An interview with Jillian Boehme, YA Fantasy Author of The Stolen Kingdom!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
What can we expect from you in the future?
More YA fantasy books! And possibly, at some point, some YA SF.
Where did you come up with the names in the story?
I love this question! Names are so important to me. My daughter Maggie, when she was around 10, came up with the name “Maralyth” for one of the main characters in my first novel. (This is one of my favorite things to tell people, because Maggie grew up to be an amazing writer—and that first, horrible novel is what inspired her to write!) “Alac” is just a variant of “Alec”; I like the way it looks with the second “a”. The rest of the names in The Stolen Kingdom are either completely made up or are slight tweaks of names that already exist—“Ellian” is a sort of cross between “Lillian” and “Ellen”; “Nelgareth” is made up, but his first name, Ogden, is real; Zeth is sort of “Seth” with a “Z”, which feels stronger; “Nestar” is a variant of “Nester”; “Doreck” is made up; and “Graylearn” is also my own creation.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
Because this book is based on the very first (horrible) novel I ever wrote, I dearly enjoyed delving into the world I’d created so many years ago, giving it more depth and richness—and developing beloved characters into new, stronger versions of themselves.
Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.
If you love a good lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers story, this is for you. Also, if you’re mad about secret magic, spare heirs, and girls who aren’t afraid of trying to steal someone’s throne, you’ll enjoy The Stolen Kingdom!
Have you written any other books that are not published? Almost a dozen. Writing is not for the faint-hearted!
If your book had a candle, what scent would it be?
Sage, which is Maralyth’s favorite herb, mixed with a woodsy scent.
What did you edit out of this book?
Oh, my goodness. I edited out both a son and a daughter of Lord Nelgareth, as neither one ultimately had an important enough role to play in the story. So many deleted words!
Fun Facts/Behind the Scenes/Did You Know?’-type tidbits about the author, the book or the writing process of the book.
The Stolen Kingdom is based on the first very novel I ever wrote, entitled The Seeds of Perin Faye. It’s a completely different story now!
When I was struggling to get the plot right, I pulled out several wooden “Little People” (from my childhood), assigned them each a character name, and moved them around the room, trying to figure out who was supposed to do what.
One of my favorite things to do is to have a Barbie and Ken version of my main characters. Maralyth and Alac are currently standing on my desk (you may have seen them on Instagram!).
My daughter Maggie is a fabulous writer, and we have the same literary agent! She always reads for me, and her input is invaluable. Sometimes I feel like I can’t write without her!
One of the characters in The Seeds of Perin Faye was a tall, Gandalf-y character named Soldan. My husband still does impersonations of Soldan’s ridiculously deep bow. (There is no Soldan in The Stolen Kingdom!)
Playlists are extremely important to me. When I first started working on The Stolen Kingdom, I listened to the same music I’d used for The Seeds of Perin Faye. Call me nostalgic! Ultimately, though, it just didn’t work for me. I finally created a new, better playlist that threw me right into the world whenever I sat down to write.
Chapter endings take longer than almost any other part of drafting. They have to be JUST RIGHT.
Would you like a chance to win a $20 Amazon gift card?Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
My publisher wanted a certain type of book from me to fit into the trend , but after three years it was always something I needed to spend a lot of time on , contemplation, musing and trying to write for the wrong reasons didn’t work for me. My stories have to come from a hidden, scary, and philosophical , mind-bending, and most importantly a profound place inside of me.
We releases a boxset themed forbidden love , and I transformed that book into the idea I wanted it to be, at first it was a short story but once I got my rights back I fell into a big dark place where creativeness went to die. As a newborn Christian I surrendered this book to God and just like that I was in love and the concept, characters and theme came out that Ive been hiding for a long time. But it was the right time – I can only hope.
What can we expect from you in the future?
OH gosh I have so many series I have not finished , but first I will do the follow up of A Beast so Beautiful. Now that book will be super exciting to write.
Do you have any “side stories” about the characters?
The broken diaries is a small spin off from The broken novel and a short story about another characters point of view.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in A Beast so Beautiful
King Ivor is an ass, drunk woman and child beater. He is bitter and revengeful on his prince Leif blaming him for the death of Rurith Kingdoms Queen.
Prince Leif has been locked up in a tower for six years after discovering his mothers corpse.
He was created by magic as the king could not produce a male heir.
But magic came at a cost and Prince Leif is half human half something else.
Avelyn is the redheaded beauty taken in by the kingdom to marry the prince. For six years she secretly visits the prince in his tower. She is spirited, direct and a problem solver.
How did you come up with the concept and characters for the book?
They live in my head!!
Where did you come up with the names in the story?
They live in my head!
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
Creating characters and worlds and conflict and drama and doomed fates along with tortured lovers.
