December news

Some time next year, we will be publishing new editions of my books under our Midford Books title. These include a new title, Tunguska. The Girl from the Sea is already available. 

The cover art for The Girl from the Sea is by Lithuanian artist Greta Paliulyte.

I will mention any updates on my blog at shamansland.com.

10 years an Indie Author: guest blog by Marti Talbott

This past July marked my tenth year as an Indie Author, but my writing life began long before that. Before I retired, I had three finished novels, Seattle Quake, 9.2, The Promise and Broken Pledge, all of which I had submitted to traditional publishers who kindly sent me a file folder full of rejections.

One day I discovered “Mighty Words,” a website that let authors upload manuscripts and allowed readers to post reviews. Seattle Quake 9.2 had just made it to the top twenty when suddenly, Mighty Words disappeared never to be seen again.

Writing was in my blood, so after I retired, I wrote a Scottish short story called Anna, and made it free to read on my website. I found Public Bookshelf, a website that allowed me to post the story with a link to my site, and began to write more short stories about my MacGreagor Clan. By the time my short stores numbered twenty, I was getting over 10,000 views on my website a month.

By the time Amazon started their upload program, I had three novels and twenty short stories ready to go. Of course, I wasn’t the only one. Hundreds, maybe thousands of authors frustrated with playing the traditional publishing game, discovered they didn’t really need a publisher. Not only that, Amazon paid authors 70% while trade publishers only paid 10% at best.

Those were the good old days. Unfortunately, the more polished and professional the competition became, the more I realized I needed to improve. What? My books weren’t perfect? Far from it. Today, those early books and those that followed have seen multiple proofreads and edits as late as just last year. Even now, someone tells me that on page 36, line three there is a typo. It’s frustrating, but it’s all part of the game.

Between July and December of that first year I sold 777 copies of my books. I discovered more sales outlets such as Apple, Nook, Kobo and eventually Google Play. The next year I added more books and sold over 24,000. Writing and publishing an average of 4 books a year, my highest was 56,000 in 2014. And then – the good years were gone. The competition steadily grew, promotion became more difficult as well as expensive, and one or two bad reviews meant certain tragedy for many a new author.

To date I have written over 50 books, updated the cover arts multiple times, changed my blurbs until I found something that tempted readers to buy, and tried dozens of ways to find new readers. In the end, the path I took to become published was well worth it. I can safely say that people all over the world have read my books, and that’s a very gratifying feeling.

© Marti Talbott 2019

About Marti Talbott:

Marti Talbott  is the author of over 50 full length novels, all written without profanity and sex scenes. She lives in Seattle, is retired and has two children, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. The MacGreagor family saga includes The Viking series, Marti Talbott's Highlander's Series, Marblestone Mansion, (Scandalous Duchess series), and The Lost MacGreagor Books. Her mystery books include Seattle Quake 9.2, Missing Heiress, Greed and a Mistress, The Locked Room, Love and Suspicion, and The Dead Letters. Other Historical novels include The Promise and Broken Pledge.

The historical novels are available on Amazon, Nook, Apple, Google Play, and Kobo.

The mysteries are exclusive to Amazon and are in Kindle Unlimited.

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Interview with Daniel Gibbs, author of Fight the Good Fight, Book I of Echoes of the Past

Today on the Speculative Fiction Showcase, Daniel Gibbs, author of Fight the Good Fight, Book I of the Echoes of the Past trilogy, has kindly agreed to answer our interview questions!

From the book, having seen the design of the space vessel itself, you have clearly taken great care researching the background and creating a realistic environment. Can you tell us more about that?
First and foremost, I’m a nerd. That’s important because us nerds tend to poke holes in things that don’t make plausible sense. I’ll be the first to admit that some of the technology in Echoes of the Past is what some would refer to as “handwave”, especially things like an inertial dampener. But most of the weaponry, ship design, and tactics are rooted in what I see as real-world applications of evolving technology. I’ve read a lot of papers on what combat in space might look like; my ship designs and the technology of the universe evolved out of that research.


