WEDNESDAY WORDS: Interview with fantasy author Mitchell Hogan

Flurries of Words (FLOW) recently had the chance to sit down with new fantasy author Mitchell Hogan for a chat about himself and his new novel  A Crucible of Souls (Book One of the Sorcery Ascendant Sequence)  (Click here for UK purchase).  Here's what he had to say:

FLOW : Tell us a little about yourself and what set you on the path of writing?

HOGAN :  Hi! Ever since my mother bought me the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings series when I was eleven I’ve been an avid fantasy reader, as well as science fiction. I have bookcases stuffed with far too many novels which I read multiple times. I’ve always wanted to write a novel but my life always seemed too busy with work to write consistently. I started A Crucible of Souls a looong time ago, but it’s only been in the last two years that I decided it was now or never, I’d better finish it or I would regret not doing so.

FLOW:  That was a big risk to take , particularly in today's financial climate.  How were you able to manage it?

HOGAN :  It was a big decision and one I wrestled with for a few months before deciding to take a chance. My wife’s support has been phenomenal and it’s only because of her I was able to focus on writing full time and finish my first novel. We’ve had to give up a few luxuries but we’re managing.

FLOW : Is there anyone who particularly inspired you to write, or kept you on the path of writing?

HOGAN :  Yes, definitely. I was lucky enough to send a small sample of my work to an editor at HarperVoyager years ago and her positive feedback kept my dream alive. A few other people who read some of my writing also had encouraging words, and though it wasn’t a big deal to them it made a big impression on me and was enough to keep me moving forward when I doubted myself.

FLOW :  And how did your family keep you going?

HOGAN :  My wife has been fantastic. Without her unfailing support this book wouldn’t have been possible. My mother and sisters have been very supportive as well. We’re all quite different with varied careers and interests, so my decision to write didn’t raise any eyebrows, especially as they all know how much I read…

FLOW : What were the types of books that helped get you hooked on to reading?

HOGAN :  In the early days it was Tolkien, Raymond E Feist and David Eddings. Honestly I would also read anything in fantasy I could get my hands on! Then fantasy split from the Lord of the Rings traditional tropes and evolved many different sub-genres and I explored a lot of them. One of the things which kept me going was reading a book and thinking I had better characters or magic system, and if they could get published so could I.

FLOW :--I see you are from Australia.  How does that distinct culture come into play in your novels?  How did you  keep your writing accessible to North American and other English speaking audiences?: 

HOGAN :  Honestly, I don’t think Australian influences play a big part. I mean, I read the same fantasy books that everyone else does, and my influences come from them. I wanted to write a book I’d want to read and that’s what I’ve done, and if an Australian influence comes through it’s not by design. The only conscious decision I made at Derek’s (my editors) suggestion was to use US spelling and language as most sales would be in the US. For example I couldn’t use ‘pot plant’ as it has an entirely different meaning in the US!

FLOW :  LOL! So has your skill at home brewing found its way into your work? How about pharmaceuticals?  Is your love of sci-fi and fantasy what originally attracted you to chemical engineering(after all, those are the modern day wizards and alchemists)?

HOGAN :  It’s funny, I don’t drink much and just love experimenting so I have to give away most of my brewing and have BBQ’s so friends and family drink it. I have one character in A Crucible of Souls that dabbles in alchemy but I want to write a stand-alone novel with more of a focus on it. Whether that’ll make a good story is another matter… As for chemical engineering, I sort of fell into it as I was good at chemistry at school, though if there were alchemists in this day and age I think I’d be one! But no drinking gold or mercury for me…

FLOW : Lucky for your readers! ;-)  So for someone who hasn't read any of your novels, how would you describe the type of stories that you write, what would be your pitch for the Sorcery Ascendant Sequence?

HOGAN :  I want to write novels with characters that aren’t black and white, and who face choices that are also not black and white. I want to engage the reader and get them thinking what they would do, and to be able to understand the characters reasoning from behind their eyes.

As for a pitch… traditional fantasy hero finds the world he is caught up in has disturbing depths… and the good guys don’t always win.

FLOW : Your first reader review on Amazon described A Crucible of Souls as ‘Entertainingly ambiguous.’ Was this what you were aiming for?

HOGAN :  Getting my first reader review was a bit of a shock, though it shouldn’t have been. It’s a strange feeling putting yourself out there and having someone you don’t know critique your work. The exploration of good and evil, and the blurring of boundaries and appearances is what I was aiming for. And in trying to keep as many options open as possible for the rest of the series book one came out a little more ambiguous than I thought, but I think that’s a good thing.

