Author Interview: Cora Buhlert

This week, I have the prolific author Cora Buhlert here on the blog. She has quite a few short stories and novelettes for you to check out:

Countdown to Death, pulp thriller novelette

El Carnicero, historical romance novelette

Flying Bombs, pulp thriller novelette

Hostage to Passion, historical romance novelette

Letters from the Dark Side, dark fantasy short fiction collection

Outlaw Love, western short story

Rites of Passage, fantasy short story

Shape No. 8, spy fiction short story

The Kiss of the Executioner's Blade, historical romance short story

The Other Side of the Curtain, spy fiction novelette

The Spiked Death, pulp action novelette

Whaler, science fiction short story

Visit her Amazon author page, her author website or her publishing website. 

On to the interview!

A magician has cursed your next reader so they can read only one of your books. Which book do you choose for them and why?
Countdown to Death, the first of my novelettes about the Silencer, a masked avenger in the style of the 1930s pulps.

As for why, I'm very fond of this story. Besides, it's a real page turner.

What's the first sentence of this book?
“SILENCER TO FACE HANGMAN” the headline screamed.

What's the last?
“But this mask,” she said, “really ruins the complexion.”

Fill in the blanks: [My book above] is like [book/movie/TV show] meets [a different book/movie/TV show].
Countdown to Death is like the Spider pulp series of the 1930s and 1940s meets 24. And I don't even like 24.

The world's scientists have just released the first time machine, and you've been chosen to get a free ride (with assurance that you'll be able to come back, of course ;). To when do you go and why?
I have a whole list of places I'd like to visit in that case. I'd like to go to Hamburg St. Pauli in 1960 and see the Beatles playing in the Star Club on the Reeperbahn before they were famous. I'd like to go on the second to last voyage of the Hindenburg, because Zeppelins are awesome and that was the last chance to enjoy a Zeppelin trip. I'd like to go to the Globe Theatre and see Shakespeare performing live on stage. I'd like to go to the assembly rooms in Bath in the early 19th century to enjoy some Regency atmosphere and have a chat with Jane Austen. I'd like to go to Blackpool in the early 1960s and see Freddie Frinton and May Warden performing their classic skit Dinner for One live in one of the many clubs there. I'd like to spend a night dancing at Studio 54 at the height of the disco era. And sometimes I'd just love to walk into a shop or department store in the past and buy some now priceless antique trinket (china, figurines, jewelery, dolls) when it was new.

You get to travel to the country of your choice for one week with any fictional character of your choice (not your own). Who do you choose, where do you go, and why?
I'd go traveling the Canadian Rockies with Wolverine from the X-Men. I used to be a huge X-Men fan and Wolverine was always my favourite character. As for the Canadian Rockies, the scenery must be amazing and besides, it's Wolverine's homeland, so he should know his way around.

Do you remember the first story you ever finished? If so, tell us about it.
I have a couple of very early unfinished stories, including one with a flying red sportscar from outer space kidnapping two teenagers. But the first story I actually finished was something about a girl walking into a mad scientist's lair and getting turned into a monster plant, which is then subsequently chopped up into a salad. She wakes up and everything turns out to be just a nightmare. But the really icky salad she's served for breakfast sure looks familiar...

Which book of yours was the hardest to write? Why?
Probably The Other Side of the Curtain, my spy fiction novelette set in 1960s East Germany. I had to ask the print magazine, where the story first appeared, for a deadline extension, because I just couldn't get it finished.

Interestingly enough, The Other Side of the Curtain is also the most personal of my published stories, because a lot of what Shoushan and Zane experience during their trip to East Germany is based on my own experiences visiting my great aunt in East Germany in the 1980s. Minus the run-in with Stasi agents, of course. I suspect the blurring between memory and fiction made the story difficult to write.

Which book of yours did you have the most fun writing? Why?
Either my humorous spy short story Shape No. 8 or Cartoony Justice, a funny fantasy short story coming soon. Shape No. 8 is the sort of story that just writes itself. Ditto for Cartoony Justice, plus it gave me the chance to turn the fictional stand-in for a certain kind of person I really don't like into a singing, dancing banana. Who wouldn't enjoy that?

Did you ever write fanfiction? If so, for what fandoms?
In pre-internet times, before I knew that there was such a thing as fanfiction and that I wasn't the only weirdo to make up stories about my favourite characters, I wrote a bit of fanfiction. I wrote about Star Wars, the X-Men and long forgotten animated cartoons such as MASK or Defenders of the Earth. I also wrote some crossovers between different fandoms, but no slash.

What's the best piece of writing advice you've ever received?
Write every day, unless you're dead or in a coma. But set your minimum daily wordcount so low (my target is writing at least 100 words of new fiction per day) that you can make it even when you're ill or tired or terribly busy with life.

Unfortunately, I forgot where I found that bit of advice. But my productivity skyrocketed ever since I implemented that policy.

What do you want readers to come away with after reading your books?
I want them to come away with a smile on their faces and their pulse pounding and perhaps having a few thoughts provoked.

Thanks, Cora! I enjoyed your answers to my cooky questions :)

Character Interview: Sierra and Sashe from Promising Light

Today, I’m going to have two of my characters interview each other. Sierra and Sashe are sisters who grew up with shape changers. They are main characters in the prequel novellas (Shifting Light, Fire and Light, and The End of Light), and reappear in Promising Light.

***CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR ALL THREE PREQUEL NOVELLAS, ESPECIALLY THE END OF LIGHT***

The Protectors: M for Miracle

M for Miracle
Dar tries to convince the elders to let him take Grace back home. 

“There are not enough of us to defeat the Protectors in another battle,” Dar said. “We lost nine people last time, and you were foolish enough to kidnap her at the height of the prince’s affection for her.” 

Nilee cast a glare at Lisbeth. “We didn’t know about her courtship to the prince.”

“It was not publicly declared, and his carriages are magically fortified to keep us out,” Dar said. “But you should have been more careful.” 

“But why did you tell him you’d bring her to him?” Jeshro stood. “Don’t you realize she could save this whole family?”

~Promising Light, book one of the series

The Protectors: L for Lullaby

L for Lullaby
This one was hard. This is kind of related to a lullaby, but not really. I'm not telling you who it is ;)

Ivan came in every once in a while to work on her. She tried to fight him, but he’d work his magic so she was paralyzed, unable to move as his fingers moved over her stomach, her insides twisting painfully. His children watched as he guided them in whatever changes he was making to her body. If he worked for longer than an hour, he would put her into a deep sleep. She wished he’d let her sleep forever. She caught his hand once, after he’d worked on her. 

“Ivan,” she whispered, “you can take my life within seconds. I want to die.” 

He shook his head. “I’m not going to do that.”

“Please,” she urged. 

He said nothing and left. 

~The End of Light, the third prequel novella

Author Interview: Jack Blaine

This week, we have Jack Blaine!

His books are available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble:

Helper12, science fiction, dystopian, adventure

Twitch (soon to be released--perhaps already out!) related story to Helper12, science fiction, dystopian, adventure

You can visit his blog, Goodreads, or Twitter.

Fill in the Blanks: [Your Book] is like [book/movie/TV show] meets [other book/movie/TV show].

Helper12 is like The Handmaid's Tale meets Pride and Prejudice.

Which book of yours did you have the most fun writing? Why?

I have fun with every book I write.  There are, of course, those moments when you get stuck or when the words aren't ringing true, but the experience of fleshing out a whole world and the people in it is a blast!

Which book of yours was the hardest to write? Why?

Twitch, which is a companion novel to Helper12, is almost done (it may be out by the time this interview is posted, in fact), and while I wouldn't describe writing it as hard, it has been very interesting.  Twitch follows a minor character from Helper12, and seeing this character become whole and learning her story has been a wonderful ride!

The world's scientists have just released the first time machine, and you've been chosen to get a free ride (with assurance that you'll be able to come back, of course ;). To when do you go and why?

I go 100 years into the future.  Just to see if we somehow manage to figure out how to reverse course in a way that allows us to achieve our highest possibilities as humans.  Do we finally get a clue?  Or is the world a charred wreck?  

You're stranded on a deserted island, and you can only bring one person with you. It can be someone dead or alive, but it has to be a real person (no fictional characters!). Who is it and why?

Kazuo Ishiguro.  I would love to know him--he writes with such subtlety and beauty about complex human issues.  That sort of perspective is something I find grounding and hopeful.

Okay, now you get to travel to the country of your choice for one week with any fictional character of your choice (not your own). Who do you choose, where do you go, and why?

I choose Rachel from A Gift Upon the Shore and we go to Bora Bora to a fabulous on the water retreat because we both need a break.

How has your writing changed since you first started writing?

I've learned a lot about pacing, and also a lot about having fun while I write.

What's the best piece of writing advice you've ever received?

Don't wallow in your words.  Move it along.  The reader isn't as in love with that sentence as you are--they want a story!

What's your favorite part about the writing process?

I love the first draft.  Just being there as things unfold and watching the story evolve is so much fun.

What do you want readers to come away with after reading your books?

I want readers to have a fun time reading but I also want them to think about how dangerously close our world is to being like the world in Helper12 and in Twitch, and how we might prevent this from happening.

Thanks, Jack! Guys, check out his books! They are definitely on my "To Read" list!

The Protectors: K for Kindness

K for Kindness
Dar sends a letter to Grace.

Lady Grace, 

Let me tell you, I haven’t written a letter to a lady before. So if I’m doing this completely wrong, please forgive me. I’ll probably be too informal or not use the right parchment. But you don’t seem like a typical lady to me. Yes, you’re beautiful, poised, and cultured. Yet at the same time, you truly seem to care about people. I know you weren’t listening during part of the charity dinner because you were staring at me, but I saw you when you spoke to the man from Kleisade. I saw how concerned you were. 

~A Reason to Stay, a short story in Love, Me

The Protectors: J for Jeopardize

J for Jeopardize
Evan seeks Alastor's blessing as he plans to propose to Sierra. 

Alastor stood. “I know you’re going to do whatever you want, so I don’t know why you even asked.” 

Evan got to his feet. “I want your blessing. I want you to want this for us.” 

“I will never want it, Evan. I wish Sierra and Sashe had left as soon as Seth moved to Rahuda.” His voice was low and threatening. “I would do anything to keep them safe—”

“Even sacrificing their happiness?”

Alastor shook his head and walked to the door. “They can’t be happy if they’re dead.”

~Fire and Light, the second prequel novella

Promising Light Blog Tour: The End!

Well, my first blog tour is complete! I think it went really well! The tour went to fifteen different blogs and garnered nearly fifty comments. Speaking of comments. . .

The winner for the $20 Gift Card is:

Cayce!

The winners for the two paperback copies are:

Elizabeth H!

Jennifer W!

The winners have been e-mailed. If your name is on this list, but you haven't received an e-mail yet, please contact me at emilyannward at yahoo dot com.

There are still a few chances to win an ebook copy at these blogs:
The Southern Scrawl
Danica's Page
Laurie's Paranormal Features

Here's complete list of the tour stops if you want to check them out. Author and character interviews, reviews, extras about Promising Light, excerpts and more!

Author interview with Ritesh.
Author interview with Coral at Chaos and Insanity.
Grace’s Google history and an excerpt from the first chapter with Kate at The Southern Scrawl.
The evolution of Promising Light with Coral at Alchemy of Scrawl.
“What I’d Do if I were a Shape Changer” with Kate at Who Needs Neverland?
If Promising Light Became A Movie with Delphina.
Author interview with Anjana at Kindle And Me.
“What Would Your Character Do If?” with TK Richardson.
Review from Evie at Bookish.
Guest post about the prequel novellas and Review from Karen.
The locations of Promising Light and Review with Vidya at Books Are Magic.
Book Soundtrack for Promising Light with Ron.
Character Interview with Grace and Review from Danica.
Character Interview with Dar and excerpt with Laurie.

Now that the blog tour is done, I'll continue the A to Z posts with excerpts from the series!

Author Interview: C.R. Daems

This week, I've interview CR Daems, a fantasy and scifi author. He has quite a few books for you to choose from. Check them out:

With ePublishers:
- The Riss Gamble, Science Fiction/Fantasy
- The Laughing Hounds, Urban Fantasy

With ePublishers: coming in 2012
- The Riss Proposal, Science Fiction/Fantasy
- The Kazak Guardians: Lynn's Rules, Urban Fantasy
- The Kazak Guardians: The Unthinkable, Urban Fantasy

Co-Authored with J. R. Tomlin
- The Talon of the Unnamed Goddess, Fantasy (an EPIC finalist)
- Scales of Justice, Fantasy
- Wings, Fantasy YA
- Blood Debt, Fantasy
- Laying the Odds, Fantasy

You can find him around the web at:
Amazon
His Website
Fictionwise

Do you remember the first story you ever finished? If so, tell us about it.
The first Riss novel, but it wasn't published. It was my first attempt at writing, proving I wasn't ready to be a writer. I think it was a good story and somewhat unique given the hundreds of thousands of books published. A young girl goes out with her father and brother trapping. Her brother shoots a Gorilla-like creature not knowing the creature is a race of intelligent parasites that use the Gorilla-like creatures as hosts. The dying creature captures the girl and decides to transfer itself into the girl. The story is the girl's journey with the intelligent parasite.

Has your writing changed since you first started writing?
Oh Yes!! My education and interest has been math and computer science. Writing proved challenging for me. I love making up stories and writing the draft. But cleaning it up is very difficult for me. Fortunately, I was luck to find my co-author (J.R. Tomlin) who helped me learn the craft. I still like writing the draft better than editing it.

What's the best piece of writing advice you've ever received?
The first draft should be a mind dump--a shitty draft--just let it flow without regard to where it's going and how it sounds. It works well for me.

Which book of yours did you have the most fun writing? Why?
Of those currently available, the "Talon of Unnamed Goddess." The heroine has a good sense of humor, loves playing parts to out smart her opponents, an ability to out think her adversaries, and a kick ass bodyguard.

You get to go to Disneyworld with one of your characters. Who do you choose and why?
Liada, in the Wings of Evil. She loves playing parts, bargaining at markets, enjoys studying people and uses the knowledge to blend in a variety of environments, and not afraid to takes chances.

What's the last book you read? What did you think of it?

Imager's intrigue: the third book of the imager portfolio. It was an interesting series, unique environment, and a bit of a mystery. Although I like Modesitt, his books can be a bit slow at times. I'd give it a 4 star rating.

You're stranded on a deserted island, and you can only bring one person with you. It can be someone dead or alive, but it has to be a real person (no fictional characters!). Who is it and why?
Master Wang Daoke from the Wudang Mountain. I would never be bored, spending my time learning Wudang Taoism and Kungfu--a life time endeavor. What better place than a deserted island.

Through very strange circumstances, a mad scientist is exiling you to the world of one of your books. Which world do you choose and why?
The far future setting in the Riss Gamble. I'd rather live in the future with space travel than the past, although I rather do it without the tattoo and intelligent parasite that makes her an alien.

What do you want readers to come away with after reading your books?
That they enjoyed the characters, found their environment and world unique, and their adventures exciting. And a book they wouldn't mind reading again in the future.

Thanks, CR, for participating!

Author Interview: Marie Symeou

This week, we have fantasy and YA author Marie Symeou!

Her books:
FROZEN IN TIME (historical fantasy/vampire romance)
AGE OF DREAMS (coming of age/YA)

You can find her on her:
Website
Blog
Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads

Fill in the blanks: [My book above] is like [book/movie/TV show] meets [a different book/movie/TV show].
Frozen In Time by Marie Symeou is like Interview With The Vampire meets The Odyssey.

What's the first sentence of this book?
Philip could not believe his eyes.

How has your writing changed since you first started writing?
I'm sure it has improved a lot. I also think I write faster now as I'm gaining more confidence.

Which book of yours did you have the most fun writing? Why?
Age of Dreams because I let myself dream of what it's like to be really famous and it was a nostalgic trip back to the 80s for me. It was also the first novel I actually completed.

What's the last book you read? What did you think of it?
Casper the Commuting Cat: The True Story of the Cat Who Rode the Bus and Stole Our Hearts by Susan Finden

It's a memoir about an amazing cat from England who liked to travel on the bus every day and brightened up people's lives as he did so. He became famous all over the world.

Through very strange circumstances, a mad scientist is exiling you to the world of one of your books. Which world do you choose and why?
Frozen In Time. It would be fun to go back to ancient Greece and see what it was really like. Plus there are so many interesting characters I'd love to meet.

The world's scientists have just released the first time machine, and you've been chosen to get a free ride (with assurance that you'll be able to come back, of course ;). To when do you go and why?
Either Italy during the Renaissance to meet some great artists or England during the Regency period where I hope to meet some of the my favourite Romantic poets like Byron and Shelley.

Okay, now you get to travel to the country of your choice for one week with any fictional character of your choice (not your own). Who do you choose, where do you go, and why?
Eric from True Blood. Sweden (because it's my favorite country)

If you weren't writing, what would you be doing with your time instead?
Well I like to sing so I would probably concentrate more on that and write more songs. I also love animals (especially cats) and would love to be a cat behaviourist or animal communicator.

What do you want readers to come away with after reading your books?
I hope they enjoyed escaping into the worlds I have created and have fallen in love with my main characters, or at least related to them in some way. I also hope to have left them longing to read the sequel!

Thank you, Marie, for participating!