Author Interview

with Aaron Hodges

Author of  Oathbreaker, and the Descendants of the Fall series, 

Please tell me a little about your current work in progress.

I am currently just writing the blurb for my next new release, Age of Gods, which is due to hit shelves on the 8^th November. The third book in my Descendants of the Fall series, the book is set in a world where humanity is at war with the Tangata, a humanlike species with inhuman powers. And humanity is losing.

Where did you get the idea for this book or series?

It is something I’ve been thinking of for a while, a kind of combination of a post-apocalypse series with a medieval setting, with two species of humanity vying for supremacy. There’s also the Gods, but we won’t get into any spoilers just yet 😉

 

Do you write in more than one genre?

I mostly write in Epic fantasy, but I have been trying to mix things up a bit lately. As I mentioned, this series is set in a fallen world, kind of post-apocalyptic going back centuries, but in present day evolved into a medieval setting. I’ve also written a dystopian scifi series that I love! 

Tell me about something that you believe makes your writing unique or worthy of attention.

I love to really get into the heads of my characters, to know them completely, if only to then torture them through the book! One of my favourite authors, Ian Irvine, once wrote that he good fantasy is creating interesting characters and then placing them in difficult situations to see what they do, and that’s exactly what I do now

Is there anything about your personal history or personality that manifests strongly in your writing?

My father passed away when I was quite young, and I think this has influenced the backstory of my characters somewhat, but more generally, my life travelling the world has certainly influenced my stories. I’m constantly drawing inspiration from personal experiences, interactions, and landscapes I have visited!

What else would be helpful for readers to know about you?

I’m a kiwi, and as we write in British English, this does mean some spelling might be a little different for readers from the USA!

Excluding your own work, what underrated author or book would you recommend that more people read? Why?

Ian Irvine for sure. He’s an Australian writer who spent almost twenty years crafting his world before he published his first book. The history and politics of his world is phenomenal and the geography, well, let’s just say he crafted a map the size of a door to fit in all the details! 

Which of your books do you most highly recommend? Why?

My latest! No, I’d say either Oathbreaker or Warbringer. Oathbreaker is a bit older, but I still think the characters and plot are some of the best of my series. Warbringer is the first book of my most recent series and I’m really enjoying playing in this new world—and readers seem to be enjoying it as well!

 

Which break, event, decision, or fortuitous circumstance has helped you or your writing career the most?

I think the decision to quit my job as an environmental scientist and travel the world. If not for that, I would have never had the time to sit down and finally finish the novel I’d started all the way back in high school. That novel when it was finally published is still one of my bestselling ever, and was the building block upon which I managed to become a fulltime author.

What question do you wish you would get asked more often?

Honestly, I would love to talk more with my fans about what they think about my books, the characters, the plots, the worlds. Being an author is like being a superfan of a tv show/book/movie, but with no one to talk about your obsession with!

Do you have a catch-phrase or quote that you like? What is it? And why do you choose it?

Write on! It was a saying we used to have in a group on writing.com, in which we would review each others work. That site really helped me develop my writing, so I still use the phrase as a way to remember that.

my social media links are:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/fantastic.adventures

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14713614.Aaron_Hodges

author@aaronhodges.co.nz

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08653PM1L/

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Thanks to Aaron for participating.

This week I took a dip in the old movie pool, swimming in the black & white end and came across an oldie that I've been wanting to watch for some time, but I had not found it on any streaming service that I had available -- until now.

The Lady from Shanghai (1947), directed by and starring Orson Wells, with Rita Hayworth, Everett Sloan, and Glenn Anders is a film noir about a Irish sailor, Michael O'Hara, who encounters Elsa Bannister, a beautiful blonde. He rescues her from thugs in a park, and has the good sense to walk away when he learns that she's married. Elsa has other plans. She has her husband, a famous criminal defense attorney, hire O'Hara as a deck hand to accompany them with the other law partner, Grisby, aboard their yacht on their trip from New York to San Francisco. During the trip, things heat up between Elsa and O'Hara; Grisby attempts to recruit O'Hara to murder him, and the fact that Elsa, Bannister, and Grisby despise one another becomes apparent. When they arrive in San Francisco, O'Hara decides to take Grisby's offer so that he can use the money Grisby promises in order to run away with Elsa. As one might expect, there's a catch to Grisby's offer. He doesn't actually want to be murdered; he wants O'Hara to sign a confession to the murder, and go through the motions to implicate himself in Grisby's murder while Grisby goes of to live free and easy. Grisby's body will never be discovered, so O'Hara can't be convicted of the murder. The plot thickens. Grisby is murdered and O'Hara goes on trial for it. Bannister represents him. As the jury is about to return a verdict, O'Hara escapes from custody and the grand finale involving O'Hara, Elsa, and Bannister takes place in a fun house.

