Jenn Sommersby has been so gracious to answer some questions for me concerning her wonderful novel Sleight: Book One of the AVRA-K, her writing process, and some information about what we can expect from the rest of the series.  So, without further ado, I give you Jenn Sommersby:

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Thanks, Shana. I love you for saying such nice things about my book. In 2007 I’d written a short story for a workshop through the Writers Studio. My fellow workshoppers read a very different piece than what Sleight is today, and the overwhelming feedback was that my main character (then named Frankie) was “too old for her age,” which made sense. Frankie was only 13 in that story. I sort of abandoned it for a while, a long while, until I was having a convo with a young magician friend of mine. He was at the house doing a birthday party for my son, and during a break, we got to talking about the history of magic, how it used to be a healing art and not a hocus-pocus thing. Then the wheels in my head started to grind, and I threw myself into researching magic and witchcraft dating back to the earliest days of recorded history. Once I discovered the word avrakedavra was actually an ancient healing spell, the story began to fall into place. And I had a vehicle for Frankie, who eventually morphed into 17-year-old Gemma.

In terms of tangible inspiration, if there is such a thing, it was my daughter’s best friend. I had been farting around writing stuff I’d lose interest in and not finish, until my daughter’s best friend Alysha finished her first novel two weeks before her fifteenth birthday. I’d spent so much time studying about writing, and practicing and talking about writing without actually producing anything I could show people (other than the nonfiction stuff I’d done), I knew it was time to sh*t or get off the pot. So I did.

I was trying to find a venue that hadn’t been done in YA, at least not recently or that I was aware of, something that was enough different from what was out there as to make it saleable. The circus is one of those things that is rather romantic in theory, because few of us ever see the behind-the-scenes—the difficult living conditions, the back-breaking working environment, the stress of continuous performances. And smaller traveling circuses have all but gone the way of the dodo. It’s an important part of history that sadly, for the most part, has not survived the inflexible economic realities of the last twenty-five years or so. The circus is all about the business of show, of making people smile and forget their lives for an hour or two. Look at the crazy success of Cirque du Soleil, and it is an organization that, although it has fixed venues, also travels about.

As the short story seed for Sleight was written in ’07, it was before I’d heard of the HBO miniseries Carnivale; I only heard about Water for Elephants after my short story was done. There. In one sentence, I’ve quieted the naysayers who say I was looking to capitalize on WFE success. So…short question, long answer. I just liked the circus. Who hasn’t dreamed about running away with one?

Well, you are very generous to call it awesome in the first place. Hmmm…what I’d want people to take away… I want them to feel like they’ve made some new friends in my characters. I want them to feel connected to Gemma and Henry, and even Ash, so that they find themselves wanting to know more about what is to come for these poor souls. I want readers to feel as though they haven’t wasted their time but instead have just witnessed a grand adventure that is still unfolding. Oh—and because it needs to be said—I did not copy JK Rowling with the word avrakedavra. I haven’t read Harry Potter especially for that reason; I did not want to be accused of lifting anything from her stories. It’s important for readers to understand that Sleight and the AVRA-K series deal with magic from its historical roots of healing and ritual practice, and not from the magic wand/poof-it’s-a-bunny evolution. The word avrakedavra is very, very old (dates back to Mesopotamia, and is either Aramaic or Hebrew, depending on your source), and was used as a healing spell. Even Rowling addressed this in an interview, that she came across the word avrakedavra and modified it to suit her needs (the avada kedavra death curse)—it is precisely the opposite meaning of its original incarnation.

The writing process…it’s a love/hate thing, like anything else that’s worth doing. Sometimes it rocks and makes me feel euphoric, high as a kite; other times, I rot in a vat of despair and wonder if the new WalMart near my house is still hiring. I have concentration issues, so I need NO INTERNET and total quiet when I’m writing, although soundtracks and certain playlists I’ve put together can really move me along, as well—plus I end up making copious notes about research points for when I do get back to the ’puter. I do my best work in the car. Alone. At night, away from my house and my kids (one of them refuses to go to bed at a decent hour and another still gets up 32 times a night), parked in the lot at my favorite coffee shop. Oh, and with a pen and paper. I don’t take my laptop because I don’t want to get robbed, plus writing the first draft by hand means the second draft happens when I transfer paper to screen. THAT makes me giddy as I see the changes happening. Also, when I’m away from the house writing, I have to stay awake, or else a cop will knock on my window with his flashlight and scare me so bad, I might pee, or a bad guy will try to break into my car, or at the very least, bug me for spare change. The constant need to be vigilant about my surroundings helps keep me awake. Also helps that I’m remarkably paranoid…

Never saw myself writing YA. It sort of just happened. I tend to write very dark fiction—along the lines of Chuck Palahniuk and even some of Flannery O’Connor’s work. I don’t like happy endings, and I don’t like it when everyone gets what they want. For a while, my work was based on my need to shock people. Plus, a lot of my characters were too much like me, which was super boring. After a while, dwelling in this endless sea of unhappiness can get very depressing and tiresome. I needed something different, something fresh to focus on. When the discussion about the ancient history of magic happened, it was like breathing in after a long time under water. It was exactly what I needed to get excited about writing again.

