Book Showcase: "Siren Snow" by Victoria Barrow

A siren in the snow.

Dreams of a beautiful demon.

A horde of shadow spawn at her heels.

Lucilla Sinclair is the fiery-haired Witch-Warden for Washington state. She has spent her most recent years in the snow covered fishing town of Redhaven, a small tourist attraction right near the coast of Anacortes. Magickal mischief in the cold, quiet state is slow for the most part, but when a freak winter storm lands a half-transformed Siren on her front porch, Lucy’s life becomes increasingly strange. Her dreams are suddenly assaulted with visions of a beautiful demon man, and her waking hours are spent warding off a cadre of mysterious shadow creatures.

With the help of her raven familiar and her tall, dark-skinned elemental guardian, Lucy must trek through the snows of Canada in a race against time. Her mission: to find the one person with enough knowledge of forbidden black magick to fix the broken Siren Melusine before her seven days on land are up.

This is gonna be a rough week.

Find Siren Snow at Amazon.
***Siren Snow ebook is currently priced at 2.99 for March.

Follow Victoria on Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, and her blog.

Check out the Siren Snow book trailers here and here. Also Siren Snow inspirations here.

New Shadow World Book: Ain't No Angel (Vivi Rios)

New Paranormal Series

Vivi Rios is a lot of things – impulsive, idealistic, half angel on her horny dad's side. Vivi plans to travel the country, killing monsters and helping people. All happy thoughts until she meets a giant demon half breed idiot and his defective monster. Helping Seth and Felix, Vivi figures she has things handled until his pack catches up to them. To keep Felix alive, Vivi must join the demon half breed males.

If Hoyt Jackson thought having a pretty female join his pack was a genius way to retain control against a competing alpha, Vivi proves him wrong…fast. She never shuts up, tells goofy stories, and charms his pack into dreaming big. Hoyt just wants everything to remain the same, but a war is on the horizon. As if he doesn't have enough problems, he also must contend with the enchanting Vivi who beyond all good reason swoons over him.

While Vivi finds herself in over her head with problems mounting, sometimes the easiest route is the least fun.

 

Ain't No Angel is currently .99 at Amazon.

Shooting the Shit with Indie Author Victoria Barrow

Victoria Barrow is a new indie writer who recently published Siren Snow, the first book in the Redhaven Saga series. Victoria recently talked about her writing and inspiration.  Let’s learn more about Victoria as a person…

 

Favorite food and drink

Orange Chicken. I could eat that stuff forever. With some fried rice. Mmmm. Drink? Orange soda, perhaps? I like oranges, apparently.

Favorite books
This is always a hard one. I have a bunch of them, but if I had to pick just one to read for the rest of forever, it might be The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I've never had a book make me laugh before. Baring that, I'll gobble up anything modern-fantasy. I used to read a TON of Laurell K. Hamilton, but her later books have kind of turned me off. Need to find a new series, I guess.

Favorite music

My musical tastes are varied. I like everything from Bach to Maroon 5. (Though I really love Maroon 5.) My favorite song in the world is How To Save a Life by the Fray. I've been listening to a lot of The Moon and the Nightspirit and Two Steps From Hell lately, though.

Favorite movies

I'm a sucker for horror movies. The first Paranormal Activity creeped the crap out of me, and my favorite movie to date is Dawn of the Dead (the new one... more gore, bwahahaha.)

Favorite TV Shows

I'm totally obsessed with The Following right now, and I tune in every Sunday for the Walking Dead. Beyond that, I really enjoy Grey's Anatomy and Glee. I was hooked on Emily Owens M.D. for a while, but then they cancelled it, and I was so sad! I also really love Big Bang Theory. I would have Sheldon Cooper's smart little babies. (Sorry Kev!)

