Interview: Giles Kristian

With the release of the third book in Giles' epic Rise of Sigurd trilogy, we've been lucky enough to be included as part of the authors blog tour.  (For more stops see the poster further down the interview.)

As such we wanted to dig deep into the mind of this modern skald and bring you some answers to some questions we've been pondering for quite some time, so without further ado here we go:

You spend a lot of time writing about the Viking period. How well do you think you'd survive if you were thrown back into those days?

Great question! The truth is, of course, I’d be woefully ill-equipped in every aspect to survive in late 8th century Norway. The itchy woollen clothes alone would finish me off. We are, after all, products of our environment, and my environment is mostly centrally heated, populated with labour-saving technology, relatively sterile and lacking the immediate threat of physical danger. And yet. There is a part of me that would fit right in. Let’s call it my feasting hall mentality. Plus, I’m sure I could do my bit in the mêlée if it came to it. In fact, there’s a dark part of me (buried deep, fortunately) that would love to swing an axe in anger. Still, it’s probably for the best that I can write about Vikings from the comfort of my slippers and save the axe for my enemies that lurk within the log pile.


New discoveries are made every so often that affect the way that we today see those who have gone before. What is the weirdest period fact that you've come across and why has it amazed you?

When I visited the British Museum’s exhibition Vikings: life and legend, I was struck by a collection of bones and decapitated heads, unearthed during the creation of the Weymouth Relief Road, which are believed to be those of fifty-two young Viking warriors. Something else which made this rather disturbing discovery extraordinary was that some of the men’s front teeth have horizontal grooves etched into them. However this was done, it can’t have been a pleasant experience and we don’t know why they did it. There is a suggestion that these grooves were filled with pigment or resin and it could be that having filed teeth was a status symbol, perhaps the mark of a great warrior. Or perhaps it was done in order to frighten one’s enemy, for it must have made for a strange and outlandish appearance. Or could it even have been purely decorative? We just don’t know why a young Viking might have filed his teeth, but it certainly adds fearsome colour to the image of a warrior who has chosen to live outside of society’s norms. And what could be more Viking than that?


Who has been your favourite character to write about and why?

It’s funny how this has changed the older I’ve become. I used to like writing Black Floki best. He’s just so dark and dangerous and good with his blades. He’d kill his own grandmother for the fluff-covered Werther’s Original in her coat pocket, and this lack of decency makes him fun to write. He seems fearless and just does not care for the rules of men or even, perhaps, the gods, and yet he has some sort of spiritual side in as much as he believes his wyrd - his fate - is woven into Sigurd’s own. Then of course I realised I enjoyed writing Sigurd so much that I wanted to base another series on him and how he became a jarl and a man who inspires others to pledge oaths of loyalty to him. But these days I really like writing Olaf. I like his slight cynicism when it comes to the gods. I enjoy his banter and the way he talks to his enemies and I think he is often the voice of reason and experience in the face of some of the other men’s rash bravado. I also like that even among a crew that includes Black Floki, Svein and Bram the Bear, you wouldn’t bet against Olaf being the last man standing if it came down to it. I like to think experience counts for a lot.

What can you say about your next project?

My work-in-progress, LANCELOT: The Betrayal, is my take on the Arthurian myth. What makes it so different from anything else I know of is that it tells Lancelot’s story, not Arthur’s or

Merlin’s, but Lancelot’s. He is, after all, the great warrior. The famous lover. The betrayer. We see the world through his eyes, man and boy, and his journey will be our journey. His inner conflicts will be our conflicts, his battles our battles.

Set in a 5th century sub-Roman Britain besieged by invading warbands of Saxons and Franks, Irish and Picts, this will be a tale of love, lust, guilt and tragedy. It will be earthy yet spiritual. It will be imbued with pagan beliefs and the associated ‘magic’ of divination, spirit-flight and incantation, but there will not be dragons.


What would you say is the most valuable lesson you've learned about writing?

This is a lesson not so much about writing but about the business of writing – and that is: there’s nothing, or at least very little, I can do about what happens after the book is written and published. So, for instance, when I receive emails from angry readers who want to know when book III of the RAVEN saga is going to be translated into Spanish (for whatever reason the Spanish publisher has so far only bought books I and II); when readers mail me to say that this Waterstones or that Waterstones doesn’t have my new book in stock (alas, nothing I can do); when some of my ebooks are available in the U.S. while others are not (all to do with the licensing agreements); when audiobook listeners complain that they can’t find my audiobook on CD, or else they can only find it on CD (depends what deals have been done); when someone doesn’t like the image on the cover of the book (ultimately the publisher’s decision); or when they think a book is too expensive (I don’t set the price); or when the map on the ebook is not big enough (not my area); or when Amazon doesn’t deliver the book fast enough or the box it comes in is damaged so they give me a bad review (seriously); however frustrating all this stuff can be, there’s really not much I can do about it. I guess this is the double-edged sword of being available via all the social media platforms. It upsets me when a would-be reader can’t find my book in a branch of Waterstones, and I do tend to pass the info on to my publisher, but I must try to not let it bring me down, because it’s out of my control. All I can do is try to write the best book I can, then be available to my readers should they want to get in touch. That is what I am trying to learn.

When you're working on a project, what is your biggest flaw and likely to cause delays?

The enticing black hole that is social media. On the one hand it’s amazing to be able to chat to readers and other writers about books or the business or whatever. After all, being an author can be lonely and intense and very, very quiet, so Facebook and Twitter go some way to making up for that. Also, from a business perspective, social media is the way by which we authors, who are, after all, running our own small businesses, can interact with our customers and publicise our work.