Tell us about your main characters- what makes them tick?
Ivor – to avenge his wife’s death. Expose his son for the beast he is and steal away his bride as payback.
Prince Leif wants to rule the kingdom with trust loyalty with Avelyn at his side.
Avelyn is driven by seeing Prince Leif take the crown, and because she was tricked into marrying the cruel king seeks out a secret affair with the love of her life. Pushing him towards overthrowing his father.
Who designed your book covers? CHBB publishing – Rebecca Poole
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Put more humor in it.
Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?
Yes to look out for details and got to learn more about the English tenses and sentence structures as I am not English myself I learn more with each book.
If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?
Charlie hunnam
Anything specific you want to tell your readers?
Without them I would be far from my dreams and leaving my healing words to the masses.
How did you come up with name of this book?
Book titles come easily to me. They just pop in my head. And as the beast has morals and a big heart he is beautiful inside and out.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
Most of the male leads I pull the ethics and ways and inspiration from my husband – who we have been together since high school and everyday he surprises me with his dedication , his sacrifices and his selflessness.
Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?
Oh no we have a lot of fights, but Ive learned to lose control (probably the only time in my life this happens) and let them come and flow and be.
Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.
It’s a faced pace story, a reverse Beauty and the beast that meets Game of thrones – fight for the crown.
Forbidden love
Royal feuds.
An ancient magic that will bring the kingdom to its knees.
I know in my heart that my passion, dedication and prayers for this book , took a lot of putting myself out there will show in my writing. Because readers can feel the energy and truth in the author’s writing.
Have you written any other books that are not published?
I have written Into the Night my prequel to Dead of night my dystopian romance . It is about 70 percent done.
If your book had a candle, what scent would it be?
Vanilla
Would you like a chance to win a Queen Crown Pendant or a Metal Feather Bookmark? Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
Renee S. DeCamillis is the author of the psychological thriller/supernatural horror novella The Bone Cutters, published through Eraserhead Press as part of their 2019 New Bizarro Authors Series.
Check out our interview on YouTube:
Check out renee’s books below!
(Click on the cover images to order your copy)
(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.)
The Bone Cutters – Horror Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Supernatural Horror, Bizarro Fiction, Addiction Horror, a novella from the 2019 New Bizarro Author Series from Eraserhead Press.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
Black Winter by Beauregard M. NeVille & Cole NeVille ~ Genre: SciFi Fantasy
In the near future the planet is covered in snow. Nobody knows why. A group of people are living inside a military facility that was designed to be self sustaining and can last forever. So long as the food doesn’t run out. Captain Alec Winter is among the people trying to survive and they will all be tested with the arrival of two strangers and something lurking in the shadows of the storm. Alec will have the fight for his life and everyone that he cares about. He just has to avoid becoming the very thing that threatens everyone’s survival.
I was born in Rocksprings Wyoming, but grew up in various parts of Utah, from Provo to Brigham City. By the time I was in 4th grade was when I moved to Brigham and stayed there until after high school and I left to pursue my own life. I’ve always had a love for writing and knew it was what I wanted to do. I also love sports, played most of them throughout school and still try and play basketball when I can. I love the outdoors, going hiking and camping and would spend every day on a lake if I could. I love my family. My wife Amanda is a wonderful, hardworking mother that still manages to be in school, work as a teacher and still provides time for our children. I have three amazing boys, Kaden, Ryder and Maverick. Nothing brings me more joy than seeing them grow and getting to have fun with them. I love dogs and my Dog Mya was my inspiration for the dog in Black Winter. I owe everything I have to my parents for teaching me hard work and the value of a family. I’m forever grateful for the blessings in my life and I look forward to what the future will bring to me and my family.
I was born in Brigham City, Utah. I have lived in several states but Utah is my home. Reading and writing has always been a big part of my life. I used reading to escape from a lot of things when I was growing up. I also have played sports my whole life. I grew up playing football and basketball, and still play basketball whenever I can. I love everything outdoors whether it is hiking, camping, golfing, or fishing. Being able to get out into the wildlife and smell the fresh air is something my wife Sarah and I love to share together. We both love dogs and love our dog Kumba.
Would you like a chance to win a signed copy of Black Winter or a $15 Amazon gift card?Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
Q&A with Beauregard.
Where were you born/grew up? I was born in Rocksprings Wyoming. Was moved to Utah within days so I never lived in my birth town. Grew up in various parts of Utah from Provo to Brigham City. I consider Brigham City my home since I lived there the longest and that’s where I was living when I graduated from High School and my parents live there still.
What are you passionate about these days? Besides my writing and finishing the Black Winter series, I’m passionate about my family. I have 3 boys, ages 9, 7, and 4 with a fourth child on the way. Nothing brings me more joy than spending time with them and seeing them grow. Being a father is the greatest blessing and experience a man can have.
