I'd like to introduce to you today Scott J. Toney. Co-founder of the Indie-Imprint BREAKWATER HARBOR BOOKS that I'm a part of. He's sharing with us his newest release - Nova Forge, so if you love sci-fi and fantasy, this might be right up your street, plus the guy is one of the sweetest people I've
ever met.
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Interview With Scott J. Toney
Social Media Links

Facebook | Website
Goodreads | Amazon Author Page




Tell us about your latest book?

Genre:

Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Title:

NovaForge

Brief run down in your own words:

Scott- Here’s a review below by a fellow author to give you a good grasp on the book.

“Nova Forge is a Sci-Fi book that also fits in to the Fantasy genre. There is a distinct voice
that makes this story what it is and from the onset, I knew it was going to be a good one. 

A meteor punches through the atmosphere and we meet Julieth, bow and arrows in hand, fleeing a scorched city with the ten-year-old Bayne. As she meets Ivanus something strangely wonderful happens. Not only can she fly, but Ivanus can help her people. Is this perhaps the winged woman the dark-hearted Samuel is afraid of? The descriptions in the narrative are strong and we can ‘feel’ Julieth’s pain and her sense of mistrust. Already she is a character to root for. Bayne is injured and so she must carry him to safety. This cleverly fulfils the ‘pet-the-dog’ theme through the first chapter and we can only hope he survives.

Toney has cleverly set the scene of devastation, raging battle, ripping explosions and a crumbling city in this opening chapter that will keep readers rooted to the end. I can’t recommend
Toney’s work more.
He never fails to entertain. A five star review for another roller-coaster ride into the unknown.”
CMT Stibbe
Author of Chasing Pharaohs and The Fowler’s Snare

Release date: 
5/3/2014
 
Anything in particular that you want to say about it? Where did you get the inspiration from? Favourite characters? Tell us something unusual.

My favourite character in NovaForge is Julieth. The character Julieth in NovaForge is an
intense, headstrong female character with vast feathered wings and a leaning towards the bow and arrow. She’s tough, and yet in a world that has been decimated by years of corrupt humanity, she is the character with the most heart. She understands the need for battle, and yet struggles in her mind against it.

The origin of the name Julieth has a long history for me. Each one of my books has a character in it that in some way came out of my poetry book, Dusk Crescence. In NovaForge Julieth is that character. There was a character in Dusk Crescence named Julieth who was a winged woman. She had a different personality than this Julieth, but that is the name’s original usage in my books. When I created the name I was in High School, sitting in class looking at a friend of mine, Judy. I needed a name and I thought… Judith, Judie, Julie, Juliet. But Juliet is Shakespeare’s character’s name. Then I added an H. Julieth. So now you know where and how.

Julieth is a key player.

There are many fantastic characters in NovaForge; a cyborg, a telepath, a dark priest, were-beasts, Julieth and a young boy who has to come to terms with the decimated realm he exists in, just to name a few. But Julieth is certainly my favourite.

What are you working on next and when can we expect to get our greedy little mitts on it?

I’m currently deep in the grind of writing NovaForge’s sequel, NovaSiege. It will release June 2015 and is just as high-intensity as NovaForge. I’ve got some striking plans laid out for
NovaSiege.

Solaris. A planet like any other, rife with wars, science and love. But at the peak of its civilization, a great meteor fell, bringing long-dead souls to Solaris, souls that had been sustained by the life-force of one lone man, Ineal.

At the moment of impact, these souls scattered across Solaris, giving inhuman abilities to mortals while scarring their bodies and corrupting their lives.

Samuel was one such man, a man of faith who thought to use his powers to worship his God: he watched his followers, and his planet, die. Seas turned to lava and the skies darkened. And as Samuel’s heart grew weary and angry, he used his powers to manipulate the world to serve him alone.


Samuel became god of a planet whose only life was the symbiotic life so like his own.

Centuries later, he discovered others, threats that had not been on this planet before. A winged woman; a cyborg; a future-seer and a child. A great vengeance burned a comradery between them.

They were souls that could overthrow him. Souls that he would need to destroy.

Look for NovaForge's release on Amazon, Barnes&Noble.com and Smashwords Tomorrow, Saturday, May 3rd!

1. What inspired you to write the book?

Lazarus has always fascinated me. Here in the Bible we have the miracle of Jesus bringing him back from the grave, but  the question I always had was what was his life after being brought back like? There is little known, and so I was driven to take what we do know from various sources and write a possibility for the days beyond when Jesus  brought him back. To us it is such a beautiful miracle, but I approached Lazarus as a man who feels lost and uncertain after returning to the living, especially after Jesus' crucifixion. I approached him as a person like the rest of us, who in that deep moment of darkness, turns to God
to heal him and show him his path. 

2. How did you come up with the names of your  characters?
 
Most names have been taken directly from the Bible, but for those names of created characters I just jotted down names until I had one with the right fit.

3. Other than writing what else do you like to do?

Sing, I love to sing, and I love to help others in any way I  can. And my family is my world.

4. Are you inspired by people you know for your stories? 

I am inspired by the love others show me  and by God. I find that if I follow God's direction and let him lead my pen,  then my writing will follow the path it was meant to follow. I pray a lot, no matter what I am writing.

