Author Interview - Andrew Joyce

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

My name is Andrew Joyce, and I live on a boat in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with my dog, Danny. I left high school at seventeen to hitchhike throughout the US, Canada, and Mexico for a number of years. I’ve written four books, including my latest, Resolution, and a collection of one hundred and forty short stories comprised of my hitching adventures called Bedtime Stories for Grown-ups (as yet unpublished).

What do you do when you're not writing?

I read books. Steinbeck, London, Baldacci, and Child are among my favorite authors.

When did your first start writing?

One morning, about six years ago, I went crazy. I got out of bed, went downstairs, and threw my TV out the window. Then I sat down at the computer and wrote my first short story. It was soon published in a print magazine (remember them?). I’ve been writing ever since.

What inspired you to write this particular book?

I was not inspired to write Resolution . . . I was cajoled into writing it.

This is the backstory to Resolution:

My first book was a 164,000-word historical novel. And in the publishing world, anything over 80,000 words for a first-time author is heresy. Or so I was told time and time again when I approached an agent for representation. After two years of research and writing, and a year of trying to secure the services of an agent, I got angry. To be told that my efforts were meaningless was somewhat demoralizing to say the least. I mean, those rejections were coming from people who had never even read my book.

“So you want an 80,000-word novel?” I said to no one in particular, unless you count my dog, because he was the only one around at the time. Consequently, I decided to show them City Slickers that I could write an 80,000-word novel!

I had just finished reading Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn for the third time, and I started thinking about what ever happened to those boys, Tom and Huck. They must have grown up, but then what? So I sat down at my computer and banged out REDEMPTION: The Further Adventures of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer in two months, then sent out query letters to agents.

Less than a month later, the chairman of one of the biggest agencies in New York City emailed me that he loved the story. We signed a contract and it was off to the races, or so I thought. But then the real fun began: the serious editing. Seven months later, I gave birth to Huck and Tom as adults in the Old West. And just for the record, the final word count is 79,914. The book went on to reach #1 status in its category on Amazon—twice. And it won the Editors’ Choice Award for best Western of 2013. The rest, as they say, is history.

But not quite.

My agent then wanted me to write a sequel, but I had other plans. I was in the middle of editing down my first novel (that had been rejected by 1,876,324 agents . . . or so it seemed) from 164,000 words to the present 142,000. However, he was insistent about a sequel, so I started to think about it. Now, one thing you have to understand is that I tied up all the loose ends at the end of REDEMPTION, so there was no way that I could write a sequel. And that is when Molly asked me to tell her story. Molly was a minor character that we met briefly in the first chapter of REDEMPTION, and then she is not heard from again.

So I started to think about what ever happened to her. After a bit of time—and 100,000 words—we find out what did happen to Molly. It is an adventure tale where Huck Finn weaves through the periphery of a story driven by a feisty female lead. Molly Lee was my second book, which achieved #2 status on Amazon.

Now I was finished with Huck Finn for good. Now I could go back to my first novel and resume the editing process.

But not quite.

It was then that Huck and Molly ganged up on me and demanded that I resolve their lives once and for all. It seems that I had left them hanging—so to speak. Hence, RESOLUTION: Huck Finn’s Greatest Adventure.

The three books are standalones and are not part of a series. They can be read in any order. RESOLUTION is available as an eBook and in print.

There you have it. Perhaps now Huck and Molly will leave me alone long enough so that I can get some editing done on my first novel.

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

That is a very good question. It’s also a hard question to answer, but I reckon the passage below should suffice as one of my favorites. As to why, I would have to say because it defines what I was trying to convey in the novel—the struggle of my protagonist with nefarious men, nature, and wild animals to name just a few of his adversaries.

• • • • •

The alpha wonders why the two-legs have now bunched together. No matter, they will watch, they will be ready, and when the time is right, they will feed on the meat from their bones.

It is time to move closer to the two-legs, though it is not yet time for the attack. They must be cautious. He remembers—from long ago—the sticks the two-legs use to kill. His mother was killed by one. The sticks bark loudly and blood spouts from a wolf-brother or a wolf-sister, then they are no more. He will keep his family safe. They will not strike until the two-legs are struggling in the snow or separated from one another, making themselves easy for the kill.

No matter the wolves’ hunger, they will wait . . . it is their way.

The two-legs have their ways and the wolves have theirs. Before very long, they will tear at the flesh of the two-legs; their warm blood will drip from the wolves’ jaws—before very long, their hunger will have fled their wolf-bodies and they will lie in the snow with full bellies.

