Coffee Chat 21.0 with S.K. Anthony: Make Mine a Double . . . Negative

Hey, guys!
SK here. Boy, is Lynda in for a—Donkey, shhhh! Sorry, where was I? Oh, I'm waiting impatiently for Lynda to wake up and join me for Coffee Chat. I have someone special here today for Lynda's 101st post: the one and only guest who's ever been thoughtful enough to gift us with our pet Donkey: C. Lee McKenzie! And she brought us— . . . oh, I hear steps . . .

ER: [Stares incredulously at Donkey, strapped to a chair in the kitchen.] Oh, SK, you've done a lot of things in your day, but—well, first of all, where on earth did you find a booster seat big enough for a DONKEY? And why on earth is he in the—

CLEM: [Jumps up from behind Donkey.] ’Tis me, the soreprise guest.

ER: [Faints dead away.]

[Thirty minutes later. Lynda is calm and Donkey is back outside, running around with Live Bacon and AndyAndy.]

SK: Sorry, ladies . . . I thought it'd be funny. But Lee, thank you for joining us today! Don't worry about Lynda, she'll be fine. It's not our problem she can't take a joke.

CLEM: I had no idea she’d topple like that. Can we do it again? That was so amazingly fun! Oh, sorry, Lynda. Let me help you to the chair. [Looks to SK.] I really am sorry. Tell her so when she can process again. Please.

SK: I will. [Nods.] She’ll blame me anyway. See that murderous look? It’s all for me. But I’m about to make it better with coffee. A cup o’ Joe always cheers her up. We’ll even give her whatever you have in that bag you brought. What did you bring? It smells delicious! [Wipes drool.] Oh, and you’ll definitely be in her good graces since you even brought her a book to talk about.

ER: [Takes coffee and gulps it down.] More, SK.

Did I hear something about a book?

SK: YES! You know that formula rule thingy? One positive and a negative makes a negative. Well get this: apparently, a Double Negative makes . . . wait for it . . . A BOOK!

CLEM: Come to think of it, I should have gotten two books out of that formula. I was never good at math.

SK: Good thing we don’t care about math too much around here. So this Double Negative book, I think I can relate to your Hutchison McQueen character. Gets in trouble, eavesdrops and memorizes what he hears? A boy after my own heart. Ahem, way to throw a hint in there about his reading.

CLEM: I did a lot that eavesdropping and memorizing in school, too. Are we related? You’re kind of silly. (No offense, but I mean Bacon? Donkey?) I’m kind of silly. You seem to like coffee. I like coffee. You like Lynda, too. And I find her a joy. She makes me laugh, and she falls for our pranks.

SK: Hutchison seems like he’s full of layers, Lee. Would you say his personality and behavior came to you easily? What separates him from other characters you’ve written?

CLEM: For one, he’s a guy. My other MCs are of the other sex. Small difference there. Otherwise, I think they have a lot in common—big problems that kids shouldn't have to manage alone, older people in their lives that either are helpful or hurtful, some growing pains and reversals of attitude.

Hutch came fully formed and ready to go. All I needed was a place to put him and a series of events to make a plot that wouldn’t put people to sleep. [Nudges Lynda.] Stay with me, Lynda. I haven’t finished yet.

ER: Oh, I'm awake, all right. At least I think I am. I could have sworn Donkey was in my kitchen, and that can't be right . . . [Shakes head, looking confused.] Anyway, Hutch does sound fascinating. So many people have issues they assume no one else has, or can understand, and they end up feeling very alone. Putting on the tough guy act only works to a certain point.

How difficult was it to write from a guy's point of view? I've heard people criticize JK Rowling for writing some of Harry Potter's dialogue to sound like how a middle-aged woman thinks a teen guy feels, but not how a teen guy actually feels or speaks. Did you run Hutch's dialogue or thoughts by a few guys to see if he sounded authentic, or do you simply have a good feel for that sort of thing? I read a snippet of the book, and he sounds guy-ish to me.

CLEM: JK and I discussed the matter of middle-aged women and young boys. Wait! That didn’t come out right. We discussed the matter of middle-aged women writing teen boy dialogue and how challenging that was. She knows nothing. I tried to set her straight, but she’s on to new ventures and busy counting gold. As to my technique . . . I turned to my male brood for input.

ER: And by the way, your jam is delicious! I'm so glad you brought some—and not another large animal.

CLEM: Oh, no! I forgot Hannibal. Just a sec. Won’t be a moment. [Grabs jam and hurries to the door. Leaves. Returns shortly with empty jar.] Sorry about that. I forgot my yak. He needed a jam fix. Now where were we?

SK: But . . . I didn’t even get to taste the jam after Lynda took the jar away. That’s it. I’m not buying that Hannibal any cute boots.

ER: But—the jam— [Suddenly realizes what Lee just said.] A YAK? [Mutters to self.] Pleasepleaseplease let that be her ride home.

[To Lee] I thought maybe you'd had some words with JK. She could really use some advice from a strong writer like you. Honestly, I have no idea how she would have managed if you hadn't been helping her out all these years.

CLEM: You’re the first to mention my role in her success. Thank you, Lynda. Here. [Reaches into bag and presents a new jar of jam.] Hannibal should be on a diet anyway. So about JK. Did you notice her switch to a new genre? [Points finger at self.] But enough about JK. Let’s talk about something more exciting.

SK: I love you, Lee. Can I get a jar of—no? Okay. [Sinks in chair.]

You know what’s exciting? Your cover. I really like the colors and the pose, and I think it fits perfectly with the blurb. Maybe next time if you need some models, you’ll call us up, huh? For the female characters, that is.

CLEM: I audition models on Sundays about 5a.m. You’d be perfect for my next book. But you have to leave Donkey at home. I haven’t written a part for him. Glad you like the cover. I wanted a flowing gown, pink I think, but they said I had to write a different kind of book to get one of those.

SK: So that jam?—err, how long did it take you to write Double Negative? What was the most difficult part of writing it?

CLEM: [Takes jam from Lynda and hands her a napkin.] Sharing is good, Lynda.

And about your question, SK . . . Oh, here’s a small spatula. Lynda left a bit of jam in the bottom.

The hardest part was starting the darned thing. I had one idea that maybe I should start with Hutch already in Juvie (translation: Juvenile Hall). Then I thought, “That’s depressing and there’s usually orange involved in Juvie, so my book could become confused with that other one, the Orange Is the New Black. Have you heard of it? Not many have, and I wanted my book connected to winners. Nothing personal, Piper. It’s all about marketing.

And SK, if you change your mind, Hannibal wears size 20. He prefers open toes so the polish shows. [Reaches across the table, takes napkin from Lynda and gently swipes her chin.]

ER: Oops. Thanks, Lee. You're a doll. [Compulsively continues to check chin for jam "bonuses."] It's your own fault, really, for making such delicious jam. And to be fair, I hadn't quite noticed I'd started eating it straight from the jar, or I would have shared earlier . . . I think.

Ahem . . . weren't we talking about a book or something? Since SK asked about the most difficult part of writing it, you know I have to ask if you had a favorite thing about writing Double Negative that made the process unique or particularly satisfying for you.

CLEM: Typing THE END was pretty darned satisfying. I didn’t think I’d ever do that. But seriously . . . I can be that for a sec, right? Good. Putting different generations together in a story is always a challenge, especially when each older character must contribute to my teen's story, but not take over. When I can get that together, I’m really happy. I loved Maggie (70+) and I loved Jimmy (40s). I really wanted them to have their own stories, but I wanted Hutch to out-shine them. I think I made that happen. Readers will tell me if I didn’t. Believe me. They will really tell me about that.

SK: Oh yeah, readers will share their honest opinions. That’s for sure. In general with your books, but especially with Double Negative, what message do you want your readers to get from your work?

CLEM: When I started the book, I wanted teens to follow Hutch through the roughest of times and see him, not only survive, but start toward a decent life. When I’d finished, I’d become an advocate for literacy. That happened because of what I found out about illiteracy in the U.S.

Here’s a stat that will set Donkey on his ear: 33% of people (over 7 million) living in the L.A. area are illiterate or semi-illiterate! I really want kids to appreciate their ability to read and pass that on.

[Smiles at SK and ER.] And I’ll bet you thought I was just a writer out to make the big bucks.

Thanks for the fun and a chance to yak it up about my book. Please ask me back and I’ll bring more jam, promise to keep Hannibal outside, and not play any more practical jokes.

SK: No more practical jokes? [To Lynda] Does she know us at all?

ER: I have to wonder. But I still like her just fine.

You can find C. Lee McKenzie most often at her own blog, The Write Game, and you can find her books, including (but not limited to) Double Negative, on Amazon, Evernight Teen, and other places. We're so glad she visited us today! And we're even more glad she took Hannibal the Yak home with her.

As always:

You can find S.K. Anthony in a number of places. She's on Twitter @SKathAnthony, her website is www.skanthony.com, her Facebook page is S Katherine Anthony, and on occasional occasions, she'll be right here with me, drinking coffee and laughing it up over our latest plans and schemes. And possibly even talking about books and writing. 

You can find me here. I'm always here. 

Coffee Chat 18.0 with S.K. Anthony and Stephen Fender

During today's Coffee Chat we'll be discussing—what is that smell? I could swear I smell blueberries . . . [Enters the kitchen to find S.K. pulling some yummy-smelling things out of the oven.] Scones? And are those . . . bannocks? What's up with the Scottish treats? I thought we were having cinnamon rolls today.

SKA: Oh, Lynda! You’re so cute. It’s okay to try different things once in a while you know—and today I felt Scottish! I’m so excited it’s my first time making bannocks; I burnt the first three sets but I think I finally got it now. By the way, you’re all out of oats.

ER: I suppose I should be grateful we're not having haggis, right?

SKA: [Looks over Lynda’s shoulder to see through the window.] Uh huh, sure. I can try to make you haggis. Sorry, I mean no. No haggis. Whatever. Umm, why don’t you let AndyAndy outside to play with Live Bacon? Go, go! Open the door. [Grins.]

ER: C'mon, AndyAndy. [Looks outside.] S.K., is it Girl Scout cookie season again already? There's a really tall Girl Scout down the street, walking our way. I mean, really tall.

SKA: No, that’s just Stephen! I told him to come over for Coffee Chat so we can discuss his new release.

ER: But why is he—is he wearing a—?

SKA: Well, because you like kilts, and he’s gullible. I told him first time guests must wear them and he agreed. It was so easy! I can’t believe we never tried that before. Never mind that I usually end up kidnapping our guests, he came willingly and look at them legs—miles and miles. Ahem, I think we should make our coffee Irish.

ER: I'm starting to think we'll have to. I hope he doesn't talk to any of our past guests, because they'll blow it about the kilt thing. Best to keep him sequestered. [Looks back out the door.] He's almost here. I hope I don't have a tough time acting casual about it. I LOVE kilts!

SKA: I know! We'll tell him it's against the rules to mingle with past guests. Oooh, here he comes. Play it cool, Lynda. [Waves casually as Stephen walks up to the door.] Hi, Stephen!

SF: Can I come in? It's a little breezy out here.

ER: Hey, Stephen! Welcome to my—and sort of S.K.'s—home. Um . . . I was actually thinking it might be a great day to have our Coffee Chat outside. Wasn't I just saying that, S.K.?

SKA: Ooh [winks at Lynda] yes! That's better than sitting inside where we had everything set up.

SF: [Pulls kilt down to cover his knees, then looks around worriedly.] Are you sure? Someone might . . . see me.

SKA: Well, if you'll let your guard down, we can stay inside.

SF: Yay. Sounds GRRREEAAAT.

ER: [Sighs heavily.] Yeah, come on in. So as usual, I didn't realize we were having guests [shoots a glare at S.K.] but this is pretty cool that you're here, since I was going to tell her all about the fourth Kestrel book.

And the kilt is just a bonus. [Clears throat.] What I mean to say is, I'm glad you're following the first-time guest rule about wearing one.

SF: So I can't change into pants yet?

SKA: That's neither here nor there. How does it feel to have your fourth Kestrel book out?

SF: It feels great, bordering on spectacular. It's nice to be back with my old Kestrel Saga friends.

SKA: I hope you were kind to them. The title In the Presence of My Enemies has my heart racing for Shawn and Melissa. With the crazy adventure they're on, every bit of luck they can get—courtesy of you—will be greatly appreciated by us fans. What can you tell us about this part of their journey? Give us a teaser!

SF: In the words of George Takei: "Oh myyy!"

After the battle with the Meltranians above Second Earth (at the end of the novel of the same name), our heroes find themselves nose to nose with Kafarans, their once-hated enemies, who are now presumably fighting alongside the intrepid Sector Command fleet.

The new novel takes off right from that point.

A band of high-ranking officials come on board the current Sector Command flagship, the Rhea, and inform the crew that a cease-fire agreement has been reached with the Kafarans, and they are now considered a "temporary" ally in what is assumed will be a war against their common foe, the merciless Meltranians.

However, their combined forces will still fall short of an assured victory. They need one more ally in their cause, and it's one Shawn has extreme reservations about. He, along with a small team, sets out on a diplomatic mission to recruit a band of cutthroat pirates into the upcoming campaign.

However, things go sideways rather quickly, and the team members soon find themselves in over their heads. 

ER: Normally I would think "great, bordering on spectacular" is just hype, but I really thought it was great, too. There was more action, more tension, more places, new characters, a serious death—all that good stuff. As an editor, it felt good for me to be back on familiar ground with characters I know; I'm betting the Kestrel Saga fans are just as eager to get back to it as well.

SF: I hope they are. I think this is the best one yet. 

SKA: Hmm, I've been observing you—no reason—

ER: Uh huh, me too—also for no reason—

SKA: —and I've come to the realization that you're a man of few words. I really hope it has nothing to do with my scones.

Anyway, how do you find inspiration to put down thousands of words into a book? Do you draw from real life? Like, did you physically have to fight against Kafarans and Meltranians? Or is it just a love for sci-fi or . . . well, what is it?

SF: It's all of those things, really. Writing is like playing a board game designed for six, but you're only playing against yourself. You have a lot of roles to fill, and everybody has to want to win for their own reasons. I have to fight against myself all the time, and the only edge I have is ultimately I know who is supposed to win.

SKA: I love that! A game of multiple players but we play only against ourselves. Very true.

ER: I guess I never thought about a writer having to "be" each character—with each one wanting to win, of course, or survive at the very least.

SF: Of course, there is a deep love of science fiction in there. Also a deep understanding of the dynamics of a good space opera. 

ER: [To S.K.] I’ve been the recipient of the “it’s a space opera, not a space infomercial” speech. Trust me, the man knows and loves his science fiction.

SKA: So tell us, is there a favorite scene, aspect, or approach you had while writing In the Presence of My Enemies? Something that might have been different from the previous three books in the Kestrel Saga?

SF: There's an aspect—well, more of a revelation—that in order to overcome the impossible, you sometimes have to let things go.

You can't climb Everest with 300 pounds of gear. You've got to keep what's important and drop the rest. That goes doubly for emotional baggage. 

ER: We can talk about your emotional baggage after we've enjoyed more of S.K.'s "special blend" coffee. But that other baggage . . . do you always know ahead of time what's important, or does the list of "keepers" morph a bit as the story unfolds? 

SF: Baggage is important to back story. You can convey a lot with just a little bitterness about something that happened "in the past." It's also a good goal for your characters to get over. It shows growth, and no reader wants to read characters over a long arc that never grow beyond the first few pages of book one.

SKA: Yes! For good character arcs, they need to have baggage, and in order to grow they need to drop it . . . like it's hot. Mount Everest isn't for the faint of heart, after all.

ER: I like when baggage is hinted at, rather than spoon-fed to the reader. One of the things I like best in the Kestrel books is that the characters aren't growing and changing so quickly that it's unrealistic. It feels a lot more natural this way—a gradual change, just like in real life.

I know you're an outline-maker, Stephen, so I guess my next question deals with wanting to know how closely you stick to it. Do your characters surprise you?

SF: I love outlines, and I love diverging from them. It's hard to begin to write without a blueprint, but I give my brain plenty of freedom to go beyond the foundation. So yes, my characters often surprise me. 

SKA: So what can we expect from you in the future? What are your current projects?

SF: Well, I've got Kestrel Saga Book 5 in the works, which I'm really excited about. I've also got something of a wacky sci-fi space comedy on the drawing boards.

ER: That makes me want to watch Spaceballs.

I'm pretty sure I'll be begging you for snippets of Book 5, probably even before we let you leave today. No matter that you haven't written them yet. I think the sign of a great writer is that you can do these things off the cuff for special friends who feed you scones and great coffee. Just start talking and we'll type it all up for you. It will actually make your job easier, if you think about it.

SF: Well, I don't know about snippets, but I can tell you that Book 5 will tie directly into events that took place in Origins: Traitor Winds.

I can also tell you that Book 5 will feature some courtroom drama, with one of our heroes taking a fall.

ER: Oooooh! If that's what you can tell me, I can't wait to hear what you can't tell me.

Oh. Wait a minute.

SF: I can't tell you what the cover is going to look like, but I can tell you the working title is World Killers.

ER: Nice title! Sigh . . . the cover . . . am I going to be on this one? I think it's pretty selfish of you to always have your own photograph on those things. 

SF: If you connect all the letter e's on page 178, it makes a picture . . . of something.

ER: I can hardly wait! I'll have to write down the page number so I don't forget.

SF: It's representative of an abstract version of a flux capacitor. Which, of course, makes time travel possible.

ER: You artists. If it's "abstract" that only means I can't argue with you that it doesn't look like what it's supposed to look like. And I’m not entirely sure what time travel has to do with my picture being on your covers.

SKA: It’s an abstract connection, Lynda. And now another Coffee Chat rule: you must absolutely share a line from the book with us. A favorite one, obviously . . . and GO!

SF: [Laughs.] How am I supposed to pick ONE line? There are thousands of them, and all are amazing.

ER: Mine was "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times . . ."

SKA: For me it was "It was a dark and stormy night . . ."

ER: But enough about the books we’ve written. What about yours? A favorite line, please.

SF: If I were to choose a favorite line or verse, it would have to be this one. It was written as an epigraph, and is a quote from the President of the Unified Collaboration of Systems on the eve of declaring war against their new enemies:

“The skin of evil has no one color; the voice has no one pitch. Its origins have no set date, nor was it born in any one particular place or have one ultimate destination in mind. But it has an agenda, it has an unquenchable hunger, and it lives and breathes on the sufferings of others . . . and it must be stopped, even if it’s the last thing we do. Nothing short of the continuation of our very way of life depends upon it.”

ER: Also a favorite of mine from the book! Readers can see these and a whole lot of other great passages by going to Amazon and checking out Stephen's newest book, In the Presence of My Enemies, Book 4 of the Kestrel Saga.

Head on over to Stephen's website to find out about his other books, or the latest sci-fi project he's supporting.

[An hour later, all coffee gone, waving and watching as Stephen walks back down the driveway . . .]

ER: [Puts down binoculars.] So do you think he'll fall for the "second-time guests wear swimsuits" line?

SKA: I dunno. Guess we'll have to invite him again someday.

As always:

You can find S.K. Anthony in a number of places. She's on Twitter @SKathAnthony, her website is www.skanthony.com, her Facebook page is S Katherine Anthony, and on occasional occasions, she'll be right here with me, drinking coffee and laughing it up over our latest plans and schemes. And possibly even talking about books and writing. 

You can find me here. I'm always here. 

Author Interview with Alice Reeds

Today I'm interviewing someone I've had the recent pleasure of working with, author Alice Reeds, whose debut novel, Into the Unknown, is the first book in the Hunting Freedom Trilogy. She's unique in that she's my first international author, and I believe I'm her first international editor. I'd tell you all about her, but I'll let her tell you herself:

ER: Tell us a little bit about yourself. (How's that for a clever start?)

AR: My name is Alice Reeds and I am addicted to reading and writing.

ER: I feel I should say, “Hi, Alice!” as if we’re in a twelve-step group for writing addicts. But please, go on . . .

AR: I recently turned twenty and used to read a lot of vampire fiction at age fifteen, much to the disdain of my religious granny. I love watching good, scary horror movies and, if I like it, I might devour a book in a matter of hours, no matter how thick it may be. I’m a punk rock chick who loves to watch and dance ballet, though I might not look like it. I have been writing little stories or fan fictions since I was eleven. Into the Unknown is my first published novel; though not published the traditional way, it is still a dream come true.

ER: More and more authors have begun to look into self-publishing recently; for some of them, it’s simply a means of retaining full control of the creative process from cover to cover.

Most writers love to read, but your story has a little bit of a twist to that.

AR: In all honesty, as a kid I hated reading. I could never understand why people would just sit down for hours and stare at words; it just didn’t work out in my childish mind. It wasn’t until I was maybe eleven or twelve—I’m not really sure—that I had the crazy idea of picking up one of the books from my granny’s bookshelves.

ER: Well, it’s not about how early you start to read, as long as you keep on doing it. Once you started reading, did you have a favorite book?

AR: One could say my reading journey started when I read twelve books from The Legend of the Ice People series by Margit Sandemo in a matter of two weeks, which were my autumn holidays. Funny enough, I read these twelve books in Polish, which I don’t normally do as I am not really good at it, though I’ve been speaking Polish since I was able to speak. But, overall, I really loved this series and might go back and reread it sometime, just to bring back the good memories.

ER: As a German (and Polish) speaker who writes in English, what is your biggest challenge?

AR: Eloquent words. The problem with leaving the US at age eight and returning to an international school at age sixteen is that you lose out on a lot of great words you would learn during classes or while watching movies, or even talking to friends. Also, another problem that I have, and am sure many trilingual people have, is that sometimes I remember a word in two languages but not in the third, and so on. There are a lot of fancy words I know in German yet don’t know in English, or I just don’t remember them while actually needing them. But hey, that’s why we have dictionaries, right?

ER: I agree! I live with my dictionary close at hand and am forever referencing one online if I’m away from my bookshelf. I’m also feeling like a bit of an underachiever now, being an English speaker only. I know enough Spanish to ask where a bathroom is, so I suppose I’m covered if I end up in dire straits in a Spanish-speaking area.

What gives you your ideas?

AR: Oftentimes when I hear a song, something like little scenes start to build up in my mind; I rarely end up using them for anything, but it’s a nice exercise to get the creative juices flowing. Also, I sometimes have dreams which, if I remember them, I might use to turn them into something later on. For example: A few weeks back I had a dream about a girl sitting in a completely white room in an insane asylum. I wrote that dream down, thinking that it would end there, but over the course of the following weeks I managed to build an entire idea/story around this one snippet. And that’s how my idea for my standalone novel (which I am planning on writing once I am done with the Hunting Freedom Trilogy) came.

ER: Do you prefer any particular atmosphere when writing?

AR: Well, when I write I usually sit in my room and simply write whatever comes to my mind. Often this happen during the evening/night, which makes me end up going to bed around 2 a.m. because I need to finish writing whatever I might have come up with. Basically I just need to be alone, because other people would just distract me. It also depends on the scene: if it’s something light and happy, it might be more fitting to write it during the day. When I write darker scenes, maybe even scary ones, I like to sit in complete darkness with the brightness of my laptop turned down to a minimum to create this particular atmosphere.

ER: Along those same lines, does certain music when writing help you to focus? Does each book have its own playlist? 

AR: Oh yes. While writing the first draft of Into the Unknown I always used to put up a song, album or playlist that would fit the mood. In my old document I wrote down song titles next to the chapter headings, just so I could remember what I listened to while creating that particular scene or chapter. For example, in Chapter 29 we see Bexx crossing the forest at night with a knife in hand. This scene actually came into my mind when I was listening to “I Come With Knives” by IAMX. This song perfectly mirrored the atmosphere I wanted to create while writing that particular moment.

Music plays a big role for me, not only because I grew up always surrounded by music, but also because I think music is something that’s not only here to entertain us but also to inspire us.

ER: Do you write a book from beginning to end, or great scenes that get fit in when the timing is right?

AR: I would love to be someone who can just sit down and write an entire book from beginning to end, but unfortunately that is not how my mind works. Oftentimes I write down bullet points for which bigger things are supposed to happen in which order. After write that, I end up adding other things I came up with.

A good example could be my process of writing We the Hunters. Back in November 2013 I made myself an outline of what is supposed to happen and all that. During NaNoWriMo I wrote it all: 60k words in thirty days. But now, months later, I have a lot of scenes in my head I want to add which I think would spice the story up and make it better/complete.

In short: my writing process is messy and chaotic, no matter how much I try to make it neat and organized.

ER: “Messy and chaotic” seems more the norm for most of the writers I know. There may or may not be a general outline, but they’re always open to adding something unexpected if the inspiration hits. Do you have an author whose style inspires you?

AR: I would say I take a great inspiration from my all-time favorite author: Sebastian Fitzek, one of the most famous authors of psycho thrillers in Germany. I simply love his novels. I've always dreamed that one day I'd write something as amazing as he does. Who knows? Maybe that’ll happen one day. But since I’m writing a story set in the dystopian genre I took some inspiration from writers like Suzanne Collins or Katie Kacvinsky. Yet, it wasn’t the plot of their works but rather the way they created their worlds and characters that fascinated me. My greatest fear is that I will end up writing a novel with ‘flat’ characters in a boring world that no one wants to know, so I always looked back at them and tried to improve my writing with every new idea I had.

ER: Do you have a favorite character in Into the Unknown?

AR: I would say my favorite is Shannon, not because he is this strong, good-looking leader of the rebels, but rather because of who he really is. In Into the Unknown the reader gets a look at him, sees that he’s a good guy, but there is a lot more to him than just that. He has a quite horrendous past which no one really knows of, and despite that he managed to become who he is when we first meet him in the book. But I will not tell you what past he’s had and all that; you’ll have to read We the Hunters and the third and final novel to find out.

But I can tell you, it’ll be worth it.

ER: Do you think it will be difficult to leave the characters when you finish the series?

AR: Of course! All the characters have become very dear to me and I think it’ll be a weird feeling once I finish writing down their story. But I know that that’s just how it goes. Besides that, I’m simply happy to see that people are willing to take the chance and read Into the Unknown, experience the story, and maybe fall in love with the characters as much as I did. It’s not like the characters will disappear once I’m done; they will always live on in the Trilogy. (And yes, I am aware that they are fictional characters who do not really exist.)

ER: I feel the same about my favorite characters, and I’ve got to tell you, Bexx and Shannon quickly made their way right up that list.

You can find Alice Reeds on Amazon.

Alice has provided a chapter excerpt for us to enjoy! We've trimmed it a bit for space considerations, but this is a point in the story where Bexx Kajan, the main character, goes on a military assignment that should be routine, but which changes her life completely.

As I leave the building it is already completely dark outside. I walk along one of the paths that lead to the border of TS-TF or actually DX-9, one of the military sectors in the city. The military building looks like a dark mountain of cement, stone and shadows. It’s five floors high and reaches sixteen floors into the ground. It’s one of the biggest buildings in the city, except for the Rose tower, inside which the government sits. There are hardly any windows so that one cannot look inside—not like anyone could come close enough to peek in, but that’s how they wanted to have the building. As the days pass, living under lamplight becomes so normal that the sunlight seems to be weird.

I have to walk approximately 3.5km to the first transmitter on my map. As long as I’m still in DX-9 I can walk normally and don’t have to worry that somebody might find me. As I’m walking, I look up at the sky. I can see a million stars shining light-years away from us, and the moon with its dented silver surface looking down on our little earth and our city. Somehow the moon always makes me feel calm and I know that even in the darkest night he will be there and shine upon my way.

[ . . . ]

N-NN is one of the abandoned sectors of the city; we suspect that somewhere here there might be a hiding place of the rebels, which is why we have the transmitters all over the sector and all the other abandoned sectors. The transmitters detect movement, and they can check to verify if it is someone from the military, a citizen, or an unauthorized person, a rebel. If they detect a rebel—or a group of them—they immediately send signals to the watch-centers in the military bases, which then send units to catch or eliminate them.

[ . . . ]

My mother always used to say, “Don’t walk in the darkness; you can never know what is waiting there until it finds you,” to scare me off. Well, mom, your plan didn’t quite work out. I wonder if people still live here or if all the houses are empty. I heard that in sector MH-HF people are still living in the old buildings, which look like they could fall apart any minute.

After crossing the park, I walk along the wall of an old building and pull out the device with the map from my backpack. There is a transmitter marked on it that’s not far away from me, maybe ten meters or so. I look around and then run across the street and into a little side street. It is almost completely empty; only two piles of paper are lying in the corner. I look along the left wall and finally see a little round thing lying on the ground, just next to the wall. If I walked along the street, I surely would think that’s just an old marble that’s been forgotten by someone. But I know better. I put the map back and take out the charger. I hold it so that its front touches the marble and push a button. For a moment nothing happens, but then a little light turns on. The transmitter is working. I put the charger away and stand up.

[ . . . ]

It takes me another hour to find and test seven more transmitters, all working. Next to me is a big building, at least five or six stories high; I think its front walls were once all covered in glass but by now they all have been shattered. Little pieces of glass are still lying on the street, sparkling in the moonlight. As I reach an intersection I see the entry to an old underground train station. The sign is long gone and planks are covering the hole in the ground, but some are missing, so one could still enter it. I have never been in one of these. They say that wild animals are living down there, but I always ask myself, Why?

An old tower clock strikes two in the morning and I turn around with a scare. This would be the perfect moment for someone to attack, as I would not be able to hear them. I run as fast as I can to the nearest shadow; I hide to survive. I listen to the silence after the clock fades away. No footsteps. No one’s there. I’m alone. I let myself sink to the ground, leaning against the wall as I take my bottle out of my backpack and drink. It feels good as the cold water runs down my throat. The minutes pass; I need some time to rest but I know I can’t stay too long in one place, because that would only make me an easy target.

Who Loves A Freebie? I Do!

HEY! Listen up, everyone. I know we're all bogged down with A to Z posts, but I had to sneak this one in because it's important and only valid for a limited time.

All day Sunday, April 6, Stephen Fender is offering his newest book, Traitor Winds, FREE for download on Amazon.

Traitor Winds is the first of his Origins series which takes place in the same world as the Kestrel Saga, only about a decade or so earlier. Agent Angelika Jordan is on a mission and she won't stop until she's succeeded or died trying.

Traitor Winds is space military at its best.

You can read all about it HERE in my post from when the novel was first released, complete with two great excerpts.

Stephen can be found at www.stephenfender.com, on Facebook and Goodreads, and on Twitter @StephenAFender.

Coffee Chat 10.0 with S.K. Anthony: Into the Nightmirrors with Raymond Esposito

Hi, everyone! I’m really excited about today’s Coffee Chat, because Raymond Esposito is going to be joining us to discuss his newest book, The Devil’s Hour. I sent S.K. to pick him up—oh, shoot! I forgot to tell him she was coming—but no matter, they should be here any minute. Actually, they should have been here a while ago . . .

Here’s the thing: I never know what kinds of adventures S.K. is going to get herself into, so this time, I took the small precaution of putting a return sticker on her. That might sound strange, and a bit degrading to some, but I think it’s just plain practical. It would have been easier to meet at Raymond’s house, but he wouldn’t tell us where he lived. I don’t know why. Thank goodness for Google.

[Hears a knock at the kitchen door.] Yay! I’ll bet they’re here!

[Opens door to find Raymond, holding a dripping wet S.K. by the hood of her sweatshirt. The look on his face is quite indescribable.]

Um . . . well. Hi, Raymond. Welcome to my house. I’m sure there’s a story behind this, but it’s probably best told over coffee. Come on in and we’ll get a towel or two for S.K. [Sighs.]

SKA: Or a blanket . . . err, thanks for returning me, Raymond.

RE: Hi, Lynda. Sorry we are a bit late. First I had to figure out why a strange woman was running around on my front lawn getting soaked by the sprinkler system . . . then I had to explain it to my wife before she dialed 9-1-1. I can attest that S.K.'s superpowers do not extend to being waterproof . . . or staying on the walkway.

ER: I guess the important part is that you're here now. [To S.K.] Why didn't you just go in the garage when the sprinklers started? You could have stayed dry.

SKA: Are you insane, Lynda? I’m not going in there! Didn’t you read what happens in The Devil’s Hour in the garage? I don’t trust it . . . or you, Raymond. I’m pretty sure at any moment you’re going to open that bag and throw diabolical bugs at me or something.

[Trembling.] I . . . I’ve been having nightmares. I can’t even look you in the eye.

ER: Let's reassure you: Raymond, how about showing S.K. what's in the bag. Did you bring us chocolate?

RE: S.K., of course I didn't bring diabolical bugs. I gave those to the demonic clown that is hiding under your bed. What I did bring is chocolate-flavored coffee because I think comfort foods . . . well, in this case, beverages . . .  go so well with Horror. I know that sounds crazy, but for me some of my fondest childhood memories are of watching horror movies and reading horror novels.

SKA: Demonic clown under my bed? O_O At least it’s not spiders, but umm . . . I’ll take that chocolate-flavored coffee while I set up my new bedroom in Lynda’s house.

ER: Great. Now I have a permanent houseguest. And thank you, Raymond, for reminding me of the demonic clown . . . because I had FINALLY gotten that out of my head for five whole minutes.

What got you hooked on horror? Can you trace it back to a certain time or event?

RE: It's interesting that as a kid I hated roller coasters, but loved being frightened. My mom was a big horror fan. She took me to see The Omega Man at the drive-in when I was, like, five. Together we consumed every creature feature program on television. I think horror is my drug. In fourth grade I did a shadow box on "The Tell-Tale Heart." In middle school I did book reports on John Saul's Suffer the Children, The Amityville Horror, and Peter Straub's Julia. When I discovered Stephen King's ’Salem's Lot, though, that's when I realized I wanted to write horror novels.

[Looks around.] Umm . . . is S.K. going to be okay with the coffee? She had a hard time operating the door bell, and coffee makers are a little more complex.

ER: I'd better check on her . . . she's usually okay with coffee (I think she can make it in her sleep) but this whole clown/bug thing has her pretty wigged out. I thought she was going to tackle you to the floor when she realized you had a bag in your hand.

SKA: I’m okay, I’m okay! I’ve been hiding by the door trying to keep an eye on Raymond. [Looks at him.] You don’t look all that dangerous, and this is awesome coffee, so I forgive you. Don’t give me that look. Your book petrified me, and you should be a little sorry. And now you’re laughing? Fantastic! 

ER: Okay, so let's talk about The Devil's Hour. People always say, "Write what you know." This makes me wonder about you just a little bit. Did you write this book in the bathroom while your friends and family tried to break in and kill you? 'Cause that would leave me with a permanent twitch, and I have to say, you look pretty serene for a horror writer.

RE: I think I do write what I know. Horror is just actual experiences ramped up with imagination. Fictional demons to exercise the real ones from the past . . . in my opinion. As a kid I often barricaded myself in a room while a real-life demon tried to get in to kill me . . . figuratively kill me, of course.

ER: Ahh, yes, the brother who ate the cereal full of ants . . .

RE: My childhood was a great world of imagination and fun, but it was also filled, like many people's, with my fair share of not-so-great experiences. There are as many psychological aspects to my story writing as there are "scary" things because I've always thought that horror is the celebration of human character and strength . . . even when it doesn't end well, it's about standing up.

SKA: Standing up? Sure, I can see that. But I’d rather run to my new bedroom, curl up and hide under my blanket. Speaking of running, originally I would have been all for going after the SUV to get away like they did in the book, but after what happened in the garage . . . I don’t know that I would still try to get the car out; I still have goosebumps.

RE: Well, I think courage is a situational thing. That's what I love about horror—take the worst situation and see which characters rise and which fall. It's a great world for the reader to ask, "What would I do?"

SKA: What was your favorite scene to write, Raymond? Or one of your favorite lines?

RE: I'm going to cheat a bit and say there wasn't one particular scene, but TDH is one part mystery and I really enjoyed weaving in the clues. I'm hoping when the reader gets to the end they go "a-ha."

But the demon under the bed was one of my personal childhood nightmares.

ER: The under-the-bed stuff was the same for me. No matter how hot it was, I couldn't allow my hands or feet to hang off the side of the bed because I knew something would grab me. I also had a fear of the killer bees after I'd read a National Geographic article. I was convinced they were coming up from South America to kill me. I was so happy you didn't have a swarm of killer bees in your book! I would have needed therapy.

Since I got the manuscript in parts, I had a lot of "a-ha" moments because of your excellent clue-weaving abilities. I couldn't wait to reread it for the final proof so I could look at those moments more purposefully.

Speaking of your abilities, I think you have the creep factor down pretty well. No need to work on that. Something you and I talked about during the editing process was the horror aspect of this book and how it was a little different than your other works. Can you elaborate on that?

RE: I remember the "killer bee" scare and the made-for-television movie. It gave me nightmares. And to answer your question, that's what TDH was about: nightmares. I've written a lot of short stories, but to date my novels are zombie/infected related. I really wanted to write a straight-out horror story. Something that would let me talk about all the nightmare stuff that scares me. I wanted it to be one of those books that fits the classic description of horror without relying on blood or guts or slasher-type elements. I'm hoping readers will find at least one thing in it that visits them when they lie in the dark and sleep won't come . . . but I guess that's every horror author's goal.

SKA: Let me assure you, your goal was achieved. I love everything zombies, so I’m probably okay with blood and guts. But the creepiness you have in TDH? That was not expected and I’m pretty sure most readers will agree with me. My skin is still crawling. And the fact that I finished reading at 3:00 a.m. didn’t help matters with me staying awake after reading The Devil’s Hour. What are the odds? Needless to say, I lay in the dark and sleep did not come when I was done . . .

RE: I think the odds are about right—maybe it was a warning. [Laughs.]

ER: Did it end up being therapeutic, or creating more nightmares for you? I'll bet you don't have any happy clown nightlights in your house.

RE: Unfortunately, no, it wasn't therapeutic, because the more I've seen of this country and the more I've learned, the closer I come to believing that maybe these fictional "fears" have some truth. It does seem everything we imagine comes true—like flying, magic potions that cure disease, space travel. So perhaps the monsters are real. Maybe they're just good at hiding . . . until that one time they grow tired of waiting . . . that time you forget to look under the bed or you chance not turning on the light and you reach into the darkness. Maybe I don't have a good imagination, but instead, maybe I just know something that's hard to explain any other way but in stories . . .  Okay, I just creeped myself out. See? Horror is an itch but it’s like poison ivy: the more I scratch, the worse it gets.

ER: You're creeping me out, too, and making me want to run, screaming, into S.K.'s new room. You said you were going to bring a movie for us to watch. Pleasepleaseplease let it be something like The Sound of Music or The Princess Bride.

RE: Sure. It's just like those movies. Nothing to fear at all . . . just turn off the lights and have a look.

It begins with a car accident and a mysterious wall of smoke. Something horrific has arrived in Sam Drake's neighborhood—something that will unleash their every nightmare and test the limits of sanity. Sam and his friends must find a way out . . . a way to survive the terrors in the darkness. But every neighborhood has its dark secrets and some nightmares are inescapable . . . when the hour comes.

ER: Not . . . The Princess Bride . . .

You can get your own copy of The Devil's Hour on Smashwords or Amazon. In fact, Raymond has provided a coupon code (WS98R) to get it FREE on Smashwords if you're one of the first 25 people to get there and grab one. 

You can find Raymond Esposito on his own blogs, Writing in a Dead World and Nightmirrors. You can also find him on Twitter @Nightmirrors666.

As always:

You can find S.K. Anthony in a number of places. She's on Twitter @SKathAnthony, her website is www.skanthony.com, her Facebook page is S Katherine Anthony, and on occasional occasions, she'll be right here with me, drinking coffee and laughing it up over our latest plans and schemes. And possibly even talking about books and writing. 

You can find me here. I'm always here.

Coffee Chat 9.0 with S.K. Anthony: Stephen Fender's Latest—Traitor Winds

Ooh, I can’t wait to show this to S.K. [Reading the back of a new book.] 

“The President of the Unified Collaboration of Systems, along with hundreds of the civilians, had been ruthlessly murdered. There was little need to speculate who had done it—for the instigator was quick to take full credit for the act:

The renegade Sector Command Admiral, Maros Krador.

While Sector Command forces search in vain for the traitor, Krador begins to amass a fleet of warships from a secret base, setting himself on a course that is sure to leave a wake of destruction throughout the entire Beta Sector.

The last team of elite covert agents sent in to eliminate Krador was never seen again, yet the Unified Council and the secretive Office of Special Investigations knew what needed to be done. They would need to try again . . . and there was only one agent they could trust to get the job done.

Unfortunately, Angelika Jordan wanted nothing to do with it.”

Hey, everyone! It’s Thursday and the coffee is brewing. I’m waiting for S.K. to arrive, which is kind of strange, because . . . well, I don’t want to talk about her while she’s not here, but usually she’s at my place bright and early on Thursdays, waiting outside my back door with her green coffee cup. Actually, she’s usually tapping on the door with the cup, and there have been a few times when I’ve just found her in the kitchen. If I’m not fully awake, it gives me a little bit of a start. But she sent me two large bags of Rain City Crunch for my birthday, so I am pretty sure I’m going to keep her around for the rest of my life.

I think I’d better call her to see what’s up. [Calls S.K.’s cell.] Hey, S.K.! Why aren’t you here yet?

