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NotDone - Upcoming Book Release

June 3rd!  That's the launch date for my latest book, NotDone, the first in a series of four books set in an imaginary dystopian world. Watch out for the upcoming Press Release.

Title:              NotDone
Genre:           Dystopian Fiction
Word Count:   42,000
Launch:          June 2013

.Help
..Help!
…Please Help Us
….Everything is NotDone. 

In a desolate country ravaged by years of war, the dwindling inhabitants of Ameiza live in a segregated society where fertility has its special privileges. But for the lesser citizens of Talbot City, draconian rule means persecution or even death. Can five subjugated workers break free from the autocracy and fashion a better existence? Or will the politics of families from ages past stand in the way of unity and freedom?

http://NotDone.us

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Infographic: The Oxford Comma

Courtesy of: OnlineSchools.com

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Author Interview: David VanDyke

Today I am pleased to present to you all the 72nd in a series of Author Interviews. Recently I sat down with the feedback-seeking wargamer, David VanDyke,  and our conversation went something like this:

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Paul:  I like to start my interviews by asking if you have any writing rituals?

David:  Perhaps “habits” is more accurate. I tend to be a procrastinator so I try to clear my slate of all unfinished business, such as e-mails I haven’t responded to – then shut down everything but the piece. I need relative silence and quiet – no music, the door closed. Oh, and a big hot mug of coffee helps a lot.

Paul:  What types of books do you like to read? Who are your favorite authors? Why?

David:  I like books that have a combination of action and thought, with larger-than-life but not over-the-top characters. I like books that have some kind of futuristic, speculative or fantastic element. And I like spare, elegant writing.

Because of this, some of my favorite authors include Roger Zelazny, Jack Vance, and Glen Cook. They write the books I like to read. Undoubtedly Zelazny’s Amber series and Glen Cook’s “Black Company” books fit those molds.

I do have my contrary moments, though. I decided to read O’Brian’s Aubrey/Maturin books (of Master and Commander fame).  They are sea stories and can rightly be called Regency Literature but I liked them anyway and read all twenty.

Paul:  If someone had the power to step into your creative mind what would they see?

David:  A bubbling cauldron of ideas that I will never have enough time to make real. Some people think authors need ideas. Maybe some do. Not me. I need time. That’s why my goal, like most authors, is to quit my day job and make a living writing.

Paul:  What is a typical day for you? 

David:  After the job that pays the bills, I come home, take care of my “notwriting” chores, and then I write for two to six hours. Once I run out of steam, after 500-5000 words or so, I will do a bit more notwriting, sometimes rereading and editing what I have finished. I do a lot of rewriting and tweaking.

Paul:  Do you have a favorite character in each of your series, aside from the lead? If so, which one and why? 

David:  Aside from the lead… well, I rotate protagonists in my apocalyptic Plague Wars series. I can identify at least five that are fully realized people and have taken that lead role as the series progressed. My favorite is certainly the one I’ve given the most page time to: Jill Repeth, USMC. She’s a tough no-nonsense warrior who started out as a military cop then progressed to bloodier things as the world fell apart through the grinding semi-apocalypse that flows through my books. I find that with a female protagonist I am freer in some ways than with a male.

Paul:  In all the years you’ve been publishing your work, what is the biggest mistake you made that you could share so others can avoid making it? 

David:  All the years… ha, that’s a good one. I started writing in April 2012 and I’ve published six works, four of which are novels in my Plague Wars series. But I would say that the biggest mistake I made was getting impatient. I should have gotten Book 1, The Eden Plague, really well edited – really, really well edited – while I was drafting book 2, The Demon Plagues. That way I would have put Eden Plague up in a better state of quality, and also would have brought out book #2 thirty days later. This would have given me better synergy and word-of-mouth, I believe, as those who liked the first one did not have long to wait for the second.

Paul:  How do you find the time to write?

David:  I think people make time, they don’t find time, for their priorities. Just look at any addict. Suddenly they have time for their addiction. Writing is my addiction, I make time for it. I think as an author you have to consider being ruthless and dumping some activities in your life, whittling your day down to the essentials. God, family, writing; every other priority comes lower. The only TV I watch is unwinding before bed, or something specific like news. I only read for pleasure anymore in the bathtub or at my work lunchtime. I gave up most of my wargaming to make time for writing. It’s really not that hard when you have an obsession.

Paul:  What is one thing you hope I do not tell the readers?

