Author Interview - Fiona Dodwell

Today, I'm interviewing a dear friend and fellow Damnation Books author, Fiona Dodwell. I've read The Banishing, and loved every moment of it. Don't miss out on this treat.

• Welcome, Fiona. Tell us a bit about yourself.

I'm 29 years old and I have been passionate about horror since I was a child. I have studied psychology, drama and theology. I currently work in a psychiatric unit. I am married to my husband Matthew who works for a local charity, and I am an avid animal lover.

• As a child, what did you want to do when you grow up?

A writer. All I wanted to do was write. I remember when I was about twelve years old and the class teacher asked me what I wanted to do when I grew up. I looked up, eyes wide with excitement and opportunity and announced I wanted to write books. My teacher replied: “Yes, but what real job do you want to do?” That to me wasn't helpful – I needed encouragement, inspiration. Thankfully it didn't deter me from dreaming and I went on to write short stories and poems through my childhood and early teens, winning competitions and learning the craft.

• When and why did you begin writing?

Probably around the age of ten. I wrote my first book called Caged Demon – so you can see, even back then I was a dark minded person! Very heavy for a child's mind.

• What inspired you to write your first book?

My first book, written about four years ago- The Dead Lie – was inspired by my husband. He read through some of my writing - short stories, sample chapters, poems,  and thought I had potential. He knew how much I wanted to write a great book, and he kept encouraging me to throw myself into it. His support has been amazing. 

• What books have influenced your life the most?

Susan Hill's The Woman In Black, Stephen King's Pet Sematary and The Dark Sacrament.

• If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Probably Stephen King; he has mastered the genre that I adore.

• Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Sometimes there is a brick wall. I'm sure most writers will know what I am talking about. Most writers at one time or another will hit a block – and sometimes it's tempting to do something other than your best – or to even stop trying at all. I have learned to drive on, strive, work at it. Even when the going is tough! Writing can sometimes flow with inspiration; other times that well of inspiration can dry and you really need to tap into it with focus and hard work.

• How long does it take you to write a book?

Anything from six months to over a year. I have written three books, none took longer than a year.

• What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I am not somebody who works to a timetable. I work when my heart is in the place. Some days I might write for three hours straight – other days might only produce a single page. I write regularly, but  it isn't something rigid and scheduled.

• What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I guess something I love exploring in my writing is the dark side of the human mind. The lengths some will go to. I don't usually create characters that are perfect – I like to explore flaws, faults, issues. My central characters often take me by surprise.

• What do you like to do when you're not writing?

A lot of reading. Honestly, when I am not reading I am unhappy. I read for hours a day when I can. I also love spending time with my husband and family, and I enjoy leisure time online.

• What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

That the words on pages come to life – a life of their own. The amount of times I will find a character do something unexpected, or an event come out of nowhere! It's quite an amazing feeling to see character you create suddenly jump out of the page and take matters into their own hands.

• What do you think makes a good story?

It's hard to answer that. Good writing, interesting characters, unexpected twists. For me, as an avid horror fan, I have to say the darker and creepier and  more disturbing the better the story!

• What genre are you most comfortable writing?

Horror, horror, horror!

• How do you develop your plots and characters? Do you use any set formula?

I tend not to stick to set formulas or plans. I like my writing to be raw, unformed, free. I know some writers tend to plan, but I go with instinct. Of course I have a basic outline of a story and the major events in that story, but I let the rest fall onto the page naturally. It's a magic feeling to create something that can surprise even me, when I'm the one writing it.

• What is your favorite horror movie?

I have many favourites... I would have to say The Ring, Case 29, The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby.

• Do you ever come up with anything so wild that you scare yourself, that leaves you wondering where that came from?

There are many scenes in my novel, The Banishing, that I found disturbing to write. I let the story flow in the direction it needed to go – there is no use in writing horror if you are frightened of unveiling those dark elements of life.

• What is your favorite book outside of the horror genre?

The Secret Life of Bee's. That is beautiful. I also love How To Kill A Mockingbird.

• What draws people to horror novels? Why do we, as readers, like to be scared?

I think it's fun to be scared – when we know we're safe. It's that feeling you get on a rollercoaster: we love to be thrown about in the dark, face the unexpected, but to know we'll step off that ride safe and sound. There is something in us, as humans – we are shaped and formed by the dark side as well as the light, and I think by enjoying horror books and films we get to touch that side without burning ourselves, so to speak.

• Why should fans of horror movies read horror books?

Books can do so much more. Your imagination is a powerful tool. It can take you places no actor or special effect can take you.

• What are your current projects?

I am currently submitting my second novel which is being considered for publication, and I am writing a dark, twisted ghost story called The Governess.

• Can you share a little of your current work with us?

My novel The Banishing is a dark story about one woman's struggle to survive – and to save her marriage in the process. It explores elements of demonic possession, spirit  hauntings and the dark side of the human psyche. My central character, Melissa, begins to notice some dark changes overcoming her husband. Is he losing his mind – or is there more to it?

• How did you come up with the title for your book?

The Banishing is a ritual (a fictional one I created!) which involves making a pact with a demon. The title was formed on that basis  - which I describe in my novel.

• Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

This book is about surviving. The line on the cover of my book says “How far would you go to save your marriage?” The Banishing is one woman's answer to that question – and the results are disturbing. I like to think that the reader will follow my central character and feel her pain, her plight. And hopefully understand the lengths she goes to in order to survive. I hope it will inspire women: my character, Melissa, is a fighter, a very strong woman.

• Are there parts of the book based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

None at all – and when you read it, you'll be glad!

• What was the hardest part of writing your book?

There are scenes of domestic abuse in the story which were difficult to put down on paper. I had times where I felt like removing certain graphic scenes or certain words. But in the end they stayed: I had to stay faithful to the story. I didn't write anything to glorify abuse – but only what was essential to the story.

• Where can we find you online?

Please check out my website: www.fionasfiction.wordpress.com or the publisher's website:

www.damnationbooks.com

 

Fiona, thank you for stopping by, and good luck with your new release. :-)

About Fiona Dodwell:

Fiona Dodwell lives in Buckinghamshire in the United Kingdom. She works in health-care but is fascinated by the paranormal deep enough that she studied it (in her own time) since she was a teenager. She is currently on the staff team at Talk Paranormal – an online paranormal discussion group.

She grew up loving dark fiction, devouring books like Stephen King's Pet Sematary and Susan Hill's The Woman In Black at a young age, and thus began a life-long love of horror.

She began writing poetry and short stories as a child, and entered many writing competitions as a teenager – some resulted in winning entries.

She has written three novels – The Dead Lie, The Obsession, and The Banishing.

Author Interview - Greg Chapman

Today, I'm interviewing fellow Damnation Books author, Greg Chapman. His book, Torment, was released on March 1st.

• Greg, tell us a bit about yourself.

Wow, how do I put the last 35 years into words? Seriously I’m driven by a very vivid imagination. When I’m not working in marketing for the Department Education I’m thinking about short stories, or novels or graphic novels. It’s been with me ever since I was a kid, so I guess I’m still a kid at heart (my wife would definitely agree). Having two fiery red-haired daughters has probably made me worse in fact. Professionally, I was a reporter on three newspapers across Queensland for eight years.

•  As a child, what did you want to do when you grow up?

Becoming an author is a dream come true, literally. Probably from the age of seven or eight I started to draw – no one else in my direct family can draw so no one knows where it came from. I was into comics (Superman was my fave  - but I’m into more “mature” stuff now) and Doctor Who (still love it). I created my own comics (I had one called “Flare” about a guy who came from the Sun) and over time and practice my drawing ability became more refined. The writing and the drawing went hand in hand. I got a diploma in graphic design so the drawing side of things was the priority for many years after high school.

• When and why did you begin writing?

It was just like a switch came on inside my head. I got my first comic and I thought I can do this and I did. I just loved the idea of telling stories and people – especially my late mother – encouraged me to keep at it.

• When did you first consider yourself a writer?

The actual hard fiction writing began in high school as part of my English classes. I recall my teacher encouraging me. After the graphic design career I met my future wife and she was studying at university and I thought about studying journalism. This eventually became a reality and a job that I held for about eight years. In between, I dabbled with stories, still drawing and writing, but never trying to submit anything. I moved back to my home town in 2008 and I found I didn’t want to be a journalist anymore. I joined a small writers group and heard about the Australian Horror Writers Association.

• What inspired you to write your first book?

After joining the AHWA I was selected into its mentor program under the tutelage of amazing Aussie horror author Brett McBean. During that time I had my first short story published in the US e-mag The Absent Willow Review – a vampire tale entitled Precious Blood. This was a real boost and I started on a novella called The Noctuary – a tale about a writer who finds his muse is real and is demonic. Within that story was another story – Torment. Brett advised me to separate the two tales – that Torment was good enough to stand alone. Now Torment is about to be published. Maybe The Noctuary will be too.

• Do you have a specific writing style?

It’s hard to narrow it down really. I like third and first person narration. I like to describe and build dread, but I also know you have to keep it tight. I like mysteries and I work very hard to try and keep the suspense going for the reader. Visceral horror also appeals to me…that thing you don’t want to look at, but can’t turn away from. I think that comes from my very early childhood fear of the dark. I was also exposed to a few horror films, like Friday the 13^th and Nightmare on Elm Street by my older brothers and cousins.

• What books have influenced your life the most?

One of my subjects at uni was Literary Theory and it was boring – until we began to read classic fiction. Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher was one of the first horror tales I ever read and the darkness in it infected me. Over the last few years I have read a lot of Clive Barker and I’d say he was a major influence – so the Books of Blood and Weaveworld obviously struck a chord with me.

• If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

As I said I did have a mentor in Brett McBean, but many other Aussie writers have supported me along the way. It’s like one big happy, scary, dark, extended family. But I’d love to meet Clive Barker and learn a few of his trade secrets. Maybe one day???? If I’m lucky??? Please???

• What book are you reading now?

The Fall (the second part of The Strain trilogy) by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan. It’s brilliant – how all great vampire tales should be.

• Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I can create worlds quite well, but getting the dialogue right and natural is always a challenge.

• How long does it take you to write a book?

I probably wrote the very first draft of Torment in about nine months. I wrote a novel in six months, but it was clear that I’d rushed it.

• What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

I write and draw at night (when my kids are in bed)

• What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

If it’s a long story I have to handwrite the first draft. I find the story flows out of me better (and I’m a crap typist).

• Where do you get your ideas for your books from?

My head is full of weird and wonderful ideas and I always write them down (my wife finds my notes everywhere). Sometimes I’ll go looking for obscure words to inspire me.

• What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Draw and play with my kids. Read.

• What does your family think of your writing?

My wife is very supportive of me, but she doesn’t like horror stories and that’s OK. My kids are too young to read my stories, but I’ll be putting away a few copies for them to read when they are older. My other brothers are proud of me, my dad too. I’m most grateful that I was able to tell my mum about my acceptance with Damnation Books before she passed away from breast cancer. When Torment comes out it will be a few weeks before the first anniversary of her death. A lot of good things have happened to me since she passed and I know she has been keeping an eye on me. I dedicated Torment to her.

• How has your environment/upbringing colored your writing?

I’d have to say yes. I grew up in a Catholic household and given my first short story was about a priest and a vampire and Torment is about exorcisms and demons and a deacon’s daughter… well need I say more?

• What genre are you most comfortable writing?

Horror and dark fantasy obviously.

• Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?

Sometimes. Usually I put the story down and draw or find something else to do.

• What, in your opinion, are the most important elements of good writing?

Story is the key with any story…and in a horror story? Building that sense of dread.

• What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?

Oxford English Dictionary. The Elements of Style by E B White. For Horror – Barker, King, Laymon, Piccirilli, Ramsey Campbell, Lindqvuist, Richard Matheson any and all horror authors.

• What dreams have been realized as a result of your writing?

I reckon most of my ideas are waking dreams.

• What interests you about the horror genre?

Horror fiction is a genre unlike any other because it covers the whole gamut of human emotions, philosophy, faith and you can take your characters to the edge of insanity and choose to push them off or pull them back.

• What draws people to horror novels? Why do we, as readers, like to be scared?

It’s a primal instinct I think. It reminds you you’re alive and no other emotion can fully affect you – body and mind – like horror and terror can.

• Why should fans of horror movies read horror books?

Because the majority of the time the books are so much better than the film and also the imagery in the film takes away a reader’s ability to imagine.

• The perception of the horror writer is that he/she is just a little bit weirder than most. Do you find yourself — and other horror writers — to be more idiosyncratic than the average person?

People do look at me funny when I say I write horror and I’m sure they wonder what I do at night. I just try and explain that I just like to tell stories and share the fear around. It’s just a story people. It’s a natural emotion to feel scared.

• Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Torment is a supernatural horror tale. It’s about a young woman trying to find the truth about her mother’s death during an apparent exorcism. It also jumps back to her childhood throughout. Fundamentally it’s about love and dying and good and evil.

• How did you come up with the title for your book?

Torment just made sense because it’s about this woman’s lifelong torment. The torment of losing her mother, of not knowing the truth, of believing her father – a man of God – may be responsible.

• Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

I hope the message is clear. I’ll leave that up to the reader.

• Are there parts of the book based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

No.

• If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

The story was different to start with as it had been incorporated into another work. The form it’s in now is where it needs to be.

• What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Going back and reinventing it…making it a story on its own.

• Is there anything additional you would like to share with your readers?

I just hope they enjoy the story and feel something from it. I hope they think it’s good enough to read my work again in the future.

• Where can we find you online?

www.wix.com/darkscribe/gregchapman

www.wix.com/darkscribe/gregchapman_dark-artisan

www.darkscrybe.blogspot.com

You can find Torment in these places:

http://damnationbooks.com/book.php?isbn=9781615723416 

or 

http://www.amazon.com/Torment-ebook/dp/B004PYDI3I/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1

Greg, thank you so much for visiting us. We hope to see you again, and good luck with Torment.

About Greg Chapman:

Greg Chapman is an emerging author of dark fiction and freelance horror artist. Torment is his first novella length work, but he has also had short stories published in The Absent Willow Review. His horror comic art has appeared in Midnight Echo Magazine and he recently signed a contract with McFarland Publishers to illustrate a non-fiction graphic novel written by Horror Writers Association president Rocky Wood and Bram Stoker award-winning author Lisa Morton.

Wicked Craving

That's the title of my small contribution in my sister’s magazine:

(MunatyCooking Online Magazine).
 

If you follow this link to the magazine, and flip to pages 14-15, you’ll see that I, somehow, have managed 

to make it all lead back to Intricate Entanglement :-)

 *blinking innocently* I don’t know how that happened!

http://issuu.com/munatycookingmagazine/docs/issue_2_march_2011 

The magazine is also downloadable as PDF.

By the way, if you're interested in taking part in the magazine, please 

follow this link to find out how

http://munatycooking.blogspot.com/p/announcement-and-invitation.html

Guest Blog ~ DEMONIZED – When side characters take over by Naomi Clark

Today, Naomi Clark shares with us how Demonized, her latest release from Damnation Books, came to be.
Welcome, Naomi.

