Interview with B.R. Bentley, Author of The Banker’s Box

Happy Friday!

Today’s interview is with BR Bentley, author of The Banker’s Box.

Please enjoy!

Best,

-Vincent Lowry

 

Interview:

What is your author name and in what state do you live (or country if not in the US)?

B.R. Bentley (pseudonym). I live in British Columbia, Canada.

 

What is the title of your newest book and what is the genre?

The Banker’s Box – Mystery/Crime

 

What is the book about?

The unanticipated consequences of a casual remark leading to the unexpected disappearance of a flamboyant banker.

 

Where did you come up with the idea?

All my novels are inspired by real events as is this one – inspired by the disappearance of a local banker.

 

How long did it take you to write it?

About two years – interrupted fairly frequently by my boxer dog. High energy and very demanding.

 

Did you learn anything from the project?

Crime and politics are a continual influence on our everyday lives.

 

Do you have an author website and/or blog? How about a book video?

Author website is www.brbentley.com No book video.

 

Do you have any success tips to pass on to fellow authors? How about any great editors/cover artists?

Read Stephen King’s book – On Writing…it’s my writing bible. Have used several editors all of whom added value. Also used Beta readers – essential. Latest cover designer did excellent work on interpreting what I I tried to outline verbally.

 

What genres do you like to read? Are you open to reading new authors and reviewing their work?

I read pretty much anything. I’m studying Novel Writing and writing my next novel at the same time so limited time for reading and reviewing new authors. That said I’d be happy to engage for brief conversations (skype, WhatsApp  etc.) if it helped another writer with their work.

 

What is your favorite book of all time and why?

Cry the Beloved Country by Alan Peyton. I loved the ‘voices’ in the book. Smacks of authenticity.

 

Fun Question: Do you have any pets? If so, what kind?

Dog and cat. My wife also has a horse.

 

Fun Question 2: Do you own an electronic reading device? If so, what kind and how do you like it?

Still prefer paper. So hard copy books although I do read university and other material on my Samsung laptop.

 

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Interview with Susana Imaginario, Author of Wyrd Gods

Hello,

Today’s interview is with Susana Imaginario, author of Wyrd Gods.

You can find it below.

Thanks,

-Vincent Lowry

 

Interview:

1) What is your author name and in what state do you live (or country if not in the US)?

Susana Imaginário. I live in Ireland.

2) What is the title of your newest book and what is the genre?

Wyrd Gods is a (grim)dark fantasy with hints of satire and mystery.

3) What is the book about?

It’s about falling from grace and the thin line between selfishness and self preservation. How limited each individual’s perspective is and the consequences of assumptions and miscommunication. It’s about predation and redemption.

4) Where did you come up with the idea?

I saw this ancient yew tree in an old graveyard, all gnarled and hollow amongst the faded gravestones, and tried to imagine how it all would have looked like when the tree was young. This led to a series of incomplete stories about time travelling through trees. I liked the concept, but failed to make it work, so eventually I used the plot of another unfinished novel written years before that, a sort of Clash of the Titans set in Niflheim and (after many drafts, revisions, edits, tears and curses) Timelessness was born.

5) How long did it take you to write it?

Three years altogether. I had to stop and restart several times for ‘real’ life always takes priority.

6) Did you learn anything from the project?

So much! I’m still learning. Not just about writing and publishing but about myself and those around me. It has been a life-changing experience.

7) Do you have an author website and/or blog? How about a book video?

I have the simplest website. For now.

http://www.susanaimaginario.com

8) Do you have any success tips to pass on to fellow authors? How about any great editors/cover artists?

Just write. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Learn from them, fix them, and then write some more. Listen to the advice of everyone who seems to want to help you but don’t believe everything you’re told and don’t try to please them all either. You’ll fail. At the end of the day, you’re the one who has to take responsibility for your work, not them, so you better be proud of it (yes, that also includes the mistakes).

