A Voice Behind the Words. With GIVEAWAY!

As many have seen, I've found my way to audio books. And I'm loving it. I do believe the narrator can make or break an audio book. I have found audio book narrators that I love listening to, and they make the books all the better by bringing it into a fourth dimension for us.

One of those voices I've grown fond of and love her work is Kristin James. Kristin has done many great voices for authors. She's voiced Melanie Karsak's books for The Harvesting series and Stormy Smith's Bound series along with several others!

I'm thrilled to have Kristin by for an interview about audio work along with a giveaway at the end for you.

Please give a huge warm welcome to Kristin!

M:  Hi Kristin. Thank you for joining us today.

KJ:  Thanks so much for having me!

M:  I've noted in several of your narrations that you do different accents and voice tones for characters. Did you, or do you still, do research on voice sounds, accents, and personalities of people to add to your audio works?

KJ:  Always! Sometimes the research is more traditional, like looking up a vocal coach or native speaker on youtube if I need a specific accent. Other times it’s in the moment. If I hear a voice or sound that I like I’ll try to emulate it on the spot. One of the best pieces of advice I’ve gotten in this area came from one of my voice coaches, Joe Loesch. He said, “Remember, even if you fail at perfectly mimicking a particular voice- you’ve still created a new voice in the process.”

M:  Have you always been a master at vocal changes and voices?

KJ:  You are very kind to call me a master; I think I’ll always think of myself as a student. I’ve often had people comment on my voice and how much they liked it, but I didn’t really take acting seriously until college. There, I trained for the stage and learned invaluable vocal warm ups and care. After graduating I decided to take what I’d been hearing from others about my voice seriously, and signed up for several voice-over specific classes. I fell in love and have never looked back.

M:  Have you ever played a trick on people in public with your many voices? Pretending to be someone else or anything with strangers?

KJ:  Not yet, but you’re giving me ideas. ;)

M:  You have a talent for getting into character. What does it take to get into the brain of the characters? Do you read the whole book first?

KJ:  I always read fiction cover to cover before starting the recording process. I think it’s important to know the journeys the characters embark upon and the ways in which they deal with things before committing to “their” voice. I use the process to experiment along the way. I’ll read aloud to myself to try out a voice on a character to see if it fits. If it does that’s how I’ll hear them in my head as I continue. If it still makes sense by the end of the book I know I’ve found a winner.

Non-fiction is different and I’ve found that listeners prefer consistency on those projects. I tend to just stay one chapter ahead in that field.

M:  Do you talk in detail with the author about the characters before or during the recording of their book?

KJ:  Sometimes I ask for a one or two sentence descriptor for the major characters, just to make sure we’re on the same page. But most of the time those descriptors come out in the writing within the novel. After I’ve read the book I’ll send any questions I’ve got their way. I’ve also worked together with authors on voices before I begin recording. I’ll send a few sentences of dialogue a few different ways and they pick their favorite version.

M:  When you record a number of voices, do you read in pieces by character or read straight through switching characters as you come to them? Your work sounds seamless as if you read straight through with adjusting as you go.

KJ:  On one of my earliest projects, I tried doing each character’s dialogue individually and then Frankensteined everything together after the fact. I thought it would keep the consistency of the characters more intact. After one of the most arduous editing jobs I’ve ever given myself, I knew there had to be a better way. Then I realized that I'd already been doing this at home. All my dogs have voices and have full "conversations" with each other and me and my family. If I could switch between them without issue, why couldn't I do the same in an audiobook? I practiced switching from one audiobook voice to another and found that it wasn’t as daunting as I’d made myself believe. Self-doubt had caused me to second-guess my abilities. Once I proved to myself that I was capable of switching between characters on the fly, I’ve read my projects straight through. My advice to anyone reading is to trust yourself. You are likely far better than you are giving yourself credit for.

M:  Would you like to share what your latest or next available narration novel will be?

KJ:  Absolutely! My most recent release is Damned if I Do by Erin Hayes. You can find it here:

http://www.audible.com/pd/Romance/Damned-If-I-Do-Audiobook/B01AIWT50A/ref=a_search_c4_1_1_srTtl?qid=1454438645&sr=1-1

My next title is Reflections in Psychotherapy and Paths for Wellbeing by Veis Djalali PHD. It should be out later this month.
The next project I’ll be starting is The Girls from Alcyone by Cary Caffrey.


Bonus! 
Kristin's inspiration to get into voice acting:
A question I get asked a lot is, "You're a voice actor? How do you even get into something like that?" Rather than give the standard, "went to school for theater, continued taking voice specific classes after graduating, ect" answer, I thought I'd get a little more personal.

When I was ten years old I had a heart attack. Thankfully, I was in the hospital when it happened. I was receiving treatment for ‪‎Kawasaki Disease‬, which Wikipedia defines as, "an autoimmune disease in which the medium-sized blood vessels throughout the body become inflamed. It is largely seen in children under five years of age. It affects many organ systems, mainly those including the blood vessels, skin, mucous membranes, and lymph nodes. Its rarest but most serious effect is on the heart, where it can cause fatal coronary artery aneurysms in untreated children. Without treatment, mortality may approach 1%, usually within six weeks of onset. With treatment, the mortality rate is 0.17% in the U.S."

It turns out I was in that unlucky "rarest but most serious" category and had 2 aneurysms on the arteries in my heart. (Don't worry, as seen in the before/after photo they're gone now and have been for some time.)

During the attack I was rushed to the ICU where I spent about 5 and a half days of my 11 total days in the hospital. I don't know how much experience you all have with the ICU, but patients aren't really allowed to do much of anything except to rest and focus on getting better.

Fortunately, I had some very good friends who not only visited me, but also brought me a very influential present. I was given Lois Lowry's "The Giver" in audiobook form (on cassette!) performed by Ron Rifkin.

Listening to that story I was able to forget for a little while that I couldn't play soccer or softball anymore, that my days would be dominated by a medication schedule, or that I didn't know when or if I would be able to go back to school. I was able to just get lost in the world that Lowry created and Rifkin brought to life.

I still have that copy.

That experience has always stuck with me. I don't remember that time as blood tests and IVs, but rather as the first time Jonas ever saw color.

If Lowry and Rifkin could do it for me, then maybe, just maybe, I could do it for someone else.


About Kristin James:

Kristin “KJ” James was born and raised in the Nashville, TN area. Acting has always been a passion of hers. Starting on the stage as early as preschool, KJ pursued her passion into college where she received a BA in Communication with a double emphasis in Theatre and Public Relations from Mississippi State University. After college she found herself more and more drawn to voice overs. Several classes, coaching sessions, seminars, research, and a closet-turned-studio later, and she now records and produces audiobooks on a regular basis. She has also done several radio commercials for clients such as Advance Financial, TriStar Health, and GAC.

When she’s not in her booth, you can find her crocheting, playing video games, or running agility with her dog, Zeus. If you’re unfamiliar with the sport, check out the video!


Follow Kristin James to keep up with her latest works:
Facebook:  KJ the Voice Actor
Twitter:  @KJtheVoiceActor
Her Site:  KJ the Voice Actor
Her works on Audible (you can listen to samples there as well!)

GIVEAWAY TIME!!

Kristin has offered up one of her audio books as a prize.

YOU PICK!

