Q & A with Nicole Conway | Author of The Dragonrider Chronicles

Nicole Conway is an author and freelance illustrator from North Alabama. Currently she lives in Valdosta, Georgia, with her husband. She has a bachelor’s degree in English from Auburn University, and is a member of the SCBWI. Her most recent work, FLEDGLING, was released in October 2013 as the first installment of her new children’s fantasy series: THE DRAGONRIDER CHRONICLES. 

Literary Juice: Your book, Fledgling, a fantasy about a boy who embarks on a dangerous adventure to rescue his instructor, has received outstanding approval on Amazon.  What do you feel readers find most appealing about this book?

Nicole Conway: Based on the reviews and feedback the book has received so far, I feel that people are very drawn to the characters. The main character, Jaevid Broadfeather, isn't what you’d imagine a hero to be. He’s not big or strong. At the beginning of the book, he isn't even very brave. But it’s his journey and his experiences with his new friends that begin to shape him into someone worthy of being called a hero. I feel that his journey is one all of us can relate to.

LJ: You are also the author of Dervyshire Park, a paranormal romance, which is a completely different genre from Fledgling.  In what ways was the process for developing the plot and characters different for each book?  Did you adhere to any strategies or formulas for these books respectively? 

NC: Dervyshire Park was my first novel, and definitely a shot in the dark for me. I didn’t know anything at all about the publishing industry when it was released. It was a learning experience, but a very valuable one. Since then, I've definitely become more focused, but I don’t adhere to any strategies when writing. I do keep a journal where all my books, characters, and details are tracked, but I try not to limit myself to a strict formula. My philosophy has always been that if something isn’t fun to write, then it isn’t going to be fun to read. Each book is like an adventure for me, as well. 

LJ: Which genre are you most comfortable writing?  Why?  

NC: Children’s fiction is, without a doubt, my favorite genre. I absolutely love writing children’s books. They are just a blast to work on. I guess my inner child has never really grown up!

LJ: What is the biggest challenge you face when writing?  How are you able to overcome these challenges? 

NC: Life has always been my biggest challenge when it comes to writing. I’m one to have a million irons in the fire at the same time, and life always gets in the way. My husband’s career is very time consuming for both of us, and it requires us to pick up and move every year. It’s insanely stressful. But for me, writing has always been a coping tool to help me deal with stress. So I always make time to write, even if it’s only an hour or two.

LJ: Have you ever received outside criticism concerning your writing?  If so, how did you handle this criticism in a way that has benefited you positively?              

NC: Of course I’ve received criticism! That’s just part of being an author, though. We put a piece of our hearts out there for the world to criticize, and so naturally there are some people who just aren’t going to agree with everything we present. When dealing with criticism, I try not to take it to be destructive even if it’s meant to be taken that way. I try to take it as an opportunity to improve and do better the next time.

LJ: The sequel to Fledgling, Avian, is set to debut this summer.  Can you give us a little sneak peek into this book?

NC: I’m so thrilled that people have enjoyed Fledgling so much, but it’s really just the tip of the iceberg. There’s a lot left in store for Jaevid and his friends.

In the sequel, we’re going to start delving deeper into Jaevid’s past, and uncovering all the buried secrets that have shaped his destiny. We’re also going to get our first glimpse into the horrors of the gray elf kingdom of Luntharda, which is something I've been eager to write about from the beginning. This year of training will present a whole new spectrum of challenges for Jaevid and Felix. It will test them in ways no one will be expecting.

When reading this book, my hope is that readers are going to start to see how much Jaevid has started to change from a frightened little boy into a man—both physically and emotionally. I’ll be posting a special, unedited preview chapter on my author page in January. Avian will be a whole new adventure, and I can’t wait for people to read it!

LJ: If there is one lesson you hope readers can learn from your stories, what would it be?

NC: I would hope that my readers, especially the children who read my work, would learn not to judge people based on face value. You can’t tell what someone has been through, what their destiny will be, or who they really are just by how they look. This is a mistake that even I am guilty of making. It’s so easy to judge others, but doing that doesn't just hurt that other person. It closes a door for you, as well, because that person might have something amazing to offer you in a friendship or relationship that you’ll never get to experience if you are quick to judge them.

