1. What thing in particular makes westerns appealing to you? Faith: All of it! The ruggedness, the danger, the flexibility, the shootouts, the romance, the multiple redemption possibilities, and so much more. Sorry, I can’t pick just one. 2. Where did the idea for Hymns of the West come from? Faith: It came after I had a beta-reader ask what the next book in the series was about. I wasn’t even planning a series, so I told him there wasn’t a second book. But his question got me to thinking and I eventually came up with the ideas for six or seven books in the series and I am now considering connecting this series to a contemporary fiction trilogy I have ideas for. We’ll see where that goes. As for the name of the series, that came when I decided to make all the novel titles hymn titles. And since they’re all Westerns, Hymns of the West works perfectly! 3. What’s something about yourself that really annoys you? Faith: My forgetfulness. I forget things way too easily and sometimes that is a very, very bad thing. 4. What’s the name of a book you’re reading? Faith: “Heaven” by Randy Alcorn. It’s a shortened version of his full-length book by the same name. I haven’t read much of it yet, but it is good. 5. What scares you? Faith: Heights. Especially suspension bridges or manmade towers that sway in the wind. *shudders* 6. Bonanza or Gunsmoke? Faith: Bonanza. There’s just something about those Cartwright boys that Gunsmoke doesn’t have. I like Gunsmoke as well, but not as much as Bonanza. 7. Why do you write? Faith: To encourage and challenge Christians in their walk with God and to hopefully reach some non-Christians for the gospel as well. 8. What’s the last song you listened to on purpose? Faith: Franz Schubert’s Impromptu Opus 142 number 2. It was on a CD I was listening to and I skipped ahead to it because I didn’t remember which one it was. 9. What is your favorite salty treat? Faith: Dill pickles. They’re about the only thing I like that has a lot of salt. Even with potato chips, I prefer the no salt chips rather than the salted ones. I’m weird that way. 10. What makes you laugh? Faith: Jokes. Sometimes. Other people laughing hysterically and unable to stop. Things like that. 11. Who’s your favorite cowboy movie star? Faith: John Wayne all the way. Can you get anymore cowboy than him? 12. You just walked in the door after a long day. What do you do first? Faith: Unpack whatever needs unpacking, take my shoes off, and then it depends on what else is going on. J 13. Here’s a free plane ticket! Where would you like to go? Faith: Scotland! Or Montana, but I could, conceivably drive out there someday, so yeah, I’d pick Scotland. I’ve always been fascinated by Scotland. Of course, since I have some internet acquaintances in Ireland and England, I’d probably try to get there as well since I’m on the island. 14. Before we end, would you tell us a little about each of your books in the Hymns of the West series and what inspired each one? Faith: A Mighty Fortress is about Joshua and Ruth Brookings and their encounter with Jed Stuart. It’s a story of trust and redemption. The idea for this story came from a picture and a short story contest. I was too old for the contest and the idea I had was too long for the contest anyway, but the picture inspired me to write this novel. Be Thou My Vision is about Jed Stuart’s sister, Anna, and how the events in A Mighty Fortress affect her life and change it completely. Be Thou My Vision came about when I decided to write Anna’s story. Amazing Grace is a continuation of Be Thou My Vision, but from Caleb Stuart’s perspective. After finishing one of the drafts of Be Thou My Vision, I knew I had to write Caleb’s story. Since Be Thou My Vision is in first person, I couldn’t do his story in there, so I wrote Amazing Grace. About the AuthorAn avid reader, Faith Blum started writing at an early age. Whether it was a story about the camping trip that summer or a more creative story about fictional characters, she has always enjoyed writing. When not writing, Miss Blum enjoys reading, crafting, playing piano, Captaining on the Holy Worlds Historical Fiction Forum and playing games with her family (canasta, anyone?). As a history enthusiast who has been fascinated for years with the Old West, Faith has endeavored to create a clean, fun, and challenging Western story. Faith lives with her family on a hobby farm in the Northern Midwest, where she enjoys the many cats they have. You can find Faith on her Website, Blog, Facebook, and Twitter Website: www.faithblum.com Blog: www.faithblum.wordpress.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/HymnsoftheWest Twitter: www.twitter.com/Faith_Blum Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24985796-amazing-grace Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TUJTWQK
Being a blissfully single woman whose got nothing better to do than blog and write books, I spend a great deal of time fussing over my fur baby: Pilot, my dog.
This year for "May The 4th Be With You" day, I wanted to make a Star Wars dog costume so my dog could geek out with me (who knows; I might use the costume for Halloween later as well). I planned to make several really cool costumes all by myself, then have a photo shoot with my sister's Golden Retrievers and Pilot, and use the pictures to make a Geeky post for May the 4th #StarWarsDay. Well, needless to say, that did not work out as planned. The only costume that came together in time was Pilot's X-Wing pilot flight suit costume. The simplest two costumes were going to be Chewbacca and Han Solo: - Chewbacca costume: a wide brown leather belt, strips of gray tape, and a little brown bag. Put the strips of gray tape on the belt at intervals, attach the little brown bag, and VIOLA! your furbaby costume is done. - Han Solo: black vest, white shirt (unless your dog has white fur, then the shirt is not needed), a toy gun belt, and a toy gun. TA-DA! Slip it all on your dog and your pooch is now the dashing Han Solo! It couldn't get any easier, right? Well, in our house, you learn that what should be easy is extremely complicated, and what should be difficult takes a few seconds to do, and what should be impossible takes only a few minutes... Yeah, any plans made in our house are bound to turn into one, gigantic, Firefly/Serenity mess (geeky fandom pun, in case you missed it). Anyway, all that to say that I only got one costume done:
The X-Wing pilot flight suit was really easy to make, as long as I had a little imagination.
For the computer chest piece: Small square Card Board piece (whatever size suits your dog) Gray Tape 3 pieces of light colored felt 2 pieces of dark colored felt 2 white, large Lego bricks 1 gray, large Lego brick 1 back of a cell phone case (or anything that's black and square/rectangle shaped) 1 Quarter 1 Dime 1 stick of hot glue (using hot glue means that you can use most of the items again later) 12" of Elastic (depending on dog size) I took the piece of cardboard and covered it in gray tape. Then I hot glued the Lego bricks side-by-side, followed by gluing the back of an old cell phone next to them. I took the quarter and glued it just underneath the camera opening of the cellphone back, then I took the dime and placed it down and a little to the left of the quarter and glued it there as well. After that, I glued the felt squares in the remaining spaces, placing the two darkest ones above the Lego bricks. After that, I literally stabbed holes in the top corners and tied the elastic through them so that the entire thing could hang from my dog's neck. For the white vest: This took more effort than I thought it would, because I couldn't find a piece of white fabric in our house to save my life. Finally, I found an old toddler t-shirt. So, I just cut the sleeves off, cut the bottom off, cut the neck out (cutting makes me happy, can't ya tell?) and made a bib-like apparition. After that, I sewed the bottom corners together: right corner to right corner and left corner to left corner (sewing does NOT make me happy, so I don't put much effort into it). TA-DA! There I have the vest thingamajig... it's a little bit big for Pilot, but nobody will notice... The Orange Jumpsuit/Shirt: Now, this is the most striking part of this suit, so I was a lot more picky about it; I pulled an old orange t-shirt out of my dresser and turned it into a shirt for my dog. For this part, I will let you watch a video. This particular video really, really, REALLY simplified making a dog shirt, and I did not watch it before I made Pilot's dog shirt. My dog shirt was a lot more complicated... *cough, cough*... BUT, I like how mine turned out better than the one in the video. However, I did not have the time to make a video explaining how to make a dog shirt (I'll save that for another time, I guess). So, for a simplified way of making your dog a shirt out of your old clothes, here is a really easy video to watch. Once you have the orange shirt/jumpsuit for your dog, and the other two accessories all made, then your pet's X-Wing Pilot Flight Suit is all ready to go! Enjoy!
The Educational Link Up party is below. If you'd like to join, here are the "Rules of the Galactic Highway":
· Your post must be educational. · Your post must fall into one of the following categories - Sci-Fi, Geekdom, or Science. · Check out what your hosts are up to. - We have been having some great Science, Geeky fun this week and we would love you to check it out. The Hosts will be the first few spots on the link up. · Follow the person above you or find your fandom and comment on at least one post. - Let's make the universe a little smaller by sharing the love! Have fun! - If I know the Sci/Fi, Geek, Science world I know you will have tons of fun with this! Keep the fandom conflict out of it though. Trekkies and Wookies can coexist! Co-Hosts Meagan from More Than A Coupon Queen Jess from Benoit Academy Andrea from Waldorf Salad & Cottage Fries Kassondra from Motherhood Community Nessa from 2 Dorks In Love
As far as I'm concerned, my parents raised me right, and one of the things that they did right was raise my sister and I on STAR WARS. She and I took it from there and made sure the younger siblings got plenty of Star Wars education....
Although some people think it's corny and stupid, Star Wars made a huge impact on the movie making world with its incredible effects (which were, at the time, very incredible), its great story line (at the time, it was really great), and its fantastic characters which left a mark on the hearts and minds of fans everywhere. - Did You Know: All six of the live-action movies debuted in the month of May? As a result, Star Wars fans created a totally awesome "Star Wars Day" which takes place on May 4th when everyone can say "May the Force be with you". One of the first records of "May the 4th" being used is in 1979, which was described by author Alan Arnold while he was chronicling the making of The Empire Strikes Back for Lucasfilm: Friday, May 4
Once the internet became a big thing, "May the 4th be with you" evolved from a saying, into a hashtag, and finally into a full blown holiday! And the best thing about it is this: it is totally fan made.
To celebrate this very cool, fan made holiday, Pilot (my dog) has donned a pretty impressive outfit. Since his name is "Pilot" it only seemed right for him to be in some sort of flying/pilot suit. Therefore, I made him his very own X-Wing fighter pilot suit! I know it's hard to tell (note the sarcasm in my cyber voice), but I made the entire thing by myself. That's right! It was all "DIY"... Tomorrow I will be posting a "How I Did It" blog post for a very special Geeky Group and Link Up that I've come to enjoy hanging out with. So, stay tuned! BONUS: Did you know that the movie "IRON LADY" is really, really good? It's all about Margaret Thatcher, that wonderful woman mentioned in the above quote. She was the first female prime minister in Britain, and she was a fantastic role model for girls and women everywhere. After you are done watching the ENTIRE Star Wars trilogy today, you should find the "Iron Lady" and watch it too!
Happiness. HAPP-I-NESS. H-a-p-p-i-n-e-s-s.
You know, once you spell "happiness" so many times, it starts looking like a really weird word. It starts sounding weird too. One time, a friend asked me "What does happiness mean to you?" That is a really in depth and broad question. The term "happiness" can cover so many different things on so many different levels. But, when my friend asked me, I didn't need to think long to find an answer. People tell me all the time that I am such a happy person, that I light up the room with my smile, and that my happiness is contagious. I get the feeling that they often wonder how I do it. Well, it's not my fantastic personality, I can promise you that. It is simply because I AM happy. To be truly happy, does it mean that you have a perfect life? No. To be happy, do you have everything you want in life? No way. Does a happy person smile all the time? Nope. So, what does happiness look like? True happiness results from contentment. When you are content with where God has put you, with the life He has given you, then you will find that you are happy. Whether you believe in God or not, if you learn to be content with where you are at in life, with who you are, then you will automatically find happiness. Trust me. Been there, done that, have a t-shirt. Often, we believe that, to be happy, we need to "make more", "do more", or "be more". I have struggled with this: I have tried joining missions, only to have a road block thrown in front of my face. I have created kids missions just to watch them fall through. I have made an effort to improve my community only to have it thrown back in my face. I have considered marriage, becoming a mom and a wife, but the longing has never taken root in my heart and the right man has never shown up. I have come to the point where I have looked up at the sky and said "What more do you want from me?! What more can I do?!"
