Fantasy author Darrin Drader's two new projects

1.) Darrin, what can you tell us about your new/upcoming novel?

Which one? I have two projects to talk about right now. The first is the series of serialized fiction I'm working on, which is set in the shared world called The Endlands. Originally created by Scott Fitzgerald Gray, The Endlands is much more of a traditional fantasy setting than my other project. This series is called The Heroes of Gracia, and the first story is called The Vacant Forge. It serves to introduce the characters and also explain why they leave their life of relative comfort to go adventuring in the wilderness. There is a larger story arc that will emerge through the run of this project, but I'm keeping each story at the length of a long story or short novella (about 30 novel-length pages), and the larger story will unfold in a very much episodic manner. The Vacant Forge starts the story with a blacksmith's apprentice who awakens in the middle of the night to find his master dead. He, along with his friends, strike out to try and find out what happened and bring his murderer to justice. This will ultimately reach the highest reaches of power in the city they live in. The Vacant Forge is available now through Amazon.com.

The other project I'd like to talk about is a full-on novel called Echoes of Olympus. It's set in the classical period of Ancient Greece, but it's definitely an alternate history book. It begins with Alexander the Great's invasion of Asia Minor and is told from the point of view of Heliodas, one of the sons of Zeus. When he's gravely injured on the field of battle, he's found by a woman named Thermiandra, who was following a vision given to her by Athena that led her to him. Together with the Macedonian warrior Pelephon and the Egyptian wizard Archetus, they strike out on a quest that has implications not only for them, but for the entire world and the gods themselves. Echoes of Olympus will be released by Dark Quest Books in the near future.

2.) How does your day job relate to your fiction writing? Or does it?

Well, before the studio I worked for self destructed, there wasn't a lot of overlap. I wrote dialogue for a computer game, so if nothing else, it kept me in the practice of producing material daily, and writing good character dialogue.

3.) As a writer, what do you hope to bring to your readers?

I hope to bring entertainment, and I also hope to be able to tell good human stories that will touch people on some level. I'm not going to lie and say that it's of literary quality, as a lot of it features action at its core, but I occasionally like it to be a little more than just a fun romp through fantastic scenery.

4.) If you could be rich or famous but not both, which would it be?

Oh, absolutely, rich. Who wants to be famous? If I had all the money in the world, I'd be able to do what I wanted, go where I want to go, and not have to worry about making ends meet. If I was famous but not rich, I'd be constantly hounded by the media, have my personal privacy invaded, and possibly have me or my family threatened. That's no life!

5.) Who is your favorite relative, and why?

Come on, Ty, is this a fair question? Really? See that question above about fame vs. wealth? If I actually go on and answer this question it will be like choosing fame above.

6.) You are on a ship sinking next to a deserted island. You have been able to carry to the island enough food and water and clothes to last you a good while, but the ship is going down fast and you only have enough time to grab one more box of goodies. You have three choices: a case of beer, a crate filled with guns and ammo, or a box full of books. Which do you grab?

Obviously the books. I don't drink a lot of alcohol, so I won't be needing that, and I've seen enough Survivorman to be able to survive, especially so close to a ready supply of fresh fish. No, I'd need to keep my mind active, so I'd want to take the books. Hopefully they're a collection of MY books rather than some other passenger's romance books.

For more on Darrin Drader
DarrinDrader.com
Darrin's Smashwords page
Monumental Works Group

Books read in 2012: No. 60 -- Flashing Swords #1

edited by Lin Carter

Started: July 2
Finished: July 7

Notes: I have intentionally not been reading a lot of fantasy of late because I was feeling some burnout from the genre. I spent much of last year reading and writing fantasy. So, I sought some change. However, I ran across this little hardback collectible of Sword and Sorcery tales in a used book store a few months back and I've been chomping at the bit to tear into it ever since.

