Author Interview - Levi Stack

Hey Chroniclers! It's been a few months since I did an author interview but I'm here with the interview I did with an author! I love doing Author Interviews because I get to know the authors a little bit more. This one that you guys will see soon is a pretty cool one. The author is young, which is awesome and he's such a great author. Instead of me just telling you about him, let me just let you guys read. So I present to thee the interview with author Levi Stack!

The Author

Who is Levi Stack?

I'm just a twenty-two year old dreamer. All I want to do is create stories for others, and live in the stories others create. If I can give back even a fraction of the happiness that books gave me, I'll be content.

How did the idea of writing and wanting to become an author come about?

I was stuck in a college business class when I had an epiphany: throughout my life, the only thing I'd remained truly passionate about was stories. In that moment, I thought about how amazing it would be to create adventures of my own. That's when I knew I had to write.

If you weren't a writer, what would you be?

At the moment, that's too frightening of a thought to dwell on.

The Novel 

How did the idea for The Silent Deal first come about?

I had an idea for a boy to stand up against a mysterious evil overlord. The Russian Empire, with its landlords, serfs, thieves, Romani Gypsies, and amazing landscape, seemed like the perfect choice.

Was it difficult writing about a world that seems far off but isn't really that far from ours? Any research?

I did a good deal of research, but mostly about interesting topics, and less about the affairs of say, daily peasant life. I wanted to learn about Russian mythology and castles and underworld criminal organizations and Gypsy performers--anything and everything that would work well in an adventure tale.

Is there anything from the novel that you wish you could add or take out now that the novel is published?

Yes. Definitely. Nothing I write will ever be perfect, and often that makes it painful for authors to reread their published books. However, by examining the flaws instead of ignoring them, you become a better storyteller.

What do you honestly think of your finished work?

Honestly, I'm proud of how it turned out. This book taught me how to write. I cut it down from 700 pages to 350 (yeah, I know) and it was a painful, wonderful journey.

Who would you like to play the characters of Viktor and Romulus if it were ever to become a movie? Or would you prefer unknowns?

Hmm. That's tough. I think in a few years, Asa Butterfield, the boy who played 'Hugo', would be great as Viktor. Romulus would be harder to cast. Maybe a Russian unknown? and if the movie was made, I think all the cast would need to polish up some good Russian accents--no easy task!

Future Novels

What is in store for the future of Viktor and Romulus?

Writing is the only time I enjoy planned, and I plotted out four books in The Card Game Series before I ever started writing. Assuming the boys survive, they're in for a dangerous ride. Book 2, The Magic Trick, should be out by Christmas.

Do you have any other books that you want to write?

I have a few ideas, but I won't start anything new until I completely finish The Card Game Series. As a reader, I hated it when an author would ignore a half-finished series to work on other projects.

Could you let us know a bit about them?

I can give you a hint about The Magic Trick. The story involves a dark, bizarre circus returning to Aryk...

Serious Questions

(These questions are "serious" questions that can be summed up in a word or two. They're very serious though.)

Would you prefer to be a Platypus, Kangaroo or an Armadillo?

Kangaroo, indubitably.

Would you prefer to jump into a book or bring the book out into your world?

Enter the story! Why not go all out?

Would you rather live in a Dystopian world or an Apocalyptic world?

Based on reading preference, Dystopian! Thanks for the interview Michael, and I hope you readers check out The Silent Deal!

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Thank you Levi Stack! That was such an excellent review and I had fun reading your responses! As Levi said, you should all check out The Silent Deal which is seriously such a fantastic book! While you're at it, you should all check out some of the other places he takes up on the interweb!

Like his Facebook: Levi Stack

Follow his Twitter: @levi_stack

Check his Website: LeviStack.com

Check his Goodreads: Levi Stack & The Silent Deal

Don't forget to check out my other places on the web of inter...
Facebook: The Subtle Chronicler
Twitter: @SubtleChronicle
Goodreads: Michael Araujo
Instagram: AntonioMeks

Author Interview - Steven Parlato

Hello Chroniclers! I know I haven't been posting and this post is long overdue but I am here with it finally! What is it that I am speaking of? An author interview with the amazing Steven Parlato. A while ago I reviewed his novel The Namesake and last week I did a Cast Them Away with the main character and while it would have been better to have everything on the same week, life just got in the way (and bothered to not move out of it) and things got separated. But I now present to thee the author interview!

(Photo Credit: Janet Parlato)

The Author

Who is Steven Parlato?

Why is this such a difficult question? It's like those quizzed where they ask you to describe yourself in three or four words. Steven Parlato is-to his surprise!-a published author. He is still somewhat floored by that reality, and by the honor of being interviewed here. He is also blessed to be the husband of Janet and the dad of Ben and Jillian. He is a poet and teacher who still harbors dreams of being a professional actor, having spent many hours on the stage, in roles including Macbeth, The Scarecrow, and Bambi's emotionally-distant dad, The Great Prince of the Forest. He is a lover of lilacs, Indian food and giraffes.

How did the idea of wanting to become a writer come into play?

It's hard to say. I've always been a huge reader, and as a kid, I wrote stories. I also come from a line of great storytellers so, in a way, it seemed natural to want to tell stories of my own. Just after college, I started a novel, but back-burned it into oblivion because it seemed so unlikely I could actually do it. I had this loud "Who do you think you are?" voice in my head, saying it was ridiculous to believe I could succeed. Luckily, I also have the most supportive wife in the world, who always believed I could.