Write a good story. Do your best work. Don’t rush it—this is not a race. And when you think it’s done, rewrite it again. Save your pennies and hire an editor. Please. Find someone to do a line edit, someone who can give you feedback on what is and isn’t working, both in terms of detail and on a more global, big-picture scale. And by all means, get a decent proofreader to look it over before hitting “publish.” That is one thing self-pub/indies just cannot get past—the errors. If you think readers don’t care, that your story will be so amazing that throngs of readers will look beyond your silly typos, you’re dead wrong. Just recently, I saw a comment on the Kindle Facebook page written by a reader who said she didn’t like buying the self-published books because they were usually crappy and filled with errors. Do you want that to be YOUR book? I didn’t think so.

Lastly, make friends with the book bloggers. They’re the lifeline between the writers and readers. If you are good to them—sincere and not nice only for the time that they are available to service you—they will be good to you in return. Like Shana! I’ve made some fantastic friends through the blogging world.

I actually included a playlist at the end of Sleight. It includes some of my favorites—Imogen Heap, Mumford & Sons, Metric, Regina Spektor, Muse—but I’m big into classical music and, of course, movie soundtracks. Hans Zimmer, John Debney, Howard Shore, James Newton Howard… I’m sort of lame when it comes to discovering music, so I rely heavily on my music-head husband and friends to send me new bands and good movie scores. I’m building the playlist right now for Stratagem and am hoping to get some new music from little-known artists on it. The music just has to speak to me, and to the scene. It has to relate somehow to the vibe I’m trying to create—that’s why soundtracks are so amazing. I am in awe of composers and musicians. In awe. Talk about talent…

I am always reading a whack of books. I have Delirium on the go, as well as The Maze Runner. I get a few pages through The Bourne Identity now and again, simply because the action scenes are really well done. When I want to giggle, I read Janet Evanovich; when I want romance, I read Marian Keyes; when I want excellent fantasy, I read Terry Brooks; when I want killer thriller/crime drama, I read Mark Billingham. I’m a huge fan of the young Hannah Moskowitz (Break, Invincible Summer)—she writes WAY beyond her years and experience. A few favorites lately include Trevor Shane’s Children of Paranoia (a thriller) and Blake Crouch’s Run, if you’re into horror. Oh, and people have to read The Gargoyle, by Andrew Davidson. Phenomenal book. I’m a genre hopper, i.e., I read a ton of different things. I don’t read exclusively from YA (although I’ve read most of the heavy hitters) because it gets tedious, and I crave a different set of words when I’m reading for leisure. I’m a huge Chuck Palahniuk fan. I have a non-YA WIP I’ve been kicking words into over the last few years, very much inspired by Palahniuk’s work. Dark, not for the weak at heart. It’s delicious. (Remember: I love villains.)

How could I not like ereaders, given that I published for Kindle? I was very resistant to them at first, writing smug Facebook and blog posts about how dumb they were and how an electronic screen will never feel as good in my hands as a book and how my paper book will never run out of batteries (which is still totally true). And yet, I have joined the dark side. I have a Kobo and a Kindle, both gifts from loving family members (Sleight is loaded onto both). There is something fantastic about finding a book you want and clicking “buy now.” When it is wirelessly downloaded onto your device and you are cozied up with your blankie, a cup of coffee, and your favorite cat, reading within mere minutes, it is strangely seductive. There has been a lot of buzz about how ereaders will end print books (or as some call, “dead tree books”), but I still go to the bookstore on date night. I still spend hours fondling spines and reading blurbs. And almost always, I walk out having paid my $22.95+ (books in Canada are expensive!), just so I can have the feel of a hardback book in my hands.

Carnage. Lots and lots of carnage. Stratagem is a lot busier than Sleight. The action has been ramped up as Gemma is on the run across foreign territory. I was worried at first that people would find the amount of travel unbelievable, but after watching shows like The Amazing Race, anything is possible. When I was a kid, Around the World in Eighty Days was one of my favorite stories—if Phileas Fogg can do it without the help of private jets, then Gemma can hit four countries in five days, no sweat.

Stratagem doesn’t have the set-up that Sleight did, for obvious reasons. We know the main players now; we know their individual challenges and dirty secrets. But there are more secrets to be revealed, and more malfeasance. And then there’s always the issue of what Lucian will do to make things more interesting—well, he and his minions. Oh, how I love that man…

There is more magic, which is actually more witchcraft-like than anything, and more sleight-of-being (when someone isn’t necessarily who you think they are). As much as I tried to keep the essence of Sleight as firmly planted in reality as possible (beyond the obvious fantastical elements), Stratagem relies more heavily on fantasy than Sleight does. But it’s all groundwork for the third book, which will lean more toward a dystopian atmosphere. Maybe…it all depends on Lucian and what he decides to do in the next little while. He’s in charge. I’m just his lowly secretary.

