Our guest on this week's Indie Spotlight is James L. Young, author of An Unproven Concept and Acts of War. Let's get right to it, shall we?

Thanks for taking the time to spend with us today, we're definitely glad you stopped by!

Thanks for having me.  Always fun getting a chance to practice my “I hope I did not sound as idiotic to the audience as I just did to myself…”-look.

Your novel, An Unproven Concept, has been received well by readers, along with your other alternative history books like Acts of War, well done. In dealing with two distinct genres, do you prefer one over the other?

I actually prefer the alternative history to the science fiction, as far as the writing goes.  Mainly because of the fun involved with stacking butterfly effects on top of one another.

For you, what do you find easier to write; alternative history or science fiction?

I wouldn’t so much say prefer as find science fiction easier to write.  Given that I’m a history grad student, I have a great deal of self-imposed pressure to “get the facts straight” when writing the alternative history.  I’ve poked at others’ story-lines and what ifs so often that I know there’s someone out there doing the same to my book.  That imaginary fact checker’s voice in my head has sometimes caused me to lose a half day’s work.  Or, as Anita (my wife and fellow author) has said, “Only five people in the world are going to care about [insert issue], and one of them is writing the book.”

With the space opera, I can pretty much let anything fly as long as I remain consistent.  I don’t want to pull a George Lucas and decide halfway through a series that something which is easily checked (like, say, blood microorganisms) is critical to a major plot point (e.g., the Force).

With all the space opera out there in today’s market, what do you think are some key elements of good space opera?

1.) Character driven plots.  Technology is nice and all, but in reality I think most readers care about people rather than objects.  This also extends to the villains as well.  No one wants to have a story line where it’s obvious the protagonist will succeed because the “big bad” has a room temperature IQ.

2.) Consistent technology that evolves with time.  For instance, one of Star Trek’s strengths has been that you see the evolution between the original series, the first set of movies, TNG, etc..  While there have been several technological incongruities, for the most part I think the producers did a great job making sure their imagined technology stayed relatively the same.

3.) Grand scale.  I think good space opera has a broad brush universe that the characters are going about their lives in.  It shouldn't necessarily be across five galaxies with a cast of thousands, but there should definitely be a species, civilization, and / or way of life at stake.

Who are some of your biggest influences?

In alternate history I’d have to say Harry Turtledove and Robert Conroy (who just recently passed away this month).  While the former was much more prolific, I carried a copy of the latter’s 1901 with me through several moves because it was always fun to reread.

With regards to space opera, I’ll address that in the next question.

One of your reviewers compared you to David Weber, from the technical aspects of your books. What other authors could people compare you to?

One of my reviewers was far too kind.  Another gentle soul also mentioned me in the same breath as David Drake, which was very awesome as Hammer’s Slammers has always been one of my favorite universes.  I’d also tip the hat to Michael Stackpole during his time with FASA’s Battletech series, as well as Robert Thurston for work in the same universe.

 Stepping out of science fiction, as I alluded to on the sly in An Unproven Concept, I grew up reading men’s action adventure series from the local library.  While it’s more apparent in my dystopian universe (see “After the Scythe”), Gold Eagle’s (Executioner, Deathlands, Phoenix Force, etc.) author stable as well as Victor Milan (a.k.a., “Richard Austin”) were also big influences on my writing style.  Finally, and some would argue most importantly, I was an avid reader of Tom Clancy (especially Red Storm Rising) growing up.

How do you normally create your stories? Are you a discovery writer or do you tend to plot out your book?

I’m more of what my writing group calls a “pantser,” i.e. I write the plot as it comes to me.  I have a long commute in the morning, and apparently my muses like to lurk somewhere around Lawrence and Tonganoxie.

After now publishing several books, are there any tips or tricks you’ve picked up along the way that you wish you would have known when you first started out?

First, I think my major professor hit the nail on the head once when he said, “Whenever you think something will take a certain amount of time, double that.  You’ll be glad you did.” On both books I thought I was closer to being done than I actually was, and had to rush to meet deadlines.

Second would be that, in general, your best marketing is your cover.  Period.  People claim not to choose a book by its cover, but I’ve had more than a dozen folks openly admit they did not even consider my book until they saw my revised cover.  Which is sad, as I think my first cover artist did a great job and would recommend him.

Third, understand it’s a marathon, not a sprint.  Yes, that’s cliché, but it truer words have never been spoken.  Lord willing, you’ll wake up the next morning and the story will still be there.  If not, and tomorrow is the zombocalypse, odds are it’ll be a little hard to get things up on Kindle anyway.

Finally, marketing is a time suck, and it is easy to get discouraged.  At some point, as an independent author, you have to accept that you’ve done all you can and it’s time to get to writing on the next item.  Not quite there yet with Acts of War, but I’m gradually easing into the “next number” phase while still trying to get the word out as much as I can.

