Wordy Wednesday - Pippa Harvey, The Watcher's Lullaby

Back in the olden days of this blog, when I was keen and less lazy I had a regular author slot once a week on a Wednesday. This slot might be a review of a book I read or an interview with an author, or maybe advice on reading, reviewing etc.

But as I said , I got older, lazier and booktok seems to be the place the young folks find out about books these days. However, not to be deterred and just in case some other old people (or you young'uns) like to still read a bit I decided to bring it back.

So today I am starting with a review. I was kindly sent an e-book by Pippa Harvey,  The Watcher's Lullaby.

It's been a while since I've read a creepy book and this book is very creepy. Lots of atmosphere and some genuinely scary 'goosebump' moments.

The story follows two women who live in the same house many many years apart, and one of them appears to have stayed around. Is it all it seems though? Is the watcher a malevolent spirit or a loss soul? 

Some of the themes around the behavior of the men in the tale are interesting, although they do stick to the 'man who assumes women are being irrational' which helps the story move on but is a little annoying.

 "Sweetheart, you can't let yourself be spooked by noises and creaks in this house. Older properties come with their imperfections."

 The female characters are stronger and support each other most of the time. The historical part of the story is very sad, with Maud being a very emotionally lost person with scarce support from those around her. 

 "Without a word, William walks into the rear parlour and adds some coal to the range. Taking a seat by the fire, he reaches for Henry Stephen's Book of the Farm. It's always beside his chair and, apart from the newspaper, the only reading he ever does, usually on a Sunday afternoon. Not only does it guide him on the animals and crops, but it means he can avoid conversation."

Bea copes better as a strong independent woman, although at times I worried her marriage would fail because of the stress of the new home.

The two women are linked by the house, and their lives share many similarities. But how far will the links take them, how close will their lives become?

No spoilers here, but this is a ghost story. Read it in a darkened room by candle light in a storm and you will be jumping at every breath of wind.

 You can get a copy here

 Trigger warnings for child loss.

Wordy Wednesday with Michelle Midnight

Wordy Wednesday greetings  to you all, let me welcome you to the blog, grab a beanbag or a comfy chair and cuddle up in this virtual nook while I introduce you to the author of the week, Michelle.

Michelle writes as Michelle Midnight. She is a 17 year old writer from a small city in California, and is currently writing  her novel, Society's Trial. 

Her hobbies consist of reading (in a tree during the summer, on her bed during the other seasons), programming, and of course, writing. She loves all things dark and morbid. (was the pen name a clue!?) Her favourite author is Stephen King, and her favourite poet is Edgar Allen Poe. She loves shows such as Supernatural, Doctor Who, and American Horror Story. Also, she thinks she may  have an addiction to green tea.

So let's find out a bit more...

Michelle, how long have you been writing?

I've been writing for about eight years.

Why did you start writing? And what makes you keep doing it?

I started writing in fourth grade when I was nine-years-old. I was in a four-five combo class, and the teacher assigned a writing project for the fifth graders when it was nearly Halloween. She decided to make us fourth graders do it as well, and I had so much fun with it. My story was called Don't Take What's Not Yours. It was a horror story with three characters in it. Spoiler alert: they all died. Since that moment, I realised I loved to write, and I continued to write after that.

Who is your least favourite character and why? If the character is one of yours, how hard is it to write a character you dislike? 

It's difficult for me to dislike a character I've created. I've fallen in love with every single one of my characters, even the most messed up and sadistic villains. However, there are two characters who I despise in my current project. Their names are Lars and Drew. They're only minor characters yet they managed to annoy me. I don't have a specific reason why I don't like them. Maybe I don't hate them, maybe I just haven't learned to love them yet. You probably think it's difficult for me to write them, but that's not true. I love to make them suffer.

What is the best snack to keep you going while you write?

The best snack for writing is grapes. They're tasty, low in calories, easy to eat, and they don't leave a mess. 

Do you have a day job (student?) or do you write full time? If you don't have a job, is being a writer full time your dream or do you have a job you'd love to do?

I don't have a day job since I'm still a high school student. In the future, I want to become a software engineer while being a writer on the side. Being a full time writer would be fun, but I love programming and computers, so I'd want to do something related to that in my life.

Do you have any unfinished stories that you are not currently working on? If so why have you shelved them and do you think they will be reanimated one day?

I have many stories I've started but never finished. I started my first novella when I was a 12 year old middle schooler. It was a dark fantasy/supernatural kind of story. When I started high school, I got bored of it, so I put it away to work on my novel, Society's Trial. I thought about abandoning that novella, but I changed the characters' names and rewrote the outline. Now I'm in love with it again. It's not a novella anymore. Now it's a novel, and it will be my second novel. Even though I fell back in love with it, I still won't work on it until I've landed an agent for Society's Trial. As for the other stories, I refuse to continue working on them because I'm not done living the world of Society's Trial.

What story are you writing right now? Tell us about the plot (no spoilers please)

I started writing my current story when I was 14. It's a third person omniscient YA psychological crime thriller titled Society's Trial which follows sixteen year old bookworm Jace Woods. After the bully, Claude, pulls a "prank" that went wrong, Jace gets rushed to the hospital, so he could get his injuries treated and get an MRI scan. The doctor notices a change in Jace's personality, so he leaves the room to retrieve the results of the MRI scan. Jace becomes impatient, so he leaves before the doctor can return. It turns out, certain areas of Jace's brain became "damaged." These areas will "turn off," causing poor judgement, empathy loss, and impulsivity then "turn back on" randomly. What this means is, if these areas turn off while he has a violent thought, his brain will be unable to stop him from acting upon that thought.

Can we buy any of your stories and if so where? If not is there anywhere we can read them? 

