author chat

Author Chat: New Adult Fantasy Author Louisa Lo

Looking for a fantasy series to launch you into the new year? We had a fun chat with Louisa Lo, author of the Vengeance Demons series, one you’ll blow through in no time!

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Is this your first book? How long did it take you to plan it before you began writing it?

This is my first novella, and the second book in the series. Turns out it takes just as much planning, if not more, to write a shorter story. Since it’s a prequel, I already knew what needs to happen by the end of the book. So in essence I knew the beginning and the end, but not the middle of the story. That’s often what history is like—they tell you the fallout, but not the full story of what really happened to lead to it. It took me a few weeks of tinkering with the plot before I started writing because I wanted all the loose ends to tie together neatly.

Before Vengeance is part of the Vengeance Demons series, and it’s a prequel to Vengeance Be Mine. What inspired you to write a prequel? Did you plan to write one or did it just come to you?

It just came to me, actually. In Vengeance Be Mine the best friend of the main character is this sweet, gentle girl named Serafina. One day I just realized it’s the quiet ones you have to watch out for, so I started digging deeper into her backstory. The prequel ended up being quite instrumental for the latter books. I tried to reward the fans of the series by rewriting the opening of Vengeance Be Mine from the perspective of Serafina in Before Vengeance, and it’s a totally different scene once you know what’s in her head at the time. She wasn’t the damsel in distress; she was the one who saved everyone’s bacon.

Do you mostly write in this particular genre or do you dabble in other genres? If so, which ones?

I’m a geek girl at heart and fantasy speaks to me in a way that no other genres can. At least for now. I tried romance, but I knew something was wrong when I kept trying to throw a zombie in the love scene LOL!

What do you think makes your work stand apart from other works in your genre?

Coming from a financial analysis background, I’m super diligent when it comes to plot points and story logic. I’m not the type who sends out endless red herrings and never gives anything back. On the other hand, I’m also very inventive and tend not to stick with the generic stuff. If vampires are hot, that’s when I wouldn’t touch vampires with a ten-foot pole. I hope that makes me stand out. Someone once said to me, “There’s an element of risk no matter what project you take on. You might as well do something you enjoy.” I agree with that sentiment wholeheartedly.

Is there anything in your life that inspired you to write the Cosmic Balance series, or was it purely from your imagination?

There are past events in my life that had inspired me to write this series. Let’s just say that I’d experienced my share of injustices, and writing about a fantasy world full of vengeance demons is a lot healthier than trying my hand at revenge myself.

Are any of the characters in your book based on people you know or have seen/talked to in real life?

Not in Before Vengeance. But in Vengeance Be Mine, the character of Fir was based on the best friend of my father, this utterly fun-loving and flamboyant jokester who’s a perfect foil to my dad’s serious personality. I mean, when I was a kid, this guy, a grown-up, squeezed himself into a tiny little bumper car and raced my brother and me. What’s not to like?

What inspires you to write? Music? Other books? Real life events? Just an incredible imagination?

Actually, *coughs self-consciously* I got my best ideas after reconciling my finances and washing dishes. There’s nothing like clearing the deck for the brain to relax and be creative for another day. OMG I sounded so boring just now. My books are very creative, I swear. Okay, now I sounded boring and defensive. Great.

Are you part of any writers’ groups? If so, what do you like about them? How do they help you or inspire you? If not, why not?

I’m a member of the Toronto Romance Writers and Romance Divas, though ironically I don’t actually write romance at all. I frequent them because those ladies have the best marketing ideas, and they’re a very warm bunch. I’m also a member of Sisters In Crime, though I don’t actually write mystery. I write stuff with an element of mystery though, and the geek girl in me totally enjoys their forensic workshops.

Do you plan your writing out with outlines, character development exercises, and other pre-writing activities? Or do you just write as it comes to you?

I do. I have a master spreadsheet with like, ten tabs in it. But after I finish planning I hardly look at that file anymore, because whatever I don’t remember by heart isn’t worth forcing into the story. I trust my brain to plan, but I trust my instincts to carry the story through.

Did you do any research for this book?

Lots of research on changelings and fairies. I can’t put a twist on a convention if I don’t know what that convention is.

Do you read the kinds of books you like to write? Do you watch movies similar to or the same genre as your writing?

Definitely. But I also read/watch outside of my genre. I’m like a vitamin-deficient person who takes in what her body doesn’t naturally produce, until it does. Here’s my little “reading cocktail”:

-Military sci-fi for the fight scenes

-Romance for the mushy stuff

-Thriller/mystery for the plot twists

-Documentary/daily news for world building inspiration

If you could write anywhere in the world – in a fictional or nonfiction place – where would you write?

A cold and desolate cabin in the Arctic with a laptop, tiny desk, Kraft Dinner and freeze-your-ass-off toilet seat. No Internet. No creature comforts. No distraction.

Then I finish the book and go to Bora Bora!

Bio

Louisa Lo lives in Toronto, Canada with her husband, an aristocratic cat, and more cardboard boxes than she cares to unpack. She decided to write about vigilantes, because it seems like a better life choice than trying to become one and landing herself in jail. She just has that kind of luck.

