Do you like a raunchy beach read full of beautiful characters and gorgeous Southern California locales? I have been promoting other indie authors lately but I have seemed to left myself out of the equation.
Don't get me wrong. I am so proud of all my indie author friends and I am so excited about my new series which will be released starting November of 2011.
However, I am also steadily releasing my old series, The Beautiful People. I never actually talked about the fact that I combined the first four novellas into The Beautiful People: Part One, which is currently available on Amazon, Smashwords and Barnes & Noble.
So, here is the deal I have in store.The Beautiful People: Part Two, will be released in December but I am also releasing the separate novellas each month. Five of eight have been released (No Love & Other Addictions: Book Five was released earlier this month). Controversy: Book Six will be released in September, Confessions From A Film Star: Book Seven will be released in October and the conclusion, Birthdays, Funerals & The Premiere: Book Eight will be released at the beginning of November.
To celebrate the release of The Beautiful People: Part One, I am offering a sweet deal. Anyone who decides to spend $6.99 on this book should be rewarded. I am offering a free copy of No Love & Other Addictions with all copies of The Beautiful People: Part One sold for the remainder of the month. Email me at vegasgyrl007@gmail.com with proof you have purchased the novel anywhere it is available and you will be emailed a free coupon code from Smashwords to pick up your copy of Book Five in ANY e-Book format!
Here are the links and happy reading! Summer is almost over and Labor Day approaches soon. Don't you want to enjoy the last dog days of summer with a raunchy beach read? Happy Reading! ;-)
Links to The Beautiful People: Part One
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-People-Part-One-ebook/dp/B005FA750I
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-beautiful-people-danielle-blanchard-benson/1104579403
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/77474
Links to No Love & Other Addictions: Book Five
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Love-Other-Addictions-Beautiful-ebook/dp/B005FQSY2U
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/no-love-other-addictions-danielle-blanchard-benson/1104680998
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/78526
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Reading & Writing...
The question has been posed many times on the Facebook board, Indie Writer's Unite, how do you read other novels while writing one of your own? I am an avid reader and could not imagine not being able to read even while I am writing a book of my own. What's more frustrating is sticking with a story once I've started to read it. I do have a few ground rules though: I won't read the genre I am writing and I try to avoid styles that might creep into my WIP (work in progress).
I have been reading quite a few interesting stories lately. I read a short story, Ain't No Sunshine by Leslie DuBois, currently free on Kindle, and have started Guardian of Eden by the same author I snagged for $1.99 on Kindle. I am also currently reading Sand by Lili Tufel, Her Book Of Shadows by Larry D. Marshall, and The Righteous by Michael Wallace.
I decided to start sharing my reading list because if I can help other indie authors then all the more power to them. There are some great books out there and not all of them are published by the Big 6 publishing houses. Leslie DuBois' novels and Sand are bittersweet romance books without the cheesy sentimentality of a Harlequin novel while Her Book of Shadows and The Righteous are mystery-thriller types which are very much plot driven and keep you guessing until the end.
In terms of my new novel, Death Wish: Book I (The Vamp Saga), it is practically writing itself. I am over half way finished an I am so proud of this accomplishment, I still can't believe it was possible. I wouldn't recommend anyone to attempt such a feat as writing a book within a month's time but it is in the spirit of being an author and an artist. No one can predict how long it will take to finish a story. Sometimes it takes many months and years and every once in a while, a matter of weeks.
It's been very difficult as I have had to discipline myself to write every day (whether I am feeling inspired or not), at least three thousand words per day, seven days a week. I don't get any breaks or slack from this schedule and I have managed to accomplish what I have set out to do. I've also learned the hard way that writer's block is a state of mind, not an actual affliction. If one is disciplined to write then one will write. One might end up throwing part of it away, changing plots around and fiddling with the story but the important part is to continue to write.
Being an author is like any other craft. The more one practices, the better one becomes. That is not to say one won't make mistakes and no longer needs an editor (an editor is always needed) but one does become a better and more skilled writer. I have learned the easy way that just as I can't survive without reading, I shouldn't allow myself to survive without writing either.