That's right, you get to pick which book you'd like from Kristin's narrations on Audible.
Fiction or Non-fiction. Urban Fantasy with Romance, Fantasy, Scifi Romance, and more to pick from!

Whether you are old hat and want to try a new voice, or new to audio books and would like to try Kristin. We are sharing with you all.
Please make sure you are able to listen to Audible in your country.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Interview: K.A. Finn

I'm thrilled to interview on the blog today a science fiction author that I've LOVED! I read the first Nomad series and loved what was created and how it was presented to us. (You haven't read my review? Feel free to go check it out.) Everything for everyone in one place.
book in her

Please welcome K.A. Finn to the blog today!

M:  I'm curious what was the inspiration for Gryffin? He is one damaged man, and in more ways than one.

K.A.:  Right! A nice easy one to start. The earliest version of Gryffin made an appearance (in my head) when I was about 16. My sister and I would rush home from school to watch Star Trek: The Next Generation – we were both hooked on it! I’ve always been a day dreamer – caused me lots of problems in school :). I’d spend a lot of time running through different Star Trek storylines in my head. Gryffin jumped right into one and refused to leave.

The older I got, the more he developed. He went from a regular guy to a cyborg (not quite sure how that happened) and his attitude changed from a ‘nice’ guy to… well the Gryffin he is now. Personally, I’ve always steered towards stories with a darker hero – someone who has flaws, not the perfect ‘Prince Charming’. I think it makes for a more interesting and possibly unpredictable story.

Saying that, I never planned for him to be as ‘damaged’ as he is – it’s just where the story took him. The more I delved into his background and what he went through, the more his personality changed in response to that. He’s had to fight every single day of his life – against himself, what he is and what was done to him. The Gryffin from the first draft of Ares is a very different Gryffin to the final published book.

Once you take time to get to know him and what he’s gone through in his life, you start to understand why he is the way he is. He never asked for any of it to happen to him or to be modified the way he has – his anger and ‘emotional wall’ is a result of his past. There is more to him than that – you just need to dig a little to find it :)

More details about his past are revealed through the series so it should all become clear.

M:  If we talk about Gryffin, we have to talk about Terra. She's learning quick the way of space. She is new out of the academy at the beginning and has some good friends around her. She is growing stronger through the book. Will she be crossing new boundaries in her life soon?

K.A.:  Her life takes a drastic change in Nemesis partly due to what happens in Ares ( I’m not going to give anything away from Ares, but as you know, something happens at the end that will alter her). She really has no choice but to adapt to survive living so far from Earth, but other situations drive this development further. She really needed to ‘toughen up’ to be a suitable match for someone like Gryffin – which she does quite a lot in the second book.

I think the key to their relationship (if you could call it that!) is Terra’s initial reaction to him. She stood up to him instead of cowering. It’s that attitude that intrigues him and helps her push through his wall. It’s never going to be a typical relationship and she’ll be faced with more than her fair share of stubborn moments with him but she sees the ‘real’ Gryffin. She knows he’s worth the effort – no matter how infuriating he gets.

M:  Each character has an in depth and complicated background that intertwines with all present. How did you go about writing each character? Were they separate sections?

K.A.:  No, I actually developed each character as the story evolved. I plotted the storyline so I knew roughly where each character had to ‘be’ at each stage, but the rest just developed as I wrote. I never stick to a definite plan. Things can change as you write. Your mind just let’s go and you type. For example, the Scientist’s true identity only came out in the final draft – about a week before I published.

M:  I loved ARES, no secret in that around here. I know we have another book coming our way soon, NEMESIS. We will see all our favorite characters again, right? Well, at least the ones that didn't die. ;)

K.A.:  Of course! Nemesis will be out in January (exact date to be confirmed) and will bring back all the original characters – except the ones that died. I couldn’t keep any of them out of the story. I get very attached to my characters – even the bad guys. Some of their storylines have been developed so you learn more about them. I always planned for this to be a series so didn’t want to ‘finish’ every story/plot line from the first book. It takes time to get to know people and it’s the same for my characters.

I’ve also introduced some new characters. It wasn’t planned – they just burst into the story and stayed. These new characters create some interesting situations for the rest of the gang and may help them deal with what’s going on around them.

M:  Are you planning more books to the series?

K.A.:  Absolutely! The plan I have in my head is for at least one or two more full size novels. It really depends where my characters take me.

I also plan to release two or three more novellas centering on some of the other characters in the series. I’ve been asked by readers for more information on both Bray and Chayse so I’ll start with these two. Both of them have had such colourful lives, I think it would be a shame not to delve a little deeper. To be honest, you could say that about quite a lot of the characters! I guess we’ll all have to wait and see who forces themselves onto the novella list! I haven’t decided on an exact number so who knows! I know I’m not ready to say goodbye to Gryffin and the rest of my characters yet.

I don’t want to say too much, but after you read (or listen to) Nemesis, you’ll know what way I’m planning to go next :)

M:  Okay, K.A. Time for some fun questions. I ask these of all my first time interviewees.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

K.A.:  Maldives – sun, sea and a good book – yes please!

M:  Tea of Coffee?

K.A.:  Coffee – well, mocha to be exact. Need my chocolate fix!

M:  Favorite Color?

K.A.:  Red – red computer, red phone, red car, red, red, red – love it!

M:  Favorite Childhood Fictional Creature?

K.A.:  Dragons

M:  Now as an adult what's your Favorite Fictional Creature?

K.A.:  Really? It has to be the griffin – no surprise there!

M:  Favorite word? (any word at all)

K.A.:  Twit – I call myself that numerous times while I’m writing 

M:  K.A. I want to thank you for joining me today and for the interview. It is a pleasure to meet you and read Ares. I can't wait for Nemesis!

K.A.:  Thanks for the interesting questions – I really enjoyed answering them! Thanks again for your amazing review of Ares and hope you’ll like Nemesis as much!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ares
Description:
He wasn't expected to survive — no one else did — and for twenty years, he has managed to stay off their radar. Until now. Until her… 

Gryffin was the sole survivor of The Foundation’s experimental project to transform human children into hybrid cyborgs – half human, half machine. The program failed and he was sent on a one way trip into The Outer Sector where he was left for dead. He has survived for twenty years by suppressing his human emotions and embracing his machine side. 

Officer Terra Rush believes in her duty to the Foundation. The Sector needs to be prepared for colonization, and nothing can stop her from doing her job…except him. When Gryffin saves her from an attack, Terra uncovers a terrible secret. The Foundation has been lying to her…and maybe they still are. 

They have labelled Gryffin a killing machine, yet he acts more human than many of The Foundation’s leaders. He has awakened intense feelings in Terra that throw her loyalties into question, and even though he pushes her away, she is determined to find out the truth about the cyborg program. 

Gryffin refuses to be a mindless soldier, yet escaping The Foundation’s control and stopping the colonization of his home will require Terra’s help. Can Gryffin overcome the machine inside and trust her? Or will getting in touch with his human emotions destroy him once and for all? 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About K.A. Finn:
I grew up in Co. Wicklow, Ireland and now live in Herefordshire, England with my long-suffering husband, bossy daughter, two cuddly dogs, crazy cat, unpredictable ram and six impatient sheep.
After working as a veterinary nurse for many years, I was forced to change career when I ran out of room for any more strays. I spent the next few years in banking before moving to Herefordshire.
My days are filled looking after the small-holding and its demanding residents as well as working as a freelance proofreader.