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Tim O’Rourke has been to gracious to stop by the blog to answer some questions for my in regards to his three novels AND to also offer a giveaway!!! So without further ado, I give you Tim O’Rourke!
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With Black Hill Farm book 1, I wanted to write a paranormal romance but without vampires or werewolves. I thought this had already been done in so many other books. So I needed something else. I wanted something creepy without there being monsters. As so often in real life the monsters are people and I liked that idea. People often make better monsters as they are real. I wanted the same in Black Hill Farm book 2, but wanted to explore this idea further – so I made my monsters people in authority – those that in everyday life we should be able to trust. For me that is scarier than any vampire or werewolf. Those that exploit their positions of authority are the scariest monsters of all. So that was the premise of my idea and I built the stories around it. I also wanted to write some strong and feisty female leads, which weren’t always looking up to and seeking protection from the guy in their life. I tried to do this with Andy. I wanted her to be the strong character and have the mystery surrounding her. It’s Andy that is the fighter – the survivor – the one that takes charge and comes up with the plan to save her and Ben.

This is also true of Neanna in Zachary Black. She is as strong as Zach and this is seen during the battle at the end of the book. Again it is Neanna who saves Zach from his Uncle as they escape from the hospital. Zach’s sister Anna is also as strong as she escapes from her uncle. Willow, the female werewolf in Zach Black, is also the one chosen to go into Earth to find the league of doorways.

Zachary Black was written for my two teenage sons. They were always complaining that they didn’t really find books exciting and the draw of the PS3 was just too great. So I decided to write a real swashbuckling adventure and I tried to fit in as much adventure and action as possible. But I really got the idea while watching Monsters Inc. with my three year-old son Zachary. I just loved the idea of all those doorways leading to different rooms and each door was unique. As a teenager, I loved watching Clint Eastwood’s westerns. I couldn’t think of any books written today for young adults that were in part set in the Wild West so I wanted to incorporate some of that into my story and bring that genre back for YA. And that was really the spark of the idea that led to Zachary Black & The Doorways To Endra.

The Black Hill Farm series are psychological thrillers that blew me away, especially all the twists and turns and the interactions between Andy and her cousin Ben. Was it difficult to create all the twists and turns, keeping the reader in so much suspense?

Like Detective John Taylor in the book – I viewed the whole thing as a magic trick. Bit by bit revealing the trick along the way.  Letting the reader get closer and closer to the action and not revealing how the trick was done until the very end. I knew the ending of the story, but what was difficult was just revealing enough so as not to give too much away but give enough to keep the reader hooked.  Believe it or not one of the biggest twists in the book, I was actually going to write out, but was persuaded by my wife to keep in. I worried that the reader wouldn’t go for it – but it’s the one that seems to catch everyone out the most – so I’m glad that I kept it.

The story for me only worked if each piece of the story was revealed bit by bit and there were several layers to this.Walkerwas revealing what he already knew about the case to Ben in small slices. Ben was slowly revealing what he knew and Andy was doing the same to Ben. But as each piece came together at the end of the book – the jigsaw was complete for the reader and I hoped that as they finished the last page they looked back and could see each piece and how they’d been there all the time. I wanted the reader to say “Ah yes – I see it now. The clues were there all along!”

It was hard to manage all that – but I hope for the reader it seems seamless and they are unaware of the planning and thought that went into it. Like a good magic trick –it seems slick and simple and that’s what amazes the audience.

 After finishing Book 1, I noticed that the reader had a downer on Andy and they believed that she was bad. I don’t think people are born bad – I think they get turned bad, and characters in books that are purely evil just for evil’s sake are never very interesting. They are much more fun if we get under their skin and see the situation from their point of view. Therefore I wanted to show the reasons why Andy was the way she was. Like John Walker said, she was like jelly and ice cream that somebody had poured gravy on. They had taken something that should have been nice and sweet and ruined it. I wanted to show the reader who had ruined her and why. I also wanted to show how Andy felt about the dinner party with Parker, how she felt about spending all that time locked in the room with her dad’s corpse. I knew the reader would have come to their own conclusions from book one, but I wanted to give Andy the chance to tell her side of the story.

I used this style for two reasons. Firstly, I love dialogue, it helps to get to know the characters and I like quick fire dialogue. I think it speeds things along and can be dramatic.  Secondly, it’s a style that I’m used to as I’m a police sergeant in the real world. This is something that I don’t often talk about as I don’t believe it to be relevant to my writing – but in this case I think it has some bearing.  I have used the exact same format that I use during the course of my duties, except obviously everything in BHF 1 & 2 has no bearing on any case that I’ve worked on or come across. But as I was writing a book that was made up of police interviews it was definitely a help to have that experience and knowledge to draw upon. 

From the Black Hill Farm books, I guess that I identify mostly with the Detective John Walker. Apart from the obvious fact we are both police officers, I like the way that he is only interested in facts and won’t open his mind to the possibility that there might be something else out there. I think he is quite a sensitive guy and always wants to follow the rules. Except in his personal life he hasn’t kept to the rules and his secret is revealed at the end of the book. I like the conflict that he is struggling with.

