Interrogating Darren Humphries

Darren Humphries the geek that's in a parallel universe.

How do you strike the balance between writing something you want to write and writing something that people want to read, in terms of the compromises you make, if any?

There is actually no balance to be struck here. I write the story that comes to me and hope that people like it. I’ve been very lucky so far to have found an audience of people who do seem to enjoy what I do. If you write for your audience you end up writing to a formula and that must be a lot less interesting and a lot less fun, although it might be more lucrative.

What excites, attracts or appeals to you about the genre(s) you write in.

I have always been attracted by science fiction and fantasy. These are the genres that allow all of the really big questions to be asked. We’re talking epochal questions such as what it is to be human, where the human race is going, how technology is changing us and so on. Of course, I don’t ask any of those questions. Whilst I write (mostly) science fiction and fantasy, what I most enjoy about it is telling the story and (hopefully) being funny. I’m not writing literature here, I’m providing a fun and entertaining escape from the real world for a while that hopefully leaves you a bit happier than when you started the book.

Do you have a box, drawer, folder etc where you keep thoughts and ideas for future stories? Such as names you have come across, bits of dialogue, ideas, characters - even if you have no idea when you might use them?

I don’t have a box or whatever actually. What I have is in my head.  Old and unused ideas sit in the back of my mind percolating and bubbling and eventually come out in ways that I didn’t expect, naturally fitting into what I am writing. Ten percent of AN ORC NOT LIKE OTHERS is actually from another fantasy story that I was going to write that never went anywhere. As this book took shape, that other story slotted right into place.

How do you manage plot bunnies (ideas that invade your mind that aren’t usually helpful to the story you’re writing but breed like...er...bunnies)?

I’m not sure that I get plot bunnies. I have ideas for stories in my head all the time, but they consigned to the cauldron that’s always bubbling there and eventually emerge fully formed or are subsumed into other stories, or just die.  I usually have several stories on the go at any one time, so ideas usually find a place in one of them or disappear quickly. An idea that remains strong and is demanding to be written might get shoved further up the priority list. For example, the sequels to both TO INFINITY and AN ORC NOT LIKES OTHERS have languished half-written whilst other, more urgent ideas have taken their place, including books 2,3 and 4 of THE MAN FROM U.N.D.E.A.D. series.

How much of you is in your characters? Which of your characters is the you that you’d most like to be? Or be with ?

Any character that you write has to have some of you in them, even if it only your imagination. Obviously GOODNIGHT DEAR:THE UNSENTIMENTAL DIARY OF A BEREAVED HUSBAND is all me since it’s a diary that has my unedited thoughts in it throughout a difficult time for me, but the fictional characters all reflect my ideas and values. For example, I always try to write strong female characters because my life has been full of those. My evil characters have a tendency to be smooth and suave rather ugly and smelly. My heroes tend to be flawed, always trying to do the right thing, but not always sure of themselves or completely selfless. Mainly I aim for them to be entertaining and fun to be around, even the bad guys. Witty dialogue is a must.

The character I’d most like to be has to be Agent Ward, the Man From U.N.D.E.A.D. who just has such an interesting life and such a touch with the ladies. He’s probably the (extremely) idealised version of me. The character I’d most like to be with is Ellie, the Bodyguardian Angel from THE GREAT ROCK N ROLL DOOMSDAY TOUR because I had so much fun writing her that I didn’t want the book to ever end. Sadly it did, and no ideas for a sequel have ever come close.

Do you become so wrapped up in your writing that your family wonders if they're related to you or one of your characters?

Being a one-parent family, I can only write when my children are in bed, so I don’t think they ever get the full force of my detachment when I’m writing. As for the rest of my family, most of them aren’t interested in the books that I write and they don’t own kindles (everyone gasp in horror!) so they never get to read them. Even if I bought them all one for Christmas they wouldn’t use it to read my books.

What type of book do you like reading? Is it the same genre as you write?

I write the kind of books that I would enjoy reading. I don’t see how anyone could honestly do otherwise. I am a huge fan of Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett and Tom Holt, all of whom are in the same area. The time that I saw THE MAN FROM U.N.D.E.A.D.:THE CURIOUS CASE OF THE KIDNAPPED CHEMIST in the Amazon chart sandwiched between the Pratchett/Gaiman masterpiece GOOD OMENS and that work of genius from Douglas Adams THE HITCHIKERS’ GUIDE TO THE GALAXY was such a huge thrill for me. That my work could share screen space with theirs for any reason was just mad.