DEMONIZED – When side characters take over

When I wrote AFTERLIFE, I didn't honestly think it would ever get published. I was going through  a bad patch with my writing – I'd just left my agent, and wasn't sure I really had what it takes to "make it" as a writer. So in writing AFTERLIFE, I just wanted to have fun and I threw in a whole bunch of things purely to entertain myself. One of those things was Ethan Banning.

I've always had a thing for private eyes and noir, and I had a blast writing about down-and-out PI Ethan. I loved him the minute he showed up on the page. I loved his mannerisms, his not-as-funny-as-he-thinks jokes, and his ballsy, no-defeat attitude. I even loved the bad things about him, like his chain-smoking and incessant foul language. He wasn't supposed to be more than a side character, but for me he took over the page every time he came on it. So it seemed natural – nay, inevitable -  to me when AFTERLIFE was finished, to follow it up with a story all about Ethan.

You see, in AFTERLIFE, Ethan got possessed. Oh, sure, Yasmin Stoker, heroine of that story, helped get rid of the demon, but a little piece stayed behind. And now Ethan has it's voice in his head constantly, telling him to hurt people, to hurt himself. When you're already broke and living off noodles, that's the last thing you need. So in DEMONIZED, readers get to see what happens to Ethan now the events of AFTERLIFE are wrapped up. It's a dark book, and I actually felt pretty bad about some of the things I put Ethan through whilst writing it, but I love it nonetheless.

I got to know Ethan better now he was centre stage. I found that he loves dogs and late-night shopping channels, that he's not always as brave as he likes to pretend, and that he keeps his sense of humour no matter how bad things get. You've got to love a man like that, even if he's not real. And I hope readers will feel the same way I do.

Demonized Blurb:

PI Ethan Banning is smoking too much, sleeping too little, and hearing voices. One voice, to be exact: the voice of the demon that possessed him on his last case. A voice that urges him to hurt, rape, kill, and Ethan doesn't think he has the strength to ignore it much longer.

When his latest missing person case turns into a murder investigation, Ethan finds himself fighting not just demonic urges, but black magic, an incubus with a hidden agenda, and a client who just won't pay up. Luckily, Ethan's got a few friends on his side, like Detective Anna Radcliffe, and his trusty dog, Mutt. If Ethan can ignore the demon long enough, he might just solve this case before it kills him.

About Naomi Clark:

Naomi Clark lives in Cambridge and is a mild-mannered office worker by day, but a slightly crazed writer by night. She has a perfectly healthy obsession with giant sea creatures and a preference for vodka-based cocktails. When she's not writing, Naomi is probably either reading or watching 80s cartoon shows, and sometimes she manages to do all three at once.

Find me online!

http://naomijay.blogspot.com/ 

http://naomi-jay.livejournal.com/ 

http://twitter.com/#!/naomi_jay 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Naomi-Clark-author/122375344483965

What is Variable Pricing?

Intricate Entanglement goes live at 12:01a.m. PST March 1^st on Damnation Book’s website. How about you take advantage of the Variable Pricing scheme and get a bunch of scary books for yourself or for a friend who has a taste for the darker side of things?

What’s Variable Pricing?

It means that at 12:01am PST on the day new books go live, in this case, March 1st, the newly released e-books on Damnation Book’s website are offered free.

Yes, you read that right, but mind you, only the first e-copy is totally free. After that, and as more people download the e-book, its price rises by 25cents until either:

•   The e-book reaches its full retail price.

Or

• 24 hours passed since it went live.

So, what are you waiting for? Setup that alarm on your watch, cell phone, or kitchen timer. Don’t miss this opportunity to grab some mighty dark fiction…I can hear the distant grating sounds of Damnation Book’s gates opening.

See you there.

About Intricate Entanglement:

Trapped in a lunatic asylum and compelled to listen to the stories of the deranged patients, Doug Pinkham becomes entangled in the twisted mind of a cold-blooded killer. As the reporter tries to get to the bottom of a mysterious murder case, he gets more than he bargained for. He must separate truth from fiction as he realizes he no longer controls his own world. Will Doug manage to escape the asylum, or will the killer’s stories lure him into an enigmatic world full of mazes, each so fascinating that he can’t stop listening?

Author Interview - James Dorr

Today, I'm interviewing fellow Damnation Books author, James Dorr. He was kind enough to accept my invitation to visit with us today.

• First a bit about yourself.  Did you always want to be a writer or when and why did you begin writing? 

When I was a kid I actually wanted to be a scientist, to learn new things about the world around me.  As it happens though, when I grew up I eventually became a technical writer, working for an academic computing center.  In the midst of this I had been a cartoonist and illustrator on my college humor magazine, occasionally writing articles too, and in graduate school I started to write a science/humor column for a weekly "unofficial" newspaper, moving from there to editing another paper, this time a literary and arts weekly.  And so it grew.

• Was it then that you first began to consider yourself a writer?