Best memory from childhood

My family and I took a roadtrip when I was in middle school to Florida, and we went to Disneyworld. It was probably the best thing ever. (Who doesn't love Disney? :D)

Best memory from adulthood

Probably the day/night my boyfriend proposed to me. (Which was actually December 8th of last year, so fairly recent.) It was super romantic, and in a garden at Disneyland. (See? See? Disney is magical...)

Life of the party or stand back and observe?

I like to observe. I'm kind of a wall flower. Plus, it's fun to people watch.

What makes you rage?

Allergies. I hate sneezing and itchiness. Also, hiccups. For whatever reason, I get really pissed off when I have hiccups and they won't go away. Go figure, eh?

What makes you giggle?

My fiance. He's goofy, and even when I get mad at him, he makes me laugh. (Damn you, Kev!)

Find Siren Snow at Amazon.
***Siren Snow ebook is currently priced at 2.99 for March.

Follow Victoria on Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, and her blog.


Check out the Siren Snow book trailers here and here. Also Siren Snow inspirations here.

New Blog Devoted to Zombie Books by Indie Authors

 

 

 

This week, the zombie bug bit me and I decided to create a new blog devoted to showcasing zombie books by indie authors. The blog is barely up and running, but soon we'll have interviews, reviews, showcases, and promotions for all of the most zombielicious books by my fellow indies. So shuffle on over and dig into the zombie fun at Where Zombies Come to Read!

 

Character Profile: Gigi Monroe from The Moon Rises

Gigi Monroe is the main character of The Moon Rises. Let's learn more about her...

Name: Yep, it's her real name. She was named after her deceased grandmamma.

Age: 21

Occupation: Works as waitress and sometimes sous chef at the club The Moon Rises. After a chance meeting with Alpha Roger Schmidt, Gigi is now the head chef of his failing restaurant.

Love Interest: Finn O'Connor is Gigi's current boyfriend. She still has feelings for Master Vamp Simon Reynard and Were Alpha Anton Volkov. Plus, there's the mysterious Kyle.

Friends: Best friend Sara disappeared in The Moon Rises. Fiery redhead Ella will kick any ass to protect her friends. Cranky enforcer Michael enjoys Gigi's cooking, but not her ability to beat him at cards.

Family: Gigi was raised by Celeste Bijou who is a powerful witch living in the Bog. She also has a deceased brother, Abraham, who visits from Heaven when magic surges in the Bog.

Guardians: Daniel and his ghost spy Millicent keep Gigi safe.

Pets: Her eight cats - Earth, Mars, Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Neptune, Saturn, Uranus

Likes: Crystal Gayle, Nina Simone, She & Him, pastels, and quiet. She's really into hot guys and being around other people.

Dislikes: Loud noises, groin dancing, techno music, and is wary of witches.

Get your copy of The Moon Rises at Amazon.

Interview with Indie Author Victoria Barrow

Victoria Barrow is a new indie writer who recently published Siren Snow, the first book in the Redhaven Saga series. Let’s learn more about Victoria and her inspiration...

Q: How long have you been writing and when did you decide to indie publish? What was the biggest hurdle in going it alone?

A: I've been writing all my life, but only started to take it seriously in high school. It wasn't until December of 2012 that I decided to pursue self publishing. I'd never written anything with intent to publish because I was dreading the years and years of rejection letters from publishers. When I found Michael Hicks' blog, and read about his self publishing journey, it was the kick in the butt I needed to get started. I realized I didn't need anything but myself and some elbow grease to get published. It's March of 2013 now, and I just recieved the physical copy of my first book in the mail yesterday. So, I'd say it was a good choice. The hardest part so far has been promotion. I've written my book and it's pretty, but it's hard to tell the world about it if you don't have a big name publisher behind you screaming it from the rooftops. Though, I did have a lot of love and support from my best friend Maegan Provan, and our good author pal Tricia Drammeh.

Q: You recently published Siren Snow. Can you explain the idea behind the Redhaven Saga series? Where did the inspiration come from?

