Tolkien – Dab of Darkness Book Reviews

Interview: Christopher Paul Davies, Author of The Time of the Chinese Dentist

Let’s give a warm welcome to Christopher Paul Davies, author of the genre mashup novel The Time of the Chinese Dentist!

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

I would be quite happy to be an extra sitting there pushing buttons on the bridge of the Enterprise. If a Star Trek cameo is good enough for Jeff Bezos, it is good enough for me. Kirk crew, though, not Picard. If I can briefly stroke the shoulder of the Great William I will waive my fee. I look like an alien anyway.

What do you think is the best pun ever told?

What time did the Chinaman go to the dentist? Tooth hurtee. (No this is not racist, people. One of my heroes is Mr O, from Macau). Well I would say that wouldn’t I? Who would have thought that one could base a massive satirical space-time adventure on that pun? Well I did. I also like: how are you feeling? I am using my hands mostly.

What was the first major news story you remember as a child?

Watching the Apollo moon landings with my father. Then the strikes in the 70s. The electricity workers turned off the power half way through Jon Pertwee confronting the Sea Devils. I have never got over that. It was only thing I loved on telly.

If you could have a signed copy of any novel what would it be and why?

I deeply revere Mervyn Peake, His grave is nearby, close to Arundel. A signed copy of Gormenghast would do very nicely.

What yoga move best describes your writing style, and why?

I really don’t know anything about yoga but my ex-wife recently spent a month at the Temple of Yoga in India. This is true. I lately became a disciple and slave of Michelle Yeoh as I love her and her moves with a passion, particularly since Star Trek Discovery. So we had better say Yeoh-ga. (Pathetic eh? If not reprehensible.) But she would kick ass without killing in my universe. I want her to beat up Donald Trump so bad.

Is there a genre or literary niche that you feel hasn’t gotten its deserved amount of attention?

I feel very strongly that we need to get out of genre. My own book strives to break all the genre rules. We need to think outside the box far more. But there is an idiosyncratic strand in British writing that I deeply admire, and one could sum it up as Jabberwocky. Or maybe Edith Nesbit after too many beers.

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

The Prisoner with Patrick McGoohan. Outside any genre and an amazing combination of intelligence and stylishness. There has never been anything like it.

Millions of generations into the future, you are an alien archaeologist come to Earth to sift through the ancient remains of humanity. What is the oddest thing you find?

A Gavioli fairground organ. If you don’t think these are the most wonderful things then you are to be banished into Darkness.

You are stuck in space in dire straits. Which science fiction authors would you want with you?

Arthur C Clarke because he was always optimistic about man’s future in the stars. CS Lewis could in such an eventuality read Out of the Silent Planet to me (marvellous work, as is Perelandra). Michael J Straczynski – not only is he still alive, which is helpful, but his Babylon 5 is the most superb achievement and underrated. He outdid Star Trek with that show.

Would you prefer to visit Earth in 2100 or travel back to 1900 for a short visit? Why?

1900 because I and my devoted agents could avert the World Wars. I fear 2100 as idiot leaders are currently ruining the planet and the poverty levels are going to be indescribable by then.

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

Leaving out the ones I have already mentioned…

Alain-Fournier. Roasted quail.

Marcel Proust. He took the novel to its highest form and will never be transcended. Luxury steak served with the finest truffles, plenty of garlic and Champagne.

JRR Tolkien. Steak and kidney pie with buttered mashed potatoes and lovely green veg. A careful selection of specialty mustards.

Tolstoy. Christmas dinner. Fine wines. Very good quality brandy butter on the pud,

Robert Holmes (TV script writers are authors too and are so often hidden; Holmes wrote the best Doctor Who stories with exceptional skill that understood his audience). Chinese roast duck with hoisin sauce in pancakes. The best rice wine you can find in Tokyo.

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

Space travel as envisioned in Star Trek is impossible and always will be. We are not going anywhere. Likewise, gravity on star ships and noise in space. We are watching nonsense. Feelgood nonsense, but the idea of man having a space empire is ridiculous. We could never afford it. Space 1999 was considered ridiculous scientifically but Star Trek not? Still, although I have never been geeky, some Star Trek is awesome for its storytelling and characterisation, and Bill is far greater than the other Captains.

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

We need a new form of adventure that leaves behind commercial empires’ obsession with killing. My own humble effort is The Time of the Chinese Dentist, currently two volumes in. I have no interest in ‘writing for a market’; I just wanted to do a compelling story where no one dies; the plotting is harder that way, right? In my world, the day is saved by cookery. And singalongs. Though there is a lot more to it than that. It’s about joy, ultimately. There are spaceships and fights and disappearing cities, and what not, not to mention a few scenes set in a hairdresser. What more do you want?

About the Book The Time of the Chinese Dentist

Enough of doctors.
It’s Time for The Dentist.
The satirical space adventure fantasia, with plenty of food, drink and music

Amazon verified reviews of Volume 1

“Very well written. Great start for a promising new author *****”

“A cleverly written satirical take on life, human nature and the universe. Some of the most colourful characters I’ve ever read *****”

“A maddening, ambitious romp. Reads like a fevered dream combination of Douglas Adams and Robert Anton Wilson. There is much fun to be had here. ****”

The editors of The Time of the Chinese Dentist sequence decided after much deliberation to open the definitive account of this catastrophic chapter for mankind with two volumes that focus on the events that led up to and, in some sense, created the Time.

They decided to create a straightforward and above all cohesive account of the abduction of the city of Derby and the revelation of the Equinox project, based on the most reliable accounts in the New Derby Library, striving above all for accuracy, and one clear narrative without annotations. Where the editors could not verify the truth of the account, they were most judicious about what they included.

The first two volumes will soon be available in print for those of us who remain with eyesight.

Check it out on GoodReads ~ Check it out on Amazon

Audiobook Giveaway & Interview: R. M. Mulder, Author of Conquest

Please give a warm welcome to science fiction/fantasy author R. M. Mulder! He’s here to talk dragons, Star Trek versus Star Wars, and plenty more! Check out the audiobook giveaway of his book Conquest! Scroll to the very bottom for that.

If you could have a signed copy of any novel what would it be and why?

Any and/or all novels by Dan Brown (especially his Robert Langdon stories). In every single one of his stories, he opens up with a mysterious murder scene – and the mystery surrounding the murder isn’t revealed until much later in the story. The crafty way he explains away conspiracies is inspiring. I love the way he uses Third Person Omniscient narration to help us get inside the minds of his characters. He is hands-down my all time favorite author. In fact, I patterned my style of writing after his!

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

Golem is a brilliant character in LOTR, and when the reader begins to learn that he used to be a Hobbit named Smeagle you really start to feel bad for the guy. I wish Golem could get a happy ending – more specifically, that there was a spell that could turn him back into Smeagle so that he could go back to the Shire to meet a Hobbit girl to fall in love with.

Would you rather have a dragon, or be a dragon?

Have a dragon. More specifically, the dragon in my story Tiamat, and have Lily’s divination abilities. I think it would be an amazing experience to be able to fly through the sky and watch historical events transpire like Lily does in vision.

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

Harry Potter. I read all seven books long before the movies ever came out. I spend days reading and reading. J.K. Rowling’s success story of being a single mom who struggled to find time to write was such an inspiration to me. Conquest was similarly written during stolen moments, typically in 15-minute writing sessions while at work on my break or during lunch.

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

One of the tasks I complete at my current job is writing multi-page response letters to lawsuits against the company. It’s by far the most difficult job I’ve ever had, but yet the most rewarding. The process requires research, a lot of reading and studying, writing, rewriting, proofreading, editing, etc. It’s a very grueling process and is very comparative to my fictional writing processes.

If you were sent on a magical quest which other 4 fantasy authors would you take with you?

Dan Brown, Ernest Cline, J.K. Rowling and J.R.R. Tolkien.

What book should be made into a game (card, PC, board, etc.) and why? Is there a specific character who you would want to play in this game?

