It was a long journey from what the Limerence cover started out as to where it ended up, and I’m finally happy with it, though in all honesty, my heart will always belong to ‘the eye’ which was the original cover. I’ve put them all here for you with the reasons I moved on from them and the reasons that I originally liked them. (Click on the covers to see larger version) The very original. **sigh** the beautiful eye. Is it Mia’s? Is it Mr Breckts? Ha ha, I know whose I thought it was when I saw it, but it depends on what colour you perceive from it. The idea behind this was that it is an old photographic camera picture print. Photos of Mia were being taken as she was stalked and followed etc. This is the same as previously, but simplified Realised that I didn’t have my name on the cover! Amateur! Getting edgier and more daring. I think this is where the hubby came in and started working his magic… Yep, then he created this beauty for me. Loved this cover. It was more horrorish than any of the others had been, and I was certain that this was THE ONE. However… I went back to this colour format after a month or so. I decided I wanted it to be more gothic paranormal than horror. I liked the colours on this one, and this was all set to be it, until a very talented writer told me that the ‘eye thing’ had been done to death and I should try doing something different to get more attention. So that opened up a whole new barrel of covers… 80’s style, Mia in flames A version of this is actually the back cover of the book but with the colours inverted. This was a picture that I used from one of my promo pieces to get you all excited for the release. I tried it for the cover, but it just didn’t seem right to me. This was third in my choices. The flower is one of the flowers that Mr Breckt has planted for Mia in Mia’s Blue, so it holds a meaning. I really liked this, but wasn’t sure people would get the meaning up front and worried that it didn’t represent any of the genres that Limerence covers. No one could see what the picture was, so this was a no no! (It was Mia and Oliver embracing) Glass of blood anyone???? This is when we started merging the two pictures together, but I wasn’t too set on the colour scheme. I still really liked the greeny blue from the eye. It had the right colours for the emotions- jealousy, envy etc and especially to do with Mia’s ‘skill’ at the end and what she can see. The colours were important.But the colours were far too muted and the eye wasn't piercing enough. I let the eye thing go after this… :0( Then me and the hubby came up with this. I loved it, It just needed a little tweaking And Then It All Came TogetherAnd this is,of course is my baby herself! With the aura/glow around the writing, the colour scheme- red/green, glass of blood/wine, Mr Breckt and Mia… it just seemed perfect.
It’s a funny thing writing a book, I never considered what the cover would be until I stumbled across the eye picture and started playing around with the colour schemes etc. For me, the eye represented so much of the story for me. Mr Breckt’s forever watching Mia, and hating Oliver, the Queen knowing all that was going on, and being a ghost on their shoulders throughout the book. However I’m glad that I did change it. The new cover shows so much more. I think after reading it, it should mean much more, certainly after reading this! Let me know what you think. What was your favourite? Or your worst? Would you have chosen the one I did? I’m always interested to know your thoughts on things so get in touch.
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Hi everyone, Just a little update on the new books I'm working on and what I've been up to since the release of Limerence BHB News First things first. You may or may not know that I’m a member of a really great Indie author imprint group called Breakwater Harbor Books. Well, an amazing author which I had the pleasure of interviewing a while back has just joined. She’s the fabulous Eli Constant. She has written a couple of books now- Dead Trees and Drag.n and also has a couple of new ones due for release later this year. She really is one to look out for, so if you haven’t already done so then go buy her books, add her to your Goodreads shelf and get to know her. Also, watch this space for an anthology coming out later in the year by us all. It will be totally free, so there’s no excuse not to download it, and it’s a great way to find some new authors! Odium Odium is coming along really well. I'm about 30’000 words in and at this rate I should be done in the next 2-3 months I would hope. Of course there’s then the editing, critiquing, beta reading, etc.. to do, but I'm hoping to release August sometime. Some of you that filled in the questionnaires for me on zombie survival have finally been introduced into the story now. Well a character with your name. Britta, Chris, JD, Josie, Emily-Rose, I’m sorry in advance for some of your fates… it’s nothing personal! ☺ There’s still a long way to go and many more of you to introduce yet, so if you haven’t been mentioned in this blog yet… you will probably be in the next update. All of your comments and answers have been invaluable, so thank you once again. If you haven’t already, go and read the first chapter which is under the Odium tab. The synopsis is there also and I would love to hear any thoughts