1) Ain't No Sunshine: http://www.amazon.com/Aint-No-Sunshine-ebook/dp/B00408AYJU
2) Guardian of Eden: http://www.amazon.com/Guardian-of-Eden-ebook/dp/B004V9HFRM
3) Sand: http://www.amazon.com/Sand-ebook/dp/B004VF69MS
4) Her Book Of Shadows: http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Scott-Riker-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0051VBC64
5) The Righteous: http://www.amazon.com/The-Righteous-ebook/dp/B004LX0B9M
I have been reading quite a few interesting stories lately. I read a short story, Ain't No Sunshine by Leslie DuBois, currently free on Kindle, and have started Guardian of Eden by the same author I snagged for $1.99 on Kindle. I am also currently reading Sand by Lili Tufel, Her Book Of Shadows by Larry D. Marshall, and The Righteous by Michael Wallace.
I decided to start sharing my reading list because if I can help other indie authors then all the more power to them. There are some great books out there and not all of them are published by the Big 6 publishing houses. Leslie DuBois' novels and Sand are bittersweet romance books without the cheesy sentimentality of a Harlequin novel while Her Book of Shadows and The Righteous are mystery-thriller types which are very much plot driven and keep you guessing until the end.
In terms of my new novel, Death Wish: Book I (The Vamp Saga), it is practically writing itself. I am over half way finished an I am so proud of this accomplishment, I still can't believe it was possible. I wouldn't recommend anyone to attempt such a feat as writing a book within a month's time but it is in the spirit of being an author and an artist. No one can predict how long it will take to finish a story. Sometimes it takes many months and years and every once in a while, a matter of weeks.
It's been very difficult as I have had to discipline myself to write every day (whether I am feeling inspired or not), at least three thousand words per day, seven days a week. I don't get any breaks or slack from this schedule and I have managed to accomplish what I have set out to do. I've also learned the hard way that writer's block is a state of mind, not an actual affliction. If one is disciplined to write then one will write. One might end up throwing part of it away, changing plots around and fiddling with the story but the important part is to continue to write.
Being an author is like any other craft. The more one practices, the better one becomes. That is not to say one won't make mistakes and no longer needs an editor (an editor is always needed) but one does become a better and more skilled writer. I have learned the easy way that just as I can't survive without reading, I shouldn't allow myself to survive without writing either.
1) Ain't No Sunshine: http://www.amazon.com/Aint-No-Sunshine-ebook/dp/B00408AYJU
2) Guardian of Eden: http://www.amazon.com/Guardian-of-Eden-ebook/dp/B004V9HFRM
3) Sand: http://www.amazon.com/Sand-ebook/dp/B004VF69MS
4) Her Book Of Shadows: http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Scott-Riker-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0051VBC64
5) The Righteous: http://www.amazon.com/The-Righteous-ebook/dp/B004LX0B9M
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Writing, Riots ... oh my!
My goal for this week is to write 21,000 words and I am starting off with a bang. I have actually been able to write with everything going on in the world and it hasn't been this exciting in awhile. The news is having a virtual orgasm on all the carnage and bloodshed which is going on at the moment: soldiers killed in Afghanistan, the S&P downgrade of U.S. credit worthiness (AA+ isn't that bad... rather have our AA+ and relative peace than Britain's AAA... look what happens when austerity measures are imposed too severely), the world stock market exchanges going schizo on us, Italy and Spain on the verge of default and now the riots in the UK which started in London but have also filtered to other cities (including reports of riots in Bristol, Wolverhampton, Birmingham and Liverpool). The lack of police control and government leadership can't be expressed clearly enough but 25% of the police budget had to be cut and up to 40,000 police officers had to be laid off!*
My blog is usually not political. I am a progressive: there I said it. I don't necessarily think ultra conservative but I am not a tree loving, peace-for-all liberal hippie either. I have lived long enough in the world to weigh the pros and cons of both sides of the coin. Extreme liberalism brought us communism (Karl Marx had some great ideas but what resulted was a bad experiment gone wrong) and extreme conservatism brought us fascism and capitalism (they might not seem so similar but believe me, they are . . . just one brings race/ethnicity into the mix while the other believes in the survival of the fittest as long as you were fit to begin with).
My point is that neither is fair and neither is sustainable. We've witnessed the fall of communism and looks like we'll be witnessing the fall of extreme capitalism too. We are re-living the 20s all over again but most of us just don't know it. All the wealth is centered at the top of the sphere and none at the middle or the bottom. Western countries seem to be cutting salaries and making people work for less and less money to compete with China, India and all the other emerging nations and the world as we have known it seems to be no more.
