Interview by Angie Taylor

Hey, all you fantastic BOD members, thanks for reading! Check out this week’s author spotlight! I’m very excited to interview P Mark DeBryan. Welcome!
​
Why, thank you, Angie.

I love learning about author’s writing history. So, tell us how or when you knew writing was what you wanted to do? 
​
It all came about rather inconspicuously. I sent a short story into an author who asked for fan fiction submission. That author was John O’Brien, a favorite of mine. He chose my story for a compilation of his A New World series in Untold Stories. Soon after that, he encouraged me to expand the short story “In For a Dollar, In For a Dime” (now free on Amazon) into a full-length novel, and Family Reunion was born. When I finished writing the short story, I thought to myself, This is what I want to do.

Family Reunion is such a fun take on an apocalyptic world. I especially love that all of your characters end up being family. Can you tell us more about this story and where you came up with the story?

I was scheduled to head to a long overdue family reunion when I wrote the short story. I didn’t really think it would get selected for use, and I didn’t ask for permission, but I based it loosely on my family. Then by the time I went to the actual reunion, John had published it in his book and it was passed around the family. They were all okay with it, or at least they didn’t yell at me or throw things at me. The characters, while based on my family tree, are not real. I make them do things that they may or may not actually do or say.

One of my sisters said, “Hey, we all understand, it’s a story; you are allowed poetic license.” The diversity of the family in the story, however, is very real. My parents raised all seven of us to be individuals, and then they were surprised when we all turned out so differently. The full spectrum of personalities of the characters in the book, and their place in the tree is about the only thing that is truly representative of reality. We fight and argue and can’t agree on the color of the sky, but don’t you dare think about getting in between us… lol.

A couple of your characters, Ryan, Max, and Lisa, seem to have a pretty fair understanding of weaponry, especially of guns. Is this knowledge from your own experience with guns, or did you have to research your artillery details?

A little of both, actually. I do own a few of the weapons used in the book, but others are some that I secretly covet. I guess it isn’t a secret any longer, is it? I did spend many hours trying to make sure that an informed reader would not be disappointed with my choices and use of these weapons. For instance, your use of “artillery” above would have resulted in many emails and possibly a few FB post. I did make one mistake in the identification of a particular weapon, but it was more an oversight then an outright mistake. Ted Nulty, my friend, and former Marine was nice enough to give me a heads up on it, and it was changed. If you have an early Kindle copy, you may find it. Right now, several people are searching through the book, trying to find it.

Since the power of family is such a strong theme in Family Reunion, who in your family would you want to face an apocalypse with and why?

Every single one of them. There are many reasons. Medical, there are several nurses in the family with decades of experience in the ER, OR, and Psychological health. Biology, there are several naturalist in the family with decades of practical experience in the wild. The character Parker is probably the best example of this. I would eat anything he handed me with confidence. Farming, there are a few professional farmers in the group and several advanced amateurs.

There’s also the fact that I believe this group has very few weak links. Sound minds will be a big factor in survivability. The biggest reason, I love them and don’t want to see them get eaten; however, just being together won’t guarantee that. Oh, and Sophie… she has a really cool Motor Coach!

Do you have any writing rituals that help you get in the writing groove? For example, do you have a favorite band or type of music you listen to that help you write, etc.?

My mom used to have a book open, TV on, and food cooking on the stove, while singing. I, on the other hand, must have quiet. No music, no internet, no interruptions! I love music, just not while I’m writing. Typically, the wife will have to yell my name loudly three times to bring me out of my writing zone.

What can you tell us about your future writing projects?

I have started writing the second book in the series. October was dedicated pretty much to promoting Family Reunion, but in November I will step back some and write a lot more! It will pick up where Family Reunion ended without much of a jump in time. Without leaving spoilers, that is about all I can say!

Where is your favorite place to read, and what kind of books are your go-to books?

The Jacuzzi! Before I started writing (heavy sigh) I could disappear to the Jacuzzi and be missing for hours. Any book, any genre, doesn’t matter, as long as it is fiction. I read TIDs all day at my day job (Technical Information Documents) so no non-fiction for pleasure. Currently, I have been binge listening to Sci-fi while I commute an hour to work, and reading a detective novel before sleeping.

Besides writing, what are some of your other hobbies and or day jobs?

I have a brand new grandson, so he will be my new hobby. I will have an adult beverage with friends occasionally, but strangely enough I don’t have much free time anymore. For my day job I manage a datacenter in West Virginia. Lots of blinky lights that must stay blinky in order for the world not to end and to keep “THE CLOUD” from disappearing.

Now tell us some fun random facts about you. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be, why would you go there, and who would you go with?

Hmmm, random facts. I had a crepe restaurant at seventeen. I raised a sheep in high school for 4-H his name was Beethoven. I was a three-sport letterman. I knew the Pittsburgh Pirate Parrot personally, and he got a ticket for driving with his head on when he was hurrying to meet me. I have owned three businesses throughout my life. I played bass guitar very badly for years (it was fun!). I worked as a program director for a summer camp in Wisconsin for a while. I think that is about as random as I can get.

Where would I go? The South Pacific somewhere—one of the cool little huts that is out over the water. I would go with my wife and sip fruity drinks and eat copious amounts of fresh sea food and read really cool books while baking in the sun. Or maybe I’d go hang out with Larry Sullivan; he goes all over the world. Who is he? Just a favorite Facebook friend who always posts really cool pics… haha! Yeah, the South Pacific.

If today was your last day on earth, how would you spend it and what would you want your legacy to be?

With my family. He was a good dad.

Thank you so much, P Mark DeBryan, for spending some time with us, and for sharing your talents with all of us at BOD.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mark has always been a bit of a vagabond. Born in Washington, raised in California he joined the Coast Guard after high school. His first assignment after boot camp was as the driver for the admiral of PACAREA in San Francisco. After a short stay working at a LORAN station, he went for a cruise on a 378´ cutter in the Bering Sea, then onto aviation where he was a crewman of both fixed-wing and rotary aircraft in Texas. After four years in the Coast Guard, he worked security, first guarding MX nuclear missiles, then at a nuclear power plant in California. Eventually he went to college in Wisconsin, only to drop out after meeting his future wife. He went on to finish college at 36 and own a Miracle Ear franchise. He went into publishing for a short time before becoming an information systems specialist. He currently splits his time between West (by God) Virginia and Surfside Beach, SC.

