Author Interview with J. Gabriel Gates

 

I am thrilled to have J. Gabriel Gates here for an interview today! I recently read his newest novel Blood Zero Sky (my Review), and it was amazing. He's a great author, and I loved his answers to all my questions. But he'd be a great author even if I hated his answers :)

 

Click the links to find my reviews for J's other books.

Dark Territory

The Sleepwalkers

 

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Q. As you may have noticed from my review, I really loved Blood Zero Sky. What inspired the world and characters in this book?

A. Thanks, I’m really glad you enjoyed it.  I wrote the original draft of the book back in 2005, and basically I wrote it because I was looking around at some of the things that were happening politically and sociologically and I found them pretty concerning and infuriating, so I wanted to write a book to show where the path we were on might lead.  As for the characters, they came from different sparks of inspiration.  The rebel leader, Ethan, came from reading books about the founding fathers and the American Revolutionary War.  May was partly inspired by a book I read called Stone Butch Blues by a wonderful writer named Leslie Feinberg.  The protagonist of that story is a gay woman trying to make her way in a very hostile environment—as a factory worker in the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s.  When I thought about it, there were some major parallels with May’s situation, as a strong, gay female protagonist trying to fake her way through a world that is hostile to her most authentic self.

 

Q. How do you feel about the comparisons made between your novel and George Orwell's 1984?

A. Well, I’m flattered by them.  It’s always nice to be compared to a classic.  I think when you do dystopian fiction really well, it really infiltrates a reader’s mind and even the lexicon of a society.  When people talk about the government overreaching its bounds and watching you in creepy ways—like the recent case where a federal court ruled the government can use your cellphone records to track your movements without a warrant, for example—people still shake their heads and say: “big brother.”  It creates a short-hand so that people can express their feelings about what’s happening around them.  I’d love it if next time the government funds some 0% loan allowing a too-big-to-fail company to gobble up one of its competitors, or when private military contractors start flying drones over U.S. airspace to spy on Americans, people would say: Here it is again, Blood Zero Sky.  Books like mine and 1984 create a shared experience that people can draw from to comment on the world around them, and that’s very important, especially in our age of partisan corporate media and vitriolic, polarizing discourse.

 

Q. What would you say to people that might say the underlying idea in Blood Zero Sky is too far-fetched or a complete impossibility in our own world?

A. I would suggest that they haven’t been paying attention.    Look at the Citizens United supreme court decision, opening the floodgates to allow corporate interests to buy elections.  Look at the political pressure to privatize every corner of the government, from charter schools, to the correctional corporations that run our prisons, to military contractors that continue to take on increasingly large roles in our national defense.  Look at the bailout of the banks, where hundreds of billions of dollars in taxpayer money was given away, with very few conditions, to the same crooked banks that sold bad mortgages to homeowners, packaged them as investments, sold them to individual pension funds, retirement accounts, college funds, etc. as grade A investments, then bet against them, wiping out the life’s savings of millions of people, while they themselves walked away with millions in bonuses—and none of them went to jail, because all the regulators are former buddies of theirs from Goldman Sachs.  Only 6 companies control 90% of the media in the U.S., down 40% since 1990.  I could go on and on, but those who refuse to see the problem will still refuse to see it.

Q. In Blood Zero Sky there are individuals within The Company that could be considered the villains of the novel, but I found The Company's all-powerful grasp on every inch of the people's lives to be sinister on another level. Was it more difficult to characterize The Company as the nemesis of humanity as opposed to a specific person?

 A. I’m glad you picked up on that.  The villain in this book, really, is the corporate system.  Inside a corporation, individual morality fades a bit.  People can do something bad and say “my boss told me to do it.”  Or the boss can say: “I was just doing everything I could to make money within the law. (Of course, corporations now write our laws…) It’s my duty to the shareholders.” The premise is that corporations are basically engines of greed, designed to do one thing: make money.  Now, don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with that.  Corporations are useful, and greed is useful, too—it leads to productivity.  The problem is that we’ve allowed these mindless engines of greed to control our government and write our laws.  That’s the problem.  Sharks are insatiable carnivores, too, and they’re beautiful creatures—you just wouldn’t hire one to be the lifeguard at a kiddie pool.  In the same way, corporations should not run our government. 

Q. I really liked May Fields as the main character and found her to be very relateable. Were you concerned that readers would have a hard time connecting with a lesbian MC? How important was it to you that she stay true to how you originally pictured her?

 A. It’s great that you liked her; not all reviewers have.  She’s a very unapologetic character; she’s strong, sometimes mean, and often confused as she tries to sort out the truth of the world around her.  She has this “I don’t give a damn if you like me or not” attitude, and I guess I share her attitude when it comes to readers liking her character.  I hope people will like her.  I like her. And I was genuinely surprised that some reviewers didn’t relate to her very well. But if you’re writing well, characters really take on their own being.  I couldn’t change the way May is any more than I could train my dog to meow. 