A bit of bias here: Mine. Inside my story you will find a fictional Augmented Reality game called DarkForce which is based off of the real world of Zion. Book 2 “War” is based a lot more inside the game world, and the purpose of the game is much more sinister in nature than meets the eye. In the game, I would like to play the part of Doug – a paranoid ex-cop who is addicted to the game. Being one of the longest-playing gamers, his stats are truly impressive.

In this age of publishing, self-promotion is really necessary for the author. What do you enjoy most about advertising yourself and your works? What do you find most challenging?

I enjoy blogging and finding like-minded authors. I love helping other authors by providing advice – especially newbies to the Indie scene. I’ve gained a lot of friends from all parts of the world. But what do I find most challenging? Trying to figure out how to market to readers without being spammy. My biggest pet peeve is when authors constantly pimp their books by only posting ads inside community social media groups. I find it extremely obnoxious!

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

Unlike a lot of geeks, I’m an avid fan of both Star Wars AND Star Trek. I’ve been in a large number of heated debates between the two sides. One particular debate was about pitting the Enterprise against the a Star Destroyer. Who would win? Now, hands down Enterprise A, B, and C would lose. Enterprise D in TNG? Hmmm. It’s a toss-up. But Enterprise E in First Contact would totally prevail! Easily.

If you could trade places with anyone (living or dead, real or fictional) for 1 day, who would it be and why?

George Lucas: just to be inside his creative mind for a day would be truly amazing. The fact that one man was able to create such a vast fictional universe is inspirational, and is a legacy I hope to someday achieve as well.

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

The next big event I’ll be participating in will be B2B CyCon 2018 (Back to Books Cyber Convention) which will run in April. I’ll also be hosting various giveaways and discounts at random. Stay tuned to my events by signing up for my newsletter.

Places to Find R. M. Mulder

Website ~ GoodReads ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Amazon

Book Blurb for Conquest:

An ancient continent is missing from Earth.

A primeval darkness threatens mankind.

A modern woman discovers her destiny.

When undercover agent Lily Thatcher is ordered to undergo a dangerous medical mind-wipe procedure prior to re-assignment, she avoids arrest and becomes a rogue agent. She quickly learns that there are much greater forces at work that are far beyond her comprehension.

Timur Demyan, formerly known as the feared Tamerlane of the ancient Tumurid Empire, has forged an alliance with a loathsome creature called the Leviathan. This beast’s insatiable hunger is currently being fed by another world’s few remaining souls.

For now.

Their paths meet at a showdown, but Lily knows that there’s far more at stake than just her mortality. A morbid question looms in the back of her mind:

Can she prevent Earth’s Apocalyptic Fate?

Amazon ~ Audible

GIVEAWAY!!!

Mulder is offering up 2 audiobook copies (1 Audible.com and 1 Audible UK) of his book Conquest! Do the Rafflecopter thing below or answer these questions in the comments: 1) Do you have an Audible.com or an Audible.co.uk account? 2) Would you rather be a dragon or have a dragon? 3) Leave a way to contact you if you win (email, twitter, etc.). Ends December 23, 2017, midnight.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

There and Back Again: An Actor’s Tale by Sean Astin & Joe Layden

Narrator: Sean Astin

Publisher: Macmillan Audio (2004)

Length: 4 hours 33 minutes

Astin’s Page ~ Layden’s Page

Here we have Sean Astin’s adventures as Samwise Gamgee during filming of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. He recounts how he first heard about the audition, how he prepped for the role, the delights and difficulties of doing such a long shoot in New Zealand, and how the role changed his life going forward. Told with candor, humor, and sometimes gentle criticism, I found this book quite engaging.

This was an educational delight all around. First, I love that Sean Astin was unfamiliar with Tolkien’s work prior to scheduling an audition for the role of Samwise. I found it amusing and endearing that Astin showed us his initial ignorance of The Lord of the Rings. I hope Tolkien’s works opened a door to other great fantasy and science fiction works.

Prior to listening to this book, I was unaware of Astin’s parentage and it’s a rather convoluted one that involves his birth father’s true identity, step dads, and DNA tests. Even though I have been an Astin fan since seeing Goonies when I was 12, I had not delved into Astin’s personal life. This book lifts that curtain a bit and we get to know this actor for more than just his famous movies.

There’s plenty of behind-the-scenes bits about filming in New Zealand, Astin’s fellow actors, Peter Jackson and his wife Fran Walsh, and his own doubts and personal victories. I was pleasantly surprised at how Astin chatted about the peculiarities and ticks of his fellow actors. Any criticism he offered was done in a gentle fashion and yet still had that center of truth to it.

I first read The Lord of the Rings when I was 13 or 14. So long before the movies came about, I knew just how important Samwise was to story. Therefore, I was a bit surprised at how Samwise, and Astin, were not considered that important to the storyline of the filming until the last movie. Logistically, it makes sense but I could sympathize with Astin’s periodic frustrations with this aspect of filming.

This book also covers the lengthy daily makeup sessions, accidents and near accidents that happened on set, the vagaries of weather, and the toll such a lengthy filming can take on not just the actors, but also their families. All around, this was an eye opener. Quite an enjoyable read!

The Narration: Sean Astin did a great job with narrating his own book. I loved how he would slip into Samwise’s voice at the appropriate moments. He also does a great job expressing his emotions without going over the top.

What I Liked: Behind the scenes look by a favorite author of a favorite movie trilogy; the humor; honesty about Astin’s unfamiliarity with Tolkien’s work; candor about other actors and the filming conditions; great narration.

What I Disliked: Nothing – a great little read!

What Others Think:

Stainless Steel Droppings

Pop Matters

The Singing in the Wood

Ebook Giveaway & Interview: Alex Avrio, Author of The Alchemist’s Box

Everyone, please give a warm welcome to Alex Avrio. She’s the author of the Merchant Blades series, of which The Alchemist’s Box is Book 1. Scroll to the bottom for the ebook GIVEAWAY of 5 copies of The Alchemist’s Box.

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 think it would be The Matrix (the first one). I remember when it came out the concept blew my mind. The other one would be The Lord of The Rings. I remember I was eagerly anticipating the movie. I have always been a Tolkien fan, and the only movie available was a 1978 animated movie directed by Ralph Bakshi. I knew that a LOTR movie would either be really good or really bad. When I was in the cinema and saw the first scene I knew it was going to be awesome.

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

This would be my first job, which was in a financial company. I had to be there at 9 am and there was no fixed time I’d leave. I was supposed to leave around 5 but around 4 everybody would come and demand things be done, all of which were urgent, and so I could easily end up having to do several unpaid hours of overtime every night. I was so happy to leave.

However, the most difficult thing I have done was my PhD. Doing the research and writing a document of many thousand words was much tougher than writing a novel. I guess with a novel, I feel I am totally in control and have a good instinctive feel for how it needs to progress, whereas with a PhD thesis, I found the writing process much less natural – probably because it all had to be the truth!

Where is the farthest from home that you have traveled? Would you like to live there?

I’m guessing you mean outside a book? In that case, it would be Peru. The farthest we’ve went was to Cusco and Machu Picchu. The highest was Colca Canyon, watching the condors fly. Peru is a beautiful country with amazing people and I’d love to live there if I had the chance.

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?

I guess it’s driving long distances to attend my favourite authors’ book signings and talks. The most memorable is dragging my significant other to see Neil Gaiman. We drove for about five hours to get there and queued for another three to get good seats at the venue. This was despite my having a very bad back at the time. (Enough to be in significant pain, not bad enough to be given any special treatment). Still, I regret nothing.

If anyone is a fan and wants to gush over my work feel free to contact me! I love hearing from readers.

What do you do when you are not writing?

I can be usually found drinking coffee, eating cake and reading a book.

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

The most recurring geeky argument I have is about what constitutes a strong female character. My view is that there are many things that make a woman strong, physical strength being only one of them. I try to write strong women characters into my books in different ways, each one being strong in her own way. Read ‘The Alchemist’s Box’ and ‘Lose a Princess, Lose Your Head’ and see if you agree with me.

