Wordy Wednesday's author interview with Alec McQuay

Hello Wordy Wednesday fans, another Wednesday and another author, this week Alec McQuay

Hello Alec, let's get to know you, tell us a little about yourself and your writing,

Hi, and thanks for the invite to come have a natter. Other than work and writing I’m a (rubbish and too heavy) martial artist (less Sammo Hung, more Kung Fu Panda) and a powerlifter, which makes me strong and healthy but allows me to eat a lot and call it “training.” Writing wise I don’t tend to stick very rigidly to any particular genre (I’m a bit chaotic (annoying) in my approach) but I’m mostly a sci-fi and action fan, so my writing tends to look to bleak futures and can be a little violent. My debut novel Emily Nation is a post-apocalyptic cyber-punk western about an assassin, whose arrogance almost destroys everything she cares about. I’ve toyed with horror in the past and I can’t wait to go back and sink my teeth into it. oooh I like the sound of this!


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 dear… I’m an Architectural Ironmonger. I make sure all the hardware on building projects is specified correctly so it’s safe and up to legal requirements. It can be interesting work to do, but to people outside the industry it’s generally like conversational cyanide. hahaha a man of railings...



When did you start writing?

I’ve written on and off for as long as I can remember but I started taking it seriously about six years ago when my eldest son was a baby. Can’t always get back to sleep after those night feeds so it’s good to have a quiet hobby!



What 3 things are guaranteed to make you smile?

My sons, new achievements at the gym and bunnies. If bunnies don’t make you smile there’s something up.


Do you have any pets? If yes, what, and do they help or hinder the writing process?

I’m up to my neck in pets. I have a collie / lab cross called Piran, three cats (Betty, Honey and Mordred) and a Siamese fighting fish called Thanos. We also have a pond full of Koi Carp with Disney names… Writing wise they’re mostly pretty neutral as Piran would rather be in front of the fire and two of the cats are elderly and just want somewhere quiet to snuggle down, but Mordred… he was taken from his mum too early and he’s a strange mixture of lethality and neurosis. He’ll sneak up and start licking me if he wants attention and he won’t. Ever. Stop…

Who is your favourite author? Do they influence your writing or are they a total break from the sort of thing you write?

Terry Pratchett without a doubt. His work and mine are nothing alike but from what I know of the man, some of our motivations are similar - alongside the love he had for the world and its people there was a great deal of anger about some of what there is to see out there. If I’m ever half the world builder he was, or if I were to ever receive an unprompted comparison to him in any way, I’d be delighted.  He was indeed a fine fine chap who I had the pleasure to meet several times, a sad loss to the world of writing when he died, but what an amazing legacy to leave, a whole world!


Which book(s) are you reading at the moment?

I’ve got a few open at the moment. The First Heretic by Aaron Dembski-Bowden, Beyond Good and Evil by Nietzsche and Brian Blessed’s autobiography “Absolute Pandemonium.” I try and read from as broad a spectrum as possible to keep my brain churning away but I have to block out time to do nothing but read or none of them ever get finished. As needs must I’ll go a while without getting to read much, then I’ll binge until my eyes hurt.

Where do you do most of your writing?

Most of it is done either at work during my lunch break or late at night in my front room. When I can I sit up late with music on, a glass (or several) of JD and Coke and write until I can’t keep my eyes open anymore. Or I can’t see the keyboard… I thrive on sleep deprivation. It’s a good job too because it’s not like I have much choice! Probably a throwback to when the boys were first born.


Tell us about the character that you've written that you like the most - no spoilers!

Naturally Emily Nation is about its titular character but one of the side characters, Jemima Clayton, is my favourite. She’s a confident, foul mouthed girl who takes absolutely no crap from anybody and in many ways is probably the best adjusted of the whole cast. All characters have their own history and sometimes that’s pretty damn dark, but Jemima owns her past better than any of my other characters do and doesn’t let anyone else determine how she should feel about it.

What is your favourite biscuit?

Dark chocolate Hobnobs!


Tea or Coffee?

TEA!

In the film of your life who would play you? (why)

Aaron Taylor-Johnson would be a good fit – there aren’t many people who could pull off my special mixture of antisocial awkwardness and mad fighting skills. I’d love to say Henry Rollins but damn it I’m just not sexy enough.


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)

An excellent question worthy of considerable thought… I’d cross a rabbit with a carrot because I kinda want to see what would happen. We’d either end up up to our necks in tiny little chantenay bunnies or it’d be a very quick, very sad little massacre.

