KaraSkinner

Too Sons Too Many by Aidan Mc Nally

Today’s interview is with Aidan Mc Nally, an Irish fisherman who used writing to overcome tragedy in his life.

LQ: Tell me a little bit about yourself. 

AM: My name is Aidan Mc Nally. I come from a small fishing village on the east coast of Ireland. my writing came about after some major tragedies in my own life. I felt forced to review my entire life to see did it all really happen. The answer, unfortunately, is yes, it has all been real.

For me as the guy who has been “that soldier” as in, I have been the one to pass through it all. I have still found and do still find things hard to believe. Even though I have been through such experiences, reviewing my own life and even reading back my story as I have written it. Yup, still hard to believe. some of what many will find unimaginable.

Growing up in a little fishing village definitely set the tone for how I would travel the world later in life. For the first 30 years of my life were pretty much spent as a commercial fisherman and it has been a profession that has helped me travel the world and the oceans.

Once I got the bug for writing, I can happily say now that I have produced 4 books to date. An achievement I am very happy about. I have turned my writing to writing a play as my most recent “WIP”.

Life continues and the writing will continue to keep me sane and stay healthy. The writing world is and I can liken it to how I go fishing. We throw the ropes off the harbour and head out to the ocean, we cast our nets and we hope to see them fill. Should we return with an empty boat and not make too much money for our efforts. We will of course return for the next trip and do it all over again. I will continue to throw the ropes off in my writing and enjoy the workload, should fill the nets each time or not.

LQ: What does your writing process look like?

AM: I like to make notes from time to time. I begin to formulate my writing as I go along and then it all takes shape. I will be really honest and say that,  planning it all out is not something that works for me. I enjoy taking in all that I experience and take notes from my experiences. These notes, of course, become the book.that is the rawest process that I actually do enjoy.

Layman’s Handbook, In Life by Aidan Mc Nally

LQ: What was your favorite book to write so far?

Layman’s Handbook In Life. This book has been a deeper look inside of myself. The realization that the tools that I use to keep going in life, are for me perhaps a little easier to find. I have even found myself at different times feeling a little guilty for not sharing such tools and steps to take. The end result was to release an easy to follow and as it says in the title a “Layman’s” perspective on what self-help and self-care can be. The subtitle “simple tools to change how we live”.

In the pandemic times, I find that this book has a definite place in the world right now to offer something to the public to read through and try some of the tools. The pandemic and self-isolation and lockdowns can cause someone’s mind to drift off. I encourage people to check out this book to help change for the better through this time of pause in life.

LQ: Who is your favorite character to write about? 

AM: As I have written 2 memoirs so far in my writing career, my favorite character has to be me. Funny isn’t it? Can one guy be that interesting by only mid 40’s in life? The content is a plenty and the writing continues.

LQ: Who are your favorite authors? Have any of them influenced your work?
AM: I can also honestly say that I have developed a fear of reading books whilst I am writing. I fear that I would reproduce or be influenced by something I may have recently read. For this reason, I try to remain as original and fresh as I can in my writing

My Grief, The Last 3 Years by Aiden Mc Nally

LQ: How are you doing during the current pandemic? 

AM: The lockdown and social distancing is very real here in Ireland. I actually have been enjoying a spell of good weather and getting outside in the garden more. Writing has been at a slowdown as I have just recently completed a new play. The time spent in the evenings has returned to making some marketing posts online and keep on spreading the word of my books.

They are these thus far:

• TWO sons TOO many, 1st memoir.
• 17 & Life, 2nd memoir.
• My Grief, the last 3 years, Poems and blog post-viewing a 3 year time in my life.
• Layman’s Handbook, Self-help guide to meditation

LQ: What are you currently working on?

AM: As I mentioned above, I have very recently completed a play. The next project will be to have it produced and performed. To say the tasks undertaken can only be as difficult as I make me, haha. Plus I put together the odd rant or post on my blog over on Goodreads from time to time. I call my blog “random thoughts” and can be found on my Amazon page and my website on WordPress.

LQ: Anything else you would like to share? 

AM: I can be found around the web on social media.

Facebook: @TWOsonsTOOmany

Twitter: @TWOsonsTOOmany

Instagram: @2sons2many

Website: https://amcnallyauthor.wordpress.com/

Amazon Author page. https://authorcentral.amazon.com/gp/profile

Today’s #IndieApril Interview is with Charles Simpson, an indie writer who spent 23 years traveling around the world as an Air force mechanic.

LQ: Tell me a little bit about yourself. 

CS: I guess I am the stereotypical writer in that I am an introvert and painfully shy (except when I have a few drinks in me). Over the years, though, I’ve learned to “blend in” to the world that seems to favor the extroverts. That “blending in” comes at a cost, though, and I am usually exhausted after social engagements.

On a more personal level, I married a woman who far exceeds me in every aspect I can think of, but not in a negative way. She pushes me to achieve things I might not have done if she had not been there, and by the way, she is an extrovert—so maybe opposites do attract? In addition to that, I am an animal lover, especially dogs. I may be an introvert around people, but around dogs, I am an extreme extrovert. We currently have two dogs, and they are always by my side.