The book was edited by Lisa Gilliam (https://www.lisagilliam.com) and the cover designed by Design for Writers https://www.designforwriters.com

9) What genres do you like to read? Are you open to reading new authors and reviewing their work?

Fantasy, scifi and historical fiction are my favourite genres, but I’m always up for reading anything new and different. And sure, I’ll be happy to review.

10) What is your favorite book of all time and why?

The Book of Disquiet by Fernando Pessoa. It’s a flawed and incomplete masterpiece. I find it soothing. It’s not the sort of book to read through in one go, but to keep on your nightstand instead and randomly open when there’s no one to talk to. A must have for every introvert writer.

11) Fun Question: Do you have any pets? If so, what kind?

Yes, I have a very spoiled Portuguese Water Dog named Locke.

12) Fun Question 2: Do you own an electronic reading device? If so, what kind and how do you like it?

My old fourth generation Kindle is still my favourite device. I don’t like the glare of any of the new ones (including paperwhite).

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Interview with Valerie Nieman, Author of To the Bones

Hello,

Today’s interview is with Valerie Nieman, author of To The Bones.

Please see below.

Best,

-Vincent Lowry

Interview:

1) What is your author name and in what state do you live (or country if not in the US)?

Valerie Nieman, North Carolina

2) What is the title of your newest book and what is the genre?

To the Bones is a horror/mystery about the use and abuse of power in coal country, where that legacy is very long indeed. It’s also a story about the love for family and home and the fight to save them. As a reviewer in the Colorado Review wrote: “In this unusual tale of death and monsters and environmental devastation, horror, science fiction, romance, and satire bleed together to form a vibrant literary delight that is as powerful and imposing as the fearsome orange-hued river that runs through it.”

3) What is the book about? 

       Darrick MacBrehon, a government auditor, wakes among the dead. Bloodied and disoriented from a gaping head wound, the man who staggers out of the mine crack in Redbird, West Virginia, is much more powerful—and dangerous—than the one thrown in. An orphan with an unknown past, he must now figure out how to have a future.

Hard-as-nails Lourana Taylor works as a sweepstakes operator and spends her time searching for any clues that might lead to Dreama, her missing daughter. Could this stranger’s tale of a pit of bones be connected? With help from Marco DeLucca, a disgraced deputy, and Zadie Person, a local journalist investigating an acid mine spill, Darrick and Lourana push against everyone who tries to block the truth. Along the way, the bonds of love and friendship are tested, and bodies pile up on both sides.

In a town where the river flows orange and the founding—and controlling—family is rumored to “strip a man to the bones,” the conspiracy that bleeds Redbird runs as deep as the coal veins that feed it.

4) Where did you come up with the idea?

I homesteaded a hill farm in West Virginia some years ago. The land lay over the top of the former Farmington No. 9 coal mine that tragically blew up in 1968, killing 78 men and leaving 19 entombed. That knowledge was always in the back of my mind as I worked the gardens and tended the cattle. A “mine crack” appeared in the back pasture as the ground settled into the mine workings. I always used to say that if I ever were going to kill someone, I’d throw the body in a mine crack. So for this book, I did exactly that.

5) How long did it take you to write it?

I set myself the task of writing quickly, as the material all came from my years as a journalist and farmer in West Virginia and did not rely on extensive research. It took me less than a year — normally, it’s a 4-6 year process for me to finish a novel.

6) Did you learn anything from the project?

I learned that my reporter-powers of writing fast, tight, and on deadline never went away.

7) Do you have an author website and/or blog? How about a book video?

http://www.valnieman.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsJSr3G2m7U

8) Do you have any success tips to pass on to fellow authors? How about any great editors/cover artists? 

Keep at it! Writing is a long game, a marathon rather than a sprint. My MFA director used to say that the biggest problem for writers is attrition–so don’t attrit.

