Jan 13

Boyd Lemon Makes Sweet Lemonade– An Interview With Nick Wale

The truth is a state of mind. Boyd Lemon has been interviewed many times before and I could have just asked the same stale old questions about his life. I knew I had to do something different and I had to ask questions that would give you an insight into the man. So, who is Boyd Lemon? Well, there are several Boyd Lemons. The first is the nationally recognised lawyer who lived the excessive lifestyle of the seventies to its fullest. The second is the writer, the man who sits in a coffee shop, tapping away at a new manuscript, deep in thought. The third is a family man who adores his children and grandchildren. The fourth Boyd is one who paints and paints until his heart is content. The fifth is the world traveller who has been to lands far flung around the world. Boyd is as multi-faceted as any human being can be. I tried to ask the questions that would give me the answers to the questions his biography asked me.

 

As a writer, Boyd has written a biography called “Digging Deep” that tells a revealing tale about the failure of his three marriages. Additionally, he has written travel memoirs and short stories. He is currently working on a fiction book. The interview happened as follows:

Boyd L

Q) Hi, Boyd, I’m pleased to meet you. So why did you become an author? With such an illustrious career as a lawyer behind you, what drove you to become a writer?

A) I never felt fulfilled as a lawyer, despite forty years of practicing law–sad but true–so I knew I had to retire as soon as I was financially able. I really wanted to do something fulfilling, but I didn’t know what that could be. Then, when I was sixty-five, a publisher asked me to write a law book on the subject of malpractice by attorneys. I wrote that book, and it was published in 2006. I enjoyed the writing and publication process, but I knew I wanted to write something outside of legal topics. A writer friend of mine suggested I try writing short fiction. I told her that I didn’t think I had any creative ability, and she said, “Baloney, everyone has creative ability; it is just a matter of developing it.” So I took a stab at it and wrote a short story, and then another one and another one, and so on. Eventually, I was hooked on writing. I knew what I had to do in retirement.

Q) So you write to fulfil yourself and to live your dream. Do sales matter to you? Do you worry about the next royalty check?

A) I invested my savings and cut back on my lifestyle so that I had enough income, along with Social Security, to live the modest way that I wanted. I learned that I didn’t need a big house, a fancy car, etc. So I am in the envious position of not needing to earn a living from writing. I love that I can write whatever I want without regard to whether it will bring in a paycheck. The only reason I care at all about sales is that I do want people to read what I write and hopefully benefit from it in some way, so I have to sell books.
boyd

Q) Of all your books, the one that stood out to me loudest was “Digging Deep.” I thought it took great courage to analyse yourself in that way. What was the writing experience like? You must have learnt so much about yourself.

A) Digging Deep: A Writer Uncovers His Marriages is still the book that has meant the most to me. To try to understand my role in the destruction of my three marriages was excruciatingly painful emotionally. I learned a lot of things about myself that I did not particularly like. However, in the end it was tremendously healing. I had no idea how damaging it was to hold all that in under the surface. The process of writing the book brought me a peace that I had not known, and, I believe, has helped people understand themselves and their spouses or ex-spouses or partners better. I am not the only one that had the faults and human frailties that I uncovered about myself.

Q) How have readers taken to that book?

A) I have had a lot of varied reactions. Many people have told me that it helped them understand things about their own relationships that they were not aware of. Some people chastised me for disclosing private information about my ex-wives, especially acquaintances who knew one or more of my ex-wives. I received a lot of compliments for having the courage to open up and expose myself and my human weaknesses and issues. Virtually all people praised the quality and depth of my writing, except for one guy who, when I had a special promotion of the e-book for a limited time for 99 cents, wrote on Barnes and Noble that it wasn’t worth 99 cents. Oh well. Fortunately, he was in the small minority.

Q) You can’t please everyone in this world. So changing the tempo, tell me about your book “Eat, Walk, Write: An American Senior’s Year of Adventure in Paris and Tuscany.” You sound like a guy who loves culture and travel.

Eat-Walk-Write

A) Travel is my second passion, something I have known for many years, but was not able to pursue (except for business trips) until I retired. By 2010 I had been to Paris twice for short periods, and I loved the art, history and architecture there, as well as the café culture. People actually talk to each other in Paris–endlessly, it seems. So I decided to move to Paris, originally, I thought for two years. I ended up staying a year, and I lived in a working class neighborhood away from the tourist areas, although I visited the tourists areas. There were challenges, to say the least– the primary one being the language. I did not speak a word of French when I got there, and I found it a very difficult language for a seventy year-old to learn. Dealing with the French bureaucracy as a resident alien was also difficult, was finding an apartment, opening a bank account, etc. But all of that was superseded by the magic and glory that is Paris. it was the experience of a lifetime. I kept a journal daily, and when I got home to California, I decided to turn it into a book. I miss Paris.

Q) If you could live anywhere in the world, would you choose Paris?

A) That is a tough question. My answer is, no, but I can’t think of any single place that I would want to live indefinitely. That is probably why in the past six years I have lived in California, Boston, Paris and now rural southeast Georgia.

Q) Tell me about Boyd Lemon the man. What do you like to do in your spare time? Hobbies, interests, etc.

A) Well, we have covered some of it. I love to travel, and not just to far away places. I enjoy St. Augustine, Florida, which is about an hour and a half drive from my home. Next month I’ll spend a few days in Savannah, Georgia, about the same distance in the other direction. I love to explore new places, learn about the history of different areas of the this country and the world. For example, I learned that St. Augustine is the oldest city in the U.S., settled in 1540. I love good food and wine, and I emphasize that it doesn’t have to be expensive food. There are some places around here that serve amazing catfish and hush puppies. I am a fanatic baseball fan and always have been, a long suffering Dodger fan. Last summer my best friend and I took an eleven stadium baseball tour across the country starting in Anaheim, California and ending in Atlanta, Georgia. We saw eleven major league baseball games in sixteen days. I also love and am close to my four children and four grandchildren.

Q) Would be right to describe you as a family man, then?

A) I think so, despite the fact that I didn’t make a success of my marriages. I have always been close to my children, especially as they became teenagers and adults and had the freedom to make their own choices.

Q) So how do you write? What is the writing process for you? Do you write in silence? With music? Long periods of writing? How does Boyd Lemon write?

A) I write some almost every day, although it can vary from a half hour to six hours–generally around three, I would say. I find that I write best and most enjoyably if I vary the places where I write. Sometimes I write at my desk at home, but I also write in cafés, parks when the weather allows, libraries occasionally, planes and trains. I do not need silence, as long as something interesting to me is not going on, like a baseball game on TV. I do not play music while I write, because I like to be listening to music when it is playing, and I can’t write and listen at the same time. But I can write in a crowded, noisy café and just tune out the noise. The main thing is that I need to vary the place. I can’t just stay holed up at home for a long time, day after day. I have been known to get on a train, ride it for a few hours, stop and turn around and ride it back home.

Q) You strike me as a jazz fan, Boyd. Am I right?

A) Ha! Yes, jazz, folk and classical, even a little blue grass when I’m in the mood.

Q) I knew it! I grew up with bluegrass– Bill Monroe should be known better.

A) Oh, yes, absolutely. Around “these parts,” as they say here in Georgia, he is.

Q) The closest the English really get to country music is some of the Elvis stuff and Slim Whitman.

A) Yes, I am not very familiar with English music, except, of course, the pop from the ’60s and ’70’s and the later punk, etc. One of my favorite country singers is an unknown that I just happened to meet. She is from Denmark– Jessica Lynne.

Q) I will check her out! Anyway, I digress– you write fiction, too, am I right? Tell me about your fiction work.

A) So far the only fiction I have written is short, and I have published a book of ten of my short stories, and a small book of five. Several have been published in small literary magazines. My short stories tend to be about relationships, family and otherwise, and the conflicts that occur, as well as the challenges that life brings to us all. After a few short stories, I really wanted to write a novel, but felt that I wasn’t ready yet, so that is when I wrote Digging Deep. But now I am ready, and I just started on a novel two weeks ago. I’m having a lot of fun with it so far. I love writing the first draft; it is so thrilling to just let it flow, let my imagination run wild. The comes the editing process, which as it moves along gets more and more tedious. I hate proofreading, but it has to be done.

games-boyd-lemon-paperback-cover-art

Q) You do the whole process yourself? Most writers use proofreaders and editors. I’m surprised you go through the pain.

A) I use editors and proofreaders, too. I think it is a necessity to have a polished product, but I want it to be the absolute best I can make it before I submit it to somebody else, because I think that gives the work the best chance of being something worthwhile. Why should I submit something less than my best to somebody else?

Q) I agree, that’s a very responsible attitude. I must admit, Boyd, you have won a new fan here. So tell me, who are your favourite authors?

A) Oh, that is really a difficult one. There are so many. I will name a few, but understand I am leaving out many. Hemingway, McMurtry, Marilynne Robinson, Wally Lamb, Tolstoy, John Irving, Stephen King, James Baldwin, Austin, Vivian Gornick, to name a few. And I’m showing my provincialism. Most are Americans. I should have included the Brit, Franzen. He is wonderful.

Q) If you had to pick one of your books for a reader who didn’t know your work, which would it be?

A) Digging Deep: A Writer Uncovers His Marriages, unless a reader just has no interest in the subject matter of marriage and divorce. Then, Eat, Walk, Write. Of course, the Retirement book is directed toward a specific audience, people who are near or in retirement.

Q) Any last words you’d like to say before we wrap up?