I also spent close to 23 years in the Air Force as an airplane mechanic. During that time, I lived in Japan, Korea, Italy (which is where I met my wife), and Germany. Even though I have always been interested in writing, I believe it was my time in these different countries that gave me the perspective I needed to write characters that were much different than me.

LQ: What does your writing process look like?

CS: I am an outline person. But before that, I usually have an idea pop in my head, and then I refine it. Then, I lay out all the acts and chapters in a spreadsheet. After a few days, I head back and look at it to make sure the plot and structure are strong enough. Once I am satisfied with the outline, I start filling it in. I try not to get too hung up on the first draft and spill everything out. After that first draft, I go through a series of edits in this order: plot and structure, dialogue, setting and description, and then grammar.

Once I have exhausted myself, I pass the book on to some trusted readers for feedback. The first is my wife, of course, and then after that, I have a few people with different skill sets that help me out. It is fascinating to see how much of a team effort writing is!

LQ: What was your favorite book to write so far?

CS: The Rider is definitely my favorite book that I have written so far. Also, it is the only book that I have published.

LQ: Who is your favorite character to write about? 

CS: I love to write about characters who are so sure of themselves only to find out their certainty isn’t all that strong when faced with adversity. My character’s most significant flaws tend to be pride. Also, they only see things from their perspective and worldview and are hesitant to change even when forced to see that their way may not be the best.

LQ: Who are your favorite authors? Have any of them influenced your work?

CS: Franklin W. Dixon sparked my love for reading. I remember burning through all of the Hardy Boys books when I was in elementary school. Then there was Stephen King, Anne Rice, Lorenzo Carcaterra, Harlan Coben, and Delia Owens.

All of them have influenced my work. I know that Stephen King’s originality and compelling stories push me to come up with original ideas. Delia Owens and Anne rice changed me in the way they describe a setting and intertwine it into the plot without slowing it down. Harlan Coben leads the way in suspense and twists for me. And finally, Lorenzo Carcaterra’s smoothness and writing style is one that I try to achieve.

Charles Simpson

LQ: How are you doing during the current pandemic? 

CS: I am doing well during the current pandemic, and for that, I am fortunate. We began to move into our house right before everything started to shut down, and because of that, we have more than enough to keep us busy. I’m looking forward to getting back to work on my next book.

LQ: What are you currently working on?

CS: Currently, I am working on another book in the speculative fiction genre. The storyline is completely different from The Rider, but some themes are the same such as social injustice and situations where one could ask if the end justifies the means. I’m very excited about it, but at the same time nervous. I’ve received such great feedback and reviews from The Rider, I feel under pressure to produce something just as good, if not better.

LQ: Anything else you would like to share? 

CS: Just two things—One is that I ask people to support indie authors. There are so many talented people out there with amazing stories to tell. There are self-published books that change people’s lives—so give them a shot and support them.

And finally, I ask that people take care of each other during this pandemic. While this is a challenging time in our history, I feel it is also an opportunity for humanity to show that we can come together and bring some good out of this.

The Darkest Sword by Samantha Kroese

Today’s interview is with Samantha Kroese, a dark fantasy writer who writes about resilient characters.

LQ: Tell me a little bit about yourself.

SK: I’m the author of five, soon to be six, independently published dark fantasy books. I grew up in a difficult situation so I like to try to write stories about people who might find themselves in terrible places or situations but are resilient enough to come through and find their way. While my books are fantasy with horror elements I try to shine a little light of hope in the darkness without being preachy or coming on too strong.

LQ: What does your writing process look like?

SK: My stories always come to me in the form of a character. I’ll get a random thought about some new character that shows up in my mind chattering away at me to tell their story. So as I’m writing I’m unraveling the mystery of who they are and where they came from and why they became what they are. I’ve never been able to use outlines, it will kill my story if I try to use one.

I do build one in my revision process if I have a lot of story paths to keep track of to make sure everything fits. I do all my editing after my story is finished because I’m a perfectionist who will not stop rewriting if I don’t. I will make playlists of songs that fit my character’s mood or situation and play them while I write. I’ve learned this helps me channel the character better, all I have to do is put that playlist on and it will break any block I am having and the words will flow again.

I can only write if I’m alone in a private place though! No coffee shop writing for me.

LQ: What was your favorite book to write so far?

SK: Oh, that’s a hard one. My favorite to write was probably Forbidden, the first book of my Fading Lights trilogy. That trilogy evolved backward. I  wrote Taboo, the last book, first. But then as I told my friends about that story and built on it they wanted to learn more and more and I ended up writing backward to see how Taboo‘s character had gotten there. That storyline just came along so well and I worked on it for ten years so it just became so familiar that it’s still my favorite.

LQ: Who is your favorite character to write about?

SK: I have two favorites. Durriken, who is the star of Taboo, book 3 of Fading Lights. I could probably write another dozen books about him. I think out of the thousands of characters in my head he will always be my favorite. But Rubei, the MC of Regret, my newest release, is a much older character and was my first favorite so I love writing about him also.

LQ: Who are your favorite authors? Have any of them influenced your work?

SK: Holly Lisle is my all-time favorite author. She hugely influenced my work. I used to be part of the Forward Motion Writer’s site that she and Lazette Gifford ran for writers. I learned so much there and from both of them. They try so hard to give back to the writing community. They’re just amazing. And I love Holly’s novels too.

