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REVIEW
Monday, April 4, 2016
Monday, February 29, 2016
Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Interview: Gareth Torrance
Today
we welcome Steampunk writer Gareth Torrance. His vivid world’s and in depth
character development has earned him a spot as both a short fiction superstar
and as an outstanding novelist.
Q.
What drove you to write in such a fascinating genre such as Steampunk?
A.
To be honest, when I first started building the world that my stories are set
in, I didn’t really know about the Steampunk genre and movement that much.
I
grew up fascinated with science fiction and fantasy, with things like Star
Wars, Ghost in the Shell and Tolkien’s works having a big effect on me. Then,
as I grew a bit older, I started collecting and playing Warhammer 40,000 with
its gothic spaceships and characters. These all sort of merged in my head one
day when I started building my own little world.It
was probably a few of the Final Fantasy games, plus anime like Howl’s Moving
Castle that first made me realize that the world I was making fit into the
Steampunk genre. From there, my love for Steampunk grew, but I didn’t have to
change anything about the world or the stories because, purely coincidentally,
it was already Steampunk.
Q.
You have two short story collections out, The Creature Collection and The
Imperium Collection. How was writing your novel Valkyria a different experience?
A.
Valkyria was a completely different kettle of fish, as it were. The short
stories in my collections came into my head and I just sat down and wrote the
first draft for each of them in single sittings. Valkyria, on the other hand,
took me a few years to actually get finished. The first iteration lacked focus,
as I tried to cram the entire story of Einar and Alexia into it.This
bloated the book with too many point of view characters and widened the story
too much for one book, almost making it impossible to keep track of what was
happening.So
I ditched that, and started planning out all the different events of the
overall story based on the point of view characters, and used those events to
create the chapters. Then, I chose which order the chapters would go in, and
where to end Valkyria. I actually had to split the story into different books,
finding the best place to end each one that would tie up most of the loose ends
up to that point. Valkyria had to be able to stand on its own.
There
was just so much more planning involved with writing a novel, and at first I
made the rookie mistake of jumping in blind. For anyone who wants to write a
novel; trust me, plan it out first!
Q.
I found it interesting how your short stories all tie together. Each one was
its own story yet it painted a bigger picture of the world of Alexandria. Was
this pre-planned or did it happen naturally?
A. Well, Alexandria itself is actually part of a larger world that I have in my head called Rhythlan. One thing I have always loved about things like Star Wars, the Elder Scrolls or Middle Earth is how detailed and alive the worlds feel.One thing that, for me, can really hold back a fantasy or science fiction story is when it is completed focused on just that one story. Star Wars, even though the Skywalker story is amazing, really benefited from the Expanded Universe, as it made the actual universe of Star Wars feel real. It gave more strength to the conflicts when you were able to see the effects of the conflicts on the rest of the universe.So, with my short stories, I wanted to build up more aspects of the world of Rhythlan, starting with Alexandria. I plan on writing more short stories that deal with different plaes within Rhythlan, similar to how The Musketeer’s Dream deals with people from Three Peaks, a neighboring nation of Alexandria.In fact, the next collection I plan to write will be set in Ethoria, a kingdom roughly 2000 miles south east of Alexandria’s borders, across what is known as the Dead Lands that separates the north west and south east of Rhythlan.
Q.
What tactics do you use to overcome the dreaded “writer’s block”? Any tips for
the fellow writers out there?
A.
It’s probably not the same for everyone, but for me at least, writer’s block
tends to come when I either lose focus by trying to write too many different
things, or when I run out of inspiration.So,
I tend to take a break from the story and sit back on the sofa and watch TV
shows or movies that first gave me the inspiration for the story. For example,
a large amount of inspiration for the Creatures in Rhythlan came from my love
of The Walking Dead, so I would watch a few episodes of that, or read a couple
of issues of the comic book.Or
I would go on the computer and play a game that helps inspire me, like Bioshock
or Fallout. Getting this focused inspiration back tends to help me realign
myself with the story and start plodding on with the writing again.
Q.
Have you ever tried to write in a genre other than Steampunk? If so how did
that differ? Any advice for anyone trying to break into the Steampunk genre?
