I had the pleasure of meeting Suzanne Johnson through a joint blog I was invited to contribute to. An editor by day, she has the first in a fantasy series, Royal Street, scheduled for an April 2012 release through Tor Books. She also runs the fabulous Preternatura blog! If you’ve not already discovered it, you really should stop by.
M.F. Welcome Suzanne, lovely to have you here.
Tell me a little about Royal Street.
S.J. Well, Royal Street is the first in a new urban fantasy series that will come out next April. It’s set in New Orleans at the time of Hurricane Katrina. The storm’s fluctuating barometric pressure has caused breaches in the border between our modern world and the Beyond, where the beings of myth and legend live. The heroine of the story is DJ Jaco, a young wizard who evacuates New Orleans for the hurricane and comes back to find her mentor missing and the city flooded with preternatural creatures and the historical undead—famous former citizens kept alive by the magic of memory. She has to fight off an attempt by the ‘pretes’ to overthrow the borders permanently while trying to find her missing mentor and stave off the revenge-seeking pirate Jean Lafitte. Okay, and there are a couple of hot guys in the picture, too.
M.F. How did your own personal experience of Hurricane Katrina affect your life and your writing?
S.J. Honestly, I would never have written a word of fiction had Katrina not happened. At the time of the storm, I was well established in my career in higher education and had been working at Tulane University for twelve years as a magazine editor and speechwriter. Katrina turned everything upside-down.
I had moderate damage to my property from the high winds and levee breach-induced flooding, but much worse was the psychological damage. I came out much better than a lot of others, but the experience really made me step back and reassess what’s important in life. I found myself after two years still trying to deal with the aftermath. Finally, I had to turn all that anger and grief into something positive. I started writing a story, not really expecting to do anything with it. LOL. Then the fiction bug grabbed me and I found a new, very unexpected career.
M.F. It's an incredible turnaround and it's wonderful to hear something positive come out of such a devastating time. What about your day job; does being an editor by trade govern how you write?
S.J. In some ways, although it’s a different process and uses a different set of skills. I don’t think it has much influence on how I write, but it does influence how I look at revisions. As a nonfiction editor, what I do is rewrite and revise. So revisions, even extensive revisions, don’t freak me out—I enjoy the process. I always know a piece of writing can be improved, and I’m lucky to have an editor at Tor who can look at my work and hone in on exactly what needs to be done to make it better. Then the editor side of my brain can go to work and revise.
M.F. What do you like to read and which writers have most influenced you?
S.J. I’m a voracious reader—always have been. I guess if I had to pull one writer out as being influential to me it would be Stephen King. His character development is amazing, and now that I’m writing myself I go back to read his older work and realize what a master he has always been at subtly weaving backstory into his narrative and keeping his language descriptive without losing its clarity and deceptive simplicity. Current favorites to read? I’m a huge urban fantasy fan: Jim Butcher, Kim Harrison, and Patricia Briggs are favorites. In paranormal romance, I adore J.R. Ward.
M.F. Stephen King is mentioned so many times on this blog alone. I'm guessing he has inspired a ridiculous number of authors. So what are you working on at the moment?
S.J. I’m in the middle of revisions for River Road, the second in my series for Tor, and hope to start a third in the series by late summer—unless that YA rattling around in my brain wants to come out first. I’m also a blog-slut! In addition to my own blog, I do a monthly series of blogs called “Fiction Affliction” at Tor.com, and just started a Tor.com read of Stephen King’s Dark Tower series. I read a few chapters a week and post a weekly blog on my reactions as I go. This is a seven book series, so I figure it will take me about three years! My Tor blogs can be found at http://www.tor.com/Suzanne-Johnson. Finally, I have dipped my toe into paranormal romance, and have a series proposal ready to make the rounds.
M.F. Is there anywhere readers can get a taste of your work?
S.J. I have begun a series of short stories based on my urban fantasy series and am posting them on my Preternatura blog, http://www.suzanne-johnson.com. “Chenoire” is a novelette involving a family of Cajun mermen in Southeast Louisiana—one of the mer characters is in River Road. And “Intervention” introduces two major series characters, Jacob and Alexander Warin, a couple of sexy cousins with a fierce, near-sibling rivalry and a little demon problem. Both of them, as well as upcoming stories, can be found under the “Free Read” tabs on my blog.
M.F. Now for some slightly more abstract questions... If you could have one physical possession that you don’t currently own, what would it be?
S.J. LOL. My needs are simple An iPad and a vehicle that gets better mileage than my 2002 Nissan Xterra, much as I love it. Oh, wait! Make that a ten-book publishing contract!