What’s next for you in 2015?

Well hopefully a briefcase full of money falling out of the sky without a hand still attached via handcuff.  No, in all seriousness, my first priority is to make headway on my dissertation now that much of my research is complete.  This does not mean my fans need to fret--Acts of War was originally a 680-page behemoth that got split in half.  So, at the very least, I’ll be releasing Collisions of the Damned, Acts of War’s sequel, sometime next year.  As for An Unproven Concept, I’ve broken ground on Though Our Hulls Burn, it’s sequel, and if I’m lucky I might get that done as well.  Time will tell on this, of course—if there’s one thing I’ve learned since starting this adventure, it’s that Murphy will ruthlessly assert his right to vote.

Thanks again, for taking the time to chat with us today. All the best wishes for you and your writing in the new year.

Thanks for having me.  I hope that I’ve managed to keep this interesting for you and your readers.  :D

Today, our guest is Scott McGlasson, writer and admin of the popular Facebook Group, Space Opera, as well as its many sub-groups. Along with dividing his time between the groups, three kids and a full time job, he also writes. His first novel, Not Until We Fall, is projected to be released this year.

To say that you’re a busy guy would be an understatement; not only do you work a full-time job, have three kids, and manage at least three Facebook Groups, how do find the time to write, much less sleep?

I got used to working odd hours in the Air Force.  Afterward, I tended to prefer evening/overnight hours, which helped immensely when I got into rock radio.  For the first couple of years in broadcasting, I had to take those wee hours shifts, but even after moving into afternoon and morning show slots, I still found I couldn’t get to sleep before midnight.  That continues today where I routinely get between five and six hours of sleep.  Undoubtedly it’s taking years off my life, but let’s face it; those are the crappy rice-pudding years at the end.

Tell us a little bit about why you created the FB Group, Space Opera.

Actually, John Markley was the original creator.  I joined soon after and he asked me to admin, as he wasn’t always available to quash spammers, provide content, and generally provide that cushion against chaos that an active admin can provide a large online group.  In fact, membership has recently discussed how refreshing it is to have a respite from the trolls and such that inhabit a lot of other forums and discussion groups.  I try to keep things on-topic and free of extraneous, more topical, issues unless those things (politics, religion, etc.) are directly related to a thread about space opera/sci-fi. 

After gaining the levers of power (mwuahahahaha) I found that the growing membership had niche interests that were better served in sub-groups. One of the most exciting of those is Space Opera: Writers.  This is a craft-only discussion and critique group of sci-fi writers who freely share techniques and processes for both writing and marketing/publishing.  It includes experienced and well-known writers such as Van Allen Plexico and Doug Dandridge, as well as exciting newcomers like Jennifer Foehner Wells and Hugh Long.

Today, the group has well over 2,000 members, did you ever imagine it becoming so popular?

Absolutely not.  We’ve nudged north of 2500 recently and it doesn’t appear to show any signs of slowing down.  Its closed membership, which means everyone that wants in, has to get through the admins first.  Without that, membership would be much larger, but at the cost of a cohesive, like-minded whole.  I don’t screen applicant’s walls for content, though.  I just screen applicant’s walls to make sure they ARE people.  Accounts with profiles of hot women that were just “born” last month need not apply.

Your love of Science Fiction isn’t just limited to reading and talking about it on Facebook, can you tell us a little bit about your writing?

I’ve dabbled for years, going back to my first full screenplay written at the tender age of 14.  It’s crap, but it’s finished crap.  Based on a Rick Springfield video, of all things.  I know that dates me, but ‘tis true.  Recently I reviewed it and it dawned on me that Hellgate is on par with today’s young-adult stuff, so maybe it’s actually got a future…under a pseudonym though, absolutely.  Seriously…it’s that schlocky, but so is most YA stuff today.

I kept trying to pick writing back up and try and put something together, having told my son stories I’d come up with for years.  Finally in 2010, I bumped into an old college buddy at a reunion and he mentioned that he was already had three books done and convinced me to give it a shot.  While putzing around with a few short stories, the central idea for “Not Until We Fall” hit me and I was off and running.

Tell us about Not Until We Fall?

The spark, that first kernel of an idea that makes a writer sit up and go, “HOT DAMN!  THAT’LL WORK!” is classified, mainly because the very end of this story is a bit of a reveal/twist.  It started with that central idea which generated a 10k word short story.  This was hot iron I struck that basically proved to myself that I could actually put a bunch of sentences together into something I found entertaining and thought-provoking.  But, when I looked at where these characters were and why they were doing what they were doing, I had to back up and ask those questions.  That made me look at the main character’s mother and father. Looking further made me back up to his grandparents. 

