Thursday, September 20, 2012

Chatting with author David Leadbeater

Today I'm pleased to interview David Leadbeater - an author who really THINKS BIG! 

Jill:  It’s all I can do to think of a plot around which to build a book – just a single book.  How the heck did you conceive of something so big when you wrote The Bones of Odin as part one of a four part series?  You must have tons of post-it notes stuck all over your work space.
 
Dave:  When I first conceived The Bones of Odin it was as a single book. When I came to the detailed planning and subsequent writing I soon realized that the discovery at the end – The Tomb of the Gods – took us in a whole new direction and opened up some great possibilities. At this point I roughly mapped out the next three books, decided on some cliffhangers, and pinpointed where the stories main revelations should occur. Luckily, I typed everything straight to my computer so am able to easily refer back. When I’m writing the Drake books I usually have 4 different story folders open! Then I have a couple of small A3 notebooks for ongoing story threads or new stuff that suddenly jumps out. Then, if something new sticks I add it to whichever book’s story folder it needs to go in.

Jill:  In hopes of making one of the greatest ever archeological discoveries, retired SAS officer Matt Drake goes searching for the Nine Pieces of Odin.  Tell me about your interest in archeology – do you have a little Indiana Jones in you?  Was archeology your major in university (or did you wish it was)?  Why did archeology seem like the right backdrop for this series?  

Dave:  I guess my love of archeology is fuelled by an interest in the ancient mysteries that may yet be uncovered. It goes back to my childhood when I used to watch old films on TV, past the Indiana Jones movies, and on through the Da Vinci Code days to present. Of course, I knew archeology had to be involved in my book as the story revolved around ancient artifacts being discovered.

What is your writing process?  Do you use an outline?  Do you have a set schedule?  Is there a favourite place for you to write?  How do you tackle edits and revisions?  Yes, I do realize that this is a whole lotta questions all rolled into one... sort of...
 
Haha! Well… I fully plan the story and every chapter before I write the first word. Of course, anything can change if something new pops up (and I love it when that happens) but I do start with a detailed step by step plan. Then, I jot bullet points for each chapter in a notebook and constantly refer to it as I write, ensuring the flow is maintained as carefully as possible. My editor handles the bulk of the edits which we bat back and forth a few times and then I polish before publication. 

Being a husband and a father of two young children I have no place of my own! I write where I can and when I have time, usually after the kids have gone to bed. I try to write about 3 pages per day, four or five days a week, but it's not always possible.

Your first book hop-scotches from the Louvre, to a Swedish cavern, to the Big Apple, and points beyond.  Do you always write about places that you have actually been to?  Can you write about real places you’ve never seen?

Good question. At this early point in my writing career I’m sticking to places that I have actually visited a few times and can confidently talk about. That is apart from any Scandanavian countries, the descriptions of which I have come unstuck with once and now try to refer to in a general way. No doubt I will soon have to write about a place I’ve never seen and will do extensive research before I put pen to paper.

The evil, awful, underworld figure the Blood King sounds, well, evil and awful and pretty darn scary.  What’s it like when it comes to writing bad guys... really, really bad guys? 

It’s not much fun, to be honest. I try not to write much from their POV, but create an aura of evil around them so I don’t have to delve too deeply!

Now, almost the total opposite (talking length here) of the four volume Matt Drake series, you also have a short story called Walking With Ghosts.  Is it easy to move between long and short fiction?  What are the pros and cons of each?
 
Yes, it’s pretty easy. Once I have a detailed story I can just proceed as outlined above. The Pro’s of writing a short story are not having to live with the constant mental stress of writing a novel, and being able to put something new out that means a lot to me in a shorter space of time. I intend – eventually – to have a series of short stories under some kind of ‘Ghostly’ banner, but that’s a fair way down the line. Walking with Ghosts was written to help showcase the city I live in and give a little publicity to the local hospital where my two premature children were cared for so superbly, as well as offering up a few frights along the way!

The cons? You can’t really expand on the characters you have created. And you have to end it just when you’re starting to have fun. But it does leave possibilities open for the future…I always like to do that.
 


