author

Ryan Lieske - Drop and Give me 20: 20 Hard Questions for Hard Authors

Ryan Lieske is an award-winning director and screenwriter, whose debut novel, "Fiction," will be published by Burning Willow Press in January of 2018. He is currently working on a novella, and several short stories. He lives in Grand Rapids, MI, with his girlfriend, three cats, and maybe a ghost or two.

 

Ryan has been writing fiction, essays, and screenplays since he was 15-years-old. His influences include Stephen King, Ray Bradbury, Clive Barker, Kathe Koja, Elzabeth Massie, Z.Z. Packer, Toni Morrison, Brian Hodge, Edgar Allan Poe, Charles L. Grant, John Skipp, Melanie Tem, Shirley Jackson, Ursuala K. LeGuin, Robert R. McCammon, Whitley Strieber, Ramsey Campbell, Peter Straub, T. M. Wright, among others. 

 

OK, enough self promo, on w/the interview!

1. Are you “An Author” -or- “A Writer”? What’s the difference

Hmm...IS there a difference? How about this: I am the author of the things I have written. 

2. What is your biggest failure

Not taking care of my depression when it was first diagnosed, earlier in my life, thinking was too proud and strong to let it control me—and then, of course, wasting all those years as it slowly whittled away at me.

3. What is the worst lie you ever told?

All of them.

4. Do you Google yourself?

I have, yes. There's still an old Angelfire page out there that's quite amusing (not to mention pretentious as hell). 

5. How would your friends describe you? And what about your worst enemy?

That I'm a good friend/enemy. 

6. What is your creative Kryptonite?

Honestly, I don't have one. My mind never stops (which isn't always a good thing, but I've learned to roll with it.) Now, my productivity Kryptonite is definitely my damn day job.

Don't get me wrong, I love where I work and what I do there, but I my dream is get to a point where I can write full time. 

7. What popular movie/book/music which others adore, do you secretly despise

I fucking hate Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of The Shining. It's a soulless piece of work. 

8. What is the worst criticism you ever received? How did it make you feel?

An ex-girlfriend once told me I was “ineffective.” I was at a very low point in my life, and that comment just gutted me. Because, at that point in time, she was right. I can't really say it was the catalyst that got my life back on track, but it certainly pointed me in the direction that led me to the catalyst.

9. What is secret you’ve never told anyone?

I want it to stay a secret.  

10. How long/how many rejections did you get before someone gave you your shot

If you're talking about my first book, I had one publisher reject it before Burning Willow signed me. I originally pitched the novel to a couple of other publishers at the 2015 World Horror Convention, where one of my films was showing. Both publishers were interested in it, and that gave me the boost in confidence I needed to finish it. At the time, I hadn't written prose in over ten years, so I wasn't sure if I could even do it. 

One of those publishers folded before I finished the book, and the other...all I can say is that the person I pitched it to turned out to be a bit of a scumbag (I'm being polite here), and so I wasn't able to get the manuscript to anyone else at the imprint. I decided then to seek other publishers. I feel very lucky and humbled that Burning Willow not only liked it, but were willing to take a chance on it. They were at the very top of my list, and I didn't think in a million years they would be interested. I pinch myself every day. 

11. What was the last movie/book which made you cry? 

Moulin Rouge. The 2001 version. Gets me every time. As far as books go, it's been a long time since one made me cry. But I recently read On the Beach and I came pretty damn close. Easily the most depressing and heartbreaking book I've read in a long, long time.  

12. Can you describe a single, personal moment in your life which made you, you?

When my father took me to see Star Wars in 1977. I was about five. It was years before I could properly articulate it, but I remember leaving the theater thinking how much fun it would be to be a part of all that–to imagine things, and tell stories about them. And that feeling has never gone away. 

13. On a scale of 1 to 10, what is your writer’s ego? 

Idea-wise, I would say 9. Storytelling-wise, 7. Writing-wise? Maybe 7. I still have a lot to learn, and I don't ever want to feel like a 10. Ego is great to get the ball rolling, but too much ego, I feel, could too easily lead to complacency. And I say fuck that noise. Complacency is tantamount to creative death. 

14. How often do you wish you wrote/created something someone else already has? 

Every time I read something by Stephen King, Clive Barker, Elizabeth Massie, Kathe Koja, Brian Hodge, Ray Bradbury, Toni Morrison, Shirley Jackson, Charles L. Grant, Z.Z. Packer, Suzanne Rivecca...I'm a very jealous reader. 

15. Have you ever been in a fight/punched in the face? How did/would you react? 

No. My reaction, I guess, would depend entirely on who threw the punch. 

16. What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?

I don't find it all that difficult. There are obviously some things I would never be able to understand, and I would never purport to do so. I find that incredibly disrespectful. I simply treat every one of my characters, regardless of their gender, as a real human being. I talk to people. I listen to people. And then I try my best. 

