Unfinished projects drive me crazy. Yet, I have drawers and folders full of them. I’m referring to writing projects – novels in the making. I’m on a mission to clean out my desk, to finish the unfinished. But, now I’m wondering, is that always a good idea? Maybe it’s collecting dust in a drawer for a reason.
I typically tell people that Enemies and Playmates is the first book I wrote. That’s technically not true. It’s the first book I published, but not the first book I wrote. The first one is called Secrets. I wrote it at about the same time as the first draft of Enemies and Playmates. In fact, at one point I was working on them both together. I don’t even remember which one I finished first. But Secrets is the first one I started.
The original manuscript has been sitting in a box for roughly 18 years. A few weeks ago, in my mission to clear the clutter and unfinished from my life, I pulled it out of its hiding spot in my desk. In one of my spontaneous moments, I decided to give it a final edit and publish it. After all, the manuscript is complete. It only needs a little fine-tuning.
Now I’m about 60 pages in and I’m remembering why it remained sitting in my desk all these years. No, the story isn’t bad. And, while I can see where my writing has grown (thankfully!), it’s far from awful and doesn’t require massive editing. The problem? Content. This story is dark. Yes, most of my writing ventures into the dark side of life. This one, though, tackles an issue some people will find offensive. I know that without question. You see, Enemies and Playmates is about domestic abuse and I occasionally get hammered for that. I don’t flinch from writing the truth. Readers need to see it in order to feel it. And I won’t apologize for writing about an issue that needs to be addressed.
If domestic abuse is such a hot topic, I know Secrets will have more than a few people screaming at me. Why? Well, again, this book addresses abuse. (And, no, I don’t care to examine why abuse is at the core of my first two books.) You’re probably thinking, Spill it already. So here we go. Secrets is about a woman raised by parents who cannot love her properly. Her mother doesn’t love her enough, her father loves her too much. His love turns to the physical. Yes, okay, I’ll spell it out. This book touches on incest.
Are those horrified gasps I hear?
I’ve been taming it down, editing the content. But not completely. I won’t remove it all. I can’t. That’s the story and I can’t flinch from the truth of it.
As I’m editing, I continue through a back and forth yo-yo feeling. I should stuff it back in the drawer. This is too dark to share. I should continue on, because the story is valid. Worthy. Back and forth I go.
In the end, I’m choosing to ignore that nagging voice telling me not to create waves. If I’d listened to that voice, most of my choices in life would have been different. I’ve always lived my life on the outside edge. Why stop now?
Yes, Secrets is dark. The content might make readers flinch. But it’s so much more than that. It’s a story of hope, endurance, love, vengeance, trust. It’s a story that, for reasons I might never understand, needed to be told. This story was born on its own. I didn’t decide to write it. This one spoke to me and, in many ways, wrote itself. So, to hell with the noise it will make. I’ll dust it off, shape it up, and send it off to the world. Whether it’s read or not will then be up to you.
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.
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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.
When did it become an embarrassment – a sin – for a writer to be paid for his/her words?
Ferenc Molnair, on being asked how he became a writer:
First I did it to please myself, then I did it to please my friends, and finally I did it for money.
And if you dare promote your writing with the expectation of someone paying for it, you’ve committed the worst crime imaginable.
The only reward to be expected from the cultivation of literature is contempt if one fails and hatred if one succeeds. ~ Voltaire
I’m confused, and a little irritated, by the indie bashers out in the reading world. I’ve never been one to tolerate double standards of any sort. And double standards abound in the publishing world.
Mainstream authors are promoted by their high-end PR experts. Their books are advertised in magazines, newspapers, and all over the Internet. The publishers pay for big, front-of-the-room displays in bookstores. The authors appear on talk shows and morning news shows. All this is done with the obvious intent of getting you, the reader, to purchase the book. They aren’t giving you anything free. In fact, they are charging top dollar. And few people are complaining.
Now we turn to the indie publishing world – small presses and independent publishing. We have no PR experts. We are shunned by magazines and newspapers. Most can’t afford Internet ads. Brick-and-mortar bookstores, for the most part, refuse to carry our books. If, on the off chance we get one to stock a few, we could no way afford the eye-catching display. Morning news and talk shows couldn’t care less who we are or what we’ve written.
How do we reach readers?
Many of us give some of our writing away free, in the hopes readers will enjoy it and return to purchase our other work. This can be our most effective method of promoting and advertising. We aren’t bombarding you with ads. We certainly aren’t forcing you to download and read our free stuff.