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Fiction by NICOLE CONWAY

ISBN-10: 1492993786

Paperback: 296pp; Kindle-$.99; Paperback-$8.95

About this Book: Jaevid Broadfeather has grown up as a wartime refugee, hiding from the world because of his mixed racial heritage. He feels his future is hopeless, until a chance encounter with a wild dragon lands him in Blybrig Academy—a place usually forbidden to anyone but the rich and royal. But Jaevid’s case is special; no dragon has voluntarily chosen a rider in decades, so the proud riders of Blybrig must begrudgingly let him join their brotherhood despite his bloodline. Lieutenant Sile Derrick, a sternly tempered man with a mysterious past, becomes his instructor and immediately takes a peculiar interest in Jaevid’s future. While struggling through the rigorous physical demands of training, things begin to go awry. Jaevid witnesses the king’s private guards kidnapping Sile in the dead of night. When none of the elder riders are willing to help him, Jaevid begins a dangerous adventure to save his instructor.

           

Q & A with David Tish | Author of Madame Charmaine

David Tish is a retired newspaper reporter, editor and columnist who has won numerous writing awards. He is a Nebraska native and a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism. He has four sons and nine grandchildren, and he lives on an acreage near Tieton, Washington, with his wife, Mary, and their four dogs.

Literary Juice: Your children’s book, Madame Charmaine, tells the gripping story of four youths who discover a mysterious chest half buried in the Missouri River shore following a flood.  After reading the brief description of the story, Madame Charmaine seems like a tale which would not only captivate young readers, but adult readers as well.  Where did you find inspiration for writing this book?  What aspect of this particular book do you believe appeals most to child and adult readers alike? 

David Tish: Well, I’ve been told by several adults that they enjoyed the book, so I’ll take them at their word. I can tell you that I certainly enjoyed writing it. I hope that shined through. When I first was pondering the possibility of writing fiction, after almost five decades of writing for newspapers, children’s books were at the top of my list. I had a wonderful time growing up in a small town in Nebraska. I made lifelong friends. When I returned to Nebraska for a high school reunion several years ago, I saw people I had not seen or heard from in nearly 50 years. My wife, who hails from Washington state, told me after the reunion that she was amazed at how my friends and I “picked up right where you left off all those years ago, as if you had been seeing each other every day.” It was that connection, that bond, that inspired me to write Madame Charmaine. I KNEW those kids I wrote about in the book. They are like brothers and sisters to me.

That bond is responsible for something else, something in the book that I think can appeal to kids as well as adults, and it is this: I did not talk down to those kids, the characters in Madame Charmaine. I treated them as real, intelligent people, just the way I treated them in real life when I was growing up with them.

As a result, I think Madame Charmaine comes across as a “real” story, something that I think can appeal to adults as well as kids. There are no zombies, wizards, or space aliens in Madame Charmaine. I’m not knocking fantasy books; my point is that stories about real people can be kind of refreshing.

My last point also has to do with being real and respecting the people you write about. I spent almost 50 years interviewing people, listening carefully to what they had to say because I had to tell the public what they said, and I had to be as accurate as possible. After all that experience, I know how people talk. That might sound silly. But writing dialogue that is real, literate, convincing, and lively is an art. If the dialogue in Madame Charmaine is all of those things, and I have been told that it is, it is because of that experience. I think kids and adults alike will appreciate that about Madame Charmaine.

LJ: Are there any authors (or specific works), past or present, who have taught you to think differently about storytelling?  In what ways, if any, have they influenced your way of writing? 

