On the Spotlight: THE HERETIC, by Andrew Feder

The Book…

Women flock adoringly to him. Men fear his battlefield prowess. He believes in a monotheistic, infinite God and he’s the best friend of the most powerful man in the world. However, in his time, he was considered not only a hero, but a heretic as well. Meet Aias, the unsung hero behind Alexander the Great, in Andrew Feder’s gripping new novel, “The Heretic.”

“The Heretic” is both a thrilling mystery adventure and a powerful cultural commentary, because though Feder’s fictional war hero Aias’ religious and sexual practices would be typical today, in ancient Greece, where polytheism and alternative lifestyles were the prominent cultural mores, he was considered an outright heretic. This thought-provoking novel whisks readers back in time with an intriguing story of war and romance, but it actually begins set in a futuristic America.

“The Heretic” is the sequel to Feder’s first novel, “When Angels Have Risen” starring post-modern American Senator Jerry Fletcher. Following some bizarre dreams and an unsettling experience at a Los Angeles museum, Fletcher decides to see a psychic and go under a regression to tap into his past lives. Aias’ story is told through Fletcher’s regression, when he experiences his past life as the Greek war hero.

Aias was Alexander the Great’s mentor and friend, and a key ingredient to his famous military successes. Thanks to Aias’ formidable battle tactics, his enemies nicknamed him The Decapitator. After Alexander’s army enters Egypt, Aias falls in love with an Egyptian high priestess, who shares many of his counter-culture viewpoints and opens his eyes to the secret truth behind the Egyptian sciences and discoveries.

Filled with incredible historical details about one of the most illustrious military campaigns in history, sizzling romance and mystical themes, “The Heretic” is a provocative novel sure to spice up the day of any historical fiction fan.

The Author…

On a sunny spring morning, when the birds were chirping and singing, he was born in Hollywood, California, looking like a cross between a Nordic and Asian baby. His father would later sarcastically say that he was adopted from Korea just after the war (like he was a war baby).

He grew up in a typical dysfunctional Jewish family in San Fernando Valley, a suburb of Los Angeles.

He later studied at San Diego State University.

He then went for one year to the University of Haifa in Israel where he lived on a kibbutz and met his ex-wife (he has three children from this marriage). He completed his studies at UC Davis in Viticulture and Enology.

Having lived several lives in one, during the eighties he lived in Israel first for a short period in a settlement on the West Bank and later on a Moshav near Haifa for six years as a grape farmer. There in Israel, he studied Kabbalah (jewish Mystics) under guidance of the renowned holy man known as “The Mo’ah.” During his religious studies, he was quite pious as an orthodox observant Jew.

After returning to the United States, for the next ten years, he was a contractor and owner of a construction company. Shortly after his return he continued his studies of Kabbalah and metaphysics under the guidance of renowned psychic, mystic and healer, Janeau St. Clair and her husband, Elliot Atlas.

In the nineties, he drove a cab and a limo during hiatus while working as an Assistant Director in the film industry.

At the end of the nineties, he moved to Las Vegas from Los Angeles which, for one year, he was (and hates to admit it) a “damn” telemarketer selling long distance, and for the past eight years he’s been a graphic artist.

During his college years, he wrote several editorials and short stories. Much later, during the so-called mid-life crisis, he evolved in his development to include writing both novels and poems along with subsequent screenplays.

He is also the host of the radio show “When Pigs Fly” on BBSradio.com.

He is the author of the novel, “When the Angels Have Risen” which you can check out at his site at www.andrewfeder.com. He is also the author of the novel, “The Heretic,” which you can check out at his site at www.andrewtheheretic.com.

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THE HERETIC VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR ‘08 will officially began on May 1, 2008 and will continue all month. If you would like to follow Andrew’s tour in progress, visit http://www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/ in May. Leave a comment on his blog stops and become eligible to win a free copy at the end of his tour! One lucky winner will be announced on this tour page on May 30!

Interview with Karen Harrington, author of Janeology

Karen Harrington's novel, Janeology, is a controversial work about a man trying to understand why his wife suddenly snapped and drowned their toddler son. This psychological thriller was just released by Kunati Books. In the short time Kunati has been on the publishing scene, it has become known as a company with a taste for controversial subjects. In this interview, Karen talks about her inspiration for the book, her writing habits, and a few other things of interest to writers.

When did you decide you wanted to become an author? Do you have another job besides writing?

It was a dark and stormy night. No? Well, I wish it had been. It wasn’t that mysterious when I decided to write. I really can’t remember a time when I wasn’t writing stories or making up plays with my siblings. And I’ve always been fortunate to write for a living. Most of my corporate gigs – from receptionist to speechwriter – involved lots of written communications. Besides writing, I am a full-time domestic diva.

Tell us a bit about your latest book, and what inspired you to write such a story.

Janeology is about one man’s struggle to understand why his wife Jane suddenly snapped and drowned their toddler son. The story revolves around Jane’s genetic inheritance and nature and nurture in a search for clues about who she really is.

Two things really jumpstarted the writing of Janeology. First, I have a passion for genealogy, mostly because I never knew any of my grandparents. I had their pictures and many of their belongings. All my life, I looked at these things and thought, “What if these pictures could talk? What if this necklace could tell me something about my grandmother?” So I wanted to write about a character from the perspective of her genealogy.

And second, as a new mother myself, I wondered how mothers of previous generations handled the everyday stresses of caretaking. At the same time, I could not ignore the headlines about mothers who kill. What would make a mother take the life of her own child? This question wouldn’t let go of me. I wrote this book, in part, because it seems to me that this grim story is a recurring issue in American society today. Thus, Janeology is a cautionary tale about one man achieving an understanding about his wife, despite it being too late to reverse her deeds.

How would you describe your creative process while writing this book? Was it stream-of-consciousness writing, or did you first write an outline?

