Some of our upcoming authors for Midnight Frost Books are writing for our other house, Crimson Frost Books as well. Feel free to read their interviews posted on that blog to get a feel for who these talented authors are and what they are writing for all of us to enjoy.
Take a look at Denyse Bridger's interview and M.E. Brines interview to anticipate our future talent here at Midnight Frost Books. The grand opening for this house is quickly approaching too. But in August 2013, Crimson Frost Books opens it's door. We are so excited! We hope you are too. Our goal is to offer quality products and keep you coming back for more.
If you are so inclined to put word to paper or type on your computer writing down your dreams or day dreams... please take a look at our various calls and submit your creations to one of our houses. If your manuscript does not fit one of our calls...you may still submit for us to review.
Get a good book and read under the moon. :)
Thanks for Reading,
Celeste
Hi from Celeste, Co-Publisher and whatever is needed specialist.
What is it about the publishing industry that drew you in?
When I was in school I was influenced by a great teacher, who is now a great author with several best selling novels, Karen Harper. She opened the world of writing to me. I already loved to read, but she showed me the joy of writing. Thanks be to excellent teachers!
Over the years, I've read a lot of books of all genre. I studied hard in college and writing was my best skill, along with general communication skills, it helped me become a teacher and later a lawyer. I truly love the written word. There is nothing better then enjoying the "movie in your brain" which reading creates for me.
After becoming an author, I met others who had various talents from all over the industry. I realized writing as well as publishing could be a very fulfilling career, one where my talents were applicable. It's an art form of sorts and I see myself as an artist in both the capacity of an author and as a publisher. I want to create works of written art and help others to do so. I want those who love this art form desiring to seek our work out.
This industry is a fast paced one that changes regularly, what makes you so confident you will suceed with CFB/MFB?
I have been in a career which is always changing and fast paced as a Lawyer. Laws, rules and so on are always changing even faster then this industry. It is important to be constantly up to date in order to be a good advocate. This is also important in publishing and I can provide this element as well as my partners.
Additionally, people in the field of law and publishing are always changing. I am used to change and enjoy it as it promotes growth and thinking. New talent means new and different ways of thinking and the world should always be open to that type of creativity.
Therefore, applying my combined skills, I know I can keep up with the publishing world. I am always wanting to achieve perfection or as close to it as humanly possible, but I am not unreasonable. This too is a good quality of a leader and promoter, which is what is needed in the publishing field.
I also believe in moving forward and not quitting even though the odds may be difficult. When times and things are hard, I keep on keeping on and press harder to be successful. I value professionalism and this has been drilled into me from college and my service as an Assistant Attorney General for the Territory of Guam up to my present day law practice. Transference of these talents and skills combined with my experience as an author will compliment this endeavor as well.
As a publisher, author and lawyer, it's about selling yourself and your skills to the public, the audience whomever they may be. I am able and competent to do just that and provide an excellent product for all to be proud of.
Why did you select your current co-partner for the venture?
Of course, I selected my partner for her skills, personality, honesty, professionalism, and the fact she pursues her dreams without hesitation. I've known her for some time too and that's essential. She too is cautious when necessary, but she knows how to take calculated risks to promote our end.
We are both professional women who have dreams and the drive to succeed. And success requires hard work, determination, talent and intelligence. It requires a supportive network. We have these traits and we aren't shy about promoting these truths and we will also promote our authors and reach out to our readers. We won't be shy, yet never letting go of our professionalism.
What strengths do you think each has that will ensure success and get readers.
I think this question has been somewhat answered. However, if I need to add to what I already mentioned. We both have charisma which I think shows. And with that we have a sincerity to help others and to create enjoyable works of art which our readers will truly love.
What is one thing you think makes Crimson Frost/Midnight Frost different then other pubs?
We will attempt with all of our ability, no matter how big or small we will end up becoming, we will stay in tune with the industry. Be professional in all things. Reach out to our community of readers and writers. Have different and imaginative calls. Focus on a polished product. And always have contingency plans for a rainy day!
That's more than one, but like I said, I like to communicate!
