Author Interview: Vivienne Mathews

Hello Everyone!

The epic adventure stories of our time each have something that no others do, memorable characters, dastardly villains, grand treasure, dashing heroes, and/or epic storytelling; however, as great an adventure as he was, Ulysses, my friends, did not have a tail, and Captain Ahab did not have a giant bird who owed him a powerful debt. Otter Captain Marshall is the ultimate hero of a new generation and the secrets that await you in The Son's of Masguard and the Mosque Hill Fortune will challenge your perception of the meaning of the word epic as all those elements mentioned before are contained here, in one place.
 

It's a grand honor to introduce you to the best writer and storyteller that I have ever read. She is a good friend and my personal muse. Thank you, Vivienne Mathews, for allowing me to interview you for my blog. It is a true privilege to help spread the word of your amazing new book, The Son's of Masguard and the Mosque Hill Fortune.

The honor, dear friend, is all mine. I’ll beg you to forgive my slow responses as I’m currently nursing the mother of all bee stings. My left arm is roughly the size of an elephant’s leg, numb from shoulder to fingertips, and red as the day is long. Take a moment to let the visual sink in. It’s a work of art.

I know you're a hobbyist beekeeper and I suppose that's just one of the toils of the trade. Wasn't it the famous Chunk who said “I'm not all alone in the dark. I like the dark. I love the dark.” [He ducks and crawls under a tree branch] “But I hate nature! I HATE nature!”

I love nature, but bees give me the hebegeebies and make me do the sissy dance. (no I can't spell that word, and my spell checker cares little for it as well.)

You are an absolute riot with your wonderful personality and hilarious sarcastic sense of humor; I’d love for people to get to know you as I do. Please tell us a little about your self. Why do you describe yourself as the ice queen?

I'm a beekeeper, a wife, a mother, and an INSANELY dull person. I don't remember if the whole "ice queen" thing is something that was bestowed on me or if I came up with it myself, but it's a friendlier way of pointing to my (sometimes fairly profound) social phobias. Sadly, introverts are often seen as "cold" and "distant." At some point I decided to just own the labels and see where that got me!

From one hermit to another, I have come to own the notion of recluse due to my inability to be interesting, and I wish to assure you that, if you share similar voices in your head like the ones that keep me company, then you and I, surely, are not insanely dull. One or the other, perhaps, but not both. On second thought, I take that back, we are not dull at all.

Hehe, from one hermit to another... agoraphobia SUCKS, doesn't it? You make an excellent point, though. Being a tad on the wackadoodle side does liven things up, at least a little.


All the brilliant people are, or were as the case may be. Being normal is so boring. Who would want that?

Your new book, The Sons of Masguard and the Mosque Hill Fortune, is now available in paperback and for the kindle and kindle readers for smartphones. Could you give us a brief description of the premise.

Let’s see, I have to give the salesman pitch here, don’t I? *Clears throat.* The Sons of Masguard is an adventure-fantasy series in the vein of Wind in the Willows or Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. It has tall ships and pirates and the kind of magical artifacts you’d expect to see in Indiana Jones. As a matter of fact, Harrison Ford is in negotiations to play Masguard in the upcoming film.

…Okay, I made that last part up. The rest of it is accurate, though. I swear.

I have no doubts that, with your talent, the universe will conspire to make that last part happen. The epic trailer alone makes me want to see the movie. Your husband, Meral, does an amazing job with the voice over. A very talented man, he is, in his own right. (Take a look at the book trailer for yourself at the end of this interview.)

We have been friends long enough that I have seen first hand how wonderful of a mother you are. I know that your son is your world. Is he the inspiration for this series or for writing children's fiction in general?

He absolutely is my world. Probably because he takes after his father so much! He's been the inspiration for a slew of children's stories, although, I actually wrote the first draft of "The Sons of Masguard" in my late teens, years before he was born. It is definitely fair to say that he was inspirational in the rewrites, however.

He has grown so much since I've last seen him.

Yeah, he won’t stop doing that, for some reason.


Canned question from me to you, what in the world makes you so good and where do these amazing ideas come from? dreams? Little birds? Or bees, perhaps?

