#IndieSpotlight of Lynne Murray Author of Gravitas: Valkyrie in the Forbidden Zone.

1. Name: 

Lynne Murray

2. The Title of Your Work or Group: 

Gravitas: Valkyrie in the Forbidden Zone

3. Where are you from? Does not have to be the name of the place exactly. You can say Hick-ville Florida, for example if you are more comfortable with that. 

I grew up traveling a lot due to a father's work for the military and then in aerospace. We lived in Southern California, Texas and Alaska. I moved to San Francisco to go to college and have never left since.

4. In what genre do you write?

All my books feature humorous elements. I'm concentrating on science fiction and fantasy now Gravitas: Valkyrie in the Forbidden Zone is about aliens stranded on earth. But I've also written vampire fantasy (the Falstaff Vampire Files), romantic comedy (Bride of the Living Dead) and four books in the Josephine Fuller murder mystery series about a sleuth of size who doesn't apologize. 

5.In your own words, what is your book about? If you were not the author and trying to explain this awesome book you just read to a friend, what would you say about it? 

Gravitas is about a woman from Planet Valkyrie who is carrying an overdose of an aphrodisiac when she gets stranded on earth, which has been declared a Forbidden Zone.

6. What is your writing style? Do you follow all guides and rules? Synopsis, outline etc. or do you just sit down at the computer and type to see what happens. 

Following rules is hard for me. I naturally rebel at instructions, so I've learned that I have to follow my own quirks in order to finish a story. Whenever I try outlining or using planning software, I end up writing scenes in the margins and throwing the outline out to go back to the manuscript.

For me writing a novel is like making a bunch of puzzle pieces and putting them together different ways to see which ones make a better picture. 

The only way I can do it is to keep coming back to just picking up my manuscript every day and pulling the story along like a spider weaving a web. Oddly enough, my brain seems to be thinking ahead without my noticing, because when I get near the end the action starts clicking like a row of dominoes dropping! 

As you might imagine I do a lot of editing and re-writing, but that's the only way that works for me. 

7. Have you ever written anything and thought; "The world has got to see this!" 

I feel that way about Gravitas, because the ideas in it have percolated around my brain for a long, long time, and I finally found a story about a planet where the sex roles are completely reversed (women are expected to have as many husbands as they can support) and the major export was an aphrodisiac. I imagined a woman from that culture stranded on Earth with no easy exit. 

8. Do you have an editor and Cover Designer or do you do this yourself? 

I was fortunate enough to have editorially skilled friends to read Gravitas and suggest changes that vastly improved it.

I fell in love with a pre-made cover from David at GoOnWrite.com who has amazing covers at a price I could afford.

9. Who is your favorite author. Not just someone that you read allot. I wanna know whose book you read that made you suddenly know that if you didn't do this for the rest of your life then you would never be happy. 

I can't remember not wanting to write books, even before I could read. But Jo March was such a role model in Louisa May Alcott's Little Women, Little Men ad Jo's Boys that I just knew it was what I was meant to do.

10. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Fight scenes and love scenes are pretty scary. I just do the best I can and hope to get better as I do more.

11. Do you write your characters or do they write themselves through you?

I'm constantly finding out new things about my characters. I try not to stand in their way when they reveal themselves. 

12. Do you ever write yourself into the characters? 

I try to imagine what my characters are going through in physical actions, sensory impressions, and words. They do and say things I never could, but they don't have my limits. So I live through them in a way. 

13. Is writing your full time job or are you "Keeping your day job"? So to speak.

So far I've had to find other methods of supporting myself than writing. Sometimes I've made enough money to put back into the writing (e.g., buy a new computer, etc.). But stopping has never been an option. It's kind of an obsession and I live in hope that it will pay off more as I go along.

14. If you could go back in time and meet one famous person or legend in history, who would it be? 

I've practiced Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism since 1968, so I would want to meet the founder of our sect Nichiren (1222-1282). I'd have to bring along someone who speaks classical Japanese to communicate, and it might take me some years (a few lifetimes?) to process the encounter.

