“Geo-213: The Lost Stories“

What happened in the mines of Geo-213 before the story of The Lost Expedition was told?

From Thomas D. Taylor, author of “Geo-213: The Lost Expedition” comes “Geo-213: The Lost Stories” in which fans can immerse themselves in four exciting adventures.

Ride along with Harren Trober and Divad LaTroy as they encounter a murderous being on “Mapping Expedition 116894.”

When an experiment goes wrong in the central base of Geo-213′s mining operations, there is “Chaos in Control.”

Who would have thought that a run-in with “The Obelisk on Track 133″ could lead to a return to planetary war?

Look out! There are “Smugglers in the Mines”. And remember, it’s against the law to let them live.

50,000 words makes for lots of excitement, but even more thrilling, three of the four stories in “Geo-213: The Lost Stories” were written long ago for the author’s amusement only. Now, Taylor shares them with you, and throws in a new story to boot.

Watch this blog for more updates!

1.) Author’s name:

Elyse Bruce

2.)  Most recent novel 

Glass On A Stick

3.) Genre:

Mainstream fiction inspired by true events.

4.) What’s the approximate page count and word count?

205,000 words

5.) Is this part of a series?

No.

6.)  If this is part of a series, how many books in the series so far and how many more in the series do you plan to write?

N/A.

7.) Give us a brief summary of the novel. 

Jenna Barrett is a single parent raising three unique children while running her own business.  Along with her long-time friends Tim and Paul, she heads up the Quality Of Life initiative, a 100% volunteer group that works hard to make the world a more inclusive place for people with, and without, disabilities.  When people in the autism community start contacting her about a group of advocates, she can’t begin to imagine the degree to which some will bully and harass others just to make a name for themselves.

8.)  What are some of the major themes that are explored in this book?

The book provides both positive and negative aspects of struggling against societal pressure.  It also addresses the challenges and rewards of overcoming adversity, while underscoring the importance of family.

9.) What motivated you to write this book?

For years, I’ve volunteered my time and talents to help raise awareness and funds for various non-profit organizations with a primary focus on organizations that help individuals and families living with disabilities.  The autism community is known for its very strong polarized views, moreso than can be found in other disability communities.  This provides an excellent opportunity to explore literary themes from within and outside the autism community, and to dispel myths that may exist with regards to any number of disabilities, whether one is talking about autism spectrum disorders, neuromuscular diseases, seizure disorders or any other disability, disorder or disease.

10.) What is your opinion about the genre in general?

I don’t have opinions about genres in general.  I have opinions about stories and novels specifically.

11) What do you think makes your book is something that other people will like to read?

Whether one knows anything about various disability communities is immaterial insofar as the literary themes in “Glass On A Stick” are universal.  At some point in life, everyone deals with societal pressures.  At some point in life, everyone has to deal with, and overcome, some form of adversity.  And seeing as all of us experience family, whether it’s one’s family of origin or a family the person draws to himself or herself at some later point in life, at some point in life, everyone has an opinion on the importance of family.  The characters are compelling and present a number of viewpoints from which to examine life in general.

12) Anything else you’d like to add?

Writing “Glass On A Stick” was one of the most rewarding, and most enjoyable, pursuits I can think of in my life.  I spent a considerable amount of time getting to know all of the characters in the book so I could better understand their motivations.  I’m currently working on a second novel that includes some of the characters from “Glass On A Stick” and writing this second novel is every bit as exciting and enjoyable as writing “Glass On A Stick” has been.

LINK to MY BLOG.

LINK to MY AUTHOR PAGE.

LINK to MY FAN PAGE.

LINK to MY TWITTER.

Follow him HERE.

QUESTION: What is this new project?

TAYLOR: “It’s a Geo-213 short story anthology. Unbeknownst to many, there were three short stories which inspired the novel. These stories were written many years ago and stand fairly well on their own, but, in looking them over, I’ve decided they need some revision before they can be published. I am working on the first of the three stories now.”

QUESTION: Why aren’t you leaving the stories as they were originally written and publishing the stories that way?

TAYLOR: “The Geo-213 short stories were originally written for my amusement and my amusement only (although I do believe I submitted one or more or them for publication once or twice) and as such required no explanatory or background material. But for people who do not know the inspiration and the deeper background behind the Geo-213 short stories and novel, some additional material needs to be there.  I suppose after I am long gone, fans would be interested in getting their hands on the original stories so they could compare them to the revisions, but let me say to the curious that while some existing material has been changed slightly, and a sentence or two cut, by far, the biggest alteration I have made is the insertion of additional material.”

QUESTION: In the novel, Harren Trober and Divad LaTroy reference past adventures that they’ve had on Geo-213. Are the stories you are preparing for the anthology the adventures Trober and LaTroy speak of?

TAYLOR: “Three of the adventures they mention will be included in this anthology. Yes.”

QUESTION: How long will the anthology be?”

TAYLOR: “Longer than I originally expected. I only have a hardcopy of the original stories, but the estimated word count on the them is somewhere between 4,000 to 4,500 words each with a total between 12,000 and 13,500 words.  Before I read through them recently, I had assumed I could publish them with only minor revisions and put a 15,000 word short story anthology out there. But right now, I am only three quarters of the way through the first short story’s revision and I am already up to 7,500 words. I’m predicting I’ll be at an even 10,000 before the story is finished to my liking, although that number is guesswork at this stage in the game. Whether or not the other two stories will have much material added is up in the air, but I’m guessing the anthology will come in at 25,000 words. It will be an easy read for “Geo-213″ fans, and because of its length, I’ll make the book’s price easy too.”