M.F. Well that's just greedy! You gotta leave some contracts out there for the rest of us! ;-)
If you could trade places with any person, living or dead or even fictional, who would it be?
S.J. Hmm. I’d be happy to be a “shellan” of one of JR Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood dudes--I’m not even that picky about which one (well, okay, Rhage). I don’t think I’d want to be any of the heroes or heroines in the books I read because they’re always in serious trouble!
M.F. If you could be a super hero, what super power would you have?
S.J. I’d like to be able to disapparate and apparate. I don’t like to fly—not because I have a fear of crashing but because I’m claustrophobic. So if I could close my eyes and zap myself to NYC or LA (or London), that would be awesome.
M.F. Thanks so much for being here, Suzanne. I’m eagerly awaiting Royal Street to be released!
Thanks, Marissa!
Friday, 27 May 2011
Wednesday, 25 May 2011
Any movie makers out there???
My good twitter friend Daniel (Di) Davidson-Amadi (@TheSplinterCell) has started up a new competition site for film-makers. He's a great guy to get involved with (whether you're a film-maker or not) and he'd love for all you aspiring movie makers out there to get involved!
Here's a bit more info:
You can learn more about it at the facebook page! Or follow the twitter account: @SfSixty
Here's a bit more info:
Hi and welcome to Sixty Second Stories.
In case you're not familiar with it, Sixty Second Stories is a global survey of cinematic storytelling from a new generation of filmmakers.
It's about inspiring new filmmakers all over the world to make short one minute films. Then we'll be pulling the best ones together into a feature which we'll present at the Berlin film festival this year.
You can learn more about it at the facebook page! Or follow the twitter account: @SfSixty
Friday, 20 May 2011
SFTW! Win a signed paperback of one of my anthologies!
My story is called After the Revelation and takes place several months after the Revelation has actually happened. All of the innocent have been taken to heaven, leaving a body strewn, scorched earth for the Devil. Those people unworthy of experiencing the Revelation have been left alive.
This is a short story, but ended up being about 15K in length, so wasn't far off a novella. Next year I'd like to develop the idea into a full length novel. My characters had flesh and I think they deserved a proper run.
So if you'd like the chance to win the copy (and hell, I might even signed my story for you!) then just leave me a comment below!
Here's the start for you to enjoy:
After the Revelation
By Marissa Farrar
Revelation 20:7
And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison…
A hot wind blew, carrying with it the stench of burning. The ground was blackened and scorched beneath foot. Jez Stephens stood on London’s Primrose Hill, looking down across the city below. The huge curve of the London Eye rose from the skyline, though it would never again turn with tourists, and the huge antennae of the BT tower protruded into the sky like an alien spaceship.
Even the aviary of London Zoo could be seen, though no sound of birdsong rose from beneath its netting, the birds long since dead. Those left had bigger problems than feeding them.
On first glace, most things appeared normal. Only on closer inspection did the silence of the city become deafening, the fires—both those raging below ground, and those above—became painfully obvious.
Death surrounded him. The trees and grass were little more than charcoal. Ash thickened the air, falling like snow on much of the city.
Nature could no longer provide them with what they needed. The soil was charred, the water polluted. Most livestock had been killed. Jez survived by looting and stealing from shops and restaurants. Anything pre-packaged and tinned was still edible. Everything else was ruined.
Jez narrowed his eyes, his body tensed for fight or flight. He watched for movement, for any sign of life. So far, in his experience, finding others alive was not such a good thing.
Unconsciously, he rubbed at the huge twisted scar running from the top of his right shoulder down to his elbow. The scar was the width of his hand and had formed badly, being that there were no surgeons, plastic or otherwise, to put together the arm that had basically been flayed.
Those had been bad times, worse even, than now. He had not believed he would get out of it alive, especially when so many others hadn’t.
With the memory came a pang of guilt and he pushed the memory aside, concentrating on the job at hand.
He hoisted his bag onto his shoulder and started the walk down the hill. The soles of his feet warmed from the heat of the hill, from the fires that raged beneath it. Fire burnt throughout the country now, and, he guessed, the rest of the world. He had heard no stories of anywhere that had escaped. No cool oasis in this scorched earth.
Jez needed supplies. Only a small bottle of water weighted his bag and he needed to restock. If nothing else, he was thankful for the twenty-first century’s obsession with bottled water. Without it he would have been dead a long time ago. Sulphur had poisoned all of the water sources—leaving rivers with dead fish, floating like fallen autumn leaves, clogging the waterways.
