Bribery with Chocolate: Interview with Author Kelly Simmons

                            

Today we interview one of my favorite people, writer Kelly Simmons.  Kelly is a member of a group of authors known as the Liar's Club of Philadelphia. I first met her at the Writers' Coffeehouse, a monthly gathering of writers sponsored by the Liar's Club. Her third novel has just been released.

Congratulations on your new book, Kelly. Your first two novels fell into the category of "women's fiction," but One More Day is a thriller. Why the change?

​
Well, the publisher and agent consider One More Day to be women's fiction with thriller and paranormal elements.  So theoretically, I haven't switched categories. But it WAS a shift for me -- because there is a crime at the center of the book, and because there may or may not be ghosts appearing to help the main character solve the crime --  these were genre elements I had never dealt with before. ​

 My agent felt very strongly that even though she liked the two other manuscripts I'd given her -- that the concept and early pages of One More Day were very exciting -- and would make a bigger splash than the other two books.   ​

​ ​
You've also switched publishers. Standing Still and The Bird Ho​use were published by Simon and Schuster, but your new book is from Sourcebooks. Would you like to tell us why you've switched publishers?

​My original publisher would have wanted to re-launch me more drastically -- with a book that went in a completely different direction -- or possibly under another name.  It was a game I wasn't sure I was ready to play, but I did submit a historical fiction manuscript to them before I went out with One More Day -- and they didn't love it.   So to punish them  (evil sarcastic laugh) we didn't include them on the round of submissions with One More Day -- because who needs more failure in any given quarter?

And Sourcebooks specializes in women's fiction, and functions completely differently than other publishers -- given the choice between them and a larger house it was an easy decision to make.

Like most authors, you support yourself and your family with a day job. You've worked as a reporter and in advertising, correct? Some authors prefer to have a day job that has nothing to do with writing, so they don't get tired of spending hours at the computer. Has it been a problem for you, making yourself get back behind the computer after you've already spent a full day doing that?

​It's true that I spend many days just sitting at the laptop.  Although advertising also requires filming, editing, recording, and going to meetings, so that breaks things up a bit.  Some times I do feel like my brain hurts, and my wrists -- but advertising has been a relatively lucrative choice. So many people write half the time and teach school the other ​

​half -- and I'm like, why would you choose TWO low-paying jobs?  :) 

 
​

Good advice!

My favorite publishing story of yours concerns your first book, Standing Still. If I recall correctly, your agent wanted you to add a sex scene, but you did not.  How did that issue get resolved?

​
Tony, when a girl says no, she means NO.  Even a publishing whore knows that!​

Let’s finish up with a process question: how to you write?  Do you do it in the same time and place every day?

A long time ago I got in the habit of getting up early and writing before sunrise, before my day began to spiral out of control.  The quiet helps. But now that the kids are in college, there is a lot of quiet -- I can pretty much write any time of day that works with my schedule or deadline -- but I don't love working at night.  I have to many times, but I have to bribe myself with chocolate.

We’ll look forward to your next book.  Thank you for your time, Kelly.

Kelly Simmons' books can be purchased at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million or your local bookstore. You can o​rder personalized autographed copies here:  http://www.mainpointbooks.com/kelly-simmons   

Follow her at:

http://www.kellysimmonsbooks.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Fans-of-Author-Kelly-Simmons-291343839243/

https://twitter.com/kellysimmons

https://www.instagram.com/kellyasimmons/

Author Michael Bradley and the Supernatural Thriller

Today we interview Michael Bradley, author of a new work of supernatural thriller titled Sirens in the Night.  We are both members of the Wilmington Writers Group (that's the Wilmington in Delaware, not North Carolina).

Congratulations on your new book, Michael! Tell us about Sirens in the Night.