So, what does this have to do with my book? Well, for one, it takes place in 2020 and the perfect storm we are witnessing has brought about some havoc in the world by then. If you think this is bad, you haven't seen anything yet. Now you are wondering if my book takes place in some sort of apocalyptic nightmare (relax, people, it doesn't). Everything is the same as it is now . . . just a bit different. "If you want the world to stay the same, everything must change". That's all you need to know and that's the only cryptic message I will give you.
It's not so hard to see where the world is going if you know what to look for and I was born and raised in a political household so I always know how to find the clues. Is it a weakness of mine if I admit I am a tad bit frightened and can understand why my sister chose not to have children although I have two? Perhaps she is the one who is the bravest of us two. I admit, I want progeny here to see what happens once I'm gone but they might not want their progeny to witness the destruction and thus, our family line might still end, just a generation later than it should have.
All I can say is it's tough being human; we can wish to be born in a better time but what time was better than now? Really, when you think about it? The idyllic 50s (oh that would have been during the years when my grandfather was chased off his land in Mississippi by the KKK and the reason why my sister and I were born in California instead of the southern part of the United States); the 20s (oh wow, until you realized half the world was in recession, Germany was a mess from World War I and would drag the world into yet another battle and a greater war which would be World War II). There is no better time but the time we are given on this earth and all we can do is make the most with what we have.
I know this post is all over the place but really, when it all comes down to the nitty gritty, all I can really say is that we are blessed to be alive. Love your family and cherish your friends. We are all in this together. We have all been thrown onto this small planet in this small galaxy and we must live here. Why do some of us feel the need to destroy? There is a flip side of course. From destruction comes creation. It's happened many, many times in the history of our planet. I'm sorry to get so sentimental but I have to take a page out of a speech given by a man who was beaten by four police officers in Semi Valley which caused riots in the state of California and the city of Los Angeles, April 29, 1992. Rodney King sobbed at a press conference: "Can't we all just get along?"
How poetic he was and the question begs to be asked: why can't we all just get along? Of course I know the answer: human beings are built for conflict, warfare and aggression. It's in our very nature and at the heart of all civilizations. We weren't meant to be peace-loving humanists (but we try). Which of course brings up another saying, "To secure peace is to prepare for war".
Now, that's more like it.
Or what about Josef Stalin, didn't he have a lovely saying? Oh yes, "The death of one is a tragedy, the death of millions is just a statistic." Rest in peace, Mark Duggan . . . look how much destruction and havoc your death has wreaked upon the UK.
*http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/sep/15/theresa-may-cut-police-budget-without-violent-unrest
My blog is usually not political. I am a progressive: there I said it. I don't necessarily think ultra conservative but I am not a tree loving, peace-for-all liberal hippie either. I have lived long enough in the world to weigh the pros and cons of both sides of the coin. Extreme liberalism brought us communism (Karl Marx had some great ideas but what resulted was a bad experiment gone wrong) and extreme conservatism brought us fascism and capitalism (they might not seem so similar but believe me, they are . . . just one brings race/ethnicity into the mix while the other believes in the survival of the fittest as long as you were fit to begin with).
My point is that neither is fair and neither is sustainable. We've witnessed the fall of communism and looks like we'll be witnessing the fall of extreme capitalism too. We are re-living the 20s all over again but most of us just don't know it. All the wealth is centered at the top of the sphere and none at the middle or the bottom. Western countries seem to be cutting salaries and making people work for less and less money to compete with China, India and all the other emerging nations and the world as we have known it seems to be no more.
So, what does this have to do with my book? Well, for one, it takes place in 2020 and the perfect storm we are witnessing has brought about some havoc in the world by then. If you think this is bad, you haven't seen anything yet. Now you are wondering if my book takes place in some sort of apocalyptic nightmare (relax, people, it doesn't). Everything is the same as it is now . . . just a bit different. "If you want the world to stay the same, everything must change". That's all you need to know and that's the only cryptic message I will give you.
It's not so hard to see where the world is going if you know what to look for and I was born and raised in a political household so I always know how to find the clues. Is it a weakness of mine if I admit I am a tad bit frightened and can understand why my sister chose not to have children although I have two? Perhaps she is the one who is the bravest of us two. I admit, I want progeny here to see what happens once I'm gone but they might not want their progeny to witness the destruction and thus, our family line might still end, just a generation later than it should have.