Unfortunately, Society's Trial isn't published yet, since I'm currently querying and seeking an agent. However, I occasionally post snippets on my Twitter (@Writer_By_Night) and sometimes on my Tumblr (midnight-writing-time.tumblr.com)

If you could travel to anywhere in the world right this minute where would you go?

If I could travel anywhere at this moment, I'd go to an empty field with a stack of books with me. I'd place a blanket on the ground, lie down, enjoy the silence, and read. I'd have the most peaceful day ever.

If you could have one super power what would it be?

Only one? That's a difficult question. I'd say the power to control time. The days go by so quick, I wish I can freeze time or slow it down.

Thanks to Michelle for answering my questions and letting you all into her thoughts. Do follow her on twitter and be there to watch a novel being born, and then you can say that you were there before she was famous.

As we don't have a book image to share, here is an image of almost midnight.

Thanks for reading.

The first Wordy Wednesday of 2019

I know I haven't blogged since hector was a pup, but fear not for I have a treat for you today.

No 2018 round up, no best bits of my year, no lists of funniest tweets or my most read blog posts, no; today for your enjoyment I have revisited a favourite person of mine, a friend and author...can you guess?

 Welcome back to the blog Ed! I had interviewed Edward Kendrick back in 2015 so it seemed like it was about time to have another chat and see what he's been up to.

Well Ed, what have you been up to since last we heard from you?

Good question (puts shiny apple on blogger’s table). Well, it’s been a funny old time really. In the three and a half years between interviews I’ve continued to write, do some self-publishing and generally tried to make things happen. I haven’t really chased agents in a long time and things have been difficult with work and deteriorating mental health problems, and that kind of thing tends to get in the way of word mining. Total bummer.

Still, I’ve somehow managed to release another four novels. A trilogy set in the soft toy afterlife about all kinds of serious things as well as fluff, stuffing and prat falls, and a near future sci fi sports biography type thing (you can see why agents are attacking my door with crowbars, desperate to get at my easy to sell goods). They are all pretty good, to be honest, but I would say that.

In addition to that I’ve written four more novels that are in various stages of development* Plus, I plan to self-publish two further novels in January 2019. The first is called ‘Self Portrait’ and is the third part in the Gita Askari sci-fi series and the second is a spoof spy/assassin novel titled ‘Diamond Double Black’. Art is all in place. Editing has been done, just the formatting and general mucking about to go.

*gathering dust in a draw/hard drive.

How Does family life affect your writing?

Well, it comes in different packages. It makes me want to write things that the kids would want to read as well as more mature readers and I hope it makes me care a bit about people in general, and so show some kindness through to the characters I want to write about. In reality I’m not sure how true that last bit is, but anyways…

In more practical, nuts and bolts terms, it makes writing very difficult. I have a physical job that can leave me physically and mentally drained. I get back and I want to spend time with the kids and my lovely wife. The writing takes a back stage. If I can get the computer on before 8 o clock then I have a chance of getting some words in that make sense, past that then the exercise starts to become futile as I can’t get passed the fatigue as I have no momentum to push through it.
I wouldn’t put the writing first, ever. My family are the important bit. This is a flight of fancy, promising invisible unicorns and whispered praise that could just be long delayed echo.

What books have you enjoyed reading in 2018?

Here is a tricky one. I’ve been very depressed this year and one of the things that does is remove my ability to concentrate for long periods of time. I’ve pushed my head up above water every now and then and managed to get a book in or a tv series I’ve enjoyed, but for the most part it’s been a fog.
Saying that, I read The Real Town Murders by Adam Roberts in January, which I really enjoyed and I’ve been reading A Christmas Carol out loud to my wife in bed. Obviously, we know the story off by heart already but still, it’s good to go back and read it. Still a bit weird that it doesn’t have the muppets in the book, but you can’t have everything.

What’s the best food to accompany writing?

This year? Fizzy strawberry laces. Hands down.

What’s one thing that stops you writing?

My mental health. If I’m not in a good place then I can still write, but not even I can type when at the bottom of the well.

If you could visit any country on Earth. Where would you go? (all expense paid)

I’ve never actually left the British Isles before, which I know is rare now, but it’s true. I’d love to go to lots of places on this wonderful globe but top shot would be Canada. I like the cold and the heat and I love the idea of all that space/northern lights/snow/north American continent stuff without visiting Trump’s America. Plus, I have one of my oldest buddies out there. In truth, I miss him far more than I’d ever tell him, and never contact him enough on Facebook. So, I would go there. (can I go for several weeks to a month, so I could do loads of stuff? Cheers!)

And what does a writer hope to get for Christmas?
That is a tough one. I normally have my eye on a film or two and some music, but really, that is something I’m pretty sure I’m going to get, so the mystery isn’t really there. To tell you the truth, I really like getting a gift that’s left of field. Every year my older friends gather together around Christmas and we hang for the day and have a laugh. This always involves gift giving. I normally give people handmade gifts. Weird calendars, odd posters, unconventional jigsaws, that kind of thing. They, in return, head to the internet to wow me with the very worst they can find.
I’ll just attach a picture, because a picture can say a thousand words….

Well, I think that's enough of that!

Thanks for popping back and I'll check out all the new reads.

You can follow Ed on twitter too where he squeezes out words almost every day.

This post contains affiliate links.

Wordy Wednesday - Palindrome by Rae Stoltenkamp

Today I begin with some exciting news. A new book from one of my previously interviewed authors is about to leap into life!

Very soon (maybe even as this blog post is published) you will be able to get your hands and eyes onto the new book by Rae Stoltenkamp 
The book is Palindrome and is a prequel to Six Dead Men.