 Yes and no.  The arts paper spun off into the technical writing gig, my first post-college "real" job, which included editing a monthly house magazine.  Nevertheless I tended to see myself more as an editor (the job also entailed, for instance, putting together manuals and other instructional material) who also wrote when the task required it, rather than a writer per se.  One who cajoled others into writing, then whipped the results into proper English.  After that I worked briefly for a start-up computer software company (which immediately fell prey to "bad" economic times), then freelanced a little (business and consumer topics, including real estate -- good for world building?) and realized at that point that what I was doing was really writing.  Also I was able to use a more flexible schedule to work on writing fiction and poetry, something I'd always wanted to do but that had eluded me, and then, with another turn of the economy, get a regular non-writing job on a part time basis, drop the nonfiction, and concentrate on -- and start to sell -- my more imaginative creative output. 

• What books or writers have influenced you -- and do you have a particular writing "style"? 

Going back to childhood I was an avid reader of science fiction, yet one book that influenced me perhaps even more was the Modern Library Giant edition of The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe.  Add to that the works of Ray Bradbury who perhaps contributed to, when I choose to use it, a relatively lush writing style.  Then, more broadly, add The Complete Greek Tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides which represent the first, and still among the best, literary horror, and, unique to my taste perhaps, various works of Bertolt Brecht which attempt to tie in the epic universality of the ancient works to modern real-world societal horror.  

Stylistically, I attempt to vary my writing according to the needs of the story (or poem) I'm working on, something historically set, for instance -- or something in a completely made up world -- tempting me to a more descriptive, "poetic" style as opposed to a sparer approach I might take to contemporary mystery or horror.  Also, perhaps the influence of Brecht, I'm willing to "distance" readers in some stories, casting them as fables or fairy tales "once upon a time," while in others I may prefer a more immediate, intimate voice, perhaps told in first person. 

• What book or books are you reading now?

 As it happens, I've returned to Ray Bradbury at the moment with a fairly recent collection, A Pleasure to Burn, which puts together his stories on censorship and societal bounds on imagination as a sort of sourcebook for Fahrenheit 451.  However, like many writers, I read much more nonfiction than fiction, sometimes for immediate research purposes, sometimes just to broaden my knowledge, and right now I'm going through a book by Tom Jokinen called Curtains about training to become an undertaker.  Then finally I've been dipping into a just received copy of Illuminated Poems by Allen Ginsberg.

• Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

This one's easy:  generating ideas.  Or more properly speaking, ideas that can be translated into a story or a poem.  Sometimes it does take more than one idea to come together and, possibly through the tension between them, suggest what may become a story, or sometimes a single idea will do, but put into a context, perhaps that of a themed anthology or just something that happened during the day.  Once that's done, though, the real work begins, that of actually writing it.

• Along those lines, do you have a particular work schedule when you're writing? 

Some writers do, and more power to them.  In my case I've never been able to set aside say one or two hours a day and say "that's my writing time."  I'm a slow starter, I procrastinate, and I need to feel I have an open-ended time of at least four hours (preferably more) so that I can get properly started and continue on, if I wish, until I'm exhausted.  That's one reason, I think, that I started to get into fiction seriously when I was freelancing -- nonfiction is another matter, that I can schedule -- in that I could take all night on something if I wanted.  When I had regular work hours again though, I made a point of doing most of my first drafts on weekends, then using more limited weekday time for rewriting as well as the business-side tasks like submitting work and record keeping.   

• What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I enjoy playing music.  I lead and play tenor in a Renaissance recorder consort that performs at local Society for Creative Anachronism functions, and perhaps for me that's a way to be creative but by working with something that someone else wrote.  I also listen to music -- I like jazz, and sometimes I've used jazz themes in my writing -- and watch movies on DVD or VHS (I'm building a collection of obscure classic horror), again to enjoy somebody else's imaginative work.  And for unwinding from my own work sessions I like to take walks, both for the fresh air and to get reacquainted a little with nature. 

• Are there any current projects you'd like to tell us about? 

Yes, I'm expecting to have a full-size poetry book, Vamps (A Retrospective), out later this year from Sam's Dot Publishing.  It will be illustrated by Marge Simon and will, as the title suggests, consist of mostly vampire and vampire-related poetry and art, to be published in early April 2011 if all stays on schedule.  Also, but farther in the future, I've been negotiating with a publisher for a novel composed of stand-alone components -- somewhat like Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles or Christopher Barzak's The Love We Share Without Knowing -- that add up to a larger story set in the "Tombs," a vast necropolis and its environs on a far-future, dying Earth.  As a sort of preview, several Tombs stories have already appeared independently in various places, including one in my collection Strange Mistresses and three in Darker Loves (the latter of which right now, however, won’t be in the novel but may become part of a follow-up volume).

For more details on these and other projects as they come up, as well as occasional "lagniappes" -- free sample stories and poems just for the enjoyment -- readers are invited to check out my doings at http://jamesdorrwriter.wordpress.com 

Comments and suggestions are always welcome. 

James, thank you for stopping by and for answering my questions. Good luck with your books.