Okay, we have to stop for a second because I need to give you an e-hug for saying that. *MASSIVE SQUEEZE!*
 
It's silly, but the initial inspiration for "The Sons of Masguard" came from an ostrich. My mother was teaching preschool children from a book with no pictures, so she asked me to illustrate the alphabet characters for her class. I was happy to do it -- I LOVE drawing cartoons. The book merged the letters "o" and "p" into a painting ostrich. I thought, "How lame is that? Couldn't they have done something clever... like an octopus pianist? Or an otter pirate?" It bugged me until late into the night, when I got out of bed to draw the first images of Captain Marshall and McKinley the Marauder.

That's partially what makes you so amazing. I love how your mind works.

So, as I just learned, you also do the illustrations for the print version of your book; there is no question that your talent for writing is inexorable, although, I had no idea you could draw as well. Are there any other talents you've kept secret from the world all these years?

Baha! Talent? What on earth is that? Would I know if I had it? I'm pretty sure I'd know if I had it. No, I dabble in a lot of things (paint, guitar, piano, voice), but I don't do any of them well. I do make a mean soufflé! That counts for something, right? ... I'm kidding. I actually have no idea how to make a soufflé. At all.

I have absolutely no idea what a soufflé is, but talent I know, and you have it in abundance. For as long as I’ve known you, it's been your nature to be your own worse critic, although, others will now see your talent for what it is … pure magic.

Now, something that I have always wondered, are you a student of the craft, or like Maybelline, were you just born with it?

Ugh, I'm a terrible student! I've tried, honestly. But a person could drive themselves mad trying to consume all of the tips and techniques and dos and don'ts on writing these days. For me, noveling (Is that a verb? It should totally be a verb.) is about the characters. Telling their story through their eyes. If I concentrate on how I'm writing, I completely lose sight of what I'm writing -- and the result is a big pile of beautifully structured words that don't lead anywhere. I tell the story first, work on the form second (and sometimes third, and fourth...), and rely on the beta readers to tell me whether I've gotten it wrong. It's amazing how much you can learn from the words, "This scene didn't really work for me."

Loveable characters are the key. When they want their story told and their voices begin telling their story in your head, craft generally goes out the window and you just write the character's story. Honestly, I think that is the true craft, not all the rules and knowing which to bend. I love your mind set and I think your notion is spot on.

You are one of those writers who puts other writers in awe of your work, writing things that others think "I wish I had written that", does your prose come off the pen as smoothly as it reads? You're so good and natural at this you probably don't even have to edit much.

There you go again, being an insanely kind person! I have a horrible tendency to be REALLY wordy. It takes somewhere around a zillion editing passes to filter out all the unnecessary crap that comes out of my fingertips. Hopefully, the end result is at least somewhat legible!


Your "unnecessary crap" is another writer's golden egg. It's an innate ability that lies within you to craft such realistic images with your words, words that remind me of classic storytelling. Your writing, to me, is not unlike the mastery of artists such as Algernon Blackwood, Washington Irving and, one of your favorites, Richard Adams; how do you craft prose with such precise word choice and imagery?

What an AMAZING compliment! I don't know that I could ever measure up to their works, but I've always been a huge fan of classic literature. I'd love to think that their influence bleeds through from time to time, but... well, I write about talking otters, so...
 
Yes, but you write about them as if they are the classic characters themselves.

Why, thank you! Maybe it's just that Masguard is every bit as wordy as I am... *Grin.*
 

An interesting thing stood out to me as I began reading; the notion of the clock face in the prologue is such a notable symbol, what is the significance of symbolism throughout the book and your writing?

Thank you so much! I try not to go overboard with the symbolism in this series -- readers tend to find that obnoxious. Luckily for me, Masguard is a bit of an over-educated chatty Kathy, so he can get away with saying things I'd otherwise have to leave out. In the opening scene, he's reflecting on his life, writing one last letter before he goes out to face *spoilers*, and he wants to make his words count for something.

Characterization is one of your many strong points, all of your characters are so well crafted it's difficult to choose a favorite.

Without divulging any plot twist, can you give us an idea of the premise of the second novel in the series?

Book Two picks up where Book One left off, on Marshall's ship, en route to Mosque Hill. Things get a little nuttier, a little more fantastical. Some of the lesser characters from Book One turn out to be not-so-lesser characters in Book Two. And of course, you get to find out whether or not I'm evil enough to have murdered everyone's favorite pirate.

