Thor – Dab of Darkness Book Reviews

Ebook Giveaway & Interview: Michael Whitehead, Author of Legion of the Undead

Heya folks! Please welcome Michael Whitehead, one of the authors of the Undead Worlds anthology. They have pitched in to have a big book giveaway with multiple winners. Audiobooks, signed paperbooks, swag, and ebooks! Yay! Just scroll to the end for the giveaway! And check out the Master Post for more interviews!

Reality in my fiction: how important is it? Lengthy travel, cussing, and bathroom breaks happen in real life. How do you address these mundane occurrences in your writings?

Firstly, thanks for including me in this interview.

I think the reality of such day-to-day things very much depends on the style of a piece of writing. If a writer is trying to achieve a real-time feel, then they would feel the need to include such things as those mentioned. If, as I do, you want a flow that leaves space between the important issues of the story, such things become less important. If there is a gap of hours between scenes then it can be assumed that the characters have taken care of bathroom issues.

Of course there is fun to be had in making someone need to sneeze in the middle of a tense scene where they are hiding from an enemy.

More and more we see fiction being multimedia – a book, a TV show, a PC game, a graphic novel. How do you see the publishing industry evolving to handle this trend? Any plans to take your works in the multimedia realm?

I’m a huge fan of audio books. In fact my main consumption of books takes place in audio form. My first book is currently being recorded by the excellent Terry Self. I’ve listened to the chapters as he’s recorded them and I can’t wait to get them out on to the market. I’m sure people will love his work.

As far as the other platforms are concerned, I am sure if I was approached, I would be very interested in seeing my work in other forms. It’s not something I will move forward with myself as I’m a writer, not a TV producer or game designer, however. I think I’d be happier putting my work into other hands. It takes trust but the relationships I’ve developed so far have been great.

What are the top 3 historical time periods and locations you would like to visit?

As you may have guessed, I’d love to visit Ancient Rome. The idea of seeing a civilisation as sophisticated as our own is intriguing. So much of the morality and law that we hold dear today was born at that time.

Moving to a much more recent time, I have a real soft-spot for the 19th century. In particular the exploration and maritime travel that opened up after the discovery of how to measure longitude. The world became a smaller place and a man could achieve so much more than he ever could before.

Thirdly, I’d kind of like to see what the future holds but it would take a brave person to press that button and step into the unknown.

Who are some of your favorite book villains?

I think the best villains are the ones that sway away from the black and white. The ones with plenty of grey areas. I think a reader likes to feel a little sympathy with the villain and also there is no harm in a hero with a dark side.

Randal Flagg from the Dark Tower series is good example. He is a powerful, almost all-knowing being when we first meet him. However, as the series evolves we learn that he is as much a prisoner to his own fate as anyone else in the books, he just plays his part so well.

I read a lot of historical fiction. I love seeing a writer give sympathetic justification for the actions of traditional villains. Conn Iggulden does this very well. He takes a character like Julius Caesar or Genghis Khan and makes them human and vulnerable.

In my experience, some of the best fiction is based on facts and history. How do you build your research into your fictional works?

While I like to build my stories over a framework of reality and historical fact, I am aware that as I develop the tale I move further into fantasy with each page. I aim to give the reader the broad strokes of the time without getting bogged down with too much historical fact. I am by the nature of writing a zombie apocalypse novel building a world in order to rip it down.

In the same way that I am happy to read a story that mentions a pistol without needing to know the make, model and how many rounds it holds, I don’t feel the need to saturate my stories with historical details.

If you could sit down and have tea (or a beer) with 5 fictional characters, who would you invite to the table?

As I’m sober I think we will stick to tea, thanks. In no particular order I think I will go for:

Druss the Legend from the David Gemmell novels.
Roland Deschain from the Dark Tower novels by Stephen King.
Tiro from Robert Harris’ Imperium trilogy. The best narrative voice I’ve ever read.
Alex from the Clockwork Orange
Finally, if I can include one of my own characters, Otho. I had so much fun writing him that I’d love to meet him.

Five men I notice but that wasn’t deliberate.

What do you do when you are not writing?