I first wrote a short story about Jane at the age of nine. I wanted to be a “fly on the wall” to a pivotal day in her childhood that altered the course of her life. After writing that story, I decided to write about her as an adult. Then, I began wondering about Jane’s mother and father and so on. Before long, I had a string of stories about her ancestors that really formed the first draft of the book.

From the moment you conceived the idea for the story, to the published book, how long did it take?

The process took several years, mainly because I had two other productions working (read: I had two children) during the time I was writing Janeology.

Describe your working environment.

I’m very fortunate in many ways, not the least of which includes the fact that my study overlooks our pool. I have a huge window facing the water and a replica of the Bird Girl statue (the memorable figure from the movie Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil) looking back at me. It’s a wonderful view. I come into this room every morning, open the windows and listen to the fountains run while I’m working. And inside my office, I have pictures of all the places I’ve traveled or would like to travel to. Travel is my motivator.

Are you a disciplined writer?

I think I am. I was a speechwriter for most of my 9 to 5 career. That role requires that you sit down and leap into the page within minutes. I was always writing on deadline. I think that experience was a God-send for a fiction writer. I don’t have a writing schedule now, but when I sit down to write, I can.

Have you ever suffered from writer’s block? What seems to work for unleashing your creativity?

No. I don’t really believe in writer’s block. I think it’s writer’s fear – fear of being perfect. Sometimes I wish I suffered from perfection. Writer’s I know who are perfectionists are spectacular when they write, but sometimes limited in what they produce. If I have something I want to write about, I can’t wait to get it on the page. I subscribe to the advice my writing professor told me. Use the BIC method. Bum In Chair. You can always write a sentence or two if you are in your writing chair.

Do you have a website/blog where readers may learn more about you and your work?

Yes, I would love for everyone to stop by www.karenharringtonbooks.com to say hello, read an excerpt of Janeology, read my blog or view the haunting trailer for the book. Let me know what you think!

Thanks for stopping by! It was a pleasure to have you here!

Interview with Rhonda Parrish, Editor/Founder of Niteblade Magazine

Today on the Dark Phantom Review is Rhonda Parrish, editor and founder of the new horror ezine, Niteblade. Tell us a bit about Niteblade. When and how did it get started?

Niteblade is quite new, the June issue will be the fourth one out. I started Niteblade in May of 2007. I’d heard people claim that fantasy and horror were dying genres and I wanted to prove that wrong – I also wanted to see what it felt like to be on the other side of the submission process. Boy, it’s been eye-opening.

What type of horror fiction do you consider? Are you open to submissions?

I am open to submissions year round except the months of November and May which I take off to catch up on my slush pile and participate in writing challenges and I consider any type of horror stories.

If you could narrow down to three the elements that make a great horror story, what would those be?

I think characters are key. You need to have engaging characters that feel real, or it doesn’t matter what happens, I, as a reader, am not going to care because I’m not going to believe it. That’s the second key thing, I think, suspending disbelief. It’s vital that the story flow and not have typos or anything else that will jar me out of it. Once my attention is lost for even a second, the story has to work to get me re-engaged. Sad but true. I think the third element needed for a horror story is, of course, horror. It doesn’t need to be of the blood and guts variety, but there needs to be something horrific in the story…or else why would it be called a horror story?

What are the most common flaws you encounter when reading submissions.

The most common, and most irritating flaw I find when reading submissions is that people have obviously not read the submissions guidelines. Things like addressing me as ’sir’ or miss-spelling the name of the magazine just don’t put me in a happy-bunny mood, which doesn’t really work in the submitter’s favour, oddly enough. Other than that, I see quite a few typos in submissions, which doesn’t irritate me but does make me wonder if I’m reading a first draft or a polished copy.

Do you review horror books? If yes, how may authors interested in a review by Niteblade submit their books?

Niteblade reviews two books per issue – one fantasy and one horror. If an author would like a review of their book by a Niteblade reviewer, they need only drop me an email at Rhonda at jofigure dot com and I’ll get back to them. Because we only have two slots it can sometimes take more than four months for a review to appear in the magazine, so it’s best to contact me sooner rather than later.

There are so many horror sub-genres—cutting edge, dark fantasy, extreme, supernatural, quiet, psychological, etc.. Do you think some have higher literary value than others? Which one do you think is more popular at the moment?

Phrases like ‘higher literary value’ tend to irritate me. I don’t think it’s up to anyone to judge the merit of one genre (or sub-genre) over another. My sincere and honest opinion is that anything which encourages people to read is a good thing. I volunteer in a grade two classroom one day a week and I see enough reluctant readers that I can’t possibly imagine telling someone what they are reading is inferior or has ‘lesser literary value’ than something else whether they are an adult or a child.

As for what is popular, it seems to me that gross-out horror has peeked recently, though that seems to be slightly less popular than it was a couple years ago. It will be interesting to see what sub-genre moves in to fill it’s place for the next couple years.

Do you think the horror fiction market has declined, reached a plateau, or is still climbing?

Honestly? I have no idea. I know Niteblade gets enough traffic and has enough readers to convince me that the horror fiction market is not declining, but whether it’s hit a plateau or is still climbing is beyond my ability to answer intelligibly.

How hard is it to market and promote a small horror publication like Niteblade when faced with the competition?

I’ve found that my “competition” is one of the greatest resources Niteblade has when it comes to marketing and promotion. I’ve made friends with several small press editors and we exchange links, ideas and traffic with one another. It’s wonderful.

Could you tell us about the advertising and promotional opportunities Niteblade offers authors?

Right now I’m primarily using Project Wonderful to host ads on Niteblade. Through them advertisers can buy ad space for as little as one cent a day, or, if you’re lucky, you can even get free advertisements. Of course, the links aren’t hard-coded and they aren’t permanent so it’s not great for search engine optimization, so I also offer hard-coded permanent ad slots for sale at http://www.niteblade.com/advertise.htm

What is the scariest book you’ve ever read?

