Monday, February 29, 2016

New Stuff on Leap Day- Ebook, Audio, Print, Show

Happy Leap Day- only comes once every four years, so enjoy the rarity. Sure is a rare time here, with all the new releases.

Lots of stuff happening. As you can see, things have been busy.

First up- The Zack Pack is out! This ebook combines the first three Zack Taylor novels into one book.
A steal on Amazon and other ebook retailers. Great for starting the series.


And the audio version of A Certain Slant of Light is out today!
Narrated by Steve White, it's #4 in the Zack Taylor series.


Oh, sure, you say, you want print, to hold the book in your hand.
Okay, More Fables and Fantasies will be out in a day or two, the latest collection. 


So feel free to get any of these to help me celebrate my upcoming birthday. It's my last year to be young!

And we've got an appearance coming up- at the Fox Library in Arlington, MA, on Wednesday, March 23, from 7 to 8:30 PM. Located at 175 Massachusetts Ave., Arlington, MA 02474.
It will be a "Death in Shorts” mystery short story event , featuring authors from Best New England Crime Stories 2016: Red Dawn 
With me are: Mark Ammons (moderator and co-editor at Level Best Books), Christine Eskilson, Rae Padilla Francoeur, Cheryl Marceau, and Gary Braver

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Interview with Chris Philbrook

Today we're meeting author Chris Philbrook, a prolific and hard-working writer.
Just take a look at how serious the guy is!


Chris has an immensely popular series with a number of books, Adrian's Undead Diary.
But check out this trilogy- a dark fantasy/steampunk trilogy that just went up for audiobook pre-order on Audible.com (click here for Chris' audiobooks page)


What's that? You don't want to wait? Can't blame you- this guy's writing will suck you right in.
So get Book 1 on Kindle for free right now with Kindle Unlimited. How's that?
(Link to all his books on Amazon)
Okay, so let's meet this madman.

*****

Q: So how did this series come to be? Was it envisioned from the start as a bigger canvas, or did it expand organically out of an idea? Please tell us a bit about the origin.

A: I got my start writing working as a game developer. Small stuff at first, then it turned into a regular contributing role to the settings I worked on. I developed the Elmoryn world as a RPG setting but I left the company before doing anything with it. With the success of my Adrian's Undead Diary series I decided to take the massive world I'd written for Elmoryn, and turn it into a trilogy of books.


Q: Did you start with the germ of an idea and start writing to see where it went, or did you map a good deal out in your head (or even outline) before crafting?

A: One of the first plots I wanted new players to experience was what became the story of the twins in the novels. I needed a lengthy storyline to introduce characters to the world and extrapolated into novels, it became the way I introduced readers to it. It started a lot smaller than it turned out though. Books have a tendency to write themselves if you give them enough attention.


Q: What do you feel is the main theme(s)?

A: Faith and family are central. A second huge theme is the cost of technology. What prices are we paying as a civilization to enjoy the whizgigs we're inventing? The world of Elmoryn as well examines the thoughts of what death means too. The world of Elmoryn is fundamentally broken as it pertains to death; people don't go on to the afterlife. Instead they become enraged undead bent on destroying everything alive around them, unless they're blessed by a priest, or an Apostle before reanimating. If they're blessed, they instead becomes ghosts, and roam the world forever in their undead state.


Q: Why do you feel this is important, and what would you want a reader to take away from reading this book?

A: Which idea? Man I just rattled off so many… Family and the concept of what family is. In the books the twins think that the only family they could have is the one they are born into, but they learn quickly that friends can be family too, and family is something that can be added to. Our lives are not set in stone, they are nebulous and ever-changing.


Q: What makes a good book or engaging story?

A: Great characters. Good dialogue by those characters. Pretty simple in my world.


Q: Are there writers with similar themes to yours? Who are your influences (can be writers, or even artists, musicians, or others) and what is it about their work that attracts you?

