Monday 28 January 2013

#Petsontour - Andi's Chapter Books



Thanks to Andrea of Andi's Chapter Books for hosting me today as part of the Raining Cats & Dogs Blog Tour that I'm doing with fellow author, David Brown - see the #petsontour tab above for the full schedule.

My guest post today is about Kiwi in Cat City, how it came about (in 2002) and why I like writing books for children. 

Most of my characters are animals. As a child I loved to read books with creatures in them, like Fantastic Mr Fox and The Three Bears. Growing up, we had a kind of miniature zoo at home and I used to talk to all the animals. My dad bred budgies and I thought I could communicate with them by winking. In writing these Kiwi books, I’m remembering more things from my childhood and recalling all the things I thought were marvellous – talking animals, visiting new worlds, being able to turn into animals, using magic – and, of course, good has to win over evil, because nothing really bad can happen.

Here's the link to read the post - http://andischapterbooks.blogspot.co.uk/



Sunday 27 January 2013

A poem by Robert F. DeBurgh


Last week, I was sorry to hear that Spike, the cute dog owned by my friends and fellow authors, Greta and Robert Burroughs, had passed away. Yesterday, Robert posted a poem about him. I thought it was so touching that I'd post it here for everyone to read. Take it away, Rob...

IN MEMORY OF A BELOVED FRIEND



There must be a place
Where old dogs go
When their life on earth is done
A place where they may run and play
And snooze in the noonday sun

There must be a place
Where old dogs go
When they heed that final call
A place where they have all they need
A dish of food and a rubber ball

There must be a place
Where old dogs go
Where there never is cold rain
A place where the sun will always shine
And there will be no more pain

Yes, there must be a place
Where old dogs go
When their mission is finally through
A place where they grow young again
While waiting there for you

And one fine day in that sacred place
Where old dogs go
They’ll see you striding through the mist
Run to the call of your cherished voice
And beg to be loved and kissed

Together you’ll go from that dear place
To cross the rainbow bridge
To a place that lives in both your hearts, never more to roam
On the other side of the rainbow bridge
Will be your forever home


In memory of my beloved Spike - 1995-2013
Robert F. DeBurgh



Friday 25 January 2013

Words with... Kat Yares


I'm pleased to welcome Kat Yares, author, screenwriter, mum and movie maker...


Kat Yares has been writing fiction her entire adult life. She is an author, screenwriter and indie movie maker. Her short fiction has appeared in numerous print publications and online. She was first accepted into the Horror Writers Association in 2001 and is a member today. Her fiction is primarily in the horror/thriller genres. Unlike many, she writes horror not to gross out or startle her readers, but to make them think. Most of her stories are mind games and deal with man’s (or woman's) inhumanity to man (or woman).

What is your day job or are you lucky enough to write for a living?

Day job – chief cook and bottle washer, wife, mom and grandma. I'm lucky in that I get to stay home and do the things I love – reading and writing.

What books have you written so far?

Kats Tales – Journeys in the Velvet Darkness: Revealed Evila collection of 13 short stories that have been previously published over the years.
Vengeance Is Mine – a novella.
Beneath the Tor – a novel.
And several short stories available for the Kindle.

What works in progress do you have?

The XIII – a follow-up (but not a sequel) to Beneath the Tor. I’m working on the final edits and formatting.
Hidden Personas – recently started in my free time.

How long did it take you to write your book/s?

I can knock out a thoroughly crappy first draft in about 30 days (if I participate in National Novel Writing Month). It can take me months, or even years, to get the draft to where it is publishable.

Do you write linear, or jump back and forth? Do you plan or write by the seat of your pants?

I outline basic plot points and generally write from beginning to end. Sometimes, though, a scene will come to me and I'll write it out of order, or a character will do something that forces me to deviate from the outline.

Why do you write?

I write so that I can get the stories I love out of my head and into a medium where they cannot be forgotten.

How long have you been writing?