I’ve relied on a network of writing friends and small writing groups to keep me productive and on track. Just can’t go to group empty-handed! My first editors are always these writers–we read each other’s work and are brutally honest. To the Bones was read by a writer of SF/fantasy and scholarly works on UFOs, a fantasy/horror writer, a literary novelist/poet, a literary novelist/memoirist, and a writer whose themes include the Asian immigrant experience and Malaysian history, so quite a wide range of approaches. Each had useful suggestions that led to the final manuscript, which then went through peer review at West Virginia University Press and had three more goings-over.

9) What genres do you like to read? Are you open to reading new authors and reviewing their work?

Since childhood, I’ve read widely, omnivorously, without regard to genre or age-appropriateness. I started by reading the classics I could find at home–Poe, Hawthorne, Stevenson, Shakespeare, Twain, Tennyson, Hardy. When I was a young teen, I discovered science fiction and fantasy and plunged deeply into that world. I’ll read what comes to hand, especially when I am traveling–biographies, Ed McBain, local authors, science writing, Agatha Christie, spy stories and westerns and historical epics. I am always behind on reading the many volumes of short stories and literary novels from my friends and colleagues. And I am always reading, and writing, poetry.

10) What is your favorite book of all time and why? 

Oh, that’s not fair! I could never choose a single book. If I were marooned on a desert island, I might opt for the Complete Works of William Shakespeare.

11) Fun Question: Do you have any pets? If so, what kind?

None right now, though I borrow a dog occasionally and consider my neighbors’ pets as my own.

12) Fun Question 2: Do you own an electronic reading device? If so, what kind and how do you like it?

I do not, though I have the Kindle and Libro apps on my iPhone. I use them occasionally, but am still enchanted by the printed page and the heft of a book in my hands.

To the Bones,an Appalachian mystery/horror novel

Leopard Lady: A Life in Verse

Visit my website or Facebook page, 

Twitter @valnieman, Instagram @valnieman

SEPT. 24 – Sunrise Books, High Point, NC, with Gerry Stanek.

SEPT. 28 – Books-a-Million, 1-4 pm, Beckley, WV.

SEPT. 30 – Gabor Folklife Center, 7 pm, Fairmont, WV.

OCT. 4-6 – West Virginia Book Festival. Speaking at 9 am Saturday.

OCT. 9 – McNally Jackson, NYC.

OCT. 19 – West Virginia University with Women of Appalachia Project.

NOV. 16 – Kentucky Book Festival.

JAN. 24-25 – Roanoke Regional Writers Conference.

FEB. 28-MARCH 1 – Mysticon in Roanoke, VA.

MARCH 13-14 – Charleston SC reading and workshop.

MARCH 20-21 -Upcountry Literary festival, Union, SC

APRIL 10 – Wordstream Radio in Knoxville, TN. Reading at 7 pm, Union Avenue Books. 

APRIL 26 – Women Improving Race Relations Book Club, Greensboro, NC.

*As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

 

Interview with Elisabeth Seaman, co-author of Conflict-The Unexpected Gift: Making the Most of Disputes in Life and Work

Hello,

Today’s interview is with Elisabeth Seaman, co-author of Conflict – The Unexpected Gift: Making the most of disputes in life and work.

Please enjoy and follow the E-Author Resource blog! (Authors interested in interviews may contact vjlowry1@gmail.com.)

Best,

Vincent Lowry

 

Interview:

1) What is your author name and in what state do you live (or country if not in the US)?

Elisabeth Seaman – I am the co-author together with Jack Hamilton. We live in beautiful northern California.

2) What is the title of your newest book and what is the genre?

Conflict – The Unexpected Gift: Making the most of disputes in life and work – the genre is self help

3) What is the book about?

It suggests practical ways to honestly address, talk through and benefit from resolving conflicts between individuals.The book stresses the importance of knowing yourself, clarifying and letting go of unfounded assumptions, apologizing to heal old hurts and moving forward by not only repairing relationships but also often improving them. Every chapter has real-life accounts of people’s unresolved issues and the creative ways they resolved them. There are also suggested activities for readers to practice what they are learning.

4) Where did you come up with the idea?