What authors, if any, inspire you. Along with some of your favorite novels/authors.

I tend to read all over the map, from Shakespeare to contemporary, adult and YA. I also LOVE picture books. Though I'm terrible at favorites of any kind, authors I hold dear include Harper Lee, John Irving, Stephen King, Maya Angelou and Markus Zusak. Zusak's The Book Thief is definitely one of my all-time favorite novels. It is a transformative read, and his poetic language is incredible. Speaking of poetry, some of my other influences are poets, like Anne Sexton and Sharon Olds, both courageous in form and content. And Edwina Trentham, the poet and teacher who changed my life.

If you were given the chance, would you allow your novel to become a movie? Would you prefer theater movie or made for TV or what?

What could be better? I'm a major movie fan, and as a visual artist, I tend to think of my novel in terms of scenes, rather than chapters. I think The Namesake would work really well as a theatrical film. My friend, Joe, who works as a writer/producer in LA, and was one of my early readers, has encouraged me to write a screen adaptation of The Namesake, which is a definite goal for me. I think it would make a powerful film, and could certainly provide a breakout role for the actor who plays Evan. I'm hoping for a small role myself.

The Novel

How did the idea for The Namesake come about?

Sadly, the inspiration came from life-specifically, the suicide of a family member. When my relative took his life, I couldn't stop thinking what it would be like to lose a parent that way, especially during adolescence, a time when life is upended anyway. I was in my first graduate class, Studies in Adolescent Fiction, at the time, and I took the opportunity to write a sample chapter instead of a response paper. My professor encourage me to continue the story, and it eventually grew into The Namesake. So what began as my attempt to process real-life grief became a novel; perhaps that core of "truth" is part of what resonated with readers.

Were you afraid of handling such a tough and heavy subject in a YA novel and being criticized for it being so?

Great question! Actually, yes, though I don't think I necessarily set out to write about a heavy topic. Evan's story sort of unfolded-I worked without an outline-and I was honestly resistant to telling such a dark tale. It was difficult to write, and at times it took an emotional toll. But once I committed to telling it, I knew I had to be frank and unflinching in the portrayal of abuse. It was crucial that Evan Sr.'s experience be horrifying to the reader because, honestly, that level of betrayal should horrify us. At the same time, I felt it was important to have humor and hope.

As for fear of criticism, it's always a risk to send something you made out into the world, and I did fear people's reception of the work. For the most part, reaction has been positive, and I've been thrilled and humbled by the way readers have embraced my book. I have also been bothered by a couple of reviews that seemed to insinuate my novel exploits or sensationalizes abuse as a plot point. While I realize it's not a story for everyone, I feel strongly it's a topic that needs to be addressed because abuse is so prevalent, has destroyed so many lives, and its victims still feel such shame. I do believe The Namesake is appropriate for mature teens. My hope is that it might even be healing for a reader (teen or adult) who has experienced something similar in his or her own way.

Is there any part of the novel you wish you could take out or something that you could add in, now that it's published?

This is a really interesting question. I tend to focus on the flaws in anything I create, so there are probably some changes I'd make if I had the chance. That said, I stand behind the book, and there's not really anything major I'd cut. It's funny because some readers have called the book "too graphic," and while I agree there are very dark moments, I think much of that graphic stuff actually takes place in the reader's imagination rather than on the page, so I guess that's a success. As for what I might add, in my initial vision of the book, the pages of Evan Sr.'s journal mimic actual journal pages, with a handwritten-style font, scribbled corrections and drawings. I still think that'd be a cool addition, but I'm really happy with the novel as-is; Merit Press did a wonderful job with the design.

What do you honestly think of your finished novel?

It's not a simple answer. Obviously, I'm thrilled to have a novel out in the world, and people have called it "brave" and "important," which is pretty amazing. At this point, I've read it so many times, in so many different drafts, I think I've achieved a necessary sort of emotional distance. On the other hand, there are still scenes (Lupo's "demuralization" project, Evan's discussion with Father Brendan near the end, and others) that make me emotional. Considering I created the story, the fact that it still has impact for me makes me pretty happy. All in all, I feel it's a success.

Future Novels

Do you plan on writing any more novels?

Absolutely! The Namesake has been a real affirmation, evidence that the naysaying voice in my head was wrong. That doesn't make the prospect of writing the next book(s) much less formidable, but I've begun work on a couple of others, and I have lots of ideas for future novels.

Could you let us know a bit about the future works?

I've been working on two very different stories. One is a contemporary novel with a female narrator. It was a Holocaust link, and will incorporate the story of the "lapins," a group of Polish women who were interred at Ravensbruck concentration camp. That one requires serious research to get the historical details right. The other is definitely lighter fare. It's a ghost story, set in Cape May, New Jersey-like seaside resort. [TheSubtleChronicler: GO NEW JERSEY!] That protagonist, Dexter Peregrym, is pretty bummed about being uprooted from life in Connecticut and forced to live with his great aunt in her supposedly-haunted B&B. I also have an idea for a story that revolves around a family store like the one my extended family owned when I was a kid. And some of the characters from The Namesake may well return in a future book or two.