How do you find time to write as a parent? It’s challenging. I rarely do the things I enjoy when I can be home with my wife and kids and spend time with them. I get most of my writing done when they are at school and work or even late at night when they are sleeping.
When did you first consider yourself a writer? When I was in the 8th grade. This is when I really started to write stories down in my notebook at school. By the time I was a senior in high school I knew that writing novels was something I wanted to do.
What inspired you to write this book? Truthfully it was a number of things. My family loves all sorts of story formats, whether it be a movie, book or even a video game. When I first started writing the book for the first time in January of 2009, I had a very basic idea. A soldier and his Siberian Husky in a mountain, snowy setting. The more I wrote the more I would take inspiration from many stories I had previously seen or read, and even a couple video games that I had recently played. For starters, the idea of a government facility deep in a mountain I got from Gears of War. The dog with the soldier I got from the cover of Fallout 3. I really didn’t what the story was then. Just small details from other things that I really liked. It took a couple years from that point before Cole and I knew how the first book would really end. Once we had the complete story for Black Winter, the rest of the story was easy.
How did you come up with the title for Black Winter? The title didn’t come until several years after we first started working on it. Not until after the story was complete. Originally, Alec Winter was actually Alec Ryker. But as the story was ending, I really like the idea of having the title of the book have a double meaning. So that’s when we decided to change Alec’s last name to Winter. You have this never-ending winter along with a soldier who’s name is Winter and they sort of battle each other throughout the series. The true meaning of the name of the book though you will have to discover as you read the series.
If your book was made into a movie, who would you like to play the lead? Originally that was an easy answer. Henry Cavill. I actually had to do a screenplay as an assignment in college that was a lot of fun. Part of the assignment was casting real actors for the roles in the movie. I picked Cavill as Alec Winter because of Cavill’s size and hair color. The only issue was his eye color which was an easy fix with contacts or even CGI. Now that many of the actors that I cast for the characters are all older it would be a little more difficult to pick new ones. I’m looking forward to fans of the book to come up with their own ideas though.
Are any of your characters based off of real people or did they come entirely from your imagination? A little bit of both. There are a few characters in the book that are completely based off of real people in terms of their names, and others in terms of how I perceived them as people. Two of my friends have their full names in the book, because of how unique their names are. The character in the book are criminals though so they are very different than the people they are based on. There are other characters in the book that are a complete likeness, only their names are different. For some of those characters they are people that I despised, so I made them into characters that the readers would despise as well. Alec Winter is completely from imagination, but the way he interacts with his dog and his overall voice and how he talks is based off of me. He talks like me and loves his dog as much as I do.
What are your top 10 favorite books or Authors? My favorite books are the Eragon books by Christopher Paolini. I’ve read the entire series about ten times and it never gets old for me. In fact, some of my inspiration for the relationship between two characters in Black Winter comes from that series. You’ll have to discover what I’m talking about by reading the book. I don’t want to give any spoilers. I also really loved the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. It’s a very long series, but the writing is incredible. I don’t know that I’ll read it again, because of its length, but I’m glad I read it and I would definitely recommend it along with Eragon.
What is your favorite genre to read? Oddly enough, Black Winter is a Science Fiction novel, but I don’t actually read much of that genre. I prefer fantasy as you can see with my two favorite authors and book series.
Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Both. I like it to be quiet, but most of the time I like to listen to music when I write. Different songs help me to feel the mood of a scene I’m trying to write. If it’s really distracting noise though I can’t concentrate. Like if my kids are yelling and fighting, I won’t be able to focus. I could easily sit in front of the tv and write though.
The final thing I’d like to say answers several questions. Writing is very time consuming and requires a lot of dedication. Black Winter took 12 years from start to publication. Mostly the reason why it took so long was due to life getting in the way, writers block or just simply procrastination. The sequels will definitely come out much faster than the first, but mostly they will because we know what the story is. We know exactly where the characters will be at the end of the story and how they will get there. So getting there will be less of a challenge. Plus, now that Black Winter is officially out there for the world to see, the desire to complete the series for everyone that reads it gives me the motivation I need to sit down and put in the time to write the rest of the books.
Q& A with Cole
How did you become an author? My path to becoming an author is a little unique. Growing up I loved reading but I hated writing. As I got older I realised not only was I good at writing, I actually started enjoying it. I started working with Beau on his book by helping him with different ideas throughout Black Winter. Finally after years it had turned into as much mine as it was his and I couldn’t be more grateful to share that with Beau.
Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at once? Both. We wrote Black Winter before writing any of the sequels. But as we got deeper into the story we slowly wrote the beginning and end for all of the books. We found that by figuring out different directions we wanted to go with the sequels helped add things into Black Winter.