From our mediation practice we learned that, even when people resolved their issues through mediation, they had no idea how this occurred. That led to workshops and trainings to help people learn for themselves how to resolve conflicts that arose in their lives. From that came the book, to reach a wider audience.

5) How long did it take you to write it?

The first edition (2013) took about four years from inception to publication.

6) Did you learn anything from the project?

I learned that writing this book and the subsequent editions of it was a difficult, time-consuming and exciting process! I also learned that four authors can work harmoniously with each other when they have the same goal in mind. Also, we were all mediators!

7) Do you have an author website and/or blog? How about a book video?

You will see our website and blog at ConflictResolution-theBook.com We have no book video but on the website you’ll see some videos of interviews.

8) Do you have any success tips to pass on to fellow authors? How about any great editors/cover artists?

As our first edition was created by four of us, we hired an excellent editor who blended everything smoothly without losing the flavor or tenor of the book. The artist who created our cover did an excellent job for us. We had seen and been impressed by his work in The Christian Science Monitor. We were also able to get some excellent reviews and testimonials from our readers.

9) What genres do you like to read? Are you open to reading new authors and reviewing their work?

I like to read historical biographies and historical fiction as well as essays, short stories and some poetry.

10) What is your favorite book of all time and why?

The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. His writing touches my heart and it is so lucid that I can clearly feel and picture his characters and their situations. If I can be fascinated by reading how the old car was being repaired, that is amazing to me.

11) Fun Question: Do you have any pets? If so, what kind?

I had the most loving, wonderful cat that unfortunately passed on earlier this year. I still miss him.

12) Fun Question 2: Do you own an electronic reading device? If so, what kind and how do you like it?

I have an iPad, but I prefer to read books in print form. The iPad is great for reading books and periodicals when I travel.

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Interview with Kerrian N. Adebanjo, Author of The Oil of Joy

Hello,

Today’s interview is with Kerrian N. Adebanjo, author of The Oil of Joy.

Please see it below!

Best,

-Vincent Lowry

Interview:

1)    What is your author name and in what state do you live (or country if not in the US)?

My name is Kerrian Adebanjo. I live in Brussels Belgium.

 

2)    What is the title of your newest book and what is the genre?

The Oil of Joy: Scriptural principles for a joyful life.

 

3)    What is the book about?

It’s about joy. A vital ingredient of life which is severely lacking in our society today due to the pressures of life. The book tells you how to learn to be joyful despite circumstances and how to fight back to the lack of joy.

 

4)    Where did you come up with the idea?

I was inspired by a sermon by Bishop David Oyedepo coupled with a few challenges I was facing at that time.

 

5)    How long did it take you to write it?

I believe it took me about 4 months. But after completing the manuscript I had it sitting down for a while before I published it.

 

6)    Did you learn anything from the project?

Yes, a lot mainly that procrastination is the theft of time. If you want to do something just do it and don’t put it off.

 

7)    Do you have an author website and/or blog? How about a book video?

I am working on them now.  You will eb updated once they are completed.

 

8)    Do you have any success tips to pass on to fellow authors? How about any great editors/cover artists?

I use freelancing websites mainly fiver. Make sur you go for freelancers who have clearly stated that they can do they job you want to get done.  Go for ones with high reviews.

 

9)    What genres do you like to read? Are you open to reading new authors and reviewing their work?]

I like to red Christian romance and Christian detective.

 

10)  What is your favourite book of all time and why?

Rescued from Destruction by Pastor Faith Oyedepo. It reminds that Jesus still heals today.  

 

11) Fun Question: Do you have any pets? If so, what kind?

No, I have no pets, but my son has asked me for a fish, so I am going to get that for him. The fish might just become my pet as well.

 

12) Fun Question 2: Do you own an electronic reading device? If so, what kind and how do you like it?

Not anymore. I had Kindles before and they got damaged. Since the last one I have not yet replaced it. I will get another. I believe the reason I have not replaced it yet is because I want to limit my screen time daily.

 

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Interview with Melinda Field, Author of The Nest of Our Being

Today’s interview is with Melinda Field, author of The Nest of Our Being.