DT: I think the best way to answer that is to quote a character in a play I wrote called Shakespeare Is Dead! (Which, by the way, can be found on Amazon under the pen name David Carmichael.) The character, who is called The Master, is talking at the end of the play to the great Russian playwright, Anton Chekhov. She says:

“Before you speak, let me say something to you. (Pause) Everything Ibsen said about you is true. You died too young. Your early death robbed the world of so … much. Beyond that, well … I wanted to tell you, I dropped in for a performance of Uncle Vanya not long ago, more than a hundred years after you died – a hundred years! – and all it took was a couple of minutes into the play and I was enthralled, mesmerized. And I remained so for the rest of the play. And I thought, what is it that after a hundred years this play – this man Chekhov – can still punch me in the gut, can still shake me to my very core, can still touch my heart, can still make me laugh, can still make me weep? When I watched and listened, I could somehow see you. I could hear you in a very personal way. I could have been sitting a thousand miles away and I would have known that you were talking to me. You are the simplest of writers, and you are the most complex of writers. You are conservative, and you are radical. You are pessimistic and you are sad, and you are optimistic and you are joyful. Your depth is revealed in your simplicity, and you are to be assimilated slowly, like a fine wine. Even after a century you are new to me every time I read or watch your work. And every time it is as if you are speaking directly to me, and only to me. I see and I feel your presence. You are in the room, and you are holding my hand. We are the only two people in the room. You are precious to me, and I cannot imagine being without you. And now I want to share you with the world, which so desperately needs to hear your song.”

Sometimes as I am writing I like to wonder what it would be like to channel Anton Chekhov. What a wondrous day it would be if that should ever come true.

LJ: What is your writing process like?  Are there any special routines you practice before, during, or after the writing process?  Do you have any superstitions?  What do you do to overcome writer’s block?

DT: My writing process probably is like none other. Now, whether that’s good or bad is for others to decide. But it works for me, and here is more or less how it goes: I take an idea – it could be almost anything coming from almost anywhere – and I internalize it. That is, I think about it, and sometimes the thinking goes so deep as to resemble meditation. Mostly I am looking for characters that I think can realistically and effectively carry out the idea. This process can last a week, two weeks, a month or more. I don’t write a word during this time. I don’t do any research whatsoever. I simply tap into whatever internal resources I have after – at this writing – 74 years of living on this planet. Sometimes the idea will work out and become something that would make a good story. Sometimes it doesn't. But when it does, I first write a short synopsis. I’m not an outliner, but I don’t totally fly by the seat of my pants either. By the time I write the synopsis, I already know my characters so well that I don’t need, much less want, a detailed guide map. My characters will tell the story, so I don’t have to. Any research I might do generally comes as I am writing, that is, when the story requires it. It seldom comes before I begin writing.

Special routines? No. Superstitions? No. Writer’s block? I refuse to accept writer’s block. Therefore, I have never had to overcome it. However, there have been times, rare, but they do occur, when a second cousin twice removed of writer’s block drops by, and the characters are momentarily unsure of their next step. When that happens, I simply leave them alone for a day and go on with other business. When I return, they have made up their minds, and we go on from there. This process has never failed me.

LJ: Have you ever looked back on one of your published books and wished you could have made changes, such as to the ending or to certain characters?  Have you ever rewritten a book or created a new book based on these desired changes?   

DT: I have never looked back at a published book, but I have looked back at an unpublished one. About 12 years ago, before the age of indie publishing, I wrote a book I called Bury My Heart Along the River: A Nebraska Journey. After it was written, I promptly put it in a box, stored it somewhere and forgot about it until early this year. That’s when I decided I would like to try my hand at writing children’s books. And I remembered that in that old, dusty novel was a story that eventually became Madame Charmaine. I didn’t have to do too much to make Madame Charmaine the story it is today. Incidentally, there are other story ideas in that old book, and I plan to get to them as soon as I can. In fact, I already am at work on a full-length romance novel based on some of the material in Bury My Heart. It has the working title of The Mention of Her Name.

LJ: Have you learned anything surprising about yourself when writing a book?  

DT: No.

LJ: What is the harshest criticism you have ever received as a writer?  How did you receive that criticism?  Additionally, what is the best compliment you have received as a writer?

DT: I haven’t really received any harsh criticism, but I am awfully new to this business, and I fully expect some one of these days. I think it’s inevitable. I am not well known at this point, and as my name becomes familiar to more people, the negative comments are bound to follow. One of the best compliments I’ve gotten since I became a fiction writer came just a week or so ago from a woman when I asked her if she would like to read Madame Charmaine. “Yes,” she wrote, “I want to read ANYTHING you write – grocery lists, a 2,000-page novel, a letter to Santa Claus – just let me know how to get my eyes on it.”