​Website | Twitter | Family Reunion on Amazon

Interview by Angie Taylor

Welcome, Cameo Renae, to BOD’s author spotlight interview. It’s such a pleasure to have you with us!

Thanks so much for having me! I’m so excited and honored to be in BOD’s spotlight! Yay!

I love learning about our BOD authors, and especially how they became writers. What can you share with us about your author back story? Did you always want to write? Tell us how it all came to be for you.

I never really considered, or even thought I’d end up as a writer, although creative writing was one of my favorite subjects in middle-school. When we were asked to turn in one to two pages of a prompted story, I would end up handing in ten or more. Eeeek!  I found early on that writing was pretty easy for me, and my wild imagination was set free. My teacher was so impressed with a few of my stories, he asked my permission to share them with the high-school students. So, that was a pretty awesome boost to my self-esteem.

I didn’t start writing until my kids were almost in high-school. Then, I thought…I wonder if I still have it in me? I started with an online writing community where I wrote and shared short stories, many of which were prompted. I had so much fun and a lot of awesome feedback from fellow members, so I decided to attempt writing a full length novel. I started writing a children’s fantasy, but after a vivid dream, immediately switched and began writing In My Dreams, which became my debut. It’s been a crazy journey since that book.

What was your childhood like when it came to books? Were you a voracious reader when you were young? Did you have a favorite book or series that made you want to writer?

My grandma has always been a voracious reader. She actually had me writing words from books from the age of three or four. Some of my favorite memories were spending weekends at her house. She’d take me to the bookstore and let me pick out ANY book I wanted, then we’d go back home and read them. She’s almost 90 today and still reads every-single-day on her Kindle and is so sharp. She’s amazing.

My favorite series growing up was C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia. It sparked my love for fantasy and reading, and I’m actually in the process of finishing that first fantasy book I started!

Do you have a favorite author, or authors whose writing and stories have really inspired you, or who you like to emulate? If you could spend an hour with any author in the history of time, who would it be and why?

There are so many amazing authors, that I can’t really pick a favorite. But Like I said above…CS Lewis sparked my love for reading, and made me want to write a fantasy story of my own. If I could spend an hour with any one author, I think I’d choose JK Rowling. Her stories are amazing, and she’s built quite an empire. I’d love to sit and listen to any advice from her. That would be amazing.

Tell us about ARV-3: The After Light Saga. I’ve read a lot of book with zombie-like creatures, but the Arvies in ARV-3 are some of the more terrifying I’ve read about it. I love the world building you created and especially the Arvies organized groups and intelligence. Can you tell us a little bit about this story and how you came up with such a thrilling apocalyptic world?

I love the whole zombie apocalypse genre, so I wanted to see if I was able attempt my take on it. It seemed like a really fun idea, but when I started, it became so much more. I didn’t want my creatures to be dead, so I mutated them. And I wanted them to be intelligent and have a seething hatred for all survivors who abandoned them on the topside. This made the After Light world even more suspenseful and horrifying.

There are also endless “End of the World” scenarios. After I’d read a true article on solar flares, and how close we’ve been to having our national grid knocked out, and the dangers it could cause, I decided to go that route. It added a very real fear into this story. While a solar flare has a high amount of radiation itself, I also added the nuclear power plants to compound the danger, and did a lot of research on that too. Hopefully they can get all plants to become walk-away safe, in case our power grid should ever go down!

I love strong, female heroines. And it’s especially cool when they have amazing fighting skills. Can you tell us about Abi? Is there anyone in real life who inspired you to create Abi?

I also love a strong female heroine, and wanted Abi to be one of them. She grew up in an underground bunker, and had practiced combat skills for thirteen years, but she’d never experienced the real horrors of the outside world.

I loved writing this in first person because we get to see how Abi deals with her fears. She is very afraid of the new dangers, but knows she has to be strong, not only to survive, but to help her family survive. What I love about her is that no matter what the situation, she always rises to the occasion. There wasn’t any person I based her off of. I just thought she was someone I would have loved to have been like if ever thrown into this situation.

Abi is an amazing marksman. Another great quality when fighting/running away from zombies. Do you have any experience as a marksman? Whether you do or not, what would be your weapon of choice to fight off the Arvies?

I’m definitely not a marksman, but I am a pretty decent shot. Whenever we played those shooting video games, with the fake guns, I could outshoot anyone. I guess I can give some credit to my distant relative…Wyatt Earp. (True story) My aunt did a genealogy report, because my great-grandmother’s maiden name was Earp.

I actually like going to the shooting range and hitting targets. My hubby owns a Glock 27 (our very own Hellfire) which I love to shoot. I actually am pretty good with her too. Watch out mutants! haha

What else can you tell us about Abi’s story in the After Light Saga?

In the latest book, Intransigent, we all get a closer look at Abi and her new “gift”. This brings an even greater dilemma and added suspense to the story. Because the government knows about her gift, they want her, and will do whatever it takes to find her and get her back. This puts her family, and everyone she loves at risk.

With every new installment we see new struggles and how Abi is able to deal with them. She is young, but she is also determined, and will do anything to save those she loves. That’s what I love most about her.

What other writing projects are you working on, or what can we expect from you in the future?

I have so many things on the back burner, and I’m already exhausted thinking about it. My poor brain is smoking, and it’s definitely not as young as it used to be. Haha At the moment, I’m working on a spin-off for the Hidden Wings Series, AND then Book #4 in the After Light Saga. Next year I’ll be starting a few new series, and will be writing the sequel to In My Dreams. So, I’ll be pretty busy.

What crazy, fun facts would you like us to know about you? Do you have other creative talents you’d like to share with us? What are some of your other responsibilities when you’re not writing? Tell us anything you want. 