Please enjoy!

Best,

-Vincent Lowry

1) What is your author name and in what state do you live (or country if not in the US)?

My author name is Melinda Field and I live in Northern California.

 

2) What is the title of your newest book and what is the genre?

The title of my book is THE NEST OF OUR BEING, the genre is fiction with a touch of magical realism.

 

3) What is the book about?

Although this book can be read as a standalone the story takes place five years after my first novel, TRUE.
 In the summer of 2004 Julien Smith returns home to the mountains of far Northern California broken and morally injured. As his journey unfolds over the course of a year, we come to know his  family, his mother’s circle of women and the interwoven stories of the beautifully flawed people of Green Valley.

 

4) Where did you come up with the idea?

The idea for the story grew out of my realization that both wonder and terror impact our lives, but the solid bedrock of family and our connection with wild nature, strengthen  the ties that bind us to our fragile yet miraculous humanity.

 

 

5) How long did it take you to write it?

This novel took around four years to complete.

6) Did you learn anything from the project?

I learned how to write both a standalone book and a sequel. How to build suspense and how to create the mysterious creatures that inhabit the mountains of Green valley.

 

7) Do you have an author website and/or blog? How about a book video?

My website is melindafield.com

 

8) Do you have any success tips to pass on to fellow authors? How about any great editors/cover artists?

It’s never too late!

 

9) What genres do you like to read? Are you open to reading new authors and reviewing their work?

My fav genre is fiction

 

 

10) What is your favorite book of all time and why?

My most beloved book is Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury.

 

 

11) Fun Question: Do you have any pets? If so, what kind?

My horse Maverick passed last year…miss him so

 

 

12) Fun Question 2: Do you own an electronic reading device? If so, what kind and how do you like it?

I have an ipad and love it.

 

 

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Interview with E.G. Moore, Author of Rowdy Days of Dom Sanders

Hello,

Today’s interview is with E.G. Moore, author of Rowdy Days of Dom Sanders.

Please enjoy!

Best,

-Vincent Lowry

Interview:

1) What is your author name and in what state do you live (or country if not in the US)?

Hi! I’m E.G. Moore, and I dwell in Idaho, USA. The land of the lakes, which inspire me.

 

2) What is the title of your newest book and what is the genre?

My newest book is entitled Rowdy Days of Dom Sanders. It is a modern crime/adventure retelling of Tom Sawyer.

 

3) What is the book about? 

Main character Dom Sanders lives a charmed small-town life until his new neighbor Taylor moves in. Dom witnesses a drug-related murder, and his identical boot prints and some other evidence makes Taylor the prime suspect. Dom must decide to let his bully take the fall or speak up and risk his safety to do the right thing. Lots of country fun mixed into this one… horses, chores, tough girls, barn fires, etc… A lot of my adult readers say it has a nostalgic feel they love.

 

4) Where did you come up with the idea?

At first, I had read about how middle grade boys were reading less than any other part of the population (about seven years ago), and how obsolete the classics were because current generations couldn’t relate to them. I adore retellings, so I wanted to rewrite a classic in a way that would attract and appeal to that audience. Some of the adventure elements also came from stories my husband, brother-in-law, and in-laws told me about my husband’s family living a low-income, high-innovation lifestyle. It grew and morphed into this fun, crime adventure that I hope everyone will enjoy.

 

5) How long did it take you to write it?

Dom went through about six years of changes. I wrote the first draft my second year of National Novel Writing Month, and it’s been through about one dozen rewrites, and then had scenes moved around and changed after that. My husband took a picture of me with notecards spread all over our living room rug. I had an agent and all the major publishers considered it and offered personalized rejections that softly stated they didn’t want to deal with a couple sensitive topics within its pages. Eventually, I decided that self-publishing was the way to go.

 

6) Did you learn anything from the project?