Yet…
With the indie haters, the disdain is palpable.
I have two novels so far in my Michael Sykora series – No Justice and Beyond Salvation. Sean Riley started as a minor character in these two novels, but he grew to mean much more to me. Consequently, his character kept speaking to me, telling me his story. I wanted to share that with readers, allowing them to see how he became the person he is. So I wrote The First Kill, a short story starring Sean.
I uploaded the story to Amazon and went through the hoop-jumping to get Amazon to list it free. (As I’ve mentioned in prior posts, Indie authors are not able to list our own books free for Kindle.) I made it clear in the description that the story uses a minor character in two of my novels. This was never a secret ploy to suck readers in. No one was forced to download it, read it, or care one way or another. Indeed, I’d intended it as a gift to those who read No Justice and/or Beyond Salvation.
The indie haters disagree and, apparently, have secret abilities allowing them access to my private thoughts and intents. Immediately, the negative reviews popped up. Here is a line from one:
Be aware that this is just designed to sell other books in the series…
Well.
As I stated, this was not my intent. It is, however, a pleasant side effect. Why is that such a bad thing?
A while back, Amazon started its Kindle Singles, which is a method for mainstream authors to publish shorter work. The technique I’m being accused of using with The First Kill is now used by many mainstream authors using Singles. These aren’t free. They run from 99 cents to $2.99. And many of them are specifically intended to promote and sell associated full-length novels.
So? Are the haters rushing to call those authors out?
Not that I’ve seen.
An example: Lee Child, a long-time favorite of mine, used the Singles option to publish a shortie using Jack Reacher from his Jack Reacher suspense series. This short story is 99 cents and has a wide mixture of reviews from 5 stars to 1 star. I’ve been scanning the 1 star reviews for some sign there are equal opportunity haters in regards to the issue of daring to use a short story to promote a series. I have found no sign of a crossover from indie to mainstream.
Many of the negative reviews are complaining of content. They didn’t like the story, found it disappointing, far-fetched, and not up to Child’s normal standards. A slightly lesser amount of the negatives were disgusted with and/or disappointed by the short length. (Despite the description being fairly clear that it’s not a novel – and its availability through the Kindle’s Singles section rather than Kindle’s eBooks section.)
I did not see one single complaint about this story being used as a marketing ploy. Yet, it obviously is. Why is no one accusing Lee Child of wanting to sell more books? Or of wanting to make money?
This disparity is ridiculous. Certain people seem to believe we need to be wealthy bestselling authors before we earn the same promotional rights – the same expectations of being paid for our work – the same respect. Us and them. Keep the dividing line in place.
I’ve never been a fan of dividing lines.
Mainstream or indie, we are all authors. You can hate my writing, hate my stories, hate my characters. You don’t have to read a single thing I write. But please don’t assume you know what I’m thinking. Don’t claim you know my intentions. And don’t tell me I don’t have the same rights, simply because my name isn’t on a NY Times Bestsellers list.
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.
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.
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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.
My April Giveaway is winner’s choice! One winner will receive a signed, print copy of any of my eight titles. You can read excerpts from all the books and enter on my contest page: www.QuietFuryBooks.com/contests.html
Next, my BestsellerBound friends and I are having a BestsellerBound eBook Bonanza! We’re giving away 25 ebooks! We’ve broken it down into 5 prize groups of 5 ebooks each. Here’s a quick rundown:
Prize Group 1:
No Justice by Darcia Helle
The Dream by Maria Savva
Trevor’s Song by Susan Helene Gottfried
The Guardian’s Apprentice by J. Michael Radcliffe
Grey Engines by Gareth Lewis
Prize Group 2:
The Other Room by James Everington
Nexus Point by Jaleta Clegg
The Cutting Edge by Darcia Helle
The GNAW Project by Cynthia Meyers-Hanson
Broken Worlds by Gareth Lewis
Prize Group 3:
The Shelter by James Everington
Allegiances by Gareth Lewis
Into The Light by Darcia Helle
The Choice by Sydney S. Song
Second Chances by Maria Savva
Prize Group 4:
Recall! Return of the IRR by Doug DePew
To Hunt Monsters by Gareth Lewis
Miami Snow by Darcia Helle
Echo Falls by Jaime McDougall
Mom’s on the Roof and I Can’t Get Her Down by Cynthia Meyers-Hanson
Prize Group 5:
Blade Sworn by Gareth Lewis
Bloodstone: The Guardian’s Curse by J. Michael Radcliffe
His Story by Cynthia Meyers-Hanson
Hit List by Darcia Helle
Surreal – The Hell in the Family by Sydney S. Song
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.
