writefast! the interviews!

Josh Thrower

2013-04-20T20:55:00.000-04:00

Originally from Colorado, actor/model Josh Thrower has been living in Los Angeles for the last 6 years. He moved here immediately after graduating with a film degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2007. He has done everything from casting for reality shows and traveling to the far reaches of Alaska and the Arctic Circle, to stocking mini-bars in hotel rooms, managing a restaurant, selling clothes at a retail store, and has worked as a personal assistant for a couple of celebrities.

In the last year, he has been in commercials for Pepsi, Vinki (Korean juice company), and more! He recently has done print ads for General Motors and Coca-Cola, and he starred in a short film in February called "Siphoned," which is currently set to screen at various film festivals in the coming months. Currently, Josh is set to star in his first lead role in a feature film - a suspense thriller called "1108" which is written, directed, and edited by Dan Brown, Jr. He will playing the role of "Dan", alongside Elizabeth Colunga and Beth Brown. He is also playing the character of "Evan" in the upcoming film "Helen Keller Had A Pit Bull" written, directed, and starring Josh Mitchell. Both films will be released later this year!

Josh currently studies acting at Scott Sedita Studios in Los Angeles, and is represented by TAG Models for commercial and print (310.461.3650).

Check out the following links for more about Josh and his upcoming projects:

www.joshthrower.com

www.imdb.com/name/nm2344466/

www.1108movie.com

www.rally.org/producing1108

www.rally.org/hellenkellerhadapitbull

www.vimeo.com/58756500

Now,

7 Questions with Josh Thrower:

1. What are your favorite and your least favorite words?

Favorite words: treat, delightful/delight, panacea, perfect, summer, elegant wherewithal, and as an actor, my favorite three word combination would be: "You booked it!"

Least Favorite words: no, boss or chief (context: when someone approaches me and says "what's up boss!" or "hey there chief!"), panties (I feel creepy saying it), tummy, and when someone types the word "cool" with a "z" at the end (hence, "coolz")

2. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, emotionally?

I think these things are interchangeable for the most part. I would say I get creatively, spiritually, and emotionally turned on by anything involving summer and nice weather - sunshine, palm trees, music blasting, the beach, etc. When it's nice out, I'm always at my most productive in all three areas. Of course, going home to visit family and friends in Colorado fulfills all three of these as well. Music inspires all three too (in particular, this band Hammock I was recently introduced to).

3. What is your favorite curse word?

That's easy. Shit. Shitty. Shitballs. Shithead (I use this as a term of endearment, among other names, when talking to my friend Scott).

4. What gets you up in the morning?

Well, my iPhone's alarm wakes me up, which sounds like the alarm that would go off if you were inside a nuclear plant that needs you to immediately evacuate. After that, a cup of coffee from my Keurig. But what motivates me to get up each day is knowing that we have a limited time on this planet and I need to make the most of it. Cheesy? Perhaps. True? Most definitely. Plus I'm not getting any younger, so I better get off my ass and make something happen.

5. What job other than you own would you most like to do?

Play basketball in the NBA. Be an archaeologist (Indiana Jones-style, not one that digs for 6 months to find a clay pot). Shoe designer at Nike.

6. What advice would you give your teenage self?

"When you meet ______, don't starting dating her. And you'll meet a girl named _______. Run the other way." Just kidding. Sort of. Honestly, I would probably tell myself to keep doing what you're doing. I've turned out pretty well so far, and I don't regret anything. So I would tell myself, "Work hard, be nice to people, say please and thank you, work even harder, and have fun."

7. Assuming heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

"Josh, you made it! Keg's over there by the pool. Bathroom's upstairs. Snacks by the grill. We've got burgers, steaks, and hot dogs. And you've gotta try the hummus, it's amazing!"

Burgers, steaks, and dogs. You, sir, are a man after my own heart!

Once more, if you want to know more about Josh, follow any one- or all, of the following links:

www.joshthrower.com

www.imdb.com/name/nm2344466/

www.1108movie.com

www.rally.org/producing1108

www.rally.org/hellenkellerhadapitbull

www.vimeo.com/58756500

Big thanks to Josh for doing this little interview and big thanks to you for reading!

The Meat Men

2013-04-20T09:24:00.001-04:00

The Meat Men is the brainchild of David Radke, Jeremy Talabac and Sam Lang, three guys from Tallahassee Fl. hellbent on animation domination. These FSU alums have created a smart, sarcastic, irreverent look at the lives of four local butchers, primed and ready for Adult Swim. They, along with their social media specialist Brandon Oliver, (Brandon, unfortunately, could not attend the interview) form Secretmagazines Productions, a production company aimed at graphic novels, TV shows and movies.

This interview is a transcription of a video response to my questions. More information about the Meat Men and their creators is available here.

And now, without further ado:

7 Questions with the Meat Men – David J. Radke, Samuel Lang, and Jeremy Talabac

1.What are your favorite and least favorite words?

(David) My favorite word is Chewbacca.
(Jeremy) –wookie noise-
(David) Do you want my least favorite right now?
(Sam) Yeah, do it, go for it.
(David) Least favorite? Uuhm…. Synergy, cause I think it’s such a hoax. It’s not real! What does it mean?!?
(Sam) My favorite word is ‘uenis’…. And my least favorite word is… froo froo cause I lost a spelling bee because froo froo is not a real word, it’s a colloquialism or whatever the word for it is. But I lost that spelling bee.
(Jeremy) Favorite word? Shots.
(David) Nice!
(Jeremy) Definitely my favorite word. Least favorite word? (Canadian Hockey). And bacon’s on my favorite too.
(Sam) Oh yeah!

2.What turns you on creatively, spiritually, and emotionally?

(David) Burt Reynolds
(Sam) Burt Reynolds
(Jeremy) Burt Reynolds… and bacon.
(Sam) and Burt Reynolds
(David) Across the board, Burt Reynolds
(Jeremy) and Kurt Russell!
(David) That mustache just gets me rollin’.
(Sam) and Kurt Reynolds.
(all) -laughter-
(David) Kurt Reynolds?
(Sam) Kurt Russell!

3.What turns you off, creatively, spiritually, and emotionally?

(Jeremy) Waking up to a coyote ugly situation.
(Sam) Bananas.
(David) Guys named ‘Chris’.
(all) –laughter-

4.What gets you up in the morning?

(David) Coffee.
(Sam) Babies.
(all) –laughter-
(David) Makin’ babies!
(Sam) Making babies?
(David) Practicing making babies!
(Jeremy) Morning wood.
(David) Did you say ‘Mexican’ babies?
(Jeremy) Morning wood! And the sun! I don’t do alarm clocks…
(Sam) He’s bein’ truthful!

5.What advice would you give to your teenage self?

(David) Lotto numbers.
(Jeremy) World series…
(Sam) Stop wearing girl’s jeans.
(all) –laughter-
(David) Get a haircut, kid.
(Jeremy) You have no fashion, by the way.
(David) Nobody likes your jokes.
(Jeremy) And you may not want to go out with that one girl.
(David) We won’t say which one…. So basically you turn yourself gay.
(Sam) Oh no!
(David) It’s scary!
(Jeremy) Well I would name a specific, but I won’t for the purpose of this interview.
(David) Oh, I see what you’re saying…
(Jeremy) Yes.
(David) So to yourself you’d give a name.
(Jeremy) Yes.
(David) But what if by going out with her you averted like a huge, like ‘John McClane’ happening?
(Jeremy) Well I can’t, well I don’t want to tell you the other, part of that sequence… let’s just move onto the next question!
(Sam) I would tell myself ‘Go to college, meet a guy on Craigslist, and make a TV show about dudes that wear meat coats’.
(Jeremy) Yes. Swag.

6.What is the best thing you ever ate?

(Jeremy) We’re making this the best meal before getting fired. Last meal.
(David) We’re going to be like politicians here: We’re gonna change it into the question we want to answer.
(Jeremy) Yeah, cause I can’t just have one thing on the favorite meal list.
(David) This is now: “You’re on Death Row. What do you want as your last meal?”
(Sam) That’s high pressure.
(David) I’m talkin’ Fruity Pebbles, maybe a banana, and a side of Colt 45, Billy Dee Williams Style.
(Sam) I want somethin’ with anchovies, possibly a Caesar salad. That’s like the best way that they’re prepared. And I want Paula Deen to cook something!
(David) ooh!
(Sam) Cause I’m gonna die anyways.
(David) I heard she’s the bomb in the sack, too, you know what I’m saying. Anybody? You know what I mean? Some sweet southern goodness?
(Sam) My friend was friends with her on facebook and got banned from her page.
(Jeremy) That’s wonderful. Well I need bacon mac and cheese, and a filet mignon, along with a slew of craft beers and preferably (a fine cigar), if that’s possible.
(Sam) See… I’m gonna jump on his final meal!
(David) They usually give you that in, you know, Leavenworth Federal Correctional Facility. You want (fine cigars)?
(Sam) You want fine craft beers, yes sir!, we will go get those for you. The distributors come through every day, dropping off bottles.
(David) You know, if you’re living in the prison system, what if you’re like, “I just want really good toilet wine?” Like, “I’ve been living off it for years, let’s just do this. Seriously, peanut butter and jelly, a couple slices of cheese…”
(Sam) Insert question to interview: “Would you try toilet wine? Answer: Yes!”
(Jeremy) No.
(David) Hell yes!
(Jeremy) No.
(David) “Would you make it yourself in your own house, even though you don’t have to? …Already did… Drinking it now… we call it ‘Radke-brau!’ .“
(Jeremy) Porcelain stew!

7.Assuming Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

(David) Basically just maniacal laughter.
(Sam) McLovin?
(Jeremy) High five, bro. But, I wouldn’t want to hear, “Wait… how?”
(David) How about, “Cool story, bro.”
(Jeremy) Wanna beer?
(David) Yeah, “Beer’s in the cooler, bro! You guys 21?”
(Sam) I want God to be like George W. Bush, you don’t like his authoritarian type of (stuff), but he would be cool to chill with. You know what I mean? You could have a beer with him on the side. He shouldn’t be, like, in charge of everything, but he’d be cool… I guess that’s a fantasy though.
(David) I think God should be like Morgan Freeman. Just like that really smart guy that you’re like, “wow! This guy knows stuff…”
(Sam) That’s why Morgan Freeman got to play God in ‘Bruce Almighty’. He did!”
(Jeremy) I think an eternity’s worth of watching through the wormhole is close enough to God anyway, Morgan Freeman reference…

(David) So, closing remarks? Guys?
(Jeremy) Meat.
(Sam) Meat Men.
(David) Bacon… bacon…
(Sam) Meet the men that make Meat Men…
(Jeremy) Eat bacon, die free.
(David) Donate… ok, seriously, all jokes aside, you know, please look us up on ‘Kickstarter.com’, search for ‘Meat Men – The Animated Series.’ (or just click the link) Anything you can do to help us out is greatly appreciated.
(Jeremy) We like to eat too…
(Sam) We won’t spend it on beer.
(David) Some of us have families.
(Sam) We won’t spend it on beer.
(Jeremy) Wink wink.
(David) Not all of it.
(Sam) Thanks.
(David) Thanks.
(Jeremy) Thanks. Thank you all for watching (reading)!

