Another interview with CM Gray

Today I'll be interviewing 'a regular' to my corner of the internet: CM Gray. He has a new book called The Flight of the Griffin and is earmarked for release in early 2013.

Hi Stephen, great to be here, thanks so much for having me!

Since the last time I interviewed you, how has life being a writer changed for you?

Well, I think I’m getting the hang of book promoting a little better. I’ve tried a few things and given up on several others but along the way I’ve discovered some good ways to bring traffic to my books on Amazon in particular. I’ve been spending too much time trying to draw attention to my books this year and not enough time writing, which is crazy, so I’m on a slightly different path for 2013.

One of the main changes since I was last here are the number of great reviews I’ve been getting for my first book Shadowland as a result of my marketing efforts. On Amazon US I now have 41 reviews and still an average of over 4 stars. I’m now on to The Flight of the Griffin, which is also getting some good reviews and I have nearly finished the sequel, Chaos Storm.

Give me an elevator pitch of your new book: "The Flight of the Griffin"

Okay ... bunch of kids, living on a boat, stumble on a magic book and its rather cool female guardian. The book sets them a task of seeking out three crystal skulls, lost in different locations, which must be united to complete an ancient spell. Once the skulls are brought together the spell will stop the world being thrown into chaos. However, there just happens to be some evil people and a whole bunch of demons that are trying to stop them!

I love the premise; your book appears to hearken back to my childhood loves of Enid Blyton, CS Lewis and Piers Anthony. Who or what inspired your story?

Oh I’m sure a whole lot of those kinds of books influence me in some form. I’ve been reading from an early age and have always loved the myth, legend and wild fantasy. I wanted to tell a fantasy questing adventure a little along the lines of a writer like C.S.Lewis but then with a few modern twists that are more David Gemmel. What I did try to do, despite having read so many books from all those great authors, was to be original. I don’t want to write like someone else and I hope you will see that I only write like me!

Is the Griffin (the Ship) as much a character as the children of this story?

Oh, it most certainly is. I won’t give one of the major twists away but there is a whole lot of magic in this book. The boat is very much a character in its own right and one that most readers love!

What inspired you to use Crystal Skulls as the pieces leading to 'the great spell'?

I wanted something mysterious yet something that people may be able to relate to living in our ‘real’ world. There is an ancient Mayan Legend that magical crystal skulls were placed by the ‘old people’ from a time before our records began. If you Google crystal skulls you can see pictures and read stories of skulls that have been supposedly found in different parts of the world. Many believe they are magical. I liked the idea that my characters would have something like this to focus on.

Your book seems so refreshingly unpretentious: clear goals, no love triangles and no angsty teenage ruminations. What was your goal when writing this story?

Well, don’t laugh... but the reason I started writing this was after reading J.K.Rowling’s Harry Potter books. I thought, ‘I can write like that!’ Well, I couldn't and realised that I wouldn't actually want to just write like her. She did the wizard school thing so well there was no point trying to go down that path, so I went for a pure fantasy quest. What I took from Rowling was the idea of writing a story that could be enjoyed by older kids, teens and adults alike, just like she did. So no, there is no sex, no swearing and no gratuitous violence... although there are a few gruesome moments and some rather unsavoury characters to keep everyone entertained!  

I'll do a little word association. Choose one and give me a reason:

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader or Firefly (TV)
Has to be The Voyage of the Dawn Treader because I have no idea what Firefly is [hang your head in shame :)] ... am I showing my age or some huge gap in my reading list? Anyhow, loved C.S.Lewis when I was younger. I watch the films with my kids now and will be encouraging them to read them as well.


Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls or Uncharted (PS3)
Indiana Jones, not because of the Crystal Skulls... just love an Indiana Jones story... another questing adventure, love em!


The Far Away Tree (Enid Blyton) or Lord of the Rings (JRR Tolkien)
Lord of the Rings. I’ve read it three times. Tolkien is the father of fantasy. He took all the great legends and wrapped them into one of the best stories ever written. To be a fantasy writer these days we all have to realise we owe a debt to Tolkien... or perhaps we should be upset that he took all the best bits and left us all scrambling around to find the rest!