I’m a trucker and that takes up a lot of my time. It does give me a lot of audio book time though. I spend most of my free time with my family, that’s the most important part of my life. For down time, I’m a gamer and I like to build and paint model ships.

What is the first book you remember reading on your own?

The Hobbit I think. I do remember my junior school teacher sending a letter home asking if my mum was happy for me to read Lord of the Flies at ten years old. Thankfully she was.

You have to run an obstacle course. Who do you invite along (living or dead, real or fictional)?

I’m a lazy sod at heart. So I’m going to go for Thor. Hopefully he’d be in the mood to carry me.

Finally, what upcoming events and works would you like to share with the readers?

Other than my inclusion in the Undead Worlds Anthology? My first audio book will be out soon, Legion of the Undead.

I’m also close to finishing a new story. A horror based on the real life disappearance of a ship with full crew and passengers aboard. I’ve taken the story and added my own twist, hopefully people will like it. Then I’m back to finishing the Legion of the Undead books with the third and final instalment.

Thanks for the questions, it’s been fun.

Book Blurb for Undead Worlds:

22 Authors. 22 Undead worlds. 1 Great Book.
Do you dare?

Alone Together by David Simpson: What do you do when there is nowhere left to run? Gone Fishin’ by Justin Robinson: When the dead rise, the living become the monsters. The Festival by Christopher Manhood: A city on lockdown as a nation awaits bloodshed, let the festival begin. Jimmy by Arthur Mongelli: Decades of meddling with the food we eat brings about the zombie apocalypse, ordinary people struggle to survive. The Fort by Michael Whitehead: When sanctuary becomes a prison, all you can do is fight. Adam by Sylvester Barzey: Some families aren’t worth dying for. A Peaceful Town by Jeremy Dyson. The Undead Pool: The Zombie Night by Derek Ailes. Zombie Exterminators by Grivante: Two brothers saving the world one job at a time! The Horror at Roswell Mills by Michael Peirce. Before Safe Haven: Losing the Battle by Christopher Artinian: There is no greater weapon than the will to fight for the ones you love. On the Rocks by E.E. Isherwood. Morning of The Living Dead by Mark Cusco Ailes. Defenseless: A Story of Death & Decay by R. L. Blalock: As the zombies rise, 6-year-old Dylan must face a frightening new world alone. To the Hills by T. D. Ricketts: A real live zombie apocalypse! When I Grow Up, I Won’t Be by Brea Behn: What if you knew you’d never make it to 18? Fallen by Jessica Gomez. Brain Waves by Julien Saindon. Damaged Goods by Samie Sands: There’s only one rule: don’t get bit! Avery by Valerie Lioudis: Trapped in a world with the undead, Avery looks to control it by filling her space with treasures, leading her to risk her life for useless garbage. In the Beginning, God by Charles Ingersoll: God made Man. Man made monsters. Evacuation by Adrienne Lecter: When the world is about to end, one man has to bring home the bacon.

GoodReads ~ Amazon

Michael Whitehead

Hi, My name’s Michael Whitehead, I’m 43 years old. I live in Mansfield, on the edge of Sherwood Forest in England. I was born in Liverpool but grew up and went to school in Nottingham. I’ve been with my wife for 26 years and we have two sons, Morgan and Lucas. I’m a late starter, I began writing this time last year. I’m one of those people who read a lot and wanted to know if I could turn my hand to writing.

Ladies, gentlemen and anyone who counts themselves as neither. As you may or may not be aware I have the honour of being included in the Reanimated Authors new anthology, Undead Worlds. It is the only place to get a copy of my short story – The Fort. It’s set in the Legion of the Undead world.

Facebook ~ GoodReads ~ Twitter ~ Amazon

Here’s some of the prizes that you could win!