All her books, her random thoughts, and lots more are here on her website. Also like her Facebook page for all kinds of great updates.

Author Chat: Jason Greensides

First of all, come to Jason Greensides’ relaunch party if you’re reading this on September 30! It’s on Facebook and will include author takeovers, book giveaways, and lots of fun. Click here to check it out and join!

We are excited to announce the relaunch of Jason’s debut novel and help him celebrate, especially with his new cover that drips ambiance. His writing style is engaging, his story entrancing, and he’s passionate about books. What more can you ask of any author? He’s also got another book in the works, but that’s a secret…

On with the interview!

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Question: The Distant Sound of Violence is your debut book. Love the name, and congratulations! How long did it take you to plan it before you began writing it?

Answer: In a sense I’ve been planning the book my whole life, I just didn’t know it. In terms of sitting down and compiling all the research notes, character and story ideas, themes etc., that took three months.

Question: The description of The Distant Sound of Violence sounds like the book focuses on the journey of the characters rather than their destination, which is intriguing. Would you say this was a conscious literary decision or just the way it ended up going?

Answer: This was a conscious decision. I love literary fiction, and I’d always set out to write a novel which focuses on character, theme and emotion, rather than plot. Not to say that the plot wasn’t there, in fact for the first half of the novel I wanted a driving plot to carry me through the second half, which does become more literary, focusing on the consequences of Nathan’s life decisions, particularly his homelessness, and the way his decisions overshadowed his life. I would say I write commercial literary/contemporary fiction. I know the character’s internal life is the thing most important to me, however, I still want the text to be transparent – I want the reader to forget they are reading.

Question: As a work of literary fiction, do you use other art (i.e. books, movies, music, etc.) in your book, whether as references or motifs?

Answer: I do at the research stage, after that I try to forget any of those other things exist.The Distant Sound of Violence cover Martin Amis is one of my favourite authors, and when I write I have a strict ‘no reading Amis policy’ because I’ll just end up emulating his style. In general, of course, I’m influenced by my favourite films and books, as I’m sure most writers are. Important films to me are the New Hollywood films of the 70s, as many of them are concerned with characters living on the edge of society (e.g. Taxi Driver, Badlands, The Conversation), as well as more recent indie or character-driven dramas, such as Monster, One Hour Photo, Les Amants du Pont-Neuf. In terms of fiction, authors such as Joyce Carol Oates, Paul Auster and Michel Faber are in influence, particularly in terms of style and the types of characters they write about – again, outsiders.

Question: What do you think makes your work stand apart from other works in your genre?

Answer: The Structure. The Distant Sound of Violence is a novel of two halves: the first is fast-paced and easily accessible, almost putting it in the Young Adult genre. The second half, however, is slower, brooding, more overtly literary. You might say in the first half I’m really trying to get the reader to enjoy it and get caught up in the drama, and the second half is like, Hey, you came this far, please indulge me a little here… Also, the first half is set over a few months, the second half spans seventeen years.

Question: What inspires you to write? Music? Other books? Real life events? Just an incredible imagination?

Answer: It’s hard to say what inspires me to write, because if I wasn’t writing I’d be doing something else creative. But it’s mainly the books I’ve read, those few key books you get lost in, the ones that keep you up at night, that obsess you in your working day. I’d love to write that kind of book, if possible.

Question: Do you plan your writing out with outlines, character development exercises, and other pre-writing activities? Or do you just write as it comes to you?

Answer: I ask myself key questions about the characters – What does the character want? What do they actually need? What is their main conflict? I’ll do a few sketches with them that don’t encroach on the story I’m about to tell, do a little back story, and a few other details. I’ll visit locations if possible and take photos. In terms of plot, I’ll come up with a vague outline, with a few key events I know I need to navigate to. I certainly don’t like to know all the answers before going in, I want to discover something myself, something I didn’t know was there or was going to happen. That actually happened quite a few times during writing The Distant Sound of Violence, and it’s one of the things I really loved about writing it. There were times when I’d slap my head and actually say out loud, Oh my God! I had no idea that was going to happen! Because as the writer if you don’t know what’s going to happen, then it’s more likely the reader won’t either. On the other hand, my second novel, which I’m still on the first draft of, has a stronger mystery element from page one, so I need more detail about where I’m going this time. It’s safer. You need an idea of where you’re going, generally; research is like packing for an incredibly long journey, one where you should take a map. How detailed that map is is where all writers differ.

Question: If you could write anywhere in the world – in a fictional or nonfiction place – where would you write?

Answer: It depends on the story. At the moment I’m writing London-based novels, so where I am now in west London is fine. I can write anywhere, and have. I’ve been standing on the train platform waiting for the tube after work, pen and A4 paper in hand, scribbling away, getting weird looks from other people. Strangely a lot of background noise like crowds of people and traffic can work for me; silence can be louder than any of those things. Having said all that, the Arctic tundra appeals.

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Bio

author headshot photoJason Greensides has a degree in Video Production and Film Studies and has made several short films, two of which have been broadcast on television, but it’s writing fiction he always returns to.