You know what I learned? God wants some people to be busy, go on missions, start community projects, and do "more". But for me, He wanted me to stand back. Why? It took me a while to understand...
I have 5 younger siblings. They are awesome. Used to, I thought they were holding me back, weighting my wings down with spit-up and drool and Legos and Tinkertoys. They were pain-in-the-butts and I thought I had better things to do, more important jobs, than taking care of them and cleaning up after them. God showed me otherwise. My siblings are some of the most awesome people on earth (yes, I am biased). I have a ton of fun with them every day! We hardly ever fight. We are best friends. Together, we can build skyscrapers and blow mountains up! It's so awesome! I would have never known the full awesomeness of my family and siblings if I had flown the coop. I have an incredible talent for writing. I have a gazzilion stories swimming in my head, barbarians pounding on the inside of my skull, demanding to be released onto paper. If I were busy with missions, community projects, or kids (mine or otherwise), I would not have realized my potential as a writer. I would never have published a book. My siblings would not be eagerly telling the new friends they make that their sister is a published author. I am still learning my full potential as a writer. I still have a lot of work to do to become better. I mean, at the moment, I only have one and a half books published... not exactly something that is noteworthy. Happiness does not look like a life changing trip to Africa. Happiness does not look like big bucks or a masters degree, your own house and car, or your even your own published book. Happiness is a state of mind that you must choose to be in. Nothing can make you happy, but being content with your circumstances is a daily decision. Just because you are not where YOU want to be, because you don't feel happy, does not mean that you aren't exactly where you should be, where God wants you to be. What your heart longs for is often quite the opposite of what God wants you to do. For me, God kept me in one place because He wanted me to learn to be content where I was at. Once I learned that lesson, I found an open door that I had never seen before, and it led me to a room full of possibilities. Am I always happy? No. It is an ongoing learning process. But it is easier for me to be happy, now that I learned the important lesson of contentment. Do I get irritated and discontent? Yep. A lot. I also get depressed, feel like I am out of options, feel restrained and suffocated, and I repeatedly have to put grand ideas and dreams back on the shelf where I got them. But when I stop trying to push my agenda, and take a deep breath and focus on what God has me doing, it gets easier. Sometimes, I even catch a glimpse of a bigger picture that will result if I stay where God has planted me. What is the secret to contentment? Stop pushing. Start breathing. It is simpler said than done, but it is that simple. Your calling may be sitting right in front of you, like it was for me. Does this mean you need to stop looking for opportunities? Possibly. God has this cool way of dropping stuff into my lap. Maybe He wants to do the same for you? Or, maybe He wants to whisper the plan into your ear, but how can He do that if you are struggling with Him? The run down is this: a happy person is a person who is content. Contentment is a choice that the person must make. Ambition and goals in life are good, but sometimes we just need to stop and take a look at the garden we have been set in, just to make sure we aren't missing a chance to smell the roses. Happy Friday the 13th everyone! What? You didn't realize it was Friday the 13th? Well, just remember: don't walk under a ladder, break a mirror, or let a black cat cross your path. Concerning black cats, I am bloody doomed. We have four black cats... good thing I don't believe in luck. Anyway, I have a very special guest today who fits right into the horrors of Friday the 13th. Mwahahahaha! Today, I am pleased to present to you Christian Horror author (yes, that is a thing!) Zach Carpenter! I was first made aware of Zach through another author friend. She told me that he was a young author who wrote Christian Horror. When I heard the term Christian Horror I was like "No way..." I finally got to meet him at a local book signing. When I walked into the library, I spotted him right away and knew exactly which author he was, because he was in character. He was sporting an emo style haircut and was wearing a trench coat... that's right, a trench coat. But now, I think I better let the author speak for himself. Give a round of cyber applause for Zach Carpenter! Mr. Carpenter, I am really glad that you were able to join me! I am SO psyched about this interview! Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from? Do you have pets? Family? Imaginary unicorn friend? Zach Carpenter - Well I’m from Liberal, Ks. born and raised *sigh*. I have 3 dogs, 3 cats and two turtles named Raphael and Michelangelo. I love turtles… because Ninja turtles were my childhood heroes. I will never be too old for ninja turtles. Every time someone says "Ninja Turtles" around me, my brain instantly flicks on the switch that starts playing the Ray Stevens mock-up song Teenage Mutant Chickens. That song does things to the brain that cannot be undone. *twitch, twitch* Tell us a little about your writing. When did you start writing, and why? Zach Carpenter - Well, I like horror… obviously. I try to be scary but I’m not sure if I pull it off well, or if I’m trying too hard. But that’s what the editing process is for, haha. I’m also trying my hand at fantasy as well. But because I love dark horror scary things my fantasy is heavily laced with darker horror elements that hopefully will serve to kind of marry the two genres. I started writing when I was 13. I had read a book by Frank Peretti called, “This Present Darkness,” and that got me inspired to write. This Present Darkness is one of my favorite books! I was so enthralled with it, I stayed up late at night reading it. I only did that once because, by the time I had convinced myself to go to bed, I did not want to walk across the house to my bedroom. I was creeped out! Do you write for a particular genre, or do you cross genres? If so, what is your favorite genre to write for? Zach Carpenter - I write horror. I have another series called Broken Mirror that is a cross genre of fantasy and horror! Cool beans! Finish it already, man! I want to read it! Are you a planner or a “pantser” – do you plan out your books meticulously or do you write by the seat of your pants? Zach Carpenter - I have to plan everything out, and then I just change things as I go, because I can make a buncha plans but sometimes those don’t work with the direction the story ends up moving in, so while I plan as meticulously as I can, I’m also flexible enough to make the changes when they need to be made. Flexibility is very important, especially for those demanding, persnickety characters. What do you write, and why? What do you enjoy about what you write? Zach Carpenter - Well aside from creating things that make people’s skin crawl, I also like to write redemptive stories. I like to write about characters who are very driven and have hard hearts. Usually through the course of the book, as events unfold, they start to see the other forces at work behind the scenes that cause them to realize, “I am screwed if I can’t find help to combat this threat!” and through that ultimately end up turning to God and end up kicking some ass. Yes… I said ass… it’s a donkey. I never fail to relate to redemptive stories. There have been so many times in my own life where I come to that point where I am powerless to do anything but make a simple choice: let it drag me down, or call on my Creator for help. I am so glad that He never fails to aid me when I call on Him. By the way: Kids - kicking some donkey is not recommended. Believe me. Donkeys kick back. So do mules. No lie. So, Zach, where do you find inspiration? Zach Carpenter - Usually I listen to creepypasta on YouTube while I’m at work. I love playing video games. I’m a survival horror fan as well as a fantasy rpg fan. Those are some of the big places where I get my inspiration from. RPGs (Role Playing Games) have provided me with a lot of random inspiration as well, merely because they get my creative juices flowing better than anything else. What is the most difficult part of writing for you and what is the easiest part? Zach Carpenter - One of the most difficult parts of my writing is trying to answer tough questions the characters find themselves faced with. Because they are questions I find myself wrestling with. Questions such as, “Why didn’t God answer this prayer when I needed him to the most?” In Soul Hunters 2, I address some of those issues because the main character ends up going through a crisis with his new faith. Not only that, but trying to go back through the whole thing and fill in little plot holes that may have slipped passed my notice, when I’ve gone back and revised the plot so much to make more sense. As far as the easiest part? I can’t really say there is an easy part for me. Finding time to actually write whenever I get the itch can be challenging too. Making sure that your message is strong and well embedded in the story is HARD, especially in Christian Fiction, because we don't want to be preachy to the people reading, but we do want to message to be clear. Do you listen to music or watch TV whilst you write? Zach Carpenter - I listen to music when I write. I’m actually listening to Babymetal right now as I’m answering these questions. They are a metal band from Japan. I listen to metal when I’m writing the fighting scenes. I listen to horror movie/game soundtracks when I’m writing the super suspenseful/tense parts. A metal band from Japan? Huh... I'm actually having a hard time with that. Samurai play music?? *gets a weird mental image* Sorry. I know... I know... I'm weird. So, is there a message conveyed within your writing? Zach Carpenter - Yes. My faith in God shows up in my writing a lot. However I try to write my books in a way that anyone from any background can read them and not feel like they are being targeted by an agenda. Yes, I have a message to share of Christ, but that is expressed in the journey the characters find themselves on, and I do my best to present it in a way that it is relevant to the story telling and the circumstances they find themselves in. So that way it makes sense, and regardless of what background a person is reading it from, hopefully, as they get to know the characters, they can see that it is a necessary part of their journey. My message is that there is a battle being waged over our souls, and that both sides, God and Satan, are active in this war. God for the purpose of revealing Himself and restoring a person’s heart, and Satan in an attempt to get at God by killing, maiming and ruling over the very object of God’s love, which is us. Amen! That is my goal with my books as well. Most authors like to read, what have you recently finished reading? Zach Carpenter - Well I am currently reading the Oz books by L. Frank Baum. He is a genius. Sometimes I think he might have been high but, other than that, he’s a freak'in beast. He was onto something. There are creatures in the Oz books called the Scoodlers. They are slender creatures with two fronts, so to speak. They have a face on each side of their head and their limbs bend both ways and they take their heads off and throw them at you. Yeah… I love the Oz books because even though they are fairy tales, there is a certain level of creepiness to them that the movie (while a classic) didn’t do justice to. I have a friend who talks a lot about the Oz books. He's not much of a fantasy reader, but he says he really likes them. So they've been on my "To-Read" list for a while. Can you name your favorite traditionally published author? Zach Carpenter - Ted Dekker. I like him for 2 reasons: 1: he is a master at those "wtf!!" moments. I like his suspence. 