17. Who/what was your favorite, and least favorite, character to write? Why? 

I love Caitlin Frost, in my forthcoming novel, Fiction. She's a composite of several women I've known personally, with a healthy dose of myself thrown into the mix. I love everything about her, even the things I hate. If that make sense. I also love Mark, the lead character from my feature film, Remotion. On an emotional and spiritual level, he is definitely an autobiographical creation. Almost uncomfortably so. I find it very cathartic to autopsy myself through my characters. I'm also an emotional masochist, so, kids, don't try this at home. But if you do, hey, generic meds are fairly cheap. 

18. What genre of writing have you never written, but want to try?

Screenplay-wise, I would love to write a western and a musical. Fiction-wise, I haven't felt the urge to really write anything other than what I already do. Screenwriting is where I tend to be a bit more interested in dipping my toes into untested waters. 

19. You roll out of bed one morning and rift in time/space opens sucking you in. You are in an alternate world where a Mad Max Apocalypse has already happened. You see four truck’s racing towards you with desert mutants hanging off. You can have one weapon of your choice, three books and one luxury item ...what do you do?

I'm good with a pistol, copies of Fahrenheit 451, Lord of the Flies, and Steppenwolf, and an iPod, I guess. I don't actually own one, but I wouldn't want to be anywhere without music. I suppose I'd need batteries, too. Do they make iPods with solar cells now?

20. What would you like fans and potential fans to know about you as a person?

That I put every inch of my heart, soul, and head into everything I write. To the best of my abilities, I will always try to deliver absolute honesty through my work. I can't promise sunshine and smiles, but I can promise it'll be interesting

  

Thanks for the interview Ryan!! For more on Ryan, please check out his information!

 

Ryan Lieske

www.facebook.com/RyanLieskeAuthor

www.facebook.com/familiarproductions

 

Ryan is the writer and director of "Clean Break," "Down to Sleep," "Abed" (based on the short story by Bram Stoker Award-winning author, Elizabeth Massies, and produced by the late Fangoria scribe and novelist, Philip Nutman), and "Remotion: Prologue." He has also directed music videos, and is currently in production on the feature film, "Remotion." He owns Familiar Productions, which will be branching into book publishing in 2017. 

His screenwriting credits also include "Aeon: The Last Vampyre on Earth," "The Devils in the Darkness," and "The Anti-American" for director Daniel E. Falicki; and "The Pony With the Broken Wing" for producer Jamie Thompson.

L. Bachman - Drop and Give me 20! 20 Hard Questions for Hard Writers

L. Bachman

Pre-Question - So, who are you? 

I’m a Texan born author now living in northern Alabama. I’m a coffee addled mom and wife, horror/dark fantasy author that publishes works are often referred as genre-blending. I’m also a graphic artist working for Burning Willow Press, LLC and holding some of my own clients. I write and work mainly under the pseudonym L. Bachman.

 

1. Softball question for you: Why did you want to get into advertisement and graphics? 

It began two years ago. I had just unpublished a book and needed something to do with my time. I began researching into the industry and decided that maybe someone somewhere may have need of my skills and artistry so I did a month long free campaign to do cover designs that led me to meeting some wonderful people and getting my first job on a project that turned out to be an anthology that needed a cover artist. 

I continued doing this with incredible cheap prices, but it led to me being inspired enough to write again. I finished my first published work Maxwell Demon that year and then by same time the following year I had found steady work with my own clients and had by luck been found by Kindra Sowder of Burning Willow Press who hired me after I did the cover for a short story called Anima. It was a steady progression of advertising my skills at a price that was within or even below many independent authors’ budgets.  

 

2. What is your biggest failure?

To date, I’ve done some covers I’m not proud of as I’ve enhanced in skill and gained newer knowledge in programs I didn’t originally work with. It’s like looking back on a high school yearbook photo and seeing how much you’ve changed since then. 

3. What was the worst lie you ever told? 

I honestly don’t think I have one. I’m the type of person that prides themselves on their honesty. If I had one it was probably something from my childhood, before I became self-aware enough to see that lying isn’t worth it.

 

4. Art, Advertising, Writing...those are tremendous creative outlets! What was the hardest project you’ve worked on? 

The hardest projects for me are my own. I’m hyper critical of myself and my work. I want to do the best possible for all authors and clients I work with, but without a double the hardest things are what I do for myself. 

Writing can be a struggle, it’s a marathon in and of itself as we all know that are in this end of the industry, the sloshing through the hours of writing to find upon revisions could be better and doing it all over again. I must really love it and have a passion for it or perhaps I’m a bit insane to keep doing it over and over. I struggled through the latest release Harvest on the grounds I didn’t like the way it was falling into place and removed several chapters just to re-write them.

Writing is the struggle, but the hardest part in that realm is the synopsis. How am I to condense this thing I’ve worked months on into a couple paragraphs that don’t give the entire story away, but is considered a ‘good summary’? Thank God for editors! 

