Below is the recent interview by author Mary Fan of Breakwater Harbor Books' author Ivan Amberlake. To visit Mary Fan's website follow this link.
http://zigzagtl.blogspot.com/2013/04/author-interview-ivan-amberlake.html
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The Beholder
tells the story of an ordinary New Yorker, Jason, who learns about his critical role in a supernatural battle between good and evil. What inspired this story? How did you develop the idea of the Sighted?


Before I started writing The Beholder, I only had an image of a man standing on top of a skyscraper, with a thunderstorm raging around him. This image was so powerful that it inspired me to start writing chapter after chapter, something that I’d never done before. The scene that I had in mind was initially a prologue, but I decided to move it closer to the end of the book.

Frankly speaking, The Beholder wasn’t supposed to be a fantasy book at first, but it just happened to transform into one as I was greatly influenced by Sergei Lukyanenko’s "Watch" Series. I wished to create something like this, yet new, and the Lightsighted and Darksighted were born.

Why did you choose New York as your setting?

From the beginning I knew the story would be set in a city with lots of skyscrapers, so my choice was between Moscow and New York—cities I’ve never been to, yet would love to visit sometime in the future. I picked New York because of its grandeur and glamor, but it doesn’t mean that part of the series won’t happen in Moscow or any other city of the world. One of The Beholder chapters is set in Minsk, Belarus, and I intend to let my characters travel to other cities and countries in the books to come.

What is your favorite scene in The Beholder? Could you please describe it?

Frankly speaking, I can’t choose just one, probably because The Beholder is not a one-genre book, but has elements of fantasy, sci-fi and romance in it, so if my favorite fantasy scene would be the one I’ve described above, my favourite romantic scene is the one in Chapter 23 where Jason and Emily are strolling around the estate garden and come up to two trees with a hammock tied to them. This is where and when Jason and Emily say they love each other, and also the point at which the story takes a darker turn.


Do you consider yourself as having a particular writing style?

When writing I always try to visualize what is going on and then describe the scene. I get inside my characters’ minds and try to show what they feel. I stick to the principle of “Less is more” by using the right amount of narrative, dialogue and descriptions.

Can you tell us a bit about your writing process? How much did The Beholder change from first draft to publication?

With The Beholder, I just sat down and started hammering the keys without thinking much about what I was writing. Frankly speaking, I often think that the book wrote itself, because when rereading the first draft I sometimes wondered how I could write this scene or that. Of course, after my first draft was ready I started editing heavily. It was great luck for me to come across a writers’ community Authonomy.com, where I met lots of great people who helped me understand the principles of modern writing. The book would never be the way it is now if not for them. So when The Beholder was finished, it was completely different from the first draft.

Among the characters in The Beholder, do you have a favorite?

Oh, they are all my favorites, each of them in his or her own fashion. If we take Jason Walker, the main character, his transformed self closer the end of the book is what I’ve wanted my own self to be. As for Emily Ethan, who Jason falls in love with, she was greatly inspired by my wife, so she’s definitely one of my favorites as well. I can’t help liking even my evil characters because they are part of the story that helps me show a world I have within to my readers. Without these characters the story would be incomplete.

Can you tell us a bit about Breakwater Harbor Books, who is listed as The Beholder’s publisher?

Well, BHB is not exactly a publisher, but rather a group of self-published authors who promote each other in different ways: on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Authonomy, and on the last pages of our books where more releases of BHB authors are recommended. Scott J. Toney and Cara Goldthorpe are the founders of this group. Both helped me immensely with The Beholder, and I’m grateful to them and other members for their support.

What’s your favorite part of writing? Dialogue? Descriptions? Plotting?

I think it’s the descriptions. Plotting usually gives me a splitting headache, and while writing dialogue I always question myself: “Do people talk like that in real life?”, so I think the best part of writing for me is describing the scenes, especially the ones with lots of action and tension. That’s where I’m in my element.

Are you working on anything new?

As crazy as my real life is at the moment, it’s really hard to find the time to write, though I should say I’m writing Book 2 of The "Beholder" Series, which is called Path of The Heretic, and I also hope to finish my YA Paranormal/Horror Novel (Novella) called Diary of the Gone which tells about a boy haunted by the dead. The boy can only stop the dead from following him by writing in an old diary he accidentally finds, yet at some point the diary disappears and his life turns into a nightmare.

