Tag: Interview

My Interview with Author John Claude Smith

My Interview with Author John Claude Smith

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Occasional Beasts: Tales and Other Thoughts

This morning our interview is with John Claude Smith, author of the latest bestseller, Occasional Beasts: Tales. Welcome, John Claude, and thank you for being here.

I think I’ve read every book you’ve published since The Dark is Light Enough for Me. Your books are always horrifically fun and intriguing in a slightly messy and unnerving sort of way. 

So, tell us…who is John Claude Smith? 

 The Lowdown (aka Author’s Bio)

“John Claude Smith has published two collections (The Dark is Light Enough for Me and Autumn in the Abyss), four chapbooks (Dandelions, Vox Terrae, The Anti-Everything, and The Wrath of Concrete and Steel), and two novels.  Riding the Centipede was published by Omnium Gatherum in 2015 and was a Bram Stoker Award finalist for Superior Achievement in a First Novel. 

The Wilderness Within was published by Trepidatio/JournalStone in October of 2017.  His third collection, Occasional Beasts: Tales, has just been published and includes 14 tales and 92k words of weird horror. He splits his time between the East Bay of northern California, across from San Francisco, and Rome, Italy, where his heart resides always.”

JCS: Besides this, I am driven by the arts, be it music, painting, writing—of course—and many curious variations, a lot of it veering toward outsider art.

IF: For those who are not currently following John Claude Smith on Facebook, I strongly encourage it. His daily posts are always interesting, enlightening and, I must say, surprising. Now, on with the show…

First Tales and the Giant Claw

IF: John Claude, as we are in the business of writing the “what if” stories, the stories whose subjects are born from our own fears, our own curiosities, I might suggest that your stories are an index of who John Claude Smith is. Where he’s been, where he is presently and where he’s going on his path of life.

So with this in mind, I have to ask, John Claude, going back in time, what was your first story and what events in your life gave birth to it? Can you describe where you were either physically or even psychogenically at the time?

JCS: My first story was for a class in school when I was perhaps seven and I’d ignored the teacher and the project and, at the last minute, scribbled a tale based on the movie, The Giant Claw. I hastily drew a bad cover for the tale, turned it in, and was embarrassed when the teacher posted it on display with the other tales. I learned my lesson about caring about the work right then.

But, of course, that’s not the first real tale. I started writing with lyrics and then poems, before moving on to tales that veered strongly into Twilight Zone territory, both the television show and the magazine from the 1980s. Fast forward a wee bit, and a point when I thought, hey, since I’m writing stuff all the time, why not get serious about it?

I was in my late twenties and just kind of getting by and needed something more from my life than, well, just getting by.  The mindset had been triggered.  Being a writer might bring fame and fortune and, haha, hey, as long as I can write and perhaps get some tales out, that would be something.  My headspace needed renovating.

The first tales were more straightforward horror, but even then, I was exploring something deeper. I distinctly remember writing a tale called, ahem, “A Torrent of Ages,” some kind of warped exploration of how a watcher over history is needed in order to keep the balance in the world. That perhaps ten years later, maybe more, became “The Perceptive One,” which was once called, “The Oblivion Express,” what with the train in the tale.

The original version was around 3000 words, while the expanded version is over 10,000 words. Anyway, to tie this up, I do not remember the first tales, as I’ve written my whole life, but what eventually became “The Perceptive One,” from my first collection, The Dark is Light Enough for Me, was there in the beginning when I decided getting serious needed to happen.

My first sale was a tale called, “Slow Flies,” a zombie-esque tale that takes place in Eddie Van Halen’s house, years after he’s gone and the world’s gone the way of a plague and the only edible thing left are the big, fat slow flies…

IF: Gross! LOL

Snippets from Another World

IF: A little history here, I believe you told me that you started writing by reviewing local bands in San Fran? I would still to this day, love to read those reviews. But my question is what band, local or otherwise, influenced you enough to impact your writing? Or was it an amalgamation of more than one? And what stories or creative vibes did they influence?

JCS: Excellent question.  Yes, soon after I got serious about fiction writing, I was sidetracked by music journalism. I reviewed primarily the more obscure genres—dark ambient, death industrial, power electronics, experimental, etc.—along with metal and industrial. With the likes of dark ambient and all their noisy companions, I took a different path with my reviews.