Truthfully I find non-fiction far scarier than any fictional story I’ve ever read.

Which authors, in your opinion, will be remembered as the best horror writers of the 20th Century?

This is an impossible question for me to answer. I respect and admire so many writers work – big name and small. If I were to start listing people I thought would be the best horror writers of the 20th century the list would be immense, or else I’d forget someone and feel horribly about it forever after.

Guessing who history might remember as the best horror writers is even more difficult. I’m scared to even guess. Truly.

On the Spotlight: Karen Harrington, author of Janeology

The Author:
Karen Harrington is a Texas native who has been writing fiction for more than twenty years. Her writing has received honors from the Hemingway Short Story Festival, the Texas Film Institute Screenplay Contest and the Writers’ Digest National Script Contest. A graduate of the University of Texas at Dallas, she has worked as a speechwriter and editor for major corporations and non-profit organizations.

She authored and published There’s a Dog in the Doorway, a children’s book created expressly for the Dr. Laura Schlessinger Foundation’s “My Stuff Bags.” My Stuff bags go to children in need who must leave their home due to abuse, neglect or abandonment.

She lives in Plano, Texas, with her husband and two children.

You can visit her website.

The Book:

Tom Nelson is struggling after the death of his son at the hands of his wife Jane. While Jane sits in a Texas mental hospital for her part in the crime, prosecutors turn their focus to Tom. They believe Tom should have known Jane was on the cusp of a breakdown and protected his children from her illness. As a result, he is charged with “failure to protect.” Enter attorney, Dave Frontella, who employs a radical defense strategy – one that lays the blame at the feet of Jane’s nature and nurture. To gather evidence about Jane’s forbears, Frontella hires a woman with the power of retrocognition – the ability to use a person’s belongings to re-create their past. An unforgettable journey through the troubled minds and souls of Jane’s ancestors, spanning decades and continents, this debut novel deftly illustrates the ways nature and nurture weave the fabric of one woman’s life, and renders a portrait of one man left in its tragic wake.

Read the excerpt:

PROLOGUE

I stared at my attorney as he began his defense that I did not share the blame in the murder of my son. That I was not neglectful in leaving my two children in the care of my wife Jane, who drowned my two-and-a-half-year old boy.

Dave strode his six-foot-three frame across the room as he launched into his opening argument.

I had read that you are supposed to make yourself appear larger when threatened by an animal in the wild. Apparently, Dave believed this posture was helpful in the courtroom too because he stretched the expanse of his arms as he began speaking in a low voice, the kind of voice that beckons its listeners to lean forward, lest they miss something. His tone ramped up as he declared my innocence and stared at the prosecution’s table, allowing time for the pregnant pause. He walked a few steps toward me. The jurors’ faces were pinned to him and even the courtroom sketch artist looked up from her pad.

When the silence had passed, I knew he was about to make the suggestion that gave me unease, and with any luck, would give the jurors reasonable doubt. That Jane’s genetic hard wiring might have been the chief culprit in her murderous actions.

“But, fellow taxpayers,” he said. “the prosecution wants you to believe that my client bears partial responsibility for the commission of a crime at which he was not even present. That he should have been paranoid because his wife was depressed after a miscarriage. That he should have assumed her depression would lead to violence. Well, if that is a crime, then this whole courtroom is at risk of being tried. Millions of American parents take antidepressants. Millions seek counseling for any number of reasons. Should we call child protective services right now and rip the children away from those parents?”

Here Dave paused long for effect, and I found myself waiting to breathe. I noticed a young female juror glance at Dave and smile. It probably didn’t hurt my defense that he was so good-looking. It’s not that I am unattractive. I’m tall, fit, green-eyed and still have all my hair. But cast us together in a movie and Dave Frontella is James Bond and I’m Man in elevator #2.

Dave stopped in front of the jury box and rested his hand on the polished wood. “Don’t you think Tom Nelson wishes he had perfect understanding of his wife? That he has spent countless hours reviewing all he knew about the wife he loved in search of some tell-tale sign? Don’t you think he would trade his own life to have his son’s restored? For himself and the sake of his son’s twin sister, now left without a brother and for all intents and purposes, a mother?”

So he was going to use the rhetorical question as a persuasive technique. It would only work, I knew, if the majority of the jurors possessed a sense of irony. And from their stony faces, I could not be sure whether they sized me up as a whiny victim or a simple cad.

“The real tragedy here,” Dave said, “is that Jane grew up in an abusive situation, raised by a parent who grew up in an abusive situation. Her children were in greater jeopardy because of her genetic inheritance than from her husband’s lack of psychic powers. Yet, would you blame her ancestors for the death of Simon Nelson? If it sounds bizarre, that’s because it is.”

His emotional staging complete, I took a drink of water and looked thoughtfully at the jury box, focused on no one in particular. It was enough though. It rendered me able to endure the remainder of the prosecutor’s nonchalant disclosure of what I had come to call the “other” Jane.

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Buy from Amazon.
JANEOLOGY VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR ‘08 began on May 1, 2008 and will continue all month. If you would like to follow Karen’s tour, visit Virtual Book Tours in May. Leave a comment on her blog stops and become eligible to win a free copy at the end of her tour!

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Karen Harrington’s virtual book tour is brought to you by Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours and choreographed by Dorothy Thompson.

On the Spotlight: Gabriella Goddard, author of GULP!

Author’s Bio:
Gabriella Goddard is a seasoned Success & Leadership Coach, an international speaker and the author of an inspirational range of self-help books, audio books and movie clips including:

• Gulp!: the seven-day crash course to master fear and break through any challenge
• Power Up Brand YOU
• 10 Ways to Fast Track Your Career
• “Remember” Video Clip

As a highly successful international marketing director Gabriella enjoyed an 18 year career spanning the globe including working in Mexico, Brazil, Japan, UK, France and New Zealand for companies like A.C. Nielsen and MCI/Worldcom. She thought her life was on track until one day a big change was forced upon her. The dot.com bubble burst and the start-up broadband company she worked for went bankrupt.

