Good day Variance and MEG fans!
Now that summer has officially ended, for a week or so actually, I'd like to see your reviews. Did you like it? Did you love it? We'd love to see what MEG fans all around thought about this chomp-fest. Just leave it in the comment section for all to see. Do you have pictures of yourself reading it on the beach? Be sure to link those up as well! Many people are looking for reviews on MEG, let them find yours here and chose to pick up MEG due in part to your comments.
Have you not read MEG: HA yet? Well, what are you waiting for! It can be found at all the normal online retailers as well as your local bookstore. You can also help out by spreading around the book trailer (which can be found at YouTube and Metacafe). Favorite it, embed it, link to it - help it continue to spread like a virulent disease!
I hope all you MEG fans unite and post your reviews! We look forward to reading them.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Author on Author - Craig Alexander on Daniel Brenton
Here it is fans, the last week of Author on Author. I know, a round of awwws followed by boos and hisses. Don't worry, another fun author-involved project will be coming your way soon, but let's not detract from our project at hand where Craig Alexander pokes and prods into Daniel Brenton's thoughts, life, and career.
Craig Alexander: Some of my favorite novels, like Red Moon, are collaborations. I've always wanted to know how that works. Can you give us any insight into the collaboration process?
Daniel Brenton: Craig, thank you for the kind words regarding Red Moon. I don't think my experience is representative of all collaborations, of course, but I can certainly share it.
There was a long process with Red Moon. The first spark was in fact was a short story I wrote in junior high (and long since lost ... probably for the best). In the early 1990s the memory of this story sparked in Dave the idea of a writing a screenplay, in part motivated by the success by the then-recent film Apollo 13. For those not familiar with Red Moon, a portion of the novel is set in 1968-1969 on the Russian side of the Moon race, and follows the story of Grigor Belinsky, the only Soviet cosmonaut to (secretly) make it to the Moon.
Dave and I wrote a screen treatment which, unfortunately, went nowhere. The best input he received on it was that, with the '60s and the Cold War so far behind us, no one would care about Belinsky and his journey.
Dave didn't want to give up on the story, and he revisited the idea after about a year with the intent of making it a novel, and devised two storylines set in 2019, involving a "return to the Moon" mission and the international intrigue behind it
So, to answer your question, mostly due to my circumstances I took a back seat to the effort. I did actually write about 20,000 words to the novel, of about 12,000 actually wound up in it, smoothed over a little to better fit with Dave's style. (If you've read the story, my chapters follow Belinsky through his lift-off, his flight to the Moon, and his long vigil there.) Beyond this, I helped develop the character of Mirya, Belinksy's dissident wife, focusing on her religious and "mystical" side: I hit upon the idea of her experiencing an apparition of (what is now) the Russian Orthodox Saint, Xenia of St. Petersburg, an event that colors much of the 1960s narrative.
From my experience, our collaboration -- which I certainly consider successful -- was based on an agreement on who has final say on the vision of the book. Dave did, and I accepted that, partly because he had in fact picked up the ball and run with it, and partly because I trusted his instincts. I have a hard time picturing an effort to write a novel using a different paradigm.
CA: What's next? Can we expect any more great reads from you in the future?
DB: In terms of collaborations, I'm sure if Red Moon becomes wildly successful, there would be the follow-up stories. Dave originally saw this as a trilogy, and I cooked up the premise for a companion novel featuring a number of the same characters and situations. I do have to say that Dave appears to be caught up in the movie industry to some extent, providing filmmakers working on anything related to the subject of ancient Rome a ready crew of extras with authentic regalia and weaponry.
On my own ... I've found myself becoming something of a "go to" person on the subject of gratitude (which has become quite popular in Personal Development circles) that my fiction writing unfortunately is lost in the steam sitting on a back burner somewhere.
I would like to eventually pen a novel that has spiritual significance to the reader, a'la L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time, or Bach's Illusions. If the story demands a serious dose of action and suspense, Variance would be the first place I'd take it.
CA: Okay, this is a toughy. A large portion of your website is dedicated to the search for gratitude. Every time you open a paper or turn on the TV these days it's bad news. Do you have any advice on how to stay positive and have a spirit of gratitude in these tough times?
DB: Craig, you're too kind feeding me this question.
I could get on a soapbox about this, but I'll reign myself in ... a little. Maintaining an "attitude of gratitude" has four gifts for us: 1.) it makes our lives work better; 2.) it is a spiritual path all by itself, 3.) it is a power for change, and 4.) for those who spend any time thinking about the Law of Attraction, the common wisdom is that you have to be grateful for what you have before you can get anything better.
The first step in having a spirit of gratitude is to understand without reservation that it's worth doing. There are three ways this happens: you're raised with it by loving parents (or parent, or guardian) who sees the importance of it, you get a niggling hint of it and use something like a gratitude journal to help train yourself to "keep it close," or you do it the way I did it -- you have significant emotional experiences that spell it out for you in really big letters.
I was involved in a motor vehicle accident many years ago where a fatality was involved, and I was pretty shaken up, but I walked away with only a couple of cuts on my right hand. Reflecting on the event over a period of a few years I realized the improbabilities that lead up to me being virtually unscathed by that accident, rather than being a second victim of it. It left a permanent impression on me, and it has shaped my spiritual life as well.
I think most of us who have managed to live more than a few years into adulthood have had some experience that forces us to get in touch with who we really are and gives us the chance to remember what's really important.
All of us in America had a significant emotional experience less than a decade ago -- 9/11. This also played into my recognition of the power of gratitude, though I am saddened that many of us were strictly focused on identifying and eradicating an enemy, and failed to find gratitude in their personal situations in the aftermath of that dark day.
