Tag: author interview

Interview with Author Adam Wilson

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn InterviewsLeave a comment

1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?

Hi, my name’s Adam Wilson and I’m a comic writer as well as the co-publisher and Director of Production for Read Furiously – a press my partner S. Atzeni and I have been running for almost ten years now. 

Initially though, I got into writing at a very young age. I was always making up stories in one way or another. In fact, I remember I made my first movie when I was about seven or eight years old. I spent most of the summer working on it with my friends and family. As I grew up I experimented with different types of writing, from plays to song-writing, short stories. It wasn’t till I was almost out of college that I ended up trying to write comics. I was having one of those “We’re gonna graduate soon, what are we going to do with our lives” conversations with a friend. He was an art major, I was a burnt out pre-law major. We came up with the idea to do something together – I’d write it, he’d draw it – and before long we were printing out mini-comics in the college’s computer lab, stapling them together on our dorm room floor. It was something I really enjoyed, and even though nothing ever really came of that project, I kept going with it, getting short stories published in different anthologies, building up larger and larger projects over time till eventually I had my first graphic novel published.

Advertisements

2) What inspired you to write your book?

The inspiration for Last of the Pops actually came from the title itself. It’s a play on the British music program Top of the Pops. And when it popped into my head one day I just really liked the sound of it. Top of the Pops was a show all about celebrating the most popular music of the week. Last of the Pops kind of has this feel of the end of pop music. That seemed like a fun idea to play with, even though I had no idea what I was going to do with it. But I created a blank word document on my computer and just labeled it “Last of the Pops.” 

For a while it was just this place where I’d jot down ideas, phrases I really liked, concepts I thought would be cool to explore. They all revolved around music in some way, and I just threw everything on there. Eventually amidst all the spattering of ideas characters started to take shape from all of the bits and pieces I had. All the different areas of inspiration started to develop into a story and over about five years I was able to craft it all into a narrative.

3) What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?

When I first started writing Last of the Pops my intention was really to look at people’s relationship to music, but as I dove deeper into writing the book it ended up evolving a lot and really became a book about loneliness. Particularly the loneliness that comes from change and growth and how people come to terms with it. 

The book is still very music centric, the entire plot revolves around the final radio broadcast and a musician who vanished before getting to record his first album. But in writing it I realized there are a lot of parallels between music and loneliness that I really wanted to explore. 

Music is very much something that brings us together. Musicians form bands to play, people bond over their favorite songs. Music connects us. But the way we consume music over the past few decades has changed so much. I’m a millennial, so I’ve lived through the tail end of vinyl, eight tracks, the entire lifespan of cassettes and CDs. I was starting college right when peer to peer music sharing became a thing, and as I’m writing this I’m streaming a playlist on Spotify. 

That’s a lot of change in a very short time. And as a result our relationship to music has changed as a result of that. It’s changed how we consume it, how we connect with it, and how it connects us to each other. In some ways it’s left us disconnected from each other, but in others it’s actually connected us more. So really music kinda became the perfect lens from which to explore this kind of loneliness.

Make dad happy with a gift he will wear all year round at Happy Socks

4) What drew you into this particular genre?

I think one of the things I love about comics and graphic novels is the play between the narrative storytelling and the visual storytelling. You’re almost telling two different stories at a time, and how you structure the two relative to each other can create some really amazing moments. Getting to go back and forth between harmony and dissonance of what are you choosing to tell the reader vs what are you letting them see. These are all extra layers that you don’t really get in a lot of other mediums.

I’ve also found, and maybe this is just me, but sequential storytelling can actually give you the truest vision of the story you want to tell. In prose you’re limited in your ability to connect to the imagination of your reader, how thoroughly you can paint a mental image for them. With a medium like film, you get the visual and the narrative storytelling, but you’re limited with things like budget, locations, what computer or editing effects can accomplish, you sometimes have to make compromises to bring something to life. 

But with sequential storytelling, if you’re willing to put in the work, the artwork can be an exact representation of what you envision. Characters can look exactly as you picture them in your head. The emotional beats can play out at the exact pacing you feel them rising and falling. And the fantastical elements can be as fantastical as you’d ever hope them to be, there are really no restrictions. It’s the only medium I’ve ever experienced where that’s possible.

5) If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?

In an alternate dimension somewhere, I never switched majors after my freshman year in college, and I ended up pursuing a career in radio like the 18 year old version of myself wanted to. In a way, the character of Caroline from Last of the Pops is how I saw that story eventually playing out. So as I was writing her arc I pulled a lot from my own personal experience for her character, memories from my childhood and teen years even. So I think it would be nice to talk with her. Reminisce a bit about the life that could have been.

Pride 2024 - Looking Back and Moving Forward. Sexologist Carol Queen, PhD talks about the importance of Pride to our communities. Read more at goodvibes.com

6) What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?

This is a tough one, because I’m awful at most social media. But I think the one that I’ve at least been able to keep up with the longest is probably Instagram. I think particularly for someone working in comics, it’s a great tool because it’s got such a visual focus. 

7) What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?

So having worked on both sides of the industry at this point, both as an author and as a publisher, I think the best advice I can give is that you really have to care about the stories you are telling. There are so many avenues out there available for folks to get their work in front of readers, but your audience will always connect the most with the stories you’re passionate about. That’s why it’s so important that you have to be writing the things that really mean something to you. Cause when it’s an important story, you’ll go to any extreme to make sure it’s the best possible version of itself. And sometimes that even means being willing to tear it all apart and start anew if it means making your work better. But that kind of commitment and effort shows in the final product, and the readers you want to appreciate your book will see that.

8) What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?

Well, Last of the Pops is going to be hitting shelves in October, so I’m gearing up for the release of that. In the meantime though, my co-publisher at Read Furiously, S. Atzeni, and I have also just started work on the third volume of the award winning anthology series Life in the Garden State – which is all about exploring the sides of New Jersey that often get overlooked. It’s our chance to show how amazing a place it is. So we’re both really excited to get going on that.

