Fangs for Nothing - Interview

Chronicles of a Lonely Bookee was kind enough to do an interview about Fangs for Nothing. To find out more about how I ended up writing Fangs, go Here.

Fangs for Nothing is still only 99 cents on all ereaders.

M.R. Mathias Interview! - Part II

AA - Who are three of your favorite ebook authors and why?

MRM - Hmmm.... ebook authors are just authors so the question is: Who are three of my favorite Indie authors or three of my favorite authors?

Indy: 1- Tracey Alley 2-Derek Prior 3-Tracy Falbe Published: 1-Raymond E. Feist 2-Clive Cussler 3-George R. R. Martin

AA - What’s your favorite piece of jewelry and what significance does it have in your life?

MRM - The ring in my authors photo has a great signifigance to me. It has a dragons teardrop mounted in it. My Grandfather wore it until he died. It was handed down.

AA - What’s your advice for aspiring fantasy writers?

MRM - Get a Kindle or a Nook. Read several books by indie authors in the genre you want to write in and then ask yourself if you think you can compete. If you think you can,,, Go For It! But know this. Writing a good book is the easy part. Selling it is a whole other animal.

AA - If you had a magical power, what would it be and how would you use it?

MRM - I have a magic ring. It brings people to me and my writing. See, you are reading this, so it still works. If I had another power I would use it to make politicians unable to tell lies.

AA - What can you tell us about your book The First ten Steps?

MRM - The First Ten Steps work. Just read the reviews. They say it all.

AA - What’s next for M.R. Mathias?

MRM - I am currently writing 'Cold Hearted Son of a Witch' - The Dragoneers Saga II. I am going to try and get it, and another complete Dragoneer novel, out by Christmas. After that it's another Michael Robb pen name "thriller" novel, then I'll get Wardstone III from ink and paper to MS-Word and start editing.

Confessions of a Virgin Sacrifice - In Between Bit

In Between Bit, Part 1

The sun was gaining height in the sky by the time all of the village Elders were finally awake. Most were cranky and stiff from a night of sleeping on the cold, damp ground. The long ride the previous day contributed to their aching muscles.

It had seemed very exciting in the beginning. Two saucy trollops defying tribal customs and threatening the active sex life of every male member of the tribe. Who did they think they were, refusing to kill themselves? It was enough to send the male Elders into a geriatric frenzy.

Segner the Watcher sounded a call to arms. The legendary warriors suited up in the traditional war armor, shoving their bald heads into rusting helmets and wiggling into chain-mail tunics. They grabbed every club, sword, and battle-ax available. It is safe to say that the Elders were adequately or even excessively armed. It's true that two Virgins on the run can be a bit irritable. But it’s nothing that can't be settled with a couple of well-placed crossbows or a box of chocolates.

Sadly, the war steeds were getting a bit long in the tooth. Having been put out to pasture many years earlier, they were strongly against an arduous journey in heavy equipment. In fact, they kept the Elders scampering about the fields for several hours in an attempt to avoid the duty. Besides being shameful behavior for a war horse, it gave the renegade Virgins a longer lead.

Warriors and horses finally suited, the steeds were whipped into a canter and the Elders went clattering out of the village. Unfortunately, no one had thought to consider provisions such as food or water.

By dusk, the angry horde had barely cleared the opposite side of the volcano. Most of the warriors decided it was more practical to sleep in their armor, so as to remain constantly alert. One never knew when renegade Virgins might stage a sneak attack. Besides, it was best to conserve one's strength.

Several of the least rusty helmets were commandeered for cooking pots. Feeble attempts were made to hunt game. By nightfall, the mighty warriors found it necessary to satisfy themselves with a lukewarm broth of berries and bark.

In the bleak light of dawn, or more accurately, early afternoon, the journey that lay before the village Elders seemed daunting. The thought of running a rebel Virgin through with cold steel was appealing, but the whole process of tracking the damned gals down lacked luster.

M.R. Mathias Interview! - Part I

Indie fantasy writer M. R. Mathias was kind enough to give us an interview. He's know for his series The Dragoneers Saga and The Wardstone Trilogy, along with his stand alone titles including Crimzon and Clover, Oathbreaker, Superhero and The Venturion. Here's what Mathias had to say:

AA - Why do you think you’re drawn to fantasy and write in the fantasy genre?

MRM - I played D&D when I was younger. I was always the Dungeon Master so I was the one making up the world for the players. Adding characters and a story just came naturally. I read fantasy because I read to escape. Nothing takes me away like a spell or a bit of sword play.

AA - What can you tell us about the world of the Dragoneers?

MRM - The world of the Royal Dragoneers is a bit different from the world of The First Dragoneer. Lets just say, they wont always be Royal Dragoneers, and the continent they are on in the first few full length novels may not be where they end up. It is a Saga after all.

AA - What do you think is the best jailbreak movie and why?

MRM - I liked Con-Air, but recently 'Law Abiding Citizen' where he tunnels into prison so he can leave at will is the best.

AA - If you couldn't write fantasy, what genre would you write and why?

MRM - I probably wouldn't write if I couldn't write fantasy. I love creating fantasy characters and worlds more than I love penning them for everyone else to enjoy. I would still create them and think out plots and fancy even if I couldn't write.

AA - What are three things we should know about the Wardstone Trilogy?

MRM:

1 - It took only seven and a half months of writing 3k words a day to write all three books. I was in a solitary cell at Michael's Unit in Tennessee Colony, TX, so there were very few distractions.

2 - I used about 300 crappy ink pens and over 2100 sheets of notebook paper to get it all down.

3 - The story is every fantasy I have ever read (and that's a lot) all rolled up into one great traditional epic sword and sorcery dragon adventure.

AA - Why did you decide to pursue ebooks instead of going to traditional publishing route?

MRM - I just did it. I was tired of getting rejection letters. Now I open the mailbox and get checks.

Stayed tuned for Part II of the M.R. Mathias interview later this week.

What I Learned From Being a Cheerleader - On Sale

Belle Bridge Books just let me know that my Middle Grade novel, What I Learned From Being a Cheerleader is going on sale tomorrow for Kindle. Somewhere between 99 cents and $2.99. (I'm kind of hoping for 99 cents because then everyone can get a copy ;O) It'll only be on sale for two weeks, so bust out that Kindle, iPhone or Kindle app and download a copy.

Here's the blurb:

Eleven-year-old Elaine Rewitzer is funny, smart and happy being a geek, but when she wins a spot on the Cross Creek Middle School Buccaneers cheerleading squad, she gets totally into her new life. Her mega-brain best friend Bethany warns that Elaine will just become "part of the herd," and her best geek-guy-pal, Tim, (who‛s struggling with nose polyps) feels forgotten. Will Elaine survive the roller coaster of pre-teen cheerleader fame? Will she win the heart of the cutest boy on the basketball team? Will she confess her "uncool" love for comic books? Will she lose Bethany and Tim‛s friendship for-evah?

Rock n' Roll is Undead - Rose Pressey

Rose Pressey (author of How to Date a Werewolf and No Shoes, No Shirt, No Spells) has a new book out, Rock n’ Roll is Undead, and it’s so super cute that I wanted to ask her a few questions about the title.

AA - What is the premise of Rock n’Roll is Undead and what was the inspiration for the book?

RP - Rock 'n' Roll is Undead is about a rockabilly singer living in a fun paranormal world. She's a witch with less-than-stellar magic skills. I'm a big rockabilly music fan, so I wanted to introduce readers to that fun world.

AA - Do you play an instrument or have you ever played an instrument? If yes, tell us about it. If no, what would you like to play and why?

RP - I don't play an instrument, but I love to sing.

AA - You have a contest running for the next Mystic Café series. What is it and how can people enter?

RP - The contest is to have a character in the next Mystic Cafe series named after the winner. I'm really excited about it. I can't wait to find out the winner. The contest ends July 31. All people have to do is leave a comment on my blog post to enter.

AA - Who/What are some of your favorite bands, singers, songs, musical genres? In other words, what do you listen to, why and when?

RP - I love all music. I can listen to just about anything. My favorite is oldies like Elvis, Buddy Holly, Pasty Cline, etc. I really like Imelda May. I'm also a fan of bluegrass music. I think I lived in the fifties in my previous life. Ha-ha. I usually don't listen to music while I'm writing because I sing along too much and it's distracting.

AA - The covers of your books are really cute. What can you tell us about them? Is there an artist to credit or do you make them yourself?

RP - I do the covers myself with stock images. I enjoy making them more than I thought I would. It's a lot of fun.

AA - What can you tell us about your next book? Besides the fabulous contest.

RP - The next book I have coming out is Ghouls Night Out. It's the follow-up to Me and My Ghoulfriends. After that is How to Date a Vampire. I do have a new series I'll be working on when I get the time. I'm very excited about it, but I can't say much about it just yet.

AA - Thank you Rose Pressy

RP - Thanks for having me on your blog, Adrianne!

Spewlazor!

Confessions of a Virgin Sacrifice is not available on all ereaders. Here's a random sample to get you started:

Pitching Woo.

True to his word, Thor overtook us at dusk. The three of us were setting up camp for the night by a small lake that Lestor referred to as The Lake of Complete Blackness. I decided not to ask him how the lake acquired that romantic title.

Thor had no news, nor supplies to show for his absence. I remember thinking, what in the worlds had he been doing all day? I assumed he was galloping around the countryside, enjoying himself. I realize Thor was just some Barbarian we had picked up along the trail and he owed us no debt. But at the time, his non-performance really ticked me off.

“Have a good day, did you?” I fixed him with an icy stare.

He gave me a curt nod, which vexed me even more.

“Do anything interesting? Ransack a village? Dismember a ferocious animal with your bare hands? Anything?”

The Barbarian turned and cocked his head towards me. The strong and silent routine was really grating my nerves. And, to tell the truth, I was used to more attentive men.

Thor had at least accomplished one task. He dragged a fresh swinehog carcass into camp. Lestor, Diz and I skewered it with a stick and began to roast it over the fire. The outer meat was beginning to crisp. Thor’s sword was leaning against a stump, so I grabbed it to shave down the roast. Thor immediately strode across the camp and wrenched the sword from my grasp.

“Whah?” I was caught off-guard by his abruptness.

“No one but a true Barbarian may touch Sphere.”

“You named your sword Sphere?” I said with a giggle.

“I did not name the sword. It is The Last of the Sphere of Swords to the Lost Barbarian Kingdom of Spewlazor.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that. But why do you call it Sphere? If it’s from Spewlazor it seems you would call it Spew.”

“Look.” Thor briskly raised the sword, causing it to make a little zinging noise as it sliced through the air. Imbedded in the handle was a small orb of crystal. Pinpoint flashes of orange light continuously danced in the ball like lava spurting from a volcano. “This orb symbolizes the Sphere of Swords.”

“Yeah, but that orange stuff keeps getting tossed around in there. It is constantly being spewed in the crystal. I think the real name of your sword is Spew.”

“If you value your life, you will never touch the sword again!” Thor shouted in my face.

“That's it. I absolutely don't need men who name their swords yelling at me. I'm out of here,” I said abruptly. “Diz, do what you want. Have sex with one of these oafs, stay celibate, throw yourself in the volcano; it's up to you. All I know is, I've got to go.” With that, I marched out of camp and headed in the general direction from which we came. The others gawked at me in stunned disbelief.