Interview with fantasy author Jeremy Shory about his book The Journal of Forgotten Secrets...

		Fantasy author Jeremy Shory is with us in the forum today. He’s the author of The Journal of Forgotten Secrets, and his obvious passion for work and life shines through with every word he speaks. I'm looking forward to learning more.
Tim Greaton: It’s great to have you here Jeremy. I’m anxious to talk about your book, but first I was hoping you could tell us a little about your childhood.   Jeremy Shory: I actually had a very gifted upbringing growing up in Orlando. Not gifted in the sense of having gobs of money, but gifted by having the luxury of major theme parks in my backyard. I have always felt that people travel thousands of miles to see Disney World and Universal Studios and Sea World/ Busch Gardens, so why not take advantage of my close proximity. Truth be told, I really love the theme parks. It’s a way to escape from day to day issues and just live in the magical moment. Because of being able to visit these magical places on a regular basis, I feel like I’ve always had a passion for replicating that feeling for those that can’t make it by transporting their mind via a story.   Tim Greaton: A lot of authors I talk with, Jeremy, have unusual pastimes, but you’re more of a guys’ guy. Can you tell our audience about that and how you use your interest to help others?   Jeremy Shory: I’m a big football junkie. I love just about everything involving the sport, from college on up to the pros. I’m a big Florida State Seminoles fan (grew up with them being the premier team in the 90’s and have painstakingly stuck with them ever since). For a while I was serving as chief ACC correspondent for a college football website called FantasyCollegeBlitz, which has since shut down. Now I tend to fill my football desires by co-operating a local flag football league that pairs inner city kids with adults to help guide and mentor through the sport. We play some ball and have some heart-to-heart discussions in the process. It’s as rewarding as it is fun.   Tim Greaton: Even though you’ve spent a lot of time at the Florida theme parks, I understand there is another magical place that has impacted your career.   Jeremy Shory: Ah yes, this is a good one. I’d say the place that will always stand out to me as being vital to my life as a writer is the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas. I know, it sounds like a strange place to consider influential, but if it wasn’t for Atlantis I don’t think I would have come up with The Orion Chronicles concept. My wife and I were vacationing at the amazing resort and it literally was paradise. If you haven’t been, you must find a way to go at least once in your life. You won’t regret it. But anyways, so my wife and I were having a great time and I said to her, “You know, I just need to write the next pop-culture phenomenon that way we can just stay here any time we want.” As silly as the comment was, later that night, which was our last night on the vacation mind you, I was lying in bed and I couldn’t get to sleep. Now I don’t know if it was because of anxiousness about leaving the next morning or what, but I like to say it was because my mind was racing with all these fantastic ideas for a new story. I started jotting them down into my phone (see I wasn’t lying about that) and before I knew it, I had enough to get The Journal of Forgotten Secrets started. So Atlantis played a crucial role for me in my writing career and for that, I have to say it was possibly the best vacation I’ve ever taken.   Tim Greaton: Who are the authors who have influenced your work? And I suppose the next natural question would be do you model your work after any particular author?   Jeremy Shory: Consider me your next Stephen King mixed with J.K. Rowling , Dan Brown, Kurt Vonnegut, and Rick Riordan. Okay, not really. I think that would be pretty impossible to be all of those combined. But to answer it honestly, I’d say I don’t think anyone can write a Young Adult Magic Fantasy about a teenager without saying J.K. Rowling had some influence on them in some way. But the person I feel I most compare to from a stylization standpoint would be the great Dan Brown. He has a way of keeping his chapters short, but eventful. In addition, he has a unique way of injecting internal thought monologues for his characters and that’s something I really liked, so I infused it into my stories as well.   Tim Greaton: I love to ask writers about their creative systems. I, for instance, prefer my office to be quiet or to have classical or movie soundtrack music in the background. What kind of writing environment and process have you developed?   