The book has a dedication to your father, who was in the US navy, and mentions that you yourself mention have many years of experience with the military. How important was this experience to writing the book?
Let me first say that I have worked with the military as a civilian – primarily the US Navy. (The acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree!) That work has really defined my purpose in life; as I mentioned, I’m a nerd and I primarily design and build computer systems. Seeing those things come to life and hopefully help out in some small way, well it’s a great feeling.
My father served for thirty years in the Navy. He joined six weeks before the end of WWII, and served in that war, Korea, and Vietnam. Then he got out, went to work as a civilian contractor in ship repair, and did that for another thirty-four years. A number of years ago, my mother had a stroke. My dad and I spent many weeks in the hospital with her, and he told me stories from his time in the Navy to pass the time. A lot of those stories, shades of them anyways, have found a home in my writing. They’re just fun little vignettes of military life.

David Cohen, the hero of Fight the Good Fight, experiences an internal conflict between his role as a starship commander and his wish to become a rabbi. This makes him at once an interesting and more complex character than some shoot-em-up heroes. Why did you choose to portray him like that?
I was aiming for a more complex series of characters. I’ve worked with a lot of men and women that have seen combat; I’ve been in theatre where that combat occurred and worked side by side with folks that had to go out every day with the possibility that they wouldn’t come back. The typical shoot-em-up hero characters if you will, never seem to have to deal with the toll that combat takes on the soul. It’s not plausible, at least to me, to have a character that kills dozens of people and feels nothing about it, ever. I wanted to portray a group of people that had to deal with that toll, and throughout the book, David has to face the results of his actions.

Does Daniel Cohen have echoes of other biblical heroes like the Maccabees and King David?
You know, that’s a great question. I never really thought of that as I was writing him, but yes, he does have some of that panache.

How important is the religious aspect of the book?
One of the things I wanted to show in my novel was the various religions of Humanity actually getting along with each other. In the main characters you will find Christians, Jews (both Orthodox and less than Orthodox), Muslims, and atheists. Its been my experience in life that great uncertainty (thinking back to 9/11 especially) causes people to return to their faith. I would think that in a war that’s lasted nearly thirty years and is in effect, a galactic war for survival, that people would cling strongly to their faiths as well and I portray that in my series. 

The trailer is awesome – short, very professional and to the point. It makes clear the central conflict within the hero as well as the battle outside. Tell us a bit about the making of the trailer…
First off, thank you! I’m a very visual person, and discovered this idea of book trailers. So I decided to make one. I had a couple of friends of mine create some 3D rendered art (the Lion of Judah and the Rabin, specifically), and another friend who is a composer and general jack of all things artistic, put the trailer together. I love how it came out!

Who are the enemies here – The League of Sol? Do they have a supernatural aspect?

The League of Sol is the enemy; but they have no supernatural aspects. They’re simply a totalitarian, communist regime that won world war three. They’ve imposed their way of thinking on Earth and most of the planets in Earth’s local region of space that they control. I don’t envision them being paper thin bad guys however. I will over the course of my trilogy and some novellas I have planned, explore the League and why they are the way that they are.

Were you in any way influenced by some of the great Jewish superhero characters such as Captain America and Magneto (more of an antihero!)
I can’t say that I was! I created the basic idea, and the basic characters behind Echoes of the Past more than 20 years ago. I hadn’t even heard of Captain America back then! Its only been recently that I felt my skills as a writer had progressed to the point I could actually write the story and do it the justice I felt it deserved.

The second book is clearly in preparation. Are you a fast writer? What is your writing routine?
Well, it took about a year to write the first novel this last time I picked it up. I had tried several times to write it, and wasn’t happy with the results. But this time I was. I would say that my routine is to define a set amount of words I want to get written in a given time period, and then hold myself accountable. I’m hard at work on the second novel in the series, and I’m about 40,000 words into my first draft. I anticipate it ending up around 100,000 words, maybe a touch more. Then the editing process can begin! I’m hoping to have it ready for release by the end of the summer.

Are there any writers of SF and military SF who you enjoy? (Past or present)
Many! My favourites include David Weber (I love the Safehold series), Taylor Anderson (Destroyermen), as well as Vaughn Heppner, Joshua Dalzelle and Glynn Stewart. My idea of a vacation is to get 20-25 books, go to a quiet place with no cell service, and read non-stop.