The cover for The Chosen is pretty cool!  How do you decide on book covers?

Thank you! I talk, through email, to my cover designer and give him a list of storylines and events that occur in the book. He comes back with several suggestions. Then we fine tune and narrow it down. It’s a fun process and always great to see your dream taking shape.

Name two authors (living or dead) who inspire you or whom you’d like to emulate.  Tell me why.

I’ll go for one living and one dead then – In my opinion… JRR Tolkien, for writing the greatest story ever told, for inspiring me in my youth to write long fantasy epics just for fun, and for giving the English language such poetic brilliance whilst alternately shaking, chilling and exciting you to your very core.  And, more recently, the crime writer Robert Crais, for giving us the Elvis Cole series of novels and inventing two of the best and most likeable characters of recent times.


The last question is kind of a freebie:  What is the one thing you wish I had asked you but didn’t?  Now go ahead and ask and answer that question.  

Hey, Dave, when’s your next book out?

Well, just came out! It’s the third in the initial four part ‘Matt Drake’ series, called The Gates of Hell, and starts off where The Blood King Conspiracy finished on its huge cliffhanger- my apologies for that one! 



Check out Dave's page on AMAZON.  
Follow Dave on TWITTER @dleadbeater2011 







Friday, September 14, 2012

Wrong Place, Wrong Time... Right Interview! David P. Perlmutter

Today, I'm happy to have a chat with author David P. Perlmutter.  David is one of the first nonfiction authors I've interviewed.  Check out what he has to say about his true crime experience...






1.      If a freaky, jaw-dropping, scary-assed series of events, such as what you describe in Wrong Place, Wrong Time had never actually happened to you, do you still think you would have written a book one day?  Why or why not? 

Great question. I enjoy reading but this is the first piece of writing I have ever done. I was pushed by my great friend and Editor Elaine Denning to write this story, and I have the bug now! A second book, which is fiction, is in progress.

2.      What is the best, or most pleasantly-surprising thing about being an author?  

I really do not consider myself an author, I just wrote what happened to me. But, now I have been told: "David you've written a book, so go along with being an author", which I like hearing!  

3.      What’s next for you as an author?  Tell me all about your work in progress. 

I have a second book in draft. The outline of the story is there, I just need to put the story together which is what I'm doing at the moment.
 
4.      Born in England... Headed off to Spain... Now living in Portugal...  Por favor, please tell me: What draws you to the Iberian Peninsula? 

I just love being by the sea, and the weather. I also like mixing with the locals, and living their way of life.

5.      What was the most difficult thing about writing Wrong Place, Wrong Time?  

Putting down the events that happened to me bought it all back. But writing the book took a huge weight of my shoulders. 

6.      We met each other over the Twittersphere.  Obviously social media is a tremendous boon to authors.  How do you reach your audience outside of Twitter?  What advice do you have for other (aspiring) authors with regards to social media?  

Well I am new to this but my work is all about marketing. I do enjoy the marketing side of the book: Twitter, Facebook, my blog etc. There are so many aspects of marketing one can follow. In fact the book has taken over my life at the moment. It has been so busy with interviews. My advice to aspiring authors is to really focus on the marketing side even before the book is published. Create a following on Twitter, set up a Facebook page and a blog/website and keep at the marketing. It is a full time job which does play havoc with my job outside the book. Hopefully one day I can just concentrate on writing and earn a living from that.

7.      Your book is available on Kindle and Amazon, and was published by CreateSpace.  Obviously, there’s worldwide reach via Amazon and Kindle, but what thoughts went through your mind when you finished your manuscript and began shopping it around?  Was CreateSpace always your intended publisher or did you investigate other options?  

After doing my homework, Amazon was the place I wanted to self-publish my book as it reached the furthest audience. That is my personal view. 

8.      Did your experience in Spain forever ruin Paella for you?  Can you drink Sangria without having negative flashbacks?  

Funny! Yes I can drink Sangria anytime, no problem at all!!