When I’m not writing I love reading or watching movies with my family. I can’t wait until the next season of The Walking Dead!!! I started the Fear the Walking Dead episodes and ALMOST gave up after the first two episodes because every single one of them made me frustrated. I seriously wanted to jump into the screen and slap the crap out of them. But then…it started getting better, and I’m glad I stuck with it. Poor Nick need a bath and a hairbrush. I also love iZombie and Z Nation. Z Nation is frustrating too, but also funny. Wow, I do watch a lot of zombie movies.

As far as hidden creative talents = none. Haha

Thank you, Cameo Renae, we’ve loved getting to know you better. And thank you for being a part of Band of Dystopian Authors and Fans.

Thank you so much for having me! It was a pleasure. I love BOD!!!!

ABOUT CAMEO RENAE

Voted 2013 Break Out Author by Young Adult & Teen Readers.

Cameo Renae was born in San Francisco, raised in Maui, Hawaii, and recently moved with her husband and children to Alaska.

She’s a daydreamer and a caffeine and peppermint addict who loves to laugh, loves to read, and loves to escape reality. One of her greatest joys is creating fantasy worlds filled with adventure and romance and sharing it with others.

One day she hopes to find her own magic wardrobe and ride away on her magical unicorn. Until then…she’ll keep writing!
​
HAPPY READING!

LINKS: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Blog

Interview by Angie Taylor

Thank you, Allyson Gottlieb, for being a part of BOD’s author spotlight interview, and welcome. I’m excited for all of us at BOD to get to know you!

Thank you so much for having me, Angie! I’m excited to be here, too. Let’s just hope you all like what you see—er, read. Hehe.

I’m sure we will!

So, why don’t you start off telling us a little about yourself. How long have you been a writer? When did you first know you wanted to write books? What kind of stories do you like to write?

I’ve been writing stories since I was seven years old. I first knew that I wanted to be an author “when I grew up” around age twelve. (For those of you who don’t know, I self-published for the first time at seventeen. And I’m nineteen now. Yeah, I got an early start in just about every way.) The ideas in my head cover just about every genre, except hardcore horror/gore because I’m a scaredy-cat, though you’ve only seen urban fantasy and dystopian from me so far. Real life kind of gets in the way of the writing and publishing, sadly.

How exciting to have started so young! Real life does get in the way, but it looks like you have plenty of years to write! 

So, what is your favorite thing about being a writer?

A couple years ago, I stumbled upon a quote that I love: “A reader lives a thousand lives before they die. Those who never read live only one.” What I love so much about it isn’t just that it applies to readers—which I totally am, of course—but how it applies to writers. Between my fingers, my brain, and a piece of technology, I have the ability to create whole new worlds into existence. I get to be several million different people before I die. Maybe it’s because of my early start, but I just can’t imagine doing anything else. (Not to mention, if I went around talking about all the different people in my head and I wasn’t a writer, I’d probably be locked up in the nuthouse by now. Ha!)

I love that quote! It totally sums up what I love about reading and losing myself in someone else’s story.

What was your favorite book or series when you were a child? What about as an adult? Have these book influenced your writing?

Well, like all kids of my generation, I loved Harry Potter, and that definitely nurtured my love of fantasy, and made me believe that it was possible to write something like that—with magic and monsters and secret worlds—and also have literary merit. Another series I fell in love with when I got a little older was Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series (is series still the right word at this point? It’s kind of a massive shared universe, between all the sequel and prequel trilogies, and I love all of them, even the ones that aren’t out yet, LOL). Her writing has some of the most beautiful and detailed descriptive imagery I’ve ever seen, and I tried really hard to be able to capture some of that in Finding North. Another thing I really admire in her writing is how she includes diverse characters without making their entire development be about their “struggles.” Someone is a friend, a brother, a son, and he also happens to have a boyfriend, for example. I believe strongly in the issue of diverse representation in fiction, and I only hope that I can do it half as well as she does.

Do you have a favorite band or type of music you listen to help you write? Or do you have some kind of routine that helps you get creative?

Well, it’s only in the last year or so that I’ve found music I can write to. For the longest time, I would get way too distracted by wanting to sing along to be able to write to music. Then I discovered this guy Sam Cushion, who makes “book soundtracks”—instrumental score based on popular YA books like Hunger Games and Divergent. So that solves the problem of singing along, haha. I love The Civil Wars (so upset that they broke up right when I was getting into them!), and they’re one of the few exceptions to my “can’t write with lyrical music” rule. I’ve been writing a lot to Kelly Clarkson’s new album (Piece by Piece) lately, too.

So fun! I’ll have to check out Sam Cushion. I have the hardest time listening to music when I write. It has to either be white noise or classical. So, I love learning about how other authors do it. 

I love stories that address genres in different ways. You do such a good job in Finding North of showing a dystopian world from the perspective of what could happen if moral decay were to become the norm. To me, this idea is a way more realistic dystopian world than say, zombies and such, etc. Can you tell us where your idea for Finding North came from?

My stepmom sometimes gets free rooms at Vegas hotels, so we would go there as a family a lot when I was in high school. Most people don’t realize that there’s actually quite a lot to do even if you’re not 21. No matter how many times I’ve gone, I still love walking around looking at all the gorgeous hotels. One time, I started thinking about what it would be like to walk down the Strip when it was totally deserted, like after an apocalyptic event, with only a few people left to wander around these crazy-cool hotels. Then I kept thinking about it, until eventually I had the basic set-up for the world and simple character profiles for the main players in the story. The rest is history.

That’s so interesting. I love that Vegas is where you imagined an apocalypse having such a drastic outcome. It would definitely be a sight to see the strip empty of all its activity.

Do you think that America could really fall apart as literally as it does in Finding North?

Maybe, depending on who wins the next presidential election. Ha! But for real, I tried really hard not to make the collapse of our modern society be political, even though it would have been so easy to do, because I’m just not that kind of person. There’s some politics in the series as a whole, because it’s kind of inescapable, but I’m not trying to make any kind of statement. As for the virus-wiping-out-most-of-the-population bit, well, all I can say is that it makes me view the H1N1 and associated viruses like that in a new way, hehe. (I actually remember reading this article about a year ago that predicted a new “viral plague” would be the most likely way the world would end, and going “called it.”)

