This week, my special guest is Stuart Ross McCallum, author of Beyond My Control: One Man’s Struggle with Epilepsy, Seizure Surgery & Beyond, an honest, easy-to-read, and compelling account of his struggle with temporal lobe epilepsy.

Thanks for being my guest today! Please, tell the cool peeps about yourself.

Thank you for inviting me today, Molly. It is a delight to be here on my favourite character blog. I am married to the most awesome girl in the universe (Lisa; my wife will be reading this) with two wonderful kids and a couple of fine furry pooches. (Just kidding about Lisa, she is truly the love of my life!)

Your memoir, BEYOND MY CONTROL: One Man’s Struggle with Epilepsy, Seizure Surgery & Beyond is a very personal story and couldn’t have been easy to tell. What made you decide to make your story public and write a book?

It is an extremely personal story and (truth be known) during the final editing stages, there were divisions within the book that I considered removing, as many passages, which were described in detail are deeply shameful, embarrassing, and frightening experiences. However, by relaying the story exactly the way things happened is what makes Beyond my Control a very real account of living with epilepsy. There are several reasons why I believed my story should be told. I hoped by sharing my experiences written in a manner, which is not geared exclusively towards the medical community would create greater awareness. The many books I have read about epilepsy are heavy and overly clinical, and I believed there was a need for a human story that people with and without epilepsy could relate to. After all, as people we all share experiences, which are beyond our control.

Did you have thoughts about how the book would be received? Were there any surprises along the way?

To be perfectly honest I had absolutely no idea how well my book would be received. My only aspiration was that it would be read and people would find it an enjoyable and an educational book. Not too heavy as there is no shortage of humour throughout. The feedback I have received from people is humbling indeed. One particular occasion was receiving a thank you email from a lady, who had just finished reading my book. She suffered many similar, ultimately bizarre experiences that I did, and believed she was slowly going insane. My story reassured her that she wasn’t losing her mind, and she couldn’t thank me enough. We have been good friends ever since.

I was deeply honoured when the world’s leading online resource for epilepsy chose my book (out of the many written on the subject) as their first book to review. It is a thousand words in-depth review, so I will just share a small part with you here. To quote: Robert S. Fisher, M.D., Ph.D. Director Stanford Epilepsy Centre.

Beyond My Control, Mr. McCallum puts the bewilderment, frustration, fear and anger surrounding having seizures into language that everyone can understand. When he says things like “I felt like a walking time bomb; always thinking, when is it going to explode?” he makes epilepsy real and not an abstract medical disorder. For people with epilepsy and their families, reading the book may help to decrease the sense of isolation brought on by a chronic medical illness. But epilepsy affects many people differently. Some with epilepsy will observe that they do not become violent after a seizure, do not always have an aura to warn of an oncoming seizure, or do not have seizures like the ones described in the book. Some who take the journey through epilepsy surgery sadly will have ongoing seizures or complications of surgery. Therefore, the book is not a compendium of what someone with epilepsy should expect for themselves. It is one person’s story, an example of how epilepsy can be faced with courage. The tale is told with sensitivity, humour and honesty. It is a strongly recommended read for people with epilepsy and those who care about them.

I know you have a great interest in the genetic side of epilepsy, yet you didn’t discuss it in the book. Can you tell us a bit about it here?

I would love to shed some light on the genetic side of epilepsy. Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) was once considered an acquired form of epilepsy and wasn’t listed among the presumably hereditary. Our daughter, Lucy, had her first seizure at the tender age of twelve-months. Lisa and I both thought that there must be a link to my condition; surely, it couldn’t be just a coincidence. A few years later our family was asked if we would like to take part in a study looking into the possibility that (TLE) could be inherited. After extensive testing here in, Melbourne, a gene was detected in our family and a family in America. Since the discovery, many families have shown to carry the gene. Interestingly, my father carried the gene yet never had a seizure in his life. Being a carrier doesn’t necessarily mean you will end up having full-blown epilepsy, it will raise its ugly head in some people and not others. Which doesn’t surprise me as epilepsy is an insidious condition which often strikes without warning.

What do you think people most misunderstand about epilepsy?

Epilepsy has been shrouded by myths and misunderstanding for centuries. The lack of awareness and understanding has allowed many of these myths to flourish in some communities. To name just a few: Epilepsy is contagious. People with epilepsy are disabled and unable to work. You can swallow your tongue while having a seizure, which is physically impossible. Epilepsy is a form of mental illness, and the list goes on…. Even today many sufferers are afraid to speak out about epilepsy in fear of ridicule or rejection. I must add, all over the world there are many organizations and epilepsy advocates working diligently to dispel these, and many more myths. It will take time to educate people and remove the stigma which has been unfairly attached to people with epilepsy for centuries. However, today, we are much better equipped with the advances in technology (social media) to spread awareness than ever before.

How has your life changed since publishing Beyond My Control? What kind of impact has social media made?

My life has changed remarkably since publishing my story. Before I put pen to paper (literally) I did write Beyond my Control by pen; many pens and reams of paper! I have become much more aware of the challenges people face with epilepsy and an array of adversities that affect human beings today.

Social media has played a huge role, and through the various online networks, I have connected with some of the most genuine, talented, and sincere people I have ever known, many of whom will become lifelong friends. Late last year Lisa and I had the opportunity to visit America and meet up with some of our online friends. We had the time of our lives as the people we met were even more fascinating and wonderful in person.

While we’re on the subject, I’m always fascinated by the way people use (and misuse) social media. What have been your observations on the social media beast?

Perfect analogy, Molly, social media can be a beast at times. I am active on Twitter and Facebook, and I have found (personally) Twitter to be the most beneficial way to reach new readers. However, I do have a love/hate relationship with Twitter. I love the camaraderie I have with like-minded people genuinely wanting the best for each other. Never expecting anything in return, I take pleasure in sharing tweets which I find interesting, informational, and beneficial for a good person or organization. I am a strong supporter of other writers (indie and mainstream published) who I like as a person. I enjoy shouting out about great books which I have read, or definitely plan to read. This leads me into something I truly loathe; the all-about-me people on Twitter. And disappointingly, there are countless writers in this group. They are under the illusion that Twitter is the place to – constantly – shout out about their own work and precious little else. A pet hate of mine is people I follow back who immediately send me a direct message with a link attached to purchase their product. This annoying behaviour prompted me to add a motto to my bio: e-converse before e-commerce! Thankfully, the vast majority of people have grasped the communal side of social networking. And I do find my time spent networking most enjoyable.

What are your plans for the future?

My future, now that is a loaded question, as I have found that happenings in my life have often created pathways into new areas of interest. I can foresee that I will continue being an advocate for epilepsy awareness. It is immensely rewarding knowing that you are able to assist people who are going through a very difficult time in their lives. Writing will always be a part of my life; and I hope to write more books on a variety of topics. I would also like to try my hand at writing fiction.

Can you share with us your feelings about the ever-evolving publishing landscape. What are the pros and cons? Any predictions?

The publishing industry has changed dramatically since I published Beyond my Control. Interestingly, everyone I speak to seem to have an opinion on the way publishing is heading, and I suppose I am no different. We have entered a new publishing era, and I predict electronic books will continue to increase their market share, opening doors to unknown writers worldwide. Readers (like me) are embracing this new technology, as books have become more affordable and accessible than ever before. I don’t believe printed books will at any time be phased out entirely; however, their competition is fierce. I grew up reading printed books and I will always buy the printed edition written by my favourite authors.

I’ve been forever called picky, but I maintain that we’re all picky creatures. What are you picky about?

Yes. I agree. As human beings we are all a little quirky and picky about something. Mine would have to be clothing. I love wearing quality clothes and shoes. I often browse through thrift shops and pick up amazing bargains. Admittedly, I have a ridiculous number of suit jackets, which I periodically donate to a worthy cause. I look at it as a form of recycling.

What do you hope to know in five years that you don’t know now?

Great question, Molly. As scientific research and development into finding a cure for epilepsy is happening daily, I (among millions of others) would love nothing more than to hear a cure has been found for this insidious neurological disorder.

What do you know now that you wish you knew five years ago?

Finally, I can now type quicker than write. I would – never – consider using multiple pens and paper for my next book!

Where can people find you in cyberspace?

I have embraced cyberspace with gusto, and I am practically everywhere online. I can often be found mooching about on facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

Any parting words for the masses? Any shameless plugs?

Thanks again for inviting me here today, Molly, I have had a delightful time. I would also like to thank all the wonderful people I have met online and readers (with and without epilepsy) who have appreciated my story.

Amazon U.S.

Amazon U.K.

www.beyondmycontrol.net

This week, I’m interviewing a very special guest. Sheri A. Wilkinson, who has graciously accepted my offer to share her battle with Crohn’s disease with my readers, in hopes of raising consciousness, educating people, and allowing us to get a glimpse into her world. Sheri is one of the coolest peeps I know — a ninja warrior with a big heart, a fighting spirit, and a love for her family and friends that knows no bounds. (Sheri has kindly updated us on her life since the original publication of this blog in 2012. You can find that update at the end of this interview.)

Hey, Sheri. Thanks so much for being my very special guest this week. Please, tell the cool peeps about yourself.

I am originally from Chicago, born and raised until 1998 when I moved out to rural Illinois. I am happily married; I have two daughters, five stepdaughters, four grandsons and two granddaughters. My family is my whole world. I am also a Crohn’s warrior, avid reader and animal lover.

I’m very honored that you’ve chosen to talk to us about Crohn’s Disease (CD) and your personal battle with it. It is important for everyone to understand that you are here as a person battling CD, not as a doctor or medical authority, and that your responses are based on your personal experience and knowledge only.

Yes, thank you for stating that. I always let everyone know I am not a physician and even though I feel an expert on the subject, any questions or doubt on what I say should be discussed with your doctor. If this interview can help one person, I would feel as if I made a contribution to society. So many people suffer in silence and embarrassment when they don’t have to.

Most people have heard of CD but many do not understand exactly what it is. Can you explain?

Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). It causes inflammation of the lining of your digestive tract, which can lead to abdominal pain, severe diarrhea and even malnutrition. Inflammation caused by Crohn’s disease can involve different areas of the digestive tract in different people.

The inflammation caused by Crohn’s disease often spreads deep into the layers of affected bowel tissue. Like ulcerative colitis, another common IBD, Crohn’s disease can be both painful and debilitating, and sometimes may lead to life-threatening complications. Sadly there is no cure for CD, my dream is to one day wake and find there is a magic pill/drug to cure this disease.

What are the causes of CD? Who gets it? Why?

The exact cause of Crohn’s disease remains unknown. Previously, diet and stress were suspected, but now doctors know that although these factors may aggravate existing Crohn’s disease, they don’t cause it. Now, researchers believe that a number of factors, such as heredity and a malfunctioning immune system play a role in the development of Crohn’s disease. My doctors believe I was born with a deformation in my transverse colon (upper part of small intestines).

Why people get it is still not know, Some researchers suggest that people living in large metropolitan areas are more susceptible, but this has not been documented to my knowledge, as fact. As I mentioned, I am from Chicago, a large area, so my personal belief is that this could be true.

What are the symptoms of CD?

Inflammation: In some people, just the small intestine is affected. In others, it’s confined to the colon (part of the large intestine). Inflammation may be confined to the bowel wall, which can lead to scarring (stenosis), or inflammation may spread through the bowel wall causing a (fistula).

Signs and symptoms of Crohn’s disease can range from mild to severe and may develop gradually or come on suddenly, without warning. Some of the symptoms are:

Diarrhea.
Abdominal pain and cramping. (In serious cases, the pain may be severe and include nausea and vomiting.)
Blood in the stool.
Ulcers (As well as ulcers in the mouth similar to canker sores.)
Reduced appetite and weight loss.
People with severe Crohn’s disease, like me, have also experienced:
fever, fatigue, arthritis, eye inflammation, mouth sores, skin disorders.