9.      Smaller and more independent presses give the author more control over their product and over their content, but the downside of this may mean less marketing support.  What are your comments on this?   Do you think this matters as much as it might have twenty years ago?  

My view is, it’s all about the marketing and I prefer to do the marketing myself. There are a few excellent independent presses out there who have my book on their sites, which pull in a few sales and readers. With me, I like to get my book across a whole spectrum. The more the merrier, to be honest.

10.  One of the clips from a review on Amazon is: “Now just try to remember, David is a really nice guy.”   Tell me: How many little old ladies have you helped across the street?  What makes you such a nice guy?  And what’s your opinion of the old saying: “Nice guys finish last”?  

People have their own views. To some I am a nice guy and to others I am a scumbag as one reviewer said. That’s the beauty of personal views. I don’t think that I will finish last, only in the 100m sprint!

11.  If you were a travel agent, would you still recommend Spain to prospective travellers?  What attractions in Spain are not to be missed?  

Of course, if someone came into my travel agency and wanted to book a holiday to Spain, then I'd yes, you must visit it. 

However, I haven’t been back to Spain, so I'm unsure what's new there. But I am sure the beaches are still stunning!

12.  If a Hollywood hotshot showed up at your house and said he wanted to make Wrong Place, Wrong Time into a blockbuster, big-budget movie, who would you like to see cast in the starring role?  

I have been asked this questions a few times. I don’t know, maybe Robert Pattison? 

13.  Last question is a bit of a freebie: What is the one thing you wish I had asked you, but didn’t?  Now go ahead and ask and answer that question.  

What was it like in the hotel, with fire around, plus all the smoke and saving the two lives? Answer: I was only focused on saving the two people!  I felt a huge rush, and would do it again. The downside was the events that took place afterwards.


Get WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME on Amazon.   Click HERE
Follow Dave on Twitter @davepperlmutter
Check out Dave's blog:  http://thewrongplaceatthewrongtime.blogspot.ca/

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Rat Bastards and Teapots

Yippee!  I have a new release on Amazon Kindle!  I'm trying something different, something I haven't done before: I'm releasing a mini-book containing two short stories and three little poems.

The collection (that seems like too big a word for this brief project!) is called RAT BASTARDS AND TEAPOTS.  It's the first of three such works that I plan to release between now and Christmas.

The two short stories are The Locket and The EraserThe Locket is a story about the two photos in the locket and how they affect the owner.   The Eraser is about a man who wants to make a clean start with his life, but he has a very messy way of doing it.

The three short poems are: Murder without a Clue, Last Words from the Corpse, and Cozy Mysteries, and all three are a little bit tongue-in-cheek.

Here's the cover: 



Here's the link on AMAZON.

Monday, September 3, 2012

Tah-dah! Interview with author Wendy Potocki!!!!!!


Author and all-round busy gal: Wendy Potocki!


1.       Your first novel, The White Lady Murders, came out in 2007.  What is the most significant thing you’ve learned as an author since then?

Oh, my gosh, so much!  One of the most important things I’ve learned is to tell the story no matter what. As a writer, you are an advocate and hold a sacred responsibility to your characters to tell their story. That means you must write down their words and follow the tale where they take it, and not where you want it to go. It adds for excitement, authenticity, and gives a truer feel. It also generally guarantees that the story will not be predictable since people very rarely are.

Then there’s the marketing and selling—the other side of the writing coin. I’ve had to learn all that through networking on the web. It was mind blowing how much I didn’t know, but I learned and am still learning. This leads me to one other very significant thing that I’ve learned which is that an author has to be open to learning if they hope to succeed. While isolation is one of those things that is necessary to write the story, after that, it’s all networking and social media. So be open to the support that’s out there. It’s pure gold.
  
2.       Tell me about your current projects “ZaSo” and “The Virgin”.

ZaSo is a Gothic tale about murders, monsters, and an ancient evil. Set in the late 1800s, it concerns a young protagonist that tries to escape from a monster lurking in the walls of his family’s Bostonian manor. Terrorizing his youth, he holds out hope that his emergence to manhood will set him free.   