I learned so many things about writing. This was my second completed manuscript, but it felt like an attachment of myself. I really played with and enjoyed discovering how to make each character incredibly unique and memorable. I also fell in love with middle grade, the wonder and joy of the character arcs that come from that audience’s age category. This debut novel taught me a lot about the self-publishing realm. My previous experience in marketing and promotion helped, but indie authors have so many options at their disposal and choosing the best for their work can be both daunting and fulfilling.

 

 

7) Do you have an author website and/or blog?

Yes, both of them can be found at https://egmoore.wixsite.com/website. I’ve also got a teacher and student newsletter in the works because I think teachers need resources to help them be the book representative superstars that they are.

 

8) Do you have any success tips to pass on to fellow authors? How about any great editors/cover artists?  The best tip I can give fellow authors is to demand the best for your work. Be the best author you can, pay for the best covers and editors if you’re an indie author, and give your words the hard work that both them and your readers deserve. My book cover artist is pretty fantastic www.kingscustomcovers.com. Darrin really listens to what you want and isn’t afraid to let you get involved in the creative process. He’s also patient about changes in deadlines, as books occasionally do. Tell Darrin that Emily sent you!

 

I have three amazing editors that I highly recommend!

 

Michelle Hauck, story weaver extraordinaire. She will make your story better. Period. (Note: Currently not taking editing projects. Her books are amazing too!)

 

Jenny Leo – She’s all about the details.

 

Alena Orrison – Tough love that whips your grammar into shape.

 

 

9) What genres do you like to read? Are you open to reading new authors and reviewing their work? I’m an avid reader of British classic fiction (think Austen and Bronte), fantasy, Sci-Fi, and non-fiction on certain topics. Every once in a while, I dip into clean mystery and unique, realistic dystopian. I may or may not have a slight conspiracy theorist streak.

 

I’m not against reading new authors and reviewing, but I tend to quit reading if it’s not catching, and I’m an honest reviewer. If I don’t like it, I say so. Also, lyrical writing and characters beat plot for me every time. Note: I read a lot of teen fiction because I’m a wimp when it comes to graphic violence or sex due to past personal experiences.

 

10) What is your favorite book of all time and why?

Oh, this question. I utterly fail at this answer every time. Every time. I’ll go with the one I read annually and then my most recent favorite. If you adore culturally rich myths, you MUST read Juliet Marillier’s Daughter of the Forest. Seriously. Go get it right now. Library. Amazon. Whatever. It’s worth it. All the sensory details and how much the Sorcha speaks without saying a word is magical.

I would encourage fantasy lovers to check out Eliza Tilton. She’s created a world I got sucked into and gobbled up in her Daath Chronicles. She’s working on several series now and I’m telling you, she can make you feel and see all the things. All of them.

 

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Interview with Thomas M. Kane, Author of The Witches of Crannock Dale

Hello,

Today’s interview is with Thomas M. Kane, author of The Witches of Crannock Dale.

Please see below.

Best,

-Vince

Interview:

1) What is your author name and in what state do you live (or country if not in the US)?

Thomas M. Kane. Maine.

2) What is the title of your newest book and what is the genre?

The Witches of Crannock Dale. Fantasy.

3) What is the book about?

It starts when an eleven-year old girl named Mara Bennett hears the church bells ring on the wrong day. She knows that’s supposed to be a warning that her country has been invaded. Then the knights that are supposed to be protecting her village arrest her aunt for witchcraft. Suddenly, she doesn’t know what’s really happening or who to trust. She’s determined to protect the people she cares about, she’s determined to save her aunt, and she feels as if she has to do it all by herself.

4) Where did you come up with the idea?

When I was little, my mother told me the story of the Trojan Horse. She also told me that there was a Trojan girl named Cassandra who saw through the trick. I thought Cassandra seemed like a neat person, and when I became interested in writing, I decided to write about a character like her.

5) How long did it take you to write it?

I had been thinking about the idea for nearly forty years. It took me a few months to write the first two or three chapters. Then I found a helpful writers’ group, and with that inspiration, I wrote the other twenty-three chapters in a few months more.

