Goodness, July has been a busy month for my writing journey. A month of firsts! I was a guest on BBC Radio Berkshire on July 17th, talking about my books and attended the Bracknell Book Fair at the Easthampstead Works on July 20th, where I gave my first ever formal live Author talk.
I was up early on wednesday, though not as early as Paul Coia the host of the BBC Radio Berkshire Breakfast show, thank goodness. I am typically a night owl, and early mornings and I do not mesh!
I met the Bracknell Book Fair organiser and fellow Fantasy author, Emma Williams, at the radio studio in Reading, and we were live guests on the breakfast show. It was a great experience and the team were very welcoming.
We talked about the Book Fair and my writing journey, and you can find the recording on my press and events page.
I then went on to the Bracknell book fair at the Easthampstead works, which was a great venue and spent all day chatting about books. There were 20+ plus authors in attendence and it was a really well organised.
At 1pm I was off to the Bracknell Library to give my first ever live author talk which went really well, and I had lots of wonderful questions, and I must admit I could have talked for an hour instead of my allotted 30 minutes.
And then back to my table to meet more readers and talk books, books, books! Such fun, and the day flew by!
And then, home to soak in a bath and early bedtime! I was exhausted. But it was well worth it.
I was also a guest on two blogs in July, you can find my interviews here:
Want to know more and follow my journey? Then make sure you sign up to my newsletter below.
If you enjoy epic fantasy then check out my award winning Sentinal series, which is now complete. If you like fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love my SoulMist series, start with SoulBreather. Prefer Dystopian Science Fantasy? Then try Harmony. Start the adventure and stay for the journey.
Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
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This week I am chatting to Ben Schenkman about his latest release in the The Devil You Know series, Dueling Shoulder Angels.
Helen: Welcome Ben. Congratulations on your new release. I am very excited to learn more about your series. Tell us a little about it.
Ben: My current books are the first two in my series, The Devil You Know.
The first, My Boss is the Devil, focuses on a barista named Nick who is stuck in a dead-end job and dissatisfied with his life. He goes to work for the Devil and has to grapple with the concepts of good and evil. It subverts expectations, because the Devil isn’t what you expect in this story. He has to decide if the ends justify the means, and if it’s worth his soul to make a difference in the world.
The second, Dueling Shoulder Angels, which is just being released now, is a continuation of the story. No spoilers on the first book, but where the first book focused on the Devil, the second introduces God. It also expands the role of Amy, the goth witch/love interest from the first book, and has a redemption arc for another.
Helen: Your covers are very distinct. What were your thoughts behind the cover design?
Ben: I adore my cover(s)! The first book focuses on Lucifer, so has a devilish silhouette behind a faceless man in a suit. I always intended for the main character to be a bit of a mirror for the reader and let them put themselves in his shoes. The cover is a bit of a play on that, with the lack of physical details. There are also coffee icons throughout, which is one of the through-threads of the story. The color is perfect, it was always going to be red and fits with the Devil motif.
The second, introducing a secondary main character and God Themself, adds similar figures for those characters. We add occult symbols to the icons floating around, and change the imagery a bit. The green color is a nod to the “millennial green velvet couch” that appears in the book. My partner, in real life, has that couch.
Helen: You have chosen unusual book titles. Is there a special meaning behind the title?
Ben: My Boss is the Devil is a double entendre. It’s a colloquialism, but in this case it’s also literal. I started writing this book back in 2006, finished the first draft during NaNoWriMo in 2014, and shelved it until 2023. It’s always had the same title, I was very fond of it. I’ve had to reassure bosses of mine that the book is fiction, and not about them.
The second book, Dueling Shoulder Angels, is a play on the trope of the angel and the devil sitting on someone’s shoulders, whispering in their ears. Except Lucifer is a fallen angel, right? So it’s actually two angels, dueling for influence and control.
Helen: Sometimes the title just leaps out at you, and others it is hard work trying to find the right name. I have a new series and I am struggling to find the right titles! What made you write this particular book?
Ben: I was Nick, to an extent, when I started writing the first book. I was working a job with little prospects, and wasn’t sure about my future. I took some of that inspiration and asked, “What if someone like that got a chance to work for the Devil? What would happen?”
Helen: Writers are such curious folk. We are always asking question, which is why we come up with such great stories! When did you first realise that you had a passion for writing?
Ben: I’ve been writing off and on since I was a child. I remember writing stories in elementary school instead of playing outside with the other kids. I even won an award for a short story I wrote in middle school. I wrote poetry all through high school and into college, but then it sort of faded as a hobby with time. Getting back into writing in the past year has really been eye opening, reminding me that I still have stories to tell.
Helen: I’m glad you rediscovered your love of writing. Which genre do you typically write?