QUESTION: Why don’t you just write some additional stories and boost the anthology up to an even 50,000 words or more, or even a 100,000?

TAYLOR: “I might do that, but don’t hold me to it. There’s an idea for a fourth story brewing in my head that’s rooted in some notes I have saved from the past…. The thing is, for me, writing isn’t about word count, and this anthology, which is in essence a prequel to the novel, is not pre-designed to be a novel or even a novella when the stories are viewed collectively. These short stories are supposed to be the appetizers before the main course. As such, they cannot overtake the novel. Unfortunately, I have been a poor host and served the short stories after the novel has been published.”

QUESTION: About this fourth story you mentioned…

TAYLOR: “We’re getting into hypotheticals here. Let me just say that IF there is a fourth story, it will be based in Harren and Divad’s past; it will fit in with the other three stories chronologically; it will be the fourth story in the book; and it will give further background to readers about the two characters that will make the novel more meaningful.”

QUESTION: Did you do the cover art for this anthology?

Taylor: “Yes.”

QUESTION: What about a sequel to “Geo-213: The Lost Expedition”?

TAYLOR: “That’s been started, but don’t rush me. Otherwise it won’t be good. No more questions about the sequel, or the other literary projects I’m working on. I’ve got to get back to work!”

Taylor won’t say when the new anthology will appear. So keep your eyes peeled people, and come back to this blog for progress reports.

Happy reading!

Grim Quatrain: Four Tales of Terror 

 

“From Beneath”

What causes horrific creatures to crawl up from the depths of the earth to feast upon mankind? A particularly apt tale considering it has been published in 2012.

“The April Fool”

See what happens when an April Fool’s Day joke turns deadly.

“The Mailman”

For thirteen years, The Mailman delivered torture and death to David Senior. Now he’s getting ready to deliver even worse to David Junior. What can be done to protect young David from The Mailman?

“The Ragtime Blues”

What haunts Jacob Wells? And is it good, or evil?

Read these stories and you will never think of the earth, the sea, Halloween, and even the mail the same way again. 

From creepy-crawlies, twists of fate, demons, and even a ghost, Taylor delivers to true horror fans.

At over 57,500 words, “Grim Quatrain: Four Tales of Terror”  gives you plenty of reasons to make sure the closet light is on before you go to bed.

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 335 KB
• Publisher: Thomas D. Taylor; 1 edition (March 8, 2012)
• Sold by:  Amazon Digital Services
• Language: English
• ASIN: B007IPIG9W

Do you want discuss Taylor’s “Grim Quatrain: Four Tales of Terror” in detail?

There’s a page out there just for you, and it’s the ONLY one recognized by Thomas D. Taylor. Go here to participate.

Coming soon: Thomas D. Taylor’s new horror anthology. Four tales. 51,000 words of raw terror. Make sure the bulbs in your night lights work!

How many stories will be in this one?

Taylor said, “There will be at four short stories. Three are finished and ready to go. The fourth is being revised.”

How long will the anthology be?

“Tentatively? 49,000 words. Possibly more.

What’s the title of the new anthology?

“One has been selected.” says Taylor. ”The painting for the cover art is finished. Not much needs to be done before the anthology comes out. So be prepared to be scared.”

Can you tell us anything about the stories that will be in the new book?

“Not before it’s published. I can only say that you can expect the stories to be as interesting and thought-provoking as some of the other stuff I have published in the past, but their subjects and tones will be different. You don’t get ‘more of the same’ with me.”

Keep tuning in for further updates!

“I cannot even give out hints about what will be included in the compilation at this time,” Taylor said. “I can say that there will be at least four short stories, each designed to creep people out, and they may also teach people a few moral lessons into the bargain.”

Taylor won’t be nailed down to a release date, saying only, “The anthology will be ready to publish when I feel the final revisions of the stories have yielded the results I am looking for.”

Has Taylor selected a title for the new anthology? “Not yet,” he says. “A compilation is the sum of its parts. I’ll know what I want to entitle the publication once I get a feel for the kind of emotions the collection of stories evoke. The cover art has already been selected, however. Wait till you see it!  Some of the ghastliest painting I have ever done!”

And thanks for buying my books!

Thomas D. Taylor

A note from the interviewee to explain one minor detail to regular readers of this blog: “I swapped the order of Q8 and Q9, as my motivation for writing the novel followed on from the themes and it didn’t make sense otherwise.”

Thomas D. Taylor

1.) Author’s name:

Alex Le Soum

2.)  Most recent novel  

Wicked Problems

3.) Genre:

Science fiction action adventure

4.) What’s the approximate page count and word count?

470 kindle pages / 140,000 words

5.) Is this part of a series?

Yes. The Kolian Chronicles.

6.)  If this is part of a series, how many books in the series so far and how many more in the series do you plan to write?

Four books so far (preceded by Space Turbulence, High Treason, Frozen Assets). There will be a total of ten books in the series. #5 Parental Control will be published December 2011.

7.) Give us a brief summary of the novel. 

Hammer Mehran – space pilot, celebrity playboy, heir to a prestigious title and massive fortune, about to marry the hottest girl in the galaxy. Who could ask for a better life? 

