Monday 26 March 2012

Gwen Perkins - The Universal Mirror

Ok, so here it is - my totally revamped blog!

And to kick things off, I’m very excited to be able to showcase fantasy writer Gwen Perkins. In her interview below she tells us all about her novel The Universal Mirror and her other works in progress. But before we get to the interview, just to set the scene a little, here’s the blurb for The Universal Mirror:

Set in the streets of a medieval city, The Universal Mirror follows the journey of two magicians - the wealthy but carefree Quentin and his friend, Asahel, a lower-class citizen. These two men challenge the laws set down for magicians regarding the practice of magic. Among these rules is the promise never to use magic on the human body. In the dark of night, Asahel and Quentin undertake their mission: learning to heal, rather than harm. This quest takes them to graveyards, royal palaces and finally, into the heart of a conspiracy that goes much deeper than they ever could have imagined.



Hi Gwen, as an introduction could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I'm a self-professed geek from the Pacific Northwest whose interests include lampworking, historical research, and stomping through the woods as time and weather permit.  I have three lovely children, each one named from a different book or legend (Amaranth, Nynaeve, and Oisin, respectively)and a wonderful partner who live with me in a home swarming with cats, dogs, and the occasional misfit soul or two. So far as my day job, I'm fortunate enough to work in a history museum where I spend my days surrounded by stories of one sort or another.

And could you tell us a little bit more about The Universal Mirror?

There are several themes in The Universal Mirror but one of the strongest is the debate between civil law and sacred law.  How do you know what is right?  What do you do when what you believe to be the right, or the moral, thing conflicts with the laws of government?  These are the questions that my protagonists have to face as they struggle with the prohibition against using healing magic. 

Relationships and self-image are also a key aspect of Mirror.  Some of the characters delude themselves, either through their perceptions of their own actions or through the way in which they believe others perceive them.  It's possible sometimes to do the right thing for the wrong reasons—while I can't say much more than that for fear of spoiling the novel, this comes up at a pivotal point.

When and why did you begin writing?

I will be honest and tell you that I don't remember not writing.  I started writing short stories at a very young age.  It was a way to escape boredom, for the most part.  I was a fidgety child (actually, I'm a fidgety adult too) and it was a way to keep myself from going insane from sitting still. Even trapped behind a desk, I could roam free on the page. 

I never quite stopped daydreaming out loud, I suppose.

What genre do you prefer to write in?

Fantasy and horror are my preferred genres.  At some point, I'll likely cross the two but I haven't done yet.  I've published nonfiction works and written museum exhibitions as well.

What is your biggest writing achievement to date?

Thus far, I'd have to say it's The Universal Mirror.  However, I reserve the right to change my answer after I've finished the sequel!

What inspired you to write The Universal Mirror?

A lot of my writing comes from frustration with the world around me and a wish to change something specific. The triggers for each book that I write aren’t what I’d consider obvious. In the case of The Universal Mirror, there were two things at play. The first was listening to my youngest daughter complain about how beautiful the people always were in the fantasy novels she was reading at the time and that she wanted “to read a book about regular people.”

The second, oddly, was my frustration with the whole universal healthcare debate and my dissatisfaction with the political process on both sides. The book is about two men who defy the government so that they can heal others and the moral complications that come with the experimentation involved. Those are issues that exist in our society - I wanted to explore them in a medieval setting to see how that changed the ways in which those kinds of questions were dealt with.

Who is your favourite author, and what is it about their work that strikes a chord with you?

This changes regularly but one of my consistent favorites is author Octavia Butler. I love her work because it manages to tackle difficult topics such as spirituality and gender without feeling preachy or overbearing.  Her worlds are also diverse in terms of the personalities and characters that she features—she writes of places that I live and have lived.  It's easier for me to see myself in her stories simply because her characters are more like the people I know than those featured in many other books.

What book are you reading now, and would you recommend it?

