Author Interview: Lyn Horner

"Our teacher asked me to read my rather long treatise in front of the class, and would you believe those kids clapped when I finished?"

Before you quit work to stay at home with your kids and write, you worked in the visual arts, including as an instructor for the Art Instruction Schools, known for their ads that ask, “can you draw me?” What was that experience like? In what ways do you think that experience has helped you in your writing career?

Working at AIS was a wonderful experience in that I got to know many talented artists. Some became my close friends. Correcting the same lessons over and over again could be tiresome, but I enjoyed advising budding art students with my demonstrations and letters. I believe my time there did much to build my self-confidence, and quitting to stay home with my two young children led me to write. As I’ve said many times, I started scribbling to save my sanity.

You were born in San Francisco and have since lived in Minneapolis, Chicago, and Texas. I’ve lived in three of those and the other is one of my favorite places to visit. Yet, with the possible exception of Minneapolis and Chicago, they’re vastly different. Would you tell us your favorite things about each place?

My parents and I moved from California to Minnesota, my mom’s home state, when I was only four years old, so I don’t remember San Francisco, except for one foggy memory of a gorilla at the zoo. He was staring at me through the bars of his cage. Beyond that, I remember my parents’ stories about Golden Gate Park, Fisherman’s Wharf and the San Francisco streetcars. Being handicapped, my dad did not like the hills.

Minnesota, where I grew up, married and had my children, is the greenest, most beautiful place anyone could wish for in spring and summer. The many lakes are like jewels on the landscape. Early autumn brings a breathtaking canopy of bright color. Then comes winter, a wonderland for ice fishermen and cross country skiers, but I’m not one of them. When my husband was transferred to Chicago by his employer, I was glad to go. I wished we were heading further south, but Chicago has much to recommend it: outstanding museums, fantastic restaurants and a dramatic history. That’s where I first thought of writing about the Chicago Fire of 1871, and I spent a lot of time researching it. Eventually we moved to Texas, first to Houston, then to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. I tolerate our hot summers quite well (with air conditioning) and I love the big sky country beyond Fort Worth. This is where I was meant to be.

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

No. First I wanted to be a painter, then a fashion illustrator. I did both, but looking back, I should have majored in history or English in college, rather than art. As early as junior high, I enjoyed researching historical subjects. Once when I was in 9^th grade, I was assigned to write a paper about the Marquis de Lafayette, hero of the American Revolution. Our teacher asked me to read my rather long treatise in front of the class, and would you believe those kids clapped when I finished? Too bad it didn’t dawn on me then that I was fated to be an author.

  

One of your books is called Six Cats in My Kitchen. Tell us about this book.

Six Cats is a memoir, focusing on the role six special cats played in my family. As I state in the opening paragraph, it’s not a cute kitty book. Although I wrote it in a chatty style, with humor sprinkled throughout, the book touches upon serious topics such as grief, upsetting life changes, and coping with a genetic disability. Some of my cat care beliefs have drawn sharp criticism, but overall this little book has been well received. By the way, it includes pages of family photos.

Your Texas Druids series is a planned trilogy, with two books plus a prequel available, and the final book in the works. This is a historical western romance series with a touch of the paranormal or supernatural. What was your inspiration for this series?

First there was the Chicago Fire, as mentioned above. That led to sending my heroine, Jessie, west in search of love. I actually wrote her story as a straight western romance to begin with. I also wrote a sequel featuring her brother Tye. Neither story sold. Several years passed during which paranormal romances grew popular. This inspired me to introduce a supernatural element to my westerns. Jessie and her siblings became psychics. Their Irish lineage gave me the idea to make them descendents of Celtic Druids. Because I’d experienced prophetic dreams in the past, giving Jessie second sight was a no-brainer. Her brother and sister have their own unique gifts.

You mention in your biography that you like doing the historical research for your books. Darlin’ Druid, the first book in your series, covers a lot of geography from Chicago (with a tie in to the fire you referred to), then on to Utah and Texas. How did you go about the research to get the details authentic? Do you research with specific questions in mind or learn as much as you can and then sprinkle in historical details that fit your story?

When I begin researching a time period and setting, I apply the scattergun method, collecting general information from books and websites. Later, as the plot takes firmer shape, I seek specific details. This involves more internet research, ordering books on specialized subjects, making phone calls and occasional trips to view the settings for myself. For Darlin’ Druid I visited the Union Pacific RR Museum in Omaha and the Bosque County Pioneer Museum in Clifton, Texas. I also called the National Archives in Washington, D.C. to find out who was the commander of Camp Douglas, near Salt Lake City, in 1872. I was a tad nervous about doing that, but the man I spoke to was very helpful, not the least put off by my obscure question. People are often eager to pass on their knowledge.

Tell us about the route to publication for your books, and why you chose the route you did.

For years I tried the traditional route, submitting to New York publishers. I even signed with two different agents who had no better luck selling my work than I did. After submitting, rewriting, and submitting again and again, I stuffed the battered manuscripts in a closet. Now I must admit they were not ready for publication. My writing style needed improvement. Following years of practice, many stops and starts, lots of volunteer work and life changes, I’d pretty much given up writing when Amazon came out with the Kindle and gave authors the opportunity to self-publish. A friend and critique partner gently nudged me into giving it a try. My computer savvy son helped me set up a blog and assisted me with other tech matters. On November 4, 2010, I published Darlin’ Druid. It’s been a roller coaster ride ever since.

What do you think the biggest challenges for Indie authors are?

The two biggest challenges we Indies face are getting our books noticed and juggling time. I’ve tried every promotional tactic I can think of: blogging on my sites and guest blogging for others, chatting on writer forums, doing interviews such as this and requesting book reviews. I haven’t held any book signings yet because none of my books were in print until recently, when Darlin’ Druid became available in trade paperback size via CreateSpace and Amazon. Still, my sales are relatively small, although Amazon’s new KDP Select program has definitely helped.

Time management is a topic authors discuss constantly. It’s especially difficult for Indies because we must do everything ourselves. We don’t have a big publishing house behind us to edit our manuscripts, prepare book covers, print and distribute the books and publicize them. Since we have to do all those things ourselves unless we hire someone to do them for us, which gets expensive, our writing time is drastically restricted. I’d like be two or three people!

What are your plans after you finish the last of the Texas Druids trilogy?