Jeremy Shory: My cell phone has about eight different pages full of different notes about The Orion Chronicles – plot notes for the overall series, plots for specific books, character names, monsters – you name it, I have it written down. I feel this works the best for me because I always have my phone on me no matter where I am, and ideas come to me constantly. So my cell phone gets quite a workout as I add and remove notes to it. Then I always make sure to have it next to me as I sit down to write the next chapter so I can look for any standalone pieces of information I might be able to work into the story somehow. I listened to my iPod when I was writing The Journal of Forgotten Secrets, but now I almost prefer silence as I write. I feel too distracted with any blasting music nowadays.   Tim Greaton: I’ve never been a fan of dense writing, which often comes in the form of huge chunks of encyclopedic information being dumped on the reader or even as endless descriptive details delivered every time a character enters a new scene. You definitely don’t have that problem, Jeremy, and in fact readers have told you just the opposite. Could you talk a little about that?   Jeremy Shory: I have been told that I have a unique way of injecting specific details into the story without bogging it down. I personally struggle reading a piece that seems like all I’m getting are the details—how long, how much, what color, what cut someone’s hair is for example. I feel there is always a way to infuse the details into the action. This gets back to the age old rule of “Show, don’t Tell.” If I said someone had voluminous curly, auburn hair that covered her head, you’d get the picture. But what if I said she tucked her auburn hair behind her ear, moving the curly strands out of her face. There’s a difference…there’s action. It’s the same information, but not like you’re reading a laundry list of features. I’ve worked hard at that concept and I appreciate those who notice.   Tim Greaton: Okay, first I have to say I LOVE the cover for The Journal of Forgotten Secrets. Could you tell us about it…the book, I mean?J   Jeremy Shory: The Orion Chronicles: The Journal of Forgotten Secrets is the first installment in my Orion Chronicles series. It’s about a teenager who finds himself inadvertently lured into a sadistic plan, a game of life and death if you will, that was specifically designed for him by a mastermind that was thought to have vanished almost one hundred years ago. The more Orion dives into this evil scheme, the more he uncovers about his family and how everyone he’s ever known has been keeping dark secrets from him. Ultimately he decides he’s had enough and he determines he’s going to take matters into his own hands and start controlling his own fate. At least he thinks he is anyways.   Tim Greaton: Sounds like a great premise, Jeremy. In a lot of ways, I see parallels in how we work. For instance, one of my sisters reads everything I write and has served as a “first reader” for many of my novels. You, too, have some family help. Could you tell us how that works?   Jeremy Shory: Oh gosh, I don’t think there’s any way I could have ever completed The Journal of Forgotten Secrets without the help of my sister, Kristy. I consider her my resident Orion Chronicles expert because she’s read so many drafts of it she could probably recite it in her sleep. This is a great question because it really gives me the opportunity to thank those who really helped in my writing process. As I mentioned my sister read every version, every small edit or plot change, and did it with a smile (I know how mundane it had to have been for her reading the same thing over and over). She was a big factor in shaping the story into what it is today.   Tim Greaton: Are there others involved in your production process?   Jeremy Shory: My brother, Jason, and best friend Shereena, were my early editors of sorts. They read the very first version of the story, looking for plot holes and giving feedback on the overall flow. My editor, Carissa Rossi, was a big influence and really helped guide me with some excellent advice on how to tell a clear and precise story. I’ve become really close with a well-known author named Shaunna Rodriguez, and I’ve recently leaned on her in regards to my writings as well. She’s been super supportive; it’s been wonderful to have an author companion like that, especially someone who knows the industry like she does. And of course my wife…she was there listening to every note I was jotting down or plot point I wanted to throw in the story. I really can’t thank these people enough because they were so influential throughout the entire process.   Tim Greaton: When you say Orion Chronicles, I hear series. What can we expect next?   Jeremy Shory: The Orion Chronicles is scheduled to be five parts. The Journal of Forgotten Secrets is out right now and I’m working on book two, which is titled Curse of the Phantom Brotherhood. The second story really builds on the first by picking up right where it leaves off. It answers some questions raised in book one, but more importantly we start to see some of the seeds planted begin to sprout into more complex, overarching storylines that will be carried throughout the series. Orion and his three friends, Grayson, Cremmel, and Zora will remain the focus in each story, but I promise, there’s room for many more characters and each of them will have their moments in the spotlight as the series continues.   Tim Greaton: After writing The Journal of Forgotten Secrets, did you wish you could have changed something? Do you think you will address that issue in future sequels?   Jeremy Shory: I like to think that I’m a pretty descriptive writer, giving details via action, but I know The Journal of Forgotten Secrets carried a steep learning curve with it in terms of writing style. I feel like I’ve been able to take the lessons in efficiency I learned while writing it and apply them to each piece of writing I’ve done since then, including Curse of the Phantom Brotherhood.  There’s something to be said for the way an author can paint a clear picture using as few words as possible…it’s an art really. As we touched on earlier, I’m not a fan of overly verbose or wordy pieces as I feel it tends to detract from the main concept. So if I had to say there was something I wish I could change about The Journal of Forgotten Secrets, it’s that I wish I would’ve honed that efficiency skill beforehand. It would have saved a lot of time.   Tim Greaton: I can see your eyes glimmer as we talk about having a Hollywood-style, effectively unlimited budget to promote your book. Can you tell us how you’d spend those heaps of advertising dollars?   Jeremy Shory: What a tricky question. An unlimited budget means an infinite amount of ways to get myself into trouble. I think a billboard plastered up in the heart of Times Square in New York City would be the perfect launching point for a major marketing campaign. With the millions of people swarming through there, I’d think it would maybe catch a few eyes. Then I’d follow that up with replacing the Hollywood sign with my series title, The Orion Chronicles…that would get everyone’s attention right? Next, I’d drop a canvas of my book cover that would stretch the whole length of the legendary London clock, Big Ben. If replacing the Hollywood sign didn’t bring some awareness, I think that would. And finally, for the cherry on top, I’d have afternoon and late night commercials run on all the major networks in hopes that I’d be able to get the college kids talking about it. Yeah, I think that pretty much hits all the major demographics. Now I kind of wish I did have an unlimited ad budgetJ.    Tim Greaton: It would be great if you could share your website/blogsite and links to where our audience could directly communicate with you and purchase your stories.   Jeremy Shory: Absolutely, I’d love to share.   The Orion Chronicles: The Journal of Forgotten Secrets is up on Amazon now for the Kindle and can be purchased here: http://www.amazon.com/The-Orion-Chronicles-Forgotten-ebook/dp/B00BKAZKLS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1364751260&sr=8-1&keywords=the+orion+chronicles.   I plan to have it up for the Nook, iBooks, and in hardback and paperback versions within the next few weeks.   My main website, which is doubles as my blog, is www.TheOrionChronicles.com. There are all kinds of neat things on that site including character bios and photos, Rules for some of the games I’ve invented for The Orion Chronicle series (including a really fun card game called Rookie Mistake), and Magical Race descriptions as told by one of the main characters. I have a cool blog series going on right now that are blogs about the characters written by the characters, really giving them a voice outside the novels. You could say I finally have a constructive outlet for all the voices in my head.    Fans can contact me through my site, or email directly at Jeremy@TheOrionChronicles.com. Also, I’m very active on Twitter where I love to follow just about everyone, and people can find me under my twitter handle @OrionChronicles. Finally, I have a Facebook Fan Page where I tend to drop little tidbits and snippets of my current work, and the link for that is https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Orion-Chronicles/254014971329207?fref=ts.      Tim Greaton: Thanks for taking the time with me today, Jeremy. It’s been a lot of fun, and I suspect many of our audience members are now searching for copies of your book.   Jeremy Shory: Tim, I appreciate the opportunity to spread the word about my work. I’m very humbled and grateful. You have a fantastic site and do an amazing job promoting authors, so I cannot begin to thank you for the work you do to help us out. And thank you to your readers for checking me out. Word-of-mouth marketing is the #1 most effective tool out there, so anything you or your readers do for me is such an honor. Thank you a million times over.

 

Interview with fantasy author Mike Bailey about his novel "What Have We Done? The Dragon Chronicles"....

 

		Okay, everyone. We’re in for a forum treat today, because Mike Bailey is about to share his unique opinions about all things literature. He’s also going to be talking about his first novel What Have We Done? The Dragon Chronicles.
Tim Greaton: Well, let’s get right into it, Mike. You have one of the most unique childhood stories of any author I know. Could you explain to our readers what I mean?     Mike Bailey: I ran away from home as a young teenager, stylizing myself after the main character from a book I had read called My Side Of The Mountain.  For several years I lived “off the land” in a very small town surrounded by many miles of dairy farms.  I had complete and total freedom and learned many life lessons, often the hard way.  During this time I managed to stay in school. While I did not finish high school at the time, I did go back and continued on to obtain a college degree as well.  Many years later, I re-read that book and found that while my experiences were not much like those in the book, the lessons learned were very similar.    Tim Greaton: Other than your writing, you have an impressive list of hobbies that actually generate income. How does that work?    Mike Bailey: (he smiles) I do have many hobbies. I am a spray paint artist (not a tagger) and often do live shows and exhibits where I paint in front of people. Generally, artists in this genre paint on posterboard, but I have been known to paint everything from bedroom ceilings and walls, to cars, to snow boards, to motorcycle helmets to…well anything I can get my hands on.    I’m a tattoo artist and body piercer with over 25 years’ experience, and I specialize in custom fantasy style pieces. I particularly love doing steampunk inspired pieces.    My wife and I collect (and sell) all manner of ‘silent’ or bladed weaponry. We currently have a collection of several hundred knives, swords, daggers, whips, axes, spears, etc. I have also recently begun to delve into airbrush painting although this is a brand new hobby for me.    Tim Greaton: Whew! It’s amazing that you find any time to write. What kinds of books do you read?    Mike Bailey: I haven’t had much time to read the last few years but typically I stick to the fantasy and sci-fi genres. Isaac Asimov and Edgar Rice Burrows are my favorite authors.    Tim Greaton: It’s not surprising that with you being an artist people would find your writing visual, but your readers say it goes beyond that. Could you explain what I mean?    Mike Bailey: I often hear that my writing is progressive and enticing, almost erotic.  I think I have heard so many similar comments because I do include rather stimulating descriptions of romantic interactions between characters in all of my writings. I’m a guy, what can I say? I write what I like. I do try to make it non-offensive but I’m often told the scenes of that nature are so realistically described that the reader can almost see it in front of them.    Tim Greaton: A lot of us occasionally retrieve past works and try to fix them. You have a different take on that, don’t you?    Mike Bailey:  I doubt any of my old projects will see the light of day in their current forms. However, I do refer back to them from time to time to steal ideas for current projects.    Tim Greaton: I’m a huge animal lover and find each of my pets has his or her own personality. You had a dog named Gigabyte who was especially memorable. Could you share a little about him?    Mike Bailey: Gigabyte is no longer with me, but he was so full of character that you couldn’t help but love him instantly. He was a miniature teacup Chihuahua that weighed 3.1 pounds, full grown, and thought he was a pit bull. That might be because he was raised with a pit bull.  In my first novel, What Have We Done? The Dragon Chronicles, I used Gigabyte as inspiration for a character named Cujo (yes, I know I stole the name from Steven King but I just loved the irony).    Tim Greaton: Mike, is there a book that impacted your life in a HUGE way?    Mike Bailey: Yes, several in fact. The Martian Tales of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Snowcrash and The Cat Who Walked Through Walls.  All amazing books that will work readers’ imaginations in ways one cannot even dream.    Tim Greaton: Do you have a lot of help in prepping your books for an audience?    Mike Bailey: Many of my family/friends read my manuscripts before publishing, and some of them help with editing suggestions, but mostly I rely on my own instincts. I have studied grammar, layout, etc… in detail and always edit and re-edit many times before publishing.    Tim Greaton: Rather than looking to books, you actually take inspiration from another medium. Could you tell us what that is?    Mike Bailey:  I try to model my writing after the great sci-fi movies: Resident Evil, Jurassic Park, Reign of Fire, Alien, Starship Troopers, and such.    Tim Greaton: I definitely loved Reign of Fire. Matthew McConaughey and Christian Bale both did a great job. Regarding your writing, what would you consider to be your literary brand?    Mike Bailey: I am definitely a sci-fi/horror/fantasy writer, but I try to be more open-minded than that. I write what I like: a little blood/guts, suspension of disbelief, some eroticism. I try to include all of these things, even though some of the content might traditionally be seen as offensive.    