You? Evil? Not sure I have reason to believe that. However, I do have reason to believe that the word hoary causes you to break down into uncontrollable, maniacal laughter .... where might you have heard that word before? Could it have been in reference to some hoary marmots? You know, hoary marmots would make excellent villains in the sequel. 

Hoary marmots, I love it! Also, an excellent name for a redneck poetry group.

Lol. I think we could organize one of those.

I was also thinking that, as my best writing friend, I can picture us going the way of Stephen king, Amy tan and Dave Barry; best friends before, during and after fame. Maybe we should start a band as well? The Mosque Hill Tender Hearts Jug Band. Has a clever ring to it, doesn't it? I have dibs on the washboard! 

LoL! I call the triangle! Can we start a band with only two instruments?  

Well, someone has to play the jug or it wouldn't be a jug band so much, would it? Sigh, no band then. let's start a club instead. For Hermits only, of course.

Good plan! Do we get a tree house? I’ve always wanted a tree house…

Absolutely! Wouldn't be complete without one. I look forward to the first annual meeting of the Hoary Marmots Writer's Club for Hermits. Oh, the Tom foolery we'll share.

It has been wonderful talking with you. In addition to being an amazing writer, Vivienne, you are an amazing person as well.

The secrets of The Sons of Masguard and the Mosque Hill Fortune are well kept, as well kept as your art. Your art should be in a shrine, my friend. Your writing is complex, powerful, concise, and hauntingly beautiful. It's a wondrous mix between classic styles and storytelling, and modern notions and imagery. It is an honor above all others, to consider you one of my best friends and more so, my muse. You are the reason I strive for greatness as a writer. The world is a better, more beautiful place with your art in it and very soon the world will know what I know. With all heartfelt sincerity, you my friend, are the world's best kept secret.

And with that, I have to leave. Because you’re making me blubber like a baby. Or a granny. Or a grown man with allergies. In any case, it’s getting difficult to see the screen.

I can’t thank you enough for having me on your site – and for being my friend! We wackadoodles need to stick together. In a tree house.

Yes, we sure do. We make the best company after all. Take good care of that bee sting. I look forward to the sequel with great eagerness!



Synopsis: The Sons of Masguard and the Mosque Hill Fortune

The first installment in a new series from Vivienne Mathews, this anthropomorphic tale is sure to strike a chord with fans of “Redwall,” “Watership Down,” and “Warriors.” Centered on a rivalry between two otter captains and the ancient threat that brings them together, it is an adventure-fantasy on the open sea, described by the author as “’Wind in the Willows’ with pirates.”

*******************************************

A haunting mist has settled on the harbor beneath Secora Tor. Tasked with unlocking its mysteries is the stoic otter Captain Marshall, an accomplished military figure and heir to the greatest explorer in the kingdom’s history. As he sifts through myth and reality, his dangerous journey grows ever more complicated when he learns that McKinley the Marauder – pirate, nemesis, and general miscreant – has ambitions that could put his mission at risk.

Now, accompanied by a gypsy mercenary, a dishonored knight, and a family of thieves – and tailed by the evil wolf Baron Von Ulric, who has ambitions of his own – their paths converge in an uneasy alliance, becoming a race against time as they travel to the legendary island of Mosque Hill, each of them hoping to reach an ancient artifact before it is too late. Each of them desperate to stay ahead of the secrets that they keep.

What will they lose along the way?

And where will they turn when they realize that nothing is as it seems?
  

Website(s)

The Sons of Masguard for Kindle on Amazon
The Sons of Masguard in paperback on Amazon
Vivienne Mathews Home Page Link  
Link To Vivienne Mathews Author Page On Amazon

Vivienne Mathews Social Media Links

  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7051589.Vivienne_Mathews
  https://twitter.com/VivienneMathews
 

The Sunshine Award

Hello everyone.

One of my best writing friends, L.J. Kentowski, has honored me with the Sunshine award. I'm grateful that she thought of me for it. L.J. is one of the most talented writers I’ve met. Her first book, Guardian of Fate is an amazing read, and the sequel, Seeker of Fate will be released soon. Go check her out, read her work, you won't be disappointed.

This was more difficult than I imagined, though it was a blast to complete.