A. Actually, I am also working on a cyberpunk, dystopian story. It’s just the bare bones at the moment, in the initial planning stage, but already its very different. The focus of the story changes so much. Steampunk as both a genre and a movement has aesthetics at the heart of it. From the way you dress, the materials that are used to build the world, and the way the inhabitants act. But with other genres, the emphasis on aesthetic is not so integral to the story. It is still highly important to create the right visuals for the story, but they are not as important as the story itself.So, with that said, my advice for anyone wanting to get into the Steampunk genre is to research it a lot! The visual aspect of the subculture and genre itself are of high importance, as is the story itself. Look into Charles Babbage, and read up on Jules Verne. Don’t watch Wild Wild West (the Will Smith movie at least). Just research the subculture as much as you can. If you are in the UK, go to the Lincoln Steampunk Festival. If not, find ones near you and go to them. Get yourself as deep into Steampunk as you can, so that when you start to write it, you get it right.It’s the little details that really build it up. Like using a velocycle instead of a motorbike. So again, I cannot stress how important research can be!
Thank
you for your time and we look forward to seeing more from you in the near
future. Check out his full length steampunk work "Valkyria" available now
AMAZON
Interview: Aletta M Smith
We
would like to welcome Novelist Aletta Smith and thank her for taking time out
to speak with us.
Q.
Hazy View: Souls of the Vanished. I have to ask what inspired such an original
name?
A. I lived on the shores of Da Gama Lake which is near Hazy View. In the winter the mist would settle among the reeds which created such a sinister and mysterious scene that gave birth to the book.
Q.
As a South African, you are fully bilingual. What made you choose to write your
book in English compared to writing it in Afrikaans?
A.
Yes, although I attended an Afrikaans school I felt more comfortable writing in
English. I felt I can express myself more and deeper in English rather than
Afrikaans.
Q.
Hazy View is such an amazing horror/thriller. Was this your first attempt at a
full length novel? What inspired the plot line?
A.
No, I have attempted others but didn’t feel as strong about them as I did with Souls of the Vanished. Mostly what
inspired the plot was the dam and the scene it painted in the winter, standing
on the shore you can almost see something rising out of the mist.
Q.
What does the future hold? Are you working on anything new for your fans out
there?
A.
I hope the future hold a great deal. I’m currently working on two new books,
the one a follow up to Hazy View: Souls of the Vanished and the other a dragon
awaken after three hundred years. This is all I’ll reveal at this moment.
Q.
What tips do you have for South African writers trying to start a career?
A. Someone wise once told me “you can fail a million times but you can succeed only one”. It was my grandfather the only person who ever believed in me. Even if no one believes in you, you have to believe in yourself and work hard, this is the only way to succeed.
Thank
you for joining us and we look forward to seeing more from you in the near
future. I encourage everyone to experience Hazy View: Souls of the Vanished.
Available at Amazon.
AMAZON
Monday, January 18, 2016
Interview with Adelise M Cullens
With several Short Stories, novellas and now
Anthologies, it is no wonder this power-house writer got picked up as a Staff
Writer for Ink Blood Publishing. (Why, thank you!)
Q. You just finished writing “The Althorn Encounters”.
How was that experience for you?
A. Hectic and exciting! I don’t think I have ever written so quickly before. My process is normally pretty relaxed and deadline-free. I also like to write a variety of things, so writing four stories with ‘death’ as the subject made want to think about nothing but sunshine and lollipops for a while.
Q. One of our favorite stories in the collection is
“Hanging Onto Hope”. We got the sense that it is about Forgiveness and
Redemption but is a dark as well. Can you tell us what inspired this wonderful
read?
A. Good question. Sadly, I got the idea from a true story, or rather a number of them. One of my work colleagues had a distant family member that passed and was not found for a number of days. My over-active imagination took that idea for a dance and “Hanging Onto Hope” is what came out. There have been several stories in the news over the years of people being forgotten, some found up to ten years later. It always makes me so sad.
.
Q. While writing your stories for “The Althorn
Encounters” Did you feel a special connection to any of the characters? Is
there any character in particular you would like to talk about with your fans?