I also like other books though. Tom Clancy’s technothrillers are fun to read and Stephen King remains essential reading for me even though his output of late has been patchy. I also try to get in some of the indies that I see recommended on the forums to show my support, but I would rather spend my time writing that reading, so opportunities are limited. 

What lengths do you go to to convince us readers that your book has the X factor?

I actually don’t. I always hoped that if the books were good enough then people would find them and enjoy them and tell others. I never really thought that I could ever make a living out of this, so I don’t market extensively.

What I do try to do is have a good cover. The first few aren’t that special, but I’ve learned and hopefully the later ones are better at catching the eye and not looking amateurish or generic. I also work long and hard on the blurb. You don’t have many words to get the idea across, so I try to keep them short, pithy and fun. I hope that’s enough to get people through to the sample which will either convince them or not.

I also contribute to forums without trying to sell my books. I don’t shy away from the fact that I’m an author when the subject comes up, but I don’t push it either. If people engage with me they might like me and therefore might like my books.

How do you feel when a reader points out the spelling mistake(s) you have made?

I welcome it. In fact, I have a small group of readers who have become my editors, my Triumvirate Voluntary, and between us we manage to eliminate most of them, though I am sure that a few get through. I admit that the earlier editions of my earlier books had some typos and I’m not proud of that, but we’ve worked on that and they are so much better now.

What do you like most about visiting forums?

Simple answer – the people. These are people with a passion for books and reading and that can never be a bad thing. There is such a cross-section of people and on most of the forums they are all nice to each other and are free to share their thoughts and opinions without fear of ridicule or censure. Any success that I have had has come as a result of the support that people on the forums have shown to my books. They read them, liked them and said so , both in the forums and in reviews. Engaging with people who are actively wanting to read what you are writing is a real spur to getting it written and my productivity over the past year or so has been down to that. Any indie author who does not actively engage with forumites is really missing out.

What is on your near horizon?

The house across the street.

But seriously, ONE SMALL STEP FOR THE MAN FROM U.N.D.E.A.D. (also known as UNDEAD 4) will be coming out in October. I have a collection of short stories I aim to have out in time from Christmas entitled SHARING A FENCE WITH THE TWILIGHT ZONE and next year should see both UNDEAD 5 and an UNDEAD spin-off book come out. And then there’s still those TO INFINITY and AN ORC NOT LIKE OTHERS sequels to be finished.

Where can we find you for more information?

I have a blog (darrenhumphriesebooks.blogspot.com) that I blog on far too infrequently, I have the chattiest author thread on the Goodreads UK Amazon Kindle Forum (lots of chat, not so much news) and I run a science fiction TV series website (www.scififreaksite.com). One day I might have time to keep up with any one of them.

Love Rage by Linda Gruchy

Love Rage is a short story which packs a punch.  The story matter is not for the faint-hearted, although it's not as gruesome as a lot of other books.

I have read Ms Gruchy's full length crime novels and also her romantic novellas (as Linda M Priestly).  I find the writing in both genres to be very good and this short story is no exception.
I'm not sure if I love or hate the "wafting seaweed" description, though.

I found myself feeling for the characters, especially for Gil trying to escape his family, but always being dragged back.

This is not one of my favourite of Linda's books, but is certainly a competent read.

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0097W84IM/?tag=kuffbl-21

Interrogating Alan McDermott

Interrogating Alan McDermott, author of Gray Justice

How do you strike the balance between writing something you want to write and writing something that people want to read, in terms of the compromises you make, if any?

The simple answer is: there is no balance.  As an indie author I get to write what interests me without an editor or publisher telling me to re-write a character or remove certain scenes, and I think that enables me to get me story across the way it was intended.  I could fluff out my characters a little more, explaining how big their feet were and what they had for breakfast, but unless it adds to the story I don’t see the point.  When I’m reading a book I hate to go through four or five pages detailing someone’s past when only one line becomes relevant later on, so I give the reader the bare minimum information.  This also lets the reader visualise the characters in their own mind, which gives them more of a connection with the story as it is their version of Tom Gray and their version of Andrew Harvey that are locking horns. 

I wanted to leave it to the reader to decide if they like or dislike Tom Gray without me insisting that he’s the good guy and everything he does is right.  In fact, I intended him to be just another father, with flaws just like anyone else.  The idea of him being the perfect hero was never an option, because that has been done to death.  Tom could have come up with a Justice Bill that made perfect sense and would be a real improvement on the current judicial system, but I thought it better for him to have misguided conceptions guided by anger rather than any true political insight.