Advertisements

About the Author

A former comic editor, Adam Wilson is one of the co-publishers of Read Furiously and an award winning comic writer, His works includes Brian & Bobbi, In the Fallout, Helium, and the upcoming graphic novel Last of the Pops. He co-writes the graphic novel series The MOTHER Principle and edits the anthology series Life in the Garden State with his partner S. Atzeni. Together they live in West Trenton with their son and cat.

https://www.lifeinasplashpage.com/p/home.html

https://a.co/hDw8MCq

Interview with Author James Grimm

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn InterviewsLeave a comment

1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?

   My introduction to writing started when I left my job back in 2014. I received a decent severance package but was a little on the picky side when it came to finding another job (lesson to folks—don’t be picky, get a new job quickly, and pocket the severance to savings!). I was following Guy Kawasaki for investments and got his book, APE – Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur where he discusses the self-publishing process. I always loved dreaming up stories and he made it sound pretty easy to write and self-publish a book. So, I was a little naive back then. 

   I was out of work for about eight months and took that time to write my first book. Back then, most self-publishing marketing advice was to talk about your book on social media sites. Which worked out well for a top-line influencer like Guy but not so well for a no-name like me. I wasn’t really into spamming my friends and didn’t really do a good job. That is when I thought about trying to turn the book into a movie, figuring as long as it wasn’t truly horrendous, it should help sell some books. So, I learned how to write a movie script then. I had to modify the original story to work in a movie and really liked the changes I came up with. This helped me create The Doom of the Gods series.

   In 2019, I wanted to write children’s books for my grandchildren, so I created a publishing company for these books. I even lined up artists and translators to work with me to produce each book in 12 languages. We produced one book, and I was able to put it out in seven languages, with another two books near completion. The problem was I was doing all the backend work and my day job was really killing me with work. I would get home and not want to do anything.

   To make a long story short, it wasn’t until losing that job, with another nice severance package, in 2023 that I discovered all of the self-publishing advice on YouTube and decided to get back into the writing game more seriously. If your readers are interested, I have put together a little history on my website: https://www.author-jgrimm.com/writing-history

Advertisements

2) What inspired you to write your book?

   In 2014, I finished reading Graham Hancock’s Fingerprints of the Gods when I picked up Guy Kawasaki’s APE book. I have always enjoyed the alternative history field and thought, why not tell a story about the downfall of Atlantis? I am a firm believer that most of the folks living in the modern world could not live off the land without significant help – myself included. 

   My thinking was an advanced society, if damaged enough, would not recover and most of the people would not survive the downfall. Things like the lack of medicine, food, power, and lack of knowledge of living off the land would doom most. Civility would take a back seat to the survival of your immediate group.  Civilizational knowledge would be considered a luxury that was not needed. You can’t fill a belly with writing, and books might be more prized for their help in starting a fire than the knowledge they contain. 

   The rise in sea levels and the propensity to build cities near water sources would have been an additional nail in the coffin for the last Ice Age civilizations. Sea levels were over 100 feet lower than they are now. The Persian Gulf was a river valley; Southeast Asia was a landmass, Japan was connected to the mainland, and the Mediterranean was smaller, as was the Gulf of Mexico. 

   With Plato’s story stating Atlantis was a great naval power, I assumed their cities would mostly be near the coasts. In many cases, that is land now miles off the coasts and, in some cases, nearly a hundred feet under the waves. 

   The only thing now was to figure out how the Gods would have been angered enough to destroy Atlantis and The Doom of the Gods series was born.

3) What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?

   Too many people think we are the apex of human history. That a race that had over 100,000 years of carrying fire around and numbering globally less than a small city could turn around in less than 10,000 years to be capable of space flight and other feats that would have been considered magic or powers of the Gods by those before this period.  Could this have happened before?  And will it happen again? Are we doomed to repeat the past?

4) What drew you into this particular genre?

    I have always loved fantasy and science fiction. From a kid reading The Hobbit or playing Dungeons & Dragons to being in the US Navy and reading tons of books, I have enjoyed them.

5) If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?

    Probably Demetri, the hero of the Greeks chasing Rogat around Eastern Europe, or Atlanta Nado in the book. He is a happy-go-lucky guy who doesn’t worry about anything and enjoys a good laugh. Of course, he is a hero and blessed by the Gods, so he has powers that the normal human doesn’t but I bet he would be fun to be around. If he doesn’t get you killed.

Advertisements

6) What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?

    Well, I’m still building that readership, but I hope YouTube will be my magnet. I plan on releasing videos about Atlantis and other things from my books to help build the background. I also plan on putting out some short stories or novellas on my website. The short ones for free and I might charge a little for the longer ones. I am working on a story, working title “Death of Brother Death,” which talks about the early Atlanteans and their heroes killing the last of the Neanderthals, who were not the peaceful ones we hear about but more of a vicious humanoid that liked our taste as much as our women. 

7) What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?

     Start writing or outlining, whichever you wish to do. You can always correct it later. Once I put out my first book, I enjoyed the process and decided I wanted to do more. Also, I watch a ton of YouTube videos about writing, marketing, publishing, and anything related to these subjects (I also watched the movie script creation videos). You can read a lot of blogs, too, but the amount of info out there on YouTube is great. Just don’t follow one person. Get a lot of them, and make sure you are following advice that seems to be common or makes sense to you. 

8) What does the future hold in store for you? Are any new books/projects on the horizon?

    I am running in a few different directions now. The Power of Water was my first novel with my new knowledge, like seeking out reviews from you and others. This was a learning step that I hope to reproduce with other works. I currently have a resume-writing book I plan on releasing this year (hopefully by the end of summer) and releasing one or two of the children’s books.  If I can get those all done by the end of the year, I will be happy. 

