Author Interview with Brian Paone

Today, I am featuring author Brian Paone, whose story “Come Moonshine or Fog,” is included in the anthology “A Bond of Words,” alongside my own brand-new story, “Rhythm of the Bug-ity Beat.”

What are you working on now?

The novelization of Digital Underground’s “Sex packets” album for this year, then “Moonlight City Drive Part 3” (which will complete the trilogy) will follow in 2021. On the horizon after that is a novelization of Pink Floyd’s “The Final Cut Album,” a novel where big band, doo-woop, classic rock, metal, and rap all exist simultaneously in alternate universes, and a few other ideas rolling around.

What book are you currently reading?

“John Z, the DeLorean, and Me” by Barrie Wills

What is the hardest part of writing for you?

Hardest is the blurb. Spitting out 110k-word novels is like taking a stroll for me. Needing to write 150 words about what the book is about? That’s when I usually become an alcoholic and try to bribe those little elves who fix shoes in the middle of the night to write my blurbs for me. How bad am I am it? I have 5 published novels, and I have written 0 of the blurbs. Either my editor or my wife write them for me. Ha!

If you could meet one author, living or dead, who you choose?

Stephen King

If you were on death row, what would you request for a last meal?

Tacos

What is your ideal writing snack?

Tacos, with a side of tacos

What personal bond inspired your story?

My story is a rock-fiction adaptation of the song “Jealous of Youth” by TheThe. It was inspired by Stephen King’s novella “The Body,” and, oddly, the movie “My Girl.” Oh, and a really big tree stump that had fallen across my jogging path in the woods behind my house.

What is it that you want a reader to take away from it, be it one emotion or a thought or a memory?-

Nostalgia strikes hard at the heart …

Pick up a copy of “A Bond of Words” in paperback or eBook at any book retailer worldwide, including Amazon. If you purchase the paperback directly from Scout Media, you will get another ‘Of Words’ anthology of your choosing in eBook for FREE as well as a FREE companion soundtrack download!!#ScoutMedia#ABOWhttps://www.scoutmediabooksmusic.com/new-products-1/a-bond-of-words-paperback-companion-soundtrack-download

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Author Interview with Brian Paone

Interview with author Carolyn Young

Today, I am featuring author Carolyn Young, whose story “Until Death,” is included in the anthology “A Bond of Words,” alongside my own brand-new story, “Rhythm of the Bug-ity Beat.”

What is the hardest part of writing for you? What is the easiest?
The hardest part for me is brainstorming a story I want to write. Once I get the idea for a story, I need to have a good feel for the characters before I can write it, but when I feel them, writing the story is the easy part.

Did your story play out as you planned it?
Not this time. I wrote four different versions of the ending and none of them worked. I realised I had to let go of how I wanted the story to end, and let it write itself. When I finished, I felt like I’d been punched in the gut and I knew it was the right ending for the story.

What story was your favorite in the book?
I have two very different favourites. I loved ‘Dear Paige’ by Rayona Lovely Wilson. It’s the first story I’ve read in a long time that had me crying like a baby at the end. I also loved Austin Sheehan’s story ‘Eternally Mine’. I loved the buildup of tension throughout the story and the ending blew me away.

If you could meet one author, living or dead, who you choose?
Sara Douglass. Sara was also an Australian author who I had the opportunity to get to know online before I became a writer. She was an amazing person and her blog post called ‘The Silence of the Dying’ was one of the most moving pieces I’ve ever read.

What are you working on now?
I’m currently preparing my first novel ‘The Broken’ for professional editing with the hope I’ll find an agent to represent it.

Pick up a copy of “A Bond of Words” in paperback or eBook at any book retailer worldwide, including Amazon. If you purchase the paperback directly from Scout Media, you will get another ‘Of Words’ anthology of your choosing in eBook for FREE as well as a FREE companion soundtrack download!!
#ScoutMedia #ABOW

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Interview with author Carolyn Young

Interview with author Zachery J Ivens

Today, I am featuring author Zachery J Ivens, whose story “Clean With Hatred,” is included in the anthology “A Bond of Words,” alongside my own brand-new story, “Rhythm of the Bug-ity Beat.”

Q1: Did you have a special bond with somebody that shaped who you are today?
A1: I could easily say just about anyone in my family here, but I think my best friend Donovan is the one most deserving of the spotlight. He is kind, charismatic, respectful, hard-working; all traits I admire and try to incorporate in my daily life. He is also one of my biggest supporters where writing and publishing my works are concerned among many other aspects of my life. We are there to help one another in times of need and life without him would be rather dull. Him and I go way back and we consider each other as brothers to this day.

Q2: What are you working on now?
A2: There are several stories and novels I am working on currently, but since I am trying this new thing called prioritization, I will only make mention of the WIP I am putting all my attention into now. It is a novel with plenty of psychological elements, and the MC leads a dystopian life that will eventually lead them to solitude and isolation. However, someone has taken notice of this and intends to put every ounce of effort into breaking the MC out of their shell, as grueling and arduous the task may be, and perhaps make something magical happen in the process. Now whether that truly happens or if the characters of that story plan to play an Uno Reverse Card on me, even I have no way of knowing.

Q3: What is the hardest part of writing for you? What is the easiest?
A3: Perhaps the most difficult part of writing for me is the actual part of sitting down and writing. I have ADHD, a learning disability that makes it rather difficult for me to sit still and focus on even the things I truly wish to do. My mind likes to wander and daydream, and so while I want to write, sometimes I stare at the blank page and lose myself to the world of daydreams and become slothful. The best method to combat it, at least for me, is to know precisely what I will write before sitting down to write. The easiest part of writing for me is showing over telling. This is where you give your scenes life and creativity and can truly paint a picture with your words instead of blatantly telling the reader what is going on and how things look and appear. It is something I struggled with at first but have since found it quite easy through continuous practice, proving that practice certainly makes perfect, or as close as can be to it.

Q4: If you could meet one author, living or dead, who would you choose?
A4: It is perhaps a generic answer but I don’t believe anything else could be more truthful. I would be honoured to meet Stephen King one day as his stories take on a similar approach to what I write about and enjoy in a story, such as the horror and psychological elements as well as some suspense to keep the readers hooked and on edge. He is one of the many authors out there who have inspired me to become a writer and to show the world my works whether it be to entertain or to teach something valuable.

Q5: What is your ideal writing snack?
A5: There are several snacks I like to eat while I write, so I will list three of them.
• Crackers with melted cheese on top (a quick microwave snack)
• Peanut butter sandwiches (either plain or toasted, sometimes with jam)
• Smarties (and yes, I am the type that sorts out all the candies by colour and eats the red ones last)

Pick up a copy of “A Bond of Words” in paperback or eBook at any book retailer worldwide, including Amazon. If you purchase the paperback directly from Scout Media, you will get another ‘Of Words’ anthology of your choosing in eBook for FREE as well as a FREE companion soundtrack download!!
#ScoutMedia #ABOW

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Interview with author Zachery J Ivens

Interview with author Bethany Hoeflich

Today, I am featuring author Bethany Hoeflich, whose story “Soul Bonds are a Witch,” is included in the anthology “A Bond of Words,” alongside my own brand-new story, “Rhythm of the Bug-ity Beat.” Her story is cute and a little dark…a great combo!

1) What are you working on now?

As I write this, I’m gearing up to release the last book in The Dreg Trilogy. This book has been the hardest thing I’ve ever written, primarily because I had to keep going back to make sure I tied up all the plot bunnies and loose ends to create a satisfying conclusion for the series. So, what next? I think a break is in order.

By ‘break’, I mean researching and outlining for my next series, writing some stories to release under a pen name, and binge-watching Downton Abbey.

2) What is the hardest part of writing for you? What is the easiest?

The hardest part is taking the scene as it plays out in my brain and translating that to actual words. Staying focused would have to be a close second. If I pop online for ‘research’ I will inevitably fall down the black hole of the internet and wind up watching twenty videos of bears playing the piano. It’s a curse.

The easiest part of writing is revisions. Once I have the bones of a scene down, it’s a joy to flesh it out and bring it to life.

3) What personal bond inspired your story?

The moment I learned the theme for ABOW my brain twisted it and said, “Brian never said it had to be a positive bond.” Incidentally, I was feeding my two-year-old corn snake, Trix, at the time. Now, I love snakes, but wouldn’t it be hilarious if someone who is terrified of snakes ended up bound to one?

And thus, Vikki and David Hisslehoff were born, much to their chagrin.

4) Did your story play out as you planned it?

My stories never do. The moment my characters gain autonomy, they run the show. I used to scoff at the idea of characters having minds of their own until it happened to me. Now I just shut up and keep track of the stupid stuff they do—it’s generally better than I planned anyway.

5) What is it that you want a reader to take away from it, be it one emotion or a thought or a memory?

Entertainment.

I read books as a temporary escape from reality, and I hope that my readers enjoy sinking into my stories. A few laughs would be an added bonus.

Pick up a copy of “A Bond of Words” in paperback or eBook at any book retailer worldwide, including Amazon. If you purchase the paperback directly from Scout Media, you will get another ‘Of Words’ anthology of your choosing in eBook for FREE as well as a FREE companion soundtrack download!!

#ScoutMedia #ABOW

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Interview with author Bethany Hoeflich

Interview with author DW Vogel

Today, I am featuring author DW Vogel, whose story “Slow Fade” is included in the anthology “A Bond of Words,” alongside my own brand-new story, “Rhythm of the Bug-ity Beat.”

*What are you working on now?

I’m really excited by my current project because it’s such a departure for me. SolarFlare Games has chosen me to write the campaign for their newest project, a card-based, story-driven hybrid RPG adventure, with no dungeon master required. It’s a dice-rolling, monster-killing, choice-making, loot-grabbing romp through a fantasy world, with a group of adventurers trying to prevent the return of the Demon Lord that nearly destroyed their world a century ago. Can’t wait to share it with gamers everywhere!

*If you could meet one author, living or dead, who would you choose?

I would love to meet Sir Terry Pratchett, just to shake his hand and thank him for the hours and hours of joy his works have given me. We will never see his equal.

*If you were on death row, what would you request for a last meal?

I’m from Cincinnati, so my last meal would be a Skyline Chili 3-way with one cheese coney, no onion, no mustard. Only in Cincinnati can you order a 3-way in a restaurant and not get slapped by the server (it’s chili, spaghetti, and cheese. You can add onions or beans for a 4-way, or both for a 5-way, but that would be a flammable last meal, depending on the timing).

*What is it that you want a reader to take away from it, be it one emotion or a thought or a memory?

I hope my story will leave readers with a sense of hope and wonder.

*Did your story play out as you planned it?

My stories always play out as planned because I’m a plotter. I know the end before I write the first word. I’ve tried it the other way and for me, it just ends up a mess. Kudos to those who can figure things out as they go along and not have a pile of spaghetti to unravel when they’re done.

Bonus Question!

*If your story were turned into a screenplay, who would you cast as the main character? Why?

My story would be a lot of misty, still images with a voice-over, and the law states that all voiceovers are performed by Morgan Freeman.

Pick up a copy of “A Bond of Words” in paperback or eBook at any book retailer worldwide, including Amazon. If you purchase the paperback directly from Scout Media, you will get another ‘Of Words’ anthology of your choosing in eBook for FREE as well as a FREE companion soundtrack download!!

#ScoutMedia #ABOW

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Interview with author DW Vogel