King Trevor Has Arrived

Author: Darcia Helle  //  Category: Literary Corner, Things I've Read

I’ve got two fun guests today! We’ll be talking about author Susan Helene Gottfried’s new book King Trevor. This is the sequel to her first novel, Trevor’s Song. You’ve probably guessed that one of my guests is Susan, this book’s author. The other guest has come strapped with attitude, so be prepared. His name is Trevor Wolff, otherwise known as King Trevor. By the way, for those of you unfamiliar with Trevor, he’s not called ‘King’ because he’s true royalty. He’s a rock star and the ‘King’ bit is all about his ego. :shock:

Before we get too involved with Trevor, here’s a brief introduction to his creator:

Susan Helene Gottfried is the author of ShapeShifter: The Demo Tapes — Year 1, ShapeShifter: The Demo Tapes — Year 2, Trevor’s Song, ShapeShifter: The Demo Tapes — Year 3, and King Trevor.

A tone-deaf rocker-at-heart, Susan worked in retail record stores, in radio stations, as stage crew, and as a promoter while earning two college degrees in creative writing.

You can connect with Susan in the following places:

Website: http://westofmars.com
Blog: http://westofmars.com/blog
Twitter: www.Twitter.com/WestofMars or @WestofMars
Facebook: www.facebook.com/WestofMarsFans

***

Now for a look at the book:

The aftermath of his onstage collapse has taken its toll on Trevor Wolff. He’s become a virtual shut-in, dependent on the people around him to help in his healing. To make matters worse, he might have hung up his bass for good.

This is not the Trevor Wolff way.

When Mitchell hatches a plan to turn Trevor into the official King of ShapeShifter, it sounds like bunk. However, when Mitchell finds the perfect building to repurpose, the Big Idiot hires the best architect around—the brother-in-law he’s never met. Trevor can’t help but smell secrets that awaken the person he used to be.

After all, there’s nothing Trevor Wolff likes more than intrigue—except maybe a chance to square off against his arch-nemesis: Mitchell’s wife, Kerri.

***

On to the fun part – a chat with Trevor and Susan. For those of you yet to meet Trevor, this is not him in a foul mood. This is him on a normal day. :lol:

Trevor…

Despite your status as King, much of this story revolves around Kerri. How do you feel about sharing your spotlight with her?

I’ll never like sharing anything with her, especially books with my name on them. And Mitchell. And the fucking dining room table. Or the table in the kitchen. Or… well, anything. That covers it, doesn’t it?

I do love your restraint. :lol:

Your illness and recovery process have prevented you from touring. Do you miss it?

Do you get paid to ask stupid questions? Of course I miss it; it was all I did for years. Now, there’s no one around to chase around with our rubber snake, or smack with one of those sticky hands, or … yeah. Go read the books. You can see the sort of fun I used to have. Wouldn’t you miss it?

Actually, I’m not getting paid to ask questions, stupid or otherwise. Maybe that’s the problem. :???:

I’m sure you received lots of get well cards and gifts from fans. Do you have a favorite? Did anything stand out as funny or unusual?

Mitchell wouldn’t let me see anything that made it past management. Talk to him about it.

Leaving out your own music, what are the top 5 favorites on your playlist?

Bands you’ve never heard of because Trevor Wolff lives in a parallel universe that exists simply so Susan can make shit up without anyone getting pissed that she fucked up the details.

Ah, yes, how could I have forgotten? :oops:

Susan…

Each of the characters in both Trevor’s Song and King Trevor has a distinct personality. What is your approach to character development?

I let them run around my brain and interact and come alive. Maybe I’m actually schizophrenic, but I doubt it. After all, the only thing I do that they tell me to is write down their activities.

Seriously, that’s the approach. I take a real-life situation or experience and drop my characters into it and say, “Go. What do YOU do?” Instead of putting myself on the characters, I like to step back and watch them do their thing.

You’re also a super talented professional editor. I know from experience that you keep all your suggestions true to the specific characters and storyline. I’m not an editor, but occasionally when I’m reading a story I find myself saying things like, I wouldn’t have gone that route. Do you find it difficult not to interject your own thoughts on where a story should go or how a character should react?

No, not really – I’ve been hired to do a specific job, so I focus on doing that job. However, I also work as a paid book reviewer for one of the big, long-time media outlets such as Kirkus or Publisher’s Weekly. When I read those books, I often yell at them. Not that it’s the book’s fault, but sometimes, all you can do is shoot the messenger.

You know I have to ask: Do you foresee a third book for Trevor?

Not at the present moment, although you’re not the first or last to have asked that question!

I think it will depend on how sales go. Right now, the books aren’t selling enough to justify the time spent on more Trevor instead of new characters, who will pull fresh people into my world.

If you could spend the day with any one rock star, who would you pick and why?

Okay, steel yourself for this answer. Most people automatically assume I am going to answer this by picking James Hetfield, the lead singer/rhythm guitarist of Metallica. After all, the Mighty Metallica is, far and above all else, my favorite band. Ever. I may even like them more than my own fictional creation, ShapeShifter. Maybe.

But to spend a day with someone? Dude. Gotta be Axl Rose.

Why? Because he’s effing nuts and equally as brilliant (I think). Because I want to know if the reality matches the version of W. Axl Rose that, over the years, I’ve created for myself.

I love Axl in all his craziness! But spending an entire day with him? I must be getting old because the prospect scares me a little! :lol:

Anything else you’d like to say?

On behalf of Trevor, I’d like to thank you, Darcia, for hosting us today!

Thank you, Susan and Trevor, for hanging out with us here!

***

Here are Susan’s books on Amazon, in both print and Kindle format:

You can find Susan’s books in a variety of other online stores, including Smashwords and Barnes and Noble.

I hope you’ll take the time to connect with Susan.

Thanks for reading. :)




Share

Web of Lies

Author: Darcia Helle  //  Category: Literary Corner, Things I've Read

My guest today is author Sarah Tate, a remarkable woman whose memoir Web of Lies – My Life with a Narcissist reads like a psychological suspense novel. Before we get to the book, let’s meet the woman behind the words:

Sarah Tate is a single mother living and working in Switzerland. She arrived in Switzerland ten years ago and apart from a brief stay in France, has remained ever since, as Switzerland has become her adopted homeland.

Sarah has three young kids, who take up most of her time, but she still managed to find time to write her first book ‘Web of Lies – My life with a Narcissist’. The book is an auto-biographical novel which describes in graphic details, the ups and downs of life with a person who suffers from (amongst other things) Narcissistic Personality Disorder.

Web of Lies takes the reader on an emotional journey and gives a deep insight into what it’s like to be sucked into the world of a disordered individual, and more importantly, how to escape with your sanity in tact.

Her second book, with the title ‘Renaissance – A Journal of Discovery‘ was released in March 2011. It describes the road to recovery from narcissistic abuse, and charts the progress of Sarah and her children as they rebuild their lives following the break up of the family, and slowly come to terms with the devastation caused by Sarah’s ex.

***

This is the book we’ll be discussing:

Web of Lies takes you on an emotional roller-coaster, experienced through the eyes of Sarah Tate, an intelligent, young newcomer to Switzerland who is swept off her feet by an older, more experienced company manager. Within weeks of their meeting, Bill impresses her with a courtship vastly unusual in modern times. He lures Sarah with his intellect along with numerous gifts, expensive restaurants, and trips to luxury hotels. Sarah, who is searching for not only love but security, quickly finds herself falling for the worldly but sensitive and caring man Bill represents himself to be. In Web of Lies, she describes the highs and the lows of what it is like to be involved with a person with Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD), how to come to terms with the abuse, and most importantly, how to escape.

***

Now for a chat with Sarah:

What made you decide to write your story and share it with the world?

I knew from the very beginning that I had an important story to tell. Many of my friends and family encouraged me to get the whole experience down on paper whilst it was still fresh in my mind. Once I began researching the psychology behind what had happened, I was struck by how few ‘real life case histories’ are out there for public consumption. I wanted to write a book that was not only a gripping read, but could also be used as a tool to help others who have suffered in a similar situation. My motivation in writing Web of Lies was to help others (both men and women) to spot the red flags, by seeing these traits being played out in an everyday situation. I also wanted give the readers hope that there is a way back from it.

A big part of your struggle seemed to be getting past your own guilt. You felt responsible for much of the problems in your relationship, which I think is all too common with women. Looking back, why do you think it was so much easier to blame yourself, rather than see your husband for what he was?

Not only is guilt a common problem for most women, invoking feelings of guilt is also a huge part of the Modus Operandi of the psychopath. It wasn’t really a question of it being ‘easier’ to blame myself, it was a question of being manipulated into genuinely believing that I was the one who was failing in the marriage. This is all too common in these situations, and I’ve heard from countless women and men who all had a ‘lightbulb’ moment whilst reading the book, realizing that they too were blaming themselves instead of recognizing that they were being manipulated. It’s very easy with hindsight to spot the red flags and glaring lies, but when the person concerned is a practiced pathological liar, they can easily pull the wool over your eyes. I’ve written articles about this on my blog and websites. I feel that an important part of the process of recovery is to recognize which of your own character traits left you open for manipulation or exploitation by the NPD/APD. A narcissist/sociopath/psychopath cannot sustain a relationship unless the partner provides a source of supply. Once you have recognized that you are the supply, you’re half way to making the break.

I’ve had my own experience with a pathological liar, and you’re so right about the manipulation. That’s an excellent point about recognizing what it is or was in yourself that allowed the manipulation to go on.

At the end of your book, you state, “The key to successful recovery lies in the letting go.” Have you been able to let go?

I won’t pretend it’s easy to let go, especially when you have to live day to day with the fallout of the toxic relationship. Getting out of the situation is only the very beginning. Recovery is a process which can take many years. I wasted a great deal of energy on self-recrimination; you can read about that in the book. I no longer feel those emotions. I have recognized my mistakes and I’ve accepted them. I have also recognized his character traits, and accepted them too. There is no longer any blame. This is what I refer to as ‘letting go’.

How are your children coping with their father’s absence?