What about the current crop of Marvel superhero films, the new Star Wars trilogy and other films set in space in a more realistic style?
I loved Star Wars: Rogue One; and I loved Enders Game. (Both the books and the movie). I’ve enjoyed the Marvel movies I’ve seen, but I have to admit I’m quite behind on watching all of them. There’s never enough time! For realistic Sci-Fi, I find The Expanse to really hit the nail on the head. Outstanding work by everyone involved with it – from the novels, to the series.

What are your plans for future stories and series?
My first goal is to complete the initial trilogy for Echoes of the Past that I’ve plotted out so far; beginning with Fight the Good Fight, which just released on May 10th, So Fight I, the second novel, and ‘I Have Fought a Good Fight’, the third. After that, I’ve got several ideas for short story and novella volumes, and stand-alone novels set in the universe. When it comes to Echoes of the Past, I have almost unlimited creative energy.

Amazon

About Daniel Gibbs:

Daniel Gibbs is the creator of the Echoes of the Past universe. An idea that was born nearly twenty years ago, has finally come alive. A former computer engineer, Daniel loves all forms of science-fiction. His first novel was recently released to Amazon, and he is hard at work on the next two novels in the beginning EOTP trilogy. With mountains of ideas and notes for additional novels, Daniel will be busy for years to come bringing his universe to life! 

With many years of experience supporting the military as an IT engineer, Daniel hopes to bring an authentic lens to military science fiction, especially around the tribulations and trials of those who serve.

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Interview with Dyane Forde, author of Berserker (Book 3 of the Rise of the Papilion Trilogy)

Today on the Speculative Fiction Showcase, we talk to author Dyane Forde about her recently released novel Berserker, the third and final instalment of the Rise of the Papilion Trilogy.


1. Your novel Berserker, Book 3 of the Rise of the Papilion Trilogy, was released on March 8th. For readers who are new to the Trilogy, can you tell us a little about the story?
The Purple Morrow is the introduction to the trilogy, so it sets up the main characters, their world, and the various conflicts. At first, the story was supposed to be one book. I wanted to chronicle the journey of a man (Jeru) at his lowest point who, through various situations, finds resolution and transformation at the other end of the proverbial tunnel. So, why not write about a young man whose wife dies on their wedding night and, guilt-ridden, decides he can’t face the future? That is, until his homeland is threatened by the same Beast-Men who destroyed his village years before, he stumbles upon someone from his past who complicates his already complicated life, finds out he’s the saviour of mankind, while dealing with the most terrifying thing of all: the threat of falling in love again. Book 2, Wolf’s Bane, deepens the overarching mythology and sets up the final conflict between the two main characters, which takes place in book 3, Berserker. Clicking on the hyperlinks will bring you to my blog for a ‘behind the scenes’ look into each book’s backstory. 

2. What inspired you become a writer, and a writer of Fantasy?
I've loved books from the time I was a kid and always had one tucked away somewhere. That evolved into a desire to write, especially after I realized how flexible writing could be when I was in the first grade. I discovered that the sense and feel of a sentence changed depending on how words were put together. I always liked puzzles, and I think writing stories became a kind of a puzzle to me: how to put words together to describe what I was thinking or feeling. 

My short stories and flash fiction touch various styles and genres but my novels lean towards fantasy. I think it’s because I have the freedom to create a world from scratch that best suits my story and characters. 

3. Are they any books that have influenced you as a writer?
Hills like White Elephants, by Ernest Hemingway, was a short story that left a deep imprint on me. I read it in high school and was gobsmacked by how much story he told with so few words. I imitated that style for many years.

Clan of the Cave Bear, by Jean M. Auel, was a book I really enjoyed because of the world-building. Though it was a foreign, pre-historic world, Auel wrote it in a way that made it feel real; it was easy to picture. I tried to model that a lot in my trilogy.  

There are a slew of Margaret Atwood books I love. She’s such a smart, witty, enlightened author that it’s hard not to admire her work. 

4. Your story deals with two men, Kelen and Jeru, whose struggle will influence their world for good or evil. Have your characters ever surprised you when you were writing their story?
Good question! As for Jeru, not really. He’s the Everyman struggling to cope with huge responsibilities that often conflict with each other with the confidence and understanding of a regular guy. I expected him to struggle and fret but ultimately grow through the course of the story. 