6) Did you learn anything from the project?

Absolutely! Most recently, I’ve been learning a lot about how artists and designers work. Artist Robin M. Birrell has painted a cover that captures a lot of my favorite details from the book and done some interior illustrations as well. Tallulah van der Made has been turning Robin’s work into a finished cover. I am impressed with their work and grateful to have met both of them.

7) Do you have an author website and/or blog? How about a book video?

Yes! My website is www.thomasmkane.com. I post stories and articles there two or three times a month. I’m also active on Facebook (@thomasmkaneauthor), Twitter (thomasmkane11) and Goodreads.

8) Do you have any success tips to pass on to fellow authors? How about any great editors/cover artists?

The first tip that comes to mind is, if you know what you want to write, write it! I strongly recommend the artists I mentioned above. Chrissy Cutting at Fiverr did a highly professional job editing my work and I deeply appreciate Glenn Sarco of Sarco Press’s work formatting the text.

9) What genres do you like to read? Are you open to reading new authors and reviewing their work?

I read practically all genres and review honestly.

10) What is your favorite book of all time and why?

The Lord of the Rings towers (ahem) over my writing life, but the book which inspires me most these days is Ursula K. Le Guin’s Tehanu. Tehanu explores its characters’ inner lives and family relationships in powerful and thought-provoking ways.

11) Fun Question: Do you have any pets? If so, what kind?

My only “pets” at the moment are the wild creatures who live in the woods around my house – but anyone who reads Witches of Crannock Dale will see that I have had some wonderful cats in my life in the past.

12) Fun Question 2: Do you own an electronic reading device? If so, what kind and how do you like it?

I read e-books on my laptop. That works well for me now – bu I have had good experiences with Kindles.

 

*As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

 

Interview with Justin Tuijl, Author of Burning Wolfhound

Good morning,

Today’s interview is with Justin Tuijl, author of Burning Wolfhound.

Please enjoy!

Best,

-Vince

Interview:

1) What is your author name and in what state do you live (or country if not in the US)?

Justin Tuijl (my real name and writing name) I live in Scotland, in the Highlands (very remote)

2) What is the title of your newest book and what is the genre?

My last book was a collection of short stories, a multi-genre book, but I do like to have a thriller element to all my stuff.

3) What is the book about?

Some of the stories are retellings of fairy tales, like Rumplestiltskin. Some blend science fiction and fantasy. All are set in modern times.

4) Where did you come up with the idea?

I took various prompts from fiction, like fairy tales and bought a modern message to them.

5) How long did it take you to write it?

About five years worth of stories in there.

6) Did you learn anything from the project?

That some of my stuff is quite fun to read.

7) Do you have an author website and/or blog? How about a book video?

www.justintuijl.com, unfortunately I have no time to blog properly or make a video. I live in a falling down church building which I have to work on all the time.

8) Do you have any success tips to pass on to fellow authors? How about any great editors/cover artists?

I make my own covers and edit my own work. I’m dyslexic, so this is a hard route. But needs must. Just finding the time to write is the most important thing for a writer and regarding it as a “real job”.

9) What genres do you like to read? Are you open to reading new authors and reviewing their work?

I like to read all sorts. Have mutually reviewed work with other writers.

10) What is your favorite book of all time and why?

Coming Up for Air by George Orwell, because he is amazing.

11) Fun Question: Do you have any pets? If so, what kind?

We have a nutty Ragdoll cat called Mr Floof, who is sometimes Dr Pazuzu, Dr Jekell and Mr Hyde.

12) Fun Question 2: Do you own an electronic reading device? If so, what kind and how do you like it?

I have a tablet, but I hate reading on electronic devices. I think it is hard work for a dyslexic to ready anything but paper.

Interview with Obed Ladiny, Author of Cracked Flutes – Blues from the Soul

Today I’m pleased to bring you this interview with Obed Ladiny, author of Cracked Flutes – Blues from the Soul.

Please enjoy!