Also: Han Solo fired First.

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

I’d love to share with the readers the first two books of the Merchant Blades series, The Alchemist’s Box and Lose a Princess, Lose Your Head. They take place in a world with similar culture and technology of the Napoleonic/Regency period in Europe. The main characters joined the Merchant Blades mercenary guild after the end of the war between the two major powers of the time. and they become mercenaries. Regina Fitzwaters is a former Captain of the Merrovigian army and is forced to work together with a former enemy, Kapitan Maximillian Jaeger of the Eressian army to repay a debt to the shady underworld bosses in the sewer of Border Town. They must go to the city of Pella and retrieve a box the Bosses bought from the Alchemist there. What could possibly go wrong? They must confront bandits, werewolves, a curse reawakened, and magical creatures while trying not to kill each other.

Places to Find Alex Avrio

Book Blurb for The Alchemist’s Box:

When Captain Regina Fitzwaters’ misguided scheme to leave the tough life of a mercenary behind her backfires, the underworld bosses of Border Town offer her a way out: Bring them the mysterious Alchemist’s box from the neighboring Duchy of Pella. The catch? She must work with Maximillian Jaeger, a former enemy in the recent bitter war. Now she must overcome her prejudices and trust him with her life. In Pella, nothing is as it seems. Why have the niece and nephew of the Duke developed such an interest in the team? Where are all the court dignitaries? What does the Alchemist’s box contain that is worth killing, or dying, for? Can Regina and Jaeger put the war behind them and work together to save everyone in the Duchy before it’s too late?

Amazon

Author Bio:

Alex Avrio is an author of fantasy adventure short stories, novellas, and novels. The first two novels in the swashbuckling Merchant Blades mercenary fantasy adventure series are now available to buy. Her previous dark fantasy novella, the Dreaming Demon, is also for sale on Amazon.

The third novel in the Merchant Blades series, The Hidden Dragon, is due for release in late 2017.

Alex was born in Nottingham, UK, to Greek parents. She has lived both in Greece and England where she returned to study for an MBA in the University of Kent. She has also a PhD in E-business Strategy Management from the University of Kent. She has been writing stories from an early age, and after concluding the PhD she decided that it was the time to try in all earnest to become a professional writer. Alexandra currently lives with her husband and their two cats in Newcastle upon Tyne, a place so far up north that if you go any further you’re south again. She would love to share with you her love of fantasy and adventures. She also has a book, bingo and dessert habit to fuel, so please help by buying the books.

To find out more about Alex Avrio, and to keep up to date on her latest work please visit www.alexavrio.com. She would love to hear from you, and can be reached by E-mail: contact@alexavrio.com Facebook: facebook.com/alexavrio Twitter: @alexavrio

GIVEAWAY!!!

Alex is graciously offering up 5 copies of her ebook The Alchemists’s Box. Giveaway is open internationally! Do the Rafflecopter thing below or answer these questions in the comments: What country do you live in? What do you do when you’re not reading? Optional: Follow Alex Avrio anyway you like and tell me in the comments where you follow her and under what name. Giveaway ends June 17th, 2017, midnight.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Audiobook Giveaway & Interview: JB Rockwell, Science Fiction Author

Folks, please give a warm welcome to J B Rockwell to the blog today. Learn about Jennifer’s dream library, just who the Swiss Army knives of spec fic are, and how she ended up in a duel of toothpicks at dawn! Interested in winning a CD copy of her latest SF book Dark & Stars? Then scroll to the bottom for the giveaway!

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

Well, if you could resurrect Firefly, I’d be all over that. Me and Kaylee hanging out, slinging wrenches in the engine room, lobbing one-liners at the rest of the crew. 🙂 If we’re sticking with something current, I’d love to be on Fargo—that is the darkest, funniest, most oddball show out there and I love it. I’d want to play a Deputy or something so I can PACK HEAT AND EAT DONUTS ROWR!!!!

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

Smaug. I mean, that poor little guy was the only dragon left in Middle Earth and, yeah, he was squatting in the dwarves’ house, but c’mon! Dude was cold! And gold hungry! Can’t blame him for wanting to move in! And what do they do? Run away. Abandon him. Leave him all alone sleeping on a cold, hard bed of coins. Sheesh. No wonder he had anger issues. They could have at least given him a kitten. I’d love to see a rewrite where Bilbo lures Smaug out with a pretty, little lady dragon and they fly away to live happily ever after on some nice, warm tropical island where there are no dwarves at all. THE END.

Is there a genre or literary niche that you feel hasn’t gotten it’s deserved amount of attention?

I don’t even know what to call it, but there’s this grey area between horror and mystery that needs more love. I love a creepy, mysterious story that’s a little scary, but I don’t necessarily need the graphic gore. So light horror/creepy—more of that, please! Oh, and give it a name, too, so I know how to google it.

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

UGH! THIS QUESTION IS TOO HARD!!!! Soooo many books.

Okay. If I have choose something, let me highlight a few sections I think are mandatory:

1. Every edition and every cover of Lord of the Rings ever printed—some of those were GORGEOUS. Also include any of the companion books, map books, art books, etc. I want all the Lord of the Rings book things!
2. An entire section devoted to folklore. And make it BIG because I want Celtic and Norse, Russian and Bulgarian, Korean and Japanese and African and everything else. GIMME ALL THE FOLKLORE FROM ALL THE CULTURES!!!
3. An entire section dedicated to books on dragons. And not just fiction books (stop laughing, dragons are real). Science books, picture books, biology texts, I want it all.
4. An entire section devoted to female spec fic authors. Another section for spec fic POC authors. A third for spec-fic LGBTQ. I want to highlight their awesomeness—they deserve more space!!
5. A Dr. Seuss area with all his books, a load of bean bags, and some big, comfy chairs. And puppies. And a few kittens.

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?

Supernatural creature hands down. I can even see how this scenario would play out: Nessie saves me and takes me to her secret and awesome lair beneath the loch (this is also where all the world’s unicorns hide out, too, by the way). Over tea and cake we become fast friends, spending our days playing bagpipes and eating shortbreads, and our nights drinking beer and tossing haggis at the tourists.

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?

Modern fantasy is a lot more all-encompassing, so definitely, yes. Early fantasy was very western culture and myth centric (still is), but we’re gradually seeing more books based on African, and Asian, and other world cultures, which is FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC. The global economy is exposing people to other foods, and beliefs, and ways of thinking, and fantasy is giving us amazing new backdrops, and creatures, and characters that influence art, and culture, and fashion, and so many other aspects of our lives. We just need more—MORE MORE MORE MORE MORE!!

What future invention would you like to see not only created during your life time, but readily available to the public?

TRANSPORTER PLEASE??!! Raise your hand if you’re sick of sitting in traffic? Or driving hours to the airport to sit for hours in the airport and then spend hours on a plane. Granted, there’s the whole ‘catastrophic failure ending in subatomic deconstruction’ thing, but c’mon! Hawaii in 2 minutes! GIMME THAT!

You are stuck in space in dire straights. Which science fiction authors would you want with you?

I love that first line, by the way. It simultaneously reads like poetry, and like I got dropped into a choose your own adventure story. 😀

And now, my answer! I am TOTALLY bringing Elizabeth Bear because she would either fight her way through any and all adversities, or lie, cheat, steal and swindle to pull us through. I’d also want N.K. Jemisin because she seems to think quickly on her feet and would come up with some wonky and entirely unexpected solution to save our bacon. Bear and Jemisin: the Swiss Army knives of speculative fiction.

Often various historical aspects (people, locations, events) are used in fantasy and sometimes rehashed in a far-flung future. In your opinion, what are some examples of such historical aspects being used well in the SF/F genre?