This is how the Sunshine Award works:

• Thank the blogger who nominated you
• Post the award icon above
• Answer the questions below
• Nominate ten other bloggers (I don't think I know ten other bloggers ;\)

On to my questions!

1. What is your favorite Christmas/festive movie? It's difficult to choose one favorite. I do enjoy A Christmas Story; it’s a writer’s movie for sure. I’m also partial to the movie Jack Frost. Sad ending, yes, though it's a fine movie. Reminds me of all the Christmas' I'd missed with my kids because of the divorce and how I wished I could have, somehow, shared everyone with them.

2. What is your favorite flower? My mom used to plant Pansy flowers around the lantern light in our front yard and I loved them. I find them to be amazingly beautiful, and of course, when I see them I’m reminded of my mom.

3. What is your favorite non-alcoholic beverage? Yet another wonderful reminder of my mother … we didn't have much soda in the house as I grew up, but on occasion my mother would send a Dr. Pepper with me in a sack lunch for my grade school field trips. The flavor takes me back to my childhood, to Tautphaus Park and that fantastic surprise she left me in my lunch sack. I have grown quite fond of the cherry version of Dr. Pepper. Also, I’m a sucker for Egg Nog during the Fall and Winter Holidays.

4. What is your passion? This is a loaded question. I think my first passion, if speaking of family, would be my kids. If I had one, my Girlfriend/wife. As far as extracurricular activities; writing, reading, and audio production. My ultimate goal is to produce my own audio books and other writing audio productions. I also have a passion for beautiful outdoor areas and hiking.

5. What is your favorite time of year? Fall. I love the the changing color of the leaves, a fire in the fire pit and tiki torches in the dimming light or curling up to a fire in the fireplace. I become most giddy around Halloween, Thanksgiving and through Christmas.

6. What is your favorite time of day? Dusk and night. As stated in question 5, I love a fire in the fire pit and tiki torches in the dimming light, watching the stars twinkle and shoot across the sky.

7. What is your favorite physical activity? Is this question PG?! Well, I am a single guy after all. Ok, in all seriousness, hiking would be my physical activity of choice. I enjoy the outdoors, beautiful expanses of wilderness and trees.

8. What is your favorite vacation? Anytime I can get up to a wooded area and spend a few days in a cabin, I’m in heaven. However, I must mention that this October I’m going to Disneyland for the first time. I'll keep you posted how that goes.

Now I get the honor of nominating ten awesome peeps for this award:

Kelly Seguin

Krystal Wade

Mackenzie Crowne

Eleri Stone

Loni Flowers

Teresa Cypher

Jessica Subject

Daniella Renelt

Author Interview: Simon Williams

Hello everyone,

I always say I'm my own worse critic. My inner critic haunts me with every sentence I write. This “ailment” has tainted my reading of work that's not my own as well and because of it, I tend to be highly critical, sometimes unfairly so. Some writing drives me completely bonkers; although, on occasion, I find a work that is so captivating I wish I'd written it.

One of those works is Oblivion's Forge by Simon Williams. Oblivion's Forge is a magnetizing read, difficult to put down, written so concisely I’m in awe of it.

We have a rare opportunity to meet the man behind the manuscript. It's an honor and privilege to introduce to you, author Simon Williams.

Welcome Simon, thank you for allowing us to get to know you as well as your work. Please tell us a little about yourself and a brief description of the premise behind Oblivion's Forge.

I’m a writer based in the UK who loves fantasy with a real passion- particularly if it pushes the boundaries of the genre and engages the reader’s mind in new ways. Oblivion’s Forge, which is the first of my Aona books, was many years in the making- in fact it had to be pretty much rewritten several times! It chronicles the start of a major upheaval in the world of Aona, which is about to be the prize in a war between two great evils- the implacable, unknowable marandaal, and their ancient enemies (also once the masters of the Younger Races such as humankind), the choragh. But this is only the backdrop; although the scene is an epic one in a sense, the story is character-driven, and I made a conscious effort to ensure the world and the horrors it faces are seen through the eyes of people caught up in this event, struggling to survive, and struggling to understand the unraveling of hope and sanity that soon starts to happen.

That is very ambitious in scope, and so much potential for a long line of sequels. What draws you to this particular genre of writing? Have you thought of testing your mettle in other genres?

