Terry Brooks: Why I Write About Elves

Quotes of the Week

Two Things are infinite: The Universe and Human Stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.
-Albert Einstein

I can shake off everything if I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.
—Anne Frank

Words should be an intense pleasure to a writer just as leather should be to a shoemaker.
—Evelyn Waugh

Write what you need to write, not what is currently popular or what you think will sell.
—P.D. James

Write books only if you say in them things you would not dare confide to anyone.
—E.M. Cioran

To make a great film you need three things: the script, the script and the script.
—Alfred Hitchcock

A writer is someone who pays attention to the world — a writer is a professional observer.
—Susan Sontag

There’s many a bestseller that could have been prevented by a good teacher.
—Flannery O’Connor

A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.
—E.B. White

What a Year!

One year ago today my first novel, STILL FALLING was published.

It was a Bucket List goal kind of thing. It was so much fun to write, I never stopped. Since then, all in the last year, I have written two more novels and a pile of short stories. I have produced two audio books and helped many Indie Authors get their titles out there.

Next year is also exciting! I have a fifteen page outline for my next project. I wrote Chapter One yesterday! I'm working on a collection of ghost stories and a screenplay. More ideas than time!

Looking back, that was a lot of action adventure for one year!

--I want to thank all my friends, family and readers for you support!

I start writing my next book today

I took a week off after finishing the Solstice 31 Saga. Blood of the Scarecrow went to the editor last week.I have been itching to get back to work.

Today I start working on Proper Darkness.

 "There is no good lighting that is healthy and for our well being without proper darkness." --Roger van der Heide

This story is a stand alone book. I already have the entire book plotted and outlined. Today, I start putting the meat on the bones.

I've also started working on the new cover as well. For this book I worked with the talented illustrator Duncan Long to create my stories protagonist.

--I'm excited to get back to work!

Starting a New Project!

Cap'n Crunch

One of my favorite chapters in Cryptonomicon by Neil Stephenson is all about the best way to eat Cap'n Crunch.

It's true. It is one of the contributing factors that make it a thousand pages long. It's interesting that this one book is about the same length as the entire three books in the Solstice 31 Saga.

Back to Cap'n Crunch. Yes.It is spelled that way. I spent lot's of time as an adult reading the box. Please note: I am a purest when it comes to CC. No Crunchberries or peanut butter or other contaminants, just the original.

Back to Cryptonomicon. Stephenson goes on and on about the proper type of milk, the temp of said milk, how to attain that temp, milk to CC ratios, form factor details of the tiny nuggets and even ideas regarding a custom CC spoon.

He even discusses how to eat it with maximum pleasure while at the same time protecting against the destruction of the roof of your mouth.

--This is the speculative fiction part. Cap'n Crunch always destroys the roof of your mouth.

Fast Friday Indie Interviews: Shari Sakurai

Shari Sakurai

Tell me about yourself?

My name’s Shari Sakurai and I’ve been writing ever since I was a child. The genres I usually write in are science fiction, horror and LGBT, and I’d love to write a fantasy novel one day too! I live in Barnham, which is a village in West Sussex, England. I’m an animal lover and have one cat and two rats. When I’m not writing I enjoy going to the cinema, spending time with family and friends and going to live music concerts.

Tell me about your current Book:

When he hacks into the London Security Agency’s computer systems, Adam Larimore, heir to the Larimore family fortune, must find a way to expose the lies that have been told since the Great Tsunamis of 2049, or else England will continue to be manipulated by the organization that claims to protect the country and its citizens.

Adam Larimore never imagined that things would go this far. When his actions bring about a series of devastating consequences, Adam turns to the one person whom he could always count on; his godfather Ivan Williams. However, Ivan has his own agenda and by the time Adam learns this it is too late. Faced with very few choices and an uncertain future, Adam turns down an even darker path; one that there may be no way back from.
‘Adam’ tells the story of Adam Larimore’s troubled past through the villain’s eyes. Discover the truth in this companion novel to Shari Sakurai’s Perfect World series.    

What are you working on now?

I’m currently working on the sequel to my vampire novel ‘Demon’s Blood’ as well as the second novel in my Perfect World series.

What is your favorite beverage while you write?

Dr Pepper or coca cola!

What is your favorite Website?

My favourite website is http://www.seiyuucrush.net. Seiyuu CRUSH! is an online boys love web comic, which is updated twice a week, featuring the lives and loves of the guys working at the voice acting agency CRUSH.

Links:

Email: info@sharisakurai.com
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Shari-Sakurai/e/B00I2WD0KA/
Blog: http://sharisakurai.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sharisakurai
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ShariSakurai
Website: http://www.sharisakurai.com 

Free Audio Edition: The Broken Cage

Special Promotion!