And yes, it’s all too easy to let social media, or the internet generally, lead us toward temptation and procrastination. Writing can be hard work. Chatting to friends or looking up medieval recipes for mead is fun. The trouble is that both involve the same keys and the same screen, which are both within arm’s reach. I mean, who hasn’t started Googling images of Iron Age hill forts only to be sucked into a wormhole where you find yourself looking at pictures of supposed ghosts captured on camera, then end up buying a pair of shoes and checking Leicester City’s position in the league? Or is that just me?

INTERVIEW: Miles Cameron

Miles, you are a new Fantasy writer.  Why fantasy?

Hi Gareth, thanks for having me.  Why fantasy?  It’s the genre I read.  It is also the genre that many, many people read, and it is fun to write for an interactive audience—one that writes comments on blogs, for example, and complains when their favorite character doesn’t get enough word count.  But really—it’s just that I’ve always wanted to write a fantasy novel—the sort of novel I like to read!
 
What do you like?
I like Tolkien, and I like a lot of ‘old school’ fantasy writers, some still popular (like Tolkien) and some almost forgotten, like E.R. Eddison and William Morris.  I got to know Celia Friedman as an adolescent, and she probably had a major influence on my fantasy thinking—certainly on how I design a magic system.  I loved Glen Cook’s Black Company when it came out, and I was, and still am, rocked by Steven Erikson’s gigantic Malazan series.  I love his characters, and I love his plotlines, and I love how at some level it is very Canadian, or at least North American.  I am a huge fan of C.J. Cheryh.  I think her Foreigner universe appeals to me almost atavistically—the meeting with the Alien—and liking it…  I mentioned elsewhere that I’m a huge Ian M. Banks fan.
You write about knights and chivalry.  This is mainstream fantasy, isn’t it?
All that said, when I think fantasy, I like chivalry—knights, clerics, and mages.  I love the Middle Ages—I love how it really worked, and warts and all, and I like to tinker with how things like magic might have altered our world.  Or some other world.  I wanted to write in the major ‘theme’ – is that the right word? Of chivalric literature—King Arthur and Gawain and Lancelot and Merlin.  But I wanted to do with it what Erikson and Glen Cook have done with military fantasy—I wanted to answer the question ‘What would it be like to actually fight a dragon?’  I wanted to push some ideas (like heroism!) and play with some others—just for example, I have a heroic sixty-five year old woman and a sexy fifty-year old and faeries who can suck your soul away—all a little outside fantasy’s norm.  I hope I haven’t out-subtled myself, but one of the themes I’m after is that of public order—if you have all these killer knights and mages, how do normal people manage to till the ground and children and/or have lives free of the tyranny of violence?  What keeps the knights and the Wild and all these powers from making a desert? It was a central question of the real Middle Ages, without magic powers or the Wild.

Is the Wild Evil?
Far from it.  I love the wilderness, and I hope that I have come up with some interesting riffs on the common AD+D bestiary, but I’ve tried to create an ecology of ‘higher powers’ (dragons, wyverns, boggles and the like) who balance each other and have niches.  And I’ve tried hard to suggest that most of them are animals—with no moral vector—and others are fully sentient, and as complicated as humans—or more so.  As the series progresses, I hope to demonstrate to the reader that the perception of the Wild versus Humanity is, like many wars, an artifact of misunderstanding.  But also a good vehicle for a lot of fight scenes.

You like to write fight scenes?
I love fly fishing, I sometimes write poetry, and I truly enjoy making things, especially sewing.  But—really—I love all the combat arts, and I do all this stuff.  I fight Italian long sword—Guy Windsor, who I view as the best scholar and the best teacher of swordsmanship in the world, was kind enough to write a piece on my website.  I fight in armour—I have a set of plate armour that has taken me twenty years to collect and perfect; I fight poleaxe and ghiavarina and sword and buckler and some rapier; spear, spear and rotella, axe; two handed axe; dagger, and unarmed. I’m just learning to joust, and I’m just improving my wrestling and unarmed combat.  Knights were expert at all of these, which is why they were amazingly fearsome as individual fighters. I suspect that a late 14th century knight was more like the popular image of a samurai than a 14th century samurai—in terms of overall martial prowess.  And in the real world, that was just to fight other people.  I love to write about these things—I usually leave my sword school afire to write about whatever I learned that night.  I’ve been doing all this for thirty years and I’m still learning, so I guess I won’t get bored.

And I’m guessing you love to camp?
I do.  I love to go as far into the wilderness as I can, and just sit and drink it in—watch it function, if that makes sense.  I love to fish, and I’d do more hunting if I had time and less of a drive to reach it—but I don’t have to kill the Wild to love it.  I try and go with my friends every year—sometimes twice a year—into the deep wilderness with minimal gear.  I hope that my Wild seems authentic.

Is the Red Knight set in England?
Well—yes and no.  It’s my fantasy world and it is quite old; but constantly updated.  So Lissen Carak is very like a number of places in upstate New York, but the towns and sheep came from the Lake District in the UK; the Green Hills are Vermont, but also the Island of Mull; there’s Greece and France and Arizona and the Canadian Shield all mixed together..  It’s fantasy—right?  I’m allowed to do that?  Anyway, hope you enjoy it.

Thanks, Miles.

INTERVIEW: Lee Collins

Historical fantasy set in the real world presents a unique set of challenges for the author: the story has to fit with the rules of the real world as well as the rules of whatever time period is hosting the characters and events. Stories set in alternate universes or the future, on the other hand, typically enjoy a certain liberty when it comes to facts. Within reason, of course; few people will buy into a book whose main physics engine feels like they lifted it from Mighty Bomb Jack. Still, readers permit authors certain liberties when reading about how magic works in Middle-earth or how an ansible enables FTL communication. As long as the rules within the world are internally consistent, there is a lot of room to play.