CA: Now for something really important. I have to admit I am sort of a UFO buff. (Yes, I watch UFO Hunters) Do you have any inside information on UFO phonomenon? Are people filming and seeing experimental military aircraft, meteorological events, or are we not alone?
DB: Straight out:
Do I have inside information on the Unidentified Flying Object question? No.
Is this phenomena military craft, meteorological events, or little gray men from Zeta Reticuli? The two former, I'd have to say yes, this is part of it. The latter ... is going to take some explaining.
Are we being visited by people from other planets? I don't think it's impossible, and there is a phenomenon that is unexplained, but seriously doubt that's what we're seeing.
Craig, I suspect you picked up on the fact that I used to blog quite a bit about the UFO question, and it is in fact a life-long interest. The problem with the subject (and there is a problem) is that there's such a small "signal to noise" ratio that it is very difficult to get to the core of it. A huge part of the noise is the UFO audience/community itself. Instead of eating up the Variance blog with my thoughts on that little problem, let me point you to this article on my own blog, "Thankful to be in a Better Internet World."
The most intelligent thinking on the subject I've run across come comes from computer scientist Jacques Vallee, a life-long researcher of the subject. His premise, if I may do it the injustice of capturing it in a few words, is that the phenomenon is part of an intelligent control system that is shaping the human species at the mythological level over a period of millennia.
If you are seriously interested in his take on the subject, I highly recommend his non-fiction "Contact Trilogy," Dimensions, Confrontations, and Revelations.
Another answer to the puzzle which I think has a great deal of merit is the study done by near death experience researcher Dr. Kenneth Ring, documented in his book The Omega Project: Near-Death Experiences, UFO Encounters, and Mind at Large. In this book he points out the similarities between near death experiences and UFO abduction events, and the significance of the commonalities.
Dr. Ring, in fact, states that people do have very real abduction experiences, but that these little gray men are archetypes, straight from the collective unconscious.
(Huh?)
The answer?
We're probably seeing a lot of things we're calling UFOs that are really Identifiable Flying Objects. Some things are unexplained, and it's clear to me that there are folks who don't want to understand them, and folks in our intelligence communities who want us to believe things that probably have no basis in fact.
What I feel the preponderance of the actual phenomenon is, is a manifestation of consciousness -- of which we are a part. If you really look at the events -- especially the contact events -- you'll see that they are riddled with nonsensical elements. What I believe is that there is a consciousness, possibly even an aspect of our own consciousness, "clothing itself" in the metaphors of our times and interacting with us. I also believe that these events are best understood at the symbolic level, specifically for the experiencer, and generally for us as a species.
And until I get something better, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
Wow, who thought that this would have been such a memorable final Author on Author? Though I'm not surprised by these two great writers. Great job by both of you! Dan, if you write it, we will read it =)>, I look forward to the day it happens.
Beyond this, I would like to thank all of the authors who provided the time and material to make this sub-blog as informative and enjoyable as it was. Fans, if you missed any of the sessions, be sure to look back and check them out! They were all amazingly insightful in their own ways. Some had great writing advice, others humor, while others could be considered borderline life coaches. Lastly, thank you (or #gratitude in today's case) to all the fans out there who read and enjoyed this active look into our authors daily perception of each other, along with providing comments. It would all be for not without you.
Craig Alexander: Some of my favorite novels, like Red Moon, are collaborations. I've always wanted to know how that works. Can you give us any insight into the collaboration process?
Daniel Brenton: Craig, thank you for the kind words regarding Red Moon. I don't think my experience is representative of all collaborations, of course, but I can certainly share it.
There was a long process with Red Moon. The first spark was in fact was a short story I wrote in junior high (and long since lost ... probably for the best). In the early 1990s the memory of this story sparked in Dave the idea of a writing a screenplay, in part motivated by the success by the then-recent film Apollo 13. For those not familiar with Red Moon, a portion of the novel is set in 1968-1969 on the Russian side of the Moon race, and follows the story of Grigor Belinsky, the only Soviet cosmonaut to (secretly) make it to the Moon.
Dave and I wrote a screen treatment which, unfortunately, went nowhere. The best input he received on it was that, with the '60s and the Cold War so far behind us, no one would care about Belinsky and his journey.
Dave didn't want to give up on the story, and he revisited the idea after about a year with the intent of making it a novel, and devised two storylines set in 2019, involving a "return to the Moon" mission and the international intrigue behind it
So, to answer your question, mostly due to my circumstances I took a back seat to the effort. I did actually write about 20,000 words to the novel, of about 12,000 actually wound up in it, smoothed over a little to better fit with Dave's style. (If you've read the story, my chapters follow Belinsky through his lift-off, his flight to the Moon, and his long vigil there.) Beyond this, I helped develop the character of Mirya, Belinksy's dissident wife, focusing on her religious and "mystical" side: I hit upon the idea of her experiencing an apparition of (what is now) the Russian Orthodox Saint, Xenia of St. Petersburg, an event that colors much of the 1960s narrative.
From my experience, our collaboration -- which I certainly consider successful -- was based on an agreement on who has final say on the vision of the book. Dave did, and I accepted that, partly because he had in fact picked up the ball and run with it, and partly because I trusted his instincts. I have a hard time picturing an effort to write a novel using a different paradigm.
CA: What's next? Can we expect any more great reads from you in the future?
DB: In terms of collaborations, I'm sure if Red Moon becomes wildly successful, there would be the follow-up stories. Dave originally saw this as a trilogy, and I cooked up the premise for a companion novel featuring a number of the same characters and situations. I do have to say that Dave appears to be caught up in the movie industry to some extent, providing filmmakers working on anything related to the subject of ancient Rome a ready crew of extras with authentic regalia and weaponry.
On my own ... I've found myself becoming something of a "go to" person on the subject of gratitude (which has become quite popular in Personal Development circles) that my fiction writing unfortunately is lost in the steam sitting on a back burner somewhere.
I would like to eventually pen a novel that has spiritual significance to the reader, a'la L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time, or Bach's Illusions. If the story demands a serious dose of action and suspense, Variance would be the first place I'd take it.
CA: Okay, this is a toughy. A large portion of your website is dedicated to the search for gratitude. Every time you open a paper or turn on the TV these days it's bad news. Do you have any advice on how to stay positive and have a spirit of gratitude in these tough times?
DB: Craig, you're too kind feeding me this question.
I could get on a soapbox about this, but I'll reign myself in ... a little. Maintaining an "attitude of gratitude" has four gifts for us: 1.) it makes our lives work better; 2.) it is a spiritual path all by itself, 3.) it is a power for change, and 4.) for those who spend any time thinking about the Law of Attraction, the common wisdom is that you have to be grateful for what you have before you can get anything better.
The first step in having a spirit of gratitude is to understand without reservation that it's worth doing. There are three ways this happens: you're raised with it by loving parents (or parent, or guardian) who sees the importance of it, you get a niggling hint of it and use something like a gratitude journal to help train yourself to "keep it close," or you do it the way I did it -- you have significant emotional experiences that spell it out for you in really big letters.
I was involved in a motor vehicle accident many years ago where a fatality was involved, and I was pretty shaken up, but I walked away with only a couple of cuts on my right hand. Reflecting on the event over a period of a few years I realized the improbabilities that lead up to me being virtually unscathed by that accident, rather than being a second victim of it. It left a permanent impression on me, and it has shaped my spiritual life as well.
I think most of us who have managed to live more than a few years into adulthood have had some experience that forces us to get in touch with who we really are and gives us the chance to remember what's really important.
All of us in America had a significant emotional experience less than a decade ago -- 9/11. This also played into my recognition of the power of gratitude, though I am saddened that many of us were strictly focused on identifying and eradicating an enemy, and failed to find gratitude in their personal situations in the aftermath of that dark day.
CA: Now for something really important. I have to admit I am sort of a UFO buff. (Yes, I watch UFO Hunters) Do you have any inside information on UFO phonomenon? Are people filming and seeing experimental military aircraft, meteorological events, or are we not alone?
DB: Straight out:
Do I have inside information on the Unidentified Flying Object question? No.
Is this phenomena military craft, meteorological events, or little gray men from Zeta Reticuli? The two former, I'd have to say yes, this is part of it. The latter ... is going to take some explaining.
Are we being visited by people from other planets? I don't think it's impossible, and there is a phenomenon that is unexplained, but seriously doubt that's what we're seeing.
Craig, I suspect you picked up on the fact that I used to blog quite a bit about the UFO question, and it is in fact a life-long interest. The problem with the subject (and there is a problem) is that there's such a small "signal to noise" ratio that it is very difficult to get to the core of it. A huge part of the noise is the UFO audience/community itself. Instead of eating up the Variance blog with my thoughts on that little problem, let me point you to this article on my own blog, "Thankful to be in a Better Internet World."
The most intelligent thinking on the subject I've run across come comes from computer scientist Jacques Vallee, a life-long researcher of the subject. His premise, if I may do it the injustice of capturing it in a few words, is that the phenomenon is part of an intelligent control system that is shaping the human species at the mythological level over a period of millennia.
If you are seriously interested in his take on the subject, I highly recommend his non-fiction "Contact Trilogy," Dimensions, Confrontations, and Revelations.
Another answer to the puzzle which I think has a great deal of merit is the study done by near death experience researcher Dr. Kenneth Ring, documented in his book The Omega Project: Near-Death Experiences, UFO Encounters, and Mind at Large. In this book he points out the similarities between near death experiences and UFO abduction events, and the significance of the commonalities.
Dr. Ring, in fact, states that people do have very real abduction experiences, but that these little gray men are archetypes, straight from the collective unconscious.
(Huh?)
The answer?
We're probably seeing a lot of things we're calling UFOs that are really Identifiable Flying Objects. Some things are unexplained, and it's clear to me that there are folks who don't want to understand them, and folks in our intelligence communities who want us to believe things that probably have no basis in fact.
What I feel the preponderance of the actual phenomenon is, is a manifestation of consciousness -- of which we are a part. If you really look at the events -- especially the contact events -- you'll see that they are riddled with nonsensical elements. What I believe is that there is a consciousness, possibly even an aspect of our own consciousness, "clothing itself" in the metaphors of our times and interacting with us. I also believe that these events are best understood at the symbolic level, specifically for the experiencer, and generally for us as a species.
And until I get something better, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
Wow, who thought that this would have been such a memorable final Author on Author? Though I'm not surprised by these two great writers. Great job by both of you! Dan, if you write it, we will read it =)>, I look forward to the day it happens.
Beyond this, I would like to thank all of the authors who provided the time and material to make this sub-blog as informative and enjoyable as it was. Fans, if you missed any of the sessions, be sure to look back and check them out! They were all amazingly insightful in their own ways. Some had great writing advice, others humor, while others could be considered borderline life coaches. Lastly, thank you (or #gratitude in today's case) to all the fans out there who read and enjoyed this active look into our authors daily perception of each other, along with providing comments. It would all be for not without you.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Author on Author - Kristina Schram on Craig Alexander
Good Thursday fans,
Another Thursday means another Author on Author session where this week Kristina Schram gets the low-down on Craig Alexander.
Kristina Schram: How much do you relate to your main character, Aaron Henderson, in The Nineveh Project? In a related question, how much does your daily life and your personal experiences influence your writing?
Craig Alexander: As you know first novels are usually the most personal. So, I relate heavily to Aaron Henderson. Basically he is a much better and braver version of me with a lot more hair... Craig 2.0. In my youth I struggled with my faith and belief in human nature, just as he did. Also, by some strange coincidence, we are the same rank in our respective martial arts.
As you can see from the answer above, I draw heavily from my daily life and personal experiences in my writing. I believe that utilizing your own personal experience and worldview adds depth to your characters and stories. I write Christian Fiction, but to be honest I don't read much of it any more. So much of the genre is too syrupy and preachy. I don't think people want a sermon when they read a novel. I think they want to have fun. So that's what I tried to do, write something entertaining with a positive message.
KS: I see that you play basketball. What position? Are you any good? Could I take you in a game of one on one (I’m 5’5”, and you can’t use your karate skills to defeat me)?
CA: Kristina, I played competitive basketball for a very long time. I was a forward in high school and college. I like to believe I'm pretty good. As a matter of fact, the older I get, the better I used to be. I'm 6'3" and can still get over the rim at age 41. But, I think the spunk factor would definitely be in your favor. So, I wouldn't bet against you.
KS: If you could ask Tolkien a question, what would you ask him? How about C.S. Lewis?
CA: What did you think of the movies? No really, that's a tough one. If I could ask him just one question, I guess it would be: Where did you get your inspiration for The Hobbit, the novel that started it all? (Although fantasy creatures and books abound today, in Tolkien's time no one had written stories like his)
For CS Lewis I would ask: Your contemporaries and even your friend and mentor JRR Tolkien criticized The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and tried to dissuade you from publishing it. What made you believe so strongly in the story? (Thanks for not listening to them by the way)
If I was allowed a follow-up question: Did you in your wildest imagination ever think that your books would have such profound and long lasting influence and success?
KS: What do you have in the works for future books/projects?
CA: My latest novel, The Assassin's Case, just came out. I have a children's book coming out in the fall that I both wrote and illustrated called, Where are you God? This story is based on a something my little girl said after Sunday school when she was five. She asked me if I knew that God was a tiny little man about two inches tall living in her heart. Then tears came to her eyes and she asked me if it would hurt if He tried to get out. I mean, how sweet is that? I just had to write about it. Right now I am deciding what to write next. I have two partially written manuscripts and several ideas. Mr. Spielberg, which idea would you be interested in?
KS: What advice would you give future writers of the world?
CA: Don't worry about the success (or failure) of your writing. If you love to write. Write. The rest will come. Every writer had to start somewhere. Consider finishing a book success enough. I know I did. It's a tough task and not everyone can do it. But, once you get something on paper, get an unbiased opinion, learn everything you can about the craft of writing and the industry. If you read my first draft of The Nineveh Project, and you can't so don't ask, it was awful. Even so, my mother thought it was the greatest thing she had ever read. That's why you need an unbiased opinion!
Another superb set of q&a's! Fun, yet digging questions with great honest answers. We are coming down to the wire though folks, only one week left. Is there something you would like to see our authors take part in? We want to satisfy our fans "need to be in the know" about their favorite author so send us your ideas.
Thanks for tuning in, see you next week!
Another Thursday means another Author on Author session where this week Kristina Schram gets the low-down on Craig Alexander.
Kristina Schram: How much do you relate to your main character, Aaron Henderson, in The Nineveh Project? In a related question, how much does your daily life and your personal experiences influence your writing?
Craig Alexander: As you know first novels are usually the most personal. So, I relate heavily to Aaron Henderson. Basically he is a much better and braver version of me with a lot more hair... Craig 2.0. In my youth I struggled with my faith and belief in human nature, just as he did. Also, by some strange coincidence, we are the same rank in our respective martial arts.
As you can see from the answer above, I draw heavily from my daily life and personal experiences in my writing. I believe that utilizing your own personal experience and worldview adds depth to your characters and stories. I write Christian Fiction, but to be honest I don't read much of it any more. So much of the genre is too syrupy and preachy. I don't think people want a sermon when they read a novel. I think they want to have fun. So that's what I tried to do, write something entertaining with a positive message.
KS: I see that you play basketball. What position? Are you any good? Could I take you in a game of one on one (I’m 5’5”, and you can’t use your karate skills to defeat me)?
CA: Kristina, I played competitive basketball for a very long time. I was a forward in high school and college. I like to believe I'm pretty good. As a matter of fact, the older I get, the better I used to be. I'm 6'3" and can still get over the rim at age 41. But, I think the spunk factor would definitely be in your favor. So, I wouldn't bet against you.
KS: If you could ask Tolkien a question, what would you ask him? How about C.S. Lewis?
CA: What did you think of the movies? No really, that's a tough one. If I could ask him just one question, I guess it would be: Where did you get your inspiration for The Hobbit, the novel that started it all? (Although fantasy creatures and books abound today, in Tolkien's time no one had written stories like his)
For CS Lewis I would ask: Your contemporaries and even your friend and mentor JRR Tolkien criticized The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and tried to dissuade you from publishing it. What made you believe so strongly in the story? (Thanks for not listening to them by the way)
If I was allowed a follow-up question: Did you in your wildest imagination ever think that your books would have such profound and long lasting influence and success?
KS: What do you have in the works for future books/projects?
CA: My latest novel, The Assassin's Case, just came out. I have a children's book coming out in the fall that I both wrote and illustrated called, Where are you God? This story is based on a something my little girl said after Sunday school when she was five. She asked me if I knew that God was a tiny little man about two inches tall living in her heart. Then tears came to her eyes and she asked me if it would hurt if He tried to get out. I mean, how sweet is that? I just had to write about it. Right now I am deciding what to write next. I have two partially written manuscripts and several ideas. Mr. Spielberg, which idea would you be interested in?
KS: What advice would you give future writers of the world?
CA: Don't worry about the success (or failure) of your writing. If you love to write. Write. The rest will come. Every writer had to start somewhere. Consider finishing a book success enough. I know I did. It's a tough task and not everyone can do it. But, once you get something on paper, get an unbiased opinion, learn everything you can about the craft of writing and the industry. If you read my first draft of The Nineveh Project, and you can't so don't ask, it was awful. Even so, my mother thought it was the greatest thing she had ever read. That's why you need an unbiased opinion!
Another superb set of q&a's! Fun, yet digging questions with great honest answers. We are coming down to the wire though folks, only one week left. Is there something you would like to see our authors take part in? We want to satisfy our fans "need to be in the know" about their favorite author so send us your ideas.
Thanks for tuning in, see you next week!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Author on Author - Jeremy Robinson on Kristina Schram
Good Monday AoA followers!
I hope you had a great weekend, personally I had a great one as I was on vacation since last Wednesday with the 'fam' - hence the reason you are getting this now. Seeing how I've already made this far enough behind schedule, let's cut to the good stuff.
Jeremy Robinson: How cool is Jeremy Robinson?
Kristina Schram: He is so cool that even polar bears worry about getting frostbite when he’s around.
JR: For those who don’t know, Kristina and I were neighbors for a spell so we know each other pretty well. But in all the years we’ve known each other I don’t think I ever heard how you came up with the concept for The Chronicles of Anaedor. So spill the beans!
KS: I started to wonder why we have stories about mythical creatures when we don’t really seem to have proof of their existence. Are they out there living amongst us, but our limited human vision can’t detect them? Or can we actually see them; they’re simply hiding from us. If so, where? I’ve asked myself: Did they ever exist? Do they exist now? Nobody really knows the answers to these questions so I thought I’d make up my own story about what happened to all those ‘mythical’ creatures. I also watch Destination Truth so I can find out the real answers.
JR: Much of the Anaedor story takes place in subterranean cave systems. Why did you choose a subterranean world? Have you done any caving yourself?
KS: What better place to hide out? Plus, I really like dark spaces where no one can see me…so I can jump out and scare them. And yes, I have done some limited caving. When I was a little kid, my parents took us to Crystal Cave in South Dakota. My dad freaked me out because he carried me on his shoulders down these really steep steps. Talk about vertigo. Still, I never forgot that amazing cave and hope to see it again someday. Whenever I have a chance, I visit other caves. Last summer we saw Howe Cavern in upstate New York. There are some small caves here in New Hampshire, as well. (I believe Rhode Island is the only state in our country without any known caves.) My personal favorite cave in New Hampshire is Lost River Gorge in North Woodstock. There is one awesome spot where you have to pull yourself through the height-challenged space while lying on your belly. To your right is a rushing stream that looks like it could overflow at any second. As you inch along, you pray fervently that there will be no flash floods. I hope to visit the place again this fall. I would live there if I could. Do you think anyone would notice? Currently I’m on a personal mission to visit caves wherever I go, and get the t-shirt as proof. So far, I have one t-shirt (I just started the mission).
JR: I have put some of myself (personality quirks, hobbies, interests) into many of my main characters. Did you do this at all with Lavida Mors?
KS: I actually tried to make Lavida different from myself in as many ways as I could. I am an overachieving perfectionist. She bites her nails and does average in school (when she tries). I am 5’5”. She’s not even 5’. She has a pet raccoon. I’m allergic to my cats. She does magic; I do laundry. She grew up as an only child – I have four siblings. But…I did give her a couple of my quirks. She loves chocolate and I, too, am obsessed with the dark stuff. She’s kind of sarcastic. I’m kind of sarcastic. We both are rather pale and we love to read. Maybe there’s a correlation there. I guess it’s hard not to put some of yourself in your characters, but I try not to do too much so I don’t end up with a mini-me. I leave that to the scientists.
JR: You have three sons. Did any of them help come up with story ideas, monster descriptions or creature names?
KS: My oldest mainly helps point out inconsistencies in my story line. It’s rather annoying but I try to keep an open mind about his suggestions – after I ground him. My middle child is a budding artist so I have him draw pictures of some of my scenes. I like seeing his perspective. My youngest is always coming up with the most interesting ideas. One day he told me he knew there were fairies in our woods because he could smell them. When I asked him what they smelled like, he answered, “strawberries and lemonade.”
JR: And a sixth one, in case you didn’t want to answer that first one. What’s coming up next for Kristina Schram, aside from global dominance in the young adult genre?
KS: I am continuing to write books in the young adult fantasy genre. Right now I’m working on a trilogy that stars three brothers. The first book is finished and I’m sending it out. I plan to start book two as soon as my outdoor work slows down. I’ve also written a children’s book (middle reader) and a gothic fantasy book, as well, for older readers (teen to adult). My proof readers are currently going over those two books and I can’t wait to send them out!
Also, I want global dominance in everything, not just the young adult genre. I do so like power. I’m also thinking about getting chickens. They’re the most natural bug control you can have for your garden/flowers/fruit trees, and I’ve heard they provide eggs, as well. What will those darn chickens think of next?!
Global domination, huh? Well, just remember this little guy when you get there =)>. If you have any further questions for Kristina Schram, whether on her yearning for chickens, on The Chronicles of Anaedor, or anything else, feel free to leave your comments and questions here and she will be sure to get back to you. And be sure to get the full effect of Anaedor, bring it with you when you go spelunking =)>.
Have a great week everyone!
I hope you had a great weekend, personally I had a great one as I was on vacation since last Wednesday with the 'fam' - hence the reason you are getting this now. Seeing how I've already made this far enough behind schedule, let's cut to the good stuff.
Jeremy Robinson: How cool is Jeremy Robinson?
Kristina Schram: He is so cool that even polar bears worry about getting frostbite when he’s around.
JR: For those who don’t know, Kristina and I were neighbors for a spell so we know each other pretty well. But in all the years we’ve known each other I don’t think I ever heard how you came up with the concept for The Chronicles of Anaedor. So spill the beans!
KS: I started to wonder why we have stories about mythical creatures when we don’t really seem to have proof of their existence. Are they out there living amongst us, but our limited human vision can’t detect them? Or can we actually see them; they’re simply hiding from us. If so, where? I’ve asked myself: Did they ever exist? Do they exist now? Nobody really knows the answers to these questions so I thought I’d make up my own story about what happened to all those ‘mythical’ creatures. I also watch Destination Truth so I can find out the real answers.
JR: Much of the Anaedor story takes place in subterranean cave systems. Why did you choose a subterranean world? Have you done any caving yourself?
KS: What better place to hide out? Plus, I really like dark spaces where no one can see me…so I can jump out and scare them. And yes, I have done some limited caving. When I was a little kid, my parents took us to Crystal Cave in South Dakota. My dad freaked me out because he carried me on his shoulders down these really steep steps. Talk about vertigo. Still, I never forgot that amazing cave and hope to see it again someday. Whenever I have a chance, I visit other caves. Last summer we saw Howe Cavern in upstate New York. There are some small caves here in New Hampshire, as well. (I believe Rhode Island is the only state in our country without any known caves.) My personal favorite cave in New Hampshire is Lost River Gorge in North Woodstock. There is one awesome spot where you have to pull yourself through the height-challenged space while lying on your belly. To your right is a rushing stream that looks like it could overflow at any second. As you inch along, you pray fervently that there will be no flash floods. I hope to visit the place again this fall. I would live there if I could. Do you think anyone would notice? Currently I’m on a personal mission to visit caves wherever I go, and get the t-shirt as proof. So far, I have one t-shirt (I just started the mission).
JR: I have put some of myself (personality quirks, hobbies, interests) into many of my main characters. Did you do this at all with Lavida Mors?
KS: I actually tried to make Lavida different from myself in as many ways as I could. I am an overachieving perfectionist. She bites her nails and does average in school (when she tries). I am 5’5”. She’s not even 5’. She has a pet raccoon. I’m allergic to my cats. She does magic; I do laundry. She grew up as an only child – I have four siblings. But…I did give her a couple of my quirks. She loves chocolate and I, too, am obsessed with the dark stuff. She’s kind of sarcastic. I’m kind of sarcastic. We both are rather pale and we love to read. Maybe there’s a correlation there. I guess it’s hard not to put some of yourself in your characters, but I try not to do too much so I don’t end up with a mini-me. I leave that to the scientists.
JR: You have three sons. Did any of them help come up with story ideas, monster descriptions or creature names?
KS: My oldest mainly helps point out inconsistencies in my story line. It’s rather annoying but I try to keep an open mind about his suggestions – after I ground him. My middle child is a budding artist so I have him draw pictures of some of my scenes. I like seeing his perspective. My youngest is always coming up with the most interesting ideas. One day he told me he knew there were fairies in our woods because he could smell them. When I asked him what they smelled like, he answered, “strawberries and lemonade.”
JR: And a sixth one, in case you didn’t want to answer that first one. What’s coming up next for Kristina Schram, aside from global dominance in the young adult genre?
KS: I am continuing to write books in the young adult fantasy genre. Right now I’m working on a trilogy that stars three brothers. The first book is finished and I’m sending it out. I plan to start book two as soon as my outdoor work slows down. I’ve also written a children’s book (middle reader) and a gothic fantasy book, as well, for older readers (teen to adult). My proof readers are currently going over those two books and I can’t wait to send them out!
Also, I want global dominance in everything, not just the young adult genre. I do so like power. I’m also thinking about getting chickens. They’re the most natural bug control you can have for your garden/flowers/fruit trees, and I’ve heard they provide eggs, as well. What will those darn chickens think of next?!
Global domination, huh? Well, just remember this little guy when you get there =)>. If you have any further questions for Kristina Schram, whether on her yearning for chickens, on The Chronicles of Anaedor, or anything else, feel free to leave your comments and questions here and she will be sure to get back to you. And be sure to get the full effect of Anaedor, bring it with you when you go spelunking =)>.
Have a great week everyone!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
AJ Tata and Jeff Stephens Updates
Good day, thriller fans!
Today is a great day to be back from Labor Day as we have a fan page, a review, and an updated website to talk about.
Let's start off with AJ Tata, author of SUDDEN THREAT and ROGUE THREAT. He has recently created a Facebook profile for his fans! Be sure to friend him and show your support. To compound this, he recently had his book reviewed in Hooters Magazine and got a 5 out of 5 Hooties rating. If you don't get Hooters Mag, here is the review:
If you haven't read this military thriller, what are you waiting for? Being a (ret.) Brigadier General, he certainly knows his stuff - real 'boots on the ground' action. Hard covers are still left, but the mass market will be out at the end of September, followed up by his award-winning Rogue Threat on October 19!