Not Until We Fall is the first of a four-part series that will continue with Not Until We Fall: Deadlines, Not Until We Rise, and complete with Not Until We Conquer.  At its core, the first two will be apocalypse/post-apocalypse stories.  Not like we don’t have any of those around, right?  However, I feel compelled to do them because there are so few post-post-apocalypse stories out there.  What would it take for contemporary Westerners to go from our current pseudo-democratic, ostensibly liberal societies to go full imperial-expansionist, not just out of some rationalized necessity, but with full-on gusto?    This entire saga kicks off with the end of civilization, but it’s the society that comes out of that crucible that’s the key to answering that primary question.

I’m shooting for the smart sci-fi reader’s zombie apocalypse, but instead of the typical FIGHT-RUN-SURVIVE-INSERT GRAPHIC VICERA HERE fare that encompasses so much of the zombie genre these days…honestly, most of it seems like cannibal porn to me…I want to provide not only a reason WHY it happened, but give the characters something to DO about it.  There’s a specific cause for the world-spanning plague and a specific enemy to fight against afterward.  Doing so, changes the fledgling society that emerges from those ashes and their decisions echo down the two generations to my original short story, explaining its setting and why those characters are doing what they are doing…gleefully.

Can you tell us a little bit about your style? Are you a plotter or pantser?

Very much a plotter, though the pantser in me, left over from the impromptu nature of rock radio comedy, plays an important part.  I need to get the story’s main milestones down and know where I’m going and how everything fits together, but each scene, every interaction within those scenes, I allow to just expand on its own.  I write the narrative parts almost like theater “boxing”, i.e., this character moves here and does this, but the dialog is allowed to come alive on its own.  I just slap down the character names and let them talk.  Often, I’m surprised by what comes out of that and I’m told by far more experience writers that’s where all the gold is.

I spent a LOT of time (probably too much) researching the various ins and outs of the three story arcs that make up Not Until We Fall.  From cyberwar to the US Marines to cruise ship lifeboats, I got to know a lot about these settings and the real people that do the jobs of the characters I employ.  Alcatraz features prominently in the first book, as does both the National Ignition Facility (home to the world’s largest laser).  The massive shipyard at Newport News, Virginia is the primary setting of Deadlines, so I’m sure I’m on a government watch list somewhere, but hopefully it will pay off.

Who’s your favorite author?

Peter F Hamilton, followed very closely by Dan Simmons.  Niven and Pournelle are high up there, but they don’t produce as much these days.  SM Stirling used to be right up there with Hamilton, but something’s happened to his writing in the last four years or so.

What are you reading right now?

On the fiction side, I’m re-reading Larry Niven’s excellent The Integral Trees (space opera world-building at its finest).  On the craft side, Larry Brooks’ Story Engineering.

Have you set any goals for the New Year?

Absolutely.  Along with continuing my admin duties online, my goal is to write 2000 words per day until NUWF is finished.  Target for that is March 1st, followed by no more than two months of editing/revising.  Then its cover art and we’re off to the races.

Well, I can tell you I’m looking forward to reading your work and wish you all the best of luck with your fiction and Facebook groups as well. Thanks for stopping by!

Thanks for having me.

Today, I sit down with Indie author, S. A. Hunt, author of The Outlaw King Series. His first book, The Whirlwind in the Thorn Tree, has garnered a hundred 5 star reviews and has been recently combined with it's sequel, Law of the Wolf, allowing readers to continue their journey without pause. And what a wild journey it is! You can check out my review of The Whirlwind in the Thorn Tree over in My Reviews.

Who are your biggest influences?

Definitely Stephen King first and foremost, and then there’s probably a little Dean Koontz and some Dan Simmons in there. I picked up a lot from the older books I read growing up, such as The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, The Jungle Book, A Wrinkle in Time.

I have to admit that all the anime-watching I did authin my teen years affected my scene visualization too, so my action is probably a little more bombastic than your usual King style, and my dialogue can get introspective.

You had quite a surprise on Twitter just the other day. Tell us a little about receiving a shout out from the Master himself, and how did it make you feel?

I just about shit.

Honestly, I didn't expect anything. I figured he'd be up to his eyeballs in tweets. I tabbed out of Tweetdeck to look at something else and when I came back, he was sitting in my notifications. I couldn't scream because everyone was sleep, so I just sat there and did a lot of trembling.

Not only did he Tweet at me, but he said yes to easter egging Maturin, [one of the Beam Guardians from the Dark Tower]. 

I had a great time reading The Whirlwind in the Thorn Tree and an even better time, talking with the author. If you haven't added The Outlaw King series to your reading list yet, you should. Support this fantastic Indie Author and pick up your copies today.

Below are the links to purchase all three Outlaw King books and check out the rest of Hunt's books on his Amazon Author Page. Grab a copy, give it a read, leave a review! 

Today we are sitting down with author Kory Shrum, whose debut novel “Dying for a Living” has sparked a massive following and her follow up novel “Dying by the Hour” is showing signs of doing even better. Both of these books are wildly original and filled with fantastic characters and complex, interesting plots. 