A) Well, first thank you for an interesting interview. I really enjoyed it, and you asked more than just the standard questions. And I want to say to readers that my greatest reward as a writer is that the reader is learning something helpful to him or her from my books. That is what I have in mind when I am going through the writing process. Finally, for other writers: I know it is a struggle, and it is highly unlikely that you will become rich and famous, but keep at it; just grab that pen and notebook or computer, and sit down and write every chance that you get. It is a noble undertaking, in my opinion. We, as human beings, are the only species who can write.

Boyd Lemon

So what do I think of Mr Boyd Lemon? Well I think he is a genuine and decent man who has uncovered much truth about himself and exposed it to the world. He loves his new careers and his family and as Mr James Fant said to me the other day, “Love’s alright. Isn’t it?” Yes, I would say it is.

Links to Boyd Lemon:

Check out Boyds Amazon Author Page for more information regarding his work.

For excerpts, reviews, interviews and information about all of Boyds books see the official website here.

Boyd Lemon on Facebook

Boyd Lemon Facebook Fan Page

Follow Boyd onTwitter

Email Boyd directly at: Boyd (@) BoydLemon-Writer.com

Jan 12

Fant Says “No” To Fifty Shades of Filth! Nick Wale Interviews Author James Fant

James Fant is a writer I’ve been waiting anxiously to interview. His busy schedule means that he can only interview when he has time and I was willing to wait. For those of you already aware of his work, you will know what to expect. For those new to the work of James Fant I should explain some important things about him. He is a gentleman above all and his education shines through clearly. James is a sturdy, strong-willed man who loves his family and his wife. He doesn’t need anything other than the family unit to keep him strong. Calm and sophisticated, he’s a man who drives himself along with his own strength and creativity. I am proud to present a true professional to you today. Here is James Fant.

James Fant

Q) So tell me, James, how did you get into writing?

A) My imagination is exceptionally strong. I’ve always been able to see an invisible world and translate what I see onto paper. I’m not crazy, mind you, but I have always enjoyed making up stories. I wrote a story in the third grade about a witch and three pirates. The witch ended up eating the pirates because they tried to kill her. (Crazy, right?) But I received an award for that story in the third grade.

Q) So that one story you wrote in third grade stirred you to become an author?

A) No. That story was a result of the creative gift that God gave me. I started writing professionally because God kept giving me stories to write. I can be driving down the road and see, for an example, an old rusted van in the back yard of a house. I say to myself, “Why is that van there in the back yard? What’s that van’s story?” So, that’s what stirs me to write. I look at things and see the story inside of them.

Q) When did you publish your first book and what was it called?

A) I published my first work in November 2011. It was a short story called “The Mended Fence” and it chronicled (briefly) the adventure of a cheating husband who came home one night and saw his wife returning the favor. I really had fun writing that story because I fashioned it to be a sort of poetic short story. Like all of the works I write, there is a message or theme in that short story that will inspire readers.

Q) I really admire that you always leave a moral or theme in your work. Is that consciously done?

A) Yes. I feel that my work is both entertaining and inspirational. In “The Mended Fence” readers are taken on a wild ride that includes reckless driving, destroyed property, and a bank robbery. You see, the main character of the story was trying to buy a diamond for his wife because she caught him cheating on her. He was trying to fix a problem in the wrong way. The moral of that story is that sometimes you need help, someone greater than yourself, to fix problems that you create.

Q) I think your work sounds wonderful. You don’t care for this current trend of sex and profanity in others’ work, do you?

A) No. I choose not to use profanity and graphic sexual content. However, I do write steamy material. It is all in the way I write.

I have a novel available now on Amazon.uk called “An Ode for Orchids.” It is about four beautiful woman and their relationships with men and with each other. This is a romance novel, but this is a novel that a reader can read out loud to their pastor. The content is steamy, sensual, and exciting; yet, it is totally clean.

Q) I was going to ask about “Ode” next. You beat me to it! How is the public receiving it?

A) Very well. I have glowing reviews of the work. Several readers have said that it made them laugh out loud as well as cry. Readers also say that they can identify with certain characters. I really love when readers pull something out of the book that I had not consciously thought of. I’m reaching readers and enhancing their life through the power of inspirational fiction and I absolutely love that about writing.

The Secret Branch

Q) Where do you get the inspiration to write your books?

A) Divine inspiration. Take “An Ode for Orchids,” for example. I started writing the story in 2006 and nearly shelved the idea after I started graduate school, but the story would not go away. No matter how busy I was with school work, with church, or family life, the story would come back to me. It needed to be told. I’m sure readers will be able to identify with the story and say, “Yes. I went through something similar.” I believe God inspired me to write the story to be both entertaining and edifying.

The idea came from my appreciation of the enduring strength and tenacity of all of the women in my life. My hardworking mother, my loving grandmother, my strong sisters (related and non-related), no-nonsense aunties, and last but definitely not least, my beautiful wife. A lot of women are holding it down on their own for one reason or another. They endure many hardships and have become tougher for it. However, they still have the power to be nurturing and sweet. So, I believe that God gave me this story to edify not only women, but also the men that want them and must have them in their lives.

I have to give credit to God for the ideas that He gives me because that keeps me going. He’s the Master Communicator and everything starts with His Words. So, I’m a big student of communication and the art of wordplay. An author can project a certain theme and really draw the reader in just by choosing the right words and putting them in the right place at the right time. It’s really a beautiful thing.

Also, as a storyteller, one has the luxury of creating utter chaos for the reader’s enjoyment. I recently read “One Blood” by Qwantu Amaru and the chaos was in full swing. Powerful storms, heated battles, tragedy and triumph. All without the need of a stunt double. Knowing that I have the opportunity to write literature that is both endearing and exciting motivates me to want to write forever.

Q) How do you go about writing your work? Do you need silence or do you listen to music? How does James Fant write?

A) James Fant writes to the rhythmic sounds of Robert Glasper, a jazz pianist with such albums as “Mood,” “In My Element,” and “The Experiment.” The list goes on. But I’ll put in my headphones and let the syncopated rhythms pump as I punch the QWERTY.

My writing process is very simple. The story starts off as divinely inspired idea. Then I outline the entire story, trying to be as brief with the outline as I can be. Then I just write. And, I mean, I don’t sit at my laptop and think about what I’m going to write. I just write.

One of my favorite movies is “Finding Forester,” with Sean Connery and Rob Brown. In one scene, William Forrester (Connery) and Jamal Wallace (Brown) were sitting at their typewriters. Forrester starts typing away while Wallace just sits there. He tells Forrester that he’s thinking, but Forrester replied that the first draft is written with the heart. The second draft is written with the head.

When I’m in writing mode, I really don’t think about what I’m writing at all. I have the story in my head and I just let my subconscious go to work. What I really love to do, especially if I don’t have to get up early the next morning, is to write late at night. I like to see what I come up with in the haze of sleepiness. Sometimes when I get up in the morning, I’m pleasantly surprised by what I wrote. There are some words, phrases, plot twists, and endings that my mind would definitely tell me to avoid if I’m writing earlier in the evening. After midnight, I write with my heart primarily and include every intimate detail of my experiences and thoughts. I usually come up with something pretty cool. Or, I end up writing something really crazy, get a real good kick out of it, and file it away in a folder named DO NOT USE.

Q) It sounds like a wonderful process. I write in a similar way and I always love writing to jazz. I think you have a lovely style. So what sets your books apart from others in the genre?

A) One major distinction is that there is no profanity or lewd sexual scenes in my books; however, the stories are still extremely hot and steamy. There’s a high level of passion and conflict within my stories. There may be arguments and fights. There may even be a great deal of sexual tension. But there is no profanity or graphic love scenes. Now that I’ve given that disclaimer, I love including “OMG” moments in my books, places that will make the reader say, “Wow. I cannot believe the character did that.” It’s all in the way I use words and I actually have a lot of fun crafting hot, steamy, non-raunchy books.

I want to write stories that will encourage readers to analyze and repair their personal relationships. That’s what I love about writing fiction. You can create this wonderful and exciting story with lots of twists and turns, but the story can also have meaningful characters and situations that readers can identify with and learn from. Another distinction, like my upcoming novel titled “14-Pages,” is that I may write love stories that involve married couples. Many romance novels are about people actually hooking up and eventually getting married, but I believe that love stories don’t end when the wedding ring goes on.

Q) As an author, what are the keys to success that lead to your book getting out to the public?

A) Enlisting the help of others is a major key. You don’t know everything, and you can’t be good at everything. As an indie author, I had to realize that it doesn’t matter that I run a small publishing company and that I have to wear many hats. I still need to surround myself with talented people.

Education is another key. As a graduate student I learned that the true goal of any Masters or Doctorate program is to teach the student how to learn, how to educate himself. To be successful as an author, publisher, or anything for that matter, you can’t be scared to learn new things. You actually have to embrace learning.

Q) I agree. So what is your publishing company called? Are you taking manuscripts right now? If so, what genre? How can people approach you with their work?

A) I created my publishing company REAL FANTASY PUBLISHING to release only my work at present. That doesn’t mean that I will never publish other authors. That is actually phase five of my long-term plan. But presently, I am only publishing books by James Fant and I’m having so much fun doing so.

Readers, however, can check out my website www.jamesfantbooks.com for information on my work.

Q) Can readers of your books contact you? How about publishers?

A) Readers and publishers can contact me at the following places.

Email
jamesfant (@) yahoo.com

Facebook

James Fant Facebook Page
Facebook Author Page

Twitter

Other social media sites:
Blog
Book Blogs

Q) So what is next for you? Another book? A new idea?