Thanks for reading and considering our services and products, Thanks for reading,
I think being a writer was always something I have wanted to
be ever since I was a little girl. My path got sidetracked a bit in college
when a journalism professor suggested that perhaps I was in the wrong field. He
thought I had the chops to be a writer, but not the tenacious personality to be
a reporter. His words sent me into the English Department and eventually into
teaching. However, even during my tenure as an elementary school teacher,
writing remained in my heart. About a year ago, I made the decision to give it
a fulltime push and have been much happier because of it.
How long have you
been writing fiction?
I wrote my first mystery novel about 12 years ago and it
really wasn’t fit for another person to read. However, my next two Murderous
Descent and Portrait of Vengeance were both released through PublishAmerica
and are available on Amazon. They are amateur sleuth mysteries featuring my
elementary school teacher/wannabe detective, Jamie Hamilton. I also love
writing short stories and have recently developed two new characters I love,
newspaper reporter and blogger, Rainer Donovan and her hockey player/travel
writer love interest, Jordan Mason. These two have a story to tell and I just
need to find the time to get them together on paper.
Do you write anything
else?
In addition to my fiction writing, I am also a freelance
writer. I am so excited about my new position at an awesome website which
brings two of my favorite things together. I just started penning hockey
features for The Hub: Sports + Music. You can find my stuff at http://www.hubsm.com/
along with some other really terrific pieces of sports journalism.
I started my own blog Mysterious Happenings about a year ago
to help spread the word about my mysteries and really love doing it. Blogging
is a testament to the Carrie Bradshaw in all of us.
What is your
preferred genre and why?
Mysteries have always been what I love writing most of all
probably because I have always loved reading them. I am also a huge fan of
British mysteries. There is just something about creating a puzzle and weaving
together the pieces to solve it. Everyone has a touch of Sherlock Holmes
somewhere in them.
Where do you get your
ideas from regarding characters and or plots?
I am a Jersey girl born and
bred and absolutely love the shore. My favorite settings usually involve a
lovely town along the New Jersey
coastline. As far as characters go, they are usually a compilation of the
people I meet and work with. In general, writers are observers of human nature
and being a people watcher comes with the territory. The world is full of
interesting people who make great stories.
For plots, I can’t really say that inspiration comes from
one place or another. Secrets, Lies and
Trashwas born out of my oldest’s then fascination with garbage trucks when
he was a toddler. We used to spend quite a bit of time watching them and it
gave me the idea to create my garbage guy/amateur sleuth, Russell Waverly. So,
it is true that inspiration does come from the most unlikely places!
What is your muse?
I am not sure I have a particular muse. As with all writers,
I have an extremely active imagination. A piece of paper or in today’s world a
blank screen is an open invitation to a story that needs to be told. A writer’s
mind is always at work and filled with questions.
What other interests
do you have that you would like to share with your audience?
Running is a passion and it is one of my favorite ways to
work out plot lines or think of a hockey related feature. Recently, I ran my
first half marathon and am seriously considering a marathon! I also enjoy yoga.
It is an awesome stress reliever and as well as great exercise. As a writer, I
am an avid reader as well. I just wish I had more time to read because there
are so many amazing books and not enough time in the day.
What type of music do
you like?
I have a pretty eclectic taste in music. U2 and Bruce
Springsteen are favorites, but I enjoy stuff from Patsy Cline to ACDC.
Do you like to dance?
In another life I would love to come back as a ballerina,
but the reality is I am more like Elaine on Seinfeld.
What other art forms
are you interested in?
I really enjoy art and would love it if I could paint, but
will settle for being in awe of other people’s artistic prowess. Photography is
great too. I could easily spend an afternoon wandering through museums
dedicated to those two disciplines.
What are some of your
favorite movies or books?
If I gave you a list of my favorite books, we could be here
a while. I really love Anne Perry’s Thomas and Charlotte Pitt mystery series
and always grab the new one as soon as it comes out. Cricket McRae’s Sophie Mae
mysteries are another must read. A non-mystery that I absolutely couldn’t put
down is Stay by Allie Larkin. I
recommend that to anyone who is looking for a must read.