A: The idea for the Redhaven Saga came from reading a lot of Jim Butcher and Laurell K. Hamilton at the same time. I'd loved the idea of "magic stuff out in the open in modern day" kind of set-up, and I started thinking about what kind of person I'd be most interested in reading. I don't know, I just wanted to write a book about a Witch. Witches are cool.

Q: How many books do you envision in the series?

A: I've mapped out the series, and it looks like it's going to be a 7 parter. (Maybe 8... #7 might just be really long since itll be the finale.)

Q: What drew you to paranormal fiction as a genre? Do you plan to branch out to other genres as your career progresses?

A: I LOVE paranormal fiction. It combines the modern drama of this world (romance (not that thats exclusive to modern fiction), school, texting, parents, driving, blah blah blah) with the whimsy and bad-ass-ness of magic, the paranormal, and high fantasy. It's all my favorite things squished together. However, I would eventually like to tackle my post-apocalyptic series. It's an idea that's been stewing for a while, but was shelved when I started work on the Redhaven Saga. I kind of want to try my hand at horror some day. I'd love the scare the shit out of someone.

Q: Lucilla Sinclair is your main character. Can you tell us more about Lucy?

A: Lucy's a Witch-Warden for the state of Washington. She's basically getting paid minimum wage to protect people who don't like her from things that don't like them. She's kind of irritated about the whole thing, and really just wants to be left alone to her little shop, but then the world starts bugging her, and she's gotta do stuff. Semi-reluctantly.

Q: Does Lucy have a love interest? If so, can you tell us more about him?

A: Well, she lives with Mishal, who's her elemental guardian, and there is a little bit of heat between them, but I have big plans for Lucy. Which may or may not include Mishal.

Q: How do you come up with the names for your characters?

A: Well, Lucilla Sinclair came from an RP character I had on World of Warcraft. (Yeah... I'm -that- kind of nerd.) Really, I just thought the name was pretty. Mishal is her fire elemental and guardian, and I came about this name through a lot of searching. I wanted the guardian's name to be unique, and didn't think I could settle on something like "Michael". "Mishal" is actually of arabic origin, and means "torch" or "beacon", which I think fits perfectly.

Q: Chicken or the egg question. Do you create a character and build around him/her? Or do you imagine a concept and create characters which fit the idea?

A: Depends on the original spark. Sometimes I'll get inspired for a scenario or set-up, and build characters into them that fit. Sometimes I think, "Oh, that'd make a cool character" and build around them.

Q: How do you avoid writing a Mary Sue or Marty Stu when most writers can’t help falling desperately in love with their creations?

A: I punch my characters in the face. I be mean to them, I give them something I don't like, some annoying tick or flaw and something. Lucy ended up really whiny in the first draft, and I disliked her so much I re-wrote a lot of the ending. I still love my Lucy, but it's not quite fanatical enough that she's becoming Mary Sinclair in book #2.

Q: Do you use anything to inspire you while you’re writing? Music, visual aids, etc? Also have you found ideas come to you more freely in particular places or at certain times of the day?

A: I made a pinterest board while I was writing the first book. It helped a lot and the board ended up with some pretty neat stuff that kept me writing. I also found theatrical type music helps me a lot. I listened to The Moon and the Nightspirit for probably the first 13 chapters or so. After that it was the Assassin's Creed soundtrack and Two Steps From Hell. I find that if I listen to think with no words but a lot of feeling, it helps me set the mood. And my ideas/inspiration come sporatically. I think the best day of writing I had, I wrote 7k words, and it was rainy and cold outside and I had the windows open and some fuzzy socks on. Maybe it was socks.

Q: When an idea hits you, do you start writing immediately or plot it out first?

A: I write it down. I get random ideas usually when I get in bed and try to go to sleep, so I end up emailing myslf the idea or writing it down. I keep all my little "seeds" in seperate word files in a folder, so I can just pick one and work on it later. If it's an idea relevant to the series I'm working on, I'll add it to my prewrite/brainstorm document. THEN I plot it out a little. Kind of a messy process, but it works.