2: his love stories actually have a manly side to them so I don't feel so awkward reading them! Very cool! I need to read his stories and pick up on his trick with the romance (this chick is devoid of romance. Like, seriously, can't write it to save my life and I barf when I read it... okay, well, not really, but you get the point.) Research can be important in world-building, how much do you need to do for your books? Zach Carpenter - A crap ton… One of these days, a crap ton will be an actual measurement…. I hope… But anyway, yes I have to do quite a bit. Because even though I’m writing fiction, I want the world it is set in to be believable. Especially with Horror, because the more credible you can make things in your world be, the more realistic and believable the outlandish sounding things (like vampires, ghosts, werewolves) become. And fantasy certainly allows more freedom to do more outlandish things because you are dealing with a realm where magic is a common occurrence. BUT! I’ve found with my fantasy/horror series, Broken Mirror, world building was SOOOOOOO much more complex than with Soul Hunters. Soul Hunters, though set in a fictional city for the most part, takes place in the United States. In Broken Mirror I had to build the world from the ground up basically. I had to make up kingdoms, history for certain geographical regions, the different cultures, backstories for different races of creatures…*stops to breath* I had to design my own version of weapons and how they work, I had to think on a larger scale because the world of Broken Mirror is at war, so I had to think of tactics that all sides would utilize. I had to even invent a couple different religions for that world. I started Broken Mirror in 2010, and I’m just now half way through chapter 36… yes people… build your world. Use them mental Legos. Mental Legos: I instantly envision that scene in The Lego Movie where they are in Emmet's "voraciously empty" mind. Hahaha... Do you self-edit? If so why is that the case? Zach Carpenter - Eh… I do some editing, yeah, but ultimately I like the feedback from editors because then that helps me to know what I can improve on. It sometimes takes someone who isn’t as invested in the project as you are to notice things that could hinder the communication of your messages in the writing. Exactly. Need fresh eyes to make sure that everything is smooth... unless you are like me and have next to no editing skills at all. Then you just need a separate pair of eyes and a brain to check it all. Ahem! Moving on! What was your experience with getting your book published? How did you start out? Did you have help? Zach Carpenter - I had help, yes. A lady at my church published through Tate Publishing and so she got me in touch with them. They were the second place that I sent Soul Hunters to. The first company I never heard back from. No rejection letter or anything. It was like I had never even contacted them. But anyhow, my experience with the first book was great. I had a great editor, great concept artists who designed the cover, and a good author representative. My experience with the second book however hasn’t lived up to the standard the first book set. The company has undergone a lot of changes. While the quality of the book is still top notch, the people working on it are hard to get a hold of now and it’s like pulling teeth just to get someone to answer an email when I have a question. So, after Soul Hunters 2 is released and has been out for a couple months, I’m getting all my files from them and going to republish Soul Hunters 1 and 2, as well as all my other books, through Create Space from Amazon. We CreateSpacers will welcome you into our dark brotherhood with open arms. Mwahahahaha! Did you find marketing difficult? What strategy do you use, if any? Zach Carpenter - Yes marketing can be tough, but I use word of mouth and facebook to market my books. So far those are the only two things I find even remotely effective. And it also helps to know certain people too. Philip Lee from the library is an awesome dude. He informs me of writing events at the local library and that helps me get some more press. Mr. Lee is the bomb. And I have found that word-of-mouth is one of the best marketing tools as well. And Twitter as well. *falls down at the shrine of Twitter, sitting next to the shrine of Gene Roddenberry* If you have more than one published work, which book or series was your favorite to create? Zach Carpenter - Nope, just Soul Hunters so far. Broken Mirror isn’t finished yet. But Soul Hunters is awesome because it gives me a play ground to explore the creepy/deranged parts of my mind. I love creating characters that the readers can get attached to, and then dashing their hopes to the ground by putting those characters through as much emotional, psychological hell as I possibly can. The themes of self hatred, innocence being tarnished, trust betrayed, and hopelessness are things that I have faced in my own personal life, and I get to play those out in a way that make sense for me by putting my characters through those same scenarios. Horror serves as a breeding ground for those themes as well. Because, with horror, it’s not just about the monster that you think is following you in the dark hallway, but it’s also about how that monster exaggerates those past hurts and traumas. All the monster has to do is make its presence known in some small way or another, and if it’s done right, that monster can become an embodiment of everything you hate about yourself, and then suddenly, it’s now you against you. While you’re sitting there in the dark tearing yourself apart, that monster can blend into the shadows and whisper softly to you, “I’m not here…this is all you.” ...I'm a little bit creeped out right now... wow. I think you hit Horror right on the head. I had never thought of it like that, but you are absolutely right. I will see Horror in a different light from now on! What is your latest book or series? Any forthcoming books? Zach Carpenter - Soul Hunters 2: Demon’s Gamble is my latest book… which does not have a release date yet… *Hopes dashed* Aw man! Well, I guess we will have to keep up with your Soul Hunters Facebook page to watch for that release date! Tell us a little about the world of your latest or favorite book or series. Zach Carpenter - Well Soul Hunters is set in a world where the greater majority of the population knows that monsters exist. It’s not like most horror stories where only a handful of people know about these things, and the rest of the world either doesn’t care, thinks their crazy, and just go on about their business. I wanted to do something different. In Soul Hunters there are special government divisions that are devoted to researching and hunting monsters. Soul Hunters is set in a city called, Broken Edge, Ks. The world found out in the early 90’s that monsters existed. At first it was treated as a hoax, as most everything related to this kind of topic is usually treated, but sightings kept persisting. When there are occurrences going on not only across the nation, but worldwide, the authorities and the media can only keep something contained and quiet for so long. In 1995 an event known as the Broken Edge Massacre took place, in which monsters were running loose in the streets, tearing people apart. Other events like it happened in various places all over the United States, and in many different parts of the world as well. Soul Hunters is not by any means a post apocalyptic story. Similar to 9-11, after the rampage of various types of creatures died down, many went back to living their normal lives as best they could. The trauma sort of numbed, and even though many people realize that monsters may or may not be stalking the alleyways of their cities, the greater part of the population has managed to push it to the back of their minds… they just have to find a way to cope when there is a feeding or werewolf attack reported on the news. I really like the fact that monsters are not so "exclusive". It really gives the story a different feel from other stories like it. The reader does not feel like they are being choked with all the secrecy and ignorance from the rest of the populous in the book! Are your characters ever based on real people? Zach Carpenter - Yes! The main character of Soul Hunters, Detective Mick Johnson, is based on my best friend Mick Mages. Many of the monster hunters in these books are actually based on my friends from my old church youth group. That is really awesome! Turning the youth group into monster hunters is the best idea I've heard yet! Have you ever used a person you don’t/didn’t like as a character then killed them off? Zach Carpenter - Actually, no. If I don’t like someone I will not even use them as a character in a book. Not even to kill them off. Why waste the effort? If I don’t like them then they aren’t even worth being tribute fodder for the monsters. Awww... well, but it would be so much fun to torture them and kill them slowly, one chunk of flesh at a time... MWahahahahaha! *Coughs, chokes, wheezes, gags* Ahem. Well... anyway. What formats are your books available in (E-book, print, large print, audio)? Are you intending to expand these and if not, what is the reason? Zach Carpenter - For now they are just available in print. Tate Publishing said they did an e-book for them but I can only count on one hand how many people have found Soul Hunters as an e-book. So when I start using CreateSpace I’m definitely wanting to expand the formats they are in, and make E-books available to more people, because that is the direction the market is moving in. I think you will find that the expansion will be the easiest thing in the world, once you switch to CreateSpace, because it automatically does that. Of course, I am biased. But I still swear it is easier than opening a jar of molasses. Would you give a fun/silly fact you would like your readers to know about you or your book? Zach Carpenter - There is a character in Soul Hunters, named Jack, who is a demonically animated scarecrow. He is actually inspired by the scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz. I live down the street from the Land of Oz park in Liberal, Ks. and I go down there to think and, pray and kill time and I got the idea on one of my visits to that place. That is so awesome! How many people can actually say that they live down the street from the Land of Oz? Granted, it's just the park, but still... I live roughly 90 miles from Liberal Kansas and have been to Liberal several times... I have yet to visit the Land of Oz park. I spend all my time at the Mid-America Air Museum. *Facepalm* What can I say? Airplanes turn my crank... Well, thank you so much for taking the time for this interview, Mr. Carpenter! I had a lot of fun (even though I was hiding behind my pillow during most of it... just as a safety precaution). For the rest of you reading this, PLEASE check out Zach Capenter's book, Soul Hunters 1. And please stop by his Facebook page, hit the "Like" button, and keep an eye out for his second book! My large, scaly dragon friends will be hanging around all of the exits, randomly inquiring if you have had the time to inspect this awesome book... Amazon: Soul Hunters by Zach Carpenter Facebook: Soul Hunters Facebook Page I am really happy to introduce fantasy author and artist, Shannon Pemrick! Shannon Pemrick was born in 1991 in a small city in the Southwestern corner of New Hampshire where she was raised with her younger sister. Thanks to her limitless imagination, she spent most of her days daydreaming about the impossible in hopes it could one day be possible. This imagination sparked a love of the arts that eventually lead her down the road to writing where she discovered her first book idea. F.P. Spirit suggested that I send Shannon a friend request on Facebook, because he greatly admires her work and he thought that she and I needed to get together and read each other’s books (which we do, and haven’t done, because all we’ve done is basically say “how-do-you-do”). As soon as Shannon’s status updates started showing up on my Facebook newsfeed, I felt like she was a part of my family. No. Seriously. She has the same sense of humor that all my family members have. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I haven’t decided yet. But it has definitely made me laugh more than once! So, without further snickers on my part, I am very pleased to present Shannon Pemrick! Thank you so much for joining me today Shannon! I am really excited about this. Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from? Do you have pets? Family? Shannon Pemrick - I'm from the northeast part of the United States where I live with my fiancée, three cats, and a dog who thinks she's a cat…a very large cat. My family is also in the area and I try to find whatever time I can to see them since family is very important to me. I'm an avid gamer (I play a lot of videogames) and I love animals. I'm particularly fond of horses, wolves and butterflies. I'm also an artist. I would be an avid gamer if I took the time to be such. However, I spend too much time on the internet READING about all these different games than actually downloading or buying any of them to play. Tell us a little about your writing. When did you start writing, and why? Shannon Pemrick - Writing wasn't something I thought I'd ever do. I was more into the visual arts and my reading and writing skills had always been subpar since I was a child. But one day I got an itch to write a fanfiction (fantasized story using characters from a favorite book, tv series, etc…) and while it wasn't all that great, it sparked an interest and I continued. Later, when I was in high school I attempted to write my own book but it died rather quickly. I didn't make another attempt until I was assigned a project in my senior year of high school that sparked the Experimental Heart trilogy. Do you write for a particular genre, or do you cross genres? If so, what is your favorite genre to write for? Shannon Pemrick - My current genre is a cross genre of Sci-Fi and Fantasy but I have several book ideas waiting to be touched that are straight Fantasy and Paranormal Romance. Are you a planner or a “pantser” – do you plan out your books meticulously or do you write by the seat of your pants? Shannon Pemrick - I am definitely a planner. I write out outlines/timelines and plot out main events for my books and then place in minor events. I will deviate from the initial plan or add in more ideas as I go to improve my initial idea (like I've done with my trilogy), but in order for me to make a complete book, I have to plan it out from start to finish first. Some of the best books and successful authors I know were planners! Unfortunately, that does not seem to be a skill I have. Planning? What is that? Is it contagious? OMG, keep it away from me! Well then... where do you find inspiration? Shannon Pemrick - Everywhere. They're in my dreams, in my conversations, random thoughts in my head, and in the world around me. Do you listen to music or watch TV whilst you write? Do you do anything unusual while your write? Shannon Pemrick - I typically work best in silence but I will listen to music if I need some really nice inspiration. I can't have a TV on while I'm writing or I'll do more watching than writing. TV is my bane. I can write during some shows, but notoriously, if I don’t have my headphones in, I will start typing what the people are saying on TV. Tim Conway drawl in a fantasy story = bad thing. *Facepalm* Is there a message conveyed within your writing? Shannon Pemrick - I believe all authors have some sort of message even if they don't realize it. Most of my messages happen to be about self worth and accepting being unique. Messages about celebrating how unique we are seems to be growing in popularity. I think our culture is hungry for that. Most authors like to read, what have you recently finished reading? Shannon Pemrick - I haven't done a lot of reading lately. I've been rather caught up in my own writing and balancing a few other large life events. But the last three books I read (read them around the same time) were The Search for Mrs. Claus by Courtney Daisey, The Serpent Cult by F.P. Spirit, and A Week in New York by Louise Bay. The