What do you do to unwind and relax? I am a big gamer so once everyone has gone to bed I enjoy starting up my PC and gaming. I have always enjoyed video games but right now I love playing Warzone. I also enjoy sitting down on the couch with my wife and watching a tv show.
What are your top 10 favorite books? Top 10 books are a little hard so I will go with my top book series. My favorite book series would have to be Eragon/The Inheritance Cycle. Eragon was the first book that really got me into reading, I also love everything that involves dragons so that helped as well. My second favorite book series is Harry Potter. Harry Potter was a book series that really helped me escape from reality at times when I was a kid and even sometimes still to this day. My third favorite book series is The Ranger’s Apprentice.
Today, I am happy to welcome Toni Verticelli, author of Chaos Calls, as a guest.
Let’s start by finding out a little bit about you…
What is your name and do you write under a pen name? Toni Verticelli, my maiden name.
Where do you call home? Ocala, FL
Obviously, we know you are an author, but some writers have other jobs as well. Do you have another occupation? Do you believe you’re any good at it? Do you like what you do? I was a CNA for 14 years up until recently. I absolutely loved it, I found it very rewarding. I had to stop because of problems resulting from being hit by a drunk driver.
What is your family like? They are a big bunch of loving weirdos, just like me.
If it doesn’t bother you, can you let us know what your childhood home looked like? I moved a lot actually, Navy brat.
Do you have any hobbies, other than writing? What do you enjoy doing? I love to sing and have done several benefits for the performing arts, and one for the Alzheimer’s Association. I also really love gardening and painting furniture.
What is your greatest dream? Watching my daughter grow up. Living the dream now.
Not to pry too much, but do you remember your first love? Yes, married him. Also divorced him.
What or who inspired you to start writing? And how long have you been writing? I had an amazing teacher in the 7th grade who realized I was dyslexic and got me into writing.
What was your dream growing up? Did you achieve that dream? If so, in what ways was it not what you expected? If you never achieved the dream, why not? I desperately wanted to be a singer. Became a writer that sings for fundraisers and benefits. Life throws some pretty strange curveballs.
Who is your role model? I admire so many people that I couldn’t pick just one.
What is your greatest fear? Caving. I have a terrible fear of caving into the things that frighten me. We really are our own obstacles in life.
Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks, hard-covers or audio-books? Yes, I prefer all of them.
Have you ever read a book more than once? And if so what was it? Oomph, ask the hard question! I’ve read the entire Pern series by Anne McCaffrey several times.
What is your opinion of novellas? I don’t have one. There is no such thing as a guilty pleasure, on what makes you happy. If you like novellas, awesome. If you like graphic novels and comic books, awesome. Play, fabulous. Read what makes you happiest.
Have you ever read a book just based on its cover? The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley. I was pretty young when I came across it in a library. I had never seen a book where the dragon fighting hero was the princess. I own both The Hero and theCrown and it’s companion, The Blue Sword.
What is your favorite film based on a book? The Labyrinth.
What is your favorite book genre at the moment? Again, I don’t have one really. I pick up books, I read them and I either read more by that author or I don’t ever go near the book again.
What book are you reading at the moment? And in what format? The Master Harper of Pern by Anne McCaffrey. I’ve lost count how many times. Paperback.
Let’s shift somewhat and talk about your latest story.
What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or fewer words, what would you say? Currently I am working on Chaos Calls.
Is the above book part of a series? I’m hoping it will be
How did you come up with the cover? Who designed the cover of your book(s)? I haven’t had a cover done yet.
Did you listen to any particular songs while writing your book(s)? Classical. Auditory brain food.
How did you come up with the title for your book(s)? A line in the book, actually.
Do you have a book trailer? If so, where can we watch it? No, and I haven’t ever made one in the past.
In your latest novel, who is the lead character and can you tell us a little about him/her? Katya Malloy, 6th of the name. Her family is a powerful matriarchy.
What are your character’s greatest strengths? Perseverance and sarcasm.
And what are his/her greatest weaknesses? Gullibility and stubbornness
What’s a positive quality that your character is unaware that he or she has? Adaptability. With everything that’s thrown at her, she is able to adapt to the situation better that she realizes.
Will readers like or dislike this character, and why? I hope they will love her character. She is easy familiarize with.
Let’s talk now about your writing process.
What is your writing style like? Are you a pantster or a plotter? Total Plotter.
Have you come across any specific challenges in writing or publishing? What would you do differently the next time? RESEARCH, and English classes early on.
Are you a self-published/Indie author or did you publish through a traditional publishing company? Self-published currently, though looking to publish Chaos Calls traditionally.