Many post-apocalyptic books deal with human kind searching for higher meaning and purpose in humanity when faced with destructive and uncertain futures. This is a big theme in Finding North. Can you tell us why you think humans search for meaning when they find themselves calamity, and why this theme is important for Kat and Reynan?

Well, I think a lot of it is just human nature—most of us aren’t inherently pessimistic people, so we don’t want to think we’re going through a shitty time just because the world is inherently shitty. So depending on the person and their beliefs, they’re going to find their own way to rationalize what’s happening, and why, to find their own reasons to keep going. It’s funny, when you really think about it, dystopian scenarios are just a particularly intense or extreme version of real life, in that the characters are dealing with most of the same stuff we do every day, just some different circumstances. In book 1, at least, Kat and Reynan are kind of going through parallel journeys that make up different parts of the New Adult experience, I think. Reynan has spent his whole life up to now taking his father’s word for gospel, more or less, and now he’s starting to figure out who he is and what he believes in, separate from Alistair. While Kat is dealing more with the concept of loss, and love, that life goes on even when it feels like you’re betraying a loved one’s memory.

I love that, that dystopian scenarios are just particularly intense or extreme versions of real life. I agree.

Now tell us some fun facts about yourself. What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done, or what is the craziest thing you’d like to do?

The only thing I can really think of right now isn’t all that “out there,” but it was pretty nerve-wracking in the moment, I can guarantee. I worked at an ice cream shop over the summer, and there was this guy who worked at the Wendy’s across the street that kept coming in for smoothies. We’d been sort-of flirting for about a week, and finally, I wrote my number on the side of his drink cup one day. And he actually texted me back! Things didn’t work out between us, because I was moving back to Boston in a month, but it was more like one of those things I did to say I did it, and to increase my confidence for the future.

You can totally claim that’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done. Putting yourself forward in any dating situation is scary!

What can you tell us about your future writing projects?

Well, I’m working hard on book 2 of the Compass series, which should be available in early 2016. I wish I could say it’ll be out sooner, but alas, real life gets in the way. I’m also working on a sweet NA contemporary romance that I hope to have out in the spring of 2016. Beyond those two specific projects, I’m just trying to finish up the Compass series (which will be three books, plus a novella that’s book 2.5) and also giving my attention to whichever set of characters screams the loudest.

Sounds awesome! We look forward to your new books no matter when they’re released. Thanks so much for spending time with all of us at BOD, and for letting us into your world as a writer.

FINDING NORTH

Amazon US
Amazon UK
Barnes & Noble
iTunes
Goodreads

ABOUT ALLYSON

Facebook, Twitter, Newsletter, Website

Growing up, Allyson was always the girl with a big imagination and even bigger dreams. A California girl by birth, she currently lives in Boston while attending Emerson College. She has a small addiction to Starbucks, eyeliner, and chocolate–and, of course, books. Visit her at www.allysongottlieb.com for the latest book news and fun extras.

Interview by Angie Taylor

Welcome, Angela Cavanaugh! It is such a pleasure to have you be a part of the BOD author spotlight interview. Thank you for joining us!

Hi. Thank you for having me.

I love learning about when authors discovered they were a writer. When did you know and how did you make it a reality?

I’ve been a writer for as long as I can remember. Even in Elementary school, my favorite subject was creative writing and I went on to compete in district competitions in high school. However, I lived in an area in a time where a creative career wasn’t encouraged. Anytime I, or others, mentioned they wanted a career in the arts, it would be met with, “That’s neat. What’s your fallback?” Because of this, I put writing away for a long time. I still dabbled here and there for fun, but no serious commitments. It took until 2013 for me to decide that I was actually going to go for it. I began to read more, and more widely, which helped me develop a style that I liked better than the one that I had. I studied as much material on the craft of writing as I could get my hands on. While I did all of that, I wrote. Almost every day at first. I think that’s really what it takes to make writing a reality: you have to write. It’s a lot harder than it sounds.

What can you tell us about your writing routine? Are you an outliner, or a pantser? How do you keep track of your story ideas? How do you bring everything all together?

The main staples of my writing routine are music and coffee. I have a couple stations that I made on IHeart Radio, usually upbeat modern alternative. That, plus a hot drink, gets me into the right mindset. I’ve set it up to trigger my mind to go into work mode.

I like to think of myself as a Planster. I value an outline and I always do a fair amount of fleshing out my characters and story before I sit down to write. I don’t like to start something when I don’t know where it’ll end. It’s the surest way to get stuck. Usually, I have a few milestones and scenes that I know I need. After that, it’s all pants. For me, a lot of things come up while I’m writing that I didn’t plan for. Characters occupations, traits, and backstories, whole scenes, sometimes even major story elements. So, while I like to plan, I always leave myself open to what develops naturally as I write.

I try to write down my story ideas. There’s little worse than having a great idea, and remembering that you had a great idea, but being unable to remember the idea itself. I type all of my stories, but typically the story ideas and pieces start with pen and paper.

Bringing everything together is the challenge. When I was writing Otherworlders, I learned that just because you think something is in chronological order doesn’t necessarily mean that it is. Whole sections of a book can be moved around if necessary. There’s a lot of art and skill in weaving it all together in an effective and pleasing way.

I loved Otherworlders! It’s such a perfect blend of science fiction and total world/social destruction. It’s a great debut novel. Can you tell us a little bit about it, and where the idea for the story came from?

The story follows a group of survivors as they travel from their virus riddled world to a parallel dimension. The trouble is, no one told the other universe that they should expect about a billion permanent guests. Things in the new universe begin to fall apart from nearly every aspect. The characters find themselves in a situation where they must survive and escape once more.

The idea for this story started off very small. One day, when I was brainstorming, my boyfriend said to me, “You like parallel universes. Why not write something about that?” The seed was planted. From there it grew into a question: what would happen if a billion people suddenly showed up? How would that change the world, and what sort of challenges would they face? I think my original idea started with three or four characters, and the cast grew from there as I realized just how large this story was.

From start to finish, how long did Otherworlders take you to write?

The first draft of Otherworlders took me about six weeks to write. However, with alpha and beta reads, rewrites and revisions, time off from it here and there, editing and line edits, it took about two years to get a finished product.