So, I’m a huge fan of Stephen King’s Gunslinger series. One of the things I loved most about these books (beyond the movement between time periods) were the references to various cultures, and myths, and stories that are sprinkled throughout. ‘See the Turtle of enormous girth’ is an obvious reference to a classic creation myth. The character of Roland: a reference to Child Roland to the Dark Tower Came. The six beams and their guardians—all references to Native American totems and myths. That’s just a sampling of the rich tapestry of this multi-part story, a series that mixes sci-fi, fantasy and western elements and pulls it off in style.

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

Oh man. I was lucky enough to get invited onto the Super Awesome Geek Show (twice!) and we geeked out so hard on Star Wars. I’m a huge fan but not a super fan so I love talking Star Wars, but I admit I also enjoy mercilessly teasing the ‘cannon’ quoters. 🙂 I honestly can’t remember what specific part of Star Wars we were discussing—this was in the run-up to The Force Awakens this first time, and Rogue One the second time—but it ended with a challenge involving toothpicks at dawn…?

May 2016 Episode of Super Awesome Geek Show with J B Rockwell

December 2016 Episode of Super Awesome Geek Show with J B Rockwell

About Jennifer Rockwell:

J.B. Rockwell is a New Englander, which is important to note because it means she’s (a) hard headed, (b) frequently stubborn, and (c) prone to fits of snarky sarcasticness. As a kid she subsisted on a steady diet of fairy tales, folklore, mythology augmented by generous helpings of science fiction and fantasy. As a quasi-adult she dreamed of being the next Indiana Jones and even pursued (and earned!) a degree in anthropology. Unfortunately, those dreams of being an archaeologist didn’t quite work out. Through a series of twists and turns (involving cats, a marriage, and a SCUBA certification, amongst other things) she ended up working in IT for the U.S. Coast Guard and now writes the types of books she used to read. Not a bad ending for an Indiana Jones wannabe…

Places to Stalk J B Rockwell

Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Amazon ~ GoodReads

Book Blurb for Serengeti:

It was supposed to be an easy job: find the Dark Star Revolution Starships, destroy them, and go home. But a booby-trapped vessel decimates the Meridian Alliance fleet, leaving Serengeti – a Valkyrie class warship with a sentient AI brain – on her own, wrecked and abandoned in an empty expanse of space. On the edge of total failure, Serengeti thinks only of her crew. She herds the survivors into a lifeboat, intending to sling them into space. But the escape pod sticks in her belly, locking the cryogenically frozen crew inside. Then a scavenger ship arrives to pick Serengeti‘s bones clean. Her engine’s dead, her guns long silenced; Serengeti and her last two robots must find a way to fight the scavengers off and save the crew trapped inside her.

Amazon ~ Audible

Book Blurb for Dark & Stars:

For 53 years Serengeti drifted, dreaming in the depths of space. Fifty-three years of patient waiting before her Valkyrie Sisters arrive to retrieve her from the dark. A bittersweet homecoming follows, the Fleet Serengeti once knew now in shambles, its admiral, Cerberus, gone missing, leaving Brutus in charge. Brutus who’s subsumed the Fleet, ignoring his duty to the Meridian Alliance to pursue a vendetta against the Dark Star Revolution.

The Valkyries have a plan to stop him – depose Brutus and restore the Fleet’s purpose – and that plan involves Serengeti. Depends on Serengeti turning her guns against her own.

Because the Fleet can no longer be trusted. With Brutus in charge, it’s just Serengeti and her Sisters, and whatever reinforcements they can find.

A top-to-bottom refit restores Serengeti to service, and after a rushed reunion with Henricksen and her surviving crew, she takes off for the stars. For Faraday – a prison station – to stage a jailbreak, and free the hundreds of Meridian Alliance AIs wrongfully imprisoned in its Vault. From there to the Pandoran Cloud and a rendezvous with her Valkyrie Sisters. To retrieve a fleet of rebel ships stashed away inside.

Amazon ~ Audible

GIVEAWAY!!!

J B Rockwell is offering up 1 audiobook (CD) copy of Dark & Stars (US Only due to shipping). Do the Rafflecopter thing below or answer these questions in the comments. 1) What state do you live in? 2) What future invention would you like to see during your lifetime? Giveaway ends May 27th, 2017 midnight.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ebook Giveaway & Interview: Eva Gordon, Author of The Alpha Wolf’s Pet Trilogy

Folks, please give a warm welcome to Eva Gordon. She kindly let me heckle her with questions and is also offering up an ebook set of The Alpha Wolf’s Pet trilogy to one lucky winner. Scroll to the end of the post to check out that giveaway!

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

Wow. There are so many. How can you make me choose? I would love to be on any Lord of the Rings movie, perhaps a hobbit. Or a rogue fighter on Star Wars. A zombie on The Walking Dead. However, since I’m a big fan of Outlander that’s the one I would choose. Being in Scotland and wearing period clothes would be a dream come true.

What’s the most interesting gross fact you know?

You do realize you are asking a former anatomy/physiology and biology teacher? So many so little time. I’m a big fan of scatology or the study of feces. I was once part of a mountain lion study and we were able to determine what they fed on and their health based on analyzing their poop.

If you were sent on a magical quest which other 4 fantasy authors would you take with you?

I would make sure I was the alchemist and take along Terry Goodkind (Sword of Truth series) Jacqueline Carey (Kushiel’s Legacy series), Neil Gaiman, and throw in Diana Gabaldon (because she might bring along Jamie Frasier from Outlander). Maybe put them in my fantasy novel, The Stone of the Tenth Realm.

Do you have any phobias?

I don’t have any phobias, however I do suffer from a different neurological condition known as Misophonia. Not a phobia. Triggers such as chewing noises, gum popping, slurping and sniffing for example drive me crazy. I’m not alone; celebrities Kelly Ripa and Kelly Osborne are misophones. Authors Franz Kafka and Anton Chekov also suffered from this condition. Ear plugs help.

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

As a kid I was a tomboy who wanted to be an explorer and animal behaviorist like Jane Goodall. Hence, my degrees in Zoology and Biology. Although, I was a bookworm I never thought about writing until later.

The Desert Island Collection: what books make it into your trunk and why?

Survival books and my iPad filled with plenty of science fiction and fantasy novels. Naturally, I would have a solar charger for my device.

Which favorite bookish worlds would you like to visit?

The world of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series, Tolkien’s, and shamelessly, my novels. My worlds can be dangerous, but I’m smart and there is always a gorgeous hero will give me a hand. Winks.

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

The Debate of All Time, would you rather live in the Star Trek or Star Wars universe? I think I would have to choose Star Trek where I would be a science officer. Safer. Although, it would be cooler to be a Jedi master in the Star Wars Universe.

About Author Eva Gordon:

Eva Gordon writes genre bending paranormal/fantasy/steampunk and historical novels with a strong romantic element. Alpha heroes and brilliant feisty heroines. HEA with a kick. She loves to create stories that combine her passion for mythology, steamy romance, and action/suspense. Her imagination takes her from one universe to the next. Thus far, she has several series up as well as single titles waiting in line for production.

Eva has a BS in Zoology and graduate studies in Biology. When not in her den writing, she can be found teaching animal lore at writing conventions, at work at the raptor rehabilitation center, wolf sanctuaries, or to satisfy her inner Hemingway on some global eco adventure.

Sign-up for Eva’s Newsletter!

Places to Stalk Eva Gordon

website ~ blog ~ Amazon ~ facebook ~ twitter ~ goodreads ~ pinterest

Book Blurb about The Alpha Wolf’s Pet Trilogy:

The Alpha Wolf’s Pet Collection includes the entire trilogy. Each book is a different stage in the romantic relationship between alpha werewolf, Dominic and Mia, his human lover. Paranormal steamy romance and page turning suspense. Alpha Wolf’s Pet series introduces the universe and some of the characters in the offshoot paranormal romance suspense series: Team Greywolf, Slade, Book 1 and Chernobyl Werewolf, Book 2.

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ iBooks ~ kobo ~ Audible

GIVEAWAY!!!

Eva is graciously offering up one ebook set of The Alpha Wolf’s Pet trilogy to one lucky winner [OPEN INTERNATIONALLY]. Do the Rafflecopter thing below or answer these questions in the comments: 1) What geeky argument have you been a part of? 2) Where do you live? Giveaway ends May 4th, 2017, midnight.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Audiobook Giveaway & Interivew: Keira Gillett, Author of the Zaria Fierce Series

Folks, please give a warm welcome to Keira Gillett! I’ve really enjoyed the first 2 books in her Zaria Fierce series (The Secret of Gloomwood Forest and The Enchanted Drakeland Sword) so it’s a real pleasure to have her on the blog today. We chat about Scandinavian folklore, cover art, magical quests, and plenty more! Also, please check out the audiobook giveaway at the end of the post!

Susan: 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?

Keira: Great question, Susan! I believe all fictional stories regardless of genre help to shape the world around us because they shape the people reading them. Things that were once the stuff of science fiction are today the norm – flying machines, submarines, space stations. Anything that sparks the imagination towards discovery and progress is a great thing. Fantasy is the same, and while we might not be riding around on great winter-wyverns like Norwick, there is always more to learn about the world around us. I read an article recently about a new species of whale that’s been discovered. A whale! Those creatures are huge! So I think fantasy keeps readers interested in how things seen and things hidden intersect and connect with each other. They share a sense of wonder and hope that anything is possible.

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

Keira: I’m lucky because I don’t think any of the jobs I have held have been difficult or beyond my capability. The hard part was probably the commute. Writing can be done anywhere. Zaria’s story in its current form started when I was in the car driving and I pulled out my phone at a stoplight and opened the voice memo app. I started talking about her, introducing her to readers, and later transcribed it. The hardest part about writing is distractions and research rabbit holes that I fall into. I love looking into things and figuring out how to adapt and incorporate them in the Zaria Fierce world. Sometimes I would be so involved I’d look up and it’d be time to go to bed and not a lick of writing had been done.

Susan: If you were sent on a magical quest, which 4 other children’s books authors would you take with you?

I love quests and there are authors out there who really understand how to get into and out of trouble. If my quest involved an ancient culture I would snag Rick Riordan. He’s got his fingers on the pulse of several and would be handy to have around. If it involved magic and alternate worlds connected to our own, then C.S. Lewis is a definite must for the party to succeed. If the quest would involve politics, years of travel, and dangerous objects J.R. Tolkien would be my go to guy. The last person I would bring is Cressida Cowell, for she is the best in the world for dragons, which almost always guard hoards of secret treasures.

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

Keira: For one, I read a bunch of folktales, and in fact, I am reading right now another book of them that I found recently for Norse and Scandinavian folklore. The Tall Ships Race actually exists and has been held in Fredrikstad in the recent past. I watched several videos on YouTube featuring ships and people from the event. I even got a map/brochure of the different events happening around the city tucked away. The castle and its grounds that are in the Under Realm are based on real Scandinavian castles. I look at maps and try to keep my kingdoms in real locations so readers could say to themselves, maybe… maybe it’s there if I look hard enough.

Susan: 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?

Keira: I haven’t really a story about fans or authors, but I did write Robert Pattinson a letter once. It was really bad, but I remained cool and didn’t express my undying love or anything. LOL But it was bad enough that not even his people bothered to send me back a form letter thanking me for writing. Mostly when I gush I gush to like-minded individuals near me and not to the objects of my intense gushing. I spare them the indignity of having to pry me off.

Susan: Cover art can be so important for a book, making or breaking sales. Your books have great cover art. Can you tell us a little about how you found the illustrator and the collaborative process that lead to the book covers?

Keira: Thank you! I love my covers too. I think they really stand out and grab attention in the best of ways. They were a collaboration with Eoghan Kerrigan. He provided the cover art and I set up the covers with fonts and backgrounds. I found Eoghan through a series of events.

On one of my rabbit hole research trips, right after I had decided Zaria would be set in Norway, I found myself looking into John Bauer’s art. He created such ethereal landscapes and fantastic little trolls. Somewhere in that search I found a piece where an artist copied Bauer’s style on Deviant Art, but when trying to locate that artist down the road as the story neared its conclusion proved impossible.

I spent hours looking at other artists on the site and discovered Eoghan Kerrigan’s magnificent trolls. I fell in love with them on the spot. I tracked him across several websites trying to determine if he was open to commission work and lucky for me it turned out he was. We connected on Facebook and then by e-mail and the rest as they say is history.

Eoghan is fantastic to work with. He’s very open during the process. We did a few rounds of sketches to determine how Zaria and Olaf would look like, and another round for the covers. Once that was sorted I gave him carte blanche to pick what he wanted to illustrate for each chapter and I’m so glad I did. His style brings such realism to the books, characters, creatures, etc.

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

Keira: The first book I remember reading on my own is probably Nancy Drew. I read that series until there wasn’t a single yellow book on the shelf left. I also thoroughly enjoyed the Baby-Sitters Club. The first book I remember being read to me is Half Magic. My mother read it at home and would volunteer to read it at my school too. Great books.

Susan: You have to run an obstacle course. Who do you invite along (living or dead, real or fictional)? Will there be a tasty libation involved?

Keira: Can it be a zipline course? I love those. Getting to climb around in the trees and soar across spaces is so much fun. Food is probably some sort of meaty, hearty fare to keep you full and ready to tackle the next obstacle. I’d probably bring friends and family and make a day of it. Thanks for having me at Dab of Darkness, Susan. This has been a lot of fun! If you keep scrolling there’s information about a giveaway below.

Book Three in the Zaria Fierce Trilogy

Summary: “Nothing can save you now, Princess.”

How can anyone be tricked twice? Isn’t there even a saying about that? Zaria Fierce is determined to get things right this time and with the Drakeland Sword in her possession she’s ready to take on trolls, dragons, and whatever else may come… but first she and her friends are going to have to figure out just how much trouble they’re in at home.

Release Date: July 1, 2016

Available in E-book, Paperback, and Audiobook (Coming Soon)

Praise for Zaria Fierce and the Dragon Keeper’s Golden Shoes (Book 3):

“That’s the great thing about the Zaria Fierce trilogy: adventure is fast, furious, and loaded with Norse mythology, but the friendship between Zaria and her group of friends is the heart that drives this story.” Rosemary, Mom Read It

“Zaria Fierce and the Dragon Keeper’s Golden Shoes was the magical conclusion this trilogy asked for. Filled with action and adventure, Zaria and her friends showed us the importance of teamwork, friendship, and having courage in ourselves. The perfect ending to a fun series, I recommend this to all fantasy lovers, middle school and beyond!” – Emily, Midwestern Book Nerd

“Zaria Fierce and the Dragon Keeper’s Golden Shoes was a spectacular conclusion to a great trilogy (though the ending left the door open for more adventures). Filled with magic, a great story line, amazing and real characters, wonderful settings and beautifully explored themes, Keira Gillett created a trilogy that I will always cherish and will visit anytime. If you like The Chronicles of Narnia, The Hobbit, The Spiderwick Chronicles or simply love a book filled with Norwegian folklore and fantasy, then this is the ultimate series for you to read, devour and lose yourselves in.” – Ner, A Cup of Coffee and a Book

Excerpt:

Hector was right that the group wasn’t far from Malmdor. They reached the entrance before night fell, and in the gloomy dusk that slipped around them like a cloak, they reached the edge of the forest and stopped. Below them in a wide clearing was an abandoned quarry filled with water.

The lake was nestled at the bottom of a deep, steep pit. Its deep blue water was smooth and glassy, protected from wind by the rocky walls and surrounding forest. Zaria could see the lakebed in the shallower areas. Something large swam in the center, too deep to see clearly.

“What is that?” asked Filip, having spotted the creature at the same time.

Hector said, “It’s a water-wyvern.”

“Is that like the Loch Ness Monster?” asked Christoffer. “Cool. No wonder they can’t find it in Scotland.”

“You haven’t seen a winter-wyvern,” Zaria said. “I bet it’s more like Norwick.”

“The flying snow leopard-bear-bat thing you told me about? Even better,” Christoffer said, rubbing his hands together in glee. “Do we get to meet it?”

“Is it friendly?” worried Geirr.

“The beastie is not friendly,” said Hector, grimly. “And yes, we will be meeting it. Water-wyverns are wild, unpredictable creatures. This one is particularly nasty. It was captured and transported to this quarry lake over a century ago. It can’t escape – water-wyverns aren’t able to live out of water for very long. This makes it very angry. The lake is too small for him.”

“That’s what I was afraid of,” Geirr said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “So, can it eat us?”

Hector nodded. “It once devoured an entire legion of dwarf handlers because they smelled bad. They’ve showered regularly ever since.”

Geirr looked at Zaria. “Why?” he moaned. “Why do we have to meet it?”

“Look on the bright side, mate,” Filip said, clapping Geirr on the back. “Maybe we get to ride it.”

Hector shook his head. “The water-wyvern is the guardian of Malmdor. Its job is to keep out all trespassers.”

Christoffer sighed, disappointed. “Too bad. I would have loved to ride him.”

“Will we have to feed it to get by it? What does a water-wyvern eat?” Aleks asked, readjusting his backpack and bow.

“It eats whatever it can catch,” Hector said forebodingly. “We’ll have to be careful as we near the shoreline. A water-wyvern might not have much in the way of limbs, being adapted to the water, but it has enough leg-power to propel itself onto the shore and attack.”

“At least it can’t fly,” said Geirr, relieved. “Small favors.”

Zaria and her friends gasped as it breached the surface, blowing out a large stream of air. The water-wyvern was magnificent with a gray-and-white pattern. It had a seahorse face, with a long snout, and no ears. The top of its head bore a wavy crest that trailed down its neck.

As the creature dove beneath the water, it flipped its body into the air. There were no scales anywhere on it, as far as she could see. Zaria half-expected a whale fluke, but its tail looked like an eel’s. The thing was massive, at least four times bigger than Norwick, and hideous.

They stood there, watching the shifting, undulating, shadow in the water. Aleks wore a pensive frown, his brown eyes narrowed. “Does it have a name?”

“The dwarves call it Vingar.”

Author Bio: Keira Gillett is a technical publications librarian, book blogger, world traveler, artist, and now author. She graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in Drawing and Painting. From an early age her mother instilled a love of the written word, as such she has always been a big reader. Her first book, Zaria Fierce and the Secret of Gloomwood Forest, is about a young girl who must complete a quest to save her friend from a nasty river-troll.

Website: http://keiragillett.com

Social Media: Twitter (keiragillett), Facebook (zariafiercetrilogy), Pinterest (zariafierce)

Giveaway: Keira is offering up the first 2 books in the Zaria Fierce series in audiobook format (from Audible.com) to one winner. Enter the Rafflecopter by clicking the link below. Ends Aug. 14, 2016.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview: Gary & George of Unsung Stories

Folks, please welcome the brains behind Unsung Stories, an indie SFF publisher based in London, UK. Unsung Stories publishes intelligent genre fiction – science fiction, fantasy, horror, speculative, steampunk, and importantly those works that blur the boundaries between these genres.

So this turned out to be a vast question that we couldn’t really answer concisely at all. We’re both in agreement on the themes of the answer, as below, but given it’s a big question we figured it deserved a big answer.

George

Starting with an easy one I see! All narratives, contemporary SFFH, Homeric epics, Jane Austen and even The Daily Mail, are reflective of the society that created them and help shape history. So unicorns, dragons, the Cyclops, witches, changelings and more, have very specific functions beyond whether or not people believe they’re actually there. The same applies to Ebenezer Scrooge, Hamlet, Emma Woodhouse and Malcolm Tucker.

Demons and angels. Our aspirations and our fears. How we manifest these in art has changed, absolutely, but the reason why we do it remains as essential and indefinable as ever.

As to whether contemporary SFFH affects human cultures today? Of course! The how is more telling. One of the most pervasive SF narratives of recent times is Star Trek, which is at its core a utopia project. Sure, they’re knocking on the doors of the Heavens, and it’s about intrepid adventurers and individual acts of heroism, but the thesis is of humanity at its best. Reaching to the stars, embodying justice in a universally welcoming and productive society. Add a splash more hubris and tragedy and you’re getting back into the same territory as Homeric epics. Only this time Icarus has shields and inertial dampeners.

One idea I have is that we use different genres for different purposes. So science fiction is about exploring hypotheses for humanity. What our existence will mean when the fundamental state of humanity has changed. Gibson does this excellently, Haldeman’s The Forever War and countless others. It’s a sandbox for thought experiments, inherently philosophical at heart.

Fantasy has created vast explorations of history and the moralities of governance and action. We can transpose political realities into new environments and comment on and satirise them. There’s so much of humanity’s history to understand and fantasy lets us do that freely, calls on us to tackle political and sociological Gordian knots.

Finally horror might be the most introspective of the three. Sure, it’s about scaring people but it’s also based on what we are afraid of. It’s more than big rats, it’s the darkness and the void, our weaknesses and fears, our inability to protect what we love.

Obviously that’s three broad generalisations, and only offered as a springboard for thought. It’s a big question!

Gary

All of human history, all human life, is shaped by narrative; it’s how we fundamentally understand and process the complex, messy reality we find ourselves in.

I see that SFFH affects human culture today in some very profound ways. Speculative fiction as a whole has always been a wonderful way of exposing and exploring collective hopes, dreams, fears and nightmares.

Trends in science-fiction can accurately map entire cultures’ feelings towards the future – do we see utopia or dystopia ahead? Will technology set us free, or create new traps for us? Do we even believe in a future anymore? In turn, these narratives exploring these issues will inform how we think about ourselves and the way we live, and where we are going (or perhaps going wrong).

The horror genre is a place where our worst fears, anxieties and repulsions can be explored (and exploited). I think there are two camps of horror fiction, the cathartic ‘ghost train’ types of horror, where everything works out in the end, where the evil is defeated and mankind overcomes: fiction ultimately as a form of validation that the world is OK.

Then there’s the other kind of horror, pioneered by Lovecraft and perfected by writers like Thomas Ligotti, where there is no victory, no catharsis, where the bad things win. This is my preferred model of horror fiction – not because I think life is hopeless or inherently ‘bad’, but because I think this kind of writing serves a useful function, to allow readers to face and explore difficult emotional topics.

We have a deep psychological need for monsters. Through storytelling we can turn an abstract fear into something physical that can be, at least potentially, defeated. Fear of the consumerist, mindless masses become zombies, aggressive male sexuality takes form in the werewolf, the ghost is a clear manifestation of past guilt/trauma, and so on.

With fantasy the enduring appeal of Tolkien and the LOTR films, the continued popularity of epic fantasy novels, the Game of Thrones phenomenon are all things that cannot be discounted. It would be nice if some mainstream fantasy was not based on the models established by Tolkien (Celtic/Saxon/Norse European myths, essentially). But there’s obviously some appeal to that kind of mythic setting that has a real appeal.

It’s time for you to host the book club. Who do you invite (living, dead, fictional, real)? And what 3 books will you be discussing?

The invite list first: Iain M. Banks, Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett first of all because you need wise, nice and irreverent people to balance any debate. To stir the pot I’d add Hunter Thompson, Ursula K. Le Guin, Adam Roberts, Octavia Butler, John-Paul Satre and Charles Bukowski. That should provide enough knowledge, experience and strong-willed extroverts to ensure a healthy debate, right? Or at least an unforgettable evening. Actually, maybe add Imperator Furiosa as referee.

As for the books? I’d go with Ubik, The Trial and The Master and Margarita. Not because they are perfect bedfellows but the all fascinate and terrify me in equal measure. They all poke at the consensus of the ‘normal ‘state of affairs, be those philosophical, social or political. And they all leave you with very difficult questions.

Are strict guidelines for genres dead in today’s book market? Where does Unsung Stories fit in?

Increasingly I’d say genre is being normalised, the distinctions eroded by audiences growing more sophisticated. We’re not the people who thought The War of the Worlds was real. Genre tropes are commonplace now and we are seeing an increasing number of crossover success stories both ways. Ishiguro is exploring genre in his work. Cloud Atlas was nominated for the Booker and the Clark and Nebula. Gaiman is an international sensation despite being massively Genre, even starting out in *gasp* comics. And of course SF and fantasy are all over TV and cinema. So it’s increasingly not about defining the lines between ideas, but the opportunities in how they interact.

Here at Unsung Stories, we love non-generic takes on genre. We want to give a home to writers who grab this opportunity with both hands. The people who don’t see rules or conventions, just the way their story is. Commissioning isn’t about if we can see a market, it’s about finding the stories we love, and know deserve to be published.

What now-dead author would you like to interview? What are some of the things you would chat about?

Philip K. Dick, probably. He’s the man who posited a Matrix-like reality decades before even Gibson started at it. Aside from writing some of my favourite books his take on reality fascinates me as much as it seemed to trouble him. Especially because he didn’t seem to have that layer of detachment from the problem academics do. So I’d talk to him about what his philosophies of perception and what it is he thinks we’re not seeing.

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

All of the bits that weren’t terrible, ideally. But if I had to pick one it would be The Sandman because it achieves so many different things. It’s a glorious collection of short stories, it’s a revelation for the potential of comics, it’s a vast indulgence of amazing ideas, it’s funny, it’s scary, it’s utterly heart-breaking in several places, and so much more.

In fact, if I could have just one page, I’d ask for Delirium and Death in the funeral procession from Worlds’ End. It might just be perfect.

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

One thing I find fascinating is the development of monsters in horror. After the explosion in the 1960s monsters abound, starting with the classics like Dracula, Frankenstein’s creation and werewolves. Then aliens are introduced, incomprehensible powers given physical form. Soon we’re creating new demons for cinema like Freddy and Jason, where they can be defeated but only temporarily. The step after is the one that grabs me though, where they all suddenly become human. Us. No more immortals, no masked killers returning from the grave. Teenagers. Your neighbours. Your children…

With SFF we’re beyond grimdark and sci-fi horror now as well. Bank’s Culture is full of stories that blur the ideas of who is the hero. We love Game of Thrones and Abercrombie because it’s not so simple to say who the hero is. We’re interested in the grey areas more these days, probably because we understand them better than the extremes of heroism or villainy.

So yes, absolutely. And watching how this growing canon of influences develops is something I find incessantly fascinating.

The other thing is post-apocalyptic fiction is huge right now, which works on the base assumption that we somehow failed as a race. As a result of technological developments in the last 20 years we have burgeoning global identities, a greater awareness of what is happening across the world. Maybe we’re coming to realise it’s not about heroes and villains, but about our collective responsibilities as a species?

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 Unsung Stories into the multimedia realm?

I think it will continue to evolve as it already has been. Ebooks are commonplace now for instance, and apps and enriched variants are going the same way. A lot of the most interesting examples I’ve come across have been games – Device 6 or Dear Esther for example – but that doesn’t mean it will all be games. What I will say, is I suspect the great ideas will come from writers/indies who create something as a labour of love. People in the industry are readers, gamers, fans, just like everyone else. So they’ll be there with everyone else when good things happen.

Unsung don’t have plans right now, but if we see an idea we like enough we’ll go for it. There’s no reason for stories to be limited to books any more (however much we love them). The crucial thing is to ensure the story works for the format. So, for example, rather than shoehorning a popular book into a graphic novel I’d want to see something written with comic format in mind. It’s about best serving the stories, after all.

Care to share an awkward fangirl/fanboy moment where you were gushing over an author’s work?

I exist in a perpetual state of anxiety as a rule so that would mainly involve every conversation I’ve had with an author, ever. I’m also particularly bad at recognising people as we rule so my worst moments are the opposite kind where you talk to someone, usually spouting flawed opinions at great length, to then discover they’re Pat Cadigan, or someone like that. Things like that happen to me, so I operate the working assumption that my brain hates me.

That said, when I met Brian May I had a not-inconsiderable haircut myself and proceeded to compliment him on his hair. Not his music, charity work or career as an astrophysicist. His hair. I got the impression I wasn’t the first person to do that.

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

I’m not sure what it was called but there was something involving a mad professor taking a teenage boy to Jupiter where he had to play hockey with 20 metre tall bruisers. It’s the illustrations I remember more than anything. Something I remember the title of though, is either the Mary Plain books by Gwynedd Rae, or The Arabian Nights. That and poring over the Terran Trade Authority books in my primary school’s library.

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

We have our Unsung Live event scheduled for 20^th October in Kings Cross, London. This is SFF storytelling, with readings from Simon Guerrier, Robert Sharp, Cassandra Khaw and David Hartley. We’re doing this because we couldn’t find any live-lit events for genre fiction and thought there should be at least one! Tickets are free, you just need to RSVP to secure a place at – www.meetup.com/unsung/events/224926265/. It was very popular last time so booking is advised!

We do have other things in the pipeline in terms of books, but nothing I can talk about yet. They’ll be good though, promise.

Places to Follow Unsung Stories

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Giveaway & Interview: Elizabeth Jeannel, Author of The Travelers

Folks, please give a warm welcome to Elizabeth Jeannel, author of The Travelers, to the blog today.

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?

As a child, I definitely would have chosen a space alien because superheros were real to me, actively saving the world, I just hadn’t met them yet. As an adult, I’ve somewhat grown up. I currently think superheros just live among us waiting for their time to shine. I’d have to say Batman would be my chosen hero because, lets face it, there’s enough billionaires out there that someone could realistically step up and do the job. Until then, my life will not be complete. So, someone who knows a billionaire needs to tell them its Batman time; we are all waiting.

Modern fantasy definitely affects human cultures today. People are constantly stepping up as they prepare for the zombie apocalypse (which is inevitable, might I add), some are even claiming to be vampires, others are searching for vampires, whether it be lover or hunter, people still look for Big Foot, and the age old Loch Ness, and we all know that the idea of time travel is secretly on the mind of everyone who can comprehend the idea. We want to believe what isn’t real because if the imaginary stay imaginary, life is just too normal.

Conventions, book signings, blogging, etc.: what are some of your favorite aspects of self-promotion and what are some of the least favorite parts of self-promotion?

I think my favorite aspect about the self-pro process so far is that I’ve really had full control. I decide where to go, what to talk about, who to talk to, and why. No one tells me where I have to go or what I have to do. Ultimately, its up to me.

My least favorite part is that I’m alone. Everything I do is sort of in my hands, and its a learn as I go experience. Most of the steps I’ve taken so far have really come from reading the experiences of others, and trying my best to learn from them. The writing world is so vast, and unless you make the right friends, you aren’t really going anywhere. I’m still trying to make friends in general, but those that I have are amazingly supportive.

If you were sent on a magical quest which other 4 fantasy authors would you take with you?

When I read this question, I imagined that each of us would have the ability to use our writing freely. I.e. we could magically create things and change things just like we do in the word world. So, that being said, I would definitely bring J.R.R Tolkien back from the dead because who doesn’t love classic, by his side C.S. Lewis would be kicking it, I’d definitely add Jim Butcher along for the ride, and finally I’d add one more female to this group of manly men with Lauren Kate. I feel like I’d definitely be the weakest link with this group of literary geniuses, but I still think we would take that magical quest by the horns.

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?