Tim Greaton: Given your movie influences, could you make us a pitch for your latest book?    Mike Bailey: What Have We Done? The Dragon Chronicles—think Resident Evil meets Reign of Fire with a little Jurassic Park thrown in for spice. Basically, there is a secret underground lab operated by a collaboration of shadow governments from all over the world. The purpose is to create a creature from scratch that can live and travel in outer space without the aid of a spaceship. The idea is for these creatures to explore space for us. The project seems to be going well, friendships are built, loves are grown, results are achieved, but how many times have seen what happens when mankind’s arrogance goes unchecked? Have you ever looked into the eyes of a caged wild animal? What about when that animal escapes? What would you see in its eyes then?    Tim Greaton: Sounds like a high concept that really would appeal to a movie studio. Will there be sequels?    Mike Bailey: Yes, absolutely! I am currently working on book two titled, Dragon Bound: The Dragon Chronicles, and I ultimately envision it as a trilogy. I’m not ready to say too much, but be ready for dragon riders!    Tim Greaton: If James Cameron went ahead with the series, what kind of a monster would be in the film, and who would take the starring roles?    Mike Bailey: A dragon would be center screen, along with the only two actresses on the planet, if the decisions were mine. Angelina Jolie would take the role of Misha and Allison Scagliotti (of Warehouse 13 fame) would be SyAnne. Anyone familiar with these two beautiful women will understand why they would be so good together, especially considering the character’s love interest in the book.    Tim Greaton: So if James Cameron opened his impressive purse strings for your novel’s advertising budget, how would you get the word out?     Mike Bailey: Sky writing in rainbow colors above every major city, three times a day for a month.    Tim Greaton: I probably don’t have to ask this, but if any of your characters could appear right now in your world, who would it be?    Mike Bailey: Misha and SyAnne, definitely! As for why (he grins) read the book and you’ll understand.    Tim Greaton: It would be great if you could share your website/blogsite and links to where our audience could directly communicate with you and purchase your stories.    Mike Bailey: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorMikeBailey http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/baileyconsortium   Tim Greaton: Thanks for sharing some of your incredibly busy life with us—okay, I’m using your real name now—Tiny. I always try to get everyone used to the full name on my friend’s book covers, but if I shouted “Mike!” in a crowd, you wouldn’t even turn around, would you? Anyway, regardless of which name we use,  I suspect lots of fingers will be punching keyboards to find What Have We Done? The Dragon Chronicles in just a few minutesJ    Mike “Tiny” Bailey: Tim, thank you for doing this interview. Also, thank you, readers, for your time and interest. You are the people that drive Tim and me to entertain.     It’s been a joy interacting with everyone!    Mike "Tiny" Bailey Twitter - @Bconsortium Facebook Fanpages - TnBCreations (spray paint art) - TattooedWhiteTrash (Tattoo Artists and Body Piercers) - AuthorMikeBailey (Science Fiction Author) Online Newspapers - http://paper.li/bconsortium/books-blogs (Writing On The Wild Side)

 

Interview with historical fiction and fantasy author Prue Batten...

 

		Today, in the forum I’m tickled to be talking with one of the hardest-working women in fiction. She not only has a catalog of completed works that is to envy, she also has projects percolating and bouncing off her tongue. So, without further delay, I’d like to introduce my friend Prue Batten.
Tim Greaton: It’s really great to have you here on the forum today, Prue. In a few minutes, we’ll delve into a great bookish discussion about your many projects, both available and soon-to-come. Before that, however, I was hoping we could talk a little bit about what you do with those hours when you’re not writing.   Prue Batten: I farm a wool-growing property in the far south of Australia (an island state called Tasmania) with my husband. We grow superfine wool which is sought after by Chinese woolen mills for the world fashion trade. We are just about to double our sheep numbers as lambs begin to pop out right across the farm.   Tim Greaton: You sound passionate about it.   Prue Batten: It’s tough in a drought, cold in winter, hot as Hades in summer and hurts my muscles when I’m working in the sheepyards or fencing, but it’s a remarkable life which I blog about periodically.   Tim Greaton: I often ask writers if there is a particular place from their past that influences their writing. Your family has deep roots in one location, which gives you an unusual answer to that question, doesn’t it?   Prue Batten: My family has a 90-year-old connection with a tiny coastal village in Tasmania where my grandfather established a seachange home for my grandmother who was ill with cancer at the time. As baby-boomers, my cousins and I lived the life of Swallows and Amazons by the sea and we had sea-legs aboard boats before we could crawl. Everything about the village colours my life now and we have our own little place there called House, which is where I write most comfortably. I guess you could say it still influences me!   