The first multi-author DSP virtual signing went ahead last night to great success. Six of the finest authors in the #western genre worked together to present a brand new six story project, and a very …
Dear Friends, As November becomes a swingin’ new month, we thought you would be interested to hear about one of our special releases. A brand new full-length collection of Mountain Man adventures from six of …
This interview is being posted in memory of one of a crop of popular Western authors that popped up over the last few years. C. Emerson Law was both a loyal friend and client, and …
There are few definitive outcomes in life, but one of the things we have come to expect is great Westerns from authors who understand the genre implicitly. The third book in this tremendous series from …
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE October 13, 2021 – DS Productions (DSP) – the home of some of the biggest selling Western authors in the genre – is excited to announce that they will be hosting a multi-author …
Carol Bond (who writes under the pseudonym Ellen Mae Franklin) is considered to be the fairy godmother of writers. She runs a very popular blog with a sole purpose of interviewing the best writers around. Now, some may say she is a rival, but I don’t see it that way. We both have our own clients! Carol is also a talented writer, and I asked her to come and interview with Novel Ideas. I have previously been a guest on her blog and loved the experience. She is a true gem in the sea that is the writing world.
Q) Hi, Carol! So how does it feel to finally be published? Are you still buzzing?
Carol Bond (aka Ellen Mae Franklin)
A) Yes! I was ecstatic to have completed The Unseen Promise after all these years.
Q) I have to ask, I know you are a great singer! So, why did you choose writing? What drove you into the zany world of writers?
A) I have always been a reader, ignoring the shout of ‘Lights Out’ and have a book to this day in tow no matter where I am. Writing was not forefront in my mind, but I had an idea a decade ago. I thought about it and tapped the keys, not sure where it would lead and here I am. A self-confessed Indie Author.
Q) Are you proud to be an Indie or do you think traditional publishing is still the way forward?
A) A good question. I think to be traditionally published is now down to luck. The big six [publishing houses], although still having a sway in the marketplace, are not necessarily the way to go anymore. The way has been opened for any and all to publish now. Genres are expanding and, as a result of this, those who wish to walk the road of self-publishing are now faced with an enormous amount of work outside of the writing process. I like the choices of being an Indie, for my work remains unpolluted.
Q) Do you believe an independently published book stands a good chance of being a bestseller?
A) Absolutely. There are many out in the world I am sure who began on a small scale, thinking that if they sold a few copies it would be enough. It only takes a book to go viral in our electronic world, having one of those big six take a second look for you to become more than just Indie. Luck plays its part again in becoming a bestseller I think.
Q) Luck seems to play a big part in anything one does in life. Do you consider yourself lucky? Well… Do you? (laughs)
A) In many ways, I am lucky. Through connecting with a fellow Australian author I was introduced to GMTA Publishing and received a contract. Though, my book and the artwork I procured for myself is testament to the story I am telling.
Q) So, tell me about The Unseen Promise. What is the story about? C’mon! I need to know more!
A) Shall I give you a short synopsis? I work in the genre of Fantasy, writing classical story plots. Imagination is the key for my tales. This is my story in a nutshell: Set on the world Tarkeenia, the story marks the struggle between God and man, magic and indefinable evil.
Roedanth wants his brother back. It doesn’t matter that the boy is dead; the young copper apprentice can’t seem to stop wishing. Tainted by the magic of the Dark God – Drakite– tragedy and pain follows Roedanth, from Crows Nest to the Halls of Coowic, where the Magi live.
Tarkeenia is awash with life – man and beast live side by side. Monsters hunt the shadows looking for a bite to eat. The tip of balance between dark and light, good and evil is tenuous, even on a good day. Flesh eating Specks turn the living into dust, and the world is no longer safe. Murrdocks are a child’s story, woven tales told to enchant and incite fear. Their King lays dying, and Prince Pec having no choice, must turn myth into reality.
Strangers become friends, out of necessity more than compatibility, for survival takes on the order of the day. Uneasy alliances are tainted by betrayal and self gain, and unlikely heroes emerge to salvage what they can from a world on the brink of chaos.
Everyone strives to make do in a world bubbling with wild magic, working to remain true to their Calling, as the lives of man and monster hang in the balance, subject to the whims of Gods. Can Tarkeenia survive the tug and pull of the very spoilt, and the very wicked? Can those lost to the dark find a way back to the light? Is it possible to forget, or to forgive and begin again? All these questions and more are answered as the reader walks Tarkeenia’s many paths.
Q) WOW, it sounds fascinating! How did you enjoy the experience of writing it? It must have been a page turner for you as a writer. Such a driven story!
A) I loved every minute of it, even the bad bits. It has encouraged me to continue writing and now, that I have it all in full swing, I will continue to do so. I am not keen at all on changing genres, for Fantasy is my love and will always be.
Q) What would you say are the worst bits of the book writing process?
A) The distractions from the outside world. I do not consider that there are any bad moments in writing, unless you consider editing to slot into that category. So, if I had to choose, it would be editing.
Q) Yes, Lori (my editor here at Novel Ideas), can attest to that. Do you think all writers need a good editor?
A) Absolutely. Every written piece of work should go to a professional. I find it frustrating that as part of the Indie movement anyone can upload a piece of written work and click publish.
I think that it is important to be able to stand by your work proudly, and that means having an editor sweep over it.
Q) With such an exciting career going on, what is next for you?
A) I have three projects on the go, including the sequel to The Unseen Promise titled It’s Not the Bite That Kills You.
Q) What a great title! Can you tell me a little about that one?
A) Not yet! You will have to wait for it! I am also co-writing with Pete Emmerson, an author from the UK, on a new fantasy series titled Un-named. I am a co-founder of an Australian group of writers and we are working on short stories for anthologies. These stories are all Australian themed.
I host interviews on a regular basis on my website, as well as admin a couple of Facebook groups. So, hmm, I am not that busy, hey!
Q) You also interview many writers. How do you enjoy that?
A) Not overly – it is part of my marketing plan. I am very new to everything about this industry and wishing to drive traffic towards The Unseen Promise’s website. Author interviews felt the natural course to take.
Q) Well, Carol, I better let you get back to your work! Thank you for a great interview!
A) My pleasure, Nick!
To connect with Carol Bond/Ellen Mae Franklin regarding The Unseen Promise, email her at chocolategirl46@hotmail.com
Buck Stienke is a writer you seldom see interviewed alone. I know Buck Stienke and Ken Farmer as a team, but I interviewed them separately to profile them as individuals. Together they have written a series of bestsellers without using the techniques long associated with selling books in the modern age. They do not blog. They interview together and run their own publishing company, Timber Creek Press. They have tasted success and for the people who said the western novel is dead, these guys are proof that is it alive and kicking.
Q) I have to ask, Buck, how does it feel to be such a successful creator?
A) It’s nice to get feedback from fans who enjoy our books and screen plays. As a relatively new writer (I took a forty-year break from fiction), it certainly is no problem to create in different genres. Finding time to write is a completely different matter!
Q) So, what is the creative process like for you?
A) Neither Ken nor I use an outline in laying out the stories we tell. We set up a major premise (sometimes two or three) as the central conflict in a particular tale. Some books have two parallel stories that run concurrently, and then merge to a conclusion. Others have a series of events that affect the lives of the central characters. Once we develop the characters, generally through the use of dialogue and action, we allow the characters to tell the story. Narrative is useful in describing the action, but we don’t like to let it summarize the action. We want the reader to be brought into the story so that they feel as if they experienced it themselves. Since there is no picture in front of them, the reader must be supplied with the description to allow them to “see” they story unfold. As far as emotional scenes, I teach other writers “If you don’t feel it, the reader won’t feel it either.” In that sense, the writer must have an emotional affinity for his or her creation. If the scene is funny, we laugh at the keyboard. If we cry when we write it, I suspect the reader does, also.
Q) Many writers complain about writer’s block. How do you deal with that? Is it even something that bothers you?
A) What’s that?
Q) (Laughs) What do you feel is the essence of a good book?