A. Karen from Killing For Pages has been around for a
long time. I wrote that short story around three years ago and I have been
hanging on to it, waiting for its time. When Althorn came into my life I had
found a place for Karen. This is more of a prologue to a bigger story about the
lengths a writer will go to for her writing and the consequences of those
lengths. I also have a special place in my heart for Neil in that story and I
honestly still cannot decided whether he is a bad guy or a good guy. I guess I
will find out when I finish that book! I do believe the best villains are ones
that you can feel sympathy for, the ones you can see the why behind the
terrible thing that they do. And likewise, the best protagonist are the ones
that don’t always do the right thing. This is why I like this story.
Q. You are now about to start on your second project
with Ink Blood. Can you give your readers a little taste of what you have in
store for “The Apocalypse Collection?”
A. My story is about Captain Michelle Swanson, a
scientist for the military. Michelle is a mycologist, a scientist that studies
fungi. What does the military want with a mycologist? Who knows? One day she
awakes to find that something is wrong. Animals are going crazy, attacking
people. Whole flocks of birds are dropping dead from the sky. And then horror
breaks out across the world…
Q. We know your talent goes well beyond short stories.
Which other books have you written would you recommend to your newest fans?
A. You could read my novelette series starting with
“Searching For The Silent Lady.” It is full of fighting and fantasy and adventure.
You could also hang out for my debut novel “Dead Bunnies Make all Eight of Me
Cry.” It is a weird tale about a women with Dissociative Identity Disorder or
what used to be called Multiple Personalities. I have been told it is “hard to
pigeon hole into a genre” so I will just say it is New Adult/Dark
Comedy/Horror/Chick Lit/Fantasy/Humour/Fiction. See, that wasn’t so hard!
Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us
and we look forward to seeing much more of your brilliant work in the near future!
(You’re welcome! And thank
you!)
Read more by this wonderful author and check out her short stories in The Althorn Encounters.
AMAZON
Sunday, January 17, 2016
Interview with The Saber
A man with a Darque Reflection who’s twisted horror stories have landed him in the ranks of Staff Writer joins us today. Let’s talk with The Saber!
Q. The first thing most readers want to know is how
did you become “The Saber” Can you shed some light on your mysterious pen name?
A. The saber is a sword that has some interesting characteristics. It is partially a two-edged sword and has a curve to it making it both a thrusting weapon as well as a hacking one. It is my sword of choice in working out with blades. All three genres of speculative fiction – horror, science-fiction, and fantasy often have swords or some kind of cutting implement. So the weapon ‘fits’ as a symbol. Also, like the saber (the weapon) has several ways to strike , I strive to make my stories elicit some kind of response in the reader, whether it’s a sharp scare, a building sense of anticipation or dread, surprise, or a combination of these.
Q. You were the very first Staff Writer for Ink Blood
Publishing. When you were in the planning stage for “The Althorn Encounters”
you got a chance to understand who Althorn the Crow really was and what the
collection stood for. What can you tell us about that character and how he
influenced your stories?
A. Kind of a variation of Charon the Boatman on the River Styx, but much more active, Althorn escorts your soul to its final resting place when you die. I actually tried to put a little appearance of Althorn into my stories somehow, except for Rage. That one just appeared out of my mind and I sent it to you immediately after, but it fit the death motif.. But the crow... the crow has ALWAYS been an omen of ill throughout history, and to have it show up from time to time on the stories was fun! I enjoyed the concept of Althorn and utilizing it in bits and pieces... kind of the ‘golden thread’ that tied the stories together somewhat, though in this case, the thread would be a black one, I suppose.
Q. Everyone has a favorite, sad but true. My favorite
story in that collection is “Ol George”. I think it is partly because scarecrows
really are creepy, but more than that it has a kind of old fashion country feel
to it. Which one of your stories for this project is your favorite and why?
A. This answer
has a spoiler alert!!! Ol’ George was an
interesting story – it started off one way, and took a totally different
slant. I enjoyed that, but honestly,
Wolfie is kind of my favorite. I have
never written a werewolf story before and I really enjoyed making the underdog
get the best of the bullies. I never
really liked bullies growing up (who does, except other bullies...right?) and
there is SO much of that going on, it was kind of fun to make a story that does to bad people what we fantasize would
happen – though we would never really wish it to afterwards. You know what I mean?