5. What message were you trying to  impart to the reader?

When you feel the darkness the greatest, that is when God is strongest by your side. The
characters in the Bible were just like us. They felt pain, doubt and despair. We are all 'Man'. Turn to God and he will cherish and guide you.

6. Who is your favorite Author? 

Tad Williams, he writes Fantasy and I am a huge fantasy fan.

7. What is your favorite book?

The Dragon Bone Chair by  Tad Williams

8. How old were you when you started  writing?

It all began as a youth, around 10, when I wrote tales to go with the computer game Oregon Trail, creating stories to go with Jimmie getting typhoid or Susie getting small pox.

9. Are you  planning on writing more books?

I have 4 planned now. They may never stop. I am currently writing a Sci-Fi novel titled Bishop. Then I'll be writing 'The Book of Esther' done much in the style of Lazarus, Man. I'll also eventually be tackling sequels to Hearts of Avon and The Ark of Humanity.

10. When readers criticize your book does it give you pause about writing again or are you encouraged?

As writers we must have tough shells. Someone people will always criticize. Some criticism should be taken to heart and put in place to better our current and future  works, and other criticism is not valuable and is not worth worrying about at all. A writer has writing in their blood. I will never stop writing. I  just don't have that in my blood.

11. What advice would you give  those trying to write a book?

Write it now. Begin tonight. I write one  single spaced page per day. You'd be surprised how fast that adds up and how  much it will mean to you once you've finished your first book. And I just  can't tell you how much my readers' reviews have meant to me. Begin your book now. There is no day like today.

To view Lazarus, Man or another of Scott J. Toney's works visit the site link below.

Scott J. Toney, Amazon.com

Get to know the author, Scott J. Toney!
 
Five facts that people won’t know about you. Can you juggle? Ride a bike with no hands? Drink beer upside down? Something unusual… GO!
 
1. I sing all the time, in the grocery store, the restaurant, at work, at home, while gardening, heck I think I even hum while writing sometimes. I once took opera lessons and was told I should have gone into opera or some singing avenue professionally.

2. My favorite character in any novel is Don Quixote. I would rather be insane and good than sane and nasty.

3. My family holds more value to me than anything else.

 4. I would rather my writing help and move people than sell in mass quantities.

 5. I have a dark side. It's called Lasagna.


 
Five facts about your newest book that people won’t know. Some background history on one of your characters maybe? Maybe it was going to be called something completely different to start out with? Is it the same genre it started out as?...


 1. I decided to write Hearts of Avon because my wife has a great like of Nicholas Sparks' Romantic Suspense novels. 

2. The hurricanes in this book, Irene and Sandy, were both real hurricanes that hit the us east coast and Sandy actually hit as I was writing the book and made for a great addition.

3. Many bits of this book were taken from my real life experiences with my wife.


4. I did not begin writing Hearts of Avon with the intent of it having faith playing a major role, but because faith plays such a strong role in my life it easily weaved its way in.


5. I’ve had such a strong response from Hearts of Avon that a sequel is now in the works and will be released sometime in 2014.


 
Five facts about your next book… Name, genre, expected date of release…

1. NAME: Bishop: Book I of the NovaForge Trilogy

2. GENRE: Epic / PULP / Sci-Fi {Yes, I am a proud genre hopper!}

3. PITCH: On Solaris, a planet eons old, stones from the crust of a meteor give inhuman powers to their symbiotic pairs. Good battles evil to survive.

4. First chapter beginning: Darkness consumed Ineal as the voices tore at his thoughts. The sole survivor of the planet Eon, he wanted to shut off his brain, to destroy his consciousness and be
nothing. But the voices would not let him.

The stones, he thought, encased in this meteor hurtling through space. The stones destroyed us. I am the last. They take me for their own. He did not know when the glowing stones first came to his planet. Men and women claimed the gems for their own, pressing them to their bodies and allowing the stones to become necessary symbiotes of the flesh. The symbiosis with the stones gave his people powers and abilities beyond their dreams. But the price, the price of the flesh was great, and an ultimate death of sacrifice and pain was given in return. Ineal was the last, and the only being of Eon who had not taken up the stones.
 
But you took me, he thought as they spoke with their unintelligible voices, whispering in a constant
echo through his mind. When my planet died you came to me. You took my body to keep yourselves alive...

5. To be released early 2014, but a stand alone excerpt will be published in the Breakwater Harbor Books’ Anthology later this year.


Three tips that you think might be useful for other authors… anything you want. It
could be, to write a certain amount every day, only write after midnight and never get Gizmo wet (Sorry, that’s Gremlins not writers! My bad.) Maybe it’s some information that was given to you that has helped your process…


1. If you write an hour each day you will quickly realized how fast a novel can actually be written.

2. If you have faith and confidence in your writing then your work will thrive. If you doubt your abilities then that will show up on your pages.

3. Make sure to make time for family first and writing second, but always both. Without family,
writing is worth nothing. but writing, as we all know, is an integral part of every author and cannot be separated from them.