A) What’s next for me? My novel “14-Pages” will be released soon. “14-Pages” is about a newlywed couple who argue so much that they discuss divorce, but a marriage expert tells them that their issue is that they signed a marriage license and not a marriage contract– a document that will govern how they treat each other.

So the couple draft a 14-page contract with step-by-step marriage instructions. It even includes crazy clauses like the Tip Out Clause, The Quota, and Chill Therapy. Everyone thinks the contract is crazy and they may be right. But for Marco and Venice, the newlywed couple, happily ever after needs all the help that it can get. So here’s the question– is a 14-page marriage contract enough to save a failing marriage? Only time will tell. (Or in actuality, only I will tell since I’m the author of the story!)

Q) I will be getting a copy, James. I have really enjoyed this interview. So is there anything you would like to add? Any last words, so to speak?

A) I’d like to leave this little bit of encouragement to the readers of this interview. Please, whatever you do, continue to dream. No matter how busy you get with the cares of life, dream and I mean dream drastically. As children we fantasized about what we will be. We even tell people proudly about our dreams without an ounce of trepidation. Any and everything was possible when we were children. Then came adulthood and what many term as the real world. And many times we stop fantasizing because we’ve gotten a healthy dose of reality. But here is the real reality. All things are possible if you believe. Do you believe that?

Q) I do, James. I have dreamed my whole life and tried to make them come true. I finally met the girl of my dreams and everything fell into place. Your words really hit home with me there.

A) Now that’s alright with me. Love’s alright, isn’t it?
An Ode For Orchids

Check out “An Ode For Orchids” right now for a great read! Then check out “The Secret Branch“!

Jan 11

What Is A Writer’s Writer? Welcome Back, Stuart Yates!

Stuart Yates has returned for his second interview with me. You can find the first one here. Now, I always find time for the thoughts of Stuart Yates.  I like the way he writes and he deserves the title of “A Writer’s Writer”. What is a writer’s writer? Well, like a singer’s singer– it’s someone who rarely scores a huge hit book– but is a writer who is respected around the world as a guy who is leading the way. Stuart Yates embodies the spirit of a writer’s writer and with many books on general release, he is just waiting for the public at large to notice him.  I present Stuart Yates to you again in a new light.

DonLuis

Q) Welcome back, Stuart! So how’s the new book coming along?

A) Road Kill? The rewrite has been completed and sent off to the publisher. I am now working on another, with WHIPPED UP waiting in the wings for its final redrafting.

Q) How do you get published so easily? You make it seem so simple. I’m sure a lot of readers would love to know the secret.

A) Well…I have been published by five publishers, and this spring one of those publishers went out of business, unfortunately; but I guess I have something they all like. It’s just a pity that none of them are Transworld or Harper Collins but a sixth publisher is publishing a book of mine in the spring.

Q) It must get confusing when you receive those royalty cheques. How do you keep track of them all?

A) Royalty cheques? I never worry about them. I just like to hear my publishers say the books are good, the people who read them say they are good, but I never worry about those royalty cheques. I never promote unless I have to. I have over 450 ‘friends’ on FB.

Q) I get a lot of readers who ask about advances. As a well-proven and tested author do you get advances on your work?

A) No! I wish!!! If I got advances I’d go part-time at work, and make writing my main occupation.

Q) Has a publisher ever promised to take your sales from middling hundreds to crazy thousands with one book?

A) No, none of them do very much at all. The one I have signed with for spring seems the most promising. They advertise books in trade magazines, acquire reviewers, all of that. The publisher for Burnt Offerings is ok, but it is only a part-time thing for him. He is good, gets books out in paperback and E-pubs very fast, and he takes those risks, but not much in the way of marketing. But the others? Nada.

Q) So what are your thoughts on self publishing?

A) When I began writing seriously, all those years ago, even then there was one rule that would-be writers were ´told´ to adhere to–do not pay to get your work published. I suppose that has always been my guide. Then, in 2009 after I was totally ripped off, and I was so depressed, when another publisher said they would publish my book, but that it would cost £199, I said YES.

Some of my fellow authors were outraged. Not at me personally, but that such publishers could do that. Vanity Publishing. And no serious author would touch them with a barge pole.

Well, I learned my lesson. I do not pay anything now. BUT, times have changed. The past year has seen an explosion as far as self-publishing is concerned, and many people have taken advantage. The Kindle platform has opened up the sort of possibilities that could not even have been dreamed of when I began. But, with it has come a deep concern. One, to do with quality. And two, that people are being lured into getting their name into print and are being asked to pay for the privilege.
It is seen as a ´money-making´opportunity, and the old ideals of craft and art, of creativity, are being side-lined by this idea of it being a business, a means to make money. That upsets me.

I don´t write to make money. It would be nice, but my raison d´etre is to create. I will continue to do so. Perhaps that is the real reason why my sales are so low. All this marketting malarky, it doesn´t sit comfortably with me. Publicity is essential, of course, but…the reason I do what I do is because I cannot help it. I am creative. I create. End of.

Q) You live in Spain now, am I right? Why did you leave England?

A) Yes, I live in Spain now and it was for my job. I’m a teacher and wanted a bit of a change. I looked at France first, then a job came up in Spain. I thought I would come here for a year, then go back, but the time simply flew by. I’ve been here five years now.

Q) How many books have you written whilst you’ve been in Spain?

A) Funnily enough, my first published books came out whilst I was here. Although only two of my fourteen published novels are set in Spain, it was quite an inspirational place…was, and is I suppose. Although my latest books are not set in Spain. Road Kill and Whipped Up are set in the UK, and Minus Life, the one I am currently working on, is set in a future UK.

Q) Yet, I sense you think about England a lot from the subject matter of your latest book “Road Kill” which is set on Bodmin Moor.

A) Yes, very much so. England is home. It’s where I grew up, and it will always be more of a home than Spain ever will. I’d still like to live in France, though.

Q) What do you miss about England? Do you romantically reminisce about our homeland? I always find myself doing that when I’m abroad.

A) YES! Dear old Blighty! I have been very fortunate to work in a profession that gives me the opportunity to live and work in different places. I loved them all. Especially Suffolk, I have to say. I made some good friends there. I went back to Merseyside last summer, to see my daughter. Met up with my old friends. I didn’t want to leave!!! It’s true, you never appreciate something until it is gone…

Q) So of all the books you’ve written, which is your favourite?

A) That, Nick, is an interesting question– not hard to answer as such, but because they all mean so much to me. Perhaps Death’s Dark Design if I could pick one of my books as a hit that would be number one, I think. However, I still don’t think I have written my best one! Each book I write is simply another stepping stone to reaching that.

Q) Do you believe you are still growing as an artist?

A) Definitely! With everything I write, I am becoming increasingly more self-critical, analytical. I have always been something of a perfectionist…I was very impatient at first, but I am getting better and I now want to do the best I can…but I still write fast.

Q) Do you think a writer needs to care about punctuation, or is that an editor’s job?

A) Absolutely it is the job of the writer! A writer should be proficient at punctuation and grammar, but that comes with practise. The best way to get punctuation right is to read it back to yourself OUT LOUD. You have to get the pacing right.

Q) Do you teach English?

No! History with a little bit of geography and ICT (Information Computer Technology). I would say history, however, is very closely linked to English. It requires a high degree of writing ability. Don’t forget, there is a STORY in history…listen to Simon Schama and you’ll see how true that is.

Q) I’m a history nut myself. I wanted to study history at university. Didn’t get there though.

A) Ah…I love history. It is my passion, and has been since I was a little boy. My key interest is military history. At school I teach medieval history which I love– also the time periods of the Tudors and Stuarts.

Q) So tell me, how did you get into writing horror?

A) I read Dracula when I was thirteen. I loved every second of it.

Q) What grabbed you about the book?

A) It’s sense of atmosphere, period, its brewing sensuality…but mainly its total originality. What a story! To bring together those disparate myths, legends, and realities into one vision– tremendous.

Q) Tell me about a catalyst that changed your life?

A) I watched Genesis back in 1980 and I realised something– all those dreams I had back in the late ’70s of being an author I hadn’t realised yet. I saw them again in 2007, at fifty years of age, and I still hadn’t done it, so I decided there and then I was going to write and write and write until I was published. I did and I’ve never stopped! I plan to get out at least four if not five books a year.

I’ve got a lot of catching up to do and time does not wait for any man or woman in this world.

Q) True, it doesn’t. I personally think you will get a hit eventually and it will come as a surprise.

A) I hope so! Then I can give up teaching, buy a little farm house in Burgundy, and put out ten a year instead !!!

Q) Getting back to your latest book– how do you feel about it?

A) ROAD KILL? I love it even though I changed the ending at the eleventh hour. Funnily enough, I’ve just released a book called INTERLOPERS FROM HELL. That’s an exclusive for your blog, Nick! I’ve been saving that one just for you!

Interlopers from Hell

Q) Thank you, Stuart! So how would you sum up Road Kill in two sentences?

A) A tale of violence and terror, of one man’s fall into insanity, and another’s loss of himself. Both meet, but only one survives the clutches of the beast.

Q) You personally saw the beast you write about in Road Kill, right?

A) Yes, I did when I was coming home from Bodmin. Across the moor, as black as night it was…. and that tail… it was the tail that did it. I had had a drink free night, before you ask, spending a pleasant evening wargaming with my good friends and so my mind was clear. It was terrifying and the Beast closes my book which is only fitting.

Q) Well, I think we will have to stop there for the time being. I can’t wait until our next interview. Thanks, Stuart– it’s been a pleasure again.

