Six Sentence Sunday 16/9/12

Yep, it's time for Six Sentence Sunday again. This week we have some teeny, tiny sentences, but powerful ones I hope, to whet your appetite for Sign of the Times

He was a salesman, in town to meet some clients.   He was leaving tomorrow, as was she.  Quite frankly, all she wanted was sex, no strings.  They had dinner.  She chose a light salad and a seafood gratin.  Sex was on the cards. 

Possibly the smallest Six Sentence Sunday in history, (at least for me) but I like to think it keeps you guessing and who are we talking about? If you follow me on Twitter @susan_buchanan, you might well know!

For a list of all Six Sunday entrants, as always, you can go to www.sixsunday.com  after 2pm UK time (9am EST) Enjoy!
 
If today's excerpt has left you wanting more, you can buy Sign of the Times at the following Amazon links:
http://amzn.to/GKqZGd (UK)
http://amzn.to/IYN0Fc (US and other .com)

Tune in later this week for more news, as we get closer to the launch of The Dating Game and I also have a pleasant surprise for you mid-week.

Interview with occult author Alan Shaw

Yep, it's Friday and that means time to ask probing questions of someone, so who is in the hot seat this week? Alan Shaw and boy is this a probing interview! Enjoy!

I don’t usually ask such trite questions, but given the nature and diversity of the themes in Project Overkill , can you explain a little about the themes and how you came up with the idea for the novel? 

I wanted to write something that would be an exciting page turner for the reader but at the same time begin as one thing then turn into quite another. I love that sort of plot, not least because life generally has a habit of surprising us. I also wanted the main characters to have a back story that would itself be interesting and at the same time explain their own attributes. So instead of giving Mike half a page with a few lines about the Special Forces and a quick hint that he also has a sensitive side I decided to explain his relevant background fully and at the same time give the reader another story. The same applied to Claire and Summers: I didn’t want the reader to feel cheated but to show I’d done some work to serve them something they could chew instead of just swallow.

By the same token I wanted the occult main plot to appear gradually and grow from apparently haphazard events. But I also wanted it to have strong light to balance the darkness: otherwise it just becomes a tedious catalogue of horror-mystery lacking the substance that I think people appreciate. 

The short answer then is that I wanted to write the sort of thing I’d enjoy reading, let the pen flow, and the novel stand in its own right. I’m a firm believer in the old maxim that ‘nobody knows anything’ when taking a book to market, so you might as well deliver what you set out to and hope for the best.

 

Who do you see as your target audience for this book, given that the themes are so varied? 

Men and women who enjoy what I hope is an intelligent well-researched, complex, but coherent novel dealing with horror and the occult. I didn’t consider going for any particular target audience because I think people are perfectly capable of reading and enjoying several different types of novel provided something attracts them in the first place.  

Are there any other authors out there, you consider your work to be similar to? (not being my usual genre, I am not in a position to know!) 

Not that I know of. There again I haven’t read what I consider to be a really good occult novel since The Historian, a brilliant novel by Elizabeth Kostova. In fact I don’t think I’ve tried anything in that genre since. I much prefer a good crime novel or a biography. 

 

But I must single out The Devil Rides Out’ by Dennis Wheatley, first published in 1934, as being something that most reminds me of Overkill. I was impressed by how much he knew about the subject and how that made everything far more convincing. For that reason I pay a tribute: it is referred to by Marcia, unmistakably but not by name, when she describes to Mike how she first discovered she has mediumistic powers. 

As an aside I read ages ago in one of the Sundays that Wheatley and Crowley had been friends and that explained a great deal! 

 

 

I was interested, after reading the book, to realise that Crowley was a real person – again having no interest in the occult, I hadn’t realised this whilst reading the book.  Does Crowley fascinate you and how much historical research, if any, did you do for this part of the book? 

I’m glad that happened because there is heaps of stuff in the novel, like for example the Crowley / Neuberg relationship, that can be uncovered if a reader is tempted to enquire, and that is all intentional. Primarily though it is written to deliver without the reader knowing a thing. 

Having read two Crowley biographies, although not the most recent ones, and done a great deal of other  research I think I can say that he was definitely a complex and significant character but I suspect few of us would have wanted to meet him. I came across him completely by chance when I picked up the John Symonds biography in a bookstall. I thought it worth a go and discovered that despite the reputation he had in life his legacy – which includes a ‘religion’ called Thelema would you believe? –has produced an increasing following over the years. His image is even depicted on the cover of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper album and many quite famous people knew him in life and many others have collected his works etc. since. There’s no doubt he possessed enormous intelligence as well as the flaws referred to in Overkill and elsewhere, and a high degree of what we could only call ‘occult power’. 

I wanted a strong historical character and frankly couldn’t have found a better one. My research was intense and took a few months. I also managed to get through his autobiography as part of it and looked at a few of his magical writings but could not understand them. They did though point me to the conclusion that you have to be very brainy to grasp a lot of this stuff and that helped shape Montgomery’s background. 