If I tried writing a different way I would soon get bored, and I know my readers would, too.  Tom Gray has built up quite a fan base, with a couple of thousand coming back to read the second book in the series, and to change my style now would be a disservice to those readers.

What excites, attracts or appeals to you about the genre(s) you write in.

I’ve always had a fascination with the SAS, and I wrote a story based on them over 20 years ago.  Sadly that was lost, but I was always going to create a character who was either a serving member or recently retired from the regiment.  If someone is going to go through tough situations, it is important that they have the background to enable them to cope, and I just couldn’t see an accountant going through Tom Gray’s experience.

Do you have a box, drawer, folder etc where you keep thoughts and ideas for future stories? Such as names you have come across, bits of dialogue, ideas, characters - even if you have no idea when you might use them? 

It’s a Word Document called Next Book, and I add to it now and again.  If none of the ideas fit in the current work, I think about how they could be used in future stories.  At the moment I have several ideas for book 4 but haven’t yet decided on the main theme.  My plot bunnies also go in here, otherwise they’d just bounce around my head all day long.

How much of you is in your characters? Which of your characters is the you that you’d most like to be? Or be with? 

I think the only resemblance between myself and Tom Gray is that he’s just an ordinary man, the kind of person you could bump into in the supermarket.  He isn’t arrogant, and he isn’t perfect, but the comparison ends there.  I don’t think there are any characters I would particularly like to be, but I would enjoy an evening in the pub with Tom and his mates.

Do you become so wrapped up in your writing that your spouse wonders if they're married to you or one of your characters?

With Tom having flaws and being capable of overlooking the simple things (like the air-freshener), I think my wife would say we were one and the same.  I haven’t changed since I began writing, but I certainly haven’t spent as much quality time with my wife as I used to.  It was only in the last week that I decided to cut out social media for a while to concentrate on family life and writing, otherwise I would still be spending four hours a day on Twitter and getting nothing done.  I still get up at just after four in the morning, but now I spend all of that time writing rather than on Twitter, and my evenings are clear to take the kids to the park and watch a movie with my wife.

What type of book do you like reading? Is it the same genre as you write?

I love reading thrillers, especially ones involving the military or security services.  Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six is one of my all time favourite books, and I’ve read the entire Jack Ryan series.  I need a book to be realistic, flow quickly and keep me hooked throughout; otherwise I get bored and give up.  This is something I try to apply to my books, too.

What lengths do you go to to convince us readers that your book has the X factor?

I’ve never been one to blow my own trumpet, but I do let people know I have one!  I will quote from reader reviews when trying to get the message out, because their opinion counts the most. 

How do you feel when a reader points out the spelling mistake(s) you have made?

I am so grateful when this happens.  As an author you get so close to the book that even glaring mistakes seem invisible, and it takes a reader to spot them.  When I first published Gray Justice I rushed to make it available to the public, and it hit the shelves with a couple of hundred errors.  Readers have pointed some of them out and eventually I had it proof read by a fellow author.  Even this didn’t catch everything, and I have had three glaring whoppers pointed out since.  The good thing is that where once my reviews mentioned the need for a proper edit, more and more people are complimenting me on the lack of errors.  I did get a negative one recently but that was from a copy that was purchased prior to the major edit.

I already have some author friends and some Tom Gray fans waiting to go over Gray Redemption with a critical eye, so I am hoping that between them they manage to eliminate the vast majority of the mistakes before the public get their hands on it.

What do you like most about visiting KUF/forums?

I’ve met some wonderful people and have found a few gems, but it also gives me an insight into the readers and their thoughts on everything from pricing to the perfect length for a book, as well as the dilemmas faced by other authors.

What is on your near horizon?

I am currently writing Gray Redemption, the final part of the Tom Gray trilogy, after which I shall take a short rest from writing while I develop the idea for my next book.  I would quite like to create a series based on Andrew Harvey, the MI5 agent from Gray Trilogy. 

Will I bring Tom Gray back in a future book?  I haven’t decided yet.  Even as I write a book, I have no idea how it’s going to end, so even I don’t know what’s going to happen to Tom.  It’s going to be exciting finding out, though!

Where can we find you for more information?

My blog is at http://jambalian.blogspot.com

Looking for Buttons by Lucie Parish

This is a chick lit book but so much more.  Yes, Kate is a single girl who'd love to look for love.  She moves near her mother and takes a job as a cleaner as she has no idea where her life is heading.