Since most of the music was instrumental, and rather wild, cosmic, or at least inspiring me in such a way, a lot of my reviews almost came off as snippets of some other world, or something horrific, or just something a wee bit creepy. An example: “The A-side opens with the wail of a siren from an operating room in the pit of Hell, a pummeling beat tattooing the souls in torment (unwilling patients to a sadistic fate), scalpels wielded with negligible glee: dissection, imminent; anesthesia, questionable (non-existent…)” 

Another one, for amusement sake: “There is a tendency for the atmospheres to sound as though they are being electronically scanned, kind of a sonar blipping responses from the ectoplasm currents at the edge of a formless infinity thought eons dead, but alive because everything that ever was exists within us all, trace memories from the limbic mind.  Ingenious!  And then, at the point when the “I have come to tell you what I have seen…” sample (Ray Milland from X—The Man With The X-Ray Eyes) kicks in, everything grows more pervasively eerie, more discomfiting, nerves on needles, as if we have slipped into that other dimension/realm/(anti)world. 

It is a mirror warped, a negative reflection, an aural mutation—doors to alternate explanations of reality swing open, a flood of technologically interpreted sounds from the “Anti-World,”–a deluge of black static transmissions: layers of sound in revolt, a vortex brimming with disembodied voices and, toward the end, confusion as law, confirmation of a successful journey via the haunted, soulless chorus denouement…” etc., on and on, I did have a tendency to go on, haha…  And neither of these examples takes us into the deepest cosmic wasteland or dealing with strange alien creatures or… 😉

It’s funny, I don’t know exactly how or if the review writing did anything specifically for my fiction writing, besides training me to meet deadlines, which isn’t a bad thing. I believe because they were almost condensed tales…not really tales, but snapshots into other worlds, they stood on their own. I have twisted pieces of some into poetry, but I don’t believe I’ve used any for fiction (maybe one piece), though I often think I should, so perhaps that will still come.

The Influence of J.G. Ballard

IF: I believe this is a topic near and dear to your heart. What authors have influenced your writing the most? And have they also influenced your life?

JCS: Too many have influenced my writing at one time or another: Clive Barker, Kathe Koja, early Lucy Taylor, Charlee Jacob, Joe R. Lansdale, Hunter S. Thompson, William S. Burroughs, a slew of current writers, and many, many more. But I think the primary one, that also might influence upon my psyche, is J.G. Ballard. There’s nothing within the actual writing to indicate as much style-wise, but his mindset when writing, his distinct view, as well as how so many of his tales linger in my mind long after I’ve read them, tapping into something I cannot quite define. This fascinates me as much as the best of his writing.

IF: Wow, note to self, read J.G. Ballard. Okay, well, that’s all we have time for today.

John Claude, thanks so much for doing this interview. You’re an inspiration and I wish you and Alessandra a long, happy life!

For more about Author John Claude Smith and his wild, weird and absolutely fantastic tales, please see below…

Occasional Beasts: Tales

 

Reviews for Occasional Beasts:

“John Claude Smith’s collection Occasional Beasts is a dark mosaic of the weird, the surreal, and the bizarre. These stories will dig into your brain-meat and take up permanent residence there. Highly recommended!” — Tim Waggoner, author of The Mouth of the Dark

 “Smith has mastered the delicate art of dread, transcending genre to put his stamp on weird horror. Provocative and terrifying, he grounds Occasional Beasts in the human condition while warping the walls of reality in fourteen tales that are not for the faint of heart.” –John Foster, author of Mister White and Dead Men

 “Occasional Beasts is yet another dazzling collection of dark imaginings from the mind of John Claude Smith. His evocative prose, mastery of atmosphere, and wildly original concepts manage to cast a spell on the reader that is as alluring as it is unsettling. …a certain glorious madness permeates this collection, as well as a fearless, visceral writing style that demands your attention”– Taylor Grant, Two-time Bram Stoker Award Nominee, The Dark at the End of the Tunnel

“A tumble down a dark slide with stories extremely dark, poetic and metaphysical, Occasional Beasts feels like holding hands with a demon while an angel whispers in your ear.” — John Palisano, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Nerves and All That Withers

“John Claude Smith’s Occasional Beasts lurks in the subconscious long after the last page. Despair becomes peace, and the soul is left a scream in the darkness as these tales churn through your psyche… Occasional Beasts: Tales is a must-read, but do so with the lights on.” —Alex Scully, editor Firbolg Publishing

Links for Occasional Beasts: Tales and John Claude Smith:

Occasional Beasts: Tales Amazon

Occasional Beasts: Tales Omnium Gatherum

JCS Amazon Author Page

Goodreads

The Wilderness Within (blog)

 

Interview w Fantasy Author Carol Marrs Phipps

Interview w Fantasy Author Carol Marrs Phipps

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Please welcome brilliant author Carol Marrs Phipps from the writer team of Carol Marrs and Tom Phipps

 

Hello Carol, welcome and thank you for doing this interview- 

Aside from all the help and support you’ve given me regarding my own work, I know so little about you. Would you mind sharing a little about your background? Where are you from? How did you and your partner/husband Tom Phipps get started in writing? Have you always written fantasy?