The first 25 people that buy the dead tree edition of The Broken Cage and email me the Amazon receipt, I will send you a promo code you can use at Audible.com to get a free copy of the audio edition of the book!

I just need proof of purchase!

Email it to me at Martin.Wilsey@gmail.com

--It will make you wish the traffic was worse!

How to write an award-winning bestselling first novel

I really like the TED talk series. This is the first I have seen about writing.



--Goals are good.

Quotes of the Week

Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it.
– George Bernard Shaw

You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a book.
—Dr. Seuss

You are only as good as the best thing you've ever done.
—Billy Wilder

Something that you feel will find its own form.
—Jack Kerouac

Happiness is pursuing work that sustains the spirit.
—Walt Disney

If history was taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.
—Rudyard Kipling

If you write one story, it may be bad; if you write a hundred, you have the odds in your favor
—Edgar Rice Burroughs

Write books only if you say in them things you would not dare confide to anyone.
—E.M. Cioran

Write drunk; edit sober.
—Ernest Hemingway

You must write. It’s not enough to start by thinking. You become a writer by writing.
—R.K. Narayan

The Broken Cage: Audio Edition

Now available on Amazon, Audible and iTunes!

The deep space survey ship Ventura entered orbit and was immediately destroyed. Commander James Worthington and his crew were flying escort when the savage attack hit. With his ship heavily damaged and half of his crew dead, Worthington finds refuge on the dark side of this planet's moon. Plagued with threats from all around, he finds his old friend, Barcus, and tries to bring the remaining survivors together as a team before time runs out.

This is the second installment of the Solstice 31 Saga.

Almost Done!

Fast Friday Indie Interviews: Lyra Shanti

Tell me about yourself Lyra?

Lyra Shanti

I grew up in Bellingham, Washington among the trees, mountains and rainy cool days. As a child, I was always making up stories, plays, and songs. After moving to Florida when I was about twelve, I went through some heavily trying teenage years, but came out of it stronger and more confident as a writer. I met my soul-mate and co-writer of musicals and plays, Timothy, and began writing poetry during my twenties, which I found extremely freeing. It wasn't until my thirties that I found the courage to write my first novel, Shiva XIV. It was meant to be one novel, but turned out to be a series of books that I couldn't stop writing. I've also written a novella, The Rainbow Serpent, and I look forward to sharing all the many stories inside me with the rest of the world.

Tell me about your current Book:

When the priests of the planet Deius crown their next “Shiva,” Ayn must embrace his true self, or else war and disease could destroy his entire galaxy.

Shiva XIV is the story of Ayn, a boy who is destined to become the great messiah of his people in order to save their galaxy from disease and war. But can he do it, and should he? Is it even his true place? Ayn must decide, and choose before it's too late!

Book One begins with Ayn's birth and follows him as he discovers the world outside the palace he was raised. A coming of age story amidst galactic turmoil, Book One has action, romance, mysticism, and magical creatures. Join Ayn and his friends as his journey to become a heroic legend unfolds!

What are you working on now? 

I'm finishing up editing for book three of my Shiva XIV series, entitled The Riddle of the Gods. I am also writing the last few chapters of book four. It will pretty much round out the entire series, though I might write a prequel later on. I'm also starting another series altogether, which is more of a YA fantasy story involving dragons and magic, and all that fun fantasy stuff.

What is your favorite beverage while you write? 

Cold water or “winter spice” tea with honey.

What is your favorite Website?

www.allears.net I'm a Disney World addict, and they have everything there you could possibly want to know about the parks and more.

Links:

Amazon: Shiva XIV 
Author Page on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lyra-Shanti/e/B004RZZEXW
Blog: http://lyrashanti.wix.com/shivaxiv#!blog/c112v
Shiva XIV Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShivaXIV
Lyra Shanti Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lyra-Shanti-53063129363/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6006535.Lyra_Shanti
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lyrashanti
Shiva XIV website: www.shivaxiv.com
Author Website: www.lyrashanti.com

World Building

Quotes of the Week

Boys think girls are like books, if the cover doesn't catch their eye they won't bother to read what's inside.
—Marylin Monroe

The more you read, the less apt you are to make a fool of yourself with your pen or word processor.
—Stephen King

Remember we are mortal, but poetry is not.
—Patti Smith

I cannot sleep unless I am surrounded by books.
—Jorge Luis Borges

Half my life is an act of revision.
—John Irving

If your book doesn't keep you up nights writing it, it won't keep anyone up nights reading it.  
—James A. Michener

Get it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but it’s the only way you can write anything good.   
—William Faulkner

Find the key emotion; this may be all you need to know to find your short story.
—F. Scott Fitzgerald

Art That Inspires

Reading this Week: Betrayer of Worlds

This week I am reading Betrayer of Worlds by Larry Niven and Edward Lerner.

The description from Amazon:

Fleeing the supernova chain reaction at the galactic core, the cowardly Puppeteers of the Fleet of Worlds have---just barely---survived. They've stumbled from one crisis to the next: The rebellion of their human slaves. The relentless questing of the species of Known Space. The spectacular rise of the starfish-like Gw'oth. The onslaught of the genocidal Pak.

Catastrophe looms again as past crises return---and converge. Who can possibly save the Fleet of Worlds from its greatest peril yet?

Louis Wu? Trapped in the Wunderland civil war, all he wants is to go home---but the only possible escape will plunge him into unknowable danger.

Ol't'ro? The Gw'oth ensemble mind fled across the stars to establish a colony world free from tyranny. But some problems cannot be left behind, and other problems---like the Fleet of Worlds itself---are racing straight at them.

Achilles? Despite past disgrace, the charismatic Puppeteer politician knows he is destined for greatness. He will do anything to seize power---and to take his revenge on everyone who ever stood in his way.

Nessus? The insane Puppeteer scout is out of ideas, out of resources, with only desperation left to guide him.

Their hopes and fears, dreams and ambitions are about to collide. And the winner takes . . . worlds.

Type Faster Monkey!

Fast Friday Indie Interviews: Daniel M. Quilter

Daniel M. Quilter

Tell me about yourself, Daniel?

I was born and raised in Orem, Utah. It’s a pretty average sized city placed right at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, so I grew a deep love for outdoor activities from a young age. Every summer was spent outside hiking, camping, rock climbing, and doing pretty much anything else I could get away with going up into the mountains to do. The thing about Utah though, is that while summers in the mountains are great, winters are cold and snowy. I loved snowboarding, but it was expensive, and I didn’t pick it up until I was older. So from a young age, I had a lot of time spent indoors during the winter. That’s when I learned to love reading. I tore through the Shannara books and the Lord of the Rings and countless other stories during my childhood. Nothing else could fascinate me quite like a well plotted storyline.

Although I’ve been an avid reader since childhood, I didn’t try my hand at writing until my early twenties. At the time my girlfriend, now wife, had gone out of the country for a few months. That left me alone, and bored. As I wallowed in boredom I spent some time talking with my brother who told me that he was planning on writing a book. I’ve always been competitive with my brothers, so when he mentioned his book plans my first thought was “I could write a way better book than him.” So I gave it a shot, and found that I absolutely love writing.

Tell me about your current Book:

When the heir to the Human Empire is taken by an agent of the religious empire of the Mystics, a snarky former Mystic with a dark secret must overcome his tragic past and save the stolen princess, or else billions of innocent people will die as the king of the Mystics forwards his nefarious plot.

Write the verbose blurb. Make me want to rush to Amazon and buy it! Make me fear that I will be socially outcast if I don’t read your book!
Vhy’Rai, the power of the gods, was gifted to the Mystics with three restrictions:

1. Restoring life to the dead is forbidden.
2. Vhy’Rai may not be used to take the life of another.
3. No soul shall be divided.

Those who dare to commit one of these taboos become immortal, but the immortality of one comes at a cost to many.

As the galaxy is torn apart by war between the religious empire of the Mystics and the technologically advanced Human Empire, Drake Ashbell finds himself caught up in a conflict that will take him to distant worlds, make him face his tragic past, and test the limits of his soul.
 

What are you working on now?

Right now I’m working on multiple books. The first will be the first book in a new young adult fantasy series. The book will be called “The Key to the Demon’s Gate.” It will be released this July. The second will be the sequel to “A Soul Divided.” The title is “Taking Life.” It will be released in November.

What is your favorite beverage while you write?

Honestly, I just really love to keep a water bottle with me. Water is good stuff.

What is your favorite Website?

I love www.howstuffworks.com. I can spend hours on that website just checking out the basic mechanics of everyday machines. It’s kind of a weird fascination of mine.

Links:

Email: danielmquilter@gmail.com
Amazon: A Soul Divided 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danielmquilter/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dquilter6

Neil Gaiman's advice for aspiring writers

I love this advice.



--Need to go see him one day.

