Showing posts with label interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label interview. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

[INTERVIEW] Anstractor: Vestalia, by Greg Dragon


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Sci-Fi Romance 
Date Published: 1/6/2014 

Born an outcast, raised a soldier, and chosen as a savior.  Rafian VCA is humanity's only hope against a vicious new race of predators aimed at taking over the galaxy of Anstractor.  In Anstractor: Vestalia, the first book by author Greg Dragon, the planet of Vestalia has been completely taken over by the Geralos.  After losing their home and being forced into space, the revengeful Marines of Vestalia decide to take the fight back to the Geralos and win their planet back.
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Awwww, yeah.  Now that's what I'm talking about.  An awesome-looking military sci-fi!  I can't wait to read this one.  Also a fist-bump to Greg, who is a fellow Floridian.

Read on for the interview and excerpt!

Stop.  Who would cross the Bridge of Death must answer me these questions three, ere the other side he see. 

- What is your name?  Greg Dragon
- What is your quest?  To add my voice to the life-stream of fictional literature.
- What is your favorite color?  Garnet Red

Just kidding, there are more than 3 questions.

Which orifice did you pull this story from (from whence did the inspiration come)?  
My Imaginative arse? 

What was the most difficult thing about writing Anstractor?  
I am writing to represent a multiverse of several galaxies, Anstractor is but one galaxy. Each galaxy has its planets, each planet has its continents and each continent has its people. There are hundreds of races, species, looks and customs. There are political differences, exotic technology, languages, all of which I need to keep track of and reference accurately throughout the various stories. Had I written a book about earth, or something we all know about historically then it would have been a bit easier since all I would have had to focus on was the characters and the situations.

What was something you learned while writing Anstractor?  
People don’t take you seriously until you’ve actually put the book in print. While there may be people who feel a certain way about Indie Authors, the general populace still look at books as huge undertakings that only a select few mad men and women create. This seems even more evident when it is a story of your own creation versus a self-help book, or an extension of your blog. During my writing only 2-3 people cared to ask about my project but once it was available in paperback I was given a lot of support. It is still strange to me how many people are even more excited for my book than I am.

What do you love the most about Anstractor?
The characters. I love my main guy, I love his team, and I love the brain-eating aliens that stole his planet. Giving people individual personalities and having them interact is a beautiful thing. People who read Anstractor will probably talk more about the characters than any of the cool fights (which I am really proud of) or technology.

What do you hate the most about Anstractor?
It is the marketing part of the beast that breaks a book and it is such a monstrous beast that it takes away from your writing. I have to be pushing Anstractor constantly so that it gets read by a multitude of people and unfortunately that takes up time that could be spent building worlds.

What are your future plans as an author?
To grow my readership and continue to write. I am a huge fan of history, particularly gangland America so I may work on a historical fiction piece eventually but only after the full story of Anstractor has been told.

Give us your favorite blurb (paragraph/scene) from the story.
Val had come over to where Rafian sat in deep thought and plopped down across from him to begin talking. 

“Let me guess Marine, you’re probably thinking of that pretty girlfriend of yours.” 

Rafian had to smile at the accusation. 

“Is it that obvious?” he asked, but Val didn’t return the smile like Rafian assumed he would. 

“Well, I know you haven’t been thinking of her while fighting these things, but check your thoughts when you do. The lizards have consumed enough pureblood Vestalian women to where some have been gifted with the ability to read us and put thoughts into our heads. I had it happen to me once when I sat on my gun thinking of Chelle, and some recon spucha bastard gave me visions of her being tortured and killed. I wondered where the hell that level of thought came from, and thought it was the war y’know screwing with me.” 

Rafian was intrigued and horrified at the same time. 

“So these guys have us outmanned, outgunned, and can put thoughts into our heads now?” he asked Val, but not in a way that Val could answer. “How exactly are we even winning on this moon with those odds?” Rafian mused. 

Val gave a mocking laugh, injected a ration bar into his mask, and sat back chewing for a while, as if the question was worth considering. 

“Who knows Raf, maybe they’re letting us win for some greater strategy. But remember what I told you, in case you’re ever alone with one of them. You should keep Vani and her memory off of the battlefield where she’s safe.” 

Rafian nodded and thanked his friend. Val then went on to make fun of him for having a thing for bad girls, a joke that apparently had made its rounds to Missio-tral from all the friends who knew him. 

“Vani’s not a bad girl Val. What has she done to anyone besides being annoying?” 

Val looked genuinely surprised. 

“What!? Do you not know why they made her a button-pushing navigator instead of the admiral path that she was pursuing?” 

Rafian shook his head, sadly awaiting what he assumed would be disappointing news. 