Let’s get right down to it: what motivates you to write?
If we are going to be honest here, respect. I love stories and admire writers who are good at what they do. I want to be recognized as being good at what I do, and I acknowledge that it will take decades to hone my craft—So I write, knowing I get better every time I do.

What have you learned since publishing “Dying for a Living,” that you are doing differently with “Dying by the Hour?”
If we are talking craft, the POV and tone have changed. Dying for a Living focused on Jesse and her experience, but Dying by the Hour alternates between Jesse and Ally’s POV. You get to see Jesse from someone else’s perspective, which I think deepens the story. You also get inside Ally’s head, which makes her more “real”—or so I’ve been told ;) Also, the tone is darker. Jesse comes face to face with the series “bad guy”, whereas in the first book (Dying for a Living), he was mostly causing trouble from afar.

I love Jesse’s sense of humor; her voice throughout the narrative is great! How much of Kory went into Jesse?
I’ve definitely loaned her my sarcasm and snark, but I don’t have the chip on my shoulder that she does. Jesse is a good caricature of me in my late teens and early 20s—I remember what that was like and I’ve definitely kept the humor, but I’ve learned not to take things so personally as I get older. Jesse isn’t quite there yet ;)  

Where did the idea for “Dying” come from?
I wanted an interesting occupation for my character who I’d “failed” to write properly for a couple of manuscripts, but I hadn’t found the job yet. Then I was hiking up the Italian mountainside, hauling all my luggage, sometime in August 2008. It was hot and I was pretty sure I was going to die on this dirt path just outside Cinqua Terra. By the time we located our little bungalow and I fell panting into my bed—that was for some reason in the kitchen—I was half delirious. The next thing I know, I was panting “She dies for a living. She dies for a living.” I’m told I was laughing hysterically. But delirium or no, the idea stuck—and I built Jesse’s world around it.

Would you give us a little insight into your writing process?  Do you Outline, or “pants it”. Do you take extensive notes prior to drafting?

I do a lot of my writing in the shower, bathtub and when walking the dog—in my head anyway (not sure the laptop is water-resistant). First, a couple of “high points” usually come to me on the fly—out of nowhere—just real dramatic moments/scenes. I have these in mind when I sit down to write and I build the story around them. I’ve noticed that I do a lot of this “collecting” of highpoints for weeks or months before I actually write the book.  And I know it is time to write the book when I know how it ends. When that shows up, I just “pants it”, keeping this target scene in mind. And that’s usually how it goes—Beginning and end planned—middle, by the seat of my pants ;)

You’ve produced a mixture of novels and short stories over the last year; do you have a favorite medium?

You forgot poetry! :) Yes, I write a little bit of everything. And I wish I could say I have a “favorite” but that’s a tough call. I like the way a novel is complicated and involved. For me, it offers more depth than short stories. You can enter into the world of a novel and really stay there. But recently, my love of shorter pieces has grown. From a writer’s perspective it is a great way to capture an interesting idea before it’s lost. And it is less demanding than a novel. I cry and wrench my garments over a novel for months or YEARS, but I can wrap up a short story in days or a week—so there is something really powerful, creative, and liberating about short stories—though they don’t have the payoff that novels do.  As for my poetry, I don’t write it as much as I like—and though short, I think they are harder than short stories. The attention to language and imagery in poems can be maddening—but in a good way. Like falling in love.









What drove you to writing?
The possibility of attending medical school. I needed a reason not to go ;)  But really, what drives the blue jay to build nests or the carrion to pick at road-side carcasses? Hunger—just a hunger that I don’t fully understand.

Who would you say are your biggest influences?
Stephen King. Neil Gaiman. Laurell K. Hamilton. Octavia Butler and TV…I’m trying not to feel shame as I admit that last one, but it’s true. I find certain TV characters just as stimulating as those on the page.

Do you have any advice for new writers out there?  What would be one or two things you know now that you wished you would have known when publishing your first book?
Write. A Lot. And don’t stop for ANY reason. It gets harder if you stop writing—the muscles get cold.

I was mistaken in thinking that publishing one book means I’ve “done” it! All the greats (most famous writers), have DOZENS of books under their belt. Name an author who is famous having written only one book? They are the exception, not the norm. The first book is just the beginning.    

What’s on the horizon for Kory?
A YA trilogy about a witch and her demon-hunting aunts and more Jesse novels of course :)

Thanks for hanging out and best of luck on your new novel!
Thanks for having me! :)

To learn more about Kory, her blog and upcoming new releases, head over to her website: www.korymshrum.com

Be sure to check out all of Kory’s Amazon Authors Page and pick up all of her books. Show her your support by following her on Facebook and Twitter and let her know how much you like her work!

Well, after a few weeks’ hiatus, we are back at again! This week Samantha LaFantasie drops by to share her thoughts on the Indie world-at-large, writing, editing and how she finds time for it all!


