For the next of my Five Question Author Interviews (which i accidentally sent six questions for!), I spoke with Anna Mocikat, another indie author whose work I love. I read her book Behind Blue Eyes recently and it more than deserves all the praise it has received. You can learn more on her author bio here
www.amazon.co.uk/Anna-Mocikat/e/B00IW3OO9A/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1 1- Behind Blue Eyes is a fantastic Cyberpunk novel, can you recall when your love of Cyberpunk began? Actually, I can! My love for cyberpunk started early. I think I was in second grade when I saw Tron for the first time. My parents let my brother and me watch it because they saw it’s Disney, so it must be for kids, haha. The Master Control Program scared the crap out of me, but the experience lasted, and the genre never stopped intriguing me. 2-There are a lot of strong characters in Behind Blue Eyes, can you pick your favourite? Although I love my MC Nephilim, who is a really badass chick, I have to say that my heart beats for Metatron, the villain. He’s hyper-intelligent, ruthless and seductive. I enjoyed writing his scenes very much. 3-How did you get into making book trailers? I studied at Film School many years ago and learned how to edit videos professionally. When I started publishing my books, I made trailers for them because I could 😉 After many authors started asking about them and wanted something like this for their books, I began offering the service to other authors. So far, I have made 21 book trailers and am booked out for the next two weeks. It makes me very happy that people like them so much! 4-What other indie author’s books have you read and enjoyed recently? Right now I’m reading Into Neon my Matthew Goodwin, and I am enjoying it very much. Recently I read The Moon Hunters by Anya Pavelle and can highly recommend it. I have your book on my TBR and can’t wait to read it! 5-Tell us more about Cyberpunk Day and the Cyberpunk Coalition The Cyberpunk Coalition is a group of cyberpunk authors, which Matt Goodwin and I founded a couple of months ago. We have initialized the Cyberpunk Day to help make the genre more popular. In my opinion, cyberpunk is the most inventive and sexiest sci-fi subgenre, and we want to show that on Cyberpunk Day. Authors, filmmakers, game developers, musicians, and artists will have live performances during the day, sharing their vision of the genre with the world. Check out our website www.cyberpunkday.com and our Twitter @cyberpunkday for more info! 6- What’s next for you as a writer, and will we see more from the Behind Blue Eyes universe in the future? Yes! I’m currently working on BBE2, which will be out in spring 2021. I think there are plenty of people out there who want to know how Nephilim’s story will continue. Additionally, I am one of the publishers of a cyberpunk anthology, which will feature 15 authors (me included). This book will be out in January, and I’m very excited about the project. All stories in there are of exceptional quality, and I’m convinced that genre fans will love the book! Thanks Anna! You can find Behind Blue Eyes here, www.amazon.co.uk/Behind-Blue-Eyes-Cyberpunk-Thriller-ebook/dp/B088GSXB88 and I would highly recommend that you take a look! Also, follow Anna on Twitter @anna_mocikat
0 Comments
For the first of my Five Question Author Interviews, I spoke with David Arrowsmith, a fellow indie author whose work I love. You can also learn much more about him on his author bio here:
www.amazon.co.uk/David-Arrowsmith/e/B0759X89ML?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1601736029&sr=8-1 David’s most recent work, Nevada Noir, is a collection of short stories straight from the Nevada badlands that take in a trip to Sin City too. They are as you would expect, dark tales full of grit, offering a snapshot into a world where life is as hard edged and fast as David’s dialogue. 1 – The Idea for Nevada Noir is a great concept – did it come to you and you just had to get it down, or have you been carrying the ideas for these stories around in your head for a while? Initially it just came to me - I woke with the image of an old man in a hut as a storm breaks over the land, and I just had to get it down (on my iPhone in the shower and on my commute). But that was only the start of what ended up being story 1 : The Last Storm. I had no idea what it would become until I wrote more of it. I wrote that story, and the next one (One Good Deed), quite quickly at the end of 2017. But it took a couple of years for me to finally complete the trilogy and then release it as Nevada Noir. 2- What books by other Indie Authors have you read recently that you really enjoyed? Other than yours of course (which is great, seriously people, check it out if you like Philip K Dick and Black Mirror)? I devoured Then Came Darkness by D.H. Schleicher recently - it’s a fantastic novel and just my cup of tea. Dark, brooding, atmospheric with a tragic nostalgia. 3- If you had to choose (a la Sophie’s Choice), which of the three stories from Nevada Noir is your personal Favourite? A lot of readers seem to love One Good Deed, because of the pace and dialogue I think. I really enjoyed writing it and I think it shows. And perhaps the most mature in terms of style of writing is the last tale, A Slow Death. But perhaps it’s true what they say about the first born child (which sucks for me as the 3rd of 3!), because I think The Last Storm, for all its faults, will likely always be my favourite. It was such a watershed moment for me, the spontaneous creativity and then the fact it led to all of this, that it has a special place in my heart. 4- Is there a genre that as a writer you’d like to try in future? I’m currently writing something a bit more dystopian (more below!), as well as my take on “Scandi Noir”... but I’m not ruling anything out for now! I love to read fantasy and sci fi as well as Noir, detective and spy fiction, literary fiction, historical fiction... but I think I’m drawn to the moral ambiguity of characters in noir and similar genres so that’s probably my heartland. Sci fi and fantasy involve such epic world building, I’m not sure that’s how my mind works! 5- What’s next for you as a writer, and will we see more from the Noir franchise in future? I’ve nearly finished the first draft of what might become my debut novel - it’s a dystopian tale set in South East London in 2021, heavily inspired by JG Ballard, The Road and Mad Max. But I’m also absolutely bursting with plans for the Noir franchise (I like the sound of that, I’m gonna borrow it!)... firstly I’m going to dive back into the badlands of Nevada, for a prequel trilogy, and also possibly a postquel trilogy - and if they go well then I’m considering combining all 6-9 tales into one single Nevada Noir novel. And then I also have 2-3 more Noir trilogy ideas, each trilogy set in a different, distinct and exotic part of the world that means something special to me. And finally I have written the first chapter of a new Scandi Noir story that I have entered into a competition. If I win I’ll be co-writing it as a full novel with a Swedish crime author. If I don’t... I think I’m going to write it myself anyway. My wife, for one, is desperate to know what happens! You can find Nevada Noir here (and I would highly recommend that you take a look) www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0876BPP7Y Also, follow David on Twitter @mrwriterman79, you wont regret it! Hi All,
Just a short, short sort of Cyberpunk story I wrote recently called Marionette - its the first thing I've tried in first person - let me know what you think Hi All, Hope you are all safe and well. Just wanted to share this Early Adopters short story I wrote the other week. I did it in the form of a MilliTech internal report. Hope you enjoy! D.T. Report of: Director Pitts
Report to: MilliTech Management Committee Project: Powerpack Project Classification: Above Top Secret Date: 21/07/ 2076 Report Detail: It is with deep regret that I write to inform the Committee that project Powerpack has failed. You will have learned by now the salient details of yesterday’s events, however as senior executive on site, I will relay in more detail what transpired. I arrived at our Powerpack facility in the Pennines at 8.30am, greeted by Professor Lendt. After a brief tour of the facility, the third that I have been required to endure, myself, Lendt and his three subordinates took the secure magna-lift the further ten floors straight down to the facility core, so that the reactor test could commence. Once we were suitably ensconced behind the safety glass of the reactor viewing platform, Lendt was at pains to tell me of the advances his team had made since my last visit. I informed the professor that for the good of the project and himself, we hoped that this was so. Lendt was left in no doubt how highly MilliTech valued The Artifact donated to him or how many other good uses it could have been put to during his years of failure. For his part, Lendt seemed unfazed. Less nervous than usual. He gave off the air of a man who had succeeded in bottling lighting. For once, he was as eager to get started as I was. If only we had known. We were soon joined by the familiar blue glow and incessant hum as the reactor below came online. Lendt gave the signal and I made the call, with more confidence than on previous occasions. Contacting Grid Control, I gave the order to switch all of our facilities to back up generators, then looked over to Lendt for the final all clear. He gave the instrument deck a final check, before throwing me a nod, grinning manically as he did so. I wasted no time in ordering Grid Control to kill the auxiliary generators and stand by. The deep thrum from the Powerpack reactor intensified, pulsing through us bodily. I held my breath, expecting the usually anti-climax. To my surprise however this time Powerpack took the strain. The test was successful. The facility was powering everything we have, worldwide, from a clean, renewable, inexhaustible resource. It was ten minutes into the test when things began to fail. I noticed the irregularity among the cacophony of noise all around us. The professor tried to dismiss it at first, but there it was. Undeniable. Deafening noise with guttering spaces in-between. We looked down to the reactor core below us. The engineers milling around had picked up on it too. Hastily they checked readings, made adjustments and grew gradually more impatient with each other. Behind the blue central core of the reactor, a stranger glow began to pulse. Around fifteen minutes into the test, a rhythmic thudding developed, building to sound above the general operation of the facility. Lendt was visibly panicked by now and looked to make his way down to the reactor floor to direct matters himself. His aides moved to stop him and it was at this point that the figure appeared, looming against the central plexiglass wall of the reactor core. They all froze in terror. It was then that all hell broke loose. The steady thud, thud, thud continued, now competing with myriad alarms shrieking across the facility. We all knew what was coming. I gave the order to kill the feed, instructing Grid Control to come back online. I then contacted facility security to begin full lockdown. Less than a minute later The Artifact had breached the core from within. Once awakened, it was only a matter of time. The force of his escape shook the facility. Suddenly there seemed to be fire, explosions everywhere. He climbed from the wreckage he had just created and stumbled unsteadily across the reactor room floor. Two engineers tried to intervene, to calm him. Their commitment must be commended and their families suitably compensated, but clean up were still prising their corpses from the reactor room walls this morning. The rest had the good sense to stay back. From there it didn’t take The Artifact long to smash a hole out of what had been his blissful prison for the last seven years and back up towards the surface world. Lendt voiced a childish hope that the perimeter force fields would hold him. Robustly I informed him that this was a pipe dream. Within five minutes The Artifact was gone. Initial incident reports suggest that the facility was infiltrated by our own rogue asset Doctor Robert Cline, codename Mainframe. Once his digitised consciousness had breached our firewalls, he had murdered the facility AI, keeping its cadaver operating long enough to provide cover. Mainframe had then been free to undermine the virtual reality construct that had bound The Artifact in familial bliss all these years so that we could syphon his fathomless power. I must stress that The Artifact is now on the loose, potentially anywhere and in an unknown mental state. I question whether we have the resources (without help from our external partners) to be able to recapture this asset even if we can now locate him. Although the latest test proved that the Powerpack concept developed by Lendt works, without The Artifact, or similar enhanced individual, the facility is now a useless waste of money. Yesterday’s events were an unmitigated disaster. In retrospect, I should have considered the possibility of Mainframe’s intervention, especially after the recent breach at The Hole. As such I take full responsibility for these events and do not hesitate to offer my resignation. I only hope that the Committee, recognising my years of dedicated service to the company, can consider some modicum of mercy. I await the Committee’s decision. Hey Everyone!
Just wanted to highlight two great books by indie authors I've read recently and really enjoyed. Bang to Begin - By Jethro Weyman (@WeymanWrites) Well, where to begin with this - Bang to Begin is an eclectic mix of short stories that turns gradually into much more! This is a wonderfully ambitious book and the fact that it comes in at under 170 pages means that every page is exploding with ideas, finely executed. There's no filler to be found here. The themes and genres covered are various - crime, horror, sci-fi, fantasy, metaphysical, ethereal. It will make your head hurt and will also make you think, like any good book should. Some of the stories will definitely stay with you, probably different ones for each reader. As you think, you will notice the seemingly separate stories begin to coalesce into a singular story that builds to a crescendo ending that doesn't disappoint. I would highly recommend Bang to Begin and look forward to reading more from this author. Nevada Noir - David Arrowsmith (@Mrwriterman79) A very different collection than the one above, but I loved this trilogy of intertwined stories too! Included in the collection are three gritty and dark tales set in Nevada and Sin City itself. The writing here is snappy and evocative, dropping you right into the heart of the action. The characters too are well rounded - you find yourself sympathizing with them, rooting for them and feeling the inevitable gut punches with them along the way. This is no mean feat in the short time we spend with them. The stories flow in and out of each other effortlessly, helping to flesh out the world, giving a feel of something that is more than the sum of the stories parts. I will definitely be looking out for more from this author in the future - maybe we will see another noir trilogy set in the authors next travel destination! I would definitely recommend both books as great reads. I've also included both author's twitter handles. Give them a follow, they are both very active on twitter. Currently i'm reading What Remains by James Fuller (@AuthorJFuller) and really enjoying that too - i'll update you all on that soon! Bye for now and have a great weekend. D.T. HI All,
My wife subscribed us to Disney+ the other week, so obviously one of the things I am now currently doing when in procrastination mode is re-watching all the Marvel movies. I believe this is a good use of my time! There seems to be a bit of debate online in relation to the watch order. Personally i'm going for release order, as the film makers and writers intended. The only exception I've made so far isfFor Captain America, which just sits better as first watch, due to the big difference in time period. So far I've got through Captain America: First Avenger, Iron Man and Incredible Hulk. My take aways so far are.
Also, love them or hate them (i think you'll be able to figure out where i stand on this!), you cant help but marvel (!) at the ambition of this project. What those involved have done is a fantastic achievement and also a fantastic success. I'm also looking forward to the original TV show content that's coming on Disney+, especially WandaVision, which looks awesomely creepy! I might keep you all updated on my progress with this re-watch (depending how it goes) and share my little thoughts as i go along. Have a great Weekend. Bye for now! D.T. Hey Everyone - hope you are all doing great out there!
A few quick updates from me from the last week. I have received some really nice feedback on my last novel, Ringer and my latest Early Adopters short The Dancer's Funeral recently. Its always wonderful to hear from someone who has enjoyed your writing and I really appreciate people taking time to tell me! I submitted a short (short) story to the guys over at Daily SF this week. Waiting on the outcome now .If it doesn't make the cut though, it will end up on the Early Adopters part of the site at some point. I've also been reading Bang to Begin by Jethro Weyman - really enjoying it and will be talking about that and other offering from other Indie authors in more detail in the future. Beyond the short story stuff I've been doing recently, I should really make a start on my next full novel. Next up i'm going to try bringing to fruition an idea that I've been sitting on for about ten years or more now. Again, this will bring together technology and horror aspects, which seems to be an ongoing theme for me. It will also include a particular kind of boogieman that i haven't seen before anywhere else. It will be the most ambitious thing I've tried yet, in terms of page length anyway. My other two novels so far have both been set over short time frames and as a result have both come in under 200 pages. Something to look forward to - sure the editing will be super fun! Until next time D.T. So, I published a new short story this week (i really need to start coming here other than when i've got something new out!)
It's a short tale about Victor Deng, The Dancer. Vic is just a guy looking to put a chequered past behind him, who just wants to dance and to make it big. He could never have imagined the consequences his choices would end up having, for himself and everyone else involved and its free on m website. Its a big step, as it finally means that the Early Adopters Shared Universe I've been threatening for about 2 years now is finally happening (as in, there is more than one story now). After stepping into this world in my novella Star Crossed, where we met Romeo and Juliette, two lovers that the world couldn't allow to be together, The Dancer's Funeral does a lot to introduce and in some cases flesh out some of the Wow...its certainly been some time since I've posted on here!
One of the main reasons for getting back onto my website and sprucing things up a bit again is I've just finished reading Lets Get Digital by David Gaughran. *Writer Chat Incoming* I would say that for me, reading this book has been as useful as reading Steven King's On Writing, although in a very different way. Full disclosure, its really highlighted to me a lot of things I've been doing wrong, or not as well as I could be doing anyway. Basically the book acts as a step by step guide to self publishing, from writing the first draft to marketing strategies. Gaughran is a successful self published writer in his own right so knows the subject and his style makes the topics discussed very easy to understand. One of my main take away's would be to pay for professional covers for your self published titles, which I have done for my latest book, Ringer (more about that service in another post!). Previously I'd done these myself and thought they were ok, but ok doesn't cut it really. The chapters on the importance of the Kindle Store, categories and keywords and how to maximise these is also really interesting and useful. I'm also in the process of refreshing this site and looking to set up a mailing list to help with marketing in the future. The sections on Marketing are also great. Professional editing is also something I plan to look at and I'll be looking again at the end material in all my books and making sure that is helping me out as much as it can. All in all a great read and very insightful, with numerous common sense points for self published authors to take on board and apply easily. All for less than £4 on Kindle! I'd also suggest signing up to Gaughran's mailing list to get regular updates and a free copy of Amazon Decoded too! Until next time DT Hey guys,
Just recently finished reading Andy Weir's fantastic book The Martian. Very impressed. The book is set in the relatively near future (although if this is confirmed, I missed it lol), by which time NASA have made it to the red planet a time or two and managed to get their Astronauts back in one piece. That is until Astronaut Mark Watney is involved in an accident during a routine spacewalk, swept up by a freak storm and left for dead by the rest of the hastily departing crew. With the rest of the team safely back on their way to earth, Mark has to use all his ingenuity and optimism to keep himself alive a day at a time in the face of a planet 'trying to kill him'. Meanwhile back on Earth NASA have plenty of PR fall out to deal with when it becomes apparent that Mark isn't as dead as they thought (not yet at least). Weir does a fabulous job of conjuring up just what it must be like to be utterly alone in a bleak and barren wasteland, moments from death at every turn. Just Look at the shots from The Pathfinder probe to get an idea of the desolation to be had out there (hell, just look cause its cool to see pictures from a probe humanity put on Mars!). Just to think that once upon a time, for all we know there could have been anything there really blows my mind. In addition with Mark, Weir creates a truly irreverent and likable character, one that is entertaining and funny enough to make you really hope NASA's hastily assembled plan to rescue him works, and before Mark succumbs to the dangers all around him/ inadvertently gets himself killed. All in all The Martian is, in my opinion, a wonderful read and definitely worth checking out (I got it for kindle at a very reasonable £1.99). Incidentally the film version, directed by Ridley Scott no less, is scheduled for a late November release. Should be worth checking out as well... D.T. |
BlogThis is where I will put semi regular musing about things that interest me. I cannot guarantee they will do the same for you guys Archives
May 2022
Categories |