only one I actually enjoyed was The Serpent Cult. The Serpent Cult ROCKS! Oh… did I just blurt that out loud? Well, it’s the truth. Can you name your favorite traditionally published author? Shannon Pemrick - Garth Nix. I love his work. And your favorite indie/self-published author? Shannon Pemrick - F.P. Spirit. He figured out how to make this YA hater to like his work. YA hater? *takes a step back from you - hides my book* You frighten me, oh great wizard... But, Mr. Spirit does have a way about his books, doesn't he? We can fangirl over them together, if you want. *wink* Research can be important in world-building, how much do you need to do for your books? Shannon Pemrick - It really depends on the subject, but I like to make sure I'm as thorough as possible in my research because I want to make sure all aspects of my books are believable. My current trilogy needed quite a bit of research when it came to military and weapons. But because the world and natural laws for that trilogy is all made up, most of it came from my head and all I had to do was make it all feel believable even if it was only a tiny bit. Military is my bane in research. I come from a family of proud veterans and, sadly, I never understand a word they say when they talk about military stuff. It’s one of those things that I need to SEE it in order to understand. Do you self-edit? If so why is that the case? Shannon Pemrick - Yes, I do. I'm not a professional editor and I can't rely on myself to catch all errors but going through the book before my editor does really help catch the silly mistakes and save me a bit of embarrassment. It also gives me time to look over my work to catch any inconsistencies or spots I want to elaborate on. Self-Proof-Reading is very important in any form of writing. That importance only grows when it comes to one’s own novel though. Do you believe a book suffers without being professionally edited? Shannon Pemrick - Yes. There is only so much an author can catch before their brain corrects the mistakes automatically without the author realizing it. A professional editor not only brings in fresh eyes but also fresh opinions and…well…professional editing skills. They'll know more about editing than anyone else. AHA! So that is my problem: my brain has auto-correct. I knew auto-correct had issues. Apparently it has taken over my mind! *grabs aluminium foil - wraps around head* What was your experience with getting your book published? How did you start out? Did you have help? Shannon Pemrick - I tried for a year to be traditionally published. After getting rejection letter after rejection letter I became discouraged and thought I'd never be published. Then I found some information about self publishing and did as much research as I could before pursuing that route. Do I regret going this route? No. This route may be hard, but I'm happier than I would have been with a big publisher breathing down my neck telling me what to do. Yep. People still kind of snort at the “self-publishing” publishing idea, but I always tell them that I am happier with it because I am my own boss and I get more money. I’d like to see a Trad-publisher fork out 70% royalty! So, sort these into order of importance: Great characters; great world-building; solid plot; technically perfect. Can you explain why you chose this order? Shannon Pemrick - 1. Great World-building 2. Great Characters 3. Solid Plot 4. Technically perfect. I chose this way to line them up because even though you can have the greatest plot idea, in the end, if your world is bland and your characters suck, the plot isn't going to matter. I love how everyone always puts “Technically Perfect” at the bottom. I think it is because, if we get the others right, perfection comes a little more naturally. If you could change anything in an existing book, or series, of yours, what would it be? Shannon Pemrick - Funny you should ask because this year Experimental Heart: Pieces will be getting a small makeover. I put a lot of work into this book but didn't have the resources I have now and have found many problems that would benefit from being fixed (Plot holes, unneeded content, etc…). Am I ashamed to admit this? Nope, not at all. Personally I feel all books deserve a chance to be gone over and fixed after publication, regardless if they're written by indies or traditional published authors. Once the changes are done, the book name will be condensed down to Pieces, matching how the rest of the books in the trilogy will appear. That is the glorious part I love about independently publishing with CreateSpace: there is so much more freedom to go in and “fix” things later without a huge rig-a-ma-ro… What is your latest book or series? Any forthcoming books? My latest book is Experimental Heart: Pieces (soon to be Pieces), which is book one in the Experimental Heart Trilogy. Secrets, is the next book in the trilogy to come out this year, and the third book (Surrendered) is planned on coming out the end of this year to the beginning of next year. I'm also currently working on a fantasy that may become a series, a romance, and a few spin-offs for my current trilogy. Cool beans! Lots of plans: that’s good! Tell us a little about the world of your latest or favorite book or series. Shannon Pemrick - My current running trilogy is Experimental Heart. Pieces, is the first in the trilogy that came out November 2013 and, Secrets, the second in the trilogy, is expected to come out this spring. The world of these books is called Lumaraeon and is a world that has been devastated by war and currently trying to rebuild to its former glory but is under threat of another devastating war driven by the tyrant Zarda who believes he is the only one worthy of running Lumaraeon and holds himself to a god status. Lumaraeon itself, while struggling with this impending war, is a lush land with diverse creatures. The main races of the land are Humans, Nu Humans, and Elves. Dragons, Dwarves and Wogrons also live in this land but are far fewer in numbers and most prefer to keep to themselves. There were other races in the past but they were wiped out by either wars or Lumaraeon's volatile nature before it was stabilized by the gods. The land itself is beautiful and diverse with snowy mountains in the North, vast deserts, meadows, and wastelands in the West and beautiful oceans in the South and East. The land's natural laws are governed by the elements, which can be harness by gifted individuals, spiritual plane, which can be access by certain chosen individuals, and the gods who all posses unique abilities that can help the mortal races when needed. If it has dragons and elves, you know it has got to be a smoking awesome world! Introduce us to some of your characters. What do you like about them? Shannon Pemrick - The main two characters for my trilogy are Eira and Raikidan. Eira is a human war experiment of an advanced human race called Nu Human and former assassin with psychotic tendencies due to her gruesome past and lacks certain emotional understanding. Raikidan is a dragon that follows Eira around like a lost puppy. He's overprotective and lacks understanding of human culture and human nature as well as lacks understanding of the concept of personal space. The differences in these two create an interesting relationship that is rather volatile to begin with but becomes strong over time as the two realize they're more similar than they first believed. There are also many support characters in this trilogy but the main two that stick by Eira and Raikidan's side the most are Ryoko and Rylan. Ryoko and Rylan are also war experiments that have stuck with Eira since they met in the military. Ryoko is a Wogron (type of werewolf that doesn't go back to a human state but still carries some human-like traits both physically and mentally) and Nu Human hybrid and is a brute class (very strong melee fighter). She's one of the strongest out there and is one of the few female brutes in existences. She is also incredibly beautiful having most desired traits from their society but Ryoko lacks confidence because of it. She finds that her worth is superficial and doesn't believe people can see past her looks to understand the real her. This is where she connects with Eira. The two understand each other in this way and they try to help one another in only ways that they can. This has created an unbreakable bond that sometimes makes it look like they're arguing when they're just talking. Rylan is a wolf-dog and human hybrid experiment that was an early attempt at creating shapeshifting experiments. He's an excellent shot making him a prime choice for a sniping position in the military and had ice elemental abilities that he's not proud of. Despite his good looks and nice personality, he lacks self esteem and wishes to be more normal than most people around him. Much of this is attributed to his animal DNA. But this esteem doesn't stop him from looking out for Eira much like an older brother would creating an impeccable bond that most don't understand. I have a particular fondness for all of these characters because of their dynamics. They're all different from each other but it's their differences that bring them together and created a type of kinship that can't be explained or understood by most. Awww… I love them all already! Random note: You apparently like “R” names, huh? *snickers to self* Do you have a favorite character? Why? Shannon Pemrick - I love all my characters but I do have a particular fondness for Eira and Shva'sika. Many would roll their eyes at an author for picking their main character as a favorite but I can't help it. Eira is so complicated and misunderstood even by herself. She doesn't realize how amazing she is and can only see her dark past. She struggles with seeing how she could possibly move beyond that and create a future for herself. But even while she struggles to like herself she still finds a reason to continue living even if she doesn't understand it herself. She's a strong woman that won't take crap from anyone and will be brutally honest when others would rather lie or sugarcoat a situation. She believes honest truths, while painful sometimes, are better to hear in the end than a half truth or a lie because they hurt less in the long run. She's the kind of person that goes through issues real people have to face and she's the kind of woman some people wish they could be. Even with her past and her abrasive nature, I just have to pick her as one of my favorite characters. Shva'sika is another character that I love to pieces. She doesn't get a whole lot of face time in the first book of the trilogy but when she does get more later on, she's not someone you can hate. She's an Elvin woman who has lost her entire family but doesn't let her loneliness drag her down to cause her to be bitter. She is charismatic and has a big heart. She'd give you the shirt of her back without question. She doesn't let her beauty cloud her judgment and cause vanity or pride and she isn't the type of person you can just boss around. As big as her heart is, she won't be walked on. Such strong characters are so easy to make favorites of. And, just a note, I don’t think it’s weird for you to pick your main character as a favorite. I can't exactly say the same for my main character, though. He is… well… special in my eyes. *glares at Keegan, who glares back* Ahem! Anyway… do you have a character you hate/dislike? Why? Shannon Pemrick - As much as I want others to have a character they hate and want dead, I don't have one. I know the histories of all my characters. I know what made them who they are. So it's impossible for me to really hate them. Even Zarda, as evil as he is, is so good at being twisted and evil, that I can't really hate him. I totally understand you there. I think I’d actually feel guilty for hating my baddies. I mean, I MADE them that way. What kind of person would I be if I hated them?! Well, anyway. Are your characters ever based on real people? Shannon Pemrick - My characters aren't based on a single person but many of them do have traits from several people I know or have met. I believe this helps them feel more three dimensional. I think all authors with well fleshed characters find that many of their characters have traits from real people, though not always from anyone specific. It is just the way our imagination works to make things real! Have you ever used a person you don’t/didn’t like as a character then killed them off? Shannon Pemrick - While my more hated characters may deserve death (or may die), none of them have been based off someone that I've hated in life. Like my other loved characters, hated characters have personalities that are taken from multiple people. What formats are your books available in (E-book, print, large print, audio)? Are you intending to expand these and if not, what is the reason? Shannon Pemrick - My books are available in e-book, hardcover, and paperback format. I'd like to get it into an audio format at some point as well because I know how useful that format is first hand as well as translated into other languages at some point. Would you give a fun/silly fact you would like your readers to know about you or your book? Shannon Pemrick - I'm a poor organizer except when it comes to my books. They have to be planned out while the rest of my life is a total chaotic mess. Well, I am glad to know I'm not alone. I am of the opinion that chaos does do something wonderful for the twisted author mind… Is there any advice you would pass on to those authors who are still just starting out? Do's and don'ts? Shannon Pemrick - My first advice is to never give up no matter how hard it seems. There will always be hurdles and people telling you no, but that doesn't mean they're right and that doesn't mean the hurdles are too big to get over. My next piece of advice is to make sure your book is sound before publishing. Make sure the book has had other (trusted) eyes on it and make sure you have a professional editor look it over. Also, don't skimp on a cover because that draws a reader in. Actually, just don't skimp on anything. Self publishing can get expensive, but the worst thing you could do is to publish prematurely and get the title most Indies dread…"Amateur". My last piece of advice will sound a bit harsh to some but I feel it's necessary. Grow thick skin. As an author, I know a piece of work is your baby and you don't want it being torn apart, but if you plan to publish you need to understand that you will get criticism. If you can't handle that, then hide your baby from the world until you can. No one wants to deal with an author who can't handle honest critique and can't accept that not everyone will enjoy their work. Please, make sure you can handle this before you let the world see the precious piece of work you worked so hard on creating. Amen! Publishing is not for the faint of heart! Well, thank you so very much for joining me today, Shannon. This was a TON of fun, and I am glad to have gotten to know you just a little better! For the rest of you out there, I would ask that you please give Shannon’s books and social media a look-see! And, if you find the time, please leave a nice comment below? There will be a dragon at every exit who will kindly inquire if you have done any of those things… Web: Check out Shannon's website! Facebook: Follow Shannon on Facebook! Twitter: Follow Shannon on Twitter! Shannon's Book: Amazon - http://getBook.at/EHPieces Barnes and Nobles - http://goo.gl/335WDj Toadstool Bookshop - http://goo.gl/wXPs74 iBooks: http://goo.gl/PXQYJG Page Foundry: http://goo.gl/v18i7S Scribd: http://goo.gl/GVMxEQ