With real-world historical fantasy, though, the rules and histories are predetermined. While this frees the author from the need to pull them out of thin air, it instead places them under the restrictions of actual rules and actual history. These limitations are further compounded when the chosen historical setting is familiar to the public mind through other books and movies. In some cases, the image the public has of a specific period in history and its residents can actually work against an author striving for accuracy. Popular films and books of dubious accuracy can warp the accepted perception of how past peoples lived and worked to the point that accurate reconstruction can seem wrong.

Such was the case for me when I started researching Old West life for The Dead of Winter. The environment of the Old West is nothing new to me. I grew up in a city that bears the name of the frontier fort it replaced, I regularly made trips into the mountains as a kid, and I even had to do a fourth-grade history project on the state of Colorado. One of my favorite pizza joints is a repurposed bank that still boasts a sandstone false front straight out of a John Wayne Western. Still, in spite of this (and perhaps because of it), I had some misconceptions about life in the Old West that I had no doubt gathered from those same John Wayne Westerns.

Most of all, I was surprised to learn that the word “gunslinger” was never actually used during that time period. Despite its ubiquity when talking of outlaws and cowboys nowadays, the term originated in Hollywood a good while after the last mysterious stranger had ridden into the sunset. The vernacular of the 1880’s dubbed them “gunfighters” or “gunmen,” both of which are admittedly less catchy. Having read Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series prior to writing The Dead of Winter, extracting “gunslinger” from my vocabulary took some work, but historical accuracy is not known for its mercy. Furthermore, I learned that the iconic way Hollywood gunslingers wore their six-guns (with the grips facing rearward) was never employed by actual gunfighters. As anyone who has tried to quick-draw a long-barrel Colt in such a fashion can attest, it’s a slow and awkward way to pull iron on someone trying to kill you. Although contrary to popular understanding, including such minute details can make a book feel that much more real. Also, they’re helpful for convincing yourself that the hours lost to research were not lost in vain.

Another beneficial side effect of historical research is the chance of stumbling across actual people that might fit into the story. For me, that person came in the form of Leadville marshal Marten Duggan. Duggan was the marshal of Leadville from 1878 to 1883 and was known for his love of whiskey, his short temper, and his direct method of dealing with criminals. His tendency to handle problems himself instead of waiting for judge and jury actually saw him removed from office temporarily. After a short time without him, however, the townsfolk realized he was the only man who could keep any semblance of law in Leadville, so they reinstated him. He sounded like an interesting and solid character, one of those neutral good lawmen that keep the peace through unorthodox means, so I decided to make him a character in The Dead of Winter. He ended up being one of the primary characters, which I didn’t initially expect, but it worked well with the story, so I went with it. Ironically, his character is probably the one that stands most vulnerable to accusations of being a stock Western character.

All in all, research for historical fantasy can provide both new insight into the chosen time period and culture as well as confirmation that sometimes things were exactly the way you thought. I’ve yet to attempt writing an otherworld fantasy or hard science fiction novel, so I can’t comment on how those sorts of research differ from historical investigation. I could be all wet on that account and they aren't all that different. I suppose I'll just have to wait until a solid, sustainable idea knocks me into those trenches. When that does happen, I'll be sure to report back on my findings.

INTERVIEW: Jason O'Mara

Having been fans of Jason O'Mara for quite some time, when we heard that he was in Terra Nova, we couldn't wait to not only view this new series but also to have the chance to feature an interview with this extrordinary actor.

So here for your viewing pleasure is that interview in association with Terra Nova...

QUESTION: Was it a challenge to find that protective spirit to make James Shannon a credible hero in Terra Nova?

JASON O'MARA: I think mostly because I’m a father in real life, and I had never played a father on screen. Every parent knows how protective you can be over your family. You would go so far as to say you would die for your children.  And that’s just normal.  You know, that’s not extraordinary.  So the idea of playing a man whose actions are motivated by that is a very strong choice to make.

QUESTION: What motivates James Shannon? A need to be the hero or something more profound?

O'MARA: Whatever he does heroically, he does it for a pure reason, for a good reason.  And not only that, that sense of emotion is very empowering, and it’s strong.  It gives him an emotional base to make all of his decisions, and it gives him his moral compass without which I’m not sure where he would be. I don’t know where James Shannon would be without his wife and his kids.

QUESTION: How does Terra Nova affect his own code of survival?

O'MARA: He’s from a pretty tough background and he could have gone the other way at any time.  He’s impulsive, which can be his own worst enemy. I just think the idea that he wants his children and his family to thrive and survive in this new place, and knowing that they are part and parcel of what could be the future of the human race is very powerful.  And I think it’s also a really strong idea.  It’s a really strong theme.

QUESTION: How do you define a series like Terra Nova?

O'MARA: It is quite hard to define.  What helped me get into it was thinking of it in terms of a classic western, like Gunsmoke. But there are also science fiction elements.  I suppose. More than anything else, it’s Swiss Family Robinson. Lost in Space was Swiss Family Robinson in space. This is Swiss Family Robinson in the Cretaceous period.  When you look at it more like that, it actually just boils it down to its elements.

QUESTION: How do the family dynamics enhance the Terra Nova experience?

O'MARA: It’s really the story of a family in a very extraordinary situation, and there are all these other things going on politically, philosophically, socially, and even challenges with just surviving with the wild life.  But ultimately it’s about a family experiencing and seeing this world through their eyes.

QUESTION: How does this first season evolve from its complex first episode?

O'MARA: We want to keep developing all of these creation stories, how Terra Nova came about.  Taylor has some dark secrets, events that happened at the birth of Terra Nova, the first people that were involved in forming it.  That’s all revealed. What’s in the box will be revealed, what the carvings on the rocks were all about. Bear in mind, it all comes down to family at the end of the day.  That’s an important clue as to what’s going to happen.