Do you have any parting words for your fans?

If you have read my books and enjoyed them, I thank you for sharing my dreams. If you haven’t yet read my books, then come dream with me! The sequel to The Flight of the Griffin will be out early 2013, my beta readers are saying wonderful things about it so get ready for another ride!

Thanks Stephen I appreciate the time we have spent together today, good luck with your own writing and have a great Christmas!

Always a pleasure ... and hope you have a great Christmas too :)

Interview with Loukia Borrell

Today I will be interviewing Loukia Borrell, the author of her debut novel Raping Aphrodite. Her novel combines two story lines: past and present day and deals with the resilience of the human spirit to persevere in the face of a militant invasion of their homeland.

To write a pretty sizable book as your first novel is quite an achievement. How did you keep yourself motivated?

I learned very early in life the importance of perseverance. My parents were immigrants and they came to America without a formal education or deep pockets. They had other things though: youth and a clear idea of making it. Their strong work ethic and their dedication to family is something I have felt all of my life. Their story and the story of my relatives who endured the 1974 invasion of Cyprus by Turkey, are things I have carried around for several decades, but was too young and undisciplined to do the work. Now, I know how important it is to tell their experiences - the story of what happened in Cyprus, to the country and its people. Keeping all of them in mind kept me motivated, as well as my own desire to say, at age 49, "Hey, I wrote a book." I spent more than 20 years working for newspapers, magazines, raising children, and caring for family members who were ill. I didn't want to surrender my belief in myself as an author. So, I stayed on target and made a commitment to finish. I was raised to complete what I begin. I also knew I was alone in this. Without an agent or a big publishing house, my chances of selling the book were even harder, but I decided not to let that stop me. What I felt inside was more important to me than having a best-seller. You have to do what you are meant to do. For me, that is writing.  I couldn't agree more.

Writing is a rite of passage. What did you learn about yourself during the process?

I learned I have gotten old enough to do the things I thought were too hard when I was younger. That it is never too late to change your direction, to begin a new project. I also learned that I wasn't afraid of this book. That I put my mind to it, did the best I could and that as long as it was written, I had succeeded.  

Interview with Sarah Dalton

Today I welcome Sarah Dalton to my corner of the internet. She has a new book named The Blemished that instantly intrigued me. The premise is about a society that has been engineered to be perfect ... for almost everyone. The story revolves around a 'blemished' individual's plight through a dystopian future where the beautiful live a charmed life over those less engineered.

Tell me a little bit about yourself.

I’m twenty-eight and British. I grew up in a remote part of the countryside amongst many animals, meeting lots of crazy country-side folk, yet I think I am a city person at heart. I’ve been writing seriously for around three years and have had some success with short story writing, however, novels are what I am far more interested in.

At what point in your life did you realise you had a story to tell?

Possibly always… I used to write terrible soap opera style bits of a novel and read it to my friends at school. They loved it. But I fell in and out of love with writing and it wasn’t until my mid-twenties that I became a more serious writer.

If you had to give an elevator pitch about your new novel, The Blemished, what would it be?

If Margaret Atwood wrote Uglies…

What did you want your readers to gain from reading The Blemished?

Firstly, escapism. Isn’t that what everyone wants from a book? But also a new perspective on the world, any aspect of it no matter how tiny.

It would be remiss not to discuss the correlations with Gattaca; how does your novel deviate?

Gattaca was a little before my time but when I did some research it came up. I didn’t watch it until after I’d finished the book. There are two main similarities – the idea that parents can buy genes for their children and the classification of people who have genes considered ‘invalid’. But that’s where it ends. The Blemished tackles many other themes and in more depth, such as poverty, segregation and lack of purpose. I concentrated on what effect genetic cloning would have on an image obsessed and patriarchal society. It is as much a commentary on celebrity culture and the beauty industry as it is on genetics. I thought about how cloning would affect women and took it from there, although that isn’t to say that men will not also take something from reading the book. Gattaca seems to concentrate on intelligence and physical strength and the only female character in the movie is both genetically flawed and really quite boring, it seems predominantly interested how cloning would affect men. I’ve flipped this.