How is CD diagnosed? Is CD often mistaken for something else?

When CD cannot be diagnosed it is often just classified as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or in my case stress and anxiety. And I must tell you having this does cause stress and anxiety!

Some of the tests to diagnose CD are:
Blood Tests, fecal occult blood test, colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance Imaging, capsule endoscopy, double balloon endoscopy, small bowel Imaging, barium enema.

I have had all of the above except the capsule, and though these tests are not pleasant, I feel it is necessary to get a correct diagnosis and to ease suffering faster. The final test that gave me a definite diagnosis was a biopsy; that was when I knew I officially had Crohn’s Disease. It was a bit frightening and depressing knowing there is no cure and what lies ahead for me.

Are there certain risk factors?

Yes here are some risk factors for Crohn’s:

Age. Crohn’s disease can occur at any age, Most people who develop Crohn’s disease are diagnosed before they’re 30 years old.

I was in my mid 40s when finally diagnoses and was told I had probably had it for over 20 years due to all the damage and scarring to my intestinal tract. I went through so many tests and medications and was told it must be stress. I am happy to say I finally found the right doctors, and am glad times have changed. My life would have been much more painless if I had found out, say 20 years ago.

Ethnicity is another factor. Although whites have the highest risk of the disease, it can affect any ethnic group. People of Eastern European (Ashkenazi) Jewish descent have an even higher risk.

Family history and cigarette smoking is also a risk. Smoking is so dangerous in many, many ways. I highly suggest that you smokers quit. Being a former smoker, smoke-free for three years now, I just had to throw that in!

What complications can arise from CD?

Crohn’s disease may lead to many complications. Some are:

Bowel obstruction.
Ulcers. (They can occur anywhere in your digestive tract, including your mouth and anus, and in the genital area and anus.)
Fistulas. (They can be life-threatening if left untreated.)
Strictures.
Anal fissure.
Malnutrition.
Colon cancer. (Having Crohn’s disease that affects your colon increases your risk of colon cancer.)

How is CD treated?

Anti-inflammatory drugs are often the first step in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. Some are Sulfasalazine (Azulfidine) Mesalamine (Asacol, Rowasa). Corticosteroids.

If those fail then we move on to immunosuppressant drugs some are
Azathioprine (Imuran) and mercaptopurine (Purinethol). These are the most widely used immunosuppressants for treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.

Infliximab (Remicade). This drug is for adults and children with moderate to severe Crohn’s disease. It’s also used after other drugs have failed.

Adalimumab (Humira). This drug may cause remission, and is used when Infliximab has failed.
Certolizumab pegol (Cimzia)
Methotrexate (Rheumatrex).
Cyclosporine (Gengraf, Neoral, Sandimmune)
Natalizumab (Tysabri).

Antibiotics:
Frequently prescribed is Metronidazole (Flagyl). Ciprofloxacin (Cipro).

There are other medications to ease symptoms including:

Anti-diarrheals. Laxatives. Pain relievers. Iron supplements. Vitamin B-12 shots. Calcium and vitamin D supplements.

And the last resort is surgery. I am not sure of the percentage, but most people with CD will have at least one surgery in their lifetime.

What are some common misconceptions about people with CD? What are your personal pet peeves?

I feel the most common misconception that people have is, “you are just not eating right,” “it’s all in your head,” and it is “just stress.” Although stress does bring on “flares,” it is not the cause of CD. My biggest pet peeve is my weight (Isn’t that a touchy subject for most women? LOL).

As I have stated, the most common sign is diarrhea and most people with CD are thin (It is kind of hard to maintain weight with all that is going on in our digestive tracts). Plus we just do not like to talk about this. I cannot tell you how many times I have cried over the insensitive remarks people have made over my weight. I am a tiny woman to start, but before my surgery, I was so ill, malnourished, and underweight that I just stayed in my house to avoid whispers, stares and rude comments. If I had a dime for every time someone asked me if I was anorexic, I would be a millionaire!

I do not like when a complete stranger comes up to me and asks me if I am anorexic, how much do I weigh, and the dreaded, “My dear don’t you ever eat? You need some meat on your bones.” **eye roll** Can you see me rolling my eyes, Molly?

What can people do to raise awareness for CD and to understand more about the disease?

For one, The CCFA (Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America) CCFA.org has a lot of helpful info and ways people can help to (fund) research to find a cure. They also have so much information on Crohn’s Disease.

I also found support groups for IBD, since most people just do not understand us (people) with CD. And the main thing I feel is, if you know someone with CD ask questions!

We (at least I don’t) mind answering questions. I just wish more people understood what we go through daily. Having to plan trips around injections, making sure I know were a restroom is AT ALL TIMES, not eating the night before so I won’t have any “accidents” along the way. Just going to the grocery store or to the theatre can be a stressful event for me.

Is there anything else you want to tell us about CD that I haven’t asked you?

There are just a few things I would like to mention.

CD is not contagious; it is not easily recognizable, (unless we lift our shirts and show off our scars), and often we do not look sick.

Also, CD can be found anywhere in the body (although most common in the digestive tract). I have it in my intestines, stomach, esophagus, throat and mouth. Right now my gallbladder is being watched for signs of possible granulomas. But I will face that battle when the time comes. My friends know I have a great sense of humor and I call myself the CD ninja warrior.

It has taken over 20 years and many misdiagnoses before I finally was diagnosed with both CD and UC (Ulcerative Colitis). I have had a Right Hemicolectomy (also known as a bowel resection) along with my appendix removed.

You are a vociferous reader and friend to many authors. Please, tell us about your love for reading.

I have had a love for reading for as long as I can remember; I will read just about anything I can get my hands on! I have just recently entered the electronic world and yes, I caved and got a Kindle. I now have almost 200 books downloaded, but my love will always be a hardcover book. And, Molly, since your blog, I have to admit my TBR pile is rapidly growing! I have to admit if it were not for my books, I would not have made it through my recovery and all the horrid tests I endured.

Who are the special people in your life you’d like to brag about?

There are too many to mention, all my friends and family are special to me in their own way. Molly, you, of course, are my favorite.

But I have to say number one is my husband Lewis, he has been my rock and been with me through all my “health Issues.” He has seen me at my best and at my worst. He is my strongest support and I could not have faced all of this without him.

Also my daughter Lizz, she is a remarkable young lady who is wise beyond her years. She is my “mini-me” and a tremendous helper. She is always there to help me in any way she can. Whether it be helping with housework, making my meals, and just sitting and reading with me or telling me about her day when I am at my physical worst.

And I could not end this without the mention of my wonderful doctors who have (literally) saved my life twice in 2011. Dr. Gregg Davis (my PCP), Dr. Jae Kim (my G/I) you are the man! And finally Dr. Mark Williams (my surgeon) who endured many humorous encounters with me, not knowing I was joking…seriously Doc do I look like I had breast implants!? Inside joke. LOL! I just have to make sure they read this interview.

All joking aside I would not be here today if it were not for these remarkable, wonderful, knowledgeable and awesome physicians/surgeons.

Social media, that ever-evolving beast, has changed the way we do everything. What are your favorite and least-favorite parts of it?

I love the chance at meeting new people, I have meet a few wonderful people online, namely one Ms. Lisette Brodey ! If I named everyone else, this interview would never end, but you all know who you are.

The bad part of social media is that private parts of my life (that I do not want made public) always manage to become public knowledge. Seems in this modern world we are losing our privacy, the price we pay to interact online.

I’ve been forever called picky, but I maintain that we’re all picky creatures. What are you picky about?

Cleanliness. I cannot stand clutter, dirt or disarray. Dirty dishes in the sink has to be my biggest pet peeve! I am a neat freak and my house can never be too clean. Call me OCD Sheri. I don’t care. My house has to be clean at all times.

Where can people find you in cyberspace?

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

Any parting words for the masses?

As I always say: “Life is too short to sweat the small stuff.”
I may have Crohn’s, but Crohn’s does NOT have me. Peace.

MARCH 2014: AN UPDATE: by  Sheri A. Wilkinson

Thanks for having me back. A lot had changed since my surgery and this interview. Due to my wonderful doctors and medications I am finally in remission. My flares were minimal post surgery, they did not last long, nor were they intense. I have overcome some obstacles along the way. I have had problems with my HGB (Hemoglobin) and am now permanently anemic (Due to CD). I have had another blood and iron infusion. I will need to be monitored (through blood tests) for life. I also have lost 40% of my hearing in my right ear, and my vision is poor and I now need bifocals, due to the toxic medications I need to keep my CD under control. But this is just part of Crohn’s and I make the best of each day.

I still have to be careful around people. Since my immune system is weak, using Humira makes it worse. But to me it is my “miracle” drug. When I leave my house (especially during the cold and flu season) I have to wear a mask. I also have to sanitize my house with bleach and keep it as germ free as possible to avoid the risk of a serious illness. But I have always been a neat and organized person, so it is not a big deal to me to take extra precautions.

But all is not bad. I have good news as well. I have exceeded my weight goal! This to me (which may seem trivial to most), is my best news ever! Having Crohn’s makes it so hard to gain weight, like the average person. I am so thrilled to be able to wear adult clothes. I also love my new healthier weight. I no longer have people coming up to me (embarrassingly) asking how much I weigh, how much I eat etc. I can now enjoy food! Before due to all the pain and discomforts of Crohn’s eating was for survival, now eating is a pleasure.

I am adjusting well to my new life with Crohn’s and I still hope and pray for a cure some day. The CCFA (Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America) is a great organization that offers advice and raises money for research in hopes of one day eradicating this debilitating disease.

On a personal not I also gained a granddaughter, and another granddaughter due this July. I also lost both my parents, my father to liver disease and mother to cancer. My family is still the center of my universe. They all mean the world to me. Once again I have to give credit to my wonderful husband Lewis and My youngest daughter Elizabeth (Lizz). They help me when I am at my worst and deal with me when I feel like giving up. Yes they have seen the best and worst of me and they never give up on me.

My parting words, if you suspect something is wrong with your stomach/intestinal/digestive tract seek medical attention. Do not suffer in silence. Crohn’s is not a “designer disease.” Most people have heard of it but know little about it. You often cannot tell a person has it. Although the testing and procedure for a correct diagnosis are not pleasant, they can and will help you.

Please join me this week in welcoming novelist Barbara Ellen Brink.

Great to have you as my guest this week, Barbara. Tell the cool peeps about yourself.

Thanks for the invite, Molly! I’ve lived in Minnesota for the past twenty-some years, but I grew up on the West coast where the deep freeze was actually an appliance and not the backyard. I have one husband, two adult children who don’t answer their cell phones, and two needy dogs who sleep by my desk and beg for almonds whenever they hear the snack drawer open.

I really enjoy a nice glass of wine and a good mystery. Something tells me I would love your Fredrickson winery novels. Can you tell us about them?

I came up with the idea for the winery novels when I was back visiting relatives in Washington State. What I remembered as desert or farmland had been turned into vineyards since the last time I was in that part of the country. Much like California, Washington now has a huge wine industry. I wondered what it would be like to run a place like that. The idea sort of fermented in my brain and I wrote Entangled.

My fictional Fredrickson winery is run by a native Minnesotan who inherited the place from her uncle. The first novel deals with repressed memories from Billie’s childhood and solving a twenty-year-old mystery. Billie Fredrickson is a bit sarcastic, much like her creator, and often uses humor to deal with rough situations. There is a little winemaking, a little romance, some family issues, and a lot of suspense to keep you turning pages.