Any spare time is devoted to writing or reading (sci-fi, thriller, some paranormal).
My favourite authors are J.R. Ward, Lee Child, James Rollins, Stephen Leather, Andy McNab and J.D. Robb.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Follow K.A. Finn:
Author Site:  http://kafinn.com/
Blog:  http://kafinn.com/random-ramblings/
Facebook Author Page
Twitter:  @K_A_Finn

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Purchase Ares:
Amazon

Audio on Audible


The second book in the Nomad series, Nemesis, will be coming our way January 2016!

Author Interview with Danielle Ackley-McPhail & Day Al-Mohamed

I'm thrilled to have a writer team with me today. Today I have Danielle Ackley-McPhail and Day Al-Mohamed by to chat on their newest release, Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn. I hope you got to check out my review of the fairy tale re-tell.

Please, help me welcome Danielle and Day to the blog!

M:  Welcome Danielle and Day. Can you share a little bit about your newly released book for the readers?

Danielle:  Well…I can tell you it’s a short story with a thyroid problem…but in truth the original tales are just more detailed than we realized. Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn was originally intended as a short story for the upcoming anthology Gaslight and Grimm. When our finished product turned out to be over 17,000 words the publisher said “No, it’s a book…now go finish it.” Day shook her fist at him, but with the very next breath, her eyes it up and she was already mumbling about different things we could do…

Day:  There was a lot of “You want us to do what?! And you’ll buy it?! What are we going to DO?! ”

Fist shaking was probably a better response than fainting or throwing up. Now THAT would be a great origin story…”Yes, Danielle and I wrote our story for an anthology but it was too long. When the publisher suggested expanding it into a novel …I threw up on him.” :)

M:  Danielle, you and Day co-authored Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn. What was the easiest part of co-authoring?

Danielle:  I don’t think you can ever call collaborating easy. It is a wonderful experience, but often challenging. Each of us had very distinct ideas of what we wanted to do and how. Sometimes those ideas were complementary to each other, but at other times I had to retrain myself for protesting some change or other, not because they weren’t good, but because they weren’t the way I envisioned them or would have handled the situation. I did restrain myself, though, and by coordinated back-and-forth and brainstorming sessions we definitely came up with a tale that was greater than either of us could have written on our own. The end result was richer for the varied perspectives that went in to working it out, both from the two of us, and input from our invaluable “alpha” reader, Helen Fleischer.

Day:   The easiest part I think was knowing that you already had an eager audience of one ready and waiting for the next section, or the revisions. Writing is a lonely adventure; at the end of the day, it is just you and the words. This method really didn’t feel lonely. There was a constant charge when you sent a piece off and wondering what the other person would say. Danielle is right that joining visions was sometimes difficult and learning to trust each other with pieces we put our heart into, but the writing was, in some ways, a lot easier, and a lot more fun.

M:  What method did you both use to re-create the tale together?

Danielle:  Our process could best be described as tag-team writing. One of us would have an idea and develop it, then pass it off to the other for review. It would come back with revisions, or notes for ideas sparked from the segment, perhaps some added text in place, and then the cycle starts all over again. Kind of like one of the improve skits from “Who’s Line Is It Anyway?” The hardest thing—and the most rewarding—was to develop an idea and then to have some proverbial buzzer go off and have to pass it off to someone else, then see what they did to interpret your concept. One of the pluses of this process is that there is no clear distinction in the book to indicate which of us wrote a particular section.

Day:  What she said? :) I will add, that we also pulled out many of the major plot points from the early versions of the tale. I imagine not many people know that one of the titles for the story is “Clever Morgiana.”

In writing Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn, how did you know what elements to keep as magic and others as clockwork or steam powered?

Danielle:  At first this was difficult. We knew the steampunk needed to be integral, but the magical aspects of the tale did come across stronger, when the story was still a story and not a novel. We introduced the steampunk elements then, but they were more set-dressing rather than key elements. When we suddenly became co-novelists we found we had more room, and the ability to expand the back-story. At that point the steampunk nature of the tale came more to the fore. We were able to spread out and explore and find ways to mingle the science with the magic until each complemented the other.

Day:  When expanding to a novel, we had the opportunity to “fill in the world” even more than the small area around Al-Nejd. We had a magical, mystical Middle East, where many of the “faerie tales” had some truth – ifrits, ghouls, djinni etc., but also where steam technology had carved an influence over society. The Old City of Jerusalem has great airships landing outside the city walls, and inside resides three great schools of magic. We build an England reveling in a steam-powered industrial revolution. And of course, our heroes exist and struggle at that most difficult of places – the intersection of magic and mechanics.

M:  What was your favorite scene to work on? For Day?

Danielle:  Toward the end of the book there is a particularly philosophical interlude involving chess pieces that I am exceedingly fond of. I won’t going into detail—as Day has pointed out in an earlier interview, that would give too much away—but I can say it was an epiphany moment, inspiration that I could never have intentionally planned, but worked out brilliantly.

M:  I love that you kept the tale true and not all of it is a Disney story. Did you feel you stayed true to the tale in keeping the harder unpleasant scenes with the story?

Danielle:  If you look at the original tales, no matter what the source, they were more grim than glee. I believe we captured not just the feel of the original tales, but their spirit as well. The magic, the danger, the loyalty, the characters had depth in the original and we did our best to carry that through in Baba Ali.

Day:  We specifically wanted to capture the voice of the original tales; the mystique and adventure. We pulled some elements directly from the tales and others we used to inspire the twists and turns of a story that would exist in the 1880s. Although, you should probably be grateful to Danielle, she wouldn’t let me chop anyone into 40 pieces. :) That may have been a little too unpleasant.

M:  I think I loved the creation of the Djinn and loyal friend Ali finds. Do you have a favorite character in writing the tale?

Danielle:  Bad form asking parents to admit to a favorite! Instead let me say that each and every character made themselves distinct, but Charles Babbage in an oddly gruff way, made himself endearing, not just for us, but for those who have read the story to date. One character that does resonate with me for some reason, though, is Shahin….the falcon djinni. He doesn’t appear much on the page, but when he does he is impossible to ignore. There is a story there. One, Day and I are already plotting. I can’t wait to learn what it is!

Day:  Believe it or not, I really enjoyed the villains. The unrepentant Rassul, the reluctant Rashid, even the wicked thief who seemed to enjoy hurting people a little too much. There’s something about a really good villain…

M:  Since you both are new to My World...in words and pages, I'm going to start with some questions I ask all my first time visiting authors.
(Note from Day:  I LOVE these questions?! What a wonderful idea!)

M:  If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Danielle:  Australia. Something about that harsh, beautiful land fascinates me. I would love to experience it up close.

Day:  And here I was hoping for the inclusion of an imaginary place! :) Actually, Egypt. I grew up in the Middle East but never got to see Egypt and the pyramids. I’m also of an age where that was in all the children’s books with images of King Tutankhamun’s golden mask. Although I’ve travelled quite a bit, this goal has always eluded me.

M:  Coffee or Tea?

Danielle:  Depends on what you add to it ;) No…but really, mostly I drink tea….Earl Grey, hot.

Day:  Unequivocally tea! Have a “tea station” both upstairs and downstairs in the house and close to 36 different kinds. Oddly enough though, I loathe Earl Grey. :)

M:  Favorite Color?