Best,

-Vincent Lowry

1. What is your author name and in what state do you live (or country if not in the US)?

My name is Obed Ladiny and that’s the author name I use for my books at this time. I live in the lively city that never sleeps–New York.

2. What is the title of your newest book and what is the genre?

My newest book is titled “Cracked Flutes: Blues from the Soul – Volume 2.” It’s a contemporary poetry book.

3. What is the book about?

Cracked Flutes: Blues from the Soul – Volume 2 is about maturing and facing the ups and downs of life as a teen, adult male, husband, and father.

The thoughts don’t all necessarily represent how I currently feel, but how I felt, viewed myself, the situations and life at the moments of writing each poem. I think they’re worth reading as they enlighten me, other men, and just about anyone else–male or female reading them. As men, we are taught to never show vulnerability by displaying fear or worry. I believe in staying positive and portraying strength, but I also believe that we should be allowed to express our deepest longings and what makes us vulnerable emotional human beings. I believe there is a place to vent and let go of hidden emotions and the things that affect us as men, which often times the opposite sex may not realize or ignore. Though we are men, we are not security robots without feelings. And that we should not be placed in a stereo-typical box that defines what we are suppose to behave like and accept simply because we’re men.

4. Where did you come up with the idea?

I had in mind to gather my poems into one volume, but as I went over them, I realized that doing so without some type of purposeful organization would confuse the reader. That’s when I spent time thinking about the place of each poem. Also I soon realized that at least two volumes should be published as I went through them in an effort to organize them. I then realized that a thematic route is the best way to go. And so, all these poems in this volume fall in line in the direction of a theme and narrative that presented itself as I went over my poems.

5. How long did it take you to write it?

It’s a progressive body of work, the sum total of months and at least 3 or 4 years of poetry writing.

6. Did you learn anything from the project?

I learned that we as humans should take the time to take a long look at ourselves individually so we can move on, live and grow.

7. Do you have an author website or blog?

My books can be found in a variety of market places or retail stores online including Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, Books-a-million, apple, kobo, and many other places both nationally and internationally available through more than one distributor in the format of e-books and Paperbacks.

8. Do you have any successful tips to pass on to fellow authors? Have any great editors or cover artists?

I will say to fellow authors to keep at it and continue believing in yourselves. Work on perfecting your craft, learn from mistakes which will inevitably happen anyways, and grow. Never give up on your dreams. Read. Research. Write. And find a purpose that makes it all worthwhile.

As for great editors or cover artists, there are so many avenues to search these days. So it all depends on your genre, tastes, purpose and so forth.

9. What genres do you like to read? Are you open to reading new authors and reviewing their work?

I enjoy a variety, really; but these days I find myself reading lots of Non-Fiction books and poetry. My favorite courses in college were literature courses, so I’m open to reading fiction as well on occasions.

I’m open to reading the works of new and old authors. I’m opened to sharing my thoughts on a particular work if requested to do or if I feel moved to do so.

10. What is your favorite book of all time and why?

I like many literary works regardless of the period they were written in. But if I had to find myself in an isolated island for many days with only one book that I must choose, it would have to be the Holy Bible. I see the Bible as containing different genres and libraries of timeless books between its covers. It’s filled with entertaining stories, facts, and moral principles. It is also known to help the brain to relax. All in one.

Now after the Bible, here are those honorary mentions such as poetic works from Maya Angelou’s complete poetry collection, Nikki Giovanni’s poetry, Langston Hughes’ poetry, Carl Sandburg’s “Chicago Poems”, Billy Collins poetry, Ted Kooser, Mary Oliver, and so many more.

11. Fun Question: Do you have any pets? If so, what kind?

No. I don’t have any pets. If I did, it would probably be a dog–a puppy.

12. Fun Question: Do you own an electronic reading device?

No and Yes. My phone is my only current electronic reading device at the present moment. I may go back to a kindle or Nook in the future or whatever the latest device will be. Right now, my phone uploads books with the kindle app pretty well, though I miss using other devices I once had.

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