AUTHOR BIO FOR JAMES DORR

James Dorr is a short story writer and poet working primarily in dark fantasy and horror with occasional forays into mystery and science fiction.  He has two collections, Strange Mistresses:  Tales of Wonder and Romance and Darker Loves:  Tales of Mystery and Regret, from Dark Regions Press as well as a now out-of-print poetry chapbook, Towers of Darkness, originally in Nocturnal Publications' "Night Visions" series.  Dorr also has a novella, The Garden, available in electronic and print chapbook form from Damnation Books, along with three to four hundred appearances in magazines and anthologies in the US, Canada, Britain, France, Australia, and Brazil ranging from Aboriginal Science Fiction and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine to Xenophilia and The Yellow Bat Review.

A Past and A Future Blog Tour - Winner Announcement

The winner of one copy of "Crash Landing" by author Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz  as part of her A Past and A Future blog tour is ...

Sara Durham

Congratulations, Sara. Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz will contact you shortly. Thank you for taking part in the giveaway and for stopping by Vivid Sentiments.

Su

Author Interview and Giveaway - Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz

This interview with Author Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz is part of her A Past and A Future blog tour.
Penny Lockwood Ehrenkranz has published more than 100 articles, 75 stories, two e‑books, a chapbook, and her stories have been included in two anthologies. She writes for both adults and children. Her fiction has appeared in numerous genre and children’s publications and non‑fiction work has appeared in a variety of writing, parenting, and young adult print magazines and on line publications.  She edits for three small independent publishers.

Welcome, Penny. Thanks for visiting Vivid Sentiments.

Hi Su, thank you for the opportunity to talk about my recently released collection of short stories, A Past and A Future.  This book is published by Sam’s Dot Publishing, and is available through Genremall at http://www.genremall.com/anthologiesr.htm#pastfuture

• Tell us a bit about yourself.

I retired from my position as Office Manager for our County District Attorney in 2008.  Since then, I have been able to write full-time.  I am also an editor for MuseItUp Publishing, Damnation Press, and 4RV Publishing.  When I’m not reading as an editor, I enjoy reading for pleasure and primarily read fantasy and science fiction.  My husband and I live in rural Oregon on six acres, and while we’ve had numerous animals in the past, we’re now down to two small dogs and three cats.  We have two grown married children with one 3 year old granddaughter and a grandson due in June.  I also enjoy gardening, crocheting, and water aerobics. I’m trying to learn to knit, but that’s not coming along too well.

• As a child, what did you want to do when you grow up?

This is an easy one!  I wanted to be a writer.  It’s something I’ve always known I wanted to be from the time I started to dream of life after childhood.  It’s nice to finally be a grown up and get to do what I enjoy doing…telling stories and entertaining people.

• When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I always thought of myself as a writer, even when I wasn’t published.  It was hard however to introduce myself to people as “Hi, I’m Penny. I’m a writer.”  Now that I’m retired and writing full time, with several book contracts signed, it’s easier to identify myself as a writer.  I’ve been writing stories for my own enjoyment since I was a child.  If I wasn’t writing stories, I was writing letters to friends, relatives and pen pals.  I still have some of the stories I wrote as a child. It’s fun to read them to school kids when I do an author’s visit.

• Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I would say the most challenging thing in writing is marketing.  Telling stories is easy, but selling the finished product is hard for me.  I’m not an outgoing person and knocking on doors and asking people to buy my book is difficult.

• What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

When I start to write, I tend to write every day. Since I’m retired, I have the luxury of being able to write whenever I want to and for as long as I want to.  I find my stories play in my head like a movie when the scene is being played out on the computer screen.  Sometimes, I close my eyes, see what’s happening and then start writing.  I like being able to pick and choose when I write, since on beautiful days (which happen only on rare occasions here in Oregon), I like to be out in my garden.  I have found, though, with my recent laptop purchase, I can now take my writing work outside with me.  This is a plus.

The one thing I have to try not to do when I’m on a writing binge is get side-tracked with email, Facebook and Twitter :-)

•  Where do you get your ideas for your books from?

I get my ideas from a lot of different places.  Sometimes, it’s a story someone told me.  For example, my middle grade novel, Ghost for Rent, got its start after a friend told me about ghostly apparitions in the house she was renting.  Other times, I get an idea when I’m reading a newspaper or magazine article.  Ashley of Ashland, in the A Past and A Future collection, came from an article I read in a newspaper.  Rebels with a Cause was prompted by my work as a secretary in our county juvenile department.   My picture book, Boo’s Bad Day, came out of a true life story of our black cat that, during a severe ice storm, climbed up a 75 foot tree and didn’t know how to get down.

• What does your family think of your writing?

I think they have mixed emotions, although they are supportive.  I started my professional writing career when my youngest was ten years old.  At the time, she didn’t believe I was a “real” writer because I focused on non-fiction articles and short stories.  She said I couldn’t be a writer until I had published a book.  That was the beginning of my first  children’sbook, Ghost for Rent.  Now, as a grade school teacher, she has invited me to her classroom to talk to her students and read from my book. My husband is thrilled with me each time I see my name in print. My daughter-in-law is perhaps more excited about my writing than my son, but he also thinks it’s great. My mother, of course, is immensely proud of my writing accomplishments, but isn’t that what moms do best?

