Showing posts with label sf. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sf. Show all posts
Monday, 16 October 2017
Tuesday, 30 October 2012
Author Interview: J. Stephen Howard
About the Author:
J. Stephen Howard has written several books in the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Also, he contributed several articles to "American Songwriter Magazine," wrote a humor column for "Evansville Business Journal," and recorded essays for public radio station WNIN.
He teaches English in California where he lives with his wife.
Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?
I create an outline and brainstorm important details regarding character development. However, I allow the story flow, guided by character motivations, to alter the outcome.
Do your characters ever want to take over the story?
Yes, they often reveal something about themselves that I hadn't known about. I can think right now of an example. In the one story that's a novella, “The Guitar Pick," the singer-songwriter protagonist discovers the malevolent nature of his guitar pick. What I discovered and didn't fully know about beforehand, though, concerned his reaction to this development. Led by his impulses, the ending surprised me.
What is your favourite food?
I love Mexican food. Give me a fully-loaded burrito, freshly made, and I'm a happy man.
Are you a morning person or a night owl?
I used to be a night owl, but when I became a middle school teacher and had to get up early, that changed. Now, especially on weekends and during vacation, I like to write as soon as I get up. I find I'm still in a dream state.
Where do you dream of travelling to and why?
I'd love to travel to a major country on every continent. This would give me a well-rounded experience of the world. While I take pride in being American, I want to take in the differing viewpoints of various cultures.
Do distant places feature in your books?
No, but I'd argue that having traveled to other places, my philosophy on the human experience has been influenced. In turn, my writing is indirectly affected.
Do you listen to music while writing?
Yes, I listen to film scores on Pandora. It helps put me in the mood of creating a suspenseful, “cinematic" story. I think it's important to keep the action in motion and paint visceral images for the reader. Movies remind me of how to do that.
Frankenstein's Confessional is a book of eleven short stories and one novella. It takes so little to create a monster. Add self-loathing, throw in some jealousy, and maybe a pinch of revenge for starters. Serve it all up with guilt, and voilà--evil is alive, and it has a voice. From the mouths of self-made monsters come these tales, confessionals so to speak, detailing how their lives went wrong.
As a human, a firefighter lived to save people. Now as a vampire, he kills to live, but what happens when he falls in love with a mortal? Will he have the impulse to run into the fire to rescue others, or will he throw them into the flames of his torment?
A priest meets a troubled penitent whose confession hints at murder. When victims turn up with their hearts removed, striking a chord of remembrance, the priest feels somehow responsible.
A former football player-turned New York C.S.I. agent has a new case and an even newer partner. Thundering headaches smash against his temples like brutal linebackers, blocking his ability to solve the crime. Meanwhile, the glory days on the pigskin field keep haunting him as it turns out to be no coincidence that the victim is a pro football player of great fame.
These are just a few of the characters who discovered how forgiveness comes with a price. They learned that in Frankenstein's Confessional, you enter a sinner but leave a monster.
What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?
I've learned you have to write what you would like to read. Then, you can worry about publishing. After the book is written, then it's a matter of reaching out to potential readers who might enjoy reading the type of story you've crafted.
Is there anything you would do differently?
I'd write more if I had the time! However, since I'm a full-time teacher, I like my current approach. During summer vacation, I do all the planning for a book. Then, throughout the school year, I try to write at least one page a day. Typically, I find myself too exhausted at the end of a school day to do too much planning.
The two Stephens, King and Spielberg, introduced me to the magic of using my imagination. If I can transport the reader, I've been successful. Most of us appreciate the ability to escape from the stressfulness of reality.
Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?
Believe in yourself, and write first to entertain yourself. Don't let critics stymie your artistic urges.
What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?
I appreciate how Stephen King can combine several layers that may seem incompatible. In the same story, a reader can describe what he's reading as being creepy, humorous, and touching.
Blurb of your latest release or coming soon book:
Anita from The Kindle Book Review says: "If you enjoy reading Stephen King, John Saul, or Dean Koontz then you will enjoy reading J. Stephen Howard." Tracy Cook from “Booked Up" says: “This is a good collection and got me more in the mood for Halloween.” Horror writer, Tara Fox Hall, says it's a “very well written collection sure to entertain and enthrall."
List of previous books if any:
Fear in Appleton.
Any websites/places readers can find you on the web.
http://www.frankensteinsconfessional.com
http://www.facebook.com/FrankensteinsConfessional
http://www.fearinappleton.com
http://www.facebook.com/FearinAppletonbook
Thank you, J. Stephen and good luck with your books!
Wednesday, 17 October 2012
Author Interview: Michael J DeRosa
Michael J. DeRosa is a college graduate with a B.A. in composition, and graduate work at the Juilliard School of Music. He has been a teacher for many years in private, public and performing arts schools. He is the father of four children. As a teacher with a great love of children, writing a teenage adventure story was second nature to him. He has adapted his novel into a screenplay and a TV pilot, as yet to be produced.
Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?
I think good writing has to do a little of both. So I outline the entire story first. I know the beginning and ending in my mind before I write anything. Then I make a list of things I would like to see happen in the story, and then organize those things into a logical order. At that point I have a working outline, but some things will require more than one chapter. So I adapt the rough outline into a chapter by chapter outline. Then when I start writing and “fleshing” in the story, the characters lead the way, and I can let the story flow, without it running wild.
Do your characters ever want to take over the story?
Of course that’s always a danger if you’ve created real, unique, strong characters, which is a must for a good story. That is also something else I know before I start writing. Good characters take on a life of their own, which can send you down roads that might not take you where you want the story to go. That’s another reason why I outline everything first. Instead of having to end up scratching dialogue and events that divert the story, the outline lets me know beforehand that, I’m off track before I write something I like, but I’ll have to eliminate later in the process.
What is your favourite food?
My favorite food, like Garfield’s, is lasagna. Like my stories it has everything in it. It’s satisfying, and fills you up, not leaving you hungry for more. It’s a complete meal in one that only leaves you waiting for the next good meal. I like stories that do the same, and that’s what I strive to write.
Are you a morning person or a night owl?
I am definitely “night owl”, and I do my best work and get my best inspirations late at night. My pet peeve is daylight disturbing my sleep. However I get the menial tasks of typing, editing, and rereading what I thought was so great the night, before accomplished during the day. That being said, you just never know when “inspiration” is going to hit you. It could be while you’re driving in the car or stuck in a waiting room. That’s why I always carry a pencil and paper with me wherever I go to jot down those fleeting thoughts before I can forget them.
Where do you dream of travelling to and why?
I don’t have much of the wanderlust, and the places I dream of seeing aren’t near a five star hotel. That’s one of the reasons my story takes place on all seven continents at mysterious ruins that cover the globe. For instance Tiahuanaco is at 14,000 feet with air so rarified that it burns to breathe in. Writing about them brings me there through my characters, and from the comfort of my living room. I’m fascinated by ancient megalithic sites that defy explanation and seem to predate known history. I do dream of going to see them with my own eyes, but I’m a bit of a coach potato, so I let my characters do take the adventures for me.
Do distant places feature in your books?
Exotic distant places are what my story is all about! In fact I’ve written in my personal notes that the real stars of my story are not the characters, but the places that they go to. I’ve spent years reading and researching about ancient megalithic structures that cover the entire earth that are so intriguing and fascinating that they inspired me to create a story as to why they exist. There are all sorts of theories, from ancient aliens visiting in prehistory, to civilizations that were destroyed by Noah’s Flood which try to explain them. Somehow strange unexplained forces and events are always associated with these ruins, and placing that in the story only adds to the adventure.
Do you listen to music while writing?
That’s an unfair question, because I went to Juilliard as a music composition major. So like the plumber’s own house that leaks, “listening” to music is more like work than something that relaxes me. There is always music going on in my head. So when I’m writing a part of my story, I can picture the whole thing happening in my head like I was watching a movie. My mind can’t imagine the movie without a film score playing in the background while I picture it. In fact I’ve already adapted my novel into a screenplay, and I’ve written a fully orchestrated main theme for it, just in case I can get it attached to the project.
As a first time author, “Gateway of the Sun” is my latest release. However, the story is the first installment of a trilogy. I have already outlined the entire trilogy, and also adapted the first into a screenplay, and a TV Pilot with six episodes completed based on the main adventure in the first story. The synopsis pretty much spells the story out. What perhaps it doesn’t cover is that it’s full of comedy. The two main characters are ordinary eighteen year old teenage boys that are thrust into a very unusual situation, (not hardened mercenaries on a mission). The characters are best friends but diametrically opposite personalities. One is a grounded logical physician’s son, and the other is quirky creative thinker with more street smarts than formal education. They are mysteriously “teleported” into dangerous situations at exotic locations. Being that the main ingredient of comedy is the element of surprise, this situation is ready made for some laughs. The best comparison that I can think of to this type of story would be “Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy.” The physician’s son is always trying to figure out what’s going on, while his friend is busy reacting emotionally to their circumstances.
What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?
I’ve learned that it’s a lot of work, and a constant learning experience. Writing the story is the easy part. I’ve had a lot of publisher’s say that they really like the concept but no buyers. So I finally decided to self-publish, faced decline that’s changed the publishing industry. I’ve had to learn how to do all the things that a publishing company would normally do for an author. I had no idea how much work was involved in publishing. There are print styles to decide on, and formatting and layouts. Each part of the publishing process is done by experts in their fields, and never by one person. To self-publish your own novel is to take on the many tasks that all the people who work for a publishing company normally do, and it is a monumental task! Now that thanks to the new development of the Print-On-Demand technology, the publishing is behind me, I have an even more monumental task to accomplish. That task is namely to market the novel. Unfortunately marketing skills are not something that most creative people are blessed with, and in my case, it is only my stubborn determination and belief in my story that drives me through what I find to be the incredibly boring task of figuring out how to get people to buy my novel.
Is there anything you would do differently?
I’m not sure I could have done anything differently, as each step leads to the next. But if there was one mistake I made, it would be this: I had just finished the manuscript way back in 1992, and my wife and I began to contact publishers and agents. I only had one copy, we hadn’t even obtained a copyright yet, when an agency named “Macintosh and Otis” asked to see the entire manuscript. I told my wife, “I’m not sending my only copy to some “fly-by-night” agency in N.Y.C. so they can steal it.” Years later we were driving down Park Avenue near Grand Central Station when my wife said, “That’s the building where that agency that wanted to see your manuscript is.” In shock I said to her, “Are you kidding me! With an address like that they must be the biggest literary agents in New York!” They are, in fact they still represent the works of John Steinbeck! So if there was anything I would do differently it would have been hand delivering my only copy to them immediately! You really have to know your players to win this game.
Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?
I guess pretty much everything I’ve ever read has influenced my writing. I definitely have a style all my own though, and I’m not trying to imitate anyone. The story I’ve created however is based on the kind of adventures I enjoy reading or watching myself. So there’s a little of “Indiana Jones” mixed with “Abbott and Costello” and spiced up with the paranormal mysteries that Charles Berlitz wrote about in “The Bermuda Triangle.”
Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?
If you’re just starting out to write something, study your market first. It’s no fun to write a great story that will sit on a shelf because no one wants to read that kind of thing. I believe that at the heart of writing is storytelling. If you’re telling a story that no one wants to hear, it kind of defeats the purpose of storytelling.
B&T: That's where we differ, I can only ever write the stories I want to read, not what the market might like :)
What are three words that describe you?
Funny, (I’m always joking around, trying to make people laugh.)
Informative, (I’ve been a teacher for many years, I’m full of information that I like to share.) Inquisitive, (I ask a lot of questions, and I’m always delving into things that are unexplained.)
What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?
My favorite book would be “Mysteries from Forgotten Worlds” by Charles Berlitz, whom I am a great fan of. But had the question read “what is your favorite story”, then that would more in line with my favorite writer, JK Rowling and the entire Harry Potter series.
B&T: Another Harry Potter fan, me too ;)
Blurb of your latest release or coming soon book
What if you were instantly teleported thousands of miles away? “Gateway of the Sun”: A story where “Young Indian Jones” meets “Stargate” on a very excellent adventure!