The  Beholder is available  at: Amazon US (Kindle e-book), Amazon  US (paperback), Amazon  UK (Kindle e-book), Amazon  UK (paperback)

Below is an interview and review done recently with The Reading Cafe of author Claire C Riley 

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Hi Claire and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on the release of your new novel LIMERENCE. We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Hi, and thanks for having me. I live in the UK with my husband, three young children and one scruffy springer spaniel!

LIMERENCE is your first published novel. Would you please tell us something about the premise?

With my writing, I have tried to take things back to their roots. There are so many new takes on different paranormal elements, that the original premise of things have gotten a little lost. For me, the original ideas were and are the best. I take a lot of influence from Bram Stokers Dracula, and Night of The Living Dead. These elements were scary and fascinating. Much less romanticised than they are now.

LIMERENCE is categorized as a dark romance tale (more urban fantasy than
paranormal romance) but it is not a romantic novel in the ‘ideal’ sense of
the word. How would you explain the ‘romance’ aspect of the storyline?

I like to think of Limerence as a love triangle with a difference. Instead of the typical he loves her and she loves him, it centres on more of the psychological differences between the main characters feelings and how far these feelings will push you.

How many books do you have planned for the series?

At the moment three. However, I do have thoughts for a fourth, but I’m still considering this. I don’t want the specific elements of Limerence to become tired like some do when the series is written past its sell by date.

Your heroine Mia endures some heart-breaking and painful moments yet she is a survivor until the end. Will we see Mia as a protector and guardian or, will Mia enact revenge for the many losses in her life?

Without giving too much away, there is going to be a little of both. Mia hasn’t lost her humanity as such, she just feels like she has nothing left to love, nothing left to lose. There is no reason for her to be ‘good’ anymore. She loves what she has become, but the route she has had to take to get there kind of ruins it for her. If Robert Breckt was given the opportunity to speak for himself, what would he have to say--About Mia? About himself?

At the start Robert doesn’t understand why she affects him so much. By the end though, he realises that it is his own narcissism that is his downfall. He loves her, but not for the traditional reasons. It’s because he ‘can’t’ have her that drives him to such despair and obsessiveness. The longer that she refutes him, the higher on the pedestal he puts her, until he couldn’t stop it even if he wanted to.

If you could virtually cast the lead characters in your novel LIMERENCE, which actors or models would best represent your ideal image?

A few months ago on my Facebook page, I asked people that had read the original version of Limerence to post pictures of ‘their’ celebrity cast. I was so surprised by some of them that I opened a poll on my blog for people to vote on the celebrities which had the most votes. I didn’t agree with all of them though, ha ha.

My celebrity cast would be, Mia- Evangeline Lilly. Oliver- Liam Hemsworth. Mr Breckt- Tom Hardy. Rachael- Emma Stone. Chris- Jonathan Rhys Meyers.

What are some of the challenges (research, logistics, literary) in bringing your ideas and storyline to life?

Again, without giving too much away, I wanted to break away from the typical clichés that are associated with the paranormal elements in Limerence, and go back to basics on some of it. I also wanted to try and give as accurate portrayal of the term Limerence as I could. So I researched both things profusely.

What do you believe is the biggest misconception about you?

That I know what I’m doing! Ha ha. People have seemed quite surprised that this is my first novel. Up until less than a year ago I hadn’t written a thing since being a child. My time the past few years has been on being a good mother to my children.

Would you please tell us about the online site Breakwater Harbor Books and what is your connection?

Breakwater Harbor Books, Or BHB, is a group of amazing Indie writers who got together to help each other promote great Indie work. Some of the writers within the group have actually already have been traditionally published, but they wanted to try their hand at self-publishing. One of the authors is doing so well that they have already been able to give up their day job. So you see, there really are some extremely good writers within the group. It’s about uniting as one and working together to help one another succeed.

If you could change something about yourself personal or professional, what would it be and why?

Professionally, I wish that I would have started writing again much sooner. When I was much younger I used to read and write constantly. Whilst the reading never left me, the writing took a back seat.

Personally, I wish I had more confidence and belief in myself.

Many author bounce ideas with friends and family, with whom do you bounce ideas?