Q: When you read less than fawning reviews, how do you know when to use the critique to improve your future writing and when do you chalk up the criticism as different strokes for different folks?

A: I haven't gotten a bad review yet, but since I know they're an inevitability, I'll be okay. I will look for specifics and anything I can use to better the rest of my books. I chalk it up to taste, etc when it's just "I didn't like this book". That's okay, not everyone will. I'll mostly try to weed through them to find useful critique.

Q: I’ve read criticism from particular bloggers (Fangs for the Fantasy being one) about the lack of people of color and different sexual orientations in fantasy. Do you take this lack of diversity into consideration when creating plots and characters?

A: Not really. My characters end up being who they end up being. Mishal is black, but that's not because I designed him that way. That's just who he ended up being.

Q: Do word counts mean anything to you? Do you find your books top out at around the same lengths?

A: Word count is something I watch out for, yeah. I shoot for around 70k-80k words, but in the end the story gets told in however long it takes to get told. If it goes too fast, I'll slow it down. If it's too fluffed out, I'll shave the fluff off.

Q: How big a deal is writer’s block for you and how do you shake it off?

A: I can't tell you how many times I've lamented about writer's block. I procrastinated an extra two weeks before starting book #2. I couldn't get the beginning to sound right in my head, but eventually I did start. I find it works best if you just write, even with writer's block. It may come out crappy, but it'll let you see what needs to be fixed. And that's what first drafts are for anyway. You can always go back and paint over the crappy parts.

Q: What books did you enjoy most in 2012?

A: Well, I read Tricia Drammeh's The Claiming Words and totally loved it. I also read the entire Hunger Games trilogy in like, a week, and even though it's for a younger mindset, I read most of the Maximum Ride novels. I started reading the Song of Ice and Fire, but I haven't finished it yet. We moved houses in July, and it's still off somewhere. (Or maybe I borrowed it... I can't remember. It's on my 'to-finish' list.)

Q: What trends do you hope die in 2013? Are there any you hope take off?

A: Vanity publishers annoy me. Really, the big ones do too. Viva La Indie! Besides that, I hope the 50 Shades knock offs fade away. So many grey covers. I've been noticing a lot of mermaid/siren books, and I think 'witches' may start becoming a sun genre too. I'd love to see more modern-mermaid fiction.

Q: What are you plans for 2013 as an indie writer?

A: By this time next year I'm hoping to have books #2 through #5 done and out. Maybe more. Beyond that, a lot of promoting and picking the brains of other authors. It's going to be an ambitious year; the flood gates are open.

Find Siren Snow at Amazon: Kindle and Print versions.
***Siren Snow ebook is currently priced at 2.99 for March.

Follow Victoria on Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, and her blog.

Check out the Siren Snow book trailers here and here. Also Siren Snow inspirations here.

The Moon Rises Playlist

Certain music just puts me in the mood to write certain characters. For The Moon Rises, I tapped into the beautiful voices of legends Nina Simone and Crystal Gayle. Gigi is a character who doesn't enjoy loud music. She finds comfort in these soothing melodies.

Nina Simone
My Baby Just Cares for Me
I Want a Little Sugar In My Bowl
Here Comes the Sun
My Man's Gone Now
To Love Somebody
***Honestly, just listen to her greatest hits and you'll get the gist of her power.

Crystal Gayle
I've Cried (The Blues Right Out of My Eyes)
Wrong Road Again
Beyond You
Somebody Loves You ***can listen to this song a hundred times a day
I'll Get Over You ***see above

She & Him
Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?
This Is Not a Test
I Thought I Saw Your Face Today
I Was Made For You ***Ella has her fit over this song

As amazing as Nina Simone and Crystal Gayle are, the artist whose song helped create Gigi was none other than Fiona Apple. The song Extrodinary Machine instantly puts me in the mood for Gigi. It's a little awkward, yet upbeat. Just like Gigi.