Children are amazing and incredibly resilient. I took great care from the very beginning to get the best advice to enable me to support them through what was initially a grieving process.
All children require to thrive is love and security. As long as they have your attention, and feel loved, they are happy. Mine no longer ask about why their father left. They have accepted that it was what he needed to do. They were incredibly young when he left and they have now spent longer without him than they did with him. They still mention him from time to time, but he has become a figure from the past.

As they grow, they will no doubt want to learn more, and I will always remain honest and open with them about what happened and why I made the decisions I did.

Narcissism is just one of many personality disorders. Often, a person will have a combination of two or more. Now that you’ve escaped the situation and can look back on things clearly, what signs do you wish you’d seen earlier? Are there personality traits that stand out as things to avoid?

There are several levels of narcissism and not all of them are dangerous. Narcissistic Personality Disorder is when narcissism becomes pathological. It is one of the Cluster B variety of disorders, grouped together with APD (Antisocial Personality Disorder….ie. a sociopath/psychopath), Borderline Personality Disorder & Histrionic Personality Disorder. This cluster of disorders almost always has co-morbidity with other disorders in the group.

NPD and APD are closely related. I think it’s safe to say that whilst not all narcissists are psychopaths, ALL psychopaths are narcissists.

Looking back, I wish I’d spotted the superficial aspects of Bill’s character much sooner. I was unable to spot many of the red flags because I was ignorant to the personality disorders being displayed. The only way to recognize these traits it to learn what to spot:

Elevated sense of self importance
Over exaggeration of personal achievements
Disregard for the feelings/achievements of others
Inability to empathize
Superficial charm

Do you have advice for women who feel they might be married to or involved with a narcissist?

If you can, get out. Cut off the supply. There is no cure for pathological narcissism and psychopathy. Try to talk to somebody about what you’re experiencing. There is a wealth of information available on line, and also many fantastic support fora. Sharing your experience with others makes you feel less alone and more able to face up to what is happening.

I know nothing about Switzerland but your book made me want to visit. What is it about the country that you fell in love with?

The peace and tranquility, the pristine beauty of the mountains and the lakes, and the sedate way of life. All these things were a big attraction initially. I believe it’s a great place for children to spend their younger years, as it’s generally a very safe place with little crime. I would certainly recommend it for a holiday, you’ll be blown away by the scenery!

You’ve written a follow-up to Web of Lies, entitled Renaissance – A Journal of Recovery, which is currently available. You’ve also stepped into the fiction world with a psychological thriller called In the Shadow of an Angel. Can you tell us about that book? When will it be available?

‘Shadow’ will now actually be the fourth book, the second fictional title. I’m currently working on another book entitled ‘The Middle Aged Twist’, which is the story of two lifelong friends who meet at University against the back drop of the early nineties party scene. Their lives then take very different paths, but they both struggle with depression and addiction as they grow older. Their lives are intertwined, but both cope with their demons in very different ways. It’s a book about triumph and tragedy, which I hope a lot of people will find both interesting and moving. I’m about a third of the way through it, and plan to have a finished manuscript by late June.

I can’t wait to read it!

Thank you, Sarah, for joining me here today.

***

You can watch the trailer for Web of Lies below, or you can find it on YouTube:

You can find Sarah’s books in both Kindle and print format on Amazon:

If you’d like to learn more about Sarah and her writing, you can find her in the following places:

Author Website: www.sarahtateauthor.com
Awareness Website: www.waking-you-up.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Sarah-Tate-Author/358586909900
Blog: http://singlemumsal.blogspot.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/SarahTateAuthor or @SarahTateAuthor

I hope you’ll take the time to connect with Sarah and learn more about her journey in life.

Thanks for reading. :)




Share

Let’s Go Treasure Hunting!

Author: Darcia Helle  //  Category: Literary Corner, Things I've Read

I’m excited to present something a little different today. My guests are Les and Sue Fox and they’ve written a book called The Art Hunters Handbook: How To Buy Art For $5 And Sell It For $1,000,000. Here’s a look:

The Art Hunters Handbook is an Antiques Roadshow type book that reveals Trade Secrets to hunting down valuable paintings at garage sales and flea markets. The cover photo is the true story of Ripening Pears, a 19th century masterpiece by Joseph Decker bought at a garage sale for $5 and sold to the National Gallery of Art for $1,000,000! Will you find a million-dollar painting for five bucks? Probably not. But you might find a $5,000 painting for $100. Think Of This Book As A Lottery Ticket, the Foxes claim, With Better Odds. The Art Hunters Handbook is a profusely illustrated art book for the average person, not just art collectors, who’d like to make money while having fun. Based on decades of personal experience, it contains dozens of exciting stories of art discovered in garage sales, schools, attics, basements, farmhouses, estates, even in the trash, often bought for very little and sold for a lot. However, in order to find some of the millions of undiscovered paintings that may be waiting for you just around the corner, the authors need to teach you the basics of Art Appraisals (they offer Free Art Appraisals to the general public), and How To Sell Art At Auction, including Sotheby’s and Christie’s. Believe it or not, by following the simple Art Hunter Tips in this book (like don’t assume a painting isn’t valuable just because you don’t like it, especially modern art), and comparing the Artist Profiles of 120 American, European and Latin American artists, Les and Fox say they’d be surprised if you don’t find several valuable paintings a year. How valuable? That’s the thrill of the chase! Although this book is intended for everyone who loves TV shows like The Antiques Roadshow, American Pickers, Pawn Stars and Buried Treasure, the Foxes are knowledgeable art experts with a knack for plain talk and common sense. You won’t be intimidated by this art book. Instead, will find it as entertaining as a page-turner novel. But what you’ll also like is that your $16.95 investment may come back to you a hundred-fold, or maybe a thousand-fold or more, if that weird painting of colored rectangles, or people eating dinner, or a winter landscape, turns out to be something unexpected. The Art Hunters Handbook is not about finding Picassos or Van Goghs. Forgetaboutit. This book will teach you about the other 240,000 listed artists whose paintings are worth $1,000 to $10,000,000, most of whom you’ve probably never heard of. Like Lyonel Feininger, Emile Gruppe, Hayley Lever. One of these three artists is worth millions. The other two are generally worth $5,000 to $25,000. The only way to find out who’s who, and how you can cash in on becoming an Art Hunter, with Les and Sue Fox as your personal guides, is to read The Art Hunters Handbook.

***

This is really a fun book for both art lovers and anyone who enjoys estate sales and secondhand shops. I learned quite a bit by reading this! Les and Sue are super nice people, who agreed to answer my questions and share some of their knowledge with us today. Here’s our chat:

How did the two of you first get involved with art hunting?

Actually, we started buying art on our honeymoon in 1968! We stayed at a nice hotel in upstate New York when someone told us about a local art auction, which sounded exciting. We didn’t have a lot of money, but we had just received some wedding gifts. It was enough to buy a few inexpensive paintings and lithographs in very attractive frames. In time, we learned that the frames were worth more than the art. The lithographs were by famous artists like Mark Chagall. But while Chagall’s originals are worth millions, most of his lithographs are only worth $10 to $100. This was the beginning of a life-long quest to understand the value of art. We are self-taught art experts.

According to your research, an estimated 50 million valuable paintings are out there waiting to be discovered. In your opinion, how did all these valuable paintings get overlooked for such a long time?

Most valuable paintings “in private hands” were inherited from people who bought them from the original artists, or from galleries, at very reasonable prices many years ago. While the best paintings in the world (Monet, Picasso, Rockwell, etc.) are in museums and billionaire art collections, millions of lesser works by famous or semi-famous artists are still hanging on the walls of people who like them but who often have no idea of their true value. When someone leaves art to their children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews, surprisingly it isn’t always appraised professionally. As described in the chapter titled “Art Just Around The Corner” in The Art Hunters Handbook, a woman who worked as a seamstress for a wealthy New York family gave two valuable 19th century paintings by the famous American “Hudson River School” artist Jasper Cropsey to her family, which she had apparently received as a gift from her employer. For decades, the paintings were believed to be reproductions and the family almost used them as a dart board before discovering the truth, and selling them at auction for $840,000! In addition to the 50 million valuable paintings waiting for art hunters to find them, there are probably 50 billion pieces of junk! Many people can’t tell the difference, especially with modern art.

I’m one of those people who can’t tell the difference!

One of the things you point out in your book is that the value or art doesn’t have anything to do with its beauty or appeal. Instead, the value depends on the artist’s fame. I’ve always been curious about this. What brings fame to one artist, while another, whose work might be more appealing to the majority, never reaches the same stature?

Fame is hard to explain, not only in art but in music, literature, sports and Hollywood as well. But there is something very original and distinctive about the work of famous artists, even modernists like Mark Rothko who painted gigantic rectangles now worth up to $70 million apiece, and Jackson Pollock, whose “drip paintings” sometimes appear to be the creation of a child or a chimpanzee! Famous artists all have a “voice” that sets them apart from others. You may not like the voice of some artists, but when knowledgeable art critics, museums, prestigious art galleries and other connoisseurs put their stamp of approval on an artist, he or she will become famous. That is no easy task. True, you don’t automatically become famous by painting “pretty pictures” like Thomas Kinkade, and an artist doesn’t become famous just because he dies. It’s a lifetime process. Most famous artists were taught by other famous artists, they attended important art schools, they showed their paintings at hundreds of public exhibitions, they had a vision, they were obsessed, they were dramatically different, and they often struggled for 10 to 40 years before achieving serious recognition. Ironically, Vicent Van Gogh, one of the most famous artists of all time, did not receive fame or even commercial success during his brief lifetime of only 37 years. This is because he was the first “Expressionist”, which describes an artist who paints what he feels, not just what he sees. Even the French Impressionists, who had just broken away from the traditional Barbizon / Realism art genre, did not understand or accept Van Gogh’s new voice and great talent. They said he was ruining Impressionism. In fact, he was transforming Impressionism into Modernism which now embraces every style of art.

Of the artists included in your book, do you have a favorite?

