An Interview with Author Louis K. Lowy

I think I've lost count of which interview number this is, but I'm just having so much fun meeting new authors that I just don't care! So, let's get your Friday off to a great start by welcoming author Louis K. Lowy!


Louis's book, Die Laughing, is high up on my TBR list. It's just been released, and I was lucky enough to get an early copy. The first page had me in stitches. You may remember Louis as one of the featured authors on my 5,000 hit giveaway HERE. 


If you were one of the lucky ones to win his book, let him know what you think when you read it!


Without further ado, welcome to Unwritten, Louis! Please tell us a little about yourself. What do you do when you're not writing about aliens in 1950's NYC?

           Hi Mysti, thanks for inviting me over to Unwritten. To answer the first part of your question, I was born in Pittsburgh, but moved with my parents to South Florida when I was five. I grew up in Hialeah (home of the race track) and worked there as a firefighter. I also played music nearly my entire life –where I started honing my writing skills by composing song lyrics for the many groups I played in.

What do I do when I’m not writing about aliens in 1950’s NYC? Hmmm, at the moment trying to introduce people to the story I wrote about aliens in 1950’s NYC.

Seriously, I’m working on other writings. I finished the third draft of a novel about a forty-nine year old music teacher who was fired and tries to find redemption in competitive bicycle riding, and I’m working on another sci-fi story that bounces between characters, time and location. I’m also attending Florida International University where I’m studying to get my MFA in creative writing.

 From your book description, it says:
"Die Laughing, a humorously dark science-fiction novel, is set in the 1950s of flying saucers, communist paranoia, and live television."

Buy it HERE!
What inspired you to come up with this unique idea?

I found my protagonist first, thanks to three Japanese girls and a story generator. The girls – foreign exchange students – were visiting my son. I was searching around for a new story idea and someone gave me this so-called instant story-generator. It’s a sheet of paper with three columns: one with a numbered list of characters, one with actions, and one with desires. The idea was to pick a number for each column and match them to whatever it corresponded with, and that’s your story.

I thought, what the heck, I’ll give it a try. I asked the girls to name a number. Each one said seven. The corresponding numbers on the action and desire columns were lame and I ignored them, but on the character column, seven was a stand up comic. I liked that, and so my central character, Sam E. Lakeside, was born.

            What brought me to set my story in the 1950’s was foremost my passion for the sci-fi and horror movies of that era. I love both the really bad ones like Plan Nine From Outer Space, and the really good ones like Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

Also, The 1950’s has always been an exciting era in my mind. Senator McCarthy’s witch hunts for communists had ruined lives and careers. Elvis Presley and rock and roll had exploded on the scene. Teenagers were starting to become a force onto their own for the first time. Racial tensions were coming to a violent head at Little Rock High School in Arkansas. And, of course, TV was becoming the new king of media. The habits of society were changing from going to the movies to going to the living room.

Once I had Sam, the idea of placing his story in the fifties and toying with all these notions, started to formulate.

How long did it take you to complete Die Laughing, and do you have any interesting stories to tell about the research process?

             It took about two-and-a-half years. The research process was exhausting. Because the story takes place in 1956 every social and cultural reference had to be true to that period. Every time one of my characters ate, dressed, picked up something or stepped somewhere I had to make sure it was accurate. Because Sam is trying to get from Las Vegas to New York City, my best friend was a 1954 road atlas that I purchased on eBay.

I love snooping on author websites, like yours HERE. Among the many interesting things you're involved in, I see that you're working towards an MFA in creative writing at Florida International University. How has that experience been for you so far? Would you recommend terribly green writers like myself to invest in an MFA program?

             I’ve read a lot of criticism about MFA programs. Most seem to come from agents and editors. Their biggest gripe is that the programs become mills. That is, everything looks the same. There’s no individuality to the writing. I don’t necessarily disagree with them because students are being taught techniques and devices that they emulate from the instructors. One the other hand, that’s how most creative endeavors begin. You learn the basics and then as you progress you hone your skills and eventually, for the few really talented ones, you develop your own voice.

Another factor is the quality of the program itself. FIU’s MFA program is highly regarded. The instructors are terrific and I’ve learned a great deal, though I’m cognizant of the mill factor. Maybe the key is to take what you learn, but also be aware there’s other ways of doing things.

The bottom line is I’d unequivocally recommend writing classes to anyone who wants to learn the basics of story, plot, and character. From there, it would be an individual decision to see if it’s right for you.

You've had lots of publishing credits over the years. When did you start the serious business of writing for publication? What genres have been your favorite to write? 

            I started writing seriously about four years ago, when I started drifting from playing in bands. Up to that point, music was my creative release. Good bands are stormy by nature, but I was getting frustrated with having to deal with the volatility. I’ve always had a knack for writing and I decided it was time to explore it more.

            What are my favorite genres to write in? I haven’t really decided at this point. Die Laughing was my first novel, and it was sci-fi. I’ve written about fifteen short stories, a third of them junk, and of the other ten, eight have been published. They’re all over the place genre-wise. They range from mystery, to horror, to romance. I even had a humor poem finish second place in a contest. I’m not so much attracted to genre as I am to writing something that strikes a chord with the reader, which brings a sense of quiet wow.

So, I have to know--where did you come up with the name for your blog--The Writer From Haunted Cave?


Good question! It goes back to my love of 1950’s sci-fi and horror movies. I collect them. Most are hanging in my writing room. One of my favorites is of a very scantily glad girl in the embraces of a pickle-green squid creature who lives in a cave. The 1959 movie is called Beast From Haunted Cave. A good friend of mine suggested I call the blog Writer From Haunted Cave, which I loved. We did a take-off of the poster and used it for the logo.
       
And now, what you've all been waiting for...today's random question: What aspects of a book make you stop reading and/or throw it against a wall?

            Something that is so knock-out great that I have to, in a literal sense, catch my breath. A great example is the closing passage of Joyce’s short story “Araby.” A young protagonist goes through great hardship to attend a bazaar that he envisions as something grand because he wants to purchase a gift for a girl he’s infatuated with. When he gets there the bazaar turns out to be a cheap market. As the market lights turn off, he realizes his grand romantic vision is nothing but illusion. We get his final thought: Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger.

Another great example comes from Robert McCammon’s book A Boy’s Life. When the protagonist (another youth) loses his friend to a hunting accident, McCammon writes a beautifully moving passage about eternally flying and planet exploring which the dead boy desired. Things like that (in a literal sense) lead me to toss the book against the wall in awe, and ask myself, How the hell did they do that?

On the flip side, if a book is really to my disliking, I nod off and it slips from my hands and dies a slow death.

Finally, Louis, would you be so kind as to share an excerpt from Die Laughing? 

I’d love to. This is taken from the end of chapter one, which sets the whole story in motion. Sam has just finished performing his lounge act.

            The audience stood and the cheering renewed itself. Sam E. bowed and threw a kiss with his palm. He glanced one more time at Mitzi, the chesty blonde in the wings, but a diminutive, pointy-nosed man in a blue-satin suit and a small-brimmed fedora was standing where she had been.

He walked into the wings. As he did, he passed the diminutive man, who doffed his hat and smiled at Sam E.

“Sam, it’s your agent,” a slim, thin-haired janitor, standing by the back-stage door, said. He handed Sam E. the receiver from a wall phone hanging next to him.

“Doc,” he said, “I just finished the show…Yeah, I killed ‘em…What do you mean I won’t be here next week?…Did they dump me?…The Steve Allen Show? You’re kidding me, right?…Yeeeaaaah!” He hopped in a small circle, tangling the cord around his shoulders. “Doc, I love you!” Unraveling the cord, he added, “Oh, and Marge too!”

Before hanging up the receiver Sam E. grabbed the janitor by the shoulders and said, “I’m going to New York, Herkie, The Steve Allen Show!”

“I gathered that.”

“Have you seen Mitzi? I want to give her the good news.”

The janitor shrugged. “Maybe your dressing room.”

Sam E. zipped down the hall and into his dressing room. The small, messy room was empty except for the diminutive man in the fedora. He was leaning against the wall filing his nails. He stopped briefly to again tip his hat.

“Who the hell are you?” Sam E. walked up to the man. “And where’s Mitzi?”

“Sorry, friend, but I get to ask the questions.” The man slipped a spit-polish black .45 from his shoulder holster and shoved it against Sam E.’s forehead. “And my first question is, ‘Would you like to take a walk?’”

Thank you so much for visiting today, Mr. Lowy, and I wish you a ton of success!

Thank you, Mysti. It’s been a pleasure, and I in turn wish you the same!

***To read more about Louis K. Lowy, please visit www.louisklowy.com or The Writer From Haunted Cave!

***Buy Die Laughing from IFWG Publishing or Amazon.com!

What's Your Kryptonite?

There are certain days when I am NOT in a good state of mind. I take a ride on the emotional roller coaster, on a perpetual downward dive. No matter what I do, I can't overcome the slump, but am forced to ride it out. The entire time, I'm convinced that I'm not a good mother, wife, writer, [fill in the blank].

What I'm coming to realize though, is that this predictable spiral is my kryptonite. This is my weak moment. If I'm not careful, Ms. Mopey starts to emerge, and I rub off my depressive mood  on everyone I meet, in person or online.

So, what's the solution? How did Superman prevent succumbing to his weakness?

I think the answer is that he steered clear when he could, but most importantly, he RECOGNIZED it for what it was and understood how it affected him. He didn't deny it existed or try to pretend it wasn't there. In both comic, movie, and TV episodes, he often took action, like hurling all known fragments into the sun or entrusting it to Batman.

How nice it would be if I could hurl my weaknesses into the sun! Alas, it's not possible, but what I can do is acknowledge those dark days when they arrive and give myself some grace, keeping in mind that it's not forever, that the roller coaster plunge will soon come to a halt and the ride will start cranking back up to the top again. A little extra downtime and exercise can do wonders. But if I try to ignore it or pretend like everything's dandy, I'll crash. The kryptonite must be acknowledged or it'll zap my powers, leaving me defenseless.

Q & A time: What is your krpytonite? How do you handle it?

An Interview with Author Jenny Twist, Take Two!

Another Take Two interview to kick off your week! You may remember my first interview with Jenny Twist HERE. She was just about to release her first anthology of short stories, called Take One at Bedtime. It's a great collection, so I reviewed it HERE. 

Order your copy HERE!

Now, Jenny's back with yet another release! Domingo's Angel is a romance set in Spain and is based on some real life experiences Read on:

When Angela turns up in a remote Spanish mountain village, she is so tall and so thin and so pale that everyone thinks she is a ghost or a fairy or the dreadful mantequero that comes in the night and sucks the fat from your bones. 

But Domingo knows better. “Soy Angela,” she said to him when they met – “I am an angel.” Only later did he realise that she was telling him her name and by then it was too late and everyone knew her as Domingo’s Angel. 

This is the story of their love affair. But it is also the story of the people of the tiny mountain village – the indomitable Rosalba - shopkeeper, doctor, midwife and wise woman, who makes it her business to know everything that goes on in the village; Guillermo, the mayor, whose delusions of grandeur are rooted in his impoverished childhood; and Salva the Baker, who risked his life and liberty to give bread to the starving children. 

The events in this story are based on the real experiences of the people of the White Villages in Southern Spain and their struggle to keep their communities alive through the years of war and the oppression of Franco’s rule.

Without further ado, welcome back Jenny! Tell us what's been happening in your neck of the woods since the last time you were here in March.

Hi Mysti. It’s good to be here again.

We live out in the sticks, so not a lot happens here. I seem to have spent most of the time since we last spoke writing and trying to learn how to promote my books.

What time period do the events in Domingo's Angel take place and what inspired you to delve into this bit of history?

The main story is set in the 1950s, but the characters reminisce about events right back to the days before the civil war which started in 1936.

Before I came to live in Spain I knew nothing of Spanish history and I was horrified to find out about the dreadful atrocities during the Civil War and under Franco – the dictator who ruled Spain from 1939 till his death in 1975. I actually came to Spain on holiday while he was still in power!

I didn’t actually set out initially to write a novel about it. I wrote a short story and it grew. But as it grew I realized I had a lot to say.

Are any of the characters in the book based on real people from the White Villages? Or are they totally fictitious?

I think they are all, to some extent, based on people I know. Josephina the elder, who used to be our post mistress, has certainly contributed a lot to one of the main characters, Rosalba. And the character of Domingo owes a lot to the amazing Frasco Miguel, goatherd and innkeeper. Although I didn’t set out with these people specifically in mind.

Order your copy HERE!

How long and how challenging was the research process to write this book?

I researched as I went along. I knew a lot already about the culture and it has hardly changed in 50 years. The people in the villages are very old-fashioned. They still call each other ‘Sir’ & ‘Madam,’ even when they’ve known each other all their lives. The way of life here has only changed superficially. These people are still basically peasant farmers. Each one has his land and is to a greater or lesser extent self-sufficient. Many keep goats and chickens. Modern technology is just a thin veneer over the ancient way of life. It is not unusual to see a typical Andalusian farmer riding his mule and speaking into his mobile phone as he goes along.

You can find out nearly everything in the way of background historical events from books like ‘The Spanish Civil War’ by Anthony Beever, which has loads of information about what went on in the major cities. But there is very little written about what went on in the little villages, and the people are very reluctant to talk about it. It was a nightmare for them. Brother fought against brother, and in Spain the family is everything.

I relied on what I knew about my own friends – the story of Salva the Baker, for example, who was imprisoned for years for giving bread to the starving children, is true. I also transposed some of the real events from the history books to my own imaginary village. But after I had finished the book, I discovered a wonderful book by David Baird – ‘Between Two Fires’, which is the history of his own white village of Frigiliana. It consists of the actual testimony of those who survived and I was able to check my own version against this much more accurate one. It seems I got it right. Phew!

Let's go back a bit to Take One at Bedtime. I thoroughly enjoyed it! What have other readers had to say about it?

I’ve actually had a very good response. Everyone who has contacted me has said they really enjoyed it. Of course, if they didn’t, they probably wouldn’t contact me!

What I found fascinating is everybody had a different favourite story. I thought I might do a contest later to see if anyone can guess which one is my favourite story.

Apart from your own review, which I really appreciated. I’ve had several others on Amazon

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Take-One-at-Bedtime-ebook/dp/B0053CYTA2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1306922804&sr=8-1-spell

and Goodreads

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11349849-take-one-at-bedtime

As I've learned, sometimes the hard way, writing for publication is a tough business. Have you ever had to deal with negative feedback, either before or after publication? And what is your advice to other writers on how to handle that?

I’ve not had any really awful feedback after publication, but I had loads of rejections when I was trying to find a publisher. Most don’t bother to reply at all. Those who do are usually quite obviously using a form letter and clearly haven’t read the work in question. I once, to my amazement, got quite a rude letter from a major magazine publisher which appeared to be criticizing an entirely different piece. The comments didn’t relate to my story at all. What amazed me was that they should be so unkind to people who submit stories to them. Surely many of these are their own readers. Do they really think it’s a good idea to insult them?

Basically, the only way I can handle negative stuff is to completely ignore it and concentrate on the positive.

You have to remember that these people receive thousands of submissions. Just keep trying. Don’t let bad feedback stop you. Nobody can please all the people all the time.

Today's random question is so very, very random. What are some of the items currently residing in your junk drawer? 

I don’t think you want to know. I don’t want to know myself. Last time I looked it seemed to be full of old mobile phones and television remotes. I don’t know what that says about me. Maybe I’m rejecting modern technology.

Finally, Ms. Twist, would you be so kind as to share an excerpt of Domingo's Angel?

I’d be delighted. Here you are:

EXCERPT

The next day he took his goats to the top of the ridge near the pass and looked down on the smallest casita of Guillermo the mayor. There was a mule tethered outside and a string of washing had been hung between two almond trees. Otherwise there was no sign of life. Halfway down the slope was a large algarrobo tree. He decided it would be an ideal place for lunch.

But although he sat and watched the little house all the time as he ate his bread and cheese and olives and drank his wine, nobody came out and nothing happened. Only the mule moved along the side of the house to keep in the shade as the sun moved round. So he went to sleep.

When he woke up, someone was calling him. “Hola, goatherd!”

He squinted up into the sun and there, standing before him was an angel. It was very tall and thin and there was a fiery halo round its head. “Hello,” it said, "Soy Ángela - I am angel. I am delighted to meet you! Who are you?”

In absolute panic, Domingo shot up into a sitting position and shuffled backwards into the algarrobo tree. His head hit the hard trunk with a resounding crack and he subsided and slumped back down, feeling a little stunned.

The angel came forward into the shadow of the algarrobo tree and he realised that the halo was, in fact, hair - very long hair - falling in waves down beyond her shoulders and almost to her waist. It was exactly the colour of oranges that have dried on the tree. Her skin was so white it was almost blue and her eyes were so pale they had no colour at all. “How could they think she was a dead person?” he thought in a confused fashion. “She is obviously an angel.”

Thank you so much for letting me interview you again, Jenny! I hope we can make it a regular occurrence, and I wish you the best of luck with your latest release!

Thank you for having me, Mysti.

I really appreciate it.

Friday Follies

Last night I did a telephone interview with Desmond Haas. Super interviewer--he's an author and posts audio interviews at http://romanceradio.net/. I probably sounded stiff as a board, but I'll be posting the link for the interview as soon as it's available. One of these days, I might get used to talking to people. I wish I could be as articulate in speech as I am in writing. There's another lesson I'm learning...the hard way, of course!

Today, I'm also over on Cindy Borgne's blog for a written interview. Stop in and say hi! Click HERE.

Now to the fun stuff. Or weird stuff. Funny and weird, maybe.

I had the STRANGEST dream last night...

In this dream, I looked down at my abdomen, where four little bumps appeared. Yeah, it sounds gross at first, but keep reading. They grew until one of them burst, and a black and white caterpillar fell out. Then it happened again and again--all these little black and white caterpillars popped out of me and fell to the floor. Needless to say I was freaking out in dreamland.

Here's the funny part.  When the caterpillars hit the floor, they immediately morphed into tiny black and white cows about the size of toy soldiers and darted all around my feet. I woke myself up from my freak out, then died laughing. This was about 4 am. Of course, I woke up my husband and told him all about it. We both had a good laugh and went back to sleep.

Now, if only Serenya was here to iterpret THAT dream!

A Review of "Isabella's Dilemma" by Anna James

Isabella Sheridan has a problem, and it comes in the form of handsome Jake McAllister. Jake's the golden boy of Sheridan Advertising Agency, her late father's business. He could do no wrong in her father's eyes, and in the eyes of her family and friends. Isabella knows differently. She wouldn't trust him as far as she can throw him. Jake, however, has his own ideas about Isabella. From what he's seen, she's risen to the top of the advertising world in a not-so-ethical way. Could it be, however, that they're both wrong?

Both Jake and Isabella are strong characters in this engaging tale. Their struggle to fight their attraction to one another and the people who keep pushing them to be together kept me turning the pages. Isabella came off as very likable in that she was independent, yet loved and cared for her family and friends. Jake, for me, was a little hard to connect with, because most of the story is written in Isabella's POV. Some of those POV switches were a little abrupt, but not so much that I lost track of the story. Jake was still an interesting character and a good match for the strong-willed Izzy.

The sparks are there in the form of some nice non-graphic love scenes, and Ms. James throws in a surprise or two along the way. It's a well-paced, fun contemporary romance that will provide a nice weekend read. The only things I'd nitpick are a majority of scenes take place in cafes and restaurants. Besides making me hungry, the settings could have been varied a bit more. Also, the word "ruefully" is used a lot. I'm not even sure what it means, except that I saw Isabella smiling that way many times. Other than these minor issues, I enjoyed the story a great deal.

This is Anna James's debut novel and the second title I've read from this author. I'll definitely be reading more!

Buy your copy of Isabella's Dilemma now at Sugar and Spice Press.

Introducing...Tania F. Walsh, my 100th Blog Follower!

First of all, thanks to Tania for becoming my 100th follower! I'm giving her an impromptu interview to celebrate this great achievement! Let's all welcome Tania with lots of comments and follow her on the web as well. Rumor has it, she's an inspiring author of Urban Fantasy fiction. Let's hear what Tania has to say...


Tell us a bit about yourself, Tania. Where are you from and what is your non-writing life like?


First, a huge thanks for the impromptu interview… I love things on the spur of the moment. Okay, so where were we, ah about myself. I was born in Romania(Transylvania actually) and moved to Australia with my family at the age of eight. My dad’s always been a writer, so you could say I inherited his writing gene – or at least that’s how I look at it. By day I work in marketing and by night I’m a dark, urban fantasy writer. My hubby is a huge support and always has my back. I also love to bake and my all time favorite cookie is snickerdoodles. When not writing, I usually haunt coffee stories and book stores, so while I’m buying way too many books on discount because books stores are closing down all over the place, it leaves me sad to see them go.


What writing projects are you working on, and what can you tell us about them?

My current project is an urban fantasy novel title Venery, which in its simplest form is a cross between Romeo & Juliet and The Village. Daciana is faced with the impossible decision of choosing between becoming a human or remaining a werewolf at the next full moon. While her true love pulls her toward humanity, an ancient wolf threatens to expose the pack to humans and only she can save them. In the end, she has to make a decision that might very well kill her. This book is in the final stages of polishing and I’ll be submitting it to agents this month.

I am also co-writing a fantasy novel about a troll who discovers his true destiny. A novella about the discovery of a mythical creature, a short horror story about possession, and not to mention the brand new novel I’m plotting – can’t give anything on this away just yet.

I’ve had a few short stories published with e-publishers, but my focus is on getting a novel out there.

How long have you been writing, and as I like to talk about on here, what are some lessons you're learning (sometimes the hard way)?

Since I was a child, I’ve been fascinated with fantasy and the world that exist there. More recently I’d decided to take it seriously, and bring to life my dreams.

My biggest lesson is not to edit or polish my first draft. This is something I still struggle with – yeah I’m a perfectionist and want it perfect, but I learnt the hard way this wastes time, especially when you have to re-write a huge chunk of your novel. My new motto – throw my story onto paper regardless of how bad the structure, grammar etc is and just get it out of my head. Then check plots and make sure there are no huge gaps, and only then contemplate doing any editing.

Everyone who's interviewed here gets a random question, so you're not gonna get left out! Tania, what's one habit you have that you just can't seem to break?


I can’t stop buying books, whether it’s from the store or on my kindle, I’m addicted.


Do you have an excerpt from one of your WIP's and can you tell us about it?

This excerpt is from Venery – Daciana is at a crime scene and struggles to control her wolf side:

       The doorway was all clear. The right decision would be to turn and bolt out the room as if death itself chased me, but other ideas danced into my mind. Crouched low, I dabbed my finger into a thick sludgy pool of blood. My mouth salivated. Without another thought, the finger was on my lips. Sweet deliciousness teased my tongue. My wolf ruffled its fur - she ached for more. I perked my ears to listen for anyone approaching, then raked two fingers through the blood and hungrily savored the metallic tang. Licking every bit, I considered another taste.

Now's the time to share with the other 99 followers where we can find you on the web. Share all your linkies here:

My blog: http://tfwalsh.wordpress.com

My twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/TFWalsh

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4772922-tania

Thanks so much Tania for participating in this impromptu interview! I wish you the best of luck!!

Summer Means Free Books!

I'm feeling generous and spunky, so I've got all kinds of giveaways going on! Let me fill you in...

1. Today, I'm over at the You Gotta Read Guest Blog, where you'll I'm talking about A Ranger's Tale and giving away a free e-book to one lucky winner. All you have to do is answer the question there and leave your e-mail.

2. Don't forget The Great Canadian Giveaway! From now (Canada Day) until July 4 (USA Day), click on Mr. Speedo to hop around the other blogs and enter to win many different titles, including mine!

3. I'm giving away one signed print copy from Goodreads, so be sure to enter that one starting July 4 until July 22 (my birthday). You'll just need a Goodreads account for that (free and easy!).

4. The Romance Studio will be drawing for a free e-book of A Ranger's Tale on July 11 in their Book-A-Day Giveaway! 


So, lots and lots of chances this month to win a fun fantasy romance!