A: I've always loved Stephen King, or at least eras of his writing. I grew up on It, The Stand, Firestarter, Carrie and the books of that time from him. I also loved the original fantasy novels put out to support the Dungeons and Dragons settings. Being able to play in the world with the characters I read about in the books was intoxicating to me.
I think there are many writers who cover the same themes I do. I think Brandon Sanderson does a wonderful job in his Mistborn series, and George R.R. Martin has a lot of focus on family in his writing, though the lens he uses shifts dramatically… if you know what I mean.


Q: Is storytelling mostly entertainment, or does it serve other functions? Do you have particular goals other than telling a good story?

A: I want to entertain. I think any story needs to be able to hold the reader's interest and entertain them all at the same time. A good writer can trick a reader into an epiphany because they hid it inside an entertaining story. I'd like to think I've made people think and feel with my writing, but that's not up to me…


Q: Any other goals you've set for yourself, professionally or personally?

A: Be a good father. I have my first baby on the way (daughter Willow, due in April) and I want so badly to be a good father to her. Everything else seems secondary at the moment. I do want to keep writing as it's the career I've always wanted. If I could squeeze in a vacation to someplace warm during the winter every so often as well… I'm nailing life.


Q: Some writers write fast and claim not to rewrite much. Do you do this, or painstakingly revise? When you send the book off to the publisher, are you happy with it, or just tired of it?

A: Little bit of both, really. My first drafts are brutally planned. I sketch out so much that by the time I get to writing, I've already worked out most of the issues that'll come up. When I write, I don't worry about perfect copy, I just focus on getting the words out. In my editing passes I clean up the grammar, and add prose where it's dry. I've had some novels that I wanted to set on fire when they went off to publishing, and others I had to send off, despite wanting to do more. At some point, you just gotta accept the work is done-enough-and you have to move on to the next idea that's about to consume you.


Q: Do you have good editors, and if so, how do they help you? Do they look for particular things? Do you have different people for different editing levels?

A: I have beta readers, and I've worked with three different editors. Mostly I use them by project type, so they're familiar with my worlds and characters. Consistency is key I find with editing.


Q: If a writer came to you for advice, how would you help?

A: Tell them what I know, and what I don't. Tell them how lucky I've been, and that if they work hard… they can be just as lucky. You can write a book, and you can publish it, but that's just half the job, if you want that job.


Q: Stories can be told by using a different medium. Can you see your book as a film, audio, etc.? How would that alter the telling?

A: Well, The Kinless Trilogy is heading to audiobook and CD published by Audible.com, so that's exciting. It's a whole new audience to reach, and hopefully entertain. I'd love to see a film or comic book too, but those mediums require skill sets I don't have, or money I don't have. We will see what the future brings. Right now I’m just happy that people will be able to listen to the world of Elmoryn.


Q: What's the next step in your writing world?

A: Finish up Colony Lost, my new science fiction project. That's beyond exciting for me because writing scifi has been a dream of mine, and it's about to become a reality.  After that, I'm heading back to zombie land with another post-apocalyptic novel.

Q: Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

A: I once harassed Mickey Dolenz of The Monkees in a hotel elevator because he was taking too damn long to push the button.


Q: Any other information you'd like to impart?

A: Other than my little baby on the way, and all the other writing projects I have up in the air, I'd just like to tell folks thank you for listening, thank you giving my writing a chance, and thank you for chasing stories, just like I do. Thanks so much, Dale!

---

Web page:  http://thechrisphilbrook.com/

Where to buy: 

For audiobooks:  http://www.audible.com/search/ref=sr_sort_-publication_date?searchRank=-publication_date&advsearchKeywords=chris+philbrook&searchSize=20&searchRankSelect=-publication_date

For print/Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Chris-Philbrook/e/B00FC2H02W/

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Another book out!

Today got the latest book uploaded to Kindle and Smashwords, for ebook distribution on all platforms. Print to follow soon! And have already put it up for narrators to audition to do the audiobook.



