Blog post for JD: ‘The art of interviews – to cut a short story long’

The lovely and talented Morgen Bailey everyone!!!

JD loves to set me a challenge and this could have been the shortest guest blog post in history because I figured there isn’t really an art to interviewing someone but then I thought again…

Although I’m famous (amongst my friends anyway) for cutting a short story long (one of the attributes I inherited from my father), I’ll try to restrain myself here… (do I hear a “hoorah” from the back?).

I started my podcast (Bailey’s Writing Tips) not long after buying my first Mac laptop (another “hoorah”… who is that?) last summer and once I spotted the ‘Podcast’ logo I was hooked. I’d already been listening to, and loving, other writing-related podcasts for several months and so I started mine with mixed hints and tips – rehashed… er, carefully crafted from the fortnightly handouts I provide to my writing group. I did this, as an episode a week, for almost a month and then thought it might be nice to do some interviews as I’d enjoyed the ones I’d been hearing, so my first guinea pig… um, interviewee was the poetry circle host of one of the writing groups I belong to. I went round to her house mid-September and there she was, Sunday best outfit and full face of make-up… oops. I’d neglected to mention that it was audio only so I felt guilty, but Julia being Julia, she didn’t mind one jot and gleefully sat in front of the (lovely-looking 1950’s style) microphone. I’d emailed her the questions I wanted to put to her, to which she’d typed in her answers and then read it like a script, including some of her poetry towards the end. As you would expect, we did go off topic but it generally went to plan and after some minor editing, was then released as a 17-minute special episode (no.1) a few days later.

Another writing friend / former tutor (romance novelist Sue Moorcroft) was then October’s guest although we went off at more tangents than a schoolchild’s geometry set so that ended up being two nearly half-hour episodes revolving around her genre, short stories, non-fiction writing (including a Formula One column) and her competition judging for the monthly Writers’ Forum magazine.

In November I then travelled to Derbyshire to meet my third guest, another former tutor (of women’s magazine writing) Joanna Barnden. From then on, having discovered Skype, the genres became more varied, the frequency upped from monthly to fortnightly and locations became a little more exotic from Cardiff (Wales) to Yorkshire and Surrey to the USA and finally meeting up with former tutor (I have a lot of those don’t I?) crime writer Sally Spedding (whose writing group I took over in 2008) at Winchester Writers’ Conference this July.

The downside of all this was the editing time. I wanted to produce polished episodes and therefore every “um”, “ah” and “er” was chopped which often meant listening to the recording several times which in the case of Jane Davis (because we had such a good time) was nearly two hours. It took the whole day to record, edit and publish, although it produced three episodes, which was great.

The time spent on these interviews was starting to take its toll on my other commitments so I was beginning to think about easing off this side of the podcasts. Then I started my blog and not long after that I was invited to partake in a blog interview; cue light-bulb moment. So, using the questions I used in my in-person and Skype interviews fellow Litopian (http://litopia.com/radio) Colin Barnes became my first subject. I emailed him the Word document of questions – which has grown considerably since then – which he completed and emailed back with a photo and web links – and the rest, as they say (or they would if it wasn’t a cliché) is history.

These days I post an author blog interview every morning with other projects (including author spotlights, guest blogs, flash fiction – of which JD has been a regular contributor) every evening. Yes, it’s time consuming (especially the interviews as I add my comments to their replies in for a ‘fireside chat’ feel) but to me, if a job is worth doing it’s worth doing well (another of my dad’s attributes) and these days I post 14-31 times the amount of interviews I did when I was podcasting then so that’s got to be a win-win… or it would be except it’s also a cliché. J

So, is there an art to it? I don’t really think there is; just ask the right questions, get the right interviewees, smile in all the right places and have fun.

If you’d like to listen to any (or all, they’re all there) of my audio interviews the details are listed on http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/bwt-podcast and the blog interviews on http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com/blog-interviews.

Thanks JD.

Morgen Bailey

http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com

Richard Godwin's 'Mr. Glamour'!