From the Zachary Black book, I think I identify with William the most. Apart from being incredibly hairy as a teenager and having to start shaving way before any of my friends, I like the way that he is desperate to do the right thing by his family and friends although he gets this wrong. William has a strong moral compass although he sometimes goes about things the wrong way.

Are any of your characters or stories based on aspects of your own life?

My knowledge of police procedure, custody blocks, etc., are all areas that I draw upon to make my stories believable but the stories are all made up in my head. I guess if I’m to be honest, there are bits of me in John Walker although the character is older than me. The farm in is a real place although the name is different in real life. It’s a place that I used to stay on family holidays as a boy. The town is real but I changed the name to Beechers Hope.

In many ways, writing Zachary Black was harder to write than BHF. There aren’t as many twists, but writing about supernatural characters that change form, etc., is difficult. I didn’t want them to be cartoon characters but have real feelings and emotions that the reader could identify with. That’s why I had William (Werewolf) having to make amends to his father and seek his forgiveness – we all want forgiveness at some time or another in our lives. Neanna (Vampire) wanted revenge for the murder and betrayal of her race. Tanner was not only a police officer in Earth but a peacekeeper in Endra who was in search of his lost love Meadda.  Even Fandel was haunted by the bullying he suffered at the hands of his tormentors at school and university.

Apart from having to give all these characters some emotional depth, the world of Endra had to be real as well. It wasn’t good enough to have different kinds of fruit and animals – Endra had to have some history like it had been there for centuries. That’s why there are references to things like the Battle of Nef that had happened hundreds of years before, the cathedral Knights being hundreds of years old etc. All of this I hope would make Endra seem as real as Earth.

All of this had to be revealed subtly and it was hard to do. I didn’t want to draw big signs to it as if saying to the reader “Hey look how different this place is to Earth” – if that makes sense.

I hope readers will take from Black Hill Farm the sense of passion that you feel the first time you fall in love.  How you feel that it is the most real feeling in the world. I’d also like the reader to think about how far they would go for the person they love most in their life. Would they go as far as Ben did for Andy – so he could stay with her? Would they give up their freedom like Andy did to stay and help her dad on the farm? Would they stand back and watch the cruelty that Andy’s mum went through? Even Walker who spent his life following a set of rules broke them for his wife. All of the characters in BHF lost out one way or another.

The same can be said for Zach Black – he goes on a dangerous journey to save his sister. William will go to the end of two worlds to seek his father’s forgiveness and approval, and Neanna puts her life constantly at risk to seek revenge for her race of people.

Zach Black was the hardest book to write. I had to create a whole new world with creatures, different races, games, foods and everything else that went into it to make it believable. Nothing was already there – it all had to be created in my mind.

 Black Hill Farm was the easiest – despite all the twists, I had a wealth of experience to draw upon.

I write in the kitchen usually with my three year old son tugging at my arm to go and watch cartoons with him on the T.V.  It is difficult to find time to write as well as holding down a demanding job and spending time with my family. I tend to write in blocks – so when I’m working on a book, any free time that I get I spend writing. Once the book is finished, I then put the laptop away for a few weeks and concentrate solely on the family.

When I am working on a project, I go full at it. I try and write 2,500 words per sitting. This is usually when I get home from work or before I go to work – depending what my shifts are. On my days off I try and write between 5,000 to 7,500 words in one sitting.  BHF 1 took me twenty days to write. But that doesn’t include the time spent editing. I usually do three drafts. Anything more than that and I think the work loses some of its spontaneity and can go stale. There are still mistakes though and they drive me mad. It’s almost that you become blind to them because you’ve read the work too much.

I keep note books with future ideas for stories. I also do sketches of characters and sometimes I sculpt the figures so I have a three dimensional image of them. This often helps if I’m writing about a particular monster or creature. It works as a visual reference. My house is littered with note books, sketches and weird looking creatures that I’ve sculpted.

Do you have a playlist in mind for your novels?  If so, what music would you recommend a reader listen to while reading?

 BHF 1:

 “Chasing cars” Snow Patrol :: “You’re amazing” Bruno Mars :: “Somewhere over the rainbow” Israel Kamakawiwoole :: “With or without you” U2 :: “Wonderwall” Oasis :: “Patience” Take That :: “Someone like you” Adele :: “See you” Depeche Mode :: “Souvenir” OMD :: “Only You”Yazoo :: “Why” Annie Lennox :: “One love” U2

 BHF 2:

“Riders on the storm” The Doors :: “Everybody Hurts” REM :: “Fast Cars” Tracey Chapman :: “Greatest Day” Take That :: “Somewhere over the rainbow” Israel Kamakawiwoole :: “Night Swimming” REM :: “You have been loved” George Michael :: “Just can’t get enough” Depeche Mode :: “Nobody’s diary”Yazoo :: “Stay” Shakespeare’s Sister

Zachary Black & The Doorways To Endra:

“Hero’s” David Bowie: : “Sweet Dreams (Are made of this)” Eurythmics :: “Hungry Like a Wolf” Duran Duran :: “Two Tribes” Frankie Goes ToHollywood :: “Everybody wants to rule the world” Tears for fears :: “Love song for a Vampire” Annie Lennox :: “Where the streets have no name” U2

As a kid I really struggled with reading and writing. In fact if it didn’t involve painting, drawing or making things with my hands, I wasn’t very good at it. The problem was my head was always filled with ideas and stories. I would always be telling my friends and family my stories, but I was frustrated as I couldn’t write them down.