Since I first learned to form letters on the page. I wrote my first 'novel' at eleven and have been writing fiction for publication since I was in my twenties.

Where and when do you write? Do you have set times?

I write most weekdays, but generally not on the weekends as I prefer to spend that time with my better half. No real set schedule during the week though, and I do count revising and editing as writing. Favourite place to write is on the couch with the laptop in my lap.

Which character from your books do you like most / are most like?

There is a bit of me in all my characters, yet I don't think I'm really like any of them.  My favourite character so far is Miriam in Beneath the Tor – a very strong woman.

What/who inspired you to write and still inspires you?

I suppose my initial inspiration to write came from reading as a child. A high-school English teacher encouraged me to write the stories I had in my head. I never really considered myself a writer though, until I had sold a story or two.

What do you think is the ideal recipe for a good novel or story?

The Story is King and with that comes great plotting, great characters and good storytelling skills (including spelling and grammar). It's not just a matter of putting garbled words on the page.

Have you ever based a character on someone from real life? And did you tell them?

Just as most characters I write have a bit of me in them, they also have bits of everyone I've ever known – a twitch from this guy, a voice inflection from that guy. Everyone I know becomes a character study.

If you had to pick some actors/actresses to play the characters in your book, who would you hire?

The only book I've written that I did that with was Vengeance Is Mine.  I actually adapted it into a screenplay. Chose Billy Bob Thornton as the male lead, Robert Duvall as the main antagonist. Never quite figured out who would be perfect for the female lead though. I also adapted two of my short stories into movies, which my husband and I shot. Had a lot of fun casting the characters in Truth of Becoming and The Fan.

Fave things: animal? food? drink? film? colour? band? song? place? item of clothing?

Animal:  my two English Mastiffs.
Food:  anything pasta or steak.
Drink:  Jameson Whisky.
Film:  Grapes of Wrath.
Colour: Grey.
Place:  Home.

When you were a kid, what did you want to do/who did you want to be when you grew up?

I always knew I would be a writer, but, as for a profession, I wanted to be an archaeologist.

Would you say that your dreams have come true or are you still working on them?

Absolutely.  I'm doing what I love and will look back in my later years with no regrets.

You’re walking in the forest and you bump into an alien librarian from Mars. He wants five book recommendations from you…

I'd tell him to get an eReader and load up on freebies in every genre. Why settle for just five?

Who is your favourite character from any book and why?

Scarlett O'Hara from Gone With the Wind.  I loved her tenacity.

Who is your hero / heroine?

I don’t have a particular hero – I tend to look up to and admire anyone who is selfless.

Which book do you wish you had written?

Grapes of Wrath.

Which three authors would you like to take to the pub?

John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemmingway and Harper Lee.

Are you published or self-published? What is your experience?

Some of my short stories have been published in magazines, both in print and online. My novella and novel have been self-published. My next novel will also be self-published. I really cannot see a reason to go the 'traditional' route of publishing these days.

How do you find the marketing experience?

I hate self-promotion, which is probably why I don't do it often or enough. But, it is something that has to be done; whether you are a self-published author or one published by more traditional means.

What advice would you give other writers just starting out?

Learn the craft. There is no excuse not to these days. Find beta readers for your work and listen to what they have to say, even if you feel it's negative. Have your work edited. If you cannot afford a professional editor to do it, find someone who was great in English class to go over your manuscript. Don't be too quick to hit the 'publish' button. Put the work aside for a week or a month, and then go back through it from the beginning and revise every sentence that doesn't sound right; rewrite every passage that doesn't make sense. Present only your best work – nothing turns a reader off more than misspelled words, words used in the wrong context and bad grammar.

Do you have a blog? What do you blog about?

I have one that is woefully neglected. Usually only post when I have something to say.

What other hobbies do you have?

Movie making, photography, cooking and reading.

What would you like to achieve in the next five years?

To have at least five more books out there, and selling enough to support my husband and myself comfortably.