That was awesome! Thanks for taking the time to do this guys, and thank you for reading! Again, if you want to know more about the guys, Meat Men the series or if you just want to skip "Go" and donate: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/meatmentv/meat-men-the-animated-series

Jen Mitlas

2013-04-19T18:48:00.002-04:00

Jen Mitlas is a sound designer and composer. Fond of turtles, smoothies, King Crimson, Battle Star Galactica, and Butters from South Park she attributes most of her experience and abilities to her family, hobbies, and being left handed. She grew up in a very active musical family, both parents being professional musicians. Her father has also been a filmmaker and a sound/recording engineer for 40+ years. "It was only inevitable for me to find my way to it as an adult." Music, however, is far from this renaissance woman's only gift, photography, linguistics, video games, science fiction literature, and graphic art design being just a few of her other interests. "I’ve always felt I was never good at one thing. I was more a “jack of all trades.”
Jen first learned how to play the Viola at seven years old. It was at this time that she developed the ability to fluidly read music. It was also at this time that the young musician began learning music theory. By the time she was fourteen she was playing electric guitar.While still an avid player, today her focus is music theory and composing with an eye toward experimental, innovative, and cultural music and instruments. With a keen interest in Middle Eastern, West African, and East Asian instruments and music she counts among her biggest inspirations composer Bear McCreary. (This bio was cribbed from Jen's website http://jenmitlas.com/)
And now:

7 Questions with Jen Mitlas:

1. What are your favorite and your least favorite words?

Well, it depends the language! I don't think I have favorite or least favorite words, the English language doesn't have any emotional attachment, negatively or positively with me.

2. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, emotionally? (Answer all or only the ones you choose.)

Talent and humility. Nothing is better when someone is humble in their ways.

3. What is your favorite sound?

I have a lot of favorite sounds! Without a category to put it into, it's hard to say which one is my favorite. One of my favorite iconic sounds is the Dradis radar from Battlestar Galactica.

4. What is the best thing you ever ate?

Ever? I really dig mangos! Are mangos a "thing" though? If they are, then it's the best.

5. What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?

Photography without a doubt.

6. What is the strangest thing you have ever done while creating?

Hmm...sometimes I draw scores out in colors and pictures when I'm having trouble expressing what I'm trying to do.

7. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

Not sure!

Brilliant! Thanks Jen!
Want to know more about the talented Jen Mitlas? I direct you to any and all of these fine sites:

http://jenmitlas.com/
https://www.facebook.com/JenMitlas
http://soundcloud.com/jenocidal
https://twitter.com/JenMitlas

You’ve Got to Enjoy Your Life, Cher. By Elaine Calloway

2013-04-07T18:07:00.000-04:00

Today's much belated blogpost come to you courtesy of author Elaine Calloway. Take it away Elaine.

You’ve Got to Enjoy Your Life, Cher
By Elaine Calloway

Wait, don’t panic! This is not a blog post about the 1970s pop star!

For those who aren’t from Louisiana, let me let you in on some information: “Cher” is a Cajun slang term for
friend, and it applies perfectly to the tale I’m about to share with you.

In WATER’S BLOOD, Book One of the Elemental Clan Series, my main character Brooke is a Water Elemental
stationed in New Orleans. Her “cover job” to blend in with other humans is being a bartender in Mid-City.

I love the Mid-City area near City Park, lined with massive live oaks draped in Spanish moss and the beautiful
Bayou St. John which snakes through eclectic neighborhoods and around grassy banks. This is why I set the
location there and then created a fictional pub called Armand’s, which is where Brooke works.

However, this fictional bar was inspired by a real pub called Seymour’s, which is nowhere near Mid-City but is
one of my favorite places to go when I’m home. The pub is like Cheers, the old TV show. Everyone knows your
name, the locals talk about their week, and everyone is always warm and welcoming. It’s hard to find such an
atmosphere anymore.

During these visits home, I’ve had the unique opportunity to meet some fascinating people. One man in
particular personified the resilience of the New Orleans culture, of how its people never give up--no matter
how bad things may get.

During heavy rains in 1995 when most of the city flooded, he lost everything. His life turned upside down, but
he chose to rebuild. Ten years later, Hurricane Katrina happened. He lost everything again. He rebuilt once
more, taking the scattered pieces of his life and somehow molding them into a reason to keep going.

Stunned by his persistence, even his choice to not relocate elsewhere, I asked how he managed to survive 2
such major losses and what kept him going.

He offered a wide grin, and with a gleam in his eye, he said, “You’ve got to enjoy your life, cher.”

He proceeded to tell me how much he loved the region, how sitting at the edge of a pier and fishing under
a crimson sunset made all the hassle of rebuilding worthwhile. He spoke of living each day, and more
importantly, enjoying each day.

Some days I think I am the ideal poster girl for stress. But when things get overwhelming, when I think I can
no longer cope, I try to think back to the interesting souls I’ve encountered, particularly the one who so wisely
said, “You’ve got to enjoy your life, cher.”

Elaine Calloway is originally from New Orleans and can still do a decent Cajun accent upon request. She is
currently writing the Elemental Clan Series, a series of paranormal tales set in iconic cities such as New Orleans.
Book One, WATER’S BLOOD, is available now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

Book Two, RAGING FIRE, will be released summer 2013. For more information or to connect with Elaine online,
visit her web site at www.elainecalloway.com.

Michele Shaw

2013-01-13T19:18:00.001-05:00

Michele Shaw writes Young Adult Romantic Suspense novels, short stories, and poetry with representation by Karen Grencik of Red Fox Literary. Her short story A Shot In the Dark is featured in Mystery Times Nine available now on Amazon. Her poetry can be found on her website and you can find her on Twitter. She can be bribed with Tropical Dots and puppies.

7 Questions with Michele Shaw

1. What are your favorite and your least favorite words?

I love almost all words in some way, but a few stand out as exceptional to me. Any word with an X is fun, flux being my personal favorite. Others I like: inspire, guffaw, stupendous, cheeky, love, kisses, rhythm, dodger, slither, scrumptious, catharsis, and harmony.

Least favorite? There really is no worse word than…drum roll please…moist. *shivers*

   2. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, emotionally?

My creative juices always flow from my own emotions, and I am quite the emotional person. I’ll never run out of material. My moods, life experiences, observations, and how I feel about them burst into my writing, especially my poetry. People watching always gets a story going too. I see people interacting, imagine what they are talking about, what station in life they’re at, wonder at what they’re doing, and many times, they become characters. As to my mysteries, I was (once upon a time) an avid reader of true crime, and bits and pieces of real life cases do tend filter in. After all, real people truly are stranger than fiction. The stories I write are actually much tamer than the real stories I’ve heard.

3. What turns you off creatively, spiritually, emotionally?

I don’t think I ever turn off creatively, but the creativity can get dark when my own emotions get clouded with real life problems and stresses. I try to channel through the writing, again poetry tends to serve that the best, and sometimes this work is something I wouldn’t put out, but it helps me vent serious hurts and frustrations. Occasionally, even the most raw, dark pieces do make it online if I feel they have true merit and aren’t just me griping.   4. What is your principal defect, your biggest character flaw or personal weakness? My biggest defect…hmmm, how to choose? I’d say it’s that I love too much, hold too tight, let people take advantage of my inability to be anything but nice. People see niceness as a weakness and pounce on it. I think I need to toughen up. I have a thick skin for writing critique, but don’t return my text and I’m crushed. I hate it!

  5. What moment or act in your career are you most thankful for?

I’m most thankful for a horrible experience early on. An influential individual (with a non-writing agenda I wouldn’t agree to) called my work “riddled with amateur mistakes” and said I’d never make it in publishing. All just to be spiteful. It really riled me up which motivated me, and at the same time, I learned right away that A. In this business, not everyone is nice. B. People with a little power can let it go to their head. C. Constructive criticism and an outright attack are two very different things.  

6. How early is too early?

No such thing…and I don’t drink coffee.

  7. Assuming heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

You did well.

You did indeed. Thanks Michelle! And thanks to you for reading!

John Mierau

2012-12-30T19:04:00.002-05:00

A podcaster, an author of novel-length, serial and short fiction, John aims above all else to entertain. John has worn many hats through the years, analyst, consultant, instructor, author and audio producer and somewhere in there he has found time to be a husband, father and chief dogwalker. His website - Serving Worlds - serves as an outlet for his particular brand of intense science fiction as well as a place to meet and listen to other authors. In short, John Mierau does it all.

And now:

7 Questions with John Mierau:

1. What are your favorite and your least favorite words?

Favorite:

Love.

Least favorite:

Bored.

2. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, emotionally?

My kids, my wife, a creative challenge. Deadlines for my own work but not other people's.

3. Turns you off creatively, spiritually, emotionally? 

Other people's deadlines when I'm not invested. Eating too much or not exercising enough. Meanness puts me out of tune too (my own or others).

4. What gets you up in the morning?

My kids! LOL 3 beautiful kids under 6.

5. What is the closest you have ever come to giving up your craft?  

Needing to feed my kids. It makes it hard, but when cash is lean, to take time for my own pursuits. Some may say it's greedy but I always save a bit of myself for making things.

6. What is the most fun you have ever had?

Writing something that takes me out of my own head, or performing something where I forget about my thoughts and follow the thread of the fiction.

  7. Assuming heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

As an atheist my first thought would be: "Why did you make it so hard for people to believe in you? Why did you change the rules randomly so we couldn't prove your existence? We could use a reliable supreme being we could all get behind!" Which is probably why I write: to answer questions and actions that make no sense.

Brilliant! Want to talk to John yourself? You can find him at any of the following links:
Website: http://www.johnmierau.com
Twitter: johnmierau
Facebook: Facebook profile
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/john-mierau/13/79b/a45
Blog: http://johnmierau.wordpress.com/

Thanks again to John for taking the time to do this and thanks to you for reading!
Next time: Author Michele Shaw.