To view Scott J. Toney's Amazon Author Page follow the link below.

Amazon.com / Scott J. Toney

About you.

Name: 

Scott J. Toney

Website:
 
www.scottjtoney.weebly.com 







Other contacts/social media sites:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4883112.Scott_Toney

Link to Amazon page and or any other place that your books can be purchased:

 http://www.amazon.com/Scott-J-Toney/e/B0098JRXWC/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

 https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ScottJToney

 http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/scott-toney?store=allproducts&keyword=scott+toney

Where did you grow up?

The Suburbs of Pittsburgh, PA

When did you start writing?

It all began as a youth when I wrote tales to go with the computer game Oregon Trail, creating stories to go with Jimmie getting typhoid or Susie getting small pox. Oh the fun of younger days... but one must advance. From there I tackled poetry and received a $100 prize in High School for winning a poetry contest. In college I earned degrees in Journalism and Public Relations.

What made you start writing?

I originally began writing as something to do with my neighbour. We both loved Oregon Trail. But the poetry… that began because of a girl. All the best things happen because of a girl, don’t they? :)

Is it something that you have always wanted to do?

I've wanted to be an author since I was in Middle School. My family and friends always said that I had an excellent voice and should pursue voice, doing opera or something else vocal, but my passion is in the written word.
 
What is your favorite genre to read, and do you have any favorite books or authors you would like to recommend?

I have two favorite genres, Fantasy and Historical Fiction, preferably a mix of the two. As for favorite authors… Here’s my current top 3.

1. Tad Williams. Read him, there is no other in the world like him and he is truly amazing.

2. Jim Darcy. Jim is publishing his first novel later this year with BHB. He is a phenom. If you miss out on Fire Lord’s Crown then I pity you.

3. Mike Lee. If you enjoy Sci-Fi then you have to run and go check out StarFire. Lee is amazing.

I could list so many more, but these are my true and honest top 3. I am a huge fan of all of our BHB authors. We have immense talent being birthed here.
 
What is your favorite genre to write?

Oh, you’ve caught me; I am definitely a genre hopper. So far I’ve dabbled in Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Christian and Romantic Suspense. And up to this point, I have to say that I enjoy writing Fantasy / Sci-Fi the most. I like the chance to control all aspects of a character’s world and not be restricted by earthly
things like gravity. Who needs gravity anyway?

Do you write full time? If not, what do you do?

Right now I have 3 jobs. I’m a Stay-at-Home-Dad, full time Founder of Breakwater Harbor Books and I’ll soon be waiting tables again at TGIFridays part time. I’ll also be the Vacation Bible School teacher for a group of three year olds soon, which should be a blast. But my most important and valued
job is always that of Father and Husband. I am incredibly blessed.
 
Do you ever base your characters on anyone that you know, or are they solely from your imagination?

In case anyone I’ve based them on is reading ;) NEVER. Lol. But seriously, I’m not sure I’ve ever based a character on anyone I knew. I’ve been told that Maanta and myself in The Ark of Humanity are quite similar. That would probably be as close as it gets. I’m also told that I reflect Ben in Hearts of Avon.

Tell us about your latest book. The story/plot.


I’ll let the pitch speak for itself. The book is Hearts of Avon.


In Avon, a beach town along the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Ben is falling fast for the beautiful and intelligent Caroline, even as they both deal with her stalker ex-boyfriend who has followed her south on vacation.

As Ben learns the depths of the other man's madness his and Caroline's relationship runs into another wall, level 3 Hurricane Irene moving quickly toward the Outer Banks. When the storm arrives, all of their lives will be drastically changed. 
 
How will they learn to cope with the consequences? When they are tested with a disaster on the brink of their comprehension, how will they pick up the pieces of their lives
  
What gave you the idea?

My wife is a huge fan of Nicholas Sparks, and Hearts of Avon was written specifically to dedicate something in her favorite genre to her. It is a Romantic Suspense novel with faith woven in.

Who is your favorite character?

My favorite character is probably Caroline, Ben’s love interest. I worked in some of me and my wife’s real-life experience’s between her and Ben, and so I guess that’s why I like her so much.
 
And worst? 

Caroline’s ex-fiancé John. Stalker, jerk, you get the gist.

What are your hopes for it?

Well it’s one of my most popular books so far, and so a sequel is in the works, but what I want most is to have this book forever to share with my family and know that generations to come will have it and be able to read it and know me a little better through my writing.

What’s the next project that you’re working on? 

Bishop: Book 1 of the NovaForge Trilogy, a PULP Sci-Fi novel. Talk about switching genres ;).

What’s the best piece of advice that you have been given in regards to your writing?

Stick true to who you are and write for you first. Publishers and others will tell you many things to change, and that’s good to take in and consider, but in the end you want your books to show you as a writer, not something the industry has chewed up and spat out through you. Oh and, prepare to never sleep ;).

Last year I asked on my Facebook page if anyone was willing to fill in a short survival questionnaire for me and in return I would put them in the book, or at least use their name in the book. The response was
amazing, and I got some great answers, for which I can't thank you enough.
At the time, I also filled one in. Here are my answers to the questionnaire. I'm having a great time writing Odium, and it's thanks to some of your great and not so great answers haha. I'll be posting up some of the answers that you gave me as the time draws near to publication. - Claire



----------------------------------
 
So… it’s the end of the world as we know it. 