Ben: I write primarily contemporary/urban fantasy. I love the genre because there are so many interesting and magical things about the real world. It’s a way to blend mythology and magic with the intricacies of city life. All of my stories, so far, are set in New Haven, Connecticut. I went to college there, and it’s still one of my favorite stomping grounds. Urban fantasy is also one of my favorite genres to read, so I’ve read a lot of work in the genre.
Helen: How do you find the ideas behind your stories?
Ben: A lot of ideas just come to me when I’m not paying attention to anything in particular. I’ve got two new concepts in the background to work on that just came out of nowhere. I had a big document that I keep my ideas in, because otherwise I’d forget them just as quickly as they came. I love talking these things through with my partner, and my friends, and the best way to get ideas for stories is to just talk about them sometimes.
Helen: I agree, a friend of mine is my sounding board. She always gets to hear about my ideas first. Now you have caught the writing bug, what are you working on next?
Ben: My current WIP is the third book in my series. The current working title has been “The Devil’s in the Details” but I’m expecting to rename it before publication. It’s another continuation of the story, but adding in even more mythology. It’s the last book in the current series, but it leaves it open enough that I could write more in the same world later.
Helen: So you are busy writing, how do you fit it in to your daily routine?
Ben: I have a full-time job, a son at home (my eldest is engaged and lives with his fiance), a partner, a fire performance troupe, and other hobbies. The best thing I can do is to carve out a little time most days to write, even if it’s just thirty minutes. I mostly write when my son is asleep, after I’ve done all my other chores and exercise. But I also carve out time where I can. My partner and I do “coffee shop time” where we each bring a hobby (she’s an artist, knits, and is an avid reader) to a coffee shop and use that time for our creative pursuits. It’s a delight.
Helen: It sounds wonderful. Do you find you have to do much research for your books?
Ben: It really depends on the book, but I tend to do research in the moment. There are some things I need to work out ahead of time, but a lot of my research ends up being open Chrome tabs while I’m writing. If I’m hitting a part of a scene that I’m not sure of, that’s the time I’m going to take a quick break and do just enough research to make sure I’ve got it going in the right direction. My next book concept is going to take more up front research, though, and I’ve got a couple books on the specific culture/mythology I’m going to be working with.
Helen: It’s funny how we are constantly learning new things in order to write our books. Do you plan your books in advance?
Ben: I call myself a pantser with an outline, so I don’t know if that’s called a plantser? I tend to write linearly, with the story evolving in my head and making its way onto the page. The outline is ever-evolving, and I make notes throughout the writing of the book. But I don’t do a lot of pre-plotting, other than trying to map out rough word count beats. I like the “save the cat” story beats, and use at least a rough version of that in my writing process.
Helen: I think you have to use the method that works for you. Everyone is different, and as long as you are writing, that is all that matters. If you didn’t write urban fantasy is there another genre you would like to try?
Ben: If I didn’t write urban fantasy, I think I’d try and write epic fantasy or speculative fiction. My books would be much shorter than the chonks that a lot of authors seem to be putting out though. I’ve got an idea brewing in the back of my mind for a more epic style fantasy, but it’s going to be a minute before I get to that one.
Helen: I love world building so I tend to write epic fanatsy. Like you, I write what I love to read. What books have you read recently?
Ben: I’m currently reading the Debt Collection series by Andrew Givler, starting with Soul Fraud. He’s another contemporary/urban fantasy indie author. I would definitely recommend them, and it’s been really great seeing another author’s take on similar subject matter as my own books. I listen to a lot of audiobooks, and the narrator he has is very good.
Helen: Hmmm … More books to add to the tbr list! Thank you so much for joining me today. It has been lovely learning about you and your books. Just to close us out, do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
Ben: First, just keep writing. Words on the page are what matter. Second, decide why you want to write. If it’s about getting your story out there, and you don’t care about making money doing it, then your strategy is going to be different than if you’re trying to be a full-time author. You have to make a lot of choices in this business. Do you pursue traditional publishing vs self publishing? What genre you write in matters if you want to write books that “sell.” Considerations like these are important. You’ll save yourself some disappointment if you figure out what you want, to help guide you on how to do it.
About the Author
Ben Schenkman
Ben Schenkman likes many things in life: his 20-pound Maine coon cat, his family, his coffee, and his eclectic hobbies—not necessarily in that order.
Ben also likes to play devil’s advocate in his urban fantasy books by exploring the gray areas of good and evil with questions like, “Does the end really justify the means? Or is it all simply black and white?” Ben leaves these questions lingering in the ether to challenge readers’ conventional thinking and delve into the complexities of moral dilemmas.
As a native of Connecticut, Ben draws inspiration from his upbringing and college years in New Haven, where his novels take place. When he wants to escape being a writer, he’s a massive foodie who goes on gastronomic adventures, an overachiever who collects degrees in Theater, Nuclear Engineering, and an MBA, or the manager/performer of the fire dance troupe, HVBRIS—you know, the basics. No big deal.
Learn more about his work, or talk about coffee and cats, at his website.
As an Amazon Associate I may benefit from purchases made using these links.