Lani Rhea

2012-12-24T13:01:00.003-05:00

It's Christmas, it's cold outside, so lets get a little steamy with Erotic Romance author Lani Rhea. Lover of coffee, Lani lives in the heart of Oklahoma. She has four children and loves animals. Lani is always up for a challenge and enjoys mixing romance with all genres that spark her interests. You can find her either reading or writing.

Now:

6 Questions with Lani Rhea:

1. What are your favorite and your least favorite words?

Least favorite is racial comments. We are all human and bleed red. My favorite to use is awesomeness, coolness, or laters! lol

2. What turns you on creatively?

Creatively—ideas that just pop out of nowhere. I always like to play the “What if…” game.

3. What is the closest you have ever come to giving up your craft?

I gave up once. Many, many moons ago back in 2004, and then later picked the pen back up in 2010. Now I have several things published, and many more in the upcoming year. =) Sometimes when I get really frustrated with a piece I do think about laying down the pen again.

4. What is the strangest thing you have ever done while creating?

I would have to say when I talk to myself. My kids look at me strange. LOL I then have to tell them that I’m making sure the dialogue sounds okay. heh

5. Supposing that you are going to be reincarnated and you have your choice would you come back as animal, vegetable, or mineral?

An animal. I would love to be a bird. To fly away whenever I wanted, because it would beat the cost of airline prices. LOL

6. Assuming heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you come knocking at the pearly gates?

You’re brother has been waiting for you.

Lani would love to hear from you. Find her on Facebook at http://facebook.com/authorlanirhea. To catch up with her crazy blogging visit her at http://lanirhea.blogspot.com and on Twitter.

Thanks again to Lani and thanks to you for reading!

L.M. Preston

2012-12-21T17:38:00.002-05:00

L.M. Preston was born in Washington, DC. She loved to create poetry and short-stories as a young girl. A Techie and Educator for over sixteen years, she started writing science fiction under the encouragement of her husband who was a Sci-Fi buff and her four kids. She has an obsessive desire to write and create stories of young people who overcome unbelievable odds. She loves to write while on the porch watching her kids play or when she is traveling, which is another passion that encouraged her writing. In addition to being an author, she's also a Moderator for Yalitchat.ning.org, 2012 Vice President of Mid Atlantic Book Association and 2012 co-chair for the Maryland Writer's Conference.

(This bio is quoted verbatim from the author's website which can be found here.)

Now,

6 Questions with L.M. Preston:

1. What are your favorite and your least favorite words?

Unfortunately my favorite word is 'snap' and I make sure to edit it out of my works :-D Oh and my least favorite is 'look' because as hard as I try that word sneaks its way into all of my first drafts.

2. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, emotionally?

Traveling or the day dreaming I do at work when I have long boring meetings.

3. What profession other than yours would you most like to attempt?

If I could live my life over again I would've pursued medicine. I have an obsession with this show 'Mystery Diagnosis' and love people. Seems my day gig as an Engineer fuels my creativity, but it lacks in my extrovert tendencies.

4. What decision, professional or personal, are you most thankful for?

My decision to live my bucket list to the fullest. Had I not been willing to take chances I wouldn't have become an author and have over four published books out. Writing has opened an entirely new world to me that includes meeting amazing people, having fun, and creating worlds I'd only daydreamed about.

5. What is the most fun you have ever had?

Well I'm pretty much a fun-loving goofy kid trapped in an adult body. So the most fun I have is playing hiding seek with my kids and blasting them with nerf guns.

6. Assuming heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

Well done, my faithful servant. You have survived the many test, trails, and hurdles thrown at you, become stronger, surer in your strength, you have touched the heart of many, inspired the lives of many, and enjoyed this playground I've built for you.

Well done indeed. Thanks LM for taking the time to do this. You were gracious and patient and I truly appreciate it. Now, dear reader, do you want to know more about LM? Please visit any and all of these fine links:

lmpreston.com
Blog
Tweet
Facebook

Or, how about checking out some of the artist's work:

Explorer X - Alpha, The Pack, BANDITS, Purgatory Reign

Want Excerpts?

The Pack, Bandits, The Pack-Retribution, Explorer X-Beta, Flutter Of Luv, Purgatory Reign

Thanks again to L.M. Preston for doing this and thanks to you for reading!

Colfax

2012-12-17T06:01:00.000-05:00

Colfax is a heavy rock outfit that spawned from Brockville, ON, interuptting calm and unexpected audiences with their syrup-drenched rock n' roll served by way of full-frontal nerdity.

In 2010, their debut album, "Keys to the Midway", earned the band a distribution deal with Universal Music Canada via Blue Sapphire Records. Hundreds of self-booked shows across their country quickly ensued. Of these shows, many consisted of the band's self-made program designed to support the dwindling music education in Canada; a presentation the band affectionately dubbed "The EducaTOUR". Colfax created Fax-Ops (a novel fan-appreciation program based on their affinity with video game culture) in the process.

"One Big Quicksand", their sophomore release, was recorded and produced by up-and-comer Jayson DeZuzio (Coheed and Cambria, My Chemical Romance, Four Year Strong) in Hoboken, New Jersey. Since it's release, the band has rigorously touring Canada and the United Kingdom.

Brock Tinsley, guitarist for Colfax, was kind enough to answer my questions.

Now,

6 Questions with Colfax

1. What are your favorite and your least favorite words?

Out of all the words I know, I tend to say "beast" the most frequently. My favorite, though, is "jalopy". My least favorite is "cool-beans".

2. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, or emotionally?

Cool, sweater weather around Halloween. One of my most memorable nights was walking in fog so thick you can hardly see in front of you with some friends, just kind of being lost on purpose for a while. I've experimented in all kinds of scenarios to keep me creative, only because songwriting isn't a cumulative exercise. Just because you wrote song X doesn't mean you can follow the same process and end up with songs Y and Z.

3. What is the closest you have ever come to giving up performing?

Luckily I haven't got there yet. Strange as it may seem, I've been fortunate enough to endure as much obstacles as I have when it came to making my band work, only because it really does challenge you and make you push harder. Just having the ability to persevere really is as cheesy as all musicians say, but there's a reason they all say it, I guess. Don't stop. Stay frosty with it.

4. You have to erase one moment or act from the past ten years of your life. Which one would you miss the least?

When I had my wisdom teeth pulled out, the medicine they gave to alleviate the pain didn't play so nice with another dose of medication I had been prescribed I didn't know that the previous medication was the culprit at the time, so until I had figured it out I was left with a full-body crippling affliction that had me visiting clinic after clinic, leaving specialists and physicians dumbfounded as to what happened to me. Not exactly a high point.

5. What is the best thing you ever ate?

Curry from Mr. India in High Wycombe, England. That replaced childhood memories in terms of what I'm going to remember in my final moments.

6. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

Insert coin and press start to continue.

Thanks Brock!

Do you want to know more about Colfax? Do you want to hear Colfax? Check these out:

or, just go here and get it all:

COLFAX

Thanks again to Brock Tinsley and Colfax for participating and thanks to you for reading!

Elaine Calloway

2012-12-13T18:27:00.001-05:00

Elaine Calloway fell in love in junior high school. Not with the football captain, but with writing and the magical power of words. Words, like humans, make us feel. Words build us up or tear us down, take us on exciting adventures through exotic lands, calm us after a long day or make us shiver with eerie delight. It was all these things and more that made her destined to put pen to paper, and she's never looked back.

Originally from New Orleans (she can still do a decent Cajun accent upon request!), she spent her youth surrounded by delectable seafood, old steeples, cemeteries, and exposure to a melting pot of people. She is currently working on a paranormal series, where the four Elementals (Water, Fire, Earth, Wind) protect humans from evil forces. The first book in this series, Water's Blood, will be available for purchase on February 1, 2013. Visit her website for more information: http://www.thewriterscanvas.com/

And now...

6 Questions with Elaine Calloway:

1. What are your favorite and your least favorite words?

My favorites are probably muse, serendipity, loquacious, leisurely, moseying, and any others which instantly create a picture in someone's mind. Some words just sound like what they are, you know? Veranda (specifically in the South) brings a fresh image immediately.

On that note, I will tell you my least favorites. Vomit ranks number one. Why? Because it sounds like what it is. Anything descriptive that sounds and creates a disgusting view in the mind ranks for my least favorite - vomit, regurgitate, necrosis, flesh-eating, etc. As you can probably guess, I'm not a big fan of horror movies where these things are shown in vivid detail :)

2. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, emotionally?

Great question! I will say that the things which inspire my spirit tend to be the same across creative, spiritual, emotional lines. So my answers could probably be applied to all three :)
Works of art, particularly beautiful works of art, seem to reach into my soul and inspire me to join in the band of artists who have been plowing their way through rejection for years. A painting with bright and unique colors; a photograph which has a unique angle and captures something emotional; a soulful movie that does everything right and makes me smile for hours afterward, a book with language so beautiful it makes me cry -- these are all examples, but there are many more.

Music is a big part of my creative process. I create soundtracks for each manuscript since each book has certain themes. Sometimes there are just general songs for the book itself; other times there are specific songs for specific characters. Listening to these book soundtracks helps put me in a writing place much faster. I wish I could explain how I know which songs to pick and which ones to delete. It literally is a feel-it-or-not process. Sometimes I'll hear a song on the radio and go home and purchase it because I know it would be great inspiration for a character. Other times I'll add in songs I enjoy, but as I'm writing, it just doesn't feel right. So I remove those and add others. This entire thing has always interested me because I know some writers who prefer absolute silence. I can write that way, but it's much better to jump right into something which sets the mood.

The best part about the creative process for me is the magic. That moment in which I surprise myself and little threads tie together in ways I never expected.

3. What gets you up in the morning?

An alarm clock. LOL. Nah, seriously, I like to try and think of every day as a stepping stone toward a goal. That could be a finished book, a project for my family, etc.
The writer Isaac Asimov once said, "If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn't brood. I’d type a little faster." I like to try and view each day as an opportunity to keep moving forward with something.

4. What is the closest you have ever come to giving up your craft?

There were many times, but the closest was when my new laptop (let me stress again: NEW laptop) gave me the blue screen of death as I was finishing my first book. While I had backups of my material in various phases, I didn't have a recent backup of everything I had worked so hard on. In total, I had to retype 100 pages (I had a print backup but not electronic) and worse, I had to completely recreate the last 60 pages of the book from memory.