Danielle:  Red…but I look better in Purple. You’ll see at Balticon…

Day:  Red. But I think that might be because, as a visually-impaired person, it is one of the colors that I see most clearly.

M:  Favorite Childhood Fictional Creature?

Danielle:  LOL….you won’t believe this, but it’s a creature that never appeared on any page. When I was about five my aunt, who lived with us and worked third-shift at CBS Recorders, convinced me to be quiet during the day while she was sleeping by telling me about the little man in the vent. In truth she would talk into the vent in another room pretending to be the little man in the vent. I was so convinced that I would leave bowls of cereal for him to eat. As I left the room someone would let one of the dogs in to stand in for the little man. This is one of my cherished memories and will always be my favorite fictional creature.

Day:  That’s really tough question. I say that because I’ve always been something of a fickle person when it comes to fictional creatures. I love them all! Thinking far back, the first I think was a Phoenix from some children’s story or another. My Little Pony pulled me to Unicorns and Pegasi. Anne McCaffrey introduced me to Dragons and Mercedes Lackey to Gryphons. The list goes on and on.

M:  Now as an adult, what's your favorite fiction creature? (can be the same!)

Danielle:  As I said….always…

Day:  Currently? Umm…Olaf.

M:  Favorite Word? (any word)

Danielle:  oooh….not easy, so dependent on context. I rarely get tired of hearing the word “Yes,” though….

Day:  Yes

M:  Thank you Danielle and Day for sharing a bit about your newly released book. Here's wishing you all the best in words and pages.

Danielle & Day:  Thank you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn
Description:
Come, Best Beloved, and sit you by my feet. I shall tell you a tale such as sister Scheherazade could have scarce imagined. A tale of wonders, of deeds both great and grievous, of courage that defies description, and above all, Child of Adam, I shall tell you a tale of love.

The night is for the telling of tales to which the morning may bear Truth. In the oldest of days and ages and times, there was, and there was not, a great evil that reached across the desert and beyond...

In the Nejd there is nothing at all...except secrets. A band of thieves wish such secrets to remain hidden.

In England, far from his desert home, Ali bin-Massoud serves as apprentice to the famed Charles Babbage. One night a mysterious box is delivered by a clockwork falcon and Ali's world is never the same again. Heartache, danger, and thieves mark his journey as Ali is summoned home at the death of his father.

I will take faith, knowledge, and yes, love to realize his destiny, and more than a little skill with steam-driven technology. Can he unravel the mystery of the puzzle box and the clockwork djinn before it is too late? An ancient legacy and Ali's very life depend on his success.

Hear you the tale of Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Find Danielle Ackley-McPhail:
Websites: www.sidhenadaire.com
Blogs: http://lit_handyman.livejournal.com, http://damcphail.livejournal.com, http://badassfaeries.livejournal.com
Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/DMcPhail
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/danielle.ackleymcphail
Amazon author page http://www.amazon.com/Danielle-Ackley-McPhail/e/B002GZVZPQ/
Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/989939.Danielle_Ackley_McPhail

Find Day Al-Mohamed:
Website:  http://www.dayalmohamed.com/
Blog:  http://dayalmohamed.com/wordpress/
Twitter:  @DayAlMohamed
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/DayAlMohamed
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8121755.Day_Al_Mohamed

Purchase Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn:


Book Depository

Interview with fantasy author Jon Sprunk, new release Blood and Iron.

I read and became a fan of Jon Sprunk's with the Shadow Saga. To see a new series starting has thrilled me.

Please welcome Jon to the blog to share about the adventures we will be on.


M:  Hi Jon! I’m thrilled to have you by to share in your new release, Blood and Iron. Congratulations! Can you tell us a bit about the new book?

Jon:  Thank you for having me here. I’d love to! Blood and Iron is the first in a four-book epic fantasy series. The main story revolves around three people. Horace is a shipwright and sailor stranded on the shores of his nation’s enemy, an ancient empire which is ruled by nigh-omnipotent wizard-kings and -queens. Alyra is a slave and a spy for a foreign government. Jirom is a former mercenary taken into slavery and forced to fight for his life as a gladiator. These three characters possess the potential to change the empire forever, if they’re willing to pay price.


M:  Okay, covers don’t always relate to their books. But you had the talented Jason Chan do this amazing artwork. With Jason, it has to relate well with your book. What do you think?

Jon:  I’m beyond thrilled. Jason is amazing, as you said. And he captured the individuality of these characters. I also want to thank my art direction, Lou Anders, and his staff for putting together such a stellar cover.


M:  We have some sea voyage here. Ahoy! Will there be much time spent on ship?

Jon:  Some time, yes. But the majority of the book takes places on dry land. I’ve always been fascinated by old-time seagoing vessels. I think it would take a lot of guts to sail beyond the sight of land in something powered only by sails.


M:  The series is called The Book of the Black Earth. There is a tiny string of a relation to the Shadow Saga here. Can you explain?

Jon:  This series takes place in the same fictional world as my Shadow Saga books, but in a different region with new characters. There is no direct cross-over, although events in one location can affect the other. For instance, Horace’s arrival in the empire is the result of the religious crusade I mentioned in the Shadow books.


M:  The land we see here, Akeshia, has a completely different sound to it than what we saw with Caim in the Shadow Saga. Very dangerous and powerful. Can you tell us about the magic here and the impact of the God-Kings (Queens)?

Jon:  The people of this land worship magic as a divine force. And because the ability to use magic is hereditary, it makes for an interesting society where magical talent actually (usually) trumps other forms of mundane power. The God-Kings and God-Queen are typically very powerful wizards; they literally have the power of life and death in their hands.

For this setting, I drew heavily on the cultures of ancient Babylon and Egypt. One thread that bound those together in my mind was the powerful effect that the supernatural world and belief systems had on everyday life. By inserting magic into the equation, I was able to play on the theme of power and control in a different way.


M:  Sounds like there are many elements here to keep us on our toes. What scene did you find to be the most fun to write?

Jon:  Definitely the one where [SPOILER ALERT] . . . .

Honestly, the ending, because it’s the most challenging part, and thus the most rewarding.


M:  What was more challenging for you in this new adventure and new characters?

Jon:  The seed of this series actual began more than twenty-five years ago. It’s been brewing in the back of my mind, off and on, for so long that it felt very natural. The story, the culture, the characters – they just came together for me.


M:  It sounds like there is politics, magic, culture, action, and oh so much more in one place. How do you balance it all when writing?

Jon:  That’s the difficult part. It’s a juggling act. I work hard to find the right scenes to portray my story and my world. Outlining beforehand helps immensely, but I still do a lot of reconstruction in the editing phase.


M:  Jon, I have to say, I’m glad release day is here because I’m going to get me a copy of this book.

Jon:  Thank you so much, Melissa. Your support, and the support of your readers, means so much to me.


M:  I wish you all the best in words and pages.

Jon:  The same to you.



You can now check out Excerpts online:
Chapter 1 excerpt,   Chapter 2 excerpt


Blood and Iron
By Jon Sprunk
Set in a richly-imagined world, this action-heavy fantasy epic and series opener is like a sword-and-sorcery Spartacus.