    Regarding The Doom of the Gods series, I have two more books planned. Book Two is about 60,000 words already. I have also started working on another series that will follow some Priests of Poseidon during the downfall and their descendants up through modern times. How they set up a secret society that guides humanity until the time they can reveal themselves. In this series I will pick times through history that seem like a potential intervention from the gods with the society helping out the rulers. So far, I am thinking of ancient Egypt, Rome, or Chin China, maybe the Black Death, the disappearance of the Maya, and WW2 Hitler. The last would be like a Jason Bourne-ish type story with the world’s governments learning about the society.

     I also have other universes I wish to write in, and I have a long list of story ideas I want to eventually get down on paper. I hope this becomes my day job, but I will have to wait and see.

Advertisements

About the Author

Instead of just daydreaming of my fantasy worlds and people, why not write about them. At least that is what I told myself when I started this journey in 2014.

Living in Japan, the land of Anime, the Samurai, the ultra modern and extremely old seems to fuel my worlds. Both the ancient and new meld together into worlds where superpowered school kids defeat evil, forest spirits help or fight humans or giant, futuristic robots battle to save the world. Where else to live for inspiration!

In the land of the rising sun, I create my worlds, that I hope entertain you.

https://www.author-jgrimm.com

Interview with Author Jeff Morris

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn InterviewsLeave a comment

1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?

I am from Charleston, West Virginia, but moved to Cary, North Carolina in 1972 at 8 years of age, so have lived here the majority of my life. I graduated from Cary High School in 1982, and served in the US Air Force from 83 to 87, then in the Air Force Reserves for a few months, then in my home state’s Air National Guard through the end of 1992 and Desert Storm.

I bounced around in employment till getting into the HVAC field in the mid 90’s, eventually going to work for the local natural gas company in 2000, where I still am today.

I married my lovely ‘spousal unit’ (An Air Force term), Jennifer in 1988, and we raised three children, daughter Sarah, 34, son Curtis, 31, and daughter Rachel, 26.

As far as getting into writing goes. I wrote a lot of silly stuff for school newspapers, and many short stories and the beginnings of novels starting in my early teens. Lost interest or trashed most of those handwritten items long ago, though there may be one or two notebooks in a box somewhere here with one or two of them jotted down. Early in our marriage, I began a novel that was a cross between historical fiction, sci-fi and fantasy based upon the American Civil War, and the photographs taken after the battle of Antietam in 1862. That one was the closest story I had, until Gunmetal Ridge, to being completed. Having young children and trying to get my wife through her nursing degree caused me to shelve, and eventually discard it. They were the most important things at that time.

I would think of story ideas over a twenty year period from the early 90’s to about 2010, jost a few ideas down, but never seriously wrote anything until all of my children were grown or almost grown.

More on that in the last question.

Advertisements

2) What inspired you to write your book?

I would have to say, first and foremost, my paternal Grandfather. He was a World War Two veteran, and a great story teller. I have fond memories of sitting with him on the front porch in the seventies, listening to Cincinnati Reds baseball games on the radio, way out in the country near Quick West Virginia. If the Reds were getting blown out, or winning big, he would turn the radio down and just start telling me stories of his youth, his service in the war, and the like. I soaked the stories in, with his gravelly voice painting pictures in my mind from his words.

Secondly, in my work as a gas company representative, I deal with John Q Public on a daily basis, and over the years have met many fascinating people, far more good than bad ones! Being a history buff, I have had several opportunities to hear snippets from older veterans of World War Two of what they did in the war, where they served and the like. These include a D-Day veteran, an Iwo Jima veteran, and a very old Pearl Harbor veteran, a survivor of the USS Arizona. I felt honored to just be in their presence, and hear a short snippet of their service in that time period.

Being a veteran myself, and having many members of my family that are also veterans was another inspiration. I wanted to write a story that honored the service of veterans, and especially of the greatest generation, who fought against, arguably perhaps, the worst regimes this world has ever known.

I also suppose I was inspired to simply finish one of these stories finally, and get it published!

Lastly, believe it or not, I drew inspiration from a music video, “Crowd around the Corner,” which was a cut from Earl Thomas Conley’s 1983 album “Don’t make it easy for me.” That song was not released as a radio single, but I liked it. I will say the video directly inspired one part of my book. NO spoilers from me, but read the book, then watch the video, and I’ll bet you can figure it out!

3) What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?

Learn from history. Talk to older people that lived it, and remember those that came before us. Older people have experiences that we can learn from, by listening to their stories. I believe that if we don’t hear the stories of our elders, and learn about the history they lived, we are destined to repeat mistakes of the past. In both small, personal scale, and historical era scale.

4) What drew you into this particular genre?

I am fascinated by history, particularly American History. Having many relatives as veterans drew me into it as well. I suppose I am one of those people who reads about historical events and wonders how I would have acted if I were thrust into the event.

I mentioned earlier listening to the snippets of stories from veterans I have spoken to about their service in World War Two, and chose to use that time period for my fictional story. I wanted to use a major battle, chose the Ardennes offensive of 1944 (better known as the Battle of the Bulge). I also wanted to use little known or studied events of the battle. Thanks to “Band of Brothers” most everyone knows of the heroic stand of the 101st Airborne at Bastogne, but I chose  to concentrate on a much less known aspect of that battle, the initial five days, the largest surrender of American troops in Europe (The Schnee Eiffel pocket and two regiments of the 106th infantry division) I researched that, and decided to drop my fictional characters into the very real remaining regiment of the 106th, the 424th. I also tried to keep their movements and deployments during the five days the story takes place in 1944 as accurate to the actual history as I could. Will Morgan’s actions in the story are a postulation I suppose of how I may have acted/reacted to the events of this historical battle.

5) If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?