It took me six weeks after the computer crashed, after learning from expert recovery firms that my hard drive had melted and there was nothing that could be saved, for me to even try to return to that book and finish it. Very difficult time. Those weeks made me question why I had bothered to do anything.

However, in the end, I learned a few things. First (and most obvious) is to always back up material, especially when close to the end. Second, even though I didn't crack a book or write a word in those 6 weeks of gloom, I did continue to enjoy other forms of creativity: I saw movies, went to museums, browsed craft galleries, etc. I continued to let my brain absorb what other artists had done. I thought of their bumps along the way, and it inspired me to get over mine.

5. What is the most fun you have ever had?

This question required the most thought, and I still don't have a specific answer. There were many fun times growing up, in college, with family. The one thing that all these memories have in common is that they were shared with other people who I enjoy being around. Friends and family are precious things, and the activities always change, but the happy feelings remain consistent.

6. Assuming heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

Welcome home. Your table with all your favorite people is over there.

Hard drive crash. Yep. Been there. Thanks Elaine! Fascinating answers! Want to know more about Elaine Calloway? You can follow her on Twitter, catch her on MySpace or read her Blog.

And that's all for today. Thanks again to Elaine for graciously participating and thanks to you for reading!

Matthew Wayne Selznick

2012-12-12T18:36:00.002-05:00

Matthew Wayne Selznick is a creator and creative services provider working with words, music, pictures and people. He's the creator of the popular Sovereign Era storyworld, including "Brave Men Run -- A Novel of the Sovereign Era" and "Pilgrimage," coming in the first quarter of 2013. He lives in Long Beach, California.

6 Questions with Matthew Wayne Selznick:

1. What are your favorite and your least favorite words?

I'll warn you that I'm not a big fan of absolutes.
I think some things just don't lend themselves to binary
categorization. Words are tools. Answering this question would be like
saying, "This is my least favorite / favorite hammer," when really,
how good a hammer is at driving nails often has more to do with how
one holds it, or how good one's aim is.
My favorite word is the right one at the right time.
My least favorite word is entirely my fault for using it at the wrong
time, so my least favorite word is really my least favorite choice,
and it occurs too frequently to pick just one. It may have just
happened, in fact. Several times.

2. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, emotionally?

Intelligence and compassion, both intrinsic and expressed.

3. What turns you off creatively, spiritually, emotionally?

The only thing that really could turn me off creatively would be...
me! We're all responsible for our own creativity. If you're turned off
from creating at a particular moment, it's probably because you're too
distracted, fatigued or scared. Get with it.
As for spiritual and emotional turn-offs, pardon the shortcut, but an
absence of intelligence and compassion would do it for me.

4. What decision in your career do you regret most?

Letting life get in the way of creative productivity. See the first
part of number three.

5. What is the strangest thing you have ever done while creating?

Strange according to..?

I'm not sure how to answer this one. I don't think anything I do as a
creator is strange. We all do what works for us, so it can't be
strange. Now, objectively, I'd have to say every creator's entire
creative process likely appears to be strange!

6. Assuming heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah
or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say
when you arrive at the pearly gates?

Let's run with this:

"Hi. The bad news is, objectively, you're picoseconds away from being
dead. Everything you are is about to end, forever and absolutely.
You've reached the singularity of your own life.
The good news is, just like what one might experience on the edge of a
physical singularity, your subjective experience of time has slowed
nearly to a stop. This is your perceived eternity.
"The really good news is, it's all in your head, it lasts subjectively
forever, and you get to decide how you'd like to spend it.
"So. What'll it be?
Oh -- yes, the truly excellent news is, you can change your mind in a
subjective 'while,' so feel free to play around with the whole thing,
as much and as often as you like."

That was a brilliant answer! If you'd like to know more about Mr Selznick he can be found online at http://www.mattselznick.com or at the online community he administers, Indie Author Marketing Info (http://indieauthormarketing.info).

Thanks to Matthew for doing this and thanks to you for reading!
Until next time!

Heather Riccio

2012-12-11T16:59:00.001-05:00

Heather has been a publicist with Entangled since December 2011, and has done marketing/publicity with the Palm Springs International Film Festival since 2008. She has an MFA in Fiction Writing and undergraduate degrees in English and Anthropology from University of California, Riverside. She also works for Bowker part-time as a market researcher, which keeps her up-to-date on book trends. On the side, Heather can also be found doing pro-bono work as the Director of Partnerships for Project Migration, a fashion accessories company with a charitable initiative, and as the Features Editor for Urbanette magazine. Her life-long goal is to work for Entangled and write at night. Heather is also awesome.

And now:

7 Questions with Heather Riccio:

1. What are your favorite and your least favorite words? 

My favorite word is “can” and my least favorite word is “can’t”. I don’t think there is anything someone can’t do. I think there are things we are scared of (people’s reactions, rejection, spiders, heights, cockroaches (*shudders*) etc. We are all afraid of something) I would like to think I’m the type of person who will always go for it. I don’t want to be one of those people who always says, “What if…or if only…” If it pans out, it pans out, and if it doesn’t, at least I tried, and that’s all anyone can ask for. With this attitude, I’ve had the fortune of working as one of Teen People’s news team members on staff (when it was still in existence), estate hunted for huge corporations during Coachella, worked marketing and publicity at the Palm Springs International Film Festival (one of the top 10 largest film festivals in the world), and helped launch a teen magazine from the ground up. It went national in a year. Not everything stayed, but I’ve cultivated life-long relationships and friendships (both in business and outside of business) having this attitude. If I really had a "can’t" attitude, I would’ve quit while I was ahead long ago. For every one short story/poem/flash fiction I have published so far, there’s at least 25 rejections that follow, but I revise and try again. Life is about constantly learning. If you’re content with the way your life is, you’re not trying hard enough.

2. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, emotionally?

I find myself inspired by many things. There’s not one thing that inspires or turns me on creatively, spiritually, or emotionally. It’s a combination of many things from a person’s reaction, to how thoughtful they are, to the sights I hear, or what I see on a daily basis, and kindness and willingness go a long way in my book.

 3. What turns you off creatively, spiritually, emotionally?

Interruptions. I hate interruptions. If I’m in the middle of a fabulous scene and someone calls, texts, or emails, and I lose my train of thought, I get upset for a moment. Often times, when I go back to sit down and write the scene again, then something new pops up, most of the time better, but sometimes not, so I really hate interruptions and love peace and quiet if I it’s possible. This is super important when writing something deep or dark. I need to be able to think about every little reaction, every possible scenario. I love to be alone because often times I’ll tap back into my past, and for some of it, I start crying, but it’s that emotion, when I can tap into it, that makes those scenes the best out of all of them. I’m no longer at the surface, but have dug as deep as I can for the day.

4. What is the least interesting thing about what you do?

Which job? LOL! But seriously…which one. In addition to my love of writing (I plan on becoming a big-time famous author someday), I work for the family restaurant business (Riccio’s Steak and Seafood in Palm Springs, CA), a part-time market researcher for Bowker (I love book trends), and as the publicity director for Entangled Teen, digiTeen, and our yet-to-be-named New Adult line at Entangled Publishing. I also work pro-bono for Project Migration, a fashion accessories company with a charitable initiative as their Director of Partnerships, and as one of the Features Editors for Urbanette Magazine. Oh, and I also beta read and blog for YA Stands. My CP, Nicole Steinhaus was the one founded it, and I love helping other YA authors out.

What I would love to do someday though is simply write and work for Entangled all the time. I love my authors to death and do anything and everything I can to make each of their campaigns successful. Least interesting thing for me is negotiating and the only reason why I don’t particularly like it is because I find everyone is almost always on a different page so it’s finding a compromise so everyone is on the same page and the decision is beneficial for all parties involved.  

 5. How early is too early? 

Um…lol. I’m a night owl, but am also up at around 7 a.m. You’ll find me asleep between 3-7 a.m. PST. Other than that, I’m up and ready to go. Sometimes if I can’t sleep, you’ll find me online early in the morning writing or working.

6. If you had to cut one moment or act from the last ten years of your life, what would you miss the least?

She’ll probably kill me for mentioning this, but my mother’s breast cancer. I remember at first being selfish in my thinking (I was in my early twenties at the time), and then immediately thinking right after, “Oh God, what will I do without her there?” We don’t have long conversations like some mothers and daughters do, but when we do talk it’s always meaningful and we don’t fight like cats and dogs, which I’ve always appreciated more than she'll ever know, and my parents have always allowed me to follow my dreams. No matter how far out of reach they may have been.

Also, I would love to cut out my uncle passing away suddenly and my grandparents. Death sucks. This past Septemeber when I was in NYC, I dedicated one of the cobblestones to my grandpa who was NYPD for 18 years. I thought he deserved to be forever remembered. Not only was he NYPD for 18 years, but he went back to help out for a few months after 9/11 happened. It’s that type of selfless humility that has shaped me into the person I am today.

7. Assuming heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah
or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say
when you check in at the pearly gates?

He would say something like, “I knew you could do it. It’s all about believing. You, my child, are one of the many who chose to believe. Who know, that ‘To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure’. Welcome,” and then he’d let me enter the pearly gates to the right would be a spa and to the left would be everything my heart desired. Any time my mind changed, so would everything to the left. The spa would have to be the constant for relaxation and yoga. And, in my mind, he would have to quote Dumbledore. ;)

Thanks Heather! To quote Dumbledore "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." and you have made some amazing ones.

Want to know more about Heather? Follow any one of these links:

http://www.heathermriccio.com/

http://www.entangledpublishing.com/

http://www.projectmigration.org/

https://twitter.com/HeatherRiccio

http://www.facebook.com/HeatherRiccio

Thanks again to Heather and thank you for reading!

Shallom Johnson

2012-12-10T20:01:00.003-05:00

Shallom Johnson is a Canadian visual artist, writer, dancer and curator currently based in Cape Town, South Africa. Her creative practice explores human emotion, personal story and memory through a wide range of mediums and disciplines. Her work has been exhibited in galleries and seen on the streets in Canada, the United States, the UK, Western Europe, Russia and South Africa. She has been painting under the alias Indigo since 2008.
Born into a family of artists and activists, Shallom’s creative practice has always been multidisciplinary. Having grown up in Northern Canada, she moved to Vancouver BC in 2000 to study Contemporary Dance and English at Simon Fraser University. The years after graduation were spent working as a choreographer, performer and instructor in Canada and the United States, both independently and as a part of multiple companies and collectives.
Always intensely interested in collaboration, the last few years have seen her actively seeking out new venues, methods and partners for creation and curation, at home and abroad. One of her main goals in life is to build bridges between creatives and communities, working within a global network to effect local change. After six months managing Cape Town-based organization /A WORD OF ART’s gallery, artist in residence program, and community outreach activities, Shallom is currently leading two large-scale community projects in South Africa that explore water & food access, sustainability, ecology and collaborative art practice, set to launch in early 2013.