Sirens in the Night is a supernatural thriller that asks the question, what would happen if myths were real? The novel focuses on the efforts of police detective Samantha Ballard as she investigates a series of unusual deaths in the city of Philadelphia. As she embarks on her investigation, she is forced to face a reality that tears down the very framework of what she believes is possible. Jack Allyn, a radio DJ in Philadelphia, just wants to reignite his floundering career, but he is drawn unwillingly into Samantha’s investigation when his friend becomes the next victim. The two must team up together to take on a force that is as malevolent as it is beautiful.     


Sirens in the Night was published by Amberjack Publishing. How did you come to work with them? 

I had been in the midst of sending out submissions to agents and publishers when I came across an article in Writer’s Digest about Amberjack Publishing, announcing that they were now accepting submissions. I decided to give it a shot, and the rest, as they say, is history. They liked what I had to offer, and wanted to negotiate a contract for the publishing rights. With this being my first publication offer, I have to admit that I was a little cautious because I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t signing up for something I would regret. The last thing I wanted was to allow the excitement of getting a book deal to blind me to reality. But, in the end, everything worked out for the best, and the book was released last year in November.

 
I believe that Amberjack Publishing wanted you to change the title for your book, correct? 

The book’s working title had been Beware of Greeks, a take on the old saying “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts”. It had been one of those titles that, when it came to me, I instantly fell in love with it. So, I was a bit heartbroken when my publisher asked me to change it. There was a great deal of “weeping and gnashing of teeth” before I succumb to my publisher’s wishes. But, in the end, the new title has grown on me, and I’m happy with it.

You previously self-published a book.  How does self-publishing compare with your experience with Amberjack Publishing?

The big difference is that you’re not alone. A publisher brings resources to the table that I might not otherwise have had access to with self-publishing. I had an editor who was fabulous to work with, and a graphic designer to take care of cover artwork and book formatting. It gave me, the writer, the opportunity to do what I do best, which is write. When you self-publish, you often have to play all of those roles, and it can take you away from moving on with writing the next book. On the flip side, my royalty percentages are lower than if I had gone the self-publishing route. But, I think the sacrifice was worth it.

Very good.  What's next -- a sequel to Sirens in the Night?

Not at the moment. I have an idea for an indirect sequel for Sirens in the Night, but I haven’t developed it enough yet. I’m currently working on a new thriller with a more psychological angle this time. I just finished the first draft. The working title is Follow You Down. I don’t want to give too much else away about it yet.

Let’s finish up with a process question: how to you write?  Do you do it in the same time and place every day?

I usually write at a small desk I’ve got down in my basement. It’s small, leaving little room for distracting adornments. As for time, my intent is to write every night for a few hours, but you can pave a lot of road with good intentions.


We’ll look forward to your next book.  Thank you for your time, Michael.

Michael Bradley's books can be purchased at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Books-a-Million. 

You can follow Michael Bradley at:

Twitter - @mjbradley88

Facebook - www.facebook.com/mjbradley88

Web - www.mbradleyonline.net

Historical Fiction and Non-Fiction from Jorgen Flood

Today I interview Jorgen Flood, author of several works of historical fiction and non-fiction, all of which are associated with his native Norway.  Jorgen and I are members of the Brandywine Valley Writers Group (in the Philadelphia suburbs).

Congratulations on your books, Jorgen!  Although all of your work is related in one way or another to Norway, these books are all written in English, correct?

Yes, pretty much. All of my fiction books. However, one of the non-fiction books was published in Norwegian.

You self-published these books.  What was your greatest challenge in the self-publishing process?

I actually started out with a publisher for my first book, but felt I had no control over distribution or pricing. I am sure the level of support from the publisher is different if you have a best seller, but for me the self publishing route was the best. I have not regretted it, and ended buying back the rights to my own book (for a modest amount) Marketing is undoubtedly the biggest challenge for self publishers, since companies like Amazon and Smashwords (an e-book company) handle the distribution very well.  

How many books have you published?  Which was your most popular book?

I have published three works of historical fiction, and five non fiction books. Two of the historical fiction books are from the Viking age, while the last, Steel Armageddon, consists of five war stories covering the Second World War, the Korean War, and the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Steel Armageddon is without any comparison my best seller. It outsells the other seven books combined.