If you enjoy epic fantasy then check out my award winning Sentinal series, which is now complete. If you like fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love my SoulMist series, start with SoulBreather. Prefer Dystopian Science Fantasy? Then try Harmony. Start the adventure and stay for the journey.
Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
By clicking the sign up button above, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and the newsletter platform provider to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.
By signing up to my newsletter, you agree to receive commercial information from Helen Garraway, located at 61 Bridge St, Kingston, Hertfordshire, UK (Data Administrator). You can withdraw your consent at any time. The data will be processed until the consent is withdrawn.
Reviewed: July 18th, 2024 Released: February 28th, 2021 Genre: Science Fiction
When a high-ranking businessman and two clones are murdered, Marshal Onima Gwok of the Confederation Bureau of Investigation (CBI) gets assigned the case. But nothing quite adds up. Is there something more insidious going on? There is just one witness – a clone. When the war ended ten years ago, the clones who had fought it were discarded, forgotten, and became second-class citizens of the new confederation. Jace Rojas, designated AC J7-2247, is an infantry clone. When he proves to be more helpful than just being a witness to a murder, Onima decides to bring Jace along to join her team as they look for answers across multiple solar systems. But every question seems to produce no answers – only more questions. Will this be the start of a new war – or something worse? Read My Thoughts…
Very excited to be a guest on both the Tranquilo Retreat book blog on July 7th, 2024 and also Christina Consolini’s blog on July 15th, 2004. I had such fun talking about my writing journey, my latest books, and what’s coming next.
Also very excited to be a guest on BBC Radio Berkshire on July 17th, talking about my books and attending the Bracknell Book Fair at the Easthampstead Works where I am giving an Author Talk about my writing journey and creating magical worlds at 1pm in Bracknell Library on July 20th. Hope to see you there.
When? Saturday 20 July, 2024. Where? Easthampstead Works, Town Square, Bracknell, Berkshire, UK. RG12 1BH Where’s that? Go past Fenwicks and it’s the big brutalist building right ahead. But don’t judge this ‘book’ by its cover! It may be old but it’s got a big heart (and a fab coffee shop!) What time? 10am – 4pm. How much? Entry is FREE!
Author Helen Garraway and I might write in different genres, but we certainly have (at least) two things in common: both of us inherited our love of reading from our mothers, and we started writing somewhat late in the game. Despite her delayed start, Helen is doing something exactly right: she’s an award-winning and USA Today and Amazon bestselling author whose books are called “intelligent,” “compelling,” and “amazing.” Read more …
My latest book:
OblivionGate
Having survived Apologia and faced down the Angelic Assembly, Demavrian has every right to be feeling triumphant, but the threat hanging over his head from the vengeful god, Kaenera, is enough to snuff out any celebrations.
His fledglings are distraught and in disarray, Solanji’s brother is still without a soul and Solanji has no idea how her SoulBreathing works. He has no idea how to manage the Oblivion Gate and even with his Gate Wraith’s help, the burden of the soulless banging on the door may be his undoing.
Kaenera is poised to strike back and if Demavrian doesn’t learn the secrets of the Oblivion Gate fast enough, he may be the shortest lived Gate Keeper in history.
OblivionGate is the third enthralling book in the Fantasy Romance SoulMist series full of vibrant characters, political intrigue and betrayal.
While you are here, check out my epic fantasy Sentinal Series.
If you would like to read an ARC for my future novels, then sign up to my ARC team via the link in my linktr.ee. All I ask is that you leave an honest review on the week of the launch to as many platforms as you can!! (Amazon/Goodreads/Bookbub)
This week I am chatting to fellow BookFest Gold medal winner Kimly Hoang-Nakata, about her children’s picture book, Bringing in the Tết.
Helen: Welcome Kimly. Congratulations on your gold medal. I am very excited to learn more about your book. Tell us a little about it.
Kimly: My current book is an award-winning bilingual children’s book written in English and Vietnamese. The book describes a cultural experience through a narration with beautiful illustrations that bring joy to our young readers while helping them understand the traditional meanings of Tết, the festive Vietnamese Lunar New Year. The book received two awards within two months of release in 2024! It won First Place Award at the BookFest Awards for children’s picture books and it was featured on the Nasdaq billboard at Times Square, New York City. The other award is the “International Impact Book Awards” for children’s education.
Helen: It was so exciting to see our books up in Times Square. One of those special moments. What were your thoughts behind the cover design?
Kimly: The cover of this book uniquely captures the essence of the story and highlights the festive symbols of the Tết holiday with the happy characters from two generations.
Helen: It is a happy cover and looks great up in Times Square. Is there a special meaning behind the title?
Kimly: It’s my intention to call this book “Bringing in Tết” because I hope it brings in the festive joy and feeling to every reader who reads the book.
Helen: What made you write this particular book?
