Author of: The War of the Werewolves
Book blurb:
The sky was
gray. Thunder rumbled in the distance as the storm clouds rolled in.
Tobias looked
at me with a grin on his face. He raised his right hand and wiggled his knobby
fingers. He extended his razor sharp claws and curled his lip back,exposing his
fangs.
“It’s a
perfect day to die.”
His words
struck a nerve in me. He was playing with my emotions, trying to hit me where
it hurt so he could throw me off of my game. A growl built up in my throat.
“You’re
right,” I replied coolly. “I’ll make sure that’s etched on your tombstone.”
As an introduction, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I was an
introverted child who loved to escape reality by writing. If I didn’t write I
would act out, so writing became a comfort in my life. It’s not what I do. It’s
who I am.
What is your book about?
It’s the
fourth and final installment in my series about a band of misfit werewolves who
deal with every day life drama while protecting their town from those who want
to cause their loved ones harm. The series has been interesting to write
because throughout the books you get to watch these kids grow up, deal with
stress, love, school, and other bumpy obstacles on their journey. It all comes
down to a war between good and evil…and anyone is fair game.
When and why did you begin writing?
I was
practically writing the moment I came out of my mother’s womb. The moment I could
grip a pencil I started putting words to paper. I could see these vivid stories
in my head and I wanted them out. Writing is the only thing that kept me out of
trouble when I was in school. The teachers knew that shoving a crayon or pen in
my hand would keep me occupied and away from dangerous equipment…like the
laminator I accidentally got my hand stuck in when I was in first grade.
Writing is a
healthy outlet. I loved every second of my troubled childhood. It opened so
many doors and has pushed me to become a better person and I believe it improves
my soul.
What genre do you prefer to write in?
I like all
genres. I will admit that I do lean heavy on the humor in my fantasy novels.
Life has enough drama in it as it is, so I like to bring laughter to the world.
It’s really fun to write in all genres because it stretches my role as an
author.
What is your biggest writing achievement to date?
The fact that
I actually published after I was terrified to do so, and not only did I publish
one novel, I published three (and four is on its way!).
What inspired you to write this book?
The story came
to me eleven years ago when I was sixteen. I was distracted in class and
scribbling on a piece of scrap paper while my teacher was probably teaching something
highly important. I just started writing one scene and then I couldn’t stop.
Who is your favourite author, and what is it about their work that
strikes a chord with you?
I have a
handful of people who inspire me. A lot of them are writers for the TV
industry. Bill Lawrence, who will have you laughing one second and in tears the
next. I am also a huge fan of Joss Whedon. His characters are so raw and real
and his dialogue is witty and smart. And lately I’ve been singing high praises
to Suzanne Collins. Her Hunger Games series has been on very opposite ends of
many a debate. A lot of people hated the later books. I loved them. I thought
she did a brilliant job moving the story along without losing site of who her
characters were in the beginning. That’s a hard thing to do. She made it a
point that her books were more than about teenagers and love. She made it about
society as a whole and drew on our negative realities in life. Some of her
stuff breaks my heart, but a writer’s job is to evoke emotion. She succeeded.
What book are you reading now, and would you recommend it?
I’ve read it
before, but I’m reading it again. Kathryn Stockett’s “The Help” was phenomenal.
The way she set the book and made you compassionate about the characters was
nothing short of amazing. I felt like I was in the story. I was immersed.
What are your current projects?
I’m finishing
up book four of my series and I’m trying to work on releasing a short story
with the book, as well. After The Barking Mad Series is done I plan to move on
to an espionage thriller. I’m excited about it, because it’s different than all
of my other stories.
Where and when do you do most of your writing?
Everywhere and
anywhere. Sitting in the car, if a line comes to me I record it for later. Sitting
in class, if I think of a perfect way to end a scene I’m writing it down while
the teacher is talking. If I’m outside walking my dog I’ll tell my idea out
loud to him, so I won’t forget it before we get home. I can write anywhere,
anytime, any place.