Thanks for taking part in my blog series Alec, and dear reader, if you are inspired to know more why not download a copy of Emily nation for your Kindle or even treat yourself to a paperback

This is my debut novel Emily Nation, to which I am currently writing a sequel. There are buy links to get the book cheaper but they’re a big shower of lying gits. They don’t have stock and can’t get it because the paperback is print on demand and I hope all their shoes catch fire. Sadly, these entirely pointless seller links have been a bit of a pain in the butt as they promise delivery of an item that will never turn up.

Alec's Twitter wotsit is @VampiricChicken – He doesn't use Facebook at the moment.


I use Facebook though! Come and give my page a like at Tattooed Mummy's Randoms and follow me on Twitter at @Tattooed Mummy

Wordy Wednesday with Alasdair Stuart

Good afternoon readers! Are you bored of the EU Referendum talk? of course you are - why not settle back with a cup of your favourite beverage and get to know my author of the week, Alasadair Stuart.

Tell us about yourself Alasdair, and tell us about your books, what genre do you write?

I grew up on the Isle of Man which is a little scrap of land halfway between England and Ireland. Culturally that meant I was sort of half and half. It also gave me a rich sense of knowing how to make my own fun. My friends were all the same but where one made a mountain board and another experimented, briefly, with homemade napalm.

He’s fine by the way
I watched out the video store and was at the cinema every week.
I dove into stories and realized I wanted to write them as well as read them. So, I went to University, discovered that landmasses wider than 30 miles are a thing and started writing.
It took a long time, and still is, but it’s worked out pretty well. I work regularly as an RPG designer and wrote two of the Doctor Who incarnation sourcebooks, which was really good fun. I also write lots of pop culture journalism, most recently for Tor and Fox Spirit Books. I’m just starting to get back into fiction too.
My big job though is as the host of Pseudopod, a weekly horror fiction podcast I’ve hosted for nine years. I love that, and I love the company too, which also produces an SF show called Escape Pod, a fantasy show called Podcastle, a YA show called Cast of Wonders and a quarterly magazine called Mothership Zeta. I actually bought the company a couple of years ago too, so my fiancé and I have been getting it into shape. Its fun, and HARD and going pretty well.

Do you have another job or are you a full time author?
Right now I’m full time which is always nice when it happens and the projects line up like that. Shortly I’ll probably be looking for something part time to bring a little extra money in and that’s a system that works well for me. I’ve worked as an office cleaner, a receptionist, an office admin, a comic store manager and a few other things and all of them have been fun. But this is what I love.

When did you start writing?
When I was 10 I wrote a story about a large, friendly yellow dog. That was it, I was doomed.

I spent my teens teaching myself how to write fiction, and, slowly, realizing I needed to NOT WRITE IN BLOCK CAPITALS. Then I branched out into non fiction, and concentrated on that for a little while. Then RPG writing and podcasting came on stream and now, fiction’s coming back on as well. So for close to three decades I’ve been writing various things.

What 3 things are guaranteed to make you smile?
-Seeing my fiancé, Marguerite, at the end of the day. She’s the love of my life: )

The others vary day by day but right now the two that always work are:

-This remix of the Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy theme and Journey of the Sorceror, the original music. I love this piece of music but this version is especially great.

-The line ‘Hey goons, thugs and bosses! Guess what? I BROUGHT COLOSSUS!’ in the Deadpool rap from the recent movie.

I grew up around a lot of comedy of a lot of different types and I find a lot of stuff very funny. It does change but those are the ones right now.

Do you have any pets?
No, although we are looking seriously at both a dog and a cat in the near future

Who is your favourite author? Do they influence your writing or are they a total break from the sort of thing you write?
Oh I have a bunch. Henry Rollins’ spoken word work was a huge influence on me. Also Warren Ellis, especially with Transmetropolitan and Matt Wallace with the Slingers and Sin Du Jour series.

Which book(s) are you reading at the moment?
A good spread actually:

-The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan. I’m a massive foodie and very enthusiastic amateur cook and Pollan’s take on food fascinates me. He wraps it up in history and economics and speaks with the clarity of an author who has clearly thought a huge amount about each word. His Netflix series, Cooked, is pretty much a must see.

-Donnybrook by Frank Bill. A collection of monstrously awful people come together at the Donnybrook, an annual and massively illegal bareknuckle fighting tournament to settle their differences. Southern gothic with a rich vein of western to it. Beautiful language, horrible characters, both compelling.

-Afterlife by Maxximillian Dafoe. Maxximillian does these wonderful, vined, complex stories about not-quite LA and not quite now that trip you up in the best way. Mollyville, her last novel, is haunting in the same way Wild Palms or Raymond Carver is. Afterlife, which I’m most of the way through, is no exception.