SKA: I’m busy.

ER: I had something really cool to show you and thought we could talk about it while we had our coffee today, and now you’re going to miss it. Stephen Fender just released his new book! It’s called—drum roll, please—

[S.K. obediently taps the phone for a drum roll, while performing a flawless eye roll.]

Origins: Traitor Winds.

SKA: I know. That’s why I’m busy doing . . . oh, who knows? Something. You found another “S” in your life, and I don’t know how I feel about this.

ER: Another “S”? Wha—? Oh, Stephen. He’s just . . . he’s just Stephen . . . um . . . I don’t know why you’d feel anything but excited. It’s a book! A new book! [Making happy faces . . . over the phone. Realizes what a huge fail that is and stops.]

SKA: But, but . . . I feel threatened and you want me to be excited? About Traitors?

ER: Well, yeah, because I’m not a traitor. And Stephen isn’t, either. He just wrote a book about one. And he didn’t come for coffee. Did you think—

SKA: Oh, but I thought—

ER: No, no, no. You have NOT been replaced. Not a chance. I just wanted to take a moment today to tell everyone about his book, because I finished it. I mean, I finished editing it. I didn’t write it, after all. But I invested a significant portion of my time in it. Well, not as much as Stephen did. I’m pretty sure he worked more hours on it than I did. He said he did, anyway. Come to think of it, he had a smart answer for everything I said. You’d think he owned it or something. Oh . . . wait . . .

Um . . . so it’s a book! A new book! [Makes happy faces again. Stops abruptly. Again.]

SKA: Oh wow, okay. That does sounds awesome! And what was your favorite part? If I like it, I might just read it.

ER: Here’s one I think is funny because it reminds me of people I know who hate to fly. Listen to this:

Angelika Jordan, her slim fingers curled securely around the edge of her armrest, hated flying with a passion. It was one of the few things in life that she truly loathed, and she put it at the top of her personal list of dislikes, right above people who absently popped bubble wrap or drivers who failed to yield to oncoming traffic. Given the right time and proper equipment, she could easily handle the latter two. However, because she had yet to master her fear of flying, the interstellar transport she currently found herself encased in was a necessary evil in her life. With all the tight turns and stomach-turning descents, the pilot of this particular craft seemed to be the devil himself, treating the graceful shuttle like it was his personal sleigh ride into the pits of Hades itself.

“We’re descending through three thousand feet now, ma’am,” Satan chimed serenely over the craft’s address system. “We’ll be on the ground in just under ten minutes.”

Angelika closed her eyes just as a final blast of turbulence rocked the craft. She offered a silent prayer—the same as she’d done a thousand times over a hundred landing pads on dozens of worlds—that she would land safely, just as she had nine hundred ninety-nine times before.

. . . and then they (of course) land safely, but she's still pretty tense . . .

The shuttle touched down without incident, and it wasn’t until Angelika heard the high-pitched whine of the engines’ reverse thrust that she realized the craft had landed. It was then that Lucifer’s voice came over the PA once more.

“We’ll be maneuvering out to hanger sixteen in just a moment, ma’am. Please remain seated until the transport has come to a complete halt.”

Remain seated, Angelika scoffed as she brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. As if I had any intention of doing otherwise, you sick, sick maniac. Where did you learn to fly, anyway? Besides, I’m the only one on the shuttle, and you’re sitting less than ten feet away. Why use the bloody PA when you can just as easily turn around, talk to me, and pretend you’re human and have a soul? Yet with all her internal bickering, all she said was, “Thank you, Captain.”

SKA: Ooooh, Angelika . . . I can’t wait to meet you.

ER: You’d like her. She’s a tough cookie.

SKA: Okay, I’m in. You got more for me?

ER: Oh, yeah. This one sort of sets the stage. The Sector Command forces are in space, in the middle of a war, and realized they’ve walked into a trap. The ships in Captain Rothchild’s fleet are either dead in space or on their way to being there. As the captain prepares to make the most of what little time they have left, the crew finds themselves facing an unknown ship—a late entry to the battle.

Rothchild pivoted his chair toward Quel-Sa’s sensor station, intent on asking her what had just happened, when she likewise turned to him to make an announcement.

“Captain, there’s another ship entering the quadrant.”

It was too much to hope for a miracle, but Rothchild made the query anyway. “One of ours?”

Quel-Sa’s dark eyes narrowed as she studied her display. “No, sir. That is, I don’t think so, sir.”

Stephen had never known Quel-Sa to give such enigmatic answers. The fact that she seemed unsure was more than enough to enhance his curiosity. “Explain.”

“The design of the hull seems to be a conglomeration of UCS and Jidoan technologies.” Talia Quel-Sa then turned to face her captain with a look of apprehension. “We don’t have anything like that in the fleet, sir. At least, not that I’m aware of.”

With a heavy sigh, Stephen turned to regard the view of empty space stretched out before the cruiser Tripoli. There was only one answer to the riddle, and he instantly knew exactly who that ship belonged to and who was captaining her. He felt a sense of satisfaction at having achieved the goal originally set forth to him by Sector Command several months earlier. The reports about the traitor being on Jido were spot-on, and now Rothchild had confirmed it, but he also knew that he probably wouldn’t live through the day to report it to anyone in the Unified government.

I

Set several years prior to the events of the Kestrel Saga novels, Origins is a new series that chronicles adventures taking place during the Great Galactic War between the Unified Collaboration of Systems and the Kafaran Alliance.

Not only is Traitor Winds now available on Amazon, but The Kestrel Saga, a three-in-one Kindle compilation which includes The Army of Light, Icarus, and Second Earth, will be on sale this Saturday, March 8, for half price all day. Get the whole set!

Stephen can be found at www.stephenfender.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter @StephenAFender.

As always:

You can find S.K. Anthony in a number of places. She's on Twitter @SKathAnthony, her website is www.skanthony.com, her Facebook page is S Katherine Anthony, and on occasional occasions, she'll be right here with me, drinking coffee and laughing it up over our latest plans and schemes. And possibly even talking about books and writing. 

You can find me here. I'm always here.