Yup, in the same vein as Fables and Fantasies, it's five more stories.
The description:
In these five tales you'll read serious stories about dragons, swords, castles, people on quests, demons, witches, and also fairy-tale characters acting out in fun. So there's a little something for everyone. These are lands where the people may be like us, but the landscape is of the fantasy realms, and anything can happen. You may change upon this journey, like the characters themselves.

Woo-hoo! Very happy to have this one hit.







Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Writers Helping Others- Consortiums, Donations, and Good Books

A few cool things to talk about today.

First up is a great article on the site of the wonderful Jane Friedman by Ursula Wong, author of Purple Trees. The article talks about writer's consortiums, where writers get together for mutual help and support. Well worth the read.

And here's an interview with Ursula.

*****

Next up is a chance to contribute to the education and growth of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers in southwestern New Hampshire by making a donation of an autographed copy of one of your books to the10th Annual Online Auction.
Over 400 friends and businesses, including 137 New England and New York authors and/or illustrators, contributed to this fundraiser last year.

The Children's Center, in Harrisville, NH, is a non-profit early care and learning center for children ages 6 weeks to 6 years old. They serve children from over 14 towns in the Monadnock Region of southwestern NH. All proceeds from this fundraiser will go to the Center to help fund the many wonderful programs offered to young children  and their families throughout the year.

The auction will run on their website from February 21 - March 20, 2016.
Contact:
Linda MacGillvary, Director
Harrisville Children's Center
66 Main Street P.O. Box 128
Harrisville, NH 03450
www.harrisvillechildrenscenter.org Federal ID Number: 23-7399517

*****

And lastly, the book recommendation of the week is the Paul Forte trilogy by Pete Morin.

Start with Diary of a Small Fish and go to Full Irish and Half Irish (the latter two had Susanne O'Leary as co-author)


And check out an interview with Pete here.

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Interview With Dave Agans

Today we're hosting writer Dave Agans, author of The Urban Legion, a really good comic novel, the first in a trilogy of fun.



Q: So how did this novel come to be? Was it envisioned from the start as a bigger canvas, or did it expand organically out of an idea? Please tell us a bit about the origin.

A: It’s been said that great literature changes the reader’s perception of the world; I want my readers to see the world as funny. I thought, what if all the things we consider false—urban legends, internet hoaxes, conspiracies—are actually true, but have been covered up? That’s a rich source of funny secrets, perfectly suited for a conspiracy thriller. And while many of the revelations in The Urban Legion are absurd or downright silly, they’re all just plausible enough that readers can imagine them in the world around them. I’m sure they smile when they walk into a food court or an airport restroom.

Q: Did you start with the germ of an idea and start writing to see where it went, or did you map a good deal out in your head (or even outline) before crafting?

A: The first thing I did was come up with a list of urban legends (microwaved poodles, alligators in the sewer) and conspiracy concepts (tin foil hats, 200 mile per gallon cars), and added new, funny underground “knowledge” about familiar things (trans-fat, irradiated flour, sharp plastic packaging). Then I created quirky characters (granola mom/Zen food critic, armed French waiters) and the general outlines of the thriller plots for all three books in the trilogy. The characters and funny concepts suggested how they fit into the stories, and from that I created detailed outlines. Of course, as I write and revise, I change the outline as needed to make The Urban Legion compelling, mis-informative, and funny. I also change proper names everywhere to avoid trouble with conspiracy assassins.

Q: What do you feel is the main theme(s)?

A: Everything you thought was false is actually true.

That said, there are other themes that grew organically out of the story: art versus commerce, natural vs. fake, Zen vs. ego, and the business of addiction.

Q: Why do you feel this is important, and what would you want a reader to take away from reading this book?

A: People need laughter in their lives, and they can get that by blaming funny conspiracies for everyday annoyances. I hope my readers finish the book a little less serious and a lot more amused.

Q: What makes a good book or engaging story?