In my last interview with Rae we chatted about her sci-fi series 'Rainbow Quest' and her favourite character in that world. But what of Detective Robert Deed and his story?

In Six Dead Men we met a detective among the stories and snapshots of the dead. Six lives extinguished in mysterious circumstances. In life they infected what they touched and in death they continued to wreak havoc. But even contemptible men deserve to have their deaths explained, and so in stepped Robert Deed.

We met Madie Bricot. Who just wanted to live the normal life of a twenty-six year old. The last thing she was expecting was to be the main suspect in Detective Inspector Robert Deed's investigation.
But Madie was about to learn some things about herself which terrified her into running. Meanwhile Detective Inspector Deed battles against his attraction for Madie...

In Palindrome we have travelled back into Robert Deed's past. Back to 1975. In Haddington, near Edinburgh, Robert Deed’s 13th birthday approaches. On the cusp of adulthood, this birthday brings more than a coming of age celebration for Robert. He’s about to see the glint of Death’s scythe in the corner of his eye, even touch the honed edge. Travelling the road towards his future, Robert must solve the murder of his first crush, battle his grief, and exonerate a dear friend. Is he willing and able? Can he truly trust in the so called inner wisdom of his instinct?

If you love a detective story, and love a detective with psychic powers, then grab a chair and a copy of Palindrome and settle in for a journey.

You can get copies of all of Rae's books over at Amazon, or check out her website.

Sign up to Rae's email news and get a free copy of Six Dead Men (no excuse not to read it now!)

You can even grab a free e-copy of Six Degrees 

In these Magic Realism vignettes several peripheral characters from Six Dead Men and its upcoming prequel, Palindrome, tell the reader what they think of the Deed family. Sometimes the Deeds get to say their piece too. There are also hints of things to come in Palindrome.

Follow Rae on Twitter too

Wordy Wednesday with Rae Stoltenkamp

Welcome once again to Wordy Wednesday. I'm happy to introduce you to Rae Stoltenkamp, a long time twitter friend and author of The Rainbow Quest Series. Set in a domed world of the future, featuring young adult protagonists battling against injustice and environmental abuses.

Book 1: WHERE RAINBOWS HIDE is an environmentally conscious SciFi adventure with a 19 year old heroine at the centre of the plot.

Book 2: WHEN RAINBOWS CRY is set some 30 years later and features a 14 year old heroine battling the stresses of teenhood along with her concerns for her failing world.

So let's get all comfortable and ask Rae some questions.

When and why did you start writing?
I started writing as a child around age 11/12 and was inspired by my maternal grandfather who wrote short stories for a South African newspaper. I however started with poetry - the typical teenage angsty stuff, before graduating on to short stories. Then I couldn't seem to stop and have been writing ever since.

What 3 things (not including paper, computer, pens) would you like to facilitate a good days writing?
I currently have everything I need to ensure I have a good day's writing. But if there was one thing which would probably improve my experience then it would be a back support chair from The Wave Seat Company. It's on my wish list.

Do you write to a schedule, eg every day or three times a week, set times, etc or do you write as and when the mood strikes?
I write 2 days a week as I have a teaching job at a local charity on the other 3 days. It means I have to get a lot in on those designated writing days so they're sacred to me.

Who is your favourite fictional character (that you've written) and why? (no spoilers please! though teasers are fine)
My absolute favourite character I've written is called Sprax. to know him is to love him. Here's an extract about him because it's easier to understand his nature through this and I've also attached a drawing of him my friend Sarah did for me. 

Sprax nudged his way from beneath the leather tooled cover till his head and shoulders were free.  He used the back of his hands to wipe the sleep from his eyes before adjusting the points of his ears.  Lanna should know better than to think she could keep him confined like that.  Huffing and puffing he pushed the rest of himself out, unfolding his spindly legs till they touched down on the surface of the desk.  Surveying the barely explored territory before him, he hunched down closer to the surface and sniffed at the honey aroma of the wood polish.  He stuck out his long tongue and tasted it. 

“Yeuch!  Nose lied.”  His face squidged up in disgust as his tree frog fingers tried to scrape the offending taste from his tongue.  Unhinging from his crouch he shrugged a purple toned shoulder and stepped forward to investigate.  His temple was jabbed by the edge of the hefty dictionary piled on top of art history texts. 

“Foolish Sprax - slowing down - rushing less - time is time is time.” 

His finger pads soothed the hurt as he side stepped jauntily and continued on his trail around the desk and its accoutrements till he reached the precipice.  All the while he talked in a steady babble of conversation to no-one but himself. 

And always, pulling at him, was The Essence of Faetaera.  But he ignored it, shrugged it off.  This was home now.  Because the Essence of Here was oh so fascinating.  And Lanna was here.

He's from a book called Sharp Dark Things I've been working on for a while now which I'm hoping to get back to next year once I've completed all my publishing commitments for this year.

Is writing your main source of income, I read lots of articles saying writers make no money, and my readers asked this question a lot! Can you survive on book writing alone? if not, what else do you do?
Sadly I can't survive on writing alone. I've only just started out in the self-publishing business. I'm learning the trade and sometimes it's pretty full on. To pay the bills I teach after school clubs for a creative writing company called Inkhead and also do private tutoring in the evenings on top of my 3 day stint at the charity.

What are your favourite biscuits?
Ginger butter biscuits from Lidl - there are chunks of ginger in the dough. So yummy with a cuppa.

Where do you do most of your writing?
My desk in the living room but a lot also goes on in my head when I'm shopping or driving the car. I usually make a note of ideas on my phone if this happens.

What book are you reading at the moment?
Am reading 3 books simultaneously: Jingo by Terry Pratchett, Hag-seed by Margaret Atwood & Blue Gold by David Barker.