While reading The Namesake, I was reminded very much of Ellen Hopkins and came to the conclusion that you were her prose counterpart. Would you consider writing more novels based on such heavy topics?

First off, thank you! Ellen Hopkins is a YA giant, and I really respect her work, so that's a lovely compliment. As a poet myself, I definitely feel writing poetry helps inform my prose. I try to be conscious of every word, paying attention to both layers of meaning and to sounds. To answer your question, I would certainly be open to other heavy topics, but only if they fit the story organically. I don't think of myself as intentionally controversial-nor am I actively seeking the next dark topic-but there are issues, such as the stigma of mental illness, that strike me on a heart/gut level. These topics to naturally surface in my writing, so I'm sure I'll go there at some point.

Was anything from the novel (characters and/or places) based on real people or inspired by actual people/places?

There are definitely parallels between Evan's world and real life. St. Sebastian's is a lot like my own high school, and Holy Family Merciful Wisdom Center echoes the retreat house where I attended encounter. Fortunately, my encounter experience was far less harrowing than the ones in the book! I've peppered the book with detailed of my hometown via street names and some locations. I actually wrote much of the mall scene at our mall, so it's definitely a case of literature imitating life. Some of the characters owe a debt to real-life folks, too; Gramp, for example, sounds a bit like my dad, and Lex was inspired by some of my close high school friends. And there's a fair amount of me in Evan: we're both artists, both introspective, and we share a certain dark sense of humor.

Serious Questions

[These questions are "serious" questions that can be summed up in a word or two. They're very serious, though.]

Would you prefer humans living in the sky or underwater?

Gosh, since my irrational fear of shark attack outweighs my fear of heights, I guess I'll have to go with sky-dwelling. But I would require a safety harness.

If you weren't a writer you'd be a...

Anything but a Quality Management Representative. That is a job I held for far too long. I'd most like to be a successful actor. Who knows, maybe someday.

Bacon and Peanut Butter Shake or Bacon Ice Cream? (They both exist unfortunately.)

Okay, the shake idea seems patently disgusting, [TheSubtleChronicler: It's actually a peanut butter ice cream shake type of thing you eat with a spoon with bacon chunks in it.] like something one might be forced to consume on a sadistic reality show. I'd go with the Bacon Ice Cream. Enough hot fudge can salvage anything.

Top 5 countries you would love to live in.

Besides the USA? Well, I've only ever been to Mexico and Canada, and they were both wonderful. There are a few other places that have always captured my imagination. They are (in no particular order):

Greece
Italy
Scotland
Australia
England

Thanks for the opportunity, Michael. It's been a pleasure "speaking" with you and your readers, and I really appreciate the support!

All best,

Steven Parlato

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There you have it Chroniclers! The Author Interview with the amazing Steven Parlato! Both you and I have gotten to know a lot about Steven and I seriously can't wait for what he brings to us in the future. I wish you much success to you and your family and may this not be the end we hear of you. Even though, I know for a fact, it won't be the end! 

I'd like to thank Steven for doing this author interview. So you all should go check out a few things and then buy his book down below! I'll see you all later Chroniclers! 

Cast Them Away - Casting Evan

The Namesake Book Review

Don't forget to check out some of his pages as well!
Like his Facebook: Steven Parlato
Follow his Twitter: @parlatowrites
Check his Website: StevenParlato.com
Add his Goodreads: Steven Parlato & The Namesake
Check his Amazon: Steven Parlato

Don't forget to check out my other places on the web of inter...
Facebook: The Subtle Chronicler
Twitter: @SubtleChronicle
Goodreads: Michael Araujo
Instagram: AntonioMeks

Author Interview - Alexander Gordon Smith

This is the most horrible thing I could ever do. During May I had the whole blog birthday with several authors attending with giveaways, guest posts and interviews. One of those authors was Alexander Gordon Smith. But because he was finishing a book before the deadline he replied to me in the beginning of June. Which is no problem at all. I'd rather him miss out on the interview than not finish his book that I can read. But! Because I was busy and for some other reason I forgot to reply back and forgot that I had the interview up. Until October but then I got busy again and Hurricane Sandy happened and I forgot again! Until today! So I present to you my interview with author Alexander Gordon Smith!

Alexander Gordon Smith: Hi Mike, thanks so much for interviewing me on your blog, it's great to be here! :-)

The Subtle Chronicler: No problem, thank you for agreeing to do this!

Who exactly is Alexander Gordon Smith?

I'm not always sure... I've just finished writing a book, The Fury 2, and I'm in that weird post-writing phase that feels a little like post-traumatic shock. I've been immersed in this book for weeks, much longer than usual, and it's taking me a while to find my way out now that it's finished. That's the weirdest thing about being a writer - you live so many different lives. You have to get inside the head of your characters, right in there, and you become so absorbed in their world that you forget about your own for a while. I often can't remember a single thing about my own life after I've been writing, but I can remember every detail of the lives of my characters. It's like you lose a little piece of yourself to every character and every book.

But other than that, Alexander Gordon Smith is a 33-year-old writer, filmmaker and horror fanatic!! :=) Oh, and I go by the name Gordon - my parents rearranged my first and middle names so that my initials wouldn't spell GAS! 

Did you ever worry if your novels were too dark to be categorized under the Young Adult section?

