers and supporters of all kinds. It was exhausting, but an incredibly positive experience overall.

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?

MF: I am not as consistent with my writing as I would like to be. I hope to establish a predictable schedule where my productivity can increase and I can move closer and closer to full-time writer status. (especially when my youngest joins the full-day school goers this fall)

TAS: What is your proudest moment as an author?

MF: So far, I think my proudest moment as an author was holding a physical proof of my book that actually had my name on it. It is one thing to have word documents that occupy the folder on my computer titled "book" and it is another thing to hold a real book in my hands.

TAS: How many hours a week do you spend writing?

MF: I am embarrassed to admit that currently it is probably less than five hours a week. I have three kids home for the summer, and I am in presentation and promotion mode. When I was writing my book it was closer to 30 hours a week. I hope to up those hours significantly in the fall.

TAS: If you had to choose between selling 1 million books but only making $20,000 in royalties or selling 1000 books and (somehow) making $40,000, which would you choose and why?

MF: I would choose selling the 1 million books for less money. I really believe in the message of my book, and I wrote in the hopes of helping people who were quietly struggling with similar issues. The more people I can reach, the better, and royalties are honestly the icing on the cake.

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?

MF: I would love to get a speaking gig, about this book and my findings, that could fill an auditorium with 500-1000 people. That would be the ultimate. I think it is possible...with a lot of work and plenty more promotion. I really enjoy the speaking part of the book project. 

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

MF: I'm not the most adventurous eater. I haven't consumed any bugs or crazy animals, so I think I might be a bit boring with this answer. I did once have chili with beans that had sprouted...purposefully. It was delicious, and the beans looked like bugs (does that count?).

TAS: If you had a couple hours to kill in a strange city and you could either spend the time in their zoo, museum or library, which would you choose and why?

MF: I would spend the time in the museum. I am a lifelong learner, and I think the museum would offer the best window for a chance to learn. Libraries offer windows to learning anywhere, but to have access to a strange town, I think the museum would offer the most insight. Plus, zoos make me sad. I don't mind animal preserves, but zoos are a little more depressing.

TAS: If space aliens landed and said you could come with them to their planet to see wonders beyond wonders . . . but you would never see earth or your friends and family again, would you go?

MF: No, I would not go. I have invested my life in building and maintaining the relationships with my family and friends. I really think that relationships are the point to life, and without them, I would not find much wonder in a distant world.

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?

MF: I don't think I could do it. I would not be able to live with myself if I were responsible for ending another person's life...even if they were in such a terrible situation. I would only offer to help make him/her as comfortable as possible.

Shaun Allan

For today's interview, please welcome Shaun Allan.  Shaun has a very diverse writing background including poems, short stories and an online magazine that he used to run.  As a result of his work on that magazine, he was invited to appear on Sky TV where he debated the virtues of electronic publishing with a prominent agent from Curtis Brown.  While I don't know the exact outcome of that debate, I think I can speak for many independent authors when I say I hope and expect Shaun kicked serious butt. ;)

His writing challenges the imagination with unique and very creative themes.  I have not yet had time to read his novel - Sin, but I have read the opening and it is powerfully written with a unique and skilled voice.

As of this writing, Shaun was anxiously anticipating the arrival of an over-due baby, so let's all wish Shaun and his family the best!

You can view Shaun's main website HERE where you can find links to buy Sin or other books by Shaun.

You can also go directly to Sin's blog HERE (he's the crazy one . . . not Shaun).

Please also stop by Shaun's Facebook Page when you have some time.

And as a special offer to visitors of this Blog, Shaun is offering 50% off Sin.  Just use coupon code LS52L  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?

SA: Although I’m promoting three stories at the moment, Sin, Zits’n’Bits (a collection of offbeat poems for children) and Tooth (the mastodon story – 5 star reviewed!), Sin is my main focus as it’s taken me 10 years from the original story to write.  There were times, due to life getting in the way, where I didn’t write for almost a year.  Then, on holiday in Egypt last year, I managed 15,000 words!  Sin has a lot of me in him – his thoughts can be random, his experiences not always good.  He had a poor childhood and just wanted to be a normal guy.  The fact that people die around him doesn’t make him a bad person, does it?

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

SA: Finding out what is going to happen.  I, normally, have no idea where a story is going to go.  I just start writing.  When I had neared the end of Sin and had an idea of what was going to happen, I was so excited because, up until that point, I didn’t know.  I read about his dead sister taking him to the Seven Hills (an area of urban legend when I was a child) when it happened, for example.  For his blog, I have a one sentence starter, with no inkling of who he will meet or what he will say.  I just let it flow.  The discovery is a great feeling.

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

SA: The year where I didn’t get to write.  The feeling just wasn’t there.  Nowadays, I have the constant urge to write, but can’t because of work etc.

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

SA: Appearing on Sky was a highlight for me, definitely.  Finishing Sin was too.  I’ve got about three other novels partially finished so completing one – especially when it was so much a part of me – was wonderful.

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?

SA: I don’t make notes or plan the story.  Luckily I tend to remember things that happen so I know if I’m contradicting myself, but I really should make notes as I go along.  The closest I come to doing so is typing a few words at the bottom of the document to remind me of things.  As for promoting, I have all the best intentions, but none of the time.  I wish I could invest time to figure out the best ways and follow them up.

TAS: How important do you think a cover is to a book?

SA: Very important.  It’s your first impression.  Many people are limited, unless they pay for bespoke covers, on what they can produce, so I do take that into consideration with indie authors, but in a bookstore, it’s usually the cover (unless it’s an author I follow) that grabs me.

SA: How many hours a week do you spend writing?

TAS: Not enough.  But then would it ever be?

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?

SA: Seeing it on the shelf in a shop.  I think it’s a fairly reasonable intent, although I need to get to the pushing for it stage!

TAS: Have you ever changed the way you worded something you were writing because you weren't sure the grammatically correct way to say it as originally imagined?

SA: I have indeed.  Saying that, though, in Sin’s case it’s a narrative so it’s written as he would say or think it, grammatically correct or not.  That’s a great feeling of freedom!

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

SA: Hmmm...  I was brought up in a house where, if it went with chips (fries) it was ok so I grew up with very bland tastes.  I’m only now getting into curry, chilli and other things.  I ate my first kiwi fruit only the other day!  Go me!

TAS: If you could go back in time and spend a 24 hour period observing one full day at the time of your choosing, what year or event would you choose and why?

SA: I’d like to watch Neanderthal Man discover the Monolith.  Well, really I’d like to watch the moon landing.  I was only 3 when it happened so can’t remember it, but that would be SUCH an experience.  The whole world was entranced.  Seeing it featured on Doctor Who only the other night only served to remind me of this.

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

SA: Well, Sin can kill people without a thought and teleport (though he can’t control either).  I’m not sure what I’d want for myself.  My favourite X-man was Storm.  That was impressive power – to control the elements.  Cool!