Is truth really stranger than fiction?
In my personal experience it generally is. Most of my stories spring from experiences in life which I then simply translate into my writing.

If you could genetically cross an animal with a fruit or vegetable what would you choose and why? 
Can't think of a fruit/veg animal cross but would rather like a breed of pig which regularly sheds its skin and as it does this it automatically turns into crackling. I'd go for that. (I'll allow it - sounds tasty)

If reading and writing were banned on pain of death, what would you do instead?
If it doesn't exist already, set up an underground network to fight this dastardly evil, maintain a secret library and battle to the death to free humanity from this disastrous situation. (many other authors has said the same thing, I think it would be an interesting underground...)

If you could bring a dead person back from the dead for one day to have tea and a natter with them, who would you choose and why?
My mother - I miss her wisdom and spade is a spade attitude to life.

Thank you so much for sharing Rae, good luck with the new book (launch date - Dec 2nd 2017)

Follow Rae's blog here and check out her author page on Amazon here. Rae is on twitter and Facebook

You can even claim a FREE e-Book (Six Degrees) here.

This post is part of a blog tour, pop over and read more at Lisa M White's blog, Lindsay Bamfield's blog, and at Anna Caig's blog.

Wordy Wednesday with Claire Colley

Today on Wordy Wednesday I am excited to introduce Claire Colley, who writes contemporary dark fiction, the 'read if you dare' sort. Her new book Season's End is due out soon, and the filming for the script she co-wrote has just finished filming and is now being edited.  

Season's End is a novel about demons, fear and family ties.  It is a disturbing and uncomfortable tale set in a traditional British fun fair, and will make you avoid roller coasters forever!

And so, feeling suitably creeped out, here are the questions I put to Claire, and her excellent answers:

When and why did you start writing? 
I have never lied, but I have always told stories.  As a kid, I would create elaborate stories to get me out of trouble for something I had done that perhaps I shouldn't.  I now just tell my husband that the fairies did it when I perhaps eat his chocolate, or drink the last of the coffee.

What 3 things (not including paper, computer, pens) would you like to facilitate a good days writing?
Without doubt, coffee.  I have an addiction.  I am besotted with my coffee percolator and often leave notes on the front door telling visitors to bugger off unless they are bringing me more coffee.  Strong, black and no sugar, thanks.  Also, my cats.  I talk to them as sounding boards, because they don't tell me what to do.  Finally, erm.... darkness.  Miserable days appeal to me. Black(?) cats, black coffee, black nights...I'm sensing a theme

Picture credit KGHH Design

Do you write to a schedule, eg every day or three times a week, set times, etc or do you write as and when the mood strikes?
I write for at least an hour a day.  I am an insomniac, so very often, I am awake in the early hours of the morning and find the dark and the peace perfect for writing.

Who is your favourite fictional character (that you've written) and why?
Ruth in Wake Up.  She is an arrogant bitch when you first meet her, but as you discover why, she grows on you and you start rooting for her.

Is writing your main source of income? Can you survive on book writing alone? if not, what else do you do?
I don't survive on book writing alone, but I do live on my writing!  I write for a range of companies, doing SEO blogs, CVs, employment documents and stuff like that.

What are your favourite biscuits?
Bourbons.  Dipped in coffee.  Nom nom nom.

Where do you do most of your writing?
I am so bad, I have a proper study/library and I go in there to chill rather than write.  Drives my husband insane, but I often work from the sofa with Christmas movies on in the background.

What book are you reading at the moment?
Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King and Owen King.  I only just started it yesterday, so can't tell you anything yet.

Is truth really stranger than fiction?
Oh hell yes.  Yes indeed.  I can tell you some crazy arsed stories that are completely true that sound so incredible that they feel like fiction.

If you could genetically cross and animal with a fruit or vegetable what would you choose and why? I'm currently keen on a melon hippo, green and water-loving, juicy and HUGE.
Hmmmmm......  A cat with a coffee plant.  I would love if my cats smelt of coffee.  Unfortunately, Tinker Stinks has a rancid bum and Zorro smells fishy.

If reading and writing were banned on pain of death, what would you do instead?
Die. (I think it's only fair to tell you other authors have started an underground writing resistance so I'm sure you could join, as long as the smell of coffee brewing didn't give you all away!)

If you could bring a dead person back from the dead for one day to have tea and a natter with them, who would you choose and why?
This is pretty much the easiest question of the lot.  My Mum.  She passed away in 2015 and I miss her so, so much.  She was the person I talked to about anything and everything.  I was her live in carer too, so I spent everyday with her.  Losing her was the hardest thing that ever happened.  However, I am very close to her 2 remaining sisters, and they are both awesome.  I am off for a weekend away with Auntie M at the end of November because she told me I needed a rest!! Aw! I hope you have a fabulous time.

Claire's website is www.clnorton.co.uk and she is on social media :

On Facebook
On Twitter
On Instagram

Wordy Wednesday with Daniel M Bensen

Welcome again to Wordy Wednesday, a (semi) regular blog interview series with authors from around the world and with variously themed books, writers for all age ranges and tastes can be found here. Today it's the turn of Daniel M Bensen, an American fantasy writer. Daniel was born in Chicago and has since lived in Maine, California, Montana, Japan, and Boston. He currently lives with his wife, daughters, and in-laws in Sofia Bulgaria, where he teaches English as a second language.