All I can say is it's tough being human; we can wish to be born in a better time but what time was better than now? Really, when you think about it? The idyllic 50s (oh that would have been during the years when my grandfather was chased off his land in Mississippi by the KKK and the reason why my sister and I were born in California instead of the southern part of the United States); the 20s (oh wow, until you realized half the world was in recession, Germany was a mess from World War I and would drag the world into yet another battle and a greater war which would be World War II). There is no better time but the time we are given on this earth and all we can do is make the most with what we have.
I know this post is all over the place but really, when it all comes down to the nitty gritty, all I can really say is that we are blessed to be alive. Love your family and cherish your friends. We are all in this together. We have all been thrown onto this small planet in this small galaxy and we must live here. Why do some of us feel the need to destroy? There is a flip side of course. From destruction comes creation. It's happened many, many times in the history of our planet. I'm sorry to get so sentimental but I have to take a page out of a speech given by a man who was beaten by four police officers in Semi Valley which caused riots in the state of California and the city of Los Angeles, April 29, 1992. Rodney King sobbed at a press conference: "Can't we all just get along?"
How poetic he was and the question begs to be asked: why can't we all just get along? Of course I know the answer: human beings are built for conflict, warfare and aggression. It's in our very nature and at the heart of all civilizations. We weren't meant to be peace-loving humanists (but we try). Which of course brings up another saying, "To secure peace is to prepare for war".
Now, that's more like it.
Or what about Josef Stalin, didn't he have a lovely saying? Oh yes, "The death of one is a tragedy, the death of millions is just a statistic." Rest in peace, Mark Duggan . . . look how much destruction and havoc your death has wreaked upon the UK.
*http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2010/sep/15/theresa-may-cut-police-budget-without-violent-unrest
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Writing & Other Simple Pleasures...
This is when I appreciate having a blog. I didn't have one while I was writing The Beautiful People series (formally titled Film Star before I saw the light and realized we Yanks don't do irony very well and no one outside of the Brits, Aussies and Kiwis would get it). I wish I would have had one because it is quite cathartic to write about the whole journey and the process of creating a book. I suppose I should back up and explain why I find this present metamorphosis so exciting.
I haven't written anything before the first week of August since April.
Nothing, nada, not a damn thing.
It's something we authors, poets and writers experience. A dreadful infliction known as "writer's block". It's awful, terrible and saps all our creative energy and efforts. All the sudden the magic that has flowed from your fingertips, whether onto paper or into your laptop, is gone. The tap which has gushed over with ideas turns off and there is a whole lot of . . . nothing.
This is the most coherent way I can describe it but for me, it came at a devastating point. I had just discovered the joys of self-publishing and whilst uploading to KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing), SWs (Smashwords), PubIt (Barnes & Noble for Nook) et al was the easy part, I wasn't selling anything and I couldn't write either. Talk about a major blow to a writer's self-esteem.
To be fair, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I was spamming my few followers on Twitter and the advice to be had on the Kindle author boards was more or less useless for me. Let's face it: every author is different and what one person did to sell 50,000 copies of their novel in a month isn't a one-size-fits-all solution for every other author.
We have seen this in modern publishing and outside of the indie genre as well. That is why we know who JK Rowling, Stephen King and James Patterson are whilst only some people are familiar with Elizabeth Gage or Marius Gabriel for instance. They all wrote worthy material but some authors sell better than others, full stop. Some genres sell better than others. Right now, it seems to be romance, thrillers, paranormal and YA. If you aren't in those genres, you might sell but don't expect to sell 70,000 in one month (or even in a year).
Let's face it, chick-lit is so 2001. It's had its time and while there were a few memorable books (The Devil Wears Prada is the only one that comes to mind but that's only because I remember the movie with Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep), but most of it was throwaway junk with the same silly characters and useless, forgettable plots. I was marketing my work as chick-lit, probably not the best idea in 2011 when the economy sucks and no one wants to read about someone else living the bling bling life of the early 21st century.
But someone does want to read about it . . . not just 20,000 readers a month. I feel lucky and blessed (I'm spiritual people, not religious so you will hear no talk about God or Jesus from me) to be doing as well as I have done. I sell more each month than the last and while they are modest sales, I am happy someone is interested in my work at all. I love checking KDP to see yet another sale. And that is how I have approached self-publishing . . . old school but still thinking globally while acting locally and pleasing one customer at a time (no pun intended as I write books, I'm an artistic prostitute, not a literal one).
