I am super psyched today's BRoP interview with Alma Alexander (fan girl squeal!!!). I'm a huge fan of Alma's "Secrets of Jin-Shei" and was thrilled she agreed to chat with us about her two new works, "Midnight at Spanish Gardens" (Sky Warrior Books) and "River" (Dark Quest Books).
Darke Conteur writes Science Fiction and Fantasy. She is a Stay At Home Mom (SAHM) with a passion for writing. At the mercy of her Muse, she creates stories ranging from paranormal to science fiction, or whatever the Muse decides to whisper into her ear. When not writing, she looks after one Husband, one son (Sithboy), two cats, one kitten, and a ghost dog (yes, she said ghost dog).
BRoP: Tell us about your new book and when it is out? Where can people purchase it?
Darke: My new book is called Under the Cover of Wicca and it came out at the beginning of February.
If you're here looking for the next installment of SAY IT THREE TIMES, I have some good news and I have some bad news.
The bad news is that SITT will be on temporary hiatus, for at least a couple of weeks, while I focus on the good news, which is...
HEREAFTER is going to be published!
That's right, you heard correctly! I am pleased to announce that I have accepted an offer from Eternal Press to publish HEREAFTER.
SAY IT THREE TIMES is a strange little novel (even I, its mother, can admit that). When i wrote it, I had Disney World's "Alien Encounter" (which, apparently doesn't exist anymore) in mind. In the Alien Encounter attraction, attendees are placed in a dark room and subjected to a battery of scary stimuli - simulated heavy breathing, blasts of hot air, bumps against their seat, etc. Nothing bad actually happens and, yet, the attraction was terrifying. Referred to as "theater of the mind," the terror is created entirely from the suggestion of danger, rather than actual danger.
Today’s blog post is a little heavy, and I apologize for getting all heavy on you, but I wanted to take a moment to talk about something very close to my heart.
Sue Burke lives and writes in Madrid. Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, much of her career was spent as a reporter and editor, covering everything from dog shows to politics to crime. She began writing fiction twenty years ago and have published short stories in various magazines and anthologies, as well as poetry and non-fiction. Her current project is a translation of the medieval fantasy story, Amadis of Gaul.
BRoP: When did you first consider yourself a professional writer?
Power can be defined in many different ways—emotional strength, resilience, influence, social status, and kicking-butt-and-taking-names physical strength. In looking over the list that started it all, I can see all those traits reflected there.
In addition to Jane Eyre and Hermione Granger, my top ten list would include:
I was recently asked what my goals as a writer are. The most common answers to that question are “to write a bestseller” or “to make enough money to quit my job.” But my goal has always been much simpler—and much grander: to write a book that people love. It doesn’t have to be many people. But I want to write a book that people melt into, that they get caught up in and can’t put down and then, when they’re finished, cry because it’s over and they want more.
In thinking about some of the most beloved and enduring books, the books I return to again and again, I wonder what it is about them that evokes such a strong, emotional attachment. What is it about Anne Shirley that makes people travel to Prince Edward Island just to see the place a fictional character might have lived, had she been real? What is it about Harry Potter that makes us invent a whole new sport and wear gold and scarlet striped scarves just so we can feel a part of his world? I study the texts, taking them apart word by word, trying to discover what the magic and it always eludes me. Most of these cherished favorites are as different from each other as cottage cheese and fish. What, then, makes a great book? Is it the language—the actual words used—the setting, the plot, the characters, or some magical combination of these elements? I’ve read many books that are good, very good, or even great that I wouldn’t describe as “beloved.” In fact, many of the most beloved books have received more popular acclaim than literary honors.
What do you think? What are some of your favorite books and why do you return to them again and again? What do you love about the story and why do you think its appeal has been so enduring?
Note: Technical difficulties prevented last week's blog article or this week's SITT installment from posting to the site. I apologize. Kinks have been fixed and all should be back to normal. Weekly Monday releases of SITT will resume next week.
This week, we have a special guest blog from author Ian Isaro (fun fact: Ian lives in the United Republic of Tanzania, which officially makes him the most geographically interesting person to appear on this blog) continuing the conversation on unreliable narrators and how PoV affects storytelling.
Ian Isaro says: All narrators are unreliable. Generally we only call them "unreliable narrators" when they significantly distort the world around them, but we all do the same thing to a lesser degree. So should our characters.