Why did you start writing?

For release. I’ve always said writing is my therapy, and it’s so true. Writing is my release, my stress relief, my vacation, my happy place. It’s everything to me. I’ve written off and on for most of my life, either songs, poetry, fan-fic (before I knew it was a thing), but I never got serious about it until after my daughter was born and then even more so when I had my third child. That was the point when I decided that I was going to do this for publishing.  

Who would you say are your biggest influences?

Hmm …

I wouldn’t be writing fantasy if it weren’t for Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. They are my author idols. My spouse is one of my biggest supporters and influences. The ideas that we get to talking about really help me break through my blocks and open up other creative pathways. I love that we can be a team on my dream. My children are influences in the sense that they help me see the world through different eyes, and not just how they perceive the world but how they understand it as well. I also have a few friends who have been there for me since practically the beginning. They are who I lean on the most and can go to any time of day or night to bounce ideas off of.

Obviously one of the cool things about being an Indie Author is the ability to write whatever you want, your debut novel Heart Song is a fantasy and your Nepherium Series are science fiction.  What’s your favorite of the two and is one more difficult to write than the other?

Believe it or not, both of them were incredibly difficult. Yes, I’m an indie author, but not because I can write whatever I want. Lots of authors, even traditionally published ones, write in several genres. And I think I’ve made a name for myself as a speculative fiction author more so than just fantasy or sci-fi. With that being said, both were equally difficult in their own ways. But I think writing a series is worse because there is so much you have to keep straight and pull through the entire series and answer questions that were posed in previous works and hope and pray that nothing was left out or forgotten about.

As far as which one is my favorite? That’s actually a lot like asking me which one of my kids is my favorite. I love them both. They are both my fave!

Any particular reason for going Indie rather than Traditional Publishing?

Besides that I’m a person that enjoys instant gratification? I like the idea of being able to be in control of everything I do. I’ve actually blogged about that. You can find it here.

Would you give us a little insight into your writing process?  Pen and paper, laptop, stone tablet?

Each WIP is different. I’ve done the blog tour thing about that twice now. You can read about how each WIP is different here and here. Sometimes I do a very basic outline, other times I pants the hell out of a story only to go back and outline for plot holes. There are even times when that doesn’t happen.

As far as the medium I use to push out these works? I’ve done pen and paper and my trusty laptop. I even have a tablet that I can edit/write on if necessary but I don’t like the formatting it has so I try not to use it if I can help it. 

A couple of weeks ago you put up a post on your website about outlining, having you always been an outliner and if not, why start now?

No. I’m a pantser at heart. I only outline when I think the story will benefit from it. Usually that’s done after the first draft is out. I tend to write the skeleton first, then go back and fill in the holes and change what needs to be, etc. To help me see where I should do that, I outline. Most of my issue is I tend to get to know the characters better and more organically (so to speak) if I just pants the first part. If I do end up outlining before the first draft, it’s to get the basis of the story down, so it’s not as specific as most authors who do outline first can be.

On top of being a full time wife, mom and writer, you also beta read and edit, what made you decide to get into editing?

Some of the authors that I’ve beta’d for told me that I was good at it and should really get paid to do it. I was hesitant for the most part, but eventually, they talked me into it. Editing has helped me as a writer and also afford my own edits and things that I need such as covers, book trailers, formatting, etc.

How do you find time for it all?

I have a schedule and divide my time among each thing I have to do. I plan ahead, but sometimes changes happen, or mistakes are made, and I end up sacrificing family and writing time to complete edits. I typically read before bed, write before that, and do my editing before  my other two get home from school and after homeschool is done for the day (my son also has afternoon specials at a public school). Otherwise, carefully. LOL :)



What is the biggest mistake you seen during the editing process?

The biggest mistake? Hmmm. That’s a good question. Probably trying to get edits too soon. Some of the most common mistakes I see are passive voice, tense slips, PoV slips, and aversion to contractions—particularly in dialogue.

Any particular things that make you want to pull your hair out while editing or beta reading?

Not really. I’m not a snarky person (sarcastic, maybe), so I don’t tend to get bent out of shape with edits. There are stories that I’ve edited/beta’d that didn’t really hold my interest as a reader, but nothing that pulled my hair out. If I get a MS (which I’ve had a few) that is so rough I can’t make heads or tails of the plot and feel like I’m practically rewriting the MS for the author, I’ll send back what I’ve done and tell them they need to clean it up more before I can continue. 

Any advice for aspiring writers out there?

Write. I know it’s been said and repeated as if we’re all drones operating on the same battery, but it’s true. Write. If you really want to write, you will. I’m not going to say that you will make time if you want it bad enough because I’ve been in places where it’s impossible to write and not for the lack of want or trying.