Kelen is different. He wasn’t in the original cast, but suddenly popped into my head one day as I was walking to the bus and thinking about what the story needed for an upcoming chapter. He appeared fully-realized. So everything about him was a surprise!

5. What films are you watching at the moment, at the cinema or on DVD, a streaming service, etc?
Oh, I pretty much scour Netflix for quirky movies, low-budget movies (they aren’t all bad and I’ve found a few gems!), anime, and a lot of foreign movies and shows. I find it refreshing to watch foreign programs and films because the point of view, values, production, and writing are often different to North America’s. I really enjoyed the German series, Dark, and I frequently watch Korean movies. I enjoy listening to foreign languages. 

6. Do you read any other kinds of fiction?
I used to read a lot of science-fiction and, in fact, I think that was my go-to genre for years. I also read some mysteries or thrillers, but sadly, I don’t have a lot of time to read at the moment. The last books I read were some of Terry Brooks’ Shannara series (I really liked the Isle Witch), as well some of the YA books my daughter reads. I particularly liked The Rains and Last Chance by Gregg Hurwitz. She likes that I show an interest in what she reads and we talk about the books afterwards. She’s a voracious reader, like I was. 

7. When world-building, where do you start? With the characters, or the place?
I think the characters come first. I figure out who they are and what their story is and then figure out what kind of world made or influenced them. A lot of the time, I end up building the world as I write the story—I’m not much of a planner. 

8. Are you a planner or a “pantser”? Or a little of both?
Honestly, I don’t plan books in advance on paper. I spend a lot of time thinking and arranging things in my head and then sit down to write. I write the story sequentially. I don’t know why, but the moment I write something down, like an idea for a scene, I lose interest. It’s like currency that’s been spent. I’m also terrible at taking notes while I write. That’s one reason editing and rewriting the trilogy was so painful. But, I’ve come to accept it as part of my process and get on with it. 

9. Is this the final book in the series, or will there be more?
Berserker is the last book in this series. But, the world of Marathana is rich, and there are so many other interesting characters in it that I could see myself expanding the world by featuring some of them. 

10. What next – another novel, or some shorts?
Right now, I have no immediate plans to write another book. I have some manuscripts on the backburner waiting to be rewritten or developed, but I’ve got a lot on my plate: a new blog in addition to my regular writing blog, I’m co-leading a writing group on Scribophile, plus I have a job and a family. I do participate in flash fiction contests from time to time, but most of the writing I do right now is article-related for blog or guest blogs. 

11. How do you think things are for indie fantasy writers?
I think sites like yours are doing a great job exposing us to new readers. (Thank you! SpecFic Showcase) There are so many fantasy books out there that it’s hard to get attention, especially for independent authors who might be better at writing than marketing. I’m happy that there is such an interest and demand for the genre and that writers are responding to the demand. Sites like yours make it easier for authors and readers to find each other. 

Berserker:

 “Love…can destroy, it can build, or it can do both at once. One must not underestimate the human bond.” –the Lightbearer

With the Papilion’s whereabouts unknown, the Shadow pursues its plan for Marathana’s destruction. In control of the Northern tribes and strengthened by allies in the Deep Southernlands, the Shadow prepares to unleash its ultimate weapon, the berserker.
Jeru’s sudden reappearance reveals the presence of a powerful, new will at work. Blessed by the Lightbearer and supported by a ragtag group of survivors and unexpected allies, Jeru prepares to lead the small army into enemy territory.  

As war breaks, Kelen and Jeru clash one last time. One seeks to destroy, the other to save. The strongest will prevail, sealing Marathana’s ultimate fate.

About Dyane Forde:

Forde's love of writing began with an early interest in reading and of words in general. She was amazed at how linking words together in different ways had unexpected and pleasing results on others. This sparked a life-long desire to write all types of things, from short stories, novels, flash fiction, to poetry. Berserker, Book 3 of the Rise of the Papilion trilogy, is Forde's third published book. The trilogy is available on Amazon. For more, visit her on her blog.