It starts with a shipwreck following a magical storm at sea. Horace, a soldier from the west, had joined the Great Crusade against the heathens of Akeshia after the deaths of his wife and son from plague. When he washes ashore, he finds himself at the mercy of the very people he was sent to kill, who speak a language and have a culture and customs he doesn't even begin to understand.

Not long after, Horace is pressed into service as a house slave. But this doesn't last. The Akeshians discover that Horace was a latent sorcerer, and he is catapulted from the chains of a slave to the halls of power in the queen's court. Together with Jirom, an ex-mercenary and gladiator, and Alyra, a spy in the court, he will seek a path to free himself and the empire's caste of slaves from a system where every man and woman must pay the price of blood or iron. Before the end, Horace will have paid dearly in both.


Find Jon Sprunk:
Site:  Jon Sprunk
Facebook:  Jon Sprunk's Fiction Page
Twitter:  @JonSprunk

Purchase Blood and Iron now:

Author Interview: Resa Nelson

I have enjoyed Resa's fantasy books and now her new book as well, All of Us Were Sophie. You can check out my review of her new book on the blog. Please do as it's new and different from her previous book. Well done!

I do hope you learn a bit about the book in this interview, and it sparks a curiosity to take a look at it.

Please give a warm welcome to Resa...


M:  Hi Resa! It is a pleasure to have you back to the blog once again.

I’m thrilled to announce you have a new book out, the center of your current tour – All of Us Were Sophie. Would you like to share a little about the new book with the readers?

RN:  Sure! Thanks so much for that warm welcome. All Of Us Were Sophie is a murder mystery with a science fiction premise: human duplication is possible. Not cloning, which is essentially growing a baby that has your exact DNA. But making exact copies of yourself in an instant, complete with your personality and life experience. Kind of like making real-life photocopies of yourself except they’re human, not paper. That’s what my main character Sophie does because she knows someone is trying to kill her and she believes making copies of herself is her best choice. But she also knows that the process of duplication will kill her. Once that happens and the copies of Sophie are created, they must figure out what’s happening, escape the killer, and find out what’s happening and why.

M:  Resa, I know you throw yourself into your work. You usually ‘try’ or talk too many about what you are writing. I think this is amazing as it really helps make the actions feel real.

There is detective work here. Both professional and unprofessional. We have a cop that is trying to solve a crime then we have the Sophie’s trying to solve who is trying to murder them. Did you have a lot of research to make it feel so true from the detectives view?

RN:  I did a couple of things. I wrote the first version of this book 25 years ago, and at that time I interviewed a Boston homicide detective. It was fascinating, because I sat in his office and he answered all incoming calls during our interview. Just listening to his conversations gave me a lot of insight. But I also had a big list of questions, and his answers made me look at things differently. The first version of this book sold to a major publisher who later dropped the deal, and I gave up on the book. When I realized how I could rewrite it to make it more fresh and relevant, I decided to change the setting from Boston to a fictional bedroom community on its outskirts. This time I interviewed a detective in a small town, and the difference between the two experiences was jaw-dropping. Years ago, I dated a Boston cop and gained some insight from him, as well. Also, I’m a huge fan of the ID TV channel and series like The Closer, which a minor character mentions watching in my novel.

M:  Sophie has her own way of doing things, one that feels almost a tad OCD. How did you come up with Sophie’s ways? (By the way, I’m so glad there is a personalized feel to Sophie. Makes her feel real to the reader.)

RN:  I drew mostly from my own experience. Whenever I needed to figure out a way to make something work, I would think about my own idiosyncrasies. For example, within the past few years I’ve realized that I’ve always had my own unique way of communicating with myself – and that not everyone else does this! And it’s all about visual things. For example, if I need to take something with me when I leave my home, there’s a specific place where I’ll put it because I know that for some reason I also look at that place. If I put things anywhere else, I’m likely to walk off without them. Another example: last weekend I decided I wanted to eat the last bit of an Ethiopian lentil stew I’d made for breakfast. But I’m a creature of habit. I knew that I had to do something to remind myself or else I’d go on autopilot and make my regular morning oatmeal. So I took a bag of uncooked lentils out of my kitchen cabinet and put the bag on the countertop where I make breakfast. Sure enough, a couple of hours later when I started to make oatmeal, I saw my reminder and heated up the stew instead. I don’t know why I’m like this. I can’t explain it. It’s just how my brain is wired. And especially because I’m dealing with multiple versions of the same character, I felt that my best bet was to make Sophie as much like me as I could bear!

Resa, I think we all have our own idiosyncrasies. It's great to really focus on them and use them in the book.

M:  The Detective, Jeromy, touches on memory loss with his suspect. And there is an explanation of why the Sophie’s don’t remember the last two weeks. Did you do a lot of training on memory and memory loss for the book?

RN:  It’s a combination of things. In college my required courses included human biology, human physiology, and human anatomy (including dissection, which I initially dreaded but ended up loving). I also have a degree in sociology and a keen interest in psychology. Plus for many years I’ve been reading books about the brain just because I think it’s interesting. So there were a lot of things I already knew and understood about memory, but I also did some research. But most of the credit goes to my consultant, Dr. Geoffrey Landis, who is a scientist and a terrific science fiction author. When we’ve talked about the possibility of human duplication and how it would work, Geoff is the one who theorized that the duplication process would cause short-term memory loss.

M:  In this new book, you touch on science fiction. But, the nice thing, it creates the plot of the story yet is not overwhelming to people who love a great mystery story. Do you feel this book falls more in the mystery section?

RN:  Thank you so much for saying that! That’s exactly my intent. I’m a huge fan of mysteries, and I want this book to be easy to read for mystery readers as well as science fiction fans. My goal was to put in just enough science so that you can understand the most important things you need to understand. I think there’s a grand total of about four pages of science fiction spread throughout the book, and the rest I consider pure mystery.

M:  Did you find it easier writing of your local area as you went? Or more of a challenge to keep a close to home, real feel?

RN:  I’ve lived in different parts of the United States, and I feel that this country is more like Europe in that different regions (or even states) have their own culture. I once read a novel where one of the main characters was supposed to be the city in which it took place, but the authors did very little to describe the city or what made it unique! That’s what I thought about when I wrote this book, because I want anyone who has never lived in New England to get a glimpse of what it’s like – and it made the writing easy because I had a goal. I kept thinking about the culture shock I’d experienced when I first moved to Boston as well as all the things I love about it and the surrounding area. My goal is that no matter where you live, when you read my novel you’ll see my vision of what makes this region unique.

M:  Resa, thank you for stopping by. I wish you all the best in words and pages. And look forward to having you back by in the future, many times.