Although she is a lesbian, I don’t see sexual preference as her defining trait— or any other person’s defining trait, for that matter.  She’s just a human being trying to understand the world and her place it in.  The choice of whether or not to make the effort to understand May falls to the reader; she’s too proud to go begging for their adoration.  You just have to either accept her, or not.

 

Q. Is this the last we will see of the world in Blood Zero Sky?

 A. It probably is.  I have another idea for a sci-fi story that could be set in the same world as Blood Zero Sky, but a few decades later.  It’s possible that I may set it there—but it’s also possible that I might not.  Either way, I think May’s tale is finished.

Q. I'm always curious to know how writers do their writing thing.  Do you have a favorite place to do your writing? When are you most productive?

 I’m normally sitting on the couch in my living room.  I live on an old decommissioned golf course, so there are sliding doors right next to me that open out onto a pretty meadow with willow trees and a brook, with ducks and squirrels and woodchucks running around.  It’s a pretty peaceful way to work.

 I normally get up, have my breakfast, walk my dog, pour my coffee and write in the morning.  Then, I have lunch and do an afternoon session.  In between, I try to take care of the other requisite tasks of being an author, social media, correspondence, etc.  It’s a pretty darn good life! 

Q. Aside from writing really cool books, what do you enjoy doing?

A. I’m pretty active.  I like to go for runs, lift weights and go mountain biking.  I spend a lot of time with my family.  My dad and my grandparents live fairly nearby, so I spend a lot of time with them .  I’m pretty into the simple life—give me a nice run under a blue sky, some pizza and a glass of wine, some good conversation, a good book, and church on Sunday, and I’m a happy man.

 

J, thanks so much for your thoughtful answers. I hope eveyrone enjoys Blood Zero Sky as much as I did. I know I've already referenced it once or twice in regards to government :)

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About J. Gabriel Gates:

Author J. Gabriel Gates is a native of Marshall, Michigan. The son of an English teacher, his passion for the written word began at a young age. During college, another passion – for performing – led him to get his B.A. degree in theater from Florida State University.

During his years in Los Angeles, he appeared in a dozen national TV commercials and penned several screenplays while laying the groundwork for his career as a novelist.

His novels include the YA fantasy books "Dark Territory: The Tracks, book 1," "Ghost Crown: The Tracks, Book 2," and horror novel "The Sleepwalkers." His dystopian sci-fi epic "Blood Zero Sky" is slated for release in October, 2012. (All are published by HCI Books.)

He currently lives in Southeast Michigan.

You can connect with J via his website, Twitter and Goodreads.



Blood Zero Sky will be available October 1, 2012 and is available for pre-order on Amazon.





Author Interview with Tony Rauch

About the Author: Tony Rauch has three books of short stories published. The first two are more adult related, though young adults may enjoy them depending on their understanding of the themes -  “I’m right here” (spout press) and “Laredo” (Eraserhead Press). The third story collection is geared to Young Adults - “Eyeballs growing all over me . . . again” (Eraserhead Press).  An additional Young Adult title is forthcoming in the next few weeks – “As I floated in the jar.” Samples can be found at –
http://trauch.wordpress.com/

Rauch has been interviewed by the Prague Post, the Oxford Univ student paper in England, Rain Taxi, has been reviewed by the MIT paper, Rain Taxi, and the Savanna College of Art and Design paper, among many others.

Rauch’s short stories are imaginative, whimsical, dreamy, absurd, surreal, fantasy, sci fi, and fairy tale adventures. The underlying themes relate to fragility, uncertainty, impermanence, the mysteries hidden in everyday life, a sense of discovery, escape, concealment, ennui, regret, loneliness, technology run amok, eerie vibes, irresponsible behavior, confusion, absurd situations, surrealism, modern fairy tales, story starters for young adults and reluctant readers, etc.

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Interview with Tony Rauch:

*I am personally a fan of short fiction, but I know some people haven't ventured into this realm much. What do you think is so appealing about short stories?

 I suppose every person has different feelings about this, and it is subjective, but for me the appeals are many, including -

- brevity - they don’t overload you with needless, overly bloated background info.
- experimentation – they can stretch the limits of fiction in form and subject matter.
- succinctness – they get to the point and can wrap things up quickly and neatly.
- volume – being able to experience a variety of adventures in a short period of time.

 *A short piece of fiction really puts the pressure on to deliver a full experience in a condensed package. Do you think it's harder to write short stories as opposed to those that are full novel length?