Mini review: I hate to say it, but I was disappointed with this one. The story by Friz Leiber was the best, but even it I felt was not one of that author's strongest tales. The stories by Jack Vance and Poul Anderson left me feeling kind of bleh. And though I'm not a big fan, Lin Carter's story itself wasn't too bad, starting off strong but sort of whimpering out in the end, in my opinion.

Martin Gibbs not your run-of-the-mill fantasy author

1.) What draws you to read and write fantasy literature?

I enjoy an occasional escape from reality. As such, I really only enjoy worlds that are distinctly separate from ours, where magic is possible. My first exposure was way back with some great Forgotten Realms books and a few D&D sessions with friends. It was a pleasure to disconnect from everything and go fight wizards, orcs, and other nasties in wonderfully imagined worlds.

That said, I never understood why so many fantasy worlds were still in the middle ages technologically. With all that advanced magic, why could they not have at least invented matches? I poke fun at that in my own middle-aged world because fantasy should also be able to keep itself in perspective and have the ability to laugh at itself. A warlock can erase a man from existence, but has no indoor plumbing.

2.) Which of your books was the most fun to write, and why?

For fantasy: Part II of A Drunkard's Journey, Dead Spaces. I am going through the editing process now with the editor, so it will be out in summer. The book was a chance to open the floodgates of disaster and chaos and just let things run wild — things could go along at quite a rapid clip. I have the third and final book drafted, but for some reason the last book is always the hardest.

I am working on a historical fiction piece under a pseudonym, about the Three Kings, and that has actually been my favorite. It's like writing a fantasy quest, but with characters everyone knows (at least they think they do). I really enjoyed reading the ancient histories and coming up with possible scenarios for their journey. This will come out by Christmas.

3.) What are some of your favorite books?

Fantasy: Wheel of Time (first five and last "three"), the first Nightrunner books by Lynn Flewelling, Robin Hobb's Assassin's Apprentice.

4.) A time traveler snags you up and drops you in the middle of a battle 500 years ago. He offers you your choice of weapons. Sword, battle ax or M-16?

Since he didn't offer any bullets, and they will run out, I'm going with a battle ax. I have no skill, but some upper body strength — maybe I could survive a good ten minutes before I got cut down.

5.) You also write some noir crime fiction. Who are your favorite authors in that genre?

Ellery Queen, SS Van Dine.

6.) What's your favorite brand of peanut butter?

Peanut butter is of the devil and it must be destroyed. Unless it's served with udon noodles, Sriracha chili sauce and cilantro. Brand doesn't matter at that point.

7.) What's your favorite word?

Extant.

8.) If you could have any other name than the one you currently have, what would it be?

Ehud Gershom. Actually using that name for a book coming out this Christmas!

9.) Is it true you are hiding under government protection? If so, why? Spill it!

Absolutely not. But, perhaps... no, that happened just that one night on Bourbon Street. A chimpanzee named Solomon was smoking, absently twirling a rubix cube in his hand. He asked me if I'd want to know some juicy secrets, and being the open, naive, and completely degenerate creep that I am, I said yes. He had only opened his mouth to speak when a black helicopter swooped down and he was gone. Something hit my head and I woke up in a mental hospital, chained to a pink wall, my toes gripping flaming crayons.

So, the answer is no. Maybe. Yes. Absolutely not. Yes. Always.

I'm, sorry, what was the question?

To find out more about author Martin Gibbs, check out:
His blog: Out There Fantasy
The Spaces Between (Part I of A Drunkard's Journey)
Voltaire's Adventures Before Candide (Bizarro Space Fantasy Short Story)

Books read in 2012: No. 59 -- The Last Confession

by Ethan Jones

Started: July 1
Finished: July 1

Notes: This author has shown evidence of being a solid action/thriller writer, so I was drawn to this tale of a mobster giving his last confession to a priest.

Mini review: I can't say I was disappointed. Not a lot of action in this, but more of a story of intrigue. This one could almost be a horror tale. And I also have to admit to being caught off guard by the ending here, which I feel is a rarity for me.