Don’t listen to naysayers. There are ALWAYS going to be those people who see that you are achieving a dream and it’s going to irk them or rub them wrong in some way. Ignore them. Keep your dream and goal in sight. You’re not writing for them and if they have a problem with you or your process it’s on them. You don’t have to own it.

Get critique partners and beta readers. You’re going to want to form relationships now so that when you need them, you’ll have them. Plus, it’s great practice to see different writing styles and voices so that you can know what works and what doesn’t.

Read. You can’t know if what you are writing actually works for readers if you don’t read in the first place. And particularly in the genres you are interested in. Read both indie and traditionally published authors. Get in deep. Volunteer on groups to do reviews in exchange for free copies.

Don’t take shortcuts. I’m talking editing on your own, doing your own covers, trying to go as cheaply as possible. Yes, these things can be expensive, but in the long run, it will make a difference. And believe me, readers WILL know and can (and often does) result in negative reviews which is damaging to future sales.

Join writing groups. Be it on Facebook, Goodreads, interwebs, in person, anywhere, do it. You’ll make connections and network with other authors that will prove invaluable to your growth as a writer and future author.

What’s next for Samantha?

I’ve got a few things up my sleeves …

Heart Song is going to have a facelift, edit, revision, and rerelease. Date is to be announced.

Forced to Remember, Nepherium Novella Series Part Three is going to be coming out next year (July 2015)

The Dark Ones, Paranormal fantasy, is due out October 2015. I’m shooting for Halloween because the date is important to the story.

Blood Awakening, Paranormal fantasy, is set to release sometime 2015 or 2016.

It’s been a busy year!

Thanks for hanging out and best of luck on your new novella!

Thank you so much for sitting down with me for this interview! I appreciate it! Good luck with your projects as well!

Be sure to check out all of Samantha's book here! 

For more information on Samantha, her blog and upcoming releases, head over to her website: http://samanthalafantasie.com/

Follow her on Facebook and Twitter 

Ernie Lindsey, the USA Today Bestselling Author of Sara's Game and Warchild: Pawn, sit's down with me to chat about his writing process and being a bridesmaid. 

You’ve written in many different genres, from mystery and suspense with Sara’s Game to dystopian with Warchild Pawn, and now with Super…what is that? Superhero genre?  What’s your favorite?

Honestly, I think my favorite genre doesn’t exist. I write like I read, and that’s all across the spectrum. I was trying to sum up SUPER the other day to Jason Gurley, which is the fact that it’s a mashup of superheroes and a political thriller. My choice of genres is like a Nike shoe—it’s a cross-trainer. Little bit of Hank Williams, little bit of teaching somebody how to Dougie. But, the short answer is, mysteries and thrillers, no matter what the plot is.

I have to admit, I love the narrator in Super. He is already in my top 5 list for favorite characters. How much of Ernie went into Leo?

Leo is somebody I’d want to hang out with. Being a snarky assassin is my day job, so we’re one in the same. Actually, it’s funny you ask that, because in every novel I’ve written, my wife will come across something and say, “That’s totally you right there.” Throughout SUPER you’ll come across spots where Leo is pontificating about the absurdities of life, and a lot of those are my own random observations that find their way into my characters. Not giving anything away, but I’m the type of guy who’d randomly notice a perfect bulls-eye on a dart board as I’m running for my life.

 Where did the idea for Super come from?

I’m going to sound like a walking cliché here, but I had a dream about it. The assassin support group, the South Korean woman in white, and a dead superhero on a yacht off the coast of the Maldives. Very clear images in my head from that dream and damn it, I woke up so I never got to find out what happened. The plot intrigued me so much that I dropped Warchild #2 halfway through the first draft and began working on Super. I had to know how they got there and really, I think it turned out to be one of the best things I’ve ever written.

Would you give us a little insight into your writing process?  Pen and paper, laptop, stone tablet?

There are times where I wish I could get into the nostalgia of a #2 pencil and a yellow notepad, but I’m a left-hander so I just smudge everything I write. Plus, my hand can’t keep up with the words in my head. On a good day I can hit around 1,500 words in an hour, so I absolutely have to sit down at a keyboard. I’m usually hidden away in my home office with the shades pulled, the cat on my lap, listening to white noise on my headphones so I can zone out and disappear into the world I’m creating. On the weekends, take all that and an eighteen-month-old toddler running into the room, yelling, “Dada! Dada,” followed by my wife chasing him. 

You’ve probably been asked this many times before (but hey, I run a mostly Indie website so I have to ask,) what made you choose to go the Indie route over Traditional?