I was in remedial for English and struggled to put even the basic of sentences together. So I would express myself through drawing and painting but it was never enough – I wanted to write my own stories!

Then one summer – I was about thirteen I think – I went with my family on holiday to that cottage as described in Black Hill Farm. It was about a 400 mile drive; so on the way we made plenty of stops at service stations along the way. My brother who was younger than me by three years was a confident reader and he was bought a book to read on the journey. I pestered for one but was told no as it would be a waste of money. In the end I got my own way and was bought one of those Fighting-Fantasy role-playing books. It was made up of nice neat sections which weren’t too long and it was more of a game than a book. Anyway, I read that book during the holiday. I then pestered for another which I read, then another and so on. Suddenly reading had clicked with me and I couldn’t stop. Once I had mastered the reading the writing followed and at long last I started to write my own stories. The freedom I felt was truly amazing. Every spare minute was spent either reading or writing my own stories and I started to improve at school. I got moved out of remedial and by the time I had left school I had passed my English exams and then went on to college to study English Literature, Drama and Art.

It was really like reading and writing had saved me. I had this wonderful English teacher and if the weather was nice she would take the class up onto the school fields and read my stories out loud for my friends to hear. I found this embarrassing but secretly enjoyed it too. I was lucky as I had a friend of the family who would spend hours going over my stories with me, helping me with my spelling and grammar etc. Once I got to college, I wrote some plays which were performed by the drama department and that was magic too. So I guess, by the age of thirteen, I knew that I wanted to spend as much of my life as possible writing about all those characters and places that I could see inside my head.

This is a difficult question as my reading tastes are so broad. I love anything from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to Dr Seuss. I read anything from Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte to George’s Marvellous Medicine by Roal Dahl. 

It’s really hard for me to pick a favourite author but if I was pushed I would have to say Conan Doyle. I love Sherlock Holmes and think he is one of the best fictional characters ever dreamt up.  

If I had to recommend a book, give Momo by Michael Ende a go. It’s not a very well known book, but it’s amazing.

Also read Skellig by David Almond – that book is incredible.

And if you want some fun, read Horton hears a Who by Dr Seuss.

What am I reading right now?  The Lair by James Herbert.

I’m currently working on a YA dark romance called The Rugged Shore. It’s darker than the Black Hill Farm books and is about two sixteen year olds (Samantha & Tom) who find the body of a boy in a lake and how this affects the rest of their lives. Unlike BHF, this book follows the two main characters into adulthood, up to the age of twenty-six. Again there are plenty of twists and both characters make decisions that have a profound effect on them and those around them.  I’m hoping to have the book available by the end of June/early July.

As far as the Zachary Black Trilogy goes, I’m starting work on the second book as soon as The Rugged Shore is finished. I have it written in note form, but needs fleshing out. It should be available in the autumn and the final part early in 2012.  What can you expect from the rest of the series? Zach and Neanna fall in love – but does it last? Zach finds out what really happened to his parents. There is a traitor amongst them and their identity is revealed. There is a race of mechanical men yet to come and more and more modern technology keeps turning up in Endra. But why? And how? But some of the biggest surprises will be discovering where and what Endra really is and the biggest surprise in the Zachary Black books will be finding out what Caroline Hughes from BHF was doing out on the road that night when she got hit by the car.

This is a bit of a spoiler so skip this bit if you don’t want to know, but there is a link between BHF and Zachary Black.  Some clues: Constable Moody is in both of them. In BHF2 he talks about being suspended from the police because he failed to investigate the disappearance of a boy that ran away from his uncle. In Zachary Black, Fandel goes to Constable Moody to report Zach missing. Both books mention ‘The Great Wasteland Railroad Station’ in the desert. Anna finds it deserted after fleeing her Uncle Fandel and Detective Walker ends up there. In the very last line of BHF 2 Walker says that before stepping through the doorway he looks back to see Caroline one last time. And all the main characters have the surname Black!

There are other subtle clues to look out for – such as both series of books are set in a desolate cottage/farmhouse near the edge of a cliff face. Both are set in Cornwalland a lot of the characters from both books make references to “doors” or “doorways”. For example, Detective John Walker tells Richard Jones that he should read Andy’s diary as it will open all sorts of doorways for him. There are others but it will be fun to find them yourself.

As I said earlier in the interview, all the clues are there and I hope by the end of the Zachary Black trilogy you have one of those moments when you say “Oh my god! How come I didn’t see that coming?’

 That’s it; I won’t say anything else as I don’t want to spoil it for you. But I hope it will be worth the wait. Ha!