I think the one that inspired me to be brave and publish, though ,was Brandon Sanderson with Elantris. Judith Tarr’s Kingdom of the Grail and anything related to King Arthur has always fascinated me as well.

LQ: How are you doing during the current pandemic?

SK: Well, I got very sick. I can’t say I had Covid-19 because they wouldn’t test me so I don’t know for sure. What I do know is I spent a very long week afraid I was dying because I was so ill. Because of this and the fact that I’m high risk for complications I’ve had to stay home from my day job until May at least. Other than that I’m doing well and doing my best to support others in this terrible dark time.

LQ: What are you currently working on?

SK: My next book is called Ladykiller. I’m about half-way finished with writing it and it follows characters introduced in my latest release, Regret, but it’s a stand-alone novel that’s set eighteen years after the events of Regret. It’s part of a planned set of four standalone novels (for now) of the different assassins from my world Dakaal.

I have two more planned for that set after Ladykiller is finished. I also write a side project, called The Darkest Sword, which is a very dark fantasy serial novel about a villain that is posted one chapter a week on my author website.

LQ: Anything else you would like to share?
SK: I’d just like to wish everyone safety and blessings during this dark time. And I’d also like to encourage people to read indie authors, not just because I am one, but because I’ve been reading them almost non-stop for the last 6 months and there are so many talented indie writers.

The industry is changing and if you’re willing to dig a little you will find some amazing stories that will blow your mind!

Today’s interview is with science fiction writer J.D. Sanderson, whose favorite character to write was a 70-year-old time traveler.

LQ: Tell me a little bit about yourself. 

JS: I live in Central South Dakota with my wife, daughter, and mini poodle. We’ve lived here for almost three years.

I’ve been a science fiction fan my entire life. One of my earliest memories is watching episodes of Star Trek with my dad when I was three years old. I’ve been interested in original stories ever since.

I enjoy letting my fingers dance on the keyboard. Characters, once you breathe some life into them, can surprise you in some amazing ways.

J.D. Sanderson

 

LQ: What does your writing process look like?

JS: I think about one or two things I want to include at some point in the story. Then I wing the rest. I enjoy letting my fingers dance on the keyboard. Characters, once you breathe some life into them, can surprise you in some amazing ways. Because I wing my plots, I never know how long something is going to be.

The only other thing I try to do is avoid writing anything that I’ve read, seen, or heard before. I like to be original.

LQ: What was your favorite book to write so far?

JS: The Clock’s Knell, which is the second book in my two-part science fiction series. I wanted to continue the story without falling into any of the usual tropes or repeating anything in the first book. I switched focus on some characters and experimented with a five-act structure. It was lots of fun to see where it went. So far I haven’t had any complaints!

LQ: Who is your favorite character to write about? 

JS: It’s a tie. The first would be Bernie, the main character of my first book, A Footstep Echo. I cannot ever remember a man in his seventies being the lead in a time travel story. I enjoyed writing him because if he went back a few decades, he already knew everything. If he went into the far future, he was wise enough to take it in stride. I imagined him being a dreamer who grew up watching the Apollo program as it happened. Seeing the future is like a dream come true.

That other would be the character of Tal. She was a secondary character in my first book, A Footstep Echo. People who read the book liked her so much that I decided to make her a main character in the second book. She’s painfully shy, very intelligent, and her daring surprised me.

I looked at my wife after we finished season one (of The OA) and said, “That. I want to do that in book form.”

J.D. Sanderson

 

LQ: Who are your favorite authors? Have any of them influenced your work?

 

JS: Charles Sheffield, Isaac Asimov, Clifford D. Simak, and Richard Adam come to mind. While I love their stories, they didn’t influence me as much as more modern forms of storytelling did.

 

I few years ago I saw a show called The OA on Netflix, which was created by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij. I had never seen a show like it – a character-driven sci-fi story that was propelled by dialogue and an original premise rather than the same old same old. I looked at my wife after we finished season one and said, “That. I want to do that in book form.” That’s why I nowadays go out of my way to avoid writing anything I’ve seen before. I want to try and break new ground like my new heroes did.

 

I also grew up listening to fifties radio plays. I have a huge collection. I love how the stories forced you to use your imagination.

 

LQ: How are you doing during the current pandemic? 

 

JS: I’m pretty lucky. I get to work from home and be close to my wife, daughter, and dog. I feel terrible for those who are sick, or know someone who is. Those individuals who’ve been put out of work, too. It’s an awful thing we’re all going through. The fact that it’s a random act of nature almost makes it worse.

 

LQ: What are you currently working on?

 

JS: Right now I am waiting for edits on my upcoming short story collection, Around the Dark Dial. A dozen short stories influenced by my love of radio plays. It’s currently scheduled to be released in December though Kyanite Publishing.

The collection is a huge departure from my previous work, and I can’t wait to see if people like it.

 

LQ: Anything else you would like to share? 

 

JS: One of my short stories was selected to be in Remnants, a new shared-world anthology also from Kyanite Publishing. It was my first time trying my hand at sci-fi horror, and I’m really pleased with how it turned out.

 

Anyone who wants to follow me can do so @asciwriter on Twitter!