He’s interested in ‘outsider’ types, those operating on the fringes of society. This inspired him to write his first novel The Distant Sound of Violence. It’s about a group of kids, one in particular, Nathan Dawes, whose philosophical obsessions and criminal connections have all but made him an outcast at school.

Jason is now working on his second novel, another coming-of-age mystery, but on coffee breaks he tweets and blogs about the mysteries of writing, life and the cosmos.

Website: jasongreensides.com
Amazon: mybook.to/TDSOV
Facebook: facebook.com/jasongreensidesauthor
Twitter: @JasonGreensides
Pinterest: pinterest.com/jasongreensides
Goodreads: goodreads.com/Jason_greensides

Author Chat: Kevin Zdrill

Author Chat: Kevin Zdrill

Kevin Zdrill’s latest book, The Ukrainian In Me, takes a light-hearted yet honest and heartfelt look at the insecurities, concerns, and utterly hilarious family and social life of an unemployed 30-year-old woman of Ukrainian descent, whose marriage of “nine months, a day and a morning” ended in divorce, leaving her living in her parents’ basement. But that’s just the start of things. The plot and subplots riddled with clever catch-you-by-surprise, laugh-out-loud humor all mesh together into one fun yet intelligent book.

So we asked this prolific author – just how did this book happen?

I do have Ukrainian heritage on one side of my family. As a result, I’ve experienced a unique and entertaining childhood that hasn’t stopped making me laugh to this day. I’ve grown up in a city with neighborhoods rich with Ukrainian heritages and traditions and it’s been a privilege for me to experience the wonderful culture.

I’ve come to recognize unique dynamics within a traditional Ukrainian family that got me thinking how rich a family could be as the centre of my book for the sparks to fly. Baba is truly the heartbeat and authoritative voice of reason for Ukrainians. She is the backbone, the focal point who hosts all the special event dinners, where everyone goes to get advice or gets advice whether they want it or not. She’s the feisty, less than five-foot-tall ball of fire that you fear when you mess up and collapse in her arms when in distress. And when it comes to traditions, Baba is there to pass those traditions down the generations such as crafting Easter eggs, baking and making delicious foods such as pierogies, cabbage rolls and headcheese. (By the way, those who have eaten headcheese either love it or run from it, but it’s a fascinating food with a texture and appearance that defies anything else like it!)

It’s usually very hard for a man to write from a woman’s perspective, yet you do it so brilliantly in this book. How did you get inside a divorced-and-looking woman’s head so well?

Thank you! The immediate challenge for me was the unknown – if I was successful or UKRAINIAN COVER 2015missed the mark entirely while writing from a female perspective. Essentially, the best I could do was use my own perspective and interpretation of what some of the challenges could be for a female surrounding dating, divorce, self-image and social barriers. My hopes were to identify these areas with my lead character, Larissa, and provide her with a wry, self-depreciating sense of humor, adventurous to a fault but determined to make changes in her life.

I felt writing from a female’s perspective and one who possesses a Ukrainian heritage provided me an opportunity to showcase the loyalty dilemma facing Larissa. On one hand, as a female, she is pressured to fulfill the expectations of her baba to learn customs and cooking yet is caught in a generation transitioning away from being a stay-at-home wife to gaining a career and being independent. Suddenly finding herself divorced, Larissa’s guilt of failing to please her baba collides with her own failed goals of being a wife, leaving her to question everything in her life. She equates her own fears of failure as a female as a family curse that she has no control over.

It’s always a risk whenever an author takes a stance on his impression of a character, whether it is female or male. Sometimes the voice can be captured bang on or totally fall flat. But you have to try. That’s the whole point of writing. As an author, it’s all about risk-taking and pushing the boundaries of comfort. My belief is that any writing done with passion for the character should ensure some degree of success in catching it right.

Your main character, Larissa, writes a blog post at the start of most chapters, where we’re given a glimpse into her thoughts on many different social, personal and, sometimes, political subjects. Are these posts a clever way of offering commentary about these various topics? Was there another goal in having blog posts kick off most chapters?

There were several intentions for the blogs.

As the reader, we are inside the mind of Larissa with the blogs. We are experiencing her unguarded thoughts as she races from moments of panic to despair, describing the plight of various family members to painful memories of her past growing up as an only female child. The blogs become Larissa’s cathartic release of anxious energy in order to come to terms with re-evaluating her life at age thirty as a divorced woman having to reside back at home with her parents. The blogs provide an opportunity to retrace Larissa’s footsteps throughout her life to shed some insights into why she was in the predicament where we join her as the reader. The blogs become a story within a story as we also begin following the antics of several extended family members and their own personal trials and tribulations that marry into Larissa’s own personal angst.

The blogs did provide me with a comedic opportunity, using them as a sounding board on some of the quirks of social norms between father and daughter, fallout of not being the most popular girl in school, awkwardness of post-marriage family reunions along with those first days shacking up as a married couple.