A) The story is central. The characters tell the story, therefore dialogue is critical. Ken and I actually read every line of it aloud as an actor would say it. (He’s been a professional actor for over forty years.) Too many writers strive to write dialogue in complete sentences with proper syntax. The problem with that approach is people don’t actually talk like that. “Know what I mean?” (I purposely left the “Do you” off the previous phrase as it is generally understood.) Many neophytes write like people write, not like people talk, and the book suffers. I like to use the ellipsis in dialogue so that people can see a pause or hitch in the way a line is delivered. There are numerous guides to making stories interesting. We have a ton of action in our military and western books, and they would all make excellent movies from that standpoint.
Q) How do you feel about the success you are currently experiencing with your writing partner, Ken Farmer?
A) It’s gratifying to experience success with chart topping sales in Amazon’s Kindle stores worldwide. We have made friends with many of our fans on Facebook and enjoy their posts. All in all, its another way to connect with people. We also teach acting as well as writing in workshops. Success in the marketplace has given us a modicum of credibility. One side benefit is that we get asked to speak to other authors at conferences and book fairs and share our experience. We’ve been able to help others become better and more successful writers in their own right. That is satisfying and something money alone won’t buy.
Q) What would be the ultimate literary achievement for you?
A) Really, I haven’t had a specific literary goal in mind since I began writing screenplays a few years ago. It would certainly be nice to be nominated for an Academy Award for best screenplay on one of our original works or one adapted from one of our books. Our style and political viewpoint is probably not compatible with Pulitzer or Nobel. So, a consolation prize of a NY Times Besteller will have to do.
Q) Many writers say that they write reams of material that they never use. How often do you write usable material? Do you throw much out?
A) My work schedule often precludes writing in a consistent manner. Often times I’m online late at night trying to find inventory for my gun store. (Sales went ballistic with the current administration’s attempts to restrict certain types of firearms.) When I can focus on writing, I can usually produce 1,500 to 3,000 words at one sitting. My record was 10,000 words without getting out of the chair, but I don’t recommend that to others as a goal. I generally don’t sit down to write unless I can clearly focus and get “in the zone.” What that translates to, is to imagine myself as the character, be it male or female, and in a process somewhat akin to transcendental meditation, move to the place and time in the story and see, hear, feel, taste, and smell the scene. I write what I experience from the vantage point of the character. It may sound crazy to someone who cannot turn loose their creative power of imagination, but believe me (or at least ask my wife!) that when I’m “in the zone,” I am not mentally at the keyboard. I might be at 30,000 feet in an life or death air battle with a J20 Chinese fighter, or crushing the throat of a Somali pirate in the Indian ocean, but I’m not sitting at a keyboard looking at a screen full of text in Lotus Word Pro. I actually almost never throw out much. Ken and I polish, edit and tweak, but rarely throw something out.
Q) Do you think a professional editor is a “must,” or can a writer edit his own work?
A) It is difficult to find editors with the technical background suitable for our type of fiction. Many have never fired a gun, fought anyone, flown a plane, or ridden a horse. We went round and round with the editors on the first book we published. It should not take longer to edit a book than it does to write it. Period. It is difficult to edit your own work. You brain plays tricks on you. Words seem to be there when they are, in fact, missing. English is very tricky, with many words pronounced the same, but spelled differently, and with vastly different meanings. Dew ewe no watt eye mean? Spell check, or as I call it Spell Czech, is helpful but certainly not infallible. I frequent mistype the word “form” in place on the word “from.” Neither Microsoft Word or Lotus Word Pro will catch that error. We have some dedicated friends who help proof our work, and for that we are eternally grateful. Ken and I edit each completed work at a rate of a chapter a day. That involves line by line mentally saying each sentence, slowly. It’s mentally exhausting, but the only way we found to cut the errors down to six or eight out of 100,000. Then we send it to our proofers to try to catch the rest. One thing we find amusing is that folks don’t seem to understand that we intentionally chose to spell some words, particularly in the westerns, phonetically to give the flavor of the different dialects spoken by different characters. “Git yer hands whar I kin see ’em” reads differently than “Get your hands where I can see them.” Spell Czech goes bloody bonkers, but the final result is what we want the reader to hear inside their head when they read that line of dialogue in print.
Buck and Ken… A perfect partnership?
Q) I don’t think many people realise how hard it is sometimes to edit a book to have the right feel. Let me ask you, have you ever had an idea that you couldn’t use?
A) In Sacred Mountain, we developed a new weapon for Mama Bird, our airborne battle aircraft carrier. It would have worked well enough, but forces of nature came to bear and made it unnecessary. Also, in the same book, the actual real life bad guy we had chosen to use was, at least in the press, killed in a raid in Pakistan. (Bummer! We were almost halfway through with the book!) We considered a rewrite, but chose to keep him and offer a plausible reason for him to have escaped being killed by the US Navy Seals. By the way, neither of us is what you would call “politically correct.” I’m not afraid to say what I think is wrong or right about the politics of any party, and certainly don’t kowtow to the leftist viewpoint that has found a home in Hollywood and in our nation’s capital. Our first editor didn’t like our use of the phrase “illegal alien.” We refused to change it to “undocumented worker.”
Q) How do you like to write? Is writing something you do during the day? The night? Is it something you “need” to do everyday? Do you like to write with music or in silence? What works for you?
A) I write when I can, usually in the evening and late at night. With seventy hours a week spent at the store or online ordering, free time is a fleeting dream. I can tune out most distractions, but as a musician (I write for and perform with guitar), I actually find music to be a distraction. I tend to want to sing along. Sorry, that’s just the way it is for me. Absolute silence lets me focus on the scene at hand, make the mental movie of the action and get locked into the zone. I write until my wife begs me to come to bed (or my trapezoid muscles of my upper back scream out for a break from the old keyboard).
Q) Thank you for your time, Buck!
A) Not a problem, Nick!
See the interview with Buck’s partner, Ken Farmer, here. Look for an upcoming interview with both of them together, discussing the future of Timber Creek Press and their long partnership.
Yesterday, I took part in a webinar that included author J.W. Northrup. It has been a rollercoaster month for J.W. as his book The Gold Slaves geared up for release. The Gold Slaves is now available through Amazon and his publisher’s website. So what does J.W. feel about the world of the published author? We met up after the webinar yesterday for a quick chat. “I have never taken part in one of those before,” he exclaimed. “That was a lot of fun!”
“What makes a book sell?” J.W. wondered. “I guess it’s a matter of going all or nothing and making it happen as best you can.” The webinar focused on the business of selling books for authors, and one of the many opinions that had been expressed was that the printed book may cease to exist in future years. “I think,” J.W. commented, “the book as we know it will always exist and any who seek to see its demise will be in for a shock.” It is true that many have opted to say that print books are doomed, yet, as author John P. Smith had explained during the webinar, print books are still in full use and many people still like using that age old method of reading. “John P was right,” J.W mused. “The written book is still in full flight.”
So how does J.W. feel about the way the public have taken to his book so far? “I like it,” he explained. “It’s great to feel needed, and I feel that power. I think my readers helped me through that feeling of wondering whether or not I would make it.”
The Gold Slaves is an exciting fiction adventure already set to become one of the most touted books of the year. From my vantage point, it seems as though everyone is talking about it. “I think it has caught the imagination of all the science fiction readers,” J.W. reflected. “It came at the right time, and I want this one to make my name in the book world.”
How is J.W. making a success of the book world? “Well, I am working with my publisher to get my name out there and it’s a lot of fun. I have been writing my own blog, and people are taking to my blogging. I think it’s a matter of go big or go home.”
“My blog is growing everyday and that is a good thing.”