Here's a nice scene:

The movie is a tasty meal right up until the final course. Once Grisby dies the whole story goes off the rails. Everything that passes for investigation (of which there appears to be none) and the legal process (which is patently absurd) races away from logic and common sense. Additionally, Grisby (before his death, of course) comes across like a psychopath that only a complete idiot would want to associate with--let alone go in on a deal to frame himself for murder. The twisted ending is simply too much to swallow. I've always hated movies that end in a fun house or anywhere else in an amusement park. I'm wondering if this is where that trope began. Anyway it's a four star movie with a one star ending. I suppose that rounds out to three stars overall. Watch it for yourself, but don't say that I didn't warn you.

***

The writing this week took a bad hit as nearly every night was taken up by the radio show presentation rehearsals and performances. I did get a couple compliments on what one person called the "leprechaun dance" I inserted at the end. Nevertheless, I managed to find some time to add to the short story that I started last week. It's an urban fantasy detective bit. I had some difficulty selecting the time frame. I had contemplated the 40's, and then almost committed to the 70's, but finally decided that present day would work just fine and wouldn't alienate those who cannot imagine a world without the internet and cellphones--and it also gave me some flexibility with some particular aspects of the story. There are some characters that I look forward to exploring more in followup stories. This first one primarily focuses on the main character and acquaints the reader with the particular nuances of the world.

If film noir, mystery, or the 1940's interests you, let me recommend my non-fantasy noir detective novel Smoke

Click here to get it.

 Author Interview

with Poppy Kuroki

Author of ABard's Lament, Oath, and Rhoda

Please tell me a little about your current work in progress.

I’m currently working on a steampunk adventure about two female characters, one rich and one a poor runaway. It’s my first time writing steampunk and it’s a whole lot of fun!

 Where did you get the idea for this book or series?

 The gap between the rich and the poor is widening, and the classes tend to judge each other. Of course, humans tend to do that anyway based on the tiniest of differences. The story has a lot of themes, but one of them is learning to get to know people and accept them for who they are, not making assumptions about them because of their upbringing.

I was thinking making it a medieval setting, but then I realized I really wanted Zoya to have a motorbike. Jumping into the steampunk genre has been an awesome journey.

Do you write in more than one genre?

My existing books are all dark fantasy, but I’m hoping to write more steampunk in the future as well.

Is there anything about your personal history or personality that manifests strongly in your writing?

Colette goes through a lot of rough times in Oath, and I was going through similar rough times (not being forced into assassinhood though!) when I wrote it. How I felt at the time was definitely a huge influence on the book. I didn’t pull any punches for Colette.

 

What else would be helpful for readers to know about you?

Aside from books and writing I’m passionate about video games, so if you love gaming be sure to get in touch! I also live in Japan and have a travel blog; be sure to check it out: https://poppyinjapan.com

Excluding your own work, what underrated author or book would you recommend that more people read? Why?

I love TL Morganfield, but she doesn’t seem to really be active anymore. I also recommend Elizabeth Davies’ her historical fiction.

Which of your books do you most highly recommend? Why?

I recommend starting with A Bard’s Lament. It’s raw, it’s emotional, it’s got original music, and it’s a quick read you can enjoy in one afternoon.

 

Which break, event, decision, or fortuitous circumstance has helped you or your writing career the most?

Since ghostwriting full time, I got a lot more inspiration and decided to try writing for myself again. Taking courses and making connections has definitely been a huge help. It’s still early days for me but I’m hoping I can continue meeting amazing people and maybe make my mark in the writing world.

What question do you wish you would get asked more often?