So, what does all this have to do with writer's block? Well, when I let go and realized there were certain aspects of book sales (okay, most of it other than having a decent story, the best cover possible and writing about something some people will find interesting) were out of my hands, I was able to relax and the words started coming to me again.
Unfortunately, not for my high-art literature novel, DeGeneration, but for my new series, The Vamp Saga. The first novel, Death Wish: Book I, was originally set to be released in January of 2012 but I have moved up the deadline to black Friday of 2011 (the last Friday in November) in time for the holiday season. Yeah, I know what you're thinking: the paranormal market is almost as dead as chick-lit. Overwritten and overwrought with mostly awful, pathetic stories with no plot but plenty of reason to throw a vampire, werewolf, necromancer, fairy, whatever the f*ck into the mix.
There are some gems out there.
I can't speak for the mainstream YA paranormal authors because I don't read paranormal YA (a bit too long in the tooth) and my oldest daughter isn't old enough for YA yet. I don't think I want her reading about vampires though, even when she is old enough for YA. To me, that is strictly an adult genre and the equivalent of having YA erotica. It just doesn't make much sense.
As I have told my fellow readers, my series is strictly for adults only and Death Wish: Book I is writing like a dream. It is one of those novels which just flows easily because it is a story that was meant to be told and I am supposed to tell it. Yes, my dears, I know you are all waiting with breath that is baited but you'll have to wait a bit more longer. Quality cannot be rushed as we all know.
In the meantime, I can recommend Kissed By Darkness (The Sunwalker Saga) by Shea MacLeod and Blood Skies by Steven Montano. Both are available on Amazon and Smashwords. I have to admit I haven't read Blood Skies yet as I don't want to steal any ideas to use in Death Wish (I have read Kissed By Darkness and although my novel was to remain humor free, there is humor in it, damn you Shea!). As a matter of fact, at the moment, I am only reading thrillers as I can't read paranormal and write it at the same time (even if mine is more a mixture of paranormal, urban fantasy and science fiction).
I am currently reading The Righteous by Michael Wallace (a very engrossing book but it wouldn't have been an Amazon best seller if it wasn't); next up on my list: Her Book of Shadows by fellow indie author and friend, Larry D. Marshall.
I haven't written anything before the first week of August since April.
Nothing, nada, not a damn thing.
It's something we authors, poets and writers experience. A dreadful infliction known as "writer's block". It's awful, terrible and saps all our creative energy and efforts. All the sudden the magic that has flowed from your fingertips, whether onto paper or into your laptop, is gone. The tap which has gushed over with ideas turns off and there is a whole lot of . . . nothing.
This is the most coherent way I can describe it but for me, it came at a devastating point. I had just discovered the joys of self-publishing and whilst uploading to KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing), SWs (Smashwords), PubIt (Barnes & Noble for Nook) et al was the easy part, I wasn't selling anything and I couldn't write either. Talk about a major blow to a writer's self-esteem.
To be fair, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I was spamming my few followers on Twitter and the advice to be had on the Kindle author boards was more or less useless for me. Let's face it: every author is different and what one person did to sell 50,000 copies of their novel in a month isn't a one-size-fits-all solution for every other author.
We have seen this in modern publishing and outside of the indie genre as well. That is why we know who JK Rowling, Stephen King and James Patterson are whilst only some people are familiar with Elizabeth Gage or Marius Gabriel for instance. They all wrote worthy material but some authors sell better than others, full stop. Some genres sell better than others. Right now, it seems to be romance, thrillers, paranormal and YA. If you aren't in those genres, you might sell but don't expect to sell 70,000 in one month (or even in a year).
Let's face it, chick-lit is so 2001. It's had its time and while there were a few memorable books (The Devil Wears Prada is the only one that comes to mind but that's only because I remember the movie with Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep), but most of it was throwaway junk with the same silly characters and useless, forgettable plots. I was marketing my work as chick-lit, probably not the best idea in 2011 when the economy sucks and no one wants to read about someone else living the bling bling life of the early 21st century.