“The people of “Space” believe they live in a hollow pocket in an otherwise solid universe. They are tunneling through this solid universe following a golden path that will lead them to the fabled “Nirvana” – a world of infinite space and light. When they put their gold in the “Gods Chamber” as an offering to the gods, they are rewarded with food.There are “Spinners that burrow through the universe until they strike space, then recede into their burrows and eat the smoke produced by the people and emit oxygen. Obviously we, the people on the surface, who are “in the know” realize that these are simply brainwashed miners unknowingly working for a mining company. They are Slaves – Gold Slaves.Then two of the miners accidentally find a way to the surface and to freedom from their underground trap.But who is really trapped? The Gold Slaves’ trap is obvious, it’s easy to see material barriers, but it’s impossible for the people on the surface to “see” how they are trapped by the barriers of their irrational philosophies and ideas. Thus Gold Slaves have something to offer more valuable than gold.“
A few weeks ago I was asked by a friendly bestseller J.W. Northrup to sit for an interview. I’m not averse to that at all. He caught me during a break from my usual schedule of interviews and posed some questions to me. I thought that was it… but, oh NO! The next day he came back and asked some more until we were totally questioned out. Now, this interview will be running on his new website when it goes live- I wanted to run it here first. If it feels good… DO IT!
Q) Hi, Nick, how does it feel to be the one being interviewed for a change?
A) Well, it feels like I am the one being interviewed, J.W. I am one nervous dude! Shoot away!
Q) Of all the interviews you have conducted, let me ask you which is your favorite?
A) Let me ask you a question, J.W. You have kids- which is your favourite? I don’t have a favourite interview or a favourite author. They are all my favourites!
Q) But there must have been one you didn’t enjoy? Right?
A) Sure, I didn’t enjoy the one that I didn’t get to do. I always hate missing out on an author because our schedules conflict or there’s something else going on at that time. I think it’s a shame that there are only twenty-four hours in a day sometimes.
Q) Surely, you need some time to yourself?
A) I can get all of that later. Right now, I need to create and do my thing. The wheels keep rolling and the interviews keep on coming.
Q) You don’t just interview though. You are actually a pretty well-renowned promotional consultant and certainly one of the guys growing fastest in the business.
A) I am doing just fine, but there’s room for improvement in all lives. I just feel happy to have a career that I enjoy.
Q) (laughs) What is the deal with the consultation?
A) Well, it’s for the people out there who need help getting to grips with social media, networking and marketing of a book. I do one hour sessions where I sit one-to-one with an author, and we talk about the importance of tags and hashtags. I also try to explain the rudiments of marketing on Facebook, Twitter and the rest. It’s important to know how to do it properly. I hear so many horror stories from writers who have bad experiences or, worse yet, no results. Rule number one– read the rules of any group you join! Rule number two–keep on looking for new groups you can advertise in! Rule number three– do not promote your book to other writers!
Q) Is that a common mistake? Do people try to sell their books to other writers?
A) Sure! People post advertisements for their books in the writers’ groups and it does nothing but tumbleweed! It can have a detrimental effect, as well. If writers get hacked off with what they consider to be spammed links, they will either give you their opinion (which may not be very encouraging), or they may follow the link through and give you a one star review! As a general rule, people pushed to the edge do some very nasty things. My advice is to advertise where it’s welcomed and you can escape all the drama.
Q) Do you really think people give one star reviews on purpose?
A) Certainly! You only have to realise that everyone is human and people just don’t like being force fed sales lectures everytime they sign into their writing groups. They want to talk literature, the art of writing or about the new book they read that inspired them. What they don’t want to read is that someone is selling their fantastic book for 99 cents, thirty three times as they scroll down the page.
Q) Have you ever been accused of spamming?
A) Sure! As a newbie I got abuse for positing in the wrong groups. Everything from being told my work was crappy to people asking me to only post interviews in groups where the members were being interviewed. Like many things in life, you just have to learn the ropes.
Q) It has been said that writers can be a pretty mean bunch. Would you agree with that?
A) The whole world can be mean if you cause that to happen. The way around it is to abide by the rules of communication. Defuse situations and move on. Don’t dwell on the negativity in life and certainly don’t let some pointy head bring you down.
Q) Do you think that your work is exceptional? It has been said that you are one of the best guys to go with for promotion and interviews. How do you rate what you do?
A) I guess what I do is good enough– I am no genius writer. Terry Irving is a genius writer, Tom Blubaugh is a genius writer, Paul W. Meier is a genius writer. I am just a dude who asks questions and thinks of ways to market books. I have proven my credentials and I have a reputation. Nothing more than that. I just do what I can do.
Q) So, who have your biggest clients been? What did you do for them?
A) Mike Trahan is a guy I am very proud of! He sold nearly 500 copies of his book, without a publisher and with minimal promotion. He sold 500 copies just by hiring me to do articles and then promoting them to his audience and targeting them. I was very proud of that. My biggest client is Lloyd Tackitt who has had a run of bestsellers- one every six months. He is a guy I love working for! I like being left alone to devise my own ideas and trusted to do the job well. He does that! I would say that Ken Farmer has been one of my biggest recent clients, too.
Q) You’ve worked with HOW many writers?
A) Oh, probably around two-hundred by now and I have to tell you, whether they sell a pile of books like Boyd Lemon, or a couple a day like Mike Walsh, it builds up. Now, there’s a dude I love! Mike Walsh is just a genius with words and he always entertains me.
In fact, I will be on a the Weekly Bookclub webinar with him tomorrow, Saturday, April 20th, where Mike, along with some other awesome writers, will grill me about interviewing. You should come along! http://angieharris.weebly.com/nick-wale.html
Q) Is the consulting working for you?
A) Certainly! It’s a growing concern and people like the idea of working with someone who has fresh ideas. It’s very easy to get suckered into paying huge sums for advice that doesn’t work. I do a 15 minute free session and then if you like what you hear, give me an hour of your time and an hour’s worth of your money. It’s all very well to be told to go and start a blog, but you need to know what a blog is and what a blog does. You need to know how to promote the blog and how to tag your articles. You need to know how to use Social Media. It’s all very well and good buying a book called “Social Media for Dummies”, but it’s a quicker process if you can ask someone about it and then follow up with more questions. “Etcetera, Etcetera…” as Yul says.
Q) What do you think is so important about tags and blogging and all that stuff?
A) Look, you need a platform to sell anything! Record companies use radio… Writers need to use blogs. You can write a blog article a day and keep low sales at bay! Seriously! Blogging is a way to build up a fanbase and all you need to do is maintain that fanbase and it will grow. I explain how all of this works and how you promote your work. It’s very easy when you know how and when you spend time talking to me, you will know how!
Q) Does teaching come easy to you?
A) Sure! I speak English and I don’t try to be cool. I am no IT geek– I couldn’t tell you a hard drive from a bath plug. I just know how to sell and it’s the same in any game. Get a platform, a product, a personality and drive it home.
Q) I heard recently that you turned down a professional position to maintain your independence with Novel Ideas? Any truth to that?
A) Sure! I did a couple of job interviews and the position you refer to was a pretty good job. I just had to turn it down because things are going so well with this business. People kept telling me “You can’t possibly be considering leaving Novel Ideas to go and run some stupid sales department.”
So, I didn’t!
Q) Well, I must admit you have a flair for your work! I’m glad you stayed on!
A) Me too, buddy.
Q) Thanks for your time, Nick.
A) You bet, bro!
J.W. Northrup has just released his book The Gold Slaves to rave reviews. He currently lives in Salt Lake City and enjoys a quiet life skiing, running and playing with Twitter. Catch his latest book here.
As an actor you are creating with every living breath. Ken Farmer is a guy who has been creating characters and breathing life into the written word for many years. What happens when an actor becomes a writer? Well, sometimes guys like Dirk Bogarde make it. Sometimes they don’t. Ken Farmer made it, and he made it big. What do you need to make that happen? Well Ken got himself a fine writing partner in the form of Buck Stienke. The two of them crafted a series of books that hit the spot for readers around the world.
Ken Farmer, along with Buck Stienke, runs a publishing company called Timber Creek Press, a growing concern with bestsellers by the bushel. Alex Cord of Airwolf fame and Steve Daniels are two of the best known names at home with Timber Creek. I think it’s safe to say that Ken and Buck will be running a leading independent very soon.