Sadly, I do most of my writing at my day job. Between caring for my spoiled cat, spending time with my disabled girlfriend, and doing that real work thing, I just don’t have a lot of spare time, except when work is slow. However, I typically leave an earthquake wherever I go, so if I had a Writer’s Den, it would most likely be a beautiful disaster. In all honesty, I’ve written at work between 911 calls, the park, school, the library, Starbucks (because I am a typical white girl and I don’t care), and even in the car at one point, BUT I prefer to be curled up with a blanket, munchies, and my favorite drink by a rainy window. I think that’s when I have my best creating juices flowing.

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?

I can actually honestly share two of these moments because both are equally worth it.

Since my first book has not been released, and a recent accident forced me to put it off, I’ve had some of my friends and family in full suspense waiting for the release since the spring of this year. Well, about a month ago, I bumped into an old high school friend at our local mall, and she had to stop me and beg me to release my book soon. She even said she checked my facebook page regularly to see if I had posted any tidbits about the book. It was the first time that I realized that other people actually do care about my work, and I can’t get over that day.

My second story flashes back to the dark days before my self publishing adventure began. These were dark times, Susan, very dark times. I was doing the unthinkable and querying like crazy, when I stumbled upon the agent of one of my favorite authors (who shall remain nameless for lack of ridicule from the general public). I literally squealed, scaring my cat, my girlfriend at the time, and my in laws. Quickly, I began forming a query letter, without explaining my outburst, and clicked send. Of course, I never received a response, and it just so happens now that I’m glad about it, but at the time, the idea of having the same agent as one of my favorite authors was something beyond my wildest dreams.

Thank you for the interview, and I hope you have an amazing day!

Book Blurb for The Travelers:

The town Alex calls home has always felt safe to her, until three girls her age are found dead. When Alex’s father forces her mother to skip town with him, possibly for good, they leave Alex behind to fend for herself and unfold years of lies they have built her life upon. Jaze, who has been invisible by her side for months, appears just in time to eliminate any normality that remained in her life. He’s tall, dark and terrifying, though that wasn’t his intent. Just as Jaze is earning Alex’s trust, the Council, a feared and powerful group of leaders from his world, orders him to protect her with his life.

Jaze quickly becomes torn between his duty and his love for Alex. When her real memories of her childhood return, Alex tumbles head first into Jaze’s strange world and into his arms. While Jaze soon finds that Alex may not be the ordinary girl he had originally assumed her to be. Together the two of them discover that sometimes love and simplicity aren’t always options in life.

Places to Find Elizabeth

GIVEAWAY!!!

Elizabeth Jeannel is offering up 2 ebook copies of her book The Travelers. This giveaway is open International! To Enter, do the Rafflecopter thing below or answer the following in the comments: 1) Do you think fantasy fiction affects modern society? 2) Leave a way to contact you! Giveaway ends December 7th, 2015, midnight.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview: Kim McMahill, Author of A Dose of Danger

Folks, please give a warm welcome to Kim McMahill.We chat about Wyoming, snakes, how to win at an obstacle course, and plenty more! Enjoy!

How does modern pop culture influence your work? Do modern cultural references date a piece or add touchstones for the reader?

My stories are generally set in the present and several are even futuristic, so it’s impossible not to be influenced by modern pop culture in order to write realistic stories. In my latest novel, A Dose of Danger, a researcher believes she’s found a miracle weight loss supplement. In the U.S. the diet product industry is a 40 to 100 billion dollar a year industry, driven by the need of many to conform to social pressures to be thin or strive for a trendy look. We’re constantly deluged by what the perfect body image should be and the latest fad promising to deliver. But what if we were all thin and fit? Those invested in the diet product industry might not be too excited to see their profits disappear.

Modern cultural references definitely date books. Ten years from now that diet supplement might actually exist, so the plot no longer delves into a “what if” scenario. But hopefully the overall story is strong enough that it really doesn’t matter and the reader will see it as a touchstone, not an outdated story. Sometimes when I read an older book I get those nostalgic, “oh I remember that” feelings, and the memories evoked only make the story more enjoyable.

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

During summer breaks throughout high school I cleaned motel rooms. There’s no comparison. Writing novels can take me on any grand adventure I can dream up and I get to share those stories with the world. The only thing I dreamed of when cleaning motel rooms was being done, and I seldom wanted to share any of those adventures with anyone.

Do you have any phobias?

I can’t even look at snakes when I go to the zoo or I’ll likely have nightmares. We didn’t have a lot of snakes where I grew up in Wyoming, but we did have rattlesnakes. The up side was that my dad let my sister and I have all the cats we wanted since keeping the rodents (common snake prey) away from the house and barn also kept the snakes away.

When trekking through Khao Yai National Park in Thailand every time our guide stopped to show us a flower or mushroom, my heart nearly stopped. They have some seriously poisonous snakes in Thailand. Finally my husband asked the guide to quit pointing excitedly at the ground, because every time he did I was sure it was a cobra.

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

I absolutely loved The Lord of the Rings Trilogy based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s classic novels. I re-watch my DVDs at least once a year, sometimes more. I wasn’t quite as excited about The Hobbit, and it was definitely a bad idea to mess with The Wizard of Oz.

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

Kids that grow up in the country tend to be self-entertaining and often very creative, and I was no different. We only had about four channels of antenna television, so sitting around the house wasn’t an option. I had a pony, but no tricycle since those aren’t conducive to dirt roads, and dogs and cats for companions. When I got a little older I had a mini-bike. My sister and I would ride around the hills behind the house exploring all the gullies and rises all day. I loved to downhill ski, which I find ironic now since I’ve grown to dislike the cold. How did I stay out all day, seldom stopping for lunch, not wanting to miss a moment on the slopes?

I never thought about being a writer, but I should have known that’s where I’d end up. I had an active imagination as a kid, and I guess I still do. I love adventure and discovering new places. Now, whenever I can’t get out on the road, I can always read a book or write one and uncover something new and exciting.

What do you do when you are not writing?

I enjoy gardening and spending time outdoors in the summers, reading and jigsaw puzzles in the winter, and traveling as much as I can whenever I can. I also enjoy tennis, playing and watching professional matches, and following my Wyoming Cowboys!

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

I don’t remember which specific story was first or my favorite, but I do remember a book of fairy tales that I absolutely loved. I read each story over and over until I wore the book out.

You have to run an obstacle course. Who do you invite along (living or dead, real or fictional)? Will there be a tasty libation involved?

That’s a tough one. Jack, in Marked In Mexico, is full of surprising skills which came in handy while eluding drug dealers in the Mexican jungle, and Logan in A Dose of Danger is not only smoking hot, but he will do whatever it takes to get the job done, against the odds and a host of professional assassins. But, Dirk Pitt has been part of my reading life for decades. He can get out of any situation, anywhere. I can’t tell you how many times he’s saved the world. Regardless of who participates in the obstacle course there would likely be libations. Dirk loves a fine tequila, Jack has also been known to dabble in the drink, and Logan will go with whatever the situation calls for.

Blurb for A Dose of Danger:

When researcher Grace Talbot and her team discover a possible solution for weight loss they are targeted by a group dedicated to controlling the multi-billion dollar a year diet-product industry. Her unsanctioned testing methods bring tragedy to the family ranch and the attention of the local sheriff’s deputy. With her colleagues either dead, missing, or on the run she soon realizes she must trust the deputy with her life, but can she trust him with her heart?

Blurb for Marked in Mexico:

An idyllic Caribbean vacation turns deadly when hostages are taken at one of Mexico’s most popular Mayan ruins. The kidnappers believe the abduction will be a simple way to negotiate the release of a colleague from a Texas prison, but the stakes become much higher when they realize one of their hostages is the daughter of a powerful U.S. Senator and another, an ex-Army Ranger who has no intention of playing by the rules. After a daring escape the Senator’s daughter, Jessica, and the ex-Ranger, Jack, must endure a terrifying manhunt and a desperate fight for survival. While trying to stay alive in the unforgiving jungle they forge a bond that will last a lifetime and find love neither wanted, but were unable to avoid.

Places to Find Kim McMahill