I will shift my focus to Ireland. There’s a book I’ve had on the back burner for quite a while. Set during the 1798 Rebellion (the Year of Liberty) it’s close to half done, and I’m itching to get back to it. This manuscript made the semi-finals in the big Orange Rose RWA contest back in 2008. The second half of the book entails writing some battle scenes, which means more research. Oh goody!

What do you like to do in your leisure time?

Leisure time, what’s that? Okay, kidding. I do allow myself a little time off. Naturally I enjoy reading, and watching TV helps me unwind. Gardening is my only outdoor hobby, when I can find time. I also enjoy traveling, but not very often. (It’s that time problem again.) Several years ago my husband and I visited Scotland and Ireland. That was wonderful! Oh, and I love seeing our kids and grandkids. Fortunately, they all live in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Who are your favorite authors?

Diana Gabaldon is my favorite author. I love her Outlander series. I’ve read those books so many time that her main characters are like old friends. I also like Linda Howard, Iris Johansen, Judith Ivory, Linda Lael Miller, and James Patterson for a change of pace.

Have you read books by your fellow Indie authors and, if so, are there any you’d like to recommend?

Well, I have a bunch of books by Indie authors on my Kindle, but I’m ashamed to say I haven’t yet read most of them. Again, it’s that blasted lack of time. However, there is one I’d like to recommend. The title is Dawn by the River. It’s part of a series by British author Elli Fitz. A contemporary romance with erotic tendencies, this is not my usual cup of tea, but it’s so well written that it instantly drew me in and kept me reading. There’s also a startling revelation at the end. Quite brilliant!

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Yes, I’d like to mention a group blog site I recently joined called Cowboy Kisses. It’s hosted by western romance author Ginger Simpson, and it includes some of the best Indie Western Romance authors in the business, Jacquie Rogers, Paty Jager and Caroline Clemmons to name just a few. Each author has her own page linked to the main home page, and we will each be posting a blog at least once a month. For western romance fans, this offers a diverse source of author and book info.

Authors interested in participating in our weekly interview series can find the details here.   

For More Lyn:

For more, visit Lyn's blog or the Cowboy Kisses blog mentioned above. You can also follow her on Facebook or twitter.

Bibliography

Darlin' Druid               Review  Amazon US  UK  Paper

Dashing Druid                         Amazon US  UK  

Six Cats in My Kitchen             Amazon US  UK  

Also mentioned:

Dawn by the River by Elli Fitz   Amazon US  UK

Wing Wife / Marcia J. Sargent

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Memoir

Approximate word count: 80-85,000 words

Availability
Kindle US: YES UK: YES Nook: NO Smashwords: NO Paper: YES
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

From 1975 until 1987, Marcia Sargent was married to a Marine fighter pilot, the basis for this book. When her husband retired, they returned to her native Southern California, where she was an elementary school teacher. Sargent lives with her husband, cat, and parrot and loves walking the sands of Laguna Beach. In addition to this memoir, Sargent has two books for young adults, Day Monsters and Night Monsters. For more, visit the author’s blog.

Description:

A memoir of the author’s time married to a Marine fighter pilot.

Appraisal:

I enjoy memoirs that give me insight into a life different from what I’ve experienced. Or for that matter, one like my own, so I can compare and contrast. One thing that struck me about Wing Wife is that it gives a glimpse into two different lives, not just the author’s experiences as a military wife, but also her husband’s triumphs and struggles as a marine fighter pilot.

In the post-Viet Nam war era covered by this memoir, I was surprised to discover how dangerous being a fighter pilot was. As Sargent explained, “death was no stranger, even in peacetime.” As a newlywed, she had all the issues adapting to married life most people find. In addition, dealing with the “capriciousness” of the military (something she said the Marine Corps excelled at) and the expectations that came with being a “military wife” added to the normal newlywed stress. Sargent’s memoir runs the gambit from funny to heartbreaking. A good read.

As addenda to the memoir are several short essays called “aviator briefs.” These take specific items that were discussed in the body of the memoir where going into more detail would have caused the main narrative to drag, but for those interested in knowing more on the subject, these expand on what was included in the body of the book.

FYI:

A small amount of adult language and some adult situations.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: ***** Five stars

Looking for Sarah / M. G. Silver

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Historical

Approximate word count: 70-75,000 words

Availability
Kindle US: YES UK: YES Nook: YES Smashwords: YES Paper: NO
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

This description is stolen from Silver’s biography on Smashwords. Although fiction, Looking for Sarah shares much with Silver’s own story.

I was born in Moscow, USSR into a Soviet Jewish family. As most Soviet Jews in those days, I grew up afraid to speak my last name for fear of being recognized a Jew, the most despised minority in the country. Kindergartens and schools didn’t discourage anti-Semitic remarks from both students and teachers and so Jewish children had to fend for themselves. The answer was to remain as invisible as one could possibly master.

Invisibility was the norm among the adults as well. My parents, their parents, their friends, uncles and cousins were nearly all engineers -- a profession that was dull, harmless and, most importantly for the Soviet government, safe enough to entrust to Jews. So for the lack of better opportunities, I also began to study engineering. When the changes of perestroika and glastnost swept through the Soviet Union and Jewish emigration rules were relaxed, I convinced my family to leave. After much discussion we left Moscow on October 19, 1989 – stripped of our Soviet citizenship, with six suitcases, and $180 to our names. Our departure proceeded the fall of the Berlin Wall only by three weeks.

Since my arrival I completed my education in the field that was as far from engineering as I could get. I’ve taken advantage of my freedom and I have worked and lived all over the world. And I finally took off my “invisibility” cloak and I decided to write about my experiences.

For more, visit Silver’s blog.

Description:

In the early part of the twentieth century Sarah’s family flees Russia, looking for a better life in Argentina. Accidentally left behind, Sarah survives through the Russian Revolution, Stalin’s purges, and the Holocaust, eventually getting a chance to defect and reunite with her family who previously escaped, but also having to leave other family behind.

Years later that decision comes back to haunt Sonya, Sarah’s granddaughter, who is growing up during the 1970s in a Russia that is changed, but not nearly enough.