LJ: For aspiring writers who may still be struggling to find their voice, what is the best advice you would give them?

DT: That’s easy. Know thyself. In my opinion, all good writing comes from within. And if you don’t know who you are, it’s going to show up in your writing. Furthermore, know thy characters. If an unexamined life is not worth living, then surely it is not worth writing about. Finally, never, never, never ever give up. Not ever.       

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Fiction by DAVID TISH

ISBN: 1492968420

Paperback: 76pp; $8.87

About this Book: Madame Charmaine chronicles the adventures of three boys and a girl, all 12 years old, who discover a “treasure chest” half buried in the sandy shore of the Missouri River following a spring flood. As they play detective and try to find out who buried the chest and what its mysterious content means, they soon find out they are playing a dangerous game and are nearly buried alive in a grave of their own digging.           

                                                                  

Q & A with Ryan and Rich Brousseau | Authors of Battle For Honor: Gates

Rich Brousseau is a huge fan of fantasy and science fiction and is able to totally immerse himself into whatever world the subject matter is focused upon. Computer gaming unleashed his imagination like nothing else he has experienced before.  He is always asking the question "why", and searching for an answer.

Ryan Brousseau is married and the father of two.  He can be found immersing himself in many different books and enjoying some of his favorite TV series: Dexter, Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead.  When lucky, he occasionally gets out for a round of golf, which is a remarkable skill set his grandfather taught him many years ago, and has carried with him to this day.

Literary Juice: You have written the book, Battle for Honor: Gates, as a father-son team.  What was your driving inspiration for teaming up on this book?  

Rich: I have had this book idea bouncing around in my head for years.  Once I started it I realized I was going to need some help.  I asked Ryan for his thoughts one day, and I was so impressed with what he did I knew it would be a great match.  Besides, what father wouldn't want to have his son working by his side?

Ryan: At first I was apprehensive about writing a book and it seemed like a very daunting task, so I started out slow with just giving suggestions here and there. But once I got into it, I found that I had numerous ideas floating around and was eager to advance the story. Overall, it was a great experience and I learned a lot from the process.

LJ: What was the writing process like for this book?  How did you contribute to the book respectively?  

Rich: I think of myself as the idea man, the one with the off-the-wall thoughts.  I get the chance to write what I’m thinking about and Ryan applies the color and polish.  After that, we pass the updates back and forth between each other until we have something we like. 

Ryan: It was a pretty straightforward formula for Gates, since my father had most of the core of the book written; it just needed that extra added dimension to it, which is where I came in. Basically he would get the ideas on paper then forward it over to me; I would touch them up, reword and rework the chapters while adding that extra depth to them. This process may change a little for book two, but so far it has been a successful formula for us.

LJ: Did you face any challenges when writing this book?  For example, were there any disagreements regarding the direction of the story, the disposition of certain characters, or possibly even differences in writing style, etc.?  How did you overcome these challenges?

Rich: I can’t say we agreed on everything.  We will often discuss the direction we want to go with a character, and at some point we agree.  I think it is very helpful that both of us are open-minded, willing to listen to the other, and adjust to make a better story.  I like to think we respect each other and value a different opinion.  I've never had to pull the “because I’m your father” line.

Ryan: Of course there were disagreements throughout the writing and editing process, but it was always with the sole purpose of giving more life to our novel. Our writing styles are definitely different but I feel that they've evolved for the better throughout the creation of Gates.  Also, every discussion we had regarding the book was productive, and bottom line is, our end goal was the same: put the best novel out there we can. The key for us is to maintain an open mind and just ask ourselves, “How does it advance our story?”

LJ: Battle for Honor has received outstanding praise on Amazon.  What aspect of this book do you believe is most appealing for readers?   

    

Rich: I like to think that the readers see there is more to this story than a simple fantasy adventure.  We tried to make the characters have a bit more depth, and not just a cookie cutter of what people expect.  The story takes a few turns that are not expected, and there is room for each character to evolve, some for the better, some not so much.