David:  Why would I tell you that? Duh. But I’ll tell you and the readers something you don’t hear much from authors: if there were no readers, I wouldn’t write. Most authors when asked will say they would write for themselves no matter what, because they have stories that need telling. Not me. The thing that gets me out of bed is not really the writing per se. It’s the knowledge that I have an audience. I live for feedback – positive or negative. If I could sing or act, I would crave the stage. When I had a military assignment as an instructor, I reveled in that platform. Only when communicating with another person do I feel fully alive.

Paul:  If you are self-published, what led to you going your own way?

David:  The narrow gates and the out-of-touch gatekeepers at the trade pubs. Two childhood friends of mine, BV Larson and Vaughn Heppner, went the independent route after years of trying to be published traditionally. Now they have big backlists and are making a living – but now they both have agents and some books published by “real” publishers too. I am taking their example and hope to achieve some of the success they have had. Why would I want to bow and scrape before the old walls even as they crumble? I’d rather just walk around the damned things and seek out my own audience.

Paul:  Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?

David:  That second thing, yeah. When I run out of “run,” then I will plot and outline, then run with it some more. It’s an organic process with me. I write scenes, mostly, then I stitch them together into a coherent whole.

Paul:  Do you do a lot of editing or do you find that as time goes on your writing is more fully-formed?

David:  I know my drafts have gotten better and better as I gain practice. I see it, and my main proofreader and publicist (my lovely wife) says she sees it too. I probably went through book 1, Eden Plague, twenty or thirty times. I am down to about five or six rewrites with Book 4, Orion Plague, and they are more minor than they used to be. I think I’m maintaining quality while doing this.

Paul:  Do you have to do much research for your stories?

David:  I have a trivia-filled head, a lot of surface knowledge. If I need anything more in-depth, I research on the fly via the internet or, occasionally, I just clean out some detail and make something more general, yet still accurate. For example, I try to get my physics in the ball park, but I don’t sweat exact numbers too much unless it matters to the story.

Paul:  What is your most recent book? Tell us a little about it

David:  Book 4 of Plague Wars:, The Orion Plague: US Marine Master Sergeant Jill Repeth takes a combat team into the nuclear and plague-ridden wasteland to search for her kidnapped fiancé. Meanwhile Australia, the only large country untouched by devastation, becomes the focus for building and launching Earth’s first space warship in anticipation of an attack by aliens – the same ones that loosed the plagues onto Earth.  The second half of the book has one kick-ass space battle.

There is a lot of nail-biting white-knuckle action, military camaraderie, along with thoughtful moral and ethical concerns, evil villains, twisted heroes, and cool sci-fi themes such as nanotechnology, cybernetics, and the impending threat of humanity’s destruction.

Paul:  Do you have any pieces of work that will never see the light of day?

David:  Huh, yeah, some things I wrote as a kid. Cringeworthy, and I am always tempted to flush them but then the nostalgia hits and I can’t do it.

Paul:  Do you enter competitions? Are there any you could recommend?

David:  Only if they don’t take a lot of extra work.

For example the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award has so many moving parts that I just didn’t bother. It feels to me like they are turning into just another tradpub throwing up walls.

Other ones, like the Kindle Book Review’s Best Indie Book Awards, only require a small fee and submitting a properly formatted book. That’s more my speed.

Paul:  How much marketing do you do for your published works or for your ‘brand’?

David:  Fortunately I have a fantastic wife who has taken on my marketing. She set up my website, my author Facebook page, and a bunch of other things I only have a vague idea about. She’s the social-media person between us. E-mail’s about my speed. She tweets my stuff a lot and that has helped get exposure. On the other hand, paid ads, which I have dabbled in, are more my bailiwick. It’s hard to tell what works for sure because of the high volatility of sales numbers.

Paul:  What’s your favorite / least favorite aspect of your writing life? Has anything surprised you?

David:  I guess my favorite thing is getting to interact with fans. Everyone likes to hear they did well, that someone enjoyed the book they put heart and soul and time and effort into.

Least favorite… well, no one likes a bad review, especially if it seems unjustified.

Surprised me… not terribly. Perhaps the disconnect between effort and success is a bit surprising. It shouldn’t be, but it is, there’s a lot of luck in any media business, anything where you are an artist creating content. You can have good books and market the heck out of them, but I think something has to catch on. Witness 50-Shizzle, where did that come from?

Paul:  What do you do when you’re not writing? Do you have any hobbies or party tricks?