5. How would your friends describe you? And what about your worst enemy? 

My friends have told me I’m easy-going, caring, loving, honest, intelligent, even hard working, and creative. I’ve even been time to time labeled wise and street smart in a business fashion. I suppose those fit. I see myself as a loving and caring for sure. I work really hard, but it’s because I love the work I do. If I didn’t the passion and fire to work hard wouldn’t be there for me; I thrive in environments like the one I’m in and Burning Willow Press, LLC makes it super easy to feel that way about the work I do for them.

I’m not sure if I have a worse enemy, but I’m sure any successes I’m having is bothering ‘them’ as hateful people tend to want to look down on others and demean anything they do to nothing so they can feel something themselves. I feel sorry for people like that. We all have moments of being jealous, we’re humans, but it’s the ability to overcome those moments to grow that makes us mature adults in an industry that can have catty times.

6. What is your creative Kryptonite?

Lack of sleep, it messes with me greatly as I’ve gotten older. It affects my memory now and that is not good when I’m on deadlines, schedules, and have things that need to be done like yesterday. One or two days of good sleep, going outside in the sun, and I’m recharged again!

7. What popular movie/book/music which others adore, do you secretly despise?

I’m not a big fan of many things that others deem awesome. I’m not the type to keep those opinions secret, so this has to be the hardest question to answer so far! I suppose my son’s constant singing of ‘Let It Go’ killed Frozen for me whereas many loved that movie, but I think many parents would agree with me on this.

8. What is the worst criticism you ever received? How did it make you feel?

It was on the work I unpublished, a reviewer said that story was cliché, which wasn’t something I did purposefully. It’s the worse I’d ever gotten to date, but I use all my criticism as footnotes to improve!

9. If you could have one “do-over” in your life, what would it be?

I love this question. I recently did a post on Facebook about if you could go back to your happiest moment in your life and do over from there would you. It actually is a question that inspired a story I’m working on. For me, personally, though I’ve gone through so much in my life that is bad I’d still not change anything. I’d go through it all again because it is the bad and the good I’ve learned from my mistakes, from my experience, and all that I’ve endured to be the person I am now. I’m more grateful for things now than I believe I would’ve been if I’d not gone through some of the things I have.

10. What was the last movie/book which made you cry?

I don’t really have a movie or book that made me cry recently. I get really emotionally invested sometimes; music does this a great deal for me and was the last thing that made me cry. I cried over a song from a band that my late father loved, Wizard by Uriah Heep. It brought up some feels. 

11. Which creative trope are you the sickest of...and possibly caught yourself doing?

I try to avoid them as much as possible, but I get tired of seeing people trying to be like other authors for the sales. It’s a mistake I think a lot of newcomers do, it’s something you must learn from, but I’ve come across too many that want to be the ‘next’ Stephen King or Anne Rice with experience and growth they’ll eventually want to be the first –insert their name here- .

12. What is/are your most memorable scars (mental or physical)? 

I have a wicked few scars from childhood. I’m not going to talk about the mental ones, there’s not enough space on your website for all that dirt.

13. Have you ever been in a fight/punched in the face? How did/would you react?

I’ve been in a physical fight yes. It was over quickly. As far as verbal…more than a few, thankfully with age I’ve gotten more to just biting my tongue and letting it go with an eye rolling. From where I came from this was something that was more common than one would’ve liked, but sometime things happen. You either stood up for yourself and those you care about or you let others run over you. I rather reserve my time and energy toward something creative even if it’s something I’ll delete like a death scene that may ultimately end up deleted.

14. You mentioned you plan on writing dark fantasy/horror. What draws you to this genre? 

I think it was a natural pull. I begin with just writing. I wrote what I liked, what I read growing up. It wasn’t until later with some help from author Samantha LaFantasie that I knew what genres I fit in the best. Dark fantasy and horror was something I suppose I was inevitable to write in. My main goal is going, ‘I’m gonna write horror today’ It’s usually, ‘let’s write something that makes sense today!’

15. What genre do you think would never write...but might be good at?

Sci-fi. I’m in awe of sci-fi writers for their world building skills. I might be good at it I don’t know until I try though.

16. Which of the characters you’ve developed (written or graphically) do you most relate to?

Dante Angeloft from Harvest would be considered the ‘old’ me and Sophia Bishop the one I wanna be like when I get much older. I just like her spunk and feistiness! I see a lot of myself in my character of Dante, he was the one I began developing in my youth not even being aware of how much we were alike then, but I can see it now.

17. What is a distinct memory which makes you, you?

I don’t want to get too personal here, but there is a very important moment in my life when I looked at what was going on around me and I made the conscious decision to do better and be better than a relative of mine. It’s been useful throughout my life. I believe that happened when I was around eight or nine years old. This relative was and still a very destructive person.

18. Which emotion do you draw on the most when you create? No cheating, and saying “all of them”, gimme the good stuff!

Sadness is one of the main ones. I think we all have had things happen in our lives that have made us sad. This coupled with a genuine fear seems to be a natural combination. Fear of the unknown, a sadness of not knowing, again a fear of what might’ve happened or what’s happening. Sadness of being out of control, an anger coupled with that. I also see hope as a strong influence in my writing. The ability to overcome things that have frightened us or saddened us is powerful. It’s a subconscious feeling at first that slowly stirs like a sleeping dragon awakening for the first real time in a long time. It’s a beautiful emotion. These are the feelings I’ve drawn from real life experiences to make my writing as realistic as possible within the boundaries I’ve set for myself.

