Sunday Post #amjoy Heaton Wilson

via GIPHY

 Today's post will link up to The Sunday Salon, The Sunday Post and Stacking the Shelve, Reader Book Buzz  for weekly updates.

           LOOKING FORWARD TO JUNE

I have a guest author on my blog today. Heaton Wilson was born in Stalybridge, near Manchester, and has lived and worked in Bolton, Herford and Worcester, Southampton, Hertfordshire, London and Gloucestershire.

Sunday Post with Heather Burnside

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Happy Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

 Today's post will link up to The Sunday Salon, The Sunday Post and Stacking the Shelve, Reader Book Buzz  for weekly updates.

           LOOKING FORWARD TO APRIL

Writer Heather Burnside is with me today. Heather has had ten books published to date: two trilogies plus the first four books in a series of five. The fifth and final book in the series is due to be published in January 2022.

Heather, can you talk about your books?

All my novels are in the gritty crime genre and are based in Manchester, UK. The first trilogy features the Manchester gang wars of the 1990s, the second features the Manchester door wars of the 90s when gangs took over the doors of nightclubs and pubs in Manchester, and my current series revolves around the lives of sex workers in the city.

What drew you to write in this genre? 

I spent my teen years on one of the toughest estates in Manchester. During the 1990s gangs moved into the estate and it was constantly in the press because of problems with drugs, shootings etc. Although I had left the estate by this stage, it piqued my interest. Also, when I am developing my characters I draw characteristics from some of the people who lived on the estate.

What is your favorite motivational phrase?

I don’t really have one to be honest, but I spur myself on by telling myself, ‘I can and I will’.

Which writers inspire you? And what are you reading now?

I draw my inspiration from actual events, characters, news articles and TV documentaries rather than from other writers. However, I do have some favourite authors in the genres of sagas and thrillers including Catherine Cookson and Jeffery Deaver. Many of the books I read have a triumph over adversity theme which is evident in my writing, so this has perhaps influenced my writing to an extent. Currently I am reading The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths.

Heather Burnside grew up in Gorton, a working-class area of Manchester famed as the original location for the TV series, Shameless. She moved from Gorton to Longsight and spent her teenage years on one of the toughest estates in Manchester. Heather draws heavily on this background as the setting for many of her novels.

To date she has published ten novels and is currently working on her eleventh. You can find out more about Heather's books by signing up to her mailing list at: http://eepurl.com/CP6YP to receive regular updates, or by viewing her website:www.heatherburnside.com

That's my week.  Tell me about yours in the comments below.

CURRENTLY 

From the author of this blog...This week I found myself driving ride share again. I picked up an ice cream truck driver and a computer programmer who got into a recent car accident but wasn't mangled. He talked to me about how he envisioned himself as a writer when he was a kid. As I say to anyone 'Its never too late to start writing.'

I also went to the allergy clinic to get tested for peanut allergy. My results were negative, thank God! I don't know what gives, I think it may be my GI tract is incredibly off because I have the worse acid reflux one could have. I know too that my birth mother had a hard time with both her liver and gallblader. I'm crossing my fingers.

Either way, I also talked to writers about their craft and what enables a writer to keep motivated to write. I learned about the pomodoro technique, which states to write for 25 minutes, take a break and repeat. It helps! I love talking to writers every morning about their craft and you get some ideas that are helpful.

Someone recommended me this book because its supposed to have magical realism, which I love. I usually get my magical realism from writers like Alice Hoffman and Haruki Murakami

Eritrean writer, @TesMekonnen, joins TheGlobalDig #crowdfunding

Illustration from Mekonnen's book:Happyland

Tes Mekonnen is with me to discuss the books he's written and his process as a writer. Tes came to America in 1990 at the age of four. He was born in Sudan, but considers himself Eritrean (a country on the horn of Africa) because his parents are Eritrean. They fled Eritrea because of war and trekked to a refugee camp in Sudan where they started a temporary life there then eventually came to America.

Author Zachary Ryan

Author, Zachary Ryan is with us to talk about his writing. Ryan grew up in Maryland, before moving to Chicago to start a new life. There, he found that he was accepted for his misfit status—and learned that it’s perfectly normal to spend your twenties feeling lost and confused.



(Zachary Ryan pictured above )

Ryan writes coming of age, LGBT, and Young Adult novels. He likes to write books with heart. He's written several novels with a coming of age and heartfelt aspect. His novels include: Letters, Long Lost Friend, and The Fifth Coupon, along with his newest: Highschool Queen.Through his writing, he hopes to help other broken souls find comfort amid the chaos. 


Zachary, can you tell us something about your main character/s?

The main characters... I honestly truly enjoy Danielle and Calvin. I wanted to have a friendship that was pure and good among all the lying and backstabbing. I see a lot of myself in Calvin. I try to figure out my life, and I see the relationship between Calvin and Aman as much of what I had with my ex. I enjoy the idea of people trying to protect themselves. The characters are ruthless, and I want to be as cold-blooded as them sometimes. I enjoyed the idea of telling people off and not worrying about hurting people's feelings.