RN:  Melissa, thank you so much for hosting my blog tour and for asking such great questions! I’m so happy and grateful that you read All Of Us Were Sophie and enjoyed it. Thanks for the kind words, and I’m already looking forward to coming back!

~~~~~~~~~~

All Of Us Were Sophie

What if the only way you could save your own life was to kill yourself?

Someone is trying to kill Sophie Rippetoe, and she has no place to hide. But Sophie has a unique option. Her husband designed and built a duplicator machine to make exact copies of complicated and sophisticated machine parts. She knows how the duplicator works.

Will it work for people? No one knows.

There’s just one problem: the duplication process destroys the original. The only thing Sophie knows for sure is that trying to make copies of herself will end up killing her.

Sophie isn’t sure who’s trying to kill her or why – but she has her suspicions and has gathered some evidence. Before she takes the leap of faith to use the duplicator on herself, she creates a trail of clues, hopeful that at least one of the Sophies she creates will figure it out in time to save herself.


Author Bio:
Resa Nelson’s first novel, The Dragonslayer’s Sword, was nominated for the Nebula Award and was also a Finalist for the EPPIE Award. This medieval fantasy novel is based on a short story first published in the premiere issue of Science Fiction Age magazine and ranked 2nd in that magazine's first Readers Top Ten Poll. The Dragonslayer's Sword is Book 1 in her 4-book Dragonslayer series, which also includes The Iron Maiden (Book 2), The Stone of Darkness (Book 3), and The Dragon’s Egg (Book 4).

Resa's standalone novel, Our Lady of the Absolute, is a fantasy/mystery/thriller about a modern-day society based on ancient Egypt. Midwest Book Review gave this book a 5-star review, calling it "a riveting fantasy, very highly recommended."

She has been selling fiction professionally since 1988. She is a longtime member of SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America) and is a graduate of the Clarion SF Workshop. Resa was also the TV/Movie Columnist for Realms of Fantasy magazine for 13 years and was a contributor to SCI FI magazine. She has sold over 200 articles to magazines in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Resa lives in Massachusetts. Visit her website at http://www.resanelson.com and follow her on Twitter @ResaNelson.

Find Resa:
Resa’s website:  http://www.resanelson.com
Twitter:   @ResaNelson
Email:  ContactResa@aol.com

GoodReads giveaway (10 signed copies, U.S. only): https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/77022-all-of-us-were-sophie

Ebook ($4.99) and trade paperback ($12.95) are available directly from Mundania Press at:
http://mundania.com/book.php?title=All of Us Were Sophie
(get a 10% discount at checkout with the coupon code MP10)

Paperbacks and ebooks are available also from Amazon, and Barnes&Noble:
Amazon: All of Us Were Sophie
Barnes & Nobles: All of Us Were Sophie
Book Depository: All of Us Were Sophie

Blog tour schedule: http://www.resanelson.com/all-of-us-were-sophie-blog-tou/

Interview with Rachel Neumeier

I'm thrilled to have fantasy/urban fantasy author Rachel Neumeier visiting the blog. Today we are talking about her newest release from Strange Chemistry (an Angry Robots imprint), BLACK DOG. You can also check out my review on the blog as well.

Please welcome Rachel to the blog!


M:  Hi Rachel. It's an honor to have you by the blog. Can you share describe your newest release for those that are new to the story?

RN:  Thank you, Melissa, for inviting me over to Words and Pages. It’s always so exciting to have a new book hit the shelves! I’m glad you enjoyed it, and delighted to be here.

Black dog is in the UF/Paranormal family, though it’s almost entirely set in rural Vermont and follows only the beginning of a romance. It’s set in a world filled with secret history that has recently been revealed, a world where demonic influence has shaped life in much of the world for thousands of years. A war between wholly demonic vampires and half-demonic black dogs has resulted in the destruction of all vampires, but has also destroyed the secrecy that has always hidden the supernatural from ordinary people. This is a good thing for the world, but produces serious complications for the black dogs who survived the war – and for Natividad, Alejandro, and their brother Miguel.


M:  Black Dog is classified as Young Adult. What age group do you feel Black Dog is geared toward?

RN:  I seem to naturally fall into writing at the boundary between YA and adult. I’d say that BLACK DOG is suited for anyone reading at the high end of YA on up. Having said that . . . I remember reading absolutely everything when I was a young teenager, and probably you do as well. Readers who enjoyed my other books might feel this one is a little darker, but it’s certainly in the same spectrum.

M:  It's hard to classify an age group, everyone reads at a different level as YA. I think this will be eaten up by many young eyes.

M:  The Black Dogs seem to be a blend of werewolf and much more. What myth did you pull on for the history of the Black Dog?

RN:  In creating the modern social structure of black dogs, I was influenced far more by modern UF/Paranormal writers than by any historical ideas or myths about werewolves.

But I did create my vampires in accordance with the old idea of vampires as purely evil demon-possessed corpses. That’s where I got the idea of also handing my “werewolves” demonic shadows, which of course gives every black dog character an extra layer of conflict to deal with.

It was also the decision to bring in demonic influence that then gave me a push toward creating Pure magic as the antithesis of demonic magic.

M:  The culture you've drawn on here is very interesting. There is a Mexican culture with the kids blending with the North. You occasionally use Spanish words with your characters. How did you find blending it together?

RN:  In practice, this was fun to do, but difficult, because I don’t speak any Spanish. I appealed to friends to correct my online-translator Spanish into correct colloquial Mexican Spanish – and it’s quite true, that disclaimer about any mistakes being my fault. I tried hard not to change anything that might affect the Spanish once it was corrected, but it would be hard for me to notice a mistake in that area.

I enjoyed using Mexican protagonists, though. Not only did that let me set up certain plot elements for the future, it also let me use the distinctions between black dogs, the Pure, and ordinary humans as a kind of metaphor for race and at the same time as a way to reduce the importance of actual racial distinctions. My black dogs may sometimes be snobs about your bloodlines, but they really don’t care about your race.

M:  I really liked that about your black dogs. Very nicely brought across in the read.

M:  You've created a world where lines are a little different. There are elements we have but Vampires were real and Black Dogs exist along with Magic of the Pure. Will be learn more of the Pure influence? There seems as there could be more books in this world. Do you have an idea how many, yet?

RN:  Yes, we will find out a lot more about exactly how vampires and black dogs used to exploit and prey on ordinary people back before the war destroyed the vampire magic that used to hide the supernatural. And the second book will showcase the Pure a bit, though just how much it will explain, well, I think I still know quite a bit more about the Pure and their magic than has yet made its way into a manuscript.

I have ideas and whole scenes set up for at least a third book, and a fairly clear idea of a broad overall story arc that might go farther. Whether those books will actually get written and when, well, that depends on a lot of practical factors, so it’s hard to say.

M:  Well, here's hoping you get to write those books. I'm curious to see more of these characters and what comes to pass.


M:  Okay, fun questions now. These are questions I ask my first time visiting authors.
One question I ask all visitors their first time by…If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

RN:  India! I have wanted to visit India for a while now. All that history! The stunning architecture! The great food! Maybe in a few years. The subcontinent is so big, I would probably have to decide on just one corner to visit, and I have no idea how I would narrow it down. But it would be hard for me to leave my dogs for that long, plus I would have to find a time when I’m not expecting or raising puppies.

M:  Tea or Coffee?

RN:  Hot chocolate, made with whole milk, 70% dark chocolate, and enough sugar to take the edge off. How people can stand to drink coffee, I’ll never know.