that you had on it. I've had a couple of people posting and sending me pictures via my Facebook page for Limerence and Odium, and I want to say thanks for them all. I love them, and welcome anyone to do this. So if you see a picture which makes you think of any of my books, a poem, a celebrity, anything at all, post it up baby! Limerence II: Mia For those Limerence lovers, don’t worry. I'm still working on Limerence too, though Odium seems to have most of my time at the moment. The outline is complete and the first chapter also. I'm currently working on the synopsis for it and ideas for a cover. I’d love to know what thoughts you have on Mia’s fate. What do you think/want/hope for her? Where would you like the story to go? The outline is done, but it’s always interesting to gather people’s ideas together- especially when I know what is going to happen!! I'm hoping to complete the sequel by the end of the year, dependent upon Odium, but my hopes are to not keep you waiting too long. If you think that zombies aren't really your thing though, I would advise you give the first chapter of Odium a read. A couple of my beta readers that don’t normally read the genre have become a little obsessed with the story ha ha, so you may find that you enjoy it too. Limerence Thanks to everyone that downloaded Limerence when it was free last weekend, I really appreciate it, and thank you to everyone that has already left a review on Amazon, Goodreads or both. You have no idea what they mean to me. For Limerence and me to move up the rankings and get noticed it not only takes sales, but reviews. I know that it’s a total pain to do, but it really is a writers bread and butter. A single line and a couple of shiny gold stars is all it takes to make a writers day ☺ Lastly, if you can, it would be amazing if you could continue to help me spread the word, recommend, share, like, tweet, anything! I love you all, so thank you. Much love Claire xxx Name: Amy Queau Website: www.amyjq.com Contacts/social media sites: Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17567221-progress Tumblr: http://amyqueau.tumblr.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Progress/340436506070934 Link to Amazon page: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BNYEA1C Where did you grow up? Actually, I grew up in the same house I live in today! In a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota, my husband and I bought my parent's home in 2007. What school did you go to? I attended Apple Valley Senior High and went on to Minneapolis Business College for graphic design in 1996. Oh dear. Yeah, that makes me old. When did you start writing? Oh boy, well, let's just say that if my English teachers in high school knew that I wrote a novel, they would be floored. I failed some English courses in school and almost didn't graduate because of it! After the birth of my daughter in 2012, I wrote the first draft of Progress within six weeks. Sure, I had dabbled in journalling and (really horrible) poetry as a teenager, but I never dreamed of writing a novel. What made you start writing? Something in me just snapped. I guess some women get post-pardum depression after the birth of a child. I got an itch to write! And write. And write. Is it something that you have always wanted to do? I had tried once before. I was in a very complex friendship with a man, and I had so many thoughts racing through my head; trying to figure him out, what made him tick, why I was so attracted to him, whether or not he had feelings for me, why I wasted so much time analysing etc. I tried to sit down and write about it, but I don't think I got more than twenty pages in before I stopped. That was twelve years ago. I hadn't gotten the urge to write again until last year. What is your favourite genre to read, and do you have any favourite books or authors you would like to recommend? This is going to sound crazy... but I don't read. I mean, I can read, obviously, but it's not something I've invested much time in. I can tell you that two years ago, I had to see what the whole Twilight fuss was about. Many of my friends had been talking about the series, but I ignored them because I wasn't a reader. After I finally read it, I started thinking that I had previously shut out this whole other world from my life and that I had been missing out on something huge! Why hadn't anyone told me how enjoyable reading was? So I started hoarding books. All the classics, the best-sellers, all of them. But, time was my problem. I was a stay at home mom to a very sick one-year-old boy and newly pregnant. Those damn classics are still sitting in a stack on my end table, untouched and unread. What about to write? When I finished the second draft of Progress, I started publishing the chapters to a blog and getting feedback from friends and family. I sought out the advice from a (rather pompous) published author via social media and his response to reading my first chapter was this: "There's a very engaging narrative there, let's hope that you find the editing that it needs, and deserves." He then went onto further advice saying, "[Romance novels] are written to produce a singular effect in the reader, just as (if you will forgive the jarring comparison) porn films are crafted to produce, mostly in men, a singular response." My gut reaction to this was that he was a