David:  I’ve always been a big wargamer, and I’ve done some roleplaying, but right now it’s all about the writing. I guess I would say that if I had the time, I would love to do more outdoorsy things – hiking and such – because I grew up near the Sierras and always loved the alpine mountains. But right now, my road to those mountains goes through writing, and making a living at it.

Paul:  Thanks, David. I wish you every success for the future.

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About David VanDyke: I grew up in California, childhood friends with bestselling authors BV Larson and Vaughn Heppner. We were together from junior high to college, but after that, while they were working and writing on the side, I took a detour though the US military for more than twenty years. I loved the military life, and I lived all over the world – Japan, Germany, Italy, Belgium, visited many more places, and served in combat zones in Turkey, Iraq, and the Balkans.

Once I retired from the military I was casting about for something more interesting than the corporate grind. I’d always wanted to write, and after I got back in contact with my childhood friends that were now authors, it sparked my imagination, so I took the plunge, publishing my first novel, The Eden Plague, in June of 2012.

David's Blog: David VanDyke
David on Twitter: @DVanDykeAuthor
David on Facebook: David VanDyke
David's latest book: The Orion Plague (Amazon)

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Author Interview: J.D.Hallowell

Today I am pleased to present to you all the 71st in a series of Author Interviews. Recently I sat down with the tongue-firmly in mouth wannabe horse-rider, J.D. Hallowell,  and our conversation went something like this:

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Paul:  I like to start my interviews by asking if you have any writing rituals?

J.D.:  I like to get up and walk my dog in the morning, then sit down with her next to me at my desk and drink a cup of coffee and just let the words flow, preferably when I can have some quiet time to myself. I try to wake up before the rest of the household so that I can write in perfect peace.

Paul:  If someone had the power to step into your creative mind what would they see?

J.D.:  Utter chaos. If they dared look in there, they would be staring into a maelstrom. Sometimes I look in there myself and say "Nope. Not me. Not now. Don't really feel like swimming in there today."

Until I catch hold of the thread of a thought and start to unravel it onto the page, it is just ideas swirling and colliding and winding around each other. Once I start writing it down, I can grab the strands that seem to relate to each other and start to fit them together into a cohesive whole.

Paul:  Do you have a favorite character in each of your series, aside from the lead? If so, which one and why?

J.D.:  They're all my favorite characters. Even if they aren't deeply developed in a particular story, they're still important, and I still like them; otherwise I wouldn't let them in.

Paul:  In all the years you've been publishing your work, what is the biggest mistake you made that you could share so others can avoid making it?

J.D.:  Giving up before it pays off. I'm very fortunate that my wife did not give up on my writing even when I had. Otherwise, Dragon Fate and Dragon Blade would still be sitting in a desk drawer. It's easy to forget that last rule of writing, "Never give up."

Paul:  How do you find the time to write?

J.D.:  I don't "find" time to write - I make it. If that means getting up at 4 in the morning some days so I can write when the house is quiet, so be it. I try to write at least 3000 words a day. Sometimes it ends up being in six 500-word sessions, sometimes I get it down all at once. Sometimes I'm a little under, sometimes way over. When the muse strikes, I try to write and not stop until I absolutely have to.

Paul:  What is one thing you hope I do not tell the readers?

J.D.:  Anything you got out of the transcripts of the recordings from that microphone you managed to hide in my bedroom.

The password to the drive where I keep my first drafts.

Aside from that, I hope you don't tell them that I am the next J.R.R. Tolkein - they'd be outraged and disappointed, and what author could ever live up to that? - and I hope you don't tell them that you think I'm not even qualified to write classified ads. How many things can you think of that would kill an author's reputation? I hope you don't tell them any of them.

It should be clear at this point that I can't count. I hope you don't tell them that, either.

Paul:  Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?

J.D.:  I don't usually have a written outline that I stick to, but I have an idea where the story is going. Along the way, I'll discover things that work better than what I had initially planned, and I'm not afraid to let the story go where it needs to go instead of where I want it to go. Once I'm writing from inside my characters' heads, I have to let them respond to situations authentically.

Paul:  Do you do a lot of editing or do you find that as time goes on your writing is more fully-formed?

J.D.:  I do a lot of editing. Of course, there are some bad habits that I've managed to root out as I've gone along that don't come up as frequently now as they used to, but I still do numerous read-throughs and re-writes before I let anyone else see anything I'm working on. Letting someone else see it almost always results in a few more rounds of tweaking.

Paul:  Do you have to do much research for your stories?

J.D.:  It depends on the story. For the War of the Blades books, I had most of what I needed to write them already in my head. I have a couple of stories in the works that aren’t in that setting that are requiring a lot of research: you can't write about taking a culture from medieval-level technology to mid-1800s firearms in one giant step in a way that is believable without doing your homework.

Paul:  What is your most recent book? Tell us a little about it

J.D.:  Dragon Blade, the sequel to Dragon Fate, is my latest release. Dragon Blade is a little faster-paced and has more battles and "action" than Dragon Fate, but the story picks right up almost where Dragon Fate left off, and the same central characters are there. There are some new faces, and characters who may have seemed relatively minor in Dragon Fate end up playing much larger roles in Dragon Blade. There are a few surprises along the way, and, intermingled with the action, you'll get more backstory on many of the characters, not just Delno and Corolan, and you'll learn more of the history of the dragons and the Riders, too.

Paul:  How much marketing do you do for your published works or for your 'brand'?

J.D.:  I do lots of marketing, most of it free, and none that isn't obvious: I send out review copies to book bloggers who read in my genre; I do interviews; I run tightly-targeted Goodreads ads; I have an author page on Amazon and Facebook; I recently started a blog; I put book links wherever they are both welcome and relevant. All of that marketing is essential, but I don't think it is sufficient. Much of the word of mouth about my books hasn't come directly from my marketing efforts: it has come because I've been active and involved in communities, both online and offline, that are filled with interesting people I like talking with who also happen to be interested in the kinds of books I write, and because I've been fortunate enough to be surrounded by family, friends, and associates who have been supportive of my work and willing to share it with others.

Paul:  What do you do when you're not writing? Do you have any hobbies or party tricks?

J.D.:  Party tricks? I can tie a cherry stem in a knot with my tongue, and I can rip a telephone book in half. I make barbecue disappear whenever I'm in the vicinity. If you don't believe me, I'm happy to prove it - especially the part about the barbecue.

I got my real-life adventuring out of the way early, and as a consequence, I'm pretty sedentary these days, so spending time online, reading, and doing research are my primary amusements lately. There are many things I'd love to be able to pick back up someday; horseback riding absolutely tops the list.

Paul:  Thanks, J.D, That was great. I wish you every success for the future.

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About J.D. Hallowell: J.D. Hallowell has led an interesting and active life. His varied background includes time as a soldier, automotive mechanic, photographer, cowboy, paralegal, jewelry artist, EMT, psychiatric tech, massage therapist, diamond courier, dog trainer, and entrepreneur. He studied martial arts for over 30 years. Although he is now disabled by the cumulative result of injuries sustained both in and out of the military (he has been shot, stabbed, blown up, bludgeoned, poisoned, and has even had harsh language directed at him), he still writes, and has had two fantasy novels, Dragon Fate and Dragon Blade, published, and has several other fantasy and science fiction projects underway. His other interests include but are not limited to history, archery, paleontology, cooking, and weaponry of all kinds. He currently lives on the Space Coast of Florida with his wife, his son, and his Great Dane service dog.

J.D.'s Blog: J.D. Hallowell
J.D. on Twitter: unknown
J.D. on Facebook: J.D. Hallowell
J.D.'s latest book: Dragon Fate (Amazon)

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Author Interview: Jessica Grace Coleman

Today I am pleased to present to you all the 70th in a series of Author Interviews. Recently I sat down with the procrastinating Jessica Grace Coleman,  and our conversation went something like this:

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Paul:  I like to start my interviews by asking if you have any writing rituals?

Jessica:  I wouldn’t say I have any particular rituals when writing, but there is one thing I rely on above all else: tea, and copious amounts of it! I also try and get all of the ‘internet’ things I need to do out of the way before sitting down for a writing session: get up to date with emails, and the same with my author Facebook page and twitter profile, so I can concentrate on just the writing.

Paul:  What types of books do you like to read? Who are your favorite authors? Why?

Jessica:  I think, like any writer, I read a wide variety of books and have far too many favorite authors to list all of them, but these are some of my inspirations: Stephen King, Chuck Palahniuk, Jostein Gaarder, Tana French, Jonathan Safran Foer, Suzanne Collins, Charlaine Harris, Janet Evanovich, Edgar Allan Poe… the list goes on. I’m a big fan of horror, as well as crime thrillers, but my favorite books are ones where there’s a little bit of humor thrown in as well. You also can’t ignore the classics like Dickens and Shakespeare!

Paul:  If someone had the power to step into your creative mind what would they see?

Jessica:  To be honest, it would probably be a bit of a mess! I have so many ideas flying around all of the time (for my current work in progress as well as for future projects), that it can get a bit confusing. There’d probably be a lot of quotes and images flying around, as I find inspiration in a lot of different things, and although I like to think I’m generally quite an organised person, my ‘creative mind’ definitely wouldn’t be.

Paul:  Do you have a favorite character in each of your series, aside from the lead? If so, which one and why? 

Jessica:  This is a hard question, as there is a group of friends in my Little Forest series, all of whom have very different personality traits, and I like them all. I think perhaps Veronica Summers (sister of the main character, Beth Powers), is my favorite as I think she’s how I’d like to be: she’s outgoing, says things how they are, doesn’t put up with any crap, and just does her own thing without caring too much about what everyone else thinks.

Paul:  How do you find the time to write?

Jessica:  I think this is always a dilemma, especially with self-published writers, as you need to split your time effectively between writing new material and promoting what you’ve already published. Any kind of promotion takes up an insane amount of time, and while it may not seem so important when you’re trying to get your next novel finished, you’re relying on people buying and liking your existing work so that they’ll buy your new book. I think finding the balance can be very hard, but I try and split my time more or less equally between writing and promoting.

Paul:  What is one thing you hope I do not tell the readers?

Jessica:  I have a pretty bad habit of procrastinating, something which I think was ingrained in my mind at school when I was putting off doing boring essays about subjects I had absolutely no interest in (and which I can’t remember now, anyway)! This generally happens when I have a blank word document in front of me; all of those old habits from school just come flowing back. Once I start planning or writing, though, (once I have something on the page), it’s usually not too bad.

Paul:  If you are self-published, what led to you going your own way?

Jessica:  When I was writing my first novel (The Former World), I did a lot of reading and research about the traditional publishing industry and the reality of getting your work published and how long it would take (if it ever did happen for you). I’m sure any author will agree that the statistics are really, really depressing, and you could be sending off your work for years and years before you even start to get anywhere. Because I wanted to get my work out there, and because I wanted to keep creative control over every aspect of my books, I chose to self-publish. It’s so much easier to do now than it was even just 5 years ago, and although it’s a hell of a lot of work, I think that for me, the pros outweigh the cons.

Paul:  Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?

Jessica:  For my novels, I have to plot them meticulously, especially as I’m writing a series with overarching storylines that I have to introduce in each book and make sure I keep tabs on. When I wrote my first novel, I didn’t know what I was doing, and even though I vaguely planned it, the story and the characters changed so much that it took forever to write. Now, I make sure I write a full plan (usually around the 20,000 word mark) of exactly what is going to happen in the novel, scene by scene. This makes the writing process so much easier and quicker, and the idea of writing a 90,000 – 100,000 word novel a lot less daunting.

Paul:  Do you do a lot of editing or do you find that as time goes on your writing is more fully-formed?

Jessica:  I do quite a lot of editing, but much less now that I plan my stories in so much detail. My friend Vicki of REDediting then edits my finished manuscript, making sure I keep to the same writing conventions and generally checking the storylines for plot holes and things that need further explanation. She’s edited each of the novels in my series and therefore can pick up on, say, a line of dialogue that doesn’t sound right for that particular character or a situation that is out of place in that particular book. It’s incredibly useful to see someone else’s perspectives on your work.

Paul:  What is your most recent book? Tell us a little about it

Jessica:  My most recent book is Grown By The Wicked Moon, my first short story collection.  As I usually write novels, it was something a bit different to do, and I like the idea of being able to try out different styles, characters and settings in just a few thousand words. I’ve always been a big fan of Stephen King’s short story collections, so I used him as inspiration for my weird and wonderful tales. Grown By The Wicked Moon contains 14 short stories of varying levels of spookiness, with a bit of fantasy and a bit of humor thrown in as well.

Paul:  Do you also write any poetry, non-fiction or short stories?

Jessica:  At the moment I’m trying to write one or two short stories a month (as well as whatever my work in progress is). It’s a great way of practicing new styles etc, and it means that by the end of each year, I’ll have enough stories to bring out a new collection. I haven’t done any non-fiction yet, but after I’ve written my next Little Forest novel, I’ll be writing The Darker Times of Travelling, which I’ve already planned out. It will be a (hopefully!) humorous look at the strange and bizarre experiences I’ve had while travelling around Europe, North America, Asia and Australia, plus some more local trips as well. I’m really looking forward to writing it and reliving all of my crazy travelling moments.

Paul:  Do you enter competitions? Are there any you could recommend?

Jessica:  I’ve entered a few short story competitions in the past (Cazart is good as you can write about anything), but now I’m saving my work for my own self-published collections. Another reason I’ve stopped entering these types of competitions is because I now run my own short story, poetry and flash fiction competitions at Darker Times Fiction (www.darkertimes.co.uk). These run every month and have no rules (apart from the word limits) other than that the writer must somehow involve the theme of ‘darker times’. It’s really fun to run and it gives new writers a chance to be published online and in a Darker Times Anthology.

Paul:  What’s your favorite / least favorite aspect of your writing life? Has anything surprised you?

Jessica:  The favorite part of being a writer is getting feedback from readers (as long as it’s positive!) I don’t think there’s anything worse than putting yourself out there and not hearing back from people, so I really appreciate reviews on Amazon, nice emails, kind words on twitter and Facebook etc. The least favorite aspect is just the constant challenge of trying to get your name out there, trying to get known and trying to get people to buy your books. It involves a lot of time and energy, which is sometimes quite hard when you’re also trying to write your next book at the same time.

Paul:  What do you do when you’re not writing? Do you have any hobbies or party tricks?

Jessica:  Apart from reading, I run a couple of websites that still link into my writing but in different ways. My online music zine site, Rock Pulse (www.rockpulse.co.uk), has been going for about ten years and gives me a chance to review and interview some of my favorite bands and artists. I also run Darker Times Fiction (www.darkertimes.co.uk) which, as I’ve mentioned, is host to several monthly writing competitions. This takes up a lot of time but it’s worth it to read work from new and upcoming writers from all over the world, and I’ve ‘met’ (online!) a lot of great people through the site.

Paul:  Thanks Jessica. I wish you all the best for the future.

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About Jessica Grace Coleman: Jessica Grace Coleman was born in Stafford, England and raised in the nearby village of Little Haywood, a quaint English location that would later be remodeled into Beth Powers' home village in the Little Forest novels.

She has so far self-published three books in the Little Forest series, ‘The Former World’, ‘Memento Mori’ and ‘The Exalted’, as well as her first short story collection, ‘Grown By The Wicked Moon’.

She studied Film Studies and American Studies at the University of Sussex in Brighton, and attended the University of Colorado at Boulder for a year as part of her course. A big fan of travelling, she has road tripped around North America and backpacked across China, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.

Jessica also runs a monthly short-story competition, Darker Times Fiction, which focuses on finding new and exciting horror writers. Compilations of these works are available as Darker Times Anthologies.

Jessica's Blog: Jessica Grace Coleman
Jessica on Twitter: @jessformerworld
Jessica on Facebook: Jessica Grace Coleman
Jessica's latest book: The Former World (Amazon)

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Author Interview: Dani J Caile

Today I am pleased to present to you all the 69th in a series of Author Interviews. Recently I sat down with the tai chi superhero, Dani J Caile,  and our conversation went something like this:

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Paul:  I like to start my interviews by asking if you have any writing rituals?

Dani:  I put on my white feather angel wings, sacrifice a Mongolian gerbil, burn a Bahama Breeze scented candle before my demonic shrine and sit myself down for another stab with the pen on paper (fingers on keyboard). No. I live my busy life, without a thought to writing, and then suddenly… something strikes me as peculiar or funny and a scene appears in my head, I hear a dialogue, see the actions… and quickly jot it down somewhere before it disappears.

Paul:  What types of books do you like to read? Who are your favorite authors? Why?

Dani:  Everything and anything, but not much past the first few pages, there needs to be 'a little something special' for me to continue on. There are some things I read annually, like ‘Catch 22’, ‘The Master and Margarita’ and plays like ‘Waiting for Godot’, ‘Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’ and a couple of Shakespearean plays to help my old brain move. The best read so far this year was Jules Verne’s ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’, such a classic! Saying that, I read tons of self-published ebooks from other indie authors. There are some really good books out there.

Paul:  If someone had the power to step into your creative mind what would they see?

Dani:  Usually a mess, a complete mess. They would be stepping into a movie, in some places dark and cold, in others bright, strange, chaotic. At the moment, my creative mind is filling up with situations set in Budapest, getting ready for my next book.

Paul:  What is a typical day for you? 

Dani:  Busy. Okay, okay, I wake up very early, I go to work and teach English to kids who’d rather be playing games on phones I would never be able to afford, I pick up my 2 daughters and do whatever programs they have, then go home. Writing happens in my second burn late at night.

Paul:  Do you have a favorite character in each of your series, aside from the lead? If so, which one and why? 