Our favorite artist is Fern Coppedge, the only female member of the “Pennsylvania Impressionists” group (or the New Hope School) led by Daniel Garber and Edward Redfield, All three artists are showcased in The Art Hunters Handbook, and can be seen at The Michener Museum in Doylestown, PA. Fern was a prolific artist who painted seasonal landscapes, including phenomenal winter scenes along the Delaware River and primarily in Bucks County. She also painted very nice harbor scenes in Gloucester, Massachusetts. She did not paint portraits, and people almost never appear in her outdoor scenes. Like Van Gogh, Coppedge took the liberty of painting what she felt and frequently altered the colors of her landscapes to suit her inner self. Her paintings generally keep to the standard of Impressionism, but they are stylized in a way that none of the other Bucks County artists did. We own two painting by Fern Coppedge, one from the 1930′s and one from “New Year’s Day, 1949″ (dated in fountain pen on the stretcher). They’re worth $50,000 to $100,000 apiece, and we bring them to art events and book signings to show people what can still be found. Both paintings were found in attics, one in Florida in 2009, the other in Pennsylvania in 2004.

Is there one state or area of the country where these undiscovered gems turn up for often, or are more likely to be found?

Although valuable paintings literally turn up everywhere, a higher percentage seem to be found in Florida, the Carolinas and the southern states. Maybe because when people retire, they bring their stuff with them. Surprisingly, we are offered a lot of art from people in Minnesota and California, as well as New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Because people move a lot, family treasures get scattered about the country. If someone is thinking of taking a cross-country road trip they could probably recover the cost of the trip by visiting flea markets, garage sales and antiques shops along the way, accompanied by our book, a computer and a cell phone!

My husband loves this idea!

What is your favorite piece of art that you’ve found yourself, and where did you find it?

We bought a 30″ x 36″ oil painting by the Indiana Impressionist Edward K. Williams on eBay about 8 years ago. It’s dated 1922, and it was either painted on a farm in Wisconsin or Indiana. Williams was in the process of moving east at the time and there is no documentation as to exactly where this beautiful painting was done. The painting surfaced in Chicago, where someone had apparently nailed it to the wall as a decoration for many years. Fortunately, the small nail holes were very close to the edge of the canvas and were covered by the frame. Other than this slight mistreatment of Williams’ earliest known masterpiece, the painting was fresh and original. The eBay auction enjoyed competitive bidding from several serious Indiana collectors, and we had to pay $35,000 for the painting. A similar painting (which we don’t think is as nice) is shown in our book. It was sold in an Indiana auction in 2005 for $70,000.

Tell us about the Art Auction Partnership.

We began our “Art Auction Partnership” program in 2006 when we realized that people with valuable art for sale had only two choices: (1) Sell to a dealer for a fixed price, where the dealer kept the entire profit, or (2) Sell at auction, which takes 3-6 months with no guarantee of what the price will be, or if your painting will even sell. So we came up with a creative alternative: Sell to us for a fair price based on previous auction sales, then we put the painting up at auction and share the profit 50-50 with the original owner. For example, if we think a painting is likely to bring $25,000, we might buy it for $15,000 to $20,000 plus half the auction profit. The price we pay up front is a guaranteed minimum, and we pay as much as any other dealer would pay. But we are the only dealers, or as we call ourselves, art auction brokers, who will share our profit with the original owner. Because we sometimes lose money at auction, we are very selective in the paintings we choose for this program. We don’t buy paintings worth less than $3-$5,000, and we try to choose paintings with “eye appeal” or historical perspective in the hope that this will translate to strong competition at auction, which is what drives prices up. By the way, we are happy to appraise paintings for people at no charge if they send us good digital photos of both sides of the paintings, the artist’s name and the size. We only appraise original paintings, not prints or reproductions, by artists with public auction records. All of this is explained in great detail in our book. (Note: The 120 artists in our book are not necessarily easy to find. But they clearly illustrate why you shouldn’t judge a book, or a painting, by its cover! We can research an online database of 240,000 artists with 5,000,000 auction records to determine current market values.)

You’ve written several books on the art of collecting, including The U.S. Rare Coin Handbook (which my husband has) and The Beanie Baby Handbook. Are there ways to tell at the start when a certain toy or product will become a collectible?

To be honest, it’s hard to tell when something like Beanie Babies will become a national obsession. In April, 1997, when we published the first edition of The Beanie Baby Handbook, the toy had been around for three or four years. Beanie Babies didn’t become a huge phenomenon until “Lefty” and “Righty” became the hot collectibles of the 1996 Democratic convention. At that point, the manufacturer, Ty, Inc. decided to start “retiring” Beanie Babies, which created “limited editions” instead of an unlimited open production run. A woman in Chicago named Peggy Gallagher published the first book about Beanie Babies, titled “The Beanie Baby Phenomenon” which was an instant success. We published the second book, and the most successful. The Beanie Baby Handbook became the # 2 New York Times bestseller for 6 months, selling 4,000,000 copies. This allowed us to develop our Art Auction Partnership business. It would be nice to know what little-known toy or product will become a huge collectible. Rare coins and high quality art are staples. They will always enjoy a large collecting base, from modest prices to millions of dollars. So we just stick with the winners!

Thank you, Les and Sue, for joining me here today!

***

This book is a brand new release! Here it is on Amazon:

You can learn more about Les and Sue Fox, and their world of art, on their website: www.AmericanArtAdvisor.com

I hope you’ll get a copy of The Art Hunters Handbook: How To Buy Art For $5 And Sell It For $1,000,000 and go on your own treasure hunt! You never know what you’ll find in Grandma’s attic or your neighbor’s garage sale!

Thanks for reading. :)




Share

Gone, But Never Forgotten

Author: Darcia Helle  //  Category: Literary Corner, Things I've Read

My guest today has experienced the worst imaginable tragedy – the loss of a child. I hope you’ll read on, because Julie Elizabeth Powell is an incredible woman and she’s sharing her gift with the world.

Hello everyone. If you haven’t guessed by now I have a passion for words and have ten books published…all thanks to Lulu and Kindle, much hard work and sleepless nights.
My eldest daughter has flown the nest and is married to a man who doesn’t mind his mother-in-law though my son is still fluffing his feathers.

My middle child is off on a mysterious adventure, the like of which I can only guess…and tried to do so in my first book, Gone.

I love to read and am looking for ways to double time so to indulge in the mysterious and wonderful and delicious and strange…my favourite kind of story.

Writing is my passion, though I enjoy creating handcrafted cards, jewellery making, scrapbooking and dabbling in encaustic art whenever I can.

Oh yes, I used to teach or mark exam papers but now concentrate on writing and enjoying my new life, which materialised, as if by a miracle. Though still dislike all those necessary domestic chores that would, for me, be included in the Rings of Hell!

That’s it. Thank you to anyone who reads my books…enjoy the flight!

***

We’ll be discussing two of Julie’s books – Slings & Arrows, the nonfiction account of Samantha’s life and death, and Gone, the magical tale inspired by Samantha. Here’s a look:

Nobody expects to lose a child but when it happens what can we do? In the sea of grief that seizes the soul how can we swim against the tide? But when that loss is compounded in each minute of every day, what do we do then?

Slings and Arrows is a story about the consequences of a moment, a moment, which separates a mother and daughter in ways impossible to imagine.

It charts their parallel lives, each suffering, one knowing, one not.

It is brutally honest; an account filled with bewilderment, guilt, anger and pain yet it also holds the key to hope. That whatever happens, the bonds of love can never be broken.

***

After Charley dies in her office chair, how is it that she finds herself propelled into the mysterious world of Avalon?

Upon encountering an essence, which insists is her daughter – the one she knows she left behind – insanity battles with fear inside her mind.

The further she delves, the more puzzling things appear, especially after she rises into the Orb of Caprice – a realm of fairies, talking flowers and goblins…and something else, something that lurks in the shadows ready to swallow her whole.

Can she realise in time what it is she must do…or has she left it too late?

Gone is a story inspired by a true event.

***

Little input is needed from me here. Let’s get right to my chat with Julie:

Before we talk about the books, please tell us about Samantha before the tragedy.

Samantha was born (1982) with transposition of the main arteries, two holes in her heart and a blocked valve. When she was eight months old she had corrective heart surgery and all seemed fine until her heart stopped and she died for the first time…leaving her severely brain damaged. I will say that before she ‘vanished’ she was brave, intelligent, funny, loving and kind, and I imagine that without the tragic event she would have attempted to conquer the world!

Let’s start with Slings & Arrows. Samantha was born with a heart defect requiring surgery. My older son was very sick and had major surgery at 27 days old. While I can’t even begin to compare my situation with yours, a couple things that stood out for me were the guilt and the fear. We can’t help but wonder if we are somehow responsible for our child’s defect. How did you cope with that? Is it something you’ve been able to move past?

It’s every woman’s nightmare that something terrible should happen to her child and I’m sorry that any must suffer – and it’s good to know your son is okay. However, guilt and fear do play a major part in times like these and yes, speaking for myself; I did take on the responsibility for what happened.

Having said that, knowing of my ex-husband’s heart disorder, we consulted a doctor and we were told that it would be impossible for it to be passed down to children because his was caused by his mother catching German measles during the first three months of pregnancy, therefore… How wrong they were. We didn’t find out until many, many years later that Samantha had indeed the very same defects as my ex-husband.

Although that didn’t stop me from taking the blame. I do still carry the burden, although since being with my present husband, he has helped me enormously in the healing process. He is understanding, and never minds how much I talk about her…in fact encourages me. I now try to celebrate her life –those two years before she died the first time – and keep in my heart the precious memories of how wonderful she was. I will never ‘get over it’ but with the right person in my life, it has made me feel that I deserve to live, despite my powerlessness and guilt in allowing her to suffer the way she did for seventeen years.

Writing the books have helped me address some of the issues, although I wrote Gone before she died the second time (trying to answer the ‘whys’) and Slings & Arrows I couldn’t write until after she was finally at peace. Though I will add that fear still remains, especially for my other two children (now grown), that something may happen and I will lose them.

I can only imagine how that fear lingers, regardless of how old your children are and how many years pass. And kudos to your husband! I’m glad you’ve found the love and support you deserve.