I'm always reading a few different books, some a little more esoteric than others. Crown of Vengeance by Stephen Zimmer is currently on my fantasy plate and I'm really enjoying it.  I just finished Balance by Peter Giglio which was excellent (though I would have liked it to have been longer!).  And for non-fiction, I'm reading Skyjack by Geoffrey Graywhich is an intriguing look at the mystery of Dan (better known as D.B.) Cooper—highly recommended!

What are your current projects?

I'm currently writing the next books in the Artifacts of Empire series.  The first one of these, The Jealousy Glass, follows the adventures of two of the characters (Asahel and Felix) as they travel to the Empire of Anjdur.  That one's very exciting—everything from shipwrecks to swordfights!—and there's a lot of action in its pages.  I have to say, it's an intense novel to write but I'm enjoying every minute of it.

I also have a backstory shorter piece planned that will explain how the Plagues started in Cercia and reveal some of the hidden history behind the characters in the series.

Where and when do you do most of your writing?

I generally write after my children go to bed, from 9 until about midnight. Thankfully, I'm not a person who needs a lot of sleep!  I don't have an office space of my own so most writing is done on the couch or in bed. And of course, on the occasional Post-it on the fly for that idea that just won't let go.

What would you say was the hardest part of writing your book?

Finding the time and self-confidence to keep going.  It's hard to write a story—particularly one that doesn't seem to fit the traditional "mold"—with no real sense of whether or not it will be well-received at the end. I've found that since I've gotten published and have the support of a wonderful team of authors and my publisher, the second book has gone much more smoothly.

Who designed the book cover for The Universal Mirror – and was the cover something you deemed important?

The cover was very important to me.  The layout was done by my publisher, Frank Hall, of Hydra Publications and the artwork by artist Enggar Adirasa. 

I spent hours looking at different artists' work before I suggested to Frank that he look for an artist "like" Enggar who was my top choice. It was to my surprise—and delight—that Enggar agreed to illustrate the cover.  I love the cover so much.  I can't stress how wonderful it was to see the first draft and know that Enggar understood the look and feel of the book immediately.

Did you try to go down the route of traditional publishing first– or did you feel that self-publishing was right for you from the beginning?

The Universal Mirror was published by a small press, Hydra Publications, and that's a decision I've been very happy with.  I did a fair bit of research and submitted Mirror to only a few small presses, Hydra being a top choice.  I wanted to go the small press route because I hoped that I would find a publisher who was willing to listen to what I had to say and to develop a strong author-publisher relationship.  It's been a wonderful experience so far and one that I honestly don't believe I would have had with a larger publisher.

What do you think about self-publishing?

I'm a small press author which is similar but slightly different from being self-published.  That said, I've discovered that the "indie" author circle is warm and welcoming. There is a terrific sense of community among indie authors that is highly encouraging to newcomers.  I've learned a lot from the generosity of others in the community and I hope that I myself can pay that forward and give as much as others have given to me.

Where can we buy The Universal Mirror?

The book is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Powell's.  To see all of the links at once, the best place to go is my book page at Hydra's website: http://www.hydrapublications.com/ourbooks/the-universal-mirror/

Do you have a website or blog where we can keep tabs on you?

If you visit my website at http://theuniversalmirror.com, you can find out more about the book but also see all of my social media websites.  I love to chat with readers so feel free to friend me.

Do you have any advice for other writers?

"Don't give up" is the advice that everyone gives but it's very true. I would add to that, however, "don't look back." It's too easy to fall into the trap of editing over and over without actually finishing your work. Finish your book and then edit it. Don't obsess too much over the tiny details while you're writing but let the story tell itself.

And, finally, do you have anything else that you’d like to say to everyone?

Thank you all for taking a little of your time to find out more about The Universal Mirror.  Even if my novel doesn't appeal to you, I hope that you'll consider looking at other small press or self-published books.  There are so many gems out there that go unnoticed.  I'm discovering an entire world of creative literature in this brave new world of e-publishing.  I hope that you do as well.  (And if you find a particularly good book, drop by my Facebook page and let me know!)