15. There are millions of new books released every year. What in your mind makes yours stand out from all those millions in your genre? 

Gravitas provides drama, laughs and an explanation for UFO sightings that hasn't been aired before. Fun is a word many reviewers have used including Frannie Zellman who said, More fun than eating chocolate while sipping wine."

16. In the world of Indie, marketing is very difficult, especially if you don't have the funds to pay for it. Have you found a great free way to market your work that you think other Indies will benefit from? 

I'm still experimenting and looking for resources. Every day I look for new places to share my books or find reviewers. I've met some great authors at the Facebook and Twitter #Awethors and #IndieBooksBeSeen groups and pooling our ideas has been helpful and encouraging. 

Now give me your links so we can get people to your book sites! 

Blog: http://lynnemurray.blogspot.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lynne.murray.7771

Twitter: @lynnemurray

Website: http://www.lmurray.com

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gravitas-lynne-murray/1121316585?ean=2940151740203&itm=1&usri=2940151740203

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/gravitas-valkyrie-in-the-forbidden-zone

I Tunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id972485768

Goodreads page : https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25055762-gravitas

Purchase from Amazon:

#IndieSpotlight of Adam Dickson Author of The Butterfly Collector

1. Name: 

Adam Dickson

2. The Title of Your Work or Group: 

The Butterfly Collector

3. Where are you from? Does not have to be the name of the place exactly. You can say Hick-ville Florida, for example if you are more comfortable with that. 

South Coast, England

4. In what genre do you write?

Contemporary fiction, screenwriting, non-fiction 

5.In your own words, what is your book about? If you were not the author and trying to explain this awesome book you just read to a friend, what would you say about it? 

The darker side of adult relationships explored from the male angle. ‘Chick-lit turned on its head.’

6. What is your writing style? Do you follow all guides and rules? Synopsis, outline etc. or do you just sit down at the computer and type to see what happens. 

I write my novels longhand in notebooks, then put them away for up to a year while I work on something else. Then, after reading them back and writing a summary, I write them up on the computer. The rewrite process continues, draft after draft, until I’m satisfied (well – sort of satisfied!) They then go to an editor and proofreader for further improvement. 

7. Have you ever written anything and thought; " The world has got to see this!" ?Yes – everything! But I’m particularly excited about a screenplay I’m working on based on a real life murder case from 1946.

8. Do you have an editor and Cover Designer or do you do this yourself? 

Yes, as I said, I do have an editor. All kinds of errors are made during the writing of a novel, which the writer never sees himself. Good editing is a valuable part of the process and helps to make the finished work stronger.

My son, Alex, designed the covers for both my novels. His cover for The Butterfly Collector won an award from Joel Friedlander’s online resource, The Book Designer.

9. Who is your favorite author. Not just someone that you read allot. I wanna know whose book you read that made you suddenly know that if you didn't do this for the rest of your life then you would never be happy. 

I read A Clockwork Orange as a teenager, and was captivated by the strange language and the psychotic narrator. Books like, The Outsider by Albert Camus, and Junky by William S Burroughs were also extremely influential (I suppose this says something about my taste in literature!) I always knew that I wanted to write from an early age. 

One of my favourite novelists is Graham Greene. For me, he is the master of economy, never a word wasted. The opening of his novel, A Burnt-Out Case is a superb example of both precision and imagery.

10. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Getting started! I’ve spoken to many writers who have a similar dread. There is something incredibly daunting about a novel – especially in the early stages. But generally it’s the thought of a blank page that makes it worse. Once you sit down and write the first few sentences, that awful fear usually vanishes. Coffee and digestive biscuits do the rest! 

11. Do you write your characters or do they write themselves through you? 

A bit of both. I usually start with a vague outline during the first draft, then build on that as I go, adding flesh to the bones with each draft. For The Butterfly Collector I had a clear image of Peter and Natalie meeting for the first time, and the sense of seductive antagonism that developed between them. 