QUESTION: Where does your imagination go when you’re in the midst of an effects sequence, say after five takes? Ever find your mind drifting as to the day’s grocery list, for example?

O'MARA: [LAUGHS] First of all, we don’t get five takes.  Second of all, no, we’ve developed a series of processes in order to try to bring these sequences to life. It’s difficult.  The dinosaurs are not there.  So we’ve found ways.  There are ways you can play a scene just using your imagination alone as to what’s happening.  Also you can play a scene where the director’s saying, “Okay, it’s crawling up your leg,” or “Now it’s about to take a bite out of you, dodge it, quick!” We have a guy with a cardboard dinosaur head on a stick, making you flinch.  We’ve sort of incorporated all of these different ways, shooting it from different angles and multiple takes.  But every take we do, there’s a lot of pressure on us to try to make this as real as possible. I’m never thinking about my grocery list. [LAUGHS] I’m always trying to give a truthful reaction to these dinosaurs that aren’t there.

QUESTION: What remains in store for this first season? How will the Terra Nova mythology evolve?

O'MARA: We’ve got to find out who the spy is, what’s motivating the spy to do what they are doing. Also, what’s coming through on the 11^th pilgrimage, and what’s happening in 2149. We really do develop our mythology, deepen it and answer all these questions that we’re posing. While there will be a cliffhanger at the end of season one, which will lead to another set of storylines, we pretty much answer all of these storylines.  It’s self-contained, even though it sets us up easily for a second season. There’s something very satisfying about that, I think.

TERRA NOVA is available on DVD from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

INTERVIEW: Amanda Carlson

Here at Falcata Times we love a debut author, so after reviewing Amanda's debut title Full Blooded (05/09/12) we were more than happy to have a chat to her via the Twilight Bark.

Here we discovered writing classes, who she'd want to have a pint with and of course how to a writer pants...

Falcata Times: Writing is said to be something that people are afflicted with rather than gifted and that it's something you have to do rather than want. What is your opinion of this statement and how true is it to you?

Amanda Carlson: I do believe it. I’m not sure it’s an affliction, but it’s a very powerful urge indeed. I’ve felt the pull my entire life. It’s taken me twelve years to make it here and it hasn’t been for lack of trying!


FT: When did you realize that you wanted to be a writer?

AC: I started writing around age thirteen. I still have the notebooks I wrote in as a young teen. They were all stories of giggling girls and cute boys, but they were actual stories. After that I enjoyed creative writing courses in high school and college.


FT: It is often said that if you can write a short story you can write anything. How true do you think this is and what have you written that either proves or disproves this POV?

AC: Well, I’ve written both, and even though putting together a short story is challenging, writing a novel is much harder. There is so much that goes into a novel: pacing, characterization, plot, storyline—my experience is that a short takes skill, but a novel takes mastery.


FT: How would you "sell" your book in 20 words or less?

AC: Selling or pitching the book is often the hardest thing an author has to do. But if I had to sell it quickly, I’d say: “If you’re looking for a new urban fantasy with a kickass heroine and a cracking pace, you’ve found your book!”


FT: When you sit down and write do you know how the story will end or do you just let the pen take you? ie Do you develop character profiles and outlines for your novels before writing them or do you let your ideas develop as you write?

AC: No plotting for me. I’m what American’s call a “pantser.” As in I fly by the seat of my pants. I let the story take me wherever it likes. After it’s finished, I go back and fix areas that are lacking and piece it back together. It’s easy to see what’s wrong and what needs to be put in its place once it’s on paper. I don’t see myself changing the way I write any time soon, I quite like it!


FT: What do you do to relax and what have you read recently?

AC: To relax I go see a movie. I love to get lost in someone else’s world. I’m currently reading Amanda Bonilla’s SHAEDES OF GRAY and I’m loving it.


FT: Lots of writers tend to have pets. What do you have and what are their key traits (and do they appear in your novel in certain character attributes?)

AC: We have one rabbit. It was a consolation pet after saying no to pets for fifteen years. Our three kids were begging, so we finally gave in. She’s adorable, a dwarf/lop mixed called Rosie. She sleeps and eats a lot, but will hop into your lap for a treat. She does not show up in the novels! I’m not keen on writing wererabbits, LOL!


FT: Which character within your latest book was the most fun to write and why?

AC: Jessica is the most fun to write, because I’m in her head all day. Marcy and Danny are equally fun because of all their snarky chatter. I actually love them all, but I’d have to say Jessica is still the most interesting.


FT: How similar to your principal protagonist are you?

AC: Not similar at all. I wrote Jessica as someone I’d love to go to the pub and drink with, not sharing my same qualities at all. She’d be the most kickass pal ever.


FT: Do you ever encounter writers block and if so how do you overcome it?

AC: If I’m not feeling the story I’ll challenge my fellow writers in what we call a #wordwar or #1k1hr on Twitter to get the words moving. The goal is to write as many words as you can in one hour. I’m not a huge believer in writer’s block, but I am a big believer in stepping back from your story once in a while to gain perspective. If I do that, when I return I’m always feeling ready to jump back in.


FT: Certain authors are renowned for writing at what many would call uncivilised times. When do you write and how do the others in your household feel about it?

AC: The summer with kids home has indeed been a bit uncivlised. Having three kids with their own agendas has been difficult. Now they are back in school, and since I write better in the morning, all is going well. It’s very rare that I write new words in the evening, but I will edit when I’m on deadline. For that I have a huge set of green industrial earmuffs to block out the household noise. They are very attractive.


FT: Sometimes pieces of music seem to influence certain scenes within novels, do you have a soundtrack for your tale or is it a case of writing in silence with perhaps the odd musical break in-between scenes?