I admire your unflinching honesty in telling this story. You talk about how, after Samantha died the first time and was brought back to live in a vegetative state, you sometimes wished her dead. Some readers might initially feel this is a selfish, even horrifying, thing for a mother to feel. I actually think it’s the most humane reaction a mother could have. In situations like Samantha’s, do you think a parent should have the option of ending the misery in a safe and gentle way?

Yes, I wished her dead. And yes, many will be shocked by this statement. However, I can only say that after years and years and years of watching my daughter suffer, as her body and limbs twisted out of control, as her mind remained lost, with no understanding of whom I was or what was happening to her or why she had to suffer so, I could only wish for her torment to end. If that sounds selfish then so be it. In my opinion there are far worse things than death.

I wholeheartedly agree.

Do you have any advice for a parent who has lost a child, or is going through something similar to your family’s experience?

Advice? I think that’s impossible. All the emotions are real and you’ll feel and think some terrible things. All I can say is try to be kind to yourself, ignore the protestations /condemnation of others and do what’s best for you and your child. And it’s good if you have support and can talk things through. Being isolated is extremely difficult. And keep hoping.

Gone, a magical tale inspired by Samantha, takes place in a fantasy realm called Avalon. Tell us about your creation process. Did you sit down and purposely outline what Avalon would be, or did you go on the journey along with Charley?

I had no idea about Avalon until one night I thought, ‘if she’s not here then she must be somewhere’ so I began to write. Avalon was created in the moment and grew as my fingers typed the words. I had no idea where it would lead. It has become a very real place for me and Charley brought it alive – yes, I journeyed with her and just waited to see what would happen next. In fact, I loved the ‘world’ so much that I couldn’t let it go to waste and so began the Avalon Trilogy with The Star Realm – an epic fantasy adventure supposedly for children (12+?) yet, I love children’s stories. :)

Oh, that has to go on my to-read list! I loved Avalon!

I loved all your characters! From Penelope the talking flower to Brogan the Goblin, each has a unique personality and they felt so real I expected them to jump off the page. What sparks the creation of each of them? Do you start out with the intention to create a specific type of character/creature, or does each come to you at the point in the story where they are needed?

Thank you – yes, I love the characters too…there’re like old friends now. The spark of their creation comes from my mind, as if they were there all the time and I just needed to pluck them out. And it’s weird – they take charge! I don’t know when or where they’ll appear (as in all my books) but when the time is right the character says, ‘here I am; now we’re off’. Sounds odd but it’s true and I love them all (even the baddies).

A big part of Charley’s journey involves confronting her fears, learning acceptance, and being able to forgive herself. While this story is fiction, I couldn’t help but think only someone who had experienced this type of personal journey could write about it so eloquently. Obviously you didn’t travel through a world like Avalon (at least I don’t think you did!), but did you go through your own journey of discovery on your way to acceptance and forgiveness?

Hmm, Avalon is a wonderful place and I’ll never tell if I did or did not! ? Yes, there was certainly a journey and through Charley I did address many of the issues, even if I didn’t at that time feel more at peace, as I do now. Nevertheless, it did help bring to light the tangle of emotions that needed expression. I quote from the Author’s Note at the end of Gone:

I’ve written so much over the years, but this story is the one most prized…for obvious reasons. I often wonder if it could be true and the wishes in my heart thrill at the thought.

I suppose I ought to say my favourite authors are Shakespeare, Dickens and Chaucer (and that’s not to say their writings aren’t absolutely brilliant) however, there is nothing I like more than settling in a quiet corner to read Dean Koontz, Stephen King and (yes, I’ll admit it) J.K. Rowling’s perfectly scrumptious exploits with the Prince of Magic himself, where my mind can dwell on the mysterious and wonderful and delicious and strange.

But for now, to those who have read this story – thank you, and to those it helped – I’m glad.

And for those who have lost a loved one, especially a child – long may Avalon reign!

Do you believe in destiny?

I think that destiny awaits our choices. There are certain things we can do when opportunities arise but we can choose to ignore or go forward, although we might never feel complete if we do close our eyes.

What is your favorite…
a) song?
b) dessert?
c) time of day?

a) Song = Over the Rainbow
b) = Chocolate
c) Whenever I’m with my new husband, he definitely makes life worth living.

What are you working on these days? Do you have something new in the works?

My current work (Lost Shadows) investigates memory. It’s a fantasy, and somewhat darker than the previous ‘adventures’. I’ve always been fascinated with the mind and so… I’m about ¾ through but it has many characters that all vie for attention, as well as the plot and the ‘world’, so I’m busy!

I can’t wait for this one!

Thank you very much for your interest in my work and to all the readers – I hope you enjoy and become as embroiled in it as I do. Thank you all :)

Thank you, Julie, for being with us today, and for your honesty. I have no doubt your words will help countless others.

***

Julie has graciously offered her email address for anyone who has questions or would like to talk about this difficult topic: julizpow -at- yahoo.co.uk.

You can also connect with Julie in the following places:

Website: www.freewebs.com/julizpow

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/1349023.Julie_Elizabeth_Powell

Twitter: www.twitter.com/starjewlez or @starjewelz

Here’s a look at all Julie’s books on Amazon:

You can also find her books on Amazon UK, Lulu.

You can also order print copies of the two books we’ve discussed via CreateSpace:
Slings & Arrows
Gone

I hope you’ll all take the time to read these two stories. Also, they would both make for great donations to children’s hospitals and grief support centers.

Thanks for reading. :)




Share

The Bastard Year

Author: Darcia Helle  //  Category: Literary Corner, Things I've Read

My guest today is author Richard Lee Zuras. While Richard has been part of the writing community for quite some time, he has only recently published his first book, a coming of age novella with the awesome title The Bastard Year. A little about the man behind the book:

Richard Lee Zuras was born and raised in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., where his father worked as a CIA analyst. Richard earned a degree in writing at George Mason University, then studied at the graduate level at the University of Colorado before earning his M.F.A. from McNeese State University. After doing Ph.D. work at the University of North Dakota, he accepted a teaching position at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, where he is now Professor of Creative Writing/Film Studies Advisor. He has held the Bernard O’Keefe Fiction Scholarship at Bread Loaf, a Wesleyan Fiction Scholarship, and has garnered a Yemassee Prize. His work has appeared in over twenty literary journals, including Story Quarterly, South Dakota Review, The Laurel Review and Passages North. In his free time Richard enjoys playing sports, watching Oscar-bait films, and spending quality time with his family. He is currently at work on a new novel.

Learn more about Richard and his writing here: http://redroom.com/member/richard-lee-zuras

***

Here’s a look at the book we’ll be discussing:

“It was exactly one year ago today,” my father said, “that the hostages were taken.” He looked at me as if he wanted me to say something. I figured he was probably wrong about it being a year to the day, but I wasn’t about to tell him that. “A year is a long time,” he said. “A lot can happen in a year.” In the company of classic coming-of-age works, Richard Zuras’s debut novel tells the story of a boy’s final year of childhood and a family’s near disintegration. When Zain’s father is fired from the CIA in March of 1980, it creates a tremor that threatens to upend the family’s precarious balance. Zain’s awakening to a world riddled with cracks and his adolescent attempts to mend them are the stuff from which young men, and great stories, are made.

***

Now for the fun stuff – a chat with Richard:

Like Zain’s father, your own father was in the CIA. Are there other similarities to your life or is this book purely fiction?

I write from a real and honest place and then, as they say, the book is the boss. I think it was Ansel Adams that talked about getting out of the way of the picture. I once gave a reading at Barnes and Noble and a man came up after and said I really understood being the child of divorce. My story was purely real to him. He was actually mad when I told him my parents never divorced.

Zain and his parents don’t communicate. In fact, they tend to be secretive about their lives and particularly their feelings. Consequently, they barely know one another. The facts and descriptions you supply in the book are also sparse, which leaves readers wondering along with Zain. Was this an intentional writing technique? Or does your natural writing style lean toward this type of story?

I teach college fiction writing and have for fifteen years. I teach and believe each story or novel should be organic. My style and structure melds to fit the job at hand. Writers are like singers that way. Check out the long career of the Stones or U2–those guys sing the song the way that song needs to be sung.

Describe your writing environment. Neat or messy? Silence or noise?

I write in silence. No distractions. I write on legal pads. I’ve revised twice before the work sees a computer keyboard.

When did you first know you wanted to be a writer? Is there an author and/or book that helped spark the desire?

I wrote a short play when I was eleven or twelve. Always been a huge reader. I love readers. I care about them–about giving them my best work. I probably read ten or fifteen assigned novels in junior high. I got into theater for awhile, but the reading/writing bug was deep within me. My office is a wall of books. My students always hear me quoting Fitzgerald’s letter to his daughter: Read all the Hemingway you can then wash it away with all the Joyce you can then Wharton and so on. Something along those lines. Reading and writing are married.

You’re at work on a new novel. Can you tell us a bit about it?

Never tell anyone about the book you are working on. Never. Every famous writer will tell you that. It is advice I follow. Now showing some work to a trusted reader, early draft stuff, that’s a little different…

What inspires you?

Reading great work. Viewing great films. Anything done on a high level. Oscar Wilde said the only way to live is to slavishly admire Art.

When you’re not reading or writing, what might we find you doing?

Teaching takes a lot of time. I teach fiction writing, poetry writing, screen-writing, film courses, literature and composition, and even philosophy. The University and my family life keep me quite busy.

Describe your current mood in one word or phrase.

I’m excited to find new readers! But unhappy my dog Sasha just left the room…

Thank you, Richard, for joining me here today. And thank you, Sasha, for helping inspire Richard’s answers! (My own dogs are very good about offering inspiration.) :)

***

The Bastard Year is available on Amazon. Here’s a look:

I hope you’ve all enjoyed getting to know Richard as much as I have!

Thanks for reading. :)




Share

Playing With The Bad Boys

Author: Darcia Helle  //  Category: Literary Corner, Things I've Read

My guest today is the fabulous Sylvia Massara. Those of you who know Sylvia as the author of Chick-Lit might be a little surprised at her newest book – Playing With The Bad Boys (A Mia Ferrari Mystery). While you might be surprised that she’s written a mystery – you will not be disappointed.