If you’re a self-published/Indie author what made you go that route instead of the traditional publishing route? I had no intention of publishing my first books, they were more therapy for me. I had just left my ex husband, had a toddler and was starting over. Writing gave me an outlet,
What’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to writing? Get it all out on paper, then organize when you run out. Don’t edit as you go, or you are going to be stuck in a perfection rut.
What advice would you give someone who wants to start writing? Do it, even if it’s just for you. Get it all out.
Recently retired, Frederick Pangbourne now resides in Florida. The ex-Marine has been a fan of the horror genre since childhood in both literature and films. He has three horror anthologies of his own now out in publication and is currently working on a fourth. His latest is Nightmares of the Damned.
Check out our interview on YouTube:
Check out HIS book below!
(Click on the cover image to order your copy)
(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.)
Frederick Pangbourne, author of the ‘Reflection in the Abyss’ horror anthologies, presents his third anthology of the frightful world of the macabre collected in 19 short stories of extreme fear. Nightmares of the Damned will sweep you into a realm of inevitable horror where man does not escape their grisly fate once they step through. Follow a returning crusader home on his final confrontation with evil. Venture across a seemingly harmless sand box which hides an unseen death. Open an abandoned trunk in a basement and discover its monstrous contents. Visit a psychiatric ward where an old photograph holds a hellish secret. These stories and others await those within these pages as the reader enters into the Nightmares of the Damned.
What Really Scares Me: Addiction in Horror by Holley Cornetto
I have a confession to make. Most horror doesn’t really scare me.
Horror writers primarily deal in fear, and what frightens one person may fall flat for another. I’ve found this to be true in my reading and writing. Some reviewers may call something terrifying, while others call it boring. Don’t get me wrong, I love writing about ghosts and monsters and deranged killers wielding chainsaws, but those things don’t keep me awake at night.
So then, what does scare me? The death of a loved one. Sickness. Grief. Insanity. Sleep paralysis. Snakes. Addiction.
Most of my fears, snakes aside, have to do with a lack of agency or a loss of control. To date, two of my short stories have dealt with the topic of addiction. It is this particular fear that I wrestle with most often. In part, because addiction is a scary thing, but also because addiction is so often stigmatized in society, that those who suffer because of it often fail to seek out help.
In his article titled “The Compassion of Addiction Horror,” Mark Matthews discusses addiction as possession. In this view, addiction to and withdrawal from substances is akin to “…being spiritually occupied and living through a painful mutation of your physical self” (2020) It is worth noting that the fear here is twofold. It manifests both in addiction and in withdrawal. People who suffer from addiction may feel a loss of control over their bodies and minds. Friends and loved ones may notice a change in the person that they attribute to the substance abuse. Withdrawal has its own set of horrors as addicts suffer a plethora of physical and psychological effects as the drugs leave the system.
Possession stories aren’t the only narratives that include elements of addition. In the article, “How the Horror Genre Helped Me Understand my Addiction,” Tabitha Vidaurri writes that “Vampires are a pretty thinly veiled allegory for substance use disorder if you swap out blood for alcohol/drugs” (2020). But the article doesn’t stop with vampires. Werewolf narratives also allude to substance abuse wherein “people are always waking up the next day, naked, in a field with fuzzy memories of the night before and a bad taste in their mouth” (2020). Whereas possession narratives focus on the changes a person may undergo while under the influence, or during withdrawal, these vampire and werewolf narratives borrow from addition itself. The insatiable need, in the case of the vampire, and in the case of the werewolf, the consequences of our actions when we are not in full control of our faculties.
Addiction in and of itself is a scary thing, not only for the above stated reasons, but also because it is something that society often neglects to discuss openly. In the past, society has stigmatized addiction, often blaming addicts for their own condition. In recent years, thanks to advances in mental healthcare, we’ve learned that there is so much more to drug addiction than bad choices. In many cases, there never was a choice. Many people who suffer from addiction also suffer from a range of other health issues, from mental illness to chronic pain.
So, how does this relate to horror? Horror has always served as a venue in which society can safely discuss and work through the fears that lurk in the shadows and dark corners of our minds. Horror does not shy away from bleak or upsetting subject matter; it specializes in it. It celebrates it. Horror serves as a safe space to work through the scary shit that bombards us each day when we walk out of our doors (figuratively speaking, for those of us in lockdown). It may seem like an oxymoron to refer to horror as a safe space, but when reading horror fiction, or watching a horror movie, you are directly in control of the situation. Unlike real life, when the book or movie becomes too much, you can choose to put it aside or turn it off. You can sample the fear in small doses, at your own level of comfort.