• • • • •

Huck went back to the fire, bringing Bright with him, and sat down on his heels. With one hand, he held onto his Winchester, the stock resting in the snow, the barrel pointing to the sky. With the other, he held onto Bright’s collar. He did not want the dog to start anything that he could not finish. He did not say anything. He was thinking. Jass stopped stirring the mush and Molly looked up from what she was doing. They looked at each other, then back at Huck.

Molly asked, “Did you change your mind about hunting?”

Slowly, Huck came out of his reverie and looked at Molly and then at Jass. Turning back to Molly, he said, “Get John fed and get ready to move out.” To Jass, he said, “Hurry up with that mush. We gotta be going.”

“What’s the matter, Huck?” asked Jass.

“We have company. There are four or five wolves up there, back on the rise, that seem to have an extraordinary interest in us. Don’t worry, we’ll be all right. We just have to keep moving, but from now on, we stay together. If they don’t follow us, we’ll be fine.”

Both Molly and Jass looked up to the rise and saw nothing. “I don’t see any wolves,” said Molly.

“Me either,” interjected Jass.

Huck hurriedly stood up and turned to where they were looking. They were right, the wolves were gone. He was about to sigh in relief when Bright growled again and he saw a dark speck moving in the snow, then another, and another. The wolves had come down off the rise and were coming their way.

“Feed John,” ordered Huck. “It may be a while before we can stop again.” He did not have to explain. Molly and Jass had also seen the wolves.

• • • • •

They move to within a hundred yards of the two-legs and spread out in a half circle. If they had been a larger family, they would have completely surrounded their prey. Now is the time to observe their weaknesses and look for opportunities to mount an attack.

The pup knows his place, but being young, he wants to show off some. He’s behind the adults, running back and forth, when all of a sudden he darts past the line the adults have set. He’ll show them what a great hunter he is. As he runs past one of the females, she turns and nips him on his right haunch. He yelps, and with a painful whine, runs back to where he should have been. It was his mother who had put an end to his foolishness. The alpha male observes the interplay between mother and pup and remembers back to when he was a pup and his mother had kept him in line in a similar manner. But that was before she was killed by the two-legs.

What is best writing advice you can give?

Read, read . . . and then read some more. Read everything you can get your hands on! Reading to a writer is as medical school is to a doctor, as physical training is to an athlete, as breathing is to life. When one reads stuff like the passage below, one cannot help but become a better writer.

"The afternoon came down as imperceptibly as age comes to a happy man. A little gold entered into the sunlight. The bay became bluer and dimpled with shore-wind ripples. Those lonely fishermen who believe that the fish bite at high tide left their rocks and their places were taken by others, who were convinced that the fish bite at low tide.”—John Steinbeck, Tortilla Flat

Is there anything else you'd like your readers to know about the book?

I would like to say that I wrote Resolution in one sitting and everything in it is my pure genius. But that would be a lie. I have an editor that puts order to my chaos.

One last thing: Everything in Resolution is historically correct. I spend as much time on research as I do writing—sometimes more.

Is there anything else you’d like to say?

Just this: Thank you for having me over. It’s been a real pleasure.

You can find Andrew Joyces' Latest novel, "Resolution; Huck Finn's Greatest Adventure." here:

https://www.amazon.com/Resolution-Huck-Finns-Greatest-Adventure-ebook/dp/B01E83YVJA 

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/629497 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/resolution-andrew-joyce/1123675041?ean=2940152976083 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30009309-resolution

and his website: 

http://andrewjoyce76.com/ 

Author and Character Interview: Robert Eggleton, and Lacy Dawn from 'Rarity from the Hollow'

This was supposed to be posted last month, but other things unfortunately got in the way of me formatting and getting it live. But I'm very excited to be able to share this very interesting interview I had with Robert Eggleton, author of Rarity from the Hollow: A Lacy Dawn Adventure.

N: Thank you for taking the time to talk! Let's start with something easy, and something I'm sure you've answered before. Tell us a little bit about yourself.


R: I was born in an impoverished West Virginia family in 1951. My father suffered from PTSD and had night terrors and rages. Due to his World War II related disabilities, he couldn't hold down a job. As the oldest child, I felt a duty to protect and support my family. A lot of my writing draws on this early experience.

The next school year after my father died in a house fire, I won the 8th grade short story contest: God Sent, the story of a semi truck driver so consumed with theological debate the he caused a terrible accident. Looking back, I'm sure that my father's death influenced this story. My father, when intoxicated, would quote Bible verses.


After winning the writing contest, I began to dream of becoming a rich and famous author. However, as it often does, life got in the way. I never finished any more stories. Except for a couple of poems that were published in college, my writing and my dream were on hold. Instead, after I earned a Master's in Social Work degree in 1977, I wrote children's social service models, grants, research, statistical reports or child abuse and delinquency -- the stuff that aspiring fiction writers produce when true love is denied.

N: So what was it that finally got you to write this novel?

R: I've worked in the field of children's advocacy for over forty years. In 2012, I started a job as a psychotherapist at our local mental health center -- an intensive day program for kids with serious mental health issues, most of whom had been traumatized, some sexually abused.

N: And your job inspired the creation of Lacy?

R: In 2006, my life changed. A skinny little girl with stingy brown hair was admitted to the program. During group therapy sessions, rather than talking about her traumas, she spoke of her hopes and dreams for the future -- finding a permanent family that would love and protect her physically and emotionally. The Lacy Dawn Adventures project was conceived that session: an empowered female protagonist who took on the evils within the universe.



Not only did I get the chance to speak with Robert, but I got to speak with the main character herself, Lacy!



L: My name is Lacy Dawn. I'm eleven and I live down the hollow. All my family live in West Virginia, but my mom and dad have been out of state. My dad went to Iraq -- that's where he got so messed up. After he came back, I still remember the day, they moved to Cleveland. That's where I was born, but I don't remember nothing 'cause I was just a baby.

I'd never been anyplace except the hollow until I met this guy. Now, don't get all worried, 'cause it's not like that and I'm only eleven -- not old enough for a boyfriend. He's got a weird name, but I call him Buddy after my cousin who lives on the hard road.


Buddy lets me get on his computers and I've been tons of places that way. It's almost like going there in person cause he has a bunch of TVs on his walls and I can see all the angles. I've been way back in time and seen stars, met people that don't even look like people, but Buddy said they are just like me.


Buddy said that I'm not really eleven. He said that I'm really, really old. But, you look at me. Do I look old? Heck no. I'm just a kid, a regular kid like everybody else in school. Buddy lives in a spaceship and he's going to take us all out of state. He said that it's part of my training for a real important job that I don't understand yet, something about saving the universe. It's supposed to be a long way from the hollow.


N: Wow! That sounds pretty cool to have gone back in time. What was your favourite time to visit?


L: Every time and place that I've been outside of the hollow feels weird to me. Maybe it's 'cause I'm not used to it -- all those buildings, and strange plants and the people -- gosh, you can't imagine how many bodies that a person can be inside.

Anyway, I'll tell you about one place that I went on Buddy's computers. It was a really, really strange trip 'cause he told me that I was in that movie, I didn't believe him at the time, and got mad. Now that I've grown up a little bit, I know that it's true. I can't explain how, but I just know it.


It was like a huge jungle with these giant plants everyplace. We weren't walking, kind of zooming in. Then, I heard stuff, not like talking, but it was people noises -- grunts kind of. When we got closer, there was a bunch of people and they were naked! I'd never seen naked people before, except Buddy and he ain't got no private parts, so I got scared. My mom raised me up right. Know what I mean?


There was a humongous green bean that had grown into a tent type thing where those people lived. I saw some of them hunting like my daddy -- I helped him once and drained it and cut it up. It was gross! There's still some in the freezer. Are you hungry? My mom will make you something. There some apple pie left over from grandma's birthday. No? Okay.
Anyway, I went inside the green been casserole, it was alive, yes a live plant that these people lived inside with great big beans. It was filled with people and stank bad. Right in the middle of the floor, there was a cook stove. I told Buddy that it was impossible 'cause there wasn't any electric back then. My mom wants an electric stove.

This stove didn't have no fire, or smoke, or nothing, but meat and green beans sure were sizzling on top. I got in line for some food. When it was my turn, instead of filling up my leaf with grub, this really tall guy conked me on the head!

He did it again a couple of times, but after I kept getting up and holding my leaf to him, I finally got some food. I gave it to some skinny, hairy women and kids. I wasn't really hungry anyway.


That's one really weird place I went. I was glad to come home. Buddy said that it was hundreds of thousand of years ago and that was when I was born. Weird, huh?


N: That is weird! That sure is a long time ago to be born. You really don't look that old!


L: The kids at school say that I'm slow growing up. Some of the girls are starting to grow boobies. You know. I'm glad that I'm not. I've seen what it's like to be an adult, and I know about stuff, adult stuff that's gross -- I learned it from the computers. I'm in no hurry to grow up.

My dad got hooked on beer -- he's grown up. My mom's teeth are rotting out -- she's grown up. Tom, our neighbor is just plain weird, something about Bipolar Disorder but I bet that he was okay as a kid. I don't really trust any grown ups except for mom. You seem okay. Are you cool?

I'm in no hurry to grow up. That's for sure.


N: Well, I think I'm cool. But that's my opinion. I think everyone has a little something different about them. I'm glad you're not in a hurry to grow up. But you sure have seen a lot for someone your age! Do you have a favourite memory of you and your friend Buddy?


L: Except for mom, Buddy is the only person who has never been mean to me. I love my best friend. Her name is Faith, but she is a sour puss sometimes. I think its because her family is so messed up. Her daddy does stuff to her that I can't tell you about and it makes her mad at the world. She takes it out on me sometimes, but doesn't really mean it. I understand.


Daddy switches me and mom. You know what that means. Look, see that scar. He was drunk then and apologized for it when he sobered up. I love him but he says spare the rod and spoil the child so much that I'd rather be rotten. So would mom. She gets it worse than me sometimes. So did grandma, both sides. Daddy says that it's in the Bible, but I've read that book four times and I've never even seen the word "switch" in it.

I love Buddy. He's going to be my boyfriend for when I get old enough to have one. He's a doctor, sort of. He has a beautiful living room in his spaceship. It's not that I only care about money, but it does help if a man has a little. When I'm really, really old, like twenty or after I graduate from college, I don't know when, but Buddy and I are going to get married. I ain't going to let him touch be in a bad way before then, 'cause I know better. He don't mind at all. He ain't no pervert, and that's another good thing.

One of the best times with Buddy was when he helped save me and my mom from getting switched worse when Daddy was really drunk. My other best friends, the trees in our Woods, helped too. I can talk to them and they tell me what to do sometimes, but they are not smart like Buddy.

Buddy makes me do too much homework. I mostly study when I visit him. But, everytime that I go there, it's fun, so all my memories are good. I'd invite you except he don't want other people to know where he lives.


N: That's a very good thing. I'm sorry Faith isn't always nice to you, and about your daddy. I'm glad you have a friend like Buddy. And I like that you said you might graduate college. If you could be anything when you grow up, what would you be?


L: I've got a dog. His name is Brownie cause that's what he stole off the table, instead of a weiner, when we went to the family reunion last year. I've had other pets before and I'll tell you this -- don't ever have a pet that could end up on your plate for dinner. I've been there and done that - two duck, a chicken, a turtle... I don't want to think about it.

Anyway, ever since I was a little girl, a long time ago, I've wanted to be a Veterinarian. I know better now, but I think that it started when I wanted to fix one of my dead pets, bring him back to life. That's silly, huh? I would still love to be a Vet and there are a bunch more animals in this universe than I ever realized. I've been plugged in and learned the name of thousands.


Oh, I forgot to tell you. Buddy put this port in my neck, see under my hair. I don't have to study like regular. He just plugs me in and there it goes, inside. That's how I learned about all those animals, and a bunch of other stuff on other planets. Some of them are soooooooo cute? Like an Olein. It looks like a fuzzy ball until the eyes peep out from under its hair. I'd love to have one, but I've have to explain where I got it and that would be hard.

Anyway, I'd still love to be a Vet, but Buddy said that I have a really important job to do first -- to save the universe. I don't understand what he means yet, but I'm learning fast. 

Sometimes I wonder if my brain might just explode if it gets so full. Buddy says no way and I trust him. Maybe after I save the universe I can be a Vet. I love animals.


N: Maybe you will! If you think about it, saving the universe would be taking care of all the animals in it and making sure they're safe. When Buddy tells you that you have to save the universe, do you believe him?


L: I sort of believe Buddy about saving the universe, but I don't see how. I know that he would never lie to me, not on purpose. I'm just eleven. I can't even save myself. How can I save the universe? He seems so sure that I'm the one, something about monitoring my evolution and that now I'm ready. I'm not going to argue with him about it, but I have doubts. Maybe he got me mixed up with someone else. I don't want to tell him that or he might leave and go looking for a better savior of the universe. I'm sure there are lots of people who would do it better than me. Please don't tell him, okay?


N: I won't tell him. Promise. But I think he's shown you how you can, by showing you all those cool things, and taking you places. Everyone has doubts, but all you need to do is believe in yourself. Buddy believes in you, and I think everyone else does, too.


L: Thanks. I've always made straight A's in school. It's important for Mommy to have something to brag about because she ain't got much else. She brags about me all the time. I've never even missed a day of school since I started. When the roads are slick, I have to catch the school bus at the top of the hill and that's a long walk. If I can do that good in school, maybe I can save the universe. It couldn't be THAT much harder.


N: I think you're right. How much harder could it be? Lacy Dawn, I'm so glad you were able to talk to me today. I just have one last question for you, if that's okay. It seems like you've been through a lot, with your daddy coming back from the war and being mean. What would you like to say to other girls who might not have a friend like Buddy?


L: There are many fake boys in this world and on every other planet. I've learned all about it. Fakes don't really love you, maybe they don't love anybody but themselves. My advice to girls is to be careful. I just got lucky, or maybe it was destiny like Buddy said. I met someone who was true. Just because a guy is cute, doesn't mean he has a good heart. Buddy is cute but that's not the main thing.

I'm not just talking to girls. Everybody, love should not be painful, self- deprecating, told you that I know big words, not that I like to use them. Love is built on mutual respect. Cute has nothing to do with it no matter what gender. Buddy ain't really got a gender except the one he decides to use, including no gender if that's what helps get the job done. I'm lucky that he's starting to love me. Give me a little time and I'll have him wrapped around my little finger, but I'll never take advantage of his love for me in a bad way. I learned how to do that from my mommy, not from computers.


If someone cares about your best interests, that's love. It's stronger than just caring about what you want to do because sometimes you may want to do something that's harmful to yourself or others. If that person loves you, he will not tell you what to do with your life, but will help you rethink things on your own. I hope everybody makes a good friend like Buddy. You can't have him. Sorry, he's taken. He's mine!






To read more about Lacy Dawn, you can buy the book here, and author proceeds are donated to a child abuse prevention program.

Author Interview - Andrew Joyce

Author’s Name: Andrew Joyce

Bio: Andrew Joyce left high school at seventeen to hitchhike throughout the US, Canada, and Mexico. He wouldn’t return from his journey until decades later when he decided to become a writer. Joyce has written four books, and a collection of one hundred and forty short stories that is comprised of his hitching adventures, written as veiled non-fiction called BEDTIME STORIES FOR GROWN-UPS. His novel, REDEMPTION: The Further Adventures of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, has hit #1 on Amazon in two categories twice in the last year. He has just published his latest novel, MOLLY LEE. He now lives on a boat in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with his dog, Danny.

Genre: Historical Fiction/Action

Links:

Amazon ...http://geni.us/molly

Barnes and Noble ...http://geni.us/P2X  

iTunes ...http://geni.us/TH1

Kobo ...http://geni.us/2EHU​

Smashwords ...http://geni.us/1ZNZ 

Andrew's Web Site ...http://andrewjoyce76.com

Interview:

1) What inspired you to start writing?

One morning I went crazy. I got out of bed, went downstairs, and threw my TV out the window. Then I sat down at the computer and wrote my first short story. It was soon published in a print magazine (remember them?). I’ve been writing ever since.

2) What advice would you give a new writer just starting out?

Read . . . read, and then read some more. Read everything you can get your hands on!

3) Who is your favorite author and why?

John Steinbeck and this is why:

"The afternoon came down as imperceptibly as age comes to a happy man. A little gold entered into the sunlight. The bay became bluer and dimpled with shore-wind ripples. Those lonely fishermen who believe that the fish bite at high tide left their rocks and their places were taken by others, who were convinced that the fish bite at low tide."— John Steinbeck, Tortilla Flat

Have ever read anything as beautiful? Well, I have and it was all stuff Steinbeck had written.

4) What comes first, the plot or characters?

When I start a book I have only the first sentence and the last paragraph in my head. Then all I have to do is come up with 100,000 words to fill in the blank space between.

5) Tell us something about your newest release.

Molly Lee is about to set off on the adventure of a lifetime . . . of two lifetimes.

It’s 1861 and the Civil War has just started. Molly is an eighteen-year-old girl living on her family’s farm in Virginia when two deserters from the Southern Cause enter her life. One of them—a twenty-four-year-old Huck Finn—ends up saving her virtue, if not her life.

Molly is so enamored with Huck, she wants to run away with him. But Huck has other plans and is gone the next morning before she awakens. Thus starts a sequence of events that leads Molly into adventure after adventure; most of them not so nice.

We follow the travails of Molly Lee, starting when she is eighteen and ending when she is fifty-six. Even then Life has one more surprise in store for her.

6) What is the hardest part about writing for you?

Marketing! The prevailing wisdom is that you have to be on Twitter, on Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Instagram to name just a few.

If I’m posting on all those sites, then I’m not writing. How many times can I tweet that I’m a genius and that you should buy my books? And what else is there to tweet? Who cares what I had for breakfast. And I really don’t care what is “trending” and couldn’t care less about commenting on it. The same goes for the rest of those social media sites.

I’ve given up on trying to sell books on social media. Instead, what I do is beg book bloggers for reviews. And believe me, it ain’t easy. For my last book, REDEMPTION: The Further Adventures of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, I had to go through a list of 3,500 bloggers. After visiting each blog individually (3,500!!!) to read their review policies, I found 300 that would maybe give me a review. Thirty responded. It only took two months of eight to ten-hour days, but it worked! Sales were good because of the exposure I received from those initial reviews, and the book—two years later—is averaging 4.5 stars from 300 reviews (132 on Amazon).

I can’t wait to stop marketing Molly and sit down at the computer and bang out my next book. I already have half of it written in my head.

7) What is your work schedule like when you are writing?

I like to write in the early morning hours when things are quiet. I usually get up around 2:00 a.m. and go to work. The commute is not long . . . only a few steps to my computer.

8) What did you want to be when you grew up?

I never wanted to grow up, and I believe I have succeeded.

9) How do you do research for your books?

This is my favorite question. I research my butt off. I write (for the most part) historical novels. I must know about the era; the nomenclature . . . everything. I’m presently researching women’s undergarments of the 1890s. If there is anything you need to know about pantalettes, just ask me. As to the how . . . I must admit that I’ve gotten lazy. I used to go to the library; now it’s all on line. Google Scholar rocks!

10 What group did you hang out with in high school?I had no friends in high school. Sill don’t . . . come to think of it.

11) What would we find under your bed?The monster that lives there.

12) What is something that you absolutely can't live without?Oxygen . . . vodka is a close second.

13) If you could spend a day with anyone from history, dead or alive, who would it be, and what would you do? What would you ask them?I’d love to spend some time with Jesus. I’d take Him sailing (I live on a sailboat) and ask Him so many questions, He’d probably get out and walk home.

14) Do you write in multiple genres or just one?I have 142 short stories that cover everything from the detective genre to science fiction and everything in between.

15) Is there a writer you idolize? If so who?John Steinbeck.

16) What are your favorite TV shows?I do not own a TV.

17) Do you have any other books on the horizon?

Yes I do, but right now my attention is riveted on a big, tall, frosty glass of vodka and cranberry juice (with extra lime). So I’ll have to go now. It’s been a pleasure. Thank you.

Character Interview: John Charming from Fearless

When I was first approached to participate in the 'Fearless' blog tour, I wasn't too sure. I knew I wasn't able to get a review out in time (have you seen my review queue? Seriously.) but it still sounded interesting. I wanted to be involved. So I asked if one of the characters would be willing to have a chat with me.

Here's my interview with the main character, John Charming.


Tell us a bit about yourself.

My name is John Charming, but that’s really not my fault. I’m a Leo. I like long walks on the beach, sunsets, hot fudge sundaes, and jazz. Well, okay, I don’t really like jazz. I do love big band music though. Oh, and I come from a long line of witch hunters, dragon slayers, and enchantment breakers, which is where my family name comes from. On the one hand, villagers were saying “These guys ward against evil” and on the other they were saying “Lock up your daughters, these wandering knights with short life expectancies and stories of far-off lands are coming through town.”

What is your relationship like with your parents?

Both of my parents died when I was an infant, so I honestly don’t know if my relationship with them is better or worse than average. My father was a monster hunter, and it came back and bit him on the ass. And the throat. And the shoulder. And the elbow. In any case, I grew up in an orphanage that was really a front for the secret order of knights that my father belonged to. I’m still connected to my parents in odd ways though. I have some werewolf tendencies because my mother was bitten by a werewolf when she was pregnant with me, and I inherited a geas - a kind of magical blood oath - from my father. It compels me to hunt down any monsters who are violating the Pax Arcana, a magical truce between man and monsterkind.

How would you describe the path your life is on right now?

Dangerous curves ahead. No, seriously, I’m in a relationship and it’s weird. The person I’m with is a Valkyrie. She speaks to the dead fairly regularly…well, irregularly, but she does it a lot. And she’s also a monster hunter, and caring about a lover who gets in danger a lot was supposed to be my mate’s job. Also, there’s a very real chance she can kick my ass. So I guess what I’m saying is, I’m having to explore personal growth in ways I never anticipated.

What is the most unique, or unexplainable, thing that has happened to you?

I travel a lot, and everywhere I go, someone has gotten there before me and put a Bible in an end table drawer. I can’t make up my mind whether this freaks me out or whether I find it comforting.

Without going into too much detail (we don’t want spoilers!) can you tell us a little bit about your thoughts on this Kevin guy?

Kevin is kind of what Harry Potter would be if Harry Potter was Asian American and psychic and never went to Hogwarts. Kevin has a supernatural and homicidal family history that he has spent most of his life completely unaware of.

Do you have any idiosyncrasies, or quirks?

I have a sarcasm problem.  I would love to go to an anonymous help group for it, but for some reason nobody wants to host one.  I can’t sing, but I do anyway, and when I start to forget lyrics I just keep going. So I’ll be hunting a monster and start singing that Sting song “I’ll Be Watching You” in the car.  “Every breath you take, every clam you bake, every milk you shake, every claw you rake, I’ll be watching you.  Every single day, and every shade you grey, every will you sway, every town you prey, I’ll be watching you…”

Last question: what is your favourite season?

I’d have to say winter. I actually kind of get that whole argument about how we would never truly appreciate good things without bad things, because one of my favorite things in the world is to get cold and then go inside and get warm. Just like with the good/bad thing though, you have to be very careful about the emphasis. I’m currently reading this book called “Into the Wild” about this kid who went off into the Alaskan wilderness and froze to death. And I really like the kid the author describes, which I didn’t expect, and I can’t help thinking how different the book would be if it was called “Into the Hot Bath.”

FEARLESS

When your last name is Charming, rescuing virgins comes with the territory -- even when the virgin in question is a nineteen-year-old college boy.

Someone, somewhere, has declared war on Kevin Kichida, and that someone has a long list of magical predators on their rolodex. The good news is that Kevin lives in a town where Ted Cahill is the new sheriff and old ally of John Charming.

The attacks on Kevin seem to be a pattern, and the more John and his new team follow that thread, the deeper they find themselves in a maze of supernatural threats, family secrets, and age-old betrayals. The more John learns, the more convinced he becomes that Kevin Kichida isn't just a victim, he's a sacrifice waiting to happen. And that thread John's following? It's really a fuse...

FEARLESS is the third novel in an urban fantasy series which gives a new twist to the Prince Charming tale. The first two novels are Charming & Daring.

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Author interview: Marti Melville

I got together with Marti Melville, the author of the Deja Vu Chronicles to talk a bit about her series and her writing process.

  



Hi Marti, thanks for meeting with me! Your latest novel, 'Midnight Omen', sounds really interesting! Can you give us an idea of how you developed the concept?
Hi Nichole. Thanks for having me with you today. My novel series came about as the result of sleepless nights spent worrying about my sons who were deployed to separate wars. I would spend evenings with my laptop researching my Welsh relatives from the 18th century and happened upon a pirate by the name of Captain John Phillips. I decided his story was too good to pass up and wanted to write it for posterity. The Deja vu Chronicles was born.

Writing historical fiction can be difficult, but even more so when an ancestor is involved. How did you deal with trying to combine fiction with your own family history?
Fortunately, Captain Phillips is not part of my family tree (he's a pretty rotten pirate). However, his last name is a common one and a similar version of a great-great-grandparent of mine from Scotland. I found Phillips' story amazing and, prompted by my love of history, I was able to write it as a fictional twist on real historical events. I love the idea that history is only as accurate as the person who tells it. That concept leaves me the opportunity to take real events, add fictional elements, and create the "possible." My tools are the paranormal and my imagination.

When you began writing, did you know you would be writing a series or did it turn into something more than you planned?
My initial plan was to write a children's book, mostly for my grandchildren. That manuscript was found by an agent on the East Coast who advised me to "beef it up" into an adult novel. She then suggested I write a series, "Get back to the Caribbean and finish this story."  I listened to her and have written three novels thus far (the 4th book in the series is in the works now). In addition to the novel series, I was approached by a Hollywood producer who showed interest in the books as possible feature films. I've since written (with my writing partner, Kevin Du Toit) two adaptation feature film screenplays from the first two books.

It's amazing how a project can transform into something so different! You mentioned that one of your tools is the paranormal, and there obviously seems to be that theme in the series. Can you expand on that?
Absolutely! The paranormal aspect is one of the themes of the novel series. I've taken real 18th century superstition, nautical folklore, Celtic and Caribbean beliefs (aka: Voodoo and Celtic diety), and woven them into the story. The antagonist is the Celtic goddess, Morrigan.  Kathryn, the main character, discovers her powers as a witch and develops them as she sails the Caribbean, meeting a vodoun priest and Obeah priestess during her travels. There's an undercurrent of overcoming death and the grave throughout the story. I really like good, creepy ghost stories so there is a lot of that in The Deja vu Chronicles as well.

During the 18th century, there's quite a bit of religious persecution, especially when it comes to...well, basically anything other than Christianity particularly due to the Christian revivial. Do you touch on that at all within the series?
A little bit. I do dabble with the witch issue of the time (i.e.: healers who cure the sick are paid under the table, those who don't are tried and hung for witchcraft). I also use "pagan" rituals and terms that are appropriate for that time period. However, I tried to stay historically accurate - although this is loose fiction - and write about the diverse practices of the cultures in the Caribbean. Obeah and Vodoun practices filled the Caribbean islands during that time so there is a lot of the island practices in the Chronicles.  

The titles suggest omens drawn from the moon (astrology). Deja vu, also in the titles, is that experience everyone has when something feels uncannily familiar — as if we've "been there before." I tie that concept into past lives and the possibility that we never really die — instead we return to live adventurous lives again with the people we are meant to be with. Deja vu happens.


Kathryn's "gift" as a witch has its foundation in healing (I am a retired emergency RN and draw off of my experiences). I've researched the healing practices of the 18th century and link it to superstition, which is what happened back in those days. It all makes for great storytelling!

Definitely! I think it's always great when an author can pool together research, life experience, and imagination into one novel. Or in your case, a series! I've asked this question to other authors and I've always gotten varied responses, so I'll try it on you! Have you put any of your own self or beliefs into the characters, or do you try to keep it separate and let the concepts/characters evolve on their own?
I would like to believe that I am able to keep "me" out of my characters but alas, I cannot. In fact, my kids and several of my closest friends accuse me of writing Kathryn as an extension of myself. Some believe I am telling the story of my own past life (which would be awesome — I'd love to be a pirate reincarnated). If what they say is true, it wasn't intentional. I am not clever enough to create pure fiction so I draw on reality — history, my own experiences, and others.


I think the rest of the characters in The Deja vu Chronicles are based on history. Most of the pirates are actual pirates who lived during the Golden Age of Piracy. The events that happen are real, as are the ships and their travel locations. Most of the women are fiction, however. In fact, three of the main female characters have the personalities of some of my best friends. So, I guess I am guilty of stealing my characters from people I know, including myself.

Hopefully you didn't write your friends as any villains!
I did! One of the villains is my dearest friend. She is gorgeous, feisty and brilliant. She was a perfect model for Jacquotte Delahaye (a real pirate). My friend knows how much I love and respect her so writing her into a villainous character was something we both could laugh about because it's absolutely not true.

Oh, that's great! I love that she was able to enjoy that.
Let me add one last comment — the characters really do evolve on their own.  I have had ideas about what I wanted to happen and to whom, but that's not what the characters wanted and the story evolved differently, as did the characters themselves.

Characters have a way of taking control, whether we like it or not. And it's not necessarily a bad thing! I have one last question before we wrap up! What's the one thing that you want readers to walk away with after reading your novels?
I want readers to walk away feeling that they have the ability to overcome anything — to have faith in fate, in themselves, and in undiscovered individual strength. Of course, I want readers to enjoy the romance and swashbuckling adventure of the Caribbean and perhaps garner interest in Caribbean history along the way.  

The Deja vu Chronicles is a dark, adventurous novel series that will take the reader through time to meet ghosts, pirates, voodoo priests, witches, and monsters. Overcoming these is a choice — something we each do as we create our own moments and deja vu memories.

...Because everyone should experience love in the Caribbean at least once in a lifetime!

That's a great goal, and I'm sure your readers can say that's exactly what happened. I want to thank you so much for getting together with me to talk about your writing.
Thank you for this opportunity Nichole.



Visit Marti's website for more information about her, and the Deja Vu Chronicles, and click here to follow Marti on Facebook.

You can buy books from the Deja Vu Chronicles on Amazon.