No. They're dark and they're violent, and terrible things do happen, but I think it's important for teenagers to read books where bad things happen. Horror is a good thing, because I don't think you ever see heroism, humanity and hope like you do in a horror story. When things are at their worst, you really do see people at their best. When things turn bad, people fight tooth an nail for everything they believe in. They fight for their family, for their friends, for their loved ones; they fight for what is right, and what is just. They fight because they know they must. People sometimes accuse horror books of "corrupting" young minds, but I believe the opposite. I believe that horror makes teenage readers aware of their own powers, their own strengths and abilities, their own priorities too. It teaches them, without explicitly teaching them, that they have what it takes to survive. It teaches them about friendship, too; the kind of friendship that keeps you standing shoulder to shoulder with someone even when the world is falling apart around you. I honestly believe that horror makes better people of us, it makes heroes of us, even if that heroism is just facing up to our everyday lives. It gives us hope when things seem lost. It makes us human, and all the better for it.

I think the key to this argument is in the heart of the book. The heart of the Furnace books is friendship, pure and simple. If a book has a good heart, then no matter how dark the story gets there will always be a positive message there somewhere.

You've stated that you don't exactly plan and just go with the flow while writing. Did you ever reach a block in the road that made you turn back a couple of chapters or even the whole book?

I do prefer to go with the flow, it feels more natural that way. Planning everything in advance feels a little too much like playing god. One of the best things about writing is being there alongside the characters, experiencing things at the same time they do. For me it's about writing at the speed of life - you write in real-time (or as close to it as possible), so that when something happens your reactions, and your characters' reactions, are more natural and more honest. There's no right or wrong way to write a book - whatever way works for you is the best way for you to write. But for me, if I plan something in advance then I feel like I'm cheating because I've had too much time to think about it. I like to be there in the dirt and the blood, fighting for my life alongside the characters. The choices they make are gut decisions, and sometimes they are stupid because they're made i nthe heat of the moment. Sometimes those decisions get people killed, but the trick is never to go back on them, because it's those mistakes that make your characters real people, it's what makes readers empathize with them. The character who always does the right thing is just that, a character.

I sometimes feel more like a nature documentary filmmaker than a writer - you know, those people who film lions eating their prey. It must be really tempting to step in and save the life of a poor baby gazelle, but by doing that you're interfering in the story. If you go back and change something that your character did just to make the story easier to write, then your story will feel less genuine. Well, that's how I feel when I'm writing anyway (and to be honest, if I was one of those filmmakers I'd probably try to save the baby gazelle)! I love writing at the speed of life because it's so exciting. You literally have no idea what might happen next, so you have to write the story as fast as you can to find out.

Would you ever go back and change anything about your books and do something differently than what you already did?

There were definitely times when I was writing the Furnace books that I worried I'd written myself into a corner. But I did my best to stick to my principles! It was made easier (or harder, depending on how you look at it) by the fact that the first three Furnace books were published before I started writing the fourth and fifth books. It meant that even if I wanted to go back and change something, I couldn't! It was great, because it forced me to work with the world I'd created, rather than go back and hack it up and rearrange it. Yes, some of the characters who died might have stayed alive if I'd gone back and changed some things at the beginning of the series, but I don't think the story would have worked anywhere near as well. We can't go back in time in real life, so why should my characters have that luxury! :-)

The only time I have ever changed something big in a book was in my first novel, The Inventors. One of the characters died halfway through the story, a little robot called Clint. My editor thought it was a bit too dark for middle grade and asked me to bring him back. It was a good call, because it was a pretty sad moment, so I'm glad I did it. YA is a very different ball game, though!

I do quite often read back through the books and think 'Did I really write that? That's awful!' The more you write, the better you write, so of course you look back at the early stuff and cringe a bit. But I guess that's just like everything in life!

Do you plan to write more creepy, terrorizing and haunting novels for us fans?

Yes! I'll be writing books for as long as I am able (and for as long as they'll let me)! It's the most amazing thing in the world, being able to sit down and build a world and fill it with characters and watch what happens. I'd be doing it even if I wasn't being published - being published is really just a bonus. And horror will always be my genre of choice, because no other genre gives you so much creative freedom. Literally anything can happen. There's barely a week goes by that another idea doesn't pop into my head, most of them creepy, terrorizing and haunting. The trouble is finding time to write about them all!

A question aside from your work, what are your thoughts on this brand new world where fans have such a huge impact on authors with social networks and blogging/reviewing, compared to what was back then?

Well, I never really knew what the old world was like, because my first novel came out five years ago when the social media scene was really getting some momentum. I didn't use social media much back in 2007, but as soon as Furnace was out in 2009 I started Facebooking and Tweeting and blogging. I love it. I can't imagine living i na world where I didn't have contact with fans. I have the best fans in the world, they are seriously awesome , and they are what makes this the best job in the world. I get emails and Facebook messages every day, and they are a constant inspiration to keep writing - you know your audience, not quite face to face but close. You are friends with them. Without that interaction I'd feel like I was talking to a brick wall when I wrote.

Thanks so much for interviewing me on your blog!! :-)

And thank you so much for allowing me to interview you! Your answers seriously got me thinking about the way I write which is always a grand help!