For those of you who have yet to meet Sylvia, here’s an introduction:

Sylvia Massara has been writing since her early teens and has written a number of plays, screenplays and, most recently, novels. Massara lives in Sydney, Australia.

Although a multi-genre writer, one of Massara’s favourite genre is romance/chick lit, and she has a soft spot for chicks who are on the cusp of 40 and beyond. Yes, chicks still date after 40! To prove this, she wrote The Other Boyfriend (loosely based on her own life experience while she briefly lived in Taiwan and Hong Kong). Just recently, Massara released a third book, a romance/chick lit novel entitled Like Casablanca; this is a cross between internet dating and Rick’s Cafe (also loosely based on her life).

Massara has also written a general fiction drama, The Soul Bearers, a story inspired by real life events and filled with hope and inspiration when overcoming life’s obstacles and learning to live and love again.

Massara’s latest is Playing With The Bad Boys, the first of a mystery series whose protagonist is a spunky and wiseass chick–and she’s 48! Older women have much more fun.

***

Here’s a look at Sylvia’s new book, which we’ll be discussing today:

As Mia sets out to unravel the mysterious death and prove the cops wrong, especially her archenemy, Detective Sergeant Phil Smythe; she comes up against an unsavoury cast of characters who will do anything to shut her up. But with a little help from her friends, Mia will not stop until she unearths the truth.

Mia Ferrari is a wiseass, older chick with determination and an attitude, and she never takes “no” for an answer.

***

Now on to the fun part – a chat with Sylvia:

Playing With The Bad Boys is the first book in your new Mia Ferrari mystery series. What made you want to start writing a series?

I get very close to my characters, and oftentimes I become like an alter-ego for them. If you’ve seen some of my blogs at Sylvia Says, I sometimes speak as Cat Ryan, who was my character in the online-dating romantic comedy “Like Casablanca”.

The romance genre is difficult to use for a series because once the protagonist falls in love with the hero of the story, what happens next? She can’t just move onto the next guy. Besides, there is only so much one can write in romance. So I decided that the best genre in which to have an ongoing series would be mystery/suspense. In this kind of series, I could have the same protagonist living through some interesting experiences/adventures, and at the same time I could give her a chance to develop more and more as a strong character.

I also believe a series will have readers who identify with the characters in the stories, and these readers will want to go along for a ride with those characters and onto the next adventure, and the next, and the next. It’s like the characters become their friends.

This is how I felt when I read writers such as Patricia Cornwell and her protagonist Kay Scarpetta; and also Kathy Reichs and her “Temperance Brennan”. I always identified with these women protagonists. I felt they were my friends, and so I wanted to do something like this myself.

A reader who knows you will notice the similarities between you and Mia Ferrari. Did you intentionally set out to create a character that shared aspects of your personality and background?

Yes, I did. First and foremost after having been through a nasty marriage breakup at an age when it’s so difficult to start all over again, I wanted to reach out to those older women who’ve gone through something similar, or simply those in their 40s and 50s, and beyond, who can relate to the challenges that a mature woman faces.

Mia Ferrari is 48 and has recently been dumped by her husband of 18 years because he ran off with a younger woman. While this isn’t what happened in my own marriage, I was dumped by my ex because I was ill and couldn’t work. He did leave me for another woman, however, though she was not that much younger than me.

What happened to me made me think a lot about men and how little “staying power” they have in a relationship. Of course, I realize not all men are like that, but I’d say close to 90%? :) In any case, I became very guarded and intolerant of men (and people in general) who say one thing but mean something totally different. And I learned that actions will always speak louder than words, and not the other way around. I also learned that when a woman reaches a mature age her chances of starting all over again are diminished greatly–and that’s if she can bring herself to trust a man again.

The other thing that really bugs me is that women tend to be relegated to some “unwanted and used-up” image by society, while men in their 40s, 50s and beyond are still considered sex symbols, and they often parade a young bimbo on their arm. This has happened right throughout history and it’s not about to change. But heaven forbid that an older woman should take up with a much younger man–this is still considered taboo. So here we are, still living in a man’s world.

Mia is a modern woman, who doesn’t suffer fools gladly; she doesn’t trust men (except an old flame of hers), but even here she asks questions about what would have been. After the kind of experience she’s been through she emerges as a plucky, independent, sexy, and intelligent woman–the kind of woman we’d all like to be if we’ve been through a horrid breakup with the person we trusted with our lives.

So to answer your question, yes, I share many aspects with Mia. I’ve always been a fairly assertive person in the past, but after what I’ve been through I am now totally liberated. It’s amazing the feeling I have sometimes when I can be totally honest with someone and not really care what they think of me, one way or another. That is not to say that I’m arrogant or rude. I am simply being me: the woman I was born to be; the independent, strong, and assertive woman that could never be with a weak man like my ex (or any of my other exes). I truly believe in “sisters are doing it for themselves”, as the song goes; and so does Mia.

In general, I don’t think women should look for self-validation through a man. If they are, they will soon be disappointed. But if they have the courage to navigate through the fear, the anger, the guilt, the depression, the disappointment, and whatever else; they will come out at the other end being their own true selves. And let’s face it; you can’t get better OR sexier than that. This is what Mia epitomizes, and what I follow. You might say that Mia is my hero.

What is the biggest difference between you and Mia?

Well, for one, I can’t afford to buy a Ferrari! The biggest difference between us is that she can eat all the pizza, pasta and cannoli she likes, and she never seems to put on weight. LOL

This book made me hungry! Mia is quite the cook. Have you considered including her recipes at the back of the book? Or maybe creating a separate Mia Ferrari cookbook?

Funny, you should mention this. I did consider the recipe idea, but this is something that can wait until Mia becomes better known. I think you’ll find that all my novels will make you hungry. My heroines love their food, and still manage to look good, but they don’t adopt society’s view that a woman has to be skinny to the point of anorexia to attract a man. Sure, we have to take care of our weight (especially for health reasons), but the way the media portrays female protagonists, especially in Hollywood, is shocking and totally unrealistic. More guilt for us to have to contend with if we’re not as thin as Angelina Jolie, right? But of course, it’s totally permissible for someone like Harrison Ford to parade with a partner who is 22 years younger than him and rather anorexic. Didn’t he trade in his older wife for Calista Flockhart? Hmm.

Any hints about what Mia will be up to in book two?

Think “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” in a murder/mystery. For those of you who didn’t see the movie, it’s about drag queens, daaaaaaarling!

Ooh, I love it already!

We know about your love of writing and reading. Tell us one or two other things you enjoy doing in your spare time.

That’s easy, appreciating Renaissance art and travel at any opportunity I get. Tuscany is still high on the cards!

Are you spontaneous or do you prefer planning and routines?

Very spontaneous. The only thing that keeps me anchored at the moment is my 20-year-old cat, Mitzy. She’s getting on and is not too well in health, so I cannot leave her alone just now. But once she goes to cat heaven: watch out, world! Sylvia will be on the loose. I could just as easily be on a plane to Hawaii, Hollywood or on my way to have a meeting with George Clooney at his villa in Lake Como, Italy, to discuss a film option for one of my novels.

Describe your current mood in one word or phrase.

Wicked and loving it :)

Thank you, Darcia! It is an honour and pleasure to feature on your blog.

Thanks for being here, Sylvia!

***

You can find all Sylvia’s books on Amazon:

Find more information about Sylvia and her writing in the following places:

Sylvia’s Website: www.sylviamassara.com
Mia’s Website: www.miaferrari.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Sylvia-Massara/137608772926441
Twitter: @sylviamassara @miaferrari1

I hope you’ll take the time to get to know Sylvia and Mia!

Thanks for reading. :)




Share

Murder, Tai Chi, Acupuncture, and Llamas

Author: Darcia Helle  //  Category: Literary Corner, Things I've Read

Charles Colyott. Remember that name, because someday soon you’ll see it on the bestseller lists. Charles has released the first book in his Randall Lee Mystery series. The book is called Changes and it’s one of those you can’t help but immerse yourself in. If you like mystery, humor, suspense, memorable characters and a truly great story, you’ll love Changes.

Charles is a fascinating guy:

Charles Colyott is the author of Changes — A Randall Lee Mystery, Black — Canto I of the Nephilim Codex, and the collection Unknown Pleasures. He lives on a farm in the middle of nowhere (Illinois) with his wife, 2 daughters, cats, and a herd of llamas and alpacas. He is surrounded by so much cuteness it’s very difficult for him to develop any street cred as a dark and gritty writer. Nevertheless, his stories have appeared in Read by Dawn II, Dark Recesses Press, Withersin magazine, Horror Library Volumes III & IV, Terrible Beauty, Fearful Symmetry, and Zippered Flesh, among other places. He also teaches a beginner level Tai Chi Ch’uan class in which no one has died (yet) of the death touch. You can get in touch with him on Facebook, Twitter, or email him at charlescolyott@gmail.com. Unlike his llamas, he does not spit.

***

Here’s a peak at Changes:

When a young woman is found murdered in a seedy massage parlor near his neighborhood, the police recruit Randall Lee – an American acupuncturist and Tai Chi master — as a translator and expert in Chinese culture, to assist in the investigation. Lee discovers that the murderer is an expert in a forbidden Chinese martial art – the dark mirror to his own healing practices – and joins in the hunt for the killer to escape his own inner demons and save the woman he loves.

***

Are you ready for murder, tai chi, acupuncture, and llamas? On to my chat with Charles:

Randall Lee is such a vivid character. What inspired his creation?

Thanks! It’s strange… I had never written a mystery before, and I didn’t really know how to even begin. At the time, I had injured my back and, because of that, lost my job, so I was not in high spirits or anything… and I was more or less bedridden. And one morning I just got this image in my head of a young Chinese woman who was blue. That image was so strong, and I had no idea what it was all about, but I knew that she was the mystery — who was she, why was her skin blue, etc. As soon as I figured that out, Randall just appeared, pretty much fully formed, in my head (and believe me, I know how weird all of this sounds, but I think some of the writers out there will agree that it happens that way sometimes). From there, I made myself get to the computer and start writing. And painful as it was, the first draft of Changes only took 3 months, which is a record for me.