Where to buy: Amazon

Science Fiction, Genre and Literature: guest blog by Robert I. Katz

Science Fiction, Genre and Literature

Between 2001, when my first book was published, and 2011, when I moved away from the Northeast, I attended an average of three science fiction conventions each year. At all of these conventions, there were numerous panel discussions on topics of common interest to fans of the genre. One of the more common topics was, "Is Science Fiction Literature?" To science fiction fans, and hopefully to the writers as well, the obvious answer is "Yes," but since the question is so commonly discussed and debated, I suspect that there is a fair amount of insecurity among those who write science fiction for a living as well as those who read it for enjoyment.

Personally, I have a rather jaded view of the whole question. As an English major at an Ivy League school, I was required to read a lot of great books. The classroom discussions tended to focus more on how the book illuminated both the author's mind and the times in which the book was written--a combination of psychoanalysis and sociology--than on the book itself. Though a lowly undergraduate, I nevertheless held to the conviction that it should have been the other way around. Naturally, as a lowly undergraduate, I kept this opinion to myself.

Later in life, I became good friends with the Vice-Chairman of the English Department at the University where I worked. I once remarked to her that one of the things that I found discouraging about so many of my classes was the fact that never once did any of my professors ever discuss what made a book "good." She seemed surprised by my statement, and then said that she herself would never dream of discussing such a thing. My decision, made so long ago, to not bother seeking an advanced degree in the Humanities was thereby confirmed; though again, I kept this opinion to myself.

So, what does make a book "good?" The basics of good story telling are the same no matter the genre: plot, theme, characterization, style. Many writers often considered great were lacking in style. Theodore Dreiser, for one, comes immediately to mind. And one can argue whether or not Finnegan's Wake, for instance, had any plot at all, but it is rare for a "good" book to be seriously lacking in any of these characteristics.

Literature has sometimes been defined as “news that stays news.” A good story is timeless. It will speak to people across many cultures and eras. It says something worth saying about humanity and the human condition. There are many science fiction novels that have stood the test of time: Jules Verne, H. G. Wells, Frankenstein, many others. I read an essay some years ago by Gore Vidal on Tarzan of the Apes. Gore Vidal did little to hide his contempt for Edgar Rice Burroughs and his creation, but generations have read and are still reading the adventures of Tarzan and John Carter. I doubt that it ever occurred to Gore Vidal that Edgar Rice Burroughs was a far more important, more influential writer than himself.

Similarly, I once read an essay by a professor at Columbia on The Lord of the Rings. The professor did not think highly of Tolkien’s trilogy. The books lacked realism. Evil was too starkly drawn. There were not enough shades of grey. The characterizations lacked subtlety. The place of women in Tolkien’s world was too minor and too restrictive. The last words of the essay were, “The Lord of the Rings lives, but on borrowed time.” Yet here we are, more than fifty years after its publication and The Lord of the Rings is more popular than ever. Will it still be popular fifty years from now? A hundred years? We cannot know, of course, but I suspect that it will.

Genre writing: science fiction, fantasy, mysteries, romance, westerns, thrillers, are all regarded by the commentariat as somehow inferior to what is often referred to as "mainstream," or literary fiction. But this opinion is no more nor less than intellectual snobbery. It’s a distinction without a difference. If a book has an engrossing plot, characters that come alive, themes and ideas that resonate with the reader and reflect real issues, and if the style at least provides clarity and does not distract from all the rest of it, then it's worth reading. A good book is a good book, and if it lasts for a hundred years, then it’s literature.

About Robert I. Katz:

I grew up on Long Island, in a pleasant, suburban town about 30 miles from New York City. I loved to read from a very early age and graduated from Columbia in 1974 with a degree in English. Not encouraged by the job prospects for English majors at the time, I went on to medical school at Northwestern, where in addition to my medical degree, I acquired a life-long love of deep dish pizza. I did a residency in Anesthesiology at Columbia Presbyterian and spent most of my career at Stony Brook University, where I ultimately attained the academic rank of Professor and Vice-Chairman for Administration, Department of Anesthesiology.

When I was a child, I generally read five or more books per week, and even then, I had a dim sense that I could do at least as well as many of the stories that I was reading. Finally, around 1985, with a job and a family and my first personal computer, I began writing. I quickly discovered that it was not as easy as I had imagined, and like most beginning writers, it took me many years to produce a publishable work of fiction. My first novel, Edward Maret: A Novel of the Future, came out in 2001. It won the ASA Literary Prize for 2001 and received excellent reviews from Science Fiction Chronicle, InfinityPlus, Scavenger’s Newsletter and many others.

