Guest Blogger: Miranda Boers, 'Be Inspired' Blog Hop

Hey all,

When I wrote my answers for the 'Be Inspired' Blog Hop a few days ago, I tagged the lovely Miranda Boers (@PurpleQueenNL on twitter). Unfortunately she doesn't have a blog at the moment, so I agreed to post her answers here. Do read them, her novel sounds great! So, without further ado...

'Be Inspired' Blog Hop

First, the rules:

1. Answer the ten questions
2. Tag five other writers, link to them in your post so we can hop over and see their answers too.

The Questions:

1. What is the name of your book:

Jade (working title, not come up with anything better yet – it the name of the MC’s nightclub in the book)

2. Where did the idea for your book come from?

That’s a long winded one. As an early teenage I used to dream that I was a man, and it led me to thinking what my friends would think if they met me later in life and I was a man, so I would ask them! I also always wanted to own a nightclub – I was inspired by going to the Hippodrome in Leicester Square in London when I was 16 (and old theatre transformed into a nightclub), and with both those two idea, the fantasy grew of me being in my own nightclub, as a male, and some friends who knew me as a female came in one night, and I chatted with them, and they had no clue. Thus the book was born.

3. In what genre would you classify your book?

I have been trying to categorise it, and found one called Realist Fiction, which is is in that it is set in the here and now, with what is possible today, although I tend to refer to it as a Suspense and Reveal story, which is very character based.

4. If you had to pick actors to play your characters in a movie rendition, who would you choose?

Lead MC would be a Brad Pitt (in his early days) look alike maybe…but otherwise I don’t really know, and although the faces of my characters are very clear to me, and the whole thing plays like a movie in my mind, I have never actually thought of what actors today would suit them. I am not a big fan of movies from books I have read! Many Stephen King films have ruined the characters I had in my mind, so I tend not to watch them.

5. Give us a one sentence synopsis of your book:

Michael Nelson owns an exclusive nightclub in the centre of London, and is in love with his girlfriend Kate Turner, but has to tell her something that just might break them up, and ruin his business too.

6. Is your book already published/represented?

No, it’s not quite finished, and still deciding on what route.

7. How long did it take to write your book?

I started the book September 2010 – and I am hoping it will be only another month or so – so not quite 2 years.

8. What other books within your genre would you compare it to? Or, readers of which books would enjoy yours?

I am not sure; a friend that read it said it reminded him of Sidney Sheldon novels in terms of the setting. But really I have yet to really be able to place it. I haven’t read anything like it – well the suspense might come from my years of reading Stephen King, but that is about it.

9. Which authors inspired you to write this book?

This book specifically – none. But inspired me to write? It has to be Stephen King, I also love James Herbert and Clive Barker, and Terry Pratchett and Raymond Fiest.

10. Tell us anything that might pique our interest in your book.
Michael Nelson loves his life as a nightclub owner, but loves his girlfriend more, and wants to marry her, but before he can do that he also has to tell her something about himself that might cause her to leave him, and if word gets out; destroy his reputation too.

He plans to tell her when they go to Australia together for work – he is setting up a new nightclub, while she is looking after clients.  But when he meets a work colleague of hers, who recognises him – although not completely, things get a little big difficult, and he is pushed to tell her sooner than planned. What will happen if he tells her work colleague who he really is, and that they were once lovers? And what will she do once she finds out?

And now – to tag five other bloggers (apologies if you've already been tagged):

Laura Huntly @LauraHuntley
Edward Fraser @EWFF88
Jessica Maybury @JessicaMaybury
Jonathan D Allen @crimnos
Michael Haynes @mohio73

Napping Blogger Award (and a little fan love)

So, Angie Richmond of Write Me Happy nominated me for this little meme/award. The rules?

1) Link back to the person/blog that nominated you
2) Tell us what you do to make time you YOU. That might be a hobby, a musical break, a favourite show or movie, sitting outside etc.
3) Nominated 5 bloggers - especially those you think could use a break.

So, what do I do to make time for me? Away from writing? Honestly I've spent so long procrastinating from various projects that the list is as long as my arm - gaming, seeing friends, watching an unhealthy amount of TV. But through it all, one thing stands out as something that helps me to just relax, switch off, and simply be.

Those of you who know me best will know I've had a tough year. My main escape from this has been a greater focus on guitar. I might be a writer of fiction but a songwriter I am not, so don't think I sit and compose glorious melodies and lyrics that would make the angels weep. No, I'm more about covers.