19. While sitting at your computer, you get an odd email. It is from an unknown address asking how you are. You ignore it as spam. Then you get another. And another. Each demanding you answer. When you close your browser, you hear a voice come through the speakers of your music player demanding you talk to them. The room drops 30 degrees and you know, you are not alone. You can have one weapon of your choice, three books and one luxury item...what do you do?

First I’d yell in exasperation, ‘Must be Thursday!’ and then grab my white sage or natural sea salt, a lighter, and three begin reading from a holy book. If it fails I got two different back-ups. Something will work. Lol!

20. What would you like fans and potential fans to know about you as a person?

Recently, I’ve been told that I give the impression, without meaning to of course, of having a reputation of being a mystery because I don’t like my picture taken or like webcams. I’m just a private person with high anxiety. I’m a laid back person that you can approach! I’m private, but approachable. I love when fans, readers, and supporters message me. Feel free to ask me whatever you want to and I may just answer as long as it’s not derogatory. 

Additional Information:

I have a release coming out soon called Dawn of Blasphemy, its book one and two of The Blasphemer Series. What is special about this is its additional bonus materials that was voted on by fans in my fan group called Bachman’s Blasphemers.

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/writerbachman/ - My Facebook page.

https://twitter.com/authorlbachman - My Official Twitter.

http://lbachman.wixsite.com/bachmandesigns - Art design website with portfolio of work, video trailers, and more!

http://lbachman.wixsite.com/lbachman - Writing website with blog and updates.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/bachmanblasphemer/ - Facebook Fan group.

https://www.amazon.com/L.bachman/e/B00MMCPCZW/ 

My Amazon profile. I have a 99 cent sale going on at the moment on the first two books of my series called The Blasphemer Series and my short story bestseller Human Ouija which is a Blasphemer Branch Book.

Kerry Allen Denney - Drop and Give Me 20! 20 Hard Questions for Hard Writers

Kerry Allen Denny AKA, The Reality Bender

 

I first "met" Kerry Allen Denny when I was with another press at the same time as he. We may have chatted a couple of times on Facebook, but I had the chance to read Soulsnatcher and have been a fan ever since

Pre Question - So, who are you?

I am, at heart, an adventurer, on the greatest journey ever undertaken. I commenced that journey from the moment I popped out of my mother’s womb. And I’m certain it won’t end when I crumple and gasp out my last breath. After fifty-five years of surviving on this wildly-spinning watery space rock, I still believe in magic, and I still believe in love as a vital and tangible force that can change the world for the better. I believe in good and evil, and foster and nurture the former while I combat the latter. I believe that the easiest way for evil to win is for good men to do nothing, and that there are far greater things in Heaven and on Earth than are dreamt of in our philosophies. There is more to this world than we see with our eyes or touch with our hands, and I spend much of my time and effort trying to see and touch those things. I often come close to it when I’m “in the writing zone” and my muse is upon me. Come join me on this grand adventure!    

 

1. Are you “An Author” -or- “A Writer”? What’s the difference?

I’m a little bit of both—and laughing at myself as I write that. All authors are writers—of a sort—but not all authors are good writers, as they inevitably mistakenly believe themselves to be (there, see? Two “-ly” adverbs in a row—so spank me twice and call me Charlie).

 I prefer to be thought of as a writer, because it’s what I am. I write; I do not “author”. One is a verb and the other is not... at least principally. Although I am by definition a “published author”—five novels now, and numerous short stories, some award-winners—I still consider myself a writer because it’s what I do when I sit down at my word processor and create people, worlds, and stories.

Why not an “author”? Because to me, an Author is that pompous ass you sometimes run across at conventions, festivals, parties, gatherings, and sometimes on the Internet who looks down their nose at everyone around them, mistakenly believing him- or herself to be better than their peers, for whatever absurd reason. And I damn sure don’t want anyone to think of me that way, because I am, always have been, and always will be a “people person,” respectful of the thoughts, opinions, and differences of others, however radical or “out there” they may seem.

Authors are inevitably shallow and self-absorbed; writers are deep and absorbed by the world and events surrounding them. So yeah, I’m a writer.

 

2. What is your biggest failure?

Such a tough question! I’ve had so many, how do I choose? (Laughing at myself again.) I guess I’d have to say “the one that got away,” although she didn’t really—I actually lost her. I was an immature, selfish young man, not worthy of the wonder and joy she brought into my life... although I certainly didn’t think so at the time. She was, and still is to this day, the best thing (and woman, all woman, 100% plus) that ever happened to me, and I foolishly squandered her love and devotion because I was a stupid kid. Lori, I still think of you, and well and fondly. Whoever finally won your heart is the luckiest man alive. If I got just ONE “do-over,” she would be my choice, hands down.  