“Would you like a slice of cake?” Just kidding… I suppose I’d like to be asked about my books more in general. I won’t talk about them if someone doesn’t ask as I don’t want to come across as annoying. It’s the best feeling ever when someone takes a genuine interest or when they’ve read your stories and have questions or comments.

Do you have a catch-phrase or quote that you like? What is it? And why do you choose it?

“It doesn’t matter how slow you go as long as you don’t stop” – Confucious. It makes me feel less bad about not hitting my writing goals. As long as we can write a little bit every day and do what we can, the next project will be completed.

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Thanks to Poppy for participating.

In my own writing this week, the story progressed though another milestone. I'm over 80K words into Promise of Carnage and Flame, which takes place in an alternate history 1776 America in this fantastic flintlock fantasy. I've avoided most of the more famous action of the war to focus on the characters and their adventures which are extremely personal to them. However, the New Providence Raid has made its way into the story line featuring Captain Rip and Antonio on a mission to the Bahamas. One of the dragon hunters and a gryphon have joined the smugglers in Washington's service. Alex struggles to recover from a major calamity, and another of the dragon hunters has swallowed a draught* of both triumph and tragedy. The latter, and Iago's adventure are my favorite threads, but Alex and Lucette will face some terrible trials, the outcome of which may well determine the fate of the revolution. 

Also, if you missed The Great Christmas Chicken Chase, click on the "older posts" button below to catch up.

*I know; it should be "draft" but I prefer the old spelling, and I like to mispronounce it to rhyme with "thought," and I don't know why.

 

The Great Christmas Chicken Chase:

An after action report and lesson in tactical brilliance.*

 

The story you are about to hear read is true, only the names have been changed to protect the writer.

She came through the door and pulled off her coat.

“What took you so long?” I asked.

“One of the chickens got out. I’ve been chasing it. I couldn’t get it back in.”

The chicken in question was down the lane at the neighbors. They had gone out of town for a few days and had asked us to feed the animals. The lady in question shall remain nameless. She grew up in town and knows not the wily ways of barnyard fowl. Apparently she engaged in the fruitless chase for several minutes.

“I need your help,” she begged. “It ran away.”

Of course she did. She didn’t seem to care that she was interrupting my requisite inviolate time of sitting at the table in my new thermals and my bathrobe while perusing the latest witty memes and political rants on social media. Actually, I was coming to the end of that activity, but the idea of pursuing rebellious poultry pushed me toward petulance.

“Let’s let it calm down for a bit. It won’t go far from the coop. It will come back to be with the others if it’s not bothered.”

After a few minutes, I put aside the pointless diversion and went to don my protective gear for the coming battle. In other words, I put on pants. The shirt and shoes followed, but the key component for any manly activity is pants—don’t leave home without them. I added a jacket, stocking cap, and leather gloves to complete my sassy ensemble.

A warrior must not rush into battle without the weapons to assure victory. A sharp mind and quick reflexes are the forge of victory, but I knew better than to rely on those advantages alone. After all, this was a chicken I was up against. We’re talking five pounds or more of clawed and feathered fury. Those feet are not just for soup. I made a rapid tour about the garage, taking inventory of my resources.

I grabbed a five-foot long rod of some sort of aluminum alloy. I have no idea what it’s for. It has been in the garage since we moved in eight or nine years ago. I cut a length of wire, folded it, and like Ahab touching the harpoons on the Pequod, I bent a catcher into one end. I pinched the skin of my index finger in the pliers only one time, and she pretended not to notice the squelched scream of pain that escaped my gritted teeth. For those of you who are not acquainted with technical terms, a “catcher” is a hook. It’s much like the one at the end of a shepherd’s staff, but much smaller as its purpose is the snagging of a chicken’s foot, rather than a sheep’s neck. I wrapped the rest of the wire about the metal rod, and secured it with a copious quantity of the handyman’s secret weapon: duct tape, or a reasonable substitute. With each wind of the tape I contemplated the object of my obsession, this great white pullet—or whatever color it was. I hadn’t yet laid eyes upon the beast, so my obsession leaned toward the vague and uncertain—but the passion was definitely there. I was ready to chase it round the Horn, around the Norway maelstrom, and around perdition’s flame before I gave it up. Despite my literary ardor, I didn’t really want to have to do any of that.