Overnight she was left without a job, an income and all the symbols of success that go with being a high flyer, including the expense account, swanky leather chair and big corner office.

This twist of fate was shortly followed by the devastating experience of a breast cancer scare. It forced Gabriella to take stock of her priorities and re-evaluate what was truly important in her life.

And that’s when she realized that the ladder she’d been so enthusiastically climbing had been leaning against the wrong wall!

She realized that true success comes from within. It comes from unlocking the innate talents and gifts we all have and allowing them to simply shine through. It comes from choosing to live our greatest life, one full of potential and possibility, rather than mediocrity. And it comes from knowing that we can make a difference, in our special own way.

So in 2001 Gabriella started Goddard International Ltd, a leadership development company dedicated to helping people to “leapfrog” to a completely new level of self awareness, professional growth and personal success by making fundament shifts in how they think, what they feel and what they do.

All it takes is a strong dose of inner clarity, vision, commitment and self belief. And Gabriella’s books, movie clips, coaching services and speaking topics are all aimed at catalyzing this shift.

Originally from New Zealand, Gabriella now lives a free spirited lifestyle with bases in London, New York and Spain.

Blurb:

“The book that could transform your life in one week.”

When you face a big change in your life…do you step back, or leap forward?

Most of us are scared of change. So when a cry for change is calling up from deep inside us, we tend to ignore it.

When change is thrust upon us by outside circumstances, we try to deny it.

We would rather have things stay the same. It’s easier that way.

But is it?

The trouble is, when we ignore and deny the natural flow of change in our lives, we rob ourselves of our capacity to grow and enjoy a more exciting and rewarding future.

Maybe you want to make a big career change or start your own business? Or maybe you dream of writing a book or learning the art of public speaking? Or maybe you feel the pull of adventure to trek Machu Picchu or work in an African orphanage? Or maybe you want to start dating again, get married, start a family or “find yourself” after the kids have left home. And maybe it’s simply time to be more confident, stand up to others and follow your own path in life.

Gulp! is the essential practical everyday guide designed to inspire real people to make real changes in their life. It provides a seven-day process that shows you how to turn your “gulp” moments of change, into opportunities for success.

Gabriella takes you by the hand and coaches you through:

• Recognizing the pivot points in your life that open the way to change
• Using your imagination to shatter the status quo - and do the things you never thought were possible
• Understanding the fear triggers – and the strategies to disarm them
• Cultivating the calm, well-being, and energy to overcome any challenge
• Turning off the naysayers, doubters, and those who hold you back

But most of all she will motivate you to STOP making excuses and START taking action – right NOW!

She’ll walk you through the step by step process and share real-life examples of how other people have faced and dealt with their own Gulp! moments.

Their stories are truly inspirational and show us all how to massively extend the boundaries of what we consider “possible” in our own lives.

Read my interview with Gabriella at Blogcritics.

On the Spotlight: R. Leigh, Author of The Winds of Asharra

R. Leigh’s novel, The Winds of Asharra, combines elements of fantasy, romance, mysticism, and philosophy. In this interview, the author talks about her inspiration for the book, the creative process, and her writing habits, among other things. Most interestingly, she stresses the importance of a writer’s working environment.

Were you an avid reader as a child? What types of books did you enjoy reading?

Growing up. I read anything and everything, so favorites were changed as frequently as socks, making it difficult to answer. My favorite authors were really more like a variety of appetizers before a meal. My preferences for them would shift depending on my appetite or mood. One day, it might be the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs if my pulp adventure sweet tooth was calling me. The next day, I might be craving something inspiring like Lost Horizon by James Hilton. In general though, even with such a smorgasbord, my tastes ran toward the hopeful, the noble or the larger than life in the fantasy or science fiction genres. That having been said, it’s not surprising I ended up with a focus on the positive, mystical, fantasy and philosophical elements and attempted to create my own literary delicacy that included all of these ingredients.

Tell us a bit about your latest book, and what inspired you to write such a story.

My current novel is called The Winds of Asharra and it is a 600 page opus that is a bit difficult to classify. It has more than enough fantasy elements (intelligent trees, evolved felines, musical dragons, etc.) to be considered a fantasy, but enough raw sizzle to be seen as a romance (with multiple happy couples by the end). It also spends considerable time outlining a complicated yet positive alien philosophy and culture. Yet, apart from all of those elements, it is a journey of self discovery really, both for the characters, certainly for myself and perhaps for the readers as well. As far as inspiration goes, I spent many years studying a variety of diverse cultures, religions and societies. Frequently, I would rejoice over the discovery of some little “nugget” of wisdom or example that people could really be in harmony with their world and be happy. However, the more tidbits I amassed, the more I felt ultimately unsatisfied, since the result was a crazy patchwork that didn’t quite fit together.

Asharra changed all that. This strange and sensual alien world, seen through the eyes of two American teenagers suddenly transported there, was my backdrop to explore the concepts of a better and more natural way of life. The term “Asharra” to the native Asharrans means “the home around us” and applies to their planet and every living thing on it. They believe you don’t even have to be born there to be Asharran, so long as you are natural and “true” (in their terms). Thus, when one native Asharran tells the two main characters (from Earth), “welcome home,” it is because Asharra is simply the home they have never seen yet. I suppose then, my inspiration for WOA was an idealistic dream of a better world and a better way of living.

How would you describe your creative process while writing this book? Was it stream-of-consciousness writing, or did you first write an outline?

It was definitely a stream of consciousness. Ten years prior to writing The Winds of Asharra, I had written a science-fiction book (now out of print) called 3 Passports to Paradise. That experience was the exact opposite of this one. I created the world, the plot and the characters in that previous work, by the proverbial book, taking all of the necessary steps that authors are told they should make. With The Winds of Asharra, it was the reverse. The words flew from my head so rapidly that my fingers could not keep up at the keyboard. I suppose you could say that the overall tone or setting for this book took ten years to subconsciously percolate inside my brain, but regardless, when I ultimately sat down to write it, I was surprised how easily the characters, the setting and the concepts flowed.