Dani:  I love my lead characters, but there are those in the background, especially the hobgoblins which I adore. They are my ‘comedy’ race, separate from the monkeys… sorry, humans, dolphins, angels, and other unworldly creatures. I can have fun with them. Check my blog for bits of Sniff and Grint from ‘Man by a tree’.

Paul:  In all the years you’ve been publishing your work, what is the biggest mistake you made that you could share so others can avoid making it? 

Dani:  Believe it or not, I had a publishing contract about 5 years ago for a children’s DVD and book combo for teaching English. It never came out. My mistakes were to agree to the badly re-written DVD script and re-worked book, and sign over all rights of my original work, just so that I could get my hands on the offered money. Even though I was the official author, I was instantly out of the decision making, and the Project Manager gave the work to his friends. It was terrible.

Paul:  How do you find the time to write?

Dani:  By the power of Greyskull… no, I don’t have time. My friends keep asking me how I do it, they know I have no time. Half an hour here, ten minutes there, sitting on the bus or metro, that’s when I do my writing. And I think if I consciously gave myself time to sit down to write, it wouldn’t happen.

Paul:  What is one thing you hope I do not tell the readers?

Dani:  That I wear my pants outside my trousers and fly around in a red, blue and yellow suit, saving the universe while greasing my hair down into one huge quiff. No, I'm very far away from Superman, I guess that's what I hope you don't tell them...oh, you just did.

Paul:  If you are self-published, what led to you going your own way?

Dani:  The realization that I have as much chance of being published by a publishing house as winning the lottery. Editors are a breed unto themselves, I’ve known a few. They have certain future expectations of the market and only care about making a profit. But that’s their job and good luck to them.

Paul:  Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?

Dani:  An idea appears like a malformed growth inside my head and ‘pop’, a story slowly sprouts. Once I feel good about the general shape, I roughly plan a plot and see what I can do with it. And when I’m writing, the plot moves in new directions. When that happens, it’s the best!

Paul:  Do you do a lot of editing or do you find that as time goes on your writing is more fully-formed?

Dani:  I usually edit while I’m writing, changing scenes, adding plot twists, moving characters around, but not much as it all seems to fall in place at the time. But I’m very bad at proofreading my own work. I’ve been proofreading for over a decade now, I think I’m pretty good at that job, but I can’t do it with my own words, I read what isn’t on the page. My first available version of The Bethlehem Fiasco was filled with misspelt words – it isn’t now, of course. I hope. I better go check it...

Paul:  Do you have to do much research for your stories?

Dani:  My first book Man by a tree was semi-autobiographical, in a way, so I had very little research to do. In terms of research, The Bethlehem Fiasco was hell, I had to read all the Bible stories about Jesus and research those times and the disciples, trying to find the facts I needed to get it down right. In the end, though, it was fun. I needed mainly dolphin information for The Rage of Atlantis, and my freebie TDx2 needed almost none. The next one, however…

Paul:  What is your most recent book? Tell us a little about it

Dani:  My most recent book is my free novella, TDx2, which stands for ‘too dull to die’. It’s about a guy, based on typecast Martin Freeman roles, whose life has been so dull that he is given the opportunity to try and win it back after death, so that he can live a life more exciting. I found myself reading it on the metro the other day and upsetting the passengers with little giggles.

Paul:  What inspired you to write this book?

Dani:  At the end of last year I entered tons of competitions, with no luck. I had what I thought was a great 100 word story for one, but it didn’t win. There were others but I can't remember them well. I also entered a big fantasy/sci-fi competition, the L. Ron Hubbard, and I wrote TDx2 for this, a short romp through my fantasy world, but nothing, absolutely nothing happened. So I put it out as a freebie, and people seem to like it. Which is nice.

Paul:  What do you do when you’re not writing? Do you have any hobbies or party tricks?

Dani:  I was a tai chi instructor for over a decade, some say a good one, but now I just practice at home when I have five minutes. Other than that, I’ve recently been going to Hapkido lessons, which are instructed by a European champion, he's a great guy. And it’s a fantastic sport, a mix of many styles. I can also juggle a little.

Paul:  Thanks Dani, that was great. I wish you every success for the future.

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About Dani J Caile: After years of reading clones and proofreading coffee table books, Dani decided to put pen to paper so to speak, creating his own little fantasy universe, and wrote 3 books in the space of less than a year. In 2013 he finally self-published his free novella 'TDx2', and plans to write more, including another book from his crazy universe and a collection of adapted Shakespearean plays for children. With an abundance of praise for his sardonic, original and unique style of writing, he has already set out on turning his fantasy books into movie scripts.