“Well, your woman punched out the Cadet Commander after they had words one night and the woman was carted out to receive multiple zaps to her face to keep her pretty. I’m surprised you didn’t hear about this. Look at you, thinking that you had a gentle wildflower all this time. It got bad man, you must’ve been on a mission or something, but princess had to call mommy and daddy to bail her out, as the Commander was a step away from shooting her out of an airlock for assaulting an officer. Her parents are powerful people so she got away with it, but you need to watch your back with Vani Narcila, that girl has a temper on her!”

Rafian chuckled. 

“She didn’t tell me about any of this when I got back with Aurora.” 

“See…you and bad girls man! First with Kim the Terrible, and now with Violent Vani. Hell if you and Vani don’t work out, you can holler at Rueche SYN, the girl who tried to blow up the ship after she failed out of Special Operations.” 

“Ha!” Rafian looked at Val and smiled. 

“What about Vestalia? Is she a bad girl?” he asked, still thinking of her beautiful face grimacing from the stasis. Val got serious and made to get to his feet as he answered. 

“You’re not her type Raf. Trust me, Vani would get her before you would. Either way I’m gonna go take advantage of this chance to sleep buddy. If I were you, I would do the same.” 

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About the Author:
Greg Dragon
Greg Dragon hails from sunny South Florida and has worked in the creative field for several years. He has written extensively on the web with articles on gaming and lifestyle improvement and continues to do so on several websites.

Website: 
Facebook: 
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Blog: 

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Tuesday, March 4, 2014

[INTERVIEW & GIVEAWAY] The City of the Mirage, by Jerome Brooke

I think I might kick off a new "Tour Tuesday" tradition.  Unless I get assigned on another day of course, but I think I'll pick Tuesdays from now on.  Er...Thursday could work as well :P

Today's guest is the author of The City of the Mirage!  Read on for the interview.

paperback
Kindle

Stop.  Who would cross the Bridge of Death must answer me these questions three, ere the other side he see.

- What is your name? I write as Jerome Brooke.
- What is your quest? I want to write pulp fiction - F & SF - I write ebooks - ebooks should be short or be a collection of short stories. Long novels do not work well online.
- What is your favorite color? Ultraviolet

Just kidding, there are more than 3 questions.

Which orifice did you pull this story from (from whence did the inspiration come)?
My Sahasrara chakra.  I like to think that we live in a multiverse, and we see or create a reality that lives as another plane of reality.

What was the most difficult thing about writing The City of the Mirage?
My writing, fiction and poetry, is very fast - revision and editing is harder.

What was something you learned while writing The City of the Mirage?
It was an effort to write short stories that could be read as complete short stories but if read together would form a coherent narrative.  They resemble the Conan stories or the Sherlock Holmes tales (in a modest way).

What do you love the most about The City of the Mirage?
I believe the stories have the potential of good F & SF pulp fiction.

What do you hate the most about The City of the Mirage?
The book is short, which works as an ebook. However, it may be too short to be a good paperback.

Give us your favorite blurb (paragraph/scene) from the story.
     As our warriors secured the field, I turned to the Queen.
     "Your enemy is no more. Hail, my Queen."
     The face of the Lady was covered with tears.  She averted her gaze from the sight of the gory trophy head, raised on the pike.  I glanced at the head of the fallen Demon Lord.  His eyes seemed to move, and fix me in a stare.  His lips seemed to be forming words.  
     I shuddered. 

What are your future plans as an author?
I have been writing paranormals, which may do better than F & SF.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jerome Brooke resides in the Kingdom of Siam.  He is the consort of Jira, a princess of the lost Kingdom of Nan.  She was born in Nan, Thailand.  He is the father of two children.  He has written The Myth of the Eternal Return and many other books.

Social Media Links
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6542781.Jerome_Brooke
http://runesofthebard.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/168195166697131/

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Jerome has some goodies for us as well!  Please partake in the giveaway below:

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

[INTERVIEW & GIVEAWAY] Phasms: Infinite Potential, by Barbara Garren

DUN DUN DUN...it has come!!


I'm extra-excited about this.  Barb is not only my critique buddy, but also my drinking buddy, workout buddy, coffee buddy, lunch buddy, gossip buddy...okay, she's a friend of mine!  And she writes some damn sexy characters.  So, of course, I was eager to sign up for the blog tour and throw some questions at her.  Read on for the interview!

Stop. Who would cross the Bridge of Death must answer me these questions three, ere the other side he see.

 - What is your name? Barbara
 - What is your quest? I seek the golden fleece
 - What is your favorite color? Uh, gold?

Just kidding, there are more than 3 questions.  
Ha ha ha!

What was the famous #pitmad tweet that got you snagged? 
You expect me to remember?  Okay, here you go: #pitmad At 22 Kelsi lost her husband & maybe her mind.  Is the dark haired man frm her dreams real?  Y dz he look like her new neighbor?