I assume you’re a science fiction fan as is evident from the sci-fi element in Otherworlders. Do you have a favorite sci-fi author or series you love or that has influenced your writing and creativity? Maybe a sci-fi movie or T.V. show that has influenced your writing?

I have many favorite sci-fi authors. As far as the ones that specifically influenced my writing, there were a couple. Dean Koontz was the first. I read him from sixth grade on, and when I was in high school I wrote to him and he wrote me back. It was a short note, but I still have it, and it was exciting for me back then. Another big influence on me was Hugh Howey. He’s inspiring, approachable, and a real wealth of knowledge. He was also the first author that I discovered for myself. I didn’t just read him because someone else told me to. I loved Wool, and that encouraged me to read a broader range of other authors, which was something I was shy about before that. Lastly, I’ll say Matthew Mather. He is also approachable and helpful. He impacted me with his story Atopia. The writing style resonated with me. Discovering what I liked about his writing helped me identify what I didn’t like about my own, and made me better.

I love sci-fi movies and TV. I was obsessed with Sliders when I was a kid and Lost was one of the best shows. I think you can see the influence of those two shows in Otherworlders. Sliders was about parallel universes and Lost proved to me that it’s okay and entirely possible to have a large cast of characters, without any particular one being the one that the story is about.

I personally think Otherworlders would make a fantastic T.V. series. If that were ever to happen, what actors would you want to play some of you characters? I’m specifically thinking of Kara, and Jackson.

This is a question that I’ve given a lot of thought to, but hardly ever have an answer for. I think that D.B. Woods could probably play a good Jackson. For Kara, I don’t know, maybe Kate Mara? 

There are so many fantastic character in Otherworlders, who really make the story what it is. Is there a character or character you most relate to, or most despise, and why?

I think that there’s a touch of me in all the characters. Kara’s survival instincts, Tomas’ optimism, Alyssa’s desire to make the world a better place, Levi’s social awkwardness… I tried to write the characters in a way that made them all related, even the bad ones.

Can you tell us what other writing projects you’re involved in, or have participated in? Are you currently working on another book?

I’m heavily involved in The Future Chronicles. It’s a fantastic group. They gave me my first real validation that my writing was any good. I have stories with them in various anthologies including The A.I. Chronicles, The Z Chronicles, and the upcoming The Future Chronicles. Besides that, I’ve been on a hard sci-fi story a world where the rich hibernate and the poor never sleep. There may be a sequel to Otherworlders in the future. I’m still in the planning phase.

What crazy fun facts would you like us to know about yourself? Do you have other interests besides writing? Is writing your day job? What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?

When I first moved to Los Angeles, I dabbled in acting, and you can find me featured on an episode of The Doctors, and as an extra in the movie Jobs, the show Teen Wolf, the show Friday Night Lights, and a handful of music videos. I was almost on Master Chef, made it through three rounds, but answered a question wrong when I was interviewed by the producers. I also love going to movie Premiers.

I have a few other interests besides writing. I have a BA in Psychology. I was briefly a professional photographer, and I still love playing around with my camera and Photoshop. I also like to draw, and sing, and read. I have a border collie. I like to take him on hikes and to the park. I also enjoy rock climbing.

Writing isn’t fully the day job just yet. Luckily, I make a pretty decent living as a waitress out here, which affords me the opportunity to only work about 20 hours a week and frees up plenty of time for writing.

My life has been anything but boring, so it’s hard to pick the craziest thing I’ve ever done. I guess I’d have to go with the time that I moved across country. The second time, that is. The first time was planned and was from St. Louis to Austin. The second time was a bit more spontaneous, and I went from Austin to California.

Wow! You have done so many awesome things. I bet acting was fun, but just as challenging as writing. Thank you, for your time, and sharing your talents with all of us! It’s such a treat, for all of us at BOD, to get to know you better. 

ABOUT ANGELA

Angela is a writer living in Los Angeles.  She is a two-time recipient of an Honorable Mention in the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest. Her debut novel, Otherworlders, has been well received.  She is a contributor to The Future Chronicles.  She has many upcoming projects and is excited about the future.

Website
Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads
Otherworlders on Amazon

(JUNE 26TH PROMPT)

Prompt: “Drive!” Annie shouted. She kept shooting as Maddox rushed to the driver’s side and peeled out, kicking up a storm of dust.

Original post and photo found here.

Katy’s winning story:

Never had she thought that her escape plan would fail so badly. She dug a few more shells out of the front pocket of her jean shorts and reloaded as the Alpha Regiment gave chase on rusted motorcycles. A megaphone stuck to the lips of the Captain exploded with words Annie didn’t want to hear.

“Annie, stop the vehicle and come quietly and no one will be harmed.” Annie rolled her eyes and fired another round, nearly connecting with the Captain’s mechanical steed. His glare burned holes in her own and she swallowed nervously.

“Maddox, please. Just go faster!” Her boyfriend didn’t reply, but the car swerved dangerously, throwing Annie to one side.

“Maddox?” She attempted to pull herself up with the edge of the truck bed. “Maddox!”

Motorcycles surrounded the truck as it veered off the road and slowed to a complete stop. Hands grabbed the gun from her grasp and the Captain held her as gingerly as a vice grip while he zip tied her hands together. Annie strained to see where Maddox was, but only saw some soldiers carrying a black body bag towards the car. Tears blurred reality and she tried to keep her eyes on her shoes.

The Captain held her chin, forcing her to look at him. “No one,” he flicked his eyes in the body bag’s direction, “takes my daughter from me.”

Annie glared venom back at her father, even though she knew he spoke truth. She would never get away from the regiment. With zip-tied hands and the soldiers of the regiment around her, Annie knew she’d have to wait for the next boyfriend to try to sneak her out. Maybe next time. The next boy to fall for her like a siren. It was never about love. It was about freedom.

(JULY 17TH PROMPT)

Photo and prompt can be viewed here.

Prompt: His heart pounded ever louder in his chest as he watched her ascend. Where would it take her? And would it be better there? Surely it would…

KM’s Story:

Anguish slashed his heart as he knelt beside her. Drake had never prayed before, but as he watched her colorless form grow still, turned his tear streaked face heavenward and chanted, “Please don’t take her from me. She’s all I have.”