horrible man! That's not why I am writing my novel! I just want to tell this story! It's a great story! How dare he keep it so cold and psychological! Shame on you for thinking that all I want to do is illicit a response! But, after taking a day or two to calm down, I suppose, he was right. And, I suppose I love to write about love. Simply because it illicit's that response in me, too. Do you write full time? I don't think any stay at home mom does anything full-time. Our days are filled with hundreds of little part-time jobs put in sequence of priority. My husband gives me Sundays to myself and he takes care of the kids. So on Sundays, I am a full-time writer! Do you ever base your characters on anyone that you know, or are they solely form your imagination? Progress is loosely based on a true story. So yes, the majority of the characters in the book exist in reality. About Your Book
Your latest book is Progress, tell us all about the story/plot. Essentially, the story is about two characters who work together at a restaurant. When Charlene sees Jesse for the first time there is an obvious attraction, however he seems indifferent. Tired of being ridiculed for her weight throughout her school years, Charlene does not trust people easily. But she is intrigued by Jesse, who seemingly has no remorse or empathy for women. Together, their friendship uncovers truths about their pasts, secrets that had been hidden, and emotional and physical trauma that had left them trusting no one. Their journeys take them down parallel paths that leave them just as emotionally unmatched as the day they met. Only through knowing each other do they regain a sense of hope for their futures. Progress is for the reader who enjoys intrigue, romantic suspense, a bit of psychology and unpredictable endings. What gave you the idea for Progress? Actually, an album. I was cleaning out the basement and I came across Rx Bandits 2001 album titled: Progress. They were a SKA punk band that I used to listen to a while back. I popped it in the CD player upstairs and a flood of images, emotion and words came crashing into me. I remembered the time in my life I was listening to it, the restaurant I worked at, and all the people I had forgotten existed. They were all standing there in front of me, frozen in their twenty-something forms. Like ghosts, lined up in my living room. I saw Jesse and Angie. Karalee and Marco. And Charlie. Who is your favourite character? There is no possible way to pick a favourite I love Charlie because of her bursts of courage and her emotional growth in the story. I love Jesse because of his passion and angst. I really love Marco, but he has a small part in the series. I could write a whole book on him. You recently self-published. What made you decide to go down this route instead of the traditional way? I am friends with an author who has traditionally published short stories. He has been helping me with Progress here and there, and giving me great advice on the publishing process. But, the more I really thought about it, I concluded that self-publishing was likely going to be the route to take. I have no intentions of being a full-time writer. I just don't have the time with my kids. Traditional publishing enters you into a contract, where you have deadlines and rules. Which, two years ago, would've fit me perfectly, but now, I am a completely different person. I need to have a flexible schedule and reasonable expectations of myself. What are your hopes for Progress? It really is a great story, I only hope I've done it justice. The best possible outcome for Progress would be to have the audience read it and gain a respect for those suffering from mental illnesses and to not judge or assume. I can only hope that Progress doesn't add to the stigma of what the media already portrays as "crazy." It isn't about the money, and it certainly isn't about any sort of fame. I just want to reach as many people as I can with this story, because I've always wanted to tell it. What’s the next project that you’re working on? Well now, it wouldn't be a series without a second... and perhaps a third, would it? Ha! The next book in the series is called Interrupted. There is a sneak peak at the end of both the ebook and paperback version of Progress on Amazon. What’s the best piece of advice that you have been given in regards to your writing? One word. "Possibilities." Whenever I get stuck on something, I remember that I can take it anywhere. It can go to the moon. It can fly through mountains or sink to the bottom of the ocean. Just because I have an idea that seems right at the time, it doesn't need to stay confined there. Everything and anything is possible when you are writing fiction. My lovely and very talented writer friend, Karen Perkins, recently tagged me for a ‘chain’ blog entitled ‘The Next Big Thing'. The deal is: I answer a few questions about my current work-in-progress, and then I invite other authors to do the same. A bit like a chain letter, except it is only focused on an author’s work-in-progress. Karen Perkins was tagged previously by Dakota Douglas I've included details of their blogs so you can explore their answers to the questions. The authors I've chosen have been tagged below my answers. So here goes: What is the working title of your next book? I have two which I am writing simultaneously right