Now, I am lucky enough to have interviews with these two powerhouses of the literary world. An interview with each singularly and an interview where I will attempt to grill them together. The heat is on…
Q) Tell me about yourself, Ken. Experienced actor? Writer? Veteran? How does it feel to have achieved so much?
A) (laughs) Well, yes, forty years as a professional actor, but I never made the ‘A’ list. I worked enough to make a living and receive a monthly retirement check. I started re-writing then writing screenplays and teleplays because I found I had a knack for it. I suppose my mind works in such a way that I tend to hear all the voices (characters) as they talk. It sounds right or it doesn’t.
I’m a USMC veteran. A happenstance. I had attended the University of Oklahoma as a freshman in ’59. I played on the football team (they actually had a freshman team back in those days), but I got mono after spring training, and missed my finals because I was in the hospital. I went to work for Shell Oil in the seismograph division in eastern Oklahoma. At the end of the summer, my best friend from high school, Dennie Clark, called me and said, “Hey, I just joined the Marine Corps, come go with me.” What the hell. If I’m going to serve my country in the military…it just as well should be the best. So we went to Parris Island in September. They found out I had played football at OU and said, “Private Farmer, you’re on the base football team.” What the hell?
When I got out of the Marine Corps, my high school football coach, Buddy Ryan, got me a scholarship at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. I finished there with BS degrees in Speech and Drama and Business.
Q) When did you start your professional acting career?
I started professional acting at the age of 32, because an agent thought I had a great look. That’s when the writing started.
Q) Right then and there the writing started for you? It was that simple? How did you build on that?
I had written (or ‘doctored’) a number of screenplays by the time I moved from Los Angeles back to Texas and met Buck Stienke at his gun store in Gainesville, Texas. I went in to buy a semi-auto pistol to take to the Conceal and Carry course. He knew I was an actor and script writer, and wanted to read some of my scripts. Long story short, he wanted to produce a script I had written, called “Rockabilly Baby,” and asked me to direct. What the hell.
We then started writing more scripts together. I found Buck to be very creative and I taught him the mechanics of screen/teleplay writing. We had written some twenty-five screen/teleplays when a friend from the Marine Corps, Major John Eastman (ret.) asked if we could adapt his novel, “Verdict in Search of a Crime” to a screenplay. I said, “Sure, John, send it down.” He sent us his three hundred and fifty thousand word novel. Oh, wow! Ten weeks later, we sent back a one hundred and twenty page screenplay. (It’s now going through the Disney system.)
Buck and I looked at each other and said, “Hell, we can write a novel.” That was almost three years ago; five complete and published novels (around 500,000 words) and we are nearing completion on novel six. What the hell?
As far as answering your previous question how it feels to achieve so much? I’ll let you know when that happens.
Q) What actually drove you to start writing? What was the catalyst for you?
A) I suppose, as with any writer, you have stories running amok in your head and they have to come out. It’s the curse of being right-brained, I guess.
The catalyst: Originally seeing scripts that weren’t written well. A lot of writers seem to lose the direction of ‘Just tell the damn story.’
Q) Tell me more about the way you write. How do you find inspiration? What is the key ingredient for you?
A) Inspiration? I am a voracious reader, and have been since I was a kid. I have thousands of books. We didn’t have a TV until I was fifteen, so it was either listen to the radio or read books. One of my favorite authors growing up (and still is) was Edgar Rice Burroughs. I still have almost all of his books. He said, “I have been successful probably because I have always realized that I knew nothing about writing and have merely tried to tell an interesting story entertainingly.” I like to feel I’m an instinctive writer and a good storyteller. But what do I know?
Q) Do you ever use your past experiences (cowboy actor, military man) as inspiration for characters in your books? I was wondering if sometimes you actually write about yourself.
A) Sure, all the time. Either myself or people I have known.
[pullquote align=”left” textalign=”center” width=”30%”]Unless what you write is from your heart, you’re peeing up a rope.[/pullquote]Q) What makes a great book for you? What are those musts to include?
A) This is a toughie. To me, it’s all about story. Content is king. Unless what you write is from your heart, you’re peeing up a rope. Doesn’t matter how many words you vomit onto pages every day, how much you study to improve your skills, how diligent you are with promotion, how many people you convince to like and talk about your book– the second you lose sight of the story as the thing that really matters, it’s over. As a writer, if our story doesn’t entertain me, it won’t entertain the reader either.
A good writer learns from other writers the way a kid goes into a candy story, steals what he has a taste for and can put in his pocket and take with him.
Q) Do you feel that you have written your best work or is that one still on its way to the world?
A) No. It’s kind of like the little boy in the room full of horse shit…gotta be a pony in here somewhere.
Q) Many of the writers I interview write alone. Why is it so important for you to have a writing partner?
A) In our case, we think alike but have different skills and background knowledge. We often finish each other’s sentences or one of us will start a scene, the other will finish it.
An example is our military novels– Buck is a graduate of the Air Force Academy and a jet fighter pilot plus an expert on all types of firearms. He brings that, I bring my experience in the Marine Corps (helicopters) and acting, characters and dialogue.
In our westerns, I bring an in-depth knowledge of horses, tack and Old West speech patterns. We write phonetically. Again, Buck is a firearms expert. As I mentioned earlier, after retiring as a pilot from Delta, Buck became a gunsmith and opened a gun store. We are both Constitutional conservatives and staunch patriots.
Q) Is there a book you wish you could have written?
A) Well, I guess a book I wish I would have written it would be “Tarzan of the Apes” by Burroughs, 1911. I have an original printing and have probably read it twenty or more times.
Q) How do you feel about the self-publishing trend? Is it the future?
A) I’m definitely for it. In traditional publishing, the publisher makes the money; in self-publishing, it’s the author…notwithstanding that content is always king. Crap is crap, no matter if it comes from one of the big six or a first timer publishing an e-book. However, the reverse is also true. A great book is a great book, no matter who publishes. Often times, a great book is ignored by the traditional publishers. See below. The public will decide if it’s a good or great book or not.
Let me reel off a partial list of authors who self-published their first novels:
Mark Twain, Huckleberry Finn; John Grisham, A Time to Kill; Irma Rombauer, The Joy of Cooking; Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass; Jack Canfield and Mark Hensen, Chicken Soup for the Soul; James Redfield, The Celestine Prophecy; Beatrix Potter, creator of the Peter Rabbit Classic Series. Plus: Thomas Paine, Edgar Allan Poe, T.S. Elliot, Carl Sandberg, Gertrude Stein, Deepak Chopra, Upton Sinclair, D.H. Lawrence, George Bernard Shaw, e.e. cummings, Henry David Thoreau, Virginia Woolf, Margaret Atwood, Tom Clancy, Stephen Crane, Stephen King …
A) Our first novel was published by a traditional publisher. We saw how long it took, the arguments with the editors and illustrators, and the 15% royalty. Duh! After being in the film production business, it wasn’t really much of a stretch. We have published eight novels including the latest by film/TV star, Alex Cord – Days of the Harbinger.
Q) What’s your aim as a publisher? Many people say that the western is dead. Do you feel there’s still a market for western books?
A) Our aim is to work with talented authors, give them a much bigger piece of the pie, and try to create a domino effect of putting good books out there.
There will always be a market for westerns. The short-lived history of the Old West in America is unique in all the history of the world. Who isn’t captivated by cowboys, outlaws, lawmen, Indians, mountain men and the taming of a wild country? Much of the mystique has to do with the ‘attitude’ of those westerners. We call it the ‘Cowboy code’. “Head ’em up, move ’em out.”
Q) Where do you see the TImber Creek Press in ten years’ time?
A) Hopefully with a reasonably sized library, including our own novels. We are going after quality as opposed to quantity. We have published five; almost done with #6– the sequel to The Nations–another historical fiction western, Haunted Falls. Alex has started on his next novel also.
Q) Cowboy actor or author? Would you have preferred a major role in True Grit or to have written one of the best selling books of all time?