I understand that your latest books collect articles you wrote.  Correct?  Where did they originally appear?

That is correct. The last three books are short historical stories regarding Norway. Most of the articles were originally published in "The Slooper," an online and paper magazine for the local lodge of Sons of Norway.  The book versions are expanded, both with regards to text and pictures.

 

Very good.  What's next?

I have started the third and final book from the Viking age, but at the moment the progress is not as fast I would have liked.

Let’s finish up with a process question: how to you write?  Do you do it in the same time and place every day?

No, though mostly at home and in the evenings. I have on occasion rented a room in the Poconos for a couple of days when I want to get something finished without interruptions.

Well, then I'll let you get back to work!  I look forward to your next book, and thanks for your time, Jorgen.

Jorgen Flood's books can be purchased from Amazon or Smashwords. His website is at www.jfloodbooks.com

The Sarah Cain Interview: The 8th Circle

Today we interview my friend Sarah Cain, author of the new thriller The 8^th Circle.  I had the privilege of reading and commenting on an early version of this book.  Sarah, congratulations on your hardcover thriller from Crooked Lane Books!  I’m sure there are a lot of writers out there who would like to know how you got an agent. How did that come about?

Getting an agent was a process. After sending out loads of query letters that didn't generate much interest, I decided to try my luck at Thrillerfest, the big thriller writers conference in New York. By this time I had a polished manuscript that had been critiqued by my special critique group--including you, thank you very much--and felt pretty confident. I went to the conference pitched and got lucky. Six agents wanted full manuscripts and two wanted fifty pages. I sent them off, and within a month I had offers from four. I went with my agent Renee Fountain because she really seemed to have the best feel for the book, and she was really enthusiastic about it.

Your main character is a Philadelphia newspaper columnist named Danny Ryan. His brother and late father were policemen.  Why pick a newspaperman for the protagonist in a murder mystery, instead of a cop?

I picked a newspaperman for my protagonist because I worked in PR in my former life and had a lot of interactions with the press. I also wrote op-eds and ghost wrote articles for the some of the Philly business papers. Plus John Baer of the Philadelphia Daily News is a friend, and he was kind enough to read my manuscript and offer advice. Really, I just felt more comfortable going at it from a reporter's point of view because I've always been a writer.

You chose a 3^rd person point of view for your novel, and switched the p.o.v. between several characters.  How did you decide on that?

For me, third person is the easiest way to write. There also some very distinct subplots in the novel, and the only way to manage them was to go with multiple view points.

Let’s finish up with a process question: how to you write?  Do you do it in the same time and place every day?

I always write from midnight to 2:30 am, which is a holdover from having small children. I also write from about 3 to 6 pm. I'm really not a morning person, though if I don't have anything scheduled I'll get up and write. I do 2,000 words a day always at my desk, which is kind of a cupboard filled with notes and photos and other debris.

One more question: I know you are contracted for a second book.  Does that one also feature Danny Ryan?

I'm finishing up my second book now. It is a sequel to the first and features Danny Ryan. The working title is Blood Angel. As of right now, it's a bit lighter than the first.

We’ll look forward to it.  Again, Sarah Cain’s first thriller was just published by Crooked Lane Books.  The book release party will be at the Chester County Book Company in West Chester, PA, on Saturday, 16 January 2016, from 1 to 3 pm.

Follow Sarah Cain at  SarahCain.Author@facebook.com, at Twitter @sarahcain78, and her blogs at sarahcainauthor.com or sarahcain78.com

The Jason Pollock Interview: Could Emily Brontë Beat Up Jane Austen?

Today we interview Jason Pollock: writer, stand-up comic, actor, raconteur, magician, and man-about-town. He's just released You're Really Reading This Book? My Ramblings on Social Media. 

Tell us about your new book, Jason. How did it come about?

I’ve seen people doing Gofundme and Kickstarter to get out of debt and save their mortgage. I think that’s kind of tacky. This is a way to have accomplished something and sell something at the same time.