Today I pass the mic to my good friend, Richard Godwin. He has a new book out, see? And you should read it. And you should also read 'Apostle Rising'. Or send him money in a bag. He's that good.  In his words:

MR. GLAMOUR, Richard Godwin.

Designer goods, beautiful women, wealthy men, a lifestyle preyed on by a serial killer.

A killer who is watching everyone, including the police.

Latest headlines?

No, an outline of my second novel, Mr. Glamour.

My debut novel, Apostle Rising, was published in paperback by Black Jackal Books last year. It was about a serial killer crucifying politicians, and sold extremely well, received excellent reviews, and sold foreign rights to the largest publisher in Hungary.

Now Black Jackal Books have published Mr. Glamour, and I’d like to tell you a bit about it. The settings are exotic, and the pages drip with wealth. The story’s told in my usual style, and my readers will know what that means. I have been told I write with a blend of lyricism and graphic description. I like to explore what motivates people, and I certainly do so with the leading characters in Mr. Glamour.

The two central cops, DCI Jackson Flare and Inspector Steele, are unusual and strong in their own ways, as reviewers are already picking up. At the beginning of the novel, Steele hates working with Flare for personal reasons. She doesn’t by the end, and the investigation takes them both on a journey which changes them and their opinions of one another.

Let me give you the setting if you are tempted to read Mr. Glamour.

Something dark is preying on the glitz of the glamour set. There is a lot about designer goods and lifestyles in Mr. Glamour. The killer knows all about design, he knows what brands mean to his victims. He is branding their skins. And he has the police stumped.

As Flare and Steele investigate the killings, they enter an exclusive world with its own rules and quickly realise the man they are looking for is playing a game with them, a game they cannot interpret. The killer is targeting an exclusive group of people he seems to know a lot about.

The police investigation isn’t helped by the fact that Flare and Steele have troubled lives. Harlan White, a pimp who got on the wrong side of Flare, is planning to have him killed. And Steele has secrets. She leads a double life. She is an interesting woman who pushes her sexual boundaries in private. She travels a journey into her own past and rescues herself. And in a strange way she is helped by the killer she is looking for. And Flare has some revelations in store.

As they try to catch a predator who has climbed inside their heads, they find themselves up against a wall of secrecy. The investigation drives Flare and Steele to acts of darkness. And the killer is watching everyone.

Then there is the sub plot.

Contrasting this lifestyle is the suburban existence of Gertrude Miller, who acts out strange rituals, trapped in a sterile marriage to husband, Ben. She cleans compulsively and seems to be hiding something from him, obsessed that she is being followed. As she slips into a psychosis, characters from the glamorous set stray into Gertrude’s world, so the two plots dovetail neatly with one another.

And when Flare and Steele make an arrest they discover there is far more to this glamorous world than they realised. There is a series of shocks at the end of the novel as a set of fireworks go off. Watch out for the highly dramatic ending.

It is already picking up some great reviews.

Advance praise for Mr. Glamour:

“Richard Godwin knows how his characters dress, what they drink and what they drive. He knows how they live--- and how they die. Here's hoping no one recognized themselves in Godwin's cold canvas. Combines the fun of a good story with the joy of witty, vivid writing.”
Heywood Gould, author of The Serial Killer's Daughter.

“Smart, scary, suspenseful enough for me to keep the light on until 3AM on a Sunday night, Richard Godwin once more proves to fans of crime fiction the world over with Mr. Glamour, that he is not only one of the best contemporary writers of the procedural cop thriller around today, he is a master storyteller.”  

Vincent Zandri, author of Scream Catcher.

“Richard Godwin’s top-of-the-line psychological police procedural driven by its heady pace, steely dialogue, and unsparing vision transfixes the reader from page one.”

Ed Lynskey, author of Skin In The Game.

 “Mr. Glamour is a striking effort from one of the most daring crime writers in the business. It is the noirest of noir...and hellishly addictive.”