Describe your working environment.

I am very influenced by environmental factors, so surrounding myself in a “special” writing space is of paramount importance. Since The Winds of Asharra is set in a fantasy environment where things are larger than life, my writing atmosphere had to match. I painted my study a deep reddish purple, adorned it with dark blue drapes and started looking for posters of dragons or at least ethereal landscapes. There was always some mystical music playing in the background (David Arkenstone, Himekami, Enya or even Yanni) during the actual writing process. As the novel took shape, I even managed to acquire some life-sized props (large crystals for example) which are central to the story, to help “transport” me to my novel’s setting. It may not be the most conventional way to work, but it has been a greatly enjoyable technique.

Are you a disciplined writer?

Given the creation of this warm and cozy atmosphere (my writing study) that I just described, the subject of discipline was minimized for me since the atmosphere was so inviting. Naturally, the fact that I had 600 pages of nagging itch inside my brain coaxing me to allow those characters to “come out and play” was also a central factor. I did not have to laboriously set aside a specific amount of time or a specific amount of pages or words each day. Instead, I willingly found myself drawn into that world (or as close as I could come) and instead, had to remind myself to take lunch/dinner breaks, much to the amusement of my spouse.

What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

Many writers quote the famous line “write what you know” as their personal mantra and favorite advise to pass along to others. I would have to tweak this and change its entire meaning. For me, it’s not a case of “write what you know” but rather “write what you feel.” If your work is truly to be a vibrant, living reflection of your inner passions and thoughts, it must be filled with your feelings, even more than your thoughts. Every one of the characters in WOA is someone (or something) with whom I can identify in some way, even if some of them are not even human! For me, caring about the characters is central and identifying with some aspect of them or their situations is central in the enjoyment of the writing (and hopefully the reading) process.

What type of book promotion seems to work the best for you?

At this point, it is difficult to say, since I am literally sampling many of the various methods simultaneously. It is certainly enjoyable for me to be interviewed or post on blogs since I hope that my own enthusiasm comes through. At the same time, I’ve been experimenting with book trailers, banner advertisements and even had some fun with some online chats and newsletters.

I’ve also taken the unusual step of actually offering an e-book of the Winds of Asharra totally free on our website. Naturally, we’re hoping that the readers will sample it (it is 600 pages long) and ultimately “upgrade” to the paperback or hardback editions, but for us, it’s about sharing this fantasy world and the inspiring story of the main characters. If readers agree, they will determine if it is worth parting with their dollars. Naturally, it’s available at the major online channels like Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Anything else you’d like to say about yourself or your work?

Many authors loudly proclaim that their latest book is for everyone. We would like to add a caveat to that. While WOA is indeed designed for fantasy fans, romance fans and even New Age philosophy fans, it is definitely NOT for everyone. It’s not often you hear an author admit that. While we are very proud of the adventure and the humor we injected into the 600 page opus, (centering on the journey of Victor and Ionera, two earth teenagers, who arrive on this world of the purple sky) we must make one point clear. Since Asharra is a very natural and sensual place, The Winds of Asharra is definitely not for a pre-teen audience. We certainly hope that any Hogworts graduate of the Harry Potter books will explore the world of Asharra, but they must be of legal age. The excitement in WOA comes not only from the adventures but also from the sizzle between some of the characters. The joy of creating a crossover product is that it can include a much wider audience than just a single genre. However, we feel it is our responsibility to also point out the proverbial flip side, when an audience segment (in this case pre-teens) should be excluded. While we’re hoping that many readers will be “carried along” by the Winds of Asharra, we want to make certain that it finds the appropriate audience.

Do you have a website/blog where readers may learn more about you and your work?

Sure. We’re located at thewindsofasharra.com.

Book Review: BLACK MAGIC WOMAN, by Justin Gustainis

Black Magic Woman
by Justin Gustainis
ISBN: 9781844165414
Solaris Books
Trade Paperback, 336 pages
Paranormal Thriller

Author’s website: www.justingustainis.com

Quincey Morris isn’t your typical private investigator. For one thing, he happens to be a straight descendant of Bram Stoker’s Quincey Morris. He also specializes in supernatural cases involving vampires, werewolves, succubis, and other terrifying beings.

In this first book in the series, Quincey is called to help a family who is being tormented by, supposedly, a ghost. On closer inspection, however, it becomes evident that a simple ghost isn’t the culprit, and that darker, more sinister and eminently dangerous forces are at work: a powerful curse dating back to the time of the infamous Salem witch trials. Together with his partner Libby Chastain, who happens to be a white witch, Quincey sets out to undo the curse in order to save the tormented family. The investigation takes them to Boston, San Francisco, New Orleans and New York as they try to discover the identity of the black witch who is the root of all the problems. At the same time, innocent children are being abducted for utterly despicable reasons. Are their killings related to the curse? Will Quincey and Libby outwit the evil witch, fight the villains who work for her, and stop the murder of innocent souls?

Black Magic Woman is one of the most enjoyable paranormal suspense novels I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing recently. Black magic, witches, and a thoroughly sympathetic supernatural detective team, together with the plot’s many exciting twists and turns, make this book a thrilling and enjoyable read. The author combines elements of traditional witchcraft with Zulu fetish witchcraft–truly creepy, truly fascinating.

The protagonist possesses just the right amount of boldness and braveness, strength and sensitivity, and has the perfect sense of justice. He’s the good guy next door–except, of course, his job is investigating paranormal events and destroying supernatural fiends. The secondary characters are very well drawn as well: the villains are evil without being stereotypical. Indeed, the characterization of some of the minor characters, and not only the witchcraft, is what makes this novel truly terrifying.