-The X-Files Season 10 Volume 3-I’m an avid comics reader (And former storeowner, occasional write and frequent journalist in the field) and I’m happily chewing my way through the comic version of season 10 right now. It’s much more in line with the original show than the relaunch season was and so far way more fun.


Where do you do most of your writing?
At home in my office for the most part. However, three times a week or so I try and get out of the house and write for a couple of hours in a local coffee shop. I live in Milton Keynes and there’s a brilliant coffee shop/juice bar on the station called Peel. That’s my usual spot. Although sometimes I’ll push through to the 24 hour Starbucks nearby when I need a fix or to remind myself what Californian coffee shops look like.


Tell us about the character that you've written that you like the most - no spoilers!
My first novel, which like most first novels is going to live in a trunk forever, featured a journalist who was gloriously peppery. It wasn’t that he was a bad guy or anything, he was just a devious little sod who didn’t let little things like technically breaking the law a bit get in the way of a story. I loved writing him and while the novel may never see the light of day he probably will again.


What is your favourite biscuit?
Hovis digestives. Delicious, great with cheese and apple and they were the first snack Marguerite and I ever shared. (I approve this choice)

Tea or Coffee?
Both! Occasionally at the same time! Coffee during the day, tea in the afternoon and evening. And water, so much water. Seriously, my fiancé is Californian and she firmly believes England as a country would become much nicer overnight if everyone actually hydrated.

And…the weather improved but hey…babysteps.

In the film of your life who would play you? (why)
Dara O’Brian or Henry Rollins. O’Brian because we share a similar hairline and avuncular widebeam Celtic enthusiasm. Rollins because he’s one of the reasons I made it out of my adolescence alive and I get my work ethic, love of doing things and eloquence from him.

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)
An avocado and a bear. So when the bear shed its winter coat, we’d have unlimited (but maybe slightly furry) avocado.

And now some extra goodies and links to Alasdair's various online personas and works!

Alasdair writes for Tor.com, MCM Buzz and Fox Spirit.

Tor.com

MCM Buzz

Fox Spirit

He has a book out through Fox Spirit collecting the early essays from Pseudopod

The Pseudopod Tapes

And he also writes tabletop RPG games, most recently for the Doctor Who game

6TH Doctor Sourcebook

10th Doctor Sourcebook

Alasdair's blog which is food, exercise and enthusiasm about pop culture is at alasdairstuart.com

And he tweets at @AlasdairStuart

As always, come chat on Twitter or Facebook - my Facebook page likes your likes :-)

Wordy Wednesday with Dyrk Ashton

This week on Wordy Wednesday the author of the fantasy 'Paternus' is our writer of the week. Allow me to introduce Dyrk Ashton.

First, thank you for having me on Wordy Wednesday. Greatly appreciate the opportunity.

Well, I'm Dyrk Ashton, brand spankin' new author of a brand spankin' new book, Paternus. The book's so new, in fact, it only came out in May 2016.

I grew up in the midwest (Ohio, to be specific), have a PhD in Film Studies, lived in Hollywood for a while and did some acting there. Back in Ohio now and following a lifelong dream of writing. And it's working. Which is really weird. And cool.

I write in the fantasy genre. Paternus is probably best described as Contemporary Mythic Fantasy - takes place today, in this world, but with gods and monsters of myth - though in the book our heroes find out there's nothing "mythical' about them.

Do you have another job or are you a full time author?
I teach film classes, undergrad and masters level, all online. That's my 'day job.' I do like it quite a bit, and it affords me the time to actually read the kinds of books I like (fantasy and scif-fi mostly), and best of all, to write. I was full time faculty for quite a few years and had absolutely no time to look at or write anything that wasn't exceptionally 'scholarly' or 'academic' (which I like, but man it's nice to have time for some variety).


When did you start writing?
I've been writing short stories for as long as I can remember, on and off. When I was in 1st grade I wrote (in crayon) and illustrated (in crayon) a kid's book called The Human Zoo. Very strange and kind of dark. No it never got published, only the family ever saw it, just a kids fun project. I attempted a novel in high school, sci-fi stuff, but never finished. I began writing screenplays in college and wrote them throughout my time in Los Angeles. I began Paternus about 3 and a half years ago, been writing a few hours every day since then. Sounds slow, I know, but several revisions and hundreds of pages of notes and research. Yeah, I'm like that. Maybe not the best writing method, but it's what I do. (I bet I'm not the only one secretly wanting to see the crayon tale, it sounds oddly compelling)


What 3 things are guaranteed to make you smile?
Puppies. Funny self-deprecating tweets from authors I follow and respect on Twitter. Coffee. And puppies.
Funny you should mention puppies, have a gratuitous photo of my new one! 
 