To backtrack on the conception of this book, its original concept was far from the finished product we see today. My idea at the time was to do something outside the confines of a contemporary book. I came up with an idea to write an entire book that was based on only a blog for each chapter that carried the flow of Larissa’s story. Over the course of three weeks, while on vacation, I finished a 150-page book with 55 chapters consisting of a blog and nothing else. Feeling like I had just written the next best thing that would hit the marketplace, I forwarded it to my publisher, waiting for the pat on the back and accolades for this cutting-edge idea I had just pulled off. My publisher came back to me stating that the concept was interesting, the ideas of the blogs were entertaining, but man, you’ve gotta write a story around the blogs! Crushed, but with a grin, I went back to conceptualize formulating an actual story around the blogs. As defeated as I felt at the moment, he was the voice of reason and after the pinch of humility, I felt the book came out far more complete. In fact, it earned from the publisher their Editor’s Choice Designation! So I guess that speaks volumes of the book’s quality for the publisher’s prized endorsement.

I assume this book is part of your comedic dating series? Which we hope will continue…?

Of course! These are fun books to create. I have a blast scripting characters, dialogue and story lines that keep the pages turning. I think there are endless scenarios to write about when it comes to love, hurt, relationships and the human hunt for acceptance. For many of us, we nearly develop an obsession to find love and often, after achieving it, we seem to adapt toxic behaviors that send the relationship into fiery destruction. There is humor within that pain.

As your third book in your comedic dating series, how would you say the series has evolved or changed with The Ukrainian In Me?

The Ukrainian In Me complements the dating series in a unique way. When we first met Gus in No Kiss Good-Night, he was a man on the cusp of turning forty and desperate to find love. He was still suffering from his last relationship disaster ten years earlier. His resolve was to focus on a dating website despite the reality that it continued to beat down his self-esteem with every date. In the end, it was pure chance that connected him with Mitch. Yet he allowed the resurgence of his past to nearly destroy what he had with Mitch. Gus eventually discovered his mourning for the past was holding him hostage from moving forward into a healthy relationship.

In Boom Chicka Wah Wah we catch up with Gus seven years later to find he’s settled into a fairly mundane relationship with Mitch. Now he’s being tormented by a male obsession to push his reckless side by performing death-defying stunts while Mitch is pressuring him to progress their relationship to get married and have children. The book showcases a common deal breaker in relationships: opposite goals and opposite views on marriage and having children fuelled by staunch refusal from both sides to settle into a healthy compromise.

With The Ukrainian In Me, we become part of someone at age thirty starting over again in relationships, having to reside back with her parents and told from a female perspective. Not only is Larissa working to find that perfect match, but during the process she is finding herself. During her self-discovery, Larissa comes to realize that her own happiness and contentment isn’t reliant on being in a relationship. For her own journey, it becomes about identifying the inner critic within herself and moving past it.

The first two books in your comedic dating series followed the personal and romantic struggles of Gus Adams. Can we hope to see a follow-up book about Larissa’s next phase of life?

Larissa will return! We’ve just scratched the beginnings with the dynamics of her mom and dad, her new man and the blossoming of her revitalized inner confidence. I’d like to see what Larissa does with her new-found independence. I’m sure her baba will have a thing or two to say about it!

Are you currently working on or planning any other books? If so, can you give us a little teaser as to what we can look forward to?

Absolutely! I do have plans for further books burning at my fingertips! My overall ambition is a third and possibly fourth book to complete the series with the relationship-fumbling Gus Adams in No Kiss Good-Night and Boom Chicka Wah Wah to fulfill his zany journey. I potentially envision one book bringing us back prior to No Kiss Good-Night to the feverish relationship with the gal Peta that eventually ripped out and shredded Gus’s soul and destroyed his confidence in dating women for the next ten years. But I also feel Gus and Mitch need to move things forward in their relationship which means for Gus to step up and lay down his seed and become a big poppa! But of course, Gus being Gus, nothing ever comes easy without a few self-imposed mountains to climb and a tumble back down, bruised and battered.

That being said, I’m currently working on the sequel to my third book, Crazy, Mixed-Up World. This book crazy mixed-up world coverwas a shift away from my usual lighter, comedic fare and moved to a darker and complex look within relationships. A common request from readers was asking what happened to many of the characters at the book’s conclusion because it is left purposely open-ended. Life does not have clearly defined destinations. At the book’s conclusion, the lives of the characters in Crazy, Mixed-Up World left us with a snapshot of outcomes from their actions, however, it left readers with the question – what next? The new book will see a few of those main characters return into what is promising to be situations as intense and shocking as the first book. Expect to see dramatic closure to these characters featured in The Jungle Room!

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The Ukranian in Me is available to purchase on:
Kevin’s website:
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Author Chat: Marnie Cate

Have you ever thought of something fantastic that inspired you to write, whether it was a sentence or an image or even a general idea? Marnie Cate has, and she wrote and published her first book based on it. In fact, it’s the first book in a series. Get inspired by Marnie, who turned a thought into a whole book!

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Is Remember: Protectors of the Elemental Magic your first book? How long did it take you to plan it before you began writing it?

Remember is my first book. It was really random how I started. Three years ago, these words came to mind: “A blinding light surged through me and I fell to my knees. Stumbling and confused, I found myself being led to safety by Gram. She told me to hide in a crevice in one of the old oak trees that had split.” I decided that day that I was going to write. I started writing without really knowing where I was going.

Do you plan your writing out with outlines, character development exercises, and other pre-writing activities? Or do you just write as it comes to you?