If you won the Lotto or a major publishing contract, what would you do with that dosh?

Tell my husband to quit work, come home and start playing with wood. We own a saw mill and one of his greatest pleasures is building furniture. I would so love for him to have the freedom to pursue his passions, too.

Complete one of these stories in 100 words or less… 1. There was once a wee worm called Fred…
2. In the deep and darkest reaches of the dank forest...
3. One day Charlotte decided she was going to change the world...

One day Charlotte decided she was going to change the world. She began by killing her parents. Sitting alone in the darkened living room, she waited for her grandparents to arrive. Already her world was vastly improved.
(okay, I am a horror writer – this is what came to mind J )

What question do you wish I’d asked and, of course, what is the answer?

Who are my favourite authors in my genre?  Michael McDowell, Robert McCammon and Steven King are the big names. John Paul Allen, Monica O'Rourke, Michael Gleich, Billie Sue Mosiman, Jaime Johnesee and Jeffrey Kosh round out the indies.

Links:


Book links:






Monday 21 January 2013

New Year's Hop Winners! All who made me laugh!





First of all, a big thank you to everyone who got involved with the New Year's Hop on my blog.

As part of the hop, I was giving away 1 paperback and 3 ebook copies of my comedy romance, 3 Heads & a Tail. Usually I use Rafflecopter to pick random winners. But, as my book is a comedy of errors and pretty silly, I wanted to do something more personal. So I asked everyone to tell me the silliest thing they'd ever done. The result was a really entertaining read for me. I laughed a lot. Some of the replies made me giggle myself silly, so thank you to everyone for making me laugh!

I've delayed in unveiling the winners cos I wasn't sure how many to choose as I really loved reading the replies, so I've decided to give an ebook copy to everyone who made me laugh with their story, and that's pretty much most of the people. Thank you for revealing your silliness. In my replies, I've also revealed all my silly doings.

So, thanks again - ebook winners I will be emailing you! :) Watch your inboxes!

The grand prize of the paperback will go to the story that made me laugh the most and I'm afraid that was the rake story from Jeanette Platt. Thanks Jeanette from making me almost cry laughing! I'll be getting in touch to find out where to send that book. 

Happy reading everyone!


Monday 14 January 2013

Raining Cats & Dogs Blog Tour! #petsontour


Raining Cats Raining Cats and Dogs Blog Tour: 14 January to 14 February
http://tweedling.com/raining-cats-and-dogs-blog-tour-14-january-to-14-february/
Hey! Join me and David M Brown on the Raining Cats & Dogs Blog Tour, where cats and dogs run wild on blogs! Be furry entertained... hopefully :) A special thanks for Donna Brown (Mrs B) of
The Indie Exchange (our co-sponsor) for organising the event!
#petsontour

David M. Brown and I are taking our cats and dogs on tour around a variety of blogs. We will be talking about the books we have written starring our furry heroes and heroines; answering interview questions; making up character posts (mine will be Kiwi and Glen, and others), and writing about other book-related subjects. Over the next four weeks one of us will be on someone's blog, so pop along and join in the fun. 
  
Every blogger – or pet! – taking part will be entered into a draw to win a $50 Amazon gift card. And there’s another $50 up for grabs for spreading the word (see the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post)!


Our books & the characters we'll be talking about

Glen the dog
When nature lover Josie moves into a house share with two pals, dreamer Ben and model man David, she sees it as a short stop and doesn’t bank on an attraction developing with one of them. Meanwhile, Ben’s dog, Glen, has the hots for Miss Posh, the beautiful golden Lab in the park. When dog meets dog it’s puppy love, but a complication leads to Glen taking matters into his own paws. In this comedy of errors, romance and walkies, it’s anyone’s guess who is going to get the girl/dog and live happily ever after.