FLOW :What are your plans for the series ahead? How many books more to go? Can you give us a rough idea of what’s to come?

HOGAN :  There should be two more books in the series, but if I keep having more ideas like I have been while writing it might extend to three more, but I think I’d rather save some ideas for a few stand alone novels. As for what’s to come, characters and plot threads will become less ambiguous…!

FLOW : Always keep the audience guessing, eh?  What other lessons have you learned by self publishing? Why did you choose this path over the traditional route?

HOGAN :  I had an agent interested but with the state of publishing as it is at the moment I really wanted to keep control over my book and my writing. The thought of being able to do virtually everything a traditional publisher does for authors i.e. cover, editing, publishing, without signing over the lions portion of earnings was empowering. The most valuable lesson I learned was to be professional, and make your book indistinguishable from traditionally published novels. That means a great cover, great blurb, and great editing. Skimping or rushing means shooting yourself in the foot as you won’t stand out.

FLOW : You mentioned great editing, what was your process and who did yours?

HOGAN :  Firstly I had two friends read and critique my draft manuscript, which picked up a whole lot of things I missed because I was so close to it. With a long word count epic fantasy it can be hard to keep track of everything. After numerous drafts I engaged John Jarrold for a structural edit, then Derek Prior for a copy edit and proofread. Both were great but I really lucked out finding Derek, he’s been a godsend.

FLOW :  As you said, a great cover is very important.  Your cover art is particularly striking.  Did you work with an artist?  Graphic designer?  How did you find him/her?  

HOGAN :  I wanted to work with an illustrator for my book cover but at this stage of my career the cost was prohibitive. I ended up going with Damon at Damonza.com and he’s been great. I’ve received a lot of compliments on the cover through forums and even a tweet. I found him through a post he made on the KBoards forums which made a lot of sense to me. 

FLOW :  Does it depict a scene from your book? How did you decide what the composition would be?

HOGAN :  The cover is a scene from the book though a brief but significant one. I wasn’t worried about having a scene from my book, I just wanted a professional cover that screamed epic fantasy and was reminiscent of other currently popular authors. I left the rest up to Damon, as the professional cover designer, and he came back with three drafts which we tinkered with until I settled on one. The great thing is I’ll probably use one of the other drafts for book 2!

FLOW :  I really like how you formatted the photo for your Amazon author page.  What was the inspiration?

HOGAN :  Thank you! It was luck. I wanted a better avatar and found a site you could insert your photo into various images, and this one stood out for me. I like it so much I decided not to get a headshot done prior to launching my book.

FLOW : In closing, do you have any parting thoughts or comments you’d like to share?

HOGAN :  Just to thank you for this opportunity, and to also thank everyone who’s read my book and been gracious enough to give their time and provide me with feedback. And remember, it’s all about the readers. A lot of publishers forget that and over the decades many good books never found their way into readers hands and that’s a great shame.

FLOW :  We're certainly looking forward to seeing more from you in the near future.  

ANNOUNCEMENT: FLOW Now Featuring FLASH FICTION

Hi Everyone,

We're starting up a new feature on Flurries of Words (FLOW) for flash fiction.  We want to start showcasing flash fiction from Indie Authors in the blog feed.  This will hopefully give broader exposure to Indie Authors in small bites that will intrigue readers enough for them to seek out and buy your books.

Here's how it will work:  We will read the daily submissions and decide which one(s) will be featured on any given day.  There's no guarantee that everyone will be featured but, if you already have something written, there's no harm in submitting.  :)

BTW, for FLOW's purposes, flash fiction is 1000 words or less.  Apologies, but we will not feature porn, erotica or flash fiction with either gratuitous violence or swearing (maintaining a child-friendly site).

So, if you'd like to nominate your flash fiction to be featured, please email it to us in the body of the email (no attachments please) at flurriesofwords@yahoo.co.uk with the heading 'Flash Fiction submission'.

Thank you and I hope to receive your submissions soon.  :)

Best wishes, Flurries of Words

WEDNESDAY WORDS: Interview with Imogen Rose

Flurries of Words (FLOW) recently caught up with best-selling indie author, Imogen Rose of the YA Portal and Bonfire Chronicles series fame.  With her books now being released in German, French and other languages, we asked Imogen about her phenomenal success and the experiences that led up to them...

FLOW:   How were you inspired to write the time travelling Portal series?  Were you a fan of Stephen Hawking? Quantum Leap?  How did you come up with the hook phrase 'meet me two years ago'?