• How many books have you written?

My first book was an eBook, Then and Later, which had a short life since the publisher went out of business about a year after publication.  My next book was Ghost for Rent, published by an eBook publisher but also available as a POD.  I’ve written over a hundred short stories for both adults and children which have appeared in a variety of genre and small press magazines and online.  Now that I’m retired, I am more focused on the books.  I have two novelettes coming out from MuseItUp publishing this year and four children’s books coming from 4 RV publishing over the next four years. The recently released A Past and A Future is a collection of some of my favorite short stories.  Some of these were in the original collection, but many are new to this book and a couple have never before been published.

• What do you think makes a good story?

For me a good story needs to entertain me, and I hope I do that when I write my stories.  I’ve had a number of jobs where I dealt with nasty things…working for a women’s crisis center, working at the juvenile department, and working at the district attorney’s office.  So, when I pick up a story to read, I want to be transported to another realm.  I guess this is why I write fantasy and science fiction.  I like good strong characters who also have their flaws.  I tend to include relationships in my stories because I believe those interactions are important to my stories.

• Do you ever suffer from writer's block? If so, what do you do about it?

I have definitely had dry periods.  I’m not sure they would be considered writer’s block.  When I think of writer’s block, I think of someone sitting at her computer screen unable to think of what to write.  I tend to write in spurts.  I’m not a writer who has to sit down every day to write, although I’ve read in numerous writing manuals that’s what I should do.  When a story idea hits me, I’m ready to go.  If I don’t have an idea in mind, I don’t worry about it.  One will come along.  One thing I have found useful is being able to vary what I write.  If a fiction idea isn’t coming, I can turn to non-fiction. I have had success with writing parenting articles, teen self-help articles, and writing tips. Also switching genres helps…thus my fantasy, science fiction, romance, and children’s stories.

• How do you develop your plots and characters? Do you use any set formula?

I don’t use a set formula.  I’m what is called a “pantster.”  I write from the “seat of my pants.”  When an idea comes along that I want to pursue, I tend to sit down and start writing. Sometimes a character comes to mind first and then has to tell his or her story. When I wrote Down So Low, The Ground Looks Like Up, I had the concept for someone so down on her luck there seemed like no options for her.  The story went from there.  I would have to say that each story develops differently based on what story I want to tell, or what story my character wants to tell.

• What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?

My tools, besides my computer, are my collection of writing reference books.  Although my computer has a dictionary, I rely on my good old Random House Webster’s Dictionary.  I also have both the Roget’s Super Thesaurus and Roget’s Thesaurus of Phrases.  I often refer to my Strunk and White, Elements of Style, and The Craft of Writing by William Sloane.  Finally, I’ve become fond of The Writer’s Digest, Grammar Desk Reference.

• Do you look to your own phobias to find subject matter? Are your stories the products of nightmares, childhood experiences, fantasies?

I think most writers do, and I often include things which are either my own or my children’s experiences.  As a woman writer, I like my female characters to be strong, not necessarily physically, but able to find ways to defend themselves.  Sometimes they use magic, sometimes they use their intellect, but I want them to win.  My dad died when I was a child, so I definitely have a fascination with ghosts and the afterlife. 

• Where do you as an author draw the line on gory descriptions and/or erotic content?

I tend to write more PG-13 material than gory descriptions or erotic content.  I think the imagination of the reader is so much more vivid than anything I would want to put on paper.  I will write about sexual relations without describing the act.  I will also write about physical violence but not give graphic descriptions.

•  What are your current projects?

1. A Past and A Future – my latest release, is a collection of sixteen short stories, half are fantasy and half are science fiction. 
2. Ghost for Rent – is a middle grade paranormal mystery. 
3. Dragon Sight – is a young adult illustrated chapbook. 
4. Love Delivery – is a contemporary romance, coming August, 2011.
5. Lady in Waiting – is an historical romance, coming November, 2011.
6. Funny Dog –  is a picture book, coming May, 2012.
7. Ghost for Lunch – is a middle grade paranormal mystery and sequel, coming September, 2013.
8. Many Colored Coats – a picture book, is coming October, 2014.
9. Boo's Bad Day – is a picture book coming June, 2015.

• Can you share a little of your current work with us?