A quirky bunch of cats
History has known many famous cats – Garfield, Mr Bigglesworth, Simon’s Cat, the Aristocats, the Cheshire cat and the Keyboard Cat on YouTube. In recent years these feline things have replaced man’s best friend as the most popular pet in the U.S. while the Ancient Egyptians once worshipped them as gods. This was a mistake and I’m here to tell you why. Man vs Cat is the story of one man, one woman and the six cats that changed their lives forever. To the woman they brought love and affection, to the man they brought sleepless nights, fear, paranoia and even ruined his jigsaw. Need I say more?


Kiwi the cat and her animal friends
One dark night, Amy cannot sleep and she looks out of the window into the garden to see her cat, Kiwi, transfixed by the moon, which is glowing brightly like a cat’s claw. Waking her brother, James, Amy suggests they follow Kiwi to see where she goes… whether it involves a hunt for mice or something else. Little do they know that, with a flick of her tail, Kiwi is going to magically change them into kittens and lead them on the adventure of their lives to a land they never knew existed in their wildest dreams. In the blue-lit world of Cat City, the budding detectives help Inspector Furrball to solve the mystery of the missing catizens and find out what happened to Madame Purrfect. 

The schedule 
- links will be posted as they go live
VJ – me   DMB – David M Brown

Week 1

14 Jan – Bunny’s Review (Reviews and character guest post – VJ)
14 Jan – Indie Exchange (Character guest post – VJ) 
14 Jan – Dag-Lit Central (Author guest post – DMB)
15 Jan – Bunny’s Review (DMB)
15 Jan – Dag-Lit Central (Author guest post – VJ) 
16 Jan – Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave (Review – VJ)
16 Jan – Alchemy of Scrawl (Review – DMB)
17 Jan – Library Girl Reads and Reviews (Character guest post – DMB)
17 Jan – Karen Pokras Toz (Author guest post and review – VJ)
17 Jan – Cabin Goddess (Review and character guest post – DMB)



Week 2

21 Jan – Alison DeLuca (Review – DMB)

http://alisondeluca.blogspot.co.uk/
21 Jan – Library Girl Reads and Reviews (Author interview – VJ)


22 Jan – My Devotional Thoughts (Review and author guest post – DMB)
http://www.mydevotionalthoughts.com/2013/01/raining-cats-and-dogs-tour-2013-man-vs.html
22 Jan – Izz Bookish Place (Excerpt and author guest post – VJ)
23 Jan – My Devotional Thoughts (Reviews and guest post – VJ)
http://www.mydevotionalthoughts.com/2013/01/raining-cats-and-dogs-tour-3-heads-tail.html


Week 3

28 Jan – Andi’s Chapter Books (Author guest post and excerpt – VJ)
http://andischapterbooks.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/kiwi-in-cat-city-and-writing-for-kids.html

30 Jan – Andi’s Kids Books (Review – VJ)
1 Feb – Karen Pokras Toz (Review – DMB)


1 Feb – Cool Cat Sites (DMB)
2 Feb – Cool Pet Sites (DMB)
2 Feb – Cool Dog Sites (VJ)

2 Feb – Alison DeLuca (Excerpt – DMB)
2 Feb – Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave (Review – VJ)
3 Feb – Diary of Mr Kain (Character interview – VJ)
3 Feb – Cool Cat Sites (VJ)
3 Feb – Sand in my Shoes Reviews (Review – VJ)