Those of you who know me best will also know I have a mild obsession with one singer-songwriter in particular, by the name of Josh Ritter, going so far as to have a line of his lyrics on one of my tattoos. His lyrics are, simply put, incredible. He's been compared to greats like Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen, and while other people may escape into a great book, I escape into Josh Ritter's songs of love and loss, of Americana and endless searching. He even released a novel last year, titled 'Bright's Passage', which is probably one of the best novels I've read in recent years. Over the past year I've learnt as many Josh Ritter songs as I can, specifically teaching myself to fingerpick.

I've embeded one of my favourite songs of his, the one I'm the most proud of being able to learn. When I'm playing and singing this, everything else just disappears. All I've been through this past year melts away, and for a few minutes I'm lost in the world he creates. This is one of many Josh Ritter songs I would recommend to people. I could spend hours interpreting and discussing his lyrics, as I have done with friends who are fans.

I realise I've rambled on for long enough - I guess that says it all. In short, when I want to relax and just make time for me, I pick up the guitar and I lose myself in whatever song comes to mind - oftentimes the first thing I play will be Josh Ritter. I hope, one day, to be able to write even a single line with the brilliance and genius of his. So many songwriters these days are unable to write lyrics the way they used to be written - lyrics that can be discussed and interpreted; songs which leave you breathless.

So, now to tag people - and apologies if you've already been tagged! As usual thanks for reading - sorry this was a long one.

Dreaming of Stories / @Afsaneh_Dreams

Catching Hummingbirds / @2CAHummingbird

Eilis Phillips / @EilisPhillips

Andrew Moore / @AGRMoore
Angela Goff / @Angela_Goff

'Be Inspired' Blog Hop

Hey folks,

Another meme, though this give me an opportunity to write a little about the current novel in progress. I was tagged by the lovely Angela Goff (@Angela_Goff on twitter). As usual thanks for reading, and even if I don't tag you please take part anyway!

First, the rules:

1. Answer the ten questions

2. Tag five other writers, link to them in your post so we can hop over and see their answers too.

The Questions:

1. What is the name of your book:

Lucian (working title, possibly being changed to 'The Shadows at Sunrise').

2. Where did the idea for your book come from?

First, in my undergraduate degree I took a module entirely on Yeats. One of my favourite aspects of this module was studying Yeats' fascination with the Occult, and the so-called Occult Renaissance that took place at the end of the 19th Century. Societies like the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and Madame Blavatsky's Theosophical Society were so sure that they were about to discover something special, some hidden knowledge that would explain our place in the universe. I began to wonder, what if they did? What if we were contacted by some otherworldly force? The world of Lucian was born. Of course, since then the moment of contact in Lucian's world has been driven back by a few hundred years, but the seed was still in the Occult Renaissance of our world.

Secondly, and rather more simply, A man sat down in front of me in my mind's eye. He was a man who had seen things, a man who life had not been kind to. As with most writers this came completely out of the blue, but suddenly I was there, we were sitting in a dark bar, and he spoke to me. He said 'What I am about to tell you is true; you can choose to believe me, or you can walk out that door.' He motioned to the heavy door of the pub, cigarette still in hand, and took a draw. 'I don't care either way,' he finished, and I was hooked.

3. In what genre would you classify your book?

Young Adult Urban Fantasy

4. If you had to pick actors to play your characters in a movie rendition, who would you choose?  

I honestly have no idea. Unknowns would be good, simply because I don't want people looking at David, or Lucian, or any of my other characters and thinking 'oh hey, it's James Bond, and look there's the guy from Jumper'. Fresh faces are always good, so long as they can act. But why start thinking about this now? I have to finish the damn thing first.

5. Give us a one sentence synopsis of your book:

A teenage boy with the ability to see the dead is told that he is from a parallel Earth; taken there by the enigmatic Lucian, promised the truth about where he comes from, there are darker forces afoot that threaten not only Lucian's world, but all worlds.

6. Is your book already published/represented?

Not yet. I ran into some trouble with it, and it sat undisturbed for a while, but I believe I'm finally getting to a state where I can finish it. It's currently sitting at 66,000 words.

7. How long did it take to write your book?

Too long.

8. What other books within your genre would you compare it to? Or, readers of which books would enjoy yours? 

I'm honestly not sure. Readers of Garth Nix, Neil Gaiman, even J.K. Rowling. It's tough to say...it's dark at times, so I can only hope that readers of any upper band YA would likely enjoy it.