About the Author

Carol Marrs Phipps – I am a mother, grandmother, wife and doting pet owner. I say this first because my husband is always telling me that if I didn’t have anything else, I would mother a rock   Apparently my students agreed with my husband, because when I still taught elementary school, many of them often referred to me as “mom” rather than Mrs. Phipps.

My pets include six cats, a cockatiel, a raven and a blue-fronted Amazon parrot. (Though, anyone who has ever hand-raised a parrot understands they are far more like having another child, than a pet, particularly if they talk). 

I also love the outdoors where I enjoy walking, hiking, swimming, biking and picnics in the woods. Movies, traveling and family get-togethers are also an important part of my life.

 I was born and began life in Trenton, Missouri, but my parents moved to Illinois when I was very young. My husband Tom and I lived in the Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada) where we taught on a number of Native American Reservations until we decided to move back to Illinois.

The Evolution from Teacher to Writer

Carol Marrs Phipps – I haven’t taught since our return, concentrating on our writing instead. Tom is retired from teaching, but now has a part time job (three 12 hr, days a week).

I am a fantasy writer and a dreamer. I love to weave the visions which play out in my imagination into fantastic tales for my own amusement and the enjoyment of others. If not writing I am a voracious reader.

I had a number of short stories I had written for my creative writing classes and the yearly anthology which I read to my husband and step children. Tom was impressed by my writing and encouraged me to take it up again.

Since writing had always been my first career choice, I was easy to convince. However, I discovered along the way that Tom also had a great writing talent, though he was more of a non-fiction writer. We soon decided that combining our skills would make some realistic fantasy stories that all ages could read and enjoy. Thus, we became a team.

The Troll Language

I just finished Elf Killers and like with WHAM!, could not stop reading. My only pause in the book was trying to decipher the troll language. That is until I found the glossary. Big help, by the way! Thanks for adding it.

How did you come upon the troll language or was this something you created?

Carol Marrs Phipps – Yes…and, no. As I mentioned earlier, Tom and I spent the bulk of our teaching careers on the Native Indian Reservations. The troll language evolved out of native Navajo…with some creative adjustment, mostly exchanging one consonant for another. The word meanings, however, remained the same for our book.

Elf Killers and Other Stories

Regarding Elf Killers, your world creation was highly detailed, your adventure compelling and fast paced, and your characters so fun to read, I absolutely lost myself in the book. Such an amazing story. Is Elf Killers a standalone novel or do you plan a sequel?

Carol Marrs Phipps – Again I must answer yes…and no to your question. Although ELF KILLERS is our first published work, it was not actually written first. Tom and I had written four or five of the HEART OF THE STAFF books before we decided to do ELF KILLERS.

In STONE HEART, the 3rd book of the HEART OF THE STAFF series, the elf killer trolls are actually introduced, and they appear in each book of the series thereafter. ELF KILLERS is more or less a prelude to the series, even though it is not so labeled. Most of the trolls and elves from the series appear in ELF KILLERS, too.

Then in WHAM! the readers who have read ELF KILLERS and/or the HEART OF THE STAFF series will discover in book 2 of the TIMEWALKER series, that the troll barber is a descendant of Thunderman Veyfnaryr. Yes…all of our books are “connected”. WHAM!, book 1 of the TIMEWALKER series takes place 700 years after the HEART OF THE STAFF series, but you’ll find some of those “eternal” fairies and long-lived elves cropping up from time to time.

What other books have you written?

Carol Marrs Phipps – To date we have written: ELF KILLERS, GOOD SISTER, BAD SISTER (book 1 of HOTS), THE COLLECTOR WITCH (book 2 of the HOTS), STONE HEART (book 3 of the HOTS), THE BURGEONING (book 4 of the HOTS), THE REAPER WITCH (book 5 of the HOTS), DOOM (book 6 of the HOTS), the HEART OF THE STAFF: complete appendix (a companion book for the boxed set, HEART OF THE STAFF: complete series. Amazon would not allow us to attach the appendix to the boxed set because they said their policy did not allow a work of that size to be sold for only 99 cents. At he time we were adamant about the 99 cent price as we were still relative unknowns and we hoped to develop a bit of a readership.), and WHAM! (Book 1 of Timewalker)

What is your favorite genre to read? Write?

Carol Marrs Phipps – Fantasy is my answer to both questions.

Regarding your series, Heart of the Staff, please tell us a little about it?

Carol Marrs Phipps – The HEART OF THE STAFF series is a true epic fantasy saga which spans four complete generations in the life of a wizarding family.