Hello everyone! Happy Monday! Today I am really excited to introduce to you another Independent Published author, one who is local to my area. During the summer, an acquaintance between the two of us contacted me and informed me that this author was going to be having a book signing at one of our local museums. I made a special point of going to introduce myself, since he was only the third Indie Author I’d heard about in my area at the time. After meeting him, it did not take me long to figure out that we both had similar tastes in geekisms. However, I am getting a little ahead of myself. Without further ado, I am pleased to introduce author Dakota Kemp! Yay! Mr. Kemp, thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. Please tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from? Do you have pets? Family? Dakota Kemp - I’m a twenty-four year old graduate student at Southwestern Oklahoma State in Weatherford, OK. I’m a colossal geek who loves good science fiction and fantasy, and I spend most of my time stargazing, playing sports, reading, writing, and spending time with my friends and family. I get absurdly excited about good stories, and I love storytelling in any genre, whether in literature, in film, in video games, or even a good ol’ fashioned campfire tale. I have two lovely sisters (Kaitlin and Emilie) and an older brother (Kaleb), and all three do their best to keep me humble. Hey, what are siblings for? Well... not that I would know. I'm the oldest in my sibling group and I make sure that my little siblings keep my ego well fed AND groomed. *wink* So, tell us a little about your writing: when did you start writing, and why? Dakota Kemp - I started writing when I was about fourteen – mostly variations on the King Arthur legends – but eventually decided it was too time consuming and difficult for my delicate teenage disposition. That period of writing resulted in the early ideas and groundwork for the first novel I ever completed, The Arrival, so I like to think back on my early writing forays as much needed experience for my current writing attempts. It was about eight years later during my junior year of college that I started seriously considering picking up writing again. I’d always wanted to write a novel, and in the summer preceding my senior year and much of the first semester, I wrote my debut novel, The Arrival. My own childhood inspired much, if not most, of the story in my own novel. My novel had to go through a lot of malicious editing though, because I wrote the story during my "delicate teenage" years. *gags, shudders* Yeah. Ugly things that were not supposed to be there appeared in that story. Well, anyway. Moving on! Do you write for a particular genre, or do you cross genres? If so, what is your favorite genre to write for? Dakota Kemp - I definitely cross genres. I’m interested in far too many topics, ideas, people, and theories to pigeonhole myself in a specific category. That being said, most of what I write is science fiction and fantasy, though I have written various short works that fall more in the mystery, drama, or non-fiction categories. I have two books available at the moment – The Arrival, which is an epic, medieval fantasy, and Goddess, which is an action/adventure/romance science fiction novella. Crossing genres are so much fun! It really just allows the imagination to go “BWAH! Lalalalalalalala! FruitLoopsTrippleDippedInDoubleWanka! Whoohoo!” Ahem. Oookay... sorry about that. So, are you a planner or a “pantser” – do you plan out your books meticulously or do you write by the seat of your pants? Dakota Kemp - A little of both, I suppose. I definitely lay down an in-depth, meticulous plan before actually beginning the writing stage, but I don’t shy away from opportune tangents or good ideas that strike me in the middle of a scene or chapter. Sure, those intuitive, lightning strike moments of inspiration may not fit well into the overall scheme, but then again, they might be the perfect touch I was searching for to bring out that special something in a character, scene, or plotline. I can always go back and remove the bits that don’t make sense or distract from the overall flow of a scene or plot. That’s what editing is for, after all. Aha! So you are a schemer. Schemers are tricky folk who lay out a beautiful plan, then randomly begin to erase little bits of it when nobody is looking, thereby causing extreme chaos and mayhem! *squints at Dakota* I have my eye on you... Well then... what do you write, and why? What do you enjoy about what you write? Dakota Kemp - I write a little of everything. My two published works are firmly in the fantasy and science fiction categories respectively, but I enjoy frequently branching out to crime dramas, mysteries, non-fiction, and, yes, on great occasion, even romance. Though, of course, I try to incorporate many elements into any story I write, regardless of the ‘main category’ in which a work is written. You really do dabble in a little of all the dark arts, don’t you? Non-fiction? *shudders* You must be a powerful word-sorcerer indeed, to manipulate such intangible stuff as non-fiction. Where do you find inspiration for all of this? Dakota Kemp - I’m not sure I can satisfactorily answer that. Sometimes inspiration comes from stories I’ve enjoyed myself. Sometimes it comes from music or research or a random experience walking down the street. One time it even came from a warning label. Occasionally stuff just pops out at you, ya know? Yep. The world is FULL of "writing prompts". Even ugly ones. I saw a curling iron once that had a warning label which read “For External Use Only”. Upon reading that, my brain went to places that no mind should venture. Needless to say, my brain returned disturbed... Ahem. What is the most difficult part of writing for you and what is the easiest part? Dakota Kemp - The hardest part is easily marketing, but that’s pretty self-explanatory. I’d much rather be writing, reading, playing with a bouncy ball, stabbing myself in the eye with a pencil, anythingbesides marketing, but as a self-published author, the marketing of your work falls to you and you alone. It’s a part of being an author that took some getting used to. Picking the easiest part is like asking which is softer – cement or asphalt. Both are hard, and hard pretty much explains every part of the writing and self-publishing process. At the end of the day, though, when you’re looking at a true-blue, printed-and-bound hardcopy of your book, it’s all worth it. What I’m trying to say is that there isn’t an easy part, but just as hard can be used to describe writing and self-publishing, so can fulfilling. Truer words have never been said… okay, well, maybe they have. But yours are really, really true. Do you listen to music or watch TV whilst you write? Do you do anything unusual while your write? Dakota Kemp - I listen to music – generally soundtracks from movies or video games that match the mood of the scenes I’m writing. The soundtracks from the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, the Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age, and Skyrim get lots of playing time. Without doubt, however, my primary music for writing is a classical/epic music orchestra and choir group called Two Steps from Hell. They produce the best music in the world – bar none – and there is no better music for getting me in the writing zone. The music from Two Steps from Hell is awesome! Audiomachine is hard to beat though. But, when in doubt, always listen to the Lord of the Rings Trilogy music (it's my all time favorite). So, is there a message conveyed within your writing? Dakota Kemp - To a certain extent. There is a great quote from one of my favorite books, The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson, in which a storyteller named Wit says: “The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon. Too often, we forget that.” In a nutshell, this is how I feel about conveying messages in my writing. That being said, I often try to show the diversity of life and of morals by portraying everything from the most selfless, faultless of qualities to the most base, revolting aspects of existence. I’ve always felt it important to explore every facet of life, not just the parts with which I agree or feel comfortable. Of course, I do love to champion the values and themes I was raised to believe in, such as love, courage, friendship, hope, forgiveness, perseverance, justice, personal sacrifice etc., but to ignore the viewpoints, experiences, and activities with which I don’t agree would be to disregard a large portion of the imperfect, mistake-ridden, rollercoaster ride called life. I absolutely agree with you. Because of the “imperfections” of life, there is always room for improvement. If you take those same imperfections away from a story and characters, what is there left to improve? Most authors like to read, what have you recently finished reading? Dakota Kemp - I recently finished several books. One was Cryptonomicon by Neal Stevenson, which covered a number of mind-blowing concepts and delivered some of the most scathing, humorous writing I’ve ever read. In the non-fiction department, I recently completed The Mask of Command by John Keagan, which is a serious study of some of the most influential commanders in military history. My job as a book reviewer also keeps me pretty busy as well, and I’ve finished a few novels for my employers in the past several weeks. Now THERE is a job - Book Reviewer. I don’t know if it pays well, but it has got to be enjoyable: raising the saber of criticism above the trembling masses and belting out a loud battle cry "THIS... BOOK... WAS... AWESOME!" and then getting paid for it. Unbelievable power in the palm of your hands. Ahem. Well, back onto topic: can you name your favorite traditionally published author? Dakota Kemp - Brandon Sanderson – no question. There is no other author in the world that I can say – without doubt – I will read every single book they ever publish. Brandon Sanderson gets that honor. Specifically, if you love fantasy, try out the first book of his Stormlight Archive, The Way of Kings. Or, if you’re looking for a book that isn’t a 400,000 word monstrosity, you can’t go wrong with his Mistborn Trilogy. Sweet! *scribbles down note on “To Read” list* And who is your favorite indie/self-published author? Dakota Kemp - Would it be too narcissistic of me to say Dakota Kemp? Even if it would be, I’m going to say it anyway. Of course, it’s pretty tough to beat out Kathryn J. Fogleman! I hear she’s got a second Tales of Wovlen coming out soon… That is the rumor I’ve heard as well *whistles innocently*. However, I must back up and say that I do not think it is narcissistic of you to take pride in your hard work. I believe there are better words to describe it: gratification, satisfaction, conceit, egotism… Anyway… Research can be important in world-building, how much do you need to do for your books? Dakota Kemp - It depends on the book, honestly. Most of my stories take place in fictional worlds that I created from scratch, so I think it’s probably fair to say that I do much more research than the average writer to make certain that my worlds, cultures, peoples, characters, etc. appear realistic. That being said, I’m still creating my own worlds, which means I have the option to make stuff up or ignore reality if I feel like it. That is the reason I love fantasy so much. I can input stuff that I know and stuff that I learn, but the rest of it I leave for the imagination to gnaw on. Do you self-edit? If so why is that the case? Dakota Kemp - Certainly. I do as many as ten edits of my final manuscript myself before even sending the draft to my editors and beta readers. Editing and altering your prose to get just the right wording or feel is as much a part of writing as the actual transfer from thought to page of the first draft. My sentiments exactly. So, do you believe a book suffers without being professionally edited, then? Dakota Kemp - Absolutely. Now, I’m not saying a book can’t be good without professional editing, but I am saying that 95% percent of the time, that is the case. In addition to writing, I am a professional book reviewer for the Self-Publishing Review, and I see so many books that would have benefitted greatly from a professional line edit. If there is anything I’ve learned as both a self-publisher and a book reviewer, it’s that appearance matters. It is beyond vital that a self-published work appear as professional as a traditionally published book. Otherwise, it will not succeed. That being said, I do not pay for professional editing – but there is a reason for this. I have professional friends who do this for me. My mother is an English teacher, and my old literature professor from college is gracious enough to aid me in editing my work – sometimes she does as many as three or four read-throughs of my manuscripts. Needless to say, she is a lifesaver, and, in my opinion, one of the greatest individuals on the face of the planet. The point here is that professional editing is key. Don’t skimp on it. Get it done. If you cannot afford it, find someone knowledgeable about grammar, sentence structure, and flow willing to do a thorough critique. Put simply: Meticulous, expert editing is non-negotiable. I feel much the same way. Of course, there will always be the Nazi’s out there that will find SOMETHING wrong. But if indie authors wish to have a good reputation among the masses, then pro editing is a key part of building that good rep. What was your experience with getting your book published? How did you start out? Did you have help? Dakota Kemp - I started out by applying to agents and publishing houses. However, it wasn’t long before I realized that the traditional publishing industry is incredibly exclusive. Being a good writer and storyteller just isn’t enough. You have to know people. The right people. If you don’t, you have next to no chance of being picked up. You have a better chance of being struck by lightning. I sent queries and applications to over seventy agents and publishing houses, and I never found a single person willing to read my manuscript. I’m an impatient person, and I quickly tired of the gatekeeping game. Luckily, I have great mentors, and when I announced that I was going the self-publishing route, they were more than willing to help out. Dr. Gaydosik, my literature professor, was instrumental in helping me get my manuscript for The Arrival ready for print. I personally had no hope of ever becoming a published author. I felt like I could blow up a sun and not get a traditional publisher or agent to look my way, and all the “vanity” publishing companies charged an arm and a leg just for printing (they still do)! Thank God a couple of local authors pointed me to CreateSpace. Did/do you find marketing difficult? What strategy do you use, if any? Dakota Kemp - Marketing is difficult, but it’s essential. Self-publishing is playing the long game, building a base of readers and fans slowly over time. Keep putting out solid work, making it visible and accessible, and you’ll see a gradual increase in readership and interest. I make sure to appear occasionally at book signings to promote my work, spread the word about my books on my website and on social media, and on great occasion set up promotions on Kindle Nation Daily or Bookbub. Marketing is my worst nightmare… and I didn’t even know I had a worse nightmare until I started having to market my book! Sort these into order of importance: Great characters, great world-building, solid plot, technically perfect. Can you explain why you chose this order? Dakota Kemp - The only one I can definitively put ahead of any of the others is: great characters. All those others are incredibly important, but characters are what people grow attached to and identify with. Without that connection, a great story is meaningless. A fact of life: people want to relate to people. People do NOT want to relate to trolls. Yes. That was random. Do not worry, the first one is free. If you have more than one published work, which book or series was your favorite to create? Dakota Kemp - Seriously, Fogleman? That’s like asking me to choose between my children…if I had any…which I don’t. But in all sincerity, I’ve had good days and bad days on every project, but I’ve felt the same about them all at the end – proud to show off to the world, relieved to be finished, terrified of a crushingly negative response by my readers, and utterly exhausted and just ready to pass out for awhile. Pretty much exactly like parenthood, right? Yeah. Just by having to help raise my siblings, I'd say that "parenting" and "authoring" are almost the same thing: teething, growing pains, sleepless nights, sad days, happy memories… diapers… minus the smell. Wouldn't give it up for the world! If you could change anything in an existing book, or series, of yours, what would it be? Dakota Kemp - Mostly it would be nitpicky things. There’s an old saying that a novel can be best described as a long piece of prose with something wrong with it. There have always been and will always be small things I feel I can improve upon in my novels, no matter how long I nitpick at them. But there comes a time when you’ve got to release it and move on. I eventually get around to that, but it’s never easy. Ugh. Yeah. There have been several times lately where I have looked at The Dragons Son, groaned, then closed my eyes and forced myself to walk away. It is a FIRST book for a reason, after all. Well, what is your latest book or series? Any forthcoming books? Dakota Kemp - Both The Arrival and Goddess came out this past year. The Arrival is the first book in my Ascension fantasy series, which I’ve projected to encompass four novels. Goddess is the first in The Shrike Chronicles, a series of science fiction novellas (short novels). At the moment, I’m working on two different projects. One is a steampunk/sword-and-sorcery novel, and the other is the second installment in The Shrike Chronicles. Both are coming along well, and I’m estimating that I’ll have them both published around July or August, perhaps sooner. YAY! You must let me know, so that I can buy signed copies. Is there any project you started and are just completely stuck on? (No, don’t tell me… let me guess… *wink, wink*) Dakota Kemp - Oh, yes. Too many to count, which is when I set aside that project for a week or a month or a year and I work on something else. Then, when I come back to said project, I’m usually bursting with enthusiasm to get on with the story! If I were paid for my unfinished stories, I would be bloody rich right now. I could afford my own Batmobile. *heavy sigh* Tell us a little about the world of your latest or favorite book or series. Dakota Kemp - The Arrival takes place in the medieval fantasy world of Vrold. It’s a world filled with magic and adventure and myths and all kinds of extraordinary creatures. I drew inspiration for the world of Vrold from all my favorite mythologies (Norse, Greek, Egyptian, Hebrew, Mesopotamian, etc.) and from the King Arthur legends. Vrold is really like a giant melting pot into which all the best fantasy creatures, races, monsters, and magics have been poured. I've enjoyed reading and learning about mythology since I was a child, and I have a lot of fun seeing how people twist it into stories, such as you have done in The Arrival. So, would you introduce us to some of your characters? What do you like about them? Dakota Kemp - The Arrival has many characters – certainly too many for me to go over in detail here – but the some of the main protagonists include a determined sorceress who is playing detective to unravel the mysteries behind a destructive war, an excitable history teacher turned investigator, a conflicted mercenary who is at some times brutal and at others kind, and a peasant boy bent on adventure. Sounds like the perfect mixture of people for an explosion of grandeur! Do you have a favorite character among the many in your book? Why? Dakota Kemp - My favorite character in The Arrival is probably Jarwulf. There is just something incredibly fun in writing about a character who resides in the moral gray area – both in the readers’ minds and his own. A mercenary is the perfect place to explore the concepts of morality because ethical dilemmas crop up so often and in such extreme circumstances. I have been working on a character in my second book who is "morally challenged" as well. It has been a lot of fun to write him, but he has also been really hard to work with because he can be so mean and unpredictable. Do you have a character you hate/dislike? Why? Dakota Kemp - Not exactly – not really for their qualities, anyway. Korrigan might get on my nerves in real life, though. People who never stop talking drive me crazy. And people who are cheery about everything? Yep, being around Korrigan would likely be like banging my head on a desk all day. Other than that, there were certainly characters about whom I had a tough time writing, because they were just difficult to write. They didn’t flow as easily as others. Those characters who don’t move with the flow are really aggravating *glares at Keegan, hero of The Dragons Son*. Are your characters ever based on real people? Dakota Kemp - Not entirely. Often I put certain attributes from people I know into characters, but I rarely make carbon copies. For instance, Barlgruuf talks, laughs, gestures, smiles, and does everything else imaginable very loudly – just like my friend David Schoenhals. Is Barlgruuf just like David? Nope. For one, Barlgruuf’s morals are about fifty times looser than David’s. But is Barlgruuf loud because David is loud? Absolutely. I specifically based that part of Barlgruuf on my friend. Have you ever used a person you don’t/didn’t like as a character then killed them off? Dakota Kemp - I haven’t…yet. Can’t say I haven’t considered it. My youngest sister, Emilie, who hates gerunds in English grammar, has often pushed for me to name a character Gerund – then, kill him off in the most gruesome way possible. People, though? You know, I can definitely see myself going that far… I agree with your sister. Kill off those nasty gerunds! Make them evil minions of darkness that talk funny (ending every word in “ing”) and then kill them in horrible ways. Anyway, back to the interview: what formats are your books available in (E-book, print, large print, audio)? Are you intending to expand these? Dakota Kemp - Both The Arrival and Goddess are available in paperback and on kindle as an e-book on amazon.com. I don’t have any audio or large print versions out unfortunately. Getting an audio book released would take some doing, but it’s definitely a good idea. Yes. Audiobook = good idea. Give us a fun/silly fact you would like your readers to know about you or your book. Dakota Kemp - When I’m at a point in my life that I have the time, I often spend as much as fifteen hours a week stargazing. I can spend hours and hours outside looking at the stars on a clear night. It’s as much of a time for me to reflect and think as it is for me to take part in an enjoyable activity. I love laying out on the hay bales with my sister and watching the stars together – very few things are better than that. I need to put it into a book... hmmmm.... Is there any advice you would pass on to those authors who are still just starting out? Do's and don'ts? Dakota Kemp - DO keep writing. Write when you’re on top of the world and write when you feel like everyone hates your books and would rather use them as fuel in the winter. There are going to be days in both categories. Don’t give up. It’s worth it. If it were easy to write a book, then it wouldn’t be worth doing. DON’T think you can edit your manuscript once or twice and have it ready for publication. Pour over that sucker about fifty thousand times until you’re absolutely sick of it and never want to see it again. Then, send it out to a bunch of people who know how to write and have them look over it. Then, you read it over a few more times. Would you rather set the manuscript on fire than read it one more time? Now it’s ready to publish. That is excellent advice… advice that I must (reluctantly) put into use very soon on my second book. *cringes at the thought* Well, thank you so much for allowing me to interview you, Mr. Kemp! I have thoroughly enjoyed it! For the rest of you reading this, I and Dakota would GREATLY appreciate it if you shared this interview with your friends, checked out Dakota Kemp’s books, and perhaps left a comment. I have a few sweet dragons at the “exit” button with really big teeth who will inquire whether you’ve showed this to your friends… Where you can find Dakota: Web: www.dakotakemp.wordpress.com Dakota’s Books: The Arrival, Goddess For my first author interview of the month, I am super-duper excited to introduce to you today one of my favorite Indie Published authors, Frank P. Spirit! Frank and I met via a readers/writers group on Facebook. If I remember correctly, he asked me who helped with the editing of my book. I gave him my editor’s contact information and we pretty much hit it off from there! Honestly, I think between the two of us we could take over the world… BUT, that is another story entirely. Mr. Spirit, I am so please to have you as my first author this month! Would you please tell us a little about yourself? Where are you from? Do you have pets? Family? Imaginary unicorn friend? F.P. Spirit - I am from New Jersey, the Jersey Shore in fact. And no, I’ve never seen those TV shows, “The Jersey Shore” or “The Sopranos” before you ask. I live with my very understanding wife, and the two coolest teens anyone could ask for. Why is my wife understanding? Well, she married me. Why are my teens so cool? They put up with my wife and me without too much of a fuss. Seriously though, I have a wonderful family. My life mostly revolves around them. Other than that, I have a job which I really like, and a group of wacky, creative, fun friends. Awesome family and wacky friends: what more could a person want in life? Other than a cookie? So, let’s talk a little about your writing. When did you start writing, and why? F.P. Spirit - As I said, I really like my job. Still, I’ve been doing the same thing for over 30 years now. That’s a long time to do any one thing! I needed another creative outlet. My boys and I began roleplaying with our friends a few years back. They are very creative, even having their own worlds developed from years of doing so themselves. My friend, Tim, had created the world of Thac for just this purpose. When we started up, we created characters, backgrounds, family histories, and stories about them. There was a lot of sharing of those over the space of the last few years. There ended up being so much after a while that I decided to see if I could weave these all together into a novel. Three years later, with much encouragement and support from my friends and family, the Heroes of Ravenford were