Zombies… the dead… the living-dead… maggot infested bodies… stinking, brain eating
corpses… (well, I think you get who I’m talking about) are taking over the world. 

Your neighbors, your friends, your family members… they are all coming back from the dead, and they are hungry for braaaaaaaaaains… (and pretty much anything else they can sink their teeth into.)

Let’s test your survival skills, and I’ll decide in my book on whether you live, die, or rise from the
dead.


Survival Questions 

Q1. So, what’s the plan? You must have a secret retreat or hidey-hole you've always thought about going to if things turned ugly right? Up in the hills? The big city? (are you mad!) Board up your house and camp in the basement? Between me and you… where is it?

Well, I really shouldn't tell you if I'm honest. I mean I wouldn't want you all trying to sneak in to my hideout… Okay, I’ll tell you since you asked so nicely. It would be at my daughter’s school. There are 6-7 ft bars around the entire perimeter. There will be food there, books, first aid. There is outside space etc.  I'm pretty sure it has its own generator. I would lock those gates tight and stay
there.

Q2. Wow, great hide-out, but how the hell are you going to get there? I think we’re going to need a car at some point. What car are you going to be on the look-out for? (You can’t drive you
say! You’re doomed, doomed I tell you… Oh, so you know someone who can drive, okay, well what car are they after then?)

I’d like to say that I would run there, but I wouldn't want to get cornered so I would take our car.
 
Q3. Any clue as to where you’re going to find such a vehicle? Neighbor? Car garage? Or just see what you stumble upon? Randomly, do you think that you’re going to be looking for diesel or un-leaded?  

In the private car park at the back of the house. It’s a Toyota Rav 4 so it should do the trick,
but there are tons of other cars there also, so we should be good for any circumstances.

Q4. Phew… that was close! Right, so we’re on our way to your great hideout. We've got our wheels, but wait, we need to stock up on food! What are you going to be taking? Dry food? Fresh food? Canned food?

Since it’s only round the corner and there is food there, I won’t need to take much food. The
school should be pretty stocked with dried pasta’s and flour etc. I will take the canned food though. Shove them all in a back pack and make a dash for the car. They may weight me down, but they are also heavy if I need to swing the bag at a zombie.

Q5. Where are you going to get it from? Scavenge house to house or supermarket stop?

Just my house. Though, let’s be serious, there would be no way that I would be going to a supermarket. That would be madness. No, I would be going house to house once things calmed down. In each house there would be a possibility of finding survivors and if there were zombies, there won’t be to many in each house.

Q6. What about medicine and bandages etc? Have you already got a good medicine box or are we going to have to stop for that too? If we’re going to stop, are we going to a chemist (smaller so less risk, but also less meds) or a hospital? (more meds but bigger danger)

I've got a pretty good medicine box, and the school should have one also , but if I do ever need to get more first aid I will be going into small doctors surgeries. Never, I repeat, never a hospital!

Q7. Hey, you any good with a gun? Do you know where we can get one?

Nope, but my zombie survival team is excellent and so I think that I would be just fine. They
can always show me, and I’m a really quick learner.

Q8. Okay, so we have time to pack a ‘dream survival pack’ (I know, right!) What are you going to pack? Weapon, meds, food, space shuttle out of this madness? 

Okay, so I would pack some really sharp knives AND a knife sharpener for when it they get
blunt. I would pack some ration packs for food and some canned fruit. Fruit is going to be a luxury very soon. My medicine pack would contain, some energy tablets, vitamin tablets, painkillers, bandages, sutures, antiseptic spray/cream, safety fasteners. I would be wearing my big doc martin boots and some thick socks, a t-shirt and hoody and some cargo pants- you know the ones with tons of pockets! 

My two luxury items would be, baby wipes (because those things can be used for everything!) and toothpaste and brush.

Q9. Who would be in your ideal ‘zombie survival team’? Anyone you want,
famous or not…

My dream team would be, Tim JD (you  are a genius when it comes to making things)
San (since you have a massive stock of awesome weapons and he’s a chef) my auntie Milly (since she can cook anything and knows loads about foods and vitamins and zombie survival- she reads a lot of stuff ha ha) My best friend Kate (just because she would kick arse and I love her to death) oh, and The Australian guy who played Spartacus. The guy is hot and can fight!

Q10. Okay, now realistically, who would be in your team?

Kate, my auntie Milly, my hubby- even if he says he wouldn’t pick me (evil, isn’t he!) Duncan
and Britta because they are so clued up on a zombie apocalypse it’s amazing. 
 
These people are all easily accessible to me, since they live pretty close, and I’m sure that they would all be bringing their family along too.

Q11. Your house is being over-run. You have just enough time to grab three things- not including people- what are you going to take?

(Question courtesy of JR)

My dog. He is irritating as hell at times, but damn I love him.

My Doc Martin boots- comfy and practical.

A sharp knife!

Q12. How are you for foraging in the wilderness? Do you know your poison berries from your magic mushrooms? Any tips?

Nooooooo, I’m rubbish at stuff like this, but I’ve borrowed some books on the subject and am
learning. I’ll probably still suck at it though.
 

Name: Claire C Riley

Website: www.clairecriley.com

Other contacts/social media sites:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17564467-limerence

https://www.facebook.com/ClaireCRileyLimerence@ClaireCRiley

Link to Amazon page and or any other place that your books can be purchased:

PAPERBACK
http://bit.ly/LimerencePBUSA (USA)

http://bit.ly/LimerencePBUK (UK)

eBOOK
http://bit.ly/LimerenceEBUSA (USA)

http://bit.ly/LimerenceEBUK (UK)
 
It is also up for free loan for KDP Select members.


 


Where did you grow up?


Manchester, the United Kingdom


When did you start writing?

I used to write tons when I was a kid, and was always shoving stories under the noses of friends and family, but then life got in the way and I forgot all about it. I’ve started with a couple of little things through the years, but never took it serious. It was September last year that I really started
again.
 
What made you start writing?

I read an article about the term Limerence and really liked the word. It felt like such a romantic
word for such a dangerous thing. I didn’t think too much about it at first, but then slowly I started to get ideas and it just wouldn’t go away so I sat down and started writing.
 
Is it something that you have always wanted to do?

Honestly, yes. As a kid I remember saying that I either wanted to be a teacher, an archaeologist or a writer.

What is your favorite genre to read, and do you have any favorite books or authors you would like to recommend?

I read anything. Literally anything, though of course I have favorites. I prefer paranormal or dystopian type books. I’m not too keen on books with ghosts or fairies in them or anything too preachy. I have a lot of favorite authors. Mark Tufo, Jesse Petersen, Charlain Harris. 

What about to write?

I tend to write paranormal books- vampires, zombies, that sort of thing. Though I have an idea
for a crime thriller and a romance in the beginning stages.
 
Do you write full time? If not, what do you do?

I write in my spare time, which is basically from about 8pm to 1am when the children have gone to
bed. I work in an office doing accounts and paperwork and other boring stuff.

Do you ever base your characters on anyone that you know, or are they solely from your imagination?

Yes and no. In Limerence a lot of the characteristics of Rachael are from my best friend Kate,
and in my new book Odium I asked on my Facebook page if anyone wanted a character named after them in return for filling in a survival questionnaire. A lot of the characters- though not all- are based on the people that filled these in. Their answers are what helped to build the characters, though I’ve obviously embellished an awful lot.
                     
Tell us about your latest book. The story/plot.

My latest novel is Limerence. 

When Mr Breckt moves to the Island, everyone’s lives are sent spiralling out of control. Mr Breckt develops a strange obsession with Mia Lawrence, one that he can’t control no matter how much he
tries.

Mia loves her fiancé Oliver and fights for their love at every turn, but can his paranormal powers win her over before it’s too late for everyone?

With his obsession spiralling out of control, he will do whatever it takes to get her. He’s not used to having to take no for an answer.

What genre is it?

 It is a dark paranormal romance.

Who is your favourite character?

Donovan, one of Mr Breckt’s henchman, and Rachael.

 And worst? 

Chris! I literally hate that guy! I was so sorry that I introduced him to the book. haha

What are your hopes for it?

Worldwide recognition, film rights, red carpets, you name it! Haha. Honestly, I don’t know. I just know that I love the feeling I get when I know someone has read and enjoyed it. If I can have that a couple of thousand times over then that would be ace.

What’s the next project that you’re working on? 

My next book is called Odium. It is a dystopian post-apocalyptic zombie book, and I am so excited for it. It’s totally different from Limerence in a lot of ways.

What’s the best piece of advice that you have been given in regards to your writing?
 
Believe in yourself.

Five facts about you that people won’t know about you. Can you
juggle? Ride a bike with no hands? Drink beer upside down? Something unusual… GO!
 
1. I can play the guitar, not like something romantic, but really heavy metal that gives most people a splitting headache.

2. I know I’ll have some good luck if a black cat crosses my path. In my country they are always considered bad luck, but I see them in a different way.

 3. Even though my favorite number is 7, I cannot help admitting
13 brings me luck. I once purchased a lottery ticket that had 13 as a serial number, and the lottery took place on the 13th. To my surprise, I got back the money I spent on the ticket, and I never win anything.

4. I used to collect English dictionaries – glossaries, thesauruses, grammar reference books. That was the first thing I looked for in a book store.

5. I love sitcoms like The Big Bang Theory, Friends and some others. I can watch them over and over again, just can’t help myself.
 
Five facts about your newest book that people won’t know. Some background history on one of your characters maybe? Maybe it was going to be called something completely different to start out with? Is it the same genre it started out as?...

1. The Beholder started as a completely different book, and I had only one character when I started writing it. It was a while later that the other characters appeared.

2. I added romance into the book though initially I wasn’t going to.

3. It often seems to me the book wrote itself—even in the first draft I found places I liked, but never remembered writing about. I don’t know if that happens to all writers or just me, but it’s a fascinating feeling.

4. I had a different ending to the book. It made my beta readers and editor so confused they kept asking to explain what was really going on in there. I eventually had to make a different ending, which most readers really like and find unexpected. 

5. It took me about 3 years to finish this book—I really hope it will take less time for me to write the next one.

Five facts about your next book… Name, genre, expected date of release…
 
1. It’s called Path of the Heretic. It’s Book 2 of The Beholder Series. 

2. It’s still Urban/Paranormal Fantasy, but with a darker tinge.

3. I hope it will be published in 2014.

4. There will be more characters, more action, and more mysteries.

5. I’m planning a huge surprise at the end of the book.
 
Three tips that you think might be useful for other authors… anything you want. It could be, to write a certain amount every day, only write after midnight and never get Gizmo wet (Sorry, that’s Gremlins not writers! My bad.) Maybe it’s some information that was given to you that has helped your process…
 
1. My first tip: Don’t stop writing. Once you do it’s really—nearly impossible—to get back to it. You’ll find too many reasons not to sit at your desk and go on writing a book.

2. Not to be tempted to do anything else, switch off your Internet. Just for half an hour a day—it’ll tremendously increase your chances to write something new or revise something old (at least that worked for me).

3. If you don’t have an editor, find a few friends who will care enough to read your book and offer you their sincere thoughts. I know it’s difficult, but you should try. And it would be cool if your friends were harsh in their critique, because that’s what actually helps a writer make his or her
book better. As my fellow writer said, “Wouldn’t you rather get harsh private crit than a scathing one-star review on Amazon?” I hope that’ll help.

For an Urban Fantasy Thriller you won't be able to put down until the final page follow the link below to The Beholder on Amazon.com!

Amazon  US

Amazon UK

About you.

Name:
Ivan Amberlake

Website:
http://www.ivanamberlake.weebly.com/

Other contacts/social media sites:  

Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/ivan.amberlake

 Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6907727.Ivan_Amberlake

 Twitter:
https://twitter.com/IvanAmberlake

Link to Amazon page and or any other place that your books can be purchased:
Amazon US Kindle: http://amzn.com/B00B7TG2DC


Amazon UK Kindle:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00B7TG2DC


Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Belarus, in a small, quiet town with a rich history and beautiful architecture. 

 
When did you start writing?
During my post-graduate course I had way too much free time, and I thought I should try something I’d never tried before. As I am an avid reader, the idea of writing my own book always appealed to me, so back then was a favorable time for me to start writing. 


What made you start writing?
Mostly the question of “Will I be able to write a book?” was what made me sit and type my first sentences. I got really excited when I realized that I can write something longer than a short story. From then on I kept sitting for hours and typing more and more. That was really exciting experience for me.

 
Is it something that you have always wanted to do?
To tell you the truth, I detested reading until the age of 15 when my English teacher offered me to read the first Harry Potter book. Writing a book was never on my mind until my university years, but I must say once you start writing a book, it’s difficult to stop. Now it’s what I really want to do, what I need to do, although there is often everyday life in the way.

 
What is your favorite genre to read, and do you have any favorite books or authors you would like to recommend?
I really enjoy urban fantasy and crime/thriller books. Too difficult to speak about favorite authors and books, there are too many of them. Right now I’m reading Velocity by Dean Koontz, and I’m rather enjoying it. 
 

What about to write?
Definitely fantasy with a paranormal twist. I also have an idea for a crime/thriller book, but I can’t say if I will ever get to writing it. I need to finish Books 2 and 3 of The Beholder Series first, then get to something new.

 
Do you write full time? If not, what do you do?
Unfortunately, no. Most of my day I teach English classes: morning, evening. I have only a couple of hours during the day, and an hour or two late at night, so finding even a few minutes for writing is
bliss.


Do you ever base your characters on anyone that you know, or are they solely from your imagination?
In most cases, my characters are partially based on the people I know. That helps me see them in a clearer way. But I never just took a person I know and inserted him/her into my novel. Perhaps I should do that sometime. It must be fun actually.

             
About your book                 
            

Tell us about your latest book. The story/plot.  
My debut paranormal fantasy novel, THE BEHOLDER, is an action-packed, fast-paced story set in modern-day New York. Here is the description:
 
Worlds of Light and Darkness are about to clash. And Jason will be in the thick of it.

In Asunción, Minsk and Sydney, people die under mysterious circumstances. Each branded with an arcane sign, they are pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. When more people are missing, with similar signs appearing in and around their homes, Jason, an average New Yorker, realizes the victims are a riddle addressed to him.

He is the final piece.

Emily appears, the most beautiful woman with extraordinary powers and startling amber eyes, and tells Jason that powers dormant within him are about to wake. In the world of Lightsighted and Darksighted, he is the only person who can prevent Darkness from enslaving the world. He is the Beholder whose advent has been awaited for many years.

Setting out on a journey with Emily, Jason discovers many improbable things like Sight, Soulfusion, the Hall of Refuge, but the greatest surprise arrives the moment he falls in love with Emily.

 
What gave you the idea?
There are a few threads in the book, and each of them is based on my ideas of the world around me. First of all, I always was intrigued by the idea of getting my mind into someone else’s body. That’s what Jason, the main character, is going through in the book.  


What genre is it?
Urban/Paranormal
Fantasy/Romance


Who is your favorite character?
I enjoy writing about all of my characters, good and evil. I love them in different ways. Jason, Debbie and Matthew, they are like siblings. Tyler is a very mysterious character, mainly because of his appearance and backstory. Emily is charming and irresistible. These characters are all different, therefore I enjoy writing about them so much.


And worst?
I’m not sure I can write about someone I don’t like, so I’m not sure if I have such characters. I think it will be up to the readers to decide if they like or dislike my characters. 


What are your hopes for it?
Every writer wants his or her book to become a best-seller, right? Well, I do believe that I have a marketable novel, and all I need (as most of us do) is a little push at the start, mainly from people who don’t know me. I’m going to make my Kindle book free on Amazon and Smashwords soon, and if people leave their reviews on my book and give their honest opinion, they will help me get closer to that dream.


What’s the next project that you’re working on?
I’m working on two books right now. One of them is Book 2 of The Beholder Series called Path of the Heretic, and the other one is a YA Paranormal Fantasy called Diary of the Gone, which is about a boy who has to write in his diary to ward off the dead that keep haunting him. Not sure if this is going to be a novel or a novella, but I must say my wife and my friends really like the idea of this book.


What’s the best piece of advice that you have been given in regards to your writing?
A friend of mine, Yannis Karatsioris, once advised me to put my characters in hell, and make them find a way out of this hell. It was one of the best pieces of advice that inspired me to add more action (more chapters actually) into my book than there used to be. So put your characters in impasses then let them find a way out of there. That’s what people like reading about.


To check out Ivan Amberlake's debut Paranormal Thriller follow the links below to Amazon.com!

Amazon US

Amazon UK

 

About you. I live outside Fredericksburg, VA. Our lake community is flanked by historic battlefields and farms – making the area very peaceful and family-friendly. I have two daughters, one fifteen years and the other seventeen months. My husband contracts for the government and is the most hardworking person I’ve ever met- leaving our home at four AM every day to travel the 1.5 hours to work. On the bright side, he comes home to us by three PM every day – leaving us ample family time before bed. Few things are more important to me than family. Having said that, writing books are a birthing process and the characters I write become like family.

 

Name: Eli Constant. My full name is actually Elizabeth Constantopoulos, but try putting that on a book cover. It either has to be a small font or broken into two lines. Not pretty formatting-wise. I find I really love my ‘pen name.’

Website: www.eliconstant.com

Other contacts/social media sites:  eli.constant.writes@gmail.com , Twitter: Author_EliC

Link to Amazon page and or any other places Dead Trees can be purchsed:

Amazon (kindle) http://www.amazon.com/Dead-Trees-The-Underground-ebook/dp/B00APYKD7G/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1360254200&sr=8-2&keywords=dead+trees%2C+eli

Barnes&Noble (nook) http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dead-trees-elizabeth-constantopoulos/1114013956?ean=2940016116440

 

Where did you grow up? I was born in Florida. My father was in the military so we moved rather frequently. I spent the majority of my formative years in Washington State and South Carolina.

What school did you go to? Out of high school, I headed to Columbia College – a small women’s establishment in Columbia, SC. I quite enjoyed it there, but eventually, found the all-girl environment a bit limiting. Summer after Sophomore year, I completed a research fellowship at Texas A&M – Corpus Christi, TX. I fell in love with, not only the beach-y feel of the college, but also the well-funded science program. Senior year, I moved to Virginia outside DC to be near my family. After marrying my husband, I attended George Mason University in Fairfax, VA. I began my college career focusing on pre-medical. With each transfer, I found myself changing majors – struggling to figure out who I was and what I was meant to contribute to the world. Eventually, I settled on Biology. It was logical as I had the most credits in the sciences. I honestly don’t think I’ll ever be ‘finished’ with schooling.

When did you start writing? Years and years ago, when I was quite young. My grandmother has all my scribbling somewhere. I actually attended an art school and majored in creative writing the year before high school. Being a military family though, I was unable to go to the school long. This was probably a good thing as I had a creative writing teacher that lived for red ink on paper. I sometimes wonder if I would have written a book sooner if not for the discouragement of that teacher. In high school, I won the top award for a creative short story at a regional competition day. I don’t remember what the story was about exactly, but do remember it involved alien space-ducks, a little boy, and a lost yellow umbrella. 

What made you start writing? I’m not sure… maybe I was just born with the ‘itch.’

Is it something that you have always wanted to do? Yes, but I don’t think I admitted it to myself until about a year ago. I worked my hodgepodge of jobs post-college, staying the longest at a pathology lab in Sterling, VA. I took a short sabbatical from pathology and then back to it – I think after that break from the sciences, I began to realize that maybe I was walking the wrong path. Having my daughter and having the ability to stay home while she is young, has afforded me the opportunity to really dive into writing. Now I find, I can’t seem to stop.