 

3. What is the worst lie you ever told?

Probably “I love you, baby,” because no other simple phrase has ever gotten me in such deep shit from which I can barely extricate myself. Yeah, I’ve told a few whoppers that I’ve ended up regretting, but the process of learning to be brutally honest without capitulation has helped me mature and become the man I’m proud to be today—as well as helped me learn who my true friends really are, and little else in this world is as important to me as that. 

 

4. Do you Google yourself?

Hell yeah! And it’s genuinely not an ego thing. I’m a writer, remember? These days, writers must promote themselves and their work (unless they’re J.K. Rowling, James Patterson, or Stephen King and the like). I use the results of Googling myself as a guideline to help determine which of my promotional and marketing strategies and tactics are working most successfully. Sure, it’s a kick and an ego boost to see your name all over search engine results, but it’s also a great method for a writer to learn which of their monumental efforts, outside of actually writing, are yielding the best results and “hits” on the ’net, and which are doing the most to help them reach their target audience. 

 

5. How would your friends describe you? And what about your worst enemy?

The one word friends have used most often to describe me is “clever.” Maybe not my best choice, but I wear it like a badge, with pride. I might have preferred “sex god” (one woman actually said that!), but upon reflection, “clever” works well for me. I’ve also often been told that I’m a good listener, and that means a lot to me. And it works exceptionally well for being a writer, too. One of the greatest skills a writer can develop is learning how to watch people, listen to them and observe their phraseology, demeanor, and use of colloquialisms, their mannerisms i.e. facial expressions, posture, gestures, and body language, and incorporate those mannerisms into our characters in order to achieve believable realism as well as sympathetic and empathetic characters—including developing devious, shrewd, and despicable villains that readers love to hate, one of my favorite accomplishments when writing.

Worst enemy? I haven’t met him or her yet that I know of, but I’ve certainly been called some choice names: asshole, jerk, narcissist, and the ubiquitous “fuckhead,” which always makes me laugh no matter from whom it came.

 A great friend of mine once told me, “Kerry, if you were rich, you’d be eccentric, but since you’re not rich, you’re just fucking crazy.”

 Works for me!

 

6. What is your creative Kryptonite?

 Finally, an easy question. The fucking Internet, dammit. When I’m “in the writing zone” and my muse is upon me, I must avoid that omnipresent devil at all costs. It is the Eater of Souls, the Grim Reaper of Valuable Time and Creativity.

 Second biggest creative barrier? The intrusion of reality. Writers don’t need that when they’re writing.

 

7. What popular movie/book/music, which others adore, do you secretly despise?

 Well if I tell you, it won’t be a secret anymore, will it? I can’t stand rap “music” (it’s not music), never could and never will. Death metal bores me to tears (nihilists are the biggest losers on the planet). I don’t get the fascination with The Hunger Games; the movie was lame, although admittedly I didn’t read the book/series, so I have no idea of the level of writing skill of Ms. Collins, and absolutely do NOT begrudge her the success she’s achieved—nor do I begrudge anyone their success, big or small. An old girlfriend desperately tried to persuade me to read 50 Shades of Gray, and I mired through one chapter before my gag reflex took over—because of the abysmally poor amateurish writing, not the content. Star Wars (all of them) makes me yawn so much my jaw hurts, and I’m a huge sci-fi fan. I avoid vampires like cottage cheese flavored yogurt, especially the sparkly ones (temporarily leaves interview to hurl). I’m overzombified, even though that’s not a word... although it should be. I prefer clever and shrewd antagonists, and zombies don’t think. I could go on, but I don’t want to alienate my target audience, now do I? ;) 

 

8. What is the worst criticism you ever received? How did it make you feel?

 Some kid on the playground in elementary school once said “You’re a doody-head,” and I remember that one stuck with me for a while. I was inconsolable for days. However, lest I fail to mention it, I cleverly countered that outrageous insult with the unparalleled ultimately insulting reply, “YOU’RE the doody-head,” which certainly put that poor boy in his place, by God.

 I’ve had fortunately very few negative reviews on my books, but they’re radically overwhelmed by the positive ones. Nowadays, that stuff rolls off me like water beading on a good wax job. My skin is thicker than titanium and Kryptonite blended together, and besides, I’m happy for everyone to have and share their own opinions... however wrong they may be. (Yes, I snickered at that one.)

 

9. If you could have one “do-over” in your life, what would it be?

 Oops, see Question #2 re: the one that got away. However... if I were so fortunate to be blessed with two more “do-overs,” they would be 1) to stop my mother from going for a drive that sorrowful day in 1988 when she had her fatal car accident, and 2) to stop my little brother from going for his drive that equally sorrowful day in 1984 when he had his fatal car accident. I would have strapped them both to chairs with rope, duct tape, and chains. Kolan & Mother, I miss you both so much. I try to live my life in a way that will honor you both.