 Not for me, no. For me I think longer pieces would be harder – to keep that momentum and energy going, the pacing. I’m more of a sprinter, not a marathoner. With shorts, readers can fill in a lot of the details themselves if you paint with broad strokes. The minds eye of the reader can fill things in and flesh things out. I see shorts as being like dreams – sometimes you have to draw some of your own conclusions. In that regard some ambiguity is nice as leaving things out will get a reader thinking on their own about motivations or reasons for things.

 To me novels often have very contrived, soap opera twists and turns, whereas shorts usually focus on one single feeling or event. So that is easier for me to connect with – just focusing on a few things as opposed to trying to not be ‘all over the place’ with things.

 *Pure imagination is evident in all of your stories. Do you know where a story is going to take you when you get that first initial idea or are you kind of surprised yourself?

Sometimes. I try to get the endings first, then work backwards. But sometimes I get a flash of an idea, just a scene or snippet of dialog that I have to build a story around.

Sometimes I surprise myself in that I think a story is going one way and it sometimes ends up being something different – I may find that it works better a totally different way. But that’s part of the surprise and adventure of it - that point of discovery. But that’s what’s nice about short work – you can copy and paste and save, thus you can work on different variants of a story or theme.

Usually I try to have the entire story worked out in my mind or as an outline before bothering to type it up. If I can’t get something to work as fragments of notes, or if I can’t get excited about a vague idea, then it’s probably not worth my time to try to work out further.

Sometimes I’ll look at something months after it’s ‘finished’ and I’ll add some things to it to jazz it up more – an odd little detail here or there to punch up the weirdness and add more detail and depth. So re-visiting work after a long period of time seems to help me get out of the way of myself when bogged down in the initial writing process.

*I am going to assume that your brain is full of ideas and story inspirations considering how many short stories you currently have in Eyeballs Growing All Over Me...Again. How do you decide which ones to write first? Is it based on what you are most excited to write at that point? Or do you make a list and stick to it?

What I’m most excited about. And what is needed. When doing a story collection you need variety. The pieces can’t all be the same. So you need long, medium, short, and a few very short (flash) pieces. Then you need some dialog ones, some first person narratives, description ones, internal monologue ones, and hopefully a second or third person perspective one, etc. You also need some simple, straight forward pieces and a few more elaborate, complicated stories. You need a variety of forms and story types.

So in laying things out, often times good or interesting stories get bumped because they’re redundant to something else in the collection. To me it’s about balance and not being redundant. Then it’s about creating a rhythm to the manuscript as far as order of stories go.

So far coming up with ideas has not been a challenge for me, but that may change at some point. I’m sure eventually I’ll start to repeat myself, though I do already revisit some of the same themes as often I end up thinking of a different takes on them.

I usually have a lot of story notes and outlines saved up and I work on those, filling in the blanks. General ideas are easy, but getting them to work out as stories is the hard part. But the initial ideas seem to come pretty naturally for me.


*I love hearing where writers get there work done. Where can you most often be found writing? And what time of day do you find you are at your most creative?

Location = on my couch in my living room typing on my laptop on a TV stand. But a lot of my ideas just pop into my head throughout the day, so I guess a part of my brain is writing all day long.

Time = late at night. After 9pm. Friday or Saturday night after 11pm is best for me – everything is done (dishes, laundry, dog walked, lawn mowed, calls, emails, etc.) and no one is calling me. So that is the perfect time as my mind is free and clear then. The night feels like a blank slate, waiting to be filled.

Also when I’m on the bus or walking my dog, doing dishes, cleaning, or at the supermarket are good times to think about things and work things out as I have to be at those places or do those things anyway and it’s usually quiet, so why not get something else done too at the same time. That way I avoid wasting time with writer’s block in staring at a blank screen and getting worried about wasting precious time, because I’ve already thought about and worked some things out ahead of time.

So hopefully later in the day I have some ideas worked out, packed away, and ready to unravel.

*Do you think you will ever be able to write a story for all of your ideas? Or do they seem endless?

Hopefully the ideas are different, or different takes on them, and that no single story could encapsulate all my ideas or themes.

I believe I will run out of good ideas eventually and start to repeat the same themes, though every writer I suppose revisits themes as those are the issues they are most concerned about so they’ll probably want to devote a lot of thought and time to them.


*Who are some of your writing inspirations?