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.
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.
Pirating is a polite way to say stealing. While pirating ebooks isn’t nearly as widespread as pirating music, it happens. And it’s a problem for many authors. Or is it?
Eons ago, back in my youth, we’d record each other’s records on cassette tapes. We called it copying. In essence, what we did was an early form of pirating. The difference was the Internet didn’t exist. We weren’t sending our albums out for millions to copy, only a few chosen friends.
In those days, we also shared our books. No, we didn’t use photocopiers to make new ones. We simply lent them out.
Now, in our modern society, the Internet allows us to instantly connect with people around the world. Someone can buy a CD or an ebook, upload it to a file sharing site, and soon that one purchase is being shared with hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people. This process is different, but the same, as what I was doing as a teenager.
Can we stop it? Should we?
For musicians, there is an upside to having their music pirated. Most make the brunt of their money touring. If one of their CDs is pirated and makes the rounds to a million people, chances are many of those people will then go to see the band perform. They will buy t-shirts, perhaps autographed CDs. The band will make money. I’m not advocating for pirated music. My point is only that it isn’t all negative.
This doesn’t work for authors. Taking our books on tour means, at best, sitting in the front of a bookstore with a pile of our books, hoping someone will buy a copy so we can sign it for him/her. The bookstore doesn’t pay us to sit there. In fact, most of them don’t even want us there, unless, of course, we’re Stephen King of James Patterson.
Indie authors don’t make much from each sale. Pirating ebooks can make it impossible for an indie author to succeed. Yet, many of us are giving our work away free. So why be upset about pirating?
I think, for a lot of us, it comes down to control.
My print books are carried in some libraries. I’d love for them to be carried in all libraries. I purposely make them available for libraries to order. I don’t get paid each time someone borrows one of my books. The only money I make is in the initial sale, when the library purchases the book(s). Each person who subsequently borrows my book is reading for free. That is not much different from pirating.
My first book, Enemies and Playmates, has been a free download since last October. I made it free – intentionally. In fact, I had to play games with Amazon to get them to drop the price. You see, Indie authors can’t opt to list our books free permanently. Instead, we have to list them free elsewhere (typically Smashwords, which then feeds stores like Sony’s Reader store and Barnes and Noble.) Then we have to report our own books as being cheaper elsewhere, so Amazon will ‘match the price’.
I went through a lot of aggravation to make Enemies and Playmates free – on purpose. Why would I complain about it being pirated?
Because it’s my property and I should have control over where, when and how it is distributed. Having something of yours taken from you, whether you are freely giving it elsewhere or not, hurts.
Then there are the ebooks that are not free, but are being pirated and downloaded free all over the Internet. The authors aren’t making a cent. But are they losing money? Would those people have downloaded and read those books had they not been free on a file sharing site? Maybe. Maybe not. In the end, does it matter? Getting something for nothing, when that something isn’t being offered by the owner, isn’t right. Whether you went out looking for it or stumbled upon it and took it because it was free shouldn’t matter.
Back in the pre-Internet dark ages, I didn’t think anything of my form of pirating. In fact, this sharing process introduced me to many new bands and authors. Often I would purchase the album to replace a cassette tape. I’d buy more music by the bands I copied and books by the authors I borrowed. In essence, the copying and borrowing generated sales.
To some degree, this works the same in our modern world. I don’t have a problem with people reading my books free. If you have a friend who has a copy, borrow it. If you want a print copy and your friends don’t have one, ask your library to order it for you. Enter my contests. I give them away all the time. Use the lending feature on Kindle. Send your friends the PDF you received from me. If you’re willing to leave a review on Amazon, ask me for a review copy.
It’s not that I don’t love it when people actually purchase my books. Like everyone else, I need money to pay the bills, so of course I’d love to be selling hundreds of thousands of books rather than giving them away. But that’s not really the issue. I don’t have a problem with people reading my books without paying for them. What I resent is the lack of control.
Please don’t take another person’s property – ebooks or music – and distribute it to file sharing sites. Trust me, you wouldn’t want someone to walk into your home, take your TV set, and share it for one night each with everyone in your town or city. That would be stealing. Piracy is different – but the same.