You can check out more information about Alexander Gordon Smith over at his;

Website: http://www.alexandergordonsmith.com/

Twitter: @AGSmith_Author

You can also check out the first four books in the Escape From Furnace series (Paperback) down below:

     
     

Brent Weeks Interview (Birthday Bash)

Hey everyone! Welcome back to another post during The Subtle Chronicler's Birthday Bash Event! Today I bring you an epic and ass-kicking author who I admire so much and think that he can write some freaking amazing books like no other.

Brent Weeks did the honor of answering my questions that I had for him. Some of these questions I've wanted to know for the longest and I'm glad I got the chance to ask! So let us begin!

Who exactly is Brent Weeks?

A question for biographers yet unborn, no doubt! Actually I'm The New York Times bestselling author of The Night Angel Trilogy, and The Black Prism, and the forthcoming The Blinding Knife. I'm a bit of a regular guy living the dream.

Why write such a complex story of assassins (The Night Angel Trilogy) when paranormal was the new thing? In other words, why take that huge chance of being different when you could have gone the safe way?

I don't think there is a safe way in writing. (Me: Touché) By the time zombies or whatever becomes the next big thing, you're often talking about starting your zombie novels two years after everyone else did. And all of the sudden, you'll be submitting your zombie novel at the same time that thousands of other people are submitting theirs. Also, unless you really, really love zombies and were always looking for an excuse to write a zombie novel, if you're writing to chase the market, you're not going to write as well. I've always kind of thought assassins were cool. So I wrote the book that I thought would be fun to write, and fun to read.

Do you ever find it hard to keep up with all of your ideas and notes you have for The Lightbringer Series? It seems that if one doesn't pay attention while reading, they might get lost.

A huge part of the challenge for writing fantasy is communicating a vast store of information to your readers without boring them or lecturing them or treating them like they're smarter or dumber than they are. I have a great respect for fantasy readers and think that the audience is an unusually bright group of people. I think epic fantasy readers especially tend to like complexity. So I shot for a middle ground of ideas that look simple on the surface and yet are actually intricately woven. But yes, as a writer, keeping all of this information about two separate universes straight in my head at all times is quite a challenge.

Were you ever afraid that you would have to hold back on your writing at one point? By this I mean stray away from the nudity, gore and the likes?

I certainly worried about how some people would take it. And when a pleased 10-year-old comes up and asks me to sign their book, I often look at their parents and sort of think, "Really?" But I felt that certain  characters and certain actions have to be written a certain way, or it's just not honest. Now there's latitude within that of exactly how close you put the camera to the action, but I've never felt any pressure from my editor or agent to either tone things down or amp them up.

What would you like your author status to be in, say, 20 years?

That's probably a more complicated question than you know. Part of me would be really delighted to stay just about where I'm at. I really love what I do, and I love how when I go to a book signing, I get to have a little bit of time with each and every fan who shows up. That's possible when you have 30-75 fans at a signing, but impossible when you have 500. At that point, it becomes far less personal. Also, as your career expands, and I've seen this even in four years, there are many, many more demands on your time. So part of me loves where I'm at, and of course part of me would love to pack in the big huge audiences and have the TV show and the video games and the whole 9 years. Because, let's face it, a lot of that stuff is just fun.

A question aside from you work, what are your thoughts on this brand new world where fans have such a huge impact on authors with social networks and blogging/reviewing, compared to what was back then?

For the most part, I think it's great. It puts more power in the hands of fans, and less in the hands of big publishers. You rarely these days see the huge ad campaigns telling you what the next hit will be that you would see in, say, the '80s. But that's probably a good thing. Now, as an author, I think you can concentrate on just writing the best book you can, and if it connects with fans, then they have a lot of venues to share their excitement with others, and to form communities if, say, no one else in their high school reads fantasy books. That said, figuring out how to juggle social media and blogging and interviews sure does demand a different skill set of authors. It can be quite distracting from writing as well.

Now that the actual questions are done I have one serious, most important question that has been eating my brain away along with others for the longest. This question has the possibility of saving the world, no, the universe. What do you consider your novels to be? Adult or Young Adult? Good Luck!

I definitely consider my books to be adult. And Orbit deliberately chose cover imagery with this in mind. One of the early thoughts for a cover, because the most important relationship in The Way of Shadows is between a master and an apprentice, was to show a looming Durzo Blint behind a young Kylar. That would have been true to the contents of the book, but not to its purpose. This is a very adult and at times very dark story, and there's swearing, and sex, and even touches of cannibalism and things like that that I would want parents to think about before they give it to their middle schoolers. 

Thanks so much for having me on! 

Brent

And thank you Brent Weeks for taking time out of your schedule and answering these questions for me! I hope you keep writing, even 20 years from now and that hopefully very soon we can see a movie or tv show of your novels! Because, let's face it, Assassins on TV (HBO or Starz) would be FREAKING SWEET! 

Again I want to thank Brent Weeks and if you want to know more about him just check him out through his;

Website: http://www.brentweeks.com/

Twitter: @brentweeks

Be sure to check back in half an hour when I give away a copy of one of his novels to you guys!