Two evil sorceresses are on a path to rule the entire world; one from the shadows and the other from the throne she “inherited” early by killing her adoptive parents, the former king and queen, shortly after her sixteenth birthday. The wizarding family, headed by the most powerful wizard in the land, Razzmorten Dewin , who had previously lived in a  peaceful, even idyllic land, now find themselves and their very world in great peril.

In Closing

Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me, Carol. I know you’re short on time. Is there anything else you’d like to add:

Carol Marrs Phipps – Thanks the opportunity, Ingrid. Yes, there is.  To wrap up, I offer the following reader review for this series:

“I very highly recommend this “Heart of the Staff” epic

fantasy series. If you like fantasy stories, set in a time

of kingdoms and castles, loaded with evil witches, wizards,

elves, fairies, trolls, unicorns, dragons, kingdoms with

marching armies of war, this series has it all. I absolutely

loved these books!!”

A Great Announcement!

Many thanks to Author Carol Marrs Phipps for joining us! I have long admired her marketing efforts on Twitter, creating these elaborate detailed and colorful posters.

 

Click on this pic and get a great Christmas Wonderland Surprise!

 

Here’s one she designed for me –

 

 

 

 

For more on Carol’s great new venture, stay tuned for next week’s post!

and for more about Carol and Tom Phipps and their marvelous stories, use the following links –

Amazon                         Niarg Website

Twitter                           Smashwords

Facebook                       Goodreads

Interview with the Incomparable Laney Smith!

Interview with the Incomparable Laney Smith!

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Please Welcome Author and BlogRadioHost Laney Smith –

Most of us know Laney Smith as the warm and personable Blog Talk Radio Host. Please meet Laney Smith, the talented multi-genre author who is never afraid to tackle any subject and through her passion for words makes that subject her own.

Welcome, Laney, and thank you for accepting my request to interview you. I’m so glad you could join us!

Laney – Thank you for having me, Ingrid. 

Laney Smith, Author

Laney, I just finished What He’s Done? and was truly amazed by your character Michael “Sully” Sullivan. From start to finish he truly was the perfect angelic killing machine. One never knew what he was going to do next.

One of your reviewers called the story, a creative nonfiction. That made me wonder if the story was based on a true story. Was there a real-life Sully or did you create him based on another serial killer?

Laney – “Creative non-fiction” is the perfect way to describe this work. Sadly, this story and this character are loosely based on truth. Obviously, names have to be changed when you’re writing something “based on a true story” unless you are writing a non-fiction, factual story where you have evidence and consent from every party involved.

That would be impossible, in this case. Also, with a situation such as this, a fair amount of the details available to you are hearsay. While some of those details can be proven, some are impossible to prove. So, I took a story and I created this work based on that story. I had to bridge gaps in some of the details and timelines.

Sully is a disturbing character to have in your head. He’s got an ego and he wants the story out there. He wants the world to see how “smart” he is. He loves to talk about “What He’s Done.”

This book was written, edited, and published in three months. That is how aggressive this character is. There were a number of times that I had to get away from my computer and out of my house, just to get him out of my head. He’s the most intense character I’ve ever met. I’m not sure I could be a true-crime, non-fiction author. I love to read those books, but I can’t imagine sharing my head with someone like Sully on a regular basis.

As a fan of suspense novels, especially yours, I’m hoping you’ve written other novels in this genre. If so, please tell us about them and if not, please tell me you’re planning to write more in the future. Your book really did captivate me.

Laney – Thank you, Ingrid! That really means a lot. You’ve actually just made my day. I love playing in the realm of suspense and mystery. I have several suspense, thriller type stories that are in the works.

I have Threshold which is a horror/suspense tale. At the time, my son was thirteen and he couldn’t find a book that creeped him out like some of his favorite movies. So, he asked me if I would write a book for him. So, I did.

That one was a struggle because as a mother, knowing my thirteen-year old son was going to read it, I had to dial myself back in a lot of ways. However, when it was all said and done, he loved it and thought it was just the kind of creepy he was looking for. Others have told me it freaked them out.

Then, there’s Ripples, which was written to turn the reader against themselves and everything they believe in. That one has brought a lot of unexpected reactions.

It is cool when people tell you they can relate to your character. It’s heartbreaking to find out how many people can relate to Rachel, however. The moral dilemma in Ripples was written to pit the reader against themselves. It was nervy and it worked, for the most part. There were a couple of issues. But, I’d do it all, again.

Wow, Laney, looking at your website and reading your answers here, it occurs to me that when it comes to writing, you’re up for any topic! So with that in mind, I want to know some history…some history about Laney Smith:

Laney, when, where and why did start writing?

I wrote a poem for a contest when I was nineteen years old. My poem was accepted and published in an anthology.