Q. What can the readers expect from you in the future?
I know you are working on “The Apocalypse Collection” is there any novels or
novellas awaiting your fans?
A. In my piece
in the Apocalyptic collection I am writing about the fall of Man by basically
his own foolishness and vanity. Touching
on genetic engineering and how nothing goes quite the way we want it to. I am also working on the sequel to the story
that led Ink Blood to me – The Storyteller.
This one takes place in Tennessee in the mountains, around Gatlinburg. It will be longer, have more fun in it than
the last one, and will make you wonder why you like this creepy little girl so
much. I have had more people tell me
they want more of her, so they will get it.
Further down, I am working on an epic fantasy series
as well as a series of horror novels.
Both are underway and serious efforts at this point. The horror stories may actually tie in to my
first novel, Darque Reflections, but that isn’t cast in stone. The main theme on that series is a man named
Joel Favery, who lost his daughter to cancer and his wife to her inability to
cope with it. He drinks himself into
oblivion, truly working on drinking himself to death, but finds he is being
drawn in to battle demons – and these aren’t human-type – these are some real
bad asses!
The epic fantasy series I am working on involves a
young couple that get transported to an alternate world. It’s a perfect world until they unwittingly,
and quite innocently, bring evil into it.
And they are the ones that have to figure a way to make things better
before the world is taken over by Dar-Bezhul the Destroyer, a very powerful
evil spirit they unwittingly brought with them.Also, whatever else we come up with in Ink Blood! Those are the quickest to get to you.
Q. Saber-Books was up and running when you joined Ink
Blood. What is it like working with them compared to the old days of absolute
creative freedom? Are there benefits to working with such a small company?
A. Saber-Books is my creation. I still have all of the freedoms I want with it, but it’s nice to have a publisher like Ink Blood to suggest topics to write on, sometimes. It stimulates my mind and challenges me to be a little more creative. But then again, I have talked with my publishers and they just say something about how their day went wrong on a point, and I’ve already got a horror story line running through my mind. Ink Blood is marketing my stuff better than I did, too. But I still have Saber-Books. It is always there for me whenever I need it and I still use it. I am going to break up my book The Imp and Other Tales into individual stories like Ink Blood has done with Althorn. I like the concept.
Q. For anyone who hasn’t seen Saber’s book trailer for
“Darque Reflection’s” you should go and watch it now. RIGHT NOW! We understand
you created that yourself. Is this something you enjoy doing?
A. I love doing
it! I am actually working on a re-make
of it that will most assuredly grab potential readers’ attention and take notice. BUT!!!! It won’t be for the faint of
heart. I also want to make one for The
Althorn Encounters as well. For those
who want to see the first one or the upcoming remake, join me on my Facebook
book.com @ https://www.facebook.com/kevin.timko.12?ref=br_rs_WyJrZXl3b3Jkc19zZWFyY2giXQ%3D%3D
. It can also be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwVgrRRTPSAWiHJnFxLAZcg There are 2 videos but they are the same,
the difference being a change in the intro on the newer one. I am growing in the creativity in this and
like writing, it’s challenging, a lot of work, but fun at the same time!
Thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us
and for your fans out there we all expect great things from you in the future.
Thank you! It’s
been a pleasure! Check out "The Althorn Encounters" available now and read more from this talented writer.
AMAZON
Saturday, January 16, 2016
Once Upon the Blood Moon
Available Now!
Thirty Seven short horror stories from acclaimed writers Cody and Chandre Toye. It Includes the entire Blood Moon series and much more. Come take a stroll in the twisted minds of these writers and let them show you something you can only experience once in a Blood Moon.
Thirty Seven short horror stories from acclaimed writers Cody and Chandre Toye. It Includes the entire Blood Moon series and much more. Come take a stroll in the twisted minds of these writers and let them show you something you can only experience once in a Blood Moon.
Amazon
Thursday, January 7, 2016
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