Quotes of the Week

A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something.
—Frank Capra

Tell me who admires and loves you, and I'll tell you who you are.
—Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

The profession of book writing makes horse racing look like a solid, stable business.
—John Steinbeck

All writers have this vague hope that the elves will come in the night and finish any stories.
—Neil Gaiman

There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.
—W. Somerset Maugham

Write one good clean sentence and put a period at the end of it. Then write another one.
—M.F.K. Fisher

I write as straight as I can, just as I walk as straight as I can, because that is the best way to get there.
—HG Wells

I shall live badly if I do not write, and I shall write badly if I do not live.
—Françoise Sagan

Be grateful for every word you can cut.
—William Zinsser

Talent is helpful in writing, but guts are absolutely essential.
—Jessamyn West

Good books don't give up all their secrets at once.
—Stephen King

Whatever you're meant to do, do it now. The conditions are always impossible.
—Doris Lessing

The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.
—Terry Pratchett

Art that Inspires

Reading: Canticle for Lebowitz

This week I read another classic, A CANTICLE FOR LEBOWITZ.

Here is the description from Amazon:

Winner of the 1961 Hugo Award for Best Novel and widely considered one of the most accomplished, powerful, and enduring classics of modern speculative fiction, Walter M. Miller, Jr.'s A Canticle for Leibowitz is a true landmark of twentieth-century literature -- a chilling and still-provocative look at a post-apocalyptic future.

In a nightmarish ruined world slowly awakening to the light after sleeping in darkness, the infant rediscoveries of science are secretly nourished by cloistered monks dedicated to the study and preservation of the relics and writings of the blessed Saint Isaac Leibowitz. From here the story spans centuries of ignorance, violence, and barbarism, viewing through a sharp, satirical eye the relentless progression of a human race damned by its inherent humanness to recelebrate its grand foibles and repeat its grievous mistakes. Seriously funny, stunning, and tragic, eternally fresh, imaginative, and altogether remarkable, A Canticle for Leibowitz retains its ability to enthrall and amaze. It is now, as it always has been, a masterpiece.

I have been reading a ton of books that I plowed through as a teen 40 years ago. I have really been enjoying most of the titles.

I have to say this book is not as good as I remember. I should rephrase that. I didn't enjoy this book as I remembered. I have grown to enjoy a single well developed protagonist. Even in massively long sagas. CfL is a short novel. lacking a single protag just bugs me.

--Give me a flawed hero any day.

Deadlines!

Fast Friday Indie Interviews: Tyler Harris

Tell me about you?

I was born in Boston, Massachusetts. I grew up in Arizona, where I studied Athletic Training and Philosophy. Currently I live in the upper peninsula of Michigan, where I study Psychology, teach athletic training classes, and provide sports medicine coverage around the community. I’ve been writing journals, music lyrics, and books since I was in elementary school. I hope to keep that passion fueled as I continue with my studies and career.

Tell me about your current Book:

When aliens visit, not to invade, but bearing a gift of possible immortality, a family man from Chicago must hope that the effects are as suggested, or else they may be caught in the most complex military coup in the history of mankind.

It is difficult to imagine a story about zombies, vampires, or aliens that has not already been told many times over. Immortal Peace, however, puts a twist on the common genre of science fiction by combining the elements of multiple well-known concepts. This story follows Mario Ramirez, a family man in Chicago, as he and his family witness the world erupt when aliens appear on Earth, not with a warning of waging war, but with a peace offering. The Gift is a promising medicinal panacea. When scientists first study the vaccine, they immediately find the potential value of the drug. Unbeknownst to the world, this medicine has some latent adverse side effects that are in no way beneficial. Now the world must wonder whether the gift is a genuine act of kindness, or possibly the most complex military coup known to mankind.

What are you working on now?

I’m currently working on a post-apocalypse, dystopian story. What will make it unique is the mechanism by which the world ends. I spend more time researching and brainstorming than actually writing, but I think that will make it a well-written project.

What is your favorite beverage while you write?

Besides water, I’m excited to try Zombie Killer. It’s a hard cider, and considering my love for anything scie-fi (specifically zombies), I can imagine it becoming my favorite drink.

What is your favorite Website?

www.historyvshollywood.com. History vs. Hollywood takes movies that are based on true stories and checks the facts, then compares the two stories and answers some of the questions many viewers may have after watching the movie or TV show. I like fact checking, and finding out just how much the truth is stretched— or maintained—in most movies.

Links:

Email: tylersharris@tylersharris.com
Amazon: Immortal Peace
Facebook: www.facebook.com/author.tyler.s.harris

5 Tips plus

This vid has five simple tips that are very important plus some good advice.

 

-Always keep learning!

Quotes of the Week

Writing is not a serious business. It’s a joy and a celebration. You should be having fun with it.
—Ray Bradbury

Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts.
—Anne Lamott

There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.
—Alfred Hitchcock

Art is a lie that reveals the truth.
—Pablo Picasso

The time to begin writing a story is when you have finished it to your satisfaction.
—Mark Twain

Art that Inspires

NIGHTHAWKS by Ed Hopper

--I have a short story outlined that takes place in this coffee bar.