Week 4 


4 Feb – Andi’s Chapter Books (Author guest post and excerpt – DMB)
4 Feb – Sand in My Shoes Reviews (Review – DMB)
4 Feb – Cool Pet Sites (VJ)
4 Feb – Book Goodies Kids (DMB)
5 Feb – It’s Time to Read Mamaw (Interview – VJ)
5 Feb – Paranormal/Young Adult/New Adult (Excerpt – DMB)
5 Feb – Book Goodies (DMB)
6 Feb – Andi’s Chapter Books (Review – DMB)
6 Feb – Book Goodies Kids (VJ)
6 Feb – Paranormal/Young Adult/New Adult (Excerpt – VJ)
7 Feb – The Mess That is Me (Author guest post and excerpt – VJ)
7 Feb – Blessed Domestic Diva (Guest post and review – DMB)
7 Feb – The Mess That is Me (Author guest post and excerpt – DMB)
7 Feb – Blessed Domestic Diva (Guest post and review – VJ)
8 Feb – Cool Pet Sites (VJ)
9 Feb – It’s Time to Read Mamaw (Interview – DMB)
9 Feb – Page Turner Book Tours (Spotlight – VJ)
9 Feb – Book Goodies Kids (VJ)
10 Feb – Book Goodies (VJ)
10 Feb – Page Turner Book Tours (Spotlight – DMB)
10 Feb – Confessions of the Hockmangirl (Character guest post – DMB)


Week 5

11 Feb – GMTA (Excerpt – DMB)
11 Feb – Gathering Leaves (Review and interview – VJ)
11 Feb – Megan Blogs (Guest post – VJ & DMB)
11 Feb – Book Goodies (VJ)
12 Feb – Gathering Leaves (Review and interview – DMB)
12 Feb – GMTA (Excerpt – VJ)
13 Feb – Read to Review (Interview – VJ)
14 Feb – Read to Review (Interview – DMB)

Voofs and purrs!
Vickie


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday 9 January 2013

Welcome to the New Year's Hop!

http://nyhop.blogspot.co.uk

I'm excited to be involved in Indie Authors Unite's New Year's Hop, which starts on Friday 11 January.

Welcome to my stop on the hop. What can you win here?

I'm giving away 1 paperback and 3 ebook copies of my comedy romance, 3 Heads & a Tail. If you're not into romance, don't turn away yet. It's not your regular romance. It's more of a comedy fantasy or a comedy of errors. I wrote this book for NaNoWriMo 2011, so it's a bit off the wall. There are four main characters, one of which is a Golden Retriever, and he plays a big part in this book. He's the hero really, and you'll get to see inside his head and find out his doggie thoughts. 
http://tinyurl.com/agdj4ba
What's the story about?

When nature lover Josie moves into a house share with two pals, dreamer Ben and model man David, she sees it as a short stop and doesn't bank on an attraction developing with one of them. Meanwhile, Ben's dog, Glen, has the hots for Miss Posh, the beautiful golden Lab in the park. When dog meets dog it's puppy love, but a complication leads to Glen taking matters into his own paws and walking a very dangerous path. In this comedy of errors, romance and walkies, it's anyone's guess who is going to win the girl/dog and live happily ever after.

What say the reviewers? Here are some snippets...

Ey Wade - "Oh my gosh this is a funny book. I hate to harp on the topic of how the dog made the story, but I think he did. I know for sure I will forever look at my own dog and wonder what she is thinking."

Annarita Guarnieri - "A humorous love story of a different kind, mostly seen through the eyes of Glen, the tail owner, and written with unusual wittiness and ability."

Donna Brown - "Laugh out loud funny."

PDX author - "Until reading this humorous tale about relationships between characters that tend towards being shy, my favorite animal character was "Buck", featured in Jack London's "Call of the Wild." 

How can you win a copy? 

Just leave me a comment - tell me one of the silliest things you've ever done! Or one of the silliest you'd like to do...


Click on the link below to get back to the main New Year's Blog Hop website where you can win these cool prizes -

A Kindle Fire ($299 value)
$100 Amazon voucher
15 signed paperbacks
30 ebooks

Here's the link - http://nyhop.blogspot.co.uk/

Good luck! :)

Don't forget to hop off to the other blogs on the hop to check out the books and giveaways of the other writers in the Indie Authors Unite hop. There are some cracking reads to be found. 