 


Do you have any pets?
You know I don't anymore, but I used to have two ferrets who harassed me all the way through the writing of my dissertation (on the The Lord of the Rings films and French philosopher Gilles Deleuze). I let them out for awhile every day. They liked to knock over the trash can and play with the loudest plastic and paper. And those suckers could climb. Mostly me.


Who is your favourite author? Do they influence your writing or are they a total break from the sort of thing you write?

Boy that's a tough one, there are so many. If I had to pick, I'd say Roger Zelazny, but it hurts to do so because I also love Tolkein, G.R.R. Martin, the list really goes on and on. I think every author I've ever read influences me, if I love them or don't like their work at all - I see what I'd like to accomplish, as well as what I definitely DON'T want to do. My writing, I believe, has pieces of dozens of authors in it - style, subject matter, beats, pauses, dramatic action and situations - but I hope I've brought my own voice and ideas to it. I actually began writing Paternus for myself alone, because I wanted to read something like it and couldn't quite find anything similar enough, and for grown-ups. Enough folks liked it that about halfway through the process I decided to go ahead and try out this self-publishing thing. It's still the book I wanted to write, for me to read, but maybe other people will like it as well. I can't be the only weirdo who wants to read stuff like this. Or maybe I can, we shall see...


Which book(s) are you reading at the moment?

I recently finished the Red Rising trilogy by Pierce Brown. Right now I'm in the first quarter of M.R. Carey's Fellside. And LOVE it.

Where do you do most of your writing?

I do write at home, but I'd bet that 75% to 80% happens at local coffee shops (they've learned to put up with me). Since my work is all online I do that in the morning at home, then in the afternoons it's nice to go somewhere else to write. Also something about the noise and bustle actually helps me focus. And I like coffee. Did I say I like coffee?


Tell us about the character that you've written that you like the most - no spoilers!

Oh, cool question! And difficult in my case because speaking of the neatest stuff about the characters is a bit of a spoiler. Well, maybe not... I never thought he would be, but I just recently realized that one of the most difficult characters to write, and the one I had the hardest time formulating throughout, might actually be my favorite character now. And he's important, but he's not the main character (though he does appear pretty much throughout the novel). He's the main character, Fi's, Uncle Edgar. Fi is an orphan and lives in the US in a midwestern city with her old uncle from England. He's somewhere between 60 and 70 in appearance (he'll never tell). He seems to know a little something about everything, and kind of drives Fi crazy with his odd facts and stoic ways. And he has a dusty sword and shield hanging over the fireplace of their hulking (and a bit decrepit) three story Edwardian home that he says have been in the family for centuries... There that's about all I can tell for now ;)

What is your favourite biscuit?

Being here over the pond in the colonies, I'm assuming you're talking about cookies (though Edgar does indeed call them biscuits in the book). Gooey chocolate chip, without a doubt!


Tea or Coffee?
Coffee. Cream and sugar. Though sometimes in the evenings I will have tea with honey.


In the film of your life who would play you?
Ummm... Michael Berryman. No he's too tall... Mike Cudlitz (Abraham Ford from The Walking Dead) because he's a tough guy and has hair. No... I think Brad Pitt with a shaved head. Because in spite of what a lot of people might think, and indeed what I used to think, he CAN act. And he's of course ridiculously good looking and this is a movie, so why not, right?


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)
Oh I like your choice. Let's see... It would have to be celery and a praying mantis. Because it would be really creepy and cool looking but you could just snap off a leg and swipe it through peanut butter.hahaha

Dyrk's first Novel Paternus, contemporary mythic fantasy, was unleashed on May 1st, 2016. Find it on Amazon here.
Check out Dyrk's website: www.paternusbooks.com
And his Goodreads author page: https://www.goodreads.com/
If you are a Reddit fan, find Dyrk hanging out there - Reddit Fantasy, where he did an author's AMA in early March : https://www.reddit.com/r/fantasy
Facebook, Paternus Books Media
Twitter: @UnDyrk
Instagram: @UnDyrk

Big thanks to Dyrk for answering my often ridiculous questions and for some great answers! (especially the puppy one)

see you next week Wordy Wednesday fans.

Wordy Wednesday with Margrét Helgadóttir

Hello Wordy Wednesday fans. Today I have great pleasure in introducing you to another new (to me) writer. Today it is the turn of Margrét Helgadóttir.

And so, sitting Margrét under the spotlight of interrogation in the comfy chair, let us ask her to tell us about herself:

I'm a Norwegian-Icelandic author and editor living in Copenhagen (Denmark). I love to write dark, weird and quirky stories, often set in the future, mostly within the speculative genres but not only. It’s more important to me to tell a good story than to restrict myself to one genre. I'm often influenced by Nordic culture, climate and folklore but being born in East Africa to both Norwegian and Icelandic parents, I’ve also written several blog posts about growing up crosscultural and several of my stories take place in Africa.