Ryan: I feel that Battle for Honor is not your run-of-the-mill fantasy novel and there are many aspects of the book that many people will find appealing. We have a lot of the same characters that many other novels have but we don’t necessarily use them in the traditional sense, which is very unconventional for this genre. Also, the novel gives the reader the ability to make their own judgments in regards to the characters' life choices, good or bad. But in my opinion, the best comment I've read in one of the reviews was that it was unpredictable. To me that is very important in the entertainment field, whether it’s reading or watching a movie/TV show. 

LJ: Are you currently working on a sequel?  If so, when can readers expect it to be available?

Rich: The sequel is being written now.  It continues some time after the end of Gates and many of the same characters will be returning.  We are hoping to have the sequel available spring/summer of 2014, with the final of the trilogy late that year or early next.

Ryan: Yes, we are working hard on the sequel and we are shooting for a late spring, early summer of 2014 release. Look for the return of some of the characters with the addition [of] new ones. Be sure to check out our website, rjbrousseau.com for updates and possibly a new section titled The Lost Chapters, which will be an evolving section of short side stories that further expand on the storyline. 

LJ: Are there any authors—past or present—who have greatly inspired you as a writer?  Who?

Rich: I really like Dan Brown’s stories and his writing style.  Beyond that, Tolkien, Heinlein, Herbert, Clarke, Asimov.  Do you see a pattern?

Ryan: I am a huge fan of Dan Brown’s writing style and Michael Crichton’s technical detail. Other than that, I enjoy Stephen King, Brian Rathbone, Harlan Coben, and of course Tolkien. Lately, though, I've been reading a lot of indie authors via Wattpad and Goodreads. 

LJ: What advice would you give writers who are considering teaming up on a book?

Rich: Be open to ideas that are not your own.  Respect the opinion of your co-author.  You are both trying to create something to be proud to call your own.

Ryan: Determination and open-mindedness will [be] the key to your success; your opinion is not always the right one. Above all else though, make sure you are proud of your work and make it a true representation of yourself.

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Fiction by RYAN & RICH BROUSSEAU

Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1492160083

Paperback: 331pp; Kindle-$2.99; Paperback-$13.34

About this Book: Three thousand years ago, Agora was brought to the brink of annihilation by the Third Great War. Since then, all has remained peaceful, until now. Challenges present themselves daily and their response is paramount to survival. Marcus awakens in a world he does not know. Possessing the skills of a seasoned warrior with the ability to unleash devastating magic, he ventures into the unknown to discover himself, the world and answers to the mysteries surrounding him. Who are these Guardians guiding him on this life’s mission? What do the Gods want?... 
           

A Young Talent | Poet | Alex Greenberg

Alex Greenberg is a 14-year-old aspiring poet.  His work can be found or is forthcoming in journals such as The Louisville Review, Burningword Literary Journal, Spinning Jenny, My Favorite Bullet, and Able Muse.  Greenberg has won a gold key in The Scholastic Art & Writings Awards and was named a Foyle Young Poet of 2012 and 2013.

Literary Juice: Because you display such an incredible talent at the young age of 14, we would like to know: who/what inspired you to start writing poetry?  What is the earliest memory you have of writing?  Also, can you tell us a little bit about your first-ever published piece?

I remember a few years ago, when I was around ten or eleven, having my first graded poetry unit in English. Frankly, it bored me—I found no excitement in, nor was I good at, identifying the “right” message of a piece of Shakespearean writing. Our class studied older works of poetry, texts that were shrouded in arcane vocabulary with metaphors that, although original at the time, seemed clichéd in the 21^st century. I found it difficult to relate to people who had passed away centuries ago and to connect with their experiences and beliefs. Then, one day, we had an assignment where we were allowed to bring in poems that we liked and talk about them. I think when I got home, fed up with all the abstruse poetry from class, I searched simple poetry in my computer. Over time, that search stretched its way to modern poetry and fresh poetry—that was when I came across Tracy K. Smith. I found her poem Duende on PoetryFoundation.com and it enthralled me. I saw this 40-year-old, very modern-looking African American woman, achieving more insight with plain language than the men with beards from my English class were with their thy’s and o’ers. I ordered her books, Duende and The Body’s Question (and more recently, the Pulitzer Prize winning Life on Mars). I found an unparalleled exhilaration in the simplicity of her work—it was the same exhilaration one feels when in the presence of a simple, natural phenomenon such as a rainbow or a sunset. And so I began writing, trying to emulate her style. I submitted to small press journals. Overreaching somewhat, I even tried submitting to The New Yorker and The Paris Review. And then, around my 13^th birthday in January of 2013, I received a letter from the editor of a journal called The Literary Bohemian. They had accepted my poem, A Clip From Tomorrow, for their 17^th issue. Now, my zeal for writing was no longer living solely in the intellectual and spiritual discoveries I made, but was part of this new game of getting published.