At a horror con back in October, I met a horror writer named Joe Knetter. He said he wrote a book called Thoughts and took them from his Facebook. I said that’s a great idea! People have found my Facebook funnier than my actual stand-up. Why not compile that into a book with chapters? He said to do it. I said, “Isn’t that stealing a similar idea?” He said, “I don’t give a shit.” Thus, the rest is history.

How does your book compare with great works of American literature, such as Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick or Pimp by Iceberg Slim?

This is a great question. As far as Moby-Dick goes, probably more laughs per page. Pimp? Unfortunately, not as much sex and violence.

Jason, how would your book be different if it had been written by, say, Jane Austen?

I don’t think it would be different. I, honestly, believe that Jane would’ve written it the exact same way. Not even a question.

While we’re on the subject: if Jane Austen fought Emily Brontë in a steel-cage death match, who would win?

I think we both know they don’t call her “Bruiser Brontë” for nothing.

Fox News has proven that writers (such as Jason) who use the Oxford comma are terrorists. Why do you hate America, Jason?

We all know Fox News is not necessarily accurate. I don’t hate America. It’s quite the contrary. It’s because of my love of the American people that I’m really trying to correct, educate, and get America to use the proper punctuation.

We’re almost out of room. Any last requests, Jason?

Yes. Please extend the interview. HAHA!! I jest. It’s, seriously, an honor that people are reading and liking the book. Thanks for taking the time to interview me to help me publicize it. The more books sold the more I can pay off the vet bill and catch up on the mortgage. It’s all for a good cause!

Thanks Tony and fellow readers.

You can follow Jason on Facebook here.

Jason Pollock's new book is currently available here or here or even here.

"The Expanse:" Heating Up

Syfy's "The Expanse" is billed as Space Opera, but--if the setting was on Earth--most of the first three episodes of that series could have been police procedural or political thriller.

Consider the action on Ceres: murders, bribery, theft.  The setting is new, but the action could have fueled a typical episode of "Law and Order." The data smuggler could have been found in any contemporary thriller, renamed as an industrial spy.

I associate Space Opera with battles between starships. Yes, the ice hauler Canterbury was destroyed in the first episode, but that was hardly a battle, since the Canterbury didn't have any weapons.

However, Episode Four (titled "CQB," military-speak for "Close Quarters Battle") finally delivered. The flagship of the Martian fleet, the MCRN Donnager, fought six smaller vessels. Plenty of excitement there: the pride of Mars was overcome by the mysterious, technologically-superior attackers. The Commander destroyed the Donnager to prevent boarders from taking the ship.

A few observations:

The Commander of the Donnager was an Asian female, which was a nice contrast to the typical rock-jawed Anglo-male ship's captain that we usually see.

On the various "Star Trek" shows, the bridge set was elaborate, while the hanger bay was almost featureless. The art director of "The Expanse" went the opposite way. The Donnager's Commander ran the battle from a fairly small room (I was unclear whether this was the bridge or the CIC, since both were mentioned). The special effects for the sensors were good, but the overall impression was underwhelming. Ah, but the hanger bay was spectacular! It was a multi-story structure with gantries and catwalks and various cool stuff. The walls looked like a theater with box seats that went all the way to the ceiling. It didn't make much sense, but damn! It looked great, even if it was mostly CGI.

On the negative side, the final ten minutes of the episode featured everyone in space suits...and you couldn't tell who was whom. Martian marines in black spacesuits fought boarders in similar suits. They were as indistinguishable as Stormtroopers on "Star Wars."

Now, I accept that, since soldiers fight in uniforms, space-suited Marines might wear identical suits. But there was no reason for the four surviving crew of the Canterbury to be in identical spacesuits!

Yes, their spacesuits were different from those used by the Marines. But, once again, we couldn't tell who was whom! With their suits on, I couldn't even tell which of the four was the sole woman!