 

10. How long/how many rejections did you get before someone gave you your shot?

 I don’t believe I can count that high. Let me get my calculator out. For the record, I wrote seven complete novels before I got my first publication offer, over a time span of nine years—and learned a priceless wealth of information about the craft of writing and honed my writing skills in the process. Both SOULSNATCHER (my first-published novel and fifth-written one) and JAGANNATH (my second-published novel and sixth-written one) each received upwards of 200 (yep, count ’em) rejections before two different publishers made offers. An interesting side-note: Both novels received offers during THE SAME WEEK in early December of 2013, which made for one hell of a pair of kickass Christmas presents.

 I have a motto and creed that I live by, which I call my “Triple-P Philosophy”: Patience, Persistence, and Perseverance. All writers wishing to achieve eventual publication must ultimately adopt these three traits. And when you finally score that incomparable winning goal, yes, by all means throw a blowout week-long party to celebrate, but more importantly, KEEP WRITING! 

 

11. What was the last movie/book which made you cry?

 That’s a tough question, mainly because I’m a man who’s not the least bit ashamed or hesitant to admit that I wear my heart on my sleeve, and express my emotions (joy as well as sorrow) freely.

 The last movie that made me cry was the recent remake of POLTERGEIST. It was a repulsive insult to the classic original, and should be forever lost and never shown or seen again upon penalty of eternal torture. That’s not a joke / gag response. It was worse than inexcusably sad. Some movies just SHOULD NOT be remade, and that’s one of them. As for the movie that chokes me up every time I see it, one of my all-time favorites which I’ve seen at least ten times and still enjoy, that would be THE ULTIMATE GIFT. Sad as can be imagined, but also full of victorious redemption. I highly recommend it.

 As for the last book that made me cry, I would have to say Dean Koontz’s WATCHERS, an all-time favorite, upon my fifth re-reading. But the good part is they were, as they always are, tears of joy. What a magnificent story. Also highly recommended to all horror / fantasy / sci-fi readers. I’m sure I’ll be reading it again, and again.

 

12. Which writer’s trope are you the most sick of...and possibly caught yourself doing?

 So many to choose from! I abhor clichés, and avoid them like the Black Plague (lol). How about this one, bet you’ve not heard it before: I avoid clichés like giant mutant maggots with razor-sharp fangs squirming on the festering wounds of a bloated three-week-old zombie corpse. ;)

 If I must pick one trope, it’s that whole “lucky bitch/bastard” presumption so often made by ignorant folks who don’t know all the endless work and effort that goes into successfully creating, soliciting, publishing, and marketing a book. I want to smack those people upside the head with a nail-studded two-by-four like Negan on steroids and hallucinogenic amphetamines. In all but about 0.0001% of the population of people who have achieved success in one endeavor or another, they worked their asses off to get there. Luck didn’t have anything to do with it, although that may often seem the case on the superficial surface.

 

So I can hardly wait to hear the first person call me a lucky bastard. It will mean that I have arrived at that lofty goal called “supreme success.”

 

13. On a scale of 1 to 10, what is your writer’s ego?

 Eleventy-one, methinks. Seriously, about 8.69. A writer without a good healthy dose of cocky self-confidence is likely doomed to obscurity. And in my mind, a great writer’s skill is learning to temper that cockiness in the creation of our characters, radically varying their own levels of self-confidence in a way that is believable to readers and doesn’t require a great amount of suspension of disbelief. Achieving this in writing is vitally necessary; we mustn’t infuse ALL our characters with our own personal characteristics and traits, because that not only gets boring, but it also quickly becomes annoying. My favorite writers are the ones who can successfully achieve this, regardless of the vastness of their egos. We all have flaws—a curse of being human—and we must endow our characters with flaws as well as strengths to make them realistic and believable.

 For the record, two of the most often repeated compliments I receive on my writing is that I create likeable and believable (sympathetic) characters, and that I write realistic and natural dialogue. A big part of the reason for this is that my characters develop a life of their own inside my head while I’m writing them, regardless of what type of person they may be or represent—hero, villain, or somewhere in between the two—and more often than not they end up dictating to ME how they behave, respond to certain situations, and even what they say and how they speak. Yes, my characters speak to me.

 And yeah, compliments like that are a massive ego boost, a real head-blower-upper.

 

14. Do you have any scars (mental or physical)? Which one(s) is/are your most memorable?

 Physical: a minor few. Fortunately nothing memorable that reminds me of a stupid mistake I’ve made that I have to live with the rest of my life.

 Mental: also relatively few. The worst are the ones I wear inside for the times I made my mother and father angry with me. They deserved better, and fortunately I grew out of that type of inexcusable immature behavior (by the time I turned about 35 or 40, lol). The fact that they stoically put up with all my shit is a testament to their being the greatest parents a mischievous and recalcitrant boy could ever ask or hope for. I miss them both so much, and gleefully dedicated my most recent published novel, A MIGHTY ROLLING THUNDER (December 3, 2016), in loving memory to them. I wish they could see that.

 

15. Have you ever been in a fight/punched in the face? How did/would you react?

 A few minor scraps, hardly worth mentioning, and all in my youth. I reacted by fighting back, and giving as well as I got. One of my proudest memories regarding fights and physical intimidation is knowing that I stood up to bullies. They always back down, because—adolescent or fully grown—they never want to tussle with anyone willing to fight back and take a few injuries in order to put them in their place.