I just write as it comes to me. Typically, I will have an idea come to me that I want to include and it changes my original thought. In my second book, I have issues from the first book that need to be addressed. This has created a new way for me to think about writing but I am still finding that free writing leads to my best work.

Is this book part of a series? If so, when can we look forward to the next book being published?

This is planned to be a series. The second book, Exigency, has a solid start and the ideas that have come to me have confirmed that I do have more than one book inside me to be written.

Do you mostly write in this particular genre or do you dabble in other genres? If so, which ones?

I never really planned to write in any genre. I think my books will always have their “feet” planted in the world I know and wander into the world I dream.

What do you think makes your work stand apart from other works in your genre?

There are so many fantastic books in the fantasy genre. My thoughts on magic and its origin are different than anything I have read. The relationships that Mara has formed are the true story. I think relationships are universal but I would like to think that my characters are unique and ever changing.

Remember’s book blurb starts out with a quote from the main character’s remember by marnie cate book covergreat-grandmother that changes the MC’s life. Was this inspired by something that happened to you in real life? Or is it purely from your imagination?

“Hiding the truth from you is no longer protecting you. Sit and I will tell you what you need to know.” is spoken by Mara’s grandmother, Mae Veracor (Gram). Gram is the daughter of Genevieve Silver.

I can sadly say I was never told that my family were the protectors of magic. The reality of the story is that I do have a little sister that I adore and I was lucky to have the best grandmother in the world.

Tell us a little bit about the magic in your book, if it won’t spoil the plot. What is it like and how does it work? What’s original about it?

Without giving away too much, I can say that the magic in Remember is elemental magic. This encompasses the ability to call upon the elements (Air, Fire, Water, Earth). Many books talk about the elements and their use. In my book, there are not just the elements but the elementals that teach Mara to use her gift.

You’re a fan of Dame Judi Dench, so much so that it’s on your Amazon author profile. What do you love so much about her? Have you based any of your characters on her in Remember?

The character of Mae Veracor is a combination of my grandmother, Judi Dench and my imagination. There is something that can’t be named when I watch movies, television shows or interviews of Dame Judi. She has a spirit for life that is contagious.

What inspires you to write? Music? Other books? Real life events? Just an incredible imagination?

I fear it is my imagination that keeps me writing.

Are you part of any writers’ groups? If so, what do you like about them? How do they help you or inspire you? If not, why not?

I have connected with several writers’ groups: #IndieBooksBeSeen and #Awethors. Both groups have very supportive authors who are about encouraging and helping each other. It is a great way to see that I am not alone on the island of indie authors.

Did you do any research for this book, even by reading other fantasy books?

The only research I did was to make sure that the ingredients in the spells in the book would not hurt anyone if they decided to try it. I would never recommend trying something you read in a book.

Do you read the kinds of books you like to write? Do you watch movies similar to or the same genre as your writing?

When I decided to write, my book reading dropped. I cannot narrow down just one genre of books that I like to read. One thing I did allow myself was to keep up with two series that I had stared before I decided to write. Each is very different from my book. As far as movies, I love all kinds but I do not think there is a movie out there quite like my book. I would love to see my book on the big screen one day.

If you could write anywhere in the world – in a fictional or nonfiction place – where would you write?

Either a flat in London close to the theatre or in a cabin in the woods with no distractions.

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BIO

marnie cate headshotMarnie Cate was born and raised in Montana before adventuring to the warmer states of Arizona and California. Her love of Dame Judi Dench and dreams of caticorns and rainbows inspired her to chase her dreams. One great sentence came to mind and the world of elemental magic and the humans they lived amongst filled her mind. With Remember, the story has begun.

BUY THE BOOK

Amazon: http://amzn.com/1508795320
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Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/remember-marnie-cate/1121537003?ean=9781508795322

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Author Chat: Bradley Cannon

Did you ever wonder what might happen if you didn’t die when you were meant to? Author Bradley Cannon explores the possibilities of this in his first novel, Extended Stay. And don’t be afraid to love his work – he’s got six more novels in the works!

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Extended Stay is your debut novel (congratulations!). How long did it take you to plan it before you began writing it?

Thanks! It’s been great to finally let people see what I’ve been working on. The beginning ideas for Extended Stay taunted me for about a year before I finally figured out how to go about writing it. I had a theme in mind all along, but the actual storyline took a while to develop. I have no idea why the pieces of the puzzle finally came to me when they did. I didn’t question it at the time. I just jumped right out of the shower at that moment (no joke!) and ran around the house wet and butt-naked for the next hour to write down all of my ideas.

I have never had so many plotlines and themes come to me so quickly for any other novel. I outlined more than half of Extended Stay’s chapters that day and began writing the first draft by the end of the week, which took around nine months to complete. The next seven drafts took four years. Then the publishing process took an additional year before the book ultimately became available January 26, 2015.

Do you typically plan your writing out with outlines, character development exercises, and other pre-writing activities? Or do you just write as it comes to you?

I always have an overarching outline of where a novel should go, chapter by chapter, from beginning to end before I start writing. I do this because I find that the constant worry of wasting six months only to corner myself with no proper conclusion slows me down more than any creative freedom would otherwise speed me up. However, I don’t think writers should ever be afraid to deviate from an outline if a particular scene or moment compels them to do so.