The action doesn’t let up, and the ending is satisfying and will leave readers hungry for more. I can’t wait to sink my teeth into the sequel, Evil Ways. If you’re a fan of paranormal thrillers/mysteries and urban fantasies, you’ll want to add Gustainis to your list of favorite authors.

The Fountain Pen Newsletter, April 2008

The Fountain Pen, April 2008

In this Issue…

From Mayra’s Desk
News
Articles
“Demystifying Virtual Book Tours,” by Mayra Calvani
Interviews
What Does Amazon’s Decision Really Mean?
Historical Novelist Catherine Delors
SF Author Phoebe Wray
SF Author Lee Denning
Romantic Suspense, NY Times Bestseller Author Lisa Jackson
Dark Fantasy Author Justin Gustainis
Illustrator K.C. Snider
Multi-genre Author Hill Kemp
Reviews
The Darkest Evening of the Year, by Dean Koontz (paranormal)
Monkey Trap, by Lee Denning (SF)
Jemma7729, by Phoebe Wray (SF)
Sleep Before Evening, by Magdalena Ball (mainstream)
Joey Gonzalez, Great American, by Tony Robles (picture book)
On the Go with Rooter and Snuffle, by Shari Lyle-Soffe (picture book)
Knowing Joseph, by Judith Mammay (middle grade)
Book Club
Resources

Read The Fountain Pen here.

Interview with Lee Denning, Author of MONKEY TRAP

Lee Denning is the pen name of not one author but two–Denning Powell and his daughter Lee, who apparently make an awesome science fiction writing team. In this interview Powell talks about how they went about writing the first novel in the series, Monkey Trap, as well as other aspects of writing and publishing. The sequel to Monkey Trap, Hiding Hand, is scheduled to be released by Twilight Times Books this August.

When did you decide you wanted to become an author? Do you have another job besides writing?

After 30 years of science and engineering and starting/running a consulting business, I decided to go back to my inner child. I Decided I needed a retirement job I could go to naked, so I picked writing. Not being totally wacky, I still do engineering work part-time to pay the bills. My daughter Leanne, poor dear, got sucked into the creative process and we write together, but she works full-time in the psych/marketing area.

Were you an avid reader as a child? What type of books did you enjoy reading?

Read everything from comic books to the Bible (well, a little). The earliest was Edgar Rice Burroughs, his Tarzan and Mars books, and Heinlein/Clark/Asimov was the next phase, I think.

Tell us a bit about your latest book, and what inspired you to write such a story.

I conceived Monkey Trap in 1971 while I was in the Air Force, in a boring staff job at Tan Son Nhut airbase in Saigon, and actually wrote about 100 pages longhand. Then I got an opportunity to go upcountry with an Army Special Forces unit and life got interesting and I later got busy building a career after the Air Force so I put the thing down for 30 years. In 2001 I dug those 100 pages out of the attic and read them. The writing was crap, and I threw it all out, but the ideas were good: humanity is on the cusp of an evolutionary development that could bring great good or great evil, and a test has to be run to decide whether to let the development progress or pull the plug (i.e., are the human monkeys smart enough to avoid their internal traps?).

How did you and your daughter go about writing the book? Did you take each a subsequent chapter?

Our approach wasn’t particularly organized or specified to begin with, but has evolved as we progress…

For Monkey Trap, I’d already structured the story, gotten organized, and was up to about chapter 8 on the actual writing when I happened to mention to Lee what I was doing. She was in college at the time and got very excited about it. She asked to see what I’d done, and started feeding me ideas, and then really got sucked in and started contributing some writing, and by the end of the story, she’d told about a quarter of the story (I think her grades suffered a bit in her senior year, but I didn’t say anything).

What about for your sequel, Hiding Hand?

For Hiding Hand (publication date August 2008), we started that book jointly from scratch, and were much better organized. The sequence was… an email concept/brainstorming effort that we called Table A, followed by an email plotting/character development effort that we called Table B, followed by an email story outline/structure that we called Table C. (Our collaboration is mostly email because she’s on the west coast of the US and I’m on the east coast.) Table C was what we actually wrote from — it laid out for each chapter what we needed to accomplish, and described the scenes that had to take place (typically averaging 5 scenes per chapter). Lee wrote a lot of the female character scenes, and I wrote a lot of the male character scenes, although there wasn’t any hard dividing line. I mostly did the bad guy mullah Muhammad Zurvan, because — hahahaha — I just really like working with the bad guys; and I mostly did the boy hero Joshua… probably so I could redeem my own misspent youth. Lee mostly did the female good child Eva, because she’s a lot closer to the female inner child than I can ever hope to be; and she also did the old Crone Hessa because of the psychological and metaphysical conflictedness of the poor dear. But, we traded scenes back and forth and marked them up, so we both had an almost inseparable involvement in developing each of the characters — I don’t think either of us can claim any one character as solely our own. This sort of collaboration probably explains why the characters in Monkey Trap rang true through the story, and hopefully readers will feel the same about the characters in Hiding Hand.
For Splintered Light (now in progress) we followed the same basic Table A/B/C organization, but the Hiding Hand experience taught us that there’s no point in getting too directive or overly organized about Table C — once you start the actual writing the story starts to tell itself and you’d best go with the flow. At the scene level (to get back to one of your earlier questions about structured versus stream-of-consciousness) the writing becomes almost all stream-of-consciousness. The structure we’d set up to guide it (i.e., Table C) sometimes works pretty well (maybe 40% of the time), and sometimes not at all (maybe 30%) and sometimes sort of works (the other 30%). We’re realistic about this — when the muse beast has the bit in its teeth, you gotta give it free rein. But we never abandon the structure, because it’s a good context for the story — it reminds us exactly what to accomplish in each chapter and scene. So if what we wrote doesn’t accomplish what we intended — and if we think what we intended is still valid — then we try to reconcile the left-brain and the right-brain differences across the corpus callosum of two people who are quite different in many ways. Somehow that always works, because Lee and I are also quite similar in many ways besides genetic, and because — as they say — love conquers all. To tell the truth, I really don’t know quite what to make of the process… but it’s a lot of fun…

How would you describe your creative process while writing this book? Was it stream-of-consciousness writing, or did you first write an outline?