Shooting the Shit With Rick Gualtieri

Rick Gualtieri is the indie writer of The Tome of Bill series starring Bill Ryder: programmer, gamer geek, and hopeless dweeb. Bill also happens to be a vampire. We learned this week about how Rick created Bill and his Bigfoot Hunters book. Now, let’s get to know a little more about Rick…

Favorite Food and Drink
I'm a big fan of a good steak. I don't drink often, but I have a fondness for a good frozen margarita.

Favorite Books

IT by Stephen King and The Relic by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

Favorite Music
Anything by Rob Zombie

Favorite Movies

I love B-horror movies, especially with monsters. I will line up for a good Godzilla flick.

Favorite TV Shows

Supernatural, Arrow, Face-off, The Walking Dead...you get the idea.

Best memory from childhood

My two best friends, Brian and Bob.

Best memory from adulthood

My kids...when they're not annoying the ever living crap outta me. :)

Life of the party or stand back and observe?

Depends on how comfortable I feel. I've done both....probably more of the latter, though.

What makes you rage?

Just about any and all zero-tolerance policies because they usually equate to zero thought.

What makes you giggle (or in your case, manly laugh)?

Stupid spontaneous humor. Needless to say, I laugh a lot.

Find Rick's books at Amazon.

Blood Tide Playlist

Certain music just puts me in the mood to write certain characters. For Blood Tide, the sisters grew up with their dad's taste in older rock. Mac Tiernan even named his shadow warrior moves after his favorite rock songs. As such, here are the songs I turned to when writing Paloma and Willow.

AC/DC

Hells Bells
Who Made Who
Highway to Hell
Back in Black

Queen

Fat Bottom Girls

We Will Rock You
We Are the Champions

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

Bad Reputation
Cherry Bomb

.38 Special

Hold On Loosely
Caught Up In You

And of course Willow's favorite singer...Billy Squier

The Stroke

Rock Me Tonight
Everybody Wants You

Character Profile: Paloma from Blood Tide

Paloma is the ruder, smarter, tougher shadow sister. Along with Willow, she travels the US killing bad guys, saving good guys, and eating crappy diner food. Let's learn more about Paloma...

Name: Paloma Moonshine (like the moon shining and not the hillbilly liquor) Perez Tiernan

Age: 22

Occupation: Badass Shadow Warrior

Love Interest: In Blood Tide, Paloma meets a sexy vampire mercenary. Bishop isn’t trustworthy (what vamp is?), but he’s hella hot, agrees to work with the sisters, and charms the pants off of Paloma.

Friends: BFF is Willow and has been since they were kids.

Family: Mother Maria Perez died ten years earlier during a demon attack; father Mac Tiernan is a famous shadow warrior; Paloma is one of at least ten children Mac had with various hippy women.

Likes: Burrito, playing the guitar and video games, driving fast, high fiving, sugary foods, chili fries, Wipeout, Fear Factor, Ghostbusters, Holiday Inn Express hotels, her Monchhichi doll Kimmie, AC/DC, teasing Willow about sex, staring contests, and stinking up the SUV after one of her burritos.

Dislikes: Playing good cop, people who make Willow dumber, anyone who might take Willow away, showing authority figures any respect, and of course, owls and bats.

Get your copy of Blood Tide at Amazon. Coming soon: The Sires (Shadow Sisters #2).

Character Profile: Willow from Blood Tide

Willow is the nicer, dumber, blonder shadow sister. Along with Paloma, she travels the US killing bad guys, saving good guys, and eating crappy diner food. Let's learn more about Willow...