It was hard to believe this was a first time novel.  The story was extremely well told and I read a massive chunk of it at a 4 hour session in the hairdressers.  No gossiping for me when I was so engrossed in this story.

Even the predictable parts had unexpected twists to it, but none of these twists were inconceivable.  You just went "ah" and carried down this next path.

This was a quite meaty story for a chick lit book - almost 300 pages and for me, there was no padding the story out.

Early on I put faces to the characters.   Most of them were from Bridget Jones' Diary (especially the adorable James Callis as Fergus), even thought the characters bore no relation.  

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008CNO07Q/?tag=kuffbl-21

The Black Conspiracy by Ken Magee

This is the sequel to Dark Tidings, but can be read on its own.  Michael, Madrick and Tung need to fix the problem they caused in Dark Tidings and battle some new wizards.

I looked forward to reading this book and wasn't disappointed.  It was a nice chunky story and I just didn't want to put it down.  Even though it was about wizards and magic, it was more of a (humorous) adventure story.  I liked the innocence of the newcomers and I also liked Tung's new pet.

These are characters that I now love and hope that there's room for them to have more adventures.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0095KJ692/?tag=kuffbl-21

Interrogating Andre Jute

Andre Jute, the man, the myth

How do you strike the balance between writing something you want to write and writing something that people want to read, in terms of the compromises you make, if any?

Oddly enough, for a marketer and a professional communicator, none. It just never occurred to me that a writer should, or could, give readers what they want until I met all these genre writers in indieland.

D’you see, my formative years as a writer and particularly as a novelist were spent under the influence of the last of the great cosmopolitan gentlemen publishers. They published the books they liked, which were the same books I liked to write. Our standing arose from the quality of our books, not the quantities we sold. It’s a peculiarly American idea that one can measure the worth of a writer by how much he earns. (I doesn’t even strike me as ironic that my books sell so much better than those of many writers who are in it primarily for the money. Justice isn’t ironic, it is fair.)

I suspect that my readers would be insulted if I pandered to them as shamelessly as some of the genre writers do. I take it for granted that my class of reader follows me to new ideas and approaches, and forgives me the inevitable failed experiments, because they love the excitement of the challenges as much as I do.

What excites, attracts or appeals to you about the genre(s) you write in.

I’m not a genre writer except by the accident that I like to read thrillers, and therefore anything I write has a good deal of tension in it. When I have a compelling idea, I just write a novel, without considering what genre it will fit into. It has helped that all these years I never wrote a book on spec, that my books were always commissioned (that is, contracted and paid for by the publisher before I wrote a word of them), so I could be as surprised as anyone else at where the characters drove the novel!

Do you have a box, drawer, folder etc where you keep thoughts and ideas for future stories? Such as names you have come across, bits of dialogue, ideas, characters - even if you have no idea when you might use them?

Small stuff like that I make up on the fly. I do have a purple steamer trunk full of sheets with ideas. I give other writers sheets at random when they run out of ideas. But I have so many ideas, I never use the Purple Cornucopeia, as one thriller writer who has had recourse to it five or six times christened it. I can’t remember when I last didn’t have half a dozen books on the boil.

How much of you is in your characters? Which of your characters is the you that you’d most like to be? Or be with?

Christ, what a horrid idea. In my youth I was dangerous. As a soldier and a revolutionary I was more feared by my own side, who knew how badly I shot, than by any of our enemies. I sailed around Cape Horn twice in a ship of my own construction, and, let me tell you, I’m no woodworker! I raced cars and planes and offshore speedboats; when the man from Porsche saw that I raced on rear track control arms I bent up in Black & Decker Workman from soft aluminium, he fainted dead away. I was a professional polo player until a rival team owner put a prize on my head for winning too often and I got shot. Nobody would believe such characters! Nor would my life as a writer make anything but a dull character. I work 14-16 hours a day. My friends are mostly housewives who cycle, which is what I do for exercise. I’m not even a drunk.

Do you become so wrapped up in your writing that your spouse wonders if they're married to you or one of your characters?

No. We never discuss my writing. I haven’t even mentioned that yesterday I published a new novel.

I’m not one of those “authors” who spray their “artistic” anguish over everyone they come into contact with. It’s only amateurs who cannot leave their work behind when they rise from their desk. Most people I meet never discover that I’m a writer.

What type of book do you like reading? Is it the same genre as you write?