I can do stream-of-consciousness for maybe five pages, after that it’s hopelessly inefficient — way too much total rework afterwards. Our novels are longish (180,000 words), and with two authors you have to be very structured, otherwise you run off into the weeds pretty quickly. So we structure, and draw diagrams (yeah, anal-retentive, but hell, I’m an engineer), and outline, and re-structure, and consider specifically the point of each chapter and each scene therein and how they feed into the story. It’s painful.

From the moment you conceived the idea for the story, to the published book, how long did it take?

About three years for Monkey Trap. In terms of time commitment over those three years? Between Leanne and myself we spent 242 hours structuring, 1305 hours writing, and 2466 hours editing/reworking. Yes… exactly… we now know what not to do. The second novel went more smoothly, and the third is going pretty smoothly too. It’s a learning curve…

Describe your working environment.

Small office, all resources at finger-tip reach. Few distractions except the cat demanding an occasional rub.

Are you a disciplined writer?

Totally disciplined as to good intent and sitting down to write. Once seated, though, I tend to fritter time away trying to actually start writing — I do a bunch of meaningless little chores to avoid plunging in. It’s like the water’s too cold and I have to dunk my tootsies multiple times. Anybody with a mental vaccine for that I’d love a shot of it…

Have you ever suffered from writer’s block? What seems to work for unleashing your creativity?

Never had the displeasure, or at least not long enough that I found it problematic. Lucky, I guess.

Technically speaking, what do you have to struggle with the most when writing? How do you tackle it?

Deepening characters by their actions or words (or sometimes lack thereof) rather than using exposition. That requires a fair amount of subtlety and usually multiple re-works.

How was your experience in looking for a publisher? What words of advice would you offer those novice authors who are in search of one?

I dropped the manuscript for Monkey Trap (unagented) on the major sci-fi publishing houses. The general response was thanks, we put it in our slush pile, you may hear from us in a couple of years. So I pulled it back. My advice is to do what I did next — look over all the small houses, see if their niche matches your story, and send it to those (complying with what their submission process is, of course). If there’s no interest, consider the self-publishing route.

What type of book promotion seems to work the best for you?

Wish I had a magic bullet for this one. The best approach is to write something really good and then try to get some word-of-mouth buzz going (along with the internet equivalent thereof).

What is(are) your favorite book/author(s)? Why?

Lately… Greg Iles for his varied innovative plots, Lee Childs for his protagonist development, Orson Scott Card for his original ideas.

What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

Same as in life — just be persistent, keep plugging, try to get better.

Do you have a website/blog where readers may learn more about you and your work?

Yep, it’s www.monkeytrap.us. It has the first chapter of Monkey Trap, a couple of PowerPoint synopses of the story, and a full-length screenplay (the story was designed from the ground up to be a movie). The first chapter of Hiding Hand also is on the website. No blog as yet, Lee and I currently are trying to figure out the most effective/efficient method.

Do you have another book on the works? Would you like to tell readers about your current or future projects?

Monkey Trap is the first of a trilogy about evolution of a new human species. Book 2 — Hiding Hand — is scheduled for publication in August 2008. Book 3 — Splintered Light — is in draft.

Anything else you’d like to say about yourself or your work?

There’s an incredible amount of good writing out there these days in the sci-fi and fantasy genres, much more than 20 or 30 years ago. So it’s a tougher market to break into… but on the other hand, the creative process has always been its own reward and one that’s worth pursuing.

When you read SF novels today, what are the plots/themes which seem to come up again and again?

Less emphasis on outer space and more on inner space — how the protagonist deals with the challenge, fails, grows, overcomes. Also, I think there’s much more of a (blurry) crossover between sci-fi and fantasy… you see it in mystical/spiritual themes that are either explicit to many stories or serve as their underpinnings.

What is the greatest challenge when writing science fiction?

Deepening characters is by far the toughest nut for me to crack. On the science side, it’s sometimes difficult to judge how much hard science detail to put into a story to get to that suspension-of-disbelief point where you’ve got the readers sucked in — too much tech set up and you lose certain readers, not enough and other readers will get irritated by the lack of plausibility. Lee and I go back and forth on that issue a fair amount.

Thanks for stopping by! It was a pleasure to have you here!

On the Spotlight: Justin Gustainis, author of BLACK MAGIC WOMAN

Author Justin Gustainis is the author of an exciting new paranormal series featuring kick-ass supernatural investigator Quincey Morris. I had the pleasure of reading this book recently, so look for my review in a day or two. In a few words, you won't be able to put the book down. In this fascinating interview, the author talks about his new novel, the writing process, creating his protagonist, plus he offers us a glimpse into the mind of the supernatural thriller writer. 

When did you decide you wanted to become an author? Do you have another job besides writing?

Let me answer the second part of that first: I’m a college professor. My field is Communication Studies, and my specialty is social influence (persuasion, argumentation, etc.) I teach in a mid-size university in upstate New York.

My academic colleagues refer to teaching as my “day job.” My publisher, on the other hand, calls writing my “day job.” I hope they never meet.

My literary “career,” if it may be called that, has two stages. The first was abortive. Years and years ago, I thought I might try my hand at writing. I wrote off a few short stories, and sent them off to some magazines who published that sort of stuff. Imagine my surprise when the stories were all rejected!

I guess I lacked commitment, because I just – stopped.

Quite a few years later, I was going through a stormy period in my marriage, and I got the idea for a novel and started fooling around with it. I didn’t consciously realize it at the time, but I was using writing as a way to get away from my problems for a while. And it worked! Once I really got in to it, time would pass effortlessly. I’d look up from the computer, and two hours (or more) would have gone by.