Daniel has written a book called The Kingdoms of Evil,  amongst other things. The Kingdoms of Evil is a fantasy satire with some horrific elements. It's about Freetrick Feend, a more or less normal college student in a more or less normal fantasy country, who learns that he is actually Feerborg, the lost heir to the Skull Throne of the Kingdoms of Evil (which is right over those mountains over there). As Ultimate Fiend of the Kingdoms of Evil, Freetrick inherits command over a population of twisted monsters, a family of scheming nobles, a murderous fiance, and the enmity of every one of his country's non-evil neighbours. The biggest problem, though, is that in a land where the sun never shines and the river run with lava, what are the monsters supposed to eat? 

And so I quizzed Daniel, from afar, and this is how it went:

When and why did you start writing?
I tried to write stories way back in 4th grade, but I didn't go about it seriously until after I graduated from college. The extremely un-serious Kingdoms of Evil was the result. I'm now in the middle of my seventh novel. You can find information about all of my books on my website, as well as links to the short stories and the novella that I've actually gotten published.

What 3 things (not including paper, computer, pens) would you like to facilitate a good days writing? Other than my kindle's note-taking function and my laptop, I need nothing but a cup of mocha, a chair, and access to the playlist I've made for the book I'm working on.

Do you write to a schedule, eg every day or three times a week, set times, etc or do you write as and when the mood strikes?
I write every weekday between classes (I teach English as a second language). I work best when it's on a schedule.

Who is your favourite fictional character (that you've written) and why?
The Kaimeera. It's a monster from the kingdoms of evil that assumes the personality of the last person it ate. Ha! Love this idea.

Is writing your main source of income? 
No, I make much more per hour teaching, so talking about writing as my main "job" would be ridiculous. There are novelists who do support themselves by writing novels - but that seems to become possible only after at least three successful releases. Maybe someday. In the mean time, I'm glad to be able to write as a hobby.

What are your favourite biscuits? 
Milanos

Where do you do most of your writing?
Either in my office, in a cafe near my office, or typing into my kindle in a park, bus, or subway car.

What book are you reading at the moment? 
A couple of good ones! What the Hell Did I Just Read by David Wong and The Book of Joy by Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama. Both are very helpful in the hospital. (I hope you have recovered from your op by the time this post is live!)

Is truth really stranger than fiction? 
Of course. Fiction is constrained by the limits of the human brain, which is far from the strangest thing out there.

If you could genetically cross and animal with a fruit or vegetable what would you choose and why?
I'm currently keen on a cauliflower/caterpillar, a cauli-pillar, a bumpy white caterpillar affair that would be nice with cheese...
That's a hard act to follow. I submit the land urchin. They walk very slowly along the forest floor and taste like cactus. nice

If reading and writing were banned on pain of death, what would you do instead? 
Flee to a different (and less doomed) country. Failing that, I suppose I'd have to join The Resistance.This has been a popular response, so I fully expect that a writers resistance would be a thing

If you could bring a dead person back from the dead for one day to have tea and a natter with them, who would you choose and why? 

I'm only allowed to have tea with them? Not start a new religion or revolutionize anthropology? Charles Darwin. He spoke English and we could have a fun conversation. I could catch him up on biology and show him this excellent video: 

Massive thanks, Daniel for taking part.  Thank you. It was a lot of fun.

By now you will be desperate to know more so why not follow Daniel 

On Twitter

On Deviant Art

On Goodreads

On Tumblr

And check out his website The Kingdoms of Evil

Wordy Wednesday with Bill Kieffer

Today I'm pleased to introduce Bill, Writer of The Goat: Building the Perfect Victim from Red Ferret Press. Now Available via Amazon: Adult, Dark Urban Fantasy

From beginning to end. If you ever want a book to slap you in the face as hard as possible, this…this is for you. ~Thurston Howl, editor-in-chief of Thurston Howl Publications

Bill Kieffer was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA.  A brain injury at an early age left him with some mild issues and just enough aphasia to be amusing at parties. He tries to be very open about these. He doesn't drink, having the bare minimum of inhibitions to begin with. Bill is happily married. He is a member of the Furry Writers Guild and has recently published short stories in several Furry anthologies put out by Fur Planet. Past writing credits include comic books like "Billy Joe Van Helsing: Red Neck Vampire Hunter" and "Great Morons in History, the Dan Quayle Bio."

And so to the interview - grab a chair, get comfy...

When and why did you start writing? When I was very young, I had a speech defect and then a bit of brain damage that just made that worse. That caused a bit of anxiety that just snow balled everything. My family situation was sort of chaotic as I was growing up and the written word was something I could control. Almost always the only thing I really could control. Sometimes, I feel like not much has changed; but I am confident behind a keyboard, if no where else.

What 3 things would you like to facilitate a good days writing? Isolation, to a certain extent... Friends and family tend to make arbitrary decisions about how much time spent writing is appropriate. Tea or sparkling water. It used to be diet soda, but I began to buy into that "diet soda makes one fat" thing. As if sitting at a keyboard for hours at a time isn't the real problem. The Internet or an encyclopedia: I write a lot about animals in allegorical & fantasy terms. My readers are often furries with a lot of knowledge of zoology, so I best be correct (unless I need to be wrong on purpose). (wait is that 4 things? I'll allow it...)

Do you write to a schedule, or do you write as and when the mood strikes? I write mostly short stories, so there's almost always a submission deadline to goad me on. However, I'm in charge of the housework at home, so I try to limit myself to just an hour of tv a day and one chore (like laundry or changing the cat litter). It was a good plan until the current administration came along and every day is like a horror story in the press here in the USA.(we feel your pain here in the UK - our local version of the dollar store, Poundland, has Trump themed Halloween items...)