He walked down the hill, approaching the road ringing its base. Traffic was at a standstill—permanently so. Cars were smashed into the backs of others, causing mini pile-ups everywhere he looked. As he grew closer he could smell the unmistakable stench of death beneath the acrid reek of burning. It was a smell he could never get used to
In front of him, a blue Ford skewed in the middle of the road. The body of a man slumped over the steering wheel, a woman slouched in the passenger seat beside him. Behind them, a small child was still strapped into its car seat. Each of their faces, black and puffy with decomposition.
Jez couldn’t tell if the child was a boy or a girl, but he wasn’t planning to look hard enough to find out. How strange to think that these were the lucky ones? The ones who experienced the Revelation. The ones who escaped.
It never failed to amaze him how people had just dropped dead where they were. The world had turned into the Mary Celeste, only the people hadn’t disappeared in the middle of what they were doing, they had died. The Revelation had been so instantaneous, people had not even had a chance to run. They were all just living their lives one minute, and gone the next.
Jez had asked himself the same question a hundred times: if he had known the truth, would he have done things differently? If he had known there truly was a God, and what He was capable of, would he have thought before he acted?
Jez doubted it.
Even before God had allowed that perverted psychopath, Mitchell Werner, to rape and murder Jez’s nine-year old daughter, he and God hadn’t been on such good terms. That there had been a God who could have prevented such things from happening just made him all the more furious.
Murdering Mitchell Werner wasn’t something Jez would ever regret. The bastard deserved everything he got.
It had been a big deal at the time. People had known the name ‘Jeremy Stephens.’ He had been all over the news. Many protested on his behalf, saying he shouldn’t be locked up for what he did, but the court had wanted to make sure the rest of the population knew it was not okay to take the law into your own hands and had given him three years. Three years that had almost turned into a life’s sentence.
Now nobody had the use for surnames, and his nickname of Jez almost made him forget the man he used to be. All Jez took comfort in was knowing that Lily was safe, where ever she was now. Judgment day had been real and even a heathen like him knew that the dead were raised before the living. Where ever Lily was now, she was at least in the arms of God.
Jez didn’t like to go into the cities. It had been over nine months now since the Revelation had happened, but London had succumbed to a long and hot summer and the bodies had not fared well in the extended heat. With the now polluted atmosphere acting as cloud cover, the city remained warm and muggy.
Jez negotiated the pile up of cars, trying not to look into the blank, cloudy eyes of the corpses they contained. He was heading towards Camden, knowing there were some small supermarkets there that would have water and other supplies. He wasn’t relishing the idea of going into the store. There would be bodies littering the aisles. Any one who was out shopping when it happened would have simply dropped dead in the aisles. There was no one left who cared enough to attempt to clear them away or bury them. Even if the size of the job had been comprehensible, the people left weren’t the type to care.
He walked along the canal, the red stone wall dividing the pathway from the main road. The route was preferable to the road, but was still not empty. Either side of him, through cracks in the earth, small fires raged. Beside him the canal had long since dried up, leaving the bottom fractured and broken. Jez stepped over an old man, crumpled in the middle of the path, and a young mother toppled, a baby dead in its pram.
Jez clenched his jaw, his lips tight. He would never get used to seeing the children. It was the thing that hurt most of all, despite knowing their souls had gone to a better place.
He kept walking, averting his gaze the best he could. Instead of the bodies, he stared at the tired red brick of the wall running along beside him. Graffiti marked the wall, ‘Denny woz ‘ere’ and ‘FJ LUVS RS’. They were markings of a time before, of a time when people had lived in ignorance of religion, believing it to be no more real than the latest sci-fi flick at the local cinema. Of course, ignorance hadn’t bought them eternal damnation, far from it. Even those who had never so much as uttered the word ‘God’ had still made the cut, as long as they hadn’t committed whatever sins God decided were too great to forgive.
Lost in thought, one marking in particular caught his breath. His heart raced, his muscles tensed. About a foot long and high, the shape of the dragon had been sprayed in white paint. The marking was new, its whiteness not yet sullied by the grey soot of the environment.
Despite the warmth of the day and the heat of the fires burning around him, the sight of it ran a chill through him. He had seen the same graffiti all over, or at least versions of it, but it wasn’t just that. His dreams had been plagued by visions of the dragon, though sometimes it came in the shape of a serpent. Whatever shape it took, Jez knew it pointed towards the same thing.
The Devil walked among them.
Judgment day had happened. Taking the innocent into heaven, God had left only the unworthy to fight it out amongst themselves. Now the devil was among them, calling to the ones who had been left, calling to them to fight. Jez tried to remain strong, tried to keep its power and passion out of his head, but, when times were as hard as this, it was difficult not to turn to something of strength and authority, to give his future into the hands of someone else.
Of something else.
Labels:
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Sunday, 15 May 2011
Editing, editing, editing...