LJ: Where do you find your inspiration for your poetry?  Is there a specific message you hope to convey through your poems?

I find inspiration in my surroundings. It’s really what it’s all about. As a poet, I feel I need to squeeze out all the meaning behind the ordinary before attempting to understand the metaphysical. I can write my most vivid pieces when in the presence of what I’m writing about—imagining a situation to write about creates work that is disingenuous, often the kind of work that lacks conviction and truth. I try and write about my family, my house, the pens and the coins that lie scattered on the floor. For me, poetry is a learning experience. All of the adornments of poetry—language, format, white space—are all beautifications and only necessary if they are used for teaching. Teaching a new way of looking at the world or teaching how two things are interconnected. A lesson is what comes from poetry.

LJ: Do you have a favorite author/poet?  Who?

I won’t rave more about Tracy K. Smith, but she is definitely on the list of my favorite and most electrifying writers. I actually had the privilege of exchanging a few emails with her, sending her a few of my poems. The other writer who I owe my love for poetry to is Billy Collins. He is the doyen of American poetry, and embodies what “simple poetry” is—or at least what it should be. His book, Horoscopes For The Dead, holds some particularly thoughtful poems and demonstrates Collins's incisive way of thinking. He once said that the key to writing good poetry is the same key that achieves a good performance of a song: start low and end with a bang. This process of starting with the obvious and relatable, and than moving into the more powerful and obscure is what I model my own writing after.

LJ: Your poem, Spring Conjuring, published in our October/November 2013 edition, is very vivid and exposes a deep awareness of nature.  Tell us more about the story/inspiration behind that poem.  Are many of your poems nature-oriented?    

Much of my poetry is geared to nature for the very reason I talked about above—the strongest poetry is about what you can see. The most glaring and extensive thing I see day in and day out is nature. The trees, the sky, even my pet cats. Spring Conjuring was a particularly personal poem. It considers nature’s process of life, death, and rebirth in relation to the human experience of simply, life and death. The speaker is a little envious of what the flower is capable of, how it will grow back next summer, but how he will not grow back. The poem is dedicated to my grandmother, who died a year before I was born. I like to think that I see some of her in my mother, that maybe she didn’t completely leave us, but managed to pass down a little bit of herself to my mom. There is a line in the poem that reads, “One day I will have to snip it

from my stomach/like an umbilical cord/and toss it to the soil/where it will sink/and be reborn.” In other words, as much as death is a time of separation and detachment, it is the time when we bring the memories and feelings of those who died that much closer to our hearts.

LJ: You are a Foyle Young Poet (2012-2013).  What do you think drew the editors to your poetry?  What was their reaction like?

Just to clarify, I was one of the 85 commended poets of the year—I didn’t quite make the top 15. But, the poem I submitted was called The Grass Grows Greener on My Side of The Fence in 2012, and it was a light-hearted poem with an internal rhyme scheme. It was about how two individuals can’t create something as great as a unified whole can. It encouraged teamwork and finding common ground to work harmoniously. Being commended as a Foyle Young Poet was my first achievement in the poetry world. It felt great. In the end, I think my poem was chosen frankly because it was fun to say out loud—it had a nice lilt to it. Never did I consider it one of my more profound pieces, but it just goes to show how truly subjective the writing world is. Sometimes the philosophical and scholarly approach is best and sometimes the cute and funny ones are just the right fit.

*You can read Alex Greenberg's poem, Spring Conjuring, in the October/November 2013 edition of Literary Juice.