As I said, I love British mystery series on PBS and will
watch anything along those lines. Ballykissangel
which was an Irish comedy/drama that ran on the BBC in the nineties that I
absolutely would never miss.
Favorite all time movies are probably When Harry Met Sally and Four
Weddings and a Funeral.
Is there anything
else you would like your audience to know about you?
Probably that I am very sports minded from growing up around
sports. Watching the Miracle on Ice as a young girl introduced me to the sport
and I continue to enjoy it and really love writing about it. Would love to have
learned to play as a kid, but it was tough to find nearby rinks back in the
day. Thankfully, hockey in New Jersey
is on the rise. You won’t find rinks in every community, but there are
definitely more to choose from.
What makes you
special?
This is a difficult question for me to answer because I was
always taught modesty was the best policy. However, I suppose it is my ability
to write and tell stories since that is not something which comes easily to
most people. Determination would also be a strong character trait of mine
because if I didn’t have perseverance, I probably would have packed in my
aspirations to be a professional writer a while ago.
What is your next
book with us? Tell us about it.
Secrets, Lies and Trashis an amateur/sleuth mystery. I have
always been partial to the Miss Marple like detectives which is one of the
reasons why Russell is not a professional crime solver. Basically, Russell
stumbles across one of two murders while picking up trash on his morning route
with the Spotswood Department of Public Works.
When Russell’s high school sweetheart became pregnant the
summer after graduation, he gave up college to get a job. When Caroline dies in
childbirth, he is left to raise their young son with the help of family and
friends. Putting his son first has always been his mantra.
Russell becomes wrapped up in the first murders ever in the
quiet working-class town when a high school friend of his dead wife is accused
of two of the four murders to shake the close knit community. Trying to prove
the woman’s innocence takes Russell down various back alleys he would have
rather avoided.
We are very excited to add another talented and interesting author to our collection. I have to say, I love the title of Dawn's up coming book, Secrets, Lies and Trash. It certainly grabs your attention. Mysteries are wonderfully entertaining to read and they take great skill to plan and write. I call a good mystery an exercise for our brain. We look forward to seeing this book published.
What made you want to write? I remember when I started sixth grade and I knew no one. I was always and still am a shy person. When I finally made a few friends it seemed like they accepted me into their group, only for them to ditch me a year and a half later claiming they were only pretending to like me. After that I didn't know what to do because I had no friends that I was able to talk to. I had one and she is still a great friend of mine today, but she was a grade ahead of me so I couldn't really see her all the time, so of course I felt really lonely. I found this website where you could take quizzes and write stories to share with people and as I read some of the stories on there I thought, hey why not try it out? So I got an account and started to write stories, fan fiction. It was great! The thought of creating your own story for characters that you created to go along with characters that already existed and worlds that you could place your characters in was an amazing feeling. It made me feel like I could express the way I was feeling through the characters I was creating. I loved writing from the start. I could make a new story from an old story which was really cool.
How long have you been writing?
I've been writing for close to four years. I started out writing fan fiction and had my attempts at writing originals but I never seemed to think they were any good. So I always wrote fan fiction.
What is your favorite kind of story?
I really don't have a favorite kind of story. If the plot is interesting and the characters seem cool I'll read it. I guess I could say the most stories I read are romance, action, drama, and comedy.
What grade are you in?
I am in 9th grade, freshman year of high school.
What is your favorite subject in school?
My favorite subject has always been English, or Language Arts as the call it where I live. I was always accustom to calling it English though. It always seemed more appropriate then "Language Arts". As clique as it may sound for a writer to love English class, I never really got into any other subjects growing up. I was never a Math geek or Science nerd. I'm not that athletic either... The only sport I ever really enjoyed was swimming - if that's even considered a sport - and soccer.
What career or careers do you wish to pursue when you graduate?
Well, when I graduated I always dreamed of trying to become a published author and if that didn't work out I would have fallen back on becoming an English teacher because I would still be around something I love, which are stories and grammar and all the wonderful things of that sort, but I would be teaching it to fresh minds instead which is a great addition to a dream. But my main focus after I graduated was to try and get published.