Tim Greaton: Our President Teddy Roosevelt was known for having warring interests as both an outdoorsman and as an intellectual. I’ve heard you say something similar. Could you share what you mean by that with us?   Prue Batten: My hobbies might not be exactly unusual, but they are poles apart from each other. I am an embroiderer of the style called stumpwork which dates from the seventeenth century. Absolutely love it even though it tests my eyes to their limits. The art-form gave me inspiration for my first book, “The Stumpwork Robe.” It formed Book One of the continuing “Chronicles of Eirie” and was first published in print in 2008 and is about to be re-issued with a new cover and imprint. It is, of course, available as an e-book.   My other hobby is kayaking. I LOVE kayaking on the ocean near House; it’s my ultimate getaway. I have very little fear of the ocean – except for man-eating white pointer sharks, because as climate change warms the water and as the food chain alters, we are seeing more and more around the coastline.   Tim Greaton: I think most of our forum readers would say that today you have painted vivid pictures with many of your answers. This isn’t the first time you’ve heard that compliment, is it?   Prue Batten: No. I do often have readers describe my stories as unique and immensely pictorial. I like to think that‘s evidence that pushing my imagination to tell the most unusual and special story possible has paid off. Whatever the case, it is a supremely nice thing for readers to say.   Tim Greaton: Are most of your works available or do you have you stashed some away that might someday reach the market?   Prue Batten: No, I spring clean regularly (she grins) so no older stories will see the light of day, but I do have a fantasy work-in-progress for The Chronicles and a historical fiction/historical romance work-in-progress for “The Gisborne Saga.” Hopefully ready for the publisher by December.   Tim Greaton: With such a busy life running the farm, you must have a pretty effective “system” for getting your writing projects done?   Prue Batten: My system? Oh great heavens! It’s very odd. I begin the story on the computer with an opening line and a very rough outline in my head. Then I tend to let the story run its own course. I always take the last line written on any day to bed in the evening and write in long hand if the impetus is there. I also create a style guide which is a list of names - characters, setting etc and its correct spelling in alphabetical order. I also write a character profile for every character, from physical appearance to early life and psyche. And I have a whole printed folio of the fantasy world of Eirie with maps. I have a massive folder for each book with research PDF’s and other research information all filed in plastic sleeves. I have tons of bookmarked detail on the computer and I have my own personal library shelves along with books I borrow from our libraries. I write when I can and consider myself fortunate to get three straight hours let alone a whole day, but my head writes all the time.   Tim Greaton: What is your publishing team like?   Prue Batten: I have two wonderful beta readers—a friend in America and another in Turkey. They are very honest, pull no punches and I value their hard opinion more than anyone else’s, apart from my highly trusted, professional editor. Industry professionals handle the cover graphic designs and print formatting.     Tim Greaton: Our time together has been fascinating, Prue, but I’m willing to bet a lot of our readers are anxious to find out more about your latest novel, “Gisborne: Book of Pawns.” Could you tell us about it?   Prue Batten: “Gisborne: Book of Pawns,” ah, let’s see. The blurb might go like this: “Two people drawn by lust and a lost inheritance in 12th Century England, where status means power and survival depends on how the game is played. Guy of Gisborne, a man of dark secrets, accompanies Ysabel of Moncrieff, a woman of prominence, on a journey that rewrites history.”   Tim Greaton: Though I haven’t yet had a chance to read “Gisborne: Book of Pawns,” I’d like to mention that novelist John Hudspith says, “your storytelling is mesmeric and exact, taking the reader on a spellbinding ride of unpredictable twists and turns.” Now that’s a pretty serious compliment, Prue.   Prue Batten: I’m always honored when readers appreciate my work.   Tim Greaton: What led you to tell this particular story?   Prue Batten: It was originally inspired by the BBC’s rendition of “Robin Hood.” I found the character of Gisborne intriguing - a bitter man for whom life had absolutely no meaning, a man with no self-worth. I decided to take Gisborne far from the familiar canon and set him along another life journey entirely, one that may have fallen his way if the cards had been played differently.   Tim Greaton: Will there be sequels or other stories connected to this one?   