Well written thrillers, badly written thrillers when no well written ones are available, history, biography, farce, the classics, physics, electronics, superior literary novels — by “superior” I mean with a storyline and characters who develop, not formless kitchen sinkers and suchlike crap that their “writers” fondly imagine must be “literary” because they are utterly devoid of any novelistic characteristic or the slightest storytelling appeal. 

What lengths do you go to convince us readers that your book has the X factor?

I suppose I have the background from my time in advertising to invent something, but fortunately my subjects and my treatment of them are usually so far outside the mainstream that nothing promotional needs to be invented. The London Evening News described one of my books as “so bizarre, it’s probably all true.” After that one needs tell no lies, just smile enigmatically!

How do you feel when a reader points out the spelling mistake(s) you have made?

Nauseated. New books, written on computers, are easily made respectable. But my experience with republishing books only available in print, and recovered by optical character recognition, has been — there is no other word for it — sickening. I despair of ever getting a clean book.

What do you like most about visiting KUF?

That Lou keeps out the schoolyard bullies who make the Amazon fora so unpleasant.

What is on your near horizon?

A great deal because I’m privileged to be the beneficiary of much volunteer help. (Anyone who is irritated by misspellings and poor grammar, and who has time, can be an editor; write to me, andrejute at coolmainpress with the commercial extension, if you want to volunteer). In a couple of weeks I publish the screenplay and the radio script adapted from my novel, already published, AN ELECTION OF PATRIOTS. In October we publish the first of the dozen parts that make up COLD WAR, HOT PASSIONS, a saga of seven interconnected Russian, American and British families that spans 75 years. We continue to edit my protégé  Dakota Franklin’s RUTHLESS TO WIN series; she’s a winner in the Best of the Independent eBook Awards. OCR permitting, we shall eventually reissue enough of Andrew McCoy’s Lance Weber novels to permit us to slot in the two exciting new novels he has written especially for the uniform ebook reissue. There are also my own books to be OCR-ed, of which several are timeless and, people think, should be reissued. My next writing project is a fictionalization into a multi-part saga of my family’s antecedents. (Try the Brittanica for our history.)

Where can we find you for more information?

More than you ever wanted to know about me, including a list of places where you can contact me directly: http://coolmainpress.com/andrejute.html 

My blog, Kissing the Blarney: http://coolmainpress.com/ajwriting/ 

My recent books, and books I edited too:

UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Andre%20Jute&search-alias=digital-text

US: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Andre%20Jute&search-alias=digital-text

Underneath by Michael Cargill

This is a short but satisfying book.  It is the tale of Hugh who has intense rage and the police officers whose path gets closer to him.

There's no real twists and turns and few surprises, just the journey they take to its conclusion.  It was a very readable story.  I felt myself tensing when Hugh got into situations where he would lose his rag.

The author writes stories that are serious but, reading his blog, I'm sure he's quite mad :)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008C3HIA2?tag=kuffbl-21

Book Lovers by Linda M Priestley

Book lovers is not just a love story.  It's also a geography trip to Wales and a bit of intrigue too.

It's a nice gentle tale about books, lots of books, which was quite funny reading on a Kindle.  I did get annoyed with some of the characters' behaviour, but then, if it was "boy meets girl, they like each other lots, the end" it wouldn't be a very long story.

Even though this is classed in the Romance section, the romance plays a bit part to Amy's story.  I thought the bits with Debbie's cancer were very well written and also Amy's frustrations with being pushed out.

In all, a good read.

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B009567E2M/?tag=kuffbl-21

Interrogating Nicola Palmer

Nicola Palmer is a children's author with an imaginative mind.

First of all, thanks, Joo, for asking me to participate in a grilling!  I'm honoured to be subjected to your interrogation :)

How do you strike the balance between writing something you want to write and writing something that people want to read, in terms of the compromises you make, if any?

I began by writing what I wanted to write - a story that had been bubbling away in my mind for a couple of years.  Amazingly, for a first effort, it was well-received, so I've continued in the same way!

What excites, attracts or appeals to you about the genre(s) you write in.

Writing fantasy adventure for children of 9+ is exciting because it enables your imagination to run wild, creating a magical world, while still dealing with complex emotions in the real world.  I'm pleased to say that Alice Parker has quite a following of adult readers too!  I'm just a big kid at heart, so this genre was the obvious choice for me.

Do you have a box, drawer, folder etc where you keep thoughts and ideas for future stories? Such as names you have come across, bits of dialogue, ideas, characters - even if you have no idea when you might use them?