M:  LOL, you are not the only person I have heard say that of coffee. And Hot Chocolate is the best made with milk. :)

M:  Favorite Color?

RN:  Blue. All the blues. I’m a sucker for blue flowers in the garden, and I have a lot of blue in my house.

M:  Favorite Childhood Fictional Creature?

RN:  I loved unicorns before the unicorn craze even started.

M:  Now, as an adult, what’s your Favorite Fictional Creature?

RN:  Griffins, naturally. Not just mine, either: I loved the griffin in Nick O’Donohoe’s THE MAGIC AND THE HEALING and probably that’s why I put griffins into my own trilogy. Though, granted, mine came out very differently from his.

Well, okay, and dragons. Pretty much all dragons, especially the dragons in Patricia McKillip’s THE CYGNET AND THE FIREBIRD.

M:  Favorite word? (any word at all)

RN:  Hah, you shouldn’t ask someone with a bio background that! “Ovoviviparous.” I’ve always loved that word. How many words do YOU know that have three “v’s” in them? I will admit, this is a hard one to work into casual conversation.

M:  Haha, that is wild seeing all those "v's" in one word. Nice pick!


Thank you, Rachel, for stopping by for the interview. Here’s wishing you all the best in Words and Pages.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope you take a moment to check out Black Dog. It's available for purchase at all your book selling sites as of February 4, 2014
Amazon:


Barnes & Nobles
Book Depository


Author Bio:
Rachel Neumeier started writing fiction to relax when she was a graduate student and needed a hobby unrelated to her research. Prior to selling her first fantasy novel, she had published only a few articles in venues such as The American Journal of Botany. However, finding that her interests did not lie in research, Rachel left academia and began to let her hobbies take over her life instead.

She now raises and shows dogs, gardens, cooks, and occasionally finds time to read. She works part-time for a tutoring program, though she tutors far more students in Math and Chemistry than in English Composition.


Find Rachel:
Site & Blog:  Rachel Neumeier
Twitter:  @RachelNeumeier

Interview with YA author Michelle Flick

Please welcome the kind Michelle Flick to the blog today. I’m thrilled to do this interview with Michelle after reading her recent release, Walker. Hi Michelle! Thank you for stopping by for the interview.

Do take a moment when you are done to check out my Review of Walker. There is a great giveaway there as well!

M:  Would you tell us briefly about your recent release, Walker, we are celebrating here today?

MF:  Walker is a paranormal read about a girl named Kate, who discovers she can walk through people’s dreams. It’s a bit scary for her at first but she meets the boy of her dreams (literally), oh and a serial killer.

M:  Is there going to be more books with Kate, Elisa, Colton, and Nick? I really enjoyed reading them and would like to see more.

MF:  Maybe? Elise was a big hit with people. I was thinking of doing something with her. She was a lot of fun to write.

M:  Oh, Elise was a hoot to read.

M:  What new troubles or adventures could we expect from our friends next?

MF:  I think it would focus on Elise or maybe Colton. I would bring up Nick and Kate, but I feel the other two have a story to tell.

M:  Kate visits the dreams of others. Did you research dream meanings or use a dream book to help create these dreams Kate visits?

MF:  Nope – I just thought of freaky things or wacky things. It was fun because there were no restraints and things didn’t always have to make sense – kind of an Alice in Wonderland thing.

M:  Did it feel strange setting part of the book in a dream world while writing?

MF:  Freeing! Like I said – no restraints! I just had to make sure I kept the two worlds separate.

M:  I’m curious, was there a piece of the story came to you first? A scene, a character, a dream in the story, anything that you built on to create this lovely book.

MF:  It was actually the story about the sisters and the dog. The collie in the story actually exists. And the dialogue about Jesse and her secret came to me. Dream walking came next when someone referenced Freddy Krueger to me (scariest villain ever!)

M:  Do you have a character you enjoyed writing the most? Or did they all balance out for you, as I find it hard to say who is my favorite character.

MF:  I love Jesse and Elise. I could say whatever I wanted with them and it fit their characters. They are bold and outgoing, and unafraid.

M:  You are a teacher. Does teaching help with writing Young Adult books? Seeing the teens interact and react with each other seems as it could have a big impact.

MF:  My students appear in my books all the time, sometimes distorted, but sometimes word for word. They give me a lot of inspiration. Teens are hilarious.

I also think it helps me stay relevant to what is actually going on in the YA world, trends, language, things like that.

M:  Now time for fun questions… I ask these of all my first time visitors. (so, next time you stop by, more tough questions! LOL)

M:  If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? 

MF:  Greece

M:  Tea or Coffee? 

MF:  COFFEE

M:  Favorite Color? 

MF:  Red

M:  Favorite Childhood Fictional Creature? 

MF:  Vampire

M:  Now, as an adult, what’s your Favorite Fictional Creature? (can be the same as when a child) 

MF:  VAMPIRE

M:  Favorite Word? (any word at all) 

MF:  Rutabaga

M:  Thank you kindly, Michelle, for stopping by for the interview. I wish you all the best with Walker and all your books.

Here’s wishing you all the best in words and pages!


Find Michelle Flick:
Blog: Michelle Flick
Facebook: Michelle Flick - Author
Twitter:  @MFlick729


Walker
Description:
Kate isn’t thrilled to be moving to the middle of nowhere. She's already lost her parents, now she's leaving the only place she's ever known as home. She’s not there long when she realizes her dreams aren’t her own and that she has the ability to walk through other people's dreams. Not only that, but she might have found her dream guy--literally. He's in her dreams.

Just when she starts to get the hang of dream walking, strange murders in her new town start to occur. Girls are being killed as they sleep with no evidence, no suspects and no clear motive behind the deaths. It doesn’t take Kate very long to realize that the girls aren’t just being killed as they sleep—they’re being killed in their sleep.

Kate must figure out how to find the killer in the real world and keep the ones she loves safe while they sleep.

Talking Kate Daniels...

The wonderful and kind Mihir from Fantasy Book Critic asked me to join in on a fun interview. I was thrilled to accept. What was the interview on? Well, from the title of this post I'm sure you know. ;) Why the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews.

Mihir had some great questions for four of us who have loved the series. I hope you stop by to check out the questions and answers.

I'm sure you know of the others that joined in as well.

   Kristen of Fantasy Cafe

   Maja of The Nocturnal Library Book Blog

   Bastard of Bastard Books

So, hope you take a moment to stop by and enjoy the comments we all made. You can learn about which book is our favorite of the series and what are favorite scene was. All great things for an amazing series!

Author Interview, with talented Alex White

When I get hooked on a story or world, I get hooked.  And this author has done that for me in more ways than one.  Yes, not only does his stories and world mesmerize me, but so does the outstanding pictures of his characters.  And the music he creates as well!  And not only is his story amazing, but his voice acting and the amazing talent he has on his team.  Well, I'm caught in this net and not looking to get out anytime soon.

Please welcome the extremely talented, Alex White!

M:  Your world is a blend of magic and cogs. Alchemy of sorts. Can you share a bit with those new to your world?

AW:  I feel my tagline, “Magic and Intrigue in a Noir World” sums up the setting pretty well. Certainly, there is some steampunk influence, but the Gearheart draws far more inspiration from the exploits of the OSS and detective novels. The stories are written from an adventurous perspective, with occasional solemn moments, designed to appeal to readers who enjoy a large ensemble of characters.

M:  How did you come to this combination?

AW:  Years of failure brought me here. The Gearheart was originally called “The Clockwork Girl,” and was written as a comedy back in 1999. Then, it was a Shockwave video game. Then it was a comic. Then, I abandoned all of the characters, except in namesake, and wrote the feature length screenplay. Eventually, I started writing novels, and the idea was still stuck in my head. That’s when I changed the title and called it The Gearheart. It was the first time I’d seen the story in a form that I liked.