Author Stuart Jaffe pens fantasy, post-apocalyptic tales

1.) Stuart, for those not familiar with your works, can you tell us a little about you as a writer and your writings?

Sure. I've been writing for close to twenty years now. Spent much of that time being published as a short story and non-fiction writer. My novels are now coming out and it's been a blast. I write some science fiction (After The Crash) but mostly fantasy. I have a post-apocalyptic series, The Malja Chronicles, that's best described as 'Xena meets Mad Max.' The first book is called The Way of the Black Beast.  I also have a paranormal-mystery series about a modern man whose office is haunted by a 1940s detective.  The first book in that series is called Southern Bound and it comes out this month. I'm working on another Fantasy series that, in today's market, would be called YA because the protagonist is a 16-yr-old girl, but I'm writing it for a general audience.

2.) You are also a co-host over at The Eclectic Review Podcast. What kind of things do you and your fellow host talk about?

My fellow host is my wife, a biologist, and we talk about, well, everything. Some past topics include GMOs, NASA, the publishing industry, robotics, the history of vampires, how your nose works, and much, much more. It's called Eclectic after all. It's a weekly, half-hour show that spends the first half on a topic and the second half reviewing books, movies, comedians, and everything else. We also have plenty of special episodes, such as our annual Schlockfest, where we break form and do something unique.

3.) Who are some of your favorite authors?

My all-time favorite author is John Steinbeck. His books were the first that taught me literature didn't have to be boring. Other writers I love include Jack Ketchum (horror), Brian Keene (horror), John Jakes (historical fiction). Also Kafka and Philip K. Dick. Plenty of others, too, but those are some that don't always get mentioned.

4.) Does music influence your writing?

Yes and no. I've played blues guitar for about twenty-five years, so I don't listen to music while I write. I can't. If I do, I start really listening and then I don't write. But I do feel my music background helps me in "hearing" the rhythms of a scene. More directly, I've drawn on my knowledge and love of the blues to create the Bluesmen -- a group of assassin-musicians that give Malja plenty of trouble in my post-apocalypse books.

5.) Since you have studied martial arts, how does this impact your writing?

For one, I know what can and cannot physically happen in a fight and therefore I can make a conscious choice to be realistic or not in my fight scenes. Also, I've learned how much thinking and how much trained reaction go into combat, so I can utilize that to create tensions or actions accordingly.  I've also trained in weapons, so in the second Malja book, The Way of the Sword and Gun, I have a scene in which two characters have a sword fight. Both are highly trained, so as a result, there is little flashy combat. Instead, they have to watch each other closely and wait patiently for the right opportunities. It's one of the climactic fights and, judging from reader reactions, one of the most exciting and intense fight scenes, even though there is little actual fighting.

6.) Do you think you could take out Chuck Norris? Come on, he's an old man now!

A few months ago I might've been up to the task. Unfortunately, an old knee injury finally said ENOUGH! I'm in the recovery process from having knee surgery, and my doctor said that other than Tai Chi, my marital arts days are over.  So, I'm giving this one to Chuck.

For more on author Stuart Jaffe, check him out online at:
The Stuart Jaffe Website
Stuart's Amazon page
Stuart's Smashwords page

Books read in 2012: No. 58 - Odd Thomas

by Dean Koontz

Started: June 27
Finished: July 1

Notes: A couple of decades ago I was a huge Koontz fan, but I eventually tired of him. His plots and characters all began to feel the same to me. Still, every once in a while I give the man another chance. I'm particularly interested in this novel because it is the first in a series of books concerning Koontz's serial character Odd Thomas, apparently a fry cook who can see dead people.

Mini review: I have to admit to being pleasantly surprised. This is the best Koontz novel I've read in a long, long while, and it is unlike anything else of his I have read (which is quite a lot, though mostly pre-1990 or thereabouts). This is allegedly the first novel in a six or seven book series, and in the future I'll be tempted to read more. Not exactly horror in the traditional sense, more a supernatural thriller, this is still a fairly dark work for Koontz. I enjoyed it more than anything of his I've read in a long time.

Dan C. Rinnert novel has everything: assassins, zombies, conspiracies and ... baseball?

1.) Dan, your novel In Search of the Legendary Phineas Ray includes zombies, assassins and baseball. So, tell us how you came up with this interesting, and somewhat unusual, mix for a story?

The early drafts involved baseball, a government conspiracy and an assassin. Stuff like zombies, the unicorn and talking fish came about later, when I would look at mind-numbingly boring scenes and ask myself, “What is the most bizarre thing that could possibly happen right now?”

Imagine you’re trying to track down some information on a very old baseball card. You’d take the card to a sports memorabilia shop and talk to an expert on baseball cards. You’d have stuff like, “What can you tell me about my card?” and “Wow, that’s a very old card. Where did you get that?” followed by “My grandfather gave it to me.” And so on.

That’s all pretty boring stuff. Sure, you can describe what the expert’s wearing and how he’s acting, but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s very very boring and, if you fall asleep writing it, your readers will probably fall asleep reading it.

But, if the expert’s just come inside from slaying zombies in the back alley, is covered with blood and carrying a chainsaw, well, now you’ve got something.

2.) What are your future plans for your writing?

I'm currently working on three projects: the not-quite-a-sequel to In Search of the Legendary Phineas Ray, a collection of four short stories in the twisted romance genre and an extraordinarily lame novel.

3.) What are some of your favorite books?

I like old books. When I was in high school, we went to the nearest big city library, as opposed to our local library, to research a paper or something. I don't even remember what the assignment was. One of the books I used was a couple hundred years old. I used to remember how old it was but I don't anymore. I also can't remember if it was one that could be checked out.

At any rate, this book had been around for at least a couple centuries. How many people have held that book through the years?

I have a lot of old books in my collection. I'm not sure how old the oldest is. I have several that are over 100 years old. Some are dog-eared or contain handwritten notes from previous owners, or from someone who gifted the book to someone.

The future, of course, is eBooks. It's easier to have a large collection of books on a handheld device than it is to have as many physical books. On a device that fits in your hand, you can probably hold more books than the early days of the Library of Congress.

However, with that technology, we lose a little bit of history. On an e-reader, you can read the same book that someone else read generations before, and you can imagine what they must have thought when they read it. But, that's not the same as holding the same physical book that someone generations before once held. It's not the same as holding the same book that was passed down from a grandparent to a parent to you. And so on.

We gain convenience, but we lose some of that personal history.

4.) What is your favorite sport, and why?

Soccer because it airs on channels I don’t watch and they never pre-empt a science fiction program for a soccer game.

5.) Pirates vs. ninjas, who will win?

Ninjas are masters of stealth, so that gives them the element of surprise. However, pirates cheat so they're unpredictable, which balances the equation. But, in the end, when you contrast the surgical precision with which ninjas can attack against the rather roughshod nature of pirates, it becomes a moot point because, as the pirates and ninjas battle it out the kraken comes along and swallows the ship, consuming them all.

6.) You are walking home one night when you hear a moaning sound behind you. You turn back to look and find lurching toward you slowly a dozen yards away a flesh-eating zombie! What do you do?

It depends on how far away from home I am.  If I’m far away from home, I simply run home. If they’re slow-moving zombies, they’ll never catch me and I’ll be able to get a large enough lead that they’ll never know where I went.

If I am close to home, then I don’t want them following me to my house. But, there’s this one neighbor that drives his truck through my backyard without even asking permission or anything.  He just drives back there like he owns it or something. What if I had planted stuff there? So, I would run to his house.  I would ring the doorbell and, when someone answered the door, I’d run inside, through the house and out the back door.  The zombies, of course, will follow me shortly thereafter, but they’ll never see where I