I like your premise and story's focus - sounds compelling!

I've always thought that if the majority of people were attractive (relative to society's present perception), that ugly people would be perceived as attractive. Do you agree?

Yes and no. There is a biological reason to find people with symmetrical features and a slim body attractive – these features are indicative of a healthy mate. You could argue that this instinct is something which can never be overridden. Personally, I think humans have evolved to be far more intelligent to be controlled by basic instincts (aside from the obvious!) and as long as our world continues to be complex, artistic and over populated there is really no reason that the human race cannot concentrate on the intellectual. I think, or like to think, that in a world where the average person is considered physically beautiful that personality and intelligence would become far more important. Perhaps then physical attributes would become so secondary that they are barely noticed. Or maybe I am being far too optimistic…

Interview with Robert Downs

Today I am interviewing a fellow author by the name of Robert Downs. He proudly writes Manfiction (the opposite of Chick lit) and is not afraid to put a few noses out of joint because of it; whether from a right-hook or a callously chosen gibe. He is the author of the novel Falling Immortality: Casey Holden, Private Detective.

What five words would you use to best summarise your novel?

Manfiction, hard-boiled, sarcasm, dialogue

Who is your intended audience?

It would be nice if it was every reader on the planet, wouldn’t it? Sorry, I have to dream once in a while, before I get smacked back down to reality. Since I ended up writing myself smack dab in the middle of the Manfiction category, without even realizing it—sometimes ignorance is bliss—my intended audience focuses around those individuals who enjoy Mickey Spillane and Raymond Chandler, as well as modern authors, such as the late  Robert B. Parker, Robert Crais, Lee Child, and Michael Connelly, to name just a few.

What inspired you to write Falling Immortality?

I literally have no idea—although I wish I knew, because it would make my life easier in many respects—but my muse decided to bless me with a main character who is absolutely perfect for me, even though on the surface it looks like the worst match imaginable. Once I had my main character, I needed a story worthy of his attention, since he has the attention span of a gnat in a thunderstorm; otherwise, my tale would have had trouble breaking short story length.

But I can tell you that Falling Immortality came about through my own failings as a writer. I needed to focus as much as possible: I was all over the place as a writer, and my original manuscripts were tales only a mother could love. By writing a first-person mystery, I had a goal and a writing standard I could more easily follow, and once I decided on a first-person tale, I searched within myself and came up with the strongest male lead I could possibly envision. And he gives me a voice I wouldn’t have otherwise found on my own.

An impromptu interview by Zed

Well, it had to happen. Zed came out of hiding for an impromptu interview at fuonlyknew and took a moment to discuss the subtleties when choosing the next brain to eat (not that he does anymore).

Would you prefer eating brains from a man or a woman?

Hmm…it would be relative to what I am in the mood for; the flavour of a woman’s brain is intense, sweet and decidedly complex with hidden nuances that require my full attention. A man’s brain is musky, with a strong flavour that underlies the overall demeanor of the host. Of course, certain nationalities would result in some differences, for example, Italians/Spanish are prone to irrational bursts of flavour.

I hope you enjoy the interview - it was amusing to see Zed's perspective on things ! Thanks Laura

Interview with Christopher Gray

Today I am interviewing a fellow author by the name of Christopher Gray (or C.M Gray), author of Shadowland; a tale that attempts to answer the mysteries surrounding the origins behind Merlin, Arthur and the Knights of the round table.

Tell me a little about yourself.

Hi Stephen, well thanks for the opportunity to talk about myself and my books. I’m an Englishman living just outside Barcelona in Spain. I’ve spent the last twenty plus years living all over the world, with longer stays in Hong Kong, India, Israel, The Philippines, Holland and France. I’ve always sought out interesting locations and have a taste of adventure that has got me into trouble on more than one occasion. I think a lot of the experiences I’ve had and the locations I’ve been in find a way into my writing. I have a love of Aikido, which I practised since I was a teen, anything in the great outdoors like walking and sailing, and playing guitar rather badly! My working life has encompassed everything from the restoration of church organs, building work to raising finances for a reforestation company.

What made you want to become a writer?

Two things made me want to become a writer. Firstly, I have always loved to read. I devour books in a very short time and read everything from fantasy to spirituality, the only genre I dislike is romance. I always heard the saying that ‘we all have a book within us’ and wondered what ‘my’ book would be like. The second thing that got me writing was The X-Factor. I took a distinct dislike to the whole concept just as my wife was rapidly becoming addicted to it, I fled the room and started tapping on my laptop. Thank you Mr Cowell because writing turned out to be a lot more fun than watching you!

If you had to do an 'elevator pitch' for Shadowland, what would you say?

Interview on Love Hate Poetry!

I always feel like a celebrity when someone chooses to interview me and this time is no exception. That someone would care what I have to say about random (usually book-related) topics is always fun.

The interview covers a few taboo subjects (well, religion), so I apologise in advance to those that are easily offended

Interview with Suzanne Lilly

Today I welcome Suzanne Lilly to my corner of the internet. Her debut novel Shades of the Future is planned for release on July 15^th and, to mark the impending occasion, I shall ask a few questions and hopefully learn a little about my fellow author's approach to story telling.

1/ Tell me a little about yourself

I’m a 5th grade teacher of 10 and 11 year-old children during the day and an author at night. I love the water, hiking, movies, cooking, traveling, and just hanging out with friends and family. Summer is my favorite season of the year, because I lay by the pool like a lizard, soaking up the books I don’t get to read during the school year.

2/ What motivates you to write?

I write because I have so many stories inside me bursting to come out. I blame this on my 5th grade teacher who had a weekly assignment of writing a story using all of our spelling words. I would write two or three stories, decide which I liked best, and read it to the class. That’s when I realized how much I enjoyed writing. Now I can write and get paid for it. Life doesn’t get better than that.

3/ Which of your novels are you proudest of?

I’ve published short stories and non-fiction articles. Shades of the Future is my debut novel and its release date is the week of July 15, 2012. It’s about a girl with a running scholarship to Ohio State University who finds a pair of sunglasses that allow her to see the future. What she sees isn’t always sunny and bright, and she finds herself fighting to avoid the future she sees but wants to avoid. My next book, Untellable, releases in February of 2013, about a young woman trying to start a new life after her mother’s death. She has secrets about her death that she wants to keep hidden at all costs.

4/ Pixar's Up has proven that you can have a successful children's movie where the hero is not necessarily young. Does the definition, or reader's expectation, of YA still need to evolve?

Interview with Pavarti Tyler

I would like to welcome Pavarti Tyler to my corner of the internet. Her third novel is called "Shadow on the Wall". As the twitter summary goes: Recai Osman: Muslim, philosopher, billionaire and Superhero?

Amazon: Shadow on the Wall - (ebook) $4.95

"Controversial and daring, Shadow on the Wall details the transformation of Recai Osman from complicated man to Superhero. Forced to witness the cruelty of the Morality Police in his home city of Elih, Turkey, Recai is called upon by the power of the desert to be the vehicle of change. Does he have the strength to answer Allah's call or will his dark past and self doubt stand in his way?

Pulling on his faith in Allah, the friendship of a Jewish father-figure and a deeply held belief that his people deserve better, Recai Osman must become The SandStorm."

To celebrate the release of her third novel on May 1^st, Pavarti has been gracious enough to answer a few questions that I had about her novel:

1. Tell me a little about yourself
   I'm an accountant/bookkeeper by day and an author by... well all the other times.  I have two children, two terrible dogs and an amazing husband who keeps me as sane as I probably can be.  I love to live in the world of make-believe where the impossible can come alive.  I hope I bring that to my life as well as my writing.
2. What is the meaning behind the novel's title: 'Shadow on the Wall'?
   Well that would just give away everything wouldn't it?  You'll have to read and see.