 Thanks Shana for the interview. I’ve really enjoyed it.

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Thank you Tim!!! I am excited to have you on the blog and have really enjoyed getting to know more about you and your wonderful books!!

I’m really excited to have Michelle Franklin on the blog today answering some questions about her Haanta book series!  So without further ado: 

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I hadn’t written for six months due to work. When I was laid off, my editor suggested I write something new. I had previously written another epic fantasy series that was quite a few books long but I didn’t feel it was written well enough to go anywhere. I already had a world to write in so I began writing short stories about a commander and a giant. In six months, I wrote a few hundred of them and started putting them online. Many people seemed to enjoy the stories so I began writing the novels beginning with how Rautu and Boudicca met. I don’t really think about how long something is. When I finished book 4, I said “I think that’s it”, and then I wrote books 5-10, and again I said “I think that’s it.” And then a few of the stand alone books and books 11-14 came. Now, I don’t put a limit on the story. It’s however long it’s going to be. As for the inspiration, I’m really inspired by everything, even something as simple as a change in season.

The world of the Two Continents is a place I’ve known for a long time. There are always new details that enter my mind when we go and visit a capital city, for example, but I feel more like I’m touring a world that already exists. I see things the way the characters see things, so if it’s new for them, it’s new for me.  It’s always been giants for me. When I was in high school and writing historical fantasy, there were even giants on Ellis Island. I always had the notion of a small female lead and a giant male at her side. Families of giants, giant companions, half-giants while playing D&D- I always loved them. I always wanted more stories about giants when I was younger. Now I have them.

There are quite a few characters. There are about 5-10 new characters in each book. Not so many when comparing to War and Peace. Not every character is in every novel, but they all return to play their roles.  Boudicca is my Frewyn counterpart. She’s clever, sarcastic, plain-looking, has terrible hair, and is a hard working farmer turned fearless warrior. She’s the heroine I always wanted to be, even with the bad hair. 

Yes, very much so.

I just hope they enjoy it. 

I write everywhere: in cafes, is hospital waiting rooms, but my place of peace is my desk. There, I have the original artwork from the series made by Twisk to bolster me, Villars chocolate bars and my Jane Austen collection. I have no rituals other than making breakfast.

I do have a playlist. Certain characters and places have certain songs attached to them. I usually listen to Jennie Muskett, Martin Phipps, Two Steps from Hell, Bear McCreary, Dead Can Dance, Faun, Mytery of Bulgarian Voices Choir, Origa, Kow Otani, Kunihiko Ryo, Shigeru Umebayashi, Yoko Kanno, Takanashi Yasuharu, Dervish, Thomas Bergersen. There are many more, but these artists and composers make up the chief of my main playlist. As for reading, I cannot listen to music while reading. However, I do listen to audiobooks, all of them read by Juliet Stevenson and Olivia Williams. 

I didn’t decide really. I’ve always been writing- not everything has always been of decent quality, but I always had an inclination that I must write.

If you haven’t read Jane Austen’s Persuasion, what are you waiting for?  Now, I’m reading the Liar by Stephen Fry and Sandition by Jane Austen. 

I cannot answer that question only because I do not know the answer myself. As people read the series, they’ll be introduced to more and more of the world, different races, different languages, different types of magic, etc. I try not to introduce too much in one volume.

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Thank you Michelle!!! I am excited to have you on the blog, and I’ve highly enjoyed getting to know you better!

This giveaway is now CLOSED.

I’m extremely excited to have Jeremy Rodden with us today on the blog, answering some of my questions in regards to his debut Toonopolis: Gemini!  So, without further ado:

Two of my favorite authors are Lewis Carroll and CS Lewis.  Both of them were able to create unique fantasy worlds that were linked with the “Real World” and appeal to readers of all ages.  One of my biggest goals in writing a novel was to write something that could share that classification.  I pulled pieces of my world-building from tons of sources: cartoons, comics, movies, books, and video games.  I’m a big geek.

As a former high school English teacher, one of the things I always tried to do with my students was link new material with prior knowledge.  I hope that anyone who reads this book will find a sense of familiarity and connect their own forms of nostalgia to the story that would make them connect to my world in their own way.

I wouldn’t say that it was ‘difficult’ per se.  I have had ideas floating in my head about Toonopolis since I was 18.  I created it originally as an interactive fiction game with some friends.  The game only lasted a few years, but I continued growing and building the world in my head and in my trusty black-and-white copybook whenever I had new ideas.  I also have had some great friends who would ask me questions, “What would happen if…?”  “Does this work in the Tooniverse?” etc.  They helped me question rules just by having to come up with answers to their questions.

I chose cartoons because it is a universe that has no real limitations other than those within one’s imagination.  I really enjoyed the human-cartoon interactions in movies like Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and Cool World but didn’t like that the cartoon worlds existed independent of humans.  Combining these ideas with a concept from The NeverEnding Story (Fantasia being a metaphorical representation of the hopes and dreams of humans) led to the more direct linking of the Tooniverse and the Universe.