now called – Limerence II Mia and Odium. Where did the idea come from for the book? Long story, but the short version for Limerence is that I read an article a couple of years back about how everyone was ‘Limerent’ to an extent, with obsessive personalities, but most people managed to keep it under control. When you don’t keep it under control that’s when you can turn into a stalker or some such. I love all things paranormal and horror, and so decided to mix up the two concepts and take things back to their roots and make them scary again. But not in the traditional sense of blood and gore etc. What genre does your book fall under? It’s a mixed genre of paranormal, romance, thriller and psychological horror. Let’s just call it dark paranormal for ease though. What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters? I love this question ;0) I did a blog post on this subject a while ago on who everyone else had in their mind as their characters. It was interesting to get everyone’s views, though some were wildly different from mine. Here’s mine. Mia- Evangeline Lilly, Oliver- Liam Hemsworth Mr Breckt – Tom Hardy Rachael – Emma Stone Chris - Jonathan Rhys Meyers A movie rendition? Heck yeah. That would be totally ace. Honestly, I think that it would make a spectacular movie. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? One mans’ obsession could destroy them all. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? Self-published. This was a personal choice for me, more out of impatience than anything else. How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript? Four months once I got going. Though I had been playing around with it for about two years, but never took it too seriously. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? Honestly, it is such a mixed bag, I can’t compare it to anyone. It has elements of Bram Stokers Dracula- dark and sexy, but then it is quite 21st century too. Who or what inspired you to write this book? Life inspired me. Though I love my life, I wanted more for myself than just working in a job I didn’t really enjoy and being a mother and wife. I wanted to make my children proud and show them that it is never too late to reach for your dreams. What else about the book might pique the reader's interest? Probably the term definition of Limerence. ‘Limerence is an involuntary state of obsession is a cognitive and emotional state of being infatuated or obsessed with another person, typically experienced involuntarily and characterized by strong desire for reciprocation of one’s feelings but not primarily for a sexual relationship, although it can further intensify the situation. The term was coined by psychologist Dorothy Tennov to describe the ultimate near obsessive form of romantic love. Limerence is sometimes also referred to as infatuation or is colloquially known as a crush, but in reality it is something much more dangerous.’ Here are the blog links for Dakota Douglas so that you can go and check out their answers and maybe even buy a really good book from them! *hint hint* Dakota Douglas http://www.dakotadouglas.co.uk/ Karen Perkins http://www.lionheartgalleries.co.uk/blog.html The authors I've invited to join in the fun are: Eli Constant who has written many brilliant novels, including Dead Trees and DRAG.N Eli Constant http://www.eliconstant.com/ Adam Oster and his hilarious and quirky The Legend of Buddy Hero. Adam Oster http://fatmogul.com/ Amy Queau and her wonderful book Progress. Amy Queau http://amyjq.com/ Thanks for reading Claire Last month I did a guest blog post on Greyhart Press's website regarding genre. Read it and let me know what you think. Do you always read the same genre of books or do you like to mix it up? What about you writers? What do you write and why? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Claire It’s a matter of genre As writers, many difficult choices have to be made when writing a story. The first, and possibly foremost, being the genre and style of your novel. Most writers tend to write in the style that they read. There are, of course, exceptions to that rule.
For me personally, I tend to read a bit of everything. Romance, horror, paranormal, sci-fi, nothing is under lock and key from my mind. So when it comes to writing I just write what comes out and I let my story take me where it needs to go. Apparently this is a fatal no no. Books need to be pigeon-holed and categorised so that they can be found in a book stores because unfortunately so many people do choose to only read a certain genre of book. This is why, sadly, the big publishers turn down so many amazing novels. Because the genre the writer has chosen to write in has too many sub-genres in it to make the marketing easy. Sound silly? Well, unfortunately it makes perfect sense- to an extent. Should a brilliantly written book be turned down just because it can’t be easily marketed? Or should publishers be attempting to think up new marketing schemes for these books? After all, things are changing in the publishing world. When it came to marketing my book Limerence, I chose not to let on what one of the main themes was until around a third of the way in. I figured at least that way readers would have given it a real chance, and be hooked by that point. Deceptive? Yes, a little I guess. There is nothing in my blurb to say what ‘the surprise element is.’ I shy away from using the catchwords that would normally hook specific groups. The cover also does not give it away. (Although once you have read it, it makes sense) Yet for marketing purposes, I have found that it’s worked really well. So many people have read it now that wouldn't have normally given it a chance and have expressed their great surprise at the secret element in it. For instance, one female reviewer left this comment. ‘From start to finish I was hooked, and I've never read a ‘######’ in my life. The characters were amazing (especially Ollie) and the story beautifully written. The love triangle was definitely unique. Without giving too much of the ending away, I'll just say I found myself screaming no!! more than once. Wonderfully done Claire, can't wait to see what's in store for Mia next.’ It isn't something that she normally reads at all, I know this because I've seen her Goodreads shelf, but she had been advised to give it a go. She’s since told me that she’ll be trying more books in the genre now. Score one for writers! I also had this comment from a male reader. ‘It's not the kind of book that I would usually read, but I read it on good authority and wasn't disappointed. The story is dark, grim, romantic, and beautiful all at the same time. The characters are bold, strong, and memorable. I'd highly recommend you read this book, as it's one of the best books I've read in a while and believe you won't be disappointed.’ Score two for writers! Another marketing choice I made, was too seek out different book bloggers, the ones that do read some of the main genre themes that run throughout the book, so that I could cover all bases, because yes, I do want everyone to read it, and I do need my specific audience to read it also. So, my point is this, as a writer should you write with specific genre limitations in place and make you and your book more attractive to publishers, or write for the passion that you have and think up different marketing schemes for yourself to get the reader base? I have noticed that many of the smaller book publishers are far more forgiving of the limits in place and as such are much more willing to take on some of these books. That’s possibly why a lot of readers are now going straight to these publishers and are not heading for the big six/five publishers. This is a great thing, I believe, for writers, readers and for the smaller publishing houses. They are now getting even more great writers on their books. Writers are getting heard of that several years ago wouldn't have stood a chance, and readers, well they get the best deal of all, they get to read some amazing new styles of books. For me, it has never been about money, but writing something of a good quality that people will enjoy. I want to mix things up a bit and to take risks. I want to take things back to the basics of genre. In some ways, stripping it all back to its beginnings, and then starting again with fresh ideas and mixing it all back up. I would love to see more women getting into horror, and more men trying romance. My next novel, for instance, is a post-apocalyptic dystopian horror with romantic elements. (There is also a surprise element in it, though I’m not saying what at this point, as I know that it will put some people off, ha ha.) People seem doubtful that you can mix horror and romance. The romance genre is supposed to, in theory, have a happy ending. Yet horror is certainly not known for this. However, on the tester chapters that I have sent out, (without the readers being told what genre they are reading) the response has been amazing. So, my opinion, for what it is worth would be this. As readers and writers, WE hold the power to change things and, WE can help get different books on to the market, and it starts with taking a chance on something new. The big publishers don’t hold all the aces, WE do. So pass by your most frequented shelf in the book store or library and reach for something a little different. Try a new author, try a new style and try a new genre. I bet that you will be pleasantly surprised if you do. Greyhart Press specialize in speculative fiction: science fiction, fantasy, horror, and other settings away from the banality of everyday modern life. To read the original blog click the link. http://greyhartpress.com/category/guest-post-2/ So today's blog post isn't from me. It’s from a new Indie author I met over on authonomy a few months back called Adam Oster. To start of this piece I wanted to fill you in on some of the books that I purchased today. As many of you know I love to read anything. I love to write pretty much anything, and I love to mix up my genres. I don’t think that you should ever be restricted to one genre of book, or one style of writing. There are so many new and old writers out there that I think you should try, and I'm always one for practising what I preach. That being said, here’s my list. Today I purchased: Walking Disaster- Jamie McGuire Dead Witch Walking – Kim Harrison The Legend of Buddy Hero – Adam Oster Every one of these books sits in a different category, with a totally different style of writing, and I can’t wait to read them all. I've read most of Adams book when it was on authonomy and it was brilliant then, so I can only imagine what he has done to it since then. It makes me go back to what I wrote