I have a notebook where I jot down ideas and a folder full of inspirations; random pictures, names scribbled on the back of envelopes, old Christmas cards with snow scenes.  The ones with glitter are the best!  The folder is pretty full, but I'm sure most of the snippets will be incorporated in the story at some point in the future.

How do you manage plot bunnies (ideas that invade your mind that aren’t usually helpful to the story you’re writing but breed like...er...bunnies)?

Plot bunnies?  I get Alice to have a word with them - she can communicate with animals.  In a first draft, my plot bunnies hope around freely dropping currants all over the manuscript.  But when I read through the complete story I can usually spot them, so then I reach for the dustpan and brush.  If I miss them, my editor certainly finds them and passes comment!

How much of you is in your characters? Which of your characters is the you that you’d most like to be? Or be with ?

I'm afraid there's a lot of me in Alice.  She can be a feisty, impatient madam, but as the series progresses, a warmer side of her character emerges.  I just wish I had some of her abilities!

If I could spend time with one of the characters, it would have to be Thomas.  He's a good-looking chap, and with his brain and abilities, he's one to watch in the future.

Do you become so wrapped up in your writing that your spouse wonders if they're married to you or one of your characters? 

Writing takes over 'normal' life at times.  I don't think I get wrapped up in a particular character, but my mind wanders into fantasy mode at unexpected moments.  In company, it can lead to raised eyebrows and some strange remarks.

What type of book do you like reading? Is it the same genre as you write?

I love reading children's books, and it's hard to break the habit.  I have started reading more adult books recently, though, and I've been dipping in to the KUF book club.

What lengths do you go to to convince us readers that your book has the X factor? 

Hopefully the books speak for themselves.  I don't do as much marketing as I should - I fear that too much pushing could put people off.

How do you feel when a reader points out the spelling mistake(s) you have made? 

Luckily, it hasn't happened yet, but if someone did, I'd be grateful.

What do you like most about visiting KUF/forums? 

KU forums are welcoming and friendly.  I love the support for indie authors and the fact you never need to be afraid to ask a silly question!

What is on your near horizon? 

I'm toying with the idea of writing a Christmas-themed short story before commencing Book 4 of Alice Parker's Adventures next year.  We'll see!

Where can we find you for more information? 

facebook.com/AliceParkersAdventures

twitter.com/nicolalpalmer

nicolapalmerwriter.blogspot.com

nicolapalmerwriter@gmail.com

The Testing of Archie Rathbone by Alex Hunter

This is an intriguing story that starts off with Archie inexplicably waking up on a desert island with no idea of how he got there or why.  It has a gull on the cover and this gull is one of the characters, so I was hooked within a few pages.

I was thinking this book reminded me of the humour of Tom Holt with his Portable Door series of books.  

Since it introduces a bit of magic, you really didn't know where this story was going, but it kept me interested to find out.

In summary, I rather liked it and would certainly recommend it.

www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008CS1FGA

Interrogating Michael Brookes

Next up is a shy new author, Michael Brookes

How do you strike the balance between writing something you want to write and writing something that people want to read, in terms of the compromises you make, if any?

The first draft is purely for me. I then do an edit pass where I try to put myself as the reader rather than the author. I then throw it out to some trusted test readers who'll then provide feedback on what works or doesn't. I then review the feedback, if the point makes sense then I'll act on it. If not I may discuss it further, but ultimately it's down to me. As a writer I do believe that I am trying to get better so I find that feedback invaluable.

What excites, attracts or appeals to you about the genre(s) you write in.

I like to mix genres, I find they all have something to bring to the table. For example science fiction brings vision, techno thrillers bring an attention to detail and so forth. The Cult of Me comes vaguely within the horror genre, but does take techniques from horror stories as well as military thrillers and contemporary fiction. 

Do you have a box, drawer, folder etc where you keep thoughts and ideas for future stories? Such as names you have come across, bits of dialogue, ideas, characters - even if you have no idea when you might use them? 

Not really, although I guess I should :-) I tend to let ideas percolate in my head until I have need of them.

How do you manage plot bunnies (ideas that invade your mind that aren’t usually helpful to the story you’re writing but breed like...er...bunnies)?

I gut and skin them :-) I'm a great believer in planning, especially for novels. Invading thoughts that threaten the plan have to have something pretty good in mind. With shorter pieces I'm a bit more freeform and let the bunnies have their say. Although quite often they are ruthlessly destroyed when the edit passes begin.

How much of you is in your characters? Which of your characters is the you that you’d most like to be? Or be with ? 