I firmly believe that society needs horror fiction as an outlet. Horror readers and writers are some of the kindest and most well-adjusted people that I know, and I can’t help but think it is in part because we work through our problems in fiction rather than bottling them up inside ourselves. Horror helps us learn and practice empathy, and empathy is something that we could certainly use more of, as far as I’m concerned.
So, now that you know what scares me, go out there and write a story. One that will terrify me. One that I can (hopefully) read in small doses, and at my own pace.
In Holley Cornetto’s story in The Half That You See, “Raven O’Clock,” a man seeking shelter from the tragedies of his life finds more than he bargained for in a mysterious cabin.
Holley Cornetto was one of 26 authors that contributed to the horror anthology, The Half That You See!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
READING/WRITING AND OTHER THINGS:
What are your top 10 favorite books/authors?
NIOBE: I read a LOT of historical novels. Not even sorry, I’m a super history nerd.
Memoirs of a Geisha — Arthur Golden
Pillars of the Earth — Wilbur Smith
River God — Wilbur Smith
Aztec — Gary Jennings
Mistress of the Art of Death – Ariana Franklin
The Twelfth Transforming – Pauline Gedge
House of Dreams – Pauline Gedge
The Memoirs of Cleopatra – Margaret George
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil – John Berendt
The Vampire Lestat – Anne Rice
BEE: Oh my word, this feels like a trick question. I have to pick favorites? Ugh. I read everything from literary fiction to reverse harem romance to memoirs to historical to paranormal to the classics… I CANNOT CHOOSE!
Here’s some that I will read again and again
ANYTHING Auryn Hadley writes ever. But particularly the Gamer Girls Series
Bewitched & Bewildered Series — Alanea Alder
Dresden Files — Jim Butcher
I Am Livia — Phyllis T. Smith
Demigods of San Francisco Series — K.F. Breene
By A Thread — Lucy Score
The Song of Achilles — Madeline Miller
Sookie Stackhouse Novels — Charlaine Harris
Troubleshooters Series — Suzanne Brockmann
Hell’s Redemption Saga — Grace McGinty
Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write?
NIOBE: For my writing, I usually know who the character is. Sometimes they’re fully formed in my head because I’ve met someone just like them, or they’re just more brash about it. But more often than not, the character grows as I write them. The first chapters I’m getting into their headspace and trying to decide how they would react to the surrounding situations, and by the fourth or fifth chapter, they’ve taken over and are running on their own. It’s such a strange process, and all writers sound utterly insane when they talk about this stuff.
BEE: I often get a glimpse of one or two characters to start. I have a few exercises I go through to kind of flesh them out a little more, but I rarely start to write on a book and have every single character worked out. They come to me as they are: sometimes they have their shit together and other times they are a complete and total mess. I’m there to help them fit into the overall story. When I’ve had to kill a beloved character or if I know something bad is going to happen to one of them, it feels personal sometimes. I try to use a lot of care in bringing them through things.
What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book?
NIOBE: For historical writing (which I do a LOT of) most of my research happens during the writing process. I have a history degree, and I write in the eras that interest me the most (or that I’ve been obsessed with since I was a child) so I write a lot from memory, but when there are specifics that need to be put on paper I research — forty minutes spent looking for articles on how medieval people made soap? Sure. Done that.
For Urban Fantasy, I always spend the most time looking at the city I’ve set the action in. Subway maps, street maps, buildings on google street view. I want the reader to see what I see in my head, and I want the people who actually live in that city not to hate me or my book because I got a subway stop wrong.
BEE: I write across genres so some things require more research than others. I am naturally curious and I want to know how everything works. I don’t want my characters to be constrained by what knowledge I already have, if that makes sense? I’ll give you an example. I have a character in an upcoming book who is a mechanic by trade. I am… the least mechanical person you will ever meet. My idea of fixing a car is to pick up my phone and call someone to come fix it. I’ve spent a lot of time watching Youtube videos about car repair and researching types of engines and brands and such so that I can write this guy with authenticity. I don’t need all the technical stuff to make it work in a paranormal romance novel, but I want his character to stand on his own and for his job to be accurate. So. Long answer to this question. I do a lot of research about minutiae and I love it. 🙂
Do you see writing as a career?
NIOBE: Absolutely.
BEE: 1000%. This is what I want to do with myself, and I am working hard to make it happen! 🙂
Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre?
NIOBE: Historical Romance and historical fiction. My interests are in the ancient world mostly, so that’s what I read. What I watch is different, but what I read hasn’t really changed since I was a kid.
BEE: I read as much as I can in all my non-existent spare time. I average about 100 books a year. I love getting to read ARCs from some of my favorite author friends. There’s something really special about reading for someone you know. As far as genre: I read a bit of everything. I am attracted to tropes often more than genre. Enemies-to-lovers is probably my all-time favorite trope. I read nonfiction and fiction. I love paranormal/urban fantasy (with or without romance) when I want to escape. I adore a good romcom with all those meet-cute moments. My romance heat levels lean towards steamy-scorching hot, and I love a variety of groupings. MMF romance is one of my favorites in the world of steamy. Mythology and underworld stuff makes me so happy. I rarely read horror, but I expanded my horizons last year and actually wrote a properly scary story for an anthology. 🙂
Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?
NIOBE:My husband is a… noisy guy. So I get up early to write in silence before he wakes up, and then the rest of the time it’s noise and music and everything else. I can write through movies, conversations while contributing to them, music, whatever. I prefer ambient noise/classical or lofi soundtracks as background noise, but I’m not precious about it.
BEE: There is no such thing as silence in my house unless I want to only write at 2am, but then the cat just meows at me like the needy little booger that he is. I have different writing playlists and usually write to music. Niobe actually introduced me to lofi last year, and that has been awesome. I have developed a few playlists based on what type of scene (sexy, action, sad, etc..) that I’m writing. My end-of-year Spotify report is always really weird.
Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?
NIOBE: Several… ugh. I have three on the go right now for three different pennames and genres.
BEE: I always have more than one going at a time because I write under multiple pen names, but I try to divide it out so that I spend certain days hyperfocusing at one at a time. Note that I said try, lol. This does not always happen.
Pen or typewriter or computer?
NIOBE: Pen and paper for desperate late night ideas, or things I don’t have *real* time for. I used to write in notebooks on my lunch breaks when I had a full-time job, but I’m always scribbling notes. Computer feels more… permanent. If I’m putting it into a document, it must be written at some point. That’s my rule.
BEE: Notebooks for doodling out characters or if I get stuck, endless Google Docs for everything else! 🙂
A day in the life of the author?
NIOBE: Some loose amalgamation of the following:
Sprints/writing
Procrastination/“research”
Scrolling pre-made cover sites to break through writer’s block (I haven’t really perfected this yet, I usually just end up buying covers)
All the iced coffee
Admin work — promo posting, making graphics, creating release plans
Obsessively checking sales pages and reviews/rankings
BEE: I work my day job during the week (and sometimes weekends) so my days are rarely typical. For Saturday, my schedule runs:
NIOBE: Keep writing. Did you release a book? Awesome. Write the next one. And the next one. And the next one. Hone your craft. No matter how talented you might be, there is always something to learn, and some roadblock to jump over. Keep learning and be humble about it, ffs.
BEE: Find an affirmation that works for you and print that sucker out and stick it next to where you write. Mine is “No Dreams, Just Goals” and I have that where I can see it anytime I sit down at my desk. This inspires me because dreams feel out of reach, but goals have steps to achieve them. After you do that, write. Write whenever you can. I have some days where I can bang out 15k words in one amazing day… and then go three days writing nothing longer than a text message. Don’t hold yourself to impossible standards, just get the words on the paper and let yourself fall into the world you are building. Tell the story that won’t let go of you.
I would also advise new authors to be patient with themselves and their craft, invest in quality craft books when they can, join indie author groups that share information, read a TON in your chosen genre, and be wary of people who say they have it all figured out or can make you into something instantaneously. There are a lot of scams out there that look for baby authors (and established ones) and just remember, if it feels too good to be true — it probably is. Write, revise, write some more! You’ll get there. Also? Friend me on Facebook. 🙂
Describe your writing style.
NIOBE: I like to hope that it’s cinematic… I see the action of the book like a movie in my head, and I hope the reader does, too. That’s my goal.
BEE: Emotional? Maybe? I love writing feelings. Whether that be the angst in enemies-to-lovers or the sharp, witty dialogue of a rom com… I want to write so you can feel it. I aspire to write in a cinematic way but I don’t know that I always do.
What are they currently reading?
NIOBE: Research for my next historical fiction series — Gladius: Living, Fighting, and Dying in the Roman Army – Guy de la Bedoyere
BEE: Rise of the Iliri by Auryn Hadley
What is your writing process? For instance do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first? What are common traps for aspiring writers?
NIOBE: Blurb first, then outline. Getting the blurb out of the way BEFORE I write the book saves me a LOT of heartache. After the book is written, there is way too much in your head and too much information makes a blurb sound like a synopsis.
I’ll never tell anyone how to write or make a process, because every author is different. I’m a plantser— I plan, I plot, but I leave enough room in the outline that things can change. That way when a character goes into the weeds, it’s not as traumatic. I write in chapter order, otherwise I might actually die.
BEE: Niobe has converted me into a plantser. Kind of. I try to outline out, even if it’s just a few points, what the whole book looks like now. Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not. Then I write the scene that is screaming loudest in my head. It is very, very rarely Chapter 1. I hate writing blurbs and probably should write those first but I don’t. LOL
What is your writing Kryptonite?