Monday 19 March 2012

Day 498

Wow, almost 500 days since I left full-time work (that is, full-time paid work!) And at the moment I’m busier than ever.
I’m considering re-designing this blog, maybe give it a complete overhaul just to make it something a bit different. Perhaps 500 days of me giving run-downs of what I’ve been doing each week is a good solid milestone at which to stop.

Maybe by next week I’ll have renamed the blog and given it a makeover. I’m thinking more along the lines of profiling other authors (interviews, blog tours, guest posts etc) and I’m also thinking of posting book and film reviews too (as and when I read/watch stuff).

And so, as a starting point, I’d like to share an interview with sci-fi/fantasy writer S.L. Wallace…



Book title: Canvas Skies (sequel to Price of a Bounty)

Book blurb:

Greed. Power. Class division. Resistance.

While Guy and Keira navigate their way through a Terenian society that enforces the separation of classes, April is haunted by her past. Now known as Aimee LaFleur, she returns to Tkaron to open an art gallery. Everything seems to be going well, except for the nightmares.

Will they be able to close the Divide and rid their society of a severely corrupt Gov? Will Aimee ever be free? And who can be trusted?

As an introduction, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Hello!  Let's see, what might readers want to know about me?

I'm a teacher in a classroom that is unlike any I ever experienced as a child.  I teach in an upper elementary (grades 4-6) public Montessori charter school.  What does that mean exactly?  It means that I teach a mixed group of students (mixed gender, age, ability, interest, height, humor, etc.) in grades 4-6, using hands-on materials to teach abstract concepts to even the most concrete of thinkers and using project-based activities, in a school within a school, that has a charter that was drawn up by our local school district, that is funded entirely by public tax dollars, to educate students in a tuition free Montessori environment.  It's actually pretty complex.  Suffice it to say that if you think about typical teaching, I probably approach it differently.

I'm also a wife and the mother of a delightful and verbose two year-old who likes to laugh and sing and surprise her parents on a daily basis.  She also likes to type when I am typing or look at baby jaguar pictures online.

What is your book about?

My Reliance on Citizens trilogy is about a corrupt future society in which the Divide between the classes is so strong that many people resort to immoral acts either to survive or to move to the top. Yet this trilogy is also about hope for the future, hope that peace can be restored and that people will once again treat each other with compassion and respect.

When and why did you begin writing?

I've always been a storyteller, and throughout my life, I've enjoyed writing short stories, poems, letters and articles.

What genre do you prefer to write in?

I prefer to write science fiction and fantasy.

What is your biggest writing achievement to date?

The Reliance on Citizens trilogy is my biggest writing achievement to date.

What inspired you to write this book?

A little over a year ago, I began writing my first novel after waking from a dream.  I don't normally remember my dreams, and when I do they're usually mundane, but this one was different.  It included an interesting plot and featured three characters who made it into my first book: Keira, Guy and Mrs. Ramsey.  That dream became the basis for Price of a Bounty, the first book in the trilogy.

Who is your favourite author, and what is it about their work that strikes a chord with you?

I have many favorite authors.  I especially like Neil Gaimon's humor and R.A. Salvatore's descriptions.  I've also discovered many newer authors in the past few months including: Sarah Williams, Melissa Wright, Jay Merin, Andrew Augustine, R.K. Ryals, Rhodora Fitzgerald and Walter Eckland.

What book are you reading now, and would you recommend it?

I'm currently reading Mr. Bradley & the Amazing Smoke Giant by Andrew Augustine.  I don't like to recommend books unless I know a person's tastes.  I'm enjoying it though, and you could always check out the preview to see if you might like it too.

What are your current projects?

I've begun writing Heart of Humanity, the final installment of the Reliance on Citizens trilogy.  I've also begun working on a completely different novel that has yet to be named.

Where and when do you do most of your writing?

Most weeks, I'm able to spend a couple of hours after work relaxing at a local coffee shop. That's where most of my writing occurs.  I spend more time editing at home late at night or in the early morning.

What would you say was the hardest part of writing your book?