The Virgin is a tale of a young theology student. Only wanting to pursue the dream of becoming a youth counselor, her work ethic lands her into hot water. Taking a job at an old mansion, she meets Ernst Rudolph, a persnickety agnostic. Determined to earn enough to pay for her next semester of college, she stays on, brushing the barbed witticisms directed at her calling aside. Hired to watch the old estate while he travels for the holidays, she’s more than certain she can ride out his surly demeanor until departure time. Two fraternity boys help distract and pass the time. Intrigued by her virginity, they begin vying for her affection. Not sure if they’re driven by true love, or the need to claim her innocence as a prize, she tepidly advances, soon learning mysteries about them—and the estate she’s guarding. In trying to untangle the truth, she becomes enmeshed in solving a puzzle where relying on the wrong person can get you killed.

The Virgin is guaranteed to scare off any young person from ever taking a summer job again!
 
3.       In “The Man with the Blue Hat’ you have a character named Sadie, the town drunk.  What was it like creating that character?

Well, I’m one of those writers who believe they have a muse. Therefore, I don’t create characters, they’re more or less born … or introduced to me vis-a-vis my muse. In fact, I don’t start writing until I know my main character’s background, likes, dislikes, and temperament. For instance, I know they love wearing blue, but wouldn’t be caught dead in purple. I also wait until I hear them speaking dialogue, or am given key narrative by my muse. In this way, I’m much more a court reporter taking things down than strategically plotting things out. In the Horns of September, I was given the first chapter of the book, the last chapter of the book, and then a chapter smack dab in the middle! I sat staring at the three disparate sections wondering what the heck went in between.

Sadie was very easy. While a minor character, she is pivotal in revealing key pieces of the plot. Her backstory filled in like a champagne tower at a wedding. Once the bottle was uncorked, it just spilled down filling in all the glasses. Old Sadie has had quite a life, and in the short time we spent together, I came to be quite fond of her. She’s a grand old gal and I enjoyed the time spent with her. I would like to say here that she had her positive and negative qualities, and stress that it’s important that even a minor character be fleshed out to this extent. In other words, as in acting, there are no small characters, only lazy writers!   


4.       What is it that draws you to writing horror?

I suppose the lack of restraints and options available. I can make the stories larger than life and even give actual form to emotions. In other words, if I want jealousy to not only be an emotion, but a monster that lives in the woods, I can do that. It makes for a more apocalyptic feel to the morality tale that I’m attempting to tell.

There’s another reason that’s much more basic. You see, I feel very skittish about writing bad things down that could actually happen. By that I mean, if I wrote about an actual flesh-and-blood serial killer targeting women or children, I would feel just terrible about detailing what this psycho was doing to them. Horror allows me to distance the character from reality. In making the murderer a ghoul, it right away takes the chains off around my arms in writing all the gruesome details because it’s not real … it can’t be real … and will never be real! So it really is a mechanism and device that I use to keep my own sensibilities and morality at bay. If a writer pries their nose too much into the pot that’s boiling, they can exert an influence that is injurious to what is developing. If that happens, they begin to paint everything in the same brush and inject too much of their own personal views into the action. So watch the pot, give it a stir, but let it brew. 
  
5.       Who were some of your literary influences?

Two of my biggest influences were television writers, Rod Serling and Stirling Silliphant. They rocked my world! Loved the Twilight Zone so much growing up. I was amazed at how much tension could be generated by simple dialogue. And Stirling Silliphant’s work was nothing short of brilliant. His stories were complex, his characters painted in such depth, and his dialogue very compelling. If I was watching a story, there was no doubt it was Stirling Sillipant that wrote it.

In terms of a more strict definition, my biggest early influence was The Black Stallion series written by William Farley. I must have read that first book about a thousand times! The meeting of the horse on the ship, the fevered attempts to ride him when on the island, and the bond that was forged—all culminating in that race! Oh, gosh, it’s still exciting for me! Loved that story! So well-written, it captured my imagination and still does.