Where do you get ideas from regarding characters and or plots?
I think the question should be when I get them! Anything can trigger a small idea for me. Sometimes my mind can wander and I'll start thinking about random stuff like what if the world ran out of water and I could some how pluck a story idea out of that. As for my characters, when I sit down and figure the plot out I think about what kinds personalities would go along with the plot, say for instance if I had a plot that was very dark and dramatic I would think of what type of person would go along with that mood and really make the story interesting. As soon as I figure out their personality, an image of what the look like just seems to form in my head without really thinking about it. Sure once the image forms I make a few adjustment most of the time, but not very big ones. Making the characters and forming their back stories is always the funnest part of starting a novel for me!
Who helps you with your writing?
No one really helps me when I'm writing. Maybe afterwards I'll ask my mom to read it and make some adjustments and edits but while its still in the writing stage, no one helps me. Its the revision stage that I have help for.
What other interests do you have (sports, art, music, other activities)?
My other interests are defiantly Music and Drawing. Music is like my second home away from home; writing being the first. I love playing music and listening to it. In fact, when I get into a story I'm writing listening to music helps me concentrate. I play two instruments, Guitar and Alto Saxophone. Guitar is the most fun to play though. I want to learn how to play keyboard but I don't know if I have the memory for it. And I like to draw, but I wouldn't say I am the best at it. I stopped drawing for a while actually, but then a good friend of mine; Daria mentioned she drew comics and showed me some of hers, and then after that I found myself starting to draw again. I like to draw in anime or manga style a lot. But drawing is defiantly a lot of fun, even if I don't do it very often.
What do you enjoy doing with your family?
I don't really do anything with my family... My parents live in two separate states that are 1500 miles apart... I live with my father and he's always busy with work so I don't do much with my family.
What are some of your favorite movies and books?
I've always been a fan of Harry Potter, ever since the start. J.K. Rowling is my idol. But I also really love The Mortal Instruments Series and The Outsiders. S.E. Hilton is also one of my favorite authors, along with Cassandra Claire. Some of my favorite movies have to be How To Train Your Dragon, as childish as it may be, The Harry Potter Movies,The Outsiders (1983), Red, Pitch Perfect, and A Bugs Life.
Is there anything else you would like your audience to know about you? What makes you special?
I don't really know what else to say. Nothing really makes me special, but I am just so overwhelmed that this has happened and amazed at this opportunity.
Tell us about your new book we are publishing?
The title of this book is The Master Plan and its basically the introduction for the series. Its setting the idea of the plot up and you can get a feel of the way the characters are going to act through out the series and the way things are going to happen. The Master Plan is about a girl named Avery Sterling who is a detective at a New York Police department and she finds out that her uncle was murdered the night before and her uncle was basically her parental figure. So if finding out he was murdered wasn't enough she is assigned the case to find out what happened to him. When she goes to investigate and finds some evidence she goes to the head of crime investigations and is shot down because her evidence isn't sufficient. She decides to figure out whats going on on her own, and while she decides to do that she meets Sebastian Broke, a man who knows more than hes letting on. She finds out Sebastian was the one who murdered her Uncle and she becomes furious, but Sebastian has a reason, a reason that seems to unreal for Avery to believe. Her uncle was a high ranking officer in a society - The Stelophidial Society - who is trying to take over the world . The society is a organization of highly trained assassins around the world. The idea of the society was originally the governments but they trashed it a while ago. She also finds out that Sebastian is a part of a group trying to stop the society called The Elite Throughout the book Avery is trying to figure out what Sebastian is playing at and if he is really telling the truth about what happened and why her uncle had to die.
WOW, I'M IMPRESSED WITH THIS TALENTED YOUNG WOMAN AND WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE HER AS PART OF OUR GROWING PUBLISHING HOUSE.
AS A PREVIOUS HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER AND CURRENTLY A JUVENILE LAWYER, I HAVE TO SAY, E.J.'S WAY OF RESOLVING PEER ISSUSES AT SCHOOL IS REFRESHING. THE USE OF WRITING IS A WONDERFUL EXAMPLE OF APPLYING ONE'S BRAIN TO OVERCOME OBSTICLES/EMOTIONS, WHICH TEENAGERS HAVE A ABUNDANCE OF. LIFE'S HARD IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL. E.J. IS A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE.