 Nowadays, if someone fucks with me, I’ll just shoot them—but only in self-defense. If some deadly criminal invades my home, I’ll shoot their ass and have a sandwich while I watch them bleed out. I have guns. Good ones, and lots of them. Thank God and the determined stalwart voters of this great country for the Second Amendment and the Castle Doctrine.  

 

16. What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters with sexual identity different from your own?

 I’ve only indulged in this aspect of writing a couple of times, but don’t really consider it that challenging, because in my mind people are just people regardless of their sexual orientation. Bigots, racists, elitists, and homophobes piss me off, and are actually THE most insecure—sexually as well as mentally, emotionally, and physically—and pathetic people on this great planet. If we’re lucky, one momentous day they’ll all do us a priceless favor and die the fuck out. Good riddance to human rubbish.

 As an example, here’s a quote from A MIGHTY ROLLING THUNDER about a beloved lesbian character I wrote:

 So where was Callista now? Was she, as Conor suspected, Victor’s prisoner? Was she here, somewhere in this mountain fortress? Or did Victor snuff out that beautiful life when he discovered he could never possess her in the way he possessed the capstone of her life’s work? Had she laughed at him when he tried, and told him she didn’t even swing that way? Livi had never been intimidated or uncomfortable with Callista being a lesbian; she had accepted her friend as the wonderful person she always was, and always would be in Livi’s heart. Love didn’t choose sides, gender, class, race, culture, religion, or sexual preference. But Victor would never accept or understand that.

 

17. Which of your characters do you most empathize with? Which character do you least empathize with? Why?

 Another toughie, because I’ve written so many that still live on in my heart and mind. I suppose if I must choose, I pick Nick Buchanan, my villain from DREAMWEAVERS, as the character I empathize with most. Although he was always arrogant, and eventually became bitter and despicable, the mildly disfiguring burn scars he received that sent him plunging into a downward spiral of spite and resentment were acquired from a tragic incident in which he tried (unsuccessfully) to save his stepmother’s life when she was trapped in her burning car.

 The character I least empathize with (and possibly enjoyed creating the most!) is Victor van Danz, the villain from A MIGHTY ROLLING THUNDER. Why? Because the more I wrote him, the more I despised him—and yet, inexplicably, the more I simultaneously loved and loved to hate (and write) him. He was perhaps one of the most fun characters to develop that I’ve ever created... and he definitely took on a life of his own the more I wrote him. He was a hoot and a half, and I look forward to hearing and seeing readers’ responses to him in their reviews.

 I highly recommend everyone read all of my works and choose the characters you empathize with most and least for yourself! Share your thoughts in Customer Reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, the greatest reward you can give a writer other than buying their books and spreading the word about them. I’m confident you’ll enjoy and treasure the journeys.

 

18. Some authors write to share stories. Others write to mask pain. Why do you write? And no “because I want to tell stories” answer. Why do YOU write?

 I write for the same reason that one of my favorite and most beloved characters paints—Livi DeSilva, my female protagonist from A MIGHTY ROLLING THUNDER: She didn’t paint to make money; she painted because she couldn’t not paint.

 Likewise, I write because I can’t not write. Were I to attempt to stop writing, my head would likely explode from all the story ideas, worlds, and characters screaming in my mind to be let out and live on the written page.

 Plus, as mentioned in my bio on my website, Amazon Author Page, and Goodreads Author Page, I write reality-bending thrillers because the voices in my head compel me to... and even when they don’t.

 

19. In the dead of night, you hear a scream from outside your home. Waking, you go to your bedroom window and in your yard you see a person, naked and bleeding, crying for help. You run downstairs and rush to their aid. The person reaches out for you to help them as they collapse in your arms. As they touch you, you hear them say “I’m sorry, but it’s your turn.” Suddenly, the person vanishes and all their wounds transfer to you. You scream in pain and look up to see a pack of hellhounds pulling a demonic chariot coming at you. A great winged demon stands upon the chariot and they are coming at you. You can have one weapon of your choice, three books, and one luxury item...what do you do?

That’s an easy question, because it happens to me every day, lol. 

Weapon of choice: the same superpower that my protagonist David Flint has in my supernatural thriller MARIONETTES: the ability to “jump” into other peoples’ minds and control their thoughts and actions, literally turning others into my personal human puppets.

3 books: The Anubis Gates by Tim Powers, Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury, and The Onion Girl by Charles de Lint—because all three are essentially about overcoming the most daunting and debilitating adversity as well as adversaries. Not to mention they’re all three kickass stories.

Luxury Item: an ice-cold beer... or a cooler full of them if that can be considered “one item.” (Hey, if we’re going to dream, we should dream big, right?)

What do I do? I “jump” into the winged demon’s mind, thus controlling him/it, make him return to the hellhole from which he was spawned, and make him utterly destroy all his fellow demons. Then I have an ice cold brew and read a good book.