Kimly: I was born in Central Vietnam and lived there for 9 years prior to immigrating to the U.S. with my family. Despite the economic challenges throughout my childhood, Tết is a time when everyone in the family paused their work to come together to celebrate. When I was a little girl, I remember getting really excited because it was the only time in the year that I got to wear new clothes and new shoes! Through this experience, I learned to appreciate the hard work and the value of family bonding more than anything. After moving to the U.S, my parents continue to keep the tradition of celebrating Tết every year. Now I want to share this cultural experience with children through a children’s picture book. When I was a newcomer in the U.S., I didn’t have culturally relevant books at school to support my learning. Now as an educator, I teach kids from all walks of life and it’s important to have multicultural books to educate them about different cultures. I also hope to inspire others to embrace their own cultures. I believe that sharing cultural experiences can foster compassion, appreciation, empathy, and joy that can enrich our lives.
Helen: That is such a lovely sentiment. I hope your book helps others experience your joy of Tết. When did you first realise that you wanted to write a children’s book?
Kimly: Writing allows me to unwind and reflect on my day so it became an important part in my daily routine since I was a teenager, but I never thought I could publish a book until I took the courage to do it. While in quarantine mode during the pandemic, I thought of my story ideas and that was how my first children’s picture book called “Mama Get Well Soon” was published. It was based on a true personal experience depicting a family life that shows support to one another during a challenging time. Writing brings a sense of clarity and comfort to me. My first set of ten children’s picture books were published because I wanted to inspire my students to write. Having their teacher as a published author really got them to lift up their pencils and started writing. Seeing my students enjoy writing and doing their best work brought me a lot of joy!
Helen: Sharing the joy of writing is so fulfilling. I am glad your students are inspired by your writing success. How do you come up with the ideas for your books?
Kimly: My work and life involve around my children and my students at school, so my ideas and inspirations came from my daily interactions with them. I enjoy capturing life’s moments through writing.
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Helen: Being an educator, when do you find the time to fit in your writing?
Kimly: I try to fit writing into my everyday life as much as I can, but I find the most productive time for me to write is when the night calms down, I enjoy the quiet atmosphere to relax, reflect, and write.
Helen: What is the best thing that has happened to you since you began writing?
Kimly: Besides the recognitions and awards, I got to know more wonderful people beyond my social circle. It’s the joy that increased in volume for the opportunity to share my stories with others. Thank you for the support.
Helen: It’s been lovely to meet you. Kimly. Thank you so much for chatting with me today. Last question! What advice would you give to aspiriing authors?
Kimly: For new writers out there, I encourage you to make writing part of your daily routine and write about everything and anything that you are passionate about. Just let your thoughts flow out without worrying about the grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc. because all that can be edited once you finish your drafts.
About the Author
Kimly Hoang-Nakata
Kimly Hoang-Nakata is passionate about educating children and inspiring them to love learning. Kimly is the founder of Achieve Education, an exceptional coaching service specializing in holistic learning success for K-12 students. Together with her husband (who is an award-winning pediatrician), Achieve Education empowers growth and confidence by providing personalized learning to help students reach their full potential. For a free consultation and a 45-minute lesson, please e-mail support@achieve.education or visit website https://www.achieve.education. Kimly’s work earned her the recognitions on NBC 7 News, SBTN (Saigon Broadcasting Network), and Global Thought Leaders Network air on ABC15.
As an Amazon Associate I may benefit from purchases made using these links.
If you enjoy epic fantasy then check out my award winning Sentinal series, which is now complete. If you like fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love my SoulMist series, start with SoulBreather. Prefer Dystopian Science Fantasy? Then try Harmony. Start the adventure and stay for the journey.
Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
By clicking the sign up button above, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and the newsletter platform provider to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.
By signing up to my newsletter, you agree to receive commercial information from Helen Garraway, located at 61 Bridge St, Kingston, Hertfordshire, UK (Data Administrator). You can withdraw your consent at any time. The data will be processed until the consent is withdrawn.
Reviewed: July 8th, 2024 Released: June 17th, 2024 Genre: Space Opera
On a world where cake is a necessity, it takes the Grid to protect the civilized and the deaf from the dire influences of the ambient and to keep the chaotic Haosa at bay.
Having arrived at recently Dust-bound Colemeno, Trader Padi yos’Galan is essential to Master Trader Shan yos’Galan’s plan to recoup Clan Korval’s fortunes by establishing new routes for the clan’s tradeship. Shan’s inner Healer insists Padi come to terms with her as-yet unplumbed psychic abilities, which might place her in the top tier of dramliz, if she can learn control.
Padi yearns to concentrate on trade, but Colemeno’s fey ambient and deadly long-term politics combine to bring her face-to-face with the Haosa, and in particular with the mysterious and untouchable Tekelia, as Korval’s trade mission’s necessity of a port audit collide with a cruel history of murder, deception, and brutality. Amid the dangers, Padi unexpectedly finds herself eagerly exploring her dramliz side when faced with the unspoken powers of the ambient, the sky-filling energy of the ribbon dance, and Tekelia’s mutable eyes. Read My Thoughts…
This week I am chatting to Fantasy author David Niemitz, about his novel, The Faerie Knight which released on June 3rd, 2024.