Also, check out all of the posts for the Event from the beginning;

The Subtle Chronicler's Birthday Post

The Subtle Chronicler's Giveaway (International)

Ellen Hopkins Guest Post

Ellen Hopkins SIGNED ARC of TILT Giveaway 

Can't Find A Bookmark Guest Post

Can't Find A Bookmark Giveaway (International)

Cinda Williams Chima Interview

Cinda Williams Chima SIGNED Book Giveaway

Cinda Williams Chima Interview (Birthday Bash)

Today's post we bring you a special interview with none other than Cinda Williams Chima. Our wonderful Cinda has been super busy to the point of not even posting on her own blog but she agreed to do a small interview with me and I love her oh so much for that!

So let's get this started!!

Who is Cinda Williams Chima?

I am a person who has never stopped transforming herself. Sometimes I regret that I didn't find success as a writer sooner, but it may be that it just took this long to gather the experiences that I'm mining today.

Was it a difficult transaction going from The Heir Chronicles, to the more complex Seven Realms Series?

Not really! Each of the Heir Chronicles books is a bit more complex than the last. I think that happens naturally as your writing skills develop (not that I think complexity is always a good thing!) Because The Seven Realms is set in a world I created for an adult high fantasy series that I wrote in the midst of writing the Heir Chronicles, I felt very much at home in that world from the beginning. I've found it more challenging to go back to the Heir Chronicles now, and recapture the voice that I used in that series. You can never entirely go back.

If you could switch any character from each series into the other series, who would they be and why?

I'd like to introduce Amon Byrne to Jack Swift. I think they'd have a lot to talk about. Madison Moss and Raisa ana'Marianna would be an interesting combination, as would Leesha Middleton and Cat Tyburn.

How do you feel knowing that the final chapter of the Seven Realms Series is so close to the readers and that soon enough they'll see the whole vision you saw?

In some way I can't wait for them to read that final chapter; in other ways, I dread it. I'm hoping that readers will find it as satisfactory as I do. And that they can see the story flowing forward from there.

Do you have any plans to write more novels after finishing all the books in both The Heir Chronicles and Seven Realms Series?

I plan to write until they pry my cold, dead hands from the keyboard. I hope that readers will keep wanting to immerse themselves in the worlds I create.

Now that actually cleared up some questions I had (even though they all were questions I had) but I finally know that the Seven Realms Series is an adult series which is epic! 

But again, I want to thank Cinda Williams Chima so much because she took time from her super busy schedule to answer these questions. So thank you, Cinda, and as long as you write, I will be a huge fan and buying your books as soon as they come out! 

Before you guys leave be sure to check out the links down below to the previous posts, and make sure you check back in half an hour when Cinda provides a SIGNED copy of a book of hers for giveaway for you guys!

To get to know more about Cinda Williams Chima check out her....

Website: http://www.cindachima.com/index.htm

Twitter: @CindaChima

Check out all the posts from the beginning; 

The Subtle Chronicler's Birthday Post

The Subtle Chronicler's Giveaway (International)

Ellen Hopkins Guest Post

Ellen Hopkins SIGNED ARC of TILT Giveaway

Can't Find A Bookmark Guest Post

Can't Find A Bookmark Giveaway (International)

Author Interview - Andy Gavin

Whoa! I haven't visited this specific post in the longest. But hello everyone! For those of you who have been following me, it's another one of those posts! To those who are newly following me, I introduce to you, an Author Interview! Finally, after months I had the chance to interview another author and I think this time the author deserves a standing ovation because they broke an arm while I sent the questions in. That is dedication to his fanbase really. But who is this he? Well it is none other than Andy Gavin! Let us get right to it!

The Author

Who is Andy Gavin?

I'm a lifelong creator and explorer of worlds. As far back as first grade I remember spending most of the school day in one day dream or another. I had a huge notebook stuffed with drawings, story bits, and concepts for an elaborate Sci-Fi/Fantasy world I cobbled together from bits of Star Wars, Narnia, and Battlestar Galactica. By fourth or fifth grade not only was I losing myself in every fantasy or Sci-Fi novel I could, but I was building Dungeons & Dragons castles and caverns on paper. Then from 1980 on the computer.

Over the following decades I wrote dozens of stories and created and published over a dozen video games all set in alternative universes. And as an avid reader (over 10,000 novels and who knows how many non-fiction volumes) it was no surprise that I eventually decided to write some books of my own.

Why did you take this big transaction from games to novels?

From at least high school on I always intended to write a bunch of novels. Work just got in the way.

And the thing about making games is that you can no longer do it mostly by yourself. These days, most games are big teams of over a hundred people, with budgets over 50 million dollars. All that means that it's not about your creative expression (most of the time), but about getting it done, well, on time, and on budget. And the roll of team lead is largely about fire fighting and resource (achem people) wrangling.

So, I really wanted to focus directly on the creative aspects. Dozens of story ideas have been bouncing around in my head for years, and I felt it was time to let a couple of them out.

Growing up, which novels were your favorite and did any of them influence your writing today?

The 1st real novel I ever read was Isaac Asimov's David Starr, Space Ranger. That started me off bright and early (seven or eight) with my long pattern of reading speculative fiction. I pretty much only read fantasy, science fiction, or supernatural novels. I probably read every fantasy or science fiction book in the kids section of the library - and the 1970s were a great era for this kind of stuff.

Is there on book in the world today that you wish you were the author of?

Harry Potter so I would be a billionaire! Actually, while I love those books, I would be more proud of writing something like Hyperion by Dan Simmons. This is an incredible novel with a huge scope.