I was drawn into the fantasy genre from a young age- I read the Narnia books and then Alan Garner’s works from the ages of eight to nine- and it kind of captivated me really, partly because of the endless possibilities that I felt it could present.

I’ve dabbled in a number of other genres such as thriller / adventure, but I was never satisfied with my works in these areas, so none of those have ever been printed. I try not to think about genres too much in any case- the Aona books would be thought broadly of as fantasy by most readers, but they have elements of sci-fi and horror and other influences. In simple terms, I don’t really set out to write within the confines of any particular genre- and I do feel there’s a little too much pigeonholing of authors’ works into genres by the media.

I agree, wholeheartedly, with you. Genres have become so categorized and so vast that it's confusing and, often, borders on silly. It seems a travesty to put such creative shackles upon artists.

You have an anthology of short stories coming out, are these in a fantasy setting or more contemporary?

They’re really a mixed bag. Many of them are based in a world which is clearly quite different to ours, and others give the impression of being in a “version” of our world- maybe one which has gone badly wrong in some subtle way.

A reader once compared the impression some of my stories gave him to David Lynch’s film “Eraserhead”. I can’t remember if that was meant as a compliment or not, but I am a huge fan of Mr Lynch’s works so I took it as one!

Currently the stories I’m including are these:

Inward Bound

Opening Night

Season of Alteration

Morning Assembly

Aphrodite Takes a Fall

Perfection

Remembrance

Forgotten Sounds

Death in Bloom

Unmade 

The Switch

Safe Harvest

The Attractions

Tenements

Endless Summer

I'm not familiar with Mr. Lynch's work, however, that certainly sounds like a high compliment to me. 

I've noticed that you have impeccable word choice resulting in very concise writing ... what is your secret for such tight prose?

Thanks! My writing style has changed quite a bit over the years, and in a way the style I have now is a reaction to the style I initially adopted in my teens and twenties. I wrote a lot of “epic” fantasy and Gothic horror, all of it quite overblown and pretentious really. I grew out of it, and my current writing style (which feels a hundred percent “right” to me, so I don’t intend to change anything) does have a more concise and measured feel to it.

I guess the secret is to try and say something in a few words, in a way that allows the reader to draw a picture or conclusion in their own mind. I don’t believe in spoon-feeding detailed information to the reader; I like to think that a reader of this sort of fiction is of at least average intelligence and that he or she has the intellectual capacity to visualize the scenario from the words I use.

Your dialog is very realistic as well, such as 'had I found you anywhere else, I would have left you to stiffen in the frost,' spoken by Ona in Chapter 1. How do you write such authentic dialog?

Simply put, I try to imagine what I would do and say if I was that character in that situation- in fact I think of the characters as the centerpieces in all my works, so it’s important to me that they speak and act in the way they do.

I find that it definitely is a writer's characters who tell the story to be written. The author is simply the scribe to relay it.

From Chapter 1; “A vastness in which to lose myself”, Vornen's thoughts are a powerful reflection of himself, do you use your personal traits in your character development? If not, where does the inspiration for your characters come from?

You know, every time I experience self-doubt it’s as if the shadow of Vornen has fallen on me for a little while. He and indeed many of the other characters are, of course, influenced by me, in the sense that I’ve used some emotions and experiences with which I’m familiar, in order to build those characters. Quite often, if I’m feeling a particularly way I may even think “Hey, this is how xxxx would be feeling” and I’ll even write something “from them” accordingly- as if they’d decided to scribble something quickly in a pocket diary. It’s about capturing the moment really.

I find it a bit haunting but also very exhilarating that, as writers, we have such connection to our characters. Within telling us their story, and sharing with us their emotions we can create their world and shape their events. What is your process of creating?

I start with a basic idea and a small number of characters, little more than that really. I often have a strong vision of how particular points in the story will work out, and if I’m writing a series I may well write scenarios which are a book or even two books ahead. But much of the finer detail is something I end up putting the finishing touches to much later on. As a result, I tend to have lots of scrappy little notes here and there, and it’s a matter of gradually fitting everything together.

How does this equate to your world building: For example, The Existence, mentioned in the first chapter, and the Chulan people's connection to it, intrigued me. Are there modern day influences and philosophies surrounding “The Existence”, your mythology, languages, races, etc.?