Crushed continues the Fredrickson family saga with some new faces, an old enemy, and a kidnapping during harvest.

I have a third winery novel planned and hope to get it out by this fall.

You’ve written two Christian suspense novels. Please, tell us more about them.

Running Home and Alias Raven Black are both about women looking for a second chance in life. In Running Home, Ivy’s husband runs off with another woman and she soon finds out he’s been dealing with some very bad guys and is wanted by the FBI. Ivy moves back to her hometown to start over, but danger follows her when her husband leads everyone to believe she is hiding what he stole. It’s about second chances but also about finding the faith she’d lost along the way and learning to trust again.

Alias Raven Black follows bad girl Brenna from the last novel to working undercover for the FBI. Given the choice of prison time or playing nanny to the children of a mobster, she puts on her comfy shoes and settles in for the long haul. But conning a con man may be the death of her.

You wrote a thriller, Split Sense, that just won the 2011 Grace Award for speculative fiction. Wow, congratulations! Details, please!

Split Sense is one of those books that felt like it was almost writing itself. A few years ago I was watching a medical mysteries segment on the early news that talked about people with Synesthesia. People related how they taste words or see musical notes as colors, etc. I took that idea, twisted it around a bit and ran with it.

The Grace Award is partly reader driven, so it was exciting to know that people really connected with the characters and loved the story. Here’s a quote from the judges that will give you a little insight into SS:
“At the risk of sounding cliché, one awesome read! This speculative thriller is full of action, intrigue and a touch of science fiction. The plot twists and turns as we follow the lives of fraternal twins – a brother and sister, each of whom has an unexplainable, seemingly supernatural, ‘gift’. Adopted separately as infants, neither knows of the other’s existence until fate brings them together to combat a complex web of deceit and subterfuge that centers around a pharmaceutical company that has been conducting secret experiments on humans. Ms. Brink draws the reader in almost immediately and the surprises keep coming, right up to the very end.”

How much outlining do you do before you begin writing your books?

I usually have very little outlining done on paper. I have a basic storyline in my head and I write down some plot points right at first. I’m more of a write by the seat of your pants girl.

I meet a lot of crazy characters every day. Some are so freakin’ nutty you’d think a writer had made them up. How do you develop your characters? Do they ever surprise you by doing things you thought were “out of character?”

Sometimes I use bits and pieces of people I’ve known or met along the way. I’ve been asked if my mother is the model for Billie’s crazy mom in Entangled, but although she does say a few things that I’ve heard from my own mom, she isn’t really like her.

In Running Home, Brenna was a secondary character and I didn’t think she was that important to the storyline, but then wham! She decided to take over scene after scene. So I ended up giving her a book of her own.

What parts of writing a novel do you like the best? Which parts do you like least?

I especially like starting a new novel with that burst of inspiration from a bud of an idea. I get about a hundred pages in and suddenly hit a brick wall. This is called the middle. I like the middle least of all. But after struggling through the dead zone, I come out the other end and storm to the finish line.

What advice would you give to aspiring novelists?

Probably the same advice I was given. Write, write, and write some more. Start with short stories and work up from there. Although, I have to warn you that the middle just gets longer and longer.

I hear that you make a point to exercise so that you can eat chocolate while you’re writing! I love chocolate. So, tell me: milk chocolate or dark chocolate? Favorite filling?

In a desperate desire to fulfill my craving, most any chocolate will do. But my favorite is dark chocolate orange crèmes from Abdallah, a local Minnesota company.

I know that you and your husband love to ride motorcycles. Please, tell us about your weekend adventures on your Kawasaki Ninjas.

My husband had our whole family riding motorcycles about ten years ago. We took our teens and went dirtbike riding on the state forest trails. It was a lot of fun but my chiropractor was getting paid way more than I could make to keep up. Now we mostly ride our street bikes and take trips here and there. A couple years ago we rode out to the Black Hills and saw the president heads up close and personal. Last year we rode down through Missouri and saw why they call it the show-me state. Those people are bored silly down there. They’re begging for entertainment. That’s why you always see great videos of tornadoes from that area. They stay outside to watch! We actually saw guys parked along the highway, sitting in lawn chairs watching cars go by! This past weekend we rode about 250 miles just to break our backsides in so we’d be ready for a long trip in the near future. You can’t pack much on a motorcycle so you have to pack smart: clothes, raincoats, toothbrush, and a big bottle of Aspercreme for my husband to massage into my back at the end of a long day. I may be middle-aged but I can still take the corners fast.

The world of publishing is changing so rapidly. It’s hard to keep up. Any thoughts about the ever-evolving landscape? Predictions?

Things are definitely changing. Self-pubbed books are now contending with traditional publishers and some are coming out on top. Either path is a hard road these days. Digital books have made reading cool again and I think a lot of younger people that weren’t reading are getting pulled back in by technology and then held there by great stories. Which is terrific for writers everywhere.

Social media, that ever-evolving beast, has changed the way we do everything. What are your favorite and least-favorite parts of it?

I enjoy talking with people on Facebook and Twitter, etc. but it can definitely cut into my writing time. Apparently, my smart phone isn’t smart enough to write that next novel for me.

I’ve been forever called picky, but I maintain that we’re all picky creatures. What are you picky about?

I’m picky about: my clothes, television programming, the hot dish selection at church potlucks, who can touch my Ninja, the books I read…

Where can people find you in cyberspace?

I can be found all over these days. My books are available in ebook and paperback at most online stores.

Author Website/blog
Facebook
Twitter
Google+
Amazon Author Page

Any parting words for the masses? Any shameless plugs?

Hope everyone has a great summer and time to read lots of books!

For those who want a book that pairs well with a nice bottle of wine, Entangled is Free on Kindle until June 14th.

And please do go and check out Split Sense. Download the sample and get caught up in Zander and Emma’s story. You won’t be disappointed.

Thank you so much for having me today, Molly. I enjoyed our chat. Let me know if you’re ever in Minnesota and I’ll give you a ride on my Ninja!

Hey RJ! It’s great to have you as my guest this week. Please, introduce yourself to the cool peeps!

Thanks, Molly, my name is RJ McDonnell. I have the pleasure of traveling my own personal “road not taken” almost every day. In my early twenties I was certain I would be earning my living playing in a rock band. I moved from Pennsylvania to California to improve my chances of making that happen, but fate threw a speed bump into my path. A few months after I arrived in San Diego, my left wrist was shattered in a “friendly” game of football, and I wasn’t able to play for more than a few minutes at a time for almost 20 years. Fortunately, after a couple of short-term jobs, I was hired as a non-fiction writer, and eventually transitioned into fiction where I reconnected with my passion for music.

I read that you’re a proponent of “write what you know.” How did your background help to mold your Rock & Roll Mystery Series?

I’ve been a mystery reader since high school. Action packed, testosterone-fueled mystery/thrillers got me hooked on the genre. But just as television tends to take a winning formula and do it to death, I was getting the same feeling about my favorite genre at the time that I was developing the characters for my series. To break with the formula, I created a protagonist with a similar background to my own. Jason Duffy worked his way through college as a club musician, earning degrees in Psychology and Counseling, only to drop out of the profession after getting disillusioned by the political BS that takes precedence over what’s best for the clients. So far we’re on the same path. Where I opted for a career in music (and later, writing), Jason entered a variation of the family business by becoming a private investigator. While there is plenty of action in the series, Jason usually tries to use his words and humor to diffuse volatile situations before resorting to violence.

Your detective, Jason Duffy, was a mid-twenties, near-novice in Rock & Roll Homicide. Can you talk about his development?

The series starts one year after Jason opened his own agency. Rock & Roll Homicide is Jason’s first music industry referral, and first murder case. He’s clearly in over his head and uses every contact and resource available to try to keep a slain rock star’s widow out of jail. He even resorted to mending fences with his cantankerous retired police detective father for the sake of his client. In the second novel, Jason is forced to take a life for the first time. Not only does he lose his innocence, he also comes close to losing his girlfriend, Kelly, in the process. Rock & Roll Rip-Off is the darkest novel in the series. We see a significant upturn in Jason’s competence as a PI in The Concert Killer. He’s forced to work without the benefit of his father’s help on a case that could shut down the concert industry in America. In my latest, The Classic Rockers Reunion with Death (scheduled for a summer release), Jason has to deal with major family issues while helping his uncle discover who killed his best friend and band mate. Jason evolved from the role of child to parent over the course of the four novels.

Your detective employs two former clients from his two-year stint as an outpatient mental health counselor. Did you draw from your own experience in the field?

When I was in grad school I had two nine-month internships. One was at a maximum security prison and the other at an outpatient mental health center. I then worked for two years at a social service center. People tend to fear the unknown, and fear can turn into scorn, discrimination, and sometimes even abuse when it comes to the general public interacting with people experiencing mental health issues. Jason employs two former clients from his days as a counselor. They’re both very good at their jobs, but have eccentricities that add humor and tend to endear them to my readers. My goal is to take some of the unknown out of the equation.

I read that your father was a high-profile crimes detective. How did he influence your writing?

My father was a huge television crime drama fan. When the commercials rolled around he would tell me what was real and what was “Hollywood.” He handled a couple of cases that made the national press. One made the cover of True Detective Magazine, and another was the subject of A Justice Story, which ran as the two-page center of the Sunday New York Post for many years. Some of my readers think that Jason’s father, Jim, is based on my own father. I’d say he accounts for about 25% of the character profile. The rest is pure fiction. But, my father’s influence on getting me interested in crime fiction is unmistakable.

You add a fair amount of humor to your mystery series. Where does that come from?

It started in junior high. My first gig was lead writer for the class clowns. My mother was in charge of religious education at our church and my father wore a shoulder holster. Risking a low grade in comportment was not an option. But I was brimming with great ideas and had two friends who were more than willing to run with them. A few years later, after taking a non-fiction writing job, I found an outlet for my humor through an acquaintance who was about to produce a Saturday Night Live-type cable television show in San Diego. Thirty-four of my skits were aired over its two season run. When it came time to develop character sketches for my detective series, I built in an outlet for my humor during some of the lulls between action scenes. It’s unobtrusive enough to avoid aggravating my hardboiled readers, but offers enough fun moments to prompt several readers to tell me it’s their favorite part. When they do, my inner seventh grader beams.

Your detective has been getting serious with his girlfriend. Is he going to pop the question?

One of the things I love about writing a series is the ability to develop subplots from one novel to the next. I write the novels in a way that they can be read as stand-alones, but reading them in order offers the added bonus of watching the series characters and their relationships evolve. Centermost is Jason’s relationship with his father and his girlfriend, Kelly. The father/son relationship devolved from acrimonious to estranged when Jason graduated from high school. But through his mother’s machinations they began to mend fences in Rock & Roll Homicide. Dad is not good at keeping his opinions to himself, and caused a huge riff in Rock & Roll Rip-Off when he tried to manipulate Jason into proposing to Kelly. Sharing his father’s DNA, Jason reacted as expected, and much to Dad’s horror, they now “live in sin.” The new novel has a highly significant development in this area.

I understand the fourth book in your series is scheduled for a summer release. Any sneak peeks for the cool peeps?

Here’s the back cover description: San Diego PI, Jason Duffy, travels to Scranton, PA in January after his Uncle Patrick’s best friend is murdered. He learns that Patrick and the victim were members of a rock band that nearly made it to the national scene in the late 60s, and were about to play a reunion concert in their hometown when the murder occurred.

The investigation leads Jason back to an “almost anything goes” era that is exacting a huge price more than 40 years later. To mix & master this musical mystery, Jason fills in for the murdered guitarist and soon finds himself struggling to avoid filling in a cemetery plot.

Someone doesn’t want that reunion concert to happen and is willing to do anything to cancel it forever. The case teaches Jason how easy it is for all of us to fall victim to our assumptions. It’s a lesson that could exact a tuition that may never be paid back.