My agent at the time urged me to write mysteries, as mysteries are supposed to have a larger readership and be easier to publish than science fiction. Since I have read almost as many mysteries as science fiction and fantasy, and since I enjoy them just as much, I had no objection to this plan. The Kurtz and Barent mystery series, Surgical Risk, The Anatomy Lesson and Seizure followed between 2002 and 2009. Reviewers have compared them favorably to Patricia Cornwell and Robin Cook and they’ve received positive reviews from The Midwest Book Review, Mystery Review Magazine, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Lady M’s Mystery International, Mystery Scene Magazine, Library Journal and many others.

In 2014, I published a science fiction short story, To the Ends of the Earth in the Deep Blue Sea on Kindle for Amazon. Since then, I have made all of my previously published novels available for purchase on Kindle. A new science fiction novel, entitled The Cannibal's Feast, was published in July 2017. The next, entitled The Game Players of Meridien, a tale set far in the future after the collapse of the First Interstellar Empire of Mankind, is the first in a projected seven book science fiction series, and will be published on December 16, 2017. The second novel in the series, The City of Ashes, will appear early in 2018. In addition, a fourth novel in the Kurtz and Barent mystery series, The Chairmen, will also be published in the first half of 2018.

For further information, please visit my website, http://www.robertikatz.com or my Facebook page,www.facebook.com/robertikatzofficial, and for updates on upcoming books, stories, promotions and author appearances, please subscribe to my email list at www.robertikatz.com/join. 

Robert I. Katz's latest novel, The Game Players of Meridien, is available for pre-order from Amazon and we will be featuring it as a new release on this blog on December 16, 2017.

Guest blog: Wool by Hugh Howey reviewed by Cassie Phillips

Howey’s world in Wool is one that kills you just by breathing the air, one where humanity lives in filtered silos, and one where criminals are punished by being put out into the diseased atmosphere and made to clean the only window to the open air before being disintegrated by the caustic fumes of Earth.

The opening scene of Wool is, above all else, a disturbing one: the silo’s sheriff, lamenting the loss of his wife many years ago to “the cleaning” (the one criminals get that is always fatal), requests his own death by telling the government he wants to “go outside.”

This is how we meet our heroine Juliette, or Jules, a rough and tumble grease monkey whose ingenious works down in the mechanical sector of the silo have kept the bottom from falling out of society. She's not like the rest of the silo, who are obsessed with the possibility of one day moving back to the outside world, and when she takes up the position as the new sheriff, she's almost guaranteed to be a sturdy worker with no interest in what lies beyond that one window. But soon, even Jules comes to question how the children's books are so full of pictures of green and the outside world is so devoid of it—and that's where the story really begins.

For apocalypse fans, Howey delivers a grim reality; his sumptuous creation of the silo is complete with floors and floors of living quarters, a distinct hierarchy, a deep mechanic beast that keeps everything going and a religion that boasts of a benevolent God who created the silo as an escape from the outside world, while pulsating  under manmade luminescence. Though everything seems to be working like clockwork, secret discord bubbles under the surface, and it's not long before Jules gets caught up in it.

As an omniscient reader armed with the knowledge of Earth’s present—and Jules’s world past—it may seem too easy to get to the bottom of Wool’s mysteries, but the intrigue and carefully crafted infrastructure of the silo is one that doesn’t give away the game so easily. In fact, you will get to the end of the book only to find yourself asking the same questions you did when you began—which is a good thing, since Shift, the series second installment, is as good (if not better) than Wool.   

Despite its science fiction turn, Hugh Howey's bottom-up bestseller has been compared to Fifty Shades of Grey for its unconventional birth on the internet before becoming a publishing house darling—but for readers, that's a perfectly fine comparison, as long as it means Howey keeps getting his post-apocalyptic world adventures published.

About Cassie Phillips: 

Cassie Phillips is an entertainment and online security blogger, who enjoys reading her way through the stacks at Barnes and Noble. Check out other articles by Cassie at Culture Coverage and Secure Thoughts.