Growing up I was also heavily influenced by Jack London, Agatha Christie (yes, I love mysteries!), Jane Austen, and Hermann Hesse. Love Hesse’s work so much. Steppenwolf was just so, so, so unexpected. Then there is The Stranger by Albert Camus. Loved it so much, although I had an entirely different interpretation of the ending. There’s also Jean-Paul Sartre, Joyce Carol Oates, Mary Shelley, the Brontes, and the Master of Horror, Mr. Stephen King. Salem’s Lot was the ultimate for me! I bought it and could not put it down. I sat up all night reading through it, and it’s a pretty big book. Kept hearing scrapings at the window, and imagined hands underneath the couch. What a great, inspired piece of writing!

6.       If an aspiring writer asked you for one – just one – piece of advice, what would you say?

I’d tell them to write! Don’t stop, don’t get deterred, just write as much as you can. It’s a craft that gets better with age, and how many things can you say that about? Don’t get discouraged in the beginning that nobody cares or doesn’t want to read what you have to say. It’s very normal and part of the process. The exceptions to that rule are just that—exceptions. Writing is by its nature just a lot of work done alone. It takes concentration, determination, and, yes, ideas! You need time to find your voice and your audience, so just chill a moment. Enjoy the silence. It’s there for a purpose. It gives you time to collect your thoughts and become who you’re meant to be. Write. Hone your craft. You’ll be a better person for it, and a better writer.
                                                                              
7.       Did you plan all along for Adduné to be a series (trilogy)?

Absolutely! The story came to me in three parts! Plus the whole tale is so sweeping that it would have had to be a 4,000 page book. Try lugging that with you on vacation.

While I always have a beginning and ending for every story begun, everything that happens in between is a complete surprise. This mammoth undertaking was no different. I’m almost finished editing The House of Cards, the second in the series. When writing it, I was just about finished when there was this twist that occurred. It had me laughing so hard. Never saw it coming and didn’t plan on it, but it sure is there! It still cracks me up, and, of course, makes perfect sense! I mean, when bad things happen, don’t the most crazy, outrageous things come out of the blue and bop you in the head? It’s like the universe is sticking its tongue out at you, and telling you that you can now consider yourself a human piñata. It was that kind of moment. The kind where you’re dressed up for an interview, and a pigeon takes aim. No avoiding it, it was bound to happen, and it is not good luck.  

The series is wonderful to write, and I hope to read. I’m trying very hard to make each part ratchet up the adventure, suspense, and horror so that it builds. With only Part III. The Reckoning left to write, it’s quite a thrill to be coming to putting the finishing touches on the saga. Of course, the ending is what I’ve been eager to get to all along. I love the ending! I wouldn’t even bother writing the book if I didn’t, so stay tuned for something that I hope will knock your socks off and bring tears to your eyes.

 8.       If a magic Hollywood fairy came along and said that an A-list film producer was going to make a movie of one (just one!) of your books, which would you choose and why?

Oh, it’s so hard to choose! Blast that magic Hollywood fairy for not offering me more wishes! Well, if I had to pick one I’d say Adduné for the reasons mentioned above.  So many wonderful characters, not to mention one that has made herself quite at home. She’s one of these runaway characters that we writers experience now and again. Was supposed to be this minor character, but when she entered stage right, she never left! Tried to shoo her off, but she’s so much fun—just delicious to write. I never know what she’s going to say or do. And, yes, that plot twist that I spoke about earlier had to do with her.

Then there’s Miranda, Peter, Tiffany, Reginald, Bonnie, Wilkins, Beatrice and Willie Figgs, Victor and Elizabeth Rodriguez, Tatiana, Dagmar, Xavier, Carlos, Alejandro, Raoul, Stroker, and the mysterious red egg! Love them all (well, most of them) and would love to see them on the screen, battling it out.

Another reason is that I already have the theme song. It’s Silent Lucidity by Queensryche. I would insist on using it, and would have it written into the contract that it had to be used as the theme for the series. Used it in the trailer for Part I. The Vampire’s Game as it perfectly sets the mood. So I’m ready if that Magic Fairy wants to bestow that wish on me!  