12. Do you ever write yourself into the characters? 

Not purposely! But we may share certain traits, thoughts, and beliefs etc. I think it would be very difficult for a novelist to remove himself from the text entirely. But certainly, the characters take on a life and form of their own. That’s one of the fascinating aspects of the job. You get to be the resident psychoanalyst to all these weird and wonderful people! 

13. Is writing your full time job or are you "Keeping your day job"? So to speak.

Writing is the only job I have. But … I am also the Director of a film company – West Cliff Productions Limited. We are currently in the development stage, looking for investors to bring the screenplay I’ve written about a real-life murder to the big screen. 

14. If you could go back in time and meet one famous person or legend in history, who would it be? 

Julius Caesar. I find the whole subject of Roman history fascinating, and him in particular.

15. There are millions of new books released every year. What in your mind makes yours stand out from all those millions in your genre? 

To quote the novelist John Banville, ‘My books are better than everyone else’s, but rarely good enough for me!’ Although my novels are controversial in the subjects they deal with, I have been commended on my ability to write about emotions from both the male and female perspective. 

16. In the world of Indie, marketing is very difficult, especially if you don't have the funds to pay for it. Have you found a great free way to market your work that you think other Indies will benefit from? 

I would have to say that I’m a late convert to social media, and use Twitter and Facebook regularly to raise my professional profile. Having said that, I would question the use of Twitter just to plug books exclusively. Having a Facebook Author Page is great for posting content: this can then be linked to blogs/websites etc. I also use business cards with the covers of my books on one side and contact details on the other. There must be a few thousand of these floating around in the atmosphere already!

The best advice I could give any aspiring writer is simply to keep writing. You only have so much time, so use it wisely. Remember – books don’t write themselves.

Links to Follow Adam's work:

Website: http://adamdickson.co.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ardickson

Purchase The Butterfly Collector:

#Spotlight on @OrderofTheDimen Irene Helenowski and her Order of The Dimensions Trilogy

Order of The Dimensions

When Jane Kremowski first began her graduate studies in physics at

Madison State University in Wisconsin, little did she know where her

work would take her. Now, she is embroiled in a multitude of

dimensions all leading to different outcomes. She and her colleagues

therefore must act wisely in order to take and keep away the Order of

Dimension from falling into the wrong hands for the sake of her loved

ones.

Watch The Trailer:

Revised Orders

Book 2 

Anton Zelov has come back and is set to avenge those who stood in his

way. A race against time ensues to keep Jane's family away from their

clutches. But is victory in store for those who must take down the

Order or has their battle just begun?

Watch The Trailer:

Final Orders

Book 3

The final Orders are in place and all seems lost to the Federation.

Yet a glimmer of hope remains in the hands of an unlikely heroine.

What will she choose to pursue and would her choice save the final

dimensions?

Watch The Trailer:

Follow Irene and her work on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/OrderofTheDimen

#IndieSpotlight of Juli D. Revezzo Author of Passion's Sacred Dance

 Name: 

Juli D. Revezzo

The Title of Your Work or Group:

Passion's Sacred Dance

 Where are you from? Does not have to be the name of the place exactly. You can say Hick-ville Florida, for example if you are more comfortable with that.

Funny you should say it that way; I am from Florida. :)

In what genre do you write?

Paranormal fantasy and fantasy romance. My last book, Changeling's Crown was fantasy romance for the New Adult crowd.While my newest release, Passion's Sacred Dance is more of a general fantasy romance audience. I also write Gothic set stories with my series Antique Magic and Reign of Tarot.

In your own words, what is your book about? If you were not the author and trying to explain this awesome book you just read to a friend, what would you say about it?

Passion's Sacred Dance is about a gallery owner whose heritage means she must oversee a sacred battle on her property. Deciding which side is the side she must grant the land to is the challenge.

What is your writing style? Do you follow all guides and rules? Synopsis, outline etc. or do you just sit down at the computer and type to see what happens.

Usually, I come up with a basic idea of characters and where the story needs to go. From there, I let the writing of it flow.

Have you ever written anything and thought; "The world has got to see this."?

Yes. Getting it out to the world has been the harder part.

Do you have an editor and Cover Designer or do you do this yourself? 

Yes, to both. I have a friend named Patty G. Henderson who creates beautiful cover art. She created the beautiful cover for Passion's Sacred Dance.

Who is your favorite author? Not just someone that you read a lot. I wanna know whose book you read that made you suddenly know that if you didn't do this for the rest of your life then you would never be happy.

Then, that would have to be Fantasy author Michael Moorcock. Other favorites are J. Sheridan LeFanu, Anne Rice, Jolene Dawe, S.G. Rogers, and quite a few others.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Sometimes, getting out of my own way by turning the internal critic off is the hardest bit of all.

Do you write your characters or do they write themselves through you? 

A little of both, depending on the character. Stacy (in Passion's Sacred Dance)--and particularly the hero Aaron--was easy to write but I do have difficult characters, now and then. For instance the heroine to my paranormal series, Antique Magic, sometimes just clams up.

Do you ever write yourself into the characters?

Yes, sometimes. In my latest release, Passion's Sacred Dance, Stacy's gallery was built around one I used to work at in college.

Is writing your full time job or are you "Keeping your day job"? So to speak.

Writing is my full time life...I don't see it as my job, so much as my calling.

If you could go back in time and meet one famous person or legend in history, who would it be?

Virginia Woolf, definitely, or if I could I'd love to live when King Arthur was said to rule and verify his existence! :)

There are millions of new books released every year. What in your mind makes yours stand out from all those millions in your genre?

As you say, there are a lot of books out there and particularly in my genre, there are a lot of authors that pilfer mythology. The problem as I see it, is too many of these authors don't seem to have respect for the mythology they're using and they cherry pick names and sometime superficial attributes, without respect for what these aspects really represent mythologically. (Eg. Sometimes the characters are so superficial that they seem like the writer thought: "Does it have horns? Oh, it must be a devil! Let's make it the villain!" When that might not be what the original cultures thought of said-figure at all) I've always tried to show respect to the stories and characters in the stories that influence me, even if I have to make a character a "villain". I've done so (or hope I have) especially here in Passion's Sacred Dance.

In the world of Indie, marketing is very difficult, especially if you don't have the funds to pay for it. Have you found a great free way to market your work that you think other Indies will benefit from? 

The days of Social media promo being a help seems to have come and gone, they're good to connect with, but they've changed so much the visibility has become an issue. But I've found that book bloggers willing to host authors is a good place start. I've had a few things in Kindle Select from time to time and find that sometimes gives me a small boost, but I know I have readers who use other things than Kindle, so I don't always feel right using it. Other than that, lowering prices from time to time helps boost your visibility.

Links so we can get people to your book sites! 

Website: http://julidrevezzo.com/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/julidrevezzo

Twitter: https://twitter.com/julidrevezzo

Blog: http://julidrevezzo.com/blog/

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/jewelsraven/

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/111476709039805267272/posts

Newsletter signup at: http://bit.ly/SNI5K6

And Passion's Sacred Dance is available at:

Amazon:
 
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/passions-sacred-dance-juli-d-revezzo/1117518183?ean=2940151559270

Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/passions-sacred-dance-celtic/id992256185?mt=11

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/539975

I have a book trailer for Passion's Sacred Dance should they like to see it: 

And a page on my blog that tells a little more about the book: http://julidrevezzo.com/regarding-passions-sacred-dance/chment PASSION'S SACRED DANCE_eBook.jpg

#IndieSpotlight of Audrina Lane Author of The heart Trilogy

 Name: 

Audrina Lane

The Title of Your Work or Group: 

The Heart Trilogy which consists of the following books:

Where did your Heart go? – Published July 2013

Un-Break my Heart – Published November 2014

Closer to the Heart – Due to be published September 2015

Where are you from? 

I’m from a small town called Ross-on-Wye in the county of Herefordshire in the UK.

In what genre do you write?

My genre is Chick-lit romance with an erotic twist.

.In your own words, what is your book about? If you were not the author and trying to explain this awesome book you just read to a friend, what would you say about it? 

The trilogy starts with the main character Stephanie sharing her diary from 1988 with her sixteen year old daughter. The diary reveals her Mum’s first love and the highs and low associated with it. Stephanie has been running from her memories for the last 24 years so in bringing her diary out she to re-lives her first love affair with the man she has never really moved on from. Through a strange twist her daughter Charlotte meets and falls in love with a dancer called Mitchell his Dad happens to be Stephanie’s first love James. The first book sees them meeting again after 24 years apart.

The story continues into the 2nd book as we watch the two couples relationships grow, develop and falter through the ambitions of the younger characters. Will their love survive? For Stephanie & James the threat comes from the reason for their initial break-up in 1988 – James’ now ex-wife Felicity. Other characters are introduced to tempt Charlotte away from Mitchell in the shape of her best friend Shelley and the womanising nightclub owner Zach.

The final part concludes their story and I really don’t want to give the storyline away other than to say that it is full of un-expected twists and turns.

All three books are packed full of music and film references from Top Gun and Dirty Dancing, 80’s music from Wham through to current chart toppers Rhianna and Justin Timberlake. It shows the way that long-distance relationships were harder to maintain in the late 80’s compared with the advent of technology in current years.

What is your writing style? Do you follow all guides and rules? Synopsis, outline etc. or do you just sit down at the computer and type to see what happens?

I would say that my writing style varies from using first person in the trilogy for Stephanie’s story to third person for her daughter and all the other main characters. I think it gives a deeper view point to the various different stories that are going on. I do like to include some humour too!

Have you ever written anything and thought; " The world has got to see this!" ? 

 With every book I write my style is evolving and I feel improving. I have a few scenes in “Closer to the Heart” which every time I re-read them it gives me goose bumps!!

 Do you have an editor and Cover Designer or do you do this yourself? 

I have a couple of close friends that I use to read the book through for continuity and editing point of view but then I take their comments and self-edit. This is also because I can’t afford to employ an editor yet (maybe one day!) My book covers have been designed by a local graphic designer called Simon Hammond Designs – he has been fantastic and very cost effective with each cover design costing around £75. I’m hoping he might give me a discount for the next cover!!

Who is your favorite author. Not just someone that you read allot. I wanna know whose book you read that made you suddenly know that if you didn't do this for the rest of your life then you would never be happy. 

I have a couple of favourite authors so I can’t really pick just one! Stephen King is my idol, his characters always draw me in and whether its horror, romance, crime or fantasy that he is writing he always grips me from the first line to the very end. I just hope that my characters will end up grabbing the reader just as much as his do. My newly found author is an Indie like myself – Sarah Michelle Lynch is a master at erotic romance/thrillers. Every book of hers is amazing and I am a keen reader of everything she produces.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

The thing I find challenging is writing succinctly, my novels are all rather long and need great trimming when I edit them before publishing.

Do you write your characters or do they write themselves through you? 

I think my characters tend to write themselves, I normally have an idea of their personality and looks but sometimes a situation in the book makes them change and evolve. They are always surprising me.

 Do you ever write yourself into the characters? 

Without a doubt I write parts of me into the different characters. My main character Stephanie is most definitely me as I am now and her teenage self was drawn directly from my own experiences. In fact I’ll let you into a secret that the first kiss between James and Stephanie in “Where did your Heart go?” was my actual first kiss. I even named James after my first love (don’t worry he’s flattered by it!!) Charlotte is the teenager I wished I had been and the dancer that I aspired too but never quite got there.

Is writing your full time job or are you "Keeping your day job"? So to speak.

I’d love for writing to be my full-time job but sadly it’s not. However I’m lucky enough to spend my working day surrounded by books as I work for the Library Service in Herefordshire. I hope that I will find my books on a library shelf one day!

If you could go back in time and meet one famous person or legend in history, who would it be? 

I’d love to go back in time and meet Scarlett O’Hara the heroine from the classic “Gone with the Wind” She is the type of vivacious person that I’d want to be friends with, despite her infuriating choice in men when she could have just fallen for Rhett Butler. I admire her determination to succeed despite the war and the obstacles in her way throughout the novel.

There are millions of new books released every year. What in your mind makes yours stand out from all those millions in your genre? 

I think it’s the nostalgia not just for the 1980’s era but the feelings every girl has for their first ever boyfriend whether you’re 16 or 60! No one ever forgets their first love and it’s that fabulous thought of what if you could go back?

 In the world of Indie, marketing is very difficult, especially if you don't have the funds to pay for it. Have you found a great free way to market your work that you think other Indies will benefit from? 

 I have to admit that I never realised how hard it was to get your book out there and in front of potential readers. But my real boon was the fact that the main character Stephanie is a Radio DJ and I was able to forge friendships with the local radio station in Herefordshire whilst I was writing the first book. So after adding some of the actual DJ’s on the station into the book (as DJ’s) I was able to persuade the breakfast show DJ to allow me onto his show. What a huge plug and it boosted my sales by nearly 100 copies. It also helps that all 3 titles are also song titles so every now and then I ask for one of the songs to be played and they normally mention the fact that I’m a local author. Sorry if this is not particularly helpful in a wider sense but if you can get out there and do writer events, use your local library and meet potential readers it is undoubtedly the best way to get your books bought and read.

Links where you can find and follow Audrina's work:

Website:

http://www.audrinalane.co.uk/

Amazon.com links:

Where did your Heart go? (Book 1)

http://www.amazon.com/Where-your-heart-Heart-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00E0KDRQU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417521343&sr=8-1&keywords=where+did+your+heart+go+audrina+lane

Un-Break my Heart (Book 2)

http://www.amazon.com/Un-Break-Heart-Book-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00QEERNN8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422011357&sr=8-1&keywords=un-break+my+heart+audrina

Amazon.co.uk links:

Where did your Heart go? (Book 1)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Where-your-heart-Heart-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00E0KDRQU/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_2

Un-Break my Heart (Book 2)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Un-Break-Heart-Book-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00QEERNN8/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417521623&sr=1-1&keywords=un-break+my+heart+audrina+lane

Facebook: 

Audrina Lane

https://www.facebook.com/#!/audrina.lane

The Heart Trilogy

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Heart-Trilogy/1518803495007973

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/AudrinaLane

#IndieSpotlight of Ira Nayman Author of The Alternative Reality News Service

Name:

 Ira Nayman

The Title of Your Work or Group: 

a) The Alternate Reality News Service (six collections of short short stories in the form of humourous fake news)

b) The Transdimensional Authority (three novels)

Where are you from?

I’m from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It’s had the potential to be the greatest city in the world for my entire life – perhaps some day it will get there.

In what genre do you write?

I dedicated myself to writing humour when I was eight years old. My Web site (Les Pages aux Folles) contains topical satire and surreal cartoons. The books I have had published in print combine humour with speculative fiction (mostly science fiction, but also occasionally fantasy and horror).

In your own words, what is your book about? If you were not the author and trying to explain this awesome book you just read to a friend, what would you say about it? 

My latest Alternate Reality News Service book is called What the Hell Were You Thinking? Good Advice for People Who Make Bad Decisions. The easiest way to explain it is that it is a collection of humourous science fiction advice columns. The hardest way to explain it would, I suppose, be to suggest that you read the book.

My latest Transdimensional Authority novel is Random Dingoes. Two agents of the organization are investigating a drug ring selling something that is rumoured to allow people to see into various dimensions without the patented equipment. They work their way up the drug ring’s chain of command and are about to arrest the leader when…they are thrown out of the universe. Apparently, somebody has invented time travel; every time it is used, they get thrown back to the point where they entered the dimension. They must team up with a Time Agency agent to find and stop the time traveller before he completely unravels causality in that reality.

I cannot guarantee that you will like my books, but I can guarantee that you will not have read anything quite like them. Are you feeling adventurous?

What is your writing style? Do you follow all guides and rules? Synopsis, outline etc. or do you just sit down at the computer and type to see what happens?

In reviews, my writing has often been compared with that of Douglas Adams. While this is flattering (after all, I’m a fan of his work), my voice and sensibility are quite different from his; better examples might be Monty Python’s Flying Circus and the Marx Brothers. At first, this may seem like an unlikely combination, but they both taught me two lessons that affect my work to this day: 1) maintain a high volume of comic elements, and; 2) use all of the comic devices at your disposal. The first point is important because the reader soon learns that if he doesn’t get a specific bit of humour, another will be along soon; as long as the reader gets most of the jokes, he won’t begrudge me some of the more topical or obscure or flat out strange ones. The second point is important because writers who use only one or two comic devices can become predictable, and surprise is one of the main characteristics of humour.

I break rules all the time. I make up words. I switch fonts mercilessly. I tear down the fourth wall and reduce the chunks to atoms. I am prepared to do anything and everything to get a laugh. I’m a writer. I’m not proud. My writing is full and rich, with lots of things going on all of the time; I am starting to have people tell me that they find things in it on the second reading that they missed the first time. Imagine how much more they’ll find on the thirty-seventh reading!

As the stories I write get longer, I find I need to know where they end, and all of the major plot points to get me there. However, because there is so much detail in the journey, I find that I have a lot of room for improvisation.

Have you ever written anything and thought; " The world has got to see this!" ? 

I have been writing for a long time; for most of that period, I didn’t put much effort into making it public. I figure my apprenticeship lasted twenty or thirty years. I am now at the point where I am confident in my ability and believe that my writing would entertain a lot of people. So, I guess the answer (immodestly) is: anything I have written in the past decade or so.

Do you have an editor and Cover Designer or do you do this yourself? 

For my self-published Alternate Reality News Service books, I designed the covers, then paid artists to execute them. The Transdimensional Authority books were published by Elsewhen Press; I suggested an initial cover design, then went back and forth with the publisher and cover artist until we were all satisfied. (It is rare for an author to be allowed input into the creation of the covers of her or his books; I am grateful to Peter Buck of Elsewhen Press for this.)

Who is your favorite author. Not just someone that you read a lot. I wanna know whose book you read that made you suddenly know that if you didn't do this for the rest of your life then you would never be happy. 

These are really two questions. My favourite author is Thomas Pynchon. His writing is a feast of words, and often riotously funny to boot. Brilliant, brilliant stuff.

However, the writer who made me want to be a writer when I read him was Art Buchwald. Here was a writer who spoke truth to power, and in a most intelligent and entertaining way. For many years, I wanted to be a newspaper humour columnist because of him (a form which would eventually work very well on the Internet). It was only when that avenue was very obviously closed to me that I started exploring writing humour in other forms for other media.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I love just about all aspects of the writing process, so, if that is what this question is about, I would have to say no.

If this is actually a question about whether or not my writing is challenging for readers, I would say that some might not be able to keep up with all of the cultural allusions I throw into the mix. However, this shouldn’t be a major impediment to anybody enjoying my writing; as I pointed out earlier, if you miss a joke or two, another one will be along soon enough.

Do you write your characters or do they write themselves through you? 