Anyone interesting, imaginative, and concise. Anyone who makes you think.
Mostly I like short stories as they get to the point quickly.
I like strange or absurd adventures that are well crafted and have a meaning to them, and sci fi as it offers ideas –

Older writers:
Donald Barthelme, J.D. Salinger, Richard Brautigan, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Charles Bukowski, Franz Kafka, Leonard Michaels (murderers), Jayne Anne Phillips, Robert Coover, Samuel Beckett, Antoine de Saint Exupery (the little prince), Dr. Seuss (cool illustrations), Roald Dahl, Steve Martin (cruel shoes), W.P. Kinsella (the alligator report), Jim Heynen (the man who kept cigars in his cap), Don Delillo.

Contemporary writers:

Barry Yourgrau, Mark Leyner, Adrienne Clasky (from the floodlands), Lydia Davis (Samuel Johnson is indignant), Etgar Keret, Stacey Richter, George Singleton, James Tate (Return to the city of white donkeys), Thom Jones, Italo Calvino, Stephen-Paul Martin, Will Self, Denis Johnson (Jesus’ son), David Gilbert (I shot the hairdresser), David Sedaris, Paul Di Filippo.

Bizarro authors:

D. Harlan Wilson, Andersen Prunty, Carlton Mellick.

Science fiction from the 40s, 50s, and 60s:

Rod Serling, L. Sprague De Camp, Ray Bradbury, Phillip K. Dick, Aurthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Charles Beaumont, Ursula K. Le Guin, etc.

So that’s a lot of influences I guess.


*What type of books do you most enjoying reading at the moment?

Biographies because truth is stranger than fiction.
As for fiction, I would recommend James Tate’s “Return to the city of white donkeys”. That book is all short prose-poems that act as little short stories.

But art and music also really inspires me. I guess art and music gets my mind thinking.


*What was your last book about?

A short story collection. Here is the blurb for that one -

"eyeballs growing all over me . . . again" is a 140 page short story collection of imaginative, whimsical, dreamy, absurd, surreal fantasy, sci fi, and fairy tale adventures. These fables will make great story starters for young adults and reluctant readers. Some of the pieces are absurdist or surreal adventures that hearken back to imaginative absurdism, sci-fi, and fantasy of the 1950s.

With themes of longing, discovery, secrets, escape, eeriness, surprises, and strange happenings in everyday life, readers will delight in these brief but wondrous adventures -

-  a man comes home to discover a Bigfoot-like creature watching his TV.
-  a giant robot pays a visit to a couple.
-  the new kid at school has some unusual toys to share.
-  an inventor creates an attractive robot in order to meet women.
-  a girl becomes so ill she has her head replaced with a goat head.
-  someone wakes to discover little eyes growing all over his body.
-  small, hairy creatures come looking to retrieve an object they had misplaced.
-  a boy finds an unusual pair of sunglasses in a field.

These short stories will give a reluctant reader a sense of accomplishment after reading.


*What is your next book about? When will it be out?

Another short story collection. I don’t know when EHP will release it, but soon – in the next few weeks/months I’m told. Here’s the blurb for that one -

 “as i floated in the jar “ is a short story collection of imaginative, whimsical, dreamy, absurd, surreal fantasy, sci fi, and fairy tale adventures. These fables will make great story starters for young adults and reluctant readers. Some of the pieces are absurdist or surreal adventures that hearken back to imaginative absurdism, sci-fi, and fantasy of the 1950s.

With themes of longing, discovery, secrets, escape, eeriness, surprises, and strange happenings in everyday life, readers will delight in these brief but wondrous adventures –

-  a lonely girl finds a small spaceship in the woods.
-  a stranger extracts a baby from a man waiting for the bus.
-  a farmer invents gadgets to fight off infiltrators leaking in from another dimension.
-  a jar falls from a passing wagon, spilling a strange liquid that turns a mud puddle into something else.
-  a gang travels into the past to escape a regression plague that slowly turns people back into primates.
-  strange creatures abduct a man and try to sell him to a different set of strange creatures.
-  a man gets a verbally abusive amorphous blob as a roommate.

These and other adventures await the adventurous reader

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Tony, thanks so much for taking the time to stop by and answer some questions!

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You can find out more about Tony's newest book "eyeballs growing all over me...again" on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads.

You can find out more about Tony Rauch and his books on his Blog.

Author Interview: Lorin Barber, Author of The Secret Life of Copernicus H. Stringfellow

I'm glad to have Author Lorin K. Barber here today for a little chat. He's the author of the unique book The Secret Life of Copernicus H. Stringfellow. I've asked him to answer a few questions, and he has willingly obliged :-)

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My Tower of Books: Before I ask any other questions, I need to know one thing. How did this story initially start in your head? What sparked the idea?