The Dump – a neglected backward Hammer is desperate to revitalise as one of his humanitarian efforts.

But when the overseer of The Dump is choked to death on a lump of mud, it falls on Hammer to sort out the political mess. He rapidly realises it’s going to be a trade off between alleviating the suffering of the human settlers and the emancipation of the native species, and finds himself torn between the two. Combine this with the stress of organising a televised wedding with the colour scheme of thunder, a mud-wrestling contest and an ongoing tax fraud investigation, and it’s bound to be a bumpy ride.

8.)  What are some of the major themes that are explored in this book?

Wicked problems are complex social issues typically with multiple stakeholders and lose/lose scenarios. The term was first coined by Rittel and Webber in their work “Dilemmas in a General Theory of Planning.” There is a lot of humour in the book and it can simply be read as a light-hearted novel. But for those who like something deeper, the topics of slavery, exploitation and complex socio-economics are presented for reflection, without being too heavy or in your face. And for anyone who doesn’t realise, slavery is still a contemporary issue here on Earth in the 21st century – “The number of slaves today is higher than at any point in history, remaining as high as 12 to 27 million.”

http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0901/p16s01-wogi.html

9.) What motivated you to write this book?

I love to give my protagonist difficult moral dilemmas with very grey boundaries. I hope some of my readers contemplate these issues and try to work out what they would do in a similar situation. I don’t propose there are any right or wrong answers – I simply want people to think. I first came across the wicked problem scenario at college. It caught my imagination and I knew it was something I wanted to explore. Life is not always about clear black and white, right and wrong choices. My work is all about getting people to think for themselves, keep challenging the status quo, never follow like sheep or become complacent. When we start blindly accepting what we are told, that is when evil triumphs.

10.) What is your opinion about the genre in general?

I think there are same fantastic new novels out at the moment. Science fiction has always provided the opportunity to break boundaries and challenge assumptions, and I see a lot of new authors publishing innovative work with a strong social message. The genre is going from strength to strength.

11) What do you think makes your book is something that other people will like to read?

The book is fast-paced, action packed and full of humour. The deeper message never becomes too heavy, so I hope it will appeal to those who might not otherwise consider such social issues and, in a very gentle way, open their eyes to some of our own injustices.

12) Anything else you’d like to add?

Thank you for the opportunity to discuss my work!

Thomas D. Taylor

1.) Author’s name:

S.P. Blackmore

2.) Most recent novel:

Echoes

3.) Genre:

Sci-fi adventure

4.) What’s the approximate page count and word count?

52,000 words – page count depends on the size of the text; I think about 120 pages on a standard Kindle.

5.) Is this part of a series?

No.

6.) If this is part of a series, how many books in the series so far and how many more in the series do you plan to write?

I may eventually write other stories set in this universe, but nothing at the moment.

7.) Give us a brief summary of the novel.

Galen Beckett has served the Agency for as long as he can remember, traveling from world to world acquiring intelligence, capturing criminals, and protecting the highest bidder. He’s looking forward to well-earned time off when he’s tapped for a new assignment—to assist an ailing agent protecting an exiled queen, whose royal husband has slapped a price on her head high enough to attract every bounty hunter and assassin in the known universe.

When he meets Agent Kate Hawkins on the queen’s ship, Galen is convinced they know each other. His efforts to uncover the truth are hindered by his own fragmented memory—and the realization that he is running out of time. As a barrage of hired guns pursues them across the galaxy, Kate weakens further, and Galen must piece together a mystery a thousand years in the making.

8.) What motivated you to write this book?

Echoes actually started out as a freewriting assignment about nightingales; I had just finished a big project and wanted to get the wheels turning again, and I wanted to get back into space opera. I had no idea who the character was at that point, or where it took place. When I finished what is now the prologue, I realized I might have a pretty good tale in the making, so I sat down and tried to figure out how to combine nightingales and spaceships…that was a headache. 

I was further inspired by two recent (as of 2011) news reports; one about immortality and how we could possibly attain it, and the other about the possible threat wireless signals pose to our health. The wireless article got me thinking about sci-fi technology in particular—lightspeed, for instance, is prevalent in science fiction literature, but it never seems to have any impact on humans at all. Maybe it’s not harmful, but all this sliding/jumping around space and time should at least have some sort of effect on the body/mind.

I also wanted to write about friendship, and how it endures through difficult situations–and sometimes centuries. That was important to me. Most of my stories have sort of subconsciously explored friendship, but this time I made it a priority.

9.) What are some of the major themes that are explored in this book?

The power of memory. Friendship. The impact of technology on our lives. How little political spats can lead to Very Big Problems.

10.) What is your opinion about the genre in general?

I love it! I prefer space opera to “hard” science fiction, but the entire genre is just so full of possibilities. You can literally go anywhere with it. I read as much of it as I can, and I’m excited by the new wave of indie and self-published writers. They’re breathing new life into the genre.

11.) What do you think makes your book something that other people will like to read?

It’s got some memorable main characters who explore past lives while on the run–with a sci-fi twist.

12.) Anything else you’d like to add?

Thanks for the interview, Thomas!

I don’t think we are related, but I certainly wouldn’t mind. The description of his book is amazing and certainly reflects positively on our shared surname!

Thomas D. Taylor

1.) Author’s name:

Jake Taylor

2.) Most recent novel:

Yah and the Space Cadets / Star Rise / The Third Expedition

3.) Genre:

Science Fiction

4.) What’s the approximate page count and word count?