The world of publishing is changing so rapidly. It’s hard to keep up. Any thoughts about the ever-evolving landscape? Predictions?

I have some wonderful relationships with readers and fellow writers as a result of being an indie author. That said, publishing is a business, and business has always been about money and power. Ebooks comprised 1% of book sales in 2007, 10% in 2009, and 50% in 2011. The money/power paradigm has shifted faster than a teenager who sat in poison ivy during a camping restroom break. This created an environment where virtually all of the fixed costs, such as paper, printing, shipping, and returns are out of the equation for e-tailers. Ebooks are decidedly more profitable, and indies capitalize a major price advantage that is having a big impact on the money/power dynamic. It’s comparable to when baseball first accepted free agency. The average player of yesteryear, who had to take part-time work in the off-season to get by, is a millionaire in today’s system. Of course for every major leaguer there are 10,000 wannabes who never make much more than minimum wage, and we’ll probably see similar ratios in indie publishing as well. For those with the writing talent and marketing resolve, it’s a tremendous opportunity.

Social media, that ever-evolving beast, has changed the way we do everything. What are your favorite and least-favorite parts of it?

Without a doubt, the best part involves the relationships that are formed with readers and fellow authors. Writing is a very solitary profession. I don’t have a water cooler. My kitchen is my lunchroom, and if I actually eat lunch away from my computer it’s usually with a network news anchor. Just like the film “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” social networking has taught me that I am not alone. The worst part of social media is the time that it takes to maintain an ever-expanding base of friendships and contacts.

I’ve been forever called picky, but I maintain that we’re all picky creatures. What are you picky about?

As I’m sure you’ve guessed from the title of my series, I’m a huge music fan. Unfortunately, I’m so into it that it drives me to distraction when I’m working, so I work in a quiet office. When I finally have the opportunity to listen, I’m very picky about needing the music to accurately reflect (or change) my mood. As long as I control the sound system, I’m happy. But put me in a club with a room full of interesting people and a DJ who sucks, and I’m looking for the door. I wish all karaoke shows could have a Gong Show format. I appreciate you affording me your picky foible forum, Molly. I’m now carrying a lighter load.

Where can people find you in cyberspace?

Website
Twitter
Facebook
KINDLE:
Rock & Roll Homicide
Rock & Roll Rip-Off
The Concert Killer

Any parting words for the masses? Any shameless plugs?
For the next three days (5/30 – 6/1) my 2010 Mystery/Thriller of the Year award winner Rock & Roll Rip-Off is being offered free on Kindle for the first time ever. This is the 2nd novel in the Rock & Roll Mystery Series and follow-up to Kindle #1 hit Rock & Roll Homicide.

As a special bonus for Molly Hacker readers, Rock & Roll Homicide is also available for free today (5/30) on Kindle. This is the only site where I will be announcing the availability of this title for one day only. If you take advantage of the freebies please take a moment to write a brief review at the bottom of each book’s Amazon page – even if it’s just two sentences. Thanks for taking the time to get to know me. I hope to catch up with you on Twitter and Facebook.

Greetings, Carlyle. Introduce yourself to the cool peeps.

Hi, Molly. It’s an honor to be here with you. Well, you all know my name. I was born and raised in the beautiful country South Africa. My journey of writing started on a Safari holiday when I was twelve. I have written ever since. I have two young boys, proud to say they look just like mommy! Married my high school bad boy

Please tell us about your novel, The Broken Destiny.

The Broken Destiny is a mix of Science fiction, Dystopian and Urban Fantasy and is the first book in the Broken Series. The Broken Destiny is the start of Ava’s journey to fulfill a huge destiny written in the stars since ancient times. Her Destiny is to rise above the fall that threatens her soul. Her soul is the key to an ancient weapon. To become what she hates to save the ones she loves. But to know her soul she has to hate it and then come back from that. The Series is set on a purple planet called Poseidon. Magic, genetics, and witchcraft meet, clash and come together.

This is the first book in a series, yes? How many books will complete the series?

At this time I have three books in my head, a fourth one is teasing me, but one never knows where these characters and life will take you.

Can you tell us a bit about the inspiration behind the book?

I always wanted to deliver a message, and the message behind the series is that no matter whom or what you are – you deserve love. But most importantly love of one’s self. To believe in yourself. To make your own destiny. Not let fear cripple your abilities – but let love give you wings.

Are you a meticulous plotter or do you let your story surprise you as you write? Have any of your characters ever thrown you for a loop when you thought you had them all figured out?

I tried the preplotting thing – boy did my plot just go in circles. Pretty much the best plotting evolves as the book moves along.

You’re my very first guest from South Africa. Are you a native? What is it like to live and write there?

Yes I am native. We have a beautiful country with beautiful, spiritual people. We currently have 11 official languages – Yes crazy, but awesome.  Our landscapes are breathtaking, our people diverse and the sun is always shining 

(My favorite place in the entire South Africa called Mpumalange, where you can view more than 30 waterfalls, swim, and explore their caves.)

Readers can visit My Africa blog where they can experience the rich culture on my Africa Tour.

Do you have any other projects in the works that you’d like to share with us?

Wow, so many. Book two of the Broken Series is underway. I started a new project – The Haltered Duology – a supernatural dream.  October is my launch party, where I will host four other authors, artists, musicians and book stores. We will be raising money for a school and for Starfish Greathearts foundation. I am accepting book donations to auction off to raise money. Contact me: carlylelabuschagne.com@gmail.com

Social media can be a freakin’ crazy, demanding, and time-sucking beast. I know many peeps have a serious love/hate relationship with it. How do you feel about it? What do you think are the best and worst ways to feed “the beast?”

When I first started out I lived on Twitter. The thing is to make it work for you. Build up a network. Assist others and they will do the same for you. Facebook has recently been a favorite of mine. Triberr is a good way to get others to assist in challenge. Crowdbooster. The thing is to make it fun – and me, I am a lover of marketing.

The world of publishing is changing so rapidly. It’s hard to keep up. Any thoughts about the ever-evolving landscape? Predictions?

Gosh. I am going to be brutally honest here, and I myself have fallen in this trap. Self-pubbing is an amazing journey, hard work and the rewards are amazing. I have found, however, through my own mistakes and through others that many are impatient. I feel Indies need to spend many more hours on their work, perfecting it. Hire an editor or two, a proofreader. Don’t be in a hurry to release – it burns you in the end. However as disappointing as it is the reach of traditional publishers is astonishing! I can however see the amazing spirit of the indie community and we have given traditional publishers a run for their money. But please as an indie author – patience, patience, patience.

Promotion is one of the most difficult things for writers. Do you have any thoughts on what writers can do to effectively promote their work?

As mentioned above: Build a network. Use many platforms. Help others as you would have them help you.

What are your favorite books to read?

My favorite genre is Dystopian. Steampunk, and chick Science fiction.

If you could have a dinner party and invite your favorite fictional characters, who might we see seated around the table?

I have  a few things I’d like to tell my characters! From other books. Will Herondale from the infernal devices – Cassandra Clare. Fire from the book Fire by Kristin Cashore. Izzie from the Mortal instruments series ~ Cassandra Clare , Tris from Divergent and finally Peeta from The Hunger games – I’d like to slap that boy!

I’ve been forever called picky, but I maintain that we’re all picky creatures. What are you picky about?

Just about everything!  My work, books I read, clothes, shoes, food…

But not friends, I love people, maybe too much.

Where can people find you in cyberspace?

Twitter

Website

Goodreads

Facebook

Any parting words for the masses? Any shameless plugs?

Go for it ! Dreams only come true because you make it so. Always be a Diva xoxo

Thank you for the fabulous opportunity to share my story.

Greetings, cool peeps! My guest this week is author Dean Mayes from Australia.

Welcome, Dean! Tell the cool peeps about yourself.

Hi Molly! Firstly, I must thank you for having me at the Swansea Herald. This is a real honor for me. So, about me – well, I’m on the ‘wrong’ side of 35 and I live in Adelaide, Australia with my wife, Emily and my two children, Xavier (5) & Lucy (2). Adelaide is this wonderfully eclectic, provincial city that is situated on the shores of the Gulf of St. Vincent here in South Australia and is renowned for its wine industry, its architecture and its festival culture.

Ours is a hectic household – as you can imagine – with our day jobs, school runs, sporting commitments for Xavier and toddler dancing for Lucy and all the other minutiae of our little suburban existence for which we constantly wish we had 25 or 26 hours in one day. And somewhere in there, I’ve managed to eke out a ‘minor’ career as an author.

When did you first develop a love of writing? (My undercover sources tell me that purple dragon stickers were involved.

Yeah (hah, hah), my love for writing began in my 3rd grade class under my teacher Mrs. Furnell, who gave me my first-ever writing award: the purple dragon sticker. For the longest time, I sucked at her creative writing class and I routinely turned out rubbish. All that was required of us at the time was for us to come up with a group of, say five or six words and then incorporate them into a short creative paragraph. Anyway, one day, I totally changed tack and produced a short piece about a soldier’s experience of war that was partly based upon a conversation I had with my grandfather at around that very time. For a 9-year old, I think I must have hit it out of the park as purple dragon stickers were notoriously rare and to get one from Mrs. Furnell was a huge deal.

Some authors are meticulous outliners, others plot as they go along, and many are in the middle somewhere. How about you?

To me, writing and imagining is all consuming and I often compare to art. It’s very similar in fact and I think, in my case, I’m very abstract. For many, writing follows a particular structured path involving planning and construction of plot and character before hand, but I can’t work like that. Often, I’ll figuratively throw a dollop of paint on the canvas and see how it falls. Then I’ll work with it to see what I can draw out of it. That’s not to say that I don’t structure at all, but my initial structuring is very basic. So long as I reach the plot milestones I’ve set for myself, my journey toward each of them is quite open. I discover things along the way about the plot and character and I’ll often go with them instinctively. So far, it has served me well.

Your novel, The Hambledown Dream is on my ever-increasing to-read list. Please, tell the cool peeps all about it.

The Hambledown Dream actually began as a blog. At the time I started writing it, I’d virtually given up on the idea of ever being published, because I felt the industry was too closed shop, but I had this story I passionately wanted to tell and blogging seemed the right fit. I just wanted to get this story out there. After a short time of putting it up in weekly installments, quite unexpectedly, I found I had this following who were enthusiastically ‘tuning in’ to catch more of this unfolding story. I had no inkling that it would lead to my being discovered (by Michelle Halket, Creative Director at Central Avenue Publishing).

The Hambledown Dream is described as a paranormal romance but it doesn’t follow a conventional path – even though it’s a kind of timeless story. I can best describe it as a love story that not even death can conquer – where two unconnected lives are affected by the same tragic event. In Australia, a good and kind young man is torn from the love of his life by cancer while another young man – half way across the world in Chicago – lives on the razor’s edge in a dark and seedy underworld. He is rescued from a near fatal drug overdose at the very same moment. What happens next is an incredible journey of discovery and redemption spanning two continents. For reasons that are borne out during the course of the story, my American anti-hero is forced to reassess his life, once he begins having visions and dreams of life and a love he has never known. The Hambledown Dream is populated by very real and warm characters and situations. I’m very proud of the novel and it’s had a great response – far more than I ever dreamed it would.

The Hambledown Dream is dedicated to the memory of a journalist, Matt Price. Would you tell us about Matt?

Yeah, I dedicated The Hambledown Dream to the memory of an Australian journalist, Matt Price who, to me, was a literary hero. He penned a regular column for our national daily The Australian called ‘The Sketch’ which was a mix of politics and satire. Though Matt loved politics, he loved to ‘take the piss’ out of it even more. He was a lovely, urbane man who was able to talk to both sides of the political divide and he was highly regarded. As a storyteller, Matt Price was wonderfully rich and talented. He died in 2007 after a short battle with brain cancer. He was only 46 and had a wife and beautiful young children.

I know that you’re nearing completion of your second novel. Would you tell us a bit about it?

I am indeed. I’m in the middle of my first major edit of the new novel, which carries the working title Gifts of the Peramangk. It tells the story of a young Aboriginal girl named Ruby who is an incredibly gifted violinist but who lives in crushing poverty and domestic violence in Adelaide’s northern suburbs. She has been taught by her aging grandmother, Virginia who, herself was taught the violin during one of Australia’s darkest periods – The White Australia Policy of the 1950’s. It’s shaping up to be a real special story, though I still have a fair bit of editing to do as well as a lot of cultural fact checking before publication. The novel is challenging in that it’s quite different, stylistically, to Hambledown but also because I as a Caucasian am telling an Aboriginal story which many people regard as pretty risky – at least here anyway. It has the potential to be controversial but I’m not deterred by it. The story has been handled with a great deal of care and I’ve researched it heavily going in. I think the final product will be both powerful and inspiring.

Your publisher is Central Avenue Publishing, founded and run by Michelle Halket. Care to sing the praises of your publisher?

Working with Michelle Halket and her team at CAP has been an amazing experience and it has been a wonderful example of geography being no boundary in terms of working and creative partnerships. We’ve been able to video conference and hold “meetings” in the same fashion as I suspect any publisher would and it has been just as fruitful. We’ve planned and discussed my projects at length via email and we’ve developed an enviable line of communication. Michelle is such an astute judge of literary talent, as evidenced by CAP’s impressive catalogue and she is a trail blazer – having forged a formidable enterprise in a rapidly evolving publishing environment. I’m particularly proud of my association with Michelle and CAP.

The world of publishing is changing so rapidly. It’s hard to keep up. Any thoughts about the ever-evolving landscape? Predictions?

My only prediction is that it is going to remain unpredictable for at least the next couple of years as the rise of digital, independent and self publishing continues unabated.

It’s been alarming to see so many of the big book stores both here in Australia and in the U.S. founder so spectacularly – and not just because of the digital phenomenon. In order for them to survive, they’ve needed to adapt quickly and I guess for some of them, that adaptation came too late. There has been a litany of reports of poor financial practices and misguided business decisions which has lead to the closure of a number of chain stores and thus reduced the bricks and mortar presence of book stores overall. My experience has shown me that a lot of the book stores are incredibly short sighted and conservative when it comes to stocking their shelves. For example, they seemed quite happy for copies of a certain major franchise involving sparkly vampires to gather dust on the same shelf space for months and months on end, yet they were reluctant to support emerging authors for a few weeks – if at all.

The digital landscape remains in flux too as the new giants on the block vie for the attentions of the marketplace. And in that I’ve been concerned at the lengths emerging authors have gone to in the pursuit of best seller rankings and visibility for their product. For example, I’ve long held an antipathy towards the 99c price point for published works because I think it has the potential to cheapen the market overall. Especially when one considers the amount of work an author might pour into their stories – 99 cents is all they think it is worth? Also, some of the selling programs that are being touted by the big e-tailers concern me in that they seem highly inflexible and impose an exclusivity on the author and their product which, in my mind, runs counter to the whole notion of being independent.

My undercover source also tells me that you’re notoriously non-genre specific in your reading and writing? Would you elaborate for the cool peeps?

I’m notoriously non-genre specific in both my reading and my writing. I’ve tried my hand at a few different styles in my various writing projects and indeed, The Hambledown Dream crosses over the genre lines a fair bit. I have a number of samples in the articles and shorts section at my website that people can download view. I’ve experimented with elements of horror, science fiction, abstract literature, erotica and romance as well as magazine styled articles.

Likewise, my library at home is stocked with everything from romance, to science fiction, to literature, to pop culture, to biographies, to Star Wars…and Star Wars…oh! Did I say Star Wars? One of my favorite authors is Simon Winchester who is renowned for tackling subject matter many would regard as painfully obscure and extracting totally riveting stories from them. His titles The Surgeon Of Crowethorne & The Map That Changed The World rank among my favorite books of all time. That second title by the way, is all about the world’s first geological survey map of Great Britain. I mean, a map! Yet it is such an interesting account that one can’t help be suckered in by it.

I hear that you love to cook. Please, tell us all about it. And don’t forget to mention what time dinner is served.

In my down time, I’ve a love for cooking, which has been partially inspired by Australian chef Bill Granger, whose books and shows I love. He is actually self taught and he developed this unique and rustic style which suits almost any occasion and environment. The man can make a gourmet dish out of just about anything and he’ll do it in almost any environment. I love trying to emulate his recipes – and so does my family, thankfully. And, like him, I’ll cook anywhere – indoors on my Smeg, outdoors on an old truck rim firepot, the BBQ, an open fire. Anywhere that I can create and indulge my love for experimentation. Dinner time at my house is usually served at half past…

I believe that music is a big part of most people’s lives. What kind of music might we find you listening to?

I’m a music nut and I’ll devour everything from Dire Straits to Debussi, Bob Dylan to Bananarama, Pink Floyd to Pink. Music has informed my literary works – especially ‘Hambledown’ and also this new novel – and I have explored vastly different musical forms in order to hone my story telling.

I was one of those who *suffered* the “Zach Braff Effect” in 2003 when the movie “Garden State” came out and since then, I’ve gone way off the mainstream, which has lead me to some really wonderful musical discoveries (some of which, I’ve chronicled at Dean from Australia under a series titled “There Need Be No Other Title”). At the moment, I’m listening to a lot of indie material from the likes of ‘The Decemberists’, ‘Trainwreck In Sarasota’, ‘These Animals’ & New York indie folk rock band ‘Swear & Shake’ – who, I’ve gotta say, are one of the best discoveries I’ve made in the past year.

If you could have a dinner party and invite your favorite fictional characters, who might we see seated around the table?

Wow – that’s a curve ball! Umm, let me think about that for a moment.

Well, first up I’d have Judi Dench’s “M” from the James Bond franchise – but more because she’s Judi Dench than anything and I love watching her being interviewed. She mixes a wicked sense of humour with a bohemian sensibility that would be welcome anytime.

I’d also send an invite to Rutger Hauer’s “Roy Batty” (from the movie Balderunner). Despite his rather messianic disposition, I regard the ‘tears in rain’ speech he gave at the climax of that movie to be one of the most moving speeches ever spoken hands down and the guy can play chess like a bandit so he’d have to be in.

I’d love to have Nikita (as portrayed in the CW series by Maggie Q) – because…I am a man and Maggie Q is gorgeous.

Howard Hesseman’s Charlie Moore, from the 80’s sitcom ‘Head Of The Class’ would be another must have because he was a cool teacher whose classes were rarely boring…(?) – mainly because he had a bunch of gifted, smart alec teens to deal with. I imagine he would make a great conversationalist and debator.

Martin Clunes’ ‘Doc Martin’ – a haemophobic (not homophobic to be clear) London surgeon practicing general medicine in a quaint seaside village in Wales – would also be a must have. He doesn’t suffer fools and is quite prepared to call a spade a spade – or a recalcitrant patient an idiot…if it is warranted of course. However, underneath his gruff and unforgiving exterior, is a surprisingly sensitive and compassionate soul whose sense of duty is without question. As a man of medicine myself, I imagine he would be an engaging personality at the dinner table.

Finally, I would have to include Phryne Fisher, who is the delectable protagonist from a series of books called Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries by Australian author Kerry Underwood. Set in 1920’s Melbourne, Australia, Phryne Fisher is this fearless heroine who works as a private detective, using a combination of sharp investigative skills, a quick wit and sassy sexiness to solve crimes. The books have just been made into a sumptuous television series down under with Essie Davis (The Matrix Reloaded, The Slap) in the title role – which, I think, is an inspired choice – because…I am a man and I think she is gorgeous.

What do you know now that you wish you knew five years ago?

I kinda wish that I had a better handle on marketing both of myself and my work as an author. It’s been a huge learning curve for me and alot of what I have achieved marketing wise – particularly with Hambledown – occurred some period of time after the book was released. I really didn’t have any concept of the breadth of book blogging sites that were out there when I started and I stubbornly confined myself to the pursuit of the mainstream media outlets which yielded pretty well zilch.

What do you hope to know in five years that you don’t know now?

Will The Simpsons still be on T.V.?

I’ve been forever called picky, but I maintain that we’re all picky creatures. What are you picky about?

I have this annoying tick whereby I can’t walk by a bookshelf without rearranging the books on it by height. This is especially true for my children’s respective bookshelves and I can often be found spending inordinate amounts of time rearranging their library like Raymond Babbitt on acid. I mean, how hard is it to line up the Mr. Men books side by side anyway!

I also went through a period of being overly concerned about my skills at writing dialogue – so much so that I ended up a little too much like the ‘Close Talker’ from Seinfeld. I spent a lot of time observing and documenting people engaging with one another in conversation, how they spoke, what emotions they portrayed, their hand gestures and expressions. In the process, I got a little too inside their personal spaces and very nearly ended up getting a punch on the nose. I’ve since learned to observe from a minimum safe distance. How is your personal space right now btw?

Any parting words for the masses? Any shameless plugs? Where can people find you online?

I have long been a fan of the Irish comedian Dave Allen, who had a late night/chat show on British TV back in the day. He always used to sign off with the words – ‘Good night, good luck and may your God go with you’. I have always felt such an understated openess and welcoming in those words and I often have them in mind when I am interacting with people.

My official site – http://www.deanfromaustralia.com – is the best destination for people who want to keep up with my goings on. I try to blog there at least once a week and it is the best place for readers to sample my short story work – including some work-in-progress previews of the new novel, to download a free audio book sampler of The Hambledown Dream (read by me in my Hugh Jackman-esque Australian accent) and to download audio interviews I’ve done over the past year or so.’ And of course, readers can purchase signed copies of my novel The Hambledown Dream in both print and digital formats direct from the site.

I am represented by Michelle Halket at Central Avenue Publishing

I keep a page at Facebook where I am known to brain fart on occasion but it’s also where I like to do a lot of cross promotion of fellow authors and artists and musicians. Invariably, those promos end up as fully blown features at his website under my ‘There Need Be No Other Title’ series at Dean from Australia Dot Com.

Goodreaders can find me at GR

And Amazonian Kindlers can find me and The Hambledown Dream on Amazon.com

Greetings, Cool Peeps! Please join me in welcoming debut author Racheal McGillivary as my very special guest.

Thanks for being here, Racheal. So, tell us, when did the writing bug first bite you?

When I was fourteen. I had always been an avid reader, but poetry caught my attention, and I decided to take a poetry class. From there I wrote my first short story when I was fifteen. I have tons of composition books littered with poems. I stopped writing after high school. I never thought it was anything I could make a future with, until I met Lisette Brodey. I had already seen so many people self publishing books, and making a living doing what they love. And when I met Lisette, I became more inspired. I felt like I could do it too. (She even told me so). So, I wrote.

This is a very exciting time for you. Your first novel, Essence, has just been published. What is the book about?

Yes it is! Essence is about Chryanthe, Chrys, who is a sixteen-year-old nymph living in a forested grove in Macedonia. After her father was murdered when she was twelve, things haven’t been the same. Her mother is distant, her peers are indifferent, and with the exception of her best friend, Galene, Chrys feels utterly alone. When strangers enter the grove who turn out to be gypsies, things start getting even weirder in their sleepy little grove. Chrys falls fast for the handsome Talon, but nymph-human relations are strictly forbidden, and Chrys’ mother reminds her of this when she gives her an ultimatum: stay with Talon and be exiled, or fulfill her duty to the grove and become the next Chief Supreme (leader). But, when the Chief Supreme becomes deathly ill, Chrys must race against time to catch a killer before it’s too late.

What inspired you to write Essence? Where do your characters come from?

I had originally started off writing a completely different book about a girl who seduces men unwillingly. She has a magical hold over them, like a siren. But, a hundred pages in I scrapped my first book when I read Cassandra Clare’s City of Lost Souls. My original villain idea for Lillith, fell through. So, I took what I have always loved (Greek mythology) and my new love (fantasy) and put them together. And I wrote Essence.

My characters came out of thin air. Except for two people. Talon is my son. I gave him the same name, and same features but made him older. And Adelpha who plays a small part came from a girl who used to work the main gate on the military base I use to live in.

I don’t know any author who isn’t thinking ahead to her/his future books. Do you know what’s next? Do you plan to write in multiple genres? How do you envision your future as an author?

I actually have six books on my bucket list. For most of them, I have written the first chapter. And yes, they do vary in genre. The next book I plan to release is Just for Kicks, a middle-grade superhero book with plenty of snarky comments and funny lines. Then, I plan to follow up Essence with Elude. Then, Untold Cravings. A young adult adventure/ romance book with a very unusual twist. Then, I plan to finish up my Nymphs trilogy with Entrap, the last book. After that, I have When the Daisies Grew Wild, a cute, country, romance novel that has that feel good vibe to it. And last, but certainly not least, I plan to write my husband’s grandmother’s biography.

Some authors are meticulous outliners, others plot as they go along, and many are in the middle somewhere. How about you?

I like to just write. I start from the beginning and go. I tried to outline, plan, plot, nothing worked. But, I do like a good pen and some legal pads in bright colors!

You’re a voracious reader. Please, tell the cool peeps about the books we might find on your shelf on your Nook.

Oh goodness! So many! I have the House of Night series, the Mortal instruments, Infernal Devices, Wings, Tithe by Holly Black, Amanda Hockings books, All Lisette Brodey books, The Taker and the Reckoning by Alma Katsu… those are just a few.

You learned responsibility early in your life when you became a teen mom. Can you tell us what that was like?

Very hard! I had options, but I chose to be a mom. And I would say it was the best choice. I had to work two part-time jobs, and finish my senior year of high school, but I did it. When you truly want something, you go to the ends of the earth to make it happen. I didn’t want to give up Damion and I didn’t want to give up my future, so I chose both.

Please, tell us more about your family. What is it like to be a military wife?

I met Justin during my Sophomore year of high school, and we may have only dated for two weeks then, but he left a lasting impression on me. We reconnected later in life and fell in love. Being a military wife was difficult as well. I had become pregnant with my second son, Talon, and found out two days before Justin left for Afghanistan. It was scary, but he came home safe and in time to see Talon born.

Social media is terrific, but it can be a great big time vampire, too. Everyone has different thoughts about the use and misuse of it. What are yours?

Social media is a very temperamental thing. It is misused quite often and can lead to many horrible things. But, it can be a very useful tool for anyone to promote themselves or their work. I personally just try to use social media as a way to promote, and try to keep my personal life offline.

The world of publishing is changing so rapidly. It’s hard to keep up. Any thoughts about the ever-evolving landscape? Predictions?

It’s crazy! I still am a hardcore paperback lover, but I do use my Nook often. There are always new ways to improve and upgrade the technology world. I have no idea what they will come up with next, but you can never go wrong with a pen and some paper.

Aside from reading, writing, and spending time with your wonderful family, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time. Yeah, I know, you’re probably saying, “Spare time. What’s that?”

Ha ha, very true. Spare time is hard to come by. But when I do have a chance, I like to crochet (and no it’s not just for old ladies), and I like to learn new things. I am always on YouTube searching up How to’s.

I’ve been forever called picky, but I maintain that we’re all picky creatures. What are you picky about?

I am very picky about things when they are important. I was recently scorned for being too picky about my book cover! By the cover artist I had originally hired! Can you imagine?

Where can people find you in cyberspace?

I am everywhere! Or, at least I try to be! You can find me on Twitter or on Facebook under Racheal McGillivary or on my blog. My novel, Essence, can be purchased on Amazon.com.

Any parting words for the masses? Any shameless plugs?

Never change yourself, your writing, anything to fit the mold of society. I have never been considered normal, but when I got older, people appreciated me for that. And I never have had an enemy. Thank you for having me, Molly!

Welcome, Ben! It’s fantastic to have you as my guest.

Hi, Molly. Thanks for having me.

You’re from Pontypridd, Wales. Would you describe your hometown to us?

It’s dull, grey and always raining, and we have lots of hills. It is ok — a bit of a shithole to be honest. There is nothing really for people to do here. A lot of people drink a lot out of boredom, or maybe that is just the people I am surrounded by. LOL. It really is a beautiful place in the mountains, but the towns are crap. It’s quiet where I live, so I guess it’s nice. I just wish that the sun would come out once in a while. LOL!

Please tell us about your early years. What kind of childhood did you have?

It was okay, I think … It involved a lot of singing and performing in primary school. I used to participate in a lot of plays. I even got to play Santa one year! Singing in primary school was cool. We got to sing a lot of cool songs like the Beatles. I was in the choir, but got thrown out ‘cause I was not the most behaved of boys! The worst thing I remember about my childhood is my dad leaving, but that is a different story for another day.

When did your love of music begin? How long did it take you to realize that you had a true talent that would become your life’s work?

I have always been interested in art, anything artistic. I began drawing and thought I was going to go to art college at one point, but other things happened. I started writing stories in secondary school. I worked on writing a few books but never actually managed to finish them. I left school at 16, and that is when my friend Paul sold me his guitar. I was always dabbling in music and singing, but never tried to play instruments or take it further. My friend saw I had an interest in the guitar, sold me his, and the rest is history, and also ash, as I burnt that guitar for firewood, don’t ask!

I started staying in to play instead of going out and getting drunk. LOL! That guitar saved my life I think! So I owe him! I paid him £100 for that guitar. My second guitar was bought from Pete Rawbone, ex BenSem member, for £10, and I still haven’t paid him back!

A tattletale tells me that you were a bit naughty in high school, and didn’t get the best grades. Any truth to that?

I was naughty; lol! I wasn’t nasty, just playful; the truth is I was bored. The teachers were useless, there was no encouragement from them whatsoever, they really didn’t care. I had to leave school and have a friend see my talent, the music teachers saw nothing, because they were never there, and took no interest unless you were a teacher’s pet. I was never challenged with the work, and never revised for the exams. I had really low grades except for art. Now looking back, it may have been a good idea to have tried, but I don’t regret anything I have done, because it may not have got me here.

So, don’t keep us in suspense. What path did you take after you left high school?

I left school at 16. I tried the work route, but that was never going to happen. I cut grass in the local cemetery, I helped build the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, I painted and decorated, worked on computers in sales, cleaned toilets, worked in Game station, worked in Argos and loads more. I was trying to keep money in my pocket whilst chasing the dream. All I wanted was to play music and sing. I never had a clue or plans for my future. I just had a guitar and myself. For me, that was my contentment, well, most of the time!

You were born Craig Andrew Semmens. How did you become Ben Semmens? What happened to Craig Semmens?

I created Ben in the shower one day when I was at my lowest. I needed someone or something to get me past it all, to give me the strength because I’ve struggled with depression all my life. I have got through everything with Ben, he is the other me, and I have got through everything I have with him. Ben is my way of dealing with all the hard things in life, and so far it’s worked, apart from some very low points, but that is too dark to discuss here. Craig is still here, too!

On a similar note, you began as BenSem but are now Ben Semmens? Why did you make the decision to fly solo?

I had some truly great times with BenSem, I have to be honest I never saw us splitting up. Things happen, people grow old, and become a pain. LOL! Everyone who was in BenSem was amazing, great friends, and awesome people. I think the band ended after Western Lights. A lot happened. We had done lots of shows, and at the end, everyone was drained mentally and physically, and cracks started appearing. I always kept writing and when the original BenSem split I went back to the studio with new members, and recorded more. Sadly it wasn’t me, it was loud; it was brash and it was chaotic. It was great but not where I saw myself going. It took me two weeks to make the decision that it was the end, and that it was time to go off on my own. It’s been lonely and very hard, but I am glad I did it. If any mistakes are made they are mine, and I only have myself to answer to. Things have been going better than ever, and I deal with my stress not others and it’s bliss.

Your music is truly something special. How would you describe your music?

It’s from my heart and off my sleeve. It’s my life, my emotions, and my ups and my downs. I would describe it as sad, but with hope, and everyone needs hope. I just hope it helps people as it has helped me. My music is my serenity.

You recently came to America via a company called Pledge Music. I know this was an extremely exciting and rewarding opportunity. Please, tell us all about it.

Pledge is a great way to give artists the creative freedom music needs, and give fans what they want without a record label getting in the way. The music industry is ruined because of the labels, and I have all the freedom I want in creating. Pledge is the way forward. I’m doing what I love with no idiots telling me how to dress etc. I am living the dream. Sex, drugs, and rock n roll is old-fashioned; it’s all style and no substance. It should be all about the music, and Pledge makes it about the music, the fans, and nothing else. I love it.

I recorded the album with Ben Thomas, a very talented man. I had to go to the Cumberland Island in the USA to work with him, but man it was worth it. It was amazing, and I learnt so much from him, and the island is beautiful. I could get use to the sun instead of Welsh rain. Going back to tour soon, so excited about that!

I know that the U.S recording opened your eyes to a lot of things? Anything you can share with us?

It was truly a dream come true, and a blessing. I am very lucky to have experienced this, and I owe it all to management and the fans. I’m already writing another album, as I was inspired so much on the island. It also shows that no matter how crazy an idea sounds, if you want it to happen, you can make it happen.

Where can the cool peeps hear your amazing music?

We have finished the album and those who have pledged have received the download. We are still working on the artwork and putting the CD together which we are hoping to get out asap. The fans have been waiting so patiently, and I really am grateful for their support and patience.

The music is available on www.bensemmens.com or www.facebook.com/ben.semmens.music or www.youtube.com/bensemmusic. If you would like to pre-order the new album you can go to www.pledgemusic.com/projects/bensemmens

I‘m going to be a little Julie Andrews for a moment. What are some of your favourite things?

LOL! I love computer games. They help me escape and chill. There is nothing better than a good zombie movie, and I am a major comic fan. I love all things Batman, and have a strange connection to the Joker. My favourite author is Stephen King. I love the stories, and the worlds that he creates. I’m currently reading the Dark Tower books at the moment, and they are awesome! I like all things chocolate, and a good burger or pizza is my idea of good food.

Okay, so now I’m Julie Andrews evil twin. Well, maybe not so much, but what are your least favourite things?

I hate bullies. I hate working out, but it must be done, and I can’t stand mushrooms, but I think a lot of people know this now Mushrooms are the food of the devil, apart from magic ones!

I’ve been forever called picky, but I maintain that we’re all picky creatures. What are you picky about?

I’m picky about food. A bad chip or fat on bacon makes me feel sick, so I have to pick them out. I usually end up with a small pile of food on my plate that I won’t eat. If I ever eat at your house please don’t think me rude, I am just fussy.

Who are the artists who have inspired you? Whose music might we find you listening to on a lazy Sunday afternoon? A crazy Saturday night?

I will listen to anything. If it has a good tune, and I dig it, it deserves my attention. I think I have been influenced by many artists. A lot of artists my mum used to listen to when I was young have influenced me. I was brought up on a lot of country music, and old crooners. On a Sunday you can find me listening to Nat King Cole, Joe Cocker, Cary Brothers, Greg Laswell, there are loads … On a crazy Saturday you will find me listening to, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Radiohead, and Iron Maiden.

A lot of music inspires me.

Any parting words for the masses? Where can peeps connect with you?

Keep it real people, and if you fancy a listen check out:

Website
Facebook
YouTube
Twitter

Take care all and thanks for reading. And Molly, you rock! x

Greetings Cool Peeps,

Please join me in welcoming author Gareth Stokes as my guest this week.

Welcome, Gareth! Tell the cool peeps about yourself.

Hi, Molly. Thanks for inviting me. I’m a retired truck driver, teach guitar part-time, hug people and kiss them on the cheek and so far have managed to do so frequently without getting arrested. I write fiction across different genres and read across different genres because I do like variety in all things, live in the southeast of the UK, have a passion for washing dishes, music, idiosyncratic people, sniping about politics, love marmite and grilled cheese on toast, the Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, and sneaking into quiet churches to mess about on the big ol’ pipe organ.

A rare occasion when I’m not squirreled away writing. A night out with my girlfriend. I think she’s laughing because I’ve got my arm around her. Most people do laugh when I give them a hug. Don’t know why that is! Maybe I need to change my cologne.

Your novel, 5 Minutes, sounds intriguing. What’s it about? What inspired you to write it?

The core of – and in fact the inspiration for – this story is how children are too often victims of fickle politics. The story includes the execution of the Russian Royal Family in the early 20th Century, the struggle of single mothers in today’s society, even the young men sent to fight in wars, not even out of their teens. In this sci/fi adventure, the spirit of Tsarina Alexandra Romanov cannot rest after witnessing the execution of her children, and travels through time to a universe 5,000 years in the future. She becomes the autocratic leader of the colonised planet, Excel – and creates a duplicate Russian society. Her mission is uncomplicated and merciless: to use the resources of this planet, and those of the Universe itself, to destroy Earth as a savage act of revenge for the death of her children. It falls to the Tsarina’s eldest child, a strong opponent of Excel’s political infrastructure, to head off to Earth in an attempt to save it from destruction. Along the way, the would-be saviour must overcome a number of obstacles, some too bizarre to adequately describe here, and rely upon (amongst other quirky characters) a thinking/bitchin’ spaceship, an android with unreliable programming, and two young children each of whom possess special gifts. Will the Earth be saved?… is a question which teases throughout the novel – and the answer is not necessarily what you may expect.

I find it interesting that your story mixes tragedy with whimsical humor. How do you balance that?

Because this story involves that certain amount of dark tragedy, I felt it necessary to counterbalance this with some flighty humour, which is diagrammed through the characters, certain unethical events, and great chunks of convoluted dialogue. After all, no matter the genre, fiction is so often an imitator of real life – a muddle of tragic humour. We all endure those days or events which are heartbreaking, but also (often in an arbitrary fashion) those days when everything seems somewhat nonsensical and silly. I enjoy fiction that is a microcosm of reality – and reality is almost always a little bit of ugly and a little bit of daft! It’s rather like taking a bitter pill followed by a spoonful of sugar.

You’ve told me that your novel isn’t genre-specific and that it crosses several genres. Please, elaborate.

I knew I wanted to write a science fiction – but not a purist one. Although I was inspired by Asimov, Heinlein, Clarke, et al, I had so many motivations from a host of different genre writers that I felt the need to take this story across platforms. So it has history, politics, comedy, adventure, satire, and a little of my own humble philosophical musings. I believe it works – although I would say that, wouldn’t I? … The important thing was to blend these aspects in and around a straightforward adventure story with an underpinning of observational narrative. For which reason there is a character in the story, Adelphi Galvuurt, who is the narrator for much of the book. He gets to comment on the political environment of both the 21st Century and my futuristic dimension of Time. In summary, I gave him an artistic license that I don’t feel I personally am entitled to. (It’s a bit sneaky but it’s jolly good fun craftily whispering through the mouth of your character!)

I love psychological thrillers. I hear that you have one called Universal Language. What’s it about? Where did you get the idea for it?

Once upon a time, in a land far away and a decade almost forgotten… I had a cabaret act, and toured the club circuit in the northeast of England. This provided the germ of the novel’s idea in that the protagonist, Gary Price, has managed to take his ‘act’ one step further than I ever did… he’s on the brink of a big breakthrough. However, family issues have dogged his life and now threaten his ascendance to fame. Troubled by the guilt of past failures, haunted by the reminder of a childhood tragedy, hunted by a perverse killer, now the consequences of that terrible tragedy are forced back into his life by an old school ‘friend’. It’s a story of ambition, failed marriage, struggling relationships with your children… and revenge from a twisted antagonist who is more crazy than Gary ever gets on all the booze in his kitchen cupboard.

How much of you do you put into your books? Does one have more of you than the other?

I would say that 5 Minutes has a fair proportion of my political disillusionment and cynical attitude woven into the narrative. And Universal Language has the backdrop of my early-life musical ambitions and stage performing. But that’s about as far as it goes. For one thing, no one would want to read this unknown author’s thinly disguised autobiography… hell, most of us don’t want to read the autobiographies of so many non-entity Z-list celebrities but we have them shoved in our bookstores – so I aim to keep my fiction as far away as is humanly possible from my real life. For another thing, as tempting as it may be to some writers to use real people and events from their lives, it’s wise to remember a book can sometimes be a mere hop and a skip away from a libel action if you’re not very careful how you portray someone you’ve met. So, not to defy the old adage: write what you know… I really prefer to simply make stuff up! The less it has to do with me the more enjoyable the creative process.

What future writing projects do you have in the works or in your head? Anything you can share?

I’d like to write a cookbook – but I can’t cook. Or one of those self-help ‘How To Improve The Inner You’ books – but I think my inner-me is beyond redemption. Then again, a whim I also have is to write a D.I.Y. manual – but the last time I changed a light bulb I (honestly) broke the light fitting. So I think I’ll go with writing some supernatural-themed short stories for my next project. I need a little break from writing the Big Novel format, Molly.

Do you have any secret quirky writing habits that you’d like to expose to the world RIGHT NOW?

On one side of my desk I have a thermos of tea, and on the other a glass of beer. I make story notes in my phone memory, but frequently forget where I put the damn thing. So I stare at a blank screen until I am able to draft some carefully laid plot lines, which I then proceed to totally ignore by taking the story in a completely different direction. If I get a block, I will just type…anything, anything…even a shopping list – until some sanity comes out of the mess. I like lots of computers around me, even though I can only use one at a time. (I used to prefer writing in my car at scenic locations, but I’m getting old now and need my comfort!) And I frequently listen to TV in the background because if it’s too quiet I can hear my own breathing and that really bugs me.

A less-than-sufficient writing environment – but it got me through 3 lots of edits.

A few years ago – a more comfortable writing environment – surrounded by more computers than I could possibly find a use for!

The world of publishing is changing so rapidly. It’s hard to keep up. Any thoughts about the ever-evolving landscape? Predictions?

I wouldn’t dare make any predictions – big corporations control this environ now where once upon a time book lovers did. It’s all about the accountants, isn’t it? But I am thrilled with this current e-volution, especially through Amazon Kindle. Needless to say it’s opened doors for so many writers who would otherwise end up on an editor’s slush pile simply because that editor hasn’t time to wade through the mass of unsolicited manuscripts. Online and affordable POD publishing has now leveled the playing field so we all get a chance. What comes next?… well, it rather looks like a war between Amazon and the rest of the world, which is a shame. But I would conclude that the market is now more diverse, buoyant and exciting for writers and readers alike.

Where are you from, Gareth? Where have you lived and where do you reside now?

Born in the Midlands of the UK, hauled up north by my parents when I was 15 to a rather rough housing estate ‘cause Dad took a teaching post up there, and I moved down to the London area 15 years later for better employment opportunities. So I’m a hybrid of middle, up, and down the country – and I have the strange dialect to prove it!

Dad. Taken when I was a mere sprat of a brat! Ex-Air Force and a canny business man. Passed away 1993.

Can you tell the cool peeps about your childhood? What are some of your fondest memories?

I am the eldest of four boys so growing up was a little chaotic, however my dad was a strict disciplinarian so we didn’t get away with too much nonsense – though God knows I tried. I remember of all the times my father told me off, there was one incident when I got caught snogging my girlfriend (I was 12) by the girl’s dad. Well, the outraged father chased me home, my mother threw a fit, and my dad, strangely, just said ‘behave yourself’…. And then winked at me. Ha ha – he had to pretend to be angry when I reckon he was thinking ‘that’s my boy!’… I loved playing soccer, cycle racing, making model aircraft (undoubtedly because Dad was in the Royal Air Force during WW2 and I was childishly fascinated with some of the “adventures” I overheard)… And I recall adding 50 candles to my mother’s birthday cake and watching with horror as they all melted into the icing. Of all the many presents I got over the years, the best two: a guitar and a typewriter. These two gifts shaped my lifelong interests in music and writing. Happy days.

Mother’s 50th birthday. She gave me a drum roll right before I brought her cake in…. the one where all the candles had melted into the icing. Hmmm!

Unbelievably cheesy promo pic for my cabaret act back in 1980. We used to bravely leave this in club dressing-rooms with a contact number. (I can only laugh in hindsight.)

Durham cathedral … one of the scenic locations where I would park my car, enjoy the vista, and begin the journey of learning to write on my little Olivetti typewriter.

My favourite car – a classic Ford Capri circa 1977 – and the vehicle in which I would scurry away to those scenic locations and write short stories. (Or fiddle with the cassette player!)

What kind of books do you enjoy reading? Favorite films? Music?

I’ll read anything, Molly. I’ve been through phases – sci-fi, murder-mystery, thrillers, horror…but these days it’s whatever takes my fancy from the product description. (Never mind the cover – it’s the book’s bio that attracts me.) With music I’ve also been through phases – from jazz to rock and all between – but I’m fairly settled now on rhythm ‘n blues and swing. As for films – I like to be surprised. The Book Of Eli was one I watched recently and was thoroughly swept away – brilliant! I do also like thrillers and thought-provoking books and movies, but (and I’m really sorry about this readers) I’m not a big fan of Harry Potter, Twilight, or Avatar. I admire them all greatly for the skill involved to appeal to such a broad audience – but they just don’t do it for me. Should I hang my head in shame?

I’m always interested in the different jobs writers have had. What are some of the favorite and least-favorite jobs you have had?

I’ve been a milkman (Lord, that hurt my feet!), a shop assistant, car valet, photographer’s assistant, logistics & freight officer, car-rental assistant, door-to-door salesman, oh and a host of other jobs all of which paid the bills but none of which gave me any job satisfaction. However, I did enjoy driving jobs, and of course touring the cabaret circuit.

I’ve been forever called picky, but I maintain that we’re all picky creatures. What are you picky about?

I’ll have to snip this answer because (a) I’ve taken up a lot of your web page already and (b) there’s just TOO many to detail. So, summary: Tea… is not hot enough straight out of the kettle – it must be microwaved for 30 seconds / drivers… should never pick their noses at traffic lights or stop signs – unless they’ve got tinted windows and I can’t see them! / Underpants… I can not buy myself – too embarrassed for reasons I don’t understand (which is strange because I can shop for a girlfriend’s ‘Lady Products’ at the pharmacist without any embarrassment but I can’t purchase my own underwear! / self-obsessed people with sky-high vanities… just get off my radar! / fashion police… I’m a scruffy little tyke and proud of my usual attire of pyjamas and bathrobe / And… people who appear on reality TV shows – then act like big celebrities… Yuk, get over yourselves!!!

Any parting words for the masses? Any shameless plugs? Where can people find you online?

Life is like…noooo, I wasn’t going to say a box of chocolates – it’s like a weekend in cabaret. Saturday night, lousy gig, the audience hated my act, I got jeered off stage. Went home thoroughly depressed with myself. Sunday night, exactly the same act as the night before, but it’s a great gig, applause, cheers, encores, and a nice pay-cheque. Everything seems to be a balance of the rough with the smooth. I got a smashing 4-star review for a short story I published, followed by a crushing one-star the day after. I have a day where everything just works out neatly, followed by a day of utter stupid. If you can accept that peak-and-trough life pattern, that all things are a curious mixture of “Excellent!” and “Oh crap!”……..I think you can pretty much deal with anything. Well, try to!

My books are on:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

I’m on Twitter

Facebook

Facebook Author page

And finally – Goodreads

Thanks ever so much for having me here, Molly. I’ve had a crackin’ good time. Hope your US readers could cope with my Brit spelling! And to any and all of your readers who may be authors, I wish you all sincere best wishes for your writing projects. Good luck all… it may be a jungle out there – but it’s fun to scrape your way through it

One of my grandchildren. Is she trying to get away? Yep – do need to find a new cologne! (Note to self: Must stop hugging people without warning…)

I’m so excited about my special guest this week, Darlene Arden. =^..^=

Welcome, Darlene. Tell the cool peeps about yourself!

I’m an author, journalist, certified animal behavior consultant, speaker and learning facilitator. I’m really all about the human-animal bond.

As you know, I’m an animal lover and a writer. But you, lucky woman, write about dogs and cats! Please, tell us what that’s like.

I love animals. I’ve written about a variety of topics in the past but this allows me to help people take better care of their animals and develop a deeper, stronger bond with their pets. I may have attended and spoken at more veterinary conferences than some veterinarians. I just know it’s gratifying when someone says that something I wrote, or something I said, made a difference.

You’re also a certified animal behavior consultant. Sounds quite intriguing. Can you give us an insider’s view?

While it’s all about the animals, it’s really about the owners much of the time. They often don’t really understand the other species and I try to help them understand while resolving the problem at hand whether it’s litterbox issues or housetraining issues. Those are so common for cats and dogs. Once the problem is resolved and the lines of communication are opened between owner and pet, the bond is enhanced.

Tell us about your life as a professional writer and how it springboards to radio and TV?

The books have really done that. Once the books go out for review part of the process, as you know, is PR. It does no good to write a book if no one reads it. This has led me everywhere from radio interviews all over the U.S. and Canada (and today most can be heard all over the world thanks to the internet) to Fox News Network’s pet show that was cancelled when the Clinton Affair heated up. Sad. It was a good show. I’ve had an opportunity, thanks to my articles as well, to land on TV everywhere from D.C. to Albuquerque. Boston is home and I’ve found myself as a “go to” person for local media as well as national. I’ll admit that it feels “funny” to be on the other side of the interview. I’m so used to asking questions that I have to bite my tongue to keep from doing it when I’m the subject of the interview.

You’ve written several books. Please, don’t be shy. Tell the cool peeps all about them.

My first book, The Irrepressible Toy Dog, was the first to look at dogs 20 or 21 lbs. and under. They’re dogs but they definitely have special considerations including health and behavior. Only a few years ago I had the opportunity to update, expand and revise the book, which is considered “the bible” for small dog owners. It has a new title, Small Dogs, Big Hearts, to reflect the changes. It’s everything anyone needs to know who has a small dog, is thinking of getting one, or who loves them, including an entire chapter devoted to housetraining which is a big issue for little dogs. The Angell Memorial Animal Hospital Book of Wellness and Preventive Care for Dogs, took me to the famed Boston hospital every week for a year to research and interview in order to create a book that reflects their wellness program. It’s the first time their client handouts have been made public for anyone to use in concert with their veterinarian. With this book and your veterinarian you can create a wellness program for your dogs based on the place where you live, your lifestyle, etc. It goes from Puppy to Final Decision.

Rover, Get Off Her Leg! is my behavior book for owners of dogs of all sizes and shapes. It’s also the book written with my warped sense of humor. I think people learn better with humor. I’ve taken the most common behavior problems and told what to do, what not to do and then illustrated it with anecdotes from people around the world, most of whose names had to be changed to protect the guilty. If you think you have a problem, someone had the same problem or worse so laugh and let’s get on with changing the behavior. There are a couple of other dog books but my newest books is, finally, a cat book. I’ve wanted to write one for at least a dozen years. The Complete Cat’s Meow is all things feline, from where you’ll get your cat, to cat training (yes!), socialization, health, wellness, and more. There’s a section of color photos in the middle but there are black and white pictures throughout and I’ve chosen to use cat trivia as captions.

My cat, Captain Jack, like so many animals, has exceptional radar for who is worthy and who is not. Is it common for animals to be better judges of people than human beings? What do they sense that we humans miss?

Ahhh, yes. They are not only tuned into us but spend a tremendous amount of time watching us, and our body language. I wish we would spend more time watching and learning theirs. They see more than we do because they are so good at this. I encourage people to learn cat and dog body language to better understand their pets. They signal so much to us and owners so often miss important messages.

What are some of the easiest, and some of the most difficult things to teach a dog? A cat?

The easiest of all is Sit! There is a saying among clicker (operant conditioning) trainers, “Sit Happens.” And it does. Every dog has to sit eventually. Everything takes practice. Coming to their name is also easy. But getting a reliable recall takes longer, of course. Cats also learn to Sit easily, wave their paw, come to their name.

We’ve all heard incredible stories about lost pets who have found their way home —some traveling across the country to be reunited with a family, and some finding their family’s new home. It’s freakin’ miraculous. How in the world do some animals do that?

You know, Molly, I agree with you. It really is miraculous. I’m not sure how they do it: scent, sight, sound? What combination? I know that they make excellent use of their senses, which are often heightened.

You are an animal welfare person. Many people confuse that with an animal rights person. Can you explain the difference?

I’m glad you asked, Molly. So many people misunderstand. That’s because the term, “animal rights” was co-opted years ago. It is no longer what people might think it means. If you look carefully at the materials of the animal rights groups you’ll find that reading through it lets you know that their ultimate goal is that none of us will have any companion animals, no dogs, no cats, no service dogs, no therapy pets, no police dogs, no assistance dogs, no horses for riding and enjoying. Nothing. Years ago, one group’s members were accused of letting dogs out of their crates at dog shows “freeing” them. There are probably no more spoiled, beloved companions that dogs, cats, horses, etc., that are shown. The head of the organization and her publicist immediately filed paperwork so that only they were members so they could say that the people who did it weren’t “members” of their organization. Some groups have downright terrorists. I’ve seen the head of one animal rights group at a book signing where dogs were present and being “flooded” by crowds. There was no thought to the dogs. The people with them didn’t bother to ask people to step back and give the dogs some air and space. I had a signing at the same huge event in NYC but I can tell you that the canine musical freestyle demo dog I had there for my signing was given lots of space and people were supervised around her.

Also, be careful of the language. Once you say that you are your pet’s “guardian” you are on a slippery slope downhill to lack of right to own a pet. Animal Welfare people care deeply about the welfare of all animals and that includes finding cures for their illnesses, treating them with love and finding them forever homes as well as promoting that all-important human-animal bond. I’m proud to be an animal welfare person. I’m also one of the few layperson members of the American Association of Human-Animal Bond Veterinarians. I get aggravated when people lump “breeders” together as if they were all the same. There are commercial breeders, backyard breeders and responsible breeders. I believe that only responsible breeders should be breeding and I have some pretty exacting standards for them but I wish people would stop painting everyone with the same brush.

Switching gears a bit, I know you have a lot to say about being single and dealing with peeps who insist upon minding your business, not to mention those who ask absurdly personal questions. Care to elaborate?

Oh, Molly, I’m sure you can relate! Total strangers as well as family members think nothing of butting into your personal life! I had a much-loved uncle who was very old school. When I was in my early twenties he said, “This year I’ll wish you a Happy Birthday. Next year I’ll wish you a Happy Birthday. Oy, the year after that you should be married already!” Sure enough, on my twenty-fifth birthday I didn’t hear from him on my birthday. That lasted until I was thirty when I guess he gave up hope. I assumed that somehow this meant that if I was single, Jewish and over 25 I could be declared legally dead at any moment. I never wanted to get married for the sake of getting married. If it wasn’t going to be right, why do it? It’s only a path to heartache. I remember one woman in a beauty shop telling me in no certain terms, “You should settle like everyone else! Who do you think you are? We all settled!!” Good grief. I wish I hadn’t been so polite back then. I wish I’d had the courage to put her in her place or at least comment on something equally personal, like how much money she made or how tacky she looked. I just couldn’t bear to hurt anyone’s feelings. Apparently, others had no such compunctions when it came to me. I’m still single. I have no idea what people are thinking and I really don’t care. I live life on my terms, not someone else’s.

What’s it like living in New England?

Ahhh, it was wonderful when I was young and everything wasn’t overpriced. So much theatre, especially pre-Broadway tryouts, and so much culture: The Boston Ballet, The Opera Company of Boston, Brown Bag Opera, Symphony Hall, it’s mostly all there but unaffordable for me these days. Lots of culture. I grew up riding the Swan Boats in Boston’s Pubic Gardens, summer vacations in Maine and on Cape Cod. Theatre and concerts in The Berkshires during the Summer. And, of course, the brutally cold and snowy winters. People call us cold but we’re not. We just don’t make friends rapidly or easily because when we do you get a piece of our heart and we don’t readily give that away.

What else do you do in your very interesting life that I haven’t yet asked you about?

I used to do a lot of celebrity profiles, travel writing, women’s issues, etc. I like to take up new hobbies periodically. I’m currently toying with the idea of learning to make jewelry for no other reason than to explore something new. I used to be an actress/singer/dancer and occasional choreographer. I am a learning facilitator at Kutztown University, I’ve spoken at writers’ conferences and conferences for veterinarians, petsitters, groomers, behavior consultants, breeders, etc. I’d like to do more of that. I love meeting new people and exploring new adventures whenever I have the chance.

I’ve won the Maxwell Medallion from DWAA, the Angell Memorial Animal Hospital/American Humane Education Media Award for my body of work on veterinary writing and animal welfare; the Veterinary Partners Inc. special award for cutting edge veterinary medical article, tying with myself for it; my newest Muse Medallion from CWA is for Best General Care and Health Book for The Complete Cat’s Meow. I’ve also won a book award in the past from The National League of American Pet Women, an article award from an association of FL publishers, and probably more.

I started The Marcia Polimer Abrams Fund for Canine Behavior Studies at the American Kennel Club’s Canine Health Foundation. Whatever they fund usually helps people as well as dogs so it’s a win/win. I wanted to do something special in my mother’s memory, an ongoing legacy in her name.

I’ve been forever called picky, but I maintain that we’re all picky creatures. What are you picky about?

I’m picky about manners, about caring about others whether it’s people or animals. I’m fairly picky about language. I hate the sloppiness of texting. I don’t do it. I don’t want to do it. There’s precious enough privacy and “alone” time these days as it is.

Where can people find you in cyberspace?

I’m just about everywhere. In addition to my website, I’m on LinkedIn, Plurk, Twitter, I have three pages on Facebook; a member page, a fan page and a group page that discusses all animals and discussions are led by experts, Fans of Rover, Get Off Her Leg! which proves that you should never name anything at 3 a.m.!

Any parting words for the masses? Any shameless plugs?

Please don’t get a pet unless you are ready for a commitment for the life of that animal and take time to learn about the species and use the most gentle, positive training possible. Shameless plug? Please buy my books so I can pay my bills. I promise the content is worth the price!