Will Morgan. It would be like sitting again with my Grandfather, I would ask him about his service in the war of course, but also about growing up during the depression. I would try to get him to paint a picture with words of a time period that I cannot, and will never experience. If I could sit down with more than one, I’d have to say Al Baker and Jim Coulder as well, and ask them the same questions.

ABN Banner

6) What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?

I suppose that would be Facebook/Instagram. You have to start somewhere, and these two platforms allowed me to get the book in front of people I know, and hopefully to people they know, outside of  my circle of minions!

7) What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?

1. Map your story out in your head, write yourself notes, and KEEP at it. 

2. GET IT EDITED! I initially published “Gunmetal Ridge” as “Mr. Morgans Memories” in 2022. I had the help of a couple of friends on the grammar editing and such, but I edited the content myself. Big mistake. After publication, I reread it several times, noticing mistakes I made in the text. I became discouraged, and dissatisfied with what I had published, and considered pulling it out of publication and pretending it never happened. By chance, I was asked to be a beta reader by an old high school friend who is writing an historical book, and from her, I was led to my editor Julie Rogers. Julie has been a Godsend as she took the time to go back and forth with me on the story till we had it trimmed down, enhanced in some aspects, and republished as “Gunmetal Ridge.” She also directed me to contests, to you for a professional review, and sites to aid in getting it out there in front of more people, though my own current money constraints hamper many of those avenues. Nevertheless, her insight, friendship and help has been invaluable, and I keep plugging along!

3. DREAM BIG. I keep myself in reality at all times, but I dream of seeing this story on the Big Screen, and on the bestseller list. Heck, I even know who I want to star in the movie as Will Morgan…Clint Eastwood as the old version, and his son Scott as the young version. May never happen, but it certainly won’t without first dreaming that it could!

8) What does the future hold in store for you? Are any new books/projects on the horizon?

I am currently beginning the process of pulling out a story I wrote around 2017, after my youngest daughter graduated and moved out. I initially published it unedited on an online site, but took it down soon after to work on it more. I shelved it when I started writing “Gunmetal Ridge”, and somehow deleted the file. It is not historical fiction, but rather a contemporary romance/crime story where the protagonists aid in bringing down a human trafficking ring. It is set in Georgia, and I plan on having one thing in the book that ties it in with “Gunmetal Ridge” to create my own little universe…like Stephen King does. Hey…DREAM BIG!

Advertisements

About the Author

Jeffrey C. Morris began his career in the United States Air Force as an Avionic Inertial Navigation System Specialist at Seymour Johnson AFB in North Carolina. His unit was one of the last to maintain and fly the F-4E Phantom, earning the crew the moniker “Phantom Phixers.”

After receiving an honorable discharge from Air Force Active Duty, he served in the USAF Reserves before transferring to the 130th Tactical Airlift Group in the West Virginia Air National Guard. He served with the 130th until the end of Desert Storm.

Jeffrey attained an HVAC certificate upon leaving the military and worked in the HVAC field until accepting a position as a natural gas meter and installation specialist with Dominion Energy (Formerly PSNC) in 2000.

His love of American military history as well as his many conversations with veterans who served in wartime influence Jeffrey’s writing. GUNMETAL RIDGE, a composite story of many World War II veterans, is Jeffrey’s way of paying homage to the Greatest Generation.

A native of Charleston West Virginia, he lives with his wife and “spousal unit” of thirty-five years, Jennifer, in North Carolina. With their three grown children out living successful lives, Jeffrey intends to devote more time honing his craft and carving out the next historical military novel in his man cave. He also enjoys writing in other genres such as sci-fi, mystery, and romance.

Interview with Crypto Engineer

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?

I have worked as a consultant and senior manager in the IT industry for the last ten years. I also had a software company and a fintech start-up.

I invested my financial surplus in the stock market. After learning about cryptocurrencies, I also entered this space. Without a complete guide, I have to learn from my mistakes.

More than two years ago, I started publishing educational content on Twitter as Crypto Engineer. I wanted to professionalize this industry by sharing how to invest in cryptocurrencies.

Advertisements

2) What inspired you to write your book?

Cryptocurrencies are a field at the intersection of finance and technology. They are also a social movement toward decentralization, privacy, and freedom, which resonate with me. 

I wanted to not only read about this movement but also be part of it. I hope my contribution helps people understand cryptocurrency and prevents them from making bad financial decisions.

I also won many competitions for the best crypto writer, earning thousands of dollars. This showed me a demand for high-quality content about investing in cryptocurrencies. One example is https://hackernoon.com/the-blockchain-writing-contest-2022-april-results-announced

3) What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?

Everyone is an investor, but most don’t invest actively, and their wealth is concentrated in their homes, cars, and cash. Not everyone should be active in this field, but knowing investment basics is helpful.

Cryptocurrency can help many people achieve their financial goals. It can shorten the path to it, or sometimes, it is the only way.

However, this market is not mature, so there are many risks. Investing in crypto is not easy, and I want to emphasize this.

I am sharing all my knowledge with the readers, but the decision is at their risk. Cryptocurrency offers high profit, but only to those prepared.

ABN Banner

4) What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?

X (Twitter). I’ve also tried other social media sites but with worse results. I like X for its directness and concise communication. I would like to be present on all major sites, but with a limited time, I need to prioritize.

5) What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?

Start with your end goal. What do you want to achieve by writing this book? What is next? 

What are the biggest risks that could prevent you from succeeding? Thinking about this beforehand will allow you to assess your chances and revise your planned approach.

For example, if your bigger concern is that no one would like to read it, think if you can write something shorter (maybe even one chapter) and verify this with your potential readers. Social media or blogs like you are great for it. Friends may not be enough because their opinions may not be objective.

6) What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?

This will mostly depend on the book’s success. Since I am not a full-time author, I must choose which project to work on.