There’s a guy named Csizszentmihalvi who, a while back, wrote a book called FLOW. The term refers to a state of utter absorption in what you’re doing. Different people achieve it different ways – sports, playing chess, building a house. For me, “flow” comes through writing. And it led to my first novel, THE HADES PROJECT.

Were you an avid reader as a child? What type of books did you enjoy reading?

I was, indeed, an avid reader. In fact, I tell people that I’ve never had a creative writing course or taken part in any kind of workshop (although that’s about to change: I’ve been accepted for Odyssey this summer). What I know about writing comes from reading about a zillion books.

My progress, beginning at about age 7, was: comic books, nonfiction about World War II (the show “Combat” was popular at the time, and sparked my interest), followed by “books for boys,” especially the “Rick Brant Science Adventures,” then Sherlock Holmes, The Saint, then Bond, James Bond. This takes me up to about age 14, and after that I was off to the (literary) races.

Tell us a bit about your latest book.

BLACK MAGIC WOMAN is an urban fantasy about a family living under a curse that dates back to the Salem witch trials. The curse appears life-threatening, so the family seeks the help of Quincey Morris, occult investigator. Quincey is a direct descendant of the Texan by the same name who appeared in Stoker’s DRACULA, and gave his life in pursuit of the Count’s destruction.

Quincey realizes he’s in over his head and calls in Libby Chastain, a “consultant” who is a practitioner of “white” witchcraft. The two of them cross the country on the trail of the “black” witch responsible for the curse. But then she learns of their pursuit, and uses all the evil power at her command in an effort to destroy them.

At the same time, the FBI is investigating a series of child abductions and murders with strong occult overtones. The Bureau sends for an expert from South Africa, who knows more than a little about occult murder. Detective Sergeant Garth Van Dreenan is a member of the country’s Occult Crime Bureau (which really exists, BTW). Van Dreenan is partnered with African-American Special Agent Fenton, and the two of them attempt to overcome their cultural differences long enough to discover who is behind the murders, in which the children’s bodily organs are removed while they are still alive.

The two cases appear unrelated. They are not. Both eventually come together – with a vengeance, you might say.

How would you describe your creative process while writing this book? Was it stream-of-consciousness writing, or did you first write an outline?

For the first book, THE HADES PROJECT, I started with an idea and a character, and kept writing because I wanted to see what was going to happen next. The same is true, pretty much, for BLACK MAGIC WOMAN. However, for the third book, EVIL WAYS (a sequel to BMW and the second “Quincey Morris Supernatural Adventure&rdquo I had to compose an outline in order to secure my contract from the publisher. I’m writing the book now, and frankly, finding the outline rather confining – because this is the structure of the book that I have, more or less, committed to write, so I can’t change it drastically.

Your protagonist, Quincey Morris, is one of the most likable heroes I've encountered in a novel in a long time. How did you develop this character? Did he come naturally or did you want him to have specific qualities to suit your plot?

Quincey evolved gradually, but, looking back, I can see that he reflects qualities and attributes of three friends of mine – one of whom is a Texan, like Quincey. Or, another way to look at it is, Quincey Morris is the man I always wanted to be. Give or take the vampires.

From the moment you conceived the idea for the story, to the published book, how long did it take?

THE HADES PROJECT took about a year and a half to produce the first draft. BLACK MAGIC WOMAN took about a year. Keep in mind, I have a day job. Or so my fellow professors say.

Describe your working environment.

I have an office at home where I do most of my writing. It’s decorated with “occult detective” memorabilia, since that’s both what I write and what I love to read. I’ve got “Constantine” and “Hellboy” movie posters on the walls, mugs from “Twin Peaks” and “Millennium,” Mulder and Scully action figures, and a prop from “Kolchak: The Night Stalker” (the original, not the more recent, pallid attempt). There’s a lot more, but you get the idea.

Are you a disciplined writer?

Not nearly as much as I wish.

How was your experience in looking for a publisher? What words of advice would you offer those novice authors who are in search of one?

In the case of finding the publisher for BLACK MAGIC WOMAN (Solaris Books), it was a combination of persistence and dumb luck. It’s a very long story, and I’d rather skip to the second part of this question.

My advice is simple, but I mean it sincerely. Don’t quit. Don’t stop writing, don’t stop revising, and don’t stop sending your stuff out. This doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be published – but the other choice guarantees that you WON’T be published.

Somebody once said that “a published writer is an unpublished writer who didn’t give up.” I’m down with that.

What's inside the mind of the supernatural thriller writer?

I think it’s the knowledge, deep down, that the world is a dangerous place – and not all the dangers come from terrorists, diseases, and global warming.

There’s something out there, in the dark, just beyond the range of vision. It’s my job (and my pleasure) to give you a glimpse of it. Just a glimpse, mind – a full-on look would drive you mad with terror.

My credo is well expressed by the last line of the stage play DRACULA, a line spoken directly to the audience: “Just remember: there ARE such things!”

What is the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

I once read something attributed, I think, to Andre Norton. It’s about how becoming a writer is a simple, three-step process: 1) place butt in chair 2) write 3) repeat.

Works every time.

Do you have a website/blog where readers may learn more about you and your work?

You betcha. It’s at www.justingustainis.com. And, as long as I’m giving website URLs, here’s one for the publisher’s (Solaris Books) page dedicated to the book.

Do you have another book on the works? Would you like to tell readers about your current or future projects?

Well, I’ve already mentioned EVIL WAYS, which is due for publication in January ’09 – always assuming I get it finished on time. I’m also putting together an anthology of “occult detective” stories. Some very well-known writers have agreed to contribute: Simon R. Green, Rachel Caine, Kim Newman, Lili Saintcrow, and P.N. Elrod, to name a few.

Anything else you’d like to say about yourself or your work?

EVIL WAYS will be dedicated to the memory of my wife, Patricia Grogan, who died on December 22, 2007.