Lorin K. Barber: Prior to "The Secret Life" I had written three novels (all un-published and in their present state not deserving of it). I made a conscious effort to develop a character interesting and entertaining. I knew a person some years back that was somewhat Nickish. The name is something I think was crucial to me for the progression of the story in my mind. “Copernicus” of course connotes great intelligence. “Stringfellow”, I got while riding a bus. The company’s maintenance person of the year had his picture displayed along the wall/ceiling and was named Stringfellow. It was serendipitous. It exactly portrayed the tall skinny fellow I envisioned. The initial “H.” just sounded good.

My Tower of Books:  Do you personally like to eat twinkies? Do you find they aid in your writing process? :)

Lorin: I like Twinkies, but probably no more than the next guy. I heard it said in my youth that you could leave a Twinkie on the shelf for 400 years and it would still taste the same. I wanted something to enhance Nick’s powers so I figured why not make it the least likely edible, thus increasing the hilarity. My wife was the first to suggest that one couldn’t read the book without craving a Twinkie. Admittedly we’ve eaten many more during the process than ever before.

MToB: What do you think would happen if Nick were to come up against someone with equal mental powers, but without the good intentions that Nick himself has? What would the outcome be?

Lorin: If Nick came up against someone with equal intelligence but bad intentions, the outcome would be exactly what it will be when I get to that book in the series. I have 4 more books in mind. One is underway, but not that one.

MToB: I liked the message in the book about doing good things for others regardless of your station in life. How important was it to you for that to come through in your novel?

Lorin: Nick is a superhero. No superhero can be called such without an unflinching desire to do good.

MToB: The Secret Life of Copernicus H. Stringfellow ends on somewhat of a cliffhanger, if I do say so myself. When can we expect the follow-up novel?

Lorin: “The Secret Life” intentionally leaves the door open for more adventures. As to when the next one will be out, that depends on this one being successful enough to allow me to quit my day job.

MToB: This is a favorite question of mine. What is your favorite place to write? What setting really lets the creativity flow?

Lorin: I have a library room on the North side of my house. It gets no direct sunlight but the window opens on a shady area of 50 ft. cedar trees and smaller bushes. I like to sit using only the indirect light from outside. It is peaceful, beautiful and un-interrupted unless a deer happens by.

MToB: Besides writing, what do you love to spend your time doing?

Lorin: Aside from family time and reading, I play basketball, and pan for gold in the summer. Panning for gold is like fishing, even if you come home with nothing you’ve spent the day in a wild and beautiful location. (I never come home with much.)

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Lorin, thanks again for stopping by :-)

To find out more about Lorin's book "The Secret Life", check it out on Amazon, B&N or Goodreads.

To find out more about the author, connect with him on his Webpage or Twitter.

Author Interview: Almon Chu - The Last Three

I'm happy to have author Almon Chu here today. I recently reviewed his short novel, The Last Three. He was willing to answer a few questions that I had for him about his novel and about writing in general. Here we go!

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My Tower of Books: I was sad to see this book end. Why a short novel?

Almon: I never really planned on the length of the story. I generally just plan out a basic frame, fill the setting, and let the characters do the rest. The characters just happened to push things into a short novel length, as corny as that sounds.

MToB: The plot of The Last Three had a surreal kind of feeling to it, but felt very real at the same time. How much of the story is fiction versus non-fiction?

Almon: Overall it was a blend of non-fictional events and people laced together with fiction to produce a cohesive story. I could go on forever about what was based off of what. Though I must admit that it was a tad strange to write as the real-life events had occurred so long ago. It was kind of like a window into my past self.

MToB: In the story Jon kind of self-destructed, but I also felt like his friends let him down. Was there anything they could have done differently to reach out to him?

Almon: In the story I feel like it wasn't so much that Jon's friends let him down but that Jon refused to seek their help. Though I was actually tinkering with the idea of fleshing out the characters a little bit more, and letting Jon attempt to redeem himself through Rean. This would have created a longer story, probably closer to novel length. However I felt that it would dampen the story as a whole. I wanted Jon to be the sole reason for his self-destruction.

MToB: What kind of things inspire you to write? Do you see something special in the mundane?

Almon: I take inspiration from my day-to-day, just small things that spur random epiphany. I find the best stories to be grounded within the mundane, gives them a sort of relatable realism.

MToB: When you aren't creating stories, are there any other creative outlets that you enjoy?

Almon: Gaming and kick boxing are my main outlets, though I'm not entirely sure how creative you could deem them. Gaming is definitely the more dominant of the two. I dream of writing a story for a game one day.

MToB: What are you working on next?

Almon: I'm currently planning the spiritual sequel to The Last Three. I say spiritual because it won't feature (most) of the characters from The Last Three and the main character will be completely different. Overall I'm leaning more towards dark humour in this upcoming story, though that can all change when I actually start writing it.

Also in March I'm planning on working with a friend on a graphic novel with a zombie related story, though I assure you that the zombies will not be portrayed in any way that has already been done.