Last but not least, due out in 3 weeks (September 29), Jeffrey Stephens, author of TARGETS OF DECEPTION, is amping up for his release. In turn, he has put up some new updates for your viewing pleasure. Visit him at his website to check out all of the new content for his fans.
Thanks for reading, enjoy the new goodness!
Today is a great day to be back from Labor Day as we have a fan page, a review, and an updated website to talk about.
Let's start off with AJ Tata, author of SUDDEN THREAT and ROGUE THREAT. He has recently created a Facebook profile for his fans! Be sure to friend him and show your support. To compound this, he recently had his book reviewed in Hooters Magazine and got a 5 out of 5 Hooties rating. If you don't get Hooters Mag, here is the review:
It’s a rocket launch from page one, as Tata’s characters grip readers by the throat and don’t let go until the bittersweet ending. Sudden Threat has a terrifyingly plausible and tightly written plot, characters that strike a realistic chord and a message that should have all Americans looking over their shoulder. Tata is in a class by himself in the genre of military thrillers.
It’s 2001 and CIA paramilitary operative Matt Garrett is yanked from an assignment that would have decimated the upper echelon of al Qaeda leadership, to find himself sifting through the wreckage of a destroyed C-130 in the Philippine jungle. Stumbling upon a weapons factory in Mindanao, guarded by Japanese soldiers, he’s questioning why he’s been given this particular assignment. At the same time, Matt’s brother, U.S. Army Captain Zachary Garrett, is guarding an old U.S. Navy base near Manila. While this battle rages in the jungle, another battle, with more ramifications, is rolling through the nation’s capital as a group calling themselves “the Rolling Stones” rallies around its cause—keeping the country in the fight against Islamic extremism.
If you haven't read this military thriller, what are you waiting for? Being a (ret.) Brigadier General, he certainly knows his stuff - real 'boots on the ground' action. Hard covers are still left, but the mass market will be out at the end of September, followed up by his award-winning Rogue Threat on October 19!
Last but not least, due out in 3 weeks (September 29), Jeffrey Stephens, author of TARGETS OF DECEPTION, is amping up for his release. In turn, he has put up some new updates for your viewing pleasure. Visit him at his website to check out all of the new content for his fans.
Thanks for reading, enjoy the new goodness!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Author on Author - Steven Savile on Jeremy Robinson
Thursday's back, Zealots, and here we are finding ourselves reading this weeks edition of Author on Author, where Steven Savile investigates the life and times of Jeremy Robinson. I'm expecting a great interview ahead of us, so let's begin...
Steven Savile: Stylistically, I'd say you're writing is intensely visual, almost like reading a movie if you know what I mean, just how conscious of this are you when you sit down to write, and do you have any tricks or tips for new writers in terms of setting the scene and making their own work capture that same feel?
Jeremy Robinson: I was an artist and illustrator before I became a writer and am, for that reason, an intensely visual person. When I write, I am seeing the action and characters in my mind and essentially describing what I see. Writing a book, for me, is like going to a movie. The challenge is to include smell, touch, sound, taste and characters thoughts and feelings. My first novels are primarily visual, but the newer ones focus on all the sense (though visual will always be top sense).
SS: I think everyone's heard of the notion that you have to 'kill your babies' in terms of fiction, but having read Antarktos Rising recently I'm curious as to how literally you take that. There's a lot of mayhem in the average Robinson novel. Ever find it hard to kill/maim/hurt one of your characters? Ever change your mind?
JR: I think I’m a little fiendish when it comes to this. I actually love to maim and kill characters, even main characters, because it keeps readers wondering who’s next. The TV series, LOST, does a great job of this. Many beloved characters have been killed off. I did this in Antarktos Rising and I hear about it a lot. But the decision was actually simple. I thought, “Huh, I have too many main characters now.” And then bam, one of them is snatched up and killed. As this wasn’t a planned killing, it came as a surprise to me and as a result to many readers. It makes for great suspense. And if I don’t kill a character, I make sure they’ve got some physical and emotional scars by the story’s end.
SS: In terms of writing and outlining, I am a fairly loose outliner, I like an idea of where I am going and let the inspiration of the day join the gaps, what's your roadmap when you set out on a new novel? The Great White Page or An A to Z or somewhere in between?
JR: I’m somewhere in between. Publishers like getting the chapter by chapter outline of a story that has yet to be written, but even then, it’s a loose guideline. I typically have a climax and major plot points in mind when I start, but research and new ideas often take the story in directions I hadn’t planned on. When I write, I outline chapters in small chunks in a notebook. I write a quick, “where we’ve been,” summary of the previous chapters and then maybe 4 – 5 chapters out under “where we’re going”. This gives me freedom to change things around, but also keeps me on track.
SS: How, if at all, does your own faith effect your fiction?
JR: My faith is sometimes a source of inspiration. Specifically Biblical creatures. I’ve found that many people find these topics to be taboo for fiction and as a result the fantastic creatures described in the Bible are untouched by modern, mainstream fiction. But all religions and myths are fair game. I’ve used Greek, Roman, Native American, Sumerian, Norse, Hindu, etc myths and beliefs as the context for modern adventures. Of my six novels, three have Biblical connections. The others don’t.
SS: AR's cover states soon to be an anime movie, anything you can share with us?
JR: Hear those crickets? That’s what I’ve been hearing too. Nothing new to report despite my best efforts. To my knowledge it’s still scheduled for a spring 2010 release, but this is the movie business and I’ll believe it when I see it.