A: It has to make me laugh. (I suppose there are a few great books without humor, but like the obituaries, I prefer not to read them.) Beyond that, all stories need distinctive characters with understandable goals (even the bad guys), battling it out in new and interesting ways. The reader must care what happens next.

Q: Are there writers with similar themes to yours? Who are your influences (can be writers, or even artists, musicians, or others) and what is it about their work that attracts you?

A: I’m a fan of anyone who creates funny material.

My writer hero list includes Douglas Adams and Dave Barry for being totally silly; Carl Hiaasen for great characters and hilarious turns of phrase; Christopher Buckley for witty satire; and Tom Robbins for fantastic metaphors and healthy cynicism. I have a special love of Christopher Moore and Jasper Fforde for doing what The Urban Legion does—creating a hidden, funny world beneath the surface of everyday life, so we can imagine that all that stuff is actually true.

I generally avoid serious movies; my favorites are the silly ones like the Airplane and Naked Gun series, anything by Mel Brooks, and Men in Black (which also reveals absurd hidden “truth” beneath the surface of a totally normal world. I can totally believe that Dennis Rodman is an alien.)

I learned satire and deadpan comedy from Mad Magazine and Get Smart. I like the intelligent humor of the xkcd online comic. Just to exercise my funny bone, I read The Funny Times every month and my Argyle Sweater page-a-day calendar every day (it used to be a Far Side calendar until Gary Larson retired).

(Editor's Note: I had a piece in The Funny Times, alongside work from Garrison Keillor and Dave Barry. Pretty good company for a writer!)
 
Q: Is storytelling mostly entertainment, or does it serve other functions? Do you have particular goals other than telling a good story?

A: Ah, the age-old question “Is it art, or just entertainment?”, best accompanied by a glass of red wine. But let me grab a beer and crudely insist that entertainment—in particular, comedy—is a noble art form. “Serious” writers try to illuminate the dark corners of the human condition; I just want to help people lighten up.

Q: Any other goals you've set for yourself, professionally or personally?

A: My dream is to make The Urban Legion trilogy part of the culture. (I’ll know I’ve succeeded when people make jokes about it.) Along the way, that means writing the second and third books (working titles: The Urban Legion Breaks the News, and The Soul of the Urban Legion). It also means a lot of marketing, which any author will agree is difficult and time-consuming. I suppose I’d like to be able to quit my day job and write/market full time—or at least, half time, and spend the rest playing golf and softball. And reading funny books.

Q: Some writers write fast and claim not to rewrite much. Do you do this, or painstakingly revise? When you send the book off to the publisher, are you happy with it, or just tired of it?

A: I’m a perfectionist, and when I read something that seems a little off, I dive in and fix it or cut it. I’m totally happy with the results when I deliver the manuscript; if I I’m tired of it, it’s not good enough yet, and I’ll revise it.

Q: Do you have good editors, and if so, how do they help you? Do they look for particular things? Do you have different people for different editing levels?

A: I absolutely have good editors; I can’t imagine producing a manuscript without them. It woold be awfull. (sic)

My story editor looks at the big picture, such as plot flow, characterization, dialog, and themes. Her thorough feedback helps me hone the story and tighten up the plot. I use a few trusted friends and family as beta readers, which gives me fresh “first time reader” perspectives. A line editor finds and suggests fixes for any less-than-stellar sentences. I’ve also played with a few editing tools that identify complex sentences and overused words. A proofreader goes after the minor errors, but I proofread the final manuscript again myself. I don’t think typos are funny at all, except when I mean to type “type” and it comes out “typo.” That amuses me for a moment, and then I fix it.

Q: If a writer came to you for advice, how would you help?

A: Tell them to keep their day job.

If they were writing a novel, I’d recommend a few books: Story by Robert McKee and Save the Cat by Blake Snyder, even though they’re aimed at screenwriters; and Writing the Breakout Novel (or better, the Workbook) by Donald Maass, even though I know you (Dale) are not a fan. They’ll help writers get the structure right, so their imaginations and voices can soar without getting lost in the clouds.