Her translucent eyelids quivered for a moment before opening. “Drake?”

“Ella, I’m here.”

Her cerulean eyes focused on his face and her gray lips twitched a smile. “It’s time.”

Fresh tears streamed down his cheeks. He pleaded, “No Baby, stay with me.”

She stared intently into his eyes. “You must not cry. Where I go, you cannot follow. Not yet. Your time is not yet complete here.”

He strangled on the sob that rose within his throat. “I cannot live without you!”

“You must.”

To his disbelief, the darkened forest exploded with a brilliant, golden light. The leaves of the trees above rustled, and he gasped as a golden liquid form appeared before him with outstretched wings that were blindingly beautiful. The creature spoke with the melody of a flute, “You will behold her beauty once again, friend. You must complete your journey in this realm so that you may learn and love in the next.”

Ella sighed once and grew still, as the golden creature reached into her body and pulled her spirit into its arms. For the first time, Drake beheld her true beauty and it was breathtaking. She smiled a radiant smile and spoke with the voice of an angel, “I love you.”

“As I love you!” His heart pounded every louder. Broken, but mesmerized, he watched in awe as the creature flapped its wings once and ascended into the skies. Drake looked at her cold, motionless body. “Soon my love.” He kissed her cool lips and smiled with the hope of things to come.

(JUNE 5TH PROMPT)

Prompt: Now that the snow was clearing, I could venture further out for food and supplies. With my bags full of loot and heavy on my back, I looked up and saw her standing there – STANDING! It sent shivers across my skin. “Momma, where’s your wheelchair?”

Photo and original prompt can be found here.

Adri’s story:

She stood, a silent sentry in the snow. Getting cold, I decided to bring my bags into the house to put everything away and prepare dinner. “Mama, are you coming in?” She nodded, following me in. “I don’t understand, mama,” I said while preparing our meager meal. “How did this happen?” I smiled, pleased that she had finally gotten her wish to be out of the wheelchair. “How did you get better?” In a breathy voice she answered, “I’m free. Nothing tethers me.” I felt my face twist in confusion and turned to examine her more closely. “Mama…” I began hesitantly. “The city masters came,” she continued in the same soft tone. “They set me free from my prison.” Tears gathered in my eyes, and I rushed to my mother’s normal sitting room. The room that gave her the best view of the barren streets around us. Gasping, my hand flew to cover my mouth in despair. “MAMA!” I heard myself scream. Turning to face away from the image of death in front of me, the walking, talking version of my mother gave me a sad smile. “I was a burden. Now you are free of me.” Shaking my head in denial, tears continued flowing. “You…you can’t leave!” Raising her hand toward me, her image flickered, like a glitch in a computer screen. The images around me disappeared and all I could see was black. A man’s voice echoed through the darkness, “This is what will happen if you don’t follow orders. Do as we say, and your mother will survive. Become our operative, and we may help your mother walk again. Don’t and…well…” The voice trailed off and, tears still falling down my face after the too real virtual simulation, I agreed.

(MAY 23RD PROMPT)

To check out the photo and prompt, go here. Read Katy’s story below.

Prompt: Nobody survived except the boy alone. No one knew how or why. He took a step toward them and tilted his head…

I felt like a dog catcher trying to lure a stray whose owner had beaten it, then abandoned it. Someone had left this boy for dead. We were trying to be quiet and careful because we didn’t know what happened to everyone else yet. He didn’t see me peering at him from behind the corner, but my associates had definitely caught his attention. Idiots…. I had no patience for the clumsy group the Doctor had hired to round up survivors. The boy tilted his head again, crouching on all fours like an animal. Maybe we are dog catchers, I thought as I watched my team walk towards the boy, speaking down to him in a soothing manner. When one man, Marty, I think, got within two feet of the child, the boy pulled his lips back in a snarl. If he had feline ears, they would have been flat against his disgusting, grimy hair. I swallowed nervously. The boy’s teeth were stained red. Marty ignored the warning signs like the stupid oaf he is…was…and reached out to grab the boy’s arm. The snarl opened into a feral smile as the boy leapt for Marty’s throat and latched on with hungry jaws. Marty clawed at the boy, his eyes widening in surprise. And faster than I thought possible, Marty was down…unmoving. I accidentally tripped over my own feet and watched as the boy’s head swiveled in my direction. I ducked behind a toppled desk. Did he see me? A crack between the wall and the desk revealed the boy standing slowly—deliberately as the rest of my team ran away. His voice echoed in the empty halls as the feral grin spread wider on his bloody maw. “I love hide and seek.”

Interview by Angie Taylor 

Welcome, Harlow C. Fallon, to BOD’s author spotlight interview. It’s so fun to have you. Can we start right off with you telling all of us at BOD a little bit about yourself? 

Thanks so much for the opportunity, Angie! Let’s see…a little about myself…Well, I’m enjoying a “retirement” of sorts. I’m a mother to five grown children, all with their own families now, some with their own kids (five grandchildren and counting). My full-time job for the past twenty-five years or so has been homeschooling. But I have a degree in English and Art with a concentration in Creative Writing. I put all that aside to raise a family and homeschool them. Now that I’m an “empty-nester,” I’m excited to be writing again.

It’s been so fun to be a part of BOD with you from the beginning. Can you tell us how you came to be involved with BOD and what you like most about it?

Little did I know when I first joined BOD a year ago that it would become the crazy, wonderful group it is today. My friend and fellow author Chrystalla Thoma was the one who introduced me to the group. She and I had been friends on another site, Critique Circle, since 2009, so I was excited when she invited me to join BOD. I knew right from the start that I had found a special place. Everyone is so friendly and supportive. The camaraderie is unlike anything else on Facebook. I love everything about the group. You and Cheer and ER are amazing in how you’ve cultivated an environment where everyone can feel encouraged, loved and supported no matter what. I’m not always as active as I’d like in the games and launch parties, but the great thing about BOD is that you can be just a little involved, or very involved – no matter what, it still feels like home.

BOD is a great place! I’m so happy to be a part of it as well. What can you tell us about your writing journey? When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was about ten years old. I’m also an artist, as most writers are, so I always struggled with whether I wanted to write stories or illustrate them. I also dealt with ADD as a kid (and still do somewhat as an adult), and so I often got distracted and lost interest in my writing, rarely ever finishing anything. In college I pursued creative writing, then went on to earn a Master’s degree in seminary and found an outlet for writing there through the seminary magazine. As I already mentioned, raising a family took precedence for the next several years, and it wasn’t until 2009 that I finally found some time in my life to pursue fiction writing.

That’s wonderful! I’m sure your life experiences as a mother and grandmother have shaped the writer you are. Did you have a favorite book or series you loved when you were a child or a favorite author that has influenced your writing?

I’ve always loved nature and the outdoors, so any books on that subject really caught my attention. My favorite book as a kid was Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell. I also loved My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George. Later I discovered science fiction and I was hooked on that genre. I remember reading Alas Babylon by Pat Frank. It was my first taste of post-apocalyptic fiction and it blew me away.

Then I discovered Ray Bradbury. I devoured everything he wrote. I began to pay attention to his writing style, how he composed sentences, what he did that made his stories so absorbing. I wanted to write like Ray Bradbury. I also loved Frank Herbert. Dune is one of my all-time favorite novels. Those two authors probably influenced me more than any other.

Island of the Blue Dolphins was one of my favorites as well. And I’m so glad you became interested in sci-fi. I loved “All the Wild Places: The Elmwyn Journey, Book 1.” It’s such a perfect sci-fi/fantasy adventure story. Can you tell us a little bit about where you came up with the idea for this story and what readers can expect in Book 1?

All the Wild Places came from an idea that had been floating in my head for a while. It began with a weird question: How would I react if I found out my father was from another world? Crazy questions like that pop into my head all the time. What if…this, or what if…that. So I started writing a few paragraphs, which sparked more what ifs and led to more of the story. Everyone who’s read both books has asked me, “How in the world did you come up with all that stuff?” I think my head is just wired a little differently.

All the Wild Places is about a young woman who discovers her father is not from this realm, but from another realm called Elmwyn. All along she believes her father is insane but when two men show up with an outrageous story about her father, she’s forced to face a completely different reality. She ends up traveling to Elmwyn, and both books tell her story, her journey in that realm.

What can you tell us about your involvement with Prep For Doom? What was it like being a part of such a collaboration?

I loved my involvement in the Prep For Doom anthology. I wrote my story fairly early on, as the idea for it had formed in my head almost as soon as the announcement was made that there would be an anthology. The interaction with the other authors made it a wonderful experience. We all shared our ideas, snippets of our stories, our thrills and our worries, and as it all came together it only got more exciting. That’s what I’ll never forget about Prep For Doom. ER Arroyo was amazing in how she kept it all organized and kept us pushing forward, and Sara Benedict did a great job editing some of the stories too.

What else would you like us to know about your writing? What can you tell us about book 2 in The Elmwyn Journey? Are you currently working on any other writing projects?

In Book 2, The Reach of the Hand, Sulee’s journey continues in Elmwyn, and she finds herself facing challenges and the worst experiences, things she never thought she could endure. It’s really about her finding her own courage, about being able to look fear in the eyes and without backing down. She learns a lot more about the realm of Elmwyn, but most importantly, she learns about herself and her place in this new world. It’s not always pretty.

Outside of my Elmwyn Journey novels and the Prep For Doom short story, I also have a short story coming out next month in the Future Chronicles anthology series created by Samuel Peralta. My story will be appearing in the Immortality Chronicles. I also have another short story in an anthology coming out later in the year, but it’s currently top secret, so for your own protection, I’ll have to leave it at that.

You mentioned that you’re an artist. So, I probably already know the answer to this question, but if you weren’t a writer, what would you most like to be to express your creativity? What other hobbies or talents are you interested in?

Without a doubt I’d be an artist. I love to create art using a variety of mediums, and it allows me to get really weird if I want. I also love making jewelry. Outside of that, I love learning about edible wild plants and medicinal herbs and their uses. I figure it might come in handy when the zombie apocalypse hits.

What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done? What’s on your bucket list of things you still want to do and hope to do soon?

The craziest thing I’ve ever done was catch water moccasins as a kid. I used to pry open their mouths and stare at their fangs. What was I thinking?!? How did I ever manage to do that and not get bitten?!? My guardian angel must have been working overtime! He probably retired after that. I never told my mom about my snake encounters until about ten years ago, and I swear I saw her hair turn gray right in front of me. But I confess, I still love snakes.

As far as my bucket list, I’d love to see the Grand Canyon, and I’d love to do that as part of a road trip across the US. I live in Michigan and my brother lives in L.A. I’ve always wanted to drive there, just to experience the parts of the US I’ve never seen (and also because I hate flying). I don’t know if that’s ever going to happen, but a girl can dream!

Yep! That’s crazy. I hate snakes, so that pretty much sounds like torture. But the Grand Canyon? You totally need to do that. Thank you so much, Harlow, for spending time with us at BOD and for sharing yourself and stories with all of us!

Thank you very much for having me, and thank you for all you do to make BOD such a fantastic group.

ABOUT HARLOW

Harlow C. Fallon grew up in a home where reading was always encouraged. With an artist father and a librarian mother, Harlow’s love of literature and art blossomed and flourished. She cut her teeth on the complex fantasy worlds of The Wizard of Oz and Peter Pan, and later fed her imagination a steady diet of Edgar Allan Poe, John Wyndham, Ray Bradbury and Frank Herbert.

Today, her imagination continues to thrive. She channels her energies into writing, fueled by the curiosities of the world and the mysteries of the universe. Science fiction and fantasy are her genres of choice.

Harlow and her husband have five grown children, and have made Michigan their home for the past fifteen years.

Website, Twitter, Amazon, Prep For Doom

Thank you, Kate Corcino, aka Myra Lang, for joining us for BOD’s author spotlight interview.  I’m excited for all of us at BOD to get to know you better! First off, I’ve often wondered how authors come up with pen names and the reasons behind choosing a pen name. Can you tell us about yours?