Who is 'your' favourite fictional character? The answer to this is almost always the main character in whatever the "Work In Progress" is that day. Brooklyn Blackie, however, is probably my most recent favourite. I've written a lot of backstory for him and he has a lot of the same baggage I do, so he's a bit of my Mary Sue. His command of language is so much greater than mine, however. I've never been able to learn another language and that eats at my soul. (Brooklyn Blackie is a bisexual private detective in a furry version of 1940s New York City and I love the sound of him!)

Is writing your main source of income, I read lots of articles saying writers make no money, and my readers asked this question a lot! Can you survive on book writing alone? if not, what else do you do? Oh, no, my niche is so small, I could never live on the income. I write to be heard. My ego wears spurs.(I love that!) Until very recently, I used to dispatch tradespeople for a facilities maintenance company with lots of clients. However, they relocated to the bread basket of America, Kansas. That's a... really long commute, so I chose to stay here on the East Coast.

What are your favourite biscuits (cookies)? Oh, my American tastes are going to show here. Nutter Butter cookies. (these sound amazing - I am determined to try some)

Where do you do most of your writing? I write in one of our guest rooms, the Mardi Gras room, because unlike most of the other rooms in the house, the three cats and the great dane are not allowed in here.

Where the writing happens...

What book are you reading at the moment? I just finished HOTBLOOD: A Centaur in the Old West by Toril Orlesky. I am in the middle of Transcendent from Lethe Press currently. It's been very thought provoking so far and it contains the story "Not Equally Yoked" by Alexis Hunter, which I thought was the best story I read in 2016.

Is truth really stranger than fiction? Truth doesn't obey the rules, so I find that very annoying. However, my fiction involves talking goats and sadistic mages, so I might not be the best person to ask.

If you could genetically cross and animal with a fruit or vegetable what would you choose and why? I'm currently keen on a cauliflower/caterpillar, a cauli-pillar, a bumpy white caterpillar affair that would be nice with cheese... Oh! My Vore readers will love this question, so let me put some thought into it. I think I would cross a cockroach with a watermelon seed, because, you know... when you see a roach, every one hopes for a split second that what they are really looking at is a misplaced watermelon seed. So, now, you can be right about that for a change. Plus, watermelon seeds are totally edible and can be dried and ground into flour. So, if we got them to breed like roaches, we'd be that much closer to ending world hunger. My Vore reader focus group reports that they'd like something that screams a little bit more than a roach might. But they are a fickle bunch. I once offered them a breed of goat that vomits up it's own curry sauce at the moment of slaughter, but they were no impressed.

If you could bring a dead person back from the dead for one day to have tea and a natter with them, who would you choose and why? Helen Thomas, a member of the White House Press Corps. Before her death in 2013, she was frequent guest on the Colbert Report (as well as appearances as herself in a handful of politically themed movies) and I'd love to talk to her about the current political situation here in the states.

Thank you Bill for your candid and fun replies, and for not shying away from the horror of the moment in real life as well as fiction!

You can find Bill all over the web

Blog: https://typinghorse.wordpress.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGoatNovella Twitter: https://twitter.com/Greyflank Publisher: http://www.redferretpress.com/ Bookcrossing: http://www.bookcrossing.com/mybookshelf/Greyflank/ GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14249456.Bill_Kieffer

and for no other reason than I can...here is a gratuitous photo of me and my favourite Furry, Cosmic Wuffy

Wordy Wednesday with Sarah E Smith

Welcome back to Wordy Wednesday. This week I would like you to meet Sarah Smith, author of several mystery books. I asked her to introduce herself, so grab a cup of tea and settle down for a chat.

Hello, my name is Sarah. I'm nearly 50 on the outside and almost 18 on the inside! I love rugby, Doctor Who, and history.
I've had four books published so far. Three time travel, mystery books for YA (16-90ish) The Secret of Aldwych Strand; and my first crime fiction book set at the turn of the 20th century – A Cowardice of Crows, which introduces Symington Earl Byrd, Gentleman. Playboy. Detective. My books are as historically accurate as I can make them; and - I hope – a little witty, mixing as they do first and third person perspective.

The Secret of Aldwych Strand revolves around Canvey teenagers Mark and Lucy who go to Southend Pier in the October half term of 2013; travel in time, and never come home. Well why would you when you are trying to stop someone destroying the whole of time itself?
In a Cowardice of Crows Symington, Earl Byrd is called in to investigate the murder of a woman who's pushed from a train. A murder that draws the Prince of Wales' best friend in to a world so seductive he is in danger of losing his soul.

Do you have another job or are you a full time author? If you do something else (international spy?) what is it and do you like it?
Oh, I only wish I was a spy, or anything that exciting! I'm not. I don't even write full time. Though I can dream. That's got to wait for retirement. Or a VERY large lottery win. No, I'm a teacher of hormones in an 11-19 school in North Essex. I'm not sure if I'd say I like it, but I've been doing it for 28 years, so I can't really dislike it that much, can I?

Why did you start writing?
Because I couldn't draw and had to be creative some how. But it wasn't serious. Not until I ended up as a history teacher doing a maternity cover as a Head of English in the school I'm currently at, and suddenly there were these voices in my head screaming to have their story told, so I decided I'd better do what they wanted.