While this book is set in the U.S., Chinese culture is a big part of the story. You handle it so well, I can’t help but assume the culture is or was part of your life. Did you ever live in or have you visited China? What is it about the culture that draws you in?

I am an enormous nerd for pretty much anything involving Chinese culture, and I pretty much always have been. I don’t really know how or why it started. I used to watch the cheesy movies that they played on Kung Fu Theater on Saturday afternoons, but I really became obsessed when I saw John Woo’s The Killer when I was in high school. From there, I found every Hong Kong action movie I could – which, coincidentally, were only available in Randall’s neighborhood, in the kinds of grocery stores that I describe – and made many laughable attempts to learn Chinese. It wasn’t until I went back to college after my injury that I was able to take a formal Chinese class and actually start learning. I was an Asian studies minor, and that let me take a travel study trip to China about two years ago. I can’t wait to go back.

So you were a Chinese master of martial arts in a past life? There’s a story there somewhere. :)

Randall is adept at the Chinese martial art called Tai Chi Chuan. Again, you handled this from a writing perspective with incredible ease. Have you studied this or any martial art?

Yes. When I was a kid, I really wanted to learn kung fu… but Southern Illinois in the 80′s pretty much only had Taekwondo schools. When I was in high school, I learned some Kempo and Aikijiujitsu from a friend. I went on to study Aikido, Lohan Kung fu, and a bit of Capoeira. All that time, I had read the crazy Tai Chi stories about the legendary skills of the Yang family, but the only Tai Chi instruction I could find was – let me put this delicately – not concerned with the martial history of the art. It wasn’t until after my back injury that I found out that there was a teacher in my area who was a student of the current Yang family lineage holder. I started studying with him in 2005, and I really credit that with healing my back and getting me mobile again. Tai Chi is truly an amazing art.

Your characters talk about something called Dim Mak – the ‘Death Touch’. Is this a legitimate aspect of martial arts?

Well, it’s one of those things that has been rumored for a long time in various Chinese martial arts… Some say it’s what killed Bruce Lee. Some say it’s complete nonsense. If you do an internet search, you’ll see that there are people who claim to be able to knock out opponents with a touch and people who claim those people are charlatans… and it all just goes back and forth. So who knows?

What I will say about it is this: Changes is a work of fiction, so just keep that in mind.

The second book in this series will be out this summer. (I’m looking forward to it!) Can you give us a little tease? What will Randall be tackling in this one?

Sure! The next one is called Pressure Point. In it, someone close to Randall is seriously injured in a bizarre attack, so he takes it upon himself to try to find out what’s going on. Along the way, he gets tangled up in a twisted plot involving drugs, underground fighting tournaments, and a figure from his own shadowy past…

Is that enough of a tease? ;)

I’m already hooked!

What inspires you?

Gosh. Pretty much everything. Life is pretty wonderful and terrible and astounding if you don’t let yourself get wrapped up in all the bullshit.

I love this answer!

Aside from reading and writing, what are some of your favorite pastimes?

Tai Chi, of course. I love spending time with my wife and two kids. I’m still always trying to improve my Mandarin whenever possible.

What scares you the most and why?

Being a parent, I think, is pretty much the most terrifying thing ever (and that shows up in a lot of my writing, including Changes). My oldest daughter was in the newborn I.C.U. for about a week when she was born, and I was a wreck. I had read all the books when my wife was pregnant and of course I had sort of considered the worst case scenarios, but the whole game changes when you hold this tiny person for the first time, and you love them more than you could ever imagine loving anything… and then to realize that they could be taken away from you… That’s scary.

I hope all is well with your oldest daughter now. I totally understand the fear. My older son had surgery at 3 weeks old. There is nothing more terrifying.

Thank you for joining me here today, Charles!

***

You can find Charles on Amazon:

Changes hasn’t made it to Barnes and Noble or Smashwords, yet, but his other books are there.

I hope everyone grabs a copy of Changes. It really is that good!

Thanks for reading. :)




Share

Facing the Son

Author: Darcia Helle  //  Category: Literary Corner, Things I've Read

I want everyone to read Facing the Son, A Novel of Africa. This book is that good. Today I get to introduce you to Mark Rudolph, the book’s author, and share our Q&A session.

Meet Mark:

M L Rudolph has worked for CNN, HBO, and Playboy among other American and British television companies around the world. He has written for general interest and trade publications. He has a bachelors degree in English Literature and an International MBA. Rudolph is a dual US/UK national and lives in Pasadena, CA. Currently: Teacher, trainer, tutor, spy.

You can learn more about Mark and his writing on his website: http://markrudolph.wordpress.com
Connect with Mark on Twitter at: www.Twitter.com/MLRudolph or @MLRudolph

***

Here’s a look at the book we’ll be discussing:

American Matt Reiser travels to The Ivory Coast on a mission to locate his estranged son. His only guide is a three-year old postal address. Fighting cultural vertigo and disorientation at the Abidjan airport, Matt relies on a glib and persistent limo driver who speaks just enough English to gain his trust.

The next morning, Matt wakes up drugged, robbed, and dropped into a grim city slum. Without ID, without money, and with no idea where to turn, Matt forges unlikely alliances that take him on a perilous journey out of the city and through the backcountry, where he fights on to continue his search for his son.

When he finds him, the struggle really begins.

***

Intrigued yet? Mark’s background fascinated me almost as much as his book. I could have – and wanted to – ask all sorts of questions. But I mostly restricted myself to questions pertaining to this book and Mark’s writing process. For now, that is. Maybe we can get him to come back and tell us more another time. :)

On to our chat:

Matt is an average guy who’d never traveled, and suddenly he’s traipsing through African villages in search of his son. This plot has many layers, with tremendous emotional depth. What inspired the story?

Ouch. Right to the heart of the matter.

All of us have parents. Some of us have children. Some of us have terrific problem-free relationships with our family. Some of us struggle to achieve that sort of balance.

The story is fiction. The characters are developed to carry the story. But the emotions are real, and many of them are mine. When I struggled with a painful family situation some years ago, I turned to the blank page to analyze and understand the pain, and to a great degree the composition of Matt Reiser’s tale was therapeutic. (Though the family situation is unchanged.)

Also, whenever I met someone new and we swapped backgrounds, my years working in West Africa seemed to spark all kinds of interest. People responded to my stories. And I didn’t mind expanding on my tales to keep people’s attention. So when I needed a background for a family saga, why not West Africa? I enjoyed digging into my old materials, into my old memories, and researching the area for the story.

I’ve long believed that the best fiction comes from a personal place within the author. You proved that with this book.

The story takes place in Africa in the late 1970s. You paint a vivid portrait of the various African countries. I felt like I was there with the characters. Only someone familiar with the areas could have transported me so easily. I read that you had traveled extensively in West Africa. Did you immerse yourself in the native culture, as Matt reluctantly did? What was the experience like for you?

Unlike Matt, I never ran into any troubles in West Africa though I traveled alone most of the time. I developed great admiration and respect for the people, both expats and natives, that I got to know. And I maintain a keen interest in that part of the world.

That said, I’m by no means an expert in West African lore. I realized how little I knew when I got into the thick of writing this story. I read about fifty books of fiction and non-fiction while I was creating the early drafts. I needed to keep reading in order to have any level of confidence to write about the area. Even though I spent three years, on and off, traveling there, three years is no more than an introduction to cultures as rich as these. And I know there is so much more I could have inserted about the peoples and their lives. But to be true to Matt’s story, I had to be careful not to take local side journeys just to show off my reading. I got pretty ruthless in the editing and if something didn’t pertain to Matt and his trip, out it went. I did try though to include enough cultural and historical background so the reader might share my enthusiasm. If anyone wants more, she can always grab one of the many great works coming out of Africa today by major talents who do much better work than I do.

Jean-Louis, a native African, has a lot of negative feelings on the French and their treatment of Africa. Are his sentiments typical of the African people at that time?

Jean-Louis is not meant to be typical. He is a character with father issues that align with historical and cultural issues. I wasn’t in Africa at the time of independence and I’m sure feelings ran pretty high on both sides. The French did abandon their former colonies in pretty ruthless fashion. De Gaulle never expected the votes for independence to go against him. When they did, well, bah. Let them fend for themselves, was the first reaction. Jean-Louis allows expression of that part of the history.

The following generation would have only known boom – until the bust – but during the boom, independence was pretty fine for many people. Jean-Louis is one of those men drawn to the city for work education, income, who found himself there when the boom began. He lived a life completely different from what he knew as a child, in good ways and in bad.

Your characters are well-developed and multidimensional. They felt real and I easily got swept up in their world. How do you go about developing your characters?

How to create characters from scratch and make someone care about them? I’m glad you were swept away. That’s a real compliment.

We all have multidimensional lives. We play many roles in the course of any given day, sometimes in the course of an hour. As I started with the characters it seemed natural that they too would have all these different roles, all these different demands on their time and on their emotions. With each scene, each character would reveal more about his or her past, and with each scene, we would get to know them better through their interactions with other people, through the choices they make, and through how other characters perceive them.

One more thing. I revised over and over again. With each revision the characters came into better focus, how they would act in a given situation became clearer, and it became easier to let the characters do the talking. I know that sounds like a silly cliché, but I learned through this process that a character will eventually flesh out, and trying to make one act out of character simply will not work. Your fingers won’t go there. Your instinct will tell you no. And if you don’t listen to your instinct, your readers will tell you no.

I totally agree about the characters doing the talking. If mine are talking to me, or through me, then I know I’ve lost touch with their truth and the story I’m writing.

Describe your writing environment. Neat or messy? Silence or noise?

Rough draft stage: ideas all over the place. Messy brainstorming. Notes on legal pads. Texts, emails, and voice messages to self. Breaks during the process to outline, but the outline is descriptive not prescriptive.