Probably more than I'd like, especially for the main character in the series. I think Friar Francis represents an almost a scholarly ideal I'd like to possess, but he still retains a harsh pragmatism to get the job done.

Do you become so wrapped up in your writing that your spouse wonders if they're married to you or one of your characters?

I probably spend far too much time working and writing, but being not-so-young, reasonably priced and single I don't get into trouble for it.

What type of book do you like reading? Is it the same genre as you write?

I read a variety of genres, mostly fantasy, horror and science fiction. However I enjoy classics, thrillers and non-fiction as well. I'm currently reading Paradise Lost, which for me is probably the best story ever written.

What lengths do you go to to convince us readers that your book has the X factor?

I'm quite new to the business of publishing my work, so I don't think I've found my limits yet. Even though I knew it would be the case before I published it can be a little frustrating as a new author trying to get known and of course get some sales. As wiser people have told me, it's a long game, so I'll keep working on new books and stories as well as developing my blog and participating in communities like the Kindle Users Forum.  In many ways it's a harder task than writing in the first place, but it does have the advantage of getting to know new people.

How do you feel when a reader points out the spelling mistake(s) you have made?

I work in the games industry so I'm quite used to harsh feedback :-) I actually prefer people to be honest, if they see a mistake please point it out so I can correct it if I can. Constructive and specific feedback should be of value to any writer.

What do you like most about visiting KUF/forums?

I'm a bit of a newbie, but the warm welcome was great. I also like the mix between authors and readers, there's some interesting discussions and useful feedback.

What is on your near horizon?

The Cult of Me is the first in a trilogy so I'm currently waist deep in the second book - Conversations in the Abyss. I'm also working on a short story for the KUF End of the World Anthology.

Where can we find you for more information?

I update my blog regularly at: http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/  

Mongol Rally by JA Irvine

This is the tale of two students who decide to do the London to Mongolia Rally.  It seems the only rule is that the vehicle must not cost more than £500.

This was an immense story of mainly border crossings and police check points as they cross out of Europe and through Ukraine, some 'Stans and Russia.  As someone who hates driving more than half an hour and loves my bed I certainly didn't envy them their trip, although some of the sights they saw must have been amazing.

As I got towards the end of the book, I got out my atlas of the world to try and trace their path and also to wonder if I could do their journey with the (lack of) maps they had.

I've found the blog chronicling this journey and it's great to see some of the landscapes. http://www.mjiccs.co.uk/l2m/

There are a handful of typos in the book, and sometimes I thought "not another police check point", but in the main I thoroughly enjoyed this book

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007M41H2M/?tag=kuffbl-21

The Bird That Nobody Sees by Stuart Ayris

How do I write a review for this book?  It defies pigeon-holing,  How can a book about a midget planning to murder someone after serving prison time for a drugs bust (he was innocent) be so magical?

I find reading Stuart's books to put me in a "floaty" frame of mind.  They are not of this earth.  Every word (and he likes them) lifts you.

See, I can't adequately review this book :)  I would imagine that there may be people out there that won't like this.  Stuart is possibly a marmite author.  But once you "get him" you'll be on a fantastic journey.

This story in the main is about friendship - bloke friendship.  As a female it was interesting looking in on it.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008N06XE6\?tag=kuffbl-21

Interrogating Helen Smith

Interviewing Helen Smith.

How do you strike the balance between writing something you want to write and writing something that people want to read, in terms of the compromises you make, if any?

I know that people’s tastes vary wildly so rather than try to work out what might appeal to someone – or, even more impossible, ‘everyone’ – I try to write books that I’m proud of and hope to find readers who will appreciate the books for what they are. I suppose it’s a bit like finding friends, isn’t it? Rather than try to be someone who will impress a certain group of people, you hope to meet people who will like you for who you are.

Do you have a box, drawer, folder etc where you keep thoughts and ideas for future stories? Such as names you have come across, bits of dialogue, ideas, characters - even if you have no idea when you might use them?

I have folders online where I make notes about the book I’m writing and future projects I’m planning. I usually carry a notebook with me in my handbag but I rarely write in it unless I can’t access my computer because I have trouble reading my handwriting.

How do you manage plot bunnies (ideas that invade your mind that aren’t usually helpful to the story you’re writing but breed like...er...bunnies)?

I have never heard that term before! Fortunately I have never suffered from an invasion of plot bunnies. Sometimes a minor character will start to become more important in the story I’m writing because I like them and I want to spend more time with them. For example there’s a colourful character called Jesmond in The Miracle Inspector who is a poet. I liked him when I started writing him so I gave him more space in the book than I had originally planned. But when something like that happens, it’s helpful to the story – nothing like those nasty-sounding plot bunnies.