on my guest post on Greyhart Press last week, over never restricting yourself to one genre of book, and giving others a chance. Traditional and non-traditional. If you don’t, how the hell will you ever find anything new to like? Anyway, I'm rambling so over to Adam… Six Reasons To Choose An Independent Author I'm really excited that Claire has given me the opportunity to write a little something for her site as celebration of the release of my new book THE LEGEND OF BUDDY HERO (available on Amazon now!) As such, I've decided to give you all a few wonderful reasons to choose to read something written by an independent author, instead of one that's backed by the giant mega-corporation publishers. First, don't get me wrong, there's some fantastic books you will find put out by publishers like Harper-Collins, Random Penguin (or whatever they're calling themselves nowadays) and Hyperion. Fantastic books like The Hunger Games, The Harry Potter series, or whatever epic series you're into definitely deserve some credit. They deserve your money . . . and the movie deal. . . and the comic book deal. . . and the cook book deal. . . and the action figures. . . and. . . Okay, you get the point. But, it's a strong point to be made. These books infiltrate our popular culture. And, more importantly, these authors get paid. Independent authors, meaning, those folks outside of the mainstream who either choose to publish themselves or go with a smaller publisher, don't. So, here's some reasons why you should choose to spend some of your book money on the little guys the next time you're perusing the online book stores (seeing as many of these aren't available at places like Barnes and Noble or Books-A-Million, or whatever you folks have over there in the old country). 1. Earn Instant Hipster Cred I don't know where the people on the other side of the pond sit in this current hipster trend, but here in the states, hipsters are everywhere. What do hipsters like to be able to do more than anything? Say this line, "Oh you like (insert artist name here)? I was totally into them before they became all mainstream and sold out." That's right. By choosing an independent author, you can drop a whole ton of names that no one has ever heard before and appear instantly trendy. Your friends will respond with some lie about how they have heard about the no-name author you list off and that they just hadn't gotten around to reading anything by them yet. And you become cool. 2. Support Art. You may not be aware of this, but whether they are traditionally published, or going the route less travelled authors (as with many artists) don't make much money. The main difference between where you spend your money is that by buying a traditionally published book, you're usually just giving your money to a publisher (unless the author in question has already earned enough money to cover the advance they were given). When you buy independent, that money goes directly to the author, minus whatever fees imposed by distributors and whomever else is in the middle. You're supporting the artist and therefore ensuring that they will be more willing to produce even more new and cool stuff for your enjoyment. 3. Find An Author You Can Actually Talk To Although mainstream authors are being forced to move the way of twitter and facebook and look like they are interacting with their audience, you'll find that more often or not, they have actually hired someone to be their online presence for them. When you're dealing with an independent author, you can rest assured that it is them behind the keyboard, hearing your thoughts about what worked and didn't work in their latest novel, and actually being interested in whatever theories you may have about who their main character may be sleeping with. You may find yourself playing an integral part in the creative process . . . and that's pretty damned cool. 4. Have Actual Input On What Stories Get Continued Have you noticed how many books (and movies and whatever else) are now series? Everything seems to come in trilogies nowadays. Hell, Peter Jackson even decided to make The Hobbit into a trilogy of movies. . . Granted, Tolkien did have the habit of over-writing, so perhaps it's best that not everything got crammed into one 5 hour Peter Jackson epic (now with 30% more dinosaurs). Since you have an ability to have a direct conversation with your favourite independent authors, you can tell them which of their characters you would like to see more of. . . instead of having 15 books about sparkly vampires come out before the author decides they're ready to move on to gem-stone encrusted Frankenstein monsters. Authors are pretty self-conscious to begin with, if you tell them you'd like to see more Frankenstein, they'll listen. 5. Become The #1 Fan Of Something. The phrase #1 fan is quite simply the most over-used and inaccurate phrase of all time. If you support an independent author, you could, quite possibly, be their actual #1 fan (or only fan. . . ) Just think of the resume building opportunities when you create the fan club and design all the buttons. It's pretty awesome. 