What would you say was the hardest part of writing your book?
Trying to come
up with an ending that satisfies all readers. I’ve known from the beginning how
it’s going to end, and I don’t doubt I’ll piss off some fans, but not because I
mean to. It’s just not possible to write a satisfactory ending for everyone.
Who designed your book cover – and was the cover something you deemed
important?
Absolutely. You
want the cover to be unique, creative, and eye-catching. I designed all of my
covers.
Did you try to go down the route of traditional publishing first – or
did you feel that self-publishing was right for you from the beginning?
I started in
traditional publishing and while I was waiting to hear back from agents I
decided to do some digging about self-publication. Once I realized how easy it
was I just did it myself.
On the whole, how have you found self-publishing?
If you know
what you’re doing it is extremely easy. But like a lot of things in life, there
are a lot of instructions to follow. I did a lot of research before I self
published, and I’m glad I did. Otherwise I would not have been ready for it!
Where can we buy the book?
Amazon.com and
Barnes and Noble.com both have digital copies on Kindle and Nook. There are
also paperbacks for sale on Amazon.
Do you have a website or blog where we can keep tabs on you?
I have a
facebook page where I update with character quotes, blurbs, and general information
as often as I can. I also have a twitter that I don’t use as often as facebook.
I'm a terrible internet nerd. Right now I do not have a full working webpage. I
am in the process of building one.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
Write what you
feel and write for you. It doesn’t have to make sense. You can go back and edit
it later. Have fun with your stories. Never get discouraged. Believe in yourself
and believe in your writing. Learn to accept criticism, but don’t compromise
your story just to please a few people. It’s impossible to please everyone, so
just focus on your own happiness. Take a few risks and stand by them. Now that
I read that back I realize that I sound like a fortune cookie.
And, finally, do you have anything else that you’d like to say to
everyone?
It’s Peanut
Butter Jelly Time. Ha. No, in all seriousness I wouldn't be where I am today
without my readers. So from the bottom of my heart I thank anyone who has ever
read anything I've ever written, from my award winning story scribbled in
markers in first grade to my self-published novels that I have out today. It
means the world to me that my words actually reach people, that they care about
my characters as much as I do. As a writer the only time I have trouble with
words is when I am thanking my fans...and that's simply because I don't think I
can put into words just how much I appreciate the support.
Author of: Scuttlejack: A Damon
Quinn Mystery
Book
blurb:
When the Ocean Raider vanishes in the
Salish Sea, investigative crime writer Damon Quinn isn’t convinced it’s a hijacking.
But his skepticism is dispelled by an intensive air-sea search from Alaska to
Oregon that turns up nothing—no flotsam, no oil slick, no crew. Four
researchers and a fishboat converted to a high-tech science lab are gone without
a trace. Then two teenaged sailors are attacked in the night by an unseen boat,
and a luxury yacht is torched by an arsonist. Are these crimes tied to the
Ocean Raider’s disappearance? Quinn’s answer lies on the bottom of a Gulf
Island channel— a Japanese cash-buyer ship, scuttled on the herring grounds
nearly 40 years ago.
But locating the wreck of the Kochi Maru
is no guarantee that Quinn can prevent the murders of the kidnapped crew. It’s deja
vu on the Pacific coast. Harley Bowen, the fisherman-turned-immigrant-smuggler,
is back, with the infamous fishing magnate Uriki Kamamoto. And the sleepy Gulf
Islanders are blissfully ignorant of the monstrous crimes going down in the
ocean around them.
As an
introduction, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
The Pacific coast has been the setting
for most of my writing during the past four decades. An author of books, magazine
articles, and television scripts, my work is published by National Geographic,
Canadian Geographic, Travel & Leisure, British Columbia Magazine, Alfred
Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, and others.
I’ve won several international magazine
awards as well as Canada’s Leo Award for screenwriting. I’m a recipient of the
Governor-General’s Commemorative Medal for “significant contribution to
compatriots, community and to Canada,” and one of this year’s nominees for the
Western Magazine Awards Lifetime Achievement Award.
I live on Vancouver Island with my wife,
Janet Barwell-Clarke. We have two grown daughters, Nicole and Lauren Obee.
What is
your book about?
Scuttlejack is a mystery set in the Gulf
Islands and waterways near my home on southern Vancouver Island, where I’ve
travelled by cruiser, sailboat, canoe, and rowboat since childhood. The oceanic
setting is integral to a plot that unfolds almost entirely on islands and channels, on
board boats, and at marinas. The book blurb offers a glimpse of the essential
story, but Scuttlejack also is about family and a troubled marriage, about
overcoming the impossible, about characters with saltwater in their blood and
bones.
When and
why did you begin writing?
I inherited writing. My grandfather and
uncle were newsmen and I, too, began as a reporter with the daily Victoria Times in
1972, at the age of 20. I left the news business in 1977 to launch a freelance
career, branching into magazines, books, and television.
I haven’t had a real job since. I have
specialized in environment and nature, mainly in-depth coverage of issues. All
my work is done on assignment. Except, of course, fiction, which is my newest
phase.
What genre
do you prefer to write in?
As a methodical journalist, mysteries
intrigue me because they lead off with a clearly-defined purpose, move methodically through
a series of twists and surprises, then conclude with a tidy finale. I’m a tidy
freak: I begin each day with an uncluttered desk and clean up when I’m through.
That quirk creeps into my writing. Every article or book finishes with all
loose ends tied.
What is
your biggest writing achievement to date?
I’ve written 20-odd books and hundreds of
magazine articles and television scripts, so it’s difficult to pinpoint a single
achievement. As an environmental writer, I’ve covered many issues that have profound
affects on Canada’s Pacific coast and British Columbia. I’m not an educator, I’m a
story-teller, and my hope is that my stories have helped readers make informed
decisions about issues that shape the future of an extraordinarily beautiful
part of the world.
What
inspired you to write this book?
I’ve spent a lifetime writing illustrated
non-fiction, longing for a time when I could create picture-free stories, and
have the freedom to say things I’d never get away with in truthful journalism.
My short story, The Partnership, sold on the first try to Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, which
encouraged me to believe I could write salable fiction. Factual necessity is
uncomfortably confining in good journalism. While fiction must be believable,
there’s nothing more liberating than sitting back in a Lazy-Boy chair, dreaming
up plots starring people who don’t exist. It’s what all writers want: to never
let the facts interfere with a good story.
Who is
your favourite author, and what is it about their work that strikes a chord
with you?
The late Roald Dahl. I’ve been fortunate
to have been published with him in an anthology. I envy his incomparable wit
and economic style, moving his stories at a pace where every word is vital to
the plot and tone. His Tales of the Unexpected are proof that no one else can
deliver so many surprises in so few words.
What book
are you reading now, and would you recommend it?
Not Dead Yet, the latest Roy Grace
mystery from Peter James. I would recommend all Peter James books.
What are
your current projects?
While I’m mulling over the next Damon
Quinn mystery I’m working on videos for Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre in Sidney,
British Columbia. I’ve written many scripts for Canada’s Knowledge Network, and have
been a photographer since my teens. I produce videos that I shoot, write,
narrate, and edit—a one-man show.
Where and
when do you do most of your writing?
work in my home office from about 7:30
each morning until around 6:30 p.m., a routine I’ve maintained through 40 years
of full-time writing.
What would
you say was the hardest part of writing your book?
Separating my own personality from those
of my characters, realizing that no two people are alike, that everyone speaks
differently, thinks differently, and, most importantly, responds to certain events
or situations in the most unexpected ways. To give each character a distinct
personality is a challenge that brings credibility to fiction.
Who
designed your book cover – and was the cover something you deemed important?