born! Role Plays are pretty much the bomb! But I must say, until now, the thought had never occurred to me of turning one into a book… Hmmm. *puts thought on the shelf for later consideration* Well, I am sure our audience would like to know if you write for a particular genre, or do you cross genres? If so, what is your favorite genre to write for? F.P. Spirit - I write basically sword and sorcery type fantasy. I’ve always loved fantasy and sci-fi. It is fun and exciting to escape to different worlds and realities, to go to places where we could never visit and do things we could never do in real life! *Unfurls my "Fantasy Rocks" flag and begins singing "We are the Champions"* Ahem... anyway. Are you a planner or a “pantser” – do you plan out your books meticulously or do you write by the seat of your pants? F.P. Spirit - Planner. I outline my books before writing them out. I have a lot of stories about these characters and worlds amassed. If I didn’t plan it out, I wouldn’t be sure how to fit it all together. A planner, huh? Excellent. You can be the brains of the operation when we take over the world... Moving on now! What is the most difficult part of writing for you and what is the easiest part? F.P. Spirit - The most difficult part of writing for me is balancing out all the characters. I have quite a few in my novels and keeping it even is always a challenge. The easiest part is writing Seth and Donnie. I always can count on Seth to be sarcastic and Donnie to rush in headlong, d*mn the torpedoes! Oof! Juggling all the different characters is proving to be a challenge for me as well. However, you have WAY more characters than I do and are very skilled at keeping them all involved, so I 've been taking notes as I've been reading your books. Well, do you listen to music or watch TV whilst you write? Do you do anything unusual while your write? F.P. Spirit - Oh, this will get me in trouble! I need quiet when I write. Sometimes I lash out when I’m in the middle of an important scene and somebody turns on the TV or something. That is why I set up a room upstairs where I can go hole myself up. It’s not fair to anyone else in the house to expect them to keep silent just because of the obsessive writer in the house!! Yes. OWD: obsessive writer disorder. My poor siblings have taken the brunt of my OWD more than once. So, is there a message conveyed within your writing? F.P. Spirit - Compassion, tolerance, teamwork and doing the right thing. That is what the Heroes learn as the story unfolds. It’s what causes everyone to band together behind them. I love reading stories about teamwork... and elves… which your book has both of in plenty. Speaking of reading, most authors like to read, what have you recently finished reading? F.P. Spirit - I am currently reading The Vision Stone, Book 3 in Natasha House’s Jade series. It is a great series, so creative and descriptive. The way she portrays characters and her world makes you feel like you are there. I so love her style. I have read Natasha’s books as well! I totally understand where you are coming from. Her characters and story are very cool and so unique. Can you name your favorite traditionally published author? F.P. Spirit - David Eddings, hands down. His fantasy series the Belgariad and Mallorean are by far my favorites. I love the depth of his characters, and especially the way they interact. They are not your typical iconic fantasy characters. They are real characters with flaws and the like. And they are constantly “busting each other’s chops”. They are a very entertaining read no matter what the characters are doing. I always admired that, and try to emulate it in my own books. David Eddings, huh? *scribbles note down on To-Read list* And now, to play devils advocate, who is your favorite indie/self-published author? *smiles deviously* F.P. Spirit - You’re getting me in trouble again! I can’t name just one. I have three I like for different reasons: Natasha House for her lush, inventive style and worlds, Shannon Pemrick for her awesome characters who I’ve come to know almost as well as my own, and yourself, Kathryn, for your Tales of the Wovlen, the first in a creative series that has so much potential – I am so waiting for your second book! *Blushes* Yeah. I’m waiting on my second book too… *glares at my uncooperative characters before shouting “Go play in the street, kids!”*. Ahem! Now then, where were we? Oh yes: Research can be important in world-building, how much do you need to do for your books? F.P. Spirit - A lot. I have been labeled as writing classic fantasy. Well in fantasy books with spells and monsters and fantastical places it is too easy to say “oh that’s magical so of course it works.” I don’t buy that and don’t expect my readers to either. I believe it should all make sense, that there should be some basic principles behind magic and the like. So I go to great pains to explain it all. Even visualizations are important. I mean, I could just say, Glolindir cast a ball of fire spell. Boring! That is why I describe things as if the reader is watching what is happening: Glo reached into a bag at his waist and pulled out a pinch of sulfur. He began to move his arms in an intricate pattern, making a wide arc ending with his palms faced outward in front of him. A single word passed his lips, “Augue”, a small, bright red ball of light appearing between his palms. It hung there pulsing for a split second, then shot away up toward the top of the tower. The angry red ball streaked toward its target and in less than a second it traversed the distance to the catwalks above. As it reached its target, the ball suddenly expanded, now ten times its original size. It hung there for a fraction of a second longer, and then exploded! Bright red light flooded the top of the tower accompanied by the whooshing sound of the expanding flames. That is what I like to do, paint a picture with words for the reader. Fiiiire… wait, what? You paint? Sorry. I got distracted by the fire ball exploding. I like fire. Fire is my friend. And this scene in the book was just awesome... Okay, back on target… so, Frank, do you self-edit? If so, why is that the case? F.P. Spirit - I do a double, or sometimes triple pass myself. Then I pass it off to my “alpha” reader. She catches stuff I don’t see and sets me straight if I goof on continuity issues and the like. Once done, I send the draft out to a few beta readers to get their opinions. When all is said and done, I send it to my great editor/cover artist, Melinda Tipton Martin. I tried self-editing my first book and… well… *gives Melinda a virtual squeeze hug* I love you Melinda!! On the same topic, do you believe a book suffers without being professionally edited? F.P. Spirit - Yes. I do. A good pro editor will point out things that an untrained person will not see. Another writer is also good, but they need some experience with editing at the very least. How true that is! I didn’t even realize my issues had issues in my book until Melinda got a hold of it. So, I am curious, what was your experience with getting your book published? How did you start out? Did you have help? F.P. Spirit - It was a disaster the first time through. The cover was amateurish, it was too long and there were lots of grammatical mistakes and run on sentences. I lucked out by connecting with Natasha House and her Robot Review club. I met a few other folks there, and that led me to Melinda. She reedited my book, I cut it in two, and got a great pro cover done. Now, book one is doing pretty well on Amazon. It has been in the top 10 a few times in Fantasy > Sword and Sorcery. Top 10?! Man, that is awesome! Did you find marketing difficult? What strategy do you use, if any? F.P. Spirit - It is the worst! I’ve tried ads at a few different places, and also some free giveaways through KDP select. I also joined Clean Indie Reads last month and Tamie Dearen gave a great presentation on how to use Twitter for ads. I’ve been doing that ever since and it has worked pretty well for me. Ugh. I missed that class… drat! So, sort these into order of importance: Great characters; great world-building; solid plot; technically perfect. Can you explain why you chose this order? (Yes I know they all are important…) F.P. Spirit - Great characters, solid plot, world building, technical perfect. The characters are the most important. Without interesting characters to identify with, no plot is going to keep a reader’s interest for long. With great characters, you now need a plot to lead them through. Even if the reader likes your characters, without a strong plot, they are not going to read an entire novel. Worlds paint the background for the characters and the plot. Without a solid built world for the characters to live in, the plot will eventually break down at some point. I would have flipped the first two around and said solid plot THEN great characters. But I see your point there! Now, if you could change anything in an existing book, or series, of yours, what would it be? F.P. Spirit - The Ruins on Stone Hill, Book One of the Heroes of Ravenford. I got tagged a few times for not having strong female characters. If I were to rewrite it, I would probably have changed one of the character’s genders. How does Glolinda sound instead of Glolindir? Seriously, I gave thought to changing Delgron to a female warrior similar to Alana from the end of book two. Alana is a really big part of book 3 by the way. Glolinda? No. No way. I wouldn’t have the fictional crush that I have now if that were the case! (elves are my weakness. Note to Mom: find me an elf, and I might get married) Anyway, speaking of book 3… What is your latest book or series? Any forthcoming books? F.P. Spirit - My current series is Heroes of Ravenford. The first two books are The Ruins on Stone Hill and The Serpent Cult. The third book, The Dark Monolith, is scheduled to be released in 2015. It takes up where book two left off. Just when our heroes think it is safe, dark things start rearing their heads again. It looks like the Serpent Cult was not vanquished after all. The cult is still very much around and is after the works of the great Golem Thrall Master, purported to be hidden in an ancient monolith in the Darkwoods far to the west. But first, our heroes must clear their good names, for the Duke of Dunwynn has accused them of a crime that could have them banished or worse. Get ready for an epic battle between Lloyd and Sir Fafnar, the haughty Lieutenant from the City of Dunwynn. Add some new and mysterious allies, with secrets of their own. Mix that with a long journey, dangerous monsters and treacherous traps and you have a wild ride that leads our heroes far away from the town of Ravenford on a mission that could affect all of Thac. AHG! The excitement is about to kill me! I am totally rooting for Lloyd in the fight! *screams “BUST ‘EM UP BRO!” and waves a little “Go Lloyd” flag* Okay: pull myself back together. Tell us a little about the world your series, Heroes of Ravenford, is set in. F.P. Spirit - This story is set in the fictional world of Arinthar, on the island continent of Thac. Arinthar is a world of magic. It is populated by a combination of humans, mystical races and monsters, all of whom uneasily coexist together in this world. Arinthar has survived many ages and numerous wars over the millennium, the last being the Thrall Wars nearly 100 years ago. The world has experienced an unusual period of quiet since then, but recent events have indicated this may be coming to an end. The end of peace... I love it! Mwahahahaha! *chokes… coughs… gags* Ahem… okay. So, please introduce our audience to some of your characters. What do you like about them? F.P. Spirit - Lloyd is the tall, red armored Spiritblade from Penwick who wields his fiery swords like a whirlwind. Tough as he seems, he is a very caring guy who would give his life to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Glolindir is the blonde haired elven wizard from the hidden City of Cairthrellon. He is still new to the uses of magic in the "outside" world, and makes many mistakes. However, he learns and grows as the series unfolds, trying to help his friends and prove that people of different races can work together. Seth is the mysterious, dark clothed halfling who may very well be an assassin, his knives only slightly sharper than his acid wit. He is always verbally jabbing his friends, but Seth will go to the ends of Thac to protect them if he must. Aksel is the serious little gnome cleric whose healing hands are only matched by his love for all living things. He is wise and strategic minded, the role of leader falling squarely on his small shoulders. It is a heavy burden though, and it is sometimes difficult for Aksel to carry the burden. Elladan is the always effervescent white clad bard whose good looks and sylvan voice are only rivaled by his skills with musical spells. The consummate showman, Elladan lives to perform. But when he meets the Heroes, Elladan stands by their side through peril after peril, helping however he can. *Giggles like a fangirl* I love all of them! But, I think Glolindir is my favorite. Do you have a favorite character? *smiles deviously again* F.P. Spirit - You’re getting me in trouble again. I cannot pick a favorite main character. They are all far two special to me in their own ways. However, I can pick a favorite support character. Ruka, hands down. The sarcastic teen appears to be a female copy of Seth at first, but we quickly find out there is far more to the fifteen year old than meets the eye. She is butt kicking in a fight, not someone you want to p*ss off, as Donnie soon finds out in book three. An excellent reminder: don’t cross a sarcastic chick. Bad things WILL happen to you. Do you have a character you hate/dislike? Why? F.P. Spirit - Sir Fafnar. I think that was obvious. He is the ultimate pompous politician, trying to worm his way up the ladder in the Dunwynn chain of command. He is also quite obviously after the hand of the Lady Andrella. Fafnar is very easy to hate for all his intolerance and arrogance. He is the perfect foil for the Heroes as well because he is not someone they can just take out in battle. He is a noble of Dunwynn and has as much right to be in Ravenford as they do. Political men and stuffy noblemen always make me snarl like a dragon. I will gladly lend a dragon out to the heroes to scorch the pompus windbag, simply for the pleasure of watching (though I have a sneaking suspicion that they will have a dragon friend of their own soon...)