As for writing activities, I usually only do character development exercises if I am creating a character who is not partially based on a real person (or people) that I already know. My favorite prewriting exercise is to visit a location (e.g., a swamp, a bus station, or a movie theater) before writing about it. I do that often!

Your book, Extended Stay, is based on the idea of nobody dying within a 50-mile radius of Chattanooga, TN for 30 days. Is this concept about overpopulation and its effects, people taking life and death for granted, or something else?

Have you ever wondered why someone you knew had to die the way that they did? Extended Stay Cover-6.7ForKindleExtended Stay is my opportunity to express the answer to that question by showing how bleak the world would become if people never died at all. Along the way, many characters lose their sense of purpose and begin to make bad or reckless decisions to reveal why death, in all of its gruesomeness and bluntness, is actually a very necessary part of being human.

What do you think makes Extended Stay stand apart from other works in its genre?

There are numerous stories where an immortal character tells a mortal character about how tired or hardened they feel because they have lived for hundreds or thousands of years. However, the majority of Extended Stay spans a mere 30-day timeline in order to show a big picture of how quickly people would begin to change if they couldn’t die. That’s been a really fun angle to pursue that I haven’t heard as much about in the past.

Also, the Final Destination series is a major source of inspiration for the novel. However, Extended Stay focuses on the fact that people are not in control of when or how they will die, and then the novel goes on to show how this may actually be a good thing. As one reviewer put it, Extended Stay “makes readers think about their lives, privileges, and surroundings.”

It looks like you have two more books in the works, one literary fiction and one historical fiction. Extended Stay is gritty commercial fiction. Which of these three genres would you say you like writing the most, or do you like them equally?

Each novel and genre has had its own unique set of challenges. I suppose I felt the most comfortable writing Extended Stay. The novel has a lot of characters, each with their own storylines brimming with opportunities to pull in different readers. This forced me to do a little more research than usual, but it also gave me a lot of wiggle room to switch between stories on bleak days when I was feeling less inspired. Also, the idea of writing about people who avoid more than 40 forms of death was a blast to write about, and it created varying levels of suspense in each and every chapter. I didn’t want the novel to become some 800 page philosophical tome, so I took the fast “gritty commercial fiction” route instead, which I found to be an especially exhilarating and entertaining style to write in.

On the other hand, my literary fiction novel, The Wholesome Bell (coming summer 2016?), has been a little more challenging. In this novel, four uneducated men move into a doublewide trailer and create a bunch of utterly outrageous rules that they believe will bring them closer to happiness. Fortunately, I had already learned the value of writing about a familiar location in Extended Stay, so I placed The Wholesome Bell in Collegedale, TN to ensure that I always understand the setting. There is also a lot of dialogue in The Wholesome Bell, which I tend to struggle to describe after a while, especially when I am trying to be…well, “literary.” The solution to this problem has involved reading a lot of dialogue and implementing a variety of language tools, such as direct quotes, indirect quotes, summaries, and so forth, depending on the situation. The biggest difference between this novel and Extended Stay is that The Wholesome Bell is written in the first person, meaning that readers will have much more time to get to know a small group of characters, especially the main protagonist and narrator, Nick Johnston. That’s something I really wanted to try out after writing Extended Stay.

The historical fiction novel Darling, Schatzi has been the most daunting by far. This novel is about my grandmother’s experience growing up in pre-WWII Germany and how she eventually fell in love with my grandfather, an American soldier. The first draft of this novel is now finished, but there were many times that I had to go “over the hill and through the woods to Grandma’s house” for backup. I’m sure I’ll have to visit her again as soon I start working on future drafts too. After all, how was I ever supposed to write about life in pre-WWII Germany when I couldn’t even imagine what life in pre-WWII America was like? I really could not have completed the first draft without my grandmother’s support. I have spent many hours speaking with her to get all the pieces of her journey, which I believe has revealed a truly miraculous story of incredible growth and courage.

Did you do any research for Extended Stay?

I wish I could say no! Unfortunately I am not a police officer, lawyer, oncologist, exterminator, or any of the other professions that appear throughout the novel. I did use several locations and occupations that I do understand (e.g., lawn maintenance! Haha!). However, I also have had to ask people questions about everything from Catholicism to their experiences during a tornado in order to make sure the story remained both credible and incredible at the same time.

If you could write anywhere in the world – in a fictional or nonfiction place – where would you write?

I would write in a soundproof room with nothing visible in front of me except for a computer screen and a keyboard. Even the desk and chair beneath me would be invisible. The Internet would only work for occasional research. The room would have no door, no telephone, and it wouldn’t let me out until I complete at least 1,000 words. A slot where snacks magically appear would be a great bonus.

Going out into the world to discover new stories is integral to write any book, but privacy away from all distractions is absolutely necessary as well. This is not to say that I always want to be secreted away. For this magic writing room to be truly perfect, it would also stop time while I am inside so that I can see family, friends, and readers as soon as I get done. I greatly appreciate all of your support over the years and look forward to seeing and hearing from you at each and every opportunity.