Name: Willow Sunshine Mothershead Tiernan (say it real fast, I dare ya)

Age: 22

Occupation: Badass Shadow Warrior

Love Interest: In Blood Tide, many boys want to play with Willow, but the one who gets under her skin is Shane O’Malley, a shadow warrior from the old country. Sure, his Scottish accent is stupid, plus he has a frigging ponytail and smells like pine cones. Yet, he’s hotter than sin, all kinds of book smart, kicks bad guy ass, thinks Willow is funny, and loves Queen and Joan Jett. Could a girl ask for more?

Friends: BFF is Paloma and has been since they were kids.

Family: Mother Tatum Mothershead currently resides in a mental health facility after a demon attack ten years earlier; father Mac Tiernan is a famous shadow warrior; Willow is one of at least ten children Mac had with various hippy women.

Likes: Care Bears, burping, pancakes, playing the banjo and video games, driving fast, high fiving, sugary foods, Wipeout, Fear Factor, Ghostbusters, Holiday Inn Express hotels, zombies, running commentaries during battle, doing really bad accents, and, of course, Billy Squier.

Dislikes: Talking about sex, thinking about sex, other people mentioning sex, places that smell like sex, Utah, and snakes up the crapper.

 
Get your copy of Blood Tide at Amazon. Coming soon: The Sires (Shadow Sisters #2).

The Bite is now .99

The zombies are restless! The Bite is now .99 at Amazon. Get your copy here.

Summary
Samantha Adkins has spent the last year struggling to survive in a world overrun with zombies. With her father and a small band of survivors, she has kept one step ahead of danger.

Until the day Sami is bitten.

Soon the group moves on, leaving Sami's father Evan to watch his child die of the infection. Yet Sami miraculously recovers, only to realize she is no longer human and must learn to control the new hunger inside her.

Back on the road, Sami and Evan are pushed off course and into an area of the country dubbed the badlands. In a world infested with zombies, Sami and her father quickly discover the walking dead aren't the only monsters rising.

Interview with Indie Author Rick Gualtieri

Rick Gualtieri is the indie writer of The Tome of Bill series starring Bill Ryder: programmer, gamer geek, and hopeless dweeb. Bill also happens to be a vampire. With three books already published in the series, Rick is hard at work on the fourth. Let’s get to know a little more about Rick…

Q: How long have you been writing and when did you decide to indie publish? What was the biggest hurdle in going it alone?

A: I’ve been writing short stories ever since High School, so that’s nothing new; however, I didn’t decide to actually pursue it until about 2 years back. That’s about the time I noticed a lot of new authors available for Amazon’s Kindle and realized that many were self-published. My reasoning behind choosing it was simple: it was a chance for me to see if I had/have what it takes to make it as a writer.

As for hurdles, the biggest issue in going it alone was in having to figure out everything on my own as I went...meaning I made a lot of stupid mistakes. Heck, I’m probably still making them. Regardless, I’ve learned a lot about this business via trial by fire and believe I’m a far better person because of it. I also think it has helped improve my craft considerably.

Q: You’ve published three books in The Tome of Bill series. Can you explain the idea behind the series? Where did the inspiration come from?

A: I have always loved horror comedy...Ghostbusters, Army of Darkness, you name it. It’s a genre that, when done right, works well together. There are a lot of horror novels out there with some funny scenes, but very few that put an equal emphasis on the humor. My goal was to fix that...create a world where the laughs lived along with the screams.

As for inspiration, well let’s just say that Bill and his friends have their various origins in a lot of people I know.

Q: Tell us more about Bill. Who he is and how has he progressed over the series?

A: Bill is a twenty-something year old geek. He works as a programmer, likes games, and has friends of similar caliber. Outside of his own circle, though, he’s kind of socially awkward, a situation not helped by the fact that he’s basically a smart-ass.

He’s definitely matured as the series has progressed, but not too much (and probably not as much as some of my readers would prefer). It is a humor series after all and part of the fun is in his cluelessness. That being said, he’ll definitely be maturing a bit more in book 4.

Q: Can you tell us about Bill’s love interests?