AC: I usually only play music before sitting down to my computer to get me revved up. For the first book it was a lot of Kings of Leon. For HOT BLOODED there was a bit of rap and Old School rock, now for COLD BLOODED it’s been Florence + The Machine. I love music for inspiration, but I need to write in silence. (Hence the earmuffs!)


FT: What can you tell us about the next novel?

AC: HOT BLOODED is a journey for Jessica. She’s out to find her man, defeat her foe and learn about who and what she is. It’s filled with lots of mythological mayhem and it was so much fun to write. It’s a non-stop adventure from beginning to end.


FT: What are the last five internet sites that you've visited?

AC: Amazon, facebook, cheaptickets, twitter and caringbridge

FT: Did you ever take any writing classes or specific instructions to learn the craft? If so please let us know which ones.

AC: Yes, I’ve taken many different writing classes, lots of them at a local literary center in Minneapolis, MN where I live. They were very helpful. The best thing I received from taking the classes was finding critique groups to share my work with, and who in turn, made me accountable to write more. From there I joined a local fiction writing chapter and met many aspiring authors. I recommend taking classes and finding groups who support you.


FT: How did you get past the initial barriers of criticism and rejection?

AC: I don’t think I’m past them yet! I was lucky in the very beginning as agents began to request my work from the outset. I didn’t go through miles of rejection there. Once I signed with an agent, I sold to an editor in a few months. The biggest hurdle for me now—is the actual criticism of the novel. There has been very few bad reviews, which is so nice, but when they do come it’s hard. I’m not sure it will ever get any easier, but I will grow used to it. Logically any author knows their work won’t be for everyone, but in our hearts we are always hoping.

Thank you so much for hosting me today! It’s so fun to be in the UK, if only virtually. I hope whoever decides to jump into the series enjoys it thoroughly.

INTERVIEW: Shaun Hutson

If you ask readers to name British Horror Authors then one of the first names to pop up tends to be Shaun Hutson.  As such we've been lucky to grab a quick interview with the author of Slugs, Spawn and many others in time for the release of his latest project, X The Unknown, based on the classic Hammer Horror Film.  Here's what he had to say:

Falcata Times:  How would you say that your perspective has changed about selling your own work with multiple novels under your belt?

Shaun Hutson:  Selling novels these days is much harder than it used to be.  It seems that the number of books you have in print or have had published counts for nothing (or it doesn’t in my case, it’s probably different if you’re J.K. Rowling or Stephen King!).  During the last ten years publishing has undergone so many changes (most of them for the worst) and I find it almost unrecognisable from the business I entered almost thirty years ago.  It seemed that back then everyone had a chance of getting their work published and that once that work was in print there was a chance of getting it to the public but now it seems that a select band of authors are the only ones being published and supported by publishers and book sellers.  Bookshops couldn’t give a fuck about new writers unless they’ve got a huge publishers campaign behind them.  It’s a very depressing picture unless you’re a rich and well established writer.  Or a celebrity of course.  If you’re a so called celebrity then you can expect to be given shit loads of money for your ghost written drivel.  So, if anyone wants to become a writer then the best thing would probably be to go on Big Brother or have an affair with someone famous!  Talent counts for nothing and if you don’t believe me just look at the bookshelves these days.

FT:  How would you sell yourself as an author?

SH:  Nowadays it would be almost impossible because most of the editors are young and either haven’t heard of me or would instantly dismiss my stuff because it’s ‘Horror.’  A genre that the publishing business has done its best to destroy since the popularity of crime novels spiralled out of control.  It’s strange because usually a cinematic trend is reflected in publishing but the dominance of horror at the box office has been completely ignored by the book business.  No one wants to publish traditional horror anymore even though there are hundreds of thousands of people who want to read it.  Now editors think they’re being ‘edgy’ by publishing things like TWILIGHT which, in my humble opinion, is one of the worst things that ever happened to horror.  Someone told me that they actually saw a section in a bookshop that proclaimed ROMANTIC HORROR.  All the confrontational elements have been taken out, no one wants originality anymore they just want books that are TWILIGHT clones or that are about zombies but all with ‘edgy’ twists of course.  Traditional horror is dead and buried.  The death knell for the horror novel was sounded with the publication of THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS back in the 90’s.  Horror has been on a downward spiral ever since.  It was always the ‘poor man’ of the business, looked down on by publishing in general but it made money.  Now it doesn’t even get the chance to make money because no one wants to publish it.  Or maybe that’s just me they don’t want to publish!

FT:  How would you say that your experience of writing and publishing has changed your method's of writing?

SH:  Now I write with far less freedom and am constantly aware of what publishers are looking for whereas in the beginning I used to write what I wanted to write and knew that the publishers would accept it anyway.  Now there are so many hoops to jump through it drives you mad.  If you don’t do what they want then you don’t get published it’s as simple as that.

FT:  With the experience that you've gained now, what do you wish you could have told yourself when you were starting out that you now know?

SH:  Nothing really.  I just wish I’d known that the genre I loved writing so much was going to disappear!

FT:  What characteristics of your protagonists do you wish that you had yourself and why?

SH:  Most of my protagonists are flawed in some way.  Most of them I don’t want any of their characteristics.  I used to write as a kind of purging process to rid myself of the darker feelings and thoughts I had so I certainly don’t want to be like the people I create.

FT:  Which of your characters are most like you and why?

SH:  My favourite character is Sean Doyle who appeared in RENEGADES, WHITE GHOST, KNIFE EDGE and HYBRID.  He doesn’t give a fuck about anyone or anything and if anyone pisses him off he shoots them!  Sounds good to me.  There are bits of me in every character I’ve ever created, no writer can help that.

FT:  What of lifes little addictions could you not live without and why?

SH:  Which of life’s addictions couldn’t I live without?  Well, I don’t smoke, drink or do drugs so that doesn’t leave much really does it?  Most days I wish I did all three…and to excess!  That probably accounts for why I’m such a boring bastard.