Thank you, Proof Positive, for hosting this interview and for all you do to support authors. Everyone else, thank you for reading this interview; I hope you enjoyed!

BIOGRAPHY

Bradley Cannon NovelsBradley Cannon was born March 26, 1991 in Cleveland, Tennessee. He attended Bradley Central High School and recognized his interest in literature at the early age of 15. After that, a few long-winded ideas spiraled into several novels in excess of 100,000 words each. So far, six complete novels have emerged, all in different draft stages from one to seven.

Bradley graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga as an English Major/Communication Minor in summer 2013. Besides getting up early to write, he also works as a writer for Psi Chi Central Office, the International Honor Society for Psychology.

Bradley is now 24. He enjoys criticizing and praising television and looks forward to one day creating his own continuing selection of work. On his birthday, he proposed to his wonderful new fiancée, Leslie. They married in the summer of 2014.

POPULAR LINKS

You can view the first few pages of Extended Stay for free, check out customer reviews, and purchase a print or Kindle edition of the novel at Amazon.com HERE.

The Extended Stay video trailer is available on YouTube.com HERE.

You are also invited to connect with me via Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, LinkedIn, or Google+.

Author Chat: Michele Lynn Seigfried

One of the most exciting things is discovering indie authors in your area, and a great way to do that is through book conferences. Recently, I met Michele Lynn Seigfried, author of the Jersey Shore Mystery Series, at the Belmar BookCon. Her series struck me as a great mix of mystery, fun, and timely and relatable current events. Of course I bought the first book in the series. 🙂