6 Questions with Shallom Johnson:

1. What are your favorite and your least favorite words?

This was the hardest question for me to answer. my favorite words are: memory, covet, silence, ephemera, solace. My least favorite word is smegma. Or possibly mucus.

2. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, emotionally?

Traveling, meeting new people, immersing myself into unique environments, helping bring people together to share ideas and moments in time. Also, on the flip side of that, I often feel the need to hole up in my studio, sleepless and hungry and painting for days on end until I feel like I'm on the brink of temporary insanity and nothing exists but these four walls and everything inside them.

3. What is the closest you have ever come to giving up?

Hasn't happened yet, fingers crossed it never will. I tend to just switch to another medium or genre if I feel like I need a change in order to stay productive. Writing has actually been the most consistent thing for me creatively over the past 10 years - because it's mainly something I do for myself that isn't attached to any kind of project or public presentation.

4. What decision in your career do you most regret?

No regrets. Every bad decision is a lesson learned. But I wish I could learn to say no to things more often, when I don't have the time for them.

5. What is the strangest thing you have ever done while writing? (Same as above.)

I talk to my paintings a lot.

6. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

Hey, nice to see you, want some wine? All we have is red. Oh, by the way, your friends and family are waiting for you in the other room, along with every pet you've ever had.

Brilliant! If you want to know more about the fabulous Indigo you can find her at any of the following:
flickr
blog
twitter
tumblr
online store

Thanks to Indigo for indulging me and thanks to you for reading! Until next time!

Courage My Love

2012-12-07T19:57:00.007-05:00

Courage My Love is a pop-punk rock trio consisting of 18 year-old twin sisters Mercedes Arn-Horn (guitar/vocals) & Phoenix Arn-Horn (drums/vocals) and David Blake-Dickson (bass/vocals).
Alternative Press Magazine named Courage My Love one of “100 Bands You Need To Know in 2012″. Courage My Love reached the #3 position on Billboard.com’s July 7 2012 ‘Next Big Sound’ chart. Fueled by a passion for pop, punk, metal, social justice and rebellion, the band has quickly made a name for itself touring non-stop throughout Canada, collecting new fans at every stop.
Their music videos for Bridges, Barricade and Anchors Make Good Shoes (if you have issues) added into heavy rotation at MuchMusic and at MusiquePlus in Canada. They released their debut EP ‘For Now’ on Homeskool Prom Records/Warner Music Canada. Also, an acoustic version of this EP ‘For Now (acoustic sessions)’ was released on a limited run in Canada this summer.
An expanded version of ‘For Now’ was released in Japan in July 2012 on  Spinning/Grizz-Rhythms.

(This bio was taken almost verbatim from their website.)

And now... courage.

7 Questions with Courage My Love:

1. Star Wars or Star Trek?

Star wars!!! All the way!

2. What are your favorite and your least favorite sounds?

I love the gritty sound an amp head makes as it warms up and the guitar tone fades in. It just makes me grin! And I hate the sound of children crying.

3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, emotionally? (Answer all or only the ones you choose.)

Long car rides, zombie movies, rainy days, you name it! Inspiration is EVERYWHERE!

4. What decision in your career are you most grateful for?

Phoenix and I have been in many bands together, often at the same time, and it has been hard to balance out all of the projects at once without picking favourites. At one point there was pressure to quit out of courage my love to be in another band. Phoenix and I both decided to keep cml going and to not fall victim to the pressuring of our former band mates! It's a decision I will never regret and am very thankful for!

5. What is the closest you have ever come to giving up your craft?

At one point (before david joined the band) it was getting hard to find a suitable bass player, and we were getting really fed up with the constant member changes. But we've never really come close to breaking up or giving up our craft. Music is always something we've wanted to do and it's not something one can easily give up, because it's all around us. Without music, life would be unbearably dull!

6. What is the most fun you have ever had?

It's a close run between 1) my first time ever crowdsurfing 2) my first time in a haunted house and 3) the summers I used to spend in cape breton, nova scotia.

7. Assuming heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

"Everything, everything will be just fine. Everything, everything will be alright, alright." -jimmy eat world

So THAT's what it's like to be a pop star. Want to talk to Courage My Love? Go here:

http://www.ilovecouragemylove.com
http://www.facebook.com/ilovecouragemylove
http://www.youtube.com/ilovecouragemylove
http://twitter.com/couragemylove
http://www.spinninginc.jp/m_lineup_e/courage_my_love.html

Thanks to Courage My Love for graciously answering my questions and thanks to you for reading!
Until next time!

Nina B

2012-12-04T15:05:00.000-05:00

Hip Hop artist Nina B is a native of New York. Born in the Bronx and raised in Brooklyn Nina recorded her first rhyme at six years old on her Playschool recorder. By 19, Nina had a growing inventory or rhymes and poetry, she had been offered (and declined) a major record deal, and was an active participant in Russell Simmons/Bruce Willis Art Start and Hip-Hop Project. There she met Amber Ravenel, CEO of Ravenel Records. In 2003, Nina B signed with Ravenel Records, becoming the first female artist on their roster.

The Questions:

1. What are your favorite and your least favorite sounds?

FAVORITES : SHINGLES/CHIMES, KICK, 808, MY OWN VOICE , OH AND I STILL ENJOY THE SOUND OF THE FINAL BELL WHENEVER IM @ A HIGHSCHOOL... :P

LEAST FAVORITES : PEOPLE BREATHING HEAVILY, CHEWING LOUDLY, PASSING GAS, OR NAME DROPPING :P

2. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, emotionally? (Answer all or only the ones you choose.)

MAJOR TURN ON!!!! OTHER CREATIVE ENERGIES ...

I CANT LIE IM DRAWN TO GENIUS!

I CANT SAY I HAVE SPIRITUAL " TURN ON'S "

BUT EMOTIONALLY - I REALLY ADMIRE IT WHEN A GUY CAN READ MY EMOTIONS I DONT COMPLAIN MUCH

I RATHER SURROUND MYSELF WITH PEOPLE WITH COMMON SENSE SO I CAN SAVE MY BREATH.

SO ADMIT WHEN YOUR WRONG AND NOT WHEN YOUR RIGHT , THATS KINDA SEXY...

3. What decision in your career are you most grateful for?

TEAMING UP WITH AMBER RAVENEL AND JOINING RAVENEL RECORDS :P

WWW.RAVENELRCORDS.COM ( SHAMELESS PLUG)

4. What is your principal defect, your biggest character flaw or personal weakness?

I AM SELFISH, I ALWAYS HAVE TO REMIND MYSELF THAT I MERELY CO EXIST !!!! AND THE WORLD DOESNT REVOLVE AROUND MY ISSUES OR ELSE IM IN FOR A RUDE AWAKENING THIS I LEARNED THE HARD WAY :(

5. What is the most fun you have ever had?

YEAH RIGHT < LIKE IDE REMEMBER :P

BUT ON ANOTHER NOTE I HAD A LOT OF FUN DOING THE "GIMME A BREAK" SEGMENTS WITH ANGELA YEE

HERES A LINK ( ITS LIKE A 9 PART SERIES

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5jEunTpptE

6. Assuming heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

" WHAT, SURPRISED ? HOW COULD I SEND YOU WHERE YOUVE ALREADY BEEN? WELCOME HOME MY CHILD "

Thanks Nina! If you'd like to learn more about Nina and her music you can follow her on Twitter find her at REVERBNATION, MySpace or, DjBooth

Until next time!

Rachel Thompson

2012-12-02T10:08:00.000-05:00

Rachel Thompson (aka RachelintheOC) is the author of A Walk In The Snark, the #1 bestselling humorous and, at times poignant, eBook collection of essays (Amazon, $2.99). She's also the cofounder of the Indie Book Collective along with Carolyn McCray and Amber Scott, with whom she cowrote Dollars & Sense: The Definitive Guide to Self-Publishing Success (Amazon, $2.99).

So, what were we talking about?

7 Questions with Rachel Thompson

1. What are your favorite and your least favorite sounds?

favorite: great music & kids giggling is a toss-up. least favorite: static. can't stand it.

2. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, emotionally? (Answer all
or only the ones you choose.)

creatively: music. I'm very sound oriented and when I really need to get into a certain mood or zone, I go to my music. emotionally, same answer. I think emotions are so intrinsically tied into creativity that music is a critical bridge between the two. Spiritually, I don't adhere to anything set, though I was raised in a Jewish home and I do believe in a God. I just don't feel it plays a part in my every day life.

3. What decision in your career are you most grateful for?

The day I quit my 15-year career selling my soul for pharmaceuticals. There was nothing about that job that I loved--or even liked. I do believe everything happens for a reason however, and the lessons I learned about selling and marketing help me now as an indie author. So from a karma perspective, it's all good.

4. What decision in your career do you most regret?

I don't believe in regrets. Waste of time. I do wish I'd have focused more on my writing though. But, would I be where I am now if I had? Who's to say?

5. Do you ever hate what you've created?

I tell my children never to use the world hate. I've had experiences in my life where I'm allowed to use that word, but they haven't -- not yet. As for my work, no. I'm a huge fan of rewrites, edits, cuts. And of having other people I trust (my writing group, my editors) take a look and help me change things with an objective eye. Writing is a solitary job but my ego is not that big to think I'm so great that I don't need help. I do.

That said, I have plenty of reviewers who hate what I write!

6. What is the best thing you ever ate?

Toss up: Vegetable duck pie at Shun Lee West in NYC or Espresso & sugar soaked donuts in Chicago. Amazing.

7. Assuming heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah
or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say
when you arrive at the pearly gates?

Feel free to eat as much as you'd like and not gain weight. You don't have to cook or clean up. And all your loved ones are waiting for you in the back.

Thanks Rachel! This was far too long a time in coming and I really appreciate you taking the time to do it! You can find Rachel on Twitter, Facebook, or on her popular blog RachelintheOC.com.

Thanks for reading and I'll see ya later!

Katherine Walker

2012-12-01T21:51:00.000-05:00

Emmy nominated Katherine Walker works in unscripted television, as a producer, director and writer. She grew up in Virginia, lived on Kauai for ten years and is now based in Los Angeles. She has worked with Entertainment One, Discovery and Mark Burnett among many others.

And now, the envelope please.

6 Questions with Katherine Walker:

1) What is the least interesting thing about being a director?

"Having to execute things you know won't work due to politics (working with big egos/little talent)

2nd least interesting--looking for work/job interviews, esp with people who don't understand what you do."

2) What is your favorite vice or virtue?

"Vice--Indulging in intoxicants, on occasion (binge-celebrating!); listening to music really, really loud and blowing speakers!
Virtue--kindness, especially to someone who is down-and-out or having a bad time / charity"

3) What is the best thing you ever ate?

"Fresh Maine Lobster (especially outside on Robinson Wharf!)"

4) What are your favorite and least favorite words?

"Favorite: verisimilitude, bemused, exacerbate, onomatopoeia, wonky, yowza
Least favorite (generally using a noun as a verb) like the economy 'impacted' my life and 'loan money' (it's 'lend' money); turn-key."

5) To what faults do you feel most indulgent?

"I never learned how to set boundaries (due to some pretty bad childhood trauma) so I have a very high tolerance for abusive situations (which are quite prevalent in the 'film' industry); I don't know how to advance myself like others do, meaning I am not that great at politicking for my own benefit; I just work hard, have integrity and try to be true to the process--when a lot of times, I should have really been more concerned with self-preservation. We'll see how it ends up in the end."

6) What decision in your career are you most thankful for?

"Being persistent on a few key occasions: 1) securing my first PA job on "The Lost World" by contacting the A.D. repeatedly; 2) getting Harrison Ford a cup of coffee and delivering it to him even after someone else gave him a cup; 3) not giving up when the EP on "Amazing Race, season 3" told me he wouldn't hire me as a producer--I suggested a drop in title, then, and accepted the Associate Producer role. The episode 311 that I put together in post that year won the series' first Emmy. I guess, overall, not giving up. Which is ironic because now that's all I think about -- getting out of the rat race and like the Frank Zappa song says, 'moving to Montana.' The problem? I really love what I do.
The reason the Harrison Ford story is significant (duh!) is not because I got him a cup of coffee--it was because I was only hired for 3 days and ended up doing every day on that movie over 5 months (because I worked very hard for the First A.D. but also because I approached Mr. Ford without being intimidated at all) -- a similar story was with Robert DeNiro when he was standing in the doorway of his trailer and no one would talk to him, they were all too scared. We were delayed over an hour due to a camera issue, and it was a Sunday and the gear had to come from Panavision Woodland Hills for some reason.

I went up to the stairs and looked up -- he asked me what was going on. I figured, if anyone knew about cameras it was him (due to Scorsese) so I told him the diopter broke and what was going on, he said thank you. By the end of that shoot ("Fifteen Minutes"), on the set, his hair & make-up person yelled at the director (who had kept Bob ducktaped in a chair for over 2 hours of re-takes--as he was getting the crap beaten out of him) that I was the only one who they would deal with! The little PA!

Well, not so little. I'm 6 feet tall!

Anyway, by being honest and upfront with big time actors, I actually gained their respect and they loved the fact that my attitude was "You're making $ 20 million? Get your ass to set!"

Thanks to Katherine for doing this and thanks to you for reading!

Billy Penn

2011-09-24T11:34:00.000-04:00

Billy Penn graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Art Education which is very important if you fancy being an art teacher, and not important at all if want to be a writer.
He has illustrated comic books for both Platinum Studios and Image Comics. Billy also self-publishes (prints really) his own comics through his “Graphic Cereals” imprint.

When he’s not busy being an elementary school art teacher, he’s dreaming up new projects and stories to tell with pictures. He currently resides in Tallahassee, Florida with his awesome chef wife and their two little boys.

Now Mr Jones, tell me again about these Sankara stones.

6 Questions with Billy Penn.

1. What are your favorite and your least favorite words?
"I like F-bombs for their versatility (mostly as a gerund. And not very often, mom.)

I hate racial slurs. I have a dream where we can ridicule people not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character."

2. What gets you out of bed in the morning?
"The creative impulse and the urge to pee."

3. What turns you off creatively, spiritually, emotionally?
"Anyone who tries to waste my time (and they usually don’t realize it, bless their hearts.) I can chip away at something, ANYTHING, in five minutes. It’s not much. But those five minutes will slowly add up to hours, days, weeks, months, years, and get me closer to the finished project. I never know what the outcome of any particular project will be, but I DO KNOW that doing nothing slowly results in nothing."

4. What is the closest you have ever come to giving up your craft?
"I’ve never come close. I’d give-up on a lot of important stuff before I’d give up my passion for creating.
For the sake of giving you an answer, the closest I’ve come to “giving up” was a little brick wall in the fall of ’98. It really just made me reassess my approach to pitching. I wound up falling in love with my future wife during the break instead."

5. What is the strangest thing you have ever done while creating?

"Occasionally, my wife will find me talking to myself. It’s not strange at all for a writer to say dialogue aloud, but my wife usually catches my at the tail-end on me congratulating myself. Like a personal trainer.With F-bombs. That’s pretty awkward."

6. Assuming heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say when you arrive at the pearly gates?
"Good job, dude! Here, enjoy this everlasting Sno-cone while you relive your favorite memories over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over…"

Thanks to Billy for agreeing to do this and thanks to YOU for reading!

See you next time!

Ryan Stegman

2011-08-24T06:56:00.000-04:00

Michigan based comic book artist Ryan Stegman. What can you say about the gentleman that hasn't already been said? The young artist has applied his tender mercies to the likes of She-Hulk, X-23 and the venerable Spider-Man and has brushed elbows with some of the best in the business.

The road to sucess wasn't easy for the young artist. Having toyed with the idea of breaking into comics since he was fifteen and spending several years working stock at the mall and living in his parent's basement Ryan finally got his start in 2005. The British comic series Midnight Kiss with writer Tony Lee quickly lead to a string of smaller company-owned works, Marvel/Dabel Bros. Magician: Apprentice, Marvel Adventures Spider-Man and Warhammer. These were great opportunities for the young artist, allowing him to hone his craft and refine his technique, but his first real shot at the big time came when he was drafted to draw Marvel's Incredible Hercules in late 2009. That work lead to an exclusivity agreement with Marvel and by late 2010 Stegman's She-Hulks was launched.

Now, by the power of Greyskull...

6 Questions with Ryan Stegman:

1. What are your favorite and your least favorite sounds?

"Favorite sound is my 6-month-old son laughing. Least favorite sound is when he does the "I'm actually in pain" cry. The one where it makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. These cries are usually short-lived, but they're after he's scratched himself or something."

2. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, emotionally?

"Creatively: Good, interesting art. Anything where the artist gives you their opinion on something in a way that I never thought about it before. This can be a comedian, a comic artist, a musician, anybody.

Emotionally: Just hanging out with my wife and son. All the time I get to spend with family."

3. What decision in your career are you most grateful for?

"I am most grateful that I decided to be completely naive about how difficult this job would be or how hard it would be to "make it". I don't know if I would have had the guts to stick it out if I knew that it was going to be so tough. But looking back, I'm glad I had no idea."

4. What is the closest you have ever come to giving up your craft?

"I don't know that I ever came close at all. I did interview for a job editing a newspaper in Chicago at one point, and I came close to getting the job. (I graduated from college with an English degree). If I would have gotten that job, who knows if I would have continued on this path?"

5. What is the best thing you ever ate?

"There's a Mexican restaurant in Detroit named Xochimilco's that is amazing. I always get the beef burritos. There's just something about them. They're amazing. So either those or a Ruth's Chris filet."

6. Assuming heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

"You made the most of it."

Fantastic man! DW is proud of you! Thanks for doing this!

And thanks to you for reading! If you'd like to know more about the amazing Ryan Stegman check him out at any and all of the following links:

http://ryanstegmanart.blogspot.com/

http://ryanstegman.deviantart.com/

http://twitter.com/#!/ryanstegman

You should also check out this FANTASTIC interview iFanboy did with the talented Mr Stegman:

http://ifanboy.com/articles/ifanboy-upstarts-ryan-stegman/

And that's it for today! Hope you enjoyed it and I'll see you next time!

Michael R. Hicks

2011-08-21T20:06:00.000-04:00

Michael R. Hicks was destined to become a genre writer. Born in 1963 Hicks spent his youth in Scottsdale Arizona where he was a voracious reader throughout elementary and high school, to the point that he was often admonished by his teachers to get his nose out of those books. He was also an avid fan of classic science fiction movies and television. His weekends were often spent with his grandparents where he would stay up until the wee hours, consuming the likes of The Abominable Doctor Phibes, The Blob, and Forbidden Planet. The youth filled his brain with images of aliens and spaceships until it could take no more. Then he began to write.

Mike drafted his In Her Name series (Empire, Confederation, and Final Battle) which at that time was actually a single work between 1991 and 1994. "The omnibus draft sat under my desk until 2008, when I took advantage of the eBook revolution and published it on the Amazon Kindle, receiving a delightful shock when people not only began buying it, but actually liked it." He calls writing his "enjoyable compulsion" and says that "hearing that readers enjoy what I write has been a true and treasured gift."

Mike spends as much time as he can traveling across the country with his wife and two stepsons, and writing.

Now Robby, do you understand the mechanism?

6 Questions with Michael R. Hicks:

1. What are your favorite and your least favorite words?
"My favorite would probably be "australopithecus," and my least favorite is "but." I love australopithecus because when the boys were little and curious about learning new words, I used to try and get them to say that, and we'd all have a good laugh at the results. "But" is probably my least favorite because I tend to over-use it in my writing and it's been a hard habit to break."

2. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, emotionally?
"Creative and, um, other turn-ons. Well, creatively speaking it would have to be red wine and dark chocolate. That gets my muse fired up, although she doesn't really understand why she can't have wine first thing in the morning. So we make do on that score with the chocolate. Spiritually, I don't know if it's a turn-on, but just the fact that my family and I have been so incredibly blessed in so many ways. We've got good health, great kids, and God saw fit to give me a gift of writing through which we're now making our financial way in the world. Sorta hard to beat that. And my emotional turn-ons, well, I'll keep those to myself!"

3. What turns you off creatively, spiritually, emotionally?
"Creative turn-offs. Hmm. The biggest one is probably distraction, writ large. The muse gets very peeved if she can't concentrate (I'm just along for the ride). Spiritually, I'd say the biggest turn-off is hypocrisy, particularly people who wear their religion on their sleeves, but whose actions and words show something altogether different. Emotionally. Hmmm. I'll probably keep that to myself, too."

4. What is the closest you have ever come to giving up your craft?
"I gave up on writing after finishing the draft of IN HER NAME back in 1994 and receiving the typical rejection notices. At the time, the only other publishing venue available was vanity press, where you have to pay someone to print your books (which then sit in your garage). So I didn't do anything more until 2007 when I learned about Kindle publishing and got the book ready, sending it out into the Kindle store in 2008. So that was a long, 14 year dry spell."

5. What is the strangest thing you have ever done while creating?
"I'm not really sure I've done anything terribly strange. Maybe the closest is that I "spin" the story in my head just before I go to sleep. It's like watching a movie: I rewind a bit into what I've already written, then start playing it forward. I usually don't get to see much new stuff before I fall asleep, but in the morning my muse picks up the thread and off we go, writing again."

6. Assuming heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say when you check in at the pearly gates?
"Someone else asked me this not long ago, and I'll give the same answer: "Welcome home, son!"

Thanks Ryan! Hope you and the family are having a fantastic time right now, in what ever part of the country you're in! If you'd like to know more about Michael R. Hicks you can try his website, follow him on Twitter or check out some of his work over at Amazon.

Thanks for reading! Next time? How about comic artist extraordinaire Ryan Stegman!

Until then: PEACE!

Shawna Benson

2011-08-19T21:24:00.000-04:00

Writer and producer Shawna Benson has written for television, film and multi-platform (web). She co-wrote and sold a multi-platform series with Bernie Su, wrote scripts with her sister, Julie Benson and wrote, directed and produced a webseries pilot called #Follow. Shawna has maintained a screenwriting blog, Shouting Into the Wind since 2004 and is currently employed as Ashley E. Miller’s assistant. She also likes all manner of tea and is a budding oenophile. She also has a penchant for fireflies.

And now, like a leaf on the wind.

6 Questions with Shawna Benson:  

1. What are your favorite and your least favorite words?
"Favorite word: sonorous
Least favorite word: synergy"

2. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, emotionally?
"I am a sucker for a good turn of phrase. I find as I get older that my creativity is sparked more by the words and thoughts of others. There’s something inspiring in the creativity of other people that helps to spark my own. Of course, this runs counter to my tendency to keep to myself, so it’s a constant balancing act – spending time with others to become inspired so that I can go into solitude and utilize the inspiration for my own creativity. Still, it’s the primary balancing act of my life, I reckon."

3. Turns you off creatively, spiritually, emotionally? 
"Nothing halts creativity faster than “I don’t think that’s possible” – whether it comes from others or from within. The second you believe you can’t do something or that an idea is stupid is the second that inspiration dies. An idea is never stupid – it may need further definition and refinement, but within every idea lies some kernel of golden truth."

4. You are to be reincarnated and you are given the choice of animal, vegetable, or mineral. Which do you choose?
"Not sure I’m ready for non-sentient life, so I’m gonna go with reincarnation as a little purse dog (maybe a teacup terrier). Those things are so pampered, I can’t imagine it being a bad life."

5. What is the closest you have ever come to giving up your craft?  
"I nearly give up my craft every day. There probably isn’t a day that I don’t think “I’m a fraud. What on earth made me think I could write?” but ultimately, I always come back – the blank page is a siren song and I am forever damned to crash against the rocks (or something like that. I swear, I am such a fraud.)"

6. What is the most fun you have ever had?
"This is actually the most difficult question. Fun is so fleeting, and usually only recognized once it has been had. Some things are fun in retrospect but within the moment are not at all fun (thinking about “haunted” houses and seeing scary films here). It’s so much easier to think of decidedly not fun times. Okay, I’ve got one – most fun I ever had: 2 or 3 AM in the Driskill Hotel bar in Austin, Texas a couple of years ago for the Austin Film Festival and Screenwriting Conference. I sat around in a circle with the likes of Shane Black, Terry Rossio and Danny Rubin who were all swapping stories and talking about writing. I remember thinking in the moment that I never wanted that little party to end – that I was exactly where I wanted to be at that moment."

7. Assuming heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

“That’ll do, pig.”

Awesome. That'll do indeed. You are many things but fraud is hardly one of them. Thanks for doing this Shawna! If you'd like to know more about Shawna Benson choose any or all of the following:
Facebook
Google+
IMDB
Blog
LinkedIn
or
Twitter

And thanks to you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Tune in next time for author Michael R. Hicks.

See you next time!

J.K. Woodward

2011-08-18T17:42:00.000-04:00

Born in the Northeast United States, J.K. wasted little time in becoming the kid your mother warned you about. A strong rebellious streak combined with an intense work ethic meant that he gave 110% to being his own person AND a pain in the ass! This personality mix made a rote life as a drone in a cubicle an impossible career choice and left him with one of two choices:

Become an artist.

Become a rock star.

Since his only talent for music was a decent taste in it he made the obvious choice and became an artist who dressed like a rock star. He also moved to L.A.

Those were dark, fruitful years, years where the young J.K. would experiment with style and develop techniques that he uses to this very day. Eventually the City of Angels lost its appeal and seeking a change in life, climate and creative energy he followed the example set by David Bowie, one of J.K.'s heroes, and moved to Germany. Despite the presence of (or more likely because of) strong German beer, J.K. self-published a comic comprised of his expressionistic paintings titled Flesh Angels. He followed it with a comedy comic series titled These Things Happen - comprised of random funny stories, a talk show host who doesn't talk off the clock, and emus.

After that it was off to Desert Hot Springs, California, a town which has the dubious honor of most abandoned washing machines in the western hemisphere. Here J.K. collaborated with A. David Lewis on the indie comic Mortal Coils and Michael Colbert on the Digital Webbing Presents series Crazy Mary. The publishing house IDW noticed his work on Crazy Mary and offered him a gig doing a CSI:NY limited series which he followed in short order with a standout story in BOOM! Studios' Zombie Tales series. When Peter David was re-launching his creator owned series Fallen Angel at IDW, James (J.K.) was a natural choice for Peter's dark world of magic, violence and redemption.

J.K.'s painted work would soon catch the attention of Marvel editor Mike Marts. Marts quickly chose the young artist to illustrate X-men Origins:The Beast which was released September 2008.

J.K. recently relocated from Long Beach, CA to Long Island City in Queens, NY where he still illustrates Peter David's Fallen Angel as a reoccurring miniseries for IDW as well as various other works for both IDW and BOOM! Studios.

As a quick aside I should say a special thanks to Michael Colbert who wrote the original biography. I simply paraphrased.

Now, Mr. Saavik, you go right on quoting regulations.

6 Questions with J.K. Woodward:

1. What are your favorite and your least favorite sounds?

"Favourite sound: A woman's breathy moan in my ear.

Least favourite sound: the gurgle sound a tap makes when the keg has run dry"

2. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, emotionally?

"I'd have to say freedom, definition and control.

Creatively, I do my best when not encumbered by a conflicting vision of what it should look like. I love to collaborate, but in a way that works to each persons strengths, but that doesn't happen by 1 person trying to affect the way you envision things. As a professional, I will make changes in my work if needed and maintain a positive attitude about it, but generally I feel my first instincts are the best and I just would prefer to go in that direction.

Spiritually? I would like that one defined. Everyone throws that word around and no one's really told me what that means. Generally I hear people refer to themselves as spiritual as apposed to religious. ie."I don't subscribe to any particular religion, I'm just spiritual". When I ask what that means, they all tell me different beliefs they have.There is very little commonality between them other than they all believe in life after death, though no one can tell me why. That can't be what spiritual means. Anyway, I stopped asking because it seems to mean something different to everyone, making the meaning personal but also meaningless when talked about. If it is at all possible, I want "spiritual" defined, because I'm not sure I've ever felt, craved or did anything "spiritually".

Emotionally, I want control. We live in a society that seems to want to emote all over each other. YUK! I've worked all my life to keep control over my emotional reactions. Note the word "reaction". I'm not suggesting anyone can control their emotions, really, but we don't have to react to every single one.

I'm kind of a Hank Hill when it comes to that stuff."

3. What decision in your career are you most grateful for?

"Probably illustrating a script that I read at comic con from some guy I barely met. The script was called Crazy Mary and it was brilliant, but what I liked more than anything is the writer's understanding of the medium he was writing for and his instinct for composition and design. He was a very visual writer in that he understood what would work on the page and what wouldn't. I really wanted to draw this script. At first I was unsure because it was 12 pages and to paint that would take appr. 240 hours or 6 whole work weeks without pay. But I sacrificed my free time and the book looked great. We self published and the art caught the attention of IDW and eventually Peter David and that's how I ended up working on Fallen Angel."

4. What is the closest you have ever come to giving up your craft?

"I almost became a teacher once. I enrolled, I was going to get my degree while still working in comics and then quit the whole thing. Then I realized that wasn't what I wanted as much as what my fiance and possibly her mother wanted. This was almost 4 years ago, we never got married and I still draw comics, but I was close to quitting. If you work in this industry, work will always come first. It has to if you want to make your deadlines. So if you work in comics, make sure your significant other understands that at the beginning or you may end up going to college to become a teacher. That's what I learned from that."

5. What is the most fun you have ever had?

"This one's hard. There are so many, but probably this assemblage/painting/sculpture/photography project I was working on with with a German Record Producer back in 2000. I had just moved to Frankfurt and we had embarked on a very ambitious project to be used as an album cover and was later displayed at the record labels personal gallery. We worked a little over 36 hours straight, focused on the work but laughing, chain smoking and drinking wine the whole time. I'm surprised we survived it, but it was probably not just the funnest, but most rewarding experience to date."

6. Assuming heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

"It's about time you showed up. This lager isn't gonna drink itself. Get your ass in there and after-live it up!"

Could not have said it better myself! Thanks J.K. for taking the time to do this and for giving us some brilliant answers. If you'd like to know more about J.K. Woodward simply surf over to http://comicattack.net/2010/02/aotm3/ where there is another fantastic interview with the man and while you're at it check out his website http://www.jkwoodward.com/

And that's all for today! Thanks for reading and stay tuned because next time I'll be speaking with author, screen writer, script monkey and general roustabout Shawna Benson.

Peace!

Tony Deuce

2011-08-15T19:41:00.000-04:00

Tony Deuce is both author and podcaster. As co-host of the Back Seat Producers podcast he brings his love of Scorsese and Cagney-style crime thrillers, as well as his affection for the European (Guy Ritchie, Michael Lonsdale) and Asian (John Woo, Tony Leung) equivalents in crime cinema, to an eclectic mix of hosts. Tony and his partners in crime, Tony #1 (Tony Mast), David (Adam), and Darryl, podcast every Wednesday evening, giving you their collective and often confrontational insights on exactly what is going on (or wrong) in Hollywood.

Tony the author has just published his first novel. "The Boston Connexion" is a gritty crime and revenge tale that harkens back to the heyday of mob fiction. It's a coming-of-age story that sprawls three cities on three different continents,"a gritty, pub-soused, bare-knuckled-brawler of a revenge novel." that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

Tony will also have a short story published titled ” 商君書 (Shangzi) Or Engine of the Species." It's being released with the “Built for Speed” anthology by Unasked Question, LLC later this year (2011). He is also working on a forthcoming project with Tony Mast that hopefully will see release at the beginning of next year.

Now, wait right here while I make this man an offer he cant refuse.

6 Questions with Tony Deuce:

1. What are your favorite and your least favorite words?

"LOL, I couldn't tell ya. Every word has a purpose. Even those formed from complete nonsense."

2. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, emotionally?

"Wow, where are the questions like "What's my favorite color," etc? :-)
Creatively I try to be influenced by everything and anything possible. I want to feel like I could theoretically write about anything. To the extent that some creative work continues to impress me as interesting and different enough from something that was done before, to the extent that it reframes my thinking, that stuff usually can be fascinating and creatively invigorating. One example would be "The Social Network." To me, that movie kind of reframes how a movie about modern society could be done. It's like a modern day "La Dolce Vita" style-commentary, only that it's legal drama about computer geeks in a script vaguely reminiscent of "Animal House." When you see something like that--kind of breaking the formula--that gets you thinking. "I want to write something like that someday." And that pushes you further.

Spiritually I'm a Christian and a believer and you can't escape that stuff. Salman Rushdie says "Atheists are obsessed with God." Well, many believers can't run away fast enough! I'm no exception, and this is the central yin-yang dichotomy of spirituality. I find spirituality a trying and intellectually challenging, rather than a blissful experience. But it's just as important either way. It finds its way into my work generally, I think. I know it did on "The Boston Connexion."
I also like kung fu philosophy, and classical taoism alot as well. Laozi and Zhuangzi, and the internal-external dichotomy of kung fu principles, and how a lot of other things in life are like kung fu. But that's not as much of a spiritual thing as it is a philosophical and physiological thing. But it affects the spirit significantly. Mind and body always affect the spirit. I wish I had the discipline to be a hard core kung fu guy.
I wish I had the discipline to be a better Christian as well. In short, I think spiritually, what turns me on would be more self-discipline. How does that relate to my writing? Hopefully it's in the characters.

Emotionally, I try to let the characters' limited perspectives drive the story. As the omniscient voice in my stories, usually, I try not to involve my own emotions too much in what I write."

3. What profession other than yours would you most like to attempt?

"There are a ton of things that I would love to do professionally, that I could never do. Boxing is just one of them. It's easily the most extreme thing that I would want to do, relative to who and where I am now. I think those fighter guys/gals have a lot of guts, endurance. To stand in that ring and take hits, and think on your feet, and not hesitate to deliver the blows... that's a kind of stubborness, intransigence and discipline I would never have. It's also high on strategy. Either that, or maybe it's just crazy. But you still have to be disciplined to be crazy too."

4. What profession would you least like to attempt?

"I've cleaned enough sewer lines in my life to know that I prefer not to do that professionally."

5. What is the most fun you have ever had?

"I have fun everyday! I don't measure it too much. I try to live in the moment, like my dogs. Everyday for them is the most fun they've ever had."

6. Assuming heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

"We have Guinness."

Make it a Yuengling and I'm in. Thanks to Tony Deuce for giving a GREAT interview! Tony I really appreciate you taking the time to do this!
And thanks to YOU for reading! If you'd like to know more about Tony Deuce and his work check out the following links:

http://thebostonconnexion.com/
@TonyDeuce
Here's another great chat with Tony

Thanks again for reading and I'll see you next time for an interview with the extraordinary comic book artist J.K. Woodward!

A.P. Stephens

2011-08-14T16:13:00.000-04:00

A.P. Stephens grew up in the suburb of Mesquite, to the east of Dallas, TX. He attended West Mesquite High School and then went on to the University of North Texas to study English. From a young age, he has always shown the wanting to create his own stories and characters, starting off with the desire to make video games.
After reading The Lord of the Rings in middle school, he turned his focus to fantasy and began laying the ground work for many of the ideas featured in his current works, as well as all future works. With backgrounds in both martial arts and the theatrical arts he brings a heavy dose of action into his literary works where he enjoys putting new twists on the staples of fantasy lit stereotypes.
His first novel, The Stolen Moon of Londor, Book I in The White Shadow Saga, was released in October of 2009 and went on to be named one of the Top Books of 2009 by Fantasy Book Critic, as well as being recognized as one of the Top 50 Books of the Year by Conversations Live! radio. The novel was also nominated for the 2010 Parsec Award for Best Speculative Fiction.
The second book in the Saga, Shameless Wonders, published in October 2010 is his latest work and promises to be an even bigger and badder story than the first installment.
A.P. Stephens has been a guest at a few cons where he has sat on panels to discuss world building, the fantasy genre, as well as leading some panels on Self Publishing, (Fanda Books is his own indie label bringing The White Shadow Saga to the great readers of the world.)
He is currently writing the third and final book of The White Shadow Saga trilogy and is also developing his first indie action rpg video game under Fanda Studios. Stay tuned for more updates about Book III, the video game, and much more.

Now, dont go that way. Never go that way. If you keep going that way it'll lead you straight to the castle.

6 Questions with A.P. Stephens:

1. What are your favorite and your least favorite sounds?

"My favorite sounds are my wife's voice and her laughter. That always makes me feel better and drives me forward in wanting to succeed for her, myself, and my family. I also enjoy music, which is a big inspiration for my creativity. I really prefer to listen to old RPG soundtracks from the Super Nintendo and Playstation 1, back when I was formulating most of my stories.

My least favorite sound is my alarm clock in the morning. It would be great one day to be a full-time writer and set my own hours. I get really creative when the sun goes down. So I would like to be able to stay up all night and sleep during the daytime."

2. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, emotionally?

"Creatively, I would have to say music turns me on. Lyrics and the way instruments move through songs can really strike a chord with me, be it to progress a story or character I am working on, or be a song that motivates me to keep going strong and do the best I can."

3. What decision in your career are you most grateful for?

"Deciding to self-publish my books. After playing the agent hunting game on and off for a couple of years, I took it upon myself to get my works to the readers. I have always been told growing up that if you want something done, you have to do it yourself. You cannot wait around and wait for it to happen. I believe that publishing your own work can potentially build you a fanbase and give you the needed stats if you desire to pursue an agent or publisher at a later date. But if you do self-publish, you have to be twice the professional that the regular publishers are. You need to have your book edited by a pro, you need a pro type-setter, artist for your cover, etc. Do your homework and act as a professional, and your self-published book can go far."

4. What is the closest you have ever come to giving up your craft?

"I never have thought about quitting. The only thing that really holds me back is laziness. When I am at work during the day, I think about all of the things I want to write about when I get home. But when I get home, I usually want to rest or watch tv, play a video game, etc. But once I get over the hurdle of not wanting to do the work, I get going big time and go full force into the book, etc until it is done. It's just the first nudge of that boulder sitting at the top of the hill that is the hardest.

I don't want to give up. I was motivated as a young man to be a writer and I want to pass it along to today's young people, or anyone for that matter, to be creative or to go for their own goals."

5. What is the most fun you have ever had?

"My wife and I had a great time in Seattle a couple of years. It's my favorite city, so any time I can get to Seattle, it is a great time.

As for writing, my favorite times are at book signings and book club meetings. It is always great to talk to readers and talk about books and to those who are curious about the writing process."

6. Assuming heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

"The arcade is down and to the left."

Awesome. Here's hoping they've got Dragon's Lair. I used to love that game! For more information about A.P. Stephens, or if you would like to drop him a line to discuss literature, leave feedback about the books, or to set up an appearance, interview (written. podcast, or radio), please feel free to email him at: contact@apstephens.com

Thanks to A.P. for the fantastic interview and thanks to you for reading! If you enjoyed this one wait till tomorrow! Author, podcaster, Tony Deuce!

Ben Templesmith

2011-08-13T17:00:00.000-04:00

Ben Templesmith is a New York Times best selling artist and writer. He is most widely known for his work in the comic book industry where he has received multiple nominations for the International Horror Guild Awards as well as the industry’s top prize, the Eisner Award. He also won a Spike TV Scream Award.
While his most notable works have been 30 Days of Night (which spawned a major motion picture) and Fell his other projects are no less amazing. They include the critically acclaimed serial Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse, Welcome to Hoxford, and Singularity 7, all of which he wrote and illustrated.
Ben has worked on the Star Wars, Doctor Who, GI Joe, Army of Darkness, Silent Hill and Buffy: The Vampire Slayer properties and produces art and design for music bands, dvds, toys, and film concept work.  

Now, what exactly are you a doctor of?

6 Questions with Ben Templesmith:

1. What are your favorite and your least favorite words?

"Current favourite? Lemonland.

Least favourite? "Y'all" ( when spoken by people not from the South )"

2. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, emotionally?

"Good food, good conversation and company. Amazing art by peers and the masters. People who accept and like you despite the flaws."

3. What profession other than yours would you most like to attempt?

"Hmmm. I have no life but comics. I'm going to become like a monk, except with sequential art."

4. What is the closest you have ever come to giving up your craft?

"I've nearly given up on my craft twice, for personal and professional reasons... but I always come back. The comics always win. I'm not about to share those particular instances though."

5. What is the most fun you have ever had?

"That's a lot of comic convention experiences rolled into one. I couldn't pick just one time. It's all about the people."

6. Assuming heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

"Since absolutely none exist, according to rational belief, evidence and sheer common sense, I can't really answer the question except to say I'd have no consciousness and meet complete silence."

"Good food, good conversation and company." Absolutely. Thanks to Ben for a great interview. I really appreciate him taking the time. If you'd like to know more about the man and his work you can visit him at his website or, just send him an email to bentemplesmith@gmail.com. Thanks again Ben.

And thanks to YOU for reading! I really hope you enjoyed it. Next time: Author A.P. Stephens!