I’ve also started writing an epic fantasy book, which I would like to finish, even if this would be only a hobby project. I hope that this is only the start of my author journey.

Advertisements

About the Author

For the last ten years, Crypto Engineer has worked as a consultant and manager in the IT industry. He also owned a software company and a fintech start-up.

He invested his financial surplus in the stock market. After learning about cryptocurrencies, he also entered this space. In the absence of a complete guide, he learned from his mistakes.

In 2021, he started publishing educational content on X (Twitter) as a Crypto Engineer. He aimed to professionalize the industry by sharing how to invest in this market.

He won many competitions for the best crypto writer and earned thousands of dollars (you can find more details on his website). This demonstrated the demand for high-quality content about investing in cryptocurrencies.

Interview with Authors Breakfield and Burkey

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn InterviewsLeave a comment

1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?


Breakfield and Burkey have careers in technology. At one point, Burkey ended up hiring Breakfield. They
worked well together with complementary skills. Several professional moves later, they ended up at a
large manufacturing company. There, they began teaching workshops to internal and external audiences
and writing technical papers. After one large project, they decided documentation in the field could
hardly keep up with the changes.


They decided to take threats the bad guys used to extort companies and individuals to create Techno
Thrillers. The initial fiction, Enigma Series, began with each story using a different problem, like Identity
Theft, Ransomware, or Artificial intelligence, as examples to send the heroes of the R-Group to find the
cyber thugs. They’ve added short stories, historical fiction (a prequel to the Enigma Series), cozy
mysteries with the Underground Authors, and the current trilogy Enigma Heirs.

Advertisements

2) What inspired you to write your book?


Great question. We wanted to have fun writing. Good guys versus bad guys are often the foundation of
children’s play, so we felt this theme was relatable to any age. We took that premise to a tech level to
help people look at technology from multiple perspectives while ensuring their security against the real
threats of cyber thugs. Our Enigma Series is more attuned to adults, but the other books are suitable for
younger people.


3) What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?


Each story we tell has a theme or message. In our thrillers, we want to emphasize the importance of
taking care when using technology, albeit phones, computers, or the millions of apps call to you because
there is always some creep who will try to take advantage of any weak, unsuspecting, naive person.


4) What drew you into this particular genre?


For Breakfield and Burkey the initial themes of technology were born of our professional careers. That,
coupled with our question of what would happen if it makes for some interesting storytelling, we hope
people will enjoy each book.

Advertisements


5) If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?


We would have to sit down, virtually anyway, with ICABOD our supercomputer. ICABOD grows and
evolves throughout the series with data-gathering abilities, enhanced analytics, text responses to full-on
large language speech enablement, and evolving artificial intelligence. I would love his response to
which was a more difficult human capability to understand humor or the justification to use the term ‘I’
when referring to himself. We think we know but readers would have to read the series to determine
their best question for him.


6) What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?

Social media is a fickle mode of communication with readers. LinkedIn, Podcasts, X-Twitter, and
Facebook are the high runners. Cultivating and maintaining social media connections takes an enormous
amount of time. By far, our favorite ways to connect with readers are at fairs or with book clubs. These
allow us to speak to readers. If we resonate with some, then we hope they tell their friends.


7) What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?


We appreciate your question. It’s important to continue writing and not lose hope. Practice and set
aside time to hone your skills to find your voice. Consider joining communities of fellow authors to
receive constructive feedback to enhance your work (as your family may be hesitant to be completely
honest to spare your feelings). It’s beneficial to find a writing partner and regularly engage in discussions
about your stories to exchange ideas or feedback. Ensuring you have a reliable editor is crucial. Despite
this, a few errors may still slip through, but it’s preferable to keep them to a minimum.

8) What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?


We have several story ideas. We are committed to delivering two projects. First is the third book in the
Enigma Heirs Trilogy-Enigma Jewels-at the beginning of 2025. Second is our next book in the Magnolia
Bluff Crime Chronicles in 2025, though The Ransom Enigma is currently on pre-order for its August 2024
release.

Advertisements

About the Authors

Charles Breakfield – As the CTO of the Enigma Series, Charles uses his experience from working at high-tech manufacturers as a solution architect in hybrid data/telecom environments. He considers himself a long-time technology geek, who also enjoys writing, studying World War II history, travel, and cultural exchanges. Charles’ love of wine tastings, cooking, and Harley riding has found its way into the stories. As a child, he moved often because of his father’s military career, which even helps him with the various character perspectives he brings to life in the series. He continues to try to teach Burkey humor.


Rox Burkey – Works as a business architect who builds solutions for customers on a good technology foundation. She has written many technical and white papers but finds the freedom of writing fiction a lot more fun. As a child, she helped to lead the kids with exciting new adventures built on make-believe characters, was a Girl Scout until high school, and contributed to the community as a young member of a Head Start program. Rox enjoys family, learning, listening to people, travel, outdoor activities, sewing, cooking, and thinking about diversifying the series.


Breakfield and Burkey – started writing non-fiction papers and books, but it wasn’t nearly as fun as writing fictional stories. They found it interesting to use the aspects of technology people are incorporating into their daily lives more and more as a perfect way to create a good guy/bad guy story. Elements of travel to the various places they have personally visited are always baked into the stories. Look for humor, romance, intrigue, suspense, and a spirited way to remember people who have crossed paths with them in their books. They love to talk about their stories with private and public book readings. Burkey also conducts regular interviews with Texas authors, which she finds very interesting. Her first interview was, wait for it, Breakfield. You can often find them at local book fairs or other family-oriented events.


The primary series is based on a family organization called R-Group. Recently they have spawned a subgroup that contains some of the original characters as the Cyber Assassins Technology Services (CATS) team. The authors have ideas for continuing the series in both of these tracks. They track their many characters on a spreadsheet, with a hidden avenue for the future coined The Enigma Chronicles tagged in some portions of the stories. Fan reviews seem to frequently suggest that these stories would make good television or movie stories, so the possibilities appear endless, just like their ideas for new stories.