Helen: Welcome David. Congratulations on the release of your latest book. I am very excited to learn more about The Faerie Knight. Tell us a little about it.
David: The Faerie Knight is the first novel in a fantasy trilogy, inspired by Arthurian and other medieval romances, as well as the British Romantic poets – among other things! I’m very excited about this project, for one thing because it’s an experiment for me, in a lot of ways. To being with, I’m Beta-releasing the trilogy in serial format on Royal Road, and that process has gotten me tons of great feedback. It’s been a great writing excercise to practice crafting chapters to a specific length, on a regular time table, and structured in such a way as to (hopefully) keep people coming back for the next chapter each time they get to the end of the current one. I’ve had readers tell me they stayed up until 5am finishing volume one in ebook format, and then immediately go to Royal Road to keep going on the first fifteen chapters of volume two, so I’m quite pleased.
Helen: That is great writing habit to get into. I imagine your book grows quite fast writing by chapter. Though I tend to jump around, I’m not sure I could write in a linear fashion! What were your thoughts behind the cover design?
David: The cover of The Faerie Knight features our protagonist, Trist, and the Faerie Acrasia, from whom he draws power. The art is by my wonderful wife, Sarah Murphy, and she’s hard at work on covers for books two and three. She also did the map inside!
We talked about quite a few options for this cover, and went to the MET in New York to look at art for inspiration. I’m really happy with what we ended up with, and we’re already talking about options for volume two, which will be in the same visual style.
Helen: An excellent excuse for a trip to the museum, and how lucky for you to have an amazing artist in-house! I’m glad you found inspiration. Why did you write this particular book?
David: This book came from a couple pieces of inspiration – Keats’ La Belle Dame Sans Merci, Byron’s Darkness, Mallory, Spenser, all things that I love. But then I also read a wonderful metaphor for understanding theoretical five dimensional creatures, and it gave me this idea: what if faeries were essentially 5th dimensional angler fish? That’s the fish that dangles a glowing lure out in front of its mouth to attract its pray. In this world, the majority of a Faerie exists in the 5th dimension, where humans can’t perceive it. But they can perceive the beautiful, shiny lure that brings them right up to the gaping maw. Humans are food.
Helen: What an intriguing premise. Who knows what is behind the next bright light! Which genre do you typically write?
David: Various flavors of science fiction and fantasy. Sci Fi tends toward the harder end of the spectrum, while my fantasy tends more toward traditional/epic, and I would say in either case it’s very character driven.
It was sci-fi and fantasy that I found immersive when I was a young reader, and I loved to lose myself in worlds that were both wonderful and terrifying. That’s the kind of experience I want to craft for other people, now. And I also think both genres provide space to tackle the kinds of questions I find interesting: how would such and such a technology affect the way people live and interact with each other? How would immortal creatures regard humans?
Helen: I think that is what is such fun for writers. We have endless questions and buckets of imagination. Together that drives some amazing stories. I find writing the most enjoyable part, though I find it difficult to put myself out there, so I have to make the effort to put my hand up, and do that author talk or book event. Which part of the writing process do you find most challenging?
David: Marketing. Is that a cop out? I love the process of writing itself, and it’s an escape from the pressures of my career. I find it fulfilling and I’m excited to dive into each new project. Some people can’t stand doing revisions, but I even enjoy that, and the reception I’ve gotten from the Royal Road community has been overwhelmingly positive, even when people had critique or suggestions. I actually recently added an entire chapter to volume two based on reader feedback – they wanted more development on Ismet, a supporting character, when I had been a bit afraid of spending too long with anyone but the Protagonist.
But yeah, Marketing is very daunting. I credit my sister quite a bit with pushing me to challenge myself and work harder in that aspect, and members of my writing group for turning me on to various opportunities. I’ve gotten plenty of advice along the way: anything I do right is probably a credit to someone who has helped me out, and anything I do wrong is my own fault!
Helen: Marketing is difficult. Finding your perfect reader is an ongoing process. Thank you so much for joining me today. It’s been great meeting you. Just to finish, what do we have to look forward to next?
David: I’m currently revising volume two of The Faerie Knight, which will be entitled The GraalKnight, while also drafting volume three: Knight of Doors. The third volume will conclude this project, though I do potentially see room for a spin off featuring the protagonist’s squire, some years later.
At the same time, I’m taking notes and developing characters/settings for my next series, which I intend to begin on November first. I’ve never done a National Novel Month – last year I was already deep into revising Faerie Knight at that time. Royal Road also runs a contest that lines up with that in November, but of course to qualify you can’t have anything pre-written. So, I’m doing as much development and prep as I can, and then we’ll see how it goes.
I haven’t made every decision, but I think I have a very interesting protagonist shaping up. In Faerie Knight, of course, I had a male knight as a Protagonist, very traditional for the genre inspirations. In my first science fiction novel, A Sea Cold and Deep, I had a pair of lovers who shared equal screentime, Kaito and Annie. Liv – there’s still time for me to change my mind on her name, but I think I’m 90% settled – is occupying more and more of my mind as I draw closer to the end of Trist’s journey. I want to really play with some permutations of this sort of traditional fantasy idea of the half elf with her. For instance, what if elves have certain nutritional requirements that humans don’t, and that manifests as physical problems for her in childhood, because she’s raised by a human mother who just doesn’t know what to do? If Elves live a long time, longer than humans, do they develop more slowly? Is that interpreted as something being wrong with her? What’s it like for her mother to grow into middle age while Liv still isn’t really even an adult? What’s it like for her when her first crush grows up and moves on and gets married and is an adult, and she isn’t really? I think there’s some really interesting stuff to play with there, and I want to start with Liv as a child and cover decades.
About the Author
David Niemitz
Dave Niemitz is a writer and teacher; he lives with his wife, son, a black cat named Charlie, and a Pug named Duncan. He holds a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
As an Amazon Associate I may benefit from purchases made using these links.
If you enjoy epic fantasy then check out my award winning Sentinal series, which is now complete. If you like fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love my SoulMist series, start with SoulBreather. Prefer Dystopian Science Fantasy? Then try Harmony. Start the adventure and stay for the journey.
Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
By clicking the sign up button above, you agree to share your email address with the site owner and the newsletter platform provider to receive marketing, updates, and other emails from the site owner. Use the unsubscribe link in those emails to opt out at any time.
By signing up to my newsletter, you agree to receive commercial information from Helen Garraway, located at 61 Bridge St, Kingston, Hertfordshire, UK (Data Administrator). You can withdraw your consent at any time. The data will be processed until the consent is withdrawn.
It’s Launch day! OblivionGate is live! The SoulMist series is now complete, and I am so excited to share the third book of the SoulMist series.
This is the perfect trilogy for your Summer reading:
a new world to immerse yourself in,
some great characters to fall in love with,
a rollercoaster of a ride,
plenty of action and adventure,
along with all the emotional feels.
The SoulMist series is a series that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.
OblivionGate
Having survived Apologia and faced down the Angelic Assembly, Demavrian has every right to be feeling triumphant, but the threat hanging over his head from the vengeful god, Kaenera, is enough to snuff out any celebrations.
His fledglings are distraught and in disarray, Solanji’s brother is still without a soul and Solanji has no idea how her SoulBreathing works. He has no idea how to manage the Oblivion Gate and even with his Gate Wraith’s help, the burden of the soulless banging on the door may be his undoing.
Kaenera is poised to strike back and if Demavrian doesn’t learn the secrets of the Oblivion Gate fast enough, he may be the shortest lived Gate Keeper in history.
OblivionGate is the third enthralling book in the Fantasy Romance SoulMist series full of vibrant characters, political intrigue and betrayal.
While you are here, check out my epic fantasy Sentinal Series.
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So excited to share that both SoulBreather, book one of the SoulMist series, and Sentinals Justice, book three of the Epic Fantasy Sentinal series won First Place in the Spring 2024 BookFest Awards.
Celebrating winning gold medals in the Spring 2024 BookFest book awards.
SoulBreather won the first place gold medal for Paranormal & Urban Fantasy
And the glass trophy has arrived!
Unboxing
Sentinals Justice won first place gold medal for Epic Fantasy.
Sentinals Justice
Readers’ Favorite Five Star Review.
“… a truly thrilling setting filled with political and royal intrigue, interpersonal drama, and dangerous games of secrets, warmongering, and missing persons … I would not hesitate to recommend Sentinals Justice to fans of epic fantasy and the series so far; you won’t be disappointed.” K.C. Finn for Readers’ Favorite.
SoulBreather
Readers’ Favorite Five Star Review SoulBreather by Helen Garraway is moving and gripping, with a perfect plot boasting the most incredible, cleverly crafted protagonists I’ve enjoyed in recent literature. It’s a wonderful, utterly addictive series launch filled with detailed worldbuilding, sweet romance, and plenty of intrigue and adventure. I especially loved the romantic chemistry between Mav and Solanji and their determination for justice and to save others. I nearly devoured this brilliant tale in one sitting. Garraway’s narrative is highly immersive and action-packed. I would recommend SoulBreather to all fans of paranormal fantasy and anyone who loves stories with heart, adventure, feisty heroines, and fallen angels.” Reviewed By Emma Megan for Readers’ Favorite
If you enjoy fantasybooks then you will love my epic fantasy Sentinal series or my PNR/Fantasy Romance SoulMist series or Harmony, a standalone Dystopian fantasy. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and a bonus story, Sentinals Discovery, and never miss a notification when my next book is published.
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I am excited to chat with fellow BookFest award winner, Michael Thomas Perone, about his YA Science fiction novel, Déjà View.
Helen: Many congratulations, Michael, on your gold medal and getting your book up in lights in Times Square. It is so exciting! Tell us about your award winning book, Déjà View.
Michael:Déjà View is about a 12-year-old boy named Bobby Dalton who doesn’t want to grow up. All his life, he has relied on the imaginary games of childhood with his best friends Joe and Max to get him through the tough times. But this all changes when his Seventh-Grade class buries a time capsule to commemorate the end of the 1980s. Now Bobby is being haunted by visions: ghostly doppelgangers of himself, his friends, and others. He calls them “déjà view.” Are these visions real, or has his imagination finally gotten away from him? And if they’re real, what do they want? Bobby needs to figure this all out to survive his childhood…and his life.
Helen: You have chosen quite an atmospheric cover design. What were your thoughts behind the design?
Michael: The cover is a slightly spooky image of my three main characters burying something under the cover of moonlight. I wanted readers who first glanced at the cover to become intrigued and ask themselves, “What are these kids burying?” and hope that this inspired them to read the back cover copy to get some clues. I wanted the boys to be in shadow because this reinforces the book’s theme of ghostly doppelgangers. (Bobby calls them “shadows.”) Also, I wanted to have the title superimposed so that it would appear it had its own shadow (again, emphasizing the theme of doubles in the book). I gave these ideas to my publisher, and I think they did a great job. Since I’m a writer and not an artist, though I originally wanted to be a cartoonist when I was a kid, one thing I hadn’t thought of was the color of the cover, and I was very pleased when it came back. I think the dark blues and purples really make the cover pop and help convey the overall spooky vibe of the book.
Helen: It works!! I love finding out the detail behind the cover design, because their is a lot of thought put into it than many readers realise and understanding the thought process makes the cover even more meaningful. How did you come up with the book title?
Michael: The original title was just Déjà Vu, but after a quick Amazon search, I discovered only about a million books already have that title. (That’s just a slight exaggeration.) So I changed it to Déjà View and had Bobby come up with this name since these repeated visions of his are things that he’s actually seeing, not just feeling. (There’s also a running gag in the book that he keeps misspelling and mispronouncing things; he is a kid after all.) There are still a few books out there with this title, so to differentiate it even further, I gave the book a subtitle: A Kid Nightmare, since I consider this a companion book to my debut novel Danger Peak, which also had a subtitle, A Kid Adventure, though I should say Déjà View isn’t a sequel to that book. There is, however, a very brief cameo from the kids of Danger Peak, but it’s so short, if you blink while reading the sentence, you might miss it.
Helen: You know, I hadn’t even noticed the change in spelling until you said!! The mind just reads it as Vue as that is what you expect! Why did you write this particular book?
Michael: My first book was more or less about the death of my brother, and I wanted to write about another kind of death, the death of childhood. I knew the book would be more ambitious, cover more ground, be longer, and take place over a longer period of time than Danger Peak, but I also wanted to answer a question: “How exactly does childhood die?” We know the broad brushstrokes, but I’m a very detail-oriented person, and I wanted to know, just for myself, how precisely does it happen? To answer the question, I searched through old diaries of mine, and I also just have a really good memory of this time in my life. Almost everything that happens in the first half of the book happened to me in real life (with exaggerations of course to make it more entertaining for the reader). The second half, what I jokingly call “the crazy half,” is when Bobby starts seeing his visions, so the story is a slow burn, but I hope it’s worth it. And I did discover the answer to my question, but I think I’ll keep it to myself for now. Or you can just read my book!
Helen: They always say write from experience. Though I write epic fantasy, so I can’t say that I’ve experienced epic battles!! When did you realise you had a passion for writing?
Michael: I’ve been writing stories basically since I was taught the alphabet. I used to bring my stories into school in third and fourth grade and read them in front of the class. At the time, I thought everyone was doing this. I would ask my friends what stories they were working on, and they assumed I was talking about homework. Despite this, I never considered myself seriously as a writer until the mid-2000s when my whole life imploded. In less than a year, I lost my girlfriend, my roommate, my apartment, and my job and was forced to move back home. I was wondering what to do with my life, and my Mom suggested I write. I blew her off, but she reminded me that when I was a kid, I would write story after story in my bedroom. “No one told you to do that, Michael,” she said. “You did that yourself.” The rest, as they say, is history, though I should say my writing doesn’t pay the bills. I’m not Stephen King…yet!
Helen: Life changes do seem to be a catalyst for putting pen to paper. Which genre do you write and why?
Michael: I write young adult for several reasons. I’m never going to be a genius author who can write a 1,000-page book with over a hundred characters; my books are a little over 200 pages each and have six or seven main characters. That’s about as much as my brain can handle per book, and young adult tends to be shorter with fewer characters. The other reason is that I tend to think like someone in junior high; I have a very child-like sensibility, much to the consternation of my family, but that helps me identify with my characters more.
As for the genre of action-adventure, in the case of Danger Peak, or sci-fi, for Déjà View, those genres just generally interest me as a reader and film lover. I was a child of the ‘80s raised by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas after all.
Finally, I love the genre of magical realism for a similar reason of why I write young adult. It’s too much for my brain to handle a world where everything is magical, like Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings. I can only handle one magical thing per book, like the supernatural mountain in Danger Peak or the ghostly visions in Déjà View. I like playing with that one magical idea and seeing how it affects my characters and their more-or-less real world.
Helen: Your books do sound intriguing. Who is your favourite character?
Michael: By far, my favorite character is Bobby’s therapist Dr. Pann. Without giving too much away, he’s more complex than at first glance, and he was a lot of fun to write, especially playing with the different shades of his personality. I also gave him some of the best lines in the book.
Helen: Let’s switch to your writing process. Which part of the writing process do you find most challenging?
Michael: I think most writers would probably say sitting down and doing the actual writing, but, not to sound obnoxious, I don’t usually get writer’s block. The hardest part for me is structuring the story, so I guess, in a way, you can say I get “story structure block,” to coin a phrase. I can come up with a good idea to sustain a novel-length story and have no problem developing the characters. Also, as writer-director John Hughes once said, “I can write dialogue as fast as I can say it,” but putting all that together into a good beginning, middle, and unexpected yet satisfying end is the hardest part for me. For example, it took me almost a year thinking about Déjà View to come up with the ending, and even then, it came to me in a dream. Once I figure out the story though, I’m off and running and usually finish the first draft within 3 to 4 months.
Helen: So do you plan out your story in advance, or do you find you write better on the fly, so to speak?
Michael: This goes hand in hand with my last answer. I used to write “by the seat of my pants” when I was a kid and just make it up as I went along. That worked with a few stories but not with most. They usually ended with a conclusion that may have been unexpected but definitely wasn’t inevitable or satisfying to read. As an adult, I learned to outline my stories, something I used to hate doing in English class but is something I’ve learned is necessary if you want to write a truly memorable story that doesn’t cheat the reader. There’s no, as they say, deus ex machina that comes in to save the day at the end of my stories. The characters either naturally solve the problem on their own or they face the consequences of the decisions they’ve made all throughout the story (or both). That said, this doesn’t necessarily mean I have everything figured out in the story when I begin writing, especially the dialogue. That part I like making up as I go along, and I think that also helps it sound more natural, like how real people talk.
Helen: I’ve found that the more I write, the more I plan the framework in advance. Now whether I follow the plan is another matter! Having completed and published Déjà View, what else are you working on?
Michael: I’m working on a collection of my favorite short stories I’ve written over the years. When I was putting it together, I was afraid the reader would ping-pong between different themes (if you read Déjà View, you’ll know theme is a big deal for me), but either by coincidence or sheer luck, the stories I chose have pretty much the same theme: a sane person trying to live in an insane world. It’s definitely the craziest thing I’ve ever written, and that’s saying something after my last book. The best part for readers is that if they don’t like one story, they can just skip to the next one.
Helen: Thank you so much for spending time with me today. Congratulations again on your BookFest award. Just to close us out, what piece of writing advice to find most useful and would share with aspiring authors?
Michael: My real, full-time job is a Senior Editor in Manhattan, so it’s very difficult for me to take off my editing hat when I’m writing, but a college professor once told me to just concentrate on the writing first. Then, after you’re finished, you can put on that editing hat and get to work. But it still remains a struggle, at least for me, switching between both worlds. Sometimes I try to edit a sentence as I’m writing it, and I have to remind myself to stop.
About the Author
Michael Thomas Perone
Michael Thomas Perone is an award-winning author who has written for The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore City Paper, Long Island Voice (a spinoff of The Village Voice), and others. Online, he has written for Yahoo!, WhatCulture!, and other websites that don’t end with an exclamation mark. His debut novel Danger Peak was called “the perfect teenage boy crusade” by Publishers Weekly and “a compelling bildungsroman about grief and finding wisdom” by Kirkus Reviews. If nothing else, he learned the word “bildungsroman” from the experience. His follow-up, the coming-of-age/sci-fi mindbender Déjà View, won First Place at The Spring 2024 BookFest Awards in the category of Young Adult – Literary and Coming of Age. It was also a finalist of The 2024 Eric Hoffer Book Award. He works as a Senior Editor in Manhattan and lives on Long Island with his wife and two daughters.
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If you enjoy epic fantasy then check out my award winning Sentinal series, which is now complete. If you like fantasy books with a touch of romance then you will love my SoulMist series, start with SoulBreather. Prefer Dystopian Science Fantasy? Then try Harmony. Start the adventure and stay for the journey.
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