At the start of this year, I made a promise to myself. I wasn't going to start a new novel until I'd put out all the works languishing on my laptop. So far, I'm doing okay. I've been working my ass off on The Followers and it's now with the editor. I should hit my June 1st release date as long as I keep my nose to the keyboard and my ass on the chair.
I am, however, really looking forward to moving on to something else. As much as I love my novel, I'm just plain sick of the sight of it. I've lost track of the number of edits I've done on the book now and considering I wrote the novel in 2007 (I think) I would say it's definitely ready to be read.
Yesterday, I read a good post over at Julie Musil's blog about the dangers of over-editing. I totally agree with what she says about being careful about over-editing our writing. As much as we want to make our work perfect, we have to make sure we don't end up taking all the personality out of it. I've read some pieces before where a writer has tried to take every 'was' 'that' and 'it' out of every line they'd written. The result was a static, jerky piece of writing and simply didn't flow.
I'm a big fan of the site www.autocrit.com to help with my writing, but I am careful not to go completely overboard with it. There are times when certain words simply need to be overused, like for example, when someone is having a conversation. People talk how people talk, and cutting out words people would normally use will end up making their speech sound stilted.
So, now I'm working on the edits that are coming back to me. I'm being thorough, but not too thorough, and I'm looking forward to June 1st when I can finally wave my novel goodbye.
I am, however, really looking forward to moving on to something else. As much as I love my novel, I'm just plain sick of the sight of it. I've lost track of the number of edits I've done on the book now and considering I wrote the novel in 2007 (I think) I would say it's definitely ready to be read.
Yesterday, I read a good post over at Julie Musil's blog about the dangers of over-editing. I totally agree with what she says about being careful about over-editing our writing. As much as we want to make our work perfect, we have to make sure we don't end up taking all the personality out of it. I've read some pieces before where a writer has tried to take every 'was' 'that' and 'it' out of every line they'd written. The result was a static, jerky piece of writing and simply didn't flow.
I'm a big fan of the site www.autocrit.com to help with my writing, but I am careful not to go completely overboard with it. There are times when certain words simply need to be overused, like for example, when someone is having a conversation. People talk how people talk, and cutting out words people would normally use will end up making their speech sound stilted.
So, now I'm working on the edits that are coming back to me. I'm being thorough, but not too thorough, and I'm looking forward to June 1st when I can finally wave my novel goodbye.
Friday, 13 May 2011
Something for the Weekend! Horror author Armand Rosamilia and Giveaway!
M.F. Hi Armand Rosamilia, thanks for stopping by my blog and sharing a little bit about yourself and your work.
Let’s start with the most important thing: your books. Tell me a bit about the novel you want to talk about today.
A.R. My latest release is “Dying Days”, an extreme zombie novella featuring Darlene Bobich, who first appeared in the short story “Rear Guard”, the bonus story in my first extreme zombie release, “Highway To Hell”… it’s about a woman, not too strong and not too weak, who has to deal with surviving in a world overrun with zombies who don’t just want to bite you, they want to rip you apart… sexually… yeah, extreme…
M.F. Wow, that does sound extreme! So what are you working on at the moment? Have you got any new projects in the pipeline?
A.R. Always! I’m in the midst of writing half a dozen zombie stories for various anthologies, editing anthologies for Rymfire eBooks like the “State of Horror” series, and working on something completely different for me… erotic paranormal stories! I also write a non-fiction series about women into Heavy metal music called “Metal Queens”… always busy…
M.F. Cool. I love anything 'Zombie'. Is writing something you’ve recently got into, or have you been writing for ages?
A.R. I’ve been writing since high school, with sporadic stories published over the last 20+ years since I graduated in ’88… but in the last four or five years I’ve had several sales… the biggest to date was probably my “Death Metal” urban horror novella released by Sam’s Dot Publishing in 2009 and recently re-released by Rymfire eBooks…
M.F. What do you make of the changes in the industry, with so many people going ‘indie’?
A.R. I love it! There’s no longer that stigma of writers releasing their own works… one of my favorite writers, Scott Nicholson, does an amazing job putting out new work and re-releasing his older material…
M.F. I'll have to check him out. Who is your greatest influence when it comes to your writing?
A.R. My mother, because she allowed me at an early age to read her Stephen King, Dean Koontz and other horror writers… but the one author that I loved as a child was Robert E. Howard…
M.F. I had to laugh at that! I did exactly the same thing and grew up reading my mother's Stephen King and Dean Koontz. So while we're on the topic...Stephen King says when he writes, it is for his wife Tabitha. When you write, is there anyone you’re writing for?