At the time, I had no idea what that meant. I didn’t even keep up with the title of the anthology or the letter that came saying my submission had won a place in the book. So, technically, I was published, for the first time, when I was nineteen. I have no idea which book that poem is in. I only remember something about a strawberry.

Anyway, I wrote articles for one of the local newspapers, here in Southern California. The editor for the paper, like many of the other people in my life, suggested I should write a book. I wish I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard that. I always laughed it off, but for some reason, when the editor told me that, it kind of snapped and something just clicked. So, I started writing Lock Creek.

What was your favorite story as a child? And what story scared you, but you had to read it anyway?

Laney – As a child, I loved Where the Red Fern Grows and Old Yeller. Those books make me cry, still. I love stories that can reach in and become a piece of you. For me, those two stories definitely did that. I will never forget them. They will always be favorites.

As far as stories that scared me, The Amityville Horror scared me half-bald. I was OK with everything, until it got to the part with the pigs with glowing red eyes, looking in the windows. That bugged me and I refused to preceded light, anytime I went into a room for a long time, after that. It freaked me out!

I read the Amityville Horror as well. I was in my teens and babysitting my niece. I couldn’t put it down, read the whole thing…talk about scary!  As for the Lutz family, I couldn’t believe they stayed in that house for a month. I wouldn’t have lasted a week.

Next question, you have two brothers and two sons and a daughter. Were you a tomboy?

Laney – I actually only have two boys. My brother has two little girls and I see them quite a bit. So, I can see how that confusion could happen. But, I just have two sons – which, to answer your question – do keep my inner tomboy from childhood alive and awake.

Both of them are all boy and they’re teens, now. So, if I want to hang with them, I’m fishing or watching them race RC cars. We go shooting – target practice. Camping is a fun time.

The funny thing is I’m really into watching various sports – baseball, football, hockey. Neither of them have any interest in sports. They’d rather be out doing something than sitting and watching anything. So, yes! We have a worm farm because they need bait. Being a sister to two brothers or a mother of boys is not a dainty job. I love it, though!

I can imagine. I got to be my daughter’s Girl Scout Leader for three years. I loved the camping and being in nature.

* * *

I read on your website that you have imperfections, scars, we all do. I got my first scar when my cousin ran over me with his bicycle when I was four. How did you get your first scar?

Laney – When I was three-years old, I was bitten by a German Shepherd. Apparently, he chewed up my face.  I was too young to remember anything about that experience. I just see the result from it on a daily basis. For some reason, the dog saw me as a threat, in some way, to the little kids he belonged to and he was protecting them.

Unfortunately, it was severe enough that the dog had to be eliminated and I hate that. I love dogs! I’m not particularly fond of German Shepherds to this day, even though I don’t recall the incident. It must be a sleeping memory. I just know the older I get, the deeper the scars seem to be and the more apparent they become.

My gosh, Laney, I am so sorry! What a traumatic experience! I’m also glad you lived to tell about it. This reminds me of one of my favorite pics, “Don’t be afraid to show your scars. It only proves you were stronger than whatever tried to hurt you.” And, you, my dear, even at three, are very strong! 

Okay, switching gears a little….

Laney, who was your childhood hero?

My dad was and still is my hero. He was a firefighter and I believed he could do anything. I remember sitting at the fire station with him when we would take dinner to him. The alarm would go off, every time, without fail, as soon as he sat down to eat. I’d get so mad at people. For the life of me, I couldn’t understand why they couldn’t wait until my dad got to eat his dinner to have a fire. I was young and I didn’t understand.

But, I remember the truck tearing off, lights and sirens wailing, waving at him and feeling so proud of that guy. It broke my heart when he was too busy to wave back at me. He was the coolest guy in the whole world, as far as I was concerned.

He still is! I still call him to solve every little problem I have. Now, instead of telling me what to do, he says, “Google it! Look on You Tube and find you a video.” Yep! At seventy-years old, my dad is more technologically astute than I am.

I wish we lived closer. He’s a pretty incredible man. He means so much to me and I get teary, thinking about how beautiful my life has been because of him. I want my boys to have more of his influence in their lives.

Such a beautiful story and tribute to your father! I hope he reads this interview.

* * *

Where was your least favorite place to live and why? Or, if you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

Laney – My least favorite place to live was Lamar, Colorado. We lived there for a brief time after we moved to Colorado to be closer to my dad’s family. That was hell! Actually, it was worse! It was the waiting room for hell where you just festered in the anticipation of hell. I hated living there.

There was nothing to do and it was miles from anything that mattered. It was dead and flat. It was hot and smelly in the summer. The whole town is surrounded by feedlots and it didn’t matter which way the breeze came from, it was horrid. There was nothing to do.