I would also encourage them to join one or more writers’ groups, read a lot, keep writing, and get feedback from as many people as possible. I would pass along some advice about feedback that was given to me by a successful playwright; “The story does not take place on the page, or on the stage, but in the audience’s heads. You need to find out what happened in there.” Worry about whether what you intended was what the readers got. Don’t worry about what they say you should have written—unless you really like their idea.

(Editor's Note- on not being a fan of Donald Maass- when one writes a book of advice *as an expert* (as he did), one ought to have actually done the thing one recommends. Since, to our knowledge, Donald Maass has never had a "Breakout Novel," i.e. the kind he's telling you he can help you write, this is, to say the least, disingenuous. Worse, rather presumptuous. And then he went on a public forum and referred to writers as "cattle." So yeah, kind of a dick, and I'm certainly not a fan of someone like that. All that being said, there is some good advice in his book. One can learn things, even from people who are dicks.)

Q: Stories can be told by using a different medium. Can you see your book as a film, audio, etc.? How would that alter the telling?

A: I can’t see it as an audio book, but I can hear it—it’ll require a few accents and perhaps a sound effect for the italic inner monologues.

I can see it as a great film, with the emphasis on the sillier action scenes and funny repartee. Just as the revelation of absurd underground knowledge worked for Men in Black, it would work for The Urban Legion. You’ll want to read the book first, however, just so you can proclaim at cocktail parties that “the film did not do the book justice.”

Q: What's the next step in your writing world?

A: Finish book 2; I have a detailed outline and a few chapters written, and a lot of funny falsehoods to put in. And book 3 is so wonderfully satirical and silly I can hardly wait to get started on it.

Q: Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

A: Once, I stuck out my thumb and hitched a ride on an airplane. It was still taxiing, but I think that counts.

Q: Any other information you'd like to impart?

A: Don’t take life too seriously. Make people laugh, especially me. Read funny books, especially mine.

---

 Web page: www.TheUrbanLegion.com and www.DaveAgans.com

On Facebook: TheUrbanLegion and authorDaveAgans

Where to buy:

Short link to Amazon.com (Kindle or paperback): http://amzn.to/1S7oEvV
Also available at BarnesAndNoble.com, or order it through your local bookstore.

If you’re in the southern NH area, I will gladly sign your copy if you get in touch via the website. You can also look there for notices of upcoming events at local bookstores and libraries.


Tuesday, February 2, 2016

NH Writer's Project Fiction Slam

Last night we had fun at the Nashua regional contest for the NH Writer's Project Fiction Slam. Held at Fody's, there were a half-dozen people vying for the win here, to go on to the state competition. Each person reads a 3-minute original story, and they receive feedback and a score from the judges.

Amazing talent from the competitors, and exceptional critique provided by the judges of literary light.

From Left- Judges Mary Johnson, John Murphy, Rob Greene, and Emcee Claudia Decker


Fourth judge Jen Valentine with contestant Chris Lamere


Starting off the night of competition is Ursula Wong, author of Purple Trees and the forthcoming Amber Wolf.


Kathy Boss


Chris reads his piece


The audience at the other end of the table. The guy with his chin in his hand is Dave Agans, author of the newly-released comic novel The Urban Legion
Dave will be interviewed on this blog later this week, so stop by!


Other contestants awaiting their turn


Mary Jeddore Blakney, (Jae), another author with books out


 Another shot of the judges and hostess


Mark reads his piece on being a writer- go figure!

 

Vicky Meagher reads the play that was not a play


Now the hard part- out of all the excellent pieces done that night, picking the top performers.

 

Emcee Claudia (on left) with the winners- Mary Jeddore Blakney (first place), Kathy Boss, (third) and Ursula Wong (Second, and a previous winner of this contest).