My stories have so far appeared in a number of both magazines and print anthologies such as In flight literary magazine, Gone Lawn, Luna Station Quarterly, Tales of Fox and Fae and Girl at the End of the World. My debut book "The Stars Seem So Far Away" was published by award-winning Fox Spirit Books in 2015. I am also co-editor for the anthologies European Monsters (2014) and African Monsters (2015) and editor for Asian Monsters (Dec 2016) and Winter Tales (February 2016).

Wow! Fascinating heritage and some awesome sounding books, I'm ver into reading futuristic sci-fi at the moment, and love folklore of other cultures too.

Do you have another job Margrét, or are you a full time author?
I currently have a job in Copenhagen in an international organization--which is busy but I like it--so writing is sadly only something that happens when I have time left. I'm on leave from my job in Oslo (Norway) so I'll return there at some point in the coming years.

When did you start writing?
I have written poems and stories since I learned to write as a little girl but it was only about three years ago that I felt confident enough to begin submitting fiction pieces for publication. In hindsight I think this renewed self confidence was closely connected to my turning 40 years old. I also decided to write in English, my second language.That's pretty awesome, I don't speak enough of any other language to even do much more than order beer, writing in another languge is impressive.

What 3 things are guaranteed to make you smile?
Cats, cats, cats

I couldn't resist this gratuitous cat picture after that comment! Copyright: tsekhmister / 123RF Stock Photo

Do you have any pets?
No, sadly not :( I lived in a house together with a cat a few years ago and I believe he helped me with my writing just by being there snoring or demanding attention. It made me calm enough to concentrate on the writing.

Who is your favourite author? Do they influence your writing or are they a total break from the sort of thing you write?
Such a difficult question. I don't have one, but several: Ursula Le Guin, Anne McCaffrey, Franz Kafka, Amy Tan, Haruki Murakami, and Nordic authors like Tove Jansson, Thore Hansen and Astrid Lindgren. I'm also drawn to the complex but beautiful writings of Victor Pelevin and China Mieville and the British classics like Jane Austen and the Bronte sisters. I believe all of these influence me in some way in my writing--I strongly feel that all authors should read lots to be inspired by other authors' language and choice of words--but reading is also my favourite comfort thing to do. It’s more about what mood particular books/stories put me in, rather than who wrote them. I’m the same with movies. Fantasy and science fiction are always good choices when needing to escape real world and seek comfort.

Which book(s) are you reading at the moment?
I am reading several: the latest short story collection by Haruki Murakami (sadly not available in English yet), The Wolf Border by Sarah Hall and Whispered Echoes by Anne Michaud.

Where do you do most of your writing?
At my kitchen table.

Tell us about the character that you've written that you like the most - no spoilers!
That would have to be Nora in The Stars Seem So Far Away, a girl who sails the tall northern sea plundering other ships, tough on the outside, softie on the inside.

What is your favourite biscuit?
This is a British thing isn't it? :) are you telling me there are no Nordic biscuits? I shall have to send you some chocolate digestives...

Tea or Coffee?
Coffee.

In the film of your life who would play you?
Ehm. Heh. Maybe Audrey Tautou from Amélie (and many other lovely films) - someone once said that Amélie reminded them of me. Go figure. Anyways it's one of my favourite films--I adore French films--and she's a talented actor.

If you could genetically cross an animal and a vegetable, what would you pick and why? I like the idea of a frog pea, fairy tale style, but very small and very green...
Ha ha, I love that. Maybe a broccoli and a kangaroo. Something about a jumping green small tree make me laugh.

Find out more on Margrét's blog: Margrét Helgadóttir 
Her Facebook page: Margrét Helgadóttir 
Her Twitter: Margrét Helgadóttir (@MaHelgad) | Twitter 
and find her debutbook on Amazon: The Stars Seem So Far Away

Don't forget to like my Facebook page too, to keep up to date and comment on any of the posts you read here. Thanks for reading, until next week "Vi ses!"

Wordy Wednesday with J B Rockwell

I nearly ran out of authors for you all to read about! Can you imagine, the horror! Luckily the world is full of amazing people writing tales for our enjoyment, which is just as well as I know most of use read a book in much less time than it takes to write one! Twitter put me in touch with some new (to me, and sometimes actually new) authors and I popped them into the virtual hot seat for a full grilling!

First up let us all meet J B Rockwell. Sweating in the interview chair, quaking slightly, clutching her beverage of choice, and looking forward to the slice of cake which she has been told she can only have once this interview is complete.