A: Bill is hopelessly in love with Sheila, a girl from his workplace. He’s somehow convinced himself that she’s his soul mate. Unfortunately, this has completely psyched him out with regards to her...often resulting in him being far braver facing down the forces of darkness than he is talking to her. As for her, while she’s definitely fond of him, so far it’s unclear if she’s ever going to reciprocate his fanatical feelings.

Q: You’re currently working on the fourth Bill book. When is its expected release date? Also how many books do you envision in the series?

A: Holier Than Thou, the Tome of Bill part 4, is in final editing as we speak...or type. I’m hoping to have it out by the end of March, but ultimately the answer is “when it’s ready”.

I envision about 7 to 10 books in the series. I definitely have a finite ending in mind, although it’s always possible there may be some extra tie-in stories. Someone suggested to me a book about James, a 600 year old vampire and one of the regulars in the series, might be fun. I tend to agree.

Q: In 2012, you published the horror adventure, Bigfoot Hunters. Can you explain the book’s premise and the main character Harrison?

A: The book’s premise is basically your typical horror movie fare...teenagers being hunted by a monster, with a few fun twists thrown in to change things up a bit. I’m not a big fan of horror where everyone plays the victim. I like when it’s a standoff of hero vs. villain, and Bigfoot Hunters definitely plays to that.

Harrison Kent is, I’d say, your classic hero. He’s brave and caring, but still human in that he has fears and doubts. That being said, I like to think of Bigfoot Hunters as more of an ensemble piece. Harrison is one of the main characters, but not the only one. There are definitely a few surprises in store for the reader there.

Q: What drew you to horror as a genre? Do you plan to branch out to other genres as your career progresses?

A: I am a huge Crytozoology nerd. Bigfoot Hunters started out as a movie script, basically my answer to all of the lousy Sasquatch movies that the SyFy channel seems to like replaying. Eventually, though, I realized it had a better chance of finding an audience as a novel.

As for genres, I pretty much write whatever comes to mind. I’m already in another genre under a pen name. I have little doubt I’ll try my hand at others in the future.

Q: How do you come up with the names for your characters?

A: You know, I never really thought about that. It’s mostly a spur of the moment type thing for me. One minute nothing...the next, their name is just there on the paper (or screen). I typically go with my gut on these things, usually the first thing I come up with.

Q: Chicken or the egg question. Do you create a character and build around him/her? Or do you imagine a concept and create characters which fit the idea?

A: Both. In Bigfoot Hunters, most of the characters came first. In the Bill series, it’s the opposite way around. I had no idea two of the main characters in Scary Dead Things (the Tome of Bill part 2) would even exist when I first started that book.

Q: How do you avoid writing a Mary Sue or Marty Stu when most writers can’t help falling desperately in love with their creations?

A: One lesson I learned from my days as a programmer: don’t fall in love with your own work. With regards to the Bill series, I figured the best way to do it was to off myself in the series. If you pay attention, early on there’s a victim that kind of fits my physical description. I don’t name him or anything, but in my mind that’s me. So technically I don’t even exist anymore in his world.

I also try to take a Quentin Tarrantino approach...any character could die at any given time, even ones I like a lot.

Q: Do you use anything to inspire you while you’re writing? Music, visual aids, etc? Also have you found ideas come to you more freely in particular places or at certain times of the day?

A: I don’t really have any visual aids, and I like to write in silence. I will say, though, that my best ideas seem to pop into my head in the AM when I’m shaving. No idea why. Maybe the buzzing of my electric razor jostles my brain or something.

Q: When an idea hits you, do you start writing immediately or plot it out first?

A: With regards to comedy, it’s all about spontaneity. If I have to plot it out, then chances are it’s not funny. Horror, though, requires plotting.

Q: When you read less than fawning reviews, how do you know when to use the critique to improve your future writing and when do you chalk up the criticism as different strokes for different folks?