251 pages / 108,970 words

5.) Is this part of a series?

Yes.

6.) If this is part of a series, how many books in the series so far and how many more in the series do you plan to write?

This is the third book of a total of seven in the series. At present, I am writing the fourth one.

7.) Give us a brief summary of the novel.

The third expedition starts after the unexpected and abrupt end of a lawsuit brought before the Eternal Court of the Intergalactic League of Empires and Kingdoms by the Tamortan and Herptilian Civilizations against Annur’s Empire.

The cadets obtain 18 additional powers and gifts during this expedition. The most impressive power, perhaps, is the ability to grab the soul of another living creature and scatter it about. Despite all these powers and gifts, nine of the twelve cadets are captured and imprisoned in beautiful Crystal Planet.

A most interesting gift the cadets receive is their own Lucid Interaction Chalet where they learn that allowing their souls to float is “not like levitation or flying, it’s more like transforming oneself into breezes and sounds.”

On their way to seeding planet AquaSoil, they encountered two mountains made of diamonds drifting alone in space. Ownership of which is soon challenged by Captain Lusada (a Tamort) who is helped by Colonel Erlakee (a Herptile).

Special Note: For readers to be able to fully understand this expedition, they need to read the 1st and 2nd Expeditions first. They may visit my author’s page at: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004ARR3WC.

8.) What motivated you to write this book?

About ten years ago, I had a most intriguing epiphany and knew then that I had to write these books. I have been at it all this time, making their illustrations too, and having the greatest of funs.

9.) What are some of the major themes that are explored in this book?

Space travel, exploration, discovery, and planet seeding to determine if living creatures can be placed in a new planet.

10.) What is your opinion about the genre in general?

It is fantastic, it represents our future. Whatever we can think, whatever we can do.

11.) What do you think makes your book something that other people will like to read?

It explores many mysteries that mankind has had for millennia. It provides an answer to some very puzzling questions, without making them too clear. There is always a veil of mystery left behind. The people who have read the three books agree and are anxious for the fourth one to come out.

12.) Anything else you’d like to add?

I feel privileged for having been chosen to write these books. I do not know exactly who is guiding my steps, although I have suspicions as to who they are. For me these books are an adventure, I do not know what other great things await me as I write them, and I can hardly wait to continue.

Oh! Returning to this earth and before I forget, the books are also available in Spanish.

Thank you Tom, your site is very elegant. By the way, I do not know if we are related, but with the family being so large, I wouldn’t be surprised.

Thomas D. Taylor

1.) Author’s name:

Thomas Capper

2.) Most recent novel:

Death of the Forgotten Lands

3.) Genre:

Fantasy/Adventure

4.) What’s the approximate page count and word count?

417 pages paperback book. It’s a 6” x 9” book and has 173,612 words. I do have the kindle version of the book associated with the paperback on Amazon. So they should e together.

 5.) Is this part of a series?

Yes

6.) If this is part of a series, how many books in the series so far and how many more in the series do you plan to write?

This is Book 6 of a 7 book series. I’m currently working on the 7th and final for the series.

7.) Give us a brief summary of the novel.

With the war continuing with the Kadestka, Kommonen, Yeenaaldlooshi and Anasazi, the weary group is shocked when they find out that Yuri had gone to Kitridge to recover some lost possessions. Meanwhile, in Babylon, Patra and the others are fearful of continuing when they realize that Akmun-Ra still lives and the Santres had been resurrected.

8.) What motivated you to write this book?

Well, when I first started my story, I just wanted to write one small thing and submit it to a magazine. However, it didn’t actually end that way. I ended up writing something that was a lot bigger than a small story. It actually grew to a 2nd book then to 3rd, etc. The one I’m currently working on will wrap everything up and hopefully end the series.

9.) What are some of the major themes that are explored in this book?

Well, with the recent book, and the current one I’m working on, I attempted to listen to people’s points of view in the U.S. and used them to make the characters have a more emotional P.O.V that the characters would use in regard to what is happening in their own environment, current problems they face and what’s going on around them.

10.) What is your opinion about the genre in general?

Well, I’m definitely a Sci-Fi / Fantasy dork so to speak. Like most people, I grew up reading J.R.R Tolkien, Tracy Hickman, Margret Weis and Stephen King. I know Stephen King doesn’t fit with what the others wrote, but what can I say, I like some of his earlier writings.

11.) What do you think makes your book something that other people will like to read?

Like most writers, I unknowingly wrote certain characters in a way that some people could identify with. Like my one character, Keo, I really wasn’t thinking of having him as main character type or with much of a personality, but I ended up giving him a little more attention, and it turns out, when I look back at the other books, he’s a lot like me. Stumbling through life, trying to get a grasp on things, then having everything eventually work out for the best.

Isn’t that how most everything works in life? When people think they get a grip on things, the rules quickly change.

12.) Anything else you’d like to add?

When things begin to look bad, take a step back and try and get another perspective. Never feel ashamed to ask for help, those who are willing to help would surprise you.

Thomas D. Taylor 

1.) Author’s name:

tkRayford

2.) Most recent novel:

Abstrus

3.) Genre:

Young Adult Science Fiction

4.) What’s the approximate page count and word count?

 376 pages, 104,000 words

5.) Is this part of a series?

 Yes.

6.) If this is part of a series, how many books in the series so far and how many more in the series do you plan to write?

This is the first book in the series. It is planned at this point to be a trilogy.  The second book will be out soon.

7.) Give us a brief summary of the novel.

When 17 year old Lexi Lee’s mother disappeared six months ago, her world fell apart. She is finally coming to terms with her new life when she meets Farah, Ferdinand, and Liza. They bring with them revelations that cause her world to crumble even more. She finds out that she is much more than human and that the truths she thought she knew are not really truths at all. Things are never what they seem on the surface. She better figure out who to trust… and fast.

Could Earth really handle the truth?

8.) What motivated you to write this book?

I had a dream one night during a period when I was trying to figure out what to write next.  I knew that I was ready to write my first full-length book, but couldn’t commit to a story line.  In the dream, there was a young girl standing in the middle of red cliffs with things coming after her from all sides.  I call them “things” because at the time I didn’t know what to call them, but knew they weren’t human although some appeared to be.  I only figured out what they were when I sat down to write her story.

9.) What are some of the major themes that are explored in this book?

 Some of the themes include betrayal, discovery of the new, trust, the beginnings of young love, and self discovery

10.) What is your opinion about the genre in general?

I love science fiction. The modern world was built on the shoulders of those who have imaginations that far exceed the real and the tangible. In order to invent a device that would allow a man to talk to someone who wasn’t even there with him, he had to first imagine it and wonder “what if he could do it.”  Thus the telephone was born.  That’s what science fiction does.  It’s imagining the “what ifs” and stretching the limit on the real.  After all, if someone wrote a story long enough ago about man flying to the moon or even further back, Earth being round, that would have probably been considered to be science fiction.

11.) What do you think makes your book something that other people will like to read?

I think that the main character, Lexi is someone that readers will be able to relate to.  They are thrown into the midst of a turbulent time in her life and go through with her as her entire world is reshaped before her very eyes.

12.) Anything else you’d like to add?

Check out my blog: tkrayford.blogspot.com
TK on twitter: tkRayford

You will find in the following interview references to other things Lale has written, so you might want to check those out too. You can do this by typing in “Erin Lale” in Amazon’s search engine.

Thomas D. Taylor

1.) Author’s name:

Erin Lale

2.) Most recent novel:

Punch book 4: Dalshon

3.) Genre:

Science Fiction / Space Opera

4.) What’s the approximate page count and word count?

Each of the Punch books are around 45,000 words.

5.) Is this part of a series?

Yes, the Punch series.

6.) If this is part of a series, how many books in the series so far and how many more in the series do you plan to write?

There are 7 ebooks being published 1 book per month from June-Dec 2011. Book 5 will be out shortly (it’s October as I write this.)

7.) Give us a brief summary of the novel.

In book 4, Carla Punch makes her peace with Comac of Clan Itma, the Dalshon pirate who was in charge of the loribonding program detailed in Book 1: The Loribond. But Carla is also making war– against a new set of pirates.

8.) What motivated you to write this book?

The Punch series is Life 2.0, life reimagined as a hero’s journey. It deals with the same issues I deal with in my nonfiction book Greater Than the Sum of My Parts: My Triumph Over Dissociative Identity Disorder. Some people give their problems to a higher power. I gave mine to an action hero.

9.) What are some of the major themes that are explored in this book?

Reinventing oneself with a new career, recovery from PTSD, gender identity and sexuality, the way society treats those with disabilities, religion conversion experiences.

10.) What is your opinion about the genre in general?

I love science fiction! I used to own The Science Fiction Store in Las Vegas. Yes, a bricks-and-mortar independent bookstore. Can you believe we used to read books made of paper in the previous millennium?

11.) What do you think makes your book something that other people will like to read?

An ass-kicking heroine transforms herself from down and out to ascended; what’s not to love? Plus there’s lots of great fighting.

12.) Anything else you’d like to add?

The Punch series is a transmedia experience packed with pictures, video, sound, and cool techy stuff.

Thomas D. Taylor

1.) Author’s name:

Sarah Williams

2.) Most recent novel:

Captive 

3.) Genre:

Thriller / Urban Fantasy

4.) What’s the approximate word count?

70,000 words.

5.) Is this part of a series?

Yes, this is book one of two.  The sequel to Captive is currently being written and is due for release in 2012.

6.) If this is part of a series, how many books in the series so far and how many more in the series do you plan to write?

At the moment I can only see there being two books in this series.  But  you never know.  If the story develops in such a way that a third is required then the series could well grow. 

7.) Give us a brief summary of the novel. 

Captive is set in modern day England and tells the tale of Lux Swithin, a young woman who has been abducted by an old family enemy.  The relationship between Lux and her captor is complicated but she knows that escape is imperative.  Whilst Lux tries to take control of her fate she is oblivious to the fact that there are other groups actively tracking both her and her abductor.  The Luminita are sworn protectors of the Swithin family and seek to rescue her but at the same time there are more sinister parties that seek Lux for purely greedy purposes.  And there is one, a woman with hideous scars and a broken mind, who stalks Lux with murderous passion.  It soon becomes a race against time to see who will reach Lux first.

8.) What motivated you to write this book?

The starting point for this story was the idea of a young woman trapped in a hotel room, plotting her escape.  Somehow the whole thing developed from there and just grew until I had a full length novel.  Once I had hold of this story I simply had to write it down. 