NIOBE: I have a REAL problem not writing enemies to lovers. It’s just… it’s a thing.
BEE: Enemies-to-Lovers and deconstructing tropes in unexpected ways. Two words: sealion shifters. 😀
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
NIOBE: Both? I think every author struggles with “writing to market” and I’m no exception. I try to tell the stories in my head while hitting the tropes that readers crave. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it super doesn’t.
BEE: I try to find a hybrid that works for my creativity. If I just sat down with a market report and was super analytical about everything as a way of choosing my next project, I’d probably quit. I can’t do that. But I can tie in what is popular in the market and what I like most of the time. My brand is “Romance with a side of mischief” so I’m all-in on being the quirky author BFF style of writer.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
NIOBE: Stop buying covers. Oh, wait… that’s advise I need to follow NOW.
BEE: Stop agonizing over it and write the damn book! Also applicable today.
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
NIOBE: It honestly depends on deadlines. And my interest in the topic/level of other distractions. I can reliably produce a novel every month… but sometimes the words just don’t work and I end up crying for most of it.
BEE: I can usually do a novel in a month, but I prefer to drag it out a little if I can.
Do you believe in writer’s block?
NIOBE: I don’t know if it’s a block, but it’s real as hell. For me, if I can’t see the story playing out in my mind before I start writing, then I can’t write. I’ve had DAYS of nothing where I’m struggling to get the projector threaded to play the movie. Sometimes it plays right away, other days, it’s on fire and the building has to be evacuated.
BEE: I believe in ADHD? That’s my struggle. There are days where my creativity just shuts down and maybe that’s writer’s block, but there are far more days where I am battling too many tabs open on the screen and in my brain. That sucks productivity out and makes me feel crappy usually, so I have to reset myself regularly. Typically, I have to remind myself that my brain works differently and expectations that I will just be able to sit down and power-write for hours are simply not realistic. The practice of writing in 15 minute sprints has been hugely helpful for me and has made it so my ever-present-goal of one million words per year is achievable.
Bee Murray
Niobe Marsh
I am happy to be one of many Silver Dagger tour hosts sharing an interview with authors Bee Murray and Niobe Marsh.
Robert P. Ottone delights in the creepy. He is an author, teacher, and cigar enthusiast from East Islip, NY.
Check out our interview on YouTube:
Check out HIS book below!
(Click on the cover image to order your copy)
(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.)
From waking fears to heart-breaking nightmares, this collection of short fiction is a glimpse into the terrors we face every day from the mind of Robert P. Ottone.
In “The Arborist,” a woman hears the mysterious call of the forest.
Five friends exploring an archipelago find themselves set upon by the island’s hungry inhabitants in “The Monitors.”
A young woman confronts the mystery of her infertility in “Kelly Watch the Stars.”
These works are joined by the title novella, Her Infernal Name, about the cruel intersection of desire and desperation, and many other stories crafted in the hopes of keeping you up at night.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
Casket Case (The Cynthia Shade Mysteries Book 1) by Lee James ~ Genre: Cozy Mystery
Cynthia Shade. That’s her name. She has ADHD and cynophobia. That’s just a fancy way of saying she’s terrified of dogs. Not all dogs mind you, just the tiny ones that come at you with their razor-sharp fangs and frenzied eyes. To make it worse, she can’t find a job, rather, she can’t keep a job, and she’s about to be evicted. Just when she gets a glimmer of hope she’s blackmailed into trying to solve a murder.
Wait-what?
Cue the handsome sheriff who awakens real interest in perpetually single Cynthia, and a cast of crazed suspects. One of whom is determined she doesn’t make it out of this adventure alive.
Would you like a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card? Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
Lee James writes stories of hope and redemption. Whether it’s fantasy, mystery or historical fiction, her beautifully awkward characters traverse a dark labyrinth on their journey to a hopeful end. She is vehement about the importance of creating and preserving the sanctity of the written word. In that vein, she supports literacy programs and her local libraries. Most importantly, she supports her fellow writers. When not writing, she enjoys photography, watching The Simpsons, and of course, reading.
When did you start thinking of yourself as a writer?
I seriously began to think of myself as a writer, when I started taking my writing seriously. As long as I dabbled, it wasn’t real to me. When I made my writing a priority, actually carving out time for it in my schedule. I joined a writer’s group for accountability, feeding off the energy and the generous knowledge of my peers. While I still don’t write every day, I was able to work out a writing schedule that works. As a result, after years of leaving work half-finished, I was able to publish my first book last year. I have three more scheduled for this year. Writing isn’t a designation, it’s an action.