Mike Stafford, BookGeeks Magazine.

“This first rate detective thriller will have you gripped from the start. Richard Godwin is an author not to be missed.”

Sheila Quigley Author of Thorn In My Side.

“Mr Glamour is, in every sense of the word, the real McCoy: genuine hard boiled detective fiction.  Lean, gritty, and tough, it’s a journey into the heart of darkness ... you won’t soon forget. Connoisseurs of Nouveau Noir will have to add Richard Godwin to the list of writers to watch!”

C E Lawrence, author of Silent Kills.

“Involving and compellingly sinister, Richard Godwin’s Mr. Glamour portrays cops and criminals, the mad and the driven in a novel of psychological noir. Read it while snuggling with your stuffed teddy bear for comfort.”

                            -- Gary Phillips, author of Treacherous: Grifters, Ruffians and Killers

“This is one outstanding novel written by one amazing author.”

Fran Lewis Review.

I think Mr. Glamour will appeal to mystery and crime aficionados, to readers interested in psychological profiling and designer lifestyles, to thriller and noir fans, and to anyone who enjoys a fast paced narrative with strong characters.

Mr. Glamour can be bought now at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk; at all good retailers online, and in stores in April. If you Google it you should see a range of options come up.

And you can find out more about me at my website and my stories here.

Richard Godwin is a respected and prolific writer...I'm pretty sure he writes in blood.  See the review I did of Apostle Rising here.

Check out Godwin's work. You won't be disappointed.  You might never sleep again.  But you won't be disappointed.

Indies Unlimited: New Book Marketing Strategy

Press Release: INDIES UNLIMITED TO REVEAL NEW BOOK MARKETING STRATEGY

INDIES UNLIMITED TO REVEAL NEW BOOK MARKETING STRATEGY
March 26, 2012; Phoenix, AZ – On April 1st, 2012 at 8 a.m. Pacific time, Indies Unlimited – the premier multi-national, multi-author web site for the Independent Publishing industry – will announce a new and innovative ‘reverse marketing’ book promotion tactic developed by founder Stephen Hise.

“Mr. Hise is an innovator and mastermind,” Indies Unlimited co-administrator K. S. Brooks said in a written statement. “This new method is definitely not for everyone, but I believe it could start a new trend in the marketplace. Indie book promotion will definitely be impacted, and quite frankly, may never be the same again. We’re looking forward to sharing Mr. Hise’s perspicacity with the industry.

”Stephen Hise founded IndiesUnlimited.com in October of 2011 to provide a platform for independent authors to share and exchange ideas, knowledge, expertise and frustrations; and, for readers and reviewers to become exposed to the amazing depth and array of talent in the indie community.
For more information, go to http://www.IndiesUnlimited.com###Contact:K. S. BrooksCo-Adminstrator, Indies Unlimitedksbrooks@ksbrooks.com

The Fear...

Fear is a killer. When I think back on my life, I am crushed by the things I missed out on because I was afraid. I was a pretty fearless and stupid kid, so that’s saying a lot. But therewere fears. There were girls I should have kissed. There were trips I should have taken. There were things I should have tried…or been brave enough not to try. I missed so many opportunities because I was afraid.

Fear is a natural human response. Telling someone to stop being afraid is kind of like telling them to stop having the hiccups. Although if you hiccup at someone who is scared, it doesn’t cure the fear. So, yes, fear ranks higher than hiccups in the…I don’t know what the hell I’m talking about.

Oh, yes.  Fear. Fear is the writer’s nemesis. I wake up every day, and I punch fear in the testicles because I know it would do the same thing to me if I let it. I’m going to do some generalizing here. You’re going to deal with it because you don’t have a choice. Most of the writers I know…the good ones…are plagued with self-doubt. Maybe not all the time, but enough that it slows them down. They let fear take control.

Writers have a lot to be afraid about. Writing is a very personal thing. And you’re putting your thoughts and feelings out there for people to embrace, laugh at, degrade, and shit on. And it can HURT. Badly. You can tell me you don’t like my shirt. Fine. I didn’t make it. It might annoy me, but I deal. But if you hate my novel (and believe me, there are people who will hate what you write no matter how good it is), I have a much harder time not taking that personally.

We are writers. We pride ourselves on what we create. And if someone craps all over what you created, it is going to hurt. Believe it. You probably already know all about it.  Writers are weird. I can get ten 5 star reviews in a week, and all I think about is the one 4 star review and why the reviewer didn’t “like my novel”.

I am not very vain. You can call me ugly. You can make fun of my baldness. I really don’t care that much. I never claimed to be beautiful. But the words. By God, the words are beautiful. They come from someplace deep inside, and I love them. And when they are devalued, it hurts.

I’m not saying I’m the greatest writer of all time. None of us are. If we were, we wouldn’t be spending our time on Indies Unlimited…we’d be playing croquet with Michael Chabon. Being the best is irrelevant. Because no matter where you fall on the spectrum of greatness, you did the best you could. (Unless you didn’t, in which case you deserve the fear.)

Here’s my point. I think we can all agree Kafka was a pretty talented fellow. He was so afraid that he didn’t want anyone to read what he wrote. He was a writer. Writers are weird. You can do a lot of things to make yourself a better writer, but telling fear to go to hell is right near the top. You will be afraid to push the envelope…what will people say? You will be afraid to share a story you’re not sure about. You will be afraid to let real life into your writing. Or the real you…scars and all. You will have fear dripping out of every pore. Not all the time. But sometimes, sure.

One of the greatest things about being a writer is that you get to do it for a LONG time. Your typing arm isn’t gonna go out on you. You won’t tear your rotator cuff. It doesn’t matter what you look like or smell like. The words matter, that’s it. Give yourself the courage to let your words live. If you don’t do anything else as a writer, do that. Take a chance. When someone offers you an opportunity, take it. If you screw up, learn from it. If someone trashes something you wrote, let them. You have two choices. You can write, fear be damned and be a writer, or you can call yourself a writer and keep making people read that one story that you got a prize for ten years ago.

Fear is your enemy and it breeds in stasis. Do not rest on your laurels or wallow in your defeats. You don’t have time for that. There are more words to be written. Fear doesn’t go away, but you don’t have to listen to it. There are far more important things to listen to. Like that little voice in your head that says, “what if I tried this…would it work?” That is your ‘muse’. And it doesn’t listen to fear unless you allow it to.

THIS ARTICLE FIRST APPEARED ON WWW.INDIESUNLIMITED.COM, WHERE I AM A CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR.

Experiment #1

I have decided to try an experiment. I don’t remember the steps of the scientific method – something about a hypotenuse – so, it will be a very qualitative experiment. Here’s the deal. I recently published my second novel,The Biker, on Kindle. My first novel, Joe Café, still sells here and there, but it’s not flying off the shelves. I plan to release The Biker on Smashwords and Createspace, but, for now, I’m happy with leaving Joe Café on Kindle. So, I met at the crossroads with some marketing folk from Amazon and we signed some KDP Select documents in blood.

The weird thing about this is that I think KDP Select is a bad  thing. It makes me Amazon’s bitch. Basically, it means that Joe Café will be free for 90 days, I get to promote it as free for five, and I somehow get a cut of all the books that are loaned out during the three month period. I’m going to be honest with you before this becomes embarrassing for all of us – I don’t quite “get it”. But that’s never stopped me before.

The catch – or one of the catches – is that I can’t publish Joe Café anywhere else during the 90 day period. Cool, I wasn’t planning on it. And, a whole crapload of people can get my novel for free for a few months (I’m gonna have to wait on that yacht I’ve been eyeing). Whatever. Amazon is smarter than all of us. It’s a great idea from their standpoint. For me, well, it seems kind of fascist, but I’m trying to get past that.

When Amazon first started this program, we Indie writers got our sweatpants all in a bind about it. I was one of the ones that thought, ‘screw the man’. I said it quietly of course because I am deathly afraid of Amazon’s hit squad.

So, why the change of mind? It’s quite simple. Joe Café is a good book. I know I’m biased, but quality, intelligent people have read it and said that they liked it. I’ve gotten lots of good reviews (and most of them I didn’t even bug people to write). But it is…how shall I say this…a novel I wrote while trying to conquer a personal issue of grand, crushing, gnawing proportions. It is not a happy book. There is beauty in there, but there is also brutality…a lot of it. The kind of brutality you write when you are sweating profusely and wishing you were dead.

Now, I still have no problem with this. I like dark fiction. I like Cormac McCarthy a LOT. But, something tells me that Joe Café ain’t gonna make me rich (unless of course it gets made into a movie because for some reason welove dark, disturbing MOVIES whereas dark, disturbing books are somehow immoral…you know, like the Bible). Anyway, my new novel is a little more reader friendly. It’s the first in a series. It’s more “marketable”. There’s a love story. So, my hope is that, like cheap heroin, Kindle readers will read Joe Café and come twitching and bitching for more. Then they will buy The Biker in droves, and then I will buy a yacht. Really, I don’t see how this plan can fail.

I feel a little like I’m doing Joe Café dirty…it’s a book I love very much…it deserves better. I feel like I’m making it my two bit crack whore of Indie book marketing. But, what the hell. Yachts don’t buy themselves. So, I have my hypotenuse. Next I will find control groups or focus groups or a Ford Focus or something and make graphs and tell you all how it worked out for me. Cross your fingers. And pick up a copy of Joe Café on the 16^th and 17^th  (today and tomorrow for you number haters). It’s free. Tell your friends. You can save yourself enough for a few tacos at Taco Bell.

THIS ARTICLE FIRST APPEARED ON WWW.INDIESUNLIMITED.COM, WHERE I AM A CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR.

How to Promote...

How to promote 
a tome that you wrote
a novel, a story
or something quite gory

How to promote
that blog post you wrote
with facebook and twitter
and please don't be bitter

How to promote
the enemies smote
be they typos or formatting
no need for doormatting

Simply stand tall
and on top of it all
be a gentle soul, kind
and soon you will find

The things you promote
will not sink but float
on gossamer wings
and simpler things

Like friendships and laughter
that's what you're after
not blind plugs and spamming
it's really quite damning

It is best to be humble
and never to grumble
the cards may be stacked
but there's good news in fact

If we keep our heads high
as we go strolling by
we will find friends delightful
and what once was frightful
will soon be a lark
a walk in the park
a chuckle that snatches
at you in the dark

So how to promote
Whatever you wrote
Remember in school
when you felt the fool
when you had a project
but hadn't a tool
when your legs were tired
and nowhere a stool
then somebody taught you
the things that have brought you
here seeking a truth
so simple, forsooth
do not suffer fools
or bandy your jewels
just simply remember
that one golden rule.

Nastyface...behind the mask.

I have the unique privilege of actually knowing the brilliance that is Nastyface in person.  I have dined with him.  I have spoken with him at length.  Which is why I will never, even under duress, reveal his identity.  He is featured here because he is talented.  And I wanted to pick his brain a little.  So, many thanks for the interview, brother.  Your secret is safe with me.  (Until the threat of waterboarding - then I sell your ass out in a nanosecond).  For real, though...if you dig music, check this fool out.  And check out his crew.  I promise you will not be disappointed.  There are a lot of musicians doing the same old shit the same old way.  Finding someone who is unique can be a challenge.  I did the dirty work.  There are enough links on here to keep you in fresh beats for days.


Why the anonymity?

My true self isn't human form. Therefore, I would be misrepresenting myself to use my host body's face.  It's temporary anyway. As far as the mask, it could be any mask. The one I use is thin plastic and cheap because it means nothing. I don't agree with how close the world sets their eyes and ears. It makes sense, but it's shallow. 