But someone does want to read about it . . . not just 20,000 readers a month. I feel lucky and blessed (I'm spiritual people, not religious so you will hear no talk about God or Jesus from me) to be doing as well as I have done. I sell more each month than the last and while they are modest sales, I am happy someone is interested in my work at all. I love checking KDP to see yet another sale. And that is how I have approached self-publishing . . . old school but still thinking globally while acting locally and pleasing one customer at a time (no pun intended as I write books, I'm an artistic prostitute, not a literal one).
So, what does all this have to do with writer's block? Well, when I let go and realized there were certain aspects of book sales (okay, most of it other than having a decent story, the best cover possible and writing about something some people will find interesting) were out of my hands, I was able to relax and the words started coming to me again.
Unfortunately, not for my high-art literature novel, DeGeneration, but for my new series, The Vamp Saga. The first novel, Death Wish: Book I, was originally set to be released in January of 2012 but I have moved up the deadline to black Friday of 2011 (the last Friday in November) in time for the holiday season. Yeah, I know what you're thinking: the paranormal market is almost as dead as chick-lit. Overwritten and overwrought with mostly awful, pathetic stories with no plot but plenty of reason to throw a vampire, werewolf, necromancer, fairy, whatever the f*ck into the mix.
There are some gems out there.
I can't speak for the mainstream YA paranormal authors because I don't read paranormal YA (a bit too long in the tooth) and my oldest daughter isn't old enough for YA yet. I don't think I want her reading about vampires though, even when she is old enough for YA. To me, that is strictly an adult genre and the equivalent of having YA erotica. It just doesn't make much sense.
As I have told my fellow readers, my series is strictly for adults only and Death Wish: Book I is writing like a dream. It is one of those novels which just flows easily because it is a story that was meant to be told and I am supposed to tell it. Yes, my dears, I know you are all waiting with breath that is baited but you'll have to wait a bit more longer. Quality cannot be rushed as we all know.
In the meantime, I can recommend Kissed By Darkness (The Sunwalker Saga) by Shea MacLeod and Blood Skies by Steven Montano. Both are available on Amazon and Smashwords. I have to admit I haven't read Blood Skies yet as I don't want to steal any ideas to use in Death Wish (I have read Kissed By Darkness and although my novel was to remain humor free, there is humor in it, damn you Shea!). As a matter of fact, at the moment, I am only reading thrillers as I can't read paranormal and write it at the same time (even if mine is more a mixture of paranormal, urban fantasy and science fiction).
I am currently reading The Righteous by Michael Wallace (a very engrossing book but it wouldn't have been an Amazon best seller if it wasn't); next up on my list: Her Book of Shadows by fellow indie author and friend, Larry D. Marshall.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
An Interview with Mr. Jack Wallen himself!
Okay, boys and girls, ladies and gents, here is my interview with the yummy Jack Wallen who has the face of a movie star and the writing skills of a well-honed legend. His newest book, Shero, is available at all the usual suspects (Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble). I have been looking forward to posting this interview so without further ado, here it is!
1) Why did you decide to stop acting and become a writer?
2) What are you most passionate about?
My wife. I adore her. Our relationship is something quite special and without it I'm certain I would have lost my mind by now. But beyond that...my passion would probably be my creative soul. I love to create.I love the process, I love how it makes my heart sing, I love the way it makes my mind churn, I love the end results it produces. I loved this as an actor and I love this as a writer. I can not get enough of it. That is why I have such a hard time functioning in the business world -- there is so little creativity in commerce.3) If you are doing a serial or series, what made you choose to tell your story in this way?
My I Zombie trilogy started out as a question -- "What would it be like to turn into a zombie?" I wanted to know what it felt like, soundedlike, tasted like...and so I started out writing I Zombie I (http://www.amazon.com/I-Zombie-ebook/dp/B004LGTRX0). During the creation of that book, I fell in love with the characters and realized their stories needed to dig deeper into the human condition -- they wanted to play a much bigger part in the scope of the Apocalypse. And then I realized that there was so much story to tell and that I could actually go so far as to explain the why and how of the zombies that filled my world. Thus the trilogy was born. Plus, I wanted to take myself, the characters, and (most importantly) the reader on a ride they might not ever forget. That required depth and breadth I couldn't cover in a single book. I also knew my characters all had stories totell of their own. It wasn't "just" Jacob Plummer's descent into madness or his fight to discover the truth. It was also Bethany Nitshimi's longing to discover the cure and uncover the real purveyors of the virus. It was a fight to live and a struggle to bring back some semblance of life among the chaos. And ultimately it was my job to plunge the world into chaos and then, within the span of three books, try to bring it out.