The Existence can be thought of pretty much as the “universe” or “everything”, or even “past, present and future” so a way of encapsulating all space and all time within a word or phrase. Different cultures and races have different ideas about the nature of it, something which is expanded on a fair bit in further books. I guess this all originally came from my love of astronomy (something I’ve had since childhood) and interest in the origins of the universe and theories surrounding that.

Now, bringing together your characterization and world building, you have an uncanny knack of slowly introducing ideas, elements and events, so craftily. I recall Chapter 1 for example; every paragraph gives just enough hint of something to put the reader on the edge of her seat, asking questions; questions that give just enough away to keep us curious, to keep us turning the page out of a hungry need to know the answers to them. How do you build this suspense so seamlessly? How do you know what information to withhold?

That’s a difficult one, because when I do “tell just enough” I’m imagining what it might be for the reader conjecturing what might happen next. I guess I always have the list of events and twists that happen next in the back of my mind, and I’ve become able to select what to say now and what to say later without really thinking about it too much. It seems to work, so I try not to analyze that part of the process too much.

I'm told, or rather, I've heard, that people with other artistic talents more readily excel at the written word. Do you have any other artistic talents?

I can play the piano moderately well, and write music, but that’s about it. I like to draw- I find it very relaxing- but I’m no good at it. And don’t get me started on my acting ability...

Lol, writing does have a way of lending itself well to acting. After all, it is our job as writers to "become" our characters when we write them. Fortunately for us we don't have to embarrass ourselves on stage. With your great characterization, maybe you're better at acting than you believe.

What's the best writing advice you've ever received?

It was something along the lines of “Keep going; keep writing. You’ll know when a book, a chapter or even a paragraph feels exactly right.” That advice helped keep me going on many occasions.

That advice is so true. We just never know who may become the next R. A. Salvatore or J. R. R. Tolkien. Perhaps that person is only one more try away from becoming something great.

What advice would you give to new, aspiring authors?

Basically, you have to acknowledge that inspiration is a fickle creature, often absent; just keep plugging away and writing, even if you feel that what you’re writing is not up to standard. It can be worked on, over and over if need be, and the very act of writing actually helps the inspiration return- at least it does for me.

Secondly, ask yourself- would you still write if you were never going to make any money from it whatsoever? If the answer is “yes” then you’re quite possibly made to be a writer- it should be a work of love first, and a commercial exercise second. And ironically, often the writers who are most passionate about their work and would continue regardless of financial gain are the ones who are increasing their chances of success- particularly in the today’s increasingly open market.

That is great advice, both instances will resonate with many writers, I suspect. Keep ironing the rough spots and a masterpiece will emerge. Readers can sense a great author from the passion he or she writes with; that passion always comes through in the prose. It definitely comes through in yours.

On a closing note, tell us a bit about the next Aona book you’re currently working on.

The third book is provisionally titled “The Endless Shore” and I’m about 12,000 words in at the moment, but I have a lot of “pre draft” scribbling about a new character and her storyline, so I’m expecting to get the book finished by the end of 2012. I think it’ll be a little longer than Secret Roads (the second book in the Aona series), which itself was longer than Oblivion’s Forge- not for any particular reason or than that the wider storyline seems to be “stretching” slightly as I work my way along it and come up with new ideas and sub-plots. I was really happy with the plot and the characters developed in Secret Roads, and The Endless Shore is very much a continuation of that- with the plot certainly moving further forwards in many ways.

It sounds like an amazing work, perhaps the best in the series thus far. I can attest that this is definitely a series to get behind. I'm burning through Oblivion's Forge now and very much look forward to reading the sequel Secret Roads and The Endless Shore.

Thank you very much, Simon, for allowing me to interview you for my blog. It's been a pleasure getting to know you and I'm thoroughly enjoying your work. You can all find an excerpt and purchase information for Oblivion's Forge and Secret Roads by clicking on each title respectively. You won't be disappointed in these books.

You can also find Simon on Goodreads, his blogs, The World of Aona, and author page. Also like him on Facebook.

A special thank you to fans of Simon and myself, for coming to my blog to read more about Simon. I appreciate you stopping by and I enjoy your comments.