Which 3 things are guaranteed to make you smile?
The Goon Show
A dog running in the great out doors (I totally misread this as 'a dog running into a door, and thought it funny if a little cruel!)
A student finally 'getting' something that they've really struggled to understand

Do you have any pets?
I wouldn't say I have pets, I'd say they have staff.(haha Princess Fizz, my border terrier feels the same about us!)
Until last year there were 6 cats: the infamous Rover Blofeld of Twitter, Agent Z(orro); Bomma and Alistair, the Bombays, Callie and CleoKatra; and of course there was Clwyed-dog Dog, a scatty Labrador. Clwyed and Rover went over the rainbow bridge last year, forcing Zorro to step up to the role of chief cat. I'd love to get another dog, one with an expressive face. But that's a decision for a few years down the line. Dogs shouldn't be rushed.
The bombays are so self centred that they hinder the writing process. They have no understanding of computers. Or keyboards. Or that the delete key is not for dancing on! Everything is fuss me fuss me now, with pedigree cats.
The girls ignore me. They exist to sleep in sun-puddles. No, it's Zorro -a white and black bruiser - who's the real critic. He's the cleverest cat I've ever been owned by. An engineer in previous life, he sits and watches you write. Then when you read it back, he listens. If it's good he walks off. If it's not good he shakes his head and stares. So you delete and start again.

Who is your favourite author? Do they influence your writing or are they a total break from the sort of thing you write?
As a child, I wouldn't say I had a favourite author. I devoured books like a true book vampire. But looking back - although I love Agatha Christie and Dorothy L Sayers, and Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett - my favourite writer has to be Terrance Dicks. I have so many of his Doctor Who novelisations on my shelf at Mum and Dad's that I would be a fool to argue otherwise. He has such an easy reading style and a way of writing. Whether you're in the mood to devour or dip in and out. His style fits all moments. I suppose as my first three books were scifi he has to have had some influence on me, hasn't he?

Which book(s) are you reading at the moment?
This is a bit of a cheat of an answer. I'm back teaching English – due to a couple of maternity covers – so I'm currently reading:
Much Ado About Nothing with my year 10s
The Woman in Black with Year 9
And Great Expectations with Year 8
And I've been reading a lot of history coursework, but I don't suppose this really counts does it?
I've also had to re-read Cowardice because we've just moved and my context notes are in a box somewhere in storage. Rooky error!

Where do you do most of your writing?
We've just been camping for the first half of this half term, so I've been writing outside the tent, or inside when it was raining. But if I'm honest, I do my best writing in hotel lounges! My favourite hotels for writing are the Haycock in Wansted, Cambs; the Travelodge in Bishops Stortford (our current home whilst the boat is being built) and The Walpole Bay Hotel in Margate. They're all used to me sitting with a laptop, drafting and cursing away. At the Walpole the staff know me so well that sometime after 2pm a bottle of chilled prosecco arrives! One day, I'm going to wear pink and change my name to Barbara Cartland.

Tell us about the character that you've written that you like the most - no spoilers!
Toughy! I enjoyed Valentin from the Aldwych Strand Trilogy, he was complex and mercurial and I was drawn to him. But whilst Symington CC, Sampson and CC are all great, there's something about the Pawnbroker from A Cowardice of Crows that captured my imagination the moment he appeared. Mordecai Gold is a very black and white individual. Very moral in an immoral kind of way. He's ruthless and at times very violent, but he inspires such loyalty from those who work for him that you just have to love him. Even if he is soulless.

What is your favourite biscuit?
Until I found out I was wheat intolerant, I would have said Nice biscuits. They were my Nana's favourite and our little secret. She would sneak them to me when Mum wasn't looking. Mum didn't hold with me eating biscuits. Something to do with not eating my dinner. Now any biscuit that I shouldn't eat, is my favourite!

In the film of your life who would play you? (why)
Alec Guinness. Or possibly David Tennant. Obviously in drag. Why? As anyone who knows me will tell you, I'm eccentric, so why go for an obvious casting?

If you could genetically cross an animal and a vegetable, what would you pick and why? I like the idea of a potato and a sloth...could you get a lazier creature? (my soul mate)
I quite like the idea of crossing a dragon with an aubergine. You'd end up with a dragon's head, tail and legs sandwiched between a smooth slightly bulbous purple body. He'd have to be careful where he breathed. Otherwise you'd have a bit of a crispy dragon! But it would be fun to watch him take off! A bit like a flying dachshund me thinks!

Find her here Sarah E Smith Author page

Here on her Blog

and of course on Twitter here

Big thanks to Sarah for answering my silly questions - now dear reader, do pop off and check out her books and say hello to her on Twitter.

Wordy Wednesday with Lucy Brazier

Welcome to Wordy Wednesday this week with Lucy Brazier author of the Portergirl Novels.

Welcome to the comfy interview chair Lucy, tell us a little about yourself.
I am in my mid 30s and live in Cambridge. Although I have enjoyed writing since I was small, I only really started to take it seriously when I was inspired to start a blog based on my bizarre experiences as the first female Deputy Head Porter at an eminent Cambridge College. The blog has now become a book series; PorterGirl - First Lady Of The Keys was released in 2016 and the follow up, The Vanishing Lord, was just published on 10th June 2017.

"Set in the fictional Old College, the PorterGirl series is described as 'Brit-Lit' and is in the style of classic British farce and has been compared to Evelyn Waugh and Terry Pratchett. There features some of the politest murders ever committed and a decent cup of tea is never far away. But it is the eclectic and eccentric characters that populate this unusual and hitherto little-known world of the academic elite that really bring the action to life."

 "Porters are not the carriers of bags, they are the keepers of keys!’ As one of the most ancient and esteemed establishments of the academic elite, Old College is in for something of a shock when it appoints its very first female Deputy Head Porter."

Why did you start writing?
It has never occurred to me not to write!

List 3 things that are guaranteed to make you smile.
Food
Music
Nudity (I like your thinking)

Who is your favourite author? Do they influence your writing or are they a total break from the sort of thing you write?
It's always a tricky question, this - but it has to be Oscar Wilde. I always knew I wanted to be a writer, but when I read Wilde I knew I wanted to be a great writer. There's no way I can compare myself to dear Oscar, but I would like to think that his effortless use of purple prose has influenced my own work.