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? 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
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!
The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. ~ Mohandas Gandhi
If you gave me the choice between spending an afternoon at a party with 25 people or a park with 25 dogs, I’d choose the park with the dogs. It’s not that I don’t like people, I just prefer them in small doses. I’m an introvert and crowds overwhelm my senses. Dogs, on the other hand, are fantastic company. They require little, and give so much.
I have three dogs and two cats. Technically, I’m breaking the law. The city government limits the total number of dogs and cats I can have in my home to three. I don’t license my cats, so no one is knocking at my door requiring me to toss two of my five out the door. And I have to wonder, what gives any city/town government the right to do so?
In my short story Marietta’s Cats, Marietta faces this type of dilemma. Marietta has 27 cats. Yes, that’s excessive for most of us. But why is it illegal? Marietta has this to say on the topic:
“Ain’t that something? You can crowd as many little humans into a home as you like. You can feed them nothing but sugary cereal and let them play violent video games all day long. You can ask the state for money because you can’t afford them all. And no one calls the police; no one says the parents have to get rid of all but three of their kids. Yet, I’m here minding my own business, using my own money to take good care of my cats, all of which are rescues, I might add, and my neighbors and the police seem to think I’m committing a major crime here.”
I don’t always share my characters’ opinions. These words, though, could easily be me speaking from my soapbox.
Why is it better to allow dogs and cats to sit in overcrowded, understaffed, under-funded animal shelters, rather than a safe, warm, loving home? Why can I have eight children but not eight dogs?
The Humane Society estimates that between 6 and 8 million dogs and cats are dropped at shelters each year. Of these, an estimated 4 million are euthanized (a nice way to say killed). Yet, my city government has decided I can have no more than 3 in my home. Why is it better to kill these animals, rather than allow a person to adopt 4, 5, or even 10?
Animals are reliable, many full of love, true in their affections, predictable in their actions, grateful and loyal. Difficult standards for people to live up to. ~ Alfred A. Montapert
I know not everyone is capable of caring for 27 cats, as Marietta does. I also know lots of people who shouldn’t be parents to even one child, much less a half dozen. Obviously, our government cannot regulate the amount of children we have. Not here in the U.S., anyway. Does that mean they take the care of a human child less seriously than the care of a dog or cat? Or is it simply that dogs and cats are more easily disposed of? We cannot, after all, euthanize children when a parent goes over a 3-child per household limit.
Another thing I find odd is that only dogs and cats are regulated, not smaller animals like guinea pigs, hamsters, birds and rabbits. I could have 75 lovebirds and 600 hamsters, and no cops would be knocking on my door claiming I’d broken a law. Add another dog to my mix and they will be telling me I have to get rid of one. Seriously, how does this make sense?
Our task must be to free ourselves… by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature and its beauty. ~ Albert Einstein
Some people, like Sharon Osbourne, get around this by applying for a breeding license which then negates the restrictions. You don’t actually have to breed anything, ever. This is another oddity I don’t understand. I can’t adopt 6 dogs, but I can have 6 if I plan to breed them. Then I can provide dozens more to an already overcrowded population.
Marietta found her own way of dealing with this nonsensical restriction. You can read about her ordeal in my book Quiet Fury: An Anthology of Suspense.
As for me, I’ll remain an outlaw rebel with my 3 dogs and 2 cats. This works for now, since I am not legally required to license my cats. (Another odd loophole in the mess of local government.) But if I find myself able to rescue another dog, I might be turning to Marietta for advice.
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.
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.
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:
. While you might be surprised that she’s written a mystery – you will not be disappointed.
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.
. This book is that good. Today I get to introduce you to Mark Rudolph, the book’s author, and share our Q&A session.
Of course! That makes perfect sense!
, has been a free download since last October. I made it free – intentionally. In fact, I had to play games with Amazon to get them to drop the price. You see, Indie authors can’t opt to list our books free permanently. Instead, we have to list them free elsewhere (typically Smashwords, which then feeds stores like Sony’s Reader store and Barnes and Noble.) Then we have to report our own books as being cheaper elsewhere, so Amazon will ‘match the price’. 
. Is pleasure the right word when something creeps you out, but in a good way? 
This book is a little paranormal, a little horror, and a lot entertaining! Here’s an introduction to the woman behind the words:
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