9.) What are some of the major themes that are explored in this book?

One of the key themes running through this book is the idea of obsession, of characters who are held captive by their own goals and desires.  Lux proves to be an obsession for many of the characters but they’re all driven for different reasons; love, hate, greed, power.  Nearly every character in the book is driven by obsession.

10.) What is your opinion about the genre in general?

I really like sci-fi and this was probably one of the first genres that I started reading when I was younger. 

11.) What do you think makes your book something that other people will like to read?

I try to write a book that I myself would like to read; fast paced, good twists and interesting characters.  I think Captive has a good balance of action, adventure, romance and even some humour.  I hope that others will enjoy reading it as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it.

12.) Anything else you’d like to add?

You can find more information about me and my books at my blog www.wordsbywilliams.blogspot.com

I am staying neutral on the politics of Northern Ireland here (though I have my opinions), but for those who have a deep interest in this subject, this The Eejit’s Tale will surely be of interest to you. 

Thomas D. Taylor

1.) Author’s name:

Brian G. Scott

2.) Most recent novel:

The Eejit’s Tale which may be found on Amazon here and here.

3.) Genre:

Adventure/Thriller – I’m not really very good at categorising my own work.

4.) What’s the approximate page count and word count?

Hard copy 450pp, approximate word count 175,000.

5.) Is this part of a series?

Well, there is a sequel nearly finished and if anyone liked the original and the sequel, there could well be a third novel

6.) If this is part of a series, how many books in the series so far and how many more in the series do you plan to write?

See 5.

7.) Give us a brief summary of the novel. 

Terrorists and drug deals in Belfast, Northern Ireland, corruption in government in Prague in the Czech Republic, and Belfast musician Sean McDevitt is right in the thick of it. His narrative takes you through the dark heart of the Northern Ireland paramilitary world, to the sophisticated heart of Europe and its emergence from communism to the criminal opportunities of capitalism.

Sean is a Belfast musician, in 1992 leading a rather aimless life. His situation goes downhill rapidly when he is blackmailed into participating in drug smuggling by a member of the IRA and by a former fellow musician, now a member of the Protestant paramilitary the UVF. The operation goes disastrously wrong, but he manages to flee the country – having snagged the finances for the operation. Arriving in Prague in Czechoslovakia, not long after the Velvet Revolution, he meets some local musicians, a new girlfriend and the owner of a Prague rock club, who finds him work as an ‘advisor’ in the Ministry of Privatisation.

He soon realises that he was hired as someone seen as naive and harmless, someone who can take the blame for dodgy dealings with high-worth property in the city. Having dug into the murky world of his new boss, he is exposed as an imposter, but manages to escape back to Ireland with the help of his girlfriend, her father and her father’s eccentric American friend. His intention is to confront the man who got him involved originally, and thus to try and clear his name. However, things don’t quite work out as planned!

Sex and drugs and rock’nroll, oh yes, and roast duck. This is a love story, a thriller, a comedy, and a tale of two cities and systems which the author knows well. This is also the tale of a man discovering himself and how to live and love. It throws light on life in troubled Northern Ireland and in post-communist Czechoslovakia, and is told with deep insight and knowledge, a lot of humour, and much love for both places.  

8.) What motivated you to write this book? 

Getting drunk in a forest outside Prague with a very good Czech friend who suggested the basics of the plot.  Next day it seemed a good way to start to beat the hangover, and it sort of went from there!

9.) What are some of the major themes that are explored in this book?

Terrorism and drug-dealing in Northern Ireland, corruption in the privatisation process in the Czech Republic immediately after the Velvet Revolution, love, music, self-development.

10.) What is your opinion about the genre in general?

Since I’m not too sure really to which genre my novel belongs, I’m not sure what my opinion is. You define the genre for me and I’ll give you an opinion.

11.) What do you think makes your book something that other people will like to read?

It’s well-written (I am a Leo and thus a supreme egotist) with a great plot. It’s funny in places, realistic the whole way through (I saw terrorism in NI at first hand, and saw the corruption in post-communist CZ), the characters are based on real folk and many of the events ditto. Friends who have read it have been most complimentary behind my back, so…?  It’s better than most of the paperbacks I buy on spec when travelling!

12.) Anything else you’d like to add? 

I’d like honest opinions on it.  If folk think it’s s****, I’d rather hear that than ‘Oh it’s not bad!’ or similar disinterested comment. If it doesn’t make people laugh or think, then it would be a failure as far as I’m concerned.
 
Best wishes
 
Brian

Today Jill Haldeman talks with us about her Breaking Limits Short Stories Collection. Make sure you click over to Amazon to take a closer look at this offering.

Thomas D. Taylor

1.) Author’s name:

Jill Haldeman

2.) Most recent publication:  

Breaking Limits Short Stories Collection

3.) Genre:

Sci Fi Mixed Genres

4.) What’s the approximate page count and word count?

Depends on the page size LOL, A4 around 70-80, but I’d say about 20k words?

5.) Is this part of a series?

Yes.

6.) If this is part of a series, how many books in the series so far and how many more in the series do you plan to write?

Well this is the first version I’ve done of a short stories collection, and before I delve into ACTUALLY writing the novel novel of ANY of these stories, I’m editing a bunch of REALLY good relative stories that go into the main topic (POINT BLANK) and making a Point Blank Extended Edition by christmas.