Look, the crew of the Canterbury were civilian workers, not soldiers. There was no reason for them to wear identical spacesuits. In fact, since the corporation they worked for was so cheap, they might well have had to purchase their own spacesuits. A single line about how one penny-pinching character was wearing an older, bulkier model of spacesuit would have explained all of that.

In my last post, I mentioned Larry Niven's Gil the ARM stories. In one of them--I believe it was "Death by Ecstasy"--he mentions that a spacesuit is the most expensive possession a belter owns. It's almost like a home, and they usually spend a fortune customizing it. And after they customize it with gizmos, they paint it.

If the art director of "The Expanse" had followed that precedent, we would have had no trouble figuring out who was in each of the belter's suits.

Overall, though, "The Expanse" has improved as it's gone along, and I expect to watch it to the end. 

Some Thoughts on "The Expanse"

Tonight the Syfy channel debuted a new series titled "The Expanse." After a long period in which the channel broadcast nothing of interest to me (sorry, I didn't watch "Sharknado"), they've finally come up with a decent show.

Not that I don't have issues with the show.

I'm not expecting innovative science fiction. The show is based on a series of books, which the authors intended to be space opera. Now, space opera can be a lot of fun. But it's focused on action, not new concepts.

Most of my own science fiction reading took place 30 years ago. Yet I've seen nothing in "The Expanse" that wasn't explored by other writers long ago.

For example, the independence of the inhabitants of the Belt was explored in Larry Niven's "Gil the ARM" series. He also wrote a lot about how humans would be changed by living in varying gravity. War between Earth and its colonies was one feature of Samuel R. Delaney's Triton. And so on.

No, space opera like The Expanse (the book) or "The Expanse" (the TV series) lives or dies on action and its characters.

I've only seen the first episode, but so far the producers have done a satisfactory job. The sets (most of which are probably CGI) are too pretty and too large, but this is TV. I did read the first book in this series, and most Belters are supposed to live in cramped, rather shabby spaces.

(SPOILER) In a later episode, Detective Miller is fired and leaves Ceres. He carries everything he owns in a single bag. We only saw one short scene of Miller in his lodgings, but it didn't look like the apartment of someone who could fit all his belongings in a backpack.

But this is TV. People want to see pretty pictures, and CGI can make us lots of pretty pictures.

There are also some aspects that they're just not going to get right. Gravity, for one thing. Ceres is supposed to be under .3 of Earth gravity. You'd walk differently under .3 g. But, even if the show could do that, it would look very strange. Another gravity-related issue is the attenuated bodies of the Belters. But there just aren't that many tall, extremely thin actors available--not good ones, anyway. So most of the Belters are just skinny-but-normal actors.

By the way, wouldn't low gravity attenuate the rat and the bird? I don't know, but I assume it would.

One thing that the casting director could do, however, is give us more variety. I counted one African-American who had lines, and a few actors that I assumed were South Asians (Indians, Pakistanis, etc.). I didn't see a single East Asian (Chinese, Japanese, etc.). Most of the cast were Anglos.

If nothing else, more diversity would help us tell the actors apart. For example, on the shuttlecraft Knight, there was a crew of five. One was female, and the other four were all white guys with black hair! All of them needed a shave (or had full beards). Yes, one (the assistant engineer) was heavier than the rest, another (the pilot) always wore a watch cap, and the medic...well, I knew it was him because he wasn't a pretty as the lead, Holden. But why couldn't one of them have been Chinese? Or just an Anglo with red hair? In fact, the only blonde I recall in the entire cast was Holden's navigator girlfriend!

One last thing: we know how zero-g sex works. Yes, some of our Astronauts have had sex in space. And you don't do it like Holden and his blonde navigator girlfriend did it.

Sex involves thrusting, so there's an equal and opposite reaction. Our Astronauts found that you need to harness the participants together to keep them from flying apart. (I assume it's a stretchy, rubber harness.)

But again: show business! A harness would probably look like fetish or bondage gear.

Well, I expect to keep watching "The Expense"...at least for a few more episodes.