The Novel

Where did the idea for The Darkening Dream come from?

There are two answers to that, the visceral and the cerebral. With The Darkening Dream, the visceral part was this image I had - and some might consider me disturbed - of a dead tree silhouetted against an orange sky, a naked body bound to it, disemboweled, and bleeding out. The sound of a colossal horn or gong blares. The blood glistens black in the sunset light. Bats circle the sky and wolves bay in the distance. But sacrifice isn't just about killing. It's a contract. Someone is bargaining with the gods. 

And on the cerebral side, I've always been a huge vampire fan and I've read and watched a large percentage of the oeuvre. But also as a history buff I wanted to write a supernatural story that was more grounded in real history and legend. I'm always thinking, "that could have been so much better if they didn't make up the historical back-story" so I started with the villains. What kind of ancient evil creatures might still be around? What do they want? And what legitimate human reason would they have to destroy the world (Buffy-style)? I don't exactly answer the question in The Darkening Dream, because the motives of 5,000-year-old baddies should be mysterious. But trust me, they have a plan, and the sheer audacity of it will literally shake the foundations of the heavens.

Why did you choose vampires and were you afraid or nervous of bringing them back to their original roots?

I've been obsessed with vampires for decades. Not because they are romantic, but because they are undead - and I really mean undead - and because older ones are creatures that have stretched across the centuries. But it always bugs me in stories full of supernatural where they touch on the historical roots of superstitions but don't bother to do the research. I always felt that, as they say, "truth is stranger than fiction" - if, like, you count myth as truth - and so I wanted to write a fast paced supernatural action story where the spooky stuff is all based on real spooky stuff. and truly, the real deal is much more creepy.

Where did the idea of adding Egyptian gods come from and did you at one point feel as if it wouldn't fit in with the story?

While the vampires were the 1st villains I added to the roster, they didn't really have the full motivation, the truly deep and ancient grievance, required to plot the destruction of the world. But the old gods? They're really pissed. I mean, if you were an ancient deity, and used to being, you know, King of Heaven or something, wouldn't you be angry that no one believes in you anymore? That no one offers sacrifice? That your cult statues have all been torn down? That your temples are all crumbling ruins? And who would you blame? Well, the "new" gods seem pretty good targets for jealousy.

What do you honestly think of your finished novel, The Darkening Dream?

Overall, I'm very pleased with how it turned out. I think it fundamentally does what I intended: to show a historical version of our world where all the cool creepy stuff that ought to be real, is. But there are things I would've done differently. It was my 1st novel and I learned a lot of lessons along the way. I certainly would've started the story with more of a hook. The book has a very gradual ramp up to the midpoint, after which the pace is lightning fast. But it's easier to sell a book that opens with a bang. I spent a lot of time in revision trying to restructure the beginning, and while it did change, I was never 100% satisfied with it. I probably also would've used a simpler POV structure. Early versions of the book were much longer with many more subplots. The loss of some of these renders the complex POV system a bit overkill.

With the amazing ending the novel had, are you going to write a sequel or leave it up to the reader's imagination?

The Darkening Dream began for me with a vision of the last scene, and the story is in many ways a kind of prequel. I have a detailed outline for the 2nd book, but I haven't started yet. After the enormous number of drafts I did on the book, I wanted to write something different. My 2nd novel is a totally difference universe. It's lighter, a young adult time travel adventure called Untimed.

Future Novels

We know that you are releasing a novel called Untimed later this year. Could you tell us a bit about it? 

I do have a second finished novel (it's been through four major drafts and a full line edit). It's called Untimed and is a YA time travel novel that chronicles the crazy adventures of a boy no one remembers, who falls through a hole in time and finds himself lost in the past. It's very different with an extremely immediate first person present voice (in this book the only thing anyone can hold on to is the present). It rocks. Seriously rocks.

Aside from that novel, do you plan on writing anything else or are you leaving it at that?

I have a lot more novels in me. The Darkening Dream is at least a 3 or 4 book story, so is Untimed. I also have notes for a huge epic fantasy series and a couple sci-fi novels. 

Would you ever go back to the world in The Darkening Dream and write another story with different characters and perhaps even a different creature? (Witches, Hags, Banshee, etc. etc.)

For sure. I have an outline for the story of Constantine and Isabella in the 1450s and I think al-Nasir's story would be great. And that is just the beginning. You can find supernatural in any time and place.

Do you have any words of wisdom and advice to people who are aspiring authors and to the readers of your books?

The simplest and the most time consuming advice for would-be-writers is to read. Read everything you can. In your genre, in other genres, non-fiction. Everything. Of course if you're one of those people who just never reads but somehow has the burning desire to be a writer ... perhaps you should think again. Next, take your craft seriously. Read books on writing and editing, on plot and structure. Editing, and I mean professional editing, is really very important. A surprising number of published books aren't even well edited. They're overwritten and redundant, like this sentence, Patience. It takes a long time to improve and you'll end up doing a lot of waiting on both of yourself and others.

Fan Questions

Because you are already known outside of the book realm, I got some people to ask some questions for you.

How did the idea of Crash, along with Jak & Daxter come up?

You can find that on my blog here: http://all-things-andy-gavin.com/2011/02/02/making-crash-bandicoot-part-1/ 

(Mike: It really is an interesting read so check it out)

Who would you cast as Sarah, Anne, Emily, Sam and Alex if there were ever a movie version of The Darkening Dream? 

I don't actually spend much time thinking about that as I see them as their own people. (Mike: Best answer I ever got for this question) But... The girl we cast for the cover nails Sarah's look. (Model Dana Melanie) A young Rachel Wiess would've been perfect. Failing the time warp, perhaps Nina Dobrev, but she's too tall and by the time it got made too old. Constantine: Christopher Lee for sure, but we can only hope he'll still be around =D. And while we're going for dream cast, I think George Clooney could actually carry al-Nasir. He has the intensity and Nasir sees himself as charming. Steve Buscemi might make a great Parris. Paul Giamatti as Joseph. Chloe Grace Moretz as Emily. And last, but not least, perhaps Anton Yelchin as Alex.

If you could be any character from a book and their story would be your life, who would it be? 

Lazarus Long from Robert A. Heinlein's Time enough for love. The title says it all - if you read into the innuendo. Or maybe Dune's Paul Atreides. I have always had an affinity for messianic worms.

And with that the interview is concluded. I would like to thank Andy Gavin for taking his time away from writing and answering these questions. Even with a broken arm! And I'd advise you all to come back tomorrow to read the interview on his novel The Darkening Dream.

If you want to look up more information on Andy, you can visit him at his site All-Things-Andy-Gavin.com

Check out more information on his debut novel, The Darkening Dream.

But don't forget to look up his upcoming novel, Untimed.

Author Interview - Cameo Renae

Hey guys! Today I have an author interview, which is more like Part 2 of the interview. The author is Cameo Renae and if you don't remember I interviewed her a week or so ago which you can check out right here. Now I would type some other stuff but I'm just really freaking tired and can't even think. Started working on Monday so I'm basically scheduling this post so I don't forget. So let's get it started!

The Novel

Let's start off by being honest. After your book was published, did you ever look at it and go, "Man, I wish I took this out or added this!" And if so which part the most?

For the most part, I was happy with the published copy. However, after I first published, there were some errors that a few friends picked out. BUT, the beauty of self-publishing is that I could go in and make those changes. :) So... I did. I know there are still a few errors that I didn't catch, but all in all, I can say that I am very pleased with In My Dreams. It's my baby and I'm very proud.

Are there any deleted scenes from the book? Parts that you took out for whatever reason?

Oh yes. I did delete a lot from the book. There were parts that, as I did my final editing, were long and drawn out. I was like... jeeze... this is so boo-ring! So, I deleted those wordy parts, and think it made the book much better.

And onto the book itself, do you see yourself returning to Lizzy's character and writing more stories about her?

I do...eventually. I'd definitely like to write another story about Lizzy. One where she's trying to cope on her own, and learning about her new gift. Right now, my mind is on vacation from In My Dreams, so I'll have to come back to it... when and if the time is right.

Did you base any of the characters off of anyone in your real life?

I'd have to say that Michael's character is a lot like my husband. He is just a great, lovable person. (But, don't get on his bad side! Lol) If you ever meet him, you'll love him, and feel like you've known him forever. He has a heart of gold, and would give the shirt off his back if he saw a need.

Do you think that Michael would ever contact Lizzy again? (For those who haven't read the book, go read it to see what I mean!)

Hmmmm... Reader's are asking the same question, and I'd have to say... yes. But, of course... there will be a twist or two. ;) I've contemplated it, but right now I'm near the completion of my next novel (which is book 1 in a trilogy). A YA Paranormal - it will have some romance, but there's a lot more to it. I'm really excited about this next one. So... Lizzy and Michael will have to wait until another day. They know I love them. :)

Future Novels

Can we expect any more novels about Lizzy and her "new job" shall we say?

I think so, but if I do, it will probably be only one more. I haven't decided yet.

Do you have any other plans for novels? IF so could you tell us some basic ideas or something like a teaser?

Yes. Oh boy! Okay... here we go... a very short, not too descriptive teaser... ;)

If you've read In My Dreams, then you know about the Guardians. I really liked the idea and carried it into my new novels, but there is a whole lot more going on... much more complex. This next novel has evil creatures (assassins), Fallen Angels, Guardians, Nephilim's, humans, and a girl who's been thrown into the middle of it all. :)

Have you ever thought about writing more novels set in the same universe as In My Dreams? Perhaps a whole series of alternating characters who may or may not mention each other or even show up.

That's a great question. If I did, it'd probably end up something like Ghost Whisperer, and I don't think I wanna go there.

But most importantly, now that you have one novel out, how do you feel knowing you can have more on the way for the public to read?

I'm overwhelmed at the wonderful responses In My Dreams has been getting. For the future novels, I am both excited and anxious. Excited because I love the concept, plot, and characters, and anxious because I hope that people will love them as much as I do.

A special thanks to Michael for letting me raid his awesome blog. ;)

And that is all folks! It was awesome getting to chat to Cameo who is just freaking epic and again awesome. I hope to work with her again in the near future and can't wait to read her other books. Check out tomorrow when a review of her novel comes up! =) I hope you guys are having a wonderful day, (as much as mine sucks for being at work but I get home at 4!) and again a special thanks to Cameo for being epic!