Now into a fourth book, I’ve got to the point where I have trouble keeping track of all my characters. So, I bought a little composition book and each character gets his or her own page. They are all numbered, and each character’s page includes key relationships, traits, and whatever.

Mixture of quiet and noise. When I need energy, I crank it up.

Do you work from an outline? Or an idea sparks and you run with it?

I start with a character, a scene, and a general story idea. Every writer has their own approach, but I believe story flows from character. And character is revealed by story. So I develop characters and turn them loose on the story.

You have a fascinating career history, including a job with CNN that, I understand, included a lot of travel. What was your favorite place to visit? Least favorite?

I’m not a favorites kind of person, other than to say my favorite place is probably where I am at the moment. When I was in Berlin it was Berlin. Moscow it was Moscow. New Delhi, Cairo, Johannesburg, …or a salt lick two hours outside Niamey. Pasadena, today, that’s pretty nice. I loved all the travel, everywhere I worked, and I’m especially proud of my time at CNN. I had the best job in the world.

What a great answer!

You have a new book in the works. Please tell us a bit about it.

Two books coming out later this year hot on the heels of one another. First one is Pasadena Payback, a story that unfolds on the seamier side of Pasadena following an old debt repaid with dirty money through the hands of some unlikely characters. Pasadena Put Down, a trainee private investigator stumbles on a criminal enterprise in the heart of this storied town and quickly realizes he’s in over his head.

Some recurring characters, but the main carry over is the town of Pasadena. Such a great place with such an interesting history. But also with a great PR department. There’s more to this town than meets the television eye on New Year’s Day.

I’m looking forward to reading them!

Aside from writing and reading, what might we find you doing in your spare time?

Family. Friends. Fitness. I swim in the Rose Bowl pool every morning at six a.m.

Favorite ice cream flavor?

Knowing Matt’s story, there is only one possible answer to this one: Rocky Road.

:lol: Of course! That makes perfect sense!

Thank you, Mark, for taking the time to answer my questions.

***

As I said at the start, I would love for everyone to read this book. The characters are richly developed, with strengths and flaws. The plot is immediately engaging. There is mystery, suspense, drama. There are layers to uncover, emotions to explore. The setting gives a sense of wonder, a feeling of exploring as if you’re trekking across Africa right alongside Matt. I was riveted. I laughed and I cried. I connected. This is a book you won’t simply read. It is one you will experience.

You can grab it on Amazon for your Kindle:

Thanks for reading. :)





Share

Lea Ryan’s Lair

Author: Darcia Helle  //  Category: Literary Corner, Things I've Read

My guest today is the talented author Lea Ryan. I recently had the pleasure of reading Lea’s book Lair of the White Wyrm. Is pleasure the right word when something creeps you out, but in a good way? :shock: This book is a little paranormal, a little horror, and a lot entertaining! Here’s an introduction to the woman behind the words:

Lea Ryan was born and raised in Indiana. She currently lives there with her husband, two kids, two cats and a dog. Her specialty is fiction about the paranormal. She is the author of two fantasy novels – Babylon Dragon and Destined for Darkness, some short stories and a novella entitled What the Dead Fear. She also blogs about life, writing, books, and movies at http://Lea-Ryan.blogspot.com

You can also find Lea in the following places:

Website: www.LeaRyan.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/LeaRyan1 or @LeaRyan1

***

Here’s a look at the book we’ll be discussing:

Sometimes when you run from your problems, they follow you.

Eric Duncan wants nothing more than to be an ordinary, sane guy. He believes he can escape his troubled past by leaving home. However, the voice in his head, that of his dead friend Benjamin, fights him every step of the way.

Eric finds his new home is a place filled with secrets far darker than his own. A monster prowls the grounds, and it wants to keep him close.

He will discover that his inner demons aren’t the only things he should fear. In order to confront the wyrm and survive, he must also face the worst parts of himself.

***

On to the fun part, where I get to ask lots of questions:

What inspired you to write this specific story?

Lair of the White Wyrm was inspired by Bram Stoker’s final novel. I read it last year after downloading it from Project Gutenberg. I really loved the premise. Lady Arabella is this creature who has two forms – a reptile called a “worm” (Stoker’s spelling) and a human woman. I thought she was an interesting character because she lived a dual existence. When she wasn’t a carnivorous reptile, she appeared almost normal and was driven by human desires, specifically when it came to her obsession with Edgar Caswall.

I loved your array of characters. Each has a unique personality and all are multi-dimensional. How do you go about creating them?

Thank you! I try to make them as vivid as possible. I usually work out who I want the characters to be before I start writing the story. I can hear their voices in my head, which probably sounds crazy. If they have memories they need to share, I sometimes come up with those later.

Dialog is really important to me. I try to develop speech patterns for the characters. For instance, Chelsea speaks quickly, sometimes without really thinking or listening. She’s high energy, and I tried to convey that through what she said and how she reacted to certain things.

The voices in your head doesn’t sound the least bit strange, particularly since my characters speak to me as well!

While we have closure at the end, you’ve also left an opening for a possible sequel. Do you have future plans for Eric?

I don’t have a sequel planned, but I did intentionally leave it open, just in case. I get attached to my characters, so I like to have the option of circling back around to them.

Do you outline? Or do you get an idea and run blindly?

I plan meticulously. I use outlines and worksheets. For Lair of the White Wyrm, I also had a sketchbook page with a map I drew of the property and a diagram of the tower with each floor labeled with its respective resident. It’s the only way I can keep track of stuff like that. I need to get my thoughts in order and be able to refer back to those thoughts often or I lose track of where I am and what I should be doing.

What is your writing environment like? Messy or neat? Noisy or quiet?

My writing environment is reasonably neat. I take my writing stuff to the day job and work on lunch breaks, so I try to keep everything compact and mobile. I also work in different areas of the house, my recliner or the bedroom.

I need my work environment to be somewhat quiet when I’m really deep in a story. However, if I can’t find quiet, I can substitute instrumental music on headphones and that does the trick.

As a reader, what draws you to the paranormal? And as a writer?

As a reader, the paranormal makes things interesting. Regular life gets boring sometimes. I think of books as a way to escape, both the reading and the writing of them. As a writer, I like being able to make anything happen. Maybe it’s a control thing. Incorporating the paranormal into a book is like filling your world with magic.

Do you have a favorite book? Favorite author?

My favorite book of the moment is American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I read it last year. It was deeply creative and vividly written. I read that HBO is developing a series based on it, so I’m really excited about that.

My favorite author is Stephen King. He’s brilliant – his descriptions and people and his crazy stories. His imagination seems endless. I would like to meet him at some point.

I have American Gods but have yet to read it. I loved his book Neverwhere.

Aside from writing and reading, what are your favorite pastimes?

I draw. I do my own book covers and trailers. I did some illustrations for an earlier version of Destined for Darkness. Those are up on my website if anyone wants to look at them.

I also play video games. We have an Xbox, Playstation 3 and wii. The Playstation is my fave. I’ve been a playstation girl for as long as there have been playstations.

Rock or country?

Ooh, rock. My current audio obsession is the Black Keys. I saw them in concert last summer. A-mazing. I would definitely go again. They are very talented.

Great band!

Give us one word or phrase that describes you.

Persistent. If I really want something, I’ll get it eventually. Getting there might take a while, but I get there.

***

Thank you, Lea, for hanging out with us here today!

Here’s a look at Lea’s books on Amazon:

You can also find her books in all ebook formats on Smashwords, and a limited print edition of Lair of the White Wyrm on Lulu.

I hope you’ll take the time to learn more about Lea and her writing world.

Thanks for reading. :)




Share

Mark Rice And His Metallic Dreams

Author: Darcia Helle  //  Category: Literary Corner, Things I've Read

I’m excited about my guest today! His name is Mark Rice and he is the author of Metallic Dreams. This book is rock fiction, drama, mystery, suspense, and edgy fun! I loved the book and had a great time with the interview. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! But, first, allow me to introduce you:

Some things about Mark Rice:

- born in Glasgow, Scotland
- BA (HONS) in Sports Studies from Heriot-Watt University
- various postgraduate qualifications spanning sports, personal training, marketing and creative writing
- had the shortest-lived newspaper column in history (fired after one edition…for having the audacity to ask for wages)
- edited, compiled, contributed to and published the anthology A Blended Bouquet in 2009
- story on The Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy published in The Book That Changed My Life, Luath Press, 2010
- researcher for The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy, Earth Edition (BBC online)
- chairperson of Writers Inc, a writers’ group based in East Kilbride, Scotland

***

I just love the outfit!

Here’s the book we’ll be discussing:

Long-haired Scottish rock singer Spark MacDubh drops dead on a snow-covered street of his native Bronzehall, only to be jolted back to life by what he calls lightning from Heaven. Following Spark’s resurrection, his sanity is stretched thin: during waking hours, he receives instructions from deities known as the Metal Gods; at night he is haunted by visions of a Devil who wields ultimate power over the music industry. Employing behaviour that swings between messianic and infernal, Spark gets his old band back together with a view to steering them towards greatness. The Devil, however, only grants success in exchange for souls. Unwilling to use his bandmates’ eternal souls as bargaining tools, MacDubh comes up with a preferable route to stardom: put the Devil out of business for good. A simple idea but questionable in terms of practicality. For starters, it requires a trip to Hell, and only the right music can open the gateway to that dimension. Catch-22? More like Catch-666.

***

Now on to our chat:

Like Spark, you’ve been a heavy metal fan since an early age. I have to ask the obvious question. Are there other similarities between you and Spark?

Many. Spark MacDubh is an alterego of sorts: the literary Superman to my real-world Clark Kent. Through him, I was able to go on the ultimate vicarious adventure. In terms of personality, we’re very alike. We both have backgrounds in competitive sport. Spark’s understanding of the Universe deepened when he lost beloved family members, as did mine. I instilled my love of animals in Spark. The passion for music is as deeply rooted in the rogue MacDubh as it is in me.

In one scene, Spark and some friends are playing with pipe bombs and you seemed to have extensive knowledge on these things. So be honest here. How many mailboxes have you blown up?

Bearing in mind that tampering with US mail is a federal offence, I must word this answer carefully. Six Virginia mailboxes exploded in my presence. Allegedly.