Prue Batten: Most definitely if I live long enough. There is at least another book in the Gisborne Saga, perhaps another after that. Gisborne: Book of Knights is 25% written. I also have fourth and fifth book planned for The Chronicles of Eirie and in fact the fourth is 70% done. I love both genres, but perhaps fantasy is more relaxing to write than historical fiction as there are very specific strictures within hist.fict that one must be respectful toward.   Tim Greaton: I know you don’t like to compare your work to other authors, but it has happened. Could you give us a few examples?   Prue Batten: No, you’re right. I don’t like to compare but one Amazon UK reader said he finally found a book he enjoyed more than “Game of Thrones,” which he loved. That book was “A Thousand Glass Flowers,” and his kind review rather shook me…in a nice way, of course. And when I was submitting my first two books of the “Chronicles of Eirie” to a peer review site (YWO.com) one reviewer called them “A cross between Neil Gaiman’s ‘Stardust’ and John Crowley’s ‘Little Big,’” which I thought was terrific!   Tim Greaton: Which part of your story was the most difficult to write?   Prue Batten: Always the love/sex scenes as I believe in the mantra of “less is more.” At the same time it has to be compelling and acceptable to a wide cross-section of readers.   Tim Greaton: After writing your novel/story, did you wish you could have changed something? Do you think you will address that issue in future sequels?   Prue Batten: Rarely. Although I wondered if I should have changed the title of my fantasy “The Stumpwork Robe” after a woman bought it thinking it was an embroidery book and giving me a one star review for her mistake. I went to secure the link just a moment ago to place here, and it appears it has been removed. I’m glad the mistake was cleared up, and yet it was such a good talking point!   And then some bright sparks have commented on “Gisborne: Book of Pawns” with emphasis on the Pawn (porn). Sigh! Thus making me wonder if I should change that title as well.   Tim Greaton: For what it’s worth, Prue, I think that every author I’ve ever met has second-guessed various aspects of past projects. Now that I’ve dragged you through all the serious stuff, let’s try a couple of fun questions. Let’s say Peter Jackson showed up at your door tomorrow and offered to put one of your stories on the big screen, what kind of a monster would be in the film? And which actor or actress would you have battling it?   Prue Batten: If we are talking my “Chronicles of Eirie” series, there is an array of legendary spirits like the Cabyll Ushtey (a horse that eats people) or the Caointeach who wails as she washes bloody laundry in a stream and thus lets mortals know there will soon be a death. Those are just two, but there are dozens of nasties throughout that series. I’d be thrilled to see Peter’s WETA Workshop work their movie magic on those.   As for actors to play my hero? Oh any divine English actor: Rufus Sewell, Richard Armitage, Damian Lewis and so on. In the historic fiction, Sir Robert Halsham is quite simply a devious and dangerous bastard. Cruel, manipulative … will say no more as it might be seen to be a spoiler. I imagine Damian Lewis as Halsham and Richard Armitage as Gisborne.   Tim Greaton: Okay, everyone loves to answer this one: if you had an unlimited advertising budget, how would you “get the word out” about your latest release?   Prue Batten: In terms of my “Chronicles of Eirie” series, I would take Peter Jackson to the best dinner he has ever eaten. I would ask world famous chef Tetsuya Yakuda to cook Tasmanian food to die for, and I would pay Tets to take Peter on his wonderful boat around the Tasmanian coast. Then, as we sailed and ate, I would say “this is a movie just waiting for your touch.”   In terms of “Gisborne: Book of Pawns,” I would pay as much as Richard Armitage wanted me to pay to his favorite charities if he would just carry the print novel in his arms at every single interview he does!   Tim Greaton: I also often ask authors what they would like to see on their tombstone when they finally go to rest. I know it’s decades and decades away, but what would your answer be?   Prue Batten: Maybe they could print: “Nobody’s Perfect.” But seeing as I want a Viking Funeral or, at the very least, to be cremated and my ashes scattered at sea, I don’t care if there’s no headstone at all!   Tim Greaton: It would be great if you could share your website/blogsite and links to where our audience could directly communicate with you and purchase your stories.   Pure Batten: Website: http://www.pruebatten.com/ Blog: http://www.mesmered.wordpress.com has pages to take readers to details of published books. Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Prue.Batten.writer Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/pruebatten   Tim Greaton: Thanks for taking the time with me today, Prue. It’s amazing of you to spend the time, which I know can be a challenge with your busy schedule.   Tim, it was delightful. Thank you for making me think about all these wonderful questions, and thanks to all your readers for taking the time to scan the result!