Thanks for reading and a big Happy New Year to you ! :)

Tuesday 8 January 2013

Words with... Cody Martin


A warm welcome to Cody Martin, who, among other things, likes cats, Neil Gaiman, 
writing on the roof and watching movies. He once dreamt of becoming an astronaut. Currently teaching in Japan, Cody has written a fantasy novel called Adventure Hunters. Read on to find out more about him...

What I usually wear when I'm writing...

What is your day job or are you lucky enough to write for a living?

I work part-time, teaching English at an English conversation school in Japan. It allows me time to write while also doing my share of the housework, since my wife often works 12-hour days.

What books have you written so far?

Only one: Adventure Hunters. It’s a fantasy story about a trio of treasure hunters who discover ancient war machines and must stop their king from using their destructive powers. It was originally a screenplay I wrote, but I adapted into a novel.

What works in progress do you have?

A sci-fi book tentatively titled The Super School Uniform. A Japanese junior high-school girl gains a suit that gives her superpowers, and she must prevent aliens from terraforming the Earth into a copy of their home world. It’s my first work that was totally conceived as a novel.

How long did it take you to write your book/s?

Adventure Hunters started out as a screenplay, which I began about seven years ago. I wrote it on and off; writing for a few weeks, taking months off at a time, writing for a few more months, and so on. After I finished it, I knew it would never become a screenplay, so I decided to turn it into a novel. That part took about three or four months.

Do you write linear, or jump back and forth? Do you plan or write by the seat of your pants?

Linear and I’m an advocate for outlines. A blogger once said about Christopher Nolan, “While some directors resemble painters, Nolan is more of an architect. He builds films, analysing every word and labyrinthine twist. Forward, backward, inside and out.” I really liked that quote and the more I thought about it, and how I learned to write, and writing in general, the more I began to think of writing as creating a building.

The outline is the blueprint, giving you a general idea what your building is going to look like. The first draft involves adding the foundations, and support pillars and beams. With each subsequent draft, you’re adding the walls, flooring and ceilings. By the time you reach your final draft, you’ve got a building, complete with doors, rooms and cabinets. When you made your blueprint, you probably didn’t know what kind of handles the drawers would have or what colour the walls would be, but the more you wrote, the more details came into focus.

I don’t do the massive 150-page outlines that Jeffery Deaver does, but I can’t ‘wing it’, much like Stephen King does. Those two are my favourite authors and they have wildly different approaches to writing. I’m in the middle. I’ll outline, but I don’t have every little detail thought out. Some stuff comes out in the writing process that I never planned on.

I try to incorporate what inspires me into my outline. If a major part of the story comes out differently than planned, I rewrite my outline to include it. I like having my outline up-to-date. I also put the major events on a timeline, so I don’t get the days mixed up.

Why do you write?

Mostly for myself; to write the stories and characters I would like to see. When I was at school, I wanted to be a comic-book artist, but the stories I had in mind seemed more suited to the moving picture, so I turned towards directing movies. That’s what I studied in college. But I lived a long way from Hollywood, so I wrote several screenplays. It became clear that my directing career would never start, plus I moved to Japan to teach. I turned my screenplay into a novel and learned about self-publishing. Maybe, deep down, and I’m just finally beginning to realize it, I’ve always wanted to tell stories.

How long have you been writing?

On and off, doing bits and pieces, for about 15 years. I started out doing screenplays and fan-fiction scripts for a few shows I liked, just for fun. Then I moved into original screenplays. After doing several of those, I dabbled in short stories to try a different format of writing, and then I moved on to full-length novels.

Where and when do you write? Do you have set times?

I used to write on the roof of my apartment; it has a nice view of the town, it’s quiet and hardly used. I’d gather up my iPad, music, cap and shades, and something to drink. When the roof was too windy, I’d retire to the balcony. With winter coming up, I write indoors in the living room. I’m still trying to adjust my writing schedule to my new job, but I try to write every day.

My favourite writing space
Which character from your books do you like most / are most like?