Signed paperbooks of Undead Worlds anthology (USA only) courtesy of T. D. Ricketts

Ebook copy of Aftershock Book 1 by Valerie Lioudis (International)

Ebook of Lockdown by Samie Sands (International)

Ebook of Red Dirt Zombies Book 1 by Michael Peirce (International)

Signed paper copy of Undead on Arrival & swag from Justin Robinson (USA)

Ebooks Undead On Arrival & Coldheart by Justin Robinson (International)

Signed paper copy of Harvest of Ruin by Arthur Mongelli (USA only)

Audiobook Mash Anthology via Audible UK courtesy of Grivante

Paperbook The Zee Brothers by Grivante (USA only)

Ebooks of Legion of the Undead & Legion of the Undead: Rise and Fall by Michael Whitehead (International)

Ebooks Infected and Immune by Jessica Gomez (International)

Any 2 books by Derek Ailes (paperbooks for USA or ebooks for International)

GIVEAWAY!!!

So these lovely authors have pitched in some great prizes, as you saw above. Here’s a quick list of them again:

2 signed paperbooks of Undead Worlds anthology (USA only)
Ebook copy of Aftershock Book 1 by Valerie Lioudis (international)
Ebook of Lockdown (international) by Samie Sands
2 ebooks Red Dirt Zombies Book 1 (international) by Michael Peirce
Signed copy of Undead on Arrival & swag (USA) by Justin Robinson
Ebooks Undead On Arrival & Coldheart (International) by Justin Robinson
Signed copy of Harvest of Ruin (USA only) by Arthur Mongelli
2 UK Audible Mash Anthology
Paperbook The Zee Brothers (USA only) by Grivante
Ebook of Legion of the Undead & Legion of the Undead: Rise and Fall (International) by Michael Whitehead
Ebooks Infected and Immune (International) by Jessica Gomez
Any 2 books by Derek Ailes (paper for USA & ebooks for International)

Enter the giveaway via the Rafflecopter below or answer these questions in the comments. Note that commenting on any of the Undead Worlds interviews or this master post gets you extra points! 1) Which prize(s) are you most interested in? 2) What is the best zombie story you have experienced? 3) What country do you live in? 4) Leave a way to contact you (email, facebook link, twitter, etc.). Giveaway runs from October 1 through November 27, 2017 midnight. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Big Book Giveaway & Interview: Arthur Mongelli, Author of Harvest of Ruin

Heya folks! Author Arthur Mongelli is here to chat with us about his zombie fascination. He is one of several of the authors of the Undead Worlds anthology. They have pitched in to have a big book giveaway with multiple winners. Audiobooks, signed paperbooks, swag, and ebooks! Yay! Scroll to the end for the GIVEAWAY!

The apocalypse is here! Which 4 apocalypse/prepper authors would you want with you in order to survive the first big upheaval?

On the prepper side I would go with Jim Cobb (Prepper’s Long-Term Survival Guide) and Leda Meredith (Northeast Foraging). Both of these authors could help me survive for a long, long time. On the apocalypse side, I’d go with good old Michael Peirce (Red Dirt Zombies) and Tim Ricketts (Release the Hounds). I know both of those men would be an asset if things got heavy.

If you could give any literary villain a happy ending who would you chose?

Frankenstein’s monster I’d say, truly a tragic ending.

What has been your worst or most difficult job? How does it compare to writing?

I’ve worked a wide variety of jobs, but it was the office job that nearly killed me. I was an on-call director 24/7/365, meaning that there was no time off, not on vacation, not on holidays. There was little oversight, no support and total accountability. My blood pressure was dangerously high. It returned to normal once I was laid off and started working with my hands.

Writing, to me, is more along the lines of some elements of construction; You frame it out (outline), hang the sheetrock (rough draft), spackle a few times (revisions), sand it (Edit) and paint it (Proofread). Although, at least with writing you own it when all is said and done.

Do you have any phobias?

Heights.

What does your Writer’s Den look like? Neat and tidy or creative mess? Can you write anywhere or do you need to be holed up in your author cave?

My office space is my man-cave of sorts. I turned half of a two-car garage into a workshop, the other half into my office. In it are 60,000 comic books, 1,000 movies and a few hundred books. I’ve got my desktop computer in there, although I usually write on a laptop as I can take it to bed if I need more time to write. I try to be aware of the thin line between collector and hoarder, therefore, the space is very organized, everything is sorted alphanumerically and tidily stored away. I could pretty much write anywhere, as long as I am not being continually asked questions, which is quite hard when you have a three-year-old.

If you could sit down and have dinner with 5 dead (zombified?) authors, who would you invite to the table? What would they order?

First would be George A. Romero. Seeing Dawn of the Dead around 1984 as a 7 or 8 year old kid both scarred me and started my obsession with zombies. He would order brains!

Second would be Harry Harrison. I read about 30 or 40 of Mr. Harrison’s books in my adolescence and teenage years. He’d order the Soylent Green.

Third would be H.P. Lovecraft. Despite embracing horrible contemporary social philosophies, he did invent a fantastic horror mythos. He would probably order a turkey dinner with all the fixings and wash it down with a cup of coffee.

Fourth would be William Godwin. He, to my knowledge, was the first author to pen a thriller. Based on his political leanings I think that he would order bread.

Fifth would be Franz Kafka, the godfather of the dystopia. Being a vegetarian, he would order a pasta dish and a salad.

Cover art can be so important for a book, making or breaking sales. What cover art has caught your eye, that you found stood above other books?

Really, there are so many amazing ones I see on a daily basis. I’d say the most striking I’ve seen recently is on Case Maynard’s The Surrendered series. Something about those covers just really catches my eye.

You have to run an obstacle course. Who do you invite along (living or dead, real or fictional)?

The mythological Thor. In the Lokrur he drank so deeply of the ocean in a drinking contest that he caused the tides, nearly won a wrestling match against old age, and nearly wrestled Jormungandr from the depths of the ocean. Everything else was within his ability.

Finally, what upcoming events and works would you like to share with the readers?

The sequel to Harvest of Ruin, entitled Harvest of Ruin: The Dead of Winter was released on September 4th of this year.

I have a zombie story, Jimmy, that ties into the Harvest of Ruin world. It is included in Reanimated Writers Undead Worlds anthology which released on October 9th.

Another story entitled The Phillips House will appear in Mad Like Me anthology with the release date of September 2017.

I will have a table at the Walker Stalker Convention in Edison, NJ on December 8th and 10th. If you are going to be there, please stop by and chat.

Book Blurb for Undead Worlds:

22 Authors. 22 Undead worlds. 1 Great Book.
Do you dare?

GoodReads ~ Amazon

About Author Arthur Mongelli

Arthur Mongelli is the author of Harvest of Ruin (Severed Press, 2017) and Harvest of Ruin: The Dead of Winter (Severed Press, 2017) Harvest of Ruin is an adult zombie/horror story in three parts. Arthur is a lifelong follower of the genre of apocalyptic horror. He has written the forthcoming sequels to the book as the story progresses and the characters continue their journey.

He currently resides with his wife, child and two dogs in a zombie-proof home in the Hudson Valley of New York State.

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ GoodReads ~ Amazon

Here’s some of the prizes that you could win!

Signed paperbooks of Undead Worlds anthology (USA only) courtesy of T. D. Ricketts

Ebook copy of Aftershock Book 1 by Valerie Lioudis (International)

Ebook of Lockdown by Samie Sands (International)

Ebook of Red Dirt Zombies Book 1 by Michael Peirce (International)

Signed paper copy of Undead on Arrival & swag from Justin Robinson (USA)

Ebooks Undead On Arrival & Coldheart by Justin Robinson (International)

Signed paper copy of Harvest of Ruin by Arthur Mongelli (USA only)

Audiobook Mash Anthology via Audible UK courtesy of Grivante

Paperbook The Zee Brothers by Grivante (USA only)

Ebooks of Legion of the Undead & Legion of the Undead: Rise and Fall by Michael Whitehead (International)

Ebooks Infected and Immune by Jessica Gomez (International)

Any 2 books by Derek Ailes (paperbooks for USA or ebooks for International)

GIVEAWAY!!!

So these lovely authors have pitched in some great prizes, as you saw above. Here’s a quick list of them again:

Enter the giveaway via the Rafflecopter below or answer these questions in the comments. Note that commenting on any of the Undead Worlds interviews or this master post gets you extra points! 1) Which prize(s) are you most interested in? 2) What is the best zombie story you have experienced? 3) What country do you live in? 4) Leave a way to contact you (email, facebook link, twitter, etc.). Giveaway runs from October 1 through November 27, 2017 midnight. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview: Maya Tyler, Author of A Vampire’s Tale

Join me in welcoming Maya Tyler to the blog! She’s the author of A Vampire’s Tale, a paranormal romance. She’s also written the more sensual Dreamhunter, also a paranormal romance.

If you could be an extra on a TV show or movie, what would it be and what would you be doing?

I recently discovered Outlander on Netflix and it has quickly become a favorite show. I’m completely enthralled, borderline obsessed, with it. The show combines my love of romance with my fascination of historical and paranormal.

From IMDB… Outlander is a British-American television drama series based on the historical time travel Outlander series of novels by Diana Gabaldon… It stars Caitriona Balfe as Claire Randall, a married World War II nurse who in 1945 finds herself transported back to the Scotland of 1743, where she encounters the dashing Highland warrior Jamie Fraser (Sam Heughan) and becomes embroiled in the Jacobite risings.

If I were cast as an extra on Outlander, I would love to play any role which has a close encounter with the dreamy Jamie Fraser.

If you could give any literary villain a happy ending who would you chose?

I would choose a happy ending for Captain Hook of J.M. Barrie’s Peter and Wendy, otherwise known as Peter Pan. I happily bought into the “reformed” Captain Hook that ABC’s Once Upon A Time portrayed, seeing him more as a tragic hero than an evil villain.

The public library of your dreams has arrived! What special collections does it hold?

The library has ceiling to floor bookshelves, a sliding, wooden ladder, a vaulted, gothic cathedral ceiling, and a gas fireplace. The floors are worn, wooden planks. Warm sunshine filters in through tall windows, and the room smells wonderful—a combination of musty books and fresh coffee (or tea, if you prefer). In this classic space, I’d curl up in an oversized leather club chair and read a historical romance novel. This dream public library has an inviting atmosphere, a magical space that fosters book love, with the latest in children’s and adult’s fiction and non-fiction books. It contains literary classics, but also the film versions. Books which have been turned into film, and the associated films, will be a feature collection.

If you had to choose someone to rescue you from the jaws of certain death would it be a superhero, supernatural creature, or a space alien?

I’d pick a superhero, the gallant Thor, the Chris Hemsworth version, to rescue me! <<sigh>>

If you could, what book or movie or TV series would you like to experience for the first time all over again and why?

I have had the great fortune to experience so many fantastic books, movies, and shows so it’s hard to select just one I would like to experience again. What story continues to make my heart stop and my breath catch? After much thought, my choice would be my new all-time favorite TV series Outlander. I’m in the middle of season 2 right now, and I can’t watch it fast enough. After I finish season 2, I’m going to read the books—hopefully this will re-create a first-time experience for me.

What makes you fall in love with a story?

I fall in love with a story that makes me believe. And, with that belief, I become entrenched in the story and invested in the outcome. I absorb it as quickly as I can—reading non-stop or binge-watching—and re-live it again in my imagination. I hope my stories have the same effect on my readers.

If everyone came with warning labels, what would yours say?

A warning label is more of an external observation. It’s not always easy to identify your own faults or short-comings. That said, I asked the person who knows me the best—my husband. He immediately said, “Sensitive.” I asked him why, and he hesitated. I knew he didn’t want to offend me. This potentially explosive question could create a dicey situation—similar to the “Do I look fat in this?” scenario. I explained why I asked him, and he elaborated enough for me to determine that I’m…

Sensitive, reacts with emotion.

What were you like as a kid? Did your kid-self see you being a writer?

I was a quiet, shy kid. I liked school, and I got good grades. I had a few close friends, but, as a bit of a homebody, I also liked to spend time by myself. My favorite hobbies were writing—fiction, poetry, songs—theatre, music, and reading. I wanted to be a writer, an actress, or a lawyer when I grew up. I had even planned on studying journalism in university, but life has its own ideas, and I didn’t return to writing until my twenties.

Places to Follow Maya Tyler

Book Blurb for A Vampire’s Tale:

A paranormal romance author who doesn’t believe in vampires? An ancient vampire who wants to tell the world his story?

