Alina Leonova Interview

Posted on by tranamathews

Entanglement

Sci-fi author Alina Leonova self-published her debut novel in October. Here’s a synopsis:

In a world where the distinction between the virtual and the real has faded, and an inexplicable plague is changing the nature, a man is running away from home, as he feels that something strange has happened to his loved one. He will have to change his life, slowly uncovering the truth as he grapples with his doubts about the nature of reality. Can what is happening to him be real, or is he stuck in a simulation?

At the same time, a woman begins to realize that the restrictive community she’s spent her entire life with and the rules she’s been following all along make no sense. She’s had enough of the Master’s cruelty and the mysterious purpose that he’s constantly talking about never explaining it.

This character-focused book explores the relationship between humans and nature and the effects advanced technology has on people’s lives. It dives into the characters’ experiences and follows their adventures as they look for answers, offering several plot twists.

Alina reviews novels written by other female sci-fi authors on her blog. You may ask her questions at Goodreads Author Alina Leonova.

Alina’s Interview

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

I am actually an ambivert, which means I’m somewhere in the middle on the spectrum between an extrovert and an introvert, probably leaning a bit more towards being an extrovert. When I spend too much time among people, I get tired and need some time alone. When I’m alone for too long, I miss people and need contact with them. I sometimes feel completely confident among strangers, starting conversations and telling jokes, and sometimes I feel really shy among people and want to stand somewhere in the corner, unnoticed.

Nice contrasting balance!

Science has advanced and we can now colonize other planets. Do you (1) sign up to be a colonist OR (2) remain on Earth?

I’ve always been fascinated with space travel, and my interest in sci-fi is fueled by it. I used to think I’d be a colonist if I had a chance, but coronavirus lockdown has shifted my perspective. Being locked inside an apartment (which, by definition, is way more comfortable and cozy than a spaceship or a habitat somewhere on Mars), unable to see and hug my loved ones and be in contact with the nature turned out to be extremely hard. When I had a chance to go out, I was so drawn to trees and birds, I needed to smell every flower, touch every leave and feel every raindrop on my face. I missed my friends and family and just being in the same room with people so much! So, I realized how incredibly hard being a colonist would be psychologically (and physically, of course, but that doesn’t scare me as much). I would have to leave behind everyone and everything I care about. I would never be able to hike in the mountains or swim in a lake or just be outside unrestrained. And I really love Earth, so I think I’ll stay here. But if it’s ever possible to travel to another planet or space and return, I’ll definitely do it!

Dorothy’s ruby red slippers would help!

Your significant other or child asked you to do something you don’t like to do. Do you (1) grin and bear it OR (2) mumble to yourself while doing the task?

I think it’s extremely important to set boundaries and make sure I don’t do things I don’t like for others. But if I decided to do this thing because it’s important for me to help them, I would rather be calm about it and grin: no need to complain and feel bad about something I will be doing anyway, since it will only make it harder for me.

Perfectly understandable!

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

I try to be systematic about writing and do it every day because it’s a skill that has to be honed and nurtured. It doesn’t matter to me at what time I do it as long as I do it at all, but I don’t leave it to the mood either. I allow myself some time to slack, but then I tell myself, ‘It’s time to write,’ and I do it whether I’m in the mood or not.

The write time!

(1) Can you name just one favorite novel OR (2) you love too many to just pick one?

I definitely love too many! I start a new book the moment I put down the previous one. I’ve read too many good books to choose only one among them. There are books of different genres, there is great fiction as well as non-fiction, there are books suitable for a certain mood, age period in life, etc. No, it’s just impossible to have one favorite book for me!

Excellent reasoning!

Thanks for being interviewed, Alina!

Entanglement book cover
Entanglement

Keith Gell Interview

Posted on by tranamathews

The Telepathy Office

Author Keith Gell has self-published a fantasy novel which is a blend of urban punk and magic punk.

The vast metropolis, a city inhabited by goblins, is in the throes of an industrial revolution forged in magic. Manna, magical energy captured in physical form, fuels its factories that produce artefacts, to be traded across the galaxy. Wizards are the new elite. They use their magical skill to amass great wealth, and in turn, political power. Resentment grows among the mundane goblin proletariat.

Magic purveys every aspect of goblin life: Telepathic communication, weather control, and healing. But alongside the benefits come risks: Mutation from manna pollution, and magical diseases of vampirism and lycanthropy. But the biggest threat of all is demonic invasion.

Vampires steal a book to summon a demon. Infernal manna finds its way onto the market place, with awful consequences.

Grand Master Pharaoh Henry must recruit a team of demon hunters to stop a full-scale invasion from Hell. But Henry is a dangerous fanatic, and those who work for him end up dead, or worse. No right-minded wizard would risk death, or losing his soul, so he recruits who he can: A drug addicted augurist, a dishonoured ork, a cowardly policeman, a fugitive vampire, and a vain fashionista who shares her mind with a demon.

Against the backdrop of armed revolution, they investigate a Satanic plot, to prevent the opening of a gate to Hell itself.

You can read an interview about this urban fantasy author on Brighton & Hove Independent. You may visit his page at Goodreads Author Keith Gell.

Keith’s Interview

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

I am an extrovert. I am a chatterbox who talks to everyone.

A friendly guy!

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

Both and neither. I love eating at home with my family and friends. Also, I like eating in foreign restaurants with my family. In particular, I like Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants in Soho, and Indian restaurants on the Brick Lane. I would not particularly want to eat at a ‘Big Name’ restaurant, unless I won the meal as a prize.

A variety for you!

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?

I find it easy to give a witty retort because, in the words of Jonny Rotten, I stock up on cheap comments. My favourite retort is (to be used after an obnoxious or ignorant comment), ‘You’re still evolving aren’t you X’ (to be delivered with an encouraging tone of voice).

Wow, what a comeback!

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

I have ideas for scenes, usually when I’m swimming or walking. Later I write them down, then string them together to write a book. For The Telepathy Office I slotted them into a standard 3-act structure, hyper texting them together with an Excel spreadsheet.

Interesting process!

(1) Can you name just one favorite novel OR (2) you love too many to just pick one?

It would be easier to name my favourite authors: H G Wells, Arthur C Clarke, C S Lewis, Alfred Bester, Douglas Adams, and Arthur Conan Doyle.

Fantastic writers!

Thanks for being interviewed, Keith!

The Telepathy Office
The Telepathy Office

Michele Ceron Interview

Posted on by tranamathews

Cape Heights

Volume 1

Author Michele Ceron said, “My genre is pretty much one that I created as far as I can tell. I have created my own original daytime TV soap opera. I write it in a cross between screen play and prose form. Instead of chapters, it’s broken down into episodes just like you would see on TV and each episode is broken down into several different scenes. It reads the same way you would be watching if it was on TV.”

Welcome to Cape Heights, a small coastal town in Oregon where the drama never sleeps!

The Rutledge Family is one of the wealthy families of Cape Heights, also one of the most troubled. With years of sibling rivalries, a father and a son who were both married to the same woman, and a company in the middle of it all, can the family finally come together for the sake of saving their floundering company?

Five years ago, Darius Hilton was caught in a love triangle with two women. The three of them went through hell and back together, (including murder) who did he end up choosing to be with forever?

Trisha Davis had big aspirations of becoming a famous singer, she sacrificed everything to get it, including her long time relationship with her boyfriend, Adrian Emerson. Five years later she returns to Cape Heights from Los Angeles, hoping to win him back. Can Adrian ever forgive her for her major betrayal that involves a lot more than a singing career? Or does he have a betrayal of his own that might push Trisha away?

These stories and more are awaiting among the residents of Cape Heights where love triangles and family feuds are the daily norm! Warning: This book contains adult language, alternative relationships, drug use, colorful dialogue, controversial subject matter and sexually explicit scenes. This book is not for the easily offended.

You can find out more about this soap opera drama author on Facebook. You may ask her questions at Goodreads Author Michele Ceron.

Michele’s Interview

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

Introvert. I grew up in a family where I was the only introvert. Always introduced as the “quiet child” by my parents. I kept to myself a lot, didn’t talk much. I felt much more comfortable with the written word than the spoken word. So as a child I was ALWAYS reading and even writing as well as a kid. To this day I’m still more comfortable with the written word. That is how I most often get my feelings out. I still have difficulty sometimes telling people how I feel or communicate directly with people verbally. I hate confrontation and most of the time avoid it. Even at the age of 43, though I def have come out of my shell more and am more outgoing than I used to be, typically when I first meet a person or persons I am still very quiet and people often comment on that. Introverts don’t mind spending a good amount of their time alone at home and I def am like that but of course sometimes I crave to be out around people and be social. But at parties or large gatherings, a couple of hours is enough for me then I want to leave typically.

Our differences are what makes us special!

Science has advanced and we can now colonize other planets. Do you (1) sign up to be a colonist OR (2) remain on Earth?

DEF remain on earth! I love this blue marble and all the wonders it holds! I have ZERO desire to go out into the unknown of outer space and colonize a new planet, not having any idea at all how that’s going to work out if at all and leaving behind all the people I love and enjoy here. I’m a homebody and earth is my home.

Blue marble for you!

You have enough money to do anything. Will you (1) pamper yourself at a spa for a week OR (2) go on a cruise for a week?

Although a cruise also sounds nice, I work in the spa industry I have for the last 13 years. I do facials for a living as well as colon hydrotherapy. You may think I would be sick of being in a spa and NOT want to do that, but the opposite is true. I love pampering people and I love getting those services done as well. Whenever I go on vacation no matter where it is, I always go find a spa and at the very least get a massage if not also a facial and any other spa treatment I can. It’s always been my dream to go away for a week or longer to one of those uber fancy and uber expensive spa retreats in some far off country.

Pampering yourself it is!

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

I try to do the set time thing, but I rarely actually stick to it so it’s when the mood strikes me most of the time. I have always been a huge procrastinator, so I think that’s why it’s difficult for me to stick to a set time to write. I always find excuses to do other things instead. But when I’m REALLY in the mood to write, I can write for hours on end.

Definitely a Glenn Miller way to go!

(1) Can you name just one favorite novel OR (2) you love too many to just pick one?

I love SO many novels but I still say that my all-time favorite novel, which I read for the first time about 22 years ago is Anne Rice’s The Witching Hour. Nothing can top it, in my book. Exquisite writing of an extremely complicated and intricate family. It reads like velvet. So rich and colorful. And I find something new every time I re-read it that I didn’t completely pick up on before. It’s one of the few books that I can completely envision every single scene and every single character in my head with the greatest of detail. Though I have read PLENTY of other excellent books, nothing still comes close to The Witching Hour for me.

Excellent explanation!

Thanks for being interviewed, Michele!

Cape Heights book cover
Cape Heights

Whitney Metz Interview

Posted on by tranamathews

Sigils & Secrets

(Black Magic Book 1)

Fantasy novelist Whitney Metz’s first book in the Black Magic series is a magical fantasy novel entitled Sigils & Secrets.

The series is magical realism and is about the world behind the one we see every day, the importance of the connections we all share with each other and with the Earth, and the search for our true paths.

Ben Harrison was well on his way to having the life he always wanted. He had a high-paying job, a great apartment and, most importantly, he had Carrie. She was fun, exciting, creative, beautiful, and a bit eccentric. Carrie had a fascination with the occult, which Ben found irrational but not particularly troubling.

Then one night, during what Ben assumed was just another of Carrie’s standard ghost-hunting expeditions, something went terribly wrong. Now Ben must find a way to navigate a world that he never believed existed in order to save the woman he loves. In the process, he learns the truth about Carrie, about magick, and about himself.

You can find out more about this fantasy author on the Whitney Metz website or on Facebook. You may send her a Tweet, an Instagram, or ask her questions at her questions at Goodreads Author Whitney Metz.

Whitney’s Interview

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

I am definitely an introvert. I’ve never been particularly skilled at talking to people, or handling social situations. I think that’s the main reason I developed an interest in writing in the first place; it allows me to express myself without all the awkwardness of human interaction, hahah. I feel much more comfortable saying things in writing than I ever would in person.

Great way to express yourself!

Science has advanced and we can now colonize other planets. Do you (1) sign up to be a colonist OR (2) remain on Earth?

As interesting as it would be to visit other planets, I would stay on Earth. For one thing, I think I would hate the process of space travel. I would not enjoy being trapped in a confined space for months, or years, at a time. Mostly though, I feel like we humans have an obligation to take care of this planet. I think the possibility of colonizing other planets would inherently lead people to be less concerned about the damage we are doing to this one. I would want to stay and do everything I could to make sure that Earth was not being abused.

Saving the earth from abuse is important!

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?

I’m certainly not great with witty retorts, or any kind of retorts for that matter. I’ve gotten better, over the years, but I still have a tendency to just smile and brush off any disparaging comments. That’s another reason I love writing. You get as much time as you want to come up with exactly the right words to say what you mean.

Creativity in action!