At school, they had never seen anything like me. Here I was, this little southern belle, complete with a southern accent. The teachers would make me stand in front of the class and talk so they could all laugh at how I said things. At the time, I couldn’t possibly know how that would help me in the future, but it did. So, I guess I walked away with some good out of that experience. I’m not at all bothered about standing in front of crowds and speaking. That’s my comfort zone. They helped me a lot! Special thanks to those Lamartians!

 As far as where I would like to live, quite honestly, I really want to live on Decker Estates, from Lock Creek. A private eight-hundred-acre lake? I’d love that! I’ve lived on a lake before and it was the most serene place I’ve ever lived. So, maybe I wouldn’t need a full eight-hundred-acres to call my own. But, I’d live just about anywhere with a lake. I do like being able to go to the ocean and stand on the beach and listen to the Earth breathe, too. So, maybe a lake. Maybe on the ocean.

Regarding your experiences at Lamar, what an awful thing for a teacher to do to a child! I applaud your resilience in taking a negative life experience and changing it into a good thing. You certainly are a great role model for the rest of us!

Okay, we’re starting to run out of time, but there’s so much more I want to ask you.

Laney Smith’s New Release

Laney, you have a book coming out this month. Do you want to tell us about it?

This book has been in the works for two or three years, now. You will understand, Ingrid. You have those works that you tinker with and they end up slithering off into some forgotten abyss. Then, you have other stories you tinker with that just aren’t through with you, yet. This was one of those:

 We have an MVP pro-baseball player, Ryan Priest, who has gotten himself in a little trouble, gambling on games. Then, he went out and played to “help” the wager go in his favor. It was dirty and he knows it. He got caught and he paid the consequences.

Then, a couple years later, his team makes it to the World Series. He misses a catch that cost his team the win. There isn’t anyone in baseball who believes he doesn’t have money riding on that game. He suffers an injury, after the fact and the organization uses that as an excuse to force him into early retirement. He had a jet-set life and it all just falls out from under him.

So, a couple years down the road, he returns to his hometown where there is a mischievous, seven-year-old baseball aficionado, Nathan Brock. The two end up crossing paths and a friendship builds. The boy is an only child to a single mother who works crazy hours to support her son, which leaves the boy home alone, quite a bit.

Ryan is adrift in his life, seeing as how baseball was his end all-be all. Now, here’s this kid with a knack for getting himself into trouble. Ryan ends up developing a soft spot for the kid and before you know it, through a series of comical events, he’s Nathan’s babysitter. You have a single mom and this guy who has lost all direction in life and a mischievous little boy who just might have a way to help Ryan find a new direction, while helping his mother find a way to realize her dreams.

 The story is titled, His Best Yet, and it’s a fun story!

Nathan is one of the most lovable kids, ever! I don’t want to ruin anything, but he insists his mother’s favorite food is “radishes.” He’s close! Only not at all!

I’ll let people read it to solve that little riddle. It’s a fun, light-hearted, comedic romance. There’s a little heat in some of it, so I’ve written two versions. Both will be out on June 26, 2018. The “Uncensored” version is for those who like the heat. The other version is for those who can do without it. It’s the same story, either way.

So, after almost three years, it’s finally happening and I know it’s time because I’ve tried for years to get a cover for this one and it’s just never happened. I connected with Jo-Anna Walker at Just Write Creations and she’s nailed it! So, I’m super excited!

This one has been a long time coming and I think everyone is going to love little Nathan and all of his little antics. I think they’re going to enjoy watching Ryan grow up, in terms of maturity. I also think they will be happy to see how it all plays out for these three characters.

The editor said there needs to be a sequel, so that will be in the works, as well. However, for now, this one is going to be a homerun! I just know it!

That does sound like a fun read! His Best Yet, available on Amazon tomorrow, June 26th in both the censored and uncensored versions.

* * *

Laney Smith, Blog Talk Radio Host

Okay, now for the second part of this interview. I first became familiar with you through your Blog Talk Radio show. I applauded your ability to make your guests feel at ease, something I am quite sure came from years of experience. So, please tell me, Laney, how you got into doing the shows and where your ability to be so down-to-earth and welcoming came from. It truly is a rare talent.

You know, I miss doing that show. Laney’s World for Writing Under the Influence was such a fun experience for me. I would love to have a regular show like that, again. I can’t tell you how many friendships I made and how many authors and books I discovered. I’m thankful to you for your kind words, because I had never done anything like that before in my life. Emmanuel Neal (Fre Thought) interviewed me for his show and after that interview, he asked if I would be interested in hosting a show. I thought he was joking, so I laughed. He wasn’t joking.