Appraisal:

Philosopher George Santayana said, “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” This quote and various misquotes (using ‘history’ instead of ‘the past’ the most common), has become cliché, probably because it is so true. One way to remember is through books that, while fictional, educate and remind us of what life was like in a certain place and time. In today’s economic climate we would do well re-reading the classic works of Charles Dickens with their mention of debtors’ prisons. The Diary of Anne Frank and more recently The Book Thief educate us about the holocaust. Looking for Sarah is the same kind of book.

This book is the tale of a family of Russian Jews, covering their story from the earliest part of the twentieth century until the 1980s. For readers who grew up in the post-Cold War years, much of this will be new. Older readers will be reminded of the stories they heard growing up of children in the Soviet Union, being encouraged to inform on their parents, and that being a Jew in Russia involved a lot more than fiddling on the roof.

As the subtitle indicates, this is A Story of Survival: at turns haunting and inspirational. Although I can recommend the book for the story, it is in need of a through round of copy-editing. There are many problems with missing or extra words. Sometimes the words feel like they are out of order from what would feel natural for a native English speaker and there are many issues with improper verb tense such that it feels like you’re jumping back and forth in time in a single scene or even paragraph.

FYI:

Some mild sexual situations.

Format/Typo Issues:

A large number of proofing and copy editing errors. Some specifics discussed in the appraisal section.

Rating: *** Three stars

Peace, Love, and Murder / Nancy Holzner

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Mystery

Approximate word count: 105-110,000 words

Availability
Kindle US: YES UK: YES Nook: YES Smashwords: YES Paper: NO
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

An avid reader at a young age, Nancy Holzner went on to study English in college, eventually earning a PhD. She has worked in many professions, including freelance editor, corporate trainer, and teacher. Her “Deadtown” urban fantasy series is traditionally published by Ace. For more, visit Hotzner’s website.


Description:

Cabbie Bo Forrester’s day isn’t going well after he is pulled over for speeding. When one of his passengers tries to escape and a corpse shows up in the trunk, it only gets worse.

Five Star, a small press publisher, previously published this book.

Appraisal:

I love a good mystery. Peace, Love, and Murder qualifies. After the end of his military career, protagonist Bo Forrester has returned to his hometown in search of his estranged, peacenik parents. Finding they’ve moved on with no forwarding address, Bo decides to stay. Suspected of murder when a corpse is found in the trunk of the cab he is driving, Bo sets out to find the real killer.

The basic premise of this murder mystery is tried and true. A protagonist stumbles into a situation and then tries to figure it out on their own rather than leaving it to the professionals. There are thousands of murder mysteries build on this foundation. The plot follows the typical path, with Bo finding more and more potential suspects, investigating, and eventually putting all the clues together, with plenty of adventure and suspense along the way.

What makes Peace, Love, and Murder unique are the characters and the humor. The idiosyncratic characters populating the book are seldom what they appear, often having two sides that seem in conflict. This starts with Bo, who has done his time in the military, yet still believes in the make-love-not-war ethos he learned growing up on a sixties-style commune. There is the odd-couple pairing of Carl and Ronnie, who take Bo’s cab from their trailer park to work and back each day, arguing (and making the reader laugh) all the way. The overly ambitious deputy for the sheriff’s department, Trudy Hauser, is continually making amusing missteps. She tries to appear hardcore, but has a soft side, which helps her win Bo’s confidence. Holtzner has put it all together to give us a fun and entertaining read.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: **** Four stars

Brute Heart / Ginger Dehlinger

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Approximate word count: 85-90,000 words

Availability
Kindle US: YES UK: YES Nook: NO Smashwords: NO Paper: NO
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

A native of Oregon, Ginger Dehlinger currently lives in Bend, in the central part of the state. She has had several articles, primarily about the American West, in various periodicals. This is her first novel. For more, visit Dehlinger’s blog.


Description:

A small-town veterinarian faces a tough decision when her estranged father asks her to speed up the process already started by his terminal cancer. But no matter how you feel about him, putting down your father isn’t the same as euthanizing a horse or dog.

Appraisal:

A coming of age story that grapples with issues of spousal and child abuse, duty to family, and alcoholism, Brute Heart is at turns serious and lighthearted, heartbreaking and uplifting, and a tale well worth reading. Set in the part of Oregon east of the Cascades that is unlike what most people imagine when they think of that state, Brute Heart gives a glimpse of life on the dry side of the mountains. Small towns where cowboys outnumber stockbrokers, a person is more likely to make their living working the land than at a desk, and entertainment options normally involve a boat and fishing pole.

Jordan, the protagonist of Brute Heart is the kind of character I love. She is tough, because she has to be, and determined to make a better life for herself. I cheered for her when things went well and sympathized when they didn’t, all the while pulling for her to reach her goals and hoping she would make the right choice when faced with the ultimate decision.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues.

Rating: ***** Five stars

The Nigerian Letter / Patrick Alexander

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Thriller

Approximate word count: 70-75,000 words

Availability
Kindle US: YES UK: YES Nook: YES Smashwords: NO Paper: NO
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

An English native, Patrick Alexander has lived in several European countries as well as California and now Miami. While globetrotting, his jobs have included university professor, corporate executive, and international financial consultant. Alexander’s first book, a collection of short stories, was traditionally published in the UK. He has also written a reader’s guide to Marcel Proust’s The Remembrance of Things Past, published by Vintage Books (with two other Proust related books on the docket). You’ll find Alexander’s interest in Proust also finds its way into The Nigerian Letter, his first novel. For more, visit his website.

Description:

“Sid Carter is an American CPA who receives a letter from a stranger in Nigeria offering him a generous percentage if Sid will only help him export his $60 million fortune out of Africa. Acting on a whim, Sid finds himself drawn into a world of intrigue that takes him to Paris, the Sahara desert, Switzerland and finally into the Islamic mosques of Cleveland.

At the same time that Sid is helping the Nigerian retrieve his money, agents from Homeland Security are tracking a sinister cell of Islamic jihadists who are planning a major act of terror to mark the anniversary of September 11th. Agent Jasmine Bloom has become an expert on Arab terrorism ever since her husband and two children were brutally murdered by jihadists in their London home. She has traced the roots of the Moslem Brotherhood back to Hitler's Nazi party and the Arab divisions in the Waffen-SS and she is determined that their evil shall not be repeated.”

Appraisal:

Virtually everyone has received a Nigerian Letter via email. All but the most gullible of us can easily spot them, sending them flying into the virtual trashcan on sight, if they manage to make it through our spam filters. This book starts out with the story of Sid Carter, a boring accountant from Cleveland who has to explain to a Swiss tribunal how he came to have millions of dollars in his bank account. It turns out he took one of these missives at face value, which set him off on the adventure of a lifetime.

It’s a great story premise. Alexander weaves exotic foreign locales and recent concerns over terrorism into a unique story, with several twists and turns to keep the reader guessing. It is a story with loads of potential, much of it achieved. However, I had two problems, one with the story and the other a more technical concern.

The technical issue was with a few spots in the middle of the book where the author repeated himself, giving some needed back-story and then repeating it again in a slightly different way, just a few pages later. I’ll sometimes see an author repeating something from early in a book near the end, apparently not having faith in the reader’s memory. That, beyond a brief reminder, isn’t good. This situation is far worse since the reader has barely had time to assimilate what’s been said before it is being said again.

My bigger issue is with a major turning point in the book. Among those largely unexpected twists and turns is a hairpin turn about three-quarters of the way through that came completely out of left field. To avoid spoilers I won’t say exactly what it was, but it felt like I was reading a western when suddenly the shoot-out at the OK Corral had cowboys pulling out bazookas and rocket launchers.

I have several concerns with this. The first might go to taste. There is a literary term, Deus ex machina, used to describe a plot device where “a seemingly unsolvable problem is suddenly and abruptly solved with the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new event, character, ability, or object.” That isn’t what we had here, but only because the new event didn’t remedy an unsolvable problem.

As I see it, there is an unspoken compact between the author and the reader to not have something happen that is completely out of the realm of expectation. If anything too far out is slated for later, foreshadowing or other hints of some kind prepare the reader in advance. Even more bothersome than the sudden turn was the way the “good guys” reacted to it. Their ability to respond as quickly and efficiently as they did stretched credibility to the breaking point.

In spite of my problem with the crux of The Nigerian Letter, it is a thriller that will surprise you (in a good way) many times. If you go in anticipating an abrupt turn, maybe you won’t be blindsided in the same way I was.

FYI:

Some adult language and mild adult situations.

Format/Typo Issues:

A small number of typos and other proofing errors.

Rating: *** Three stars

Author Interview: Simon Royle

"...writing is not a business. Publishing is a business. Writing is a compulsion."

The short biography on Simon’s website says he was born in England, but now lives in the suburbs of Bangkok. It mentions jobs as a yachtsman, advertising executive, and in senior management at a software company. To me, this paints a picture of someone who is a risk taker – a person who is unafraid of trying something new. It also paints a picture of someone who succeeds at what they set out to do. Last, it prompts several questions.

What causes a person to move from England to Bangkok?

There were a few countries in between. I grew up in Cape Town, New Jersey (for a couple of years), back to England, and then we moved to Hong Kong when I was sixteen. I lived in Hong Kong for ten years before moving to Thailand. I had been coming to Thailand on both business and holiday trips and when the urge to move came, it was the logical choice.

Switching industries from advertising to software seems like a strange career path. How did that happen?

I was a bit of a pioneer in advertising in that I brought desk top publishing to the ad world in Hong Kong, investing in the Apple CX line of computers when it first came out around 1986. Rapid turnaround of creative led to gaining clients fast. Through that, I got more and more involved with the computing side of things until one day I found I was much more interested in software than advertising. For the little guy there’s also more opportunity in computers than advertising – the only exit strategy in advertising is to be bought out by one of the big guys; and then you have to work for them for five years. If someone ever created a “business insincerity poll,” I’m pretty sure advertising would rank real high. Of course, finance and banking would probably rate highest.

What influences, positive and negative, do you think your past work experiences have brought to your writing career?

On the positive side, I’ve always been an entrepreneur, so indie publishing was a natural fit. Also through the advertising gig, I have a pretty good eye for design which helps with book covers. No negatives that I can think of other than knowing that writing is not a business. Publishing is a business. Writing is a compulsion.

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

That’s a tough question because I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to “be” anything. I just am. I hope that doesn’t sound too out there, but it really is my approach to life. Want to do it? Then do it.

Your first book, Tag, is a “futuristic techno-thriller” set almost one hundred years in the future. Tell us about this book and what inspired it.

I read an article about nightclub patrons being embedded with a chip. At the same time, I was also doing quite a bit of work on long-term technology strategies for clients. The two combined into an idea of what the world might look like a hundred years from now and the implications for humans.

Then I just started writing. I’m not a plotter, so I had no idea where the story would go, but soon I was lost in the world that I had created. I never really understood what people meant when they talked about a “muse.” I understand really well now – it’s that point when you’re writing where the story has come alive and you’re simply the medium through which it is passing.

I did have some general ideas that I wanted to use. I didn’t want the typical ex-CIA “super hero” type of protagonist. I wanted someone “normal” with the usual human failings and weaknesses. I wanted to put that person in incredibly difficult circumstances. I wanted the erosion of personal privacy to be seen as something that was natural (much like what is happening today); a little bit at a time, until the populace through fear of the unknown, accepts a “known,” which is in fact the greater threat.

Another idea is that countries are merely a modern extended form of feudalism; entirely unsuited to the world we live in. I listen, with despair, to so-called “agents of change” talk about making their countries #1, again. Old-fashioned thinking that breeds jingoism and a false sense of security. I firmly believe that for humans to survive the challenges that are ahead of us we must unite as one. I doubt it will happen in my lifetime but I can hope.

Your second and most recent book is Bangkok Burn. This is a noir thriller, set in contemporary times. Tell us about it.

I’ve lived in Bangkok for over twenty years, and the events of 2010, where the center of Bangkok became a war zone, was too fertile a backdrop for me, as a writer, to ignore.

I’ve always loved Raymond Chandler, and later, W. R. Burnett, whose novels were turned into noir movies directed by John Huston. I wanted to create something like that but contemporary. Gritty, and realistic with betrayal, human frailty and faults, set within a framework of Thai culture, against the backdrop of the riots.

What challenges does an author have setting a book in Bangkok or other city that is unfamiliar to most of his potential readers that someone setting a book in London or New York doesn’t have?

The main issue is with translation. I speak Thai so for me it’s easy to say Thai names and forget that most readers will not know what a “soi” is. Adding that layer of understanding without sounding like a travel guide or a phrase book is a challenge.

 

What do you think the biggest challenges for Indie authors are?

Visibility and building a “platform.” Apart from that, my biggest challenge is finding the time to write while also maintaining the constant marketing drip.

Tell us about the route to publication for your books, and why you chose the route you did.

When I was writing Tag, I got about 75,000 words in and realized I needed professional help. So I hired a Developmental Editor, Alan Rinzler, (who is great and highly recommended). When we had finished the first draft of Tag we shopped it around to a few agents. This was back in mid 2010, and while there was interest, the amount of time that would have passed between getting an agent and then published was just too long. Alan recommended I self-publish and so I took a good hard look at the options. It was the right move. Traditional Publishing will morph into something else; marketers, book packagers, foreign rights specialists, you name it – it’s a great time to be an author; and many changes are on the way. This is very much the start of something big.

What books do you have planned for the future?

I’ve got a scrapbook folder filled with ideas for stories that I’d love to write. I’ve got a sequel to Tag that is in process, another “Bangkok” novel, and a historical fiction piece that I’d love to get going on. Also a Western at some point…

Along with your day job and your own writing career, you’re the proprietor of The IndieView. Tell us about the site and what your goals are for it.

I see The IndieView as part of the indie ecosystem. A place for Reviewers, (and I’m not sucking up to you, BigAl, but reviewers really are the unsung heroes of our revolution) to strut their stuff. As well as for indie authors, new and old, to get noticed, and for readers of indie books to find good reads. It sounds corny but I’ve had so much help and kindness shown to me by “old hands,” that the site helps me to give something back.

What do you like to do in your leisure time?

LOL – what leisure time? Seriously I don’t have any and I like it that way. I do make time for family and friends but I sleep real well every day. A typical day starts at 5:30am and finishes at midnight or 1am.

Who are your favorite authors.

I don’t have any favorites exactly. I’ve read so many great books that to name just a few authors seems wrong. Also, I know my tastes have changed massively over time. For me every book must stand alone and just because you wrote a good one last time doesn’t mean you’ve earned the right to my time.

  

I assume if you’re helping prompt your fellow Indie authors with The IndieView, that you’re reading some of their books Can you tell us what your two or three favorites have been?

Vicki Tyley’s Australian mysteries got me back into liking mystery and suspense novels, she’s definitely a favorite. I’ve read all of her books and will buy any she writes. J.D. Rhoades’s Storm Surge was a great fast read and intense. The Kult, by Shaun Jeffrey surprised me because I thought it was one thing and it turned out to be another. Key Lime Blues, by Mike Jastrzebski, is another that comes to mind. One of the big regrets I have about writing is the amount of time I have lost for reading; there are so many fantastic books being written and published every day that I really do miss that reading time.

Tell us one thing about yourself that you think would come as a surprise for most people to hear.

I’ve been pirated by real pirates, at sea.

Authors interested in participating in our weekly interview series can find the details here.   

For More Simon:

For more, visit Simon' website and blog. Also visit The Indie View for Simon's interviews with authors and reviewers along with links to the latest reviews of books by indie authors.

Bibliography 


Tag                   Review  Amazon US  UK  
Bangkok Burn                 Amazon US  UK


Also mentioned:


Books by Vicki Tyley:
Thin Blood                                     Amazon US  UK B&N  Smashwords
Sleight Malice                                 Amazon US  UK B&N  Smashwords
Fatal Liason                        Review  Amazon US  UK B&N  Smashwords
Brittle Shadows                   Review  Amazon US  UK B&N  Smashwords


Storm Surge by J.D. Rhoades              
                                                     Amazon US  UK B&N  Smashwords
The Kult by Shaun Jeffrey      
                                 Review  Amazon US  UK B&N Smashwords Paper
Key Lime Blues by Mike Jastrzebski   Amazon US  UK                   Paper

Tulagi Hotel / Heikki Hietala

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Historical

Approximate word count: 130-135,000 words

Availability
Kindle US: YES UK: YES Nook: NO Smashwords: NO Paper: YES
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

A resident of Klaukkala, Finland, when not writing Heikki Hietala is a Senior Lecturer at HAAGA-HELIA University of Applied Sciences. Tulagi Hotel grew out of his interest in military history and popular culture. It took him several years to write it, apparently because he loved the research so much. Hietala also has a short story collection and has had his short stories featured in several magazines and anthologies. For more, visit the author’s blog.

Description:

Growing up in a small town in the Midwest, Jack McGuire is eager to escape and see the world. World War II gives him the chance, where he finds adventure, excitement, and danger as a fighter pilot in the South Pacific. However, when the war ends, he is at loose ends, uncertain of his place in society and even in the world. Returning to the South Pacific, Jack takes over a decrepit hotel, and seems to have found the place he feels comfortable. At least until Kay Wheeler, the widow of Jack’s wartime best friend and wingman, enters his life.

Appraisal:

Tulagi Hotel is a book with something for readers of many different tastes. For those interested in military and aviation history, there is plenty, with tales of fighter planes in dogfights over the South Pacific. It is a coming of age story, which could prompt thoughts of how family expectations and desires can get in the way of living life on your own terms. It has romance, injecting all the emotions involved in that rollercoaster ride. Most important of all, it is a good story.

Although the author’s name appeared Scandinavian, I was surprised to discover that he still lives in Finland. Unlike some foreign authors where it is obvious English is a second language, Hietala’s command of English dodges most of the common mistakes. Also impressive is hitting the right tone in his depiction of small town life in the 1940s Midwest. The result was a story that rang true.

Format/Typo Issues:

A small number of typos or sentences that, while possibly being grammatically correct, were hard to decipher. The version I got also had a minor formatting issue, with some sections in a bolded font for no apparent reason.

Rating: **** Four stars

Book ‘Em / Tony McFadden

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Approximate word count: 95-100,000 words

Availability
Kindle US: YES UK: YES Nook: YES Smashwords: YES Paper: YES
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

Sick of snow, Tony McFadden moved with his family from Canada to Australia, near the coast. He says “half a kilometer from the beach beats snow any day of the week.” He has four novels available from the usual e-book stores, plus two short stories featuring Eamonn Shute, the protagonist in Book ‘Em. Both short stories can be picked up for free, at least for the moment, from B&N or Smashwords. For more, visit McFadden’s website.

Description:

Newly minted millionaire Eamon Shute and his girlfriend, Nicky, owner of a store specializing in rare books, are dragged into a story involving murder, embezzlement, and a four million dollar book.

Appraisal:

Book ‘Em is a good edit and proofing away from being an entertaining read. The protagonist, Eamon Shute, is one of those larger than life heroes who is entertaining and seems to figure in stories that keep you on the edge of your seat. McFadden’s hero combines street smarts and the ability to defend himself, leftover from his upbringing as a poor Irish lad, with an innate intelligence and a sensitive, loyal side. Combine that with his financial situation, a windfall from the Irish lottery, and Shute is a package that should appeal to most women.

Shute’s girlfriend Nicky is also an appealing character. A transplant to Miami, from the Dominican Republic in her case, Nicky is smart and independent. They make a great couple.

In contrast, the villains in this story are slime balls. There is never doubt as to who you’re rooting for and who you aren’t in Book ‘Em. Although I think it often feels like a thriller and the villains are mostly clear, there is still plenty of mystery, with the outcome in question to the end.

The majority of the problems are minor: things like “of” instead of “if,” a missing or extra word. There were a few instances of verb tense errors or using a form of a word that doesn’t exist according to the dictionaries I consulted (unorthodoxed). Last, using the idiom “once and awhile” instead of “once in a while” occurred multiple times. I’d have no qualms recommending Book ‘Em to anyone who likes mysteries or thrillers, if they have a reasonably high tolerance for typos. However, the sheer number, averaging at least once every five to six printed pages, is too many.

FYI:

Although McFadden lives in Australia and grew up in Canada, his writing appears to use US spelling conventions. The only exception is using the European convention of single rather than double quotes around dialogue.

Some adult language.

Format/Typo Issues:

A large number of typos and proofing errors.

Rating: *** Three stars

War Remains / Jeffrey Miller

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Historical

Approximate word count: 85-90,000 words

Availability
Kindle US: YES UK: YES Nook: YES Smashwords: YES Paper: YES
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

A native of a small town in Illinois, Jeffrey Miller has lived in Asia for the last twenty years, where he has worked as a university lecturer and writer. He was a feature writer for The Korea Times, the oldest English language newspaper in South Korea. For more, visit Miller’s blog.

Description:

A forgotten footlocker filled with photos and letters inspires Michael to learn more about his grandfather, killed in the Korean War while Michael’s father was still an infant.

Appraisal:

For Americans, the Korean War, sandwiched between World War II and the Vietnam War, is often referred to as “the forgotten war.” It hasn’t received its due in many ways, including in fiction-the one notable exception being Mash, despite many mistakenly thinking it was set in Vietnam.

This is a war novel, but different from those that usually come to mind. Most expose the horrors, absurdity and high costs of war. This book is no exception. However, the approach Miller uses is different. Although there are scenes from the battlefield, the focus of War Remains is on those left behind.

Miller interweaves scenes from contemporary times with scenes from the battlefield and letters sent home by the soldier at the center of the story, giving us different prisms through which we can view the events. My only complaint, which needs to be vague to avoid spoilers, is that after the climax of the story it took too long to wind down. This was mainly due to too much detail in some of the closing scenes. However, in the overall picture this is a minor issue.

War Remains concentrates on a grandson, Michael, who tries to acquaint himself with Bobby, his grandfather who went missing in Korea and is assumed dead. In Michael’s quest, we not only see the horror and absurdity of war, but are shown the harm done to families that have had their roots torn out. We see the stress of not having closure for families of soldiers missing in action. And last, we may gain insight into the importance of family ties.

FYI:

Some adult language and adult subject matter.

Format/Typo Issues:

A small number of typos and other proofing issues.

Rating: **** Four stars

Hammon Falls / Dave Hoing & Roger Hileman

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Historical/Literary Fiction

Approximate word count: 120-125,000 words

Availability
Kindle US: YES UK: YES Nook: YES Smashwords: NO Paper: YES
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

Dave Hoing lives in Waterloo, Iowa, where he works for the library at the University of Northern Iowa. He has published dozens of short stories in various publications.

Roger Hileman works as a “test development associate” for ACT, Inc.

This was the first novel for both authors. They have since published a fantasy novel, Voices of Arra.

Description:

George Hammon flees small-town Iowa with his teenage bride in 1914, setting in motion repercussions still felt almost seventy years later.

Appraisal:

Do a search in the Kindle store for books with the title “sins of the father.” The idea that a bad decision can snowball through multiple generations is at least as old as the bible and is the basis of many stories. It is such a popular premise because it works well in illustrating consequences. Hammon Falls is epic in scope, stretching seventy years and two continents.

Hoing and Hileman spin a good yarn. I’m sure someone could point out imperfections somewhere, but they’re going to have to get nitpicky to find them. The characters are real, with imperfections, some minor and others serious. The small town atmosphere and the changes over time in both the characters and the world around them all ring true. Hammon Falls is a classic tale, done well.

FYI:

Very limited adult language and mild adult situations.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant typo or proofing issues. The Kindle version I received for review had a few formatting issues, with headings pertinent only to a print version embedded in the text, and some instances of the space missing between two words.

Rating: ***** Five stars

Nanny and the Professor / Donna Fasano

Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Romance

Approximate word count: 50-55,000 words

Availability
Kindle US: YES UK: YES Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO  Paper: NO
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

Under her own name and the pen name Donna Clayton, Donna Fasano has written over thirty published novels with sales in excess of 3.5 million copies. Many of these novels have gone out of print with the rights reverting to Fasano. She is giving them a facelift and republishing them for your favorite eReader.

Fasano has two grown sons and lives with her husband on the eastern seaboard of the United States. For more, visit her blog.

Description:

After her parents die, twenty-something Cassie Simmons rearranges her life to provide a home for her young brother – the only family she has left. When Cassie loses her job, Mary, a friend of the family and current landlord, refers her to Joshua, Mary’s college professor nephew, who needs a nanny.

Originally published in 1995 by Silhouette Romance (a Harlequin imprint), Fasano has re-edited and updated this book for re-release.