Ah, the impossible decisions. I would have loved to have that one to make back then, I assume you mean the original True Grit with John Wayne? (Yes) Today, no question…one of the best selling books of all time.
As an author, I have more control over my creation than I do as an actor.
I woke up a week ago and found an email from a man called Mark Willerton. Now, as a guy who makes a living from interviewing and promoting authors, I wasn’t surprised at all to wake up to work. It happens all the time. I opened the email over breakfast and downed my first coffee of the day. It was cold outside, and I was already looking forward to the prospect of a day spent inside and working on something new. Mark Willerton explained through the email that he had written a book about his friend Kathy Kirby…
The pop singer Kathy Kirby…
Perhaps any other interviewer in the world may have been indifferent to that name in this day and age. I, however, knew better– as a teenager I had written to Ms Kirby and requested an autograph. I had owned the record albums and I knew the records. I also knew that she had suffered a turbulent life and that just made her records more exciting. I was never much of a fan of the other blustering female singers of that generation. Shirley Bassey was not my thing. Kathy Kirby was a different thing altogether. Almost infinitely better looking than her contemporaries and certainly more talented… It was hard not to love her records.
So, what happened? She isn’t remembered as the others are remembered. We hear CIlla Black on the radio every other day, and we hear the dramatic cries of Shirley Bassey every day, but unless you buy the records you won’t hear Kathy Kirby.
So when Mark approached me for an interview, to say I was excited was an understatement. I already knew she was a great woman, the two large autographed photos she’d sent me were proof of that. I almost wish I’d sent her my copies of her albums to sign now!
Q) Hi, Mark, let me start by telling you how much this interview means to me. I was a huge fan of Kathy’s as a teenager and I still am. So, what made you decide to write this book about Ms Kirby?
A) Despite Kathy Kirby being one of the most popular faces on British television during the 1960s, her death didn’t even make the TV news bulletin. After thirty years out of the public eye, she had become a forgotten name. I thought Kathy needed a definitive biography, not only to remember her accolades when she was the ‘Golden Girl of Pop,’ but also to address the fact that Kathy also had problems, through no fault of her own, and that is why she was forced to ‘retire’ so early.
Q) I have to ask, Mark! How did you meet Ms Kirby?
A) Quite by chance really. Mark Littlemore, a friend of mine, had formed a new fan club for Kathy in 1981 – the year she embarked on her final comeback. Kathy was appearing in Skegness and Mark invited me along to the show. I actually went just to meet up with Mark again and to support him in his new role, rather than to see a faded pop star of the 1960s. But from the moment Kathy appeared, I was just swept away by her voice and stage presence. Afterwards, Mark took several of us to the stage door to meet Kathy, and soon after we spent an afternoon with Kathy at her London flat. I saw Kathy again a few weeks later when she appeared in cabaret in Lincoln – it was on this occasion that she gave me her phone number, and so began a friendship that lasted almost thirty years.
Q) What are your personal memories of the 60s music scene. Did her music interest you as a teenager?
A) I was a child of the 60s and my sister, being seven years older than me, bought all the latest pop records by Billy Fury, Cliff Richard and the Dave Clark Five, so I was always aware of the current hits in the Top Ten. Dad liked country music, particularly Jim Reeves, while Mum favoured The Bachelors and Vince Hill. My favourite singer was Cilla Black and I also had most of the records by Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich! The Ferguson radiogram in our front room was in constant use. I was of course aware of Kathy Kirby, she was always on TV … but all that lip-gloss and glamour was a bit OTT (over the top) for a schoolboy! At that time, Kathy didn’t interest me at all, which is amazing. If I had only known then, that fifteen years into the future she would become one of my closest friends.
Q) What kind of music and which performers did Ms Kirby favour?
A) Kathy had eclectic tastes depending on her mood. During her teenage years, she was greatly influenced by Doris Day and saw all of Ms Day’s films as soon as they were released, learning the words to the songs off by heart. Mario Lanza was another idol of Kathy’s and his film ‘The Great Caruso’ remained one of her all time favourites.
In her later years, she loved listening to recordings made by Ambrose and his Band in the 1930s. The late Bert Ambrose has been her mentor, manager and lover. She felt close again to Ambrose when she listened to his music.
When Dean Martin died, she re-discovered his back catalogue and found his style very relaxing. Julio Iglesias was her favourite male singer. His phrasing and Spanish vocals reminded her of her time in Spain during the late 1950s before she became well known. Judy Garland was another artiste she admired.
There were two singles in Kathy’s collection that I often found on her record player turntable – a very worn acetate of ‘Delilah’ by Tom Jones and ‘I Get a Kick Out of You’ by Gary Shearston. But Kathy was also impressed by modern day singers such as Michael Buble and Will Young. One day we listened to the Amy Winehouse album ‘Back to Black’ and Kathy loved it, particularly ‘I’m No Good’. “Bert ( Ambrose) used to say I was no good,” she said with a wry smile.
Q) How do you feel about the way she has been remembered?
A) Now that is a question! In a word – frustrated. It seems like Kathy Kirby has been airbrushed from the British pop scene of the 1960s. It’s partly due to the fact that Kathy seemed to just disappear following her final comeback during the early 1980s. But during the past thirty years she has been totally overlooked by music historians and researchers. Just recently, a TV programme about entertainment in post-war Blackpool failed to even name check Kathy – with no mention of her sell-out summer season at the Winter Gardens in 1967. During her final years, it must have hurt so much to be ignored when she had once been such a huge star.
Whenever female singers of the 60s are mentioned in the media, it’s always the same names … Dusty, Cilla, Sandie, Lulu. Now don’t get me wrong– these ladies deserve recognition and they recorded some super songs– but Kathy was right up there with them.
Q) Do you believe your book sets the truth straight and takes away from the opportunist newspaper articles written about Kathy Kirby over the years?
A) It wasn’t the newspaper articles that caused concern, but the rife speculation about Kathy’s private life that began to appear on the Internet as soon as she had died. Statements came from people who didn’t even know Kathy, repeating gossip and hearsay.
Being a key figure in Kathy’s life, I thought I was best placed to set the record straight. I had witnessed the comings and goings of various friends, the arrival of Kathy’s family back into her life after a thirty-year rift, and the problems she had faced with money worries and illness. I thought it was also important to bring in the opinions of others to the story giving those closest to Kathy the chance to put forward their own version of events.
Q) How was the writing process for you? Did you find that you were a natural writer or is it quite difficult for you?
A) I know that I’m not a natural writer and I would struggle with another project, but I found writing about Kathy easy because I knew the subject so well. For almost a year, I was up at 5am most mornings and would then spend a couple of hours on the book. That’s when I felt at my most charged and enthusiastic! The words just seemed to flow, and by writing about her, it was my way to come to terms with the loss of such an important person in my life as I didn’t go to Kathy’s funeral. Kathy’s niece, Lady Sarah Thatcher, made the funeral arrangements and none of her aunt’s friends, including myself, were invited. Researching Kathy’s early years and even her period of fame, I found out so much that I didn’t know before.
The second half of the book is a memoir, so recalling the various highlights of the years I knew Kathy was a joy; but I also had to recall the more desperate times in her life when she became a recluse and suffered with schizophrenia. It’s a ‘tell-all’ book, but I was mindful to write about Kathy’s mental health problems with compassion and understanding. She was so strong to cope with such debilitating illness.
The memoir section has caused the most reaction. Fans have noted that this is when the real Kathy Kirby emerges– and many have said they felt as if they were in the room with Kathy when I recounted some events– they now feel like they actually knew her.
I really enjoyed the research, writing the book, selecting the photographs (there are 80 pages of rare colour and B/W images), being hands-on with cover design and layout. But the marketing aspect is the one part I don’t like and where I fall down. I know it’s a must when self-publishing, and I admit I’ve been rather lazy so far!
The book also has an appendix – a full UK vinyl discography and values; plus a complete listing of Kathy’s radio and TV appearances ( including the songs she sang) which was compiled by Ian Parkes. I should really mention Ian as he put a lot of time and research into it!
Kathy and Mark in 1983
Q) Do you believe Kathy Kirby could have been a bigger star than she was?
A) Kathy was one of the biggest stars of her generation. The highest paid British female singer of the mid-1960s.
But in terms of longevity, I think Kathy’s days as a top-liner were always going to be numbered. I like to think that she could have reached superstar status like Dame Shirley Bassey – certainly, their penchant for big emotional ballads was very similar.
In hindsight, and what we now know of Ambrose as a manager, he didn’t always make the right career decisions for Kathy. He was one of the old school and the songs he chose for her were often plain old-fashioned. He was locked in a time warp. Although it was the swinging 60s, he favoured standards and songs from the 1940s. He famously turned down the chance for Kathy to record ‘You’re My World’ which was subsequently offered to Cilla Black and her disc topped the charts. Ambrose also took Kathy away from the BBC for a better deal with ITV, which ultimately fell through. There was also the issue of Kathy’s fragile mental state. I doubt that she could have coped with international stardom.
Q) Tell me about the real woman beneath the image. What was she really like?
A) Kathy was exciting, funny, mischievous, charismatic, forgiving, quirky and thoughtful … as well as being truly impossible!
There were two sides to her character. She could be headstrong and assertive, standing her ground with her favourite expression: “No one tells Kathy Kirby what to do.” But she could be vulnerable and naive, too, with a subconscious need to be ‘controlled’. The control aspect began with Ambrose back in the late 1950s and after he died in 1971, control shifted from one to another over the years. She seemed to attract that kind of person, right up until the end of her life.
Kathy could be demanding and expected loyalty, but if you were lucky enough to become her friend (and stay the course!) she repaid loyalty two-fold. Kathy had a handful of close friends and those that did know her all thought they were her ‘best friend’. That is such a compliment, as she made each one of us feel needed and special to her. Despite the many unfortunate events in her life, which included bankruptcy and being made homeless, she wasn’t bitter and could even find humour in her situation at times.
Q) What actually happened to Ms Kirby when her career faltered?
A) Kathy was so hopelessly in love with Bert Ambrose that she allowed him to shape her career the way that he wanted – and she seemed to like it that way. When he died, part of Kathy died with him. Without Ambrose, her heart just didn’t seem to be in it. Kathy went from one manager to another, bookings became less and the venues became smaller – even singing between bingo sessions at one point.
With increasing mental issues, she became unreliable, work dried up which ultimately led to bankruptcy.
There was one final comeback in 1981. By late 1983, Kathy was struggling to hide her demons and although it wasn’t a conscious decision, she just drifted into early retirement and obscurity.
Q) Do you think there is any similarity between the stories of Kathy Kirby and Dorothy Squires? Both seemed to have tragic lives.
A) The two singers had almost parallel lives. Like Kathy with Ambrose, Dorothy had a controlling partner in songwriter Billy Reid during the early years of her career.
Into the 1970s Kathy was rarely seen on TV due to misunderstandings with BBC and ITV executives and Dorothy was blacklisted, too. They also struggled to receive any airplay for their latest discs.
In temperament, Dorothy possibly had the edge. Apparently she could be quite fearsome! Female singers had it so tough in those days. If they demanded that everything was just right, they became labelled as ‘difficult’.
Kathy and Dorothy had worked with the finest orchestras at the most prestigious theatres, and as fellow 60s singer Billie Davis said, “When you have worked with the best and had a big band behind you, which Kathy needed for those big performance songs, it’s very difficult to get that with a small line-up. We come from the old school of live performances and Kathy wouldn’t settle for anything less.”
Dot and Kathy also faced the indignity of bankruptcy and lean times in their latter years. The two singers were blessed with a loyal fan base – still very much in evidence today for the both of them.
Q) It has often been said that Kathy was ignored by the music industry during her years in decline. I would like to ask you if the music industry ever reached out to offer their help to Ms Kirby?
A) Show-business is such a precarious profession. When a star is on the rise or at the top of their game everyone in the business wants to know you or be associated with you. When a star begins to fall, it’s the opposite. No one wants to know you, as if misfortune might be catching!
Kathy never formed any lasting friendships with show-business colleagues, partly because she was rather shy offstage and because Ambrose never allowed her to socialise.
When Kathy was made bankrupt and homeless in the late 1970s, she was detained in St. Luke’s Mental Hospital in Muswell Hill, although the judge later admitted his decision was a mistake, as he thought St.Luke’s was a hostel. Whilst Kathy was there, she received support from 60s singer Sandie Shaw, who was a regular visitor. Susan Maughan, another 60s contemporary, offered Kathy the chance to stay at her Brighton home if she ever needed accommodation.
Sir Paul McCartney showed Kathy kindness with monetary support when she was totally broke, which she never forgot. One day an envelope arrived, containing £500 in cash, with a note ‘Linda and Paul would like to help in some way’. Kathy had only met Paul a few times during the 1960s and broke down in tears, deeply touched by their generosity.
Q) Do you think she has been treated well by current releases? Do you believe her music ranks with the best singers of the era?
A) Kathy’s hits have popped up on the ‘Dreamboats and Petticoats’ series which are CDs of 1960s artistes which have become best-sellers during recent years. These collections can only help to keep Kathy’s name in the public eye and introduce a younger generation to her work.
A few years back, I compiled three CDs for the Vocalion label which contained the rarer tracks that Kathy recorded for Decca and EMI. Kathy was involved with the selections and the first of the three titles. ‘Hits, Rarities and Lipgloss’ proved to be her all-time favourite collection of her work on CD.
I’d hoped that a definitive ‘Best of Kathy Kirby’ CD might have been released since Kathy’s death to include her dynamic theme to the TV series ‘Adam Adamant’ which has been notably overlooked by compilers when previous hit collections have been issued.
There has also been speculation over a number of unreleased tracks that Kathy recorded for the Decca, EMI, Orange and President labels. If the masters do still exist in record company vaults, it would be wonderful to hear them on CD. Kathy’s fans have been starved of new material for too long!
Q) If you were going to educate one person about her music, which of her songs do you think would do that job effectively?
A) There are so many. How many can I suggest?
‘Secret Love’ is the title that has been most associated with Kathy since it was released in 1963. Her up-tempo version of the song, which was originally recorded by Doris Day as a ballad ten years earlier, could not fail to impress. Even the music director of the session, Charles Blackwell, says it still gives him goose bumps when he hears Kathy begin; ‘Now … I shout it from the highest hill ….’
For a sample of Kathy’s highly emotional style I’d choose ‘The Way of Love’. Sadly it never became a hit, but remains a classic in Kathy’s back catalogue and a favourite with fans.
The theme from BBC TV’s ‘Adam Adamant’ demonstrates Kathy’s vocals at her most powerful in a James Bond style arrangement. Kathy was probably the only other female singer at the time with the voice to challenge Bassey for a Bond title!
Q) Do you think she would have turned “You’re My World” into the huge hit it was?
A) ‘You’re My World’ has been heard for nearly fifty years and is ingrained firmly as Cilla Black’s song, but I think Kathy could have offered a great rendition of the title, too, maybe bringing a little more sensitivity to it.
Just compare Dionne Warwick’s ‘Reach Out For Me’ (penned by Bacharach and David) to Kathy’s version, which was released on her second EP. Kathy brings warmth and sincerity to the song which is somehow lacking in the Warwick version.
But back to ‘You’re my World’ – it would have been great if Kathy could have at least covered the title for an album or as an EP track.
It’s always rather daunting to think about promoting a book. Most writers find promotion to be the biggest roadblock as they move toward success.
Why is promotion such a problem?
The main problem is where to start. Where do you start with promotion? How do you know which road to take? How can you tell if you are doing the right thing? What is the right thing to do? Is it better to blog? Is it better to buy advertising from Facebook? Do you invest money? How much money? What is the best route to take?
Recently, I conducted a consulting session with a writer. He is going to be published by a traditional publishing house and he felt as though he had become lost in the sea of books they are pushing.