The cover is critically important. I
designed the cover, initially compiling several layers in Photoshop, attempting
to tell the book’s entire story in one picture. The result was disastrous, as
my colleagues and family confirmed. After perusing countless mystery book
covers I determined a simple photo portraying a place and feeling worked best.
I also got good advice from Amazon on type faces and colours.
Did you
try to go down the route of traditional publishing first or did you feel that
self-publishing was right for you from the beginning?
My last “traditionally published” book
was in 2008 and, based on my previous books, I was shocked at the minuscule
investment in promotion. Since the coming of the digital era in the mid-2000s,
publishers are shuffling off their promotional responsibilities to authors,
compelling them to set up websites and market their own books. With the advent
of ebooks and print-on-demand, does it make good business sense to share royalties
with a publisher who’s unwilling to invest in marketing your book?
On the
whole, how have you found self-publishing?
Self-publishing, I quickly learned, is
self-marketing, unless, of course, you’re already famous. No matter how good it is, your
book will not sell if you’re not prepared to be seriously involved in self-promotion.
Don’t waste your time writing the book if you’re not willing to become
completely immersed in the digital (and unreal) world of blogging, Twitter, and
Facebook.
Where can
we buy the book?
Amazon
North America
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006LAAWJ2
United Kingdom
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B006LAAWJ2
Do you
have a website or blog where we can keep tabs on you?
www.bruceobee.com
Do you
have any advice for other writers?
Writing a novel, or any full-length book,
is a non-stop, all-absorbing, one-year commitment. Serious authors are not
hobbyists: we write to be published. Think long and hard about what that entails before
committing yourself to the massive task of writing a salable book. Also, write like
you talk.
And,
finally, do you have anything else that you’d like to say to everyone?
Not long ago self-publishing carried a
‘can’t-sell-it’ stigma, but now some authors are
discovering higher sales, certainly
higher royalties, in self-published ebooks. Readers, too, are finding talented
authors whose talents were bypassed by established print publishers. Print is
far from obsolete, but ebooks invariably offer a broader choice of books and
authors. Go to amazon.com, or other ebook websites, and check the fine work of
some of the lesser-known writers. You’ll be surprised.
Author of: The "Old"
Adventures of Hailey and Jared
Book
blurb:
Hailey and Jared are best friends who
have gone on several exciting adventures. Originally a series, I have now put
six of their fun but scary short stories together for this book. Each story has
suspenseful adventures that always end with a twist. Enjoy!
As an
introduction, could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Born in Iowa, I grew up reading the Nancy
Drew Mysteries. As a teen I did a rough draft of a short story but it wasn't until
a year ago that I finally took my time to sit down and re-write it, and then
had it published as an e-short story called Old Jacob. I now have several short
stories and one book with the first 6 stories which is called The "Old
Adventures of Hailey and Jared". These stories were written with my
grandchildren in mind and are based on some adventures from my childhood. I did
write one story for adults "Dying to Write" as once I start a story
it's hard to stop and it occurred to me that I could do a story about it. I
have sold a few and of course would love to sell a bunch more but the feeling
of accomplishment when I finished a story is satisfying enough.
What is
your book about?
My book is my first 6 short stories of
spooky adventures of best friends Hailey and Jared.
What genre
do you prefer to write in?
Children fiction
What is
your biggest writing achievement to date?
My short stories and I guess you would
say my first story which was Old Jacob
Who is
your favourite author, and what is it about their work that strikes a chord
with you?
I like Stephen King and the scary fun I
have reading his books.
What book
are you reading now, and would you recommend it?
Just finished the Firestone Crystal which
is actually a sci fi for children. I thought the author did an excellent job.
Her book is on Amazon Kindle.
What are
your current projects?
Right now I'm trying to put together my
11th short story.
Where and
when do you do most of your writing?
On the couch in my home with my laptop
What would
you say was the hardest part of writing your book?
Getting started!