So, I’m forever indebted to him for affording me that opportunity. Before every show, I talked to the person I was interviewing to get a sense of how they felt, going into the interview. If they told me they were nervous or afraid, I knew I had to quiet that fear or they wouldn’t be able to share everything they wanted to get out. Then, the whole point of the show would be lost.

I think that time – talking to them just before the show started – gave them a chance to unwind a little and to stutter and stammer and confess that they were scared to death before they went out across the Blog Talk Radio waves. They were able to deal with the initial onset of nerves that always fades after a few minutes. So, by the time the show started, they had already gotten that part out of the way. Those minutes before also gave me an opportunity to joke with them – because that’s my answer for everything. Jokes!

There were a lot of special moments that happened in that time prior to the start of the show. I got to ask them what they wanted people to know so if they forgot to mention it, I could bring it up. I was able to ask them if there was anything in particular they wanted to discuss or that I needed to avoid discussing. I wanted their show to be what they wanted it to be.

I really do miss doing that show. I have all the links up on my webpage, to this day. I’ll probably never take them down. Maybe someday, I’ll have more links to post there. You could be my first guest, Ingrid.

 Thank you, Laney, I’d really like that!

Laney, you have such a big heart and are so eager to help worthy causes, I applaud you for that! I also hope that you get your radio show back on the air so you can continue helping others.

Thank you for that! That means a lot. And, thank you for having me. I really enjoyed this. I hope we do meet up in person. I think that would be a blast. I’m looking forward to that.

For more information about Laney Smith, please check out her links –

www.authorlaneysmith.com

www.facebook.com/ONEYEARSTIME
Twitter: @OYTLaneySmith
Amazon: www.amazon.com/e/B00LOZDHLO
Instagram: author.laney.smith

 

Interview with Kevin Ansbro

Interview with Kevin Ansbro

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Kevin Ansbro, Author – KINNARA

 

 

Intriguing and exotic, Kevin Ansbro’s novel explores how our actions can come back to haunt us in the most unexpected ways.

‘Murder, myth and Mr Ordinary meet up in this extraordinary novel. However bad the weather is here, Ansbro’s vivid writing will transport you to a sun drenched tropical island – with darkness at its heart. I loved it!’ – Karen Holmes, editor 2QT

 

Hello Kevin, thanks for the interview –

I just finished reading Kinnara. Such a brilliant and enjoyable adventure!

Kevin – Thanks, for inviting me to answer some questions, Ingrid.  I like being probed, though not by alien life forms … not that this has ever happened to me … or has it? They wipe your memory afterwards, don’t they? Now, on to the questions…

You know so much about Thailand, have you lived there? You character, Sawat, is so real, did you know someone like him?

Kevin – My wife and I are fortunate to have visited Thailand more than twenty-five times: we love the people/the culture/the overall vibe, and we speak a lot of Thai. Sawat, like many Thais, has an unassailable positivity, despite having to eke out a living in difficult circumstances. He seems to be everyone’s favourite character and is based on a friend of mine, whose winning smile would light up any room.

As for your portrayal of the tsunami that hit Thailand, were you there during that tragic and horrendous event?

Kevin – I wasn’t in Thailand at the time of the tsunami (we were there a couple of months prior), but waking up on Boxing Day in 2004 to those alarming scenes is something I shall never forget. I was immediately on the phone to friends whom I knew to be in the areas affected. One actually had to cling to a coconut tree while the spiteful torrent surged through, giving me the idea to write that frightening event into the book.

I love your use of the Swan People (Buddhist god, Klahan) and Buddhist mythology in your book. How did that originate and develop?

Kevin – Whenever I’m ferried into Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport in a taxi, I always marvel at the bronze statues of mythical creatures that line the route into the terminal. These statues depict the half-bird, half-human Kinnaree, much-loved in Thai folklore. And it was there that the nucleus of an idea began. By the time I’d paid the cab fare I was already planning a storyline that would involve these celestial beings. The male of the Kinnaree are known as the Kinnara, hence the title of my novel, which is essentially a teeth-rattling thriller wrapped in a burrito of magical realism.

I really enjoy your writing. It’s clear, smooth and flows. I’m curious about the German serial-killer connection in Kinnara. It seems to stand out so much from the rest of the story. May I ask how you came up with that?

Kevin – Why, thank you, Ingrid. 
The German serial killer connection was dreamt up to give the book an international flavour, my inspiration coming from a lifelong love of Bond movies!

You also wrote a short story entitled, The Angel in my Well. I’m curious where it came from. It is so different from Kinnara, and yet, I can see the underlying magical realism from the description you posted on your website.

Kevin – The Angel in my Well blossomed rather unexpectedly in the darkest of hours. 