A.R. I write for myself… I find that when I target a certain audience or worry about what my mother or my fiancé Kim will think, I get lost… when I write the story naturally, they end up liking it anyway… although my mother won’t read my extreme zombie stories…
M.F. What sort of books do you read yourself?
A.R. I am a huge fan of horror (obviously), fantasy and non-fiction entertainment books about music (Heavy Metal fan), pro wrestling, biographies, writing books… Kim bought me a Kindle for Valentine’s Day and I can’t stay away from it…
M.F. What a lovely fiance you have! Now for some more abstract questions: if you could be any character in fiction, who would you be?
A.R. Conan the barbarian, but not the Arnold version, I’d be the Robert E. Howard version, battling, whoring and drinking as I conquer the land before me… or an orc from Lord of The Rings… either way…
M.F. If aliens landed in front of you and offered you anything you wanted, what would it be?
A.R. Since this isn’t an erotic blog… the power to have a secret room, where time stops for five extra hours per day, that allows me to write in silence… I’d get more done that way… or comfortable shoes…
M.F. That sounds like my idea of heaven. Tell us something quirky/interesting that people probably don’t know about you.
A.R. Most people know too much about me already, since I tend to talk too much when I meet you… hmm… I was a Dungeons & Dragons geek in junior high and high school that dressed and loved Heavy Metal… I had a mullet like everyone else growing up in the ‘80’s in New Jersey… I have a very dry sense of humor… I love to say mean or inappropriate things for a laugh, if that makes sense… I’m a horrible flirt but love my Kim… I’m a chubby chaser… yeah, I said it… I’ve only ridden a bike twice in my life, I have horrible balance… I’m afraid of stray dogs… I hate pets, but have three in the house… and I eat too much chocolate…
M.F. Thanks so much for stopping by Armand. I know I certainly know more about you now! If anyone would like to find out a bit more about Armand and his work then please stop by his blog! His books are available direct from RymFire eBooks or you can also find him at Amazon, Lulu, or Smashwords.
Now for the giveaway!!! Armand would like to give away three ebook copies of his new novella, Dying Days. So just leave him a comment, together with an email addy or blog link so we can contact you if you win. Good luck everyone!
Let’s start with the most important thing: your books. Tell me a bit about the novel you want to talk about today.
A.R. My latest release is “Dying Days”, an extreme zombie novella featuring Darlene Bobich, who first appeared in the short story “Rear Guard”, the bonus story in my first extreme zombie release, “Highway To Hell”… it’s about a woman, not too strong and not too weak, who has to deal with surviving in a world overrun with zombies who don’t just want to bite you, they want to rip you apart… sexually… yeah, extreme…
M.F. Wow, that does sound extreme! So what are you working on at the moment? Have you got any new projects in the pipeline?
A.R. Always! I’m in the midst of writing half a dozen zombie stories for various anthologies, editing anthologies for Rymfire eBooks like the “State of Horror” series, and working on something completely different for me… erotic paranormal stories! I also write a non-fiction series about women into Heavy metal music called “Metal Queens”… always busy…
M.F. Cool. I love anything 'Zombie'. Is writing something you’ve recently got into, or have you been writing for ages?
A.R. I’ve been writing since high school, with sporadic stories published over the last 20+ years since I graduated in ’88… but in the last four or five years I’ve had several sales… the biggest to date was probably my “Death Metal” urban horror novella released by Sam’s Dot Publishing in 2009 and recently re-released by Rymfire eBooks…
M.F. What do you make of the changes in the industry, with so many people going ‘indie’?
A.R. I love it! There’s no longer that stigma of writers releasing their own works… one of my favorite writers, Scott Nicholson, does an amazing job putting out new work and re-releasing his older material…
M.F. I'll have to check him out. Who is your greatest influence when it comes to your writing?
A.R. My mother, because she allowed me at an early age to read her Stephen King, Dean Koontz and other horror writers… but the one author that I loved as a child was Robert E. Howard…
M.F. I had to laugh at that! I did exactly the same thing and grew up reading my mother's Stephen King and Dean Koontz. So while we're on the topic...Stephen King says when he writes, it is for his wife Tabitha. When you write, is there anyone you’re writing for?
A.R. I write for myself… I find that when I target a certain audience or worry about what my mother or my fiancé Kim will think, I get lost… when I write the story naturally, they end up liking it anyway… although my mother won’t read my extreme zombie stories…
M.F. What sort of books do you read yourself?
A.R. I am a huge fan of horror (obviously), fantasy and non-fiction entertainment books about music (Heavy Metal fan), pro wrestling, biographies, writing books… Kim bought me a Kindle for Valentine’s Day and I can’t stay away from it…
M.F. What a lovely fiance you have! Now for some more abstract questions: if you could be any character in fiction, who would you be?