 

20. What would you like fans and potential fans to know about you as a person?

I want them to know that I fervently believe in the strength, dauntless courage, and resilience of the human spirit, the vital importance of being willing to sacrifice self for others, and the ultimate triumph of redemption.

If they know these things about me, they are sure to love all my works—novels as well as short stories—because that’s exactly what I write about.

Thanks so much Michael for allowing me to share the dementia of my bodaciously imaginative mind, and happy reading to everyone!

 

~No, thank you! This was a great interview and you gave so much. I wish you nothing but success brother! If you want to know more about Kerry Allen Denney AKA The Reality Bender, please check out his info! 

 

http://www.kerrydenney.com 

http://www.amazon.com/Kerry-Alan-Denney/e/B00K378HHS 

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8187822.Kerry_Alan_Denney 

@Kerry Denney https://twitter.com/KerryDenney 

New post-apocalyptic / urban fantasy A Mighty Rolling Thunder from Burning Willow Press December 3, 2016: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N3JL331 

 “Kerry Alan Denney has created the perfect blend of King’s The Stand and Koontz’s famous dogs. A Mighty Rolling Thunder is a well-written thrill ride of a story that you won’t want to miss. A must-read for all post-apocalyptic genre fans!” – Monique Lewis Happy, critically acclaimed Managing/ Acquisitions Editor at Winlock Press and Owner/ Managing Editor at Monique Happy Editorial Services

 

Mirren Hogan - Drop and Give me 20! 20 Hard Questions for Hard Authors

 

 Mirren Hogan, Author of Crimson Fire  

Mirren is a writer I met through Burning Willow Press! Now, let's welcome this author from New South Wales Australia!

 

1. Are you An Author” or- A Writer

Whats the difference? Both. It depends if I'm writing for fun, or for fun and (eventual) profit.

 

2. What is your biggest failure? 

Last Christmas's roast turkey.

 

3. What is the worse lie you ever told? 

"No, there's no more chocolate in the house."

 

4. Do you Google yourself? 

Yes, I'm not rich enough to pay anyone to Google for me. 

 

5. How would your friends describe you? And what about your worst enemy? 

Hopefully caring, loyal and a good writer. My worst enemy would be some extremist who doesn't share my views on equality. They can go jump. 

 

6. What is your creative Kryptonite? 

Self-doubt.

 

7. What popular movie/book/music which others adore, do you secretly despise? 

50 Shades, but it's not a secret. 

 

8. What is the worst criticism you ever received? How did it make you feel? 

I had a beta reader ask if my writing was supposed to be serious (as in, did I really think anyone would read it). It stung, but the publisher likes it, so I guess success is the best revenge. 

 

9. What is secret youve never told anyone? 

I can't tell you.

 

10. How long/how many rejections did you get before someone gave you your shot? 

Um- 3 or 4 on Night Witches. About the same for the Dark Shores trilogy. Everything else was successful right up. 

 

11. What was the last movie/book which made you cry? 

I can't remember. Maybe The Light Between Oceans.

 

12. Can you describe a single, personal moment in your life which made you, you? 

I was born. 

 

13. On a scale of 1 to 10, what is your writers ego? 

Probably an 8. I don't have anything I look back on and cringe. Things could have been better, but they weren't bad as such. 

 

14. What is your first dream you can remember? 

No idea.

 

15. Have you ever been in a fight/punched in the face? 

How did/would you react? No, I don't like conflict unless it's fictional.

 

16. Whats the most difficult thing about writing characters with sexual identity different from your own? 

Characters and characters, their sexual identity doesn't change who they are that much.

 

17. The term strong female character” is used a lot. What does that mean to you, or, is it a term used too broadly? 

Yeah, it's a bit of a catch all term these days. I'm sure people do write weak characters, but who will admit that? I just prefer to write characters who are as realistic and relatable as possible. 

 

18. I see you are from Australia. From my time in the military Ive had the opportunity to work with some incredible people from your country. What are some of the pet peeves you have concerning the stereotypes of people from Australia? Follow up, do you tell tourists about drop bears

Lol. No I don't. I don't like the assumption we're all sports mad and talk like Steve Irwin. I've never heard anyone but him say crikey. I also never say g'day.

 19. One day while outside your home, just enjoying the day, an unscheduled eclipse happens. At first, everything is cool. But when the eclipse doesnt pass, the Earth begins to shake and split open. Nightmare creatures from Lovecraft mythos being to crawl forth from the fissures. You can have one weapon of your choice, three books and one luxury item...what do you do? 

Find wine, chocolate, my kids and hide until it's over. 

 

20. What would you like fans and potential fans to know about you as a person? 

I guess just that if they like my work, I hope they continue to reread it, because I'm striving to get better all the time and I hope they enjoy the ride. 

 

Thanks so much for the interview Mirren! For more information about Mirren, you can check out her sites here!

https://www.facebook.com/MirrenHoganAuthor/?ref=bookmarks

Twitter- @MirrenHogan.