7.) Give us a brief summary of the book.

Breaking Limits is actually based off a short story called SWITCH. Due to the nature of the stresses on one’s psyche, Izuchi’s apparent changes and the different outcomes of the people and places around him – things cause a near meltdown. Abilities overpower, and not even Izuchi can save the fate of the Tasogare people he once helped.

8.) What motivated you to write this book?

Motivation to write this book? Music, you’ll note with most books I have in future or in past have something to do with music.

9.) What are some of the major themes that are explored in this book?

Psychological issues, Gender Identity? I don’t know, I don’t pay attention to actual themes.

10.) What is your opinion about the genre in general?

I grew up on it, my dad’s a sci fi geek – and then the thriller/horror end of it is cause my mom’s a crime drama/horror geek.

11.) What do you think makes your book something that other people will like to read?

Because I was stupid enough once to place everything I wrote once in my Deviant Art account, I had feedback that dared my soul to publish finally. I’m constantly developing new things for this series, and I’m not even a famous author yet. And I’m not in it TO be famous either! (Though, I’m not discounting it XD)

12.) Anything else you’d like to add?

Don’t judge a book by it’s cover, or it’s back cover, or it’s inleaf. Read it through, and if you still don’t like it – Don’t blame the author. Think of it as differences of opinion. I took this idea from the fact my first review told me that my work was totally disordered, but the ideas were there … and enough to entice the reader to WAIT for me to bring out the extended edition.

So if this one is enough to have you hanging, just be patient – I’m editing and working on the extended edition which will be slightly more expensive (It’s around 200 A5 pages at just under 80k words) and have more content to read. I am a student, My major is NOT writing my stories – I’m studying for a career – so excuse me if my books don’t always come first!

Also, if you can’t stand my crazy stories, buy my other book it’s a collection of all my poetry and lyrics and free writes!

One downside to this is that people will miss out on seeing a lot of great cover art unless they go to each book’s Amazon page.

Price of a Bounty, S. L. Wallace’s new novel, has an excellent cover, and it’s worth it to readers to click through to the Amazon page just to see it. So please click through when you are done reading this interview.

Also, be sure to check the preview. The first few pages will hook you.

Thomas D. Taylor

1.) Author’s name:

Hello!  My name is S. L. Wallace.

2.) Most recent novel:

My debut novel, Price of a Bounty, was published this past July at Amazon.

3.) Genre:

Action/Adventure
Science Fiction

4.) What’s the approximate page count and word count?

Soon to be released in paperback at a length of 280 pages, it has just over 66,000 words.

5.) Is this part of a series?

Yes, I am currently working on the second novel of this trilogy.

6.) If this is part of a series, how many books in the series so far and how many more in the series do you plan to write?

There will be three books, and only three books in this particular series.  There is a definite story arc that I have planned through the third book at which point, we will arrive at a solid ending.  I don’t like to leave my readers hanging, but I do like to encourage them to think about big questions.

7.) Give us a brief summary of the novel.

Set in a dystopian futuristic society, we begin with Keira Maddock, a Freelancer (hired killer, bounty hunter, mercenary).  Her society was intentionally split by the wealthy shortly after the last war.  Over the years, the Divide has only grown stronger and the tension between everyone has grown.  The commoners don’t trust the Elite, and the Elite certainly don’t trust each other.  Told from multiple points of view, layers are added as we progress from one day to the next and one character to the next.

8.) What motivated you to write this book?

I began writing Price of a Bounty in early February 2011, after waking from an especially vivid dream.  As I woke completely, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this dream wasn’t silly or frivolous.  I had a solid understanding of the society (with a Divide separating the Elite from everyone else), a few of the main characters (Keira, Guy and Eberhardt), the main antagonist (Elaine Ramsey), and the part about the lie detector in chapters 3 and 4.  I even kept Keira’s name from my dream.  That doesn’t usually happen to me.  Most of the time, I’m lucky if I remember anything at all about my dreams, so I began that morning.  A few weeks later, our governor began an outright attack on public employees and our unions.  These political changes have affected me and many people I know.  Over time, Price of a Bounty became an outlet for a lot of the tension I was feeling.

9.) What are some of the major themes that are explored in this book?

What happens to a society that is so severely divided?  How can people learn to trust again after being pushed down again and again?  What can people do to make life better for themselves as well as for others?  How important is human life?  These are just some of the big questions my characters grapple with.

10.) What is your opinion about the genre in general?

I think reading science fiction can be an excellent way to try and understand humanity and current events without getting defensive.  The reader is allowed to ponder questions about real life in a safe environment.  After all, if it’s a thousand years in the future, the problems are happening to them and not to us.  We’re able to step back and reflect on the issues without getting so wrapped up in whatever the current fight is all about.  And action, well what good is a story without some decent action?

11.) What do you think makes your book something that other people will like to read?

I think well developed characters and a story that makes you question, wonder or think about things in a new light, all make a story worth reading.

12.) Anything else you’d like to add?

If you have big questions you’d like to think about or comment on, please visit my blog Crossroads of Humanity at http://crossroadsofhumanity.blogspot.com

“1st Author Interviews is a unique website that allows you a chance to personally promote your book and allows your reading audience a chance to get to know you! You’ll attract more readers, giving them the opportunity to get to know you and your work better. Get your material out there in front of readers, literary agents, publishers and development executives from films, cable and TV. 1st Author Interviews is your first stop to getting your book promoted to that vast online audience. We offer this outlet to any traditional or self-published author, whether in e-book or print formats.”

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The interview with me can be found here.

Thomas D. Taylor

However, the interview which follows is with author Wendi Sotis, someone I have known for a many years. It was interesting to note that for all the time I knew her, I had no knowledge that she was interested in writing fiction, so it was a shocker and a pleasant surprise when I found out she had released Promises for purchase online.

If you are a reader of Jane Austen fan-fiction, Promises just might be for you! Check out Amazon for purchasing details.  

Thomas D. Taylor

Wendi Sotis says:

Thomas,

I wanted to start off by saying that I greatly enjoyed your novel, Geo-213: The Lost Expedition and am very much looking forward to the second in the series.  I’m also a big fan of your artwork and the work that Midnight In Chicago is involved with.

1.) Author’s name:  

Wendi Sotis

2.) Most recent novel:

Promises

3.) Genre:

It’s pretty specific: Jane Austen-inspired, Historical Drama/Romance – Regency Era

4.) What’s the approximate page count and word count?

There are 418 pages in the book, with a word count of approximately 157,000.

5.) Is this part of a series?

Though I tend to use the same characters in each of my stories, Promises is not part of a series.  I’m hoping this doesn’t confuse any readers!  I take the same characters and place them in a different situation in each, as if each is an alternate universe.

6.) If this is part of a series, how many books in the series so far and how many more in the series do you plan to write?

N/A

7.) Give us a brief summary of the novel.

Though the story can stand on its own without the reader having any prior knowledge of Jane Austen’s works, I chose to adopt characters from her much loved tale, Pride and Prejudice, and lead the main characters, Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy, on a different journey than Austen did in the classic novel.

This “what if” story begins much earlier than the original novel; Elizabeth and William meet as children.  Through their fathers’ friendship, over the years they meet several times and their feelings for each other grow.  Promises are made, but several unfortunate circumstances and interfering family members keep them apart.

Will misunderstandings and mistaken impressions divide Elizabeth and William forever?

8.) What motivated you to write this book?

After being a fan of Jane Austen’s works for a very long time, several years ago I had come across fan fiction based on her novels and fell in love with the idea of placing her characters in new situations – some drastically different from the original novels and others only mildly so.

Even before my teenage years, I had wanted to write.  One night, I had a dream about a great idea for a story, and instead of telling an established Jane Austen Fan Fiction author about it, I decided to make the attempt to write it myself.  After a few months, the story was posted to several online forums.  The result was my first novel, Dreams and Expectations, which is of the above genre paired with mystery and some action/adventure.  It was successful with the members of the forums, but being my first true attempt at writing (at least that anyone else has actually seen) it needed a lot of clean-up work.  That story is in the process of being completely re-written and re-edited and will be published around the end of 2011.

Since I found that I absolutely loved writing, I decided to enter NaNoWriMo 2010 Contest (National Novel Writing Month).  As a result of the contest, and quite a bit of work, Promises came to life.

Now, I can’t stop the ideas for new stories from flooding my mind!  I have several more in the works – a couple that actually pair my love for science fiction/fantasy with the above genre. I’m even trying my hand at placing them in modern times.

Elizabeth and William will be very busy over the next few years if I have anything to say about it!

9.) What are some of the major themes that are explored in this book?

I had to ask a couple of people about this as I find it difficult to see themes in my own work instead of looking at it as a whole.  Here is the list my editors, Gayle Mills and Robin Helm, came up with: 

Commitment to a promise; loyalty, faithfulness, and trust in true love; delayed gratification and perseverance—willingness to wait when they could not be together; overcoming pride—I’d tell you more about that but it would be a spoiler, let’s just say that William is prideful in a different way than in canon.

10.) What is your opinion about the genre in general?

I’m one of the biggest fans of the genre I currently write in, but believe it or not, the title of “my personal all-time favorite author” is pretty much a tied between Jane Austen and Frank Herbert!  Just a slight difference between the two, eh?

11.) What do you think makes your book something that other people will like to read?

I’m sure it is not something that everyone would like to read, but I have heard from people who are interested in romance and drama and Jane Austen who tell me that they enjoyed it.

12.) Anything else you’d like to add?

I am very impressed with your blog.  Best of luck with it!  Thanks for everything, Thomas!

Jacques Antoine, who runs the Action Adventure Inc. blog says he is:

“Dedicated to news from all over the world about Indie Authors, interviews with Indie Authors, and Guest Blogs by Indie Authors. I’m especially fond of action adventure stories, so there will be lots of those. But I like other genres too, so you’ll find all kinds of other stuff here. Also, lots of free samples, recipes, baking tips (no those last two aren’t metaphors for writing), downloads and links.”

Antoine is the author of the Emily Kane series.

I am Thomas D. Taylor, the author, artist, songwriter, photographer, and (along with Elyse Bruce) Co-Creator of Midnight In Chicago, an international initiative which raises awareness of disabilities. 

My artwork has sold worldwide. I’ve painted the front and back cover art for two of Elyse’s albums: “Midnight in Chicago“, and “Countdown to Midnight“. 

My sketch “Abandoned City” appears on the cover of my 100,000 word novel entitled: “Geo-213: The Lost Expedition“.

I’m hoping we can have lots of fun talking about art, music and literature, and I look forward to your comments.