So there you have another interview with a man destined to be read around the world. Road Kill will be available soon. I hope you check it out. I am going to make sure I get a copy. Be sure to visit Stuart’s website, also.

Stuart Yates

Jan 10

Everyone’s a Winner With Laura Kendall– Nick Wale interviews an Author and Self Publishing Guru

L J KendellI am one of those guys who always looks for a service offered. When people ask me for interviews, I am the first to explain what I offer. Searching through the internet I found Laura Kendall who offers her services as a “self publishing consultant.” I had never heard of one of those– so I emailed her and asked her to join me on this blog for an interview. Who I found was a woman who knew what she was doing and obviously gives more than she takes. Laura Kendall should be the first stop for all of you who want to publish a book.

Q ) Hi, Laura! So tell me about your experiences as a writer? How did you start?

A) I started in 1996 after reading a Patrica Cornwell suspense novel. I decided to write one myself and thought, “Well, how hard can that be?” I found out how hard. Mystery and suspense needs lots of plotting and twist and turns. Plus, I lacked confidence in myself so it took me until 2007 to finally finish my first book entitled A Simple Case of Suicide.

Q) How did Patricia Cornwell inspire you? What made her the catalyst for you to start writing?

A) Her novels drew me in to the point I forgot about my life and really felt like I was in the story. Her characters are real and complex just like people are. Her plots are also very intricate and keep you guessing. I loved her books and still do.

Q) So tell me about that first book you wrote– A Simple Case of Suicide— what’s it about?

A) I work as a paramedic and have for the last twenty-six years. We get called out frequently to do pronouncements of death as part of the job. I thought, “”What if I was ever called to a scene to do a pronouncement where the lead investigator said it was suicide, but clearly there were signs it was murder? What would happen if no one believed me and I set out to investigate on my own with the killer being someone very close to the investigation?” So, Paramedic Kendall Rose was born and her cohort partner CJ Wagner. Together they set out to investigate and all heck breaks loose. The book has been well received and people really seem to enjoy reading it to the point they can’t put it down and stay up all night reading. This just makes my day and it helps quiet the inner critic that often pops up in a writer.

Q) I know that inner critic well. Did you ever feel, as I have, that writing is just a dream?

A) Absolutely. I thought, “Who will ever want to read my book?” Well, it turns out lots of people do and really enjoy the ones I’ve written. Now, with the advent of the internet and the amazing opportunities for self publishing authors, the sky is the limit. I believe that every book you write and publish can be a mini-business earning you income. I haven’t mastered the marketing end yet, but I’m working on it. After writing the first book and gaining confidence and quieting a little that inner critic, the other eight just seemed to fly out. It is my passion in life to now to empower other writers to squash that inner critic and write their book – self publish it and be a published author.

Q) Are you looking for authors to work with you actively? Could readers get in touch and talk to you and gain help?

A) Yes! I obtained my Professional Coaching Certification in 2011 and discovered the niche I am passionate about is self publishing. Nothing lights me up more than seeing one of my clients write, self publish their book on Amazon, Nook and Kobo and have a new outlook and belief in themselves. It is an awesome feeling.

My website is www.adaringwriters.com and my email is ljkendallcompany (@) gmail.com for anyone who is interested in exploring self publishing and the opportunities out there. I coach clients through the writing process and publishing. I also will publish the books for my clients in paperback and ebook form if they do not want to do it themselves. What is unique about me as a publisher is I publish the book for a flat fee and hand over the reins to my clients. Their royalties are theirs to keep–100%.

Q) So, what is your flat fee?

A) My fee for publishing a book to Amazon.com as a paperback and Kindle is $750.00 US. Pubit (which is Nook) is $350.00 as it requires more work to format; and Kobo is $250.00. I do not do editing as I am just not good at that, but I do have an editor I work with who is a professional coach and editor. My coaching fee is $75.00 an hour. The only time there may be an additional fee is if the formatting is horrible for the paperback version, but I coach clients through the basics so the book is usually well-formatted before it gets to me for upload. I also provide a unique cover for the book as well.

Q) Well, your fees sound very reasonable to me. How many books have you worked with? Do you prefer any particular genre?

A) I prefer fiction, self-help and metaphysical books. These are what I have mainly done for my clients and myself, but I’m always open for learning.

Q) How does it feel to be working with authors and making their dreams come true?

A) It is my passion. I believe that everyone has the answers already within them and, through coaching, we not only work on the book, but the inner critic as well. My clients are so excited and happy when they see their book live on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo as well as their own website with a digital store. This has really restored my excitement and sense of purpose in my life. I absolutely love coaching, publishing, writing and most of all, my amazing clients.

Q) I know the feeling– that’s why I love doing these interviews. Just to share some of the excitement of publishing a book is a thrill. So what is next for you?

A) I’m currently in the process of writing a sequel to my book Witches Enchantment and it is called Vampire – Seduction of a Cougar Witch. I also have a third book in the Simple Case series in the works. Plus, I get to work with other authors and coaches publishing their books. I have the most amazing and awesome job.

Q) Could you give me some titles of books you’ve worked on? I’ll make sure there’s links to them with this interview.

A) Sure! A Simple Case of Suicide and A Simple Case of Revenge are my suspense thrillers; Witches Enchantment is my paranormal romance; Goddess School is an empowerment book for women over 50; Hurricane Deadly is a book I wrote after living through the terror of Hurrricane Sandy; A Daring Writer’s Handbook and its companion workbook A Daring Writer’s Workbook help writers with plotting, formatting, scene setting, character development etc.; my medical books are The Top Five 911 Emergencies and How to Handle Them Until the Paramedics Arrive and The Top Five Winter Emergencies and How to Handle Them Until The Paramedics Arrive. I write under the name L.J. Kendall for my fiction novels and Laura J. Kendall for my self help and medical. They are available as paperbacks on Amazon.com, Kindle and ebooks for Nook and Kobo.

Q) You are certainly prolific. I think a lot of authors would be making the right move to work with you. Do you ever turn down manuscripts sent to you?

A) I don’t want to say “turn down,” but if they are poorly written, formatted and edited I will try to work with the writer and coach them in those areas. With coaching, my clients are able to work through many of those areas and getting a non-judgemental opinion can really be refreshing for a writer used to rejection or criticism. I will say it is very important to have your book professionally edited. I made the mistake of putting A Simple Case of Suicide out there after having friends good at grammar and English edit. Let me tell you I got three reviews from people telling me how badly they were edited. They all said they loved the story, but my editing sucked. Reviews show up on Amazon and influence how people will buy your book. Now that the book has been professionally edited, those negative reviews have stopped and sales are picking up.

Q) That’s wonderful news! I get the feeling that you truly care for the authors you work with. Have you had any success stories yet? Or would you say each new entry on Amazon is a success story?

A) I say each person who dares to write and put themselves and their books out there are heads above the average person. That is why my writing books are called A Daring Writer’s because we as writers really do open ourselves up for review, critique and criticism. So I say all my authors are successes whether they only give their books away to family members or they sell a million. For them to have taken that leap of faith makes them winners in my book!

So there we have another godsend to Authors! If you have a manuscript and you don’t want to make the journey by yourself– or you need someone to help you make it to success– you need to meet Laura and work with her. Thank you for coming over for the interview!

A Simple Case Of Suicide!

 

Jan 09

Playwright Jerry Rabushka Spills the Beans About His New Book

Jerry Rabushka is another of those guys I came across quite by accident. I was looking for new people to interview, as always. I saw a posting from him about his new book Star Bryan. What did I do next? I messaged him, of course, and asked him over to “Novel Ideas” for an interview with yours truly. Little did I know that Jerry is a well read and received playwright who has worked on numerous articles for his own magazines “The Paint Dealer” and “The Paint Contractor”. Then, I discovered that Jerry is also an accomplished musician with his own band. So what did we talk about? Cast your eyes downwards to see all revealed.

A Portrait of Jerry by Brett Steen

Jerry- Courtesy of Brett Steen

Q) Nice to meet you, Jerry. So tell me a bit about yourself.

A) Well, let’s see… I’m 52, I live in St. Louis, MO, and always have. In “real life,” I’m a magazine editor. I’ve written lots of plays, a few novels, I’m a pianist, composer/songwriter, etc. I have lots of published plays that are put on all over USA and sometimes abroad. Anything else?

Q) What’s the name of your magazine?

A) We have two, The Paint Dealer and The Paint Contractor. They are both trade magazines– one for independent paint retailers and one for professional painters. I’ve been at this job for twenty years

Q) You’re a talented guy. Would you agree with that statement?

A) Well, I like to think so.

Q) What would you name as your greatest achievement?

A) I don’t know, I was just thinking about that. I tend to be an overachiever. I think getting this book published was pretty cool, plus perhaps creating a body of over one hundred plays adds up to something useful.

Q) Can you name some of your best known plays? Some have stretched over the ocean to make it to the UK, right?

A) I think my most produced are “Lotto Date,” “Seeking Asylum” and “Jack, The Beanstalk, and Social Services.” I wrote a play called “Cinderella and the Birkenstocks” that was put on in Falkirk, Scotland by the Big Bad Wolf Children’s theater, it looks like it was quite a show! They usually do Disney type plays so I was honored to be in that mix

Q) Have you ever travelled to the UK?

A) Nope… but I’ve been to 49 states and a few provinces in Canada.

Q) Detroit?

A) Not in a while, but yep– well, the Metro area, I guess.

Q) Do you think Detroit deserves its reputation as the most dangerous city in the USA?

A) Well, I know it has lots of problems, but then again, St. Louis is usually rated #3 [most dangerous city] and I live here, and it all depends where you go. I’m sure there’s parts of both cities you’d want to avoid and parts that are really nice. There is a sense that Detroit needs to “start over.”