Which book(s) are you reading at the moment?
None - I never read when I am writing.

Which three cities would you most like to visit and why?
Rome and Athens - because of my great love of the Classics - and Venice, because I fancy a go in a gondola. They look like flash punts.

Tell us about the character that you've written that you like the most - no spoilers!
My favourite character is The Dean of College. He is highly unpredictable and can do or say pretty much anything, so is enormous fun to write.

What is your favourite biscuit?
Got to be a chocolate digestive.

In the film of your life who would play you?
It would be Rik Mayall, if he wasn't a man and dead. He could capture my slightly unhinged nature quite perfectly.

Would you go to Mars if it was a one way ticket? If not - who would you send instead!?
I don't fancy Mars, it looks rather hot. I suppose I would send someone who likes a warm climate and has shares in a suncream company!

If you could genetically cross an animal and a vegetable, what would you pick and why? I like the idea of asparagus and a giraffe...tender neck
Maybe a lamb and a carrot - I could just chuck it straight in the slow cooker and have a top notch meal with minimum effort.

Grab a copy of Lucy's book at Amazon UK -  PorterGirl: First Lady Of The Keys  or Amazon US

Read her blog at  - www.portergirl.com

Follow Lucy on Twitter - @portergirl100

And 'like' her page on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/lucybrazierauthor/ 

Wordy Wednesday with Fleur Hitchcock

Welcome to Wordy Wednesday - today in the hot seat I would like to introduce Fleur Hitchcock, author of Murder in Midwinter, Bus Stop Baby, and many others. The books are aimed at the younger reader, but I confess the story synopses sound like I might enjoy them too.

So Fleur, tell us about yourself,
I’ve  worked as a shop assistant, a dinner lady, a gardener, and a curator. I have two almost grown up children and live in the West Country and wrangle all the strands of my life. Since 2011 I’ve written books of all sorts for children aged 7 +

My most recent book is Murder in Midwinter which was published in October 2016  It’s about a very average South London girl called Maya. She’s on a bus in London when she spots a man and a woman arguing on the street. The man seems to be holding a gun and Maya takes a photograph with her phone. But he sees her do it. Soon after there’s a murder, and kidnap, and for her safety, Maya is sent far away from home, to the snow covered mountains of Wales, she can’t get out, but can someone else get in?  It’s a page turner thriller for children aged 9+

Do you have another job or are you a full time author? 
I also garden. It’s hard on my back and knees which aren’t getting any younger, but brilliant for my head and also allows me to listen to the radio which is something I really miss about writing.  Some people can write to music, but I have to have a pretty quiet house to function.

Why did you start writing?
I really don’t know – and I actually don’t think I remember beginning to write. I’ve always done it. It’s just I didn’t call myself a writer until I went back and did an MA in my mid forties.

List 3 things that are guaranteed to make you smile.
My neighbour the vicar jumping into his wheelie bin to compress the rubbish (even reading that made me smile, well done!)
Bumble bees.
Finding a table seat on the train.

Do you have any pets? 
We have some decrepit goldfish, but used to have hens. I loved them dearly, but so did the foxes. We’ll have hens again one day. But for now we have to make do with visiting pets.  Every summer, Nom Nom the tortoise comes to stay while his owner goes on holiday. He’s almost our pet, and I miss him terribly when he goes.

Who is your favourite author? Do they influence your writing or are they a total break from the sort of thing you write?
My favourite author is Rose Tremain.  Everything she writes is different, so much so that I couldn’t spot a Rose Tremain book except by the quality of the writing and the humanity of the characters. She doesn’t have a distinctive style as such but her work is  always character led, something I aim towards, and I think RESTORATION is a perfect book. If you haven’t read it, you really should.

Which book(s) are you reading at the moment? 
I’m reading a proof copy of “The Cost of Living” by Rachel Ward. It won’t be published until later on this year, so I’m terribly excited to get an advanced look at it. It’s a brilliant piece of “Cosy” detective fiction that begins in a supermarket with characters called Ant and Bea.  I’m racing through it but I know I have tottering TBR pile cramming in behind.

Where do you do most of your writing?
On any available flat surface in our house. Sometimes that’s my knees. In theory I have a desk in the spare room but it’s so cluttered I often can’t work. Right now it’s piled high with my accounts that will probably stay there, almost finished, until 30th of January.

Tell us about the character that you've written that you like the most - no spoilers!
That’s like asking which of my children I love the most!  I shouldn’t possibly choose, but I’m very fond of Amy in Bus Stop Baby.  She’s 12 and she’s angry and she can’t really express it.  The world only just makes sense to her and she finds adolescence difficult. She wants everything to be simple and logical and it won’t behave that way. During the book, Amy gets herself into trouble with everyone she loves because she jumps to conclusions. I suspect I love her because she’s a bit like I was at that age.

What is your favourite biscuit?
Choco Leibniz – they dunk well, no palm oil and they’re delicious. Excellent choice!

In the film of your life who would play you?
Oh dear – I really don’t know – but I suppose a young me would be a young Diana Rigg – kind of out of control and a little larger than life. Prone to wearing rather tight fitting clothing and creeping around solving crimes. The now me might be the late great Patsy Byrne – she played Nursie in Blackadder. I think Nursie was wiser than she looked. (I adored Nursie)

If you could genetically cross an animal and a vegetable, what would you pick and why? I like the idea of a potato and a sloth...could you get a lazier creature? (my soul mate) 
A badger and a beetroot – just imagine all that purple seeping into the white. BEAUTIFUL!

You can follow Fleur on Twitter @fleurhitchcock
And check out her blog page at www.fleurhitchcock.com
And buy her books via Amazon