Dani's Blog: Dani J Caile
Dani on Twitter: unknown
Dani on Facebook: unknown
Dani's latest book: TDx2 (Amazon)

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Author Interview: Alyssa Auch

Today I am pleased to present to you all the 68th in a series of Author Interviews. Recently I sat down with the crafty Pinterest author, Alyssa Auch,  and our conversation went something like this:

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Paul:  I like to start my interviews by asking if you have any writing rituals?

Alyssa:  I wish I had a scheduled day enough to have a ritual! I have three children 3 and under, and my day revolves around them. When I have the time to write, I just have to jump in and pound it out.

Paul:  If someone had the power to step into your creative mind what would they see?

Alyssa:  Corn and cheese. As in, unbearably amplified emotional scenes of action and romance and all kinds of drama. I'm pretty sure there are a couple of filters on the way down to my fingers... although sometimes it comes through in full force. My mother, also a writer, says you need a good “crap-o-meter” to be a writer.

Paul:  What is a typical day for you?

Alyssa:  Wake up when I hear my children squawking, get them ready for the day, catch up on emails while they watch some PBS, lunchtime craziness, children's naptime and my writing time IF my 3 month old isn't fussy, play with the kids, make dinner, clean up after the day, put the kids to bed, go for a run (sometimes... I mean really, the reason I run is so I can eat delicious food so... not a lot of dedication there), and then write.  

Paul:  Do you have a favorite character in each of your series, aside from the lead? If so, which one and why?

Alyssa:  I think Gavin is one of my favorite characters because he reminds me of my younger brother a little bit.

Paul:  In all the years you’ve been publishing your work, what is the biggest mistake you made that you could share so others can avoid making it?

Alyssa:  I'm brand new at this, so I don't have years of wisdom to impart. However, it took me longer to get published because the first round of queries I sent out contained a less-than-ideal edited novel. After I had a very dear friend comb through my work meticulously, and I worked harder on perfecting it, it was much more likely for a publisher to find it appealing. And they did!

Paul:  How do you find the time to write?

Alyssa:  When my children are sleeping!

Paul:  What is one thing you hope I do not tell the readers?

Alyssa:  I'm a Twihard!

Paul:  Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it?

Alyssa:  Oh yes, I plan them out as detailed as I possibly can. My husband is my “plot master,” and we spend hours going over my plot and finding possible holes.

Paul:  Do you do a lot of editing or do you find that as time goes on your writing is more fully-formed?

Alyssa:  I have to edit a lot. I am a young, brand new writer, and I have a tendency to be wordy. And corny. However, I do have a rule where I wait until the work is finished before I start tearing it to shreds. I would never get a novel finished if I allowed myself to edit at will. 

Paul:  What is your most recent book? Tell us a little about it.

Alyssa:  Lunula is my first novel, and it is a YA fantasy based in the kingdom of Irador. It is about a witch, the only one born in 100 years, and the warlock of opposite powers she must run from or risk death at his hand. On a mission for her queen, she is captured by the warlock. The question then becomes, can she hide her identity from him long enough to escape and save her kingdom?

Paul:  Do you have any pieces of work that will never see the light of day?

Alyssa:  Sadly, yes. I wrote a novel when I was 16-18, and it was kind of my training novel. It was fun and really not bad, but it seems like it was written by a teenager.

Paul:  What do you do when you’re not writing? Do you have any hobbies or party tricks?

Alyssa:  I'm a crafty homemaker, and I hit up my Pinterest projects whenever I have a spare hour or two.

Paul:  Thanks, Alyssa. That was great. I wish you every success for the future.

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About Alyssa Auch: Alyssa Auch was born and raised in Pennsylvania with loving parents and three hilarious younger siblings. Her imagination was sparked by the lush, green forests and bright colors of her home that often spoke of other worlds only found in the magic of writing. She brought that inspiration into the fantasy novels she so loves to create.
Currently, Alyssa is a senior at Brigham Young University-Idaho studying Marriage and Family Relations with a minor in English. She is married to her High School sweetheart, and they have three beautiful children who keep them both very occupied. Although her novels are often written in the late hours of the night and during cherished naptime blocks, she devotes a very special part of herself to the power of words and love of storytelling.

Alyssa's Blog: Alyssa Auch
Alyssa on Twitter: @alyssa_auch
Alyssa on Facebook: Alyssa Auch
Alyssa's latest book: Lunula (Amazon)

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