They have book video trailers on their YouTube Channel and website, www.EnigmaSeries.com.
We invite you to visit the website for FREE stuff along with samples of the books and options to
purchase signed copies directly. You may also find it fascinating to check out the fun acronyms
they create for their stories. Reach out to them at Authors@EnigmaSeries.com,
Twitter@EnigmaSeries, or Facebook@TheEnigmaSeries.

Interview with Author Remy Fernandes 

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn InterviewsLeave a comment

Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?

    Books about dogs when I was a child, and books about spiders and sloth-people in adulthood. It was an easy decision to begin writing in the series overseen by my husband (Julian Fernandes), Earth’s Final Chapter, first. The world is rich in sci-fi and dystopian elements, the vast universe offered many ways to contribute to the series while also getting creative freedom, and each EFC book is illustrated, which made it even more enticing. I wrote Book 16 for the series and felt encouraged to write more.

    Advertisements

    What inspired you to write your book?

    We (Endless Ink Publishing House) needed a dark fantasy short story for the collection, Dark Tales of Whimsy. After spending a morning thinking about what I’d write, I remembered Anansi the Spider. I only learned of his character during the pandemic, when my daughter and I stopped going to the library and read some ebooks on my laptop. This children’s book featured a naughty spider who tricked animals, only to be outwitted by a quiet little bush deer. My daughter and I loved his character and I looked for more of his stories just out of my own curiosity. The list of tales of this arachnid god abound, and I decided it was time to write my own out of an admiration of his character. Little Miss Muffet seemed a good starting point. The original limerick was short, and needed that same eight-legged foil.

    What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?

    The theme of Little Miss Muffet Meets Anansi the Spider is to protect those who are weak, to rebuke evil-doers, and have fun doing it. Although some Anansi stories depict him doing despicable things, others show him to be a storyteller, and a friend of those disenfranchised. The other function of this short story is to introduce this complex character of Jamaican folklore to more readers.

    What drew you into this particular genre?

    This was my first time writing in the fantasy genre, but I was excited for the challenge.

    Mpix Prints 468x120

    If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?

    If I could sit down with Anansi, I would ask him if I’ve been pronouncing his name wrong all this time.

    What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?

    Twitter/X seems the most receptive platform for self-promotion for the time being.

    What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?

    Just start. Read your stuff out loud to yourself. Don’t get down on yourself for making mistakes. You’re human, and your story would be less interesting if you were (always) perfect.

    What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?

    I am working on a story for an EFC short story collection about an inventor whose use of her shrinking invention comes at a price. I am eager to finish and see the art that will accompany it!

    Advertisements

    About the Author

    Remy Fernandes lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, daughter, four turtles, two dogs, and one killer cat. Her published works include the sci-fi western, Earth’s Final Chapter: Book 16: Blink With A Capital O, and the short story, Little Miss Muffet Meets Anansi the Spider, featured in Dark Tales of Whimsy. Although she has earned an Associates Degree in Elementary Education, Remy works in the home health industry while also editing and contributing for Endless Ink Publishing House.

    Interview with Author Katrina Zari 

    On By authoranthonyavinablogIn InterviewsLeave a comment

    Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?

      I was born and raised in Russia (former Soviet Union) and moved to the United States over two decades ago. My decision to relocate was driven by love, as I followed the one and only person who held my heart.

      Now I live in Dallas, Texas, with my husband, my teenage son, a dog and a cat.

      I actually work in IT industry in the company that produces accounting software. So, I’ve never really planned or studied to become a writer.

      But being an avid reader and inspired by hundreds of books by my favorite authors, my mind was always crowded with stories of my own imagination. Only may and many years later, I found the courage to transition those stories from my thoughts onto paper.

      Advertisements

      What inspired you to write your book?

      This is something a bit embarrassing to say, but it was a midlife crisis that suddenly hit me. At some point I started thinking that I’ve lived most of my life and had always been doing something that I had to do, and not as much what I wanted to do. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job, I’m an IT and I like what I’m doing, but it felt like a large part of me wasn’t there.

      I always came up with the stories in my head, the adventures of the characters I’d created. And suddenly I felt an urge to write it down. It started as a “writing into the desk” kind of activity, but eventually I went ahead and made my stories into books.

      What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?

      My stories predominantly featured a courageous female protagonist whom I associated myself with. And those women had to go through a lot. Sure, I give them super skills and magic abilities, but at the end, those are strong women with their hopes, dreams and feelings. I want readers to see how no number of obstacles could throw my heroines off their path.

      What drew you into this particular genre?

      During my childhood I developed a strong passion for literature, particularly science fiction, fantasy, and related genres. The local public library became my second home, where I would lose myself for countless hours in the captivating stories written by Asimov and Bradbury, King and Tolkien, Verne and Stephenson, or any other Si-Fi book I could get my hands on.

      Fiction, and particularly science fiction, just has so many incredible opportunities for new worlds and settings and adventures. It’s a gift that keeps on giving.

      If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?

      Oh, I would ask my girls, if they are mad a me to throwing so much at them. All those troubles and obstacles they had to overcome, all these heartbreaks and difficult choices to make. But in the end, I’m sure they would say that everything they had to endure only made them stronger.

      Advertisements

      What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?

      Being a newbie in the publishing industry, I’m still testing the grounds. All social media, as exciting and inviting as they are, have a lot of disappointment and troubles.

      Facebook promotions attracted all kinds of strange characters sending me very inappropriate content. Instagram seems to be filled with “Book promotion” channels, that promise you great sales, but in reality, I’ve yet to see any results (except my expenses of course)

      I found pubby.co website very helpful with increasing the number of reviews for my books. It’s a good approach that makes you read other author’s books and review those, and get points that you then can use to get your book reviewed.