How much of you is in your characters? Which of your characters is the you that you’d most like to be? Or be with ? 

There’s a lot of me in all my characters. I usually say that Alison Temple (who appears in my first two books, Alison Wonderland and Being Light) is a grumpier version of me. The character I’d most like to be is the eccentric philosophy professor, Dr. Muriel, who appears in my new Emily Castles mystery series. She’s Emily’s side-kick and she’s very intelligent, but it’s Emily who solves the mysteries. She’s rather a mischievous character and I imagine her being played by Miriam Margoyles if the series ever made it onto TV.

What type of book do you like reading? Is it the same genre as you write?

I write mainstream fiction and mysteries, but I read more widely than that. I like most genres, so long as the book is well written. I enjoy reading biographies and autobiographies, too. Since I got my Kindle I have found that I have started taking a chance on books I wasn’t sure I’d like – and I have discovered some new authors and genres that I have really enjoyed. I love the Kindle Daily Deal!

What lengths do you go to to convince us readers that your book has the X factor?

It’s really difficult to try to sell your own book. The best way that I have found to convince readers that my book is something special is to ask reviewers and book bloggers to read it and recommend it if they like it. I’m indebted to all the readers and bloggers who have taken the time to read, review and recommend my books – it’s a great way to get the word out. A few readers have told me recently that they’ve recommended The Miracle Inspector to their book groups, which is really wonderful. I’m always happy to do online Q&As for book groups if I can’t get to visit them in person.

How do you feel when a reader points out the spelling mistake(s) you have made?

That’s never happened, fortunately. My books are copy-edited and proof-read but, even so, I think all of us notice one or two minor errors in just about every book we read because even copy editors and proof readers can miss them. It’s usually something like a missing word where text has been changed late on in the editing process, rather than a spelling mistake.

What do you like most about visiting KUF/forums?

I like finding book recommendations and reviews, and I like to know when books are on offer at a low price so I can grab them for my Kindle. Unfortunately that means I buy many more than I will ever read.

What is on your near horizon?

I’m writing a murder mystery series set in present day London. It features a twenty-six-year-old amateur sleuth called Emily Castles and her side-kick, a professor of philosophy called Dr Muriel. I have just finished the first novel in the series, Invitation to Die, and I’m now working on the next one, Beyond Belief. I have already published a couple of novella-length Emily Castles stories and they have been quite popular with readers, so I hope they’ll enjoy the full-length novels, too.

The print edition of The Miracle Inspector will be out on 4^th September so I’m doing a lot of work to promote that. It’s already available as an ebook and so far the reviews have been great.

The audio book of Alison Wonderland is out on 6^th November. I have never had an audio book out before – I can’t wait to hear it. I’m very excited about it.

Where can we find you for more information?

I have a blog at http://www.emperorsclothes.co.uk

I’m on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/authorhelensmith

I’m on Twitter at http://twitter.com/emperorsclothes

Thank you!

Stark Warning by James Raven

I came across this book on the free list.  It caught my eye for the blurb, yet I was very suspicious of the reviews.  80% of them had only reviewed James Raven books and given it 5 stars.  I very nearly didn't download it, but I tried the sample and that was it, I was in.

This is a police procedural story, but the usp is that it is about the lead detective in a Celebrity Crime Squad.  A killer is threatening to kill someone every time a talk show host is seen on TV.

This book was very readable.  There was nothing much that held me up or pulled me out of the story.  It wasn't the most wonderful story, but certainly an enjoyable one.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008K0L1O6/?tag=kuffbl-21

Pompomberry House by Rosen Trevithick

Pompomberry House by Rosen Trevithick is one of my most anticipated book in my Kindle-owning being.  So was it worth the wait and the hype and the teasing? ................ Yes, yes, yes, yes.

I'm sure I recall Rosen actually getting the idea for this particular book from a forum, where she couldn't decide between one story or the other and decided to do both.  It is the tale of Kindle forum life and Indie authors, but on a much exaggerated scale (I hope ;p).

As a whodunnit, you are kept guessing all the way to the end.  The characters are wonderfully larger than life and if you are a forum member, you do wonder where she got her characters from.

A wonderful easy read.  If you like any of Rosen's other works, you'll adore this one.

PS, I am the proud owner of one of the seagulls on the cover :D

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008QBALD6/?tag=kuffbl-21