Eyes

Nghịch Tửs debut fantasy thriller novel has been translated by Việt H. Nguyễn, and is now available on Amazon. Here is a synopsis:

Vũ Thanh is a typical girl, smart and cynical, born and raised in the countryside of Vietnam. Ever since the Government opened an industrial park near her village, things have been changing, for better and for worse. For Vũ Thanh, however, it has mostly been “for worse”…

Nearly two years ago, she left her village to go to University in the big city. Now, she’s returning to celebrate Lunar New Year with her family.

On the bus, the young girl met Điền Mục, a weirdo whom she suspected of being a con man but couldn’t quite decide for sure.

As she found her way home, Vũ Thanh found her village not quite what she remembered, and Điền Mục, the peculiar young man from the bus, seemed to be right at the center of everything.

Is he truly who he said he was and there to help her? Or is he actually the mastermind behind it all?

Will Vũ Thanh trust the right person, or will she end up paying the ultimate price for her cynicism? Find out by joining Vũ Thanh on her thrilling adventure as she dives headfirst into a land full of myths, curses, spirits, and black magic!!!

This book is the first installment of the Half-Alive Series, and a Fantasy Thriller in genre. As such, it contains some violence, gore, as well as disturbing elements taken from Vietnamese (and perhaps other Asian) culture, folklore, and fairytales. Reader discretion is advised.

You can find out more about this fantasy author on Facebook. You may ask him questions at Goodreads Author Nghịch Tử.

Nghịch’s Interview

Do you consider yourself (1) an introvert OR (2) an extrovert?

I always consider myself to be a bit of an introvert. Going about, establishing new contacts, and interacting with people are, most of the time, really tiresome for me. For pretty much all of my time on earth, sinking back into my own thought and dwelling in various possibilities of the fictional world rushing through my imagination have been more enjoyable than socializing, it’s almost like a kind of comfort food to me. Later in life, I learnt that expressing myself through novels and stories was also an option, so I became an author.

Insightful answer!

You can travel back in time. Will you go back (1) 10 years OR (2) 25 years?

Interesting question. Among the two options presented, 10 years would be better, as 25 years ago I haven’t even been born yet. With that said, somewhere between that two option to relive my childhood innocence is more appealing. But then, if I do have the ability to time travel… what’s stopping me from going even further back in time? You see, I’m a bit of a history / paleontology fanatic, and traveling back in time would be a golden opportunity to see all the epic occurrences the past has to offer. On a side note, the history of my country is a bit incomplete, both by external and internal reasons, and having this kind of power sparks my curiosity even further.

Time traveling for you!

Are you (1) a morning person OR (2) a night owl?

A night owl for sure. Not that I didn’t know staying up late and go to bed on the wrong time is bad. It’s just that I’m highly more productive after mid night. Both my creativity and my emotions seem to receive a boost after the clock struck twelve. So well, can’t really help it.

Great reason to be a night owl!

Do you write (1) when the mood takes you OR (2) at a set time?

I write only when the mood takes me, as I strongly believe that art can’t be rushed. Every time I had forced myself to comply to a deadline, the resulted pages were in way worse conditions than what I can usually manage to produce under the right condition and in the right mood. So, I’d rather delete them and start over than handing them out to my readers. They deserve the best – not in the world, mind you, I’m not that good – but the best of my capabilities at least. It’s for this reason that I’m slowly turning into a nocturnal opossum.

So understandable!

You prefer to watch (1) a sunrise OR (2) a sunset?

I don’t absolutely favor one over the other. To me, it depends more on the occasion and what I am feeling or need to feel at the time. Watching the sun set makes me emotional, but the rising sun motivated me more. At this specific point in life though, I prefer the sun rise. As a new author, I very much need every bit of motivation I can muster.

Motivating sunrises for you!

Thanks for being interviewed, Nghịch!

Bishop’s Crossing

Urban fantasy author Don Mewha is publishing his debut novel, and it will be available on February 23, 2021. Here is a synopsis:

The dark streets of New Orleans come to life in this riveting Urban Fantasy! Fans of Jim Butcher, Constantine, and Tales from the Nightside will adore Bishop’s Crossing!

A failed priest gets pulled back into the occult world that he left behind when his daughter shows signs of mystical ability. He reconnects with his former team to track down the missing daughter of the Voodoo King of New Orleans while he’s hunted by a fanatical member of the Church.

You can find out more about this urban fantasy author on his Don Mewha website or on Facebook. You may send him a Tweet, an Instagram, or ask him questions at Goodreads Author Don Mewha.

Don’s Interview

You prefer (1) to eat a home-cooked meal with family and friends OR (2) to eat in a big-name restaurant?

This is a really interesting question. A person’s preference here says a lot about how they view personal relationships (if we’re talking about the “before COVID times”. If we’re talking about now, it just highlights tendencies toward nihilism, I guess). For people who pick the latter answer, the event is the thing…the experience. Going to someplace new and fancy, experiencing the sights, smells, and sounds while you soak in the atmosphere…it can be a heady experience.

But not exactly one for me. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and there’s nothing that I like better than a warm house filled with family and friends, a comforting meal filling the air with odors intertwined with memories.

It’s a slice of heaven.

Heaven it is!

Do you find it (1) easy to give a witty retort OR (2) think of what you should have said after the conversation is over?

This question has been the bane of my life on more than one occasion. The question isn’t “Can you give a witty reply?”, the question is “Can you stop yourself from saying something you shouldn’t?”

Too often the answer has been no. When I was younger, I received a desk plaque that read “Be sure brain is engaged before putting mouth in gear.” It’s great advice. I should try it from time to time.

Open mouth, insert foot!

Your novel brought you fame and fortune. Do you spend approximately $2 million on (1) an expensive car OR (2) a Hollywood-style RV?

Fame, fortune, and expensive cars don’t really have a ton of appeal to me. Now, being able to wander around in a Hollywood style RV? That sounds really interesting. It’s like having “home” with you when you go on vacation, which opens up all sorts of interesting places to visit that I’d never be willing to try otherwise. As someone that’s not a huge fan of “roughing it”, places where I need to sleep on the ground without air conditioning have an appeal that eludes me. This would let my family experience the things they’d want to, while I still got to wake up in the morning and not be immobile from a stiff back. Win/win!

The only thing I’d need to overcome at that point is my fear of gravel and dirt roads (they’re not roads). But one step at a time.

Camping with all the comfort of home for you!

You prefer to watch (1) a sunrise OR (2) a sunset?

I love sunsets. There’s something magical about the transition when the night reaches back out and reclaims the sky. Night is the default for what the sky should look like, it holds secrets and whispers them quietly as it surrounds you.

The sun paints the sky in reds, oranges, and pinks while the twilight slowly spreads from the shadows, promising to reveal some of its secrets. Some of the most gorgeous sunsets I’ve ever seen were from a gazebo out on the water in North Side Park in Ocean City, Maryland. Watching the sun dip below the water in the bay, breathing in the salt in the air…it’s indelibly imprinted in my memories.

Plus I don’t need to be awake at “are you kidding” o’clock to watch a sunset, which is a big bonus.

You’ve painted a lovely scene!

What is your favorite (1) song OR (2) book?

This one’s gonna be a bit odd, but I LOVE Name by the Goo Goo Dolls. The overall melancholy feel of the song, lines like “Reruns all become our history”, the way the pace moves back and forth. Something about it resonates deep inside of me. I’ll turn it up and unabashedly sing along (badly) at every opportunity.

Oh! It was your off-key singing I just heard!

Thanks for being interviewed, Don!