Tonight’s #IndieApril interview is with Aisha Urooj, who hopes her work will provide happiness and comfort to her readers.

LQ: Tell me a little bit about yourself. 

AU: I am Aisha Urooj and My Dear Ellie is my debut novel. I have a Hon. Bachelor’s from University College, University of Toronto. Reading has always been my passion and now I have most recently discovered, that writing is as well.

LQ: What does your writing process look like?

AU: It starts with inspiration and moves on to a notebook that I keep close to me. I jot down a few ideas or rough outline of what the chapter or scene would look like. I then open my iPad and start typing away. I know what my series is going to about (Love and Friendship). I have the story in my mind. It is just about filling in more nuanced moments.

LQ: What was your favorite book to write so far?

AU: I have only one book published but my WIP is a lot of fun to write. The first book was from Cassandra Grace’s perspective and though she is lovely, she is a bit of an introvert. The second book is from Eleanor James’ perspective and she is bold and adventurous. She is setting off on a journey around the world, on a quest to become the next big Superstar.

LQ: Who is your favorite character to write about? 

AU: Both of my main characters are my favorite, which is fortunate because I have two more books to write about them. They are flawed and human but also compassionate. Best of all, their friendship is something that inspires me and I hope will touch other people too.

LQ: Who are your favorite authors? Have any of them influenced your work?

AU: JK Rowling, Jane Austen, JRR Tolkien and many of the classic authors. I love the timeless stories and I love how their passion and humanity reflect in their works. Their novels are comforting and give a lot of hope to people, myself included. I hope that someday people would consider my writing to be a source of comfort and happiness as well.

LQ: How are you doing during the current pandemic? 

AU: I am doing ok I suppose. I feel sorrow for those that have lost their loved ones. I wish for everyone to be safe and healthy. It was this March that I discovered the writing community on Twitter. I have lots to write for my WIP but have been distracted. My second book, Eleanor’s Travels, will chronicle her trip around the world, which would be great to read about right now but is proving a little harder to write.

LQ: What are you currently working on?

AU: Eleanor’s Travels, my second book in the Love and Friendship series. Eleanor had been keeping secrets about herself from her best friend and everyone else in the first book. We will find out what they are and how they affected her life. Best of all, we find out her greatest secret: her dreamy love interest.

LQ: Anything else you would like to share?

AU: Thank you for sharing this interview. My ebook for My Dear Ellie is running a promotion during the month of April for only 0.99 cents. I hope that people continue to support IndieApril. There are a lot of great indie authors that you can discover on Twitter and I am glad that I am getting to learn so much from them. I would love to hear reviews from readers and hope that you will give my book My Dear Ellie a read.

Today’s #IndieApril interview is with Joel Spriggs, an architect, software engineer, and father along with being an indie writer. Welcome to Lover’s Quarrel, Joel!

LQ: Tell me a little bit about yourself.

JS: I’m Joel Spriggs, I am a software engineer/architect and writer, native and living in Indiana. I graduated from Franklin College of Indiana in 2004 with a Bachelors of the Fine Arts in Computer Science and Broadcast Journalism.

I have successfully defended my beard from being stolen 1873 times out of 1877 attempts by my elder brother. On the five occasions I’ve failed, I immediately set about growing a new beard and refining defenses.

I live with my wife and three children in scenic Lebanon, IN. I maintain a website and blog and I’m on Twitter, @joelspriggs.

LQ: What does your writing process look like?

JS: I’ll start with a random idea. With Over a God’s Dead Body it really started as a random idea, a one liner that I had while I was out running. “Real Witches don’t ride Rubbermaid” was going to be the title, but I figured Rubbermaid would probably sue me at some point. So, I changed the title and went with that being a one liner Loki uses with Esmy in the novel.

I knew I’d want to make this a longer series, so I just focused on this book being an introductory piece with the characters I wanted to start it out and a really off the wall main arc.

I outlined that broadly for the main arc and some minor arcs to integrate in supporting characters. Then I wrote against that, which took a while but gave me time to learn some more about the process and figure out or work out any issues or story contradictions.

Another Dead Intern was similar. Different kinds of fantasy characters, but the original concept started out as an extremely tropey joke. I tightened up the outlining and the number of characters/subarcs. I wrote basically to the same concept, a broad outline with topics and goals of what would happen per chapter, then expand on those as I’m writing. This book came out shorter, but a lot tighter and much faster-paced.

My shorter pieces are similar on the process.

LQ: What was your favorite book to write so far?

JS: I had a lot of fun with all of them, but so far my favorite one to write was actually the kids novel I recently wrote, The Bear Was Not There. I wrote it for my kids to be able have a book of mine they could read. It was fun mainly because it involved some enjoyable things about being a dad, some challenges about having kids, and let me create a nice little humorous entry point for kids to some fantasy and sci-fi creatures without being too scary. 

LQ: Who is your favorite character to write about? 

JS: That’s a hard one, they all have their own fun elements and drawbacks. Esmeralda Hansen is probably one of the most fun, she’s kind of my main focus in Over a God’s Dead Body and Esmy and Jake find out they are descended from Loki. I want to say she channels the original Loki in certain ways, even before she met her great grandfather or found out anything else about her family.

Esmy was already being kind of a joker and extremely smart, but also a bit lazy because she didn’t see a reason to really work for something. She’s playful, and she was a challenge to write well.

LQ: Who are your favorite authors? Have any of them influenced your work?

JS: I am a long fan of Terry Pratchett and his Discworld novels, same with a lot of works by Neil Gaiman and definitely works by Douglas Adams. In the last few years, I’d been reading a lot of Christopher Moore and recently the Sandman Slim series by Richard Kadrey. So a lot of fantasy/urban fantasy work with humor.

LQ: How are you doing during the current pandemic? 

JS: Maintaining sanity and working from home full time with my software development career, helping with my kids now learning from home full time, and finding places aside to read and write.

LQ: What are you currently working on?

JS: I’m working on the second novel of the Wrong Gods series, the sequel to Over a God’s Dead Body. I’ve got the broad outline put together for the project, tentatively named Dead Ringer.

It’s looking to be fun. I’m also looking into writing a short non-fiction project as a guide/primer for getting into coding/software development without a degree or CS history.

LQ: Anything else you would like to share?

JS: A lot of my current works will be available on Audible soon. Over a God’s Dead Body is already available, Another Dead Intern and Little Drummer Boy are produced and approved, but waiting on approval by ACX/Audible. The Bear Was Not There is currently in production and should be done soon!

The next indie author to be interviewed for #IndieApril is Joan Wendland, a retired engineer turned writer and game designer.

LQ: Tell me a little bit about yourself. 

JW: I’m a recently retired engineer. I wrote three books in my spare time before I retired, and look forward to having lots of time to dedicate to future novels. I am also a game designer. My games can be seen at www.blood-and-cardstock.com

LQ: What does your writing process look like?

JW: I come up with an idea and write the beginning of the book. I know how I want it to end, so I write that next. Then comes several agonizing months of writing how to get from point A to point B.

I write slowly and carefully, so my first draft usually doesn’t need too much polishing. I do several additional passes on the novel. 1] Straighten out the timeline / look for continuity errors. 2] Beef up descriptions. 3] Post-beta reader fixes. 4] Post-copyeditor fixes.

I’d wanted to be an author since I was a teenager but I could never get down dialog, then one day in my 50s BOOM! I had a head full of characters who would just not shut up!

Joan Wendland

 

LQ: What was your favorite book to write so far? 

 

JW: I’d have to say my first book, Backstage: A Novel of Secret Agendas, Slow Burn Romance, and Imaginary Cats. I’d wanted to be an author since I was a teenager but I could never get down dialog, then one day in my 50s BOOM! I had a head full of characters who would just not shut up! The book practically wrote itself and I was living the dream at last.

 

 

LQ: Who is your favorite character to write about?

 

JW: I like writing about strong women (go figure). All my stories have romance in them so far, because that’s a part of most people’s life stories, but I don’t want my works to be ONLY about romance.

 

In the Backstage series, the romance takes a backseat to real-world issues that need solving. In my current WIP, the romance is part of the character’s greater journey of self-discovery. Even my Darcy POV Pride and Prejudice variation Mr. Darcy: Cogs Maketh the Man is more focused on the balance between freedom and responsibility, and what makes a man truly a man.

 

We all like to lighten the seriousness of our stories with a healthy helping of snark.

Joan Wendland

 

LQ: Who are your favorite authors? Have any of them influenced your work? 

JW: My favorite author of all time is Theodore Sturgeon, but I can’t say he’s influenced my work. He had a big influence on MY LIFE though. Favorites that have influenced my work are Terry Pratchett, John Scalzi, and A. Lee Martinez because we all like to lighten the seriousness of our stories with a healthy helping of snark.

LQ: How are you doing during the current pandemic? 

JW: As an extrovert, this lockdown is very unnerving. I’ve resorted to using my Amazon Echo to playing cafe sounds when I eat because the deathly quiet of the house puts me off my feed. The hubby’s business has been designated essential, so I only have him on the weekends. We were both deathly ill in December and well into January. I believe we probably had Covid-19 then, although we’d never heard of it at the time. Nevertheless we are taking all the precautions the CDC and governor Northram have recommended.

LQ: What are you currently working on? 

JW: I’m working on a paranormal romance called The Fallow Year. It’s the story of a 29-year-old programmer who realizes that her life makes her unhappy so she takes a sabbatical. A year off not just from her job, but her family too.

She rents a cottage in West Virginia where she intends to rediscover who she is without everyone’s expectations pushing her where she doesn’t want to be. When she gets there she meets a man who seems too good to be true. Perhaps too good to be human.

Without reviews, authors feel like they are shouting into the void.

Joan Wendland

LQ: Anything else you would like to share? 

JW: We say this all the time but it is worth repeating. PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT’S HOLY REVIEW BOOKS! Without reviews, authors feel like they are shouting into the void. Our egos are fragile and we need the feedback to face another day of blank page phobia.

Reviews don’t have to be long. You can knock one out in two minutes easy. Or you could just copy and paste – “I liked Joan’s book. It was entertaining and made me think.”

Also to potential writers out there – There is only one (insert your idol here), don’t compare yourself with them. If your book entertains the reader then that’s all you need to be a writer.

You can find Joan on her blog, The Zoo Illuminati.