What's your process for creating?

I always cut my beats from a marble slab. Sometimes I chip away for hours and sometimes the pieces just fall right off. I just let the final product reveal itself. I've never really been sure if my beats were already created somewhere in time or if they were created in my mind. As much as my physical body is a conduit for my mind, my mind may just be a conduit for the creativity.

How does technology factor into your work?  Obviously, it makes things easier...but is there a cost?

I strive to be innovative at all times and that means constantly embracing new tech. I'm a big believer in the idea that the ends justify the means when it comes to art. My heaven is a room full of MPC's and computers. Wires everywhere.

What/who is your inspiration?

I draw inspiration from artists who do their best work after their 40 hour work week and give it away.

Would you keep making music if no one could ever listen to it but you?

If I cared about other people listening to my stuff, I would have quit a long time ago. I've been doing it for 10 years and only a handful of people have really heard anything until the last year or so. There have been times when I contemplated moving on and using my time in other ways, but I always came back to samples and hip hop. At some point, I just figured out that it's what I would do in a vacuum. If my life were a blank slate.

What are your feelings about underground/indie vs. 'mainstream' music?

Money ruins everything.

How do you get your work out there...how do you make connections?

Doing a bunch of shitty things on the computer that I don't want to do. If I had it my way, I would be cutting beats all day and I would pay someone else to promote. But I do like sending my stuff to the artists I respect and collaborating with different people. As far as connections, there is no difference between all the relationships in my life. I make no friendships for money.

You know I dig your work...who are you listening to?

Beats: Exile, Samiyam, Juels, 9th. Rappers: Blu, Fashawn, Phonte, Johaz DagSav. Always: Elliot Smith. Stevie Wonder.

How important is music...to you, to the world?

Music is part of the world’s body. Like how important is your right arm? I'm not really a fan though, in general. I don't really have an allegiance to music over, say, film, or photography. It's all the same muscle like I said before. It's honesty. People who like shitty, dishonest music are usually shitty, dishonest people.

How great of an impact do world events have on music?

Our world creates the people in it and artists do their work so we all can understand it. It's all cause and effect. Sometimes Art can change the profile of the world too, I guess. But it's mostly a reflection. Eh, I don't know, I'm too sober to be any deeper than that.

What work are you most proud of?

Honestly, I'm just proud of the idea that I've been chosen to be an artist and that I create art on a daily basis. As much as it can be a burden, it's the only way, that I can see, to live forever.

When was music at its best?  Or is it always a mix of good and bad?  Was there a golden age?

It's best when it's moving in headphones on a bus as it is in a club with 100 people bobbing their heads to it. It's best when the creator likes it and everyone else can fuck off. When every tweak was made on a whim and the vision is unkempt. The golden age is always now.

Where does the line between a genre of music and the scene that accompanies it lie?

Interesting question. I don't get out much, so my scene is my room w/ my equipment. People all dressing the same and patting each other on the back makes me want to fucking kill myself if that's what you're asking.

How important is perfection to you when it comes to your music?

Not very. Perfection is for the people I'm working with.  I get bored of idea's easily. Always looking for that next sample.

What instrument do you wish you played?

Piano.

Do you ever plan on taking off the mask?

I don't plan on it; I've always felt it a conflict of interest. The day I don't, I'll leave it at home. It's a piece of shit mask anyways. Very uncomfortable. The eye holes aren't in the right spot.

Give some shout outs...

The LessIsMore Crew (Swell, Awdbawl, Lost Lane, El One, Ryan Calavano) and The Dirty Science Crew. And JD Mader, of course.

What question have I failed to ask that needs to be answered?

I don't know. I thought you did your job well.

Thank you.  I try.  Sometimes.  This time I tried.

Check out these links for more NF and some other talented folks you might not know about:

Nastyface

twitter:@nastyfaces

LessIsMore

Swell

The Dirty Science

Ryan Calavano, Director

Leave a comment for Nastyface or any of the other artists featured below.