My new story, Sitala, is being released in the UnCommon Minds anthology on 21st January. To celebrate, I’m interviewing some of the authors about their stories. Today, I’m talking to Shebat Legion about Whatever Lola Wants. What attracted you to the UnCommon Minds project? I am intrigued by concept and joined the Uncommon project in the second volume, UnCommonOrigins. The acceptance of my story, The Apple also led to a meeting of minds with brilliant authors whose voices set the bar for excellence. What was the inspiration for the uncommon mind in your story? For the story, Whatever Lola Wants, there were two main inspirations. I channelled Edgar Allan Poe, his darkness and meter. Also, I was inspired by how horrifying it can be when a story appears in my mind and I am compelled to write it. It is an unknown source, this so-called Muse. It is controlling and without mercy. It allows for no excuses made, nor does it respect circumstance. A muse is a force and the writer is its slave. What are you most proud of about the story? There are stories that write themselves. There are other stories that fight you; a monster on a hook. I … Read More
UnCommon Minds Q&A: Tausha Johnson
My new story, Sitala, is being released in the UnCommon Minds anthology on 21st January. To celebrate, I’m interviewing some of the authors about their stories. Today, I’m talking to Tausha Johnson about 11.11 What attracted you to the UnCommon Minds project? Last August I was in at a writers’ workshop in Transylvania, and I happened to meet two amazingly gifted writers whose work appeared in UnCommon Bodies. They brought the book with them to Transylvania and shared it with me and the other writers. I was highly impressed with quality of writing and the design. I thought it was very cool. I didn’t immediately make the connection when I saw the call for UnCommon Minds, but when it hit me this was part of the same series, I knew I wanted to submit and, fingers crossed, be a part of the project. I had the story 11.11 about a psychic medium, so I thought it definitely fit the theme. What was the inspiration for the uncommon mind in your story? A number of factors inspired the uncommon mind in my story 11.11. Believe it or not, the title came first. A few years ago I was visiting family in the … Read More
UnCommon Minds Q&A: Patrick S. Baker
My new story, Sitala, is being released in the UnCommon Minds anthology on 21st January. To celebrate, I’m interviewing some of the authors about their stories. Today, I’m talking to Patrick S. Baker about Chief Canis and the Helpful Locals What attracted you to the UnCommon Minds project? I saw the open call on a Facebook group I belong and thought my story would be a good fit. And so it seemed to be. What was the inspiration for the uncommon mind in your story? I watched a TV show about military working dogs; guard dogs, bomb sniffers, etc. and saw the connection between the dogs and their handlers. So I just took that connection to a deeper, more science fiction/fantasy level. Also I’m a US Army veteran and like to write stories that feature veterans and the military. What are you most proud of about the story? How the connection between Canis and Buffy and between the team members came out. I think I gave the story a bit of “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me, Shall be my brother;” Even if the “brother” is a dog. What’s … Read More
UnCommon Minds Q&A: Zen DiPietro
My new story, Sitala, is being released in the UnCommon Minds anthology on 21st January. To celebrate, I’m interviewing some of the authors about their stories. Today, I’m talking to Zen DiPietro about Subliminal. What was the inspiration for the uncommon mind in your story? I wanted to portray someone who’s had everything about him stripped away, but still knows who he is at his core. Someone who manages to overcome his obstacles to fight for himself. It’s a metaphor for the struggle that we all face in life–the need to persevere and survive, and to use what we’ve learned to make us better. The story is a prologue to Translucid, the first full-length novel in this series. This unseen early event leads to everything else that happens, unbeknownst to the main characters. Because life is like that–a neverending cascade of events that flows from the past to the future. I wanted to show this early event, to highlight one such moment in time that touched off a series of events. What are you most proud of about the story? The structure of the story. There’s a repetitive element and I’d never written anything that unfolded that way. It was risky, and … Read More
UnCommon Minds Q&A: Ashleigh Gauch
My new story, Sitala, is being released in the UnCommon Minds anthology on 21st January. To celebrate, I’m interviewing some of the authors about their stories. Today, I’m talking to Ashleigh Gauch about In Loving Memory. What attracted you to the UnCommon Minds project? I loved UnCommon Bodies and Origins! Although In Loving Memory was already underway when I found out about the project, reading the open call gave me the courage to turn it into an empathy story rather than sticking to the typical “machines and technology will kill us all” stereotype that dominates the genre right now. What was the inspiration for the uncommon mind in your story? I’d been playing around with the idea of an AI built entirely on human memories and emotions for some time, but Kyrkos herself was actually based on a series of interviews I did with autistic friends. When I learned how they coped with difficulties regarding reading other people and understanding tone, I used the information to help showcase how Kyrkos learned the things Lana didn’t directly teach her. I passed my story over to them before submitting it, and even though the character wasn’t an autistic human, they loved the representation and … Read More
Coming Soon – Sitala
My first story of 2017, Sitala, is being released in the UnCommon Minds anthology on 21st January. Sitala is about a young girl called Mika. While out scavenging at the edge of a retreating ocean, she discovers the remains of a crashed spacecraft. At first, it’s just an opportunity to find salvage she can trade for food, but deep within the ship she finds unexpected life and a mind with a tale to tell and memories to share. I really enjoyed writing this story and I was very pleased when Jess and Pavarti accepted it. There are a lot of great authors in this anthology and it’s a real pleasure to appear alongside so many fantastic storytellers. The ebook is available for preorder on Amazon right now. Enter into the hidden world of the mind, where the laws of nature don’t apply and nothing is as it seems. Straight from the minds of 20 UnCommon Authors come tales of tragedy, triumph, and bittersweet gratitude. You’ll find augmented realities and mental persuasion that force you to question everything. Stories of military suspense, psychological horror, dream walkers, and psychic mediums await their turn to crawl into your head. Get UnCommon Minds Sign up for my newsletter and … Read More
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