Jimbob the Talking Eggplant is the one that would probably most often be the character to “say what I would say,” so to speak, in any given situation.  Much to the chagrin of friends and family, I am known for snarky one-liners and snappy responses that are sometimes funny/sometimes annoying/sometimes painful.

In a way.  Some of Gemini’s teen angst and father issues stem from my own.  Having been raised by a single mother, I identify a lot with Gemini’s father abandonment problems that are brought up early in the book.

I just hope that they have a few laughs and enjoy themselves.  Unlike The Chronicles of Narnia or His Dark Materials, two wonderful series, Toonopolis Files do not have any underlying agenda or religious allegory to them.  In the vein of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, I wrote this book as entertainment, pure and simple.  Many people try to read into Lewis Carroll’s writings for hidden meanings and other such nonsense, not realizing that the entire point of Alice was simply that: nonsense.

I write what I think is funny.  I would say it comes natural, I suppose, but I don’t want to sound haughty.  I think explaining the humor in the story the way my wife explains it to people is probably best.  When they compliment the humor of Toonopolis to her, she often responds, “Yeah, to you it’s original and funny.  To me, it’s the same stuff I’ve been hearing for twelve years!”  There’s a reason the dedication to the book refers to my wife as “the unfortunate test subject of many bad jokes.”

As a stay-at-home dad to two boys (6 and 1), I write when I find time.  Ideally, I like to be in a comfortable place with my boys asleep.  The most important to me is having my writing playlist going while writing.  I can’t write in silence.  My writing playlist consists of mostly instrumental stuff: movie scores, video game soundtracks, instrumental rock, classical, or non-English lyrics.  The only music on my playlist that has lyrics is music to awaken the nostalgia in me that I try to awaken in others (primarily rock music from my teens).

Video Game music is one of the best soundtracks.  Heavy on the Mega Man and Final Fantasy, predominantly.  There is one band that I want to tap if I ever decide to have music commissioned specifically for Toonopolis, such as in an animated show or film: The Coconut Monkeyrocket. It’s a single guy who layers music in a kind of a progressive/silly jam style that really captures the essence of Toonopolis.  Martinibomb is another similar type of artist.

I have wanted to be a writer since grade school.  I was very engrossed with Beverly Cleary as a kid and one of my favorite books was Dear Mr. Hensaw.  It was an epistolary novel about a kid writing to his favorite author.  If I had to pick one book that inspired me to become an author, I’d have to go with that one.

Well, I am on Goodreads if anyone wants to compare reading lists.  Right now I am finishing up the latest Artemis Fowl book and also reading a non-fiction book called Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change The World by Jane McGonigal.  I have a lot of reading to catch up on since I spent the last few months editing and publishing Toonopolis: Gemini.  It’s hard to read for enjoyment when in “editor/publisher” mode.  Upcoming books on the shelf: Rick Riordan’s The Lost Hero and the two Kane Chronicles books, a few Neil Gaimain books that have been begging for me to read them, and some independent author works, like Doodling by Jonathan Gould.

There are two already announced to follow up to Gemini.  Chi Lin should be out in the late fall of this year.  Zephyr will be out, hopefully, early summer of 2012.  These three books will act as a trilogy, tying together one over-arching storyline involving Special Agent Mimic being heavily involved.  Each book has a different main character, but there will be a lot of overlapping with characters and locales that people will, I think, enjoy.  Minor characters in one book will be major characters in another.

What can readers expect?  More of what they got in Gemini. Plenty of laughs (or at least pained groans), silliness, and slapstickiness.  Lots of new sections of Toonopolis.  More exploration into the rules that govern the Tooniverse and how it is linked to beings in the universe-proper.

I also have a number of Toonopolis Shorts that will be short stories about some of the minor characters seen in the three books.  I am planning on releasing them in eBook form as I complete them and compiling them into a collection for print once I have several complete.

The last currently planned series is a new dual-trilogy that will be co-authored by a friend.  This will be a new trilogy that will bring back a lot of characters from the first three books and introduce a world of new ones.  I won’t explain right now what I mean by a dual-trilogy, but it’s a work-in-progress concept that my friend and I are developing that I think will be very cool and unique if we pull it off.

-Jeremy Rodden
Author of the Toonopolis Files: www.toonopolis.com

Facebook Fanpage: www.facebook.com/toonopolisfiles/

On Twitter: @toonopolis

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This contest is now closed:

Winners:

Tamara Rose Blodgett was kind enough to answer some questions for me in conjunction with her giveaway of her AWESOME novel, Death Whispers.  So, without further ado:

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Death Whispers is actually my second novel (Bloodsingers, written in 2007, will be revised and published in autumn 2011). I have four sons, all voracious readers and although they liked some of the male protagonist stories, they thought the “voice” of the male was written by a female that “thought” that was what males thought/acted like/ spoke about. I endeavored to portray boys as I interpreted them. My sons were my biggest critics and most beneficial betas. Laurell K. Hamilton, author of the TERRIFIC Anita Blake vampire hunter series, gave me the “spark” of an idea to write a book where a teenage boy deals with necromancy and is trying to gain finesse while also keeping it hidden. I wanted a book with more action, comedic dialogue  (that was the easy part…boys are funny naturally) and the “meat” of the book to center around the cool, paranormal abilities and what happens when they’re used.