I WISH MORE YOUTH SELECTED POSITIVE ACTIVITIES TO ASSIST THEM WITH THEIR DIFFICULTIES.
WAY TO GO E.J.!
NOW LOOK, SOON E.J. HINZE WILL BE PUBLISHED! WATCH OUT WORLD SHE HAS A BOOK. NO, A SERIES COMING OUR WAY!
ALSO, IF I MAY SAY, E.J. ANSWERED ABOVE ... NOTHING REALLY MADE HER SPEICAL. WELL, I BEG TO DIFFER. ALL OF OUR AUTHORS ARE SPECIAL AND E.J. IS A PARTICULARLY TALENTED AND ACCOMPLISHED ONE. WE KNOW YOU ARE SPECIAL, AND SOON, SO WILL YOUR READERS.
CONGRATS AND WELCOME TO OUR HOUSE! MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME!
What made you want to write? I wanted to do something fun with my Mom. How long have you been writing? Two years What is your favorite kind of story? I like action stories that let me go different places and be different people. What grade are you in? Grade Six What is your favorite subject in school? Math and Gym
Where do you get ideas from regarding characters and or plots? Mom helps me a lot. I write about things I'm feeling to help me better understand them. Who helps you with your writing? Mom helps me the most. She's a writer herself. What other interests do you have (sports, art, music, other activities)? Hockey, soccer, video games, swimming. What do you enjoying doing with your family? Hiking, swimming, going on road trips, playing games What are some of your favorite movies? Transformers, Spiderman, Hulk, Real Steel, Pacific Rim, Is there anything else you would like your audience to know about you?What makes you special? No, I'm just your typical 11 year old. Tell us about your new book we are publishing? Timmy the Turtle was a book I started with my mom to help me learn my letters and letter sounds since I was having problems with them.
I've always wanted to write. I used to make up stories to tell my little sisters and brother when we were small. Many nights were spent sitting on my bed, telling stories, and the tradition continued with my own children. I finally found time to do what I've always wanted when I broke my ankle. My doctor told me that I'd be off my feet for quite a while and to find a hobby that I enjoyed, he suggested reading. But, I've always loved to read and our library was running out of books (okay, it's a very small library), and I thought, why not try to write what I wanted to read? I started out writing flash fiction, a very short story that comes to a conclusion quickly. I entered a couple of contests and received an honorable mention, and that blew me away, I was competing with real published authors! From there, I decided to write a full length book and participated in my first NaNoWriMo. That first book will always be special, and one day, I may drag it back out and do a major rewrite, boy have I learned a lot since then.
How long have you been writing fiction?
Well, I've always written, always enjoyed storytelling. But after my injury, I seriously started to apply myself. It's been about five years now.
Do you write anything else?
I've had a blog for years, most of the blogging community know me as Tink from Tink's Place. I've written and posted many articles about things that draw me, I've thought about writing for an online magazine (an ezine) if I ever have the time. I started my blog to review the books that I love and still do, but it's turned into a much bigger venture than I thought it was going to be. I still get between thirty to fifty book review requests per month.
What is your preferred genre and why?
My preferred genre is paranormal romance, I've always loved it. I love all the creatures... vampires, were-creatures, monstrosities, but with real people living their lives. Why? I was one of those little girls who used to dream about what if it's really true?? Through my books, I make the worlds in my imagination come to life.
Where do you get ideas from regarding characters and / or plots?
I've been asked this before, and I wish I had a ready answer, but the truth is I write whatever pops into my head. I'm definitely a pantser and not a plotter. I'm drawn to strong characters, women / girls that don't have to rely on anyone else, guys who know what they want and aren't afraid to show a softer side, but they're rock hard too. I start with an idea, and go from there. I actually had a facebook / blogger friend who asked me, how do you do it? So, we started a discussion on facebook. I threw out an idea and wrote a tiny bit of a story in about five minutes that later turned into a full length novel which I completed during NaNoWriMo. I have to say it's completely different than it started out to be. I've competed in NaNoWriMo for the past four years.
What is your muse?
Hmmm.... my muse.... I have to say my muse is that part of me that keeps prodding me. Some days, whispering in my ear and other days, she dares me to try. On those days when it's a struggle, I write whatever I'm thinking about, even if it's nonsense, and that usually perks my muse up. When I have a story starting to take shape, I see how much of I can write in an hour, and sometimes that hour turns into three or four. I keep challenging myself, it works for me.
What other interests do you have that you would like to share with your audience?
I am totally and completely addicted to facebook, I started out with twitter when it first came on the scene, but facebook lets me connect with far away places as well as the people who I've come to call friends even if I've never actually met them in person. But, facebook is still a time suck, if I allowed myself to be drawn in, it can eat an entire day in what feels like a blink of an eye. I've gotten much better at controlling my habit.
What type of music do you like?
This is going to sound overused, but anything with a rockin beat, my favorites range from the Beatles, the Killers, Fallout Boy, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Elton John, Green Day, Queen, All Time Low and the list goes on and on.
Do you like to dance?
I love to dance! Can I do it? Not well, but I have a good time and I've never lacked partners. With my injured ankle, I can't do it anymore, but I still love it.
What other art forms are you interested in?
I draw, mostly abstracts, and love music. I love the impressionists.Someday, I'd like to write a screenplay for a movie.
What are some of your favorite movies or books?
My all time favorite book and movie is To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, other favorite movies include Dirty Dancing, Oz, The Great and Powerful (and The Wizard of Oz, of course), Star Trek, and gosh, so many more. I'm a movie freak (I'd go all the time if a theater was closer to our home). Favorite books... Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison (the whole series actually), Hildie McQeen's The Protector Series, Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse series, Lynn Rush's Wasteland series, anything Dean Koontz... actually I'll read anything paranormal, urban fantasy, chiller and thriller, twisted fairytales along with most YA and NA, almost any genre. I know, I'm eclectic like that. :)
Is there anything else you would like your audience to know about you?
I'm the oldest of seven, I come from a huge extended family, and in our family, we include many of our friends.
What makes you special?
Nothing really, except for my fierce loyalty, the ability to realize my dreams, and the tenacity to never give them up.
What is your next book?
Soul Fire is the next book on my horizon! It's also my first YA novel and a NaNoWriMo manuscript. I can guarantee it won't be my last YA, I really enjoyed writing it.
Tell us about it.
Soul Fire tells Rena Langley's story.
Rena's always suffered from nightmares, but this summer, the nightmares are worse than ever before, monsters fill her dreams. Into her life walks Petrov DeForest, tall, dark, and oh so cute with amazing blue eyes, and he claims to know the reasons for the nightmares. Rena's destiny is as the Soul Seeker, an Earthbound soul to help the lost. The monsters from her nightmares are real, the Soul Eaters, they exist on the plane of Reflection, but have crossed to the Earthbound plane in a bid for her soul energy. They'd have a taste of her, and they're ready to take her again. But, she can bring an end to monsters, the Soul Eaters, if she can learn to control her ability, her Soul Fire. With the help of Petrov, her shepherd named Random, and detective Ben Foster, they seek out those who hope to take her and those close to her. Can they survive the monsters? Or will this lifetime end like so many have before?
I love paranormal books and I am looking forward to reading Soul Fire. The book's name is even alluring to me. Lillie, thank you very much for this opportunity to get to know you and to read your upcoming book. I really enjoyed learning more about you.
Midnight Frost Books introduces James Burnett. He has provided us with a wonderful insight to his interesting life and career. Please enjoy reading as much as I did.
I came to writing through what you might call a rather
different path. I work as a pit boss at what is now Atlantis casino in the
Bahamas. It started life as a long term replacement for the mafia controlled
casinos in Cuba which were closed in 1959 when the revolution came.
Consequently I had tons of rather interesting stories come to me over the years
that I thought were worth keeping as part of local history. Being urged by my
colleagues, I put them on a website. I have enough material for rather an
interesting book too, but my wife doesn’t want me to write it!
Working in casinos has given me a lot of insights to people,
especially when they put themselves under pressure. Having said that, my family
and their friends were anything but typical, and I met with some real
characters. I wrote a few vignettes about them too. Since my pit is located
between two giant glass sculptures by Dale Chihuli of The Sun and The Moon, and
Atlantis is on Paradise Island, I like to tell people that they can find me
‘between the Sun and the Moon in Paradise’.
I have been reading science fiction and fantasy for almost half a century,
having picked up “A Princess of Mars” at an early age. I even went to a few
worldcons when I was young and free. That was when I heard the old saws about
SF fans never throwing books away (My garage is full), and our drive to write
the stuff ourselves. I fit that mould perfectly. Once I had written down all
the casino stories I knew, I started writing fiction. That was about five years
ago.
I guess I prefer fantasy, because it allows me to be more
creative. I tend to start with an off the wall idea, and then run with it to
see where it will take me. I try to find ideas or variations that haven’t been
beaten to death already. In this respect I admire the works of Philip K Dick,
but don’t worry, I don’t use artificial stimuli for my imagination. I Liked his
lesser known Clans of the Alphane Moon, and Solar Lottery (AKA The Game Players
of Titan), as being especially imaginative. I also admire Marian Zimmer
Bradley’s Darkover series. My favorite movie is “A big hand for the little
lady”, starring Henry Fonda. It’s a poker movie, and I have been known to play
the game.
I find it interesting that you asked me about my musical
preferences, which are very eclectic. One book I am working on has the idea
that a character’s witch genes from her father got mixed up with her mother’s
musical talent for perfect pitch, making her magic dependent on the songs her
mother listened to while she was pregnant. That one is still very much a work
in progress. I suppose I gravitate to eighties or early MTV, but The Dubliners
do it for me too.
I went to Gordonstoun school in Scotland. Although this
afforded me several glimpses of Prince Charles naked in the shower, it is of
peripheral interest to the house I lived in there. Shaped to be a perfect
pentacle, the legend said it had been built by a mad magician who was supposed
to have sold his soul to the devil, but wanted a place to hide when his time
was up. It didn’t work. I always thought that spending several years living in
a pentacle affected my outlook on life.
I am British, but have lived in The Bahamas for the majority
of my life. I married late to a Bahamian girl, and have two daughters, now 18
and 20. My grandmothers were American and Australian respectively, and several
family members dabbled in writing, with limited success.
I am very active. I play squash, and used to do triathlons.
I always found that I could detach part of my mind while running, and work on
my plot at the same time. I am a fair pool player, having learned to handle a
cue at a very early age.
I don’t use a pen name, but I picked up a nickname at work
because most of my colleagues didn’t think like me. There I am referred to as
Captain Chaos, or ‘The Captain’. That’s why my website has that name.
When I started on my first novel, my motivation was simply a
challenge to myself to see if I could actually do it. I wasn’t writing for an
audience, or to make money. I was writing for me. I didn’t consider ‘Putting it
out there’ until a work colleague and neighbor went the self publishing route.
After that my wife was pushing me big time. I guess that being in The Bahamas,
where there are virtually no writing groups or circles, and no fiction
publishing, I had a hard time seeing the way forward without the help and
advice of an editor. I am really excited to now be able to get this assistance.
As of now I have completed three
novels and am working on two others. I switch between the two whenever I get
stuck!
My most memorable holiday was the
one when I proposed to my wife. We went to Jersey where I had a cousin, Tom. I
had picked out the spot by the romantic ruins of Grosnez Castle in the
northeast corner of the island. We did the tourist bit most of the day, and
towards the evening, I said, “There is one more place I’d like to show you.”
She was tired and reluctant, but it was a fine evening, the spot was very
picturesque, and a couple of bunnies even came out to gambol around. After I
did the one knee bit, and her screaming and screeching died down, she admitted
that she would have left me at the end of the trip if I hadn’t popped the
question. We had been an item for over four years.
When we got back to Tom’s house,
my fiancée, totally unable to contain her news, immediately blurted out, “James
proposed, and we are getting married.”
The uninspiring reply, “I always
thought you were!” was a bit of a letdown, so she ran to the phone, and called
my mother and aunt in England.
When she gave them the news,
their reply was, inevitably, “I always thought you were.” It may not have been
the sort of vacation you recall for all the fun times, but I will never be able
to forget it.
I had several family members who were writers, but for
various reasons had rather limited success. The first was my Australian
grandmother, Werna Mary Brown, later Gordon-Brown. “Werna” was an aboriginal
name, although she wasn’t. Unsurprisingly she preferred to be known as
‘Queenie’. A journalist by trade, she wrote a novel which the publishers in
Melbourne advised her to take to London as they felt it was quite good, and
would do better there. Taking their advice, she embarked on a liner to London called
the Pericles, which promptly sank. She survived, but the book didn’t. In those
days – it was 1908 or 9 - one manuscript was it.
My father, Robert Burnett, went one better. He wrote a
biography of Gauguin, which was published in 1939. It was quite well received,
and was translated into French and German. The overseas royalties, for some
inexplicable reason, never materialized. After the war, he tried to do the bio
on another artist, but someone else published one on the same man while his
manuscript was in progress. This, on top of his very stressful wartime
experiences as a polyglot interrogator, knocked the stuffing out of him.
My mother, also Werna Mary, (she chose Mary!) wrote
anonymous stories for the magazine The Tatler while my dad was struggling, but
never told him. I believe he thought her to simply be thrifty with the
housekeeping budget.
Her cousin, and my godfather, John Marriner wrote stories
for yachting magazines, which he collected into book form, and followed with
other travel books about yachting. Even though he wrote for a relatively limited
market, he was the most successful. Of course he was the only one who didn’t
need the money.
Having these family members showed me that it was possible
to write a book, and I took encouragement from their achievements.
About The Decision
I can’t remember how I came up with the idea for The
Decision. I do know that I thought it was cool, and wanted to know where it
might take me. The concept of a person who could shift sexes was one which I
immediately realized had the capacity to go downhill atan impressive speed, and I had to be very
careful to keep things from degenerating into a story I did not want to write.
Having a character with two completely different outlooks on
life, but the same talents and memories was a challenge, as keeping them
believable to the reader was very important. I wanted the reader to be able to
identify with both, but not to the extent that either would automatically become
their favorite. After all, the main theme was about which way my protagonist
would jump in the end.
Just as significant was the way I treated each aspect’s love
interest. They had to be people who complemented their respective aspect while
still being retaining individuality.
I really enjoyed designing all the characters in the book.
None are based on anyone in particular, but they are all based in some way or
other on the types of people I have come across during my life, and especially
in the casinos where I have worked. It helps that I come into contact with so
many different people every single day.
I can’t hold a tune to save my life, and I had never tried
to write lyrics, so that was probably the thing I worried about the most.
Nevertheless, I bulled my way through that somehow.
I must admit I had great fun writing The Decision,
and allowed myself to go off script, as it were, when I found a twist I really
liked, and just had to be in the book. I hope the readers will appreciate them
as much as I did.
Once I finished, I started wondering: how weird and twisted
was I?
I would like to thank James for an intriguing insight to his life and writing. We look forward to the publication of The Decision.
Write because you love to. Do it because it is in you. We have had the good fortune to gain the interest of many new and talented authors for both Crimson Frost Books and Midnight Frost Books. We thank you for sharing your art with us. We will be featuring interviews of our new authors soon.
I just wanted to share this inspiration. Sometimes we all need some! Write because you love to. Take a vacation in your head and put it on your computer or paper pad. Share your work with others to bring joy to them.
I write for fun, for the happiness it brings me. I write to invent the worlds I wish were truly real. To breathe life into the people I dream up and wish to bring to life. To solve problems I desire a solution to. Or create conflicts my characters can better handle. Writing can bring joy, reduce stress and make your emotions soar. I invite you to enjoy such joy, write too and share it with others!
Ciara Lake
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