Tell us about your writing process and the way you brainstorm story ideas.

My writing process comes back to when I was in college and a professor told me to create these characters and follow them around and write what they do. I'm extremely character driven instead of plot. I write down some ideas of what I want to happen in the novel beginning and end, but the middle takes me for a surprise sometimes. I love when a character does something unexpected that I wasn't planning on them to do. I love being the writer and the reader at the same time. The beauty also is when I'm close to finishing a novel the next book will come to my mind, so I'm blessed that I don't get writer's block too much.

Where do your ideas come from?

My ideas come from music I listen to, books where I'm like I wish it went that way, so I'll do something different or just random life situations that would be a good book. I don't like drawing from my real life too much because I feel like that puts me too much into a box. I'll try to keep the person as real as them, and I find that very boring. I want to create someone so people fully love them or hate them without it affecting my personal relationships with people.

What were you like in high school?

I was actually popular and well known in high school. I did broadcasting, so people saw my face on the tvs once a week. I also worked a lot, so I didn't get to go to that many parties. My high school reunion is coming up, and I can't wait for it. I will say I won biggest gossip so maybe that's why I write these scandalous novels because I love the drama of it all.


Your book cover is intriguing how was it chosen?

My publishing company picked the cover. I fell in love with it instantly.I like that it's sexy, bitchy, and overall exciting. I wanted a cover to show these pretty girls doing campy things. Nothing says drama like putting on red lipstick and blowing a kiss to a person you just stabbed in the back.

That's all the time we have today folks. Ryan, thanks for being with us.

Interview with @CDGallantKing #amreading @amjoy

Joining me today is author, C.D. Gallant-King. C.D. was born and raised in Newfoundland and currently resides in Ottawa, Ontario.

C.D. has written eight novels you haven't read, because they're still locked in The Closet. The Closet is both a figurative and literal location - it is the space in his head where the stories are kept, but it's also an actual closet under the stairs in his basement where the stories are also kept. It's very meta.

Randall visits Trin Carl's Blog

Bloggers, do you have a desire to read new material?

Above is Randall Krzak

I'm excited to inform readers that I will be posting interviews with authors on my blog. This is a chance for readers to get to know up and coming writers.

Today's interview is with Randall Krzak.

Randall is a U.S. Army veteran and retired senior civil servant, spending almost thirty years in Europe, Africa, Central America, and the Middle East.  His residency abroad qualifies him to build rich worlds in his action-adventure novels and short stories. Familiar with customs, laws, and social norms, he promotes these to create authentic characters and scenery.

What are your ambitions for your writing career? I suppose like many authors, to try and be successful. Whether that will happen or not is outside of my control, so the best thing I can do is create realistic stories to share with others.

Which writers inspire you? Tom Clancy, Dan Brown, Clive Cussler, Brad Thor, David L.

Golemon, Robert Crais, Jack Du Brul, and Mark Greany, to name the major ones.

So, what have you written? The Kurdish Connection is my

debut novel and is the first in a four-book series. I took the first chapter of another book I

was working on, cut it to 399 words, and submitted it to a monthly competition held by

Wildsound Writing and Film Festival Review. My entry, called A Dangerous Occupation,

was one of the winning entries in August 2016. It’s read by a profession actor at this Youtube link. Another short

story, Postal Man, was recently chosen for the January members’ writing and art section

on the The Fictional Cafe

Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special? I

really have two main characters in The Kurdish Connection, Craig Cameron (referred to

as CC) and Dersim Razyana. CC was born in Scotland but eventually raised in America

and leads the Bedlam Alpha team after a long stint in the military. Dersim is an Iraqi

Kurd, a family man and scavenges to earn a living. His dream of an united Kurdistan

leads to various perils but a change of heart returns him to a level-headed individual

concerned about taking care of his family.

What are you currently working on and what is it about? I have three other novels

underway. The first is Dangerous Alliance, the sequel to The Kurdish Connection. This

one involves the North Koreans and Al-Shahbab, a Somali terrorist group. To counter the

alliance is Bedlam Bravo who will try to stop the transfer of oil and weapons, as well as

rescue a well-known hostage. The second ongoing book is called A Cartel’s Revenge,

and involves a cartel headed by a woman. She makes an unusual alliance with FARC,

not realizing ISIS will soon be involved. Working against her are a CIA agent and an

Army colonel. The third book, which will take some time to finish, is historical fiction. It

begins in 1770 with a tenant farmer and his family. After crop failures, they receive a

lifeline and head to America, arriving in time to be caught up with the Boston Tea Party

and the beginnings of the Revolutionary War.

What drew you to write in this genre? Probably the authors that I like to read. One thing

of interest is many readers of The Kurdish Connection like mysteries, crime, and even

romance, so there’s obvious appeal across genres.

How much research do you do? It really depends on what I need. Whenever possible, I

include personal travels and experiences. When this is insufficient I spend the time to

research either through the internet or purchasing books to gather the necessary

background to continue creating my stories.

When did you decide to become a writer? It wasn’t something I ever thought of doing.