TRUE STORY: I was talking to an actor/producer friend of mine about how we approach writing. He said he started with characters, threw them into a situation and then saw what they did. I said I started with story, theme and other ideas and developed characters who did what I needed them to do within the parameters set by those elements. He asked me what I did if the character I created didn’t want to do what the story I wanted to tell demanded. I told him that I changed the character. He shrieked, “YOU CAN’T DO THAT!” But, of course, I can.

Whatever gets you to the end of the work works. Readers don’t know (and, let’s be honest, most don’t care) about the process by which you wrote something. All they care about is whether or not they enjoy it.

Do you ever write yourself into the characters? 

Arguably, every character in a writer’s work is a different aspect of who they are. But, no, I don’t consciously create characters who are just like me. If anything, I try to create characters who are not like me; frankly, that’s a more enjoyable exercise of my imagination.

Is writing your full time job or are you "Keeping your day job"? So to speak.

Writing is my full time job. But, then, I have a very supportive patron.

If you could go back in time and meet one famous person or legend in history, who would it be? 

The man who invented the Q-Tip. There’s genius there.

There are millions of new books released every year. What in your mind makes yours stand out from all those millions in your genre? 

Actually, there are only two or three humourous science fiction books published every year. Even if I’m the worst of the bunch (and, I do not believe I am), my books would still be in the top five!

In the world of Indie, marketing is very difficult, especially if you don't have the funds to pay for it. Have you found a great free way to market your work that you think other Indies will benefit from? 

I wish! I’m still struggling with that issue, as we all are.

Link to find and follow Ira's work:

WEB SITE: Les Pages aux Folles

URL: http://www.lespagesauxfolles.ca

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/ira.nayman

FACEBOOK WRITER’S/FAN/WHATEVER PAGE: Ira Nayman’s Thrishty Friednishes 

URL: http://www.facebook.com/ThrishtyFriednishes

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/#!/ARNSProprietor

#IndieSpotlight of Tricia Bailey Author of Midnight Robber

Name

Tricia Bailey 

The title of your book:

Midnight Robber

Where are you from:

Trinidad and Tobago 

What Genre gets to claim you:

Romance/suspense 

In your own words, what is your book about? If you were not the author and trying to explain this awesome book you just read to a friend, what would you say about it?

In this book you will find a girl caught up with a bad boy that explores. It's a short story fill with love and yet it have a twist to it.

What is your writing style? Do you follow all guides and rules? Synopsis, outline etc. or do you just sit down at the computer and type to see what happens?

I write down as soon as I get an idea and later edit and remove what I want. I am new to all of this. 

Have you ever written anything and thought; " The world has got to see this!" ?

Yes I want them to feel how I feel when I am writing.

Do you have an editor and Cover Designer or do you do this yourself?

No, not yet but I'm working on it!

Who is your favorite author. Not just someone that you read allot. I wanna know whose book you read that made you suddenly know that if you didn't do this for the rest of your life then you would never be happy.

I don't have a favorite author. I read alot of various books from different people who just started because I think you get a better glimace at the author and there true feelings.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Yes, POV I mix up myself sometimes. Lol

Do you write your characters or do they write themselves through you?

No not really, but sometimes I find myself emotionally connected with the characters. So I write against.

Do you ever write yourself into the characters?

No, because of my 11 answer.

Is writing your full time job or are you "Keeping your day job"? So to speak.

No, I will keep my day job thank you. Writing is my hobby.

If you could go back in time and meet one famous person or legend in history, who would it be?

Nelson Mandela 

There are millions of new books released every year. What in your mind makes yours stand out from all those millions in your genre?

Because everyone has a different story to tell. So others can share in your thoughts.

In the world of Indie, marketing is very difficult, especially if you don't have the funds to pay for it. Have you found a great free way to market your work that you think other Indies will benefit from?

No, if I find one I will let you know.

Links to find and follow Tricia's Work:

Blog:

withfivequestions.blogspot.com/2015/05/meet-tricia-bailey-author.html

Amazon Page: amazon.com/author/triciabailey

Purchase on Amazon: