Recently, I had the pleasure of encountering a fellow Gippslander and author Stephen Ormsby who approached me to ask if I would be interested in being featured at his website. Stephen is an enthusiastic supporter of independent authors, artists and musicians and in a short time he has welcomed an impressive roster to his site and the result has been a really interesting and diverse conversation that has become a weekly staple for me. It follows then that I just had to return the gesture and feature Stephen over here because Stephen, himself, is an author of significant talent whose new release "Long Lost Song" is creating all sorts of buzz.
There is no doubt that Stephen is worldly, a seeker of inspiration and also a deliverer of it. He started out as an IT professional and toiled away in that industry for twenty years, whilst travelling extensively, reading widely, exploring music and raising a family with his wife that now consists of two beautiful children and a mad cut named Smudge. He made the brave decision to pursue a more creative life which has been something of a life changing thing that has served his well being in more ways than he anticipated. He love of writing has always been a central part of who he is and the idea of writing novels has been a natural extension of that. Indeed, Stephen has already written four full length novels whilst still encumbered by the demands of his chosen profession but when the idea for Long Lost Song came along, Stephen knew this was the project that demanded to be published.
The guff on Stephen's landmark novel is thus:
A virus is decimating America today and Michael Decker is the culprit. Or is he? Is it the work of a curse recorded into a song by 1930’s blues musician Ricky Jensen? Long Lost Song tells the story of Ricky and Michael as they battle their personal and real demons while the world reaches end times of biblical proportions. One question remains. How do you stop a devil of a song made to break a crossroads deal?
Long Lost Song draws together several favoured elements of Stephens - the deep south and the ubiquitous blues music, the supernatural, voodoo and melds it together to form a narrative that crackles with tension and intelligence, while giving the reader respite in elements of romance that Stephen handles with a deft hand so that it balances the overall tome. The music of the south plays well with the novel and the reader should consider taking out some John Lee Hooker or Muddy Waters even some Ry Cooder to complement the reading experience. Trust me, it works really well, delivering you into the heart of the story and holding you there until the charged climax. Stephen's readership have enthused at Long Lost Song's powerful story telling and it has become a well earned favourite right across the globe. Stephen Ormsby has achieved a fascinating blend of voodoo, misguided desire, death, and the unconquerable human spirit. Here, for all to relish, is the one single essential ingredient of the human condition—the capacity to love. Norman W Wilson, PhD
Long Lost Song is just the opening to a planned schedule of releases by Stephen that will see him further cement himself as an author of considerable talent. Already, he has continued his considerable work rate by producing a series of shorts under the title "Leftovers from the (Writing) Table that are available now and show case his abilities in an (arguably) more restrictive genre (ie. the short).
Purchase Long Lost Song at Amazon Purchase Long Lost Song at Smashwords Stephens Short Story Series "Leftovers from the (Writing) Table" can purchased from Amazon and Smashwords Connect with Stephen Ormsby here Facebook Stephen Ormsby here Tweet with Stephen Ormsby here DFA.
I am pleased to be featuring author Sheila Deeth here this week. We struck up a conversation recently about the influence music has had both in our writing and in our lives more generally and from that, I was eager to explore Sheila's work more and share it here. So a little about Sheila first up. She grew up in the UK and has a Bachelors and Masters in mathematics from Cambridge University, England. Now living in the States near Portland Oregon, she enjoys reading, writing, drawing, telling stories and meeting her neighbours dogs on the green.
Given the various influences that have imprinted themselves onto Sheila, she admitted to me that she doesn't write to the accompaniment of music, unlike myself, though music is an important ingredient in the formation of her characters and stories. I don’t listen to music while I write. I don’t keep the radio on in the car or play CDs. But the voices of characters I write about are sometimes drowned in song, and I hear the beat and tunes of my son on his guitar. From there, Shelia extrapolated on the genesis of her musical inspiration. My son listens to music all the time and writes it too, but he’s left home and any other melody would make the hole feel bigger I suppose. But music’s always been part of my life. My parents dated at air-raid warden concerts after the war, Mum young and quiet, Dad slightly older, recently returned from prison camp, and definitely shy. They sang opera together and my childhood thrilled to the sound of Dad singing excerpts from the Mikado. When he wasn't singing he’d play favourite records in the living room, classical, opera, and more. He set up extra speakers to our sound system before anyone even called them sound systems. We had music while we cooked and while we ate. Having come from a such a background of music then, I was curious to know why it is that Sheila finds it somewhat difficult to listen to music while writing now. In church I used to have my un-favourite hymns, the ones whose tunes made me think of plodding feet and accusing eyes. I’d sing my own variations under my breath, hoping the choir-mistress couldn't hear. Even now I struggle to sing the right notes to “Now Thank We All Our God.” But my son’s the musician. And my brother. And not me. That little brother, now a priest, used to compose his own tunes on the piano when we were kids. I didn't tell him but I quietly wrote the words. I still sing some of those songs in my head, sometimes even while writing the words of a novel. So why no music playing outside of your own head? I think it’s because I'm listening to my characters. If they've got the radio on or are playing a CD that’s fine by me, especially since they often seem to like what my guitarist son likes. But I wouldn't want to get the songs confused. I don’t want two tunes vying for my attention as they tell their tale. I've been told my writing’s sort of musical. If so, I'm glad it’s got a tune of its own. If not, I hope readers might like it anyway, maybe with a CD playing while they read. My characters clearly hope they’ll come back for more since they’re arguing in my head about which novel I'm meant to write next. Their arguments sound like Beethoven symphonies, those endings that never quite finish, that never quite let my fingers get back to the keys. So I’ll go for a walk and hear my son’s guitar on the wind in the trees till they settle down. Meanwhile I'm not listening to music, but my first book’s just come out, the second’s been accepted, and I'm eager to settle down and write the third. And now to showcase Sheila's latest work, Divide by Zero:
It takes a subdivision to raise a child, and a wealth of threads to weave a tapestry, until one breaks. Troy, the garage mechanic’s son, loves Lydia, the rich man’s daughter. Amethyst has a remarkable cat and Andrea a curious accent. Old Abigail knows more than anyone else but doesn't speak. And in Paradise Park a middle-aged man keeps watch while autistic Amelia keeps getting lost. Pastor Bill, at the church of Paradise, tries to mend people. Peter mends cars. But when that fraying thread gives way it might take a child to raise the subdivision—or to mend it. Divide by Zero is available now from:
The Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane is a grand and terrible building. Abandoned over forty years ago, there now sound, in rooms and halls where tortured screams once rung, only the tread of urban explorers as they marvel at its ruined grandeur.
Yet something still resides in its ancient depths.
When his younger brother goes missing Thomas Verkraft takes the opportunity to escape his imploding life in New York City and come to Buffalo to find him. Following a trail of black and white photographs, home made exploration videos, legends and rumors, he tracks Henry down to the doors of the State Asylum.
It's the last building Henry entered before he disappeared.
Accompanied by Julia, his younger brother's tormented ex-girlfriend, Thomas forces himself to walk the same downward spiral that claimed Henry.
But the hunger that Henry awoke has broken stronger men than Thomas, shattered their minds and consumed them whole in the darkness. What hope does Thomas have in the face of such ravening despair?
My Take:
There is something satisfying in finding an author who can tap into the psyche of their protagonists and antagonists in such a way that you find yourself descending into the very realms of those characters minds. You experience their journey in a way that is visceral and satisfyingly so. In such a moodily dark setting as the one that author Philip Tucker has created for his debut novel, it becomes essential to experience rather than simply read.
In Crude Sunlight, Tucker's deliciously disturbing psychological thriller, there is a sense of dread and foreboding that draws you in right away. There is little to comfort you in the complex tableaux that unfolds and this is definitely one of the novels strengths. Tucker succeeds in the horror that he suggests rather than the horror he explicitly portrays. It makes for a more immersive reading experience because we will inevitably find our own imaginations fired by what we deduce from the plot points.
Comparisons to the likes of Silent Hill and The Ring have been made and I think Crude Sunlight stands well alongside those works in as much as Tucker has crafted a similar sort of texture in his writing style. Crude Sunlight is visually stimulating. There are descriptions of black and white, sound and light and texture that instantly remind one of the imagery inherent in those other works - yet Tuckers voice is resoundingly original and fresh.
Tucker's characters too, are well drawn and intriguing. The protagonist, Thomas, is a flawed anti-hero in the beginning, but he is also dogged and as his journey progresses he evolves into a subtle hero who realizes his purpose and becomes determined as a result. I was reminded a little of Rick Deckard - a similar sort of anti-hero from the movie Bladerunner. Like Deckard, Thomas is not immediately likeable, he is plagued by doubts and he flirts with failure often. Julia, the ex-girlfriend of Thomas' missing brother Henry, is also exceedingly well drawn as a conflicted and ambivalent counterpart who possesses a darkness that is revealed gradually.
Crude Sunlight is also a well crafted mystery using clues and red herrings well in keeping the reader guessing as well as invested. So much of what makes the novel work can be derived from this component. The pacing is tight, drawing upon tension and fear and propelling the story forward without laboring too long.
Crude Sunlight is a work that is satisfyingly disturbing and Philip Tucker has every reason to be proud of his debut.
About The Author:
Philip Tucker ascribes his love of writing to a teacher who once told his class, "Don't be a writer if you can stand to be anything else. Go be a carpenter, a business man, a firefighter, whatever. Get out of this gig while you still can".
Philip thought at the time that she was being overly harsh, but ten years down the road and hundreds of thousands of words later, he says that he realizes she was right.
The only reason Tucker writes today is because, in his words, nothing else has worked for him. Not being a mortgage broker on South Beach or a factory worker in Sydney. Brazilian born and British raised, Tucker says that he's since lost his accent, gained a unique world view due to his peripatetic upbringing, and has found that the only thing that regularly ignites his passion is sitting down at his laptop to write.
Philip has a portal at Facebook and you can also read about his exploits at his Amazon page.
This is a red letter day to make me smile. Friend & fellow author Molly Ringle has announced her latest release, Relatively Honest for ireadiwrite Publishing.
THE GUFF: Eighteen year-old womaniser Daniel Revelstoke leaves his native London to study at the University of Oregon, dreaming of seducing one American girl after another. But he soon meets a new kind of woman in classmate Julie French. Her cleverness and resistance land Daniel in love for the first time in his life, to his deep confusion.
However, Julie's long-distance boyfriend and a bizarre family secret stand in Daniel's way to winning her. Since he can't quit obsessing over her, he decides to hide a few truths in order to draw closer to her, hoping that maybe she'll return his love and, when she finds out his devious path, forgive him. It's a gamble, but all's fair in love and college.
THE AUTHOR: For those who know Molly, her whimsical style - which I loved so much in her previous release What Scotland Taught Me - is engaging & infectious. She is a master of rich characterization, sharp, funny and tender dialogue and intelligent plot construction that encourages you to live and breath her stories rather than just passively observe them.
Relatively Honest will deliver more of Molly's trademark vivaciousness, wit & whimsy and I'm sure it will be a success in a very short time. If there is a Kindle purchase you must make this year, make it Relatively Honest.
I have to admit to being from the "Buffy" school of the paranormal
rather than the "Twilight" one. There was always something so much more
accessible about the Scoobie Gang in that former franchise that appealed
to me and I'm almost ashamed to say that I stuck it out with them for
the series entire run. I've not encountered anything that has captured a
spirit of fun and grit the way Buffy has...that is until now.
"The Book of Lost Souls" by Michelle Muto is a totally original take
on the paranormal genre that - similar to "Buffy" - captures a spirit of
hip 'now'-ness that is engaging from the very first page. I've got to
stress here that I was only subtly reminded of Buffy whilst reading "The
Book Of Lost Souls".
From the synopsis - "When teen witch Ivy MacTavish changes a lizard into her date for a
Halloween dance, everything turns to chaos. And when no one is powerful
enough to transform him back except Ivy, it sparks the rumor: Like
father, like daughter. Ivy has heard it all before - that her father,
who left when she was seven – was involved with the darkest of magic.
Making
the rumors worse, someone uses an evil spell book to bring back two of
history's most nefarious killers. Ivy's got a simple plan to set things
right: find the real dark spell caster, steal the book, and reverse the
spell. No problem! But she’ll have to deal with something more dangerous
than murderous spirits that want her and her friends dead: the school’s
resident bad boy and hotter-than-brimstone demon, Nick Marcelli. Nick’s
offering Ivy more than his help with recovering the missing book – he’s
offering her a way to ditch her scaly reputation as a lizard-lover.
Demons are about as hard to handle as black magic, and as Ivy soon
discovers, it’s going to take more than a lot of luck and a little charm
if she wants to survive long enough to clear her status as a dark
witch, get a warm-blooded boyfriend, and have her former date back to
eating meal worms before the week’s end".
This is very much it's own story, which is an
absorbing read that has comedy and wit, but also a more serious and
perhaps sinister undercurrent running through it's narrative. There is
action and mystery, romance and tenderness. It draws on classic
archetypes and reworks them in a refreshing way and you actually enjoy
the way Michelle weaves them into her tome. It's cleverly subtle - it
doesn't belt you in the head.
Her cast too, are a vivid collection of characters, lead by the
precocious and worldy Ivy, who reflect contemporary teens dealing with
all the trials of growing up and dealing with peer groups, high school,
difficult parents whilst dealing with the additional burdens of fangs,
aversions to sunlight, wolf-like tendencies and the like. Muto's
affection for her characters is clear and she imbues them with a rich
realism and enthusiasm that make them leap off the page.
Muto's story craft is well honed. There is nothing contrived or
superfluous and she has balanced the tension and excitement well with
the lighter moments and the laughs too. The dialogue is sharp, settings
are well described and visually accessible. Teens will most certainly
love it and even cynics like a middle 30's parent can't help but smile.
"The Book Of Lost Souls" is a considerable achievement for Michelle Muto and I believe that it is a worthy addition to a genre that can
perhaps, be a little too serious sometimes.
Something (hopefully) big is happening with my novel "The Hambledown Dream" this week.
I'm pleased to be announcing the launch of a redesigned version of my debut novel for ireadiwrite Publishing. And first up - before we go any further - please enjoy the International Release Trailer for the new version.
After a great deal of consideration and discussion over the past couple of months, my publisher and I have decided to redesign the cover art for The Hambledown Dream. Now, I kind of regard myself as a little superstitious. I enjoy sailing and one of the greatest superstitions surrounding sailing is the re-naming of a boat after it has been refurbished or repainted. Historically, it has been considered bad luck to change the name of a boat.
And, initially, I felt the same way about the novel. I thought of all the horrible things that could happen as a result of doing something I considered to be rather drastic. But after I had my mini-meltdown, I began to look at things through a fresh set of eyes.
The reasons for doing so are fairly simple. When I originally conceived the cover art for the original release of the novel last year, I was really drawn to the simple motif of the rosemary and mint bouquet that features in the story at a fairly critical moment. There is a beauty about the bouquet on the sand and says much about the love story of The Hambledown Dream. However, in discussing the cover and it's impact, we felt that it might be too obscure for the uninitiated audience. Though it is a prominent theme in the story, it is not the central theme. So Michelle and I sat down and began re imagining the cover art in a quest to find something that really typifies the core elements of the story of The Hambledown Dream.
Certainly the guitar was a most important consideration as it is at the heart of both Andy DeVries and Denny Banister's journey. I also wanted to find an image that best represented the duality of Andy and Denny's persona's. An exhaustive search led me to a singular image of a young man sitting in a field of poppies cradling a guitar in his arms as he looks towards the setting sun. From the moment I found that image, I knew it was the right one. It says much about the two young men who embark on a powerful journey towards redemption and salvation in The Hambledown Dream. There is a musical quality to the image - not just.because of the guitar - and there is a romantic quality in the flowers that populate the field, the sun light that falls across the young man's face.
Combined with the bolder color scheme that highlights the title and author text, the result is a more powerful and impactful piece. We are really very proud if the final result.
The other consideration for the novel is the attention to (or lack thereof on my part), the digital market. As an author, one of the greatest satisfactions is being able to hold the print version of you very own book in your hands. However, the growth of eBooks over the past year has outstripped that of print books. To not focus attention of that section of the market just doesn't make sense to me so I am embarking on a concerted effort to promote The Hambledown Dream in the digital market place.
So, having re imagined the presentation of The Hambledown Dream, both ireadiwrite Publishing and myself are pleased to announce the release of this 2nd Edition of the digital edition of the novel. To celebrate, the first fifty copies of the novel have been digitally "signed" by me and are available to purchase today, directly from Dean from Australia Dot Com (See Top Right Of Page). In addition to this, I completed a really enjoyable interview this past week with wonderfully supportive fellow author and Bookanista Carolina Valdez Miller. I'd like to invite you to visit her at Carol In Print and check out both the interview and her take on my novel. I also sat down with books editor Paige Crutcher of America's Examiner Newspaper to chat about The Hambledown Dream and the writing journey.
So this wonderful ride with ireadiwrite Publishing continues - both with this new edition of The Hambledown Dream and the current project I am working on. It's just too good a ride not to be on.