With the instrument of the chicken’s sure defeat held in my hand, we strode together toward the battlefield.

“It looks like you’re carrying a spear,” she said.

Little did she imagine how appropriate was that image.

My determined stride stopped for nothing—except the cat that walked in front of me and caused me to stumble. Other than that, nothing prevented our determined arrival at the champ de bataille. As we approached, I saw something low to the ground disappear behind the chicken coop. I hadn’t seen enough—only  a dark flash—to  know for certain what the thing was, but my gut told me that it was indeed our quaesitum**.

“It’s gone,” she said.

I walked to the north. The chicken had fled to the back, the east side of the coop. As I moved to my strategic position beyond the north side of the coop, before walking east to block the expected dash of the quarry, I said, “It went behind the coop. Walk back there.”

She walked behind the coop. The red devil came trotting toward me, fleeing from my better half. The hen gave me a look of disdain, or was it mefiance, and moved to my flank along the north side of the coop. This was going exactly as I had envisioned. This chicken was no match for my geniusness***. The pullet slowed at the corner. I advanced slowly. The hen watched me with one wary eye. I had no idea what the other eye was doing as it was on the other side of the creature’s head. Smiling to myself, I began to slide the catcher forward through the grass. The chicken stepped away. I made another tentative probe with the catcher. The trick is to slide the business end of the implement past the chicken and to snag one leg on the draw back.

I suppose this is a good time to admit that I had no confidence in the catcher. I feared that the hook I had fashioned lacked the strength to hold the hen. I worried that the hook would unfold, and the quarry would escape and flee in an agitated and possibly psychotic state—the way many people do after working with me for a prolonged period.

My better half guarded the area at the other end of the coop. The chicken was between us, against the wire on the open side of the coop. I asked her if the other chickens could be secured inside the closed portion of the coop. She indicated they could if I would help her. I leaned my harpoon catcher against the elm tree, deciding on an alternate course. I put away the natural man, suppressing the desire to snag the fowl by the leg and drag it into my clutches in a frenzy of action displaying power and mastery over the cagey egg-layer. The chicken too refuge in the weeds and grass against the wire of the coop.

I walked past the hen. We went to the two entrances on the south side of the coop. A wooden door gave entrance to the closed portion of the coop. An iron gate covered with chicken wire guarded the open side of the coop. I saw two or three catchers of thick, stiff wire hanging from the side of the coop. Here were weapons with which I could once more seize the initiative—and the chicken. I pulled one of the catchers down to confirm my suspicions/hopes, admiring the rigid and unforgiving nature of the metal implement.

I once again tamped down the thoughts of snatching the hen and forcing the shrieking, flapping-feathered fowl into the coop. I reasoned that a gentle, persuasive approach would bear the sweeter fruit. I turned my attention to the iron gate. The rod which secured it was rustier than my foreign language abilities.

My hand went to the handle on the securing rod. My eyes caught movement about three feet away. It was the red hen! She had mounted an attack from the rear. She had us cornered!

I pulled back on the rod, working it back and forth, fighting not only rust, but the offset angle at which it met the latch. The hen came a step nearer. Another chicken within the coop approached the gate. I didn’t know whether she was a Quisling or a Bolivar. The rod came free. I was about to turn the pullet’s maneuver to my rear into my own tactical coup de main. I was all in. With one throw of the dice, I would either take the hen in my trap, snatching the thrill of victory from the agony of defeat****, or loose the rest of the coop’s denizens like a flock of unchained demons upon an unsuspecting world which could not comprehend the terror in store—and not just in stores, but on the streets, in the parks, woods, homes, and meadows. No place would be safe from the poultry menace.

I eased open the iron gate, and stepped slowly to the side so that the gate was no longer between me and the chicken. The pullet avoided my gaze, realizing the devastating impact of both my counter maneuver and the fully armed and operational iron gate. The hen quickly marched by the open gate and over the threshold into the coop to be received by its comrades with welcoming clucks.

