Featured Author - Sandra Cox! - Part 2

MLM: One of the greatest things about the Internet is that we can connect with writers of all kinds from all over the globe so we want to know: a.)What area of the country/world are you from?

SANDRA: I live in sunny North Carolina

b.)What are the average temperatures of your area?

SANDRA: Today its gorgeous out in the high seventies.

c.)What type of clothing would most residents be wearing today?

SANDRA: Definitely shorts.

d.)What tips do you have for people to “survive” the weather where you are?

SANDRA: North Carolina is one of those places you go to escape survival weather:)

e.)What would you say is the neatest thing about where you live?

SANDRA: We’re about an hour and a half from the mountains and about four hours from the ocean. Perfect.

MLM: Are your taxes done yet, or do you procrastinate until the last day?

SANDRA: We got ours done in February. Yay us!

MLM: Do you do your taxes yourself or do you have someone do them for you?

SANDRA: Definitely have someone do them.

MLM: What would you say is the hardest part of your taxes?

SANDRA: Getting everything organized to turn in. I go through the year sticking tax info in envelopes then I have to put it in some semblance of order.

MLM: In recent years, there has been a push to bring back the family dinner. What are your views on family dinners? Do you find them beneficial? Why or why not?

SANDRA: I think they’re great as long as someone else is cooking :)

MLM: With families having such busy schedules, many take time out to schedule a “game” night. Is this something that you do, have done or might do in the future? Why or why not?

SANDRA: We never had a game night but the family always went out together on Friday nights. And now that the kids are gone the hubby and I carry on the tradition.

MLM: Say you’re at a cabin in the mountains, it’s not exactly warm out and you had the option of where you wanted your hot tub to be. Would you have the hot tub inside or outside the cabin? Why? What is it that you like specifically about it being inside or outside the best?

SANDRA: I’d want it inside near a fireplace and window where I could watch it snow. It’s nice to be cozy inside when it’s cold outside.

MLM: If you could go anywhere in the world for the perfect date, where would you choose to go? Why this destination over others? What’s its connection to you? What would that perfect date entail? When during the year would you take this perfect date? Who would your date be?

SANDRA: Seattle in the spring. I’ve never been there and I’ve always wanted to go, plus maybe I’d run into Edward Cullen :). Since I’ve been married for several years, I’d better take the hubby. *grin*

MLM: Thank you for joining us today! Please be sure and check back for Part 3 of our feature with SANDRA!

Featured Author - Sandra Cox! - Part 1

I am a multi-published author and genre hop in my writing. I write anything from paranormal romance to metaphysical nonfiction. My husband and I live in the south where I am involved in a local rescue.

When I lost my cat of twelve years to cancer, I channeled my writing into a fantasy series about where cats go when they die. I created the world of Catarau, a place where they could live forever, with no disease, no hunger, no terror, but where they could use one of their nine lives to come back to earth to help a loved one.
Shardai

(Book 1 in the Cats of Catarau series)
is now available on Smashwords!
I write about cats in my Sunday column at Night Writers: www.sevennightwriters.blogspot.com

Featured Author - Leslie Soule! - Part 4

BLURB: Fallenwood—a land where magic is the life force, dragons are sages, and wizards good and evil battle for supremacy.

When 23-year-old Ash is thrust into the middle of Fallenwood’s power struggles, she is also forced to face her own inner battles. Life on Earth was hard enough on Ash, who is locked in grief for her stepfather. Now, the fate of Fallenwood rests on her shoulders. She must destroy the Great Crystal—the catalyst for all the land’s magic. As the kingdoms prepare for war, Ash must look inside to find the power to save the world, and herself.

EXCERPT:
Ashley looked around and realized that she was standing in a clearing. Her heart raced, and she breathed slowly, trying to calm her frazzled nerves. Glancing around, she wondered how far off the road she‘d wandered. She looked up into a sky full of stars. She knew it had been mid-day when she‘d started running, and now looking up into the star-filled sky, it had to be late into the night.

A rush of air greeted her the moment she reached this strange part of the forest, before her eyes had temporarily forsaken her. The wind whipped around her from all sides. She backed away from the spot where she stood, because her eyes had yet to adjust to the night, and the wind felt like it was whooshing up from a precipice. Ashley paused to allow her eyes to adjust to the dark. When her sight returned, she realized that she was standing nowhere near a cliff—it was just an unfamiliar area of forest.

