A new anthology, UnCommon Bodies, containing my story, Phantom Pain, comes out on November 24th and to celebrate I’ve lined up interviews with a lot of the authors from the book. Today, I’m talking to Bob Williams, author of Ruby. What attracted you to the UnCommon Bodies project? I was about half-way through my story for the upcoming “Shape Shifter” Chronicles and I’d hit a snag. I had just chosen the day before to put it down for a couple of weeks when Aletia Meyers (a friend to the Indie publishing scene) alerted me to Pavarti’s UnCommon Bodies Anthology. Oddly enough I knocked out this story in about a week. Maybe I found my genre. What’s the setting for your story? The setting for my story “Ruby,” is 1936 Ransom, Oklahoma. A fictional hard luck town barely surviving after the devastating “Dust Bowl” storm from the year before. Most of the townsfolk left after the storms and the few that are left feel hopeless and have given up. In to town comes a traveling freak show: Melvin Mitchell Presents: Ruby and Her Amazing Freak Show Friends. An odd assortment of freakish characters with a genuine appearing barker in Melvin Mitchell. However all is in … Read More
UnCommon Bodies Q&A: Robb Grindstaff
For the second of my UnCommon Bodies interviews, I’m joined by Robb Grindstaff. His story, Rudy and Deidre, is described as “A shorter than average man admires a taller than average woman from afar.” What’s your favourite part of being involved in the UnCommon Bodies project? I’ve been able to participate along with some writers I’ve known for quite a while and have a lot of respect for, along with some excellent writers I’d never met before. Writing is, by its nature, such a solitary endeavour, so it’s great on occasion to be a part of something a little bigger. Are there any authors that influenced your story or your writing in general? In general, a lot of writers over many years. To narrow down the main influences to perhaps the top three (and ask me again tomorrow, I might list a different three authors): 1. John Irving 2. F. Scott Fitzgerald 3. Ernest Hemingway 4. Edgar Allan Poe (yeah, that’s four, I know) What music should readers listen to when they read your story? None. Read with no distractions. After reading, listen to some melt-your-heart blues and set-your-hair-on-fire guitar. Think Stevie Ray Vaughan and Samantha Fish. How will … Read More
UnCommon Bodies Q&A: Laxmi Hariharan
UnCommon Bodies, a new short story anthology edited by Pavarti K Tyler will be released on November 24. My short story, Phantom Pain, is featured in the book alongside some great authors. I’m working my way through the book at the moment and so far, every story has been a winner. It’s been a while since I posted any interviews on the site so I got in touch with the other UnCommon Bodies authors and put together a series of Q&As that all be posting here in the run up to the release of the book. First up is Laxmi Hariharan, whose story, UnTamed, is a coming of age tale with a twist. What attracted you to the UnCommon Bodies project? I actually saw a call for entries from Pavarti Taylor, specifically she was looking for a wolf girl story and something clicked there for me. Tell us about your lead character, what makes them UnCommon? Wolf girl Leana Iyeroy, the first hybrid in her family, only ever wanted to be 100% human. When she inherits her grandmother’s ancient sword, she decides take it back to Bombay; to the temple where her grandma had touched the sword to the altar and set off a … Read More
Two More Interviews
Please forgive me for another shameless self-promotion post but these are too cool to ignore. Firstly, young Adult author, Tash McAdam interviewed me for her blog. If you’d like to find out who I think should play Glitch in a movie version of Glitch Mitchell and the Unseen Planet or what my favourite word is, this is the interview for you (And you can also read the first chapter of Unseen Planet there). And secondly, Hank Garner was kind enough to invite me onto his Author Stories Podcast. I’m a huge fan of the cast and he’s had people like Andy Weir, Nancy Kress, Hugh Howey, Nick Cole and Dan Wells on the show so I’m in amazing company. Hank is a great interviewer – he has a really relaxed style and the interview was a lot of fun so check it out. Hank also writes really good fiction so after you’ve listened to the podcast, take a look at his books as well. That’s it for the self-promotion for a while (probably) but here’s a picture of some baby seagulls to make up for all the Glitch posts. For a limited time you can pick up Glitch Mitchell and the Unseen Planet on all ebook platforms including Amazon US, Amazon … Read More
The Leighgendarium Interviewed Me!
Preston Leigh at The Leighgendarium Book Blog has just posted an interview with yours truly. I’m a big fan of the site, Preston has interviewed some great authors so it’s a real honour to be featured. I’ve done a lot of software related interviews in print, radio and TV (and I once dressed up as a gorilla to promote a video game), but I think this is the first interview I’ve done regarding my writing so I’ve put together a cool giveaway for a paperback copy of Glitch Mitchell and the Unseen Planet. So, if you’re interested in finding out what new authors I’m enjoying reading, how I’d change The Girl in the City, why I’m nervous around penguins, or just want a chance to win a free book, check out the interview here. And if you’re interested in books, you could do worse than making The Leighgendarium a regular stop on your Internet journeys. For a limited time, I’m giving everyone who signs up to my mailing list 4 free books. Click here to sign up [Interviewed at the Leighgendarium by Philip Harris first appeared on Solitary Mindset on 21st August 2015]
Apocalypse Weird Q&A: Jennifer Ellis
This week, I’ve been posting Q&As with the authors of the first five Apocalypse Weird books. So far, I’ve spoken to Michael Bunker, Nick Cole, Chris Pourteau and E. E. Giorgi. Today, we have Jennifer Ellis, author of Reversal. Hi Jennifer, welcome to the site. Tell us a little bit about your Apocalypse Weird book, Reversal. Reversal is set in an isolated research station on Ellesmere Island where Sasha Wood and Soren Anderson wake up one morning to find that not only are they blind, and several of their colleagues are missing, but the poles appear to have reversed and giant methane-venting craters have opened up all over the tundra. They are cut off from the outside world, and the other researchers keep turning up dead, or on snowmobiles with guns. What follows is an action-packed thriller filled with feral polar bears, trips to the Antarctic, the four horsemen of the environmental apocalypse, and many questions regarding Soren’s past and his research on volcanoes. The Arctic is an unusual setting for an Apocalyptic novel. What made you decide to set the book there? Well, I’m from Canada, and I live in a ski town, so I love snow and generally prefer to spend six … Read More
Apocalypse Weird Q&A: E. E. Giorgi
Next up in my series of Q&As with the first wave of Apocalypse Weird authors is E. E. Giorgi, author of Immunity. Hi Elena, welcome to the site. Tell us a little bit about your Apocalypse Weird book, Immunity. My book Immunity takes place in New Mexico and follows the stories of thrash metal lover and computer geek David Ashberg and career-driven scientist Anu Sharma as they fight an unprecedented viral outbreak. I set the story in New Mexico because I love the landscape and it’s quite easy to imagine a post-apocalyptic world out here in the high deserts. What can you tell us about your two main characters, Anu and David? The two are quite different, as David is mellow and good natured, whereas Anu is ambitious and very possessive of her data. Circumstances will force them to come together against a common enemy that’s far more evil than the virus itself. Your background is as a scientist, how did that influence Immunity? As part of my day job I research viruses (HIV in particular), so I wanted to give my unique spin to the Apocalypse Weird world and describe the apocalypse from the point of view of scientists. We work … Read More
Apocalypse Weird Q&A: Chris Pourteau
For the third in my series of Apocalypse Weird Q&As, I’m talking to Chris Pourteau, author of The Serenity Strain. I’ve read several of Chris’ books, including his Pennsylvania fan fiction, Gettysburg and Susquehanna and he’s an excellent writer. I’m really looking forward to reading The Serenity Strain. Hi Chris, welcome to the site. Tell us a little bit about your Apocalypse Weird book, The Serenity Strain. Well, it’s a contemporary dystopian horror novel set in Houston, Texas. Basically, three huge hurricanes hit the city, causing massive damage. Remember Hurricane Katrina and the chaotic breakdown of society in the weeks after? Ramp that up on steroids! Before the hurricanes hit, a university researcher who’s trying out a new gene therapy to help control impulsivity—the root of problems like ADHD, addictions, and some violent crime—is weeks into his Phase 1 trial with his test subjects. Nicknamed the Serenity Six (named after the virus that’s introducing the therapy to rewrite their genetic makeup), the test subjects are murderers, the worst of the worst. (The thinking is, if it can modify their behavior, Serenity can help millions of people.) The therapy starts to go wrong (of course! It’s the Apocalypse!) just as the storms wreak havoc across Houston, … Read More
Apocalypse Weird Q&A: Michael Bunker
Today is the big day for Apocalypse Weird with five new books hitting the shelves: Texocalypse Now by Michael Bunker and Nick Cole The Dark Knight by Nick Cole (the sequel to The Red King) Reversal by Jennifer Ellis The Serenity Strain by Chris Pourteau Immunity by E.E. Giorgi I posted my thoughts on the project on Saturday, but I thought I’d also try something new to commemorate the event. So, I’ve lined up a series of Q&As with the authors of the five launch titles, and I’ll be posting one each day this week. First up is Michael Bunker, co-author of Texocalypse Now. Hi Michael, welcome to the blog. What can you tell us about the premise of Texocalypse Now and the Digger series? The overall premise is that in a Central and West Texas gone Mad Max, the apocalypse has left a vast, mostly deserted swath of Texas a dangerous place to be. Some small towns survive… for awhile… boarded up and on the defense. Precious Metal Pirates, biker gangs, and hordes of feral humans made crazy for protein by a diet pill they relied on prior to the collapse, criss-cross the basin looking to murder, salvage, or just consume anything that is left. In … Read More