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Thanks again to Almon for taking the time to answer some questions. I look forward to your future projects!

Author Interview with Daniel Arenson

About the Author:
Born in 1980, Daniel Arenson is an author of fantasy fiction, from epic to dark and surreal.

He began his career writing short stories. He sold his first story, "Worms Believe in God", in 1998. Since then, dozens of his stories and poems have appeared in various magazines, among them Flesh & Blood, Chizine, and Orson Scott Card's Strong Verse.

Five Star Publishing, an imprint of Gale, published Arenson's fantasy novel Firefly Island in 2007. Since then, he's written the fantasy novels The Gods of Dream, Flaming Dove, Eye of the Wizard, and Blood of Requiem.

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My Tower of Books: I haven't read many books with dragons as the main characters. What gave you the idea to not just have dragons in your story, but humans that can shift into them for your Song of Dragons series?

Daniel: So many fantasy novels feature humans riding dragons. Those are fun stories, but I didn't want to just write another dragon rider book. So I decided... humans who can turn into dragons. I had never heard of anyone else writing this type of story. I'm sure it's been done before -- most ideas have been done -- but I still don't know of any similar books.

I think it makes the whole story more fun. If anything is better than riding a dragon, it's being able to turn into one at will.

MToB: I always have a favorite character in the books I'm reading. Did you have a character that you just loved writing? If so, which one?

Daniel: I enjoyed writing about all the characters. If I thought they were boring, I wouldn't write about them. That said, I think my favorites are the younger characters: Kyrie, Agnus Dei, and Gloriae. They each have distinct, strong personalities, and they were lots of fun to write. The adult characters in this book are serious, thoughtful, reflective; their children tend to be more outrageous.

MToB: Did you know when you started the first book, Blood of Requiem, that this would be a trilogy or did the story take on a life of it's own?

Daniel: The original idea was very different. At first, I wanted to write a story based on Mozart's Requiem. It would be similar to Disney's Fantasia -- an attempt to craft a story to classical composition. I had planned fourteen chapters, one for each movement of the Requiem. Each chapter would try to match the tone of its movement. I'd invite the reader to listen to the music as he or she read.

But... it didn't work. Readers wouldn't have access to the music. Or they wouldn't be able to synch the music with the appropriate chapters. It was all a bit too arty and pretentious.

So I scrapped that idea, and went back to square one. I already had some ideas I liked -- humans who can turn into dragons, warfare against griffins, and a story full of tragedy and love and death and adventure. I decided to rewrite this story as an epic fantasy series.

It was a strange evolution... but I think it worked out!

MToB: I know that some writers have a special spot or location they go to when they write. Do you have a specific place that you go when writing?

Daniel: I travel a lot. I'm often on the road. I write on trains, in coffee shops, at subway stations, and really anywhere I can pull out my netbook. Someday I'd love to have a quiet place and steady routine!

MToB: Writers aren't always writing. What are some other things you enjoy doing in your free time?

Daniel: Free what now?

Thanks to Daniel for doing this interview! It has been great learning more about your process.

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Check out my reviews for Blood of Requiem and Tears of Requiem in the Song of Dragons series. Find out more about Daniel Arenson on his webpage or Goodreads. Connect with him via Twitter and Facebook as well!

Author Interview with Debra L. Martin!

About the Author:

Science fiction and fantasy author who started writing with co-author, David W Small in 2006. Writing with a co-author is challenging in itself, but when 1 author lives on the East Coast and 1 lives on the West Coast, the challenges are a bit more daunting, but because we live in an electronic world of email, Instant Messenger and Skype, the partnership is totally workable. What makes the partnership even better is that David is my brother. We love the same types of books and that love naturally evolved into writing our own books.

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My Tower of Books: The plot of Quest for Nobility ties into the tales and legends of King Arthur. Have you always been interested in those tales?

Debra: Yes, I've loved the legends of King Arthur, Merlin and the Lady of the Lake since I was a teenager. My father gave me a copy of "Mists of Avalon" one year for my birthday and it's been one of my all time favorite books. I still have it on my bookshelf. I also enjoyed the "Once and Future King" and, of course, loved the movie, "Excalibur."

MToB: I think the first few pages in a book are very important, and your prologue grabbed my interest right from the start. How difficult is it for you to start writing those first pages?

Debra: The prologue went through many renditions both at the beginning of writing "Quest" and also when we finally finished the book. It was quite long to begin with and included a fight scene, but it was getting out of control. A prologue is supposed to give you a glimpse of what had come before, not retell the tale. In the end, we cut everything out except for a few pages.

MToB: Writing can be very difficult when there is only one person telling the story. Do you think writing with a partner makes it more difficult or is it helpful? maybe a little of both?

Debra: As authors know, it is hard work coming up with ideas for a new book, putting those ideas to paper and then editing those words into a book that is ready for public consumption. Having two authors trying to accomplish this takes extra effort and it means leaving egos at the door. Every idea must be vetted and our reasoning is “if you can’t justify why it should be included, out it goes.” We do extensive outlines for the world we are creating, the plot lines and the characters. We found out with our first book that it is imperative to do all this background work first. It certainly saves a lot of editing at the end.

Writing with Dave is an absolute pleasure and I'm always excited to receive chapters or edits from him. Having another opinion on a scene sometimes leads to fantastic new threads. Of course, we have to be careful to stay pretty close to the outline so all of the threads in the book come to a satisfying conclusion. I live on the East Coast, Dave lives on the West Coast and we both work full-time so we each must dedicate a portion of a day to writing. My best time to write is first thing in the morning and Dave likes to write at night. This schedule actually works out well because I can edit what Dave writes and he gets to read new lines most days. We don’t impose a word quota on each other; sometimes one of us writes a paragraph and the other finishes the rest of the chapter or we each write a few paragraphs. Because of our hectic schedules, it usually takes a year to finish a book. We are currently working on a new fantasy involving assassins, witches and the Stone of Prophesy. If all goes according to plan, we should finish this story by the end of 2011.

MToB: Your character, Avikar, is extremely unlikeable. Do you find it easier to make the reader dislike a character, or relate to them?

Debra: It was easy to write Avikar. He's a little weasel of a guy who wanted everything that didn't belong to him. I think readers can relate to characters like that. I think it is infinitely harder to have the reader relate to a hero/heroine. You want your main character to shine, but not in an unrealistic way. Giving Darius his dark brooding type personality brought him closer to being a teenager no matter what planet you're from.

MToB: This feels like a very traditional type fantasy novel . . . aside from it taking place on another planet. What gave you the idea to set your story on a different world?

Debra: Both Dave and I very much wanted to use PSI powers (empathy, telepathy and telekinetics). We wanted it to be part of the mainstream story and not a fluke for one or two people. It was easier to create the world of Otharia with these abilities inherent in most of the royals and also in many commoners as well.

MToB: The second volume, "The Crystal Facade", of your "Rule of Otharia" series, is already published. When can readers expect the third and final volume? Can you give us any hints about the plot line?

Debra: We plan to start outlining the third book, "The King's Last Word," as soon as we finish with our current project. It is another fantasy, "Assassin's Curse," which should be published in January 2012. After that is published, we will start outlining "King." This is the culmination of the storyline between Janus Vogdo and the Telkur twins, Darius and Dyla Telkur. Every duchy on Otharia will have to take sides in the war to come and not everyone will survive. How's that? Is that enough of a hint for now? Dave and I are excited to start on "The King's Last Word," in the new year and hope to have it published late in 2012.

Jackie, thank you very much for hosting me on your blog. Opportunities to introduce your readers to our books are always greatly appreciated.

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Thanks, Debra! It's been great working with you!

You can find out more about Debra and her co-author, David, on their Blog and Amazon. Or you can connect on Twitter or Facebook.

Interview with Author of Suspense: Jason Letts

About the Author:
Jason Letts is an author of young-adult fiction. In addition to Suspense, the first book in The Spencer Nye Trilogy, he has written the Inevitable Trilogy and the Powerless series. Outside of writing, he cultivates diverse interests in such fields as distance running, cooking, traveling, fortune telling, hiking, kayaking, and competitive napping.

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My Tower of Books: I know that story ideas can come out of some pretty random thoughts and circumstances. What inspired the idea for your novel, Suspense?

Jason: I've been reading so many stories where there is some evil empire oppressing the characters of a book, and it got me thinking about what a story would be like where there was absolutely no pressure like that. In the future world of Suspense, people are free to do whatever they like all the time, and most of them live very peaceful lives. Spencer doesn't, and so everything you read about her in the book is something she consciously wanted to have and makes a statement about her. That it's a darker,action-packed book is all the result of her decisions, not any kind of tyrannical government begging for people to overthrow it.

MToB: The characters in your book are always in touch with Connect. How often do you check your own social networks?

Jason: Waaaay too often. Doing stuff like this is part of my job, and getting out there and talking about books is something I love doing anyway, but it was easy to imagine that part taking over to the point where people couldn't imagine living without them. I'll admit that I'm not much of a phone person though, so when I'm out and about I rarely take it with me.

MToB: If you could step into the shoes of one of your characters from Suspense, who would it be?

Jason: Good question, and a difficult one to answer, because I can relate to a lot of the struggles that the characters go through. Spencer just has a fundamental disgust with a lot of how her world works, but when she gets her chance to change it she really can't think clearly about whether or not things would be better. Jetta and her desire to overcome her body and find a way to eliminate its weakness. Cleary and the difference between acting and being real.

MToB: Most writers are also avid readers. Was there a particular book or author that inspired or influenced your writing?

Jason: I have been on a serious Dystopian jag for a while now, going back to classics like 1984 and more recent ones like Divergent and Enclave. I think it's possible to take inspiration from any kind of fiction though. Right now I'm reading George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series, which is epic fantasy told from multiple viewpoints. It's very elaborate and completely compelling.

MToB: Do you listen to music while you're writing or do you prefer silence?

Jason: I'm actually someone who doesn't listen to music while writing, mostly because it would distract me from focusing on what I'm seeing in my head, but I do listen to a lot of music when I'm brainstorming either on the couch or out running. For Suspense, I got into a really good vibe with a Japanese artist named Tommy Heavenly6 and an anime (I never watched anime while I was living in Japan) called Gintama. If you are feeling a bit adventurous, you can check out this and this video. Bizarre, huh?

Thanks so much to Jackie for giving me this space! I hope your blog continues to be successful and you keep finding plenty of great books to read!

Suspense, the first book in my new YA (16+) Dystopian trilogy can be found at Amazon, BN, itunes, and Smashwords

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Thank you, Jason, for participating and for adding your own touch to things with Casting Call. I loved reading Suspense, and it was great working with you!

Author Interview with Kate Fuentes

I had originally planned on having this interview up yesterday...but my teething baby had other plans for me the last few days! Better late than never, right? Enjoy!

1. At what point did you realize that this story you were writing was something you wanted to pursue more seriously?
By the time I had passed the 10,000 word mark, I realized this may be more than just a "bedtime story" and quickly grew into a "project". I had always felt at ease and rejuvenated after writing short stories or the occasional poem, but I only dreamed about writing a novel and did not pursue the dream until my children inspired me to do so. I owe my husband and children endless gratitude for starting the flame once again and encouraging me to continue.

2. As a mother, what challenges did you face while writing this book?
I work a full time 8-5 job during the week and as most moms know the work doesn't stop at 5:00 p.m. I found that most of my writing took place after the kids went to bed and before I could no longer keep my eyes open. My family was quite supportive of my late night scribblings and keyboard clicking throughout the entire process, thank goodness we have a downstairs office! I began to carry a notebook everywhere I went to write down any ideas or paragraphs I brewed up at the most inopportune times (soccer practice, church, baseball games, etc), so that I would be able to transfer those ideas to my computer once I got home. I also kept the writing a secret from our extended family until I knew this was something concrete and wasn't just a phase I was going through. My husband and kids were sworn to secrecy until the day before the book was released. What a relief to finally tell everyone! In the end, I am grateful I began this journey and look forward to where the road might take me.

3. Are any of the characters in Elements fashioned after people in your own life?
The two main characters are almost identical to my children with the exception that they are not twins. The way I described their features, their character, likes, dislikes, down to their favorite foods. I did so because originally this was supposed to be "their" bedtime story, not a novel. My youngest gets a kick out of seeing his name in a book, but the oldest is mad I didn't use his given name. I have vowed to rectify that situation in one of the other series! I did dedicate the book to them and used their given names, at least that eased some of the tension! Whew!

4. What would you tell others that are wanting to pursue a writing career?
I have come across a couple of people that have expressed their desire to become a writer and/or author. I wholeheartedly support their willingness to put themselves on the line and out in the open. It is a wonderful thing to be able to curl up on a couch and get lost inside a good book. If you are the writer it doubles as therepy! For me personally, I love to broaden the scope of imagination and see how far my mind can stretch the realm of fantasy. The unfortunate, but small side effect of writing is making yourself so vulnerable to criticism and negative responses. My advise to aspiring authors would be to take the negative comments with a grain of salt and pat themselves on the back for the courage to write what is in their heart and stand behind your work proudly. Think about all the great authors we can benefit from and who inspire future authors to continue the legacy. What if they decided against pursuing their dreams? What a tragedy! Behind every critic is two die hard fans who will no doubt be looking forward to your next book, even if those fans are family or friends, you can hold your head high and proclaim yourself an author!

5. Writing aside, what are some of your other interests or hobbies?
I enjoy spending any spare time I can with my family doing the things we love to do such as taking a road trip, playing sports, going camping or taking in a movie. I also like to bake and dabble a bit with photography from time to time.

Thanks again to Kate for doing this interview! I love to see how moms, dads and really anyone can fit writing into their lives. If you love doing it you will make time for it!