A: I like to look for trends...I.e. is more than one person listing something as an issue. If so, then chances are it’s a potential problem. There’s also context. Is it a character issue, a plot issue, or an actual editing issue? There’s also the matter of whether something is purposely done in the book. Bad language is a good example. The Bill books contain a lot of four letter words and I market them as “foul mouthed horror comedy”. As a result, I have to accept that it will probably offend some people simply because they’ll have different tastes on the matter.

Either way, I try to never get upset with someone who was cool enough to give me a chance. If it works out, that’s awesome. If not, then I am at least thankful to have had the opportunity to be on their Kindle, Nook etc.

Q: I’ve read criticism from particular bloggers (Fangs for the Fantasy being one) about the lack of people of color and different sexual orientations in fantasy and similar genres. Do you take this lack of diversity into consideration when creating plots and characters?

A: Sometimes yes and sometimes no. I won’t shoehorn in a character just to add some diversity. It has to make sense. I also tend to go light on some of my characters’ physical descriptions, leaving them to the imagination.

Q: Do word counts mean anything to you? Do you find your books top out at around the same lengths?

A: I find most of my novels end up in the 80-100k word range. This isn’t really a purposeful decision. It just ends up that way probably because I find it a pretty good length for a book.

Q: How big a deal is writer’s block for you and what do you do to shake it off?

A: Not too big of a deal. I find if I hit a roadblock, that’s usually the universe’s way of telling me I’m done for the day. Usually clearing my mind and getting a good night’s sleep will cure that. Worst case scenario is I’ll work on another portion of the book or on another project until my subconscious figures out a way around the issue.

Q: What books did you enjoy most in 2012?

A: I was a bit disappointed in 2012. Some of the traditional authors I normally enjoy had so-so novels come out in 2012. I think my favorite reads for 2012 was the Cassidy Jones series by Elise Stokes. It’s a YA superhero series and is very well written. Quite enjoyable...and that says a lot coming from someone who typically sticks to gruesome horror.

Q: What trends do you hope die in 2013? Are there any you hope take off?

A: What I hope to see die is the rash of unprofessionalism in the writing field. Too many writers are gaming the system, buying reviews, and just outright treating their readers like garbage. I can’t stand that type of behavior. Personally I’m extremely grateful for the opportunities that exist for independent authors today, but it’s exactly that...an opportunity, not a right, and it irks me to no end to see people abuse that privilege.

Q: What are your plans for 2013 as an indie writer?

A: Rinse and repeat. I’ll be releasing my 8th book shortly. My plans for this year are to release a 9th and 10th as well...same for next year. I’m here to write books, improve my craft, and have a little bit of fun while I’m doing so. I’m not really sure I see a need to change that formula anytime soon. ;

Find Rick's books at Amazon.

Blue Sacrifice Playlist

Certain music just puts me in the mood to write certain characters.  For Blue Sacrifice, I searched for music full of melancholy to match the emotional state of Blue, a girl asked to sacrifice herself for her town. For the more romantic aspects, I turned to Susan Boyle (don't judge!) who is a favorite of our Irish playboy Flynn O'Shea. Here are the artists and songs that inspired me during the writing process.

 

The Sundays

• I Feel Fine
• Wild Horses
• You're Not the Only One I Know
• Blood On My Hands

Mazzy Star

• Fade Into You
• Mary of Silence
• Unreflected
• Wasted
• Into Dust
• So Tonight That I Might See

Susan Boyle

• Perfect Day
• Hallelujah
• Wild Horses
• I Dreamed a Dream (Yes, I know. I really do.)
• You'll See
• Daydream Believer

 
If it seems weird to write about a sixteen year old while listening to bands popular in the 90's, plus Susan, keep in mind how Blue is an old soul and I really don't like the shit anyone plays today. Besides, Blue is an underdog and who better to represent her than Ms. Boyle?

Admit it. She's frigging adorable.


Find Blue Sacrifice at Amazon.