SS: If you could invite 5 people living or dead around to dinner, who would you invite and why?
JR: Jesus. Judas. Hitler. Eve. And Cain. I’d ask them all the same question. “Why?”
SS: What does the future hold for Jeremy Robinson?
JR: I have two more books in the Chess Team series coming out from Thomas Dunne Books. The first is INSTINCT, due out in April of 2010 (the mass market edition of PULSE comes out in March 2010). Then the third Chess Team book (untitled) comes out in 2011. I have a second series on submission with Thomas Dunne, which would take us to 2014 AND I have just finished two top secret books that I don’t want to announce in detail at this point—not until they have a publishing home. But they’re books I wrote and illustrated...and they’re funny as hell. I’m hoping they’ll both be released in the next year.
A second series? Two top secret books?! I can't wait to get my hands on those. If you have any questions for Jeremy, maybe something he didn't touch on enough, or something new even, be sure to leave them here for him to answer. Have you read any of his books and want to leave a review? Please do so - we'd love to see it.
Thanks for another great interview guys! See you all next week.
Steven Savile: Stylistically, I'd say you're writing is intensely visual, almost like reading a movie if you know what I mean, just how conscious of this are you when you sit down to write, and do you have any tricks or tips for new writers in terms of setting the scene and making their own work capture that same feel?
Jeremy Robinson: I was an artist and illustrator before I became a writer and am, for that reason, an intensely visual person. When I write, I am seeing the action and characters in my mind and essentially describing what I see. Writing a book, for me, is like going to a movie. The challenge is to include smell, touch, sound, taste and characters thoughts and feelings. My first novels are primarily visual, but the newer ones focus on all the sense (though visual will always be top sense).
SS: I think everyone's heard of the notion that you have to 'kill your babies' in terms of fiction, but having read Antarktos Rising recently I'm curious as to how literally you take that. There's a lot of mayhem in the average Robinson novel. Ever find it hard to kill/maim/hurt one of your characters? Ever change your mind?
JR: I think I’m a little fiendish when it comes to this. I actually love to maim and kill characters, even main characters, because it keeps readers wondering who’s next. The TV series, LOST, does a great job of this. Many beloved characters have been killed off. I did this in Antarktos Rising and I hear about it a lot. But the decision was actually simple. I thought, “Huh, I have too many main characters now.” And then bam, one of them is snatched up and killed. As this wasn’t a planned killing, it came as a surprise to me and as a result to many readers. It makes for great suspense. And if I don’t kill a character, I make sure they’ve got some physical and emotional scars by the story’s end.
SS: In terms of writing and outlining, I am a fairly loose outliner, I like an idea of where I am going and let the inspiration of the day join the gaps, what's your roadmap when you set out on a new novel? The Great White Page or An A to Z or somewhere in between?
JR: I’m somewhere in between. Publishers like getting the chapter by chapter outline of a story that has yet to be written, but even then, it’s a loose guideline. I typically have a climax and major plot points in mind when I start, but research and new ideas often take the story in directions I hadn’t planned on. When I write, I outline chapters in small chunks in a notebook. I write a quick, “where we’ve been,” summary of the previous chapters and then maybe 4 – 5 chapters out under “where we’re going”. This gives me freedom to change things around, but also keeps me on track.
SS: How, if at all, does your own faith effect your fiction?
JR: My faith is sometimes a source of inspiration. Specifically Biblical creatures. I’ve found that many people find these topics to be taboo for fiction and as a result the fantastic creatures described in the Bible are untouched by modern, mainstream fiction. But all religions and myths are fair game. I’ve used Greek, Roman, Native American, Sumerian, Norse, Hindu, etc myths and beliefs as the context for modern adventures. Of my six novels, three have Biblical connections. The others don’t.
SS: AR's cover states soon to be an anime movie, anything you can share with us?
JR: Hear those crickets? That’s what I’ve been hearing too. Nothing new to report despite my best efforts. To my knowledge it’s still scheduled for a spring 2010 release, but this is the movie business and I’ll believe it when I see it.
SS: If you could invite 5 people living or dead around to dinner, who would you invite and why?
JR: Jesus. Judas. Hitler. Eve. And Cain. I’d ask them all the same question. “Why?”
SS: What does the future hold for Jeremy Robinson?
JR: I have two more books in the Chess Team series coming out from Thomas Dunne Books. The first is INSTINCT, due out in April of 2010 (the mass market edition of PULSE comes out in March 2010). Then the third Chess Team book (untitled) comes out in 2011. I have a second series on submission with Thomas Dunne, which would take us to 2014 AND I have just finished two top secret books that I don’t want to announce in detail at this point—not until they have a publishing home. But they’re books I wrote and illustrated...and they’re funny as hell. I’m hoping they’ll both be released in the next year.
A second series? Two top secret books?! I can't wait to get my hands on those. If you have any questions for Jeremy, maybe something he didn't touch on enough, or something new even, be sure to leave them here for him to answer. Have you read any of his books and want to leave a review? Please do so - we'd love to see it.
Thanks for another great interview guys! See you all next week.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Submissions Open!
Hey everyone,
Just an fyi to all you authors and writers out there, our submissions have reopened, please see our guidelines posted on our Submissions page for full details though. They are open from September 1st to September 30th, 2009 at 5pm EST.
Best of luck!
Just an fyi to all you authors and writers out there, our submissions have reopened, please see our guidelines posted on our Submissions page for full details though. They are open from September 1st to September 30th, 2009 at 5pm EST.
Best of luck!
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