FT:  With regular trips for book tours around the country as well as to various Conventions, what is an absolute travel essential that you couldn't do without?

SH:  When I’m travelling I couldn’t go without music so an i-pod would be my essential travel accessory I suppose. 

FT:  How has multiple novels under your belt changed how you accept to critism?

SH:  I’ve never been bothered by criticism.  I wasn’t at the beginning and I’m certainly not now.  Most critics are frustrated writers and to be honest I don’t even read reviews.  There’s no point.  Most critics are seeking to draw attention to themselves not make a reasoned judgement on what they’ve read.  When I was younger I used to be more aggressive if I met people who’d criticised me but now I couldn’t give a fuck.  Any business where you put your own creation into the public domain means you’re going to get criticised by someone so the first thing you need is a thick skin.  If you don’t like being criticised then don’t produce work that’s going to be heard, read or seen by lots of people.  Just do what you want to do and forget about the critics.  They’re only jealous anyway.

FT:  On long journey's, reading is often the pleasure of choice, who's work will you grab at the airport to ensure a good journey?

SH:  I don’t read fiction and haven’t for years.  If I ever read it’ll be non-fiction.  Usually military history.  The only fiction I read is Thomas Harris or older literature like M.R James.  I used to read a lot before I became a writer but once I was doing it for a living I couldn’t be bothered to read what anyone else was doing.  As for buying a novel at the airport the choice of authors on view there is so limited thanks to the booksellers you’d only have about twenty to choose from anyway!

FT:  Out of all your novels, which is your favourite and why?

SH:  My favourite of my own novels is RENEGADES because it introduced Sean Doyle who I mentioned earlier.  Also along with DYING WORDS I think it is the most complete of the books I’ve written (if that doesn’t sound too pretentious…).  I like all of them for different reasons though.  I love the earlier books because they had so much energy (a bit like I used to have).  It was just me having a bloody good time.

FT:  With everyone having thier own personal view as to who should be cast in a film version of thier work, who do you think should play your principle protaganists and why?

SH:  None of my books will ever be filmed so it’s a bit of a redundant question I’m afraid.   If any were filmed I’d just hope that someone decent was cast but knowing my luck they’d cast Jason Statham as Sean Doyle.  However, as long as I was paid enough for the rights I wouldn’t really care.  All writers know that once you sell film rights what ends up on the screen will be nothing like the book but if they pay you enough who fucking cares?  The readers know that film companies fuck around with books so if it’s a flop you can blame it on the film company and if it’s great you can say it’s because it was based on your book! 

FT:  Authors are generally a superstitious lot and upon completion of novels follow a certain ritual, what is yours and how has it changed from the original?

SH:  I used to have superstitions but not anymore.  I used to deliver the manuscript in the same bag but that was about it.  Now it’s just a case of sending the manuscript by e-mail!  Not very exciting really.

FT:  What was your impression of an authors lifestyle and status and how has that interpretation changed since you've published a number of books?

SH:  I had no preconceived ideas and I still haven’t.  The lifestyle for a successful author is the most privileged there is that’s why no author should ever moan about being depressed or under pressure.  If you’re successful there is no pressure.  The money that you’re paid negates that.  Any successful writer who whines about their life should shut the fuck up and look at how normal people have to earn money.

FT:  What are the best words of wisdom or tip that you'd give to a new or soon to be published author?

SH:  My tips to a new or soon to be published author would be don’t expect much.  Don’t think it will last too long, make the most of it while it does, hope you’ve got a good agent but above all don’t take yourself too seriously.  To anyone thinking of trying to become a writer I’d offer just one word of advice.  Don’t.

INTERVIEW: Madeline Ashby

Here at Falcata Times we love to get in with new authors as you're never sure what to expect, here we had the pleasure of interviewing Madeline about her Machine Dynasty Series and some of the answers may surprise you...

Falcata Times: Which character within your latest book was the most fun to write and why? 

Madeline Ashby: Well, vN is the story of Amy Peterson, a self-replicating humanoid robot who's been raised with a mixed synthetic/organic family for the past five years. At her kindergarten graduation, she watches her abusive robotic grandmother, Portia, attack her beloved robotic mother, and she springs into action. She runs up on stage and devours her grandmother. Thereafter, her grandmother's consciousness functions as a partition, and Amy has to deal with her constant presence. 

For me, Portia was the most fun to write. She's deliciously evil. She's also often factually right while being morally wrong. I love that contradiction. I just love her. I disagree with her philosophy, but I still love her. She's part GladOS, part Borg Queen, part Miss Dubose from To Kill A Mockingbird. She's a clever, hateful, violent old lady, and for me she's an approximation of the harmful mental programming we humans -- and women in particular -- have to deal with every day. She's the inner voice that says we can't, we shouldn't, we'll never, we suck. She's hatred embodied. And she's ever so much fun to write. 



FT: How similar to your principal protagonist are you? 

MA: Hmm. I think Amy and I both come from fairly privileged backgrounds, with all the innocence and naivete that comes with that. We experienced the loss of that innocence differently, but I think for both of us it's nothing to mourn. As human beings we pay for knowledge with innocence, and I think in most cases it's a good bargain. Amy and I also share the fact that at pivotal moments in our lives, we both understood how important our grandmothers had been to the way our mothers did things, and who we became as people as a result. There are a lot of things about my mother that I didn't understand until her mother had died. One of the most influential times in my life involved going through my grandmothers' (both maternal and paternal) things, post-mortem. It entirely re-framed my thinking of personal history, narrative, and material culture. It also made me see my parents as products of their own history, as people in development. Which is to say, real people, not just my parents. 


FT:  When you sit down and write do you know how the story will end or do you just let the pen take you? ie Do you develop character profiles and outlines for your novels before writing them or do you let your ideas develop as you write? 
 
MA:  I usually see the end, first. I know how it'll end, and I get a sense of the highlights that lead to that moment or that image. I have moments I want to bring my characters to, realizations they should have, or conversations they should engage in. I hear what they need to say, and those words and emotions stay pretty constant throughout the process. I don't really draw up character profiles and outlines, ordinarily. I'm doing it for the sequel to vN, but that's because in a series there's more information to keep track of, and I don't want to forget anything. Besides, Scrivener makes it really easy to hold onto all that stuff. 


FT: Sometimes pieces of music seem to influence certain scenes within novels, do you have a soundtrack for your tale or is it a case of writing in silence with perhaps the odd musical break in-between scenes? 

MA: Oh, I had a playlist for this book from the very beginning. I'm now using it, with some additions, for the sequel (ID). It includes a lot of Amanda Palmer, Nine Inch Nails, Fleet Foxes, Editors, Patrick Wolf, Elbow, stuff like that. If you want a theme song for vN, it's "Runs in the Family" by Amanda Palmer. 


FT: What can you tell us about the next novel? 

MA: Well, it takes place from the perspective of a supporting character in vN, Javier. He's another self-replicating robot, but a different model from Amy. He's a sexy, fast-talking drifter who puts some of his old skills to use while on a long quest for revenge, redemption, and self-discovery. Javier also appears in a story of mine called "The Education of Junior Number 12." You can find it here, if you're curious.


For more information and to keep up with the latest news from Madeline, visit her site here.

NEWS: Five Days of Christmas: Interviews: Daniel Polansky

Friend of the blog and new author Daniel Polansky (author of Fantasy novel “The Straight Razor Cure”) helped us give you a little extra bonus on the build up to Christmas with this, his interview for us, that we’d thought lost to the Electron Spider ravages through the massive Interweb.

So, for your reading pleasure, Daniel answers some of the telling questions that new authors get and responds openly, honestly and of course hopefully will buoy up that writer within you…


Falcata Times: Writing is said to be something that people are afflicted with rather than gifted and that it's something you have to do rather than want. What is your opinion of this statement and how true is it to you?

Daniel Polansky: It’s a bit hyperbolic, at least for me.


FT: When did you realise that you wanted to be a writer?

DP: I think that first you realize you want to write. The verb comes first, if you can dig it.


FT: It is often said that if you can write a short story you can write anything. How true do you think this is and what have you written that either proves or disproves this POV?

DP: I’ve never read that quote.


FT: If someone were to enter a bookshop, how would you persuade them to try your novel over someone else's and how would you define it?

DP: I would subtly threaten their family, or perhaps observe that my competition was a nazi-pedophile.


FT: How would you "sell" your book in 20 words or less?

DP: The recipe for the antidote to the poison you just drank is hidden somewhere in its pages.


FT: Who is a must have on your bookshelf and whose latest release will find you on the bookshops doorstep waiting for it to open?

DP: My bookshelf is getting a little thick these days, but you can always find a few Raymond Chandler novels amidst the debris.


FT: When you sit down and write do you know how the story will end or do you just let the pen take you? ie Do you develop character profiles and outlines for your novels before writing them or do you let your idea's develop as you write?

DP: For the first book, it was all a little slapdash. With the sequel I'm being much more deliberate with outlines and such.


FT: What do you do to relax and what have you read recently?

DP: I walk and listen to music. I’m in the middle of Winston Churchill’s biography of the Duke of Marlborough.


FT: What is your guiltiest pleasure that few know about?

DP: I am a black-out drunk.


FT: Lots of writers tend to have pets. What do you have and what are their key traits (and do they appear in your novel in certain character attributes?)

DP: I don’t have a pet.


FT: How similar to your principle protagonist are you?

DP: Not very. He’s a two-fisted amoral homicidal drug addict, and I’m only the second and fourth.


FT: What hobbies do you have and how do they influence your work?

DP: I love to travel.


FT: Where do you get your idea's from?

DP: Books and life.


FT: Do you ever encounter writers block and if so how do you overcome it?

DP: Some days it’s easier than others. You push as far as you can every day and don’t kick yourself too much if you can’t always hit a quota.


FT: Certain authors are renowned for writing at what many would call uncivilised times. When do you write and how do the others in your household feel about it?

DP: I do most of my writing during the day. Sometimes I will think of an idea that I want to jot down and will ask whomever I’m talking to not to talk to me until I’m done, but mostly they’re understanding about it.


FT: Sometimes pieces of music seem to influence certain scenes within novels, do you have a soundtrack for your tale or is it a case of writing in silence with perhaps the odd musical break in-between scenes?

DP: I guess in my book it’s all atmospheric noise.


FT: What misconceptions, if any, did you have about the writing and publishing field when you were first getting started?

DP: I really didn’t know enough about it to have preconceptions. I suppose I thought it would take less time from the date of the sale to the book being published.


FT: If music be the food of love, what do you think writing is and please explain your answer?

DP: I don’t know how to answer this question.


FT: What can you tell us about the next novel?

DP: It’s similar to this one, but better.


FT: What are the last five internet sites that you've visited?

DP: They’re all x-rated. Am I kidding?


FT: Did you ever take any writing classes or specific instructions to learn the craft? If so please let us know which ones.

DP: I have never taken a creative writing class, for better or worse.


FT: How did you get past the initial barriers of criticism and rejection?

DP: I wept a lot.


FT: In your opinion, what are the best and worst aspects of writing for a living?

DP: Filling a blank page is the best thing about writing. It has to be, or there wouldn’t be a point. As far as the negatives -- it can be a solitary existence.