      What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?

      Don’t give up and keep working. Keep reading and listening to the books and build your vocabulary. The English language is so rich and generous that a writer needs to explore any opportunities to improve one’s writing skills, and what could be better than using examples of fellow authors?

      What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?

      I thought I’ve completed my “Warriors of Mirral” series, and the third book, “The Princess from Earth” would be a conclusion of this storyline. But I’ve already heard from a couple of my loyal readers that they want to see more of this multiverse I’ve build.

      So, I’ve already started putting my thoughts on the next installment which would be an expansion of the “Warriors of Mirral” world.

      Advertisements

      About the Author

      Katrina Zari, an author born and raised in Russia, spent a significant time of her life immersed in its rich culture before transitioning on a life-changing journey to the United States two decades ago. Her decision to relocate was driven by love, as she followed the one and only person who held her heart. Throughout her upbringing, Katrina developed a strong passion for literature, particularly science fiction, fantasy, and related genres. The local public library became her second home, where she would lose herself for countless hours in the captivating stories written by Asimov and Bradbury, King and Tolkien, Verne and Stephenson, or any other Si-Fi book she could access.

      Inspired by these literary giants, Katrina’s creative mind was crowded with stories of her own imagination. She always wrote stories in her head, inspired by those great books. She was adding her own characters and coming up with their new adventures. It was no surprise that her stories predominantly featured a courageous female protagonist, a reflection of her deep understanding of these inspiring heroines whom she gladly associated herself with.

      Years later, she found the courage to transition those stories from her thoughts onto paper.

      https://www.katrinazaribooks.com

      Interview with Author Owen B. Greenwald

      On By authoranthonyavinablogIn InterviewsLeave a comment

      1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?

      My fourth grade teacher, Roger, loved to give his students creative writing assignments. Every few weeks or so, we’d write new stories and take turns reading them aloud to the class. The day I decided I would get into writing, I had just finished reading my latest story. As we were dismissed for recess, Roger took me aside. I don’t remember everything he said to me, but I do remember one sentence: “If you don’t grow up to be a writer, I’m gonna kick your ass.”

      It was exactly the sort of blunt, irreverent, vaguely threatening advice my younger self needed. I was a bright kid—reading and numbers came easily to me—but those assignments were abstract tasks, always given within the context of school. I did them because they were given to me to do. With Roger’s words, writing assignments took on new importance. If I did them well enough, and got better, maybe it could be my job. I could write books just like the ones I read, making people fall in love, as I had, with characters from distant, fantastical lands. I took writing more seriously after that. 

      Roger’s expectations stayed with me all the way through college; I left school with degrees in literary arts and writing for performance, as well as a contract to complete six young adult novels. That was the start of my writing career, and I’m determined to keep at it! Not only is it fun and freeing, I also get to stave off my perpetual fear of Roger showing up and kicking my ass if I give up.

      Advertisements

      2) What inspired you to write your book?

      I’ll be honest—my coauthor Paul and I are big Star Wars fans. When we first decided to write a book together, the Star Wars sequel trilogy was coming out, and a lot of our conversations ended up revolving around Star Wars as a result. All of those discussions generated a lot of ideas: characters and worlds it might have been fun to see, alternate ways that plot points could have played out, themes that went under-explored, etc. After a certain point, we realized we had enough original ideas to write our own book.

      By virtue of this, Weapons of the Mind shares a lot of DNA with Star Wars. In some places, we haven’t even been that subtle about it. But the story, characters, and world of Weapons are all us, and it’s going somewhere truly special. There are some scenes that haven’t been written yet that I am vibrating with excitement to talk about.

      3) What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?

      Weapons of the Mind is the first book in a planned trilogy, which was conceived as a single connected story. Therefore, it’s difficult to answer this question without revealing too much about what the next two books have in store for Tala and her crew.

      I can say that symbolic death and rebirth are at the heart of Weapons of the Mind. When you lose everything, how do you move forward? What do you build to occupy the space left by your former life? Every major character in Weapons of the Mind has at some point been confronted with these questions, and their answers are key to who they have (or will) become. For any reader going through hard times, unsure what lies ahead, I hope they come away with this: No matter how far or hard you fall, you can always get back up.

      4) What drew you into this particular genre?

      I grew up on science fiction and fantasy, and those genres remain my favorites to this day. When you read a genre enough, you get a feel for the narrative conventions, a sort of instinct that helps the plot unfold in front of you. Ideas tied to science fiction and fantasy come more readily, and in brighter colors. My first series, The Big Bet, was far more grounded in the real world than I’m generally comfortable with, and so I was ready for my next project to explore new, uncharted horizons. 

      5) If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?

      I would ask Tala to Enhance me*! Perhaps this is a copout of an answer, but I’m so curious as to how it would feel. Paul and I wrote Enhancement as a rush: a heady, exuberant feeling that I would love to try. I’d also like to try eating a meal with Enhanced tastebuds, et cetera. It would be a once-in-a-lifetime, unforgettable experience.

      *For those unfamiliar: Enhancers like Tala can channel energy into themselves or others, increasing specific targeted attributes. 

      For a less selfish answer, I’d love to pick Arcus’s brain about the largest problems facing our society. I likely wouldn’t have the stomach for his solutions—he’s ruthless, even cruel, in pursuit of his goals. But he’s very good at comprehending problems in their totality, and seeing him work through issues like climate change, artificial intelligence, and microplastic contamination would be fascinating in and of itself. And maybe I’d get lucky and he’d give me answers that didn’t involve any murder!

      …Maybe I’d just ask Quarack how to play krukki. 

      Make dad happy with a gift he will wear all year round at Happy Socks

      6) What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?