My better half and I walked home with the unused catching implement. The cat rejoined us about halfway home. I could tell she was impressed—meaning my wife, not the cat, although…

Some people might call me a tactical mastermind. Others might use words like brilliance and sagacity—and not just because they don’t know what those words mean. I can’t control the effusive praise likely come my way like the steady blast from a fully open firehose. I can only nod in quiet and humble acceptance, smiling with feigned genuine embarrassment when someone mentions the words, “chicken whisperer extraordinaire.”

 

*I realize that it’s not Christmas, and the entire episode cannot by any stretch of the imagination be described as “great.” As for that and the rest of the title, I flash my dramatic license as an affirmative defense.

**I admit that this is the first time I’ve ever used that word—as far as I can remember. It means—as far as you know—“the object of the search.”

***I know. It’s for effect.

****I know—unless you didn’t see what I did there, and if you’re not over 40, you won’t get the reference.

*****Don’t go back and look. I didn’t put a 5 asterisk note, but if you didn’t get the two passing Star Wars references, we should re-evaluate the terms of our association.

 Interview with

Troy Young

Author of  Seeker of Solace, The Other, and The Stone of Death

 Please tell me a little about your current work in progress.

I am currently writing the sequel to my most recent work, The Seeker of Solace.  The sequel is called The Denial of Deliverance and is due out December 16.  It follows the continuing adventures of Orlan Bazhaev, a member of a criminal gang saved from the gallows by a Frontier Marshal.  The price for his life? Hunt down the surviving members of his gang and eliminate them.  It’s a space western.

Where did you get the idea for this book or series?

I’d played and thoroughly enjoyed both Red Dead Redemption games. The idea of doing a western appealed to me.  But it was watching the Mandalorian that sealed it for me.  The Mandalorian is basically a western in space, and that is what I’ve written.  It’s got your typical western tropes with some hard science fiction thrown in.  So, combining RDR and the Mandalorian with a sprinkling of Firefly thrown in for good measure, I have a trilogy called The Gunslinger’s Emancipation.  Basically, he’s trying to free himself from his past.

Do you write in more than one genre?

I do.  Most of my success has come from my cosmic horror series.  It is a series of short stories set in Canada in Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos.  They start out innocuous, and slowly are building to something grand, with a big finale and the fate of all humanity in the balance. I have published 14 of 18 anticipated stories so far; the first 12 have been combined into two compilations of 6 stories each.  Each story is almost novella-sized.

I’ve also written a fantasy novel called The Stone of Death. What’s unique about it is the characters are so not ready to be heroes.  They get pulled into this adventure and are on the run from a cult of assassins.  If they don’t try to find the prize, the Stone of Death, the assassins will catch up to them.  Their only hope of surviving is beating the assassins to this artifact, which has the power to destroy all life.  But they don’t even know what they’ll do with it once they find it. 

It is the first of four books in the series.  There are four companions, and each book will be written from the point of view of one of the characters.  By the time the reader gets to the fourth book, they’ll have great insights into how they view one another.

Lastly (or firstly, depending on how you want to look at it) the book that inspired me to start writing is a contemporary humorous coming-of-age story called The (Extra)ordinary Life of Jimmie Mayfield. It’s about a guy, out of work and living with his mom in a rundown trailer park in Florida.  But he has dreams, and a destiny of greatness he thinks remains unfulfilled. Filled with quirk characters and witty dialogue, it’s the one I’m most proud of.  It is going to be released in November.

 

 Tell me about something that you believe makes your writing unique or worthy of attention.

I write very strong dialogue.  When I first started, I was worried my dialogue would be stilted, but that’s what I get the most positive feedback on.  And my characters are unique and genuine without being stereotypes.  In my Jimmie Mayfield book, a senior VP at one of the top five publishers compared my main character to Holden Caulfield (they still passed on my work, but hey, high praise).

Is there anything about your personal history or personality that manifests strongly in your writing?

I have a strong personality and am not afraid to speak my mind. I have been a CEO and university lecturer for 16 years, so I have no issue with speaking up, standing in front of a crowd and making decisions.  I believe that manifests in my writing. My characters are often strong and decisive too, except when I specifically chose for them not to be.  But even the ones that aren’t often find their voice during the writing and evolve into that.  If my main character is the same person at the end of the book that they were at the beginning I have failed to tell a strong story.  People adapt and evolve to diversity, or they fail utterly.  A book where they main character fails would be boring.  Even in a story where the character fails (the movie Rocky comes to mind) they often win in other ways.