If I want to know if an idea is too ‘out there’ I ask my husband, ha ha. He brings me back down to reality. Most of the time though I type what comes to me and then I have a couple of really good writer friends who I will send an excerpt too and gauge their reactions.

Writer’s Block is a very real phenomenon for many authors. How do youhandle the pressure and anxiety of writer’s block?

Urghhh, I hate writers block. I try to move on to a completely different scene. When your head is too focused on a particular scene, you can’t see past the problem, so it is best to move away from it and on to something else. If you don’t, then I have learnt the hard way that what you write is generally not very good at all anyway. It is best to leave it to another day, possibly even another week.

What five things would you like to accomplish in the next ten years?

That’s a long time! Haha. I guess I would like to be able to give up my day job and write full time. I want to get the Limerence series completed, whether that be three or more books, and I am already started on my other series which starts with a book called- Odium.

On what are you currently working?

I’m consecutively working on the sequel to Limerence, and Odium.

I wanted to solely focus on Limerence II: Mia, however Odium won’t leave me alone. It was haunting my thoughts so I had to start it. I’ll be honest, I’m really excited by it from what I have written so far, and people’s reactions to the first couple of chapters.

It is a post-apocalyptic dystopian horror, with romantic elements to it and a bucketful of zombies. As with Limerence, I’m trying to get back to the basics of the premise. Survival.

Would you like to add anything else?

Just thank you to everyone who has already purchased, read, and reviewed Limerence. It’s really appreciated, more than you know. And please, when you have read it, let me know your thoughts. Plenty of readers have already posted pictures, sketches, fan art, poems, all sorts on to my Facebook page. I love to see what people take away from it.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food

Anything! I’m a total pig. Ha ha. Steak, noodles, salad, pizza, ice cream, chocolate. I don’t believe in diets, but in eating everything in proportion.

Favorite Dessert

Either chocolate fudge cake (warm) Or lemon meringue pie. Oh wait, and lemon drizzle cake! Thanks, now I want some cake!

Favorite TV Show

There’s a couple. I love True Blood, The Walking Dead, Being Human (UK) Dexter,

Last Movie You Saw

At the cinema- A Good Day to Die Hard (I love Bruce Willis)

At home- Men in Black III and Breaking Dawn (I had to bribe my husband into watching that one)

Dark or Milk Chocolate

Milk! Nom nom

Last Vacation Destination

Ibiza.

Secret Crush

Please, there’s nothing secret about my crushes! Ha ha, I love Christian Slater- it’s the voice and accent, totally makes me drool. The same goes for Tom Hardy.

Thank you Claire for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the release of your novel. I am looking forward to the next instalment in the Limerence Series.

Thanks so much for the great questions. Really got me thinking.

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Author bio.

Claire C Riley, is a mother first, a wife second, but a writer at heart.

Claire likes to break boundaries with her writing, incorporating an old school style of horror and romance. Sexy and dark. (Think Bram Stokers Dracula, but for the 21st century!) She is trying to mix things up a bit by introducing more women into the horror genre and more men into the romance genre, and show people that you should never stick in your comfort zones.

Claire is a mother to three amazing little girls who hold her heart. She hopes to make them proud, and show them that if you work hard and believe in yourself... then, as Cinderella once said... dreams really do come true.

She is an avid book collector and has a great zombie apocalypse plan in place thanks to a questionnaire she asked her readers to fill in for her from her blog.

Claire is currently working on the sequel to Limerence, and also a dystopian post-apocalyptic zombie novel called- Odium. Think Thelma and Louise, but with zombies ;0)

She actively encourages reader participation on her blog and author Facebook page, with questionnaires, quizzes, and fan art. So get in touch!

She can be contacted at:

http://clairecriley.weebly.com

http://www.facebook.com/#!/ClaireCRileyLimerence?fref=ts

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17564467-limerence?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book


Purchase links.

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.


Book Trailer.

http://animoto.com/play/G1sasuzV1gWeclrmjhA5Zg 


Book Blurb.

One man's obsession could destroy them all.

Despite her love for her fiancé, Mia Lawrence finds herself inexplicably drawn to Mr Breckt- the mysterious new owner of the Island. Her thoughts are constantly consumed with the handsome and powerful stranger. However, there is much more to him than she realises, something dangerous and supernatural.

Mr Breckt is used to getting what he wants, and now he wants Mia, at any cost! With his obsession spiralling out of control, he knows that time is running out. A war is coming. Blood will be shed, and lives will be lost, but he will have to rid himself of his obsession of Mia before it’s too late.

Mia and Oliver must now fight the very evil that threatens to come between them. If either of them fails, it will be more than their love for each other that will be lost.

Ultimately, all three will have to make a sacrifice that will change each other’s destiny forever… but will it be the right one?

Below is an interview and review done recently with The Reading Cafe at http://thereadingcafe.com/

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I recently had the opportunity to read THE BEHOLDER by Ivan Amberlake and was so impressed that I thought I would bring the author to you.

TRC: Hi Ivan and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on the release of THE BEHOLDER.

Ivan: Thank you. It’s an exciting time for me, and I hope it will go on like this for as long as possible.

TRC: We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Ivan: I was born and live in Belarus, a small state bordering on Russia and Ukraine. “Amberlake” is a pen name I chose because I felt my real name would be difficult to pronounce and remember for most native speakers.

For a few years I’ve been working as a teacher of English, but now my ambition is to become a full-time writer, as writing is what makes me tick. I’m an avid reader of fantasy, proofreader, freelance editor, and member of a self-published writers’ group called Breakwater Harbor Books.

Besides literature, I love music, action movies, sunsets and the sound of rain pattering against the roof.

TRC: What or who inspired you to write your first book?

Ivan: THE BEHOLDER was not my first attempt at writing. I have a couple of unfinished drafts that became a kind of stepping-stones to my third book that I finally published. To tell you the truth, THE BEHOLDER started as a completely different book, the general idea similar to THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY, which may come as a surprise to those who have read the book. I was influenced by Oscar Wilde’s style, unaware of the modern principles of fiction-writing. Now it is a fast-paced, action-packed fantasy novel.

As to sources of my inspiration, my parents and wife are my main ones. They always ask how my book is doing, what reviews I’m getting. They are always ready to support me, and I’m trying to respond in the same way, so I dedicated my first book to my wife, and was so happy to see the smile on her face when she saw the dedication.

I enjoy listening to music, and I wrote most of Book 1 while listening to different genres –- from romantic ballads to melodic death metal. For example, the romantic episodes in the book were inspired by the music of the Swiss folk metal band ELUVEITIE and their album, “Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion”.

TRC: THE BEHOLDER is the first storyline in your new series appropriately entitled The Beholder. Would you please tell us something about the
premise?

Ivan: THE BEHOLDER is not just about a man tormented by dreams where people are haunted and killed by shadows. I’ve always been intrigued by the idea of my mind being infused into the mind of a different person, so I wished to explore this idea in a book. I think that was how I came up with my main character, Jason Walker, being inside the victims’ minds, although Jason got a bit unlucky that he found himself in the minds of people about to die a horrible death. To Jason, these deaths are not only dreams but also a message that he is the last to be killed, that the shadows will come for his life.

TRC: Is there a message in the novel that you would like your readers to understand or grasp?

Ivan: As much as I love reading for pleasure, I love writing books that other people would enjoy. I’m not intent on teaching anyone anything, but I dwell on the concept of Good vs. Evil and offer my readers a vision of the world that I’ve had in mind for a few years now. It’s the world that I enormously love and want to share with as many people as possible. I’m trying to explain why things happen as they do in our lives, but I must say this concept will be developed bit by bit throughout the whole trilogy.

TRC: Your hero is Jason-the average working man who discovers he is The Beholder. Are the human characteristics of Jason based on anyone in your life or an amalgamation of different people?

Ivan: The character of Jason Walker has been changing with each rewrite of the book, so even if I wanted him to resemble me, Jason has become independent of me. I also used some of the best friends’ features for him and other characters. As for Emily Ethan, she was greatly inspired by my wife and her beauty.

TRC: How did you keep your plot unpredictable without sacrificing content or believability?

Ivan: “Believability of fantasy” is the term that I got acquainted with not so long ago. I was introduced to it by a Greek author Yannis Karatsioris who helped me grasp the notion so I could make THE BEHOLDER more believable than it initially was. But on the way of accomplishing that I had to cut more than 40,000 words and write another 15,000-20,000 words.

TRC: How much research (logistic, historical, philosophical, theological) was involved in the writing of this particular book and series?

Ivan: At the time when I started writing the book, Dan Brown’s THE DA VINCE CODE was much discussed, and I had an idea to use Freemasonry as the power in charge of Jason’s dreams and murders. I did a lot of research on them, and I’m so lucky to have changed my mind and decided against using them in THE BEHOLDER. I knew I had to come up with something of my own, and I promised myself that I would rely solely on my imagination, and there I came up with a world of Lightsighted and Darksighted.

TRC: What do you believe is the biggest misconception about your novel?

Ivan: I’ve come up with it only recently. While giving away Kindle copies of the book to people I realized that men strongly ignored my invitation to read the novel. Apparently, the words “love” and “romance” used in the blurb scare the bejesus out of them. I’ve always considered my book as a universal read, for men and women, for Young/New Adult and Adult readers, so if men are not sure whether they should try reading my book, I may assure them there is a lot of action there that they will love.

TRC: What difficulties have you had to face getting your novel to publication?

Ivan: I think my main difficulty was me. I was really insecure about getting it published, about my first reviews. Besides, I just couldn’t let myself publish a book if I knew it wasn’t finished. I am lucky to have so many friends who read the novel before it got published and helped me make it better. And I’m also grateful to my editor, Genevieve Graham, for spending awhile with THE BEHOLDER before it got published.

TRC: PATH OF THE HERETIC is the second storyline in The Beholder series. Would you please tell us something about the premise?

Ivan: I hope to make PATH OF THE HERETIC a much darker book. I’m planning on bringing the supporting characters of Matthew Allen and Debbie Eve to the fore, so that the readers would have stronger connection with them. I’m going to weave the main antagonist’s – Pariah’s — Point of View into the story, which I hope will add tension and suspense to the series.

TRC: Many authors bounce ideas with family and friends or, other authors. With whom do you bounce ideas and why?

Ivan: After I finished my first draft of The Beholder – naïve and inexperienced as I was – I started querying New York agents. Soon I came across a writers’ website hosted by HarperCollins UK, Authonomy. This is where I realized that I had so much work to do with THE BEHOLDER to make it right. After a year of writing and editing, I got the book to the Top 5 and it was selected for review by HarperCollins. I was lucky to have got a reviewer who gave me great advice on what to do with the book, so all in all it took me about 3 years to publish my debut novel.

TRC: What five things would you like to accomplish in the next ten years?

Ivan:
#1 – make my wife as happy as possible.
#2 – finally visit Great Britain and the USA!
#3 – become a traditionally published author.
#4 – complete “The Beholder Series” and start another series.
#5 – live a happy life and make other people happy.

TRC: How many books do you have planned for the series?

Ivan: It was supposed to be a 5-book series at first, but after a long consideration I decided it would be a trilogy. Yet I’m so in love with my characters that probably I’ll think of writing another book, but that might not happen in a long time.

TRC: If you could change something about yourself personal or professional,what would it be and why?

Ivan: I’m the world’s biggest procrastinator, in about everything. Maybe it is just everyday life that is always in the way, but it takes a long time for me to sit down and write. I do need inspiration for that. But when I do sit and write a line or two, or a chapter, I feel complete. It’s the feeling I’m eager to feel as often as possible in the near future.

TRC: Thank you Ivan for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations again, on the release of THE BEHOLDER. We wish you all the best.

Ivan: Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to be interviewed.

To Order THE BEHOLDER:
Amazon US Paperback: http://amzn.com/1481931024
Amazon US Kindle: http://amzn.com/B00B7TG2DC
Amazon UK Paperback: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1481931024
Amazon UK Kindle: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00B7TG2DC

FOLLOW Ivan:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/IvanAmberlake
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ivan.amberlake?ref=tn_tnmn
THE BEHOLDER page on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Beholder/152577228229536?bookmark_t=page
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6907727.Ivan_Amberlake
Website: http://www.ivanamberlake.weebly.com
Breakwater Harbor Books: http://breakwaterharborbooks.weebly.com/index.html

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Below is the review of The Beholder done by Sandy from The Reading Cafe.

REVIEW: THE BEHOLDER is the first storyline in Ivan Amberlake’s Urban Fantasy series The Beholder. If you are a fan of storylines similar to The Matrix, a film based on the Sci-Fi novel Neuromancer by William Gibson, then The Beholder could be its literary counterpart in the UF genre.

The storyline focuses on Jason, a man who suffers from inexplicable painfully tactile dreams and nightmares that speak to him of danger, death and the battle between good and evil but his dreams are based in reality and most of what he ‘sees’ has or will come true. What Jason will soon discover is he is ‘The Beholder’-the savior of the Lightsighted-those with the power to use and see energy. The prophecies have foretold of The Beholder and the Lightsighted have been searching for The One who will save them all. But like every UF storyline there is the evil, the Darksighted who have been ordered by the Pariah to find and destroy The Beholder before he comes into his powers.

The storyline follows Jason and his friends Matt and Debbie ( A Trinity ), as they endeavor to learn about the world of the Light and Dark. The trio is a power unto themselves but there is never a thorough explanation as to the power of the three. There is an enormous amount of background information by way of interpretation regarding the use of energy, power and sight. The Beholder (Jason) is the key, the one with the power to save the world-but it is a world in an alternate reality. Time and space are different for the sighted and the battle is looming.

Like all UF storylines there is a battle between good and evil; light and dark; sighted and unsighted; love and loss. This is a storyline of romance, love, betrayal and hatred all mired in a contemporary fantasy world where good triumphs over evil-if only for a short time.

Ivan’s world building is fluid and tangible and, his characters are real. There is never any doubt about the direction of the story. But I want to add, that the premise appeared to be shrouded in theologian beliefs-whereby the people are waiting for their savior-the one to free them from an eternity of evil at the hands of the Pariah-and Jason-The Beholder-is literally the savior of the world. Will we eventually see Jason sacrifice himself to save the world from the Dark? There was nothing ‘preachy’ about the novel, only an overwhelming sense of faith and Christianity déjà vu.

The Beholder is a well-written novel that will pull you into the storyline as though you were experiencing the reality yourself. Congratulations to Ivan on an amazing piece of literary fiction. I am looking forward to the next installment.

{Below is an interview done recently with TheWriteChris at http://thewritechris.blogspot.com/.}

You write fantasy based on Biblical themes? What drew you to writing in this style?

I’ve attended church and participated in charitable events through church for a long time, and so having Biblical themes just seemed to come naturally for me. And I also am a huge lover of the Fantasy genre. When I first sat down to write and mill over concepts the two things meshed for me, and I realized I had something great when I thought up the premise for The Ark of Humanity.

“God flooded the earth to annihilate humanity's sins. What if that sinful race didn't die when flood waters covered them but instead adapted to breathe water?”

What type of feedback do you get from readers about taking a Bible story into a new context?

I’ve had positive feedback from both Christians and non-Christians alike. People say that they really enjoy the story and the depth of the good v.s. evil concepts in both of my Fantasy books. My Christian readers love the themes and references. And here is a quote from one of my non-Christian readers below to show how he enjoyed it.

“Scott has a beautiful writing style and the world which his characters exists is both vivid and believable. He manages to combine an engaging story line with a new take on moral stance. The link to Christianity is interesting but not dominant that a non-Christian like me can enjoy it. If you enjoy reading books that are away from the norm, then I would highly recommend Scott's Ark of Humanity.” – James Hardy, on Amazon.com

Are there any unwritten rules for writing fantasy? How do you go about creating a fantasy world?

I give a lot of thought and planning to my books before I write them because they need to be both believable and fantastical at the same time. The author needs to create and build concepts that the reader believes could actually exist. And as for rules… That’s one thing I love about fantasy, there are no rules. The sky is the limit. As long as you ground it in believability and realistic human relations, you can do pretty much anything.

How long did it take to write your first book? How many re-writes do you think you did?

Two and a half years for The Ark of Humanity. I edited and re-edited the work again and again to get it just right. I also topped the charts of Authonomy, an author website, and put some valuable advice from HarperCollins to good use.
 
Did you go the normal route of seeking out a traditional publisher?

I did at first, sending out something like 15 to 20 submissions, and then I took a look around that realized I would rather self-publish and do this thing my way, getting higher royalties and putting my Public Relations degree to good use.
I’ve started up a self-published author group called BreakwaterHarbor Books with a young lady from London and am having a blast watching my sales and the group grow. We currently have an author named Mike Lee as a member who writes Sci-Fi and has been in Amazon’s top 100 for Kindle Sci-Fi for three months now. May we all have that kind of success in the future :) .

Are you active with any writer’s critique groups? If so, how have they helped you?  

I’m an Authonomy member, and the authors I’ve met there have been pertinent in helping me to become the level of author I am today. My gratitude to my fellow authors on Authonomy for their critiques and assistance is vast.

What is the best guidance an editor has ever given you?

I was once given some great advice, Edit it thoroughly three times yourself and find three other, writing minded individuals, to help with edits as well. I tend to trade off services for editing help and there is an author and gentleman named Ivan Amberlake who has helped with editing all of my books and was the main editor for three of those. He’s recently released an urban fantasy book titled The Beholder and it is a truly amazing work.

What type of publicity do you do to promote your book? 

Breakwater Harbor Books has been a great way to promote for me, along with word of mouth, Goodreads and Free Giveaways. Learning and selling has been an extremely fun ride.

What has surprised you the most about getting published that could have improved your writing sooner?

Confidence in my writing. I think going at writing and thinking you can’t do what the well know authors do just hinders you. When you have faith in yourself, that’s when your true strengths and abilities are able to shine.

What advice would you give someone who thinks they have a great novel in their brain just waiting to be told?

Write it. Begin it today and write one single-spaced page a day. You’ll be astonished at how fast your work is completed and how many people want to read it. Start today. It will be worth so much to you once it’s completed.

Below are links to Scott J. Toney's books on Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=scott+toney

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

{Below is an interview done recently with Owen Quinn, author of The Time Warriors.}

Hi Scott, thanks for talking with the Time Warriors today.

First up, can you tell our readers a little about yourself?

I grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of a mathematician mother and basketball loving father, and so naturally my passion became 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.

Later I married my wonderful wife, Laura, and we now have an amazing daughter that fills our lives with such joy! Just before I met Laura the idea came to me to write a Fantasy story based on the story of Noah's Ark in the Bible. It was a 'what if' tale centering on Maanta, a merboy who descends from people who, instead of drowning in the flood, adapted to be mer people. Because of Noah's age when he died in the Bible that also left things open for me to incorporate Noah in the book as well. Thus 'The Ark of Humanity' was born.

Since then I have been inspired by other things and have gone on to write Eden Legacy and Lazarus, Man. Eden Legacy is another Fantasy work and Lazarus, Man is the story of Lazarus of Bethany, told through tale and tribulation.

I've joined forces with other authors as a member of Breakwater Harbor Books and am enthusiastic about the worlds and stories to come!

My family is my most treasured achievement.

I don't just choose to write. Writing is a part of me.



Were you a Sci-Fi fan growing up? What shows did you watch?

Wow, yes I was always and always will be a Sci-Fi / Fantasy fan. I loved Star Trek, Sliders, and anything Star Wars, but my all time favorite Sci-Fi / Fantasy show is Far Scape! There was just something about that show that was so fantastic. It had humor, plot, love and intelligence.



What books did you read as a child that have stuck with you?

I don’t know if I was technically a child at the time, but my first Fantasy read was Tad Williams’ Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series. Tad is such a master of our craft and I devour anything he writes. An excellent Sci-Fi book series by him is ‘Otherland’. Anyone who hasn’t read it yet is really missing out.



What made you want to write? Was fantasy the genre you felt most comfortable in?

I don’t really know what made me want to write. It is in my bones, my soul. If I was the only one left on earth, I’d still write. It is such an un-severable part of me.



You wrote the Ark of Humanity and put it on Authonomy. How did you find that platform; was it useful to you?

It was, but not because of HarperCollins. I made so many excellent contacts there that have taught me what it really takes to be a high quality author and how to achieve my goals. I met my first editor of The Ark of Humanity on Authonomy. She was an ex-english teacher and taught me so much during that first edit. She has since passed away, but I will always be eternally thankful to her for all she showed me.


I also reached the top five on Authonomy and received a review from HarperCollins, using their advice to better my work. The key here though is that HC is not where the value of Authonomy lies, but instead what you do with the contacts you make on the site and the advice given by fellow authors there. Here is part of the HC review that I’m using as advertising on Amazon and in other sales avenues.