A Vampire’s Tale

What happens when Marisa Clements, writer of vampire stories, non-believer of vampires, meets Corgan Halton, an actual, real “live” vampire? The unexpected, of course. Picture a cascading journey which propels Marisa into a world she never believed in and exposes her to a danger she never imagined existed. Picture an untold tale about the non-Hollywood vampire. Are you ready to uncover the truth?

Amazon

Author Bio:

Maya Tyler is a romance author, blogger, wife, and mother. She has a degree in Commerce, but writing is her true passion. Her short story “Just for Tonight” is included in an anthology called With Love from Val and Tyne and her debut paranormal romance novella was Dream Hunter, published in December 2014. Her second paranormal romance novel A Vampire’s Tale released in March 2017. She writes paranormal romance with a twist and all her books have a common theme – happily ever after. When she’s not writing, you can find her having fun with her husband and sons.

Interview: James Maxey, Author of Bad Wizard

Folks, it is with great pleasure that I have James Maxey visiting today. I have enjoyed several of his books such as Nobody Gets the Girl, Hush, and Greatshadow. His latest book, Bad Wizard, is also pretty freaking awesome. Interviewing him was truly entertaining for me and I expect you shall be entertained as well. Enjoy!

Myths and beliefs that we would consider fiction or fantasy in modern literature once upon a time shaped history (think of all the hunts for unicorns & dragons). Do you see modern fantasy fiction affecting human cultures today and how?

You only have to turn on the TV to see that fantasy is permeating our culture. I mean, ABC has an oxymoronic “fantasy reality” show called The Quest. It’s jocks and models running around pretending to be paladins and talking about how to fight dragons. High fantasy has definitely moved out of the geeky, nerdy niche it used to occupy into the mainstream. That said, I think there’s a distinction between fantasy fiction shaping popular culture and enduring fantasy beliefs still deeply rooted in our core culture. The elves and goblins and witches of past eras have morphed into the Men-in-Black and ETs and psychic advisers of the modern age.

If you could, what book/movie/TV series would you like to experience for the first time all over again and why?

This is a terrific question because, as it happens, I’ve been going back in recent years and reading a lot of classic novels that I first experienced as a child or teenager. Sometimes, my differing perspective now that I’m 50 years old lets me see the true power of a work that was perhaps lost on me when I was younger. Hemmingway’s The Old Man and the Sea meant nothing to me when I was 15. Now, I get it.

That said, I sometimes wish I could travel back in time and regain the sense of wonder I had when I first experienced some of my favorite works. For instance, in my late teens/early 20s, when I first read Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, I thought it was the best comic book ever written. When I reread it recently, though, I was surprised at how simplistic and one dimensional it seemed. The reliance on talking heads on TVs to deliver page after page of backstory was kind of grating. This isn’t to say that The Dark Knight Returns wasn’t an absolutely amazing and groundbreaking comic in it’s time. It’s just that part of the power was it’s freshness, the fact it hadn’t been done before. But after three decades of people imitating it, it’s lost it’s power to amaze me on a reread.

Over the years, are the changes in society reflected in today’s villains and heroes?

There are obviously traits a hero might have possessed at one time that would render him creepy now. Randal McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was an idealized free spirit who couldn’t be made to conform to a corrupt society. But, reading the book today, the horrible misogyny of the character makes it difficult to root for him. And if you ever go back and read the original Tarzan books, the underlying racism will leave you cringing. On the flip side, at one point it was acceptable to hint that a character was homosexual if you wanted to make him seem villainous. Now, you’d be more likely to see homosexuality presented as a sympathetic trait.

Of course, the biggest change is probably in the proportion of male and female protagonists. Female protagonists were once restricted to romances and children’s books. Today, a book like The Hunger Games can give us a complex female action hero who has a role to play in the world other than falling in love.

What biographies of the creators of your favorite genres do you want to read? Are there lesser known creators that still need a biography?

Hmm… I honestly don’t read that much about other writers and creators. Until this moment, I don’t think I’ve even noticed it as a gap in my education. I’ve always engaged with authors through their books. Their personal histories, politics, etc., don’t hold much interest for me.

What has been your worst or most difficult job? How does it compare to writing?

Bill collector. Ug, that was just horrible, hounding people for money. It doesn’t compare well with writing. It doesn’t compare well with anything. Back when I was a bill collector, I stopped at a fast food restaurant and as I was leaving an old man in dirty clothes came up to me carrying bags of fast food and asked if he could get a ride back to his house, since he’d just picked up dinner for his kids. I said sure. When he got in my car, he said he was happy to be in air conditioning, that the sun had been killing him all day. I asked what he did for a living and he said he swept parking lots. He asked me my job, and I told him I was a bill collector. He wrinkled his nose, shook his head, and said, “I would never do that.”

Who/what are your non-writer influences?

Music plays a huge part in fueling my creativity. The Mountain Goats, Rasputina, The Dresden Dolls, The Decemberists… I’ve always got a soundtrack running through my head. Keen readers will be able to spot song titles and other references woven into my books and stories.

My biggest non-writer influence, if I may be a bit pretentious, is reality. Seriously, I absorb every odd little fact I can find about biology, geology, archeology, history, politics, food, art… you name it. I’ve read books devoted to the history of salt, and came away with a greater understanding of the world. For me, all good fiction–especially fantasy fiction–has to be built on a foundation of knowing as much as possible about the real world.

What reboots (or retellings) of classics have you enjoyed? Are there ones that haven’t worked for you?

I have the same answer for both! The greatest example ever of classics adapted and given new life has to be Alan Moore’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. The worst example ever of something adapted and utterly mangled has to be the movie version of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

If you could go enjoy a meal in a fictional world, where would that be, and what would you eat?

Easy! I’d go to the Restaurant at the End of the Universe and nibble on whatever food came by to offer a taste.

If you were asked to create the syllabus for a college class in SFF literature, what books would be on there as required reading? As passing discussion?

I could do an entire semester on H. G. Wells. The Invisible Man, The Time Machine, The War of the Worlds, and The Island of Dr. Moreau are amazing books that stand up well to modern literary tastes. Wells was an amazing visionary, and even though he was working from a lot of flawed assumptions (for instance, thinking that Mars could support life), you still see his fundamental grasp of how the world works. It’s not a cop-out that microbes defeat the Martians in The War of the Worlds. He understood that humans weren’t the true pinnacle of earthly life–single celled organisms are the earth’s true dominant life form.

Care to share an awkward fangirl/fanboy moment, either one where someone was gushing over your work…..or one where you were gushing over another author’s work?

So, back in 2012, I was invited by Orson Scott Card to help teach one of his writing classes. Of course I said yes. As it happened, my novel Greatshadow had just come out, and I thought, hmm, I’ll take him a copy and maybe he’ll read it and say something nice about it eventually. But, when we got together, he’d not only already read the book, he’d already given it a glowing review online! That was a big thrill.

I would say that one of by biggest geek out fanboy moments came when I met John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats. He’d just done a concert and I was leaving the venue and, suddenly, there he was, just standing on the sidewalk out front. I went up and told him how much I’d enjoyed the show, asked him a few questions about some of his older albums, and left feeling a bit magical. I felt as if I’d just run into a unicorn or something.

What is a recurring or the most memorable geeky argument or debate you have taken part in?

Oh lord. From the age of 11 to sometime last week, my cousin Tony and I could argue endless about who was stronger, Thor or the Hulk, and sometimes take the argument to another level by bringing in Superman.

But, by far, the geekiest thing I’d ever heard discussed was in the hall at ConCarolina’s. A group of geeks were discussing their favorite podcasts, and one of the guys said that such and such show was his favorite World of Warcraft podcast. This caught my attention and I said, “Favorite implies you listen to more than one. Just how many World of Warcraft podcasts can there be?” Dozens, I was informed. But most weeks he only listened to three. I consider myself a pretty big geek, but, damn, that’s hardcore.

Places to Stalk James Maxey

Goodreads

The Prophet and The Dragon blog

Jawbone of an Ass blog

Amazon