9.       How do you come up with your titles?  Is it just an accident that colours are mentioned in the titles of two of your books?

No, not an accident, and there’s actually three where I’ve done this. I have one entitled Black Adagio. Black Adagio is not yet published as it’s in the process of being edited. Actually, this topic of using colors in writing came up on Facebook. Pat Bertram, a wonderful author, started a discussion in which she asked if writers were using colors in more ways than just for a description. I posted that colors, smells, and other peripheral occurrences were very important to me and my stories. Since I had been writing The House of Cards at the time, I used it as an example. There’s a part in it where a main character changes. She sees a color and is swept away by it. It symbolizes her fall, and the altering of her personality. Love that particular chapter and it’s not unusual for me to do this at all.

I want people to be able to be in the heads of my characters. I want them to feel as if they’re standing beside them, smelling their scent, feeling the texture of their clothing. I want them present at the scenes of their crimes, and to be yelling at potential victims to get out of the house when endangered. Colors, tastes, and odors are important in delivering the atmosphere so I use these invaluable tools to help convey the story, and to give insight into a character. I feel that writing is one of the most comprehensive ways to intimately know someone inside and out. At the end of reading one of my books, that’s how I want the reader to feel. As if they’ve completely understood my characters, even if they don’t agree with some of the things they’ve done.

10.   Authors seem to either love or hate writing dialogue.  What are your thoughts on this?

I love writing dialogue! Why? Because I don’t write it!

As stated above, I have a muse. Therefore, when it comes to dialogue, I sit back and let my characters thrash it out. I turn into a glorified court reporter, taking it all down, and trying not to interfere. In writing my first screenplay, I learned that lesson. There was a particularly wicked character that I just plain hated—still do! What a scoundrel! Possessing absolutely no redeeming qualities, I wanted him dead. In one section of the action, he was behaving very peckishly towards a character that I did love. He persisted, getting on my nerves something fierce. To top it off, in the middle of the scene, he insisted on explaining himself! Horrified, I told him nobody wanted to hear his feeble excuses and to shut up. He answered, insisting that he would have his say. I was absolutely furious at this loathsome creature and retorted, “Not if I kill you off, you won’t!” He replied, “Well, if you do that, you won’t have a script, will you?” Since I couldn’t argue with that logic, I acquiesced, telling him to make it quick before I changed my mind.

Other than that incident, I could sit and let my characters talk for hours. I cry when they’re sad, and laugh when they crack jokes, but I’m always entertained by their antics. They surprise, delight, and sometimes thoroughly disgust and frustrate me, but they never fail to fascinate.

11.   Last question is a bit of a freebie: What is the one question you wish I had asked you but didn’t?  Now go ahead and ask & answer it!

This is a tough one. I guess it would relate to how you keep going when it seems your work is not being accepted the way you believe it should. And I suppose my answer would be based on a message delivered in a PBS special on Julie Taymor. It was in an interview done by Bill Moyers. Ms. Taymor related a story about witnessing a group of Balinese dancers dancing outside. They were in the woods and ostensibly not performing for an audience. She didn’t understand why anyone would do that. She had a background in the theater, and as far as she was concerned one needed an audience to put on a show. In asking why, an epiphany struck her. Sweeping in with the moment of clarity came the understanding, and the reason why these dancers were dancing. It was because they were dancing for God.

I was deeply moved by this sentiment, and humbled. We sometimes do things for money, for power, for control, or for revenge in hopes of getting back at those that belittled us in some way. Sometimes it’s done in the pursuit of happiness we’re sure we’ll find at the end of a rainbow, or to receive compliments about how wonderful someone thinks we can write. The truth is to lose yourself, and submit to a greater power. I suppose it’s why I give credit to my muse and refuse to consider that I alone could create, could perform, could generate such ideas without a powerful force allowing me the privilege of living out my dreams. So always Dance for God. That is reason enough to keep going.

Learn more about Wendy on her AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE.
Follow Wendy on Twitter @WPotocki