4) What are three surprising qualities about you that would shock most of your readers?
After reading my works, and reading my blogs and other writings, it shouldn't be of much surprise that I myself am quite the non-conformist. For the longest time I did what I did to simply stand out. That was the early days of college. After a while, it simply became who I was. It wasn't out of the norm to see me walking around in a skirt and combat boots. Why? Because it was comfortable and I quite liked the way it looked. I'm in my forties and my hair is still spiked to Jesus, my ears are pierced, and I might still have the stains of black nail polish on...you just never know. Life is too short for boring. Life is too precious for normal.
I am currently wrestling with what might be the end of my day job. That was a dream of mine, but for a time when my book sales were ready to usurp the mantle of income from that dreaded day job. That time has yet to come, but the end of the day job might well be at hand regardless. Although I have wonderful faith in my books and the characters that fill the worlds I have created, I stand at a precipice, knowing that the loss of that day job will open up a world of time for me to focus on those worlds, but also knowing my family has to eat.
I have been, for over half of my 44 years of existence, an artist of one sort or another and I can say, with absolute certainty, that being an artist is one of the hardest things one can do. When the soul is of the artistic bent, it can be challenging to feel as if you are doing nothing more than greasing the wheels of the machine. But it's more than that...it's a soul that deeply, passionately, painfully cares about the creation of the art. Although most of the time that is a joyous and wondrous thing to be a part of, it can hurt just as deeply.When the art isn't appreciated, when the sales aren't there, when the words don't come... it can make you feel like curling up and disappearing. That is the downside of being so desperately connected to the art inside. But, if you're like me, there is no breaking of that connection. It penetrates the skins and wraps itself around the very core of the being.
So it's crucial for the artist to figure out ways of making it through those rough patches, of finding ways to not feel like existence is nothing more than making the wheels of commerce go 'round, of getting the words out and the sales up. Whatever you do, don't give up. Giving up means "they" win -- whoever your "they" is. I refuse. I will fight, tooth and bone, to make sure my "they" do not win. I will come out on top... one way or the other and the only wheels I will be greasing are the wheels on my bikes.
5) Your turn. Tell me what is on your mind at the moment? Talk aboutwhat ever you like and make it as long or as short as you want it.This is your space to shine and to tell us all about you, your books, or what ever you're thinking about and want to get off your chest.
I have been, for over half of my 44 years of existence, an artist of one sort or another and I can say, with absolute certainty, that being an artist is one of the hardest things one can do. When the soul is of the artistic bent, it can be challenging to feel as if you are doing nothing more than greasing the wheels of the machine. But it's more than that...it's a soul that deeply, passionately, painfully cares about the creation of the art. Although most of the time that is a joyous and wondrous thing to be a part of, it can hurt just as deeply.When the art isn't appreciated, when the sales aren't there, when the words don't come... it can make you feel like curling up and disappearing. That is the downside of being so desperately connected to the art inside. But, if you're like me, there is no breaking of that connection. It penetrates the skins and wraps itself around the very core of the being.
--
Jack Wallen http://www.monkeypantz.net
Writer of many things. Purchase my novels on amazon.com,
barnesandnoble.com,ebookstore.sony.com, smashwords.com,
autumnalpress.com View my tech articles on techrepublic.com, linux.com,
and ghacks.net
Jack Wallen http://www.monkeypantz.net
Writer of many things. Purchase my novels on amazon.com,
barnesandnoble.com,ebookstore.sony.com, smashwords.com,
autumnalpress.com View my tech articles on techrepublic.com, linux.com,
and ghacks.net
I thank Jack for this up close and personal opportunity to interview him. It has been a blast. As this will be my last author interview for probably the next couple of months as I must focus on my own writing, I will try to blog at least once or twice a week about what is going on in my life.
No way am I giving up the pleasure of interviewing my IWU authors. This is a terrific time to be an indie writer and probably one of the best times in the world in terms of the sheer variety of books which are available. I never take any one of you for granted and am grateful you allow me to share my life with you. Until next week, I wish you all happy days of love and joy. Jack, I wish you all the luck in the world; if anyone deserves it, it's you.
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