M:  The Seekers are a special group. Each Seeker has a particular magic ability. How does one become an agent of the Seekers? Do they find people, or do the people got to them?

AW:  It’s not covered in the podcast, but here’s the scoop on that: everyone has magic inside them, but not everyone is in touch with that part of themselves. People who can be taught to be wizards are called “latent magi.” All latent magi throw off a tiny amount of arcane energy as they move through the world, and it often manifests as extreme luckiness... or unluckiness. There are special Seekers called “Magefinders” who track these latent magi through the world until the day the Seekers can recruit them.

Non-magical individuals are called “Adjuncts,” and they have exceptional knowledge in their field that makes them valuable to the organization. Either way, all Seekers are elites who take pride in the fact that they were recruited.

M:  This could be interesting to read about in this world you've created, if you put it into a story. 

M:  Let’s start with Cog. She is a unique and amazing creation. She is rather…aged. I’m going to share a picture of her here, but can you describe her in spoiler-free terms? I don’t know if I could.

AW:  Cog was once Elena Antonello, the human daughter of the great alchemist Jacopo Antonello. In his quest to kill his rival, King Audun Slade, Jacopo turned his daughter into a humanoid machine, subverting her will to make her a tool of war. Elena broke free from Jacopo’s binding spell and rebelled. For her insolence, Jacopo buried her in a vault for over 700 years. She was later discovered by Jonathan Andrews, and agreed to help the Seekers deal with her modern-day ancestors.

M:  I have to say, I love this whole atmosphere with Cog. Amazing character here!

M:  Jonathan is of special lineage as well. Did he know of the weight his family has carried?

AW:  Absolutely. Jonathan was raised by his uncle, Dr. Milton Andrews, a famous archaeologist and history fanatic. Milton has long enjoyed the fact that his nephew is a direct descendent of Audun Slade “The Commoner King.” The professor has taken great pains to educate his nephew about all things Antonello and Slade, so Jonathan is fully aware of his roots. However, he never knew about the curse.

M:  And again. The heritage here and history...wow.

M:  There seems to be more at the inner workings to the Seekers. In every great system there can be corruption?

AW:  Absolutely. I like to think of the Seekers in much the same way as any intelligence service. It’s not good or bad—it’s all of those things and more. The Seekers were chartered under a higher calling—to bring equality to the world of magic and create a better tomorrow. Of course, controlling most of the magic on the planet creates unparalleled opportunities for corruption and exploitation.

M:  You have a new Seeker story out in podcasting form. (Thank you! I have wanted more of the Seekers.) This is a different crew and shorter story? Can you share briefly on it?

AW:  Bridget “Lucky” Forscythe was a proud member of the October Squadron, a band of Seekers dedicated to exploring the most dangerous territories in the world, including Point Seven—a mysterious ruin in the uninhabited arctic wilderness. When a cadre of Seeker assassins arrive to seize Point Seven and put an end to the Octobers, Lucky is forced into the unexplored depths. What is Point Seven, and will Lucky survive?

M:  I have to mention, you character photos. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Really. (They are the images you see through the interview.)  They were what caught my eye and had me try your story The Gearheart: Artifice. And after listening to episode one, I was hooked. You do this yourself with friends?

AW:  Indeed. I would say that each photo requires a crew of around five to ten folks, and I’ve shot dozens of them. At first, they were more about the emotion than anything else, but I eventually became more adept at creating the action you might expect to see in a movie. Of course, that’s just in one still frame.

M:  I think you mentioned at Balticon 2012, you were a kid actor? Has this helped you with your voice for podcasting?

AW:  I was never a child actor, though I used to do commercials when I was in college. I still use my voice professionally for corporate documentaries and such. My degree is in broadcasting, and I’ve taken a few voice courses.

M:  Podcasting. This is a great deal of work to put the story into podcast form. You write the story. You cast voices like a movie? Then put all the recordings together to make a seamless finished product with sound effects? Now I phrased this in rough terms, but it takes lots of time to create us this amazing end product.

AW:  The most time consuming thing is the writing, which is how I truly define my work. I like to podcast, but I care deeply about the craft of story. I’m fortunate to have a large pool of talented friends who can lend their voices to the cause, and my wonderful wife is just amazing to me. Each episode takes around 40 hours, all said and done, which is why the stories come out so rarely. I have a massive backlog of written fiction, including another completed Gearheart novel, so I’m definitely still producing work. However, given the incredible effort that goes into podcasting, I’ve chosen to take a break and work on my writing career.

M:  You create your own music!?

AW:  I do! I create everything in Ableton Live, and I’m pretty particular about working from scratch. In the original podcast, you can hear several interludes from Apple Soundtrack Pro, but as soon as I learned Ableton, I quit using loops. As a result of the compositions I’ve made over the years for The Gearheart, I’ve begun to compose professionally in my day job. I have little formal training, and certainly none that I remember any useful bits from. Over the past five years, I’ve pieced together a bit of theory and a lot of technology. It’s important to me that the music match the setting exactly, and composition allows me to do just that.

M:  Wholy Talented, Alex! Writing, Imagery, and Music. Dang.

M:  Okay, one last tough question. I know you talked about this at Balticon as well. But, what genre do you feel your story classifies as? There is a blend here, but one feels stronger to me as well.

AW:  When I pitch to agents, I tell them it’s an urban fantasy set in a 1920’s noir. That’s technically the most accurate, if we were being strict about things. The truth is that it has elements of spy thriller, noir, steampunk, action, literary fiction, urban fantasy and drama. I’ve heard others call it genre-bending, which makes me happy. It also makes it a little hard to sell.

M:  I’ve tortured you enough with. Time for some fun questions for you.

M:  One question I ask all visitors their first time by…If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

AW:  I would probably go to Japan, though a big part of me wants to see Monaco. I don’t gamble, but I would just about die to watch an F1 race from the comfort of a pleasure boat.

M:  Tea or Coffee?

AW:  “And now, settle in, pour a cup of tea and enjoy...” said the coffee drinker. I love creamy, sugary coffee, pitch black espressos, and nothing in between.

M:  I've heard that line so many times going into your podcasts. And you're a coffee drinker! LOL! Awesome!

M:  Favorite Color?

AW:  That’s totally unfair to ask a designer! To wear? For interfaces? I’ll go with fashion for the sake of readership. As a big fellow, I look best in earth tones, deep red and olive drab. Blue elements work well with my eyes, so coffee + light cerulean is an excellent combo for me.

M:  Favorite Childhood Fictional Creature?

AW:  Mystique, from X-men. What? She’s not technically human!

M:  Now, as an adult, what’s your Favorite Fictional Creature?

AW:  Ghosts, I guess. I think I like most fictional creatures, except the woodsy ones. They kind of annoy me.

M:  Favorite word? (any word at all)

AW:  Sesquipedalian- It means, “Given to using long words, or having many syllables.” It has negative connotations, and I think it’s the funniest word in English.

Thank you Alex for stopping by the blog. It was a pleasure having you by. Here’s wishing you all the best in words and pages!

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You can Find Alex:
Site and Blog:  The Gearheart

• His free story listens are available there and on iTunes and on Podiobooks. 
• Alex's amazing pictures of his characters are found here as well as his music.
• Which you can purchase his music on iTunes and Amazon.com

Twitter:  @TheGearheart