I don’t want to come across cavalier, but, it is the easiest work I’ve ever done. It’s the revisions and editing process that is difficult. I sit down and the characters are inside my head… “alive.” I am simply
their vehicle to write they say/do/see/feel. When I am not  writing… they’re telling me to get back to work and write down the rest! I’m compelled to finish. Right at this moment, I have half of book three of the Death Series already in my head (and all of book two!). It’s a matter of how fast I can write it all down! No, I don’t have a “special place,” I squeeze time in whenever I can and often write in the middle of a chaotic disaster, noise, whatever (I certainly prefer quiet, that’s just not usually a reality for me). I don’t have “writer’s block,” and sit down each day for 4-6 hours and hammer out between 15-20 pages. Currently, I’m working on Death Speaks, book two of the Death Series, and The Pearl Savage, simultaneously.

Ali, definitely (Caleb’s mom). She is not like me, per se…but there are some features that have creeped in there from my life. Ali is much more laid back for one! And she has an innate sense of “leash,” with Caleb…she let’s him think for himself and doesn’t get bogged down in things that are not critical; like the state of his room!

This was an experiential novel. I could not have written it without my experience raising four boys, having their friends around, and the countless time spent around teenagers (as a family…we are a tad sarcastic). But, I haven’t modeled any of the characters after anyone specifically. I was not “guessing” during this novel, I am definitely writing “what I know.” My hope is that there is an authenticity that will resonate with readers: teens and adults alike.

I hope readers feel it was a unique read and highly entertaining! If there were a moral premise, it would be only that the reader sees Caleb and his friends struggle through daily challenges and they strive to make the best choices they can, even in morally gray circumstances. That’s real.

Wow! This is a pertinent question! I flat-out do not write as well without music blaring in the background! I will be posting a full playlist on my blog soon, so readers know exactly the music I listen to while I write. It is especially critical for the romance scenes and I prefer ethereal music that smacks of trauma with a creepy undertone. I really feel my best writing is when listening to these talented musicians. They absolutely compliment the tone that I wish to convey. Some of the music I listened to when writing this novel was: Seether, Underwhelmed, Red, Sully Erna (he was a critical inspiration during the fight scenes… when the teens are sure they can’t survive; wonderful!). My book trailer will have very carefully selected music and will really give the reader a feel for my writing…

I have always thought in terms of this age-group and it was, “what I knew.” My other novel, Bloodsingers, will be a YA crossover, and The Pearl Savage has a female protagonist that is  seventeen…it’s just where my head’s at with characters.

I read between 3-5 books per week, many of which were chosen by my glorious husband. I just finished, Trapped, by J.A. Konrath, and loved it. I am a Kindle  devotee and generally read exactly what I write: Urban Fantasy/Sci-fi/Paranormal Romance.  I like the Grave Series, by Charlaine Harris. They are not YA, but more crossover…she does a fine job with the mystery aspect. I read all of Amanda Hocking and preferred the Troll Trilogy to the Blood Approves series.

I jumped on the bandwagon the second they were available and affordable. I’ve never looked back since. I know for a fact I do more reading because of them. It’s simple schematics, the transport is so much easier. I’ll read a DTB (dead-tree-book) but only if that’s the only way. And I will continue to publish all my novels in paperback for those that prefer it, it’s about accessibility.

Caleb and his friends are in high school now and the dynamic has shifted, their paranormal talents continue to grow and they struggle with fine-tuning them. The government’s pursuit of Caleb has cooled, but for how long? Now, Caleb and Tiff join forces with police to hunt a serial killer, which puts the group at risk, again. Brett becomes a source of conflict in Jade and Caleb’s relationship as more details of his past surface. Some of the group develop romantic relationships with others and things become more complicated as encroaching adulthood sets the stage for a different dynamic. I’ve also introduced a few new characters that are critical to the development of the series. Jeffrey Parker (the other 5-point AFTD) will figure prominently in book #3, Death Screams.

Yes, The Pearl Savage (Publishing May/June 2011) will be the first book of the Savage Series, and Bloodsingers (Publishing autumn of 2011) will be the start of another series. TPS is a total departure from DW and is written in third person using diction (I think) would have developed after one-hundred and forty years of encapsulation in a post-Victorian America. Bloodsingers is true Urban Fantasy with warring vamps and shifters fighting over the Bloodsingers, a unique and powerful human sub-species that are sought after for their unique properties in their blood and genetic contributions.

I’m a “producer” and view all my novels as the beginning of a series; until they stop “talking” to me, I will continue to write about their “lives.” And they have much to say.

Thank you so much for reading my stories. My hope is that you enjoy them as much as I loved the writing of them.

I would like to thank Shana Benedict, for her graciousness, time, and professionalism ~

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