Appraisal:

By definition, the romance genre is going to be a feel good story. The heroine is going to make some mistakes. There will be misunderstandings. But in the end, it will work out. Are they realistic? As much as any book. To argue otherwise would be saying that romance never works out and couples never get together. The often bumpy ride reaching success gives hope to those who struggle with romance – from my observation, virtually everyone.

The specifics that make the story unique are the situation and, I think the most important part, the characters. In Nanny and the Professor, we find a heroine who is a good person who has suffered for making some hard choices, although they were the right decisions to make. She’s a good person who we want to see turn things around. Joshua (the professor and hero) is also easy to like, despite some early missteps. Bad things do happen to good people, but I like to think that eventually karma catches up.

FYI:

This is a “sweet romance,” with no sex, explicit or implied, and no issues with language.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: **** Four stars

Author Interview: Daniel Powell

"Good speculative fiction challenges us to think creatively and envision other alternatives ..."

When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve always enjoyed writing, but I began writing with an eye toward publication in late 2006. After working for about five years as an adjunct instructor at various colleges, my workflow smoothed out and I found that I had more time to devote to writing on a daily basis. In each subsequent year, I’ve had a little more success, which is gratifying.

Your day job is as writing teacher at a small college in Northeast Florida. Recently I read a blog post from Anne R. Allen, a fellow author. In her post she said she’s often approached by parents or grandparents of children who have shown promise as a writer, and they ask for advice on how their children can learn to become a writer. We don’t have a full blog post to do that, but I’d be interested in your take on that question.

I think Ms. Allen has written a very practical post. I actually earned a finance degree in my undergraduate education at Linfield College. I passed the Series 7 and earned my brokerage license and went to work as a financial planner for a few years. My company gave me a laptop and, rather than use it to run valuations on securities, I wrote short stories. I had minored in English at Linfield, and I really wanted to focus on pursuing a career that would connect me to the world of letters and storytelling, so I applied to the M.A. program in English at Portland State. When I was accepted, I grounded myself in narrative theory courses while also writing sports for Gresham’s Outlook newspaper.

Both experiences have been valuable to me in my career. I learned to write clearly at the Outlook; I learned to value brevity and maintain narrative continuity. And I learned to teach at PSU. I contributed to a community of scholars that was reading amazing texts, and I learned a lot about academic writing and classroom organization. Ms. Allen’s final summation—read, write, and live—is right on the money, in my opinion.

As a final thought on the topic, I’ll also add that I meet very few students that come to me with aspirations of making a go of it full-time as a writer. Even in my creative writing classes, students that hope to write for a living are few and far between. Most folks at the college are just taking composition on their way to other degrees, and they are just as happy to put their writing courses behind them as I was to put calculus behind me when I was studying finance. Writers tend to congregate and talk writing, and I know you have many that meet here on the website. Sometimes it seems like there are more writers than readers, but I think the reality is that the opposite is true.

In that blog post, Ms. Allen wasn’t too keen on college programs, either creative writing or MFA programs, as the best use of the education dollar for most wannabe-authors. What are your thoughts on this?

It depends on what you want to do. If you want to teach or work in publishing, then enrolling in a writing program can be a good investment. These programs do create stronger writers. Some of them have awesome writers teaching in them, and the feedback and workshop setting can be very positive for a writer’s development. But if a person wants to make money as a commercial writer, I probably wouldn’t enroll in an MFA program. I’ll always advocate for people to earn college degrees, just because it often makes them more attractive to some employers, but a writer with serious commercial aspirations really only needs a job that gives him or her time to write.

The greatest benefit of my job as a collegiate educator is that I have lots of hours to work on my writing, in addition to spending time with my wife and family. Ms. Allen is correct that making a living at writing is difficult, but making a living in writing hasn’t been all that difficult for me. I teach writing, I spend lots of time with other productive writers at the college, and I work on my own projects a little bit each day. I doubt there are many other jobs where I would have so much time to devote to my work. In that sense, pursuing a writing-intensive college degree (and, unfortunately, its attendant debt load) can be a good career choice for a student with a sincere desire to write.

For a final question on this subject, I’d like to turn the question around. Can you make a case for college students with no interest in becoming writers to take more than the minimal writing classes required for their degree?

I can, and I’ve actually developed a pretty good following of repeat students from outside of the communications program at Florida State College at Jacksonville. I’ve taught courses on urban legends, Florida folklore, conservation literature, Pacific Northwest Literature, American film studies, and studies in horror literature. I meet many students that enjoy these subjects, and some pursue a double major by adding a number of communications courses to their loads.

We’ll be offering a new four-year degree in converged communication starting this fall. The program will provide instruction in film production, business and technical writing, web design, graphic design, and journalism. Our graduates will, we hope, move into positions in public relations, web relations, community development (social networking), and journalism with this degree.

Literacy rates in the United States, frankly, aren’t where they should be. I often edit articles and memos written by colleagues with doctoral degrees that require substantial revisions. These are bright people that just struggle to make themselves understood.

Clear expression will always be valued in the workplace. Whether students are studying engineering or chemistry or nursing, they need to be able to articulate their thoughts clearly, and taking additional courses outside of the required rhetoric and composition classes will help with that.

Have you always lived in Florida? If not, where did you grow up and what brought you to Florida?

I’m an Oregonian now living in Jacksonville. My wife and I moved out here in 2005 for my job at the college. The labor market in higher education is pretty tight, and we’ve been very fortunate to find such a great fit here in Duval County, where she is employed as a guidance counselor at a local high school. But I’ve lived in almost every part of Oregon, and we plan on returning to the state at some point in the future.

What do you like to do in your leisure time?

I ran track at Linfield, and I’m still an avid runner. I spend a lot of time fishing with my daughter, and I watch a lot of movies and chew through books pretty quickly. I also really enjoy cooking, and I’ve won a pair of chili cook-offs in the last year!

You identify yourself as a writer of speculative fiction. Define what that means to you?

Speculative fiction means possibility. Speculative fiction embraces the odd and the supernatural and the bizarre, often doing so in a fashion that makes those qualities appear conventional. I mean, most of us have a soft spot in our hearts for newborns, but if you hold one in your arms shortly after reading Ray Bradbury’s The Small Assassin, the entire experience is likely changed just a little. Good speculative fiction challenges us to think creatively and envision other alternatives, and it gives us a healthy outlet in which to access our personal darkness quotients.