6. Have A Cause I have to admit that I only recently began reading books from independent authors. But one of my favourite things about finding these folks and befriending them is being their support system. I love being there and being able to tell my friends and family about this great new author I found. I love being on the front lines for these people and quite honestly being able to say that I want them to succeed. And when they do succeed, I feel that I've won something as well. It's a fantastic feeling. Sure, some of these may appear to be rather silly, but that's part of the fun of supporting independent authors in general. You can get out of the stuffy-professional interactions where you receive form responses to your fan mail and get a response from an author who is literally jumping for joy with every e-mail they get (mostly because they hope it's someone offering them tons of money to make their book into a television series). These folks are truly interested in what the audience wants. Sure, they will be more free to express themselves artistically than those who have a board of editors deciding what book readers will like, sure they will be pouring their heart and soul into every word because they do it as an act of love, instead of a job, sure they will be honestly grateful with every sale of their book. That's the life of an artist. You rarely get to see that with the traditionally published folks, but you can always see it with the independents. Thanks again to Claire for giving me the space to fill. I hope to be back again some day, Adam Oster Name: Adam Oster Website: http://www.fatmogul.com Other Contacts/Social Media Sites: I’m barely social, but you can find me on authonomy at http://authonomy.com/writing-community/profile/21d693b2-6ff0-4cbb-b5bc-d60604e7e221/adam-oster/ Or, if you’d really like, I’m also on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/fatmogul _ Link to Amazon pages and or any other place that The Legend Of Buddy Hero can be purchased: The US version is here: http://tinyurl.com/BuddyHeroUS The UK version here: http://tinyurl.com/BuddyHeroUK Where did you grow up? I lived in Columbia, South Carolina until I was 13 and then moved to the much colder climate of Eau Claire, WI, which is where I still reside, and await the coming of Spring. . . seriously, it’s gotta get here soon, right? When did you start writing? I’ve been writing off and on for as long as I can remember. When I was eight I decided I was going to write a full length novel, but got very disappointed when I finished it in two hand-written pages. . . Since then I’ve written many different things, between stuff for the stage, songs, films, and, of course, a couple of books. What made you start writing? I think it all came down to the fact that I just loved reading so much. As a kid, I would read anything I could get my hands on, no matter how horrible it was. I was such a voracious reader, that I couldn't stop myself. I remember in the third grade the school held a competition for who could read the most books during a set period of time. My cousin and I were the only ones who did any reading, and she came to me and suggested we limit ourselves to 30 books, so we could both win. . . I couldn't stop at 30. Needless to say, we didn't talk for a number of years after that. Is it something that you have always wanted to do? Definitely. I love to tell stories.There’s just something about the creative process that is fantastic. In fact, I became something of a pathological liar in my younger years just because I really enjoyed coming up with fake details. I mean, these were just really dumb things, like how I had visited places that didn't exist. What is your favourite genre to read, and do you have any favourite books or authors you would like to recommend? I’ve always found myself drawn to science fiction. Something about the worlds that can be opened up due to the lack of limitations that science fiction has appeals to me. I mean, anything can fall under that heading, whether it’s a period piece that just so happens to have aliens, a futuristic piece about how robots have replaced our mothers, or a romance novel between a man and a piece of software. When I was more of a faithful reader, I loved Michael Crichton. I really appreciated the amount of detail he would put into his stories, based on actual science. I mean, his later works actually included bibliographies to show how much truth it was based on. The actual stories themselves could get rather silly, but there was this hint of truth behind the words that made them that much more exciting. For more contemporary literature, I've found myself opening up more. Some of my favourite (why did that auto-correct to have a U? silly English) authors today are ones no one has heard of. . . yet. I'm still working my way through Limerence, but it’s a story that seems so similar, but yet so far removed from anything I've seen on the market today. Another one of my favourites is a newly released book by independent author Ken Mooney, called Godhead. It has hints of items from books like Percy Jackson or Neil Gaiman’s American Gods, but gives it the flair that only a kid of the 90’s could do. There’s so much good stuff coming out right now I have a hard time limiting my praise. .. but I've already over-written this answer, so I’ll stop. What about to write? Both of my completed books (as well as my in progress novel) fall under the science fiction category, but that’s only a superficial label. I love to write about interesting characters. Although THE LEGEND OF BUDDY HERO may appear to be about one dude’s experience in becoming a super-hero, it’s really about the ensemble cast. There’s a whole team of superheroes, each with their own quirks that I think sets the story apart from most other similar books out there. My favourite character in the novel is named Zero who is quite obviously a rip-off of something you’d see in the old Adam West Batman. . . or The Tick. It’s the same thing with my second novel (yet to be released) The Agora Files. I actually started with a very simple idea, which was very little more than, what if we had a story about a young Han Solo-type character was running from being captured. It’s a much more elaborate tale than that in its execution, but it really came down to the character development. Do you write full time? If not, what do you do? I wish. . . I work an office job, doing office things. I honestly have nothing of interest to write about it. Do you ever base your characters on anyone that you know, or are they solely from your imagination? My characters are generally an amalgamation of things, between pop culture icons, people I know, and pieces of myself. Buddy Hero is based on a version of myself from a few years back when I found myself sitting on a barstool way too often, but he’s also based on super-hero icons such as Superman and Spiderman, people who see an injustice and feel obligated to correct it. About your book Tell us about your latest book. The story/plot. I’d be delighted. THE LEGEND OF BUDDY HERO is, quite simply, the story of a man who’s washed up. He used to be something, but now, all he has is those memories. Then he finds out those memories aren't even real. . . here’s the back cover detail: Buddy Jackson is the world's greatest superhero. He just doesn't know it. He's unemployed, a drunk, and has a tendency to go weeks without showering; yet Buddy Jackson may be the only person capable of saving the world from total destruction. Once convinced to leave the comfort of his bar stool, Buddy battles tentacled bug-monsters, finds himself on the run from shadowy government officials, and teams up with a super-powered Mafia This adventure leads him to a final confrontation with his past self's arch nemesis, the evil minister who goes by the name of Dominion. He is hell-bent on destroying Buddy and the world which loved him. The last time this superhero and super-villain crossed paths, the entire course of history was forever changed. Buddy is now left with two options, live up to the legend he supposedly created and once again don the bright-green spandex, or allow the damnation of all mankind. What gave you the idea? I have been working on this story for over a decade. It started initially as this film noir attempt at telling a super-hero story. The idea really just came from being put in a situation where I was asked to tell a super-hero story . . . and then I wanted to build on that world. The reality is much different from the initial idea, but there’s still pieces of it in there. And, I have plans to include many of the original story lines in the books to come. What genre is it? Science-Fiction, purely because of the fact that it has superheroes in it. I like to think of it as something of a coming-of-age/adventure novel. . . for 30 year old. Who is your favourite character? Zero Hamilton, hands down. The way he looks at the world is constantly amazing, even to me. I love writing his dialogue. He sees things in black and white, but there’s still some magic in the world for him. A very close second is Alexa Rose. She’s a young speedster that, on the surface, has it all together, but we quickly see how much is broken underneath. I’m really excited to explore her character further in the future of the series. And worst? Jeff Flores. I really hate even writing for this character. If he hadn't become such an integral part to the momentum of the series, I would have axed him long ago. . . but, I have needs for him, so he’s around. What are your hopes for it? Obviously I’d love to make enough money off of it to write full-time, but my real hopes for it are just that someone out there enjoys it enough to give me a real reason to keep writing. I love telling these stories, so they’ll keep coming, but I’d hope someone digs it. What’s the next project that you’re working on? I've got two in the immediate pipeline. The Agora Files, a book about a dude who runs, is in the revision phase, hoping to be released in the next few months (like august). And I'm well under way on the sequel to THE LEGEND OF BUDDY HERO, currently titled THE RISE OF THE FAT MOGUL. What’s the best piece of advice that you have been given in regards to your writing? Keep writing. It was stated as part of the idea that a writer should write because they need to write, not because they hope for fame or money. It really helped shift my perspective from writing for someone else (such as publishers or agents) to just writing the story I wanted to tell. Before I was told this, I was willing to do anything to my book to get it out there. I even made THE LEGEND OF BUDDY HERO into a young adult novel for a short period of time. . . big mistake. Thanks so much for giving me the time and space on your site. This is my first book-related interview. . . I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would. |
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