INTERVIEW: Robert Lasardo

Having recently written a piece about banned books and conventions over at Bea’s Book Nook for the Banned Book Week, I couldn’t get out of my mind two sayings, never judge a book by its cover and Still Waters Run Deep. So when we had the opportunity to review actor Robert Lasardo’s two poetry titles we jumped at the chance.

Thanks to Lady Eleanor we were also lucky enough to have an interview with Robert where we asked about his writing, his body art and how he feels it has affected him in his career as well as mentally and spiritually…



Falcata Times: Do you think that the poems were in your mind when you had the tattoo's done or were they something that arrived when you looked back upon the artwork?

Robert Lasardo: My poems are a continued expression that manifested once I revisited the tattoo images and looked deeper within myself. For years people I did not know personally would ask me to explain the meaning behind the ink. Some would thank me proclaiming that I inspired them to get their first tattoo. Over time and with many more questions I started to feel a responsibility to share my story with people who seemed to express a genuine interest in the art form.


FT: The Poem 1979 mentions about being warned against having tattoo's, what tattoo did you choose first and what happened when you got home and your family saw what you'd had done?

RL: My first tattoo was a traditional cartoon 1950s style prize fighter. I had it tattooed on the right side of my chest. I was able to keep it a secret from my father for many months until I was arrested wearing a shirt that was unable to fully conceal the tattoo. It was after midnight and in the middle of summer when my father received the call that I had been arrested.

Being a juvenile I was not booked or finger printed and released into my father’s custody. I was given a court date and faced criminal charges for assault and possession of a deadly weapon. As my father and I walked home that night my shirt exposed the tattoo and I wondered if he would beat me right there in the street. To my surprise he just yelled to me to zip my fucking shirt up. By now I had tattoos on both sides of my chest and had no shame in showing the world.

My father on the other hand made it clear to me that my tattoos were a disgrace and represented everything he hated. Given the nature of my crime left me with little credibility for any argument in my defence for self-expression. I was assisting the ignorance in society and reinforcing the stigma that made tattoos seem so taboo.


FT: Also in 1979 you mention that people will look at you differently for having tattoos. How do you feel they have affected your acting career?

RL: I can only judge my acting career from the point of view of optimism. There is a line from the classic 40s film 'From Here To Eternity' spoken by the late and great Montgomery Clift "when you love a thing you have to be grateful. Doesn't mean it has to love you back." Before acting I had nothing. Acting has given me a purpose in life regardless of how I am measured by it. For years it has been suggested to me by some that my efforts have been in vain. That I will fail or have failed to transcend the physical choices I have made that were part of my evolution. I cannot deny or betray who I am as an expression for the sake of the conformed ego. No doubt there will always be people who see me as threat to conventional structures. I may not be the one to change things completely. But maybe through some of my achievements I have shown what is possible to those who have been told to give up and bury their dreams.


FT: Reading the book (playing with fire) do you feel that tattoo's do speak a thousand words if people are prepared to listen and what do you feel the majority of your tattoo's are telling people?

RL: Yes I do. If those who observe the images do so with an open mind. Art is a subjective experience that seems to be governed by personal criteria that varies from individual to individual. What people read into the pictures (Tattoos) I feel is a projection of their own belief system and thought process. Regardless of what I set out to communicate with image and word I cannot drive the response just witness the reactions. Some have found the images frightening while others have commented on their beauty. I guess it all depends on who is doing the looking. For me they encompass the extremes within life with the desire to expose and transcend inner conflict.


FT: When did you start writing poetry or is it something that you think has developed as you've gotten older?

RL: I remember writing poems in my late 20s. I don't think I even realized I was writing poetry until a friend pointed it out to me. He seemed surprised and asked me how I was able to write like that. I don't know if I was as impressed with the words as he was. I threw all of the work in the garbage. Maybe because the words marked such a turbulent time in my life.

The writing was always in direct relationship to the emotional storms I found myself in. The words just came as a way to release extreme feelings. I could not control the words any more than what life was throwing at me at the time. I would not plan to write. I would not sit down to write. I just found myself writing. Over the years I would continue to write things down then discard them. One day a friend told me rather bluntly to stop doing that. He explained to me the value of my words and the significance of the experiences that brought them to life. I can't say that I keep everything I write now but I definitely think twice before trashing it.


FT: How have the fans reacted to seeing a different side to you in this book?

RL: The first thing that comes to mind is an email I received from a man who told me specifically what poems had affected him. He also wrote, "Keep going with this." This got my attention primarily because I did not know this man. My friends were supportive but I could not be sure if they would be objective enough, though someone did warn me "not everyone is going to understand this". I was not surprised by the warning.

My goal was more about being true to what I needed to communicate rather than spelling everything out or editing myself. What I found within peoples response to my work did surprise me though. Not only did they understand it but it touched people in ways I did not expect. I knew what I had conjured was personal to me. But to see it penetrate others and create an emotional response other than fear was something very new for me.


FT: Which is your favorite poem from your book?

RL: In my second book, Playing With Fire' my favorite poem is FURY.


FT: In general which poem is your favorite?

RL: My favorite poem in general is from my first book, Choices: Inside Out. It is titled CRADLE.


FT: Are there any more books in the pipe line and what do you think that they will tell people about you?

RL: No doubt there will be more storms to come my way. And there will be an opportunity to learn something else which I can write about. My hope is that it will be something new. An inspiration perhaps that can dispel the dragon and remove the smoke that makes it so difficult to see the sun. I have a responsibility now to tell people who understand where I'm coming from a story that embraces hope.


FT: You mention giving money to charity with your first book. Can you tell us more about your charity choice?

RL: USA CARES.ORG is a charity that is working to provide US veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with much needed supplies. Some men are leaving military hospitals with no more than a trash bag to store their personal belongings. Some of these men are disabled. The goal is to provide these men with at least a descent back pack or satchel.