Your first three books, These Strange Worlds (a collection of fourteen dark short stories), Survival, which is a dystopic thriller, and The Reaper’s Harvest (originally titled An Autumn Harvest), are all speculative fiction, although much different. Tell us about each of them.

These Strange Worlds collects the best of my early short fiction (2007-2010). The collection includes seven reprints, in addition to a few original works. I’m fond of the collection because it includes a story that was pretty influential in my growth as a storyteller. I think most writers can pinpoint a moment when the writing seemed to crystallize for the first time, and that happened for me in writing the tale Picture This.

Survival popped into my head when I was at the hospital, waiting for my daughter to join us in March of 2010. It’s a political novella set in a world in which overpopulation has placed an exorbitant price on the natural right to raise a family. Men must abstain from alcohol and prescription drugs for ten months. They have to fulfill a quota of uncomfortable, sleepless nights. Then they have to survive a twenty-four-hour gauntlet called Labor for the right to become a father. Pulpy science fiction, to be sure, but it was great fun to write!

The Reaper’s Harvest (I changed the title to avoid confusion with another book) is a ranch novel with a touch of mythology. I grew up in the wheat country outside of Pendleton, Oregon, and I’ve always wanted to write a ranch novel in that setting. The story focuses on William Lowell, whose pregnant wife falls into a coma after an automobile accident. A sudden spike in the number of deaths in the community seems to coincide with the arrival of a mysterious antiquities trader and his beautiful daughter, who purchase a large wheat farm on the outskirts of town. Will quickly discovers that his neighbor is much more than a gentleman farmer, and he has to scramble to save the lives of his wife and unborn child.

I’ve actually written four novels. I grew to care about the characters in The Reaper’s Harvest and made the decision to put the book up on Amazon KDP, but I firmly believe in the notion that not everything I’ve written is ready for public consumption. I believe all writers should think seriously about the body of work they’re cultivating. I also have scads of short stories that I’ll always be fond of, but that will probably never see publication. Why? Because they were formative pieces. I had to write them to improve as a storyteller, but that doesn’t mean they’re any good.

Your most recent release, Frozen, appears to be a straight-ahead thriller. Tell us about it and why you decided to branch out from speculative fiction.

Frozen concerns a woman taking revenge against the man that killed her daughter in a hit-and-run accident. I wrote it quickly, and it’s been garnering some great reader feedback. I left the speculative path here because the story called for it. Since my daughter was born, I’m writing more frequently about the bonds between parents and their children. This story just seemed to call for a grittier, more realistic tone, and I was happy to oblige. Torched, a sequel pitting Terri and Vivian against each other again in Mexico, will be released later in the summer.

Who are your favorite authors?

Ray Bradbury, Joe Lansdale, Jeffrey Ford, Cormac McCarthy, and Stephen King. Outside of the speculative realm, I like Willa Cather, Ray Carver, Tom Robbins, Ernest Hemingway, and Joyce Carol Oates.

Some of your books are published by a small press and others self-published. Tell us about the route to publication for your books, and why you chose the route you did.

I’ve worked with a local small press on my shorter stuff and story collections, mainly because I know the designers well and because we enjoy collaborating on projects. These are folks with backgrounds in design and digital media, in addition to some other writers from the American South (Georgia and North Florida). We meet up from time to time to talk books over some cold ones, and occasionally something creative actually comes from those meetings!

At the same time, I’m about to deliver a science fiction novel to my agent, Bernadette Baker-Baughman. I’m definitely still pursuing traditional publication routes, as I feel those will funnel readers to my other projects. Bernadette has been a tremendous partner in helping me grow as a writer, and we’ll just continue to work at getting more readers interested in the stories.

Have you read books by your fellow Indie authors and, if so, are there any you would like to recommend?

I read widely in the independent pool; it’s stocked with so many talented writers. The line between mainstream and independent writers has become so thin that it’s just about gone. That puts the onus on the story, where it should be, and I think that’s a positive for the readers.

Blake Crouch’s Run was probably my favorite book of 2011. I liked it so much that I read the rest of his catalog and purchased three hardcopies to give out as Christmas gifts. Ania Ahlborn’s Seed was really unsettling, and I’ve liked just about everything that Aaron Polson has written. Give Loathsome, Dark and Deep a try, then just work your way through the rest of his books. Anderson Prunty’s Morning is Dead was loads of weird, crazy fun. There are dozens, but these are four that I’ve recently enjoyed.

Tell us one thing about yourself that you think would come as a surprise for most people to hear.

My wife and daughter and I dork out almost nightly to ‘80s power ballads. We’ll throw on some Mike Bolton (my daughter can’t resist all the horses in that video!) and get down with some seriously silly interpretive dance!

What’s in store for the rest of the year?

I’ve got five short stories scheduled for publication in 2012, including a middle-grade campfire tale whose setting will be familiar to many Florida history buffs. I’m just finishing the revisions on the first draft of the sci-fi terrorism novel I mentioned above, and I’m about halfway finished with a supernatural horror novel set in a small town high in the Sierra Nevada.

Torched will be released later in the summer, and then I’ll begin taking classes at the University of Central Florida. I’m very excited about participating in this doctoral program! The curriculum emphasizes programming and design, and I think it’ll be great fun to work with a community of scholars that is contributing to the next wave of developments in a rapidly changing publishing environment.

Also, my second collection, The Silver Coast and Other Stories, will be released in June. It will feature eleven speculative tales, with a mixture of recent reprints and a few original stories.

Thanks so much for this opportunity, Al! I appreciate all that you do for the book-loving community! 

Authors interested in participating in our weekly interview series can find the details here.  

For More Daniel:

For more, visit Daniel's blog.

Bibliography

These Strange Worlds    Review Amazon US  UK                           Paper

Survival                                  Amazon US  UK  B&N Smashwords Paper

The Reaper's Harvest               Amazon US  UK                           

Frozen                                    Amazon US  UK                          Paper

Also mentioned:

Blake Crouch - Run                  Amazon US  UK  B&N  Smashwords Paper

Ania Ahlborn - Seed                 Amazon US  UK                           Paper

Aaron Polson - Loathsome, Dark and Deep

                                            Amazon US  UK  B&N  Smashwords Paper

Anderson Prunty - Morning is Dead

                                            Amazon US  UK  B&N                    Paper