What is your favourite genre to read, and do you have any favourite books or authors you would like to recommend? I’ve always been an avid Science Fiction fan, but I also have a great love for classics and historical fictions. I’ll never turn down and Orson Scott Card read – his work is fantastic, especially the Ender’s Game series and Alvin Maker series. Although Magic Street ranks up there too. I also quite love author Libba Bray. She has a trilogy that feels very Victorian, but beautifully weaves in the supernatural (the first book is A Great and Terrible Beauty).

What about to write? So far, I’m finding I like to write in varied genres. Dead Trees is a dark thriller with SciFi elements. Tears of Chios is an urban fantasy with mystery elements. DRAG.N. is a political semi-satire. I honestly think genre definitions are objective and sometimes unnecessary. More often than not, a book will be multi-genre and that’s what makes it so successful, layered, and dynamic.

Do you write full time? I mother fulltime right now; I write secondary to that.
 
_

Your latest book is Dead Trees, tell us all about the story/plot.  What’s it about?

Here’s the pitch for Dead Trees:

A scientist mommy battling beasties better be handy with a scalpel.

Elise Swanson is trying to give her daughters a decent childhood. This should be a simple task, but the invading undergrounders – subterranean humanoids that have existed since the dawn of mankind – make outdoor playtime a tad tricky.

After fleeing Georgia and surviving six months of bumbling self-sufficiency, Elise and her daughters meet Jason. He's tough and nature-savvy. Pit stop fights with beasties define the survival-road that the four companions navigate. The bloody pavement finally ends in Washington State at a government safe zone where the trekkers hope to build a stationary life.

A little rest and rehab would be nice, but Elise is quickly led down a path of research and deception where humanity's future isn't a priority. She becomes leader of a secret plan and long nights in the lab keep her busy. She strives to destroy the undergrounders and the life of an underhuman crossbreed hangs in the balance.

Haphazardly conceived and manufactured, the H2H (Humanoid-to-Human) chromosome-targeting nanotech has a small probability of success, but Elise has to believe it will work. Hour by hour, she becomes less confident and more emotionally compromised by the rapidly growing, stunning underhuman. Her maternal nature leads to a late-night escapade resulting in a platinum-haired, third daughter and a million uncertainties.

Fleeing her home, Elise had two loved ones to shelter. That number has risen. When the not-so-safe zone is invaded by beasties, she will save her family... no matter the consequences.

DEAD TREES is a 111k word, mature-reader Dystopian that weaves horror, levity, and science. Underneath the layers of storyline, a simple core exists – the limitless distance a mother will go to protect her children, both physically and mentally

_

What gave you the idea for Dead Trees? It all started driving home from visiting my parents. My dad had about half a dozen large, white sealable paint buckets in his basement – each were filled with a dry foods product. Next thing I knew, I had my recorder out and I was dictating the first chapter to what would become Dead Trees.

 

Who is your favourite character? That’s a bit of a tossup. I quite like Elise – finding she is, in my opinion, a very real character with very understandable worries and challenges. Then again, I’m also quite in love with Sheila-2 / Meg. The challenges she will face in the world are impossible to predict or quantify.  

 

You recently self-published. What made you decide to go down this route instead of the traditional way?  I find self-publishing gives me a certain sense of control.

 

What are your hopes for Dead Trees? I hope Dead Trees will continue to be well-received and my number of readers will slowly increase. As a debut, I’m quite happy with it. I must confess though, self-editing was a very difficult task. Even after publishing, it took me a month to work out all the kinks. Now though, I am confident that when someone purchases Dead Trees, the will be getting a put-together product. Having said that, I’m sure there’s a misplaced comma or two  - they are tricky little buggers after all. 

 

Tell us about DRAG.N DRAG.N. It’s a novella. It’s a brief, (~20k word) imaginative look at the future of America – paying special attention to a stylized viewpoint of National Healthcare. It’s been quite fun to write and was spawned during a writing contest hosted by the Kernel Magazine of London.  After DRAG.N., I’ll be hard at work preparing Tears of Chios for a late Summer release.

 

What’s the best piece of advice that you have been given in regards to your writing? Go with your gut. Just like with childrearing, a book is best ‘raised’ by its parent.

_

Additional Questions:

Q1. At the end when the beasties are screeching, does that mean they are near the camp? Ah, spoiler-alert! Guess it doesn’t ruin too much though. Yes, at the end of the book, wild-beasties have been attracted to the camp by the military helicopters. That’s all I’m saying though.

Q2. When is the sequel out? Dark Wombs: The Underground, Book Two has been planned out to the last detail. I’m hoping to tackle it after Tears of Chios is out. I wouldn’t expect it until end of this year or beginning of 2014 though.

Q3. Bone-popping sound of Undergrounder joints: I supposed I was a bit sick of the overly-used norm for sounds in regards to monsters/humanoids/alien antagonists. I felt like it was always hissing- reptilian like. I do take some inspiration from reptiles in the jerking of the heads back and forth. Anyway, it dawned on me that as the undergrounders adapted and became 'more humane-esque' that the legs (originally inverted) were moving forward and that would bring with it some bone-on-bone contact and deterioration of cartilage. So I envisioned these changing joints rubbing together- thus, the sound. Hope that makes sense.