Every day for the rest of April (and maybe even into May) I’ll be posting an interview from an indie author. The first one is Dylan Madeley, author of The Masked Queen’s Lament. Thank you so much, Dylan!

LQ: Tell me a little bit about yourself. 
DM: I’m a copy editor for a zine who also interviews musicians and other folks from time to time. As of May 1, I will have four fantasy novels published through KDP. The first three are a neat trilogy called the Gift-Knight trilogy, and these are already available on Kindle Unlimited as well as through normal purchase/download.

I regularly attend the Ad Astra conference of SFF, which was postponed this year, and with it my book launch, but I’m proceeding with a May 1 release date for my fourth title even in these times. Why not? I have one critter in my home, an eight-year-old chinchilla named Liam.

LQ: You’ve had a lot of day jobs, including martial arts instructor, painter, and making products for LUSH. Which was your favorite day job? Have any of them influenced your writing?

DM: Each of these jobs had its benefits. The martial arts instructing kept me fit, but I couldn’t keep up with it due to a worsening joint pain in my right knee as well as working around the IBS/C condition that really flared up for me as a young adult.

The legacy of that is, whenever I’m faced with writing a physical altercation, I can choreograph what happens in a visual way based on things I have done myself and a taught understanding of what some moves do when taken to their extreme. All I need to do, then, is find better descriptive for what I’m seeing and experiencing in my mind.

The LUSH job is at least rote enough that I can get time to think about something else while working, which helped me come up with story ideas and revisions to make during the last revamp of the manuscript I’m publishing soon.

LQ: What does your writing process look like?

DM: Each of the four times a published work has resulted, it started with a first draft banged out during National Novel Writing Month. Then I needed time to wait because I didn’t immediately know what these first drafts needed.

Sometimes, writing the first drafts of the sequels let me know of something that a prior title could use or would need for the series to work coherently. Years later (between 2 to 8 years), I have emotional distance and a lot of casual thought at my disposal, written notes, ideas; time for a full manuscript overhaul.

Some of these stories don’t even have an ending before this pass, just a word count. I go through cycles until I feel it’s done. I tend to keep earlier drafts for my records in case I have to go back and get something.

LQ: What was your favorite book to write so far?
DM: Probably The Masked Queen’s Lament, because that was all about finishing thoughts and tying up loose ends. It was a culmination, allowing me to show you where the series is going, the result of every plot thread that kept my focus. It gave all those idle thoughts and ideas somewhere to go so that they no longer had to bounce around in my mind. It was a relief.

LQ: Who is your favorite character to write about? 
DM: Ensemble casts are what I do most. Any playing-favorites I do would reveal itself in the different amounts of time spent on each character. I couldn’t pick one.

LQ: Who are your favorite authors? Have any of them influenced your work?
DM: Most of what I read today comes from indie authors, but there isn’t one of them I specifically follow. I had a huge Michael Moorcock phase where I tried to round up and read every paperback I could find, every published collection, then branched out to affiliated writers like Angela Carter, J. G. Ballard and Roger Zelazny.

Along the way, I went back and read a title and a collection by Ray Bradbury, whose stylistic influence can be read in Ballard’s “Vermilion Sands”. Like I said, now things are wide open and there’s no one I obsessively follow having passed through this phase.

LQ: How are you doing during the current pandemic? 
DM: I have the benefit of living in a low-density area and not having to live alone. I don’t have to worry about most of the rent, and I’m not responsible for rounding up most supplies while we wait this out.

Unfortunately, the two adults I live with–my parents–are also technically higher risk than I am, and I can convince them not to go out without cause but I can’t really make them stay in more or reduce the number of supply runs. That’s something they’ll have to work out for themselves, and I know they’re trying.

I have been able to fill my time doing indoor exercises and grinding out preorder sales on Twitter, which is my primary marketing channel on a low budget.

LQ: What are you currently working on?
DM: I’m currently in final/formatting revisions of Alathea: Goddess & Empress, and once that’s released, there’s a big question of what could be next. The downside of my current full-time work (prior to having been temporarily laid off due to COVID-19 considerations) is that while it did let me tinker with ideas about established stories and an established world, I don’t come up with much new there.

I haven’t built another world and I’m not presently excited by the remaining stories I could tell within it, at least not yet. So my creative focus went all into revamping “Alathea” and doing my best with it, and spare worrying about what happens next until after.

LQ: Anything else you would like to share? 

Thank you for the interview! The already released Gift-Knight trilogy is available for Kindle and on Kindle Unlimited.

The one way you can best support my creative efforts during this time, and in light of my canceled book launch, is to consider preordering my next title, or bookmark it until the release date of May 1 and purchase it then, suggest it to anyone you know who doesn’t mind their fantasy dark, any help appreciated. It would be a wonderful gift to have this fourth book do well out of the gate and get some positive attention before I need to focus on what’s next. Alathea: Goddess & Empress can be found here.

Genre: Fantasy

Word Count: 1,311,890

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Love’s Kiss is free on Smashwords.

As much as I love browsing through self-published books on Smashwords and supporting indie authors, I have to admit that I’ve found my fair share of duds.

So I was a little wary about committing to Love’s Kiss, a whopping eight novel boxed set! But it was free on Smashwords, so no way I was going to pass it up.