      I have not engaged much with social media. I find it tiresome. Yet, these days, it’s more important than ever to reach your audience. I’m almost certainly handicapping my book by not being more active on social media sites, but I’m hoping a combination of advertising, community engagement (local and online), and positive word of mouth will be enough to overcome that disadvantage.

      On the other hand, social media platforms are increasingly overrun with bots and ads, and AI seems poised to exacerbate this trend. Combine that with new studies on the detrimental effects of social media, and it seems possible that they will play less of a centralizing role in a book’s success. If that happens, I hope their replacement is something I find more pleasant.

      7) What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?

      Write! 

      It seems simple, but that really is the most important step, and it’s a step that a lot of hopeful writers never take. There is no substitute for putting words on a page. They don’t have to be good words. In fact, it’s almost guaranteed they won’t be. But the worst case scenario is, you toss them out and try again. More likely, you have a foundation that you can revise. It is so much easier to start from something than to start from nothing, so give yourself that something. The more you write, the more you’ll develop your voice, and the easier it will be to write more. 

      If you don’t have time, get inventive. Write on your lunch break. Dictate sentences on your commute. Don’t worry about being profound or changing the world. Just write, and the rest will take care of itself.

      8) What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?

      Fans of Shakespeare will want to check out Midsummer Night, available soon on my website! A new spin on an age-old story, Midsummer Night seamlessly melds William Shakespeare’s timeless writing with original, Elizabethan-style prose. In this reimagining of the Bard’s most beloved comedy, responsibility, agency, and trust take center stage—and mortals and fairies alike must earn their happy endings.

      Fans of Fire Emblem should look up Anna’s Roundtable, a board game true to the beloved video game series. This love letter to the Fire Emblem franchise plays brilliantly (and is absolutely gorgeous). I was asked to lead design for the expansion, and preorders open soon!

      Paul and I are hard at work on the Weapons of the Mind sequel. While we can’t share many details about it yet, it’s shaping up to be an amazing second installment that will push Tala further than ever before, introduce some memorable new characters, and answer some of the burning questions left over from book 1. Also in the Weapons-verse, we’re planning to release a novella that gives readers a look at a very different part of the galaxy. How does it tie in with the Weapons storyline? You’ll have to wait and see…

      In my spare time between projects, I try to make progress on a very long fantasy epic that draws a lot of inspiration from stories of King Arthur while exploring a rough approximation of the current political landscape. It’s meant to be a look at how kingdoms fall, not through invasion or any external force, but by the efforts of bad actors, the friction of petty grievances, and the failures of a system beyond the power of any lone individual to change. This one will take a very long time, but I’m very pleased with it so far and I think it will be worth the wait.

      Advertisements

      About the Author

      Owen B Greenwald is the award-winning author of the Big Bet series and of Weapons Of The Mind, set for release in November 2023 from Will Dreamly Arts Publishing. He is also the lead designer for the board game Anna’s Roundtable. He lives in Santa Clara, CA with his wife Jenna and his dog Kubo. He is an ardent believer in the power of stories to enrich and transform lives.

      Despite the incoming glut of AI-generated entertainment, Owen plans to keep writing. 

      www.owenbgreenwald.com

      Interview with Author Justin Cook

      On By authoranthonyavinablogIn Interviews1 Comment

      1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?

      I fell into writing as one falls into a lake, when they are stumbling drunk down a wooden dock looking at the stars. At first, I didn’t consider myself an author even though I have a #1 Amazon Best Selling Novel, but then I learned that writing is not what you do, but who you are. 

      Advertisements

      2) What inspired you to write your book?


      I wrote this book in San Quentin when I was there for something I didn’t do, so I was very inspired. It’s a novel made of blood, sweat, and too many tears.

      3) What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?

      I want the readers to realize the justice system has now become latent with corruption. It purposefully hurts people and pretends like it is rehabilitating. But most importantly, I want people to see the power of the human spirit.

      4) What drew you into this particular genre?


      I had no idea narrative non-fiction was even a thing until I wrote it. Oh well.

      Advertisements

      5) What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?


      I don’t do social media, but my book, Infectious Injustice, in just one month, became the #1 Amazon Best Seller in 3 languages across eight categories!

      -Law Ethics & Professional Responsibility

      -Society & Social Sciences in Spanish

      -Criminal Procedure

      -Law Procedure & Litigation

      -Law in Spanish

      -Law in French

      -eBooks in Other Languages

      -Alternative Dispute Resolution

      I’m so grateful for the response from the community and reviewers. 

      6) What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?


      Do not write for anyone other than yourself, or your art turns into a floppy mush puddle of mutated words and sentences. Also, write something you would like to read.

      7) What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?


      I’m writing a new book, Abyss of Tyranny, the second part which will come out next year

      Advertisements

      About the Author

      Justin Cook was born in Nevada. He’s a technical architect who has worked at the most prestigious companies and holds over fifty technical certifications, including top-tier status among the technical community worldwide. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish literature, a master’s in information systems, and is pursuing a PhD in information systems. He also taught at a college in Nevada and was a faculty member in the information technology department. He is a marathon runner who has also stupidly run with the bulls in Pamplona, twice. He speaks four languages, which he developed while living abroad in Spain, France, and Germany. He has traveled to over thirty countries, which translates to he doesn’t know how to save money. He enjoys teaching Kenpo, where he holds a black belt, playing piano, snowboarding, and hiking. He is much better at being divorced than he was at being married. He is a father of rambunctious kids who enjoy reminding him that he is no longer cool and is gaining weight. He now lives in a house free of bars that is made for naps, reading books, and drinking too much coffee. Most days, you will find him lounging in his Kirkland sweats from Costco, writing, where he transports readers to a place where bold heroes have endearing flaws, as he broadly addresses the human experience. The swashbuckling action-adventure Infectious Injustice is his first novel.

      https://amazon.com/Infectious-Injustice-Survival-Corruption-Incarceration/dp/B0CKC1PVP9/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=