I like Lisa, from Adventure Hunters. She’s fun-loving, even though she had a tough childhood. Since she is a teenager, she doesn’t have to be as serious as the other two. I’m hoping to explore more about her and her past in an upcoming novel.

What/who inspired you to write and still inspires you?

Stephen King, especially after reading On Writing. That should be a must-read for every author. He openly admits there are people who are highly talented, but at the same time he says that with hard work and some know-how, almost anyone can do it. He doesn’t treat writing as a mythical thing; it’s a job, just like laying bricks or hauling trucks.

Also, in a roundabout way, George Lucas and Steve Jobs. Lucas once said that advances in technology will give rise to “garage filmmakers” – people who have talent and passion, but might not have had a chance before to get their stories out there to the public, because they didn’t have access to the technology. Steve Jobs helped to create and foster technology that is intuitive and easy to use. I think we are seeing a version of Lucas’s vision in the publishing industry now. People with a passion to write now have the means to get their stories out there.

What do you think is the ideal recipe for a good novel or story?

Well-written characters and a good plot. I tend to favour plot over story. I like characters doing things. To me, plot and story are slightly different. They are intertwined and connected, but slightly different. Plot is what happens; story is why it happens. Two men walk into a bar and start arguing – that is plot. The reason they are arguing – maybe one man wrecked the other man’s car – is story.

Have you ever based a character on someone from real life? And did you tell them?

I sometimes use part of a friend’s name for a character. But I’ve never based a whole character on someone. I’d ask them first, if I was planning on it.

Fave things: animal? food? drink? film? colour? band? song? place? item of clothing?

Cats - I love them, especially Ragdolls and Maine Coons.
Chicken.
A&W Root Beer.
Azumi, an awesome Japanese film, directed by Ryuhei Kitamura.
Black.
Morning Musume – I’ve been to their concerts eight times in five years.
Read ‘em and Weep by Meat Loaf.
Tokyo – I don’t get there nearly as many times as I want to.
Long-sleeved shirts.

When you were a kid, what did you want to do/who did you want to be when you grew up?

An astronaut.

Would you say that your dreams have come true or are you still working on them?

I’m still working on them, but I’m happy with my life at this point. I don’t feel I have any unfulfilled dreams that are weighing me down.

My book 
You’re walking in the forest and you bump into an alien librarian from Mars. He wants five book recommendations from you…

Being a SF fan, I’m intrigued by this alien. Recommendations of Earth’s greatest literature? Just my recommendations? I’m assuming so. If he can visit from another world, I’m sure he has enough room in his interstellar library for more than just five books from every world. Let’s see…
The Cold Moon by Jeffery Deaver;
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien;
The Shining by Stephen King;
The Light of Other Days by Arthur C. Clarke and Stephen Baxter; and
Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman.

Which three authors would you like to take to the pub?

Stephen King, Christopher L. Bennett and Jeffery Deaver.

Are you published or self-published? What is your experience?

Self-published. I’ve found marketing and promotion to be difficult. But the fact that it is all on me, that the novel I wrote will be created the way I want it, makes it great.

How do you find the marketing experience?

I’m still very much a newbie at that part. I have a lot to learn.

What advice would you give other writers just starting out?

Write what you want. Don’t look for an audience. Let them find you.

Do you have a blog? What do you blog about?

Yes, I do. My blog is at http://codylmartin.blogspot.jp. I usually blog about writing and my projects, but I’m branching out into other areas, like book reviews and my thoughts on certain movies, etc.

What other hobbies do you have?

I’m a huge fan of the group Morning Musume. I watch a lot of movies, mostly action and SF. Since I have a part-time job, I often help to take care of the house while my wife works full-time.

What would you like to achieve in the next five years?

To have five books out – at least one a year; more if I can do it. And to have enough money saved up, so that my wife and I can look into getting our own house.

If you won the Lotto or a major publishing contract, what would you do with that dosh?

Buy a house. It’s amazing how expensive houses are here, in Japan. 

Links: