In a Nutshell: Why Firefly is Cultural Appropriation

As you may know, the whole 10 Unpopular Opinions thing is going around Facebook right now. One

Asians pictured: 0

of mine was that Firefly (great show! love it!) is cultural appropriation (and makes me cringe while I'm loving it! we have a complicated relationship!). I've gotten a lot of flak about this one from (all white, all male as far as I can remember... not an accusation, just a fact of my personal experience) people over the years... it's probably my most unpopular (SFF-related) opinion ever, other than that Revenge of the Sith is the worst Star Wars prequel (but I digress).

I've given the whole spiel about why Firefly is problematic (still one of my favorite shows! such a complicated relationship!) on countless panels and during countless one-on-one conversations with fellow geeks, so when one of my Facebook friends commented on my post asking me to explain, my in-a-nutshell response was pretty much locked and loaded.

And so that I'll be able to copy/paste it in the future instead of typing it all out again, here it is on the blog:

The issue with Firefly is that it features Chinese culture -- Chinese clothes, Chinese language, Chinese decor, etc. -- but no Chinese people (there are maybe 3 random extras who appear to be East Asian). And it's no better behind the scenes. So basically they took all the cool Chinese stuff but didn't want any actual Chinese folk on their show.

IF the show had featured Chinese (or at least East Asian) cast members and had a decent number of Chinese (or any kind of Asian) writers and directors behind the scenes, this would not be an issue. But why having any actual Asians in a show about a world that's 50% Asian? *eyeroll*

It would also be less of an issue if Asian Americans were regularly represented in the media. But Asians are severely underrepresented (especially Asian *Americans*), so to take their culture without hiring any of their people in visible roles (I say visible because I don't know who did the visual effects, set dressing, etc) is just a slap in the face. (Also, slightly off topic, media originating from Asia -- martial arts films, anime, etc. -- doesn't count as representation for Asians in *America*)

Et voila!

My NaNoWriMo Fail

It's no secret that I've been struggling to get any writing done these days. Lord knows I've whined about it on this blog (and Twitter) enough times. I've spent the past several months trying to pinpoint a cause... that the day job has made me too busy, that I agreed to too many extracurricular activities, that back-to-back shockers in October and November (one personal, one political... the latter is probably obvious for anyone even tangentially aware of U.S. politics and the former is, well, personal) threw my mind into an anxious/depressed state that left me unable to be productive.

NaNoWriMo--National Novel Writing Month for any novs out there--always exacerbates the awful feeling of being a writer who's not writing, whether due to time conflicts or writer's block. It's tough to see all those inspirational memes floating around social media, plus all your writer friends boasting about banging out thousands and thousands of words per day. Not that there's anything wrong with either--those who are being productive have every right to celebrate. It magnifies one's sense of inadequacy.

Me trying to write

This past November's NaNo was supposed to be a reset of sorts for me. I'd been blocked for ages, but had come up with a plan to get back into the groove. And it worked... for about a week. I got the first half of my NaNo goals done and then just... stopped writing. And I couldn't blame time conflicts this time, since I used the time I'd set aside for writing to binge-watch silly TV shows. My goal wasn't even to write a full novel... it was to write 15,000 words in two projects, for a total of 30,000 words (and I've been known to write 50-70k in a month, so this was a laidback goal for me). But all I got were 15k for the first thing and a page for the other. Yep, a single, lonely PAGE. And though I had plenty of time to turn that page into more, just thinking about writing anything prompted a gut response of "NO." The same kind of silent but visceral response your subconscious gives you when you see a spider or something else you just would not want to touch.

While in this pit of despair, I found this Medium article that included a quote from the great Ursula K. Le Guin: 

“Don’t try to go against the flow, to work when work seems futile. Let it be. Let the block stay uncarved, or the word be unwritten — until it wants to take shape, to speak. What nobody in America teaches any more is how not to act, not to keep busy, how to wait … My guess is, you need to be still while your strength is gathering; and when it has gathered, you will know the direction you need to go — and you’ll go on there.”

Man, that was just what I needed to hear. And after seeing that, I thought back to all that time I spent not writing before launching a career of sorts... how I went from being an avid dreamer in middle/high school, churning out multiple novels that shall never be spoken of again, to not writing a single word for about six years during college and the years framing it. And how, when I did dive back in around summer of 2011, six years' worth of ideas congealed into a book that basically flew out of my head in the span of about two months (it became ARTIFICIAL ABSOLUTES). 

And I came to realize that, while I could beat the words out of me if I absolutely needed to, knowing that's where my head was at was causing the "NO" reaction.

While I don't plan to stop writing for another six years (especially since I've got deadlines for two things), it was good to remember that not writing, that failing at goals, is all part of the process.

Here's hoping that, when I get my act together again, what comes out will be awesome :-)

Chessiecon Schedule!

I'll be back at Chessiecon this year! If you're in the Baltimore area, come out and see me! Here's the location: 

RADISSON HOTEL NORTH BALTIMORE

2004 Greenspring Drive

Timonium, MD 21093

And here's my con schedule:

Friday, November 25
9:45 PM Reading (Greenspring 2)
10:30 PM LGBTQ Content: Plot or Set Dressing? (Greenspring 3-5)

Saturday, November 26
10:00 AM Literary Agents and Query Letters: What, How, and Why (Greenspring 3-5)
11:15 AM Silent Symphonies: Incorporating Music into Literature (Greenspring 3-5)
5:30 PM Evolution of Women in Fantasy (Greenspring 1)
6:45 PM Group Book / Art / CD Signing (Atrium)

Sunday, November 27
10:00 AM Being a Woman on the Internet (Greenspring 3-5)
12:30 PM The Handmaid's Tale in the Real World (Greenspring 3-5)

Hope to see you there!

Shaking Up the Writing Routine

I've always thought of myself as a binge writer... that is, I start one project, then work on it non-stop until I have a first draft, then take a huge long break to do other stuff in between. The thought of working on multiple WIPs at once confused me. I could have multiple PROJECTS going on at once, but only one thing I was WRITING writing (the rest were things I was in the process of editing, publishing, or promoting). Basically, I could only have my head into one thing at a time.

This year, though, my writing game has been all over the place. So I decided to shake things up. I'm currently working on 2-4 WIPs at the same time, depending on how you count "working on".

The first is a YA magical realism that was supposed to be my current PROJECT project, the one I sat down and wrote until it was finished. But for various reasons, I've been blocked. Meanwhile, I also had an idea for a YA sci-fi knocking at the back of my head. Depending on the day of the week (or sometimes the hour in the day, or the minute in the hour), I'd either be like "OMG I'm so excited about this magical realism thing and I don't want to stop until it's finished" or "ugh this thing is going nowhere and I should really just work on that other book since it's more my usual thing."

The other two are shorts--another FIREDRAGON novella and my story for the next BRAVE NEW GIRLS anthology. These two I'm still happily brainstorming, but I have a feeling I'll get the hankering to dive in and WRITE before I can finish either of the full-length WIPs.

So I'm doing something I thought I'd never do... I'm working on multiple projects at once. Write some pages of this, write some pages of that, depending on what strikes my fancy. Although, to keep me from getting TOO scattered, I'm making myself write at least a chapter of each before switching gears to the Other Project.

In case any of you are following me on Twitter or Facebook, that's why one day I'll be complaining about a 6 Character Disaster (the nickname I gave the magical realism out of writers-block-induced annoyance one day), and another I'll be marveling at how freaking far away Neptune is (the YA sci-fi I'm working on is about a mission to the Solar System's outer planets).

Will this work? Will this get me out of this rut? Or will I just end up confusing myself? 

I have no idea, but since my usual thing wasn't working, I figured it couldn't help to shake things up a bit. Wish me luck!!

Searching for Inspiration Wherever I Can

I've been in the mother of all writing slumps for a while now, and it's been bugging the heck out of me. Part of me wonders if I've just burned out a bit and need to recover. If that's so, though, it hasn't stopped me from searching for inspiration wherever I can. Here are some pics of my efforts...

In the woods of Pennsylvania...

Pic from the Jersey City Writers retreat 😊

A photo posted by Mary Fan (@astralcolt) on Nov 13, 2016 at 3:30pm PST

... and Virginia 

Whenever I come to places like this, I wonder why I don't just stay... #hikingadventures #travelingram #traveler #traveltheworld #travelpics #travelgram #shenandoah #shenandoahnationalpark #goshenandoah #travelphotography #traveller

A photo posted by Mary Fan (@astralcolt) on Oct 1, 2016 at 7:09pm PDT

While hanging upside down and playing circus freak... 

Guess I'm a circus freak now 😉 #trapeze #aerialartsnyc

A photo posted by Mary Fan (@astralcolt) on Nov 4, 2016 at 4:14pm PDT

I SURVIVED THE AERIAL SILKS CLASS!! #aerialartsnyc #aerialsilks

A photo posted by Mary Fan (@astralcolt) on Oct 8, 2016 at 11:36am PDT

... and while onstage singing opera. 

This is where I've been pretty much all week after work 🎶 #choirlife #operaamerica #opera #nyc

A photo posted by Mary Fan (@astralcolt) on Oct 28, 2016 at 5:11pm PDT

Or indulging in a different genre of music.

Iiiiiit's CONCERT TIIIIME!!!

A photo posted by Mary Fan (@astralcolt) on Sep 17, 2016 at 5:16pm PDT

From Greece... 

Now this was one scary staircase (in Livadeia, Greece) #traveltheworld #travelgram #travel #travelphotography #traveler #travelpics #travellife #travelersnotebook #greece #travelbug #livadeia

A photo posted by Mary Fan (@astralcolt) on Aug 27, 2016 at 6:17am PDT

...to a galaxy far, far away... 

Clonetrooper!! #gencon2016 #genconcosplay #starwarscosplay

A photo posted by Mary Fan (@astralcolt) on Aug 6, 2016 at 8:30am PDT

... to places under the sea (or the aquarium equivalent). 

We found Dory!! #aquariumlife #oceanlife #aquarium #ocean #dory #bluetang #tropicalfish #fish

A photo posted by Mary Fan (@astralcolt) on Jun 26, 2016 at 2:15pm PDT

Inspiration, inspiration, where the dickens are you??? 

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Arlene McFarlane

An interview with author Arlene McFarlane

 

Hi! Welcome to Zigzag Timeline. Can you tell us about your background as an author?

Hi Mary! Thanks for having me! I’ve been writing for over ten years, learning my craft, entering contests, attending workshops and conferences. Murder, Curlers, and Cream is my debut novel.

What got you into writing?

I began writing when my children were little. I started by writing picture books and one day decided to try my hand at writing a novel. Finishing a 300-page book was a huge accomplishment. My story didn’t have plot or structure, but it did have snappy dialogue! And I’d been told I had a strong voice.

What was the first idea you had for your book, and how did the story grow from there?

I’d heard so many times to write what you know, so I took my knowledge from the beauty industry and my love for cozies, and the Murder, Curlers series was born. The first idea I had for my book was to have my protagonist use her tools of the trade to help solve mysteries. From there, I wanted a set of characters that would complement her. And naturally, there would have to be a love interest.

Among your characters, who's your favorite? Could you please describe him/her?

I’d have to say Valentine is my favorite character. She’s stylish and she’s got spunk, and she’s got a soft heart and strives to do her best in every situation.

What's your favorite scene from your novel? Could you please describe it?

I don’t know if I have a favorite scene, but I like the constant quibbling between Phyllis and Max, and I love the sexual tension that brews when Valentine and Romero are together.

What's your favorite part of writing? Plotting? Describing scenes? Dialogue?

I love writing dialogue. It comes easy, and I’m told it’s one of my strengths.

How long does it take you to write a book? Do you have a writing process, or do you wing it?

This is a hard one because book one of the series went through a lot of revisions. Book two got easier, and book three faster yet. I start with an outline, then a first draft. I keep on improving until I feel it’s done. I’m not a fast writer, but I try to be thorough.

What is it about the genre you chose that appeals to you?

I enjoy reading cozy and comedy mysteries. Always have. Straight romances don’t hold my interest for long. I need a lot of humor and of course mystery to get me through the book.

Are there any books or writers that have had particular influence on you?

Janet Evanovich, Lawrence Block, Sophia Kinsella. They’re witty and charming people.

Did you ever surprise yourself when you were writing your book? Characters who took on lives of their own? Plot elements that took unexpected turns?

I love when my characters become real, and yes, sometimes it feels like they’re writing their part in the story. Mostly, though, I’m very disciplined as to how the story should go.

Thanks for stopping by!

Thank you, Mary, for your time and for hosting me on Zigzag Timeline! 

Arlene McFarlane is the author of the Murder, Curlers series. Previously an aesthetician, hairstylist, and owner of a full-service salon, Arlene now writes full time. When she’s not making up stories, or being a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, cat-mom, or makeover artist, you’ll find her making music on the piano.

Arlene is a member of Romance Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Toronto Romance Writers, SOWG, and the Golden Network. She’s won and placed in over 30 contests, including twice in the Golden Heart and twice in the Daphne du Maurier.

Arlene lives with her family in Canada.

“Smart, Entertaining, and Laugh-Out-Loud Funny!”

Liliana Hart, New York Times Bestselling Author of the Addison Holmes Series

           

MURDER, CURLERS, AND CREAM

Valentine Beaumont is a beautician with a problem. Not only has she got a meddling mother, a wacky staff, and a dying business, but now she’s got a dead client who was strangled while awaiting her facial.

         With business the way it is, combing through this mystery may be the only way to save her salon. Until a second murder, an explosion, a kidnapping, death threats, and the hard-nosed Detective Romero complicate things. But Valentine will do anything to untangle the crime. That’s if she can keep her tools of the trade in her bag, keep herself alive, and avoid falling for the tough detective.

In the end, how hard can that be?

MURDER, CURLERS, AND CREAM

                                        

CHAPTER ONE

Excerpt

“You wound a perm rod around a man’s what?” Detective Romero stood in the middle of my Mediterranean-styled salon, hand on his gun hip, legs spread wide. His deep voice was laced with cynicism, and his blue eyes pierced me with a look that said now he’d heard everything.

I know it sounded outrageous, but good lord. It’d been several years since “Local Beautician Valentine Beaumont Uses Perm Rod to Curl Murderer’s Gonads” made front page headlines in the Rueland News. Was I ever going to live that down? It was an awful picture of me they’d run too, considering I was soaked in mud and covered in cuts and bruises.

Besides, there was another crisis at hand. I mean, a dead body had just been removed from the facial bed in Ti Amo—one of my treatment rooms, not thirty feet down the hall. Didn’t this detective, in his faded jeans and brown plaid shirt, think that was a little more important?

I pulled at my tight-knit top, trying not to let him get under my skin. “For the record, that perm rod saved me from being knifed to death. Anyway, it sounds worse than it was.”

“Worse than it was! Lady, that’s about as worse as it can get for a man.” He blew out a sigh. “I’d love to hear the full story on that one day.”

I smiled sweetly. “If you’re nice to me, maybe one day I’ll tell it.”

He glared at me, probably not certain if I was being sarcastic or sincere. Frankly, I wasn’t sure about that myself. 

Social Media Links:

Website: www.arlenemcfarlane.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArleneMcFarlaneAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mcfa_arlene 

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/amcfarlane0990/

Newsletter: https://www.facebook.com/ArleneMcFarlaneAuthor/app/100265896690345/

RELEASE DAY ~ NOVEMBER 8, 2016

Purchase Links:

US:  http://amzn.com/dp/B01M3RMQMG

CA:  https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01M3RMQMG

UK:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01M3RMQMG

FR:  https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B01M3RMQMG

AUS:  https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01M3RMQMG

Germany:  https://www.amazon.de/dp/B01M3RMQMG

iBooks:  https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/murder-curlers-and-cream/id1166645368?ls=1&mt=11

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/murder-curlers-and-cream

Barnes & Noble: http://bn.com/w/1124913689

Omnilit: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-murdercurlersandcream-2155696-243.html 

BOOK REVIEW: Heir of Thunder (Stormbourne Chronicles, #1) / Karissa Laurel

TITLE: Heir of Thunder (Stormbourne Chronicles, #1) 
AUTHOR: Karissa Laurel
PUBLISHER: Evolved Publishing
PURCHASE LINK: Amazon

GENRE
Young Adult--Fantasy

REVIEW
17-year-old Evie Stormbourne was born to a long line of rulers with power over the thunder and lightning. But over the generations, that power has faded, and her own abilities are relatively weak. After her father, the king, is killed and a sudden revolution leaves her a fugitive in her own land, her only hope for survival is her father's horsemaster, a gruff young man named Gideon. The two travel incognito with the goal of smuggling Evie out of the kingdom, but complications soon arise, and Evie soon finds herself struggling for survival on her own. What's more, things are not as they seem, and her journeys eventually lead her to learn the shocking truth behind her father's death... and her own fate.

Disclosure time: Karissa and I are both published by Red Adept Publishing (which published her Norse Chronicles and my Jane Colt novels). I bought this book on my own because I really enjoyed her other stories and this review represents my honest opinion.

Anyway, Karissa Laurel's HEIR OF THUNDER is the first in a planned YA fantasy trilogy, and it was catnip to a longtime fantasy fan like me. Heroine journeying across a fictional version of old-timey, steampunkish Europe? Magic and mayhem and twists and turns? Yes, please! Evie travels across various European-esque countries in her journeys, and it was a real delight getting to see the different kinds of lands that make up her world.

As a character, Evie is easy to sympathize with, and I loved watching her grow from a damsel in distress to a heroine in her own right. When the novel begins, she's just a lost princess trying to survive after her world collapses around her. With little more than determination and a touch of magic, she winds up reclaiming her own fate and taking control of her destiny. Gideon starts off as her protector, but... let's just say there's plenty she does without him as well. There's palpable chemistry between the two, and I foresee a complicated romantic arc that'll manifest over the rest of the series... *rubs hands with delight*

As for the world... well, let's just say it's got swords and horses and dirigibles and pirates and magic and caravans. A fun mix of Lord of the Rings-type high fantasy and steampunkish tech (did I mention there are dirigibles??), blended into a delightful Europe-inspired universe that feels at once new and familiar.

All in all, this was a delightful read and just the kind of heroine-centric fantasy adventure I've always loved. Can't wait for Book 2!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karissa lives in North Carolina with her kid, her husband, the occasional in-law, and a very hairy husky. Some of her favorite things are coffee, chocolate, and super heroes. She can quote Princess Bride verbatim. She loves to read and has a sweet tooth for fantasy, sci-fi, and anything in between. Sometimes her husband convinces her to put down the books and take the motorcycles out for a spin. When it snows, you'll find her on the slopes.

BOOK REVIEW: The Dragon and the Stars / Derwin Mak and Eric Choi

TITLE: The Dragon and the Stars
EDITORS: Derwin Mak and Eric Choi
PUBLISHER: Daw Books
PURCHASE LINK: Amazon

GENRE
Science Fiction/Fantasy -- Anthology

REVIEW
I picked up this anthology after meeting one of the editors and contributing authors, Derwin Mak, at the Ad Astra convention in Toronto earlier this year. And it was one whose premise sold itself. I mean, a collection of sci-fi/fantasy stories inspired by Chinese mythology and experiences? Yes please! I myself am Chinese American, and one of my biggest gripes is that Chinese people--Asians in general, in fact--are virtually invisible in the world of sci-fi/fantasy. Unless you're reading or watching something that came FROM Asia--anime, Bollywood, kung fu films, manga, etc--chances are, the only Asians you'll ever see in sci-fi/fantasy are token sidekicks or stereotyped cameos.

So it was really wonderful and refreshing to get 18 new SFF stories of incredible range, all by Chinese authors of varying experiences and all featuring Chinese people. From a tale inspired by old school folklore to futuristic sci-fi to alternate history... reading these stories was like popping Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans into my mouth, except all the flavors were awesome and made extra special because they were just what I was looking for.

Each story is special in its own way, and to be honest I simply don't have the time to review them each individually. But I highly, highly recommend that you pick up this wonderful collection. There wasn't a single story I didn't like, and what really wowed me was the incredible breadth the anthology covered... so many different types of stories! And it's especially refreshing since even today, six years after this anthology was published, Asians are still portrayed in the same stereotypical buckets in most mainstream SFF (always the ninja, or the sneaky gangsters, or the sexless nerd, or the mute chinadoll, or the dragon lady...). Next time I see a stereotypical Asian nerd in fiction, I want to shove this anthology in that person's face and be like IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY! SEE?? SEE????

Okay, so this turned out to be more of a rant than an actual review... sorry about that! In a nutshell... This anthology features an incredible collection of excellent stories, and the sheer imagination of it all is amazing. I really, truly enjoyed reading every single one of them.

BRAVE NEW GIRLS is getting a Volume 2!!!

Hi everyone! As you might have seen on my Facebook or Twitter, BRAVE NEW GIRLS is getting a Volume 2! 

How did this come to be? Well, basically Paige Daniels and I have been talking about doing a second anthology ever since we released the first one... We just had such a blast putting it together, and we loved that we were using fiction to encourage girls to explore STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math). Finally, about a week and a half ago, we were like, "You know what? Enough talk. Let's do this thing!"

Things are a little different this time around. Instead of running another crowdfunding campaign, we're using leftover funds from the first one. We'd originally meant to use the extra dollars for marketing, but after looking into what we could afford on our budget... basically, just a handful of web ads, whose effectiveness is iffy... we decided that a second anthology would be a better use of our money. Hey, you know what they say--the best way to sell a book is to make another book. 

And because we'd love to keep making BNGs forever (without always having to beg people for cash), we're adjusting our, for lack of a better term, business model (though I wouldn't call it a business since ultimately, it's all non-profit). We'll still be donating the bulk of the money made from sales of BNG 2 to the Society of Women Engineers scholarship fund. This time, though, we'll keep a percentage of profits and stick it in the BNG pot to fund Volume 3 (coming your way in 20...something! Hopefully 2018!). And then a percentage of sales from both BNG 2 and BNG 3 can fund BNG 4... etc. etc. until we solve gender inequality forever.

Despite the "Volume 2" designation, this anthology won't be a sequel (you probably already knew that, but hey, can't hurt to clarify). It'll be a new collection of standalone shorts, and I'm hoping we get an awesome mix of different kinds of sci-fi... cyberpunk, steampunk, biopunk, whateverpunk...

Submissions are currently open on our website! So if you or anyone you know has a short sci-fi story about a teen girl who does techy things, check it out!  LINK HERE: http://bravenewgirls.weebly.com/submissions.html.

I'll be contributing as well, of course :-). This time, my story will be a space opera mystery starring fledgling biomedical engineer Chevonne Watson and a rogue science AI, Sherlock. Remember over the summer when I wrote a Sherlock Holmes retelling just for fun? Well, in true Sherlockian tradition, I'm bringing back those characters for a new adventure, and I can't wait to write it :-D. (In case you're curious, here's the story on Wattpad: The Adventure of the Silicon Beeches. I'm thinking of titling the series Chevonne & Sherlock).

We've already contacted Streetlight Graphics (who did the amazing cover of the first BRAVE NEW GIRLS) about doing the cover, and I'm so, so, so excited! Once again, we're going to have illustrations for all the stories. If all goes according to plan, BNG 2 will be coming your way in August 2017... Just in time to debut at Gen Con :-D

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Dane Cobain

An interview with author Dane Cobain.

 

Hi! Welcome to Zigzag Timeline. Can you tell us about your background as an author?

Hi! Sure thing – my name’s Dane Cobain and I’m a British author and poet. I currently have four books on the market, with a fifth – a horror novella and screenplay called Come On Up to the House – coming soon. I studied creative writing at Roehampton University and have been writing for half of my life, which isn’t bad when you consider I’m 27.

What got you into writing?

I guess it started with the guitar. I learned to play the guitar and started writing my own songs, and over time I progressed from lyrics to poetry, and then to keeping a journal, and then into writing fiction and other stuff. I finished my first novel when I was eighteen, but it’s not really fit for public consumption. It was too dark and angsty.

What was the first idea you had for your book, and how did the story grow from there?

For my first book, No Rest for the Wicked, I had the concept of the evil Angels who go after people that have sinned in a nightmare. I woke up from the nightmare, jotted down as many details as I could remember, then went back to sleep. I left those notes for a couple of months, then went back to them and developed them, then started to flesh out a story line.

Among your characters, who's your favorite? Could you please describe him/her?

It’s hard to pick just one! Although I’ll always have a soft spot for Father Montgomery, the wise old priest with a secret past and the chief protagonist of No Rest for the Wicked, purely because I secretly want to be more like home.

What's your favorite scene from your novel? Could you please describe it?

I think my favourite scene was probably the finale to No Rest for the Wicked, which I can’t really describe without giving the plot away. However, what I will tell you is that in my head when I was writing it, my imagination was in overdrive. I could almost see it in front of me, and it looked epic. I’ve always wondered what it would look like in a movie…

What's your favorite part of writing? Plotting? Describing scenes? Dialogue?

Funnily enough, I always used to hate writing dialogue, but I find it a lot easier (and thus a lot more enjoyable) these days. I’m not sure if I have a favourite part – it just sort of all pours out of me. The best part is probably after it’s all happened and you start to hear feedback about what you created. All of the other stuff is just there because you can’t help yourself – you’re just compelled to do it. It’s a bit like asking what my favourite part of breathing is. For the record, I do like a good, long exhale, and the bit where it stops me from dying.

How long does it take you to write a book? Do you have a writing process, or do you wing it?

I have a reasonably defined process that begins with plotting out as much of the story as I can and ends with me actually sitting in front of a keyboard or a notebook and getting it out there. Until recently, I was writing fiction by hand, which turns out to be ridiculously time intensive. These days, I type things up at my computer, and it enables me to finish writing a full-length novel in 6-9 months, although I still need to put it through editing with Pam Harris – my excellent editor – before it’s ready to be released. But during that time, I’m simultaneously working on other projects, such as the anthology I’m editing and my poetry collections.

What is it about the genre you chose that appeals to you?

I’m something of an anomaly because I don’t confine myself to a single genre. I think that’s because the books that I like to write reflect the books that I like to read, and I have an eclectic taste. In fact, I usually don’t even think about what genre a book is until it comes to marketing it!

Are there any books or writers that have had particular influence on you?

I think that everything I’ve ever read has influenced me in some way or other, but it’s true that certain books have influenced me more than others. I guess I’d have to go for Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy here, because those books were the first books that I read that really blew my mind and made me think, “Hey, I want to do that.”

Did you ever surprise yourself when you were writing your book? Characters who took on lives of their own? Plot elements that took unexpected turns?

That always happens to a certain extent. I think that effect begins during the planning stage, when you’re following one train of thought and suddenly you realise that a certain character would react in a certain way to something and that would then influence something else that occurs somewhere else in the novel. It’s one of the wonders of writing – one of the things that keeps me interested and helps fuel my addiction for the written word.

Thanks for stopping by!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dane Cobain (High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, UK) is an independent poet, musician and storyteller with a passion for language and learning. When he’s not in front of a screen writing stories and poetry, he can be found working on his book review blog or developing his website,www.danecobain.com. His debut novella, No Rest for the Wicked, was released in the summer of 2015.

ABOUT THE BOOK

No Rest for the Wicked

Father Montgomery, an elderly priest with a secret past, begins to investigate after his parishioners come under attack. With the help of Jones, a young businessman with an estranged child, Montgomery begins to track down the origin of the Angels.

The Angels are naked and androgynous. They speak in a dreadful harmony with no clear leader. These aren’t biblical cherubs tasked with the protection of the righteous – these are deadly creatures of light that have the power to completely eradicate.

When Jones himself is attacked, Father Montgomery knows he has to act fast. Will the final showdown force him to make the ultimate sacrifice?