And it was so good!

If you follow me on social media (connect with me if you don’t), then you might have seen me raving about this boxed set a few times because I wanted to talk about these books before the review because I knew it would take me so long before I got to actually write the review. It took me over a year to read all eight novels in the boxed set.

Love’s Kiss is a lot to take in, but the first few books are about Lana and Cullen, two living legends in their own right. In a world where mages are hated and feared, Lana became a hero when she wiped out a zombie virus blight that was destroying the kingdom. She is known as the Hero of Fereldon.

Cullen is a templar who has been in love with her since he was a teenager. Templars guard mages in glorified prisons called Towers. They also track down blood mages, who have bound themselves to demons.

But he can’t help being in love with Lana despite it being forbidden for templars to have relationships with mages. I think. Honestly, there was a lot of world building and I had difficulty getting adjusted for the first couple of books.

After the first three books, the story shifts to focus also on King Alastair, Lana’s ex-lover, and then it even includes the next generation.

One of my favorite things about these books is that everything is equal opportunity. No one thinks twice about women being knights or soldiers, or being in positions of authority which is so refreshing. And Lana isn’t the only badass heroine in this story. The story is chock-full of badass women and I love it!

I love Lana and Cullen’s love story because they are so perfect together. Cullen is absolutely devoted to her and despite being one of the most intimidating people on the battlefield, he’s gets really insecure and shy around Lana, which is adorable.

However, my favorite character of the original two couples is Alastair. He is the least kingly king ever. When he’s being goofy and cracking jokes, it’s hard to remember he rules a kingdom. Which makes sense because he was never supposed to take the throne.

Alastair has a habit of hiding his true feelings under humor and even though the other characters moan about his lame jokes, he had me laughing out loud. I loved how unapologetically goofy he was.

His love interest, Reiss, is also really cool and I really liked how their story ended. It’s a happy ending but unconventional. However, considering the circumstances of their forbidden love and his job as king, it’s the best and most realistic ending for them.

My biggest problem with these stories is the plot. While the characters carried my attention, I had a lot of trouble understanding the plot and the world-building for the first two books. There was just a lot of stuff thrown at me all at once. Not only was there the politics involving the mages, the templars, and the Grey Wardens, but also their religion which played a significant role in the stories, if only for the colorful swear words. It took me several novels to learn the finer points of the world, like vellum is paper and a nug is a type of animal.

Not only that, but we were dropped into the middle of their stories. When we begin the first story, Lana is already the Hero of Fereldon, Conqueror of the Blight, and a few other things. Not only has she saved Fereldon a couple of times over, but she also went off with Alistair to hunt down the Lost King of Fereldon.

These adventures are referenced all the time, leaving the reader to piece together the backstory bit by bit.

Honestly, Love’s Kiss could use an editor and a wiki page that explains everything going on. But I only had to knock one star off for that because I enjoyed the characters so much. The boxed set made me laugh out loud and cry, yes, actually cry!

So I highly recommend it to everyone wanting a high fantasy romance. You can get it free on Smashwords, so what are you waiting for?

College years are supposedly the best years of our lives. But between classes, extracurriculars, and working a part-time or even full-time job, the “best years of our lives” dissolve into a huge pile of stress and exhaustion. In fact, 45 percent of college students feel more than average stress, according to The American Institute of Stress.

The stress and lack of time makes it seem nearly impossible to sit down with a free reading book, which is bad news for booklovers everywhere. Reading can improve memory, concentration, and stress management, which are three things college students need to get through college. So here are some tips on how to be a bookworm while in college.

Find a Book You Enjoy

It’s not pleasure reading if you don’t like the book. So find one you actually like and preferably one that’s more for entertainment than literary enrichment. You already have plenty of enrichment from your college classes. The last thing you’ll want is non-required reading that makes you work just as hard as your textbook. Reading books you like will make you more likely to read. 

If you don’t know what you like to read, then explore. Your college library has a joy reading section somewhere. Take a half-hour study break to peruse and find one you’re interested in.

Or, if you like romance novels, sign up for my newsletter and get a list of free, full-length romance novels I’ve rated 4 stars or higher.

Read For 15 Minutes A Day

No matter how busy you are, you can find 15 minutes a day. Whether that’s in the bathroom, waiting in line at the cafeteria, or right before you go to bed, you can find the time. Set a timer on your phone and make it a point to joy read for 15 minutes. If you’re reading a print book right before bed, it might even help you sleep better.

Keep a Book On Your Phone

How often do you look at your phone? Multiple times a day?

We don’t even think twice about pulling out our phones when we have even a second of free time. We do it while waiting for class to start, when we’re walking to and from class, and especially when we don’t want to make eye contact with our freshman year roommates.

Reading apps make books more convenient to read during busy days because not only will we never forget our phones, but we’re always on them anyway. Instead of scrolling through social media, open up a reading app like the Kobo Reading App to read for a few minutes of downtime.

You might get frustrated at first because it takes practice to read a book 30 seconds at a time without reading the same sentence over and over. But eventually, you’ll be able to escape into your book for a mini vacation while waiting for your class to start.

Use the Pomodoro Technique

One of the best ways to increase productivity and avoid burnout is to have frequent breaks to relax and refresh yourself. The Pomodoro Technique is a famous structured time management strategy to help you do just that.