Which orifice did you pull this story from (from whence did the inspiration come)?
Not the one you think.  The basic premise was one I’ve spent a good deal of my life contemplating – (Warning: I am a physics nerd) – a universal law of physics is that energy is constant.  With that thought in mind, what happens when we die?  A certain amount of energy is expended in the natural decay of the body, but how can something as full of energy (and potential energy) exhaust itself in that way?

The second part of the premise is a bit more personal: I believe we never truly die.  I believe our “soul,” for lack of a better term, transits to either another place, another form or another time.  Thus, the notion that our “soul” is made of that small bit of energy unaccounted for by the laws of matter, and that energy is represented as emotion.  Emotion in use and action, like energy, begets an equal and opposite force, and so Phasms were created.

What was the most difficult thing about writing Phasms?
The most difficult thing about writing Phasms was delving into my own life experiences and exposing the pain of losing a loved one, while making sure that element of the story was true to the character I had created.  There were many, many times my editor had to remind me my character is NOT me.

What was something you learned while writing Phasms?
Wow – I learned so MUCH! I think, the biggest thing I learned was to trust my voice.  We writers tend to be an insecure, needy bunch.  We sort of shrivel up into our shells and second guess everything we've written, especially when waiting for a reply from an agent, editor or publisher.  We have to remember that the story is OURS, the words and the rhythm and the pacing are all ours – and if we do that, then the words we hear in response will be reaffirming and encouraging.

What do you love the most about Phasms?
I love the symbolism I was able to incorporate: the beach and the waves, the beast and the stag.  I loved the tension between Kelsi and Aiden, and the slow awakening Kelsi experienced as she overcame her grief.  And I love that I got to include my dog, Charlie, as one of the characters!

What do you hate the most about Phasms?
Wow – that’s hard.  I can’t say I hate any of it, but I worry (constantly) the reader won’t have those absolutely heart-stopping, nail biting moments I tried so hard to create.  Building that depth of emotion; terror, sorrow, passion, exhilaration – I find it incredibly hard at times to find the words and I have to hope I managed at least a fraction of the “feels” I was shooting for.

Give us your favorite blurb from the story.
It would have to be Kelsi’s description of the first time she saw Jamie:

     He stood on the pitcher’s mound, hat tucked under one arm and wiped the sweat off his face with the other. The sun caught his profile, outlined his body where the uniform hugged it and made a halo of his hair. I caught my breath. He was the most beautiful boy I’d ever seen. 
     He looked up, our eyes locked and time stood still. The umpire yelled at him twice to get him back in the game. He grinned, his little lopsided grin, stuck his hat back on his head and winked. 
     Later that night, after burgers and fries, he told me he was going to marry me. I told him he was right. Because he was.

What are your future plans as an author?
To finish books 2 and 3 of this series, obviously.  I have two contemporary romance novels I’m polishing that I’d like to submit soon and a few other brands in the fire.  I’m constantly jotting down notes for the next story – we’ll have to see which gets finished first!

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Infinite Potential by Barbara Garren 
Entranced Publishing 
February 24, 2014


Kelsi always Knows when bad things are coming, but even she never thought she’d lose her husband at only twenty-three.  Since he died, she’s been living her worst nightmare.

Her nights are filled with dreams of a Dark Haired Man, but her days are full of guilt, because the Man fills her with longing and confusion, promising to give her all she needs, all she wants, all she feared she’d never have again.

If only the dreams would stay in her head where they belong.

Kelsi starts seeing the Dark Haired Man in her waking life, shadowing her wherever she goes.  And when her mysterious new neighbor, Aiden Hardt, knows about the Man in her dreams, Kelsi worries she can’t trust her own mind.

"He’s not what he seems."

But even Aiden’s cryptic words don’t frighten her as much as the way she feels around him.  Kelsi must sort through her emotions and figure out what’s real before she can ever hope to have a normal life again.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Barbara was born and raised in Southern California, but left to explore the world courtesy of the U.S. Navy.  After traveling the world, she forced herself to live a humble life in in San Francisco, New York and Norfolk,Virginia.  She now calls San Diego home and you won’t pry her out with a crowbar. 

She would be the first to tell you her husband, Henry, is the inspiration for all the romance, and the real Charlie - who is as cute as he sounds in her books - is a terrorist.  When not working for the U.S. Navy, she can be found running, reading or writing.  She firmly believes a well-rounded diet consists of coffee, scotch, chocolate, popcorn and Luna Bars.  In that order.

She's a graduate of CUNY and Penn State - and manages to write a decent line here and there despite those burdens. 

Social Media Links 
https://twitter.com/bak229  
http://nofilterinstalled.blogspot.com
 https://www.facebook.com/NoFilterBetweenBrainandMouth

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And, last but not least, Barb is giving us a chance to win some goodies!  Hurray for goodies!