ROSE: Portal is pretty much my autobiography, apart from the portal bit.  :-) A while after I moved to the U.S., my mother died, and during the time that followed, I reflected heavily on my life and the decisions I had made, wishing that I could turn back time and redo some of them. The hook phase just came to me as I was writing the story.

FLOW:  I see you have a PhD in immunology.  How did graduate school and the experience of having a PhD influence your writing?  Have those experiences found their way into your books (say maybe in Arizona's mother)?  Should we call you Dr. Rose? ;-)

ROSE: I was very lucky to end up working on my thesis under a professor who pretty much left me to work on my own and allowed me to use the resources of the department to explore and investigate the paths the results of my experiments pointed me to. I was allowed to use my imagination develop assays and hypotheses. The writing-up part of my doctoral thesis was a means to an end in getting my degree. The experiences I had at graduate school and later as a mother have definitely played a very big part in how I view the world and have found their way into my books. I am Dr. Rose, but I preferred to be called Imogen. :-)

FLOW:  Although the answer may seem obvious to some, others may wonder: What made you decide to leave behind a career in immunology to write?  What, if anything, do you miss about the career you left behind? Why?

ROSE: When I was pregnant with my second daughter, my husband was offered a job in New Jersey, and we decided to move here from London. After my daughter was born, her love for my made-up rambling stories eventually caused me to write one down for her, and my writing career blossomed from there. I do miss the camaraderie of working with a bunch of interesting, fun people, but other that, I don’t miss a thing.  I can’t think of anything more awesome than being able to sit back and let my imagination take over, writing it all down into books.

FLOW: Since you were writing for your daughter, how did you put her in the stories?  Does she still influence your work?  Are there any other key influences?

ROSE:  I am very much influenced by the people around me, and pieces of their personalities appear in some of my characters. My younger daughter, Lauren, is very much the Ella from Portal, and later the inspiration for Faustine. I’m not saying she’s a little demon, though she can be a bit naughty! One day while she was doing homework, I snapped a picture of her, and that photo inspired the whole story. It’s how the Bonfire Chronicles was born. That picture of her was used on the front cover of the book.

FLOW:  I also see that you've emigrated from Sweden to England to the US.  How have you adapted to the various culture shocks?  Can you tell us how this comes out in your work?  How were you able to so convincingly write an American teenager?

ROSE: I adapt very easily, probably because I moved a lot as a child. Writing from an American perspective has been a challenge. I grew up learning Swedish English, and this tends to come out in my writing at times.

FLOW:  I imagine that gave you a lot of insight into teen angst--being moved around so much.  How has that found its way into your books?

Although I moved a lot, I’ve never seen that as a negative, more of an adventure and an opportunity to make new friends. I wish I’d had access to Facebook as a teen so I could have kept in touch with all the amazing people I met along the way, but have unfortunately lost contact with over the years. Having two daughters, I do have first-hand experience with pre-teen/teen angst, though.

FLOW:  You have quite a following in YA.  Given the chance, what alternate genres might you like to explore?  Any chance you might take on any of those?  Would you use a pen name?

ROSE: I actually love writing YA fiction and can’t imagine writing in any other genre at the moment. That’s not to say that I won’t try it, but for now, I am happy living in my teen imagination.  I don’t think I would use a pen name unless I decided to write in a field that was totally inappropriate for my current audience.

FLOW:  Like immunology? ;-)  Speaking of that, do your former colleagues know what you are doing now?  How about your friends and other family members?  Have they read your books?  What do they think of them?

ROSE: My colleagues from London are really proud of me. My younger daughter is proud of me as well, but my teen is embarrassed. J

FLOW:   What was one of the most surprising things you learned while publishing your books?

ROSE: I was surprised to find myself to be a competent businesswoman. For me, Indie publishing is 10% writing and 90% marketing. I didn’t have any business experience (I come from a science background) and was faced with having to run my own publishing company, where my success was not just dependent on my writing, but also a product of successful marketing.

FLOW: What do you do when you get writer's block?

ROSE: The only time I experienced writers block was when I sat down to try to plan my latest book (Integration). It lasted a few minutes and was a frightening experience. It was as if all my characters suddenly went into hiding. I generally find it easy to just let them take over, which they always do, except for that one time.

FLOW: Which book is your favorite and why?

ROSE: My latest book is always my favorite because I always stop at a point where I am desperate to start again. The characters are so strong in my imagination that I live and breathe them. Just a few days ago, I was shocked by what happens next for Cordelia and can’t wait to find out more. Having said that, I have a very special place in my heart for the Portal Chronicles, as that story is very close to me and who I am.

FLOW: What are you usually doing (as in daily activity) when you come up with the most story plots and twists? Is there usually a situation or activity that stimulates your imagination more than others?

ROSE: Yes... it’s either when I am in a semi-sleep, just about to get up in the mornings, or when I am in the shower.

FLOW: How long does it take for a character to appear on a page? Like do you think/dream and immediately write about them or do they kinda hang out in your head until they are needed in a story?

ROSE: They simmer, I guess somewhat unconsciously, and then suddenly appear as I’m typing. It’s difficult to describe. I really just don’t know what happens from page to page, or who will appear.

FLOW:  So what is next on your plate in terms of writing?  Any and all spoilers would be greatly appreciated. :-)

ROSE:  I’m in the process of writing the fifth book in the Portal Chronicles at the moment. I am also getting my books translated into German, Spanish, French, and Japanese, which I am very excited about. The German edition of Portal was just published a few weeks ago.

FLOW:  Do you hear from your readers? What kinds of questions do they ask?

ROSE:  I am very lucky to hear from my readers on almost a daily basis. I mostly get asked about forthcoming release dates and advice on what order they should read my books.

FLOW:  Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?  

ROSE:  I do, but I have been sworn to silence! 

FLOW:  Thank you so much for talking to us. :-)

Imogen's Books are available everywhere.  Here are a few links to get you started...

PORTAL (Portal Chronicles)  

EQUILIBRIUM (Portal Chronicles Book Two)  

FAUSTINE (Bonfire Chronicles)

Interesting Article: How My Self-Published Novel Went Viral for 11 Hours

ARTICLE link from Shawn St.Jean:  How My Self-Published Novel Went Viral for 11 Hours

Interesting journal of what happened for one self-publisher...

WEDNESDAY WORDS: Interview with ROMCOM bestseller, Sibel Hodge

Flurries of Words (FLOW) had the great opportunity of sitting down with bestselling RomCom and Mystery author, Sibel Hodge, for a chat about her writing, experience as an Indie Writer and alter ego of Wonder Woman.  Here's what she had to say...

FLOW:  It seems a long way from working with the police for 10 years to becoming the reigning RomCom Mystery queen of the indie world.  Obviously the two are really not as unrelated as they sound.  Can you tell us how your past experience fits in with your work now?

HODGE:  I think everything I've done in life has been a rehearsal for writing books, and I've drawn from a lot of my own experiences. I've always wanted to write, and ever since I was old enough to scrawl my first words, I've been slinging letters on the page, but I think I just didn't have enough material to actually write a whole book or know what to do with it until I hit thirty-five. Everything that's happened to me in my life has been a journey to get to this point. 

FLOW: How did your time with the police influence the Amber Fox series? 

HODGE: It helped a lot with parts of the investigative procedure in the plots. Plus, working for the police you meet such a variety of people you can make some great characters from!

FLOW:  Trafficked is a stunning piece of literature and a major departure from the lighter RomCom fare audiences love from you.  What prompted you to write it? 

HODGE: Thanks so much for your kind words! About five years ago I watched a mini series about girls from Eastern Europe who’d been trafficked. It haunted me for a long time, and then gradually it faded from my mind and I got on with my life. Then a little while ago I was sitting in a doctor’s surgery waiting for an appointment and picked up a magazine. Inside, was the story of one women who’d been trafficked. It made a chill run through me, and I realized that in those five years, I’d never heard anything in the media about it.

That got me thinking, and I started researching other victim’s stories online. They were horrific, heart breaking, gut wrenching, and I knew this was a subject that, despite being such a global problem, a lot of people are unaware goes on. I really wanted to do something to raise awareness into the subject and Trafficked: The Diary of a Sex Slave was born.

Although the book is fictional, it’s inspired by these victim’s stories, and is a very sad global reality. In 2007 the US Department of State carried out a Trafficking in Persons report. The statistics shocked me to the core: 700,000-800,000 men, women and children trafficked across international borders each year, approximately 80% of which are women and girls, and up to 50% are minors. The figures will be a lot higher four years on.

And one of the truly scary things is, most people think it only affects third world countries, but it’s going on right under your nose. The US Department of State estimated 14,500 to 17,500 foreign nationals are trafficked into the United States alone each year.