The third book in the Jersey Shore Mystery Series, Community Affairs, is coming out tomorrow, but I got the scoop on it from Michele a day in advance. Enjoy!

~~~

Was Red Tape, the first book in the Jersey Shore Mystery Series, your very first book? How long did it take you to plan it (or the whole series) before you began writing it?

Red Tape was about 10 years in the making! One year of actual writing. I have a full-time job and a toddler, so it’s hard to find time to write!

Do you typically plan your writing out with outlines, character development exercises, and other pre-writing activities? Or do you just write as it comes to you?

I have tried to write with outlines, but I always seem to deviate from them. Sometimes I have to go back to the beginning and write in a character to make the story make sense! I do use character development exercises at times. I find them to be helpful!

Did you do any research for the Jersey Shore Mystery Series? Tell us about how your expertise in municipal government helped you with this series.

Yes, even though I work in government, I still had to do a lot of research. I didn’t know the first thing about guns, arrests, or how a court system works. I wanted the facts to be correct, so a lot of research went into it.

With regard to my position in government, I have 16+ years experience. I am a municipal clerk, so I thought I’d make my character have the same profession. “Write what you know” is advice I always hear. I know how that office operates and how records work. I also have kept up over the years with current events regarding government employees, which became ideas in my book. For example, there was a city in North Jersey many years ago that had an employee stealing birth certificate papers.

Does Superstorm Sandy play a part in any of your series?

Yes. A large part. In the first book in the series, the antagonist, “Mr. Triggers”, is angry about there being no dunes at the end of his street. During the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, I had seen a news report on television about a group of residents who didn’t have dunes and how their homes were destroyed. On the streets where there were dunes in that same town, the homes weren’t completely obliterated. I started to think – what if a resident was angry about the dunes and took it out on the government? And what if, after repeated requests to get his dunes, his home got destroyed in a hurricane? I suddenly had a plot (and a subplot with the birth certificate issue).

In addition, I portrayed the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy as accurately as I could. I was lucky during the storm, I only lost power for a week. Many others were not so lucky. I have cousins who were newlyweds living in a basement apartment that lost everything, escaping the storm with only the clothes on their backs.

Give us the inside scoop on what we can expect in the third part of your series, Community Affairs, to be published January 27, 2015. Tell us something no one else knows!

Fans of Bonnie, get ready! Bonnie, the sassy sidekick in the first two novels, is the main character in Community Affairs. She and her neighbor Lyla, or “Lemon Face” (as Bonnie calls her) go head to head in a somewhat immature neighbor battle. It’s a mystery, of course, so that also means a murder, a kidnapping, mayhem, and a little humor.

As for something that no one else knows, I’ll let you in on this little secret. A lot of my fans are wondering what is going on in Chelsey’s love life. She has two suitors, Bryce and Kris. Since this book ended up being a “Bonnie Book” the love triangle for Chelsey isn’t resolved until book 4 in the series. But there is a new development revealed in Community Affairs. Chelsey’s ex, the father of her daughter, is back in the picture too!

You’ve won honorable mention and runner-up awards for your first two Jersey Shore Mystery Series books in the Beach Book Festival. What is that and what does this recognition mean to you?

I was so excited and honored to be recognized for those awards. “Honorable mention” in that particular book contest is like getting third place. “Runner-up” is synonymous with getting second place. I think, as an author, I’m always second guessing myself. Will readers enjoy this? Is this believable? Is this character developed enough? Will people understand my sense of humor? Is there enough conflict? Is the plot moving too slow? Receiving an award for me is having an expert in the field say, “Guess what? Your work is good! Stop worrying!”

Do you mostly write in this particular genre or do you dabble in other genres? If so, which ones?

I write in this genre (cozy mysteries) and I also write and illustrate children’s picture books.

How do you switch back and forth between children’s books and mystery books intended for adults?

I’ve always enjoyed drawing and other types of art. I was an art minor in college. So sometimes when I feel stuck in the plot, being creative in a different way helps me to clear the writer’s block. I may set the writing aside to draw pictures for a new book, then go back to the writing when I’m ready. Drawing pictures is something that is very relaxing to me, and I tend to become more creative with the written word when I’m less stressed. I also tend to create the children’s books while my current book is with the editor. And lots of times, my husband and daughter give me ideas. Lately, to get my daughter to brush her teeth, we’ve been telling here there’s a monster in her mouth and she has to get it out. Hence the next of my children’s books was born! I wrote the story (in verse) in one day and I’ll work on the illustrations throughout the year, in between writing book 4 in the Jersey Shore Mystery Series.

What do you think makes your mystery series stand apart from other works in your genre?

I think one of the ways it stands out is that I used similarities to current events in New Jersey in the first two books, like Hurricane Sandy and the Seaside boardwalk fire (though I didn’t mention Seaside in the second book). I also don’t know of any other cozy mysteries where the sleuths and criminals are government workers. I was trying to give readers an idea of what it is like to work in government and how government employees don’t all fit that lazy stereotype, especially in local governments.

Are any of the characters in your book based on people you know or have seen/talked to in real life?

Yes! Lots of them. Jose Texidor is based from a real person, retired Lt. Scott Texidor, a former co-worker of mine (with his permission of course). And yes, he is as sarcastic in person as he is in the books!

Uncle Freddy, Giuseppe Frusione, Salvatore Romeo, Kathy Norcia, and Sylvia G. are all real people to name a few.

Chelsey’s Uncle Lou left her a house on a lagoon in New Jersey. My Great Uncle Lou lived in a house on a lagoon at the Jersey shore and I wish he left me a house in his will! Oh well. (I’m living vicariously!)

Also, Bonnie is based on one of my friends (who wishes to remain anonymous). She talks the same way in person as her character does, so it always makes me laugh when a review comes in saying that Bonnie is not a realistic character because people don’t talk that way. I’m here to tell you, oh yes, they do! I find Bonnie absolutely hilarious. Although the real “Bonnie” does not have a rich neurosurgeon husband or beach front home.

What inspires you to write? Music? Other books? Real life events? Just an incredible imagination?

All of the above! Newspapers and the news on TV are a big inspiration to me. Family is as well. There is so much in my books that have some reference to my family – including Mandy, who was modeled after my own daughter. Heck, even the dog! My husband had a Shepherd named “Snickers.”

How do you connect with your audience (e.g. book signings, social media, BookCons, lectures, etc.)?

I appeared at numerous local craft shows last year, where I signed and sold books, and I have plans to attend more this year. I’ve done library talks, seminars, conferences, BookCons, and school appearances. Social media helps me connect with readers a lot as well. Email, Goodreads, and Facebook are easy ways for readers to get in touch with me!

Are you part of any writers’ groups? If so, what do you like about them? How do they help you or inspire you? If not, why not?

I am. I’m a member of Sisters in Crime, Sisters in Crime – Central Jersey, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and the New Jersey Author’s Network. Since I don’t have a formal education in literature or creative writing, networking with others who are writing is helping me to learn as much as I can. Members in these groups are extremely supportive. They also provide opportunities for speaking engagements and book signings.

Who are your writing influences and why?

Lately, I’ve been reading a lot of J.A. Konrath. While our genres are a little different, I really like how each of his books in the Jack Daniels series has a unique style. I thought I would try to adapt a unique style in each of my books too! My first book is told in first person with Chelsey being the main character. Tax Cut is told in first person from Chelsey, but each chapter has sections where you get the insight from the “bad guys,” told in third person. In Community Affairs, not only did I change the main character, the beginning of each chapter is told in present time, a time when Bonnie is being held captive. Then she tells the story of what led up to her being captive over the past few weeks in first person.

I also have been reading a lot of Gemma Halliday and the authors that she publishes. I enjoy their work, and in my third book, I tried to adopt a tighter writing style like theirs.

Do you read the kinds of books you like to write? Do you watch movies similar to or the same genre as your writing?

Yes, all the time! I do book tours and reviews about cozy mysteries for Escape with Dollycas. I learn about so many new authors that way and have the pleasure of reading books I may not have thought to try. I love cozies, regular mysteries, and thrillers. Yes, I also watch movies and television that pertain to the genre. I love watching CSI and Law and Order reruns. Now that I have a toddler, movies are more of a luxury for me! I never get to go!

If you could write anywhere in the world – in a fictional or non-fiction place – where would you write?

On the island of St. Maarten, watching the pelicans, listening to the ocean, sipping exotic cocktails made with guava or passion fruit, eating the best chocolate in the world (The Belgian Chocolate Box), listening to island music, being on island time. Ah, so relaxing! And as I mentioned earlier – I’m much more creative when I am relaxed!

~~~

Buy Community Affairs here!

Connect with Michele:
Website
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