Stories included in A Past and A Future are:
1. Flight of the Roc: What would you do if your master told you to collect a roc's egg?  What would happen if the egg you collected hatched?
2. Blurred Vengeance: Temur's father is murdered.  Will his journey to avenge his father's death bring him what he wants, or will it destroy him?
3. Who Will Heal the Healer: Marzan teaches Niane to control the winds, but what about the winds of fate?  Will Niane be able to save her mentor when the underworld claims him?
4. Ashley of Ashland:   Ashley, a young magician covets his brother's fiance, but what are her feelings?  Can Ashley's magic be enough to save him and his true love?
5. The Watcher: Zerelda is a watcher in a world of women.  When a prince comes to impregnate her ruler, will they find a forbidden love instead?
6. Enchantress:  Merlin knows his fate, but he struggles to stand against it.  Will his powers be stronger than his apprentice’s, or will he find himself a victim of love?
7.Drakoni: She is from this world.  He is from another.  A dragon draws them together.  Will she look beyond his pointed ears and see the man of her dreams? 
8. Heshe: Lyda runs, hiding her identity from her abusive stepfather.  Her rescuer has a secret of his own.  Will they both find happiness or will their pursuers stop them before they find their paradise?
9. The Baby Makers: How far would you go to have a baby if you can't conceive on your own?  Would you accept a clone?  Would you fight for that's child's rights in a world unprepared for it?
10. 3-D Pictures:  Avery's boss thought he was crazy, but was he?  When he stared into the 3-D picture, he saw a land others couldn't.  Will he enter the picture, or accept the doctor's diagnosis?
11. Screen Saver:  Clancy is used to strange people.  His boss represents them.  But when the bullets start flying, will the screen saver save him?
12. Isolation:  The world has died, except for small pockets of isolated communities.   But what if you are tired of the isolation?  What if you wanted to find somewhere to be free?  Would you take the chance?
13. Love in a Different Hue:  Chiri's father is a scientist who invents artificial life.   What should she do when the robot her father created looks better to her than her husband?
14. Down So Low The Ground Looks Like Up:  Sylvan is sensitive to others feelings.  It drives her crazy, so she drinks to dull the pain.  Will Dev, the police officer who finds her, rescue her from her demons?
15. Rebels With a Cause:  Shahleena is bored with her existence.  Will volunteering to help juvenile offenders help her or help them?
16. Clockworks:  John lives in Structured.  His ancestors came from Upheaval.  On a whim, he decides to visit.  What will happen to him when he cannot leave fast enough?

• How did you come up with the title for your book?

Since the collection is half fantasy and half science fiction, I wanted a title which reflected the past and the future.  An earlier collection, which also included both fantasy and science fiction, was Then and Later.  Since I couldn’t use the same title  again, I went with A Past and A Future.

•  Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Again, since this is a collection, rather than a novel, I don’t think there is any one message.  I write to entertain and allow readers to move outside the present world in which we live.  I think, though, that all my stories have a message of hope.  No matter when, no matter where, things can get better,

•  Are there parts of the book based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

I would say my characters are composites of people I know or have met or seen somewhere.  No one character is exactly like a real person or completely based upon a real person.  However, each character might have a trait or physical resemblance to a living person.

• If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

No.  I like the stories I chose to include in the book.  People who have read it, tell me they are enjoying it.  This is always pleasant feedback for an author to hear.

•  What was the hardest part of writing your book?

Above when I answered a similar question, I said the marketing of the book.  But I would also say the discipline to sit down and actually write and not get distracted by a sunny day or a household project that needs doing. 

•  Where can we find you online?

My website is http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.yolasite.com

My blog is http://pennylockwoodehrenkranz.blogspot.com/

Su, I want to thank you for the opportunity to be here today.  You asked some great questions.

Thank you, Penny for stopping by. Your books sound interesting and worth checking out. Good luck!

The Giveaway

Leave a comment below with your email address if you would like to win a copy of Crash Landing, a free story not part of the anthology. The author will email the book to one lucky winner.

Giveaway ends Wednesday, February 16, 2011.

The Zargothian Tales: Return of the Son of Hamorin - The Trailer

Yes, I'm back, and I bring with me a bag of goodies.

Well, one goody really, but it's worth it. I've been gone for sometime doing this and that, but mainly I was designing a trailer for a heart warming young adult book:

The Zargothian Tales: Return of the Son of Hamorin by Aidan Lucid.

It is a fantastic story of a boy, who finds a coin that takes him to another world. Oh, boy, what a world!

Here's the blurb:

Outside the walls of Zargothia, two forces will collide in bloody combat. King Zakarius and his Sadarkian army fight for total supremacy; Argoth, king of the humans, and his allies - the Jenormes and the Volarks, fight for their freedom. Argoth's most powerful ally, however, is Henry Simmons, a 15 year-old boy from our world who was transported along with three others (two airmen from 1945 and a cat named Jasper) via a portal to Zargothia to save Argoth and his people. But Henry is no ordinary boy for he has come into possession of a golden coin that holds incredible powers which aids him in the battle. Will young Henry be able to free King Argoth and his people or will he fall to the might of Zakarius' army? The outcome will be revealed in the battle that will change Zargothia forever!

Some of the royalties from The Zargothian Tales: Return of the Son of Hamorin, will go towards helping Friends of ABLE, a charity based in Tralee, Co. Kerry, Ireland. ABLE helps people with disabilities by providing them with an opportunity to gain new skills and then assists individuals in becoming part of or rejoining the workforce.
The lovely illustrations are done by Leonardo Borazio. One illustration (dragon breathing fire on an airplane) was illustrated by John Blackford.

Like the book?

Here are its details:

Title: The Zargothian Tales: Return of the Son of Hamorin

Author: Aidan Lucid

ISBN: 978-0-9819158-2-10-9819158-2-5

Genre:  Fantasy/young adult.

Till next trailer  :-D