Hello JB, may I call you that? Tell us all about you:

So, I’m J.B. Rockwell *waves* and I write speculative fiction—sci-fi and fantasy mostly, though I did have one light horror/weird book published that’s…well, weird. I’ve got four books published now (yay!), the first two books fantasy trilogy (BREAKSHIELD and SEIOKANA, with Book 3—REAPER—due out this November), that light horror book I mentioned (BIMIANGUS, which I put more in the creepy/weird category since it’s about a creepy bull…I KNOW!) and my latest (and favorite) book: SERENGETI, which is sci-fi. Oh. OH! And SERENGETI comes out in audio book at the end of April! SQUEEE!!!
Mostly I write adult spec pic but I’ve also dabbled in young adult fiction and middle grade level fiction.
As for me, personally, I’m a wannabe archaeologist. Oh, and I have three cats. That’s important because I only had TWO cats until number three showed up after a snow storm and never left.

Do you have another job or are you a full time author? If you do something else what is it and do you like it?
Yes, I’m a slave to the day job. I DREAM of writing full time but right now I work in information technology for the US Coast Guard. That also means I only get to write on the weekends so I jealously guard my scarce writing time. I like working for the Coast Guard. It’s a pretty cool organization. The Mighty Mite of the Military, as it were. :)

When did you start writing?
About 5 years ago—I know, I’m a late bloomer. I’ve always loved to read but I was completely intimidated by the idea of writing a book myself. Then I got an idea and decided to challenge myself and go with it. As with most authors, that first book was very…first bookish and never made it off the shelf. In fact, is still isn’t published, but one day I’ll pull it out and rewrite now that I actually have somewhat of a clue about writing.

What 3 things are guaranteed to make you smile?
Puppies. Kittens. Anything cute with fur. (I’m counting that as one)
Hearing that someone really, truly enjoyed one of my books or short stories, especially if they liked the humor I tried to build in. - you see readers, reviews matter, make an author smile, review a book!
Hanging out and chatting with good friends. I mean GOOD friends. Because we always end up cutting up and laughing our butts off.

Do you have any pets? If yes, what, and do they help or hinder the writing process?
Yes! The aforementioned three cats. I’d like to add a dog too, but right now my working days are too long and it wouldn’t be fair. Cats are great, they just sleep until you get home and then demand food and snuggles. Sometimes the cats help with the writing and sometimes they are a complete roadblock. My best writing moments are sitting in front of a roaring fire with a sleepy cat cuddled up beside me and a good movie or some really good music in the background. But when the cats aren’t sleepy they have zero patience for writing. So, if they’re stirred up and wanting attention there’s no sense even trying to write. On the other hand, I’ve found a lot of inspiration in watching my cats. I’ve written stories with both foes and dragons in them and much of their mannerisms are based on watching my cats be cats. - evil cats?

Who is your favourite author? Do they influence your writing or are they a total break from the sort of thing you write?
I’m a HUGE fan of C.J. Cherryh. She’s one of those authors where I just buy the book because here name is on it. Her writing has definitely influenced mine—no one writes a broken character better than her—but I am in no way, shape or form saying I write as well as her. Just, some of the themes she uses, the way she builds characters and the way she weaves her stories together—I’ve tried to borrow some of that awesomeness and adapt it to my own stories. Plus she writes both sci-fi and fantasy equally well so I feel a kinship.

Which book(s) are you reading at the moment?
I’m actually re-reading the Richard Sharpe books by Bernard Cornwell. I love them. I read a lot of sci-fi and fantasy, obviously, but historical fiction is another love of mine.

Where do you do most of your writing?
When it’s cold or icky outside, I write in my living room by the fireplace. When it’s nice, I sit outside on the patio in the dappled sunlight with the trees all around me. I have a very zen patio. :) I also carry a little moleskin notebook around with me and I’ve been known to scribble down ideas and entire passages while standing in the feed zone at one of my husband’s bike races, waiting for him to come by and want a water bottle.

Tell us about the character that you've written that you like the most - no spoilers!
I’ve got a series of short stories of written, about half of which have found homes in anthologies and e-zines about that this half-crazy, over-machoed starship Captain named Phinnaeus Crowhammer who’s always getting into trouble. He’s a fun character to write because he’s foul mouthed and completely sexist in an entertaining way. Plus he’s got an eclectic crew that includes an otter who pilots the ship. Those stories are pure fun to write.

What is your favourite biscuit?
Ha-ha! This always cracks me up. UK biscuits = US cookies :) I have to say, I’ve never found a biscuit I didn’t like, unless it has raisins instead of chocolate chips—WHAT IS THE POINT??? I think my favorite of all time is still the good old, tried and true chocolate chip cookie. I mean, what’s not to like? - separated by a common language, drawn together by a love of biscuits/cookies :-)

Tea or Coffee?
Coffee. I know, I’m a heathen. Then again, I’m American. I also quite fancy cocoa. not a heathen at all - I'm a real coffee fan, hot as hell, dark as night, sweet as love...actually not sweet I don't take sugar...bitter as my soul?

In the film of your life who would play you? (why)
OH GOD THIS WOULD BE A HORROR MOVIE WHY WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS??? Um…I think Reese Witherspoon is closest to my basic size, shape and looks (not that I look like her but running through actresses she probably comes the closet to not-not looking like me…if that makes any sense). Personality-wise, I like to think I’m more like Felicia Day: cookie and off-kilter but fun to hang with. :) - ha I'm the interviewer - I do it because I can!

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)
Good question. I think a pumpkin and a hedgehog. You’d get this fat, orange, prickly little critter with a long snout and tiny paws that would alternate between sleeping and waddling about—ADORABLE!

Find out more about J B Rockwell at her Author site: www.jenniferbrockwell.com
Find her on Amazon (and buy books) at: http://www.amazon.com/
Over on Goodreads : https://www.goodreads.com/
SERENGETI: http://www.severedpress.com/books/serengeti/
Follow her on Twitter: @Rockwell_JB
'Like' her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rockwellJB/

Huge thanks for taking part - as usual readers are welcome to come and chat over at my Facebook Page or my Twitter. Until nest week. Keep reading! (oh and you can have that cake now)

Wordy Wednesday with Lauren James

Wordy Wednesday is upon us and this week it is the turn of Lauren James. Lauren is 23, and graduated in 2014 from the University of Nottingham, UK, with a Master’s degree in Natural Sciences, where she studied Chemistry and Physics.

Her first novel The Next Together, a YA reincarnation romance, is published by Walker Books in the UK, and is available to purchase internationally through the Book Depository. You can find her on Twitter at @Lauren_E_James or Tumblr at http://lauren-e-james.tumblr.com

And so, as we settle down with tea and biscuits, which biscuits will be revealed later... and we begin our chat. First off I ask Lauren what her favourite book is.
My current favourite book is The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. It’s a wonderfully diverse series that makes me wish I lived in the world.

What 3 things (not including paper, computer, pens) would you like to facilitate a good days writing?
I’m very picky about my working environment. The slightest excuse not to write and I won’t get anything done! I need chewing gum, a spreadsheet of my daily word counts (to keep me accountable!) and lots and lots of music. I’m currently obsessed with Halsey’s album Badlands.

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?
When I’m writing instead of editing, I usually work from 5pm – 1am. During the day there’s usually too much happening to properly focus, and I can’t get much done! If I’m editing, I’m less picky, and I can work during the day too.

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?
I currently write full time. I was awarded an National Lottery Arts Council grant, which funds me while I write more novels. I’m incredibly grateful, because without it I’d have to get a part time job to support myself. That is fabulous! so glad to hear these grants really benefit real people in the arts, glad I buy a ticket now. :-)

What are your favourite biscuits?
Chocolate covered hob nobs!  I confess I find them a bit sweet, so all the more for you!

Tea or Coffee?
I’m English- definitely tea!

Where do you do most of your writing?
At my desk in my bedroom, or sitting outside in the sun. Or in the light of a full moon?!

What book are you reading at the moment?
Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller

Do you use social media (facebook, twitter, instagram etc) to engage with your audience, do you think it helps sales and do you find it fun or a chore?
I love social media, especially tumblr and wordpress. I used to use it a lot before I became an author, and now I have an excuse to use it even more! *ooh I must follow you on tumblr!

Do you own an e-reader? and do you prefer to read digital or paper copy?
I have a kindle, and I love both digital and hard copy books. I think in general I prefer paperbacks, just so that I can keep them on my shelves!

Who are you writing for? Describe your perfect reader (ha! nice hard question!)
Teenage girls aged 14+ who love both Jane Austen and Doctor Who. Is this you gentle reader? or one of your offspring?

If reading and writing were banned, what would you do instead?
Do it anyway. Ha!

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?
Eighteenth century La Maupin, who has to be the coolest person I’ve ever heard of.

The Next Together by Lauren James

How many times can you lose the person you love?

Katherine and Matthew are destined to be born again and again, century after century. Each time, their presence changes history for the better, and each time, they fall hopelessly in love, only to be tragically separated.

Spanning the Crimean War, the Siege of Carlisle and the near-future of 2019 and 2039 they find themselves sacrificing their lives to save the world. But why do they keep coming back? What else must they achieve before they can be left to live and love in peace?

Maybe the next together will be different...

A powerful and epic debut novel for teenagers about time-travel, fate and the timelessness of first love. The Next Together is told through a mixture of regular prose, diary entries, letters, "original" historical documents, news reports and internet articles.

Big thanks to Lauren for taking part, if you are now keen to find out what happens next you can buy her book here.

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Why does the ‘Rob’ scenario in the Archers bother so many people and why is it so upsetting?

Information on the Rob character in the Archers for those that are not regular listeners, can be found here.

I, like many people, have never been personally involved with domestic abuse, not coercion, not control, not violence; but like many I am aware of it.

I would expect people that have experienced it to find the storyline uncomfortable at best but at worst to cause stress and flashbacks and real fear. But why does it also cause other people, people with no experience of abuse to feel similarly?

I think the reason that the Rob story line in the archers affects people who have no experience of abuse is because it turns us into voyeurs, allowing us to stand idly by while Rob lies, cheats, controls and demeans, it makes us feel complicit with his abuse as we are forced to listen but unable to do anything to help.

Perhaps this is the writers intention, to allow us to feel as powerless as one of Rob’s victims, to feel that impotence to be able to act, the same thing that surely the other characters feel when confronted with his clever words that are always ‘not quite obvious abuse’, ‘not quite worth calling out’.

Like most people I hope that Rob gets what’s surely his due very soon. But part of me feels that maybe, as so often in real life, he won’t, that his smarmy control of business rivals and his frightening control of Helen and her child will just continue for ever.

On a practical fictional note Helen has lost a previous partner to a death (also a brother) so I imagine that Rob will not meet a sticky end, as surely that would finish Helen too. I wonder if perhaps finally he will be called out, discovered and like the feeble bully he is he will run away, to remain a shadow character, lurking in the dark of the stage wings, always threatening return, maybe having already become Henry’s legal father.

What ever happens I hope some thing does and soon, as from reading tweets it looks as if people are no longer just annoyed at Rob’ original ‘panto villain’ status but are now uneasy, afraid and creeped out by his increasingly dubious behaviour. Some victims of domestic abuse have said they have had to stop listening as the familiar phrases and controlling nature of his character are just too upsetting. In the sleepy world of Ambridge will his cheating at cricket be the final straw?

I’ve love to hear what you think, please join the conversation in the comments below. Do you like having a an evil character in the Archers? Is Rob really scary or just a silly character? Do people that take the Archers this seriously need to get a life? Is the actor’s portrayal of Rob’s gradual descent into an abusive partner a thing of genius or a step too far on a sleepy radio show for a Sunday afternoon.

If you or anyone you know are affected by domestic violence you can seek help here

And the Plastic Joy award goes to......

Recently on twitter there have been a few tweets that have stuck around in my subconscious. There they lurk and occasionally float the surface, bob for a minute and sink again….so today they all bobbed up at once, like flotsam after a shipwreck, and caused a thought…… this blog post is the result of that thought.


So there are ‘AWARDS’ on blogs, and they are like memes in that you usually have to blog something and then pass on the award. This is a cute idea, it links blogs and introduces you to new people and new blogs. But where do these awards begin? Who creates them?


Well in this case – I do!


This award is the Plastic Joy Award. Now, I wanted to call it the plastic s*x award but guessed that that would attract bots to my (and your!) pages like blood attracts sharks to a shipwreck so…Plastic Joy. It was created in reaction to the picture above, where action man and an unamed myscene doll were caught in the act in my bathroom!


Here’s the thing, if you are awarded the Plastic Joy award you must list 5 fictional characters that ‘you would’ (you know what I’m talking about! Don’t pretend and stop sniggering at the back, I’ll speak to you after class) these should be the fictional character not ‘actors’ who play the characters on film or TV (so no David Tennant!!) but actually fictional characters themselves. You can expand on ‘why’ if you like but you can also just list them. (and leave us to comment and wonder!) Book characters would be easiest as they rely on your imagination more.....

And then, copy the pic to your blog, link back to here and pass the award on to at least 5 people. Let’s give it a whirl


1. Sherlock Holmes

2. Edward Cullen (I’m not proud of this BTW)

3. Worf (or to be fair any Klingon – I’m not even fussy!)

4. Sam Vimes (if you do not know this character run off and read some Terry Pratchett immediately. Guards Guards would be good.)

5. Superman (what’s not to like really!! He can fly too!)

so who get's this award? hmmmm

Josie

Heather, who's interesting blog is here

Geriatric Mummy, who's lovely blog has sadly closed :-(

Mediocre Mum, who's mediocre blog is here

and Hayley, another blog that has closed since this was published.