Suddenly, a ball of fire hurtled overhead in an arc toward her. Her mind screamed at her to run, but she found that her legs wouldn‘t move. The flaming orb continued its descent, burrowing itself into the soft ground only inches away from Ashley‘s boots.




For more information on Leslie or Fallenwood checkout her website:
lesliesoule.com

Featured Author - Leslie Soule! - Part 3

MLM: Why Fantasy? What was the draw for you?

LESLIE: I love writing about mythical creatures and magic. It makes writing a lot of fun. Also, I’ve read a lot of fantasy and that’s what first got me interested in writing it.

MLM: All of us are influenced and impacted by TV, movies, books and/or authors at different times in our lives. Who, what and which TV, movies, books and/or authors influenced you? When in your life did you discover them and why were they so influential for you? (Don’t be afraid to give us more than one of each kind!)

LESLIE: I have definitely been influenced by J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy and Brian Jacques’s Redwall series. As far as movies, I absolutely love older fantasy/mythology movies like Ladyhawke, Legend, and The Labyrinth. I discovered these books and movies in my teen years and I still think they’re great.

MLM: Considering the TV, movies, books and/or authors mentioned, is there one TV, movie, book and/or author in particular that you try to emulate in your writing? Which one(s) and why? Please be as specific as you can! J

LESLIE: I try to just borrow themes or ideas instead of emulating certain writers in their style. In my latest fantasy novel, Fallenwood, the dream chapter where Ash sees the Wolf King for the first time, was one I worked on in a creative writing class. The assignment was that we were supposed to take a scene from someone else’s work and adapt it to fit our own story. So I took the scene from Shakespeare’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream” where Oberon and Titania are arguing, and that’s what became that little scene.

MLM: If you could describe your writing with a word or phrase, what would it be? Please look beyond words like mysterious, suspenseful, creative, unique etc., and delve into the core of your writing to tell us what word or phrase you want readers to take with them when they've finished reading your story.

LESLIE: I intended to write Fallenwood as a way for me to sort of “go home” to someplace familiar and comfortable after my stepfather’s death. So that’s how my writing ended up for me, is it talks a lot about comfort and friendship and homely things. So I would say that my writing style is “like going home”.

MLM: In Part 2 we asked if you believe in mystical Irish lore such as Leprechauns. Have you ever used any type of Irish lore in one of your stories? If so, which lore and what was the situation?

LESLIE: I haven’t yet, but that would be great! New story idea! Woo Hoo!

MLM: Also in Part 2 we asked you about your views on March. Does this show through in your writing? If so, give some examples how, please!

LESLIE: When I finished reading this question, the scene that instantly came to mind was a scene where Ash and Prince Edward wake up in a field of wildflowers. I definitely want to write about spring scenes more, but it’s been a bit difficult up to this point, since my writing has focused on dark ideas and themes.

MLM: Who decides what characters/creatures you write about, you or your muse? What kind of influence do you have over their actions and the plot, or is the muse always the one deciding the adventure the characters take?

LESLIE: I would say it’s half and half. I wanted to write about Ash and Will, but the other characters definitely came from my muse for Fallenwood. As for how the adventure goes, I never know the path it’s going to take. I know where I want it to end up, and my muse fills in the rest.

MLM: Of all the stories you’ve written please tell us:
a.) Which character/creature did you have the most fun creating and why? What about this character/creature makes it stand out above all the others?

LESLIE: I really like Greymalkin from Fallenwood. He’s a talking cat who was once a man and he’s got these white paws. I love animals, so that’s what does it for me, I think.

b.) If you had the opportunity to meet just one of your characters/creatures in real life, who would it be and why?

LESLIE: I think I would actually want to meet Will Everett. He’s Ash’s mentor and I imagine that he’s got this huge library of magical texts. One of my reviewers said that he’s the unsung hero of the novel, and I definitely agree.

c.) Which of your characters/creatures would you never want to meet under any circumstance and why?

LESLIE: I would say Akaji, but I’ve already met his real-life counterpart. He’s dead now (I didn’t kill him – cancer did). But even writing him into Fallenwood was very difficult for me because the memory of him still scares me. I recall my critique partner saying that every time he showed up in the story, I didn’t want to touch the relationship between him and Ash with a ten foot pole. So that’s one of the things that I had to work through in creating Fallenwood.

d.) If you could choose to visit one setting/world you’ve created which one is it, where is it and why this destination over all the others? What makes it stand out over all the others?

LESLIE: I would want to make a visit to the Pan-Experiential, which is this place where you’re tested through your dreams. I think I would want to go there mainly out of curiosity, to see what sort of tests there would be.

MLM: On that note, we’ll end our interview for this week. Thank you so much for joining us this week!

LESLIE: Thank you for having me!!!!

Featured Author - Leslie Soule! - Part 2

MLM: Mardi Gras is Tuesday March 8th this year. Will you be celebrating it this year? Why or why not? If so, what are your plans this year? Care to share any stories of past Mardi Gras celebrations?

LESLIE: I didn’t end up doing anything for Mardi Gras this year. I usually don’t celebrate it. I was scheduled for Jury Duty and then went to martial arts. I’ve been leading grappling classes lately on Tuesday and Thursday nights.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any cool Mardi Gras stories. Never been to New Orleans or anything. Mardi Gras seems to be a very quiet holiday here on the West coast.

MLM: Are you Irish? Do you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day…why or why not?

LESLIE: Kiss Me! I am an eighth Irish. My Irish ancestry is the only line I can trace all the way back to the country of origin clearly. I usually celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by seeing who’s making corned beef and cabbage and partaking. For the past several years, I’ve wanted to get green beer. I tried making it myself once by just adding food coloring to beer and I added too much – I stained my teeth green!

MLM: In some areas, St. Patty’s Day is celebrated with green beer and all sorts of other green things, like green eggs and ham, have even been given a spotlight this time of year. What kind of activities will be going on in your area?

LESLIE: Umm…I think there are going to be a lot of places offering green beer out here. Also, I know in Old Sacramento there’s always a big St. Patrick’s Day parade.

MLM: One of the greatest things about the Internet is that we can connect with writers of all kinds from all over the globe so we want to know:
a.)What area of the country/world are you from?

LESLIE: I am from Sacramento, California, USA.

b.)What are the average temperatures of your area?

LESLIE: It stays pretty warm most of the time here. We never have snow. It’s awesome.

c.)What type of clothing would most residents be wearing today?

LESLIE: Well, it’s still a bit chilly, so they’d be wearing pants, t-shirt, and probably a light jacket of some kind.

d.)What tips do you have for people to “survive” the weather where you are?

LESLIE: Survive? Ha ha ha ha ha! This is California. It’s so great.

MLM: March has strong connections with Ireland, which is steeped in mysticism. What about you, are you steeped in mysticism? Do you believe in leprechauns and the like, or at least enjoy the tales of them? Why or why not? Are there any mystical beings with ties to Ireland that you really enjoy?

LESLIE: I like to think I’m steeped in mysticism. Maybe a little too much. I think it freaks people out sometimes. I love leprechaun lore. When I was in elementary school, we had to make leprechaun traps and it was so fun. I took one of those little baskets you get strawberries in and tied it to a string and tied that to a big stick so it was like a fishing pole. Then I put lettuce underneath. For some reason, I figured leprechauns would want to eat green things. As for mystical beings with ties to Ireland, I just love Irish mythology in general. What I really love is that the bards of Ireland would lie about their histories on purpose, and make these awesome, elaborate stories. They understood that it doesn’t matter whether these things are literally true, as long as we believe them in our hearts.

MLM: What is your view on March? Does it come in like a lion and exit like a lamb? Do you feel that March is really the time of rebirth, even though many flowers and trees might not start budding until April in northern parts of the world? Why or why not?

LESLIE: I’ve never really thought about how I feel about March before. The month’s only begun and it certainly seems like with everything going on for me, it’s come in like a lion. I guess we’ll see whether it exits like a lamb or not.

MLM: If you could go anywhere in Ireland, where would you go and why?

LESLIE: I would go to County Mayo in Ireland, since that’s where my ancestors were from.

MLM: On that note, we’ll end our interview for this week. Thank you so much for joining us this week! Please check back for the next installment of our feature!

Featured Author - Leslie Soule! - Part 1

Writing begins with reading. My father used to read to my sisters and I when we were little. We insisted on my father reading us bedtime stories. Eventually though, it came time for us to learn to read. From what I’ve heard, with my sisters, the process was gradual. With me, though, it was like I learned to read over night. Ever since I first started reading, books have been fascinating to me. Contained within their pages is the power to transcend time and distance and to send messages to the entire world. That’s why I’ve realized that as writers and consumers, we have to be careful about the kinds of messages we create and also about the kinds of messages we take in. That is because cultural phenomena does not just happen out of thin air. The cultural ideas and values we encounter in our everyday lives are reinforced by the various forms of media that we constantly encounter, whether it’s the words in a book, the lyrics in a song, or the plots of television dramas.

That being said, I’ve written for as long as I can remember. I benefit from (I wouldn’t say “I suffer from”) the effects of an extremely over-active muse. My muse did need some help and encouragement along the way, though. That’s what my stepfather provided for the ten years that I knew him. My stepfather Richard A. Anderson, author of the novel The Temple of the Heart, was my literary mentor. Although I began writing my first novel, Fallenwood, after his death, I could not have written it without his gentle wisdom and patient guidance.

My stepfather died in 2002, the year I graduated from high school. I was devastated, and I had absolutely no idea what to do with my life. My twin sister enrolled me in community college classes at the same time she signed up and my aunt was kind enough to give us the money for textbooks that first semester. I figured that taking General Education courses would give me time to think of what direction I wanted to go in. After taking two years of General Ed., I realized that I’d come to the point where I had to choose. I liked to write and was good at English, so I became an English major. This was a great decision for me, because it exposed me to a lot of the literature that is out there. I think it is important for a person to be well-read, if for no other reason than that you’ll pick up on the myriad literary references that are made in news stories, comics, television shows and video games.

Featured Author - John D. Brown! - Part 4

BLURB: There are three vitalities—the body, the soul, and the Fire which brings the other two to life. Young Talen lives in a world where a person's Fire can be harvested, or stolen, and used by another to work powerful magics. The great Divines protect the people from those who would rob them of their Fire. But the Divine that protects the clans of Talen's land disappears.

All think he is lost, but he is not lost—he was harvested. His Fire and soul were put into a body of grass and stone and turned into a servant of something far more powerful. Something sinister. Something that ranches humans for the flesh of their souls. A being of awesome power has emerged to take back the human herds that are rightfully hers. Her first order of business is to secure the one she selected many years ago to be her overseer. The one that happens to be Talen.

Trapped in a web of lies and ancient secrets, Talen must struggle against family and foe to identify his true enemy before he's transformed . . . into the very lord of the human harvest.

For an Excerpt, check out John's website: johndbrown.com

Featured Author - John D. Brown! - Part 3

Thanks for stopping by!
We hope you enjoy this week's interview

Featured Author - John D. Brown! - Part 2

Welcome back readers! This week, John takes some time to answer a few questions!

MLM: Who is your Valentine this year? Why is this person so special?

JOHN: I don’t have one. I have five. And it’s not because I’m a schwinger (ug) or because I’m from Utah (true). It’s because I have a kick-butt wife and four wonderful daughters, and a man can’t choose when faced with such a choice. I won’t list their many shiny traits. But I will say one liked to chew on large sticks when she was a toddler. A branch would fall out of a tree and you might see her carrying it around later. Did bark make her so smart? Another we called Laffy-Kassie (like the taffy candy) for obvious reasons. The third is feisty and was born to love anything having to do with running and a ball. The fourth is a horse girl who comes home from school and makes sure to give her daddy a kiss and a bit of candy. Now my wife, she’s a rancher’s daughter, which means she knows how to wield a cattle prod. She’s the best friend I’ve ever had. And she comes with curves to boot. How do you choose? Can’t.

MLM: Well, he’s definitely a keeper, huh girls? Will you two be doing anything special for Valentine’s Day? Care to share or is it a surprise?

JOHN: To be sure. I’ve found anything that involves time, chocolate, and laughter is best.

MLM: A smart man! If you could choose your ultimate Valentine’s Day gift, what would it be? Have you ever received this as a gift?

JOHN: I’ve never thought of an ultimate gift. I grew up the son of Utah’s largest florist and nursery. A doughnut and flowers is all I need.

MLM: Ah, the simple pleasures of life! One of the greatest things about the Internet is that we can connect with writers of all kinds from all over the globe so we want to know:
a.)What area of the country/world are you from?

JOHN: I live up in the mountains of northern Utah.

b.)What are the average temperatures of your area?

JOHN: Winters are in the teens and single digits. It sometimes goes to 25 or 30 below. Summers don’t get hotter than the 80’s.

c.)What type of clothing would most residents be wearing today?

JOHN: Cowboy hats, coats, and boots.

d.)What tips do you have for people to “survive” the weather where you are?

JOHN: Live in Arizona

MLM: ROFL at that last answer! Say you’re at a cabin in the mountains, it’s not exactly warm out and you had the option of where you wanted your hot tub to be. Would you have the hot tub inside or outside the cabin? Why? What is it that you like specifically about it being inside or outside the best?

JOHN: Outside every day of the week. I made sure we built our house with the master bath shower with a large window I can open. No, people can’t see in. It’s on the top level of a three-story house, and there’s no other houses close. I love the fresh air, the wind, the stars, and the sun.

MLM: If you could go anywhere in the world for Valentine’s Day, where would you choose to go? Why this destination over others? What’s its connection to you?

JOHN: The Bahamas because that’s where Nellie wants to go.

MLM: [awkward pause] Wow, that'll be hard to top. Oh well, let's get on with the interview. Why Fantasy? What was the draw for you?

JOHN: Well, you already know I wasn’t a reader. It was fantasy that converted me. Maybe I should say addicted me.

I had four sisters growing up, and we had one TV, and so you had to reserve the time for your programs. When I was in sixth grade we were driving somewhere as a family, and my sister says, “I have to watch The Hobbit for school.” The Hobbit?! It sounded like a romance. I protested. No, way–we’re not going to watch some dumb kissing thing. Not during my time.

“No,” she said. “It’s got dragons.”

I told her she was lying. But it didn’t matter. It was for school and that was that.

So I sat down to watch with many sighs. And it had dragons and trolls and goblins and elves and I was smitten. Shortly thereafter my mother and father went on a business trip. I went over to stay at my buddy’s house for a few days. The first day we came up out of the basement to go to school, but I’d been thinking. I said, “Oh, I’m feeling sick.” Played it up. My buddy’s mom told me to go back downstairs. Yes! So my buddy went off to school, and I went back down into the basement and played hookie for two days and read The Hobbit.

And that was all it took.

MLM: All of us are influenced and impacted by TV, movies, books and/or authors at different times in our lives. Who, what and which TV, movies, books and/or authors influenced you? When in your life did you discover them and why were they so influential for you? (Don’t be afraid to give us more than one of each kind!)

JOHN: This question could take five hours to answer all by itself, but I’ll give it a go. I’m influenced by everything I watch and read. On the one hand, I might get my shorts in a wad watching something like the propaganda of Pleasantville and swear I will never do that. I’ll laugh my head off with Seinfeld or The Emperor’s New Groove and tell myself not to forget the humor. I’ll read something like Dean Koontz’s The Good Guy and I’ll cheer and weep and remember I wanted to write about heroes. Then I’ll read The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency and want to make sure I spend time writing about people who delight me. On and on it goes. Adventure, thrills, wonder, romance, laffs, and poignant drama.

MLM: Considering the TV, movies, books and/or authors mentioned, is there one TV, movie, book and/or author in particular that you try to emulate in your writing? Which one(s) and why? Please be as specific as you can! J

JOHN: There are too many authors who do so many things so well. This is a huge craft. There are a tons of things to learn. And so I love Orson Card’s twists on motives. Love Dave Farland’s sense of wonder. Love Lee Child’s thrills. Larry Correia’s sense of humor. Suzanne Collins for a terrific delimma. Ken Follet for a number of sweeping sagas. And on and on and on.

MLM: If you could describe your writing with a word or phrase, what would it be? Please look beyond words like mysterious, suspenseful, creative, unique etc., and delve into the core of your writing to tell us what word or phrase you want readers to take with them when they've finished reading your story.

JOHN: I want readers to feel their life has been better for having given a few hours of it to me. I want to them laugh and cry and cheer. I want to plunge them into nail-biting suspense and bring them out again. I want them to think and wonder. I want them to feel awe and delight. I want them to feel their a bit wiser. I want the story to linger in their hair and clothes for a few days afterwards. I want them to live.

MLM: In Part 2 we asked you about your ultimate Valentine’s Day gift. Have you ever used that as a gift in one of your stories? If so, which one and what was the situation?

JOHN: No, I haven’t, but I think I will.

MLM: Also in Part 2 we asked you about where you’d put the hot tub and why. Does this show through in your writing? If so, give some examples how, please!

JOHN: I don’t know how this shows through, except to say I love adventure. And you can’t do that sitting in a room. Outdoors, well, heck a moose might come through. So you’ll notice a lot of larger-than-life events in my writing.

MLM: Who decides what characters/creatures you write about, you or your muse? What kind of influence do you have over their actions and the plot, or is the muse always the one deciding who done it, where they done it and with what?

JOHN: Well, I don’t know that I buy into that dichotomy J. It’s true the writer’s trance is all about electricity. And I must care about and believe in what I’m writing. I have to write from passion. But I also know from experience that my creativity and passion can be directed. I think it’s a false notion that any idea, even the ones that come in a white heat, are scarce or sacred. My job is to give the readers a marvelous experience. And so if I generate a great idea, but it’s just wrong for the story or it peters out, then I go back to the drawing board and do the things I know spark ideas until I get something that satisfies both my passion and purpose.

MLM: Of all the stories you’ve written please tell us:
a.)Which character/creature did you have the most fun creating and why? What about this character/creature makes it stand out above all the others?

JOHN: I enjoy them all, otherwise I wouldn’t write them. But I will say that Hunger in Servant of a Dark God was a joy to write. He had a voice and rhythm and a terrible dilemma.

b.)If you had the opportunity to meet just one of your characters/creatures in real life, who would it be and why?

JOHN: I’d want to meet a character called Harnock in book two of the Dark God series who was twisted to be the weapon of the enemy but resisted and escaped. He’s a bad mamba jamba with a dark sense of humor.

c.)Which of your characters/creatures would you never want to meet under any circumstance and why?

JOHN: The Mother. She enslaves people by growing a part of herself into them then eats their souls. I pretty much like to avoid being dinner.

d.)If you could choose to visit one setting/world you’ve created which one is it, where is it and why this destination over all the others? What makes it stand out over all the others?

JOHN: My settings are so often full of danger that I don’t know if I’d want to visit. Not until things cooled down. It would be better to vacation in Australia because they have cool accents and get to say thinks like “crikey!”

Featured Author - John D. Brown! - Part 1

Whew! Cupid hasn't figured out about this area yet! I have no idea what he'd do here if he discovered this. It's bad enough he's changed a bit of the main blog. I'm just glad he hasn't changed the color scheme. Oh! I guess I really shouldn't mention things out loud or he might get ideas! You won't give any will you? We'd really appreciate it if you didn't!

I had to bring John D. Brown here after I discovered his book, Servant of a Dark God. He created an interesting world and unique characters. I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment, as are many readers!



I wasn’t destined to be a writer. Heck, I barely read as a child. In fact, I don’t think I read more than two dozen books from kindergarten to sixth grade. I look at the my daughter and the kids in their grade school and they smoke me. They’re reading machines. I was not. I do, however, remember loving the look and feel of chubby books.

I would take them up to the school librarian to check them out. She’d look down at me and say, “Are you going to read all that?”

“Yes,” I’d say.

Of course, it was lie. I did nothing of the sort. I would take them home and put them up on my dresser and just look at them. It was too much work to read them. I just loved the look and chubby feel. When it was time to check them in, I’d take them back and give them to the librarian.

“Did you read all that?” she’d ask.

“Oh, yes,” I’d say.

Yeah, me and writing—it was destiny.

It’s true that when I was in my teens I wanted to tell animated stories. I loved stop animation—Rudolph, Santa Claus is Coming to Town—loved it. I saved up many dollars working as a nursery water boy in the hot Utah summer sun to purchase an 8mm movie camera and the parts for a do-it-yourself animation stand. I was determined to make a film. But my lovely camera was crunched in a conveyor belt in the Athens airport, and, well, sometimes that’s all it takes for some teenage dreams to be set aside.

A number of years later I was twenty-one and starting my college education for real this time. Like a lot of folks, I’d considered a smattering of careers and hadn’t found what I wanted to do. But on a fine spring day I was sitting in an honors class and the professor was quoting Emily Dickinson who was saying that she knew something was poetry when it made her feel as if the top of her head were coming off. An electric jolt shot down my spine. And I knew I wanted to take the tops of people’s heads off.

Not being a serial killer, I enrolled in the English program. Of course, it was a long haul after that before I was professionally published, but I think that’s the moment when I decided to write stories.

Welcome!

Welcome to our Fantasy Files! These files have lain dormant until now! Starting February 2011, we'll have our first guest - John D. Brown, author of Servant of a Dark God!

See you soon!