I feel my personal background of evolving minds, teaching them, mentoring people and leading have helped shape my writing.

What else would be helpful for readers to know about you?

I mentioned that I was a CEO. One tidbit about that is I have had the same staff; once I hire someone, they stay with me.  None of them want to work anywhere else.  My main team around me numbers four people; two are approaching 16 years with me, one is coming up on 14 and the last is starting her fourth year.  No one wants to leave.  Our organization has won employer of the year in our industry twice in the last five years. Why do I mention it? Because I think it speaks highly to the type of person that I am. 

In the course I teach (it is a management course) we talk about being responsible for your relationships, and understanding how to read people.  The key component to understanding people is to first understand yourself.  This ability to understand people I believe helps me craft believable characters, ones who are not merely tropes or stereotypes.

 

Excluding your own work, what underrated author or book would you recommend that more people read? Why?

The author isn’t underrated, and it is hard to say that his works are underrated when the books in the series have between 23,000-32,000 ratings on Goodreads (but when his other works all have over 60,000 ratings, they don’t seem to get the same level of love) is The Empire trilogy by Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurtz.  I think these books are superior to everything else Feist has done (maybe because of Wurtz?), and don’t get enough love.

Unfortunately, as an indie author, I have to say I have not delved deep into the works of other indie authors.  I feel like a bad ally here. I wish I had one indie author that very few people have heard of and could say “You need to read this!” But I don’t.  Sorry.

Which of your books do you most highly recommend? Why?

My favourite is probably my most recent release, The Seeker of Solace.  I loved the redemption arc of a man trying to be better than his past, to earn his emancipation from the world he built for himself. Orlan is filled with self-doubt, but he continues to strive forward. I think my writing has grown since I first started and my editing has improved. So, I would have to say that one.

Although if you like cosmic horror, I’m really pleased with my modern take on Lovecraft in The Other. It’s just not for everyone.

Which break, event, decision, or fortuitous circumstance has helped you or your writing career the most?

Trump being elected.  Seriously.  I was walking in Florida where my parents have a winter home and lamenting on the state of the world.  He’d been President for a year and I was concerned with the direction of things.  Jimmie Mayfield grew out of that, thinking how would a guy like him navigate the current world?  What would he do if he could make a difference?  The story grew out of that angst.  So as much as I hate to admit it, Trump helped me out.

What question do you wish you would get asked more often?

Can you autograph your book for me?

Do you have a catch-phrase or quote that you like? What is it? And why do you choose it?

Wow, that’s tough.  I’m going to go with one we always used to use in high school, and only because I just watched the Karate Kid tonight.  It is from Karate Kid II, when Daniel askes Mr. Miyagi if he could break a log, and Mr. Miyagi replies, “I don’t know, never been attacked by tree.”  That was our go-to in high school whenever we were asked something we didn’t know.

I’m sure I could come up with another one (like Eowyn’s “I am no man!”) but I’ll stick with Mr. Miyagi for now.

_______________________________

My thanks to Troy for participating. I would be interested in having a look at his "Space Western."

My writing time this week fell victim to the requirement that I spend time preparing for several court hearings, radio show practice, and research That latter item was directly related to getting the surrounding facts for an incident featured in Promise of Carnage and Flame. I also got sidetracked by a short story that has been in my head for a couple months. I decided to get it written down. I haven't written a short story since I started writing novels. When I missed an opportunity to submit one for a contest that I didn't learn about until the figurative last minute, I decided that I should prepare a stable of short stories from which I might choose a champion for any future race opportunities.

Until I have created a selection of short stories, I invite you to guzzle adventure fantasy from the cannon's mouth and the musket's muzzle, to taste the tip of the steel bayonet, and to bathe yourself in the dragon's engulfing flame. If that's a challenge you can accept, plunge into the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire trilogy with the first book: Threading the Rude Eye. For an autographed copy of the trilogy, contact me at flintlockfantasystanley with the "at" suffix for g mail for your opportunity.