He came to me for advice. We started with the simple things to begin with– blogging. But inevitably, the questions started popping up. What do I write about? How do I promote myself? How do I get my blog articles out there? Geez, how do I even set one up?
I answered all his questions and he came back again.
Nick, how do I use Twitter? What is Twitter? What are hashtags? How do I effectively make Twitter an avenue for sales? How do I know if Twitter is actually working?
I answered these questions and then the lighbulb came on when I realized how many people out there are struggling with this stuff! How many consultants and publishers are telling writers to “just do hashtag links and gain more blog hits and increase exposure through likes.”
Huh????
So, I am pleased to say that I am now offering consultation sessions. I am running one-on-one, hour-long sessions with writers where I will help you understand how social media works and how to use it to your advantage as a writer. I will talk you through ways to increase “hits” on your blog. If you don’t have a blog, I’ll discuss that, too! I will explain how to optimise through tags, how to use hashtags on Twitter… I will tell you how it works in plain English.
It’s about time everyone understood and took advantage of social media.
It’s not hard when you are taught by someone who speaks plainly and who has walked the walk.
Nick Wale is the resident editor of Novel Ideas and has been involved in many, many literary projects. His clients have ranged from traditionally published powerhouse authors to self-published successes. He believes social media is the best way to sell books in the modern arena. Currently he lives in England and is anxiously awaiting his wedding day to his fiancée and business partner, Lori.
Andrew Tunney is one of those guys who has achieved great success in probably the hardest creative business to break into. He is an artist, an applauded artist. His first comic was called GIRL&BOY. Not only was it an instant sales success, it was nominated as best comic in the first British comic awards. So how does an artist break into the mainstream? Andrew has worked on some of the best and most innovative work of recent times. Travelling around the world to complete projects makes it hard to tie him down for an interview… I managed, and what follows is one interview that really had me hooked.
Q) Hi Andrew, let me start by asking how you originally became an artist? What was the major catalyst for you?
A) I don’t really remember starting. I’ve always just been drawing for as long as I could remember.
I grew up reading a lot of comics, watching a lot of cartoons (like anybody else at that time), and I was just always drawing alongside that.
Q) What actually attracted you to art in the first place? All the artists I have interviewed have always said that the major draw was comics. Would you agree with that?
A) Comics and animation were the big ones for me. I think it’s because of the stories attached, they’re probably the initial draw, because at age 4 or 5 or whatever I was, I obviously didn’t have much in the way of artistic critical thinking. The attraction is all just on a gut level. There’s lines and colours and stories and you just absorb all that in.
It’s only later in life that you can start actually figuring out what it is specifically that’s working on you, and why you respond to it.
Q) Did growing up in Manchester influence your work at all? I know there have been some tough economic times up there.
A) Well, I grew up lucky. I have musician parents so I travelled with them a lot because of their work. Most of my early memories are of the US or the Caribbean, really.
Q) Would it be true to say that you are from a totally artistic background then?
A) Pretty much everybody in my family is a musician. My dad’s side are all brass band players, club musicians, and my dad is swing band leader. My mum sings in the band, too.
[pullquote align=”right” textalign=”center” width=”30%”]”There’s no secret. Work hard, teach yourself how to learn on your own, and try not to be a dick.”[/pullquote]
Q) How did it feel to grow up surrounded by all that creativity?
A) Well, it’s hard to say because I don’t know any different.
I’ve never had any problem getting them to support my choices, though. I grew up in a home where it’s okay to follow your dreams… but they also know the pitfalls.
Q) Let me ask this, Andrew. Do you think it’s important that people understand that in the arts there are many pitfalls, and one of the biggest is that it isn’t easy at all to become a ‘paid’ artist?
A) Totally. I think there’s always a variation of the bohemian ideal, or the hipster lifestyle or whatever you want to call it… where artists can just sit around idly doodling, drinking weak tea and listening to indie bands and they’ll be superstars. It’s never like that.
Q) What is it really like to be a struggling artist trying to break into the scene?
A) Well, Nick, the reality is most people who have broken in are still struggling.
Q) Would you say with all your credentials, work and your reputation, have you broken through or are you still struggling?
A) I have a level of exposure that I’m pleased with, for the moment. But everybody’s always looking down the road to the next thing they want to achieve. It’s still the truth that nobody in this business has it easy.
Q) I agree, it’s always about the next job- the next great achievement. So, tell me about the nickname “2hands.” What’s that about?
A) 2hands is a name my friend gave me way, way back, around when MySpace was popular.
Q) That far back, eh?
A) Yeah, it’s just one of those nicknames that has stuck. I do a lot of drawing out in Manchester, in the town centre, drawing people and buildings, etc., partially to stay up on things and partially just because it’s fun and you meet people.
At that time, I’d just taught myself to draw with both hands at once so I was doing a lot of that. It got the attention of this group of people, and one ended up calling me 2hands and it stuck. We’ve been friends ever since.
Q) Drawing with two hands? Is that as hard as it sounds?
A) I don’t do it all the time. I’m naturally right handed, but going through art school doing life drawing classes a lot you get taught to try your opposite hand, or drawing without looking.
When I was out drawing, I’d swap hands to keep from getting stale, then eventually I tried both at once. It’s just another thing in my tool box.
I used to do live painting at festivals and club nights, so I’d bust out both hands for the crowd. Give ’em the old razzle-dazzle as they say.
Q) Let’s talk about your published work. Your debut self-published comic GIRL&BOY was nominated for best comic in the first British comic awards. How did that feel? Did you expect that?
A) Well, first of all, I was proud just to see the British Comic Awards happen. Adam Cadwell and the team behind it put in a lot of work to get that off the ground so it was great just seeing that happen. It’s a great achievement for Adam and for the collective scene in the UK.
I’d heard people had been suggesting GIRL&BOY for consideration because people had been writing to tell me or people I’d met at conventions, so I was hoping it would get on the short-list. When I got the confirmation, I was actually in New York.
I was out there for NYCC (New York Comic Con) and I’d been out late with some comics people, and the following morning I got woken up by my phone going off.
So I woke up super cranky thinking, “Which asshole is texting me in New York at this time in the morning?” but it was the official text saying I’d made the short-list. So I had a little moment there in front of the bathrooom mirror like, “Is this really my life right now?’
Q) Was it that much of a shock? It must have felt amazing to be recognised for your talent in such a huge way?
A) Yeah, it’s amazing. I know a lot of people think there’s this sort of secret Artist Code where you aren’t supposed to get excited or acknowledge things because it’s not ‘real’ or cool or whatever. But I don’t care. I was in NY which is a special place for me, finding out my first comic was put alongside the best in the country.
Then later, I had to go do my first signing ever at the convention alongside heroes like Mike Oeming or J M Dematteis. It’s every boy’s dream right?
Q) I have to ask you- what was it like working with George Vega over at Vegamation Press?
A) George is a solid dude. I’d seen his previous artbooks promoted on Deviantart, and he kept picking up all my favourite artists for Vegamation. I always hoped I’d get to be in one some time. It’s true that almost everyone he’s featured has gone on to do big work. We just got talking one day, and he just asked me to be in the next one. I said yes and that’s that.
Q)The book you worked on together was called Introducing: Volume 4 correct? What was it like to work with such a great team on one project? Can you tell me a little about it?
A) Yeah it’s Vol 4. We talked about which pieces he wanted of mine, which ones I wanted. There was a focus more on comics this time around which is why there are some GIRL&BOY samples in there
Andre Araujo was in it, too. He’s got a book coming out from Marvel soon, I think
Shawna Mills is an artist/animator from NY who’s dope; Alessandro Micelli from Italy and George decided to throw down, too, in this one which I think is the first time he’s put his own work in the books.
For my part, I ended up giving a cross-section of my career with some old, some new, and some stuff that hadn’t been printed yet.
Q) How do you know when you have something you can use? Do you have to draw a lot to find usable material or can you just draw good stuff as you need it?
A) When I sit down, I hope that magical gold streams out of my fingers on to the page and I just mail it off to the printers and go party. But usually it’s a lot of give and take. There’s a Hemingway quote I have above my desk–
I write one page of masterpiece to ninety one pages of shit. I try to put the shit in the wastebasket.