What if you were instantly teleported thousands of miles away? Two teenagers accidentally harness mysterious forces in New Hampshire at America’s Stonehenge. All at once they find themselves high up in the Andes Mountains of Peru, where evil savages are about to sacrifice a young virgin girl. Driven by curiosity, they recreate the phenomenon and go on a globe-hopping excellent adventure that rivals Bill and Teds. The paranormal forces whisk them to the archeological wonders of the world; each sacred stone ruins revealing more about spontaneous teleportation, a real but little known occurrence. Why do astronomically aligned megaliths stand on every continent? Who engineered it all? The answers lie at the heart of their adventure, but can they control the phenomena before it’s too late?
List of previous books if any
This is the first story I’ve published, but I’ve written many.
Any websites/places readers can find you on the web.
http://www.amazon.com/Gateway-Sun-Michael-J-DeRosa/dp/1450595472/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349629860&sr=8-1&keywords=Gateway+of+the+Sun%
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Michael-Joseph-DeRosa-author/157287897655295
http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6076361791111609287#overview/src=dashboard
You can read an extract of Michael's books on the book spotlight here:
http://booksandtales.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/book-spotlight-gateway-of-sun-by.html
Thank you, Michael and good luck with your endeavours!
Book Spotlight: Gateway of the Sun by Michael J. DeRosa
by Michael J. DeRosa
YA/Speculative Fiction
Blurb:
What if you were instantly teleported thousands of miles away? Two teenagers accidentally harness mysterious forces in New Hampshire at America’s Stonehenge. All at once they find themselves high up in the Andes Mountains of Peru, where evil savages are about to sacrifice a young virgin girl. Driven by curiosity, they recreate the phenomenon and go on a globe-hopping excellent adventure that rivals Bill and Teds. The paranormal forces whisk them to the archeological wonders of the world; each sacred stone ruins revealing more about spontaneous teleportation, a real but little known occurrence. Why do astronomically aligned megaliths stand on every continent? Who engineered it all? The answers lie at the heart of their adventure, but can they control the phenomena before it’s too late?
Read an extract from the book after the jump
Wednesday, 7 April 2010
Book Review: The Unseen by T.C. McMullen
The Unseen: Book One in the Manipulated Evil Series
By T.C. McMullen
SF/Thriller
Star Publishing
Available from amazon.com
Review copy supplied by author.
Reviewed by Annette Gisby, author of Drowning Rapunzel and The Chosen.
Kyle D'Arcy is a spoilt young man attending college, where he is more interested in studying the women there, rather than his classes. But after his father's murder brings him home, he is dumped straight into the middle of a war that has been raging unseen for decades.
His father Carter D'Arcy was a renowned geneticist and leaves Kyle with an envelope full of scientific papers and a key. But someone else knows about it and a few days later, Kyle's mother, Beverly, is murdered too and the killers wait in ambush for Kyle.
Kyle is saved by a strange woman, Ravyn, the most beautiful woman Kyle has ever seen. And what was a picture of her doing in Carter's wallet? Was Carter having an affair with her?
At first Kyle thinks she is insane with her talk of other worlds and portals, there is only one reality, right? But gradually Kyle comes to believe and finds out things about his heritage that he wasn't sure he wanted to know. For Kyle's whole life has been constructed on a lie, a lie to keep him alive.
And what was Carter's involvement in this war? A war fought not with guns and tanks, but diseases that have no cure...
Oh, this book was difficult to put down, it twists and turns every which way and just when you thought you had it figured out, another piece of the puzzle is revealed.
The reader finds out things at the same time as Kyle, so that you are almost in his shoes, feeling everything he is going through. The book ends on a cliffhanger, ready to dive into book two and I almost screamed with frustration. Ms McMullen has certainly left the readers wanting more!
Although the story itself is on a grand scale, the author has delved deep into the heart of the characters and you have to read on to know what is going to happen to them. It is a story of love, sacrifice and ethics. Is it just to do wrong things for the right reasons? Can the end ever justify the means? Is evil a force of nature or nurture?
The book makes you think long after the last page has been read.
~~~~
About the Reviewer
Annette Gisby writes in multiple genres and styles. Her latest novel, an M/M fantasy romance called The Chosen is out now from Lyrical Presas. Her website can be found at
www.annettegisby.n3.net
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