Just before I retired, a long-time colleague suggested I try writing a novel. The Kurdish

Connection is the result.

Do you write full-time or part-time? I write part-time.

How often do you write, and do you have a special time during the day to write? Since

I’m an early riser and my wife isn’t, I spend an hour or so in the morning and then

perhaps two hours in the evening. This time isn’t just for writing, but covers research,

too.

Do you aim for a set amount of words/pages per day? No. I know a lot of writers who do

this. Perhaps they’re better at writing than I am but I’d rather put time in to create what’s

needed for my stories rather than try to rush against a word count.

Do you write on a typewriter, computer, dictate or longhand? I use a computer but once

in a while I’ll jot things into my phone or even on a piece of paper if my computer isn’t

Available.

Where do the your ideas come from? They come from a variety of places, paying

attention to the news and even other writers. A Cartel’s Revenge, mentioned above, is

based on three sentences someone sent me to see what I could do with them. I have

two other novels planned that are based on suggestions sent to me but I need to

complete the others before working on these.

Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you? I

prefer to use an outline. I begin with a draft synopsis so I have an idea where I’m starting

and where I want to go. The initial chapters are identified but things changes as the

stories unfold, which can change the number and order of my chapters.

What do you do for fun? In addition to writing, he enjoys hiking, reading, candle making, pyrography, and sightseeing.

Bloggers, that is all the time we have for today.  Find more about Randall and his upcoming stories on his blog randallkrzak.com.

Joining me today is New Zealand writer, J.B. Reynolds

J.B. is a writer of humorous short fiction in which tragedy meets comedy and character reigns supreme.

He can be contacted on facebook or  jbreynolds.net.

J.B. Reynolds Pictured (above)

So J.B, what genres do you write?

I'm currently working on a series of short stories which I am self publishing. I would call them humorous, contemporary fiction, but I have some other story ideas which I guess would be speculative fiction and a couple of sci-fi story ideas. I also have an idea for a fantasy novel, so yeah - mixed genres is definitely where I'm at.

What is the hardest thing about writing?

For me, it’s been finding the time. I’ve got young children and a demanding job, and I never seemed to have the time. So I decided I had to make the time. I made a decision last year to get up at 5.00 am every morning before work to write. Now I get up at 4.45 am, seven days a week. Since I’ve managed to establish that routine, the writing hasn’t been particularly difficult. It’s been slow, and that’s something I’ve struggled with, but you just have to keep chipping away, doing a little something every day.

Is there any marketing technique you used that had an immediate impact on your sales figures?

The best thing I have done so far has been making the first book in my short story series, The Golden Cockroach, permafree at all the major ebook stores. I started to get downloads from people finding it through organic search. The next book in the series is available for free if people sign up to my mailing list. So the platform is there, and now the best thing I can do is write more stories.

Permafree? That's a new term for me. I found a site that goes in depth with how Amazon does Permafree books vs. Smashwords and other book sellers.
http://www.sidehustlenation.com/permafree-on-amazon-how-and-why-to-give-your-book-away-plus-my-results/

I also had a chance to read your short story, Square Pegs.

"Through a crack in the curtains, he could see the front door to the adjoining flat was wide open. He detested the gang of troubled young people who lived there."

Something about this excerpt reminded me of "A Man called Ove." An ill tempered, retiree Ove spends his time reinforcing block association rules.

Do you ever get Writer’s Block, and do you have any tips for getting through it?

I haven’t encountered writer’s block as yet. Here’s hoping I won’t. I think people often get stuck in the mucky middle of things, unsure of where their story is going. Writing a good outline before you start helps with that.

Write an outline, eh?
Man, I'm such a pantzer. I'm afraid if I write an outline, I'll be stuck in a little box and I'm claustrophobic!! I'm sure it works for some people though.

Where do you see publishing going in the future?

I see continued growth for indie publishing for a long time yet. I think there’ll always be a place for traditional publishing, but I think the market share is going to shrink. I think there’ll be continued growth on mobile platforms, especially as mobile penetration increases in developing countries. I think there are big opportunities in audio book publishing and foreign language translations, and when we get colour e-ink screens, coupled with long battery life and affordable pricing, I think many more people will be tempted to purchase a dedicated e-reader.

Colour e-ink screens, long battery life... We were lucky if we got to play Mario typing in keyboard class back in the day. My eleven year old niece says everyone in her classroom has access to a chromebook, just think about that!
I think the future looks rosy, but it’s always going to be a challenge to stand out from the crowd

What is your favourite quote?

I’m not much of a quote person. The one that always springs to mind when I get asked this question is “Even a stopped clock tells the right time, twice a day”, from the movie Withnail and I, mostly because it was sampled on an album I spent many happy hours listening to in the nineties; Orbital 2 by Orbital. It’s been stuck in my head ever since.

***A clip (above)of Best Moments from Withnail and I

That's all the time we have today folks. I wish we had more time to chat, Reynolds.
Me too.
Readers, if you have any questions for J.B. Reynolds let him know in the contacts below. His short story Riding Shot Gun is also available free, just visit his blog and tell him where to send it.