Q) Great quote! Okay, one last question. What would your advice be to a young artist trying to break into the business?
A) There’s no secret. Work hard, teach yourself how to learn on your own, and try not to be a dick.
Q) (laughs) Thanks for your time, Andrew!
A) Thank you!
Check out the work of Andrew Tunney in his blockbuster graphic novel GIRL&BOY and in the brand new Vegamation release Introducing: Vol 4. You can connect with Andrew at the links below:
“I wanna be… Number One!” Lloyd explained, as we sat down to discuss the hit that is his latest book. “Eden’s Warriors has done it for me. I have never known one of my books to move so quickly.”
Lloyd would argue that he is the greatest writer of all time. Now, you may sit there and cry out in horror, shock, bewilderment. What about Oscar Wilde? Home? The Brontes? All those other cats? Nah, Lloyd will still tell you that he is arguably the best. Why? Well, you see if you ask Lloyd about his career he will tell you, with a twinkle in his eye, that he has been writing and communicating for hundreds of years. In fact, he has been writing for as long as the Earth has been spinning. The whole 12 million years of our planet rolling around on its axis.
I know you must be thinking that I have flipped my lid. Hey, I haven’t! I just know that when someone loves something and has such a feel for something in the same way Lloyd has for writing, it’s something special. Something supernatural. No, Lloyd isn’t a ghost or demon, but he does have a natural way with words.
“I was a great traveller by the age of eleven,” Lloyd said. “You know, I was meant to be born in Hawaii this time around.” he explained. “But, alas I ended up in Texas.”
He sounded slightly disappointed but when asked if he would like to move to Hawaii now- he declined. “No, I think Texas suits me just fine and I think I can safely say that I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
Of course, Lloyd hasn’t only stayed in Texas. He has been travelling his whole life in one job or another and always found the time to write. It’s not all about writing, but a huge portion of his life is devoted to his art.
Another huge portion of his life is devoted to his fans whom he dotes on heavily. I think many people get the opinion that writers are rather estranged folk who don’t really show much love for their readers. It is a myth that writers sit at their desks tapping away all day, ignoring the outside world. I know for a fact that Lloyd Tackitt is a man who warms to his fans and does all he can to make them happy.
Of course, he does have his addictions the same as every other writer out there. He is a fishing addict. “My wife says that I spend enormous amounts of time in the water fly fishing,” Lloyd declared. “She’s right, of course. I love it!”
As regards writing, Lloyd is influenced by all kinds of writers. “I think my major influences are Pat McManus, Carl Hiaasen and Christopher Moore,” he explained. “I do a lot of my own thing though.”
I don’t think there’s any denying that Lloyd is one of the most exciting guys on the scene today. His books have all sold like freshly made cakes, and rumours circulate daily about his sales figures. It was said that his books sold out before they hit the shops…
Which also reminds me… As Lloyd heads back to the bank of the river. I have an important errand…
J.W. Northrup and I had a chat the other day. He was writing as usual as we started the interview. J.W. is always writing, and his concentration face is always stern. He is becoming aware of his own talents as people read his blog and listen to his words. Anyway, I sat down and bided my time… I bided my time and I bided my time. The writer was ready for his interview finally and we began.
Q) You seem to be very interested in people J.W. How did your interest in the inner workings of the human mind begin?
A) I have spent much of my life studying the human mind and spirit. My studies have always been based upon observation rather than on authorities and opinion.
Q) Have you always been a writer? Were you a bookworm child? Actually, tell me more about the young J.W.?
A) My youth was spent on sports and on the outdoors – much of it with my father — wandering through the beauty of the high mountains, feeling the tranquility of the outdoors and the sense of adventure that comes therein, only to return to the dissonance and conflicts, the rules and regulations of modern civilization. And I believe because of that, I developed a rather exterior view of life.
Q) So when did you get the writing bug?
A) I began writing in the mid ’80s. Back then I was literally writing as a professional calligrapher and my works adorn many a wall with a favorite saying or poem.
Q) You went on to become a writer rather than an artist, how did that happen? What caused you to change your approach to creating art?
A) Life as a starving artist was not suitable for me nor was a professional pursuit of the mind and the spirit as offered by the established institutions. Psychobabble was repulsive to my sense of scientific logic, and administering drugs as a solution to mental disorders was even more abhorrent and degrading to a human being, despite the promise of a healthy income that seems to come with a diploma hanging on the wall. I nevertheless caved into a pursuit of some kind of monetary success by entering the trade of a designer.
Thus, I became skilled at the art of 3D modeling in the field of mechanical design for engineers – which was rather ironic as my purpose was not the technical expertise and accuracy they required, but rather, whether or not the models I created were beautiful – which is the artist in me. I got away with it because my models WERE beautiful and because I grudgingly spent the required time to add the technical details that satisfied the requirements of the anal mind of an engineer.
(J.W. was heading to the ski-lift at this point so we took a break.)
J.W. hanging out on the slopes…
Q) How was the skiing J.W.? Looked like you were having fun out there!
A) I always try to have fun- that’s what makes us human right? Those feelings we can emote. Fun, Sadness, Love, Hate… How very human…
Q) You obviously have felt the need to return to the arena of writing. What caused that change?
A) Knowing that my real purposes were somewhat deviant in the field of engineering, I began writing as an outlet for my creativity and my desire to communicate what I have learned in the field of the mind and the spirit; and because my life would never be believed unless it was written down on paper.
Q) You lead a very fulfilled life- how do you find time for your writing? You are, after all, a working man with a family.
A) Though I must admit that I have often been distracted by various pursuits, from humanitarian activities to purely physical goals – such as running marathons and of course spending time fishing in the mountains – I have still remained steadfast in my desire to write. I have written two novels and dozens other hilarious short stories describing some of the more bizarre events in my life and will continue to do so until I have faded away and there is no more to write about.
Recently, I have decided that there is absolutely no reason whatsoever NOT to do the thing I love to do and I am profoundly embarrassed that it has taken fifty years to fully realize this. Therefore, I am taking the steps that need to be taken to achieve my goal of being a writer by profession and ignoring the naysayers that inevitably surround anyone who seeks to pursue their dream.
Q) You mentioned your humanitarian activities right there. Do you write with social statements in mind? Is that something you like to include in your writing?
A) My fictional stories are always based upon an important social theme, but rather than being dogmatic and philosophic, I create a story that is interesting and add to it hyperbole and humor. My non-fiction is hilarious and self-abasing – much like I am myself on a good day.
Q) Tell me about your first book The Gold Slaves (which will be out soon). Can you tell me a little about the story, please?
A) The people of “Space” believe they live in a hollow pocket in an otherwise solid universe.
They are tunneling through this solid universe following a golden path that will lead them to the fabled “Nirvana” – a world of infinite space and light.
When they put their gold in the “Gods Chamber” as an offering to the gods, they are rewarded with food.
There are “Spinners” that burrow through the universe until they strike space, then recede into their burrows and eat the smoke produced by the people and emit oxygen.
Obviously we, the people on the surface, who are “in the know” realize that these are simply brainwashed miners unknowingly working for a mining company. They are Slaves – Gold Slaves.
Two of the miners accidentally find a way to the surface and to freedom from their underground trap.
But who is really trapped? The Gold Slaves’ trap is obvious– it’s easy to see material barriers, but it’s impossible for the people on the surface to “see” how they are trapped by the barriers of their irrational philosophies and ideas. Thus Gold Slaves have something to offer more valuable than gold.
Q) It sounds like a very socially aware story and it sounds interesting to me!
A) Thank you, Nick. I hope you will join me on this new adventure into time and space….
“Lordy, look at this mountain,” J.W. exclaims. “This is the life.”
Q) So, tell me about The Unseen Promise. What is the story about? C’mon! I need to know more!
It’s always rather daunting to think about promoting a book. Most writers find promotion to be the biggest roadblock as they move toward success.
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