! Anyway, back onto the subject: Are your characters ever based on real people? F.P. Spirit - Funny question. My sons developed both Lloyd and Seth. They put a lot of their own personalities into those characters. So yes, I guess those two are loosely based on my sons. Aha! That explains the great personalities those two characters have! And, have you ever used a person you don’t/didn’t like as a character then killed them off? *Laughs like a wicked witch* F.P. Spirit - Not yet. Debating on Fafnar though. Wink. Wink. Do it. Like I said, I’ll lend you and the Heroes a dragon if y’all need it… What formats are your books available in (E-book, print, large print, audio)? Are you intending to expand these and if not, what is the reason? F.P. Spirit - Ebook, and paperback. Audio would be fun. I have a friend who does voices (Matt, are your ears ringing?) I would love to have him read my book aloud. GASP! That would be totally awesome! If you do it, I hope to be one of your first customers for the audio version! *grins* Well, thank you so much for lending some of your valuable time, Mr. Spirit, and answering my questions. I had a blast! Oh… I had popcorn, by the way… did you want some popcorn? I eated it all, but… it’s the thought that counts, right? For the rest of you reading this, thank you for visiting, and please feel free to leave a comment below! There is a dragon at every exit who will ask quite politely if you have left a comment… after that, you should totally go look F.P. Spirit and his books up! Here is the information: Web: http://fpspirit.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeroesOfRavenford Twitter: https://twitter.com/FP_Spirit F.P. Spirit’s Books on Amazon: http://bit.ly/FPSpiritAmz Today's blog tour is for Faith Blum, a very talented, Christian Western author whom I met on an awesome writing forum called Holy Worlds (someplace that I need/want to visit and spend more time on!). An avid reader, Faith started writing at an early age. Whether it was a story about the camping trip that summer or a more creative story about fictional characters, she has always enjoyed writing. When not writing, Miss Blum enjoys reading, crafting, playing piano, moderating on the Holy Worlds Historical Fiction Forum and playing games with her family (canasta, anyone?). As a history enthusiast who has been fascinated for years with the Old West, Faith has endeavored to create a clean, fun, and challenging Western story. Faith lives with her family on a hobby farm in the Northern Midwest, where she enjoys the many cats they have. You can find Faith on her Website, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. For this tour, I got to ask Faith two questions! Yay! Faith, if you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor? Faith - Can I choose two? Both of them have affected me and helped me in different ways. Aubrey Hansen helped me a lot when I had questions about self-publishing and she formatted my first book for me. Jaye L. Knight was kind enough to beta-read Be Thou My Vision and gave me lots of good suggestions that I am super grateful for. She also wrote a book about self-publishing under a different pen name (Molly Evangeline) that helped me a lot. And what book are you reading now? Faith - Calming the Storm by Melanie Snitker. It’s a contemporary romance book about a young woman who has had nothing go right for her and a professor who finally found out what God wanted him to do. It’s awesome so far! "The church was empty when I dragged myself out of the pew and headed out the door. As I opened the door, the corner of my eye caught a flicker of movement which I chose to ignore. I walked down the steps and was nearly bowled over by two wild boys. With arms grown strong and quick from man-handling two brothers growing up, I grabbed the two boys before they had a chance to escape me." Oh, and by the way. Did I mention that today is also Faith's birthday??
Happy Birthday Faith! Some time back, a young lady that I participated in role play with mentioned that she was horrible at writing action scenes, specifically those with fighting and battles. I like to think that I write action scenes very well, especially since she mentioned as much and asked me how I was able to write them so smoothly. So, naturally, this prompted a blog post. Just a note: these ideas I mention here are just ideas that work for me. There is no guaranteeing that any of them will work for you. We are all different and have different styles and ways of doing things. So, if my ideas don't work for you, perhaps they will help you find your own style that works for you. Don't limit your creativity to someone else's ideas! Broaden your perspective! 1. Pop the popcorn Before I write a scene, I usually plug in some action music from a movie soundtrack (my favorites are Lord of the Rings soundtrack, Chronicles of Narnia soundtrack, and Transformers: The Score). I think this is referred to as "setting the mood" in the author. 2. Grab the remote I go through the basics as I get closer to writing the fight scene: What has led up to this point, this conflict? How do things look? What sounds, sights, and smells are there? How does my character react to those? Usually, when writing an fighting scene, I don't get much into my character's head and emotions. But I do get physical: what pain, strain, and stress is his body experiencing? What does he see, hear, and smell? Sometimes, usually at the very beginning of an action scene, I will touch on the very raw emotions of my character. Is he desperate? Is he filled with rage, hate and blood lust, or fear and confusion? Why is he fighting? What are his very basic feelings and thoughts on the matter? 3. Play the movie Now for the action to happen. How do I make it work?? I pretend I'm watching a movie... Seriously! I play my actions scenes in my head, in my imagination, like a movie. I sit down in my Imagination Studio and watch the scene on my huge screen... I close my eyes, or stare off into space, and envision the action in my head, then I transcribe what I see into the written language. Questions to ask if you are one of those people who have a difficult time envisioning stuff like this: What has happened to cause this conflict? If this were a movie, what kind of action would you expect as a result? What would cause you (or your character) to react? What unexpected things can happen? How does the bad guy think and act? How does the good guy think and act? What can you expect from them? What can happen to cause them pain? What will the characters do to avoid pain and stay alive? What will happen to make the audience cringe, or put them on the edge of their seat? One thing you must remember when in action, weather in movies, in writing, or in real life: you and/or the characters don't think when in action. You are just doing. The characters are just doing. Everything is happening fast and there is no time to think, only act. There is no time to take in a lot of detail. There is no time to think about how you feel. This can be a bit tricky, since it this is writing and not moving images, and you, the writer, must pre-think everything to make sure it works. The trick with writing is to make your readers think that you didn't pre-think any of the action. Keep constant suspense and give only the necessary details that keep the action rolling, such as the burn of pain, the thrust of a knife, the gleam of a claw, the shock of a punch in the jaw, etc. etc. etc. Here is an example of a mild action scene, a small excerpt from my published novel, The Dragon's Son (Amazon Link): Keegan jolted awake out of a sound sleep, feeling a buzz of electricity run through him, shaking him. A dark feeling began creeping up his spine. He instinctively grabbed the hilt of his sword. Something dangerous was lurking nearby. He could feel its presence. He sat up silently and tried to adjust his eyes to the darkness. Clouds were in the sky, and they concealed the twin moons and the many stars that normally lit the night sky. I created the setting for the scene. You basically know the time and the place, and you understand the eerie feeling that Keegan has. You know danger is just around the corner. *starts playing the danger music* A twig snapped. Keegan jumped to his feet in one swift movement. He stood still and tried to listen for any inkling of movement. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end. He loosened his sword in its scabbard and gently nudged the still sleeping Saul with his boot. Saul groaned and rolled over then was silent again. Keegan rolled his eyes and kicked Saul in the leg. Saul groaned and slowly started to sit up. “Keegan, is something wrong?” he asked groggily. “Shhhhh!” Keegan whispered. Saul seemed to blink the sleep away, and, seeing that Keegan was disturbed, he slowly and quietly began to stand up. I am creating the mood and attempting to build a little suspense, along with the "edgy" feeling, but trying to keep the reader a little unprepared, as the characters are, at the same time. A low, unearthly growl in the darkness caused both men to freeze, Keegan standing and Saul in a half- sitting position. A tall shadow leapt from the darkness and lunged for Keegan with a vicious snarl. Saul rolled out of the way, and Keegan jumped off to the side. The hot twinge of claws breaking skin shot up his left arm as he jumped away. He swung his sword at the shadow as he fell to the ground, landing on his back. The shadow evaded Keegan’s sword swiftly, crouching to the ground a few feet away with a growl. It glared at Keegan through glowing yellow eyes. Then it stood to full height, as would a man. Keegan gasped as the clouds broke and moonlight poured from the sky, chasing away the shadows of the night and exposing the creature well. Action and harsh conflict always happen suddenly. Spend a little time building suspense and then slam in the action! Envision it as one of those moments in a movie where you jump in your seat because of the sudden and unexpected attack. Of course, you wont get that reaction with the written word, but just envision it and write it out. Now, at this point, I build more suspense and intrigue by giving a brief description of the monster attacking them, which I have removed for the present distress. But as I said, I give a brief description of the wretched beast, then I move on with the action: The beast crouched slightly, curling clawed fingers. It then roared and lunged for Keegan, aiming its claws for his throat and torso. Keegan rolled out of the way and jumped to his feet, swinging his sword at the monster. The sword struck the beast across the ribcage, slicing across thick flesh and opening only a small wound in the large monster. The creature roared in anger and leapt away from Keegan, just as the moonlight disappeared behind the clouds and plunged everything back into darkness. Keegan rushed for a nearby tree, hearing the heavy footfalls of the beast as it came after him. He ducked behind the tree, preparing to swing his sword for the beast again. His boot suddenly caught in a protruding root of the tree as he shifted his position. His foot twisted, his ankle snapped, and pain jolted up his leg. He cried out in anguish as he fell to his knees, his ankle unable to bear his weight any longer. Instantly, Saul jumped over Keegan as the monster came around the tree with a vicious snarl. The monster looked somewhat surprised by Saul’s sudden appearance, but it recovered quickly enough to dodge Saul’s sword thrust at its abdomen. It grasped Saul by the shoulders, digging its claws into Saul’s muscles, making the tall man buckle under the intense pain, then it flung Saul aside as if he were but a sack of potatoes. I noted some of the small movements and details, like the curling of the monster's clawed fingers, but not so many that it would slow the action down. Only enough to give the reader the idea of what things look like and to keep the dangerous mood going. The main thing to consider when adding detail to action scenes is to make sure it adds to the action, instead of taking away from it. You must have some detail in action scenes, or things will go way to fast and seem rushed. But you want to make sure that your details keep the action going - that they roll with the punches.
I must admit, the action scene that I used above is not my best nor my favorite scene from my book because it is not my most active and exciting. I have other much, much better ones in different parts of my novel. However, I chose to use this part because it fit the present need better than any of my other scenes. So, all that to say: don't judge my novel by the above excerpt. *wink, smile* The best way to really perfect action scenes is to write. Just write! Pop in an action movie you like, pick out your favorite scene, and write it out. Then start envisioning random action scenes in your head and write them out as well. Do short little stories all about action moments. The more you observe, the more you write, the better you will get. Anyway, I hope someone finds this a little bit helpful. Have fun writing! Oh, and if you are looking at the gif images I've posted, you're probably thinking "Wow. She must like Lord of the Rings." and the truth is: yes. Yes, I do like Lord of the Rings AND The Hobbit. Books and movies. They're my favorites. The movies provided the best action gif images available for this particular post, so.... yeah. I couldn't pass up an opportunity to use them. |
Kathryn FoglemanAuthor of the fantasy series, Tales of the Wovlen, Kathryn spends a great deal of time in the world of her imagination, having tea with fire breathing dragons, writing books on flying space ships, and practicing her mad scientist laugh with gusto. However, on occasion,she returns to this world just to play with her dog and blog about her fun. My BookGrab a Button!Archives
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