 
"I can see comparisons to Philip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials' trilogy in some of the themes raised [in The Ark of Humanity]. As with Pullman's 'daemons', the relationship between the beings and their companions who transport them is particularly enjoyable, a relationship which also reminded me of the dragons in the film 'Avatar'. I can see this as a fantastic storyboard for a Pixar film." - HarperCollins



I found the changes they made to the rating system detrimental. Did you?

I did and I didn’t. It was detrimental to me making the desk earlier, because it stalled out my efforts temporarily. It did cut down on the site’s useless spam and made people focus more on helping each other. So I guess I’m torn. It probably helped me more in becoming a higher quality author, though.



Tell us all about Eden Legacy?

I’ll give you my pitch for the book. It’s a good representation and teaser for what Eden Legacy is all about. I’ve been told by many of my fans that Eden Legacy is their favorite of my works.

 

{In the land of Cush, Princess Lilya suffers under the rule of her father, until the day when young King Thomas of Havilah invites her away to his lands. There, she hopes to find peace she has never known.

But Thomas has been drawn to a foreign land, to figs he hopes are from Eden and the Tree of Life. When he eats them to heal his wounds things change within him, distorting him in ways he could not predict.

Now Lilya must make a decision. Does she stand by Thomas's side or act to dispel the evil consuming his soul?

Amidst this world Lilya has befriended a dragon. There are secrets within the beast that could determine all their fates.}



What was your inspiration for it?

I’ve always been fascinated with biblical history, from Noah’s Ark, to the story of Lazarus of Bethany rising from the grave and the story of Eden. Eden Legacy is loosely tied to that Eden story. I was inspired by the story of Pandora’s Box as well. I wanted to write a fantasy book where I could put the Seven Deadly Sins and Seven Heavenly Virtues to good use. Eden Legacy was born out of that.



Are you a regimented writer or like me just go with the flow when the zone takes you?

I get the basic outline in my head and then just let the story lead me, plotting out each new chapter completely before I actually enter it.

Star Wars or Star Trek?

STAR WARS! When are the next three being released and can I have more Ewoks and Jawas?



What do you think of the current sci fi/ fantasy offerings compared to ten years ago?

In regards to movies, I think it’s a huge step up, mostly because of graphics. The new Star Trek movie was fantastic and the next one to be released is looking to be such a well put together film. But T.V. wise, I just don’t see the well thought out quality I used to see in shows like Star Trek and Far Scape.



I love the cover of Eden Legacy. How did that come about?

My best friend David Lockhart has actually created all of my books covers. He is such an amazing artist, with a great love of Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Comic Books. He’s been working in graphic art for years.



How do you promote yourself?

I have taken some great advice from another Author by the name of Mike Lee and will be giving away my Kindle books for free soon for six months to build up a reader base, then bring the price back up after that time. Mike followed the same strategy I am following and he is currently ranked #2 in Sci-Fi Military sales on Amazon.com for his new release of StarFire. I highly suggest the read.

I’ve also co-founded a self published author group that is quickly gaining ground. We promote each other’s works in our books, along with the group itself. We are Breakwater Harbor Books. Our site is www.breakwaterharborbooks.weebly.com



If you could write for any show, what would it be?

A modern ‘Sliders’. So much can be done with that premise. It has infinite possibilities.



Can you tell us about Breakwater Harbor Books?

Breakwater Harbor Books is a group of self-published authors coming together in a unified effort to promote each other’s works and assist each other in becoming the best authors that we can be.

Our members are all either self published or looking to self-publish soon. Mike Lee is one of our Sci-Fi writers and is currently ranked #2 in Sci-Fi Military paid Kindle sales for StarFire. 



What are you currently working on?

Would you believe a Nicholas Sparks style romance novel called Hearts of Avon? My wife loves that sort of thing and so I’m doing this to write a book that will really appeal to her.

My editor says it’s my best book yet, but I can’t wait to finish it and dive in to the Sci-Fi / Fantasy book I have plotted out to write when I’m done with this one! My cover designer is actually helping me with plot and character creation for that book right now.



What would you tell other budding writers?

Do this for you. If you do that, your work will pay dividends to your life that you could never have dreamed of before. And self publish. The few authors that HarperCollins has actually picked up from Authonomy are selling less than I am right now, and HC is taking a good cut. Self-publishing is the way of the future. Take hold of your future and run with it!



Scott, thank you so much!

No, Owen, thank you. This has really been a pleasure and an honor to do with you today!