I’ve been at this for about twenty years. Creative writing has always been my passion, and I’m sure that even if I never had to work again, I’d still feel the need to sit down at a keyboard and tell the stories in my head. That said, I’d tried for years (and years) (and years) to get traditional publishing to take a look at my work. I made it quite ways in the process a number of times, but always the bridesmaid. Then, around December of 2011, my father-in-law showed me an article on Yahoo! about Darcie Chan and all the success she’d had self-publishing The Mill River Recluse. I figured it was worth a shot, because the novels and shorts on my hard-drive were gathering digital dust. The rest, as they say, has been a ton of hard work and treating this like the job it is. I work more now as a self-published, stay-at-home author-dad than I ever did while sitting in a cube. But, every day is worth it, and I’m so glad I chose this route because I’ve been lucky enough to have some success, and I get to do this every day.

How did you start writing?

Man, I think I started out with some really, really bad poetry in high school. At some point, someone told me I might actually have talent (more than likely it was a girl I was crushing on at that age) and I kept coming back to it. Lots of failed attempts at wooing girls with my poetry filled with heart explosions and puppy dogs covered in strawberry ice cream. Gag me. I wrote my first full-length short story when I was a freshman in college and it was sparked by a single event. Three friends and I were sitting in a coffee shop at like four in the morning and we had one of those inevitable lulls in conversation. My friend says, “So there we were. The four of us, sitting in a coffee shop…the heist…shot to hell.” Almost like the superhero dream, it was a story idea I couldn’t let go of. I’m sure it sucked, but thankfully I’ve had two decades of practice since then.

Who would you say are your biggest influences?

There are so, so many, but I’d say top three would be Dean Koontz, Elmore Leonard, and Tim O’Brien. Dean Koontz because I read The Voice in the Night when I was fifteen, and I remember it being the first thing I’d read in a long time that made me think, “This is awesome, and that stuff they make us read in school sucks.” (Ignore that, kids. Read your assigned books. Yes, even The Red Badge of Courage.) Elmore Leonard because the dude was the epitome of cool and it showed in his fiction. And then, Tim O’Brien, because Tomcat in Love is my desert island book. If you haven’t read it, run, right now, and go grab a copy. The unreliable narrator is a complete ass, but the things that O’Brien does with language in that book still amaze so many years later.

Any advice for the masses of aspiring writers out there?

Write, and write again. Practice. Read. A lot. Write some more. Get the opinions of people who’ll tell you something straight. When you’re first starting out, you don’t need cotton candy caressing your ego, you need steel wool. It may leave some scratches, but you’ll heal and you’ll be stronger for it. And this pastime/hobby/career, whatever it is, comes with a certain level of inherent talent for some folks, but it’s not like you have to be born genetically gifted and can run a 4.3 forty. It can be learned with enough practice, so write and write again. I don’t know if it’s necessary to write every single day because sometimes your brain needs to recharge, but write often enough that you don’t lose your rhythm. Break the rules. Sometimes it’s okay to tell instead of showing. Adverbs modifying things? Why not? Who’s it gonna hurt? If you go the self-publishing route, don’t be afraid to hire quality people to help you in the process. Cover designers, editors, proofreaders, they’ll save you lots of struggling and give you a professional appearance. But, above all, just tell a damn good story that readers can immerse themselves in. Their escape, and their willingness to tell others about it, is your reward.

What’s next for Ernie Lindsay?

Oy, I have so many projects lined up that I literally have myself booked until about this time next year. I’m working on Warchild: Knight now and that’s about halfway finished. Then, in no particular order, another Sara book, a sequel to The White Mountain, likely a third Warchild book, more novels in the Super universe, probably some Kindle Worlds novellas, and maybe even some short stories here and there during snack time. I get tired just reading that paragraph.

 Thanks for hanging out and best of luck on your new novel!

Thanks for having me, Josh! Big good fun, that was.

Super comes out Jun. 17th on Amazon.com but is available for pre-order right now. Grab it here! I was lucky enough to get an ARC (Advance Review Copy), and have typed up a review in the My Review page. But don't wait, go order yourself a copy. I'll wait. 

You didn't do it. I can see you. Do it right now. 

Now that you're back, be sure to check out Ernie's website: www.ernielindsey.com and like his Facebook Page. If you're on Twitter--and if you're not you need to be--give him a follow: @Ernie_Lindsey

Ernie's novel Warchild: Pawn is my “Indie Showcase” book this week; I’ll have a review of that coming in a few weeks.

Today we’re talking with Indie Author, Scott Moon, author of the Dragon Badge and Kin Roland Series. This interview was a little different from my previous chats, because I actually sat down with Scott. Our interview space was his Toyota FJ Cruiser, which actually turned out to be extremely roomy and comfortable.

Having a vivid imagination is one of the cornerstones to any great science fiction writing, and I can tell you that Scott’s is wildly vivid. From his urban fantasy series Dragon Badge pits a street cop against evil sorcerers and vicious hell hounds, to his Kin Roland series follows a troubled ex-spacemarine in his battle against…well everyone, Scott’s books never fail to entertain. 

Josh Hayes: Scott thanks for taking the time out of your day to sit and visit with me.

Scott Moon: Of course, thank you for the opportunity.