9. Which authors inspired you to write this book?

Obviously W.B. Yeats is responsible for the seed of the story itself. Otherwise, as above, writers like Neil Gaiman who are able to weave fantastically real fantasy worlds that skirt the edges of our society, or J.K. Rowling for her ability to carve a grandiose epic from a beginning so small.

10. Tell us anything that might pique our interest in your book.

I find it so hard to boil down the story to a single sentence, something which I know I will have to work on for query letters and suchlike. As such, here is a longer synopsis.

'Can anyone really change their destiny?

Seventeen year old David Gardener has always been able to see the spirits of the dead, and those nameless things that lurk just beyond the veil. He never knew his family, so when the enigmatic Lucian Ducant tells him he is from a parallel world, he doesn't know what to believe.

Desperate to discover where he comes from, clinging to the promise of answers, he joins Lucian in a world of cobbled streets and clockwork, where history took an entirely different turn and magic is fact. But something is stirring beyond the veil, and Lucian is not being entirely truthful with David. What of the strange dreams he is having, of the trenches and the dying, and the wall of mist so thick that it blocks out the sun? A terrible destiny awaits David, one which threatens not only the fate of the world he comes to think of as home, but the fate of every person in every world.'

And now – to tag five other bloggers (apologies if you've already been tagged):

Dreaming of Stories / @Afsaneh_Dreams

Catching Hummingbirds / @2CAHummingbird

Eilis Phillips / @EilisPhillips

Miranda Boers / @PurpleQueenNL

Angie Richmond / @write_me_happy

Five Sentence Fiction: Lost

It's Five Sentence Fiction time again! As usual, every week Lillie McFerrin posts a prompt on her blog (now moved to a new site). The goal? A flash fiction story, five sentences long, based on the prompt.

This one is a little formulaic, but I think it might work regardless. As usual, thanks for reading, and leave a comment to let me know what you think.

This Week's Prompt: Lost

(Photo taken by me - please do not use without permission)

It was starting to get dark; mist was rolling in from the reservoir, blurring the lines of trees and fallen logs and the slopes where, Sophie knew, she could easily fall and break her leg. As she stumbled on a mossy log she called out for them again, but she knew it would be fruitless; it had been hours since she had strayed from the path, and her parents were likely searching in completely the wrong direction.

Her eyes stung after the deluge of tears; another log, another stumble and she caught her balance on a huge tree, resting her back against it to try and let her despair subside. And there, almost hidden by a huge oak, was the smallest cabin; threadbare curtains hung on the windows, illuminated by the flickering candlelight within.

Her heart screamed that this was not right, that something seemed off, but she approached the cabin anyway; it was only when she got closer that she saw a hand let the threadbare curtain fall, and her voyeur’s shadow dart past the candlelight.

Five Sentence Fiction: Foggy

Time for another Five Sentence Fiction post. As usual, every week Lillie McFerrin posts a prompt. The objective? Write a five sentence long Flash Fiction story based off that prompt. It doesn't need to include the word, but just be the seed of the story.

My original idea for this prompt was different, but I couldn't get the idea to work. Perhaps I'll go back to it sometime, and write another story based off the idea. Perhaps it simply can't be told in five short sentences, and needs to be something a little longer. As usual, thanks for reading and hope you enjoy!

This Week's Prompt: Foggy

Despite the density of the fog I knew that something was wrong.

I should have been able to see movement in the cabin’s windows, a shadow pass as my wife laid the table and my son did his best to distract her, but not the porch swing nor the trees dared to move and not a single light shone from within.

I got out of the car, my heart beating so hard I thought it would burst out of my chest, my mind whirring through all the possibilities. As my foot touched the porch step I had almost convinced myself that, just maybe, Sheryl had simply fallen asleep; a short lived lie, and in retrospect my last moment of solace before my world was ripped apart.

My foot slipped on something wet and I had to grab onto the railing to keep from falling; I looked, my heart beating even harder; the porch, the doorframe, and the door itself were soaked in what could only be my family’s blood.

Kreativ Blogger Award

Hey all,
So, I've just been tagged in the 'Kreativ Blogger Award' by Lisa Shambrook (check out her blog...) so here goes...

The Rules:
1. Thank & link back to the person who nominated you.
2. Answer the ten questions.
3. Share ten random facts/thoughts about yourself.
4. Nominate seven worthy blogs for the Kreative Blogger Award.

The Questions:
1. What's your favorite song?
This tends to change a lot, but Josh Ritter's "Wings" gives me chills every time.

2. What's your favorite dessert?
Cheesecake, every time. Honeycomb Cheesecake is incredible.

3. What ticks you off?
Disrespecting another's beliefs, opinion, or way of life. We are, each of us, entitled to our say, unless that way of life directly harms another person or yourself. That and racism.

4. What do you do when you're upset?
You'd expect a writer to say "write", correct? Surprisingly I can't write at all when I'm upset - instead, I play guitar. 

5. Which is your favorite pet?
I have two cats, Selene and Solstice, who I could not be without. I'd probably go crazy with loneliness without them. I'll never forget my last dog though, Shadow. He's dead a year and a half, and was my best friend for a decade. Rest in Peace, buddy.

6. Which do you prefer: black or white?
Would you like a literal or philosophical answer? Can black exist without white? Good without evil? If so, then I'll say black ;)

7. What is your biggest fear?
Losing those I care most about.

8. What is your attitude mostly?
I'm a worrier, unfortunately. I'm quiet, shy, can become quite introverted, and self-conscious, though online I'm almost a different person.

9. What is perfection?
A house by the sea, with two cats and someone who loves me. A few novels published, a comfortable amount of money in the bank, and for one person in the world to finish my novel and think 'wow...my life is never going to be the same again'. But does perfection exist? All we can hope for is to get as close to perfection as is possible, with minimal heartbreak along the way.

10. What is your guilty pleasure?
God, there's far too many to even list...

The Random Facts:

1. Beginning from when I was a kid, I've wanted to be everything from an archaeologist, an astronaut, a palaeontologist, a videogame journalist, a psychologist, a teacher, and a writer. I still have no idea what I want to do with my life.

2. I gave up the dream of archaeology because I was scared of ancient Egyptian curses (I was 6, to be fair...)

3. I live in Northern Ireland, which can be nice...sometimes. We have an 800 year old Norman Castle in our town, perfectly preserved.

4. I want, more than anything, to go north and see the Aurora Borealis with my own eyes.

5. I am quick to fear someone will let me down, but equally quick to give people second chances. I place a lot of faith in people sometimes.

6. I've been working on my novel, in some shape or form, for 4 years (from when the initial idea struck me). I have two other novel ideas waiting in the wings.

7. I was vegetarian for ten years until last summer. Since then, I've been trying any kind of meat I can get my hands on. My favourite so far is either Kangaroo or Venison...

8. I struggle to write, a lot, and have little faith in my own writing ability. When someone gives me positive feedback I often disregard it, thinking they are just being nice, and I find it far easier to accept criticism.

9. My favourite movie is still The Shawshank Redemption. Can't get much better than Shawshank.

10. If I was going to change my name to anything, it would be Alexander. I don't know why. 

The Nominations:
No idea if these bloggers have already participated, but here you go!


http://anonymouslegacy.blogspot.co.uk/ - @angela_goff
http://dasiahasablog.blogspot.co.uk/ - @awkwardoptimist
http://jemcogdell.blogspot.co.uk/ - @jean_elaine
http://lilliemcferrin.blogspot.co.uk/ - @lilliemcferrin
http://2catchahummingbird.blogspot.co.uk/ - @2CAHummingbird
http://the-book-thief.blogspot.co.uk/ - @AGRMoore
http://arichmondwritemehappy.blogspot.co.uk/ - @write_me_happy

One Year Ago

(Photo taken in 2008, at my Bachelor's Degree graduation)

One year ago today, at 6:52am, my dad left this world after a short battle with cancer. My mum was by his side as he took his last breath, while I never had the chance to say goodbye.
For many reasons this has been the hardest year of my life, so I want to say, while I have the chance, how much I value each and every one of you who have stood by me during this time. Life is short, and it can end so suddenly. So if you love someone, tell them. If you need someone, tell them. Don't waste time. Don't have regrets. We have once chance at this.

I love you Dad, and I miss you more than anything.

A Delayed Update

So, unfortunately it's been a month since I updated - the result of a lot going on in the world of Matt, but not a lot going on in the world of writing. If you're reading this and wondering where I've been, I'm sorry.
Chiefly, tomorrow will be the one year anniversary of my father's death, a date which has overshadowed most of the last few months. Suffice to say, I'm dreading it.
As a result of this, though I would be naive to think this was the only cause, I've barely written this past month. A few flash pieces here and there, though nothing substantial enough to think it could spark a longer story (and not anything that is worth posting here).
I've been preparing The Keeper of Tales on and off for the past month, having a few people read the (almost) final version, with my sights firmly placed on a competition hosted by Fantasy Faction for their upcoming anthology. First Prize is $500, but I'd be happy with simply having my work published in the anthology. The competition seems to be a bit of a career maker, with the winning entries being published alongside several renowned authors. I'd be a fool not to submit, and The Keeper of Tales seems a perfect fit.
Apart from this? A little planning for The Shadow of Death, and a lot of sitting around considering what to do with my novel-in-progress, Lucian (Working Title). This is the big one, and it needs finished. Fast. Before I go insane and set fire to the manuscript.
Before we wrap up, I'd just like to take a moment to plug Eschatology Journal, which I was previously published in. They really are a great journal, specialising in apocalyptic fiction, and are great for aspiring writers to get their work out there. They're currently looking for donations, and I'm happy to say I donated what I could. If even half their readers donated $1, they could raise their payscale from Token Payment to Semi-Professional, so every penny donated goes back to the writers they publish. Just click 'become a patron' if you are interested. I want to see this, and all literary journals, succeed.
I have a few ideas for upcoming entries, so hopefully I'll get them written hard and fast. Aside from this, any writing games, competitions, or updates on my many works in progress will be posted here!

Thanks for reading folks. As usual, any suggestions for blog entries are very appreciated.

Happy writing!

Matt

Five Sentence Fiction: Armour

First time doing this - Every week, Lillie McFerrin posts a theme on her blog for a FSF challenge. Decided, at last, to give it a go!

This week's theme - Armour.

(Yes, I'm British, so I spell it with a U)

She donned the armour in silence, as best as she could considering she would have to manage on her own. First the leather hide, that part was easy; then plate metal, rubbed in goose fat for lubrication and insulation, for in the North Lands the cold could freeze your bones with just a whip of the wind.

She found that she could move easier than expected, and the magic of the armour changed its shape to accommodate her smaller physique, but as it twisted to the contours of her breasts the hole over her heart remained. The armour could not knit this back together, for the sword that had pierced it had been spelled with dark magic, with runes to degrade and destroy.

Cloaked now in the armour her father had died in, she took up his sword; tonight, her father would be avenged.

The Keeper of Tales, and 7 Sentence Challenge

The past few days have been focused on finishing my latest short story, which I've mentioned in previous posts. Following the feedback received from my writers group (a shout out here to Joanne, Eilis, Niamh and Cathy) and from my good friend Liz (visit her fantastic ezine Wordlegs), the story is very nearly complete. Titled 'The Keeper of Tales', it's about two brothers and their clandestine burial of a body deep in the snowy woods of Germany. As in all good stories there is more to this than meets the eye, and things go from bad to worse when we discover just who - or what - the body is.

I'll give no more away. It's now at a third or fourth draft stage, and I have a few others reading at the moment it for final opinions before I start looking for a suitable market. This, I think, I'll write about next time. There is a fantastic website I have used in the past, sort of like a searchable Writer and Artist Yearbook, which I couldn't recommend more if you are a fellow writer.

As a teaser, I thought I'd take part in a little meme proposed by my good friend Angela Goff over at Anonymous Legacy (you can follow her on twitter at @angela_goff). It's called 'The Lucky Seven Game'.

1. Go to page 7 or 77 in your current manuscripe.
2. Go to line 7.
3. Copy down the next seven lines/sentences as they are - no cheating.
4. Tag seven other authors.

While I don't have seven other authors to tag who have not already taken part (if you'd like to take part and don't have a blogspot, feel free to post in my comments), I thought, what better time to post something from The Keeper of Tales? So, here you have it - seven lines from the seventh page.

Wilhelm curses and pulls me on. The preternatural wind whips up again, the manifestation of her rage; all around us I hear sounds and movement coming out of the snow and the dark; inhuman cries, muddled voices and half conversations. A glance and Wilhelm dodges something I did not see, but I hear him swear even over the cacophony of sound.

‘What were those things,’ he calls.

‘I don’t know, just keep moving!’

‘They’re her, she’s doing this!’

Teasing, right? Hopefully you can read The Keeper of Tales soon as possible, if I am lucky enough for it to be picked up by anyone. Until next time, and thanks for reading.

Matt