I definitely encourage you to read more about it because it’s fascinating. But it’s essentially 25-minute work sessions with a 5-minute break in between. It’s important to use those 5-minute breaks wisely for maximum benefit. Which often means a light, healthy snack, stretching and walking around, and not looking at screens. Joy reading during this time is also a good way to relax and let your mind take a break from work.

Listen to Audiobooks

Listening to audiobooks counts as reading. And after a long day of textbook reading, it’s a nice break on the eyes. You can listen to audiobooks while in the gym, walking to and from class, or any time, really (just maybe not while in class). It’s a good way to get more reading in while managing a busy college life.

Not only that, but you can support your local bookstore by listening to audiobooks. Libro.FM is an audiobook platform where you can have either a subscription or just buy books “a la cart” and the money from your purchases will go to an independently-owned bookstore of your choice. It’s an easy and convenient way to support local businesses while also getting more reading time in.

Want more books while on a broke college student budget? 

Learn how to be an avid bookworm on a budget.

The author wasn't kidding about the epilogue being a tear-jerker. I've already cried a couple of times and the story is just getting started. 

Really loving this boxed set. I can't believe it was free on Smashwords. The plot and worldbuilding was confusing at first but now I enjoy it and the series is packed with badass heroines, one of my favorite tropes of all time. 

Genre: Science Fiction

Page Count: 198

My rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I am many things. A man. A soldier. Trained to kill. Born to hunt. Focused and lethal.

Nothing gets through the stoic control that hides my inner animal, an animal that simmers with rage and power. And that power makes me the perfect assassin. My first task—eliminate the vile head of a science lab responsible for creating and distributing a cruel mutation. Easy. And almost done when suddenly she invades my world.

Charlotte—petite, beautiful, and sexy as hell—a cop who claims a past with me that I don’t remember. At all. Suddenly she’s everywhere, interfering, asking too many questions, endangering herself and my mission, and pushing buttons I didn’t know I had. A dangerous distraction. My beast is captivated but suspicious, torn between wanting to sink teeth into her and wanting to sink teeth into her. My body craves her.

But I don’t remember her. I don’t trust her. And I don’t trust myself around her. Who is she? Is she lying? And do I have enough control to not be blinded by her? To protect my secrets and uncover hers? And who pays the price?

First of all, I’m so, so happy this book was from Kellan’s point of view. He’s very private and evasive, preferring to give into his near-constant lust than focus on the task at hand. Frankly, I don’t understand what makes him such a good soldier. Sure, he’s deadly and can shift into a killing machine– when he’s not too busy staring at Charlotte’s ass.

If the book was from Charlotte’s point of view, Kellan would have been completely unsympathetic. But after reading his thoughts and seeing how much he cares for Charlotte, I like him a little more. I especially like how he acknowledges Charlotte’s ability to take of herself. After all, she is a cop, not a damsel in distress.

Charlotte actually reminds me a lot of Meg.

Charlotte was pretty good. She’s definitely a badass and I liked seeing a glimpse into her work life. She’s calm and peaceful, which is a good contrast to Kellan. But honestly, I’m not sure they’re a good fit.

I love how she’s not afraid of him even though he was so afraid of hurting her. And it’s really obvious how much they care about each other. I also can’t deny that I loved the sex scenes. But Kellan and Charlotte’s relationship still felt pretty toxic.

Not only does he have to keep everything a secret from her, but he also knocked her out and tied her up, supposedly for her own protection. Less than an hour later, they’re having sex. After the sex, he still won’t tell her what happened to him, and he laughs and ties her back up again because she’s pissed and he finds it cute. Seriously, she had a legitimate reason to be angry and he does the caveman version of “calm down”.

A lot of things don’t make sense to me. Kellan is trying to keep Charlotte a secret from his boss, but he brings Charlotte to his apartment and gives her his phone number. As if his boss, who is running a classified military operation, doesn’t have cameras in Kellan’s apartment and hasn’t bugged his phone.

However, I can forgive other things, like how he thinks his boss, who is anonymous and only communicates with a voice disguising device, is not sketchy at all. Judging by how Kellan acts when on the phone with him, I think he’s being hypnotized and that’s why he has amnesia. It would explain a lot. So maybe that can make up for some of his behavior.

The ending was abrupt and didn’t feel like an ending. Which makes sense considering there’s a sequel. I’m definitely going to read the sequel eventually because I want to find out what happened. However, I think I would have enjoyed this more if books 1 and 2 were combined into one complete book. There was no real closure for the first book. It barely even felt like a chapter ending, let alone a story ending.

If you want to read Fractured, plan on reading both at the same time. This is a good fit for those looking for a shifter romance full of steamy sex scenes and an alpha hero. However, I’m rating it only a 3.5 out of 5 stars because Kellan and the plot confused me.

Get Fractured at your local bookstore or your favorite online retailer.

Zelly Jordan was generous enough to donate to Trees for the Future in exchange for this review. Find out how you can do the same.

The Indiebound link in this post is an affiliate link, meaning I get a small commission every time you purchase a book through that link, but at no additional cost to you. I donate half of my affiliate earnings to Trees for the Future.