      I wanted Trafficked to be gritty, hard hitting, and tear-jerking. And I wanted it to make people really stop and think about this subject. I chose to write it in the form of a diary so the reader really feels every emotion – the fear, beatings, horror, desperation, hope, and faith. I wanted you to experience the ordeal through the eyes of all the Elenas out there.

FLOW:  How did you get involved in the topic?  Did you use a different approach to writing it than you had to your other books? 

HODGE: Not really, I still had to research the topic like I would with anything else. The only difference was that instead of writing funny romcoms that made me crack up with laughter, Trafficked made me cry a lot while I was writing it, but that's the effect I wanted readers to feel. It was challenging to do something about such an emotive and serious subject, and I've had some fantastic feedback from it. I was honoured when it was listed in the Top 40 Books About Human Rights by Accredited Online Colleges. 

FLOW:  The scenes were so gritty and realistic, portraying horrific events: how did you prepare to write them?

HODGE:  I prepared by reading through a lot of real victims' stories and researching news articles and trafficking reports. Then I put my mind into the mind of Elena and imagined I was her. 

FLOW:  I see that you are very open about the number of rejections you received (200) before hitting it big in Indie publishing.  How did you manage to keep going in the face of such repeated rejection? 

HODGE: I cried a lot and drank a lot of wine!  Shares in Kleenex and Blossom Hill went up a gazillion times during my rejection period. 

FLOW: What was the best thing you did right on the road to becoming a success? 

HODGE :  Oooh, that's hard! I think the best thing I did was I kept on going. Just because you hit a brick wall, it doesn’t mean you have to give up. You either find a way though it, around it, or over it. But I was definitely going to find a way to live my dream of being a writer. 

FLOW:  What was the worst thing you did wrong? 

HODGE I didn't believe in myself enough in the beginning. 

FLOW: What words of advice do you have for aspiring authors?  

HODGE :  Go for it! You are the only person who can make things happen. The only life you’re living is right here, right now in this moment, and you can choose exactly what to do with it. Success is just a state of mind, so think yourself successful and you will be!

FLOW:  Like most Indie writers, a large portion of your audience comes from the USA.  How do you manage to create characters who will engage with that audience when you are European by residence and birth? 

HODGE : I think being mad helps! 

FLOW: How do you consistently successfully overcome the different senses of humour between cultures when writing your Romantic Comedies? 

HODGE : I think writing humour is difficult, anyway, because it's so subjective, regardless of culture and nationality. A lot of things that happen to the characters in my books have either happened to me or my friends or family (I'm so accident prone, it's untrue!), and I try and write humour that readers can actually relate to. 

FLOW:  When and where did you first acquire the Wonder Woman alter-ego? 

HODGE : When I was a kid I either wanted to be an astronaut or Wonder Woman. There was a slight problem there, though, because I was afraid of heights, so Wonder Woman won!

FLOW:  How old were you when it started and did it have anything to do with the Lynda Carter series of the 1970s?  (That's when my affinity for her started!)

HODGE:  Oh, yeah, it was definitely Lynda Carter - she was so cool. I've even got a pair of Wonder Woman knickers that I parade around in! 

FLOW:  Yes, I had those too!  Thank you so much for talking to us & giving us the inside scoop. :-)

Sibel's books are available everywhere.  Here's some links to get you started...

Voodoo Deadly (Amber Fox Mystery No 3)  

Be Careful What You Wish For (Amber Fox Mystery No 2)  

My Perfect Wedding (Romantic Comedy)

Affordable Book Advertising at Flurries of Words

Are you an Indie Author struggling to get your book noticed but bogged down by exorbitant advertising costs that are just plain out of your reach?  Well, look no further.

At Flurries of Words we have a wide range of affordable ads starting at a minimum donation of just $1!

We have thousands of Twitter followers, over 3000 page views a week and lots of Facebook and Pinterest followers too.

If you need an ad but are on a budget, why not check us out?  It could be the solution you've been looking for...

Just email us at flurriesofwords@yahoo.co.uk or flurriesofwords@gmail.com to get started.

Best wishes, 
Flurries of Words

Announce New Indie Releases here

Have a new Indie release planned?  Why not announce it at Flurries of Words? Just send us the information (Book, Title, Cover Art, Release Date, URLs) at flurriesofwords@yahoo.co.uk or flurriesofwords@gmail.com and we will post it here!

ANNOUNCE NEW RELEASES HERE

Have a new Indie release planned?  Why not announce it at Flurries of Words? Just send us the information (Book, Title, Cover Art, Release Date, URLs) and we will post it here!