Sure! I initially chose a pen name as a layer between myself (and my family) and the world…except I’m terrible at keeping secrets, so that idea ended quickly. But the name has huge personal significance for me. Kate was the name of my paternal great-grandmother, a woman who I resemble very closely, but who was kind and patient and sweet (basically everything I aspire to be and fall short of!). And Corcino is my maternal grandmother’s maiden name. My ‘Buela was definitely the matriarch of the family—tough and hilarious and loving, and very much the boss. So my pen name is a way to call down some of that feminine energy to me and my career while honoring the women who came before me.

That is so cool! What a neat way to honor them. Thank you for sharing. Tell us a little bit about your writing history. When did you know you wanted to be a writer, how long have you been writing, and what was the first story you wrote?

I’ve wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. I’ve been writing just as long. The first real, formal story that I remember writing was in the fifth grade. I wrote an Anne McCaffrey fan fiction featuring Lessa and F’lar’s son F’lessan. Ha ha! Wow. It’s been a while since I thought of that. I should probably try to find it in my mom’s garage!

I had the opportunity to read Spark Rising in preparation for this interview. And I have to say that magical/paranormal dystopian stories are some of my favorite kinds of dystopian/apocalyptic stories. Can you tell us where your inspiration for Spark Rising came from?

Spark Rising actually just came to me. There was young woman with these strange powers living in an abandoned gas station in the desert after an apocalypse, and she just started talking to me. It wasn’t until I was three or four chapters in that I stopped and plotted out the story. It’s funny—I knew the gas station immediately. It’s a station between Albuquerque and Santa Fe, NM on the edge of Santo Domingo. My husband and I stopped there often when we lived in New Mexico.

What was it like being a part of writing Prep For Doom?  What did you learn from collaborating with so many authors? Tell us anything you’d like about the experience.

It was an amazing experience! I was initially afraid that planning for a project like this would feel chaotic, or that the authors would be in competition, but it was just a wonderfully well-organized, very organic coming-together of ideas. Everyone was supportive and enthusiastic. And I loved collaborating with Casey Hays for our stories—the moments in chat when an idea would come together, like the guitar pick, were gold! It was my first collaboration, but it definitely won’t be my last.

All of us at BOD benefited from the awesome experience you had with Prep For Doom.  I hope you and many BOD authors have another chance to collaborate soon. Besides Spark Rising and Prep For Doom what other stories have you written or are working on?

I have a collection of short prequel stories set in the same world as Spark Rising. It’s called Ignition Point, and it’s offered for sale on Amazon. I’m currently editing Spark Awakening, the sequel to Spark Rising. I’m also writing my first paranormal romance, which is different for me, but I’m all about new experiences. If you can’t have fun, why bother?

What other talents or hobbies are you interested in?

I love learning practical skills—I knit and I‘m learning to spin. I’m training away my “black thumb” and finally having success with gardening! I love learning about natural remedies. Modern medicine is amazing and certainly has its place, but when you start having to medicate away your side effects, it’s time to take a step back and reevaluate.

When you’re not writing, what does a typical day-in-the-life of Myra Lang look like?

Chaos! Ha ha ha! I’m a homeschooling mom, so I have my two youngest children at home with me full-time. We school in the mornings, and then they have outside classes in the afternoons, or we do field trips or projects at home. We love making things. They’re finally getting old enough that I can give them instructions and set them loose, so I have the ability to sit close by and write while they work.

That’s amazing! I have always admired people who homeschool. It takes a lot of patience and creativity. So, well done! Since it’s summer, do you have any fun vacations planned? If you could go on any vacation this summer where would you go, with whom, and why?

We just had a stay-cation because my husband’s time off happened at the same time my brother and sister were visiting from Virginia and Indonesia. My husband and I did go for a day-long trip through the back roads of New Mexico on his motorcycle, and we’re planning a trip to visit family in Houston soon.

If I could take my family anywhere…? That’s tough. I’d love to take them on a round-the-world trip so they could experience different cultures and have a sense of history and world communities the way I did growing up. I’d also love to throw everyone in a camper and start driving around the US. Maybe I can plan both someday!

Sounds like the realized summer plans and the future wishes would be perfect vacations! Thank you so much for spending time with us at BOD and for sharing a little bit about yourself with us!

ABOUT KATE

Kate Corcino is a reformed shy girl who found her voice (and uses it…a lot). She believes in magic, coffee, Starburst candies, genre fiction, descriptive profanity, and cackling over wine with good friends. She’s been a legal videographer, a teacher, and a law student, and believes in chasing dreams. She also believes in the transformative power of screwing up and second chances. Cheers to works-in-progress of the literary and lifelong variety!

She is currently working on the second book in the Progenitor Saga after the releases of Ignition Point and Spark Rising, the first books in a near future post-apocalyptic dystopian adventure series with romantic elements, science, magic, and plenty of action.

She lives in her beloved desert in the southwestern United States with her husband, several children, three dogs, and two cats.

Find Kate online: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads

SPARK RISING

Alex Reyes spent half a lifetime searching for the perfect weapon. He’s finally found her…

Two hundred years after the cataclysm that annihilated fossil fuels, Sparks keep electricity flowing through their control of energy-giving Dust. The Council of Nine rebuilt civilization on the backs of Sparks, offering citizens a comfortable, powered life in exchange for control of those lives, particularly over the children able to fuel the future. The strongest of the boys are taken as Wards and raised to become elite agents, the Council’s enforcers and spies. Strong girls–those who could advance the rapidly-evolving matrilineal power–don’t exist. Not according to the Council.

Lena Gracey died as a child, mourned publicly by parents desperate to keep her from the Council. She was raised in hiding until she fled the relo-city for solitary freedom in the desert. Lena lives off the grid, selling her power on the black market.

Agent Alex Reyes was honed into a calculating weapon at the Ward School to do the Council’s dirty work. But Alex lives a double life. He’s leading the next generation of agents in a secret revolution to destroy those in power from within.

The life Lena built to escape her past ends the day Alex arrives looking for a renegade Spark. Together they will ignite a revolution that could topple a government conspiracy or push the world back into apocalypse. Good thing Lena Gracey and Alex Reyes feed on pressure–and the electricity.

Where to Buy: Kindle, Nook, iBooks, Kobo