A.R. Conan the barbarian, but not the Arnold version, I’d be the Robert E. Howard version, battling, whoring and drinking as I conquer the land before me… or an orc from Lord of The Rings… either way…
M.F. If aliens landed in front of you and offered you anything you wanted, what would it be?
A.R. Since this isn’t an erotic blog… the power to have a secret room, where time stops for five extra hours per day, that allows me to write in silence… I’d get more done that way… or comfortable shoes…
M.F. That sounds like my idea of heaven. Tell us something quirky/interesting that people probably don’t know about you.
A.R. Most people know too much about me already, since I tend to talk too much when I meet you… hmm… I was a Dungeons & Dragons geek in junior high and high school that dressed and loved Heavy Metal… I had a mullet like everyone else growing up in the ‘80’s in New Jersey… I have a very dry sense of humor… I love to say mean or inappropriate things for a laugh, if that makes sense… I’m a horrible flirt but love my Kim… I’m a chubby chaser… yeah, I said it… I’ve only ridden a bike twice in my life, I have horrible balance… I’m afraid of stray dogs… I hate pets, but have three in the house… and I eat too much chocolate…
M.F. Thanks so much for stopping by Armand. I know I certainly know more about you now! If anyone would like to find out a bit more about Armand and his work then please stop by his blog! His books are available direct from RymFire eBooks or you can also find him at Amazon, Lulu, or Smashwords.
Now for the giveaway!!! Armand would like to give away three ebook copies of his new novella, Dying Days. So just leave him a comment, together with an email addy or blog link so we can contact you if you win. Good luck everyone!
Sunday, 8 May 2011
Help Needed! Win $25 Amazon Voucher.
On June 1st, my next novel, The Followers, will be released. I'm looking to create as much noise as possible about the release of my new book, and I'm looking for help from each and everyone of you guys.
Here is my proposal. Each person who is willing to blog/facebook/or tweet about The Followers on June 1st will be given two copies of the ebook: one for themselves, and another to giveaway as they see fit. Each person who blogs/facebooks/or tweets about the book (including people who RT on twitter) will then be in to win a $25 Amazon gift voucher. Let me know what you've done by commenting on my post on June 1st or emailing me marissafarrar@yahoo.co.uk. Each blog/fb/tweet will count as an extra entry to win the $25 voucher!
Now, I know June 1st is still quite a long way off, but if you're interested in getting involved, make sure you contact me, but either emailing me or leaving me a comment. I'm happy to email out a synopsis/cover/etc to be included in blog posts.
Hoping to hear from you all! Marissa.
Here is my proposal. Each person who is willing to blog/facebook/or tweet about The Followers on June 1st will be given two copies of the ebook: one for themselves, and another to giveaway as they see fit. Each person who blogs/facebooks/or tweets about the book (including people who RT on twitter) will then be in to win a $25 Amazon gift voucher. Let me know what you've done by commenting on my post on June 1st or emailing me marissafarrar@yahoo.co.uk. Each blog/fb/tweet will count as an extra entry to win the $25 voucher!
Now, I know June 1st is still quite a long way off, but if you're interested in getting involved, make sure you contact me, but either emailing me or leaving me a comment. I'm happy to email out a synopsis/cover/etc to be included in blog posts.
Hoping to hear from you all! Marissa.
Labels:
Competition,
Free ebooks,
Giveaway,
promotion,
The Followers
Friday, 6 May 2011
Something for the Weekend: Love Horror? Free eBook for every reader! Meet author Alan Spencer...
M.F. Today I would love to welcome Alan Spencer, author of the brilliantly named, 'Zombies and Power Tools! Lets talk about the most important thing: your books. Give us a brief description of the novel you want to talk about today.
A.S. As of now, I'm working on putting out a book on my own. It'll be called "Cider Mill Vampires." Just imagine a friendly cider mill in Kansas hijacked by vampires who use the apple presses to press people of blood. This one's very brutal, sexual, and there's humor in it as well. There's something for everyone!
M.F. Is writing something you've recently got into, or have you been writing for ages?
I do remember dabbling with writing as a kid, writing in Steno notebooks. I remember one story involving a fast food joint and a manager who was a serial killer. I think I wrote it in the fourth grade. It's probably a good thing it didn't see the light of day, or else I would've been sent to the principal's office. It was harmless fun for me, though others may not see it that way.
M.F. What do you make of the changes in the industry, with so many people going "indie"?
A.S. I can't blame a writer for seriously considering putting their own work out there. I've had a few close calls with bigger publishers, and I end up feeling jerked around. I'd wait 6-8 months to hear back from sending only three chapters, then be asked to send the entire manuscript, and wait about a year, and finally hear back, and they say no. That's a year and a half of my life gone. Sure, it's the business when you're a small fry. I understand that. But lately, it feels the industry is at a halt. Books aren't selling the way they used to sell, so publishers aren't taking on as many newer writers as they might've in the past. Kindle is becoming a competitor for readers' attention, though results vary from author to author what kind of turnaround they get.
My opinion is if you put out something independent, it's up to the author to create the best product they can. Don't use self-publishing as an excuse for half-assed editing and covers that look like a child created them. Self-publishing could use a dose of quality control, so it's up to the author to set themselves a part from the crop of other independents. As I'm working on "Cider Mill Vampires," I have to put myself in the readers' shoes and ask myself "Would I buy that?"
M.F. Great answer, Alan. I totally agree with you. So who is your greatest influence when it comes to writing?
A.S. From a genre standpoint, I really enjoy Joe R. Lansdale, Edward Lee, Tom Piccirilli, Jack Ketchum, T.M. Wright, and Gord Rollo. They're all great suspense and horror writers. But I also really enjoy Joyce Carol Oates. She's a mix of dark fiction and literary. I feel her writing bleeds into mine, and I'm bettered for it.
M.F. When you write, is there anyone you're writing for?
A.S. I started writing books because of my love for everything horror, especially books and movies. I emulate what I enjoy, so I write for the people who'll read it.
M.F. Lol. That makes sense! What sort of books do you read yourself?
A.S. I mentioned the authors I really enjoy above, but I don't limit myself to horror fiction. You'd be surprised how much darkness there is in literary fiction. I enjoy anything that's psychological, that pits their characters in situations they don't normally confront in life. I think the perfect book is a mix of literary fiction and horror.
M.F. Brilliant. Now for some more abstract questions! If you could be any character in fiction, who would you be?
A.S. I've really enjoyed the Hap and Leonard books by Joe R. Lansdale, so I'd be Hap. I could be solving a mystery or getting caught in a gunfight or picking up women. Hap's a fun bad ass. I guess I'd like to be a fun bad ass too.
M.F. If aliens landed in front of you and offered you anything you wanted, what would it be?
A.S. I'd want them to create some device that allows people to get over themselves. What I mean is for people to be polite, patient, and consider each other as important as the next person. Perhaps that's the lame answer. Here's a different answer. I'd ask the aliens to give me every horror movie ever made in the history of horror movies. And a cool place to watch them all in, like a little home movie theatre that would put Charlie Sheen's to shame. I'd add a great concession stand with popcorn and a soda fountain, and I've invite all kind of people to see movies like "Pieces" and "Killer Clowns from Outer Space." That'd be great fun.
M.F. That sounds like fun! Tell us something quirky/interesting that people probably don't know about you.
A.S. I'm an operations manager at a doggy day care. I was a zombie extra in "Zombie Bloodbath 3." I really enjoy reading in the bath tub. Every Wednesday night is horror movie night. Have I said enough weird things yet? That's probably enough for now.
A.S. My latest book is called "Zombies and Power Tools" from Living Dead Press. I'd like to separate it from the rest of the zombie books out there, simply because there's elements of mystery and suspense as much as there is horror. This isn't a post-apocalyptic book either. What really distinguishes this book is why the dead are able to come back to life. There isn't a chemical spill or virus. What impels the dead to live is as horrible as what the walking corpses are doing to their victims with power tools. And the reason the dead are using power tools on people also ties in with their ability to be alive. I don't want to give too much away on the matter, but rest assured, I think red-blooded horror fans would very much enjoy this book, whether they're fans of zombies or not.
M.F. Sounds great. I love anything Zombie-fied! So what are you working on at the moment? Have you got any new projects in the pipeline?
A.S. As of now, I'm working on putting out a book on my own. It'll be called "Cider Mill Vampires." Just imagine a friendly cider mill in Kansas hijacked by vampires who use the apple presses to press people of blood. This one's very brutal, sexual, and there's humor in it as well. There's something for everyone!
M.F. Is writing something you've recently got into, or have you been writing for ages?
A.S I've been writing since I was a freshman in high school, but it seems ever since my first novel, "The Body Cartel" (Damnation Books), was published, things have picked up a bit. I'm still not a "name" per se or a force on the market, but I've met a lot of cool people who've given me great tips on how to better my writing.
I do remember dabbling with writing as a kid, writing in Steno notebooks. I remember one story involving a fast food joint and a manager who was a serial killer. I think I wrote it in the fourth grade. It's probably a good thing it didn't see the light of day, or else I would've been sent to the principal's office. It was harmless fun for me, though others may not see it that way.
M.F. What do you make of the changes in the industry, with so many people going "indie"?
A.S. I can't blame a writer for seriously considering putting their own work out there. I've had a few close calls with bigger publishers, and I end up feeling jerked around. I'd wait 6-8 months to hear back from sending only three chapters, then be asked to send the entire manuscript, and wait about a year, and finally hear back, and they say no. That's a year and a half of my life gone. Sure, it's the business when you're a small fry. I understand that. But lately, it feels the industry is at a halt. Books aren't selling the way they used to sell, so publishers aren't taking on as many newer writers as they might've in the past. Kindle is becoming a competitor for readers' attention, though results vary from author to author what kind of turnaround they get.
My opinion is if you put out something independent, it's up to the author to create the best product they can. Don't use self-publishing as an excuse for half-assed editing and covers that look like a child created them. Self-publishing could use a dose of quality control, so it's up to the author to set themselves a part from the crop of other independents. As I'm working on "Cider Mill Vampires," I have to put myself in the readers' shoes and ask myself "Would I buy that?"
M.F. Great answer, Alan. I totally agree with you. So who is your greatest influence when it comes to writing?
A.S. From a genre standpoint, I really enjoy Joe R. Lansdale, Edward Lee, Tom Piccirilli, Jack Ketchum, T.M. Wright, and Gord Rollo. They're all great suspense and horror writers. But I also really enjoy Joyce Carol Oates. She's a mix of dark fiction and literary. I feel her writing bleeds into mine, and I'm bettered for it.
M.F. When you write, is there anyone you're writing for?
A.S. I started writing books because of my love for everything horror, especially books and movies. I emulate what I enjoy, so I write for the people who'll read it.
M.F. Lol. That makes sense! What sort of books do you read yourself?
A.S. I mentioned the authors I really enjoy above, but I don't limit myself to horror fiction. You'd be surprised how much darkness there is in literary fiction. I enjoy anything that's psychological, that pits their characters in situations they don't normally confront in life. I think the perfect book is a mix of literary fiction and horror.
M.F. Brilliant. Now for some more abstract questions! If you could be any character in fiction, who would you be?
A.S. I've really enjoyed the Hap and Leonard books by Joe R. Lansdale, so I'd be Hap. I could be solving a mystery or getting caught in a gunfight or picking up women. Hap's a fun bad ass. I guess I'd like to be a fun bad ass too.
M.F. If aliens landed in front of you and offered you anything you wanted, what would it be?
A.S. I'd want them to create some device that allows people to get over themselves. What I mean is for people to be polite, patient, and consider each other as important as the next person. Perhaps that's the lame answer. Here's a different answer. I'd ask the aliens to give me every horror movie ever made in the history of horror movies. And a cool place to watch them all in, like a little home movie theatre that would put Charlie Sheen's to shame. I'd add a great concession stand with popcorn and a soda fountain, and I've invite all kind of people to see movies like "Pieces" and "Killer Clowns from Outer Space." That'd be great fun.
M.F. That sounds like fun! Tell us something quirky/interesting that people probably don't know about you.
A.S. I'm an operations manager at a doggy day care. I was a zombie extra in "Zombie Bloodbath 3." I really enjoy reading in the bath tub. Every Wednesday night is horror movie night. Have I said enough weird things yet? That's probably enough for now.
Before I sign off, thanks so much for the interview. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask them.
And for those reading this, please visit http://horroralan.blogspot.com/ and check out the latest updates on my writing. If you want to drop a line, email me at alanspencer26@hotmail.com. Who knows, if you ask me nice enough, I like to give things away. I've got free e-copies of "Ashes in Her Eyes" and "The Body Cartel" that are itching to be read.
Thanks so much for stopping by Alan. And you heard him right, everyone. If you just email Alan and let him know which ebook you would like, he will email you a FREE copy of one of his books. This offer is only open for the next week, so get emailing! Thanks Alan and have a great weekend everyone!
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Monday, 2 May 2011
And the winners are...
The winners of the free copies of Carole Gill's novel, The House on Blackstone Moor, are Lorelei, Kalex, and Rob Miller.
Congrats guys. Email me at marissafarrar@yahoo.co.uk so I can give you instructions about how to claim your free ebook!
Thanks to everyone for taking part. This Friday we have another horror author, Alan Spencer, stopping by and he is going to be giving out a free ebook of your choice to every reader. So don't miss it!
Congrats guys. Email me at marissafarrar@yahoo.co.uk so I can give you instructions about how to claim your free ebook!
Thanks to everyone for taking part. This Friday we have another horror author, Alan Spencer, stopping by and he is going to be giving out a free ebook of your choice to every reader. So don't miss it!
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