What makes Moon tick?

I’d have to say the unusual. I’ve always liked stories and I like to have adventures. Mostly I like to read and write stuff that not everyone gets to do.

Did anything specific move you to create Kin and his world?                                                         

SM: The story of Kin Roland was originally a screenplay. After watching the Vin Diesel movie Pitch Black I sat down to try to write, a faced paced military adventure with traces of Aliens and Starship Troopers. It took me about four weeks to write and that was when I learned that there are warehouses filled with optioned screenplays. Sure if a producer optioned my screenplay I would, get some money, but chances are it would just sit in a warehouse and collect dust and are never made and I wouldn’t be able to do anything else with it. I wanted people to read it.

Son of Orlan is your fourth novel in 2 years, how do you keep up that pace?  With a full time job and kids, how do you ever find the time to right?

I try to write first thing in the morning and it’s typically the last thing I do I night. But mostly I’m always prepared to write. I used Google Drive and Google Docs to write my manuscripts, that way it’s always there whenever I have to time. I’m always prepared to write. I’ve even learned to write with kids crawling all over me.

Are there any differences in how you wrote Enemy of Man and Son of Orlan?

Originally, Enemy of Man was titled Wormbright (the screenplay) and that story I wrote using thing “seat of the pants” method. Enemy has been rewritten several times and took me about 40 days to write the 1st draft and about 4 months to edit.  With Son of Orlan I actually sat done and did a lot of organizing before I started writing. The first draft still took about 3 months to write, followed by another 4 months of editing.

I’ve learned a lot about my writing through the editing process. My editor, Samantha LaFantasie, does a wonderful job ripping apart my manuscripts.

Out of all the styles and settings you have written in, what do genre is the easiest for you to write?

I would have to say my books about cops are the easiest to write, but sometimes I feel like what I write in those books is too harsh for my readers. I’ll read a scene and in my head, I know that it’s exactly how it would be in real life, but wonder if it would make my readers uncomfortable to read it.

Do you find it difficult to switch between one styles of fiction to another?

Not really. Everything I write usually has some paranormal elements mixed in with some fantasy and a dash of Stephen King.

What led you to Indie publishing over traditional?  

My first novel Dragon Badge was originally titled, Michael Prim and the Chaos Broker, but I thought the title made it seem too much like a YA (Young Adult) book. So I changed it during the re-write and began the submission process of traditional publishing. At first, I was encouraged, it made it through the “first stage” of the process but after that I didn't hear anything back for almost 7 years. No kidding. I’d forgotten about it and then one day I get a rejection letter out of nowhere. That blew me away. Not the fact that the manuscript was rejected, but that it took 7 years.

Also, most publishers don’t allow simultaneous submissions and after waiting 7 years for a rejection, I knew that traditional publishing wasn’t going to work for me. That was when someone sent me an article on the Kindle Direct Publishing program and that, as they say, was that. I did my research, formatted my books, and got a cover and put it up on Amazon.

Son of Orlan is your fourth novel. Are there things you know now about Indie publishing that you wish you would’ve known when you published Dragon Badge. Is there anything you would have done differently? 

When it comes to writing a series, yes. I would have completed at least the first draft of the first three books before publishing the first one. That way it’s easier to spot continuity problems and have a more complete story. Also, frequency in publishing helps your ranks and brings in more readers; publishing 30 to 90 days apart seems to be the best way to go.

And words of advice to aspiring novelist?

I have all kinds of advice; I’m trying to think of anything worth a shit. The main thing is to you need to write the book quickly and don’t show it to anyone or talk about it. I feel once you’ve show it around or told people what it’s about; you won’t feel the urgency to finish it.

The phrase “Get written then get it right” from Writing in Overdrive is one of my favorite writing quotes.  Give yourself permission to write like shit and then make it better.

The book 2,000 to 10,000 – How to Write Faster, Write Better and Write More of What You Love by Rachel Aaron, talks about the “writing triangle” each side has a name: Knowledge, Time, Enthusiasm. The most important of which is Knowledge. She says, “If you want to write faster, the first step is to know what you’re writing before you write it.” (loc. 117 of 1338, Kindle ver. 2013 revised ed.) The other two sides are relatively easy: track your time and if you’re not excited about a scene work it out until you are or just out right toss it.

 

What’s next for Moon?

I’m working on the third book in the Kin Roland series and I’m finishing up the final book in the Dragon Badge Trilogy. I also have some ideas for a standalone book in the Dragon Badge series.


I'd like to thank Scott for talking time out of his busy schedule to talk with me. His newest book Son Of Orlan is coming soon to Amazon.

You can pick up copies of all of Scott's books here: Scott Moon's Amazon Author Page

For more information on the author and his books, check out his website www.scottmoonwriter.com and be sure to like his Facebook Page and follow him on Twitter: @Scottmoonwriter