Q) It’s been said that the police are slowly turning the tide and cleaning the city up– would you place credence in that statement?

A) just from what I’ve read, yep. A lot of cities in the Midwest have declined and there’s a move to bring back central cities rather than expand any farther out

Q) Allentown, PA is another example of a declining city. Have you visited?

A) Nope, but just yesterday I heard a step-relative was planning a wedding there. Because of my job, I would visit paint stores all over America, so I’ve been to big and small cities and there’s cool things about both. I guess it’s natural that certain cities grow and others shrink, and every place can’t be at its zenith at once.

Q)Would you say, as a writer, you are at your zenith right now?

A) Hee hee.. Actually, I think I am much improved. I’m finding a new style lately. I like to think that in creative things like writing and music, that people get better as they get older due to the experience of doing it, and just having lived longer and knowing more things.

Q) So if you could give one piece of advice to your twenty year-old self, what would it be?

A) “Be patient” plus look for support and advice from people who are more experienced because you don’t know it all. Sometimes people will do more to discourage you than anything, and you need to be strong enough to believe in yourself and tell them to shove off.

Q) Have you ever felt as though you weren’t making enough progress with your written work?

A) There was a time I wrote a LOT of plays quickly, and I felt they were suffering in quality, so I stopped for a bit just to kind of recoup. I was lucky in that I found a publisher who really likes my plays and has encouraged me to write a lot. Yep, I guess I’m frustrated sometimes. I wish i was a “bigger name” than I am. I guess a lot of us do.

Q) So how did you start writing? What starting that ball rolling?

A) I used to write little stories even when I was six years old– just always did it. Once, I showed a short story to an English teacher, and she suggested it could be a play, and while I’d written a few plays at that time, that kind of got me more into playwriting, too.

I wrote a novel at seventeen; I guess that was my first “big thing” and I’m thinking of rewriting it now.

Q) Have you looked back and thought, “Yeah, I can make this better” or do you just like tinkering with work?

A) Sometimes you look at old stuff and go “eeewww why did I ever think that was any good?” With that particular novel I think there’s a lot of good in it, but it needs to have some better overall writing. The trick is, can I keep the same perspective thirty-five years later?

However, I think you need to write a lot that might not be so good, and just learn the craft so it’s not wasted time at all.

Q) So your advice to a young writer unsure of their work would be…?

A) Keep writing, plus perhaps find someone who is supportive and not cruel. No one needs to hear “this sucks” so much as “here’s how you might improve this.”

Also, read… I’ve been reading some classic novels and I can see how every sentence is constructed with care and thought, not just slapped together, and why these people are considered masters.

Green Fence

From a production of Green Fence – one of Jerry’s plays

Q) I imagine before you agreed to this interview you checked out my work. What did you think? Did a particular interview help you decide to be interviewed by me?

A) It was that it looked professional, and I didn’t feel I’d have anything to fear about being part of something half-assed. I interview people all the time for work, and I like to pride myself on getting their points of view across, which is why they’ll talk to me repeatedly.

Q) I agree– I try to get that feel into my work. I want my readers to know you as a writer. I must admit it’s a great thing for me working with a pro like yourself.

A) Aww, thanks. I feel lucky I make a living as a writer even if it’s about paint mostly, it’s still writing. Yay!

Q) Same here, we’ve all got to eat!

A) Yep… I like to eat. Too much sometimes, but who doesn’t like a good pancake?

Q) Do you guys have pancake day in the States?

A) Not that I know of, but we should. Besides, every day is pancake day.

I wrote a play where pancakes featured prominently.

Q) You did? What was it called? I need to read that one!

A) It’s “Woof! The Road Show” about a couple guys taking a “gay romance” play on the road. There’s a scene about “I love your pancakes almost as much as I love you.”

Q) I’d love to see it. Would you say your plays and books touch upon taboo subjects?

A) Many of them do, yep. I can run the gamut from clean enough for grandma to dirty enough for your other grandma.

Q) (laughs) That brings me to your latest novel. What’s it called and could you tell my readers what it’s about?

A) It’s called “Star Bryan,” which is the name of the main character. In the tradition of books like “Moll Flanders” and “Joseph Andrews” I thought it was a cool title. Essentially, Star leaves a bad relationship and spends the book trying to “find himself,” dealing with ex-boyfriends, current boyfriend, and other hangers on… plus coming to terms that his family might not be as loving and supportive as he used to think.

It’s hard to put 236 pages into a sentence, but there’s a good synopsis on the publishers website.

For me, Star’s problem is he tries to solve everyone else’s problems, and creates more for himself as well as the people he tries to “fix.”

Q) He’s a good guy essentially?

A) He’s a good guy who makes mistakes and has a problem saying “no” when sexual opportunity comes his way and he should run the other way.

Q) I understand your book deals with the black gay scene, correct? How have people taken to your work so far?

A) Yep… almost all the characters are black. Not sure I’d say it’s about “a scene” but perhaps so. The folks who have read it seemed to like it, they like the characters in it, particularly Star’s sister Arielle. People who aren’t black and gay are enjoying it, too; it’s not like you have to BE the character to like the book.

Q) Exactly, Jerry. So, do you believe this could be a groundbreaking book?

A) Well, I’d like to think so. I know there aren’t a ton of books about this particular topic but there are a lot if you look for them. I think what I’m good at is translating a “gay experience” to real life so that anyone can be comfy reading it. However, on the other hand, I‘ve never really seen a book quite like this but since I read older writing, that would make sense.

Q) I’ve read excerpts from this book. Would you agree with me that the book is suitable for the general readers out there? It’s not specialised.

A) I think so. There’s not a lot of “inside jokes” or anything. I think anyone can relate to the idea of just trying to put your life back together and trying to figure out “who you are.” Actually, to me, one of the cool parts of the book is the whole family dynamic in how he related to mom, dad, sis, etc.

Q) Do you think the whole “gay” stigma has become much reduced in recent years?

A) totally. Not everywhere, but I think it’s less unique. When I started writing gay characters in the ’80s, it was a way bigger deal than it is now. Since I’m gay, it’s where my heart is in writing about someone, as far as I can “feel” him. I think for me, character is more important than plot, though obviously you need a good story or no one will care.

Q) You know, Jerry, I spent much of my teenage life around a guy who was gay and it really taught me a lot about life itself. Being gay was shunned in the small village I grew up in, yet this guy was almost like a father to me. I have never in my life understood why anyone would choose to be “homophobic.”

A) I think it’s taught, obviously, plus people who don’t have a problem with gay people are afraid to say so, because others will just scorn and ostracize them.

Q) Yes, I found that in school quite a bit. People found out my mother’s best friend was “gay” and suddenly people would ignore me or whatever. I think it’s important that we have books like yours to get people out of their small minds and learn to be open-minded and accepting.

A) Well, yep, it should be obvious that gay people are “just like everyone else” but it’s not, because so many people educated their community that we are horrible and perverted, etc. It makes gay folks feel like they are, if that’s all they hear. In the book, I tried to avoid a lot of that but, of course, Star has to deal with problems of prejudice, both in and out of his family.

Q) Do you think it’s important for young gay people to be open and to stand up and say “Yes, I’m gay. Get over yourselves, haters!”

A) More or less, yep. Though if coming out would endanger your life, then perhaps you should wait for better circumstances. But on the whole, you shouldn’t make being gay “your problem.”

Q) I’ve got to tell you, Jerry, I like your book a lot. When will it be available to buy?

A) Thanks, very much! It’s available now online, at Amazon and from the publisher directly at Rebel Satori Press.

Q) Thanks, Jerry. I’ve really enjoyed this interview and I hope your book is a huge success!

I left this interview knowing that this would be an interesting article. Sometimes guys you just have to send a random email to a random person to find a gem. This was certainly a gem.

star bryanLinks for Jerry Rabushka:

Many of his plays are available at:
Get a copy of the wonderful Star Bryan novel here: UK  USA
Check out Jerry’s band The Ragged Blade Band through these links!

Jan 07

The World of Pure Imagination– Nick Wale Interviews Upcoming Fantasy Author Bex Pavia

Today I interviewed a woman who just couldn’t say no to writing the book deep inside of her. After many attempts and learning curves she sat down to write. The words flowed out from deep within her imagination and now she has almost completed the first one of her creations. I present an interview with fantasy author Bex Pavia.

Q) So you are currently working on your first book, Bex. What is it called?

A) It’s called Marcus Ryan & The Sanctum of Souls, currently. As it’s the first book in a series, that may be open to slight alteration.

Q) So what drove you to write a book?

A) Well, like many authors, I’d dreamed of writing a book for as long as I could remember. However, also like many authors, I had put it off, quit after a couple of chapters (maximum), and generally never really committed to anything. Then, at the beginning of 2012, the idea for this story quite literally came to me in a flash of inspiration. It continued to grow and push its way into my mind, until ignoring it was no longer an option; the book just ‘had’ to be written.

Q) You felt that you had to give birth to your first work? How does it feel to have that feeling of growing “creativity” inside you?

A) Ha, yes ‘giving birth to it’ is a good way of putting it; it’s definitely my baby. It might sound a bit like a bad line from a cheesy movie, but it’s like something I’ve never experienced before, almost spiritual. It’s certainly changed the way I feel about a lot of things, including myself.

Q) I think a lot of writers would get how you feel. How can you best describe the changes for readers?

A) Cor blimey, talk about tricky questions! Well, to try to put it as simply as possible, it’s just a greater sense of self awareness I think, plus a huge dash of extra confidence thrown in. That’s how it feels to me, anyway.

Q) So are you a naturally confident person?

A) Hmm, some would say I am, though I think I’m just a good actress at times. Personally, I think I have a lot of self-doubt, which impairs any natural confidence I might have, if that makes sense.

Q) It does. So how do you personally feel about your work?

A) At times I love it, at times I dislike it a little bit. What can I say, I’m prone to mood swings.

Q) That’s the creativity whirling around! Do you consider writing as an art?

A) Absolutely!

Q) So how has the public taken to your work so far?

A) From the snippets I’ve shared, pretty favourably I think. The decision to set up a Facebook page as a way to garner some interest and pre-publishing has been a good one. People seem to like what they see. I can’t ask for more than that.

Q) I myself have read snippets and loved them! So what is Marcus Ryan & The Sanctum of Souls” about?

A) Now, here is where I may stumble over my words; I’m not great with summing this story up. Basically, it’s set in a fantasy world of a bygone era. In that world a young man, born with magic coursing through his veins, spends the majority of his life actively avoiding magic for reasons he can’t explain. He doesn’t take life particularly seriously until the day a stranger, with no emotions, introduces him to a past he never knew existed. Discovering even his own soul is unknown to him– he must take on the responsibility of saving an ancient race and ending the reign of a present evil.

Q) Sounds interesting– that really is a creative book. How long have you been working on it?

A) Thank you. I started planning, at least in my head, sometime around February last year. I didn’t actually start writing until June-July.

Q) How do you write? With music? Silence?

A) Depends a bit on the scene. I use music a LOT for inspiration, or to simply set the mood. Certain sections of the book have been much easier to write with epic music blaring into my ears from my over-sized headphones. At other times, I’ve only been able to complete a piece of writing in complete silence.

Q) Sounds like a wonderland of creativity. Who are your favourite authors? Do you try to write in their style or have you created a style of your own?

A) It is probably a terrible thing to admit, but I’m actually more of a movie-buff than a reader. That’s it, authors everywhere will be throwing their hands up in the air, reciting the mantra, ‘one must read lot to write better’! I DO love books though, and obviously I’ve read a few. I guess the authors I like range from my childhood favourites, Roald Dahl and Rudyard Kipling, to those I’ve read as an adult, such as James Herbert and of course, Tolkien. Does my style emulate any of theirs? No, probably not. If it’s like anyone’s, it’s a writer I’ve come to love very recently, David Gaider. He primarily writes for video games but his fantasy books (from said games) definitely inspired me a great deal. I’d like to think I can write as well as he does. Generally though, I do think my style is my own.

Q) So you’re a video games fan? Do you get time to play many?

A) I make time. Yes, I love RPG’s. Those are instant gratification for the fantasy writer, I believe.

Q) So how do you spend your spare time? Other than playing games and writing, do you have other hobbies?

A) With three children, too, that is about all I can fit in. I’m lucky to have very understanding kids.

Q) Indeed! So how do you find juggling being a mother and a writer?

A) As I said, they are very accepting of the writer in me. They aren’t babies anymore so they do a lot for themselves. However, I also home educate my eldest two, so that has to take precedence over my writing. We have a pretty easy-going set-up in our house, so I can’t complain.

Q) What comes next after Marcus Ryan & The Sanctum of Souls? Another book perhaps?

A) In theory. Sanctum if Souls is the first of a planned series. I have a general idea for the subsequent books, though how many there will be is uncertain at this stage. As for titles… not even contemplated.

Q) You’re planning to self publish, right? Did you turn away from publishing houses for a reason?

A) Yes, I am. I guess I just live by the motto that life is far too short. Originally, as a complete newcomer to the literary world, I’d insisted there was no way I’d consider self-publishing; I wanted a publishing house to acknowledge that my work was up to scratch. Then I researched the process as it stands these days and discovered that years can be spent even getting a manuscript looked at, let alone accepted, and that’s with an agent. I returned to focus on my dream, to simply have a published book, and decided that life IS far too short to waste years only to perhaps never get anywhere close. Self-publishing seemed the logical path to choose given what I wanted to achieve.

Q) Where can people keep up with your progress? I’m sure there are a lot of fantasy readers who will be excited to read your work.

A) The main place I share my progress with this book is on Facebook. I do also have a blog where I share other things I’ve written, poems, etc. 

Q) Wonderful! Well thank you for your time, Bex! I hope you’ve enjoyed yourself during our interview!

A) Thank you, Nick, and yes, it wasn’t anywhere near as terrifying as I thought.

I sometimes wonder how terrifying I can be? I guess I just have a grizzly edge! However, I am glad that Bex Pavia enjoyed our interview because I enjoyed it, too! Follow this author guys! You won’t regret it!

Jan 06

To Pay or Not to Pay– That is the Question.

Have you ever been approached by a blogger who asked you, as an author, to pay for an interview?

Did you say no?

Why did you say no?

Because you don’t pay for interviews?

Bloggers should work for free?

Why?

Nick Wale wonders why bloggers are asked to work for free.

“I don’t pay for interviews!” is a phrase some people throw around. This is a common answer whenever the words “An interview will cost…” are said. I have often wondered why people don’t want pay for interviews. Surely, a blogger is spending their time and effort to help someone make money. Why should the blogger not be reimbursed for their time and effort?

Why is there a consensus that bloggers should work for free? Who came up with that idea? Do all writers give their books away? Do freelance journalists work for free? Do builders? Architects? No, they expect fair compensation, and I don’t believe that any blogger charging a fair fee for a promotional interview should be penalised for it.

Writing blog articles is the easiest bit of the whole thing. However, finding readers, promoting authors and their books, increasing name recognition, furthering someone’s work– that is PR and PR is a paid-for commodity.

However, I should be clear on one thing– free interviews can also be a good thing. Bloggers who want to gain clients should not just start a blog and suddenly expect $50 per interview. No. I believe that a base has to be built and free interviews do just that. If you are lucky enough to work for some great people then you build up your credibility.

I also believe that trading interviews, sharing articles and hosting guest bloggers are fantastic ideas. There’s something special about a guest article placed on your blog. I have enjoyed a few of these. Like-for-like trading is the cornerstone of civilisation.

I digress, however. My point is when you have a following and you are giving people your time and effort– I ask this– is it unreasonable to charge? Most bloggers work to the advantage of the author. Why shouldn’t they ask for a price? Some writers in the main believe that it is unreasonable to pay; but if they want the PR– the time and effort a blogger spends– doesn’t it make sense to pay?

I do not believe $100 per interview is a price anyone can ask. I do believe $20-30 is reasonable. If the blogger has a good back catalogue of interviews; if the blogger has a publicity programme; and if the blogger works hard.

I always try to find the most interesting people for my blog. That is one of my stipulations. I want interesting content and, yes, I am building up a business. I am happy to spend time and effort to promote an author I believe in. If an author believes in promotion, believes in the value of blogger’s work, is a blogger not worth paying?

I was once told, “You’re not worth paying for because your blog ranking isn’t high enough.” Then why did you want an interview on my blog for free instead? Why did you approach me? If you don’t feel my blog has enough visibility, why waste both our time?

The answer is simple. I was good enough to be used; good enough to help; but not good enough to get paid for my help. That, my friends, is where I said no and built up a collection of references that showed I could do what I promised and I was credible. I no longer hear those words. I just say what I need and people smile and say, “Yes, please.”

The advantages of paying for an interview are numerous. The blogger will want to make your interview his best so far, his biggest interview. In an effort to accomplish this aim, the blogger will actively work to promote you! A sensibly priced interview will allow a blogger to continue working, build up a business and make money to support him or herself. In this recession, there are so many people out of work. Let’s pay for interviews so we can keep bloggers in employment. Let’s get people business and create a fair priced blogging promotion system so people can work for you. A blogger who gets paid will work harder for you as an author, and aren’t things worth having worth paying for?

However, for all those who want something for nothing, I am going to try their technique. The next time I go shopping, I am going to say, “Your food isn’t worth paying for,” and I’m going to ask if I can have it for free.

The answer of course will be an outraged no! I am finding that is the answer many bloggers are now finding themselves saying to authors who don’t want to pay for a valuable service. I would be happy to pay for a job well done. Wouldn’t you?

Jan 06

Proofreader on the Prowl– Nick Wale interviews LoriAnn Murray-Linek

LoriAnn Murray-Linek– child of the eighties and traveler of the world has gone into business proofing and editing manuscripts. Now, I’m a guy who needs editing. You can ask people I’ve interviewed and they’ll tell you that without editing, Nick Wale is a windbag. So, of course, it delights me that my wife-to-be is a grammar gremlin. Let me tell you, she is one helluva proofreader! Just ask her clients!

Q) Hi, Lori– nice to see you have a moment to spend with your husband-to-be! Tell me a little about yourself. It’s about time I asked!

A) Well, I had the privilege of growing up with parents who loved reading and all the arts, really, so I’ve always been around massive quantities of books. I was an “oops” kid they had late in life, so I essentially grew up an only child. I frequently had to amuse myself and, for me, that meant hours with my nose in a book of some sort.

As a result of reading about so many different subjects, my own interests are wide and varied. I’ve worked as a travel agent, spent several years teaching English as a Foreign Language in Korea, did a stint as a paralegal, have a degree in computer networking, and another in pharmacology. Medicine is a love of mine and one of my specialties is writing about medical subjects– especially alternative medicine. I’m also a keen philatelist and cross-stitcher.

Q) What drew you into the world of proofreading and editing though? Surely, you’d rather be writing?

A) I do love writing and I feel good writers make the best editors and proofreaders. If one loves the storytelling process, then it’s easy to guide another writer to improve their own writing style in an effort to craft a great story. I’m also terribly OCD– one of the curses of being a classic Virgo. As a result, I’m very detail-oriented and catch little things many people might not see such as a missing period or a wayward quotation mark. I seem to have a natural penchant for English grammar, but I do often rely on my trusty reference manuals, as well!

Q) So how do you feel about proofreading and the editing process? Do you feel you are hired to add to the story? Or do you feel that your job is to make the story run smoothly and efficiently to make the writer’s work look good?

A) I’ve heard a few horror stories about editors who have picked apart and re-worked a story to such a degree it was nearly unrecognizable to the author. My view is much more conservative. My strength definitely lies in making a manuscript look good and read smoothly– proper grammar, subject-verb agreement, punctuation, formatting, etc. However, I will make suggestions from an editorial perspective where appropriate. For example, I might suggest “better” word choices, recommend removal of extraneous material that may detract from the plot line, bring attention to “holes” in the story, suggest additional character development, if necessary, etc. For the most part though, the author has crafted a work of art that should be minimally changed to preserve the integrity of the product. I see my part simply to make it flow smoothly to the greatest degree possible.

Q) So why should an author pick you for their proofreader? Why are you special?

A) First of all, as a writer myself, and my own worst critic, I am very gentle when it comes to criticism. Nobody wants to hear, “This is crap. Throw it out and start over!” I see one of my primary roles as one of guide, and if I can help a writer to grow in the perfection of their art, that is very fulfilling for me. There are gentle ways to communicate changes to be made. It doesn’t have to be a harsh, nasty business.

Secondly, I’m prompt. Jobs are usually delivered when I originally promise them (frequently earlier), and if there’s a snag, I will communicate immediately. I always answer emails and stay in close contact with people.

Finally, I’m an easy person to work with. I’m quite easy-going and pleasant (if I do say so myself!) I truly enjoy interacting with many different kinds of people.

Q) You recently underwent brain surgery and then gall bladder surgery. How does it feel to be back in the saddle working?

A) Wonderful!! I didn’t even know I had a brain tumor for several months before it was diagnosed. All I knew was I felt I was slowly circling the drain. I’m a naturally energetic person and feeling so badly for so long really took a toll on my psyche. A few months after I was back on my feet after brain surgery, I was back in the hospital having my gall bladder removed and was down for another month after that. Suffice it to say, I’m done with major medical issues for a while! Fortunately, I have had plenty of downtime since then to really regain my strength and feel one hundred percent again. I’m raring to go!

Q) Ready to take on the world? What kind of work do you like to do? What kind of manuscripts send you into a frenzy?

A) I love all great stories, regardless of genre. I’m not a big horror fan, but I am still happy to proofread a horror manuscript. Axe murderers and Zombies still need to use correct punctuation, after all!

At the risk of divulging one of my biggest secrets–that I am a complete geek–I really like academic and technical documents, especially anything related to medicine. My first editing job when I was a teenager was re-typing and editing a manual for a hospital radiology department. It was over two thousand pages long. Originally, I was only meant to re-type it; but, since I have these wonderful OCD tendencies, I was fixing errors as I went along and re-wrote parts to improve readability. When the head of the Radiology Department saw the first few chapters, he said I had actually made it enjoyable to read! If that doesn’t make me a geek, I’m not sure what does.

Q) Well, if the head of the Radiology Department was impressed, that’s enough for me. You’re hired! How much are you?

A) I prefer to base pricing on the complexity of the project. To that end, I request a sample– the first ten pages or first chapter usually suffices. A relatively “simple” project–one that needs only proofing, minor grammatical changes and very light content editing, for example– runs $3 per page (12 point font, based on a average of 280 words per page).

A “complex” project–a manuscript with many grammatical and punctuation errors, formatting problems, and requiring more editorial “body work” is $8 per page.

A manuscript that falls in the middle will be priced appropriately.

I don’t charge a flat rate because every document is different.

Q) So how can people get in touch with you?

A) I’m constructing a website that will be live at the end of this month. Until then, contact me through Facebook (LoriAnn Murray). You may also email me at proofperfectinfo (@) gmail.com

Well guys, you’ve heard it yourself and now I’m telling you again. Need a proofreader? I have a fiancee who is happy to take on those duties! Thanks, honey!

Jan 03

Stuart Yates Yammers about the Wonders and Pitfalls of Publishing

Stuart Yates. I’m sure many of you will be happy to meet him through my latest interview. Stuart is a prolific writer who has had many brushes with publishers contracts. We talk about the wonders, the pitfalls and getting those all important sales from the publishing world. All of this and we still managed to talk about his new book “Road Kill”, too! Enjoy!

Q) Hi, Stuart, great to meet you! Are you ready to begin?

A) Sure!

Q) So, tell me about your beginning– your influences, for example, at the start of your writing career.

A) In those early days…I mean, we’re talking late 60s, early 70s… I would have to mention Deighton, James Mitchell, Ian Fleming. I love Diamonds are Forever, and still rate Casino Royale as one of the great spy thrillers of all time. My preferences change all the time. Right now, I’d have to say Robert B. Parker and Elmore Leonard. They have a very sparse style that allows you to effortlessly enter their world. I like that.

Q) Who would you say was your single biggest influence?

A) Whoah… influence is a hard one to answer because I don’t consciously try to write because of anybody really. All I ever knew was that I wanted to write. I know everyone says you should read to learn. I suppose I have…but not sure who my biggest influence is at all. My favourite author writes nothing like me– Thomas Hardy– but he’s a genius. Not sure if the other people I’ve mentioned are really “geniuses”.

Q) I’m sure you were disappointed by the original incarnation of Casino Royale?

A) The David Niven thing? Awful.

Q) Do you believe great books make great movies?

A) Hang on, let me think– no! Some do, but it is not a given. Producers like to play around with the plot, don’t they? And what works on paper doesn’t always come out well in film. There are exceptions, of course! David Lean’s Oliver Twist is a masterpiece.

Q) Can you see your own books as movies?

A) YES!!! Wow, I would so love that! The Pawnbroker (that’s a Glenn Stuart YA book) would make a good film; and recently BURNT OFFERINGS would transmit well to the screen or the TV. I could see the BBC doing that!

Q) You’ve written a large number of books, am I correct?

A) Written or had published?

Q) Well, written, traditionally published and/or self published. I’m told you’re prolific.

A) Yes, I guess I am. I have not self-published. That was not something I ever thought of, to be honest. I’ve written over 20 books now, with 14 published. Next year, I should have at least 4 published, if not more. Actually, make that 30. I’ve just recounted. Over 30 written, some I’m rewriting, or finishing.

Q) If a reader had time to read just one, which would it be?

A) The problem with that is that if I could I would rewrite them all! That’s one of my biggest problems. I’m never satisfied. I always think I can do better. I suppose– whoa, I don’t know– stuck for choice if you are into YA (Young Adult), then The Pawnbroker. However, if you like grown up stuff, Burnt Offerings. Turns out, they are same as my film choices strangely enough, although I do love my very first published work Cold Hell in Darley Dene. Believe it or not, I cried at the end of that. It’s very personal to me.

Q) Yet, from recent postings on your blog, you tell of an almost non-existent sales record for your work. Why do you think that is? Your work gets picked up by publishers often. Are you perhaps more of a writer’s writer than a commercial writer?

A) I write what I’d like to term ‘entertainment’. I’m not literary nor, hopefully, pretentious. I just try and write good stories. I don’t know why my sales are low. Everyone who has read them likes them, so I think it must be the marketing. I don’t know. Maybe I don’t sell myself very well? I guess that could be a problem.

Q) Do publishers in your experience fail to push your work, perhaps?

A) Yes, every one of them. My latest publisher has been the best so far, but most just sit back and do nothing. I have signed a deal with a good publisher for a historical novel I’ve written, and they seem very proactive so far! Fingers crossed. That’s why I’m still totally convinced that the only way to make anything out of this business is to be signed by a big publisher like Harper Collins. Everyone will tell you differently and we all know the stories about self-published successes (like 50 Shades of whatever hue it is) but the reality is you can’t get noticed unless you can market your work. To do that effectively costs money.

Q) So, when you were first signed by a publisher, what did you expect from them?

A) Wow!!! GREAT things! But he was a crook. Stole my work, put his own name on it– it was awful. When I got Darley Dene published I was full of hope! I sold a few… but I soon came down to earth. However, I said to myself very early on that nothing was going to stop me from writing to the best of my ability.

Q) Have you had experience of editors who ruin work rather than add to it?

A) It still depresses me actually. I think ‘ruin’ is perhaps too strong, but I had one editor who seemed to think he knew more about my story than I did. He wanted changes and I should have resisted. I was still learning at that point. When the contract expires, I’ll put it back to how it should be. That’s something I have to make right.

Q) Which book was that?

A) Oooh, can’t tell you that! I’ll let you know when I get it re-published! Safe to say it’s nothing with STUART G YATES on the cover.

Q) A lot of my readers are self published and would love to have a contract with a publishing house. Would you warn them against it?

A) No! Getting a contract with a publishing house is great. All I would suggest is if it’s a small, so-called independent, check them out first. POL ANDERSON’S site is brilliant, so is PREDATORS AND EDITORS, but also RALAN and AUTHOR BEWARE. I would also check them out on Amazon– look at their sales, etc. Look at their web sites, too. Any publisher that spends time creating a good site is likely to take care of you.

Q) Would it be okay with you if young or newbie writers came to you for advice?

A) Absolutely. I submitted my first book in 1979 in the days of tippex and carbon paper. I have learned a lot since then– mostly about life, but also how to create stories. Anything I can do to help, I will.

Q) I’m sure a lot of people would appreciate it. I think it’s important that writers help each other out. Would you agree?

A) Yes, no doubt about that.

Q) You know, I’ve interviewed a lot of people and I have to say, you are one of the friendliest people I’ve met. Just sucking up a bit, you know!

A) Whoa. Thanks !

Q) So, moving on– do you read a lot of self published books?

A) No. I’ve tried– but, no. Sorry. I hate sounding negative.

Q) Would you say many are badly written? Boring? Is ‘self published’ a stamp for unwanted books?

A) I think that perception is changing, but unfortunately, now as it is so easy, a lot of them have not been properly edited for grammar, simple spelling mistakes, etc. Some, well, simply don’t read well. If you do self publish, you have to take the time to get the book right. As Anne Fine said, ‘IT’S WORK’ and it is. There’s no substituting critical editing. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen.

Q) I agree. So, would you say writing is a full time occupation?

A) Wow, I would so LOVE IT to be. But, yes, it is because even when I’m at my day-job, I’m thinking of writing. I often go into work with a few pages printed out, so I can go through them during my lunch break. You have to immerse yourself in the world you’ve created. You have to constantly say, ‘COULD THAT BE BETTER?’ You need to be hard on yourself, force yourself to cross out those bad bits, add good, turn it around and…throw it away and start again. I said I have written over 30 books. I’ve published 14. So where are the others? They simply are not good enough. To write, you have to know what is good and what is not. That means a full-time commitment.

Q) Would it be true to say that you have to learn your ‘trade’ as a writer?

A) Yes, for sure, and the only way to learn is…to write and read, too !!!!

Q) Would you say that your books can show the progression of one writer through his life?

A) I think they can show a writer getting better at what he does. As I write my latest book ROAD KILL, I am conscious of it being better than anything else.

Q) Tell me more about Road Kill, Stuart.

A) I used to live and work on Bodmin Moor in Cornwall. There were often stories about the Moor– most famously Jamaica Inn, but also legends of THE BEAST. I thought it was all something of a myth– a huge cat taking sheep.

Q) The Beast?

A) Yes, a cat, a wild cat, set free. There were reports in the papers. Somebody had taken a photograph but it could have been anything– a little like the Loch Ness Monster I guess; but then, one night, me being me…it came to me, “What would happen if one night, I was driving home across the Moor, and the damned thing ran out in front of me? What if it was huge, black as night and I was absolutely terrified?” Well…so, I wrote ROAD KILL about a guy who lives out on the Moor and who takes Road Kill but then….ah ha….he is confronted by…..THE BEAST!!!! (dramatic chord) I wove in a sub-plot about a teacher (me!!!) and how he becomes involved and the story grew and grew. It is very grim and very violent.

Q) Let me stop you there! We need to save some material for our next interview! It’s been a joy interviewing you, Stuart!

A) You too, Nick!

So, there we have it, I have interviewed one of the most prolific writers I have ever met. I think he gave me some good advice. I hope he gave you some as well. Next week we will have more for you. Adios till then!

Visit www.stuartgyates.com to learn more about Stuart!

Jan 02

Looking Through the Lens– Nick Wale Interviews Photographer Ray Zirkle

  Book Cover Ray Zirkle

Sometimes when I hang around Facebook, I meet people I really want to interview. Ray Zirkle is a guy I met a few hours ago. I interview authors and he has a book coming out. So, how do you get to meet talented guys? Send them a Facebook message and ask them over for a chat! Ray is a top photographer who has a style all of his own. Settle down to read about a really interesting guy and his photographs…

Q) Hi Ray, nice of you to join me for an interview!

A) You also. Are you in the UK? Happy New Year, by the way.

Q) I am- and thank you. You too! Ok, so Ray, tell me how did you get into photography?

A) Quite by accident. I took a job managing a one hour photo lab. I had more management experience than photo. Well, I was told, “you’ll learn” and I did! I started carrying a camera everywhere with me.

 Q) What camera did you start with?

A) A Canon AE-1 Program. Seems ancient now! I used that camera non-stop for about eight years. No, maybe five years.

Q) In reading your biography on your Facebook page, I discovered Ansel Adams was a big influence on your work. What was it about his style that inspired you?

A) I saw that first image in a photography book and was just like “WOW”. You can take a picture like that and make scenery look so beautiful? My whole outlook changed. I began to see things differently. Was it because I was purposely looking for that cool picture, or was it because I was opening up a part of me that I NEVER knew existed? I had no talent as far as I was concerned. I never took a class or lesson. I started living, breathing, and working photos.

Q) How did his use of light and shadows affect you?

A) A lot of that came later as I learned to print my own pictures. I worked part-time for an old man in the town we lived in. He taught me to print and develop film. So, I started learning to use contrast filters and make a normal image more striking. The use of infrared B/W film really changed the direction of my work because I started getting comments on the pictures such as “Oooohhh, how did you get that to look like that?”  It’s a specialty film that not everyone could use– almost gone now.

Q) When you first showed your photos publicly, what was the general reaction?

A) Well, I started small– little competitions, etc. I remember getting chosen for my first juried art show. I was thrilled. It was a two day show and the first day I didn’t sell a thing. I left disappointed and wondering what I had got myself into. The next day I came back and sold $400 worth, AND believe me, I kept them cheap! So, I sold a bunch of 8×10’s– the only size I made at that point. I often wonder if those first ones are still in people’s possesion.

Q) So what subjects did you prefer in the beginning? What did those people buy pictures of?

A) Like I said, my early work was strictly B/W. They are still some of my best– infrared images and a lot of winter scenes– but I knew I was on to something. It just took more time till I was really confident. I ended up owning my own photolab that was a B/W lab incorporated inside a 100 year old photo business. That’s when I began to LEARN and teach myself all sorts of printing techniques.

Q) What makes a good photo, Ray? 

A) I think what my artist statement says– Having always loved the outdoors and then being able to present it in a manner that stirs a memory or an emotion for myself and others makes me aware of what creating a photograph can mean. If it gets someone to go “Wow!” or “Oooohhh”.

Q) Does artistic pleasure or money drive you? Would a young photographer chasing money first be a mistake?

A) I NEVER made enough money to make a difference. I think I’ve always been aware of the financial aspect. I’m not stupid enough to charge $300 for a small photo like I’ve seen people do. My 16×20’s are priced in our local gallery at $225.00; so, after expenses and gallery fees, I make a few bucks. The price I have the book set at is NOT going to make me rich by any stretch. It’s all about ego maybe. I’d rather have them recognized as a great body of work than get rich, BUT, if the right person saw them and said, “I’d like to redecorate my ten hotels with your pictures” I’m not going to turn that down.

A young photographer has a lot of competition now in the sense that EVERYONE thinks they are a photographer with the advent of digital and phone cameras.

Q) What would your advice be to a young photographer trying to learn the trade?

A) Well, I’ve always said, “Just keep shooting!” When you had to pay for the developing and prints that was hard. Digital– you can shoot till your finger is numb. You just have to find your style and what excites you. Some folks like still life while others are good at street scenes. I could never take a picture of a homeless person and think it had some artistic meaning, BUT, people do and yes there are some awesome street photographers out there. People ask me why have you never done weddings? My response has always been, “People talk back…trees don’t.”

Q)  What’s your personal favourite of the work you’ve done?

A) Way too many to do that– they’re like my children. Pick your favorite? Right…SURE. Some have certain feelings for where or what was going on at the time, but it’s funny. Almost all of them are like a moment frozen in time for me. I can tell you where they are from, who I was with (if anyone) or any other circumstances.

Q) Black and white or colour? Which do you prefer? 

A) In the beginning, I only used to show my B/W’s and then someone at a show said, “How come you don’t do color?”  I said, “I have tons of color.” Once I started showing those early color pics, some became my best sellers.

Q) So did you choose favourites for your book? Did you take new photos especially for it?

A) No, the book has been years in the making. I really could do a Volume Two with the new stuff from the last couple years. I got a new camera this year and went on a real tear. You’ll have to go into the photos section on the photography FaceBook page.

Q) I’ll be sure to take a look, Ray! So how did the book come about? Did you always have it in mind?

A) Well, I honestly don’t remember the catalyst for it. Maybe I just thought I had a decent amout of work behind me and thought it would be a good way to get a lot of it out there to be seen without having to do the outdoor artshows. I was getting tired of those quickly. So, it started slowly, then I put it down… then picked it up again…then down and that went on for five years.  All of a sudden I got the fire in me to get it done when the photobook industry really came of age. It’s still too expensive for the way I’d like it. I really need to get the cost down another ten to fifteen dollars.

Q) What’s the book called and where can people buy it?

A) Words and Images : The Poetry and Art of the Landscape Photograph. So far, it’s just on Blurb’s website in e-book and hardcover. I’m also trying to get the e-book accepted by Apple. The title is kind of a play on words in the sense that there is no poetry in the book but that the landscape itself can be very poetic.

You can also find Ray on Facebook and YouTube. Go check him out! But before you do that, here’s a couple of his beautiful photographs.

High Hopes Ray Zirkle

autumn in marinette co ray zirkle

Another interview was over and I have rarely enjoyed an interview more. Ray is not only an excellent photographer– he is also an expert with knowledge that many of today’s young photographers will sadly never know. Is digital photography a great thing? I think so, but the skill of film photography should never be forgotten.