My high-spirited (Irish) mum, Kathleen, had become a living shadow of her former self, ghosting the bleached corridors of a nursing home, lost in the fog of dementia and dying of cancer. While visiting her one day, I watched as she caught sight of her eighty-three-year-old self in a mirror, rather than the vivacious teenager she imagined herself to be. She turned to me, confused, and asked, “How did I suddenly get so old?”

It was heart-breaking to watch and at that moment I thought how wonderful it would be to have my mum come back to me again, as the scintillating young woman I remembered as a little boy – even if it was just for one day. And so, there and then, the nucleus of a book idea was borne.  As with Kinnara, the story is set in our real world, but with something otherworldly happening in that world.

My mum died not knowing she’d inadvertently inspired me to become an author, a silver lining to a very dark cloud.

Thank you, Kevin, for sharing. I’m sorry for your loss. The Angel in my Well sounds like a wonderful tribute to your mother. I look forward to reading it.

 

Now, Kevin, please tell us all about your next project.

Kevin – Although I’m a full-time writer, it has taken me three years to write my current novel. It’s complete, my best yet (I think), and I’ve only just begun to send submissions off to literary agents. 

It’s titled The Fish that Climbed a Tree (a metaphor for a Homeric, near-impossible, odyssey within its pages). And, again, there is an alchemy of reality and otherworldliness to my novel but it reveals, within its beating heart, a spiteful, teeth-rattling thriller that is in no way formulaic or prosaic (my style veers more towards the rich and linguistically playful).

I do want to add another question, I was actually referring the family question to your wife, Julie. Any correlation between Hannah and Calum and Kevin and Julie? Aside from the karate and kickboxing of course, btw, I’m totally impressed! So, all the traveling…because of tournaments?

Kevin – There isn’t a correlation between Hannah and Julie, though I channeled some of my wife’s wisecracks, swordplay and reactions into Hannah’s dialogue. Julie is also the first person I turn to for an honest, unvarnished appraisal of my work. 

When I was a kickboxer, the only travelling I did was around Britain. I have trained in Muay Thai (Thai kickboxing) while in Thailand though. Don’t let looks deceive you; those guys are hard as nails! 

Kevin, one of the things I admire about you is your encouragement and support of other writers. With that in mind, what advice would you give to new writers?

Kevin – Thank you! and I’m so pleased you asked this! 

I spot a great deal of uninformed guidance on social media: people suggesting that the way to get better at writing is simply to carry on writing. What utter nonsense! You wouldn’t employ an untrained person to run a restaurant kitchen on their own and say to them, “There’s the fridge; the pots, pans, knives are over there. Away you go!” Yeah, they’ll probably muddle through and improve, but will never attain the skills needed to become a great chef.

So, my best piece of advice is to read, read, READ. And don’t just read any old piece of pap. Peruse the classics; learn from the gods of literature. Find out about literary devices and how to construct a narrative arc; understand what it means to ‘show and not tell’. And please, please accept constructive criticism as if you were Gollum being offered the Ring.

Trust me, you need candid advice more than you need cheerleaders! It’s true that all writing has value, but aspire to be the Michelin-starred chef, not the short order cook. 

Ingrid, thank you so much for inviting me in for this groovy interview. It’s been an absolute pleasure!

I know that you are also eminently passionate about your work and I’d like to wish you every success for the future!

Thank you so much, Kevin Ansbro, for the interview, your thoughtful words, and for your amazing book, Kinnara. I look forward to reading The Angel in my Well and  The Fish that Climbed a Tree.

For more information about our guest, Kevin Ansbro, and for the latest on his upcoming novel,  you can find him on the links below:

Kevin’s website

Kevin’s author page on Amazon

‘Kinnara’ novel

‘The Angel in my Well’ short story

Kevin’s Twitter page

Kevin’s Goodreads author page

 

Splintered Love No More…

Splintered Love No More…

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The Sad Demise of Splintered Love

 

I am sad to say, Author S.J. Hermann has ended the existence of his amazing dark-love collection, Splintered Love.

Now for the good news. The stories will live on, each available as a single story!

Coming Soon to Amazon

Leap of Faith – Could one find true love again and if you can, what if it came from an unusual place.

Inner Beauty – Today’s society is based on a person’s looks and not what they carry on the inside.

Desperate Souls – What would you be willing to give up for love?

Reckless Thoughts – You find your true love, then you carelessly throw it away.

Forever Love – Love is eternal.

 

From my interview with S.J. Hermann, an excerpt from my personal favorite, “Leap of Faith.”

For more on S.J. Hermann, including his amazing series soon to be on the big screen, The Morium Trilogy

Website: www.authorsjhermann.wordpress.com

Twitter: @Writing_Novel

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SJ-Hermann-250758318466659/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s.j.hermannwriter/

Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/+SJHermann

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9784255.S_J_Hermann