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

I would definitely go with the RV. I’ve never been particularly impressed with fancy cars. As far as vehicles go, as long as they run, and get me where I need to go, I’m happy with them. If I had the opportunity to buy a nice RV though, I would just live in it. I’ve always been drawn to the idea of a nomadic lifestyle, and there are tons of places I would love to see, if I had the chance. So, I would take my RV and travel all over the country visiting all of the places I’ve always wanted to go (and getting inspiration for my next book).

Living the RV life – What a way to get inspired!

What is your (1) favorite book quote OR (2) favorite movie quote?

My favorite quote comes from the Hellblazer comics. “Reality’s just a story that’s taken on a life of its own.” One- I think it just really captures what it means to be a writer. That’s what we do, we create new realities. We find a story and we shape it, and build upon it, until it becomes its own world. But I also just find this quote inspiring in general. It’s the idea that we get to create the life we want, that, if we believe in ourselves and our ideas strongly enough, we can make them real. Bonus fact- I have an appointment set up to get this quote as a tattoo.

Inspirational reality!

Thanks for being interviewed, Whitney!

Sigils & Secrets book cover
Sigils & Secrets: Black Magic Book 1

W.D. Kilpack III Interview

Posted on by tranamathews

Crown Prince

(Book one of New Blood)

Fantasy novelist W.D. Kilpack III’s first book in the New Blood Series is an epic fantasy novel entitled Crown Prince.

Natharr is Guardian of Maarihk, one of a long line of protectors dating back to the Firstborn Age, before the Aa Conquest. Natharr’s is an ancient role, rooted in his Firstblood, giving him Sight to see what is yet to be. He adheres to his sacred duties even in the centuries since the Firstborn were forced to the brink of extinction by the Aa.

Natharr still stands guard over all men, Aa or Firstborn, Seeing what will come to pass, deciding what is unavoidable and what is not. He spends decades planning how to save the life of the newborn Crown Prince Vikari so he may one day reclaim the throne of the land where Mankind was created in the time when the Olde Gods still walked.

You can find out more about this fantasy author on his Kilpack website and subscribe to his YouTube channel. You may ask him questions at Goodreads Author W.D. Kilpack III.

W.D.’s Interview

Science has advanced and we can now colonize other planets. Do you (1) sign up to be a colonist OR (2) remain on Earth?

I have dreamt of going into space all my life. Who didn’t want to be an astronaut as a child? As an adult, I REALLY want to go into orbit on SpaceX, so it follows that I would REALLY love to go to another planet! I would love the challenge of learning how to live there, as well as just the awe-inspiring experience of being someplace before anyone else. I would love to meet alien life and learn how to coexist. I guess I would be that guy wandering around with his mouth hanging open, in awe of everything he saw, touched and tasted.

To quote Star Trek, “Where no man has gone before”!

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

I prefer quality, home-cooked meals, particularly since I would likely be the one cooking them. I’m a good cook (better than a lot of restaurants I’ve been) and enjoy the creative process. I love exploring new flavors and styles of cooking, and of course the sense of accomplishment when something I cook turns out just as I had hoped. If it comes out better than I hoped, then that’s certainly worth a cheer.

Three cheers for the chef!

You prefer (1) to people watch OR (2) bird watch?

I am a people watcher. I always have been. It’s fascinating to see how people behave in various situations. For one thing, I learn things from others that I might want to implement in my own life or, just as importantly, aspects of a person’s personality that I think would make for an interesting character in my writing.

Creativity in action!

The most important event in the past century was (1) the moon landing OR (2) the Berlin Wall coming down?

The Moon landing was more important than the Berlin Wall coming down. The Moon landing influenced the future of all mankind, inspiring and promising a future of possibility. Political events rarely have that kind of impact. The Berlin Wall coming down was a significant event signaling the end of the Cold War, but hardly had the same kind of impact on humanity as the Moon landing. The wall coming down was a great event, that certainly had a positive impact on the people of Germany, but was not of the same significance as landing on the Moon.

Ready for outer space!

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

I am absolutely nocturnal. Mornings are brutal. In college, I took two classes that were at 9:45 a.m. and my face hit the keyboard in both of them (they were computer classes). My mind is most active after the sun goes down. Not only internally, but because of what’s happening around it. I love looking up at the stars, the Milky Way, the Moon, even city lights! Full moons often keep me up all night. (I also suspect I grow a bit more fur during them.)

This reader wants to know: What color is your fur?!

Thanks for being interviewed, W.D.!

Crown Prince book cover
Crown Prince Book One of New Blood