Finding the time to write has been a challenge.  Some mornings, I'll wake up with a lot of ideas and sit down at my computer right away.  Then I'll look at the clock and realize I'm running late to work.  (I always get there before my students but do not always get there 45 minutes ahead of time as expected.)

However, what's most challenging for me is marketing my book.  I don't like to tell anyone that they should read my book, but I do want readers to know it's available.

Who designed your book cover – and was the cover something you deemed important?

Carl Graves at http://www.extendedimagery.com designed both of my covers.  I believe that my books deserve high quality covers after the amount of time and effort I put into them, and I'm not artistically talented enough in the visual arts to do them justice.

Did you try to go down the route of traditional publishing first – or did you feel that self-publishing was right for you from the beginning?

I chose to self-publish from the start.  In short, I want to keep all rights to my work.

On the whole, how have you found self-publishing?

I've really enjoyed self-publishing.  Every platform from Barnes & Noble to Smashwords to Amazon has been easy to navigate.  However, Amazon has given me the most benefits so far with regards to promotions and sales.

Where can we buy the book?

Canvas Skies http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007JUR5FC

Price of a Bounty http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005H93BBE and in paperback at https://www.createspace.com/3678440

Do you have a website or blog where we can keep tabs on you?

My blog isn't just about my writing.  It's about current affairs and the state of the world.  Please visit and post at http://crossroadsofhumanity.blogspot.com

Do you have any advice for other writers?

If you enjoy writing, then keep writing, and don't be afraid to ask for help along the way.  I highly recommend joining a writing group either in person or online.  Find a group of people who aren't afraid to tell it to you straight.  If your work needs improvement, it's better to hear it before you publish.

And, finally, do you have anything else that you’d like to say to everyone?

Be true to yourself.

Monday 12 March 2012

Day 491

I haven’t got much news this week - other than that I’m feeling stressed to bits. Thank God the weather is glorious, at least that’s making me smile.

This week’s writer interview on my website was with Helen Dunn - writer of spoof lesbian horror. Check out what she had to say here: http://rachaelhdixon.webs.com/writershowcase.htm

My first Slippery Souls Newsletter will be going out soon (1st April) - so if you haven’t already, please contact me to subscribe (or pass on the details to anybody else you think who might be interested). There’ll be information about competitions, updates and forthcoming events in each quarterly edition.

Right, I’d better keep this one short so I can go and crack on with the million-and-one other things I have to do. Hopefully next week I’ll be back to my usual calm self.
Hopefully...

Monday 5 March 2012

Day 484

Well, I don’t have much in the way of news this week. Although, I’m very happy to say that I got a new 5 star review on Goodreads for Slippery Souls:
‘Rachael has created an amazingly dark yet funny world in Slippery Souls. It starts with Libby considering changes in her life to dying to being chased by monsters with her now talking dog in tow. The book is well written, the world of Sunray Bay feels as real as anywhere when reading it. Even with the fantasy and paranormal beings and activity, there is no duex ex mechana (spelling). This novel gets down to the gritty when nescessary and even with close calls these characters have to work to escape danger. No guy falling out the sky without ever being in the book or some other blatant have-to-save-the-main-character stunt. If you survive or escape danger, there's a sensible reason for it.

This book is for sixteen and older and from firey redhead to dark skinned broody hunk to druggy villain to scheming vamp mayor....you will love this book whether you're a fan of paranormal or not. The novel draws you in and even after reading it you don't want to come out. A great read for everyone and I'm anticipating the next book in the series already.

5 stars all the way. No tears, no complaints.


But other than that, things are pretty slow. Not that I expected it to be any other way - and so, I’m furiously trying everything I can to get Slippery Souls out there and noticed. It’s tough, I can tell you! And I never have a ‘relaxing’ day these days.

I did write my very first guest post this week (http://queendsheena.blogspot.com/), when Queendsheena very kindly welcomed me to her blog. Hopefully it might be the first of many.

This week’s Writer Showcase on my website was with R K Finnell, author of Kickshaw Candies. Her book contains elements of Irish folktale and fantasy, and features a sweet shop - what’s not to like?! Check out what she had to say at the usual place - http://rachaelhdixon.webs.com/writershowcase.htm

And now, as a special treat, I have an interview with author Jason Z Christie - who tells us a little bit about himself, and his book Zombie Killa.

Enjoy…



Book title: Zombie Killa

Book blurb: A ragtag collection of nerd rappers seek to repel a zombie invasion by any means necessary. And drug-fueled cop killings. And humor. Always the humor.

As an introduction, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Well, I'm Jason Z. Christie, forty-something, former musician turned writer. I've been bumping my head on the internet celebrity glass ceiling for about ten years now. Having achieved minor success in a number of areas that help leverage my name as a brand, I'm now swinging for the fences, as YTCracker would say.

What is your book about?

"Zombie Killa" is about a group of nerd rappers in Florida and Washington state that unite to take on a zombie queen and her minions…because they're the ones who unleashed her in the first place. It's a novella, and pretty fast-paced. People also tell me it's pretty funny.

When and why did you begin writing?

I began as a novelist when I was sitting in jail in Florida after some nerdcore festival began to go terribly wrong for me. I wrote four hundred pages of my first novel, "Pageburner", in thirty days. It would be two more years before I met my fiancee and she encouraged me to finish it. By then, I had started two more novels, "Hurricane Regina" and "Radar Love". Prior to that, I wrote short stories and did about ten years on Usenet doing Usenet Performance Art, which is sort of like trolling meets creative writing.

What genre do you prefer to write in?

I don't. It's sort of funny, but if you look at all of my books and try to classify them, the only real characteristic they share, aside from great writing, is that there is a romance element to each of them. However, none of them can really be called romance novels, except "Radar Love". I've written a thriller which is romantic and slightly supernatural, a funny sci-fi novella, a sci-fi/fantasy adventure, and the zombie novella, as well. I don't think I'll ever fall into a specific genre.

What is your biggest writing achievement to date?

That's a good question, and sort of subjective, right? I'm really proud of all of my work, of course, but I'm really pleased with my Ultimate Hustle series. The first title, "Radar Love", is already starting to get some recognition as a great romance/adventure title. The sequel is written and fairly epic. It'll probably be longer than "Pageburner", which was something like 550 pages. The next two sequels are fully mapped out, they just need to be written down. Beyond that, I merge the Ultimate Hustle and Perfect Me universes in a novel called "Star Hustle". I really hadn't planned on writing a series this early in my career, but there you have it.

On the other hand, "Pageburner" really seems to make people think, and they find the story rather gripping. I'm perpetually amazed at how people manage to read it so quickly. I think "Hurricane Regina" is the sleeper of the bunch. It has a great story and theme. I can't really pick one, honestly. My biggest writing achievement was getting these things into acceptable shape for release as ebooks, I guess.

What inspired you to write this book?

A bunch of us nerd rappers (Yes, I am one) had a big run in 2006-2007. We were in Wired, Vanity Fair, Esquire, Newsweek and other major media appendages. Divx flew us to Vegas to perform at the 30th anniversary of the Consumer Electronics Show, we were in two documentaries. So I got to do shows with a lot of other nerd rappers, and we cultivated a little scene that exists to this day.

At A Comic Shop in Orlando, I met the organizers of Z.E.D., Zombie Eradication Defense. They have monthly trips to the shooting range where they practice on zombie targets. Nerdcore MC Zealous1 put out a great track called "Zombie Killa", and everything sort of clicked into place. Using real people as characters made it really easy to write. I think it took probably three weeks, off and on.

Who is your favourite author, and what is it about their work that strikes a chord with you?

I always say Stephen King and Tom Robbins, but that's already sounding stale. Robert A. Heinlein and Philip K. Dick are equally valid as influences. Overall, I think the body of work created by those two guys are as important as anything else ever written. Three of the four could probably be considered prophetic. And Tom Robbins is a magician with words. Like my novels, I really can't pick just one.

What book are you reading now, and would you recommend it?

I'm reading something for a review exchange and I really don't care for it, so I'll spare the author the embarrassment of mentioning their name or book title.

What are your current projects?

"Reduction of Forces" is about Renee Hollander, a character from Hurricane Regina. She runs Zen Construction, and is heading up the piping project on a program to dam the Mississippi river. Someone doesn't want her to succeed, and they're killing off her employees and making it look like accidents to ruin her safety record and take her contract.

I have an unnamed fantasy title that used to be called "Princess Academy" until I realized that title had been taken. It's Terry Pratchett to "Perfect Me"'s Douglas Adams, if that makes any sense.

"Cure for Sanity" is what I'm most focused on, lately. It's a sort of a sideways sequel to "Perfect Me", and a prelude to "Star Hustle." I couldn't write that one until I finished the two novels that come before it, so I snuck this one in as an interim measure. The characters and stories are too compelling to leave alone for too long.

I also have a collection of poetry I wrote for my girlfriend. I'd like to publish that before we get married in March. The working title is "This Book Will Get You Laid".

Where and when do you do most of your writing?

I prefer to write in the mornings before anyone else is up. It's a habit from when I first wrote in jail, I guess. I like the quiet and calm. I also really enjoy writing at work, so I'm actually getting paid to write. It's sort of hard to do when you're working construction, sometimes. I hand write everything, so that creates additional problems. Now that I'm unemployed and have to actually promote my books as well, I find I'm writing less. That's something I'm trying to rectify, currently.

What would you say was the hardest part of writing your book?

Life. I was sort of floating at the time I wrote it. It was spread out over three different places I stayed at when I was writing it. The story part comes pretty easily, but trying to write around other people's schedules and lives made it difficult. And I learned that writing action scenes like fighting, car crashes and shootouts is really not as easy as it seems. People dismiss something like "Die Hard" or whatever as a film, I'm guilty of it myself, but it really isn't easy to write that sort of stuff and make it work.

Who designed your book cover – and was the cover something you deemed important?

I do all of my covers. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out, and covers are far more important than most writers seem to realize. I don't think a lot of covers that are slapped together using Lulu's online tools are selling a lot of books. I like my covers, but they don't necessarily look like paperback covers. I'm studying that aspect, currently. I think a lot of first time authors are at a huge disadvantage when they try to break into the ebook market. I'm lucky in that I understand Photoshop, web design, internet marketing and networking, things like that. Gone are the days when all you have to do is string words together into a good story.

Did you try to go down the route of traditional publishing first – or did you feel that self-publishing was right for you from the beginning?

We talked about it, but the more my editor and I studied the market, the more discouraged we became. Advances are drying up, the publishers don't want to promote you. A lot of people get remaindered quickly, now, and never recoup their advances. Why bother? I think we did one email query, got a polite rejection, and just forgot about trying to pitch books to New York. When I read about Amanda Hocking, I knew it was time to publish. I only wish I had done it sooner.

On the whole, how have you found self-publishing?

I love it, really. It's really sink or swim, of course, and I'm not really making wads of cash at it, yet. But I've only been published for something like two months so far, and I"m getting really great reviews and a warm reception from the indie author scene. So far, so good.

Where can we buy the book?

You can buy it at Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Jason-Christie/e/B006P7E0K8/), but if money is an issue, it's free on Smashwords (http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/119619).

Do you have a website or blog where we can keep tabs on you?

I let all of my old websites lapse in the past few years as I moved on to writing. I try to blog at http://jasonzchristie.blogspot.com,

Do you have any advice for other writers?

Keep at it. The best books in the world probably won't sell without lots of marketing, but you still need to write the best possible novels you can. And remember, if you don't succeed, it's probably because you gave up. You have no one else to blame, at any rate.

And, finally, do you have anything else that you’d like to say to everyone?

I do want to thank the ebook scene. Everyone is really helpful to new writers, and that makes things much more pleasant. Thank you for the interview! I look forward to hearing what you think about "Zombie Killa".