I hear your passport was revoked for that very reason. Allegedly. :lol:

You include song lyrics for the band’s first song – Little Evils for the Greater Good. Is there music to go with the lyrics? Any chance we’ll hear the song?

I created guitar riffs, melodies and lyrics for the song. A couple of my virtuoso friends are more than capable of contributing bass, drums and keyboards, so a finished version of the track could happen at some point. It’s on the back burner for now, but it’ll be a lot of fun if/when it happens.

Cool! I hope to hear it soon!

While discussing the blues and the use of the word ‘ain’t’, Spark makes a comment in the narration that made me laugh. He said, American English is a shabby, bastardized dilution of proper English anyway. Being one of those Americans who uses a bastardized dilution of English, I have to agree that it’s often true. We can be lazy with language. Do you think Scottish people are more proper in their speech?

In general, yes, but less so than in decades past. Scots have the advantage of a deeper pool of words. In addition to English vocabulary, we have the Scots dialect, which is a rich source of phonetically gorgeous words, for example drookit (sodden), hochmagandy (recreational sex), ramgunshoch (coarse and bad-tempered) and tattie-bogle (scarecrow). And there’s also the old language, Gaelic, which is still spoken as a first language in some remote parts of the country. Speech patterns in Scotland reflect these diverse influences, with vernacular varying wildly from region to region. Despite being exposed to this vast vocabulary and an oral storytelling tradition that stretches back millennia, most Scots are becoming lazier with language. E-mails and text messages have made interpersonal communication quicker and easier, but have also brought about a decline in the quality of writing. This laziness is filtering into spoken language, especially that of adolescents. One technological advance that might help to reverse this is the e-reader. With an increasing number of young people reading for leisure, thanks largely to the Kindle and other e-book readers, literary competence – and, by extension, spoken language – should improve. When I hear flawed grammar, I can’t help myself from blurting out corrections…like grammatical Tourette’s. I view this as helpful to the correctees, but my friend Darran calls it socially retarded behaviour. I’m an equal-opportunity corrector, though; I do it in the US, the UK and (to quote Metallica) wherever I may roam. My corrections often go unappreciated, but that’s my cross to bear: the plight of the stickler!

My older son has this same cross to bear. ‘Grammatical Tourette’s’ is the perfect description.

Spark’s favorite Pink Floyd album is Division Bell, which made me like Spark more since it is also my favorite. Are you a Pink Floyd fan? Do you have a favorite song by them?

I’m a huge Pink Floyd fan. I own their whole discography, as well as the solo material by David Gilmour and Roger Waters. To pick a favourite track by Floyd is difficult, as there are several that I consider perfect. If I could only listen to one of their songs, it’d have to be Comfortably Numb. The lyrics are clever and symbolic. David Gilmour’s voice is otherworldly. And that guitar solo…pure bliss.

The book is, of course, about heavy metal. Do you remember the first metal band you heard? What is it about the music that captured your spirit?

Saxon, closely followed by AC/DC, Motörhead and Thin Lizzy. I found Saxon’s razor-sharp guitar tones and clean vocals captivating. AC/DC’s amazing high-voltage energy hit me like a lightning bolt, transforming me for the better. Motörhead made more noise than any other band, so they became instant favourites. Thin Lizzy’s folk-inspired heavy riffs resonated in my Celtic soul. All these bands contained larger-than-life performers whose personalities shone through in the music: Biff Byford of Saxon; Angus Young and Bon Scott of AC/DC; Lemmy of Motörhead; Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy. I’ve been lucky enough to spend time with Biff and Lemmy. They’re extremely humble individuals who have an unwavering belief in their musical vision. They understand that a wise man is one who lives his dream each day. This idea of transforming dreams into reality is a central theme of my novel.

Do you listen to music while you write? If so, do you have a favorite playlist for inspiration?

I always listen to music while I write. It puts me in a more creative mindset. I don’t have a ‘writing tunes’ playlist. What I listen to depends on my mood and the tone of the piece I’m working on. If I’m writing a poignant chapter, I might listen to something folky and Scottish, such as Paul Mounsey or Fred Morrison, or a classical cello piece. If I’m creating something dark, my music of choice is epic Finnish metal: Amorphis, Insomnium or Nightwish. There’s certain music (Led Zeppelin, Rush, Rainbow, AC/DC, Joe Satriani, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Saxon, Hardcore Superstar, Judas Priest, Megadeth, Thin Lizzy, Motörhead, Zodiac Mindwarp and the Love Reaction, Jean Michel Jarre…the list goes on and on) that I can listen to anytime at all, as it never fails to get my creative juices flowing. During the Metallic Dreams writing sessions, Rush was my most listened-to band. So they’re partly to blame for the end result!

What a great musical line-up! The Rush marathon explains everything.

Do you have a favorite book and/or author? What is your favorite genre to read?

Favourite book – The Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie: mythic, multi-layered and ridiculously clever. Favourite author – Douglas Adams, in whom creativity and humour ran amok. Favourite fiction to read – magical realism. Favourite non-fiction to read – musicians’ autobiographies.

I’d never heard of The Satanic Verses, but it promptly went on my to-read list.

What are you working on now? Is there a new book in the works?

I’m working on a new novel, a dark mystery set on the Isle of Lewis (in Scotland’s remote Outer Hebrides). The story incorporates science, religion, philosophy, folklore and black-metal excess, manifested through the beliefs and actions of characters, the more eccentric of whom are a joy to write. Also, a follow up to Metallic Dreams is underway. I hadn’t planned on writing a successor, but the characters started doing things in my head, often at inopportune moments. So, as their humble scribe, it is my job to document their (dirty) deeds. In addition to those two pieces of long fiction, there are a couple of short stories in the works: one revolves around the Scottish witch trials and executions; the other is a revamped version of Revelation Was Wrong, my tale of an unlikely prophet.

All have me intrigued! I’m fascinated by witch trials. Also love the AC/DC reference… Dirty deeds done dirty cheap. :twisted:

If you could spend 24 hours with any rock musician, dead or alive, who would you choose and why?

The choice is between Bon Scott and Phil Lynott. Phil often visits my dreams. Bon doesn’t. So I’ll choose Bon. Not only was he the voice in my favourite band of all time (his incarnation of AC/DC), he was the rarest of things: a universally loved human. Playful, funny, generous and wild, he loved life to the limit and beyond. Born in Forfar, Scotland (not far from me), Bon moved to Australia as a child. I’d love to hear his stories of Rosie (the gigantic Tasmanian woman who inspired the song Whole Lotta Rosie) and life on the road with the greatest line-up of the greatest band of all time. I’d play him a rousing version of AC/DC’s Touch Too Much on guitar, as both a tribute and an artistic statement (Bon’s life – or, more accurately, death – imitated art: a touch too much alcohol killed him). If Bon sang along on that track, I’d ask him to accompany me on Little Evils for the Greater Good…his gravel-gargling voice taking care of vocal duties while I crank out monstrous riffs on guitar. You can bet I’d record that version on audio and video! It would be equal parts humbling and amazing to spend time with the most charismatic frontman ever to walk a stage. How would we fill the rest of the 24 hours? I’d let Mr Ronald Belford Scott decide. I suspect that he’d choose to drink copious amounts of alcohol then find some west-of-Scotland Rosies (which, due to the notoriously high-fat Scottish diet, are in plentiful supply) ripe for the plunder. Of course, I’d go along for the ride. After all, who am I to argue with an icon?

Sounds like the perfect day!

Tell us about the best live show you’ve seen. Who performed and what made it stand out for you?

Tough question. I’ve been at hundreds of gigs, most of which were excellent. Taking all factors into account, the Glasgow date of Rush’s Snakes and Arrows tour was the best gig I’ve experienced: immaculate musical execution; uncanny chemistry between band members; perfect choice of songs; funny animated movies featuring cartoon versions of band members; a light show to rival Pink Floyd’s; a set that lasted well over three hours, offering fans serious value for money. The total package.

If your life had a theme song, what would it be? Please share a bit of the lyrics and what they mean to you.

I’m tempted to say Sex Farm by Spinal Tap, but I don’t want to encourage Scottish stereotypes. Seriously, though, it’d be I Believe by Joe Satriani. ‘I read the stories, see the photographs…world’s in a crazy space. I’ve got to hold on to my dreams…there’s just no other place.’ That seemingly simple lyric communicates the importance of maintaining inner purity and integrity even when the outer world is going to Hell in a handbasket. That’s a powerful message, and one that resonates completely with me. Now more than ever, in a world where mass murder is committed for oil and profit, it’s important to have a strong inner compass and a sense of compassion for other sentient beings. The chorus of I Believe includes the lines, ‘I believe we can change anything. I believe we can rise above it.’ This theme of transcendence strikes a chord in my soul. We have the power to overcome the cruelty, prejudice and inhumanity that are all too prevalent across the globe. By challenging injustice, each person can play a role in righting humankind’s wrongs. Hundreds of billions are spent each year on the manufacture of bombs, with new conflicts manufactured out of thin air (or thinly spun fictions) in order to keep War Inc in business. Whichever way you look at that situation, it’s literally insane. It’s time for a change. Time for folk to wake up and make that change happen.

I am a huge Joe Satriani fan. One of my absolute favorite live performers. Phenomenal talent. His guitar work is mindblowing. For those unfamiliar with Satriani and/or the song I Believe, here it is on YouTube

Mark, thank you for hanging out with us here. I would love to ask 100 more questions, but I’ll save some for your next visit. :)

***

If you’d like to learn more about Mark and his musical writing world, you can find him in the following places:

www.goodreads.com/metallicdreams
www.facebook.com/SparkMacDubh
www.twitter.com/Metallic_Dreams
www.myspace.com/metallicdreams
www.lulu.com/product/paperback/metallic-dreams/18670088

Here’s a look at Metallic Dreams on Amazon, in both print and Kindle format:

It’s also available in print and Kindle format on Amazon UK, for Nook on Barnes and Noble, and in all ebook formats on Smashwords.

Thanks for reading. :)





Share