Now to the nitty gritty – you’ve seen my review and my thoughts that some of the sex was over the score. Was there a particular reason why you made some scenes very graphic? 

Yes, and if I may I’ll respond to Q6 at the same time. The graphic passages are plot and character driven.

 

Proceeding on the basis that Satanism ‘works’, as portrayed in the novel, all practitioners are linked to certain demons, and these demons broadly correspond to the Seven Deadly Sins. Predominant in the order for any Satanist is the demon that is closest to his own nature. 

In Summers’ case his major weakness – which, remember, is a strength in his perception – is lust. Thus, when he first recognises Marcia’s clairvoyant potential he weaves a spell to charm her into desiring him. Her strength of character and mistrust of him just about save her on that occasion but the residual effect of the spell causes the scene with Mike to take place. Without being graphic an act depicted there is a feature of that sort of spell – anyone who has seen the original Omen 3 will get the idea. A further clue to his influence is given in the scene where they are examining the videotape together.

Some other passages directly involving Summers are also there to demonstrate the power he possesses and the nature of his character. Not to do so would present a watered down version but I opted for the full cut. In another scene the activity follows an already established historical rite [the Paris sequence] and in another, when Mike is scared almost to death, represents what I discovered is a traditional culmination to activity of that nature. I wanted readers to see the whole thing and it is another case of the pen flowing.  

If any reader wants any further background I’ll be happy to provide it but any more information now might be a bit of a spoiler.  

 

How do the sex scenes overall and the occult link up?

Please see above.

 

 

 

I enjoyed the army section at the beginning, and thought it was very well portrayed. I also liked how it linked in to parts later in the book.  Was this research or do you have first hand experience? 

I do have a little firsthand experience, but not nearly as dramatic and meaningful as Mike’s. I certainly know what it is like to come off second best against barbed wire! Research was needed for the Para-specific elements, and I was given word of mouth information about the bomb defusing techniques [not all of which I included].  

Secret societies and symbolism and power run through the book, as well as the forces of good and evil (if I have interpreted correctly). How much was the book meant to leave a message and what was the message (without giving any spoilers)?

Whilst not a ‘message’ novel as such I’d be happy if readers picked up on the value of doing everything you can to protect those you love. 

You set the novel in Shrewsbury. Was there a particular reason or was it simply because you are from there and wanted to give the novel a local flavour? 

Well, a tale such as Overkill benefits I think from being set in a small medieval English town with a very ghostly and sometimes gory history of its own. In addition it is not too far from Leamington and Chester, which as you know are also important to the story. Essentially, though, it is a nice change from having a big city as the hub of a novel. 

Are you working on something else now?  What are your future plans, as a writer? 

Overkill is the first part of a planned trilogy, and I am working on the next, The Shrewsbury Murders, at present. Afterwards there will be continuing promotion of course while I embark on the final segment. I’m honestly not thinking any further than that at present.  

Fun Stuff

Bravest thing you’ve ever done? (publishing book, as always not allowed!) 

On a bus I once confronted some youths who had a knife and were upsetting other passengers. [Thinking back it was also probably the stupidest, but at least I lived to tell the tale.] 

What genres of books do you read? 

I read far less than I used but I do enjoy a good meaty crime drama – James Ellroy and Henning Mankell are high on my list, as is Raymond Chandler for his wonderful Philip Marlowe series. I’m also keen on political biographies, but not autobiographies because I think they are usually too biased in favour of the author. 

Which novel would you say has made the biggest impact/left its mark on you?

Gosh, that’s a tough one. I’ll choose, at an early age, Corridors of Power by CP Snow. Without it I would not have discovered the wealth of good literature out there as early as I did.  

Celebrity crush – and I don’t mean in a reality TV show way! Actress/model /singer etc acceptable. 

 

Oh, these are probing: I’m really, really keen on Charlize Theron 

Are you sporty? If so, fave sport to play and watch? Don’t need to be the same. 

I am, I went to one of those schools where you do everything from gymnastics to cross county running. I’ll go for cricket and football. 

Fave film genre and film 

Westerns / The Wild Bunch [I could write reams about it but you’d only tell me off!]. 

Guessing that rom coms would not be your thing, but if you had to watch one, which would be least painful for you? 

You’re right but I’ve seen and enjoyed Notting Hill, When Harry Met Sally and Bridget Jones’ Diary.

Name something you wish you’d done ‘before you were 30’ but haven’t and would still like to do 

Oh, Blimey! Write a novel that gets filmed and becomes a monster hit. Still hoping! 

Do you like Harry Potter?  If so, favourite movie/book (this loosely ties in with the magick!)

Have never read one I’m afraid but enjoyed a couple of the movies. But I admire JKR’s success enormously and have great admiration for all the brilliant work she does outside writing. 

If you didn’t live where you do, where would you like to live and why?

Annapolis, in Maryland USA, where I have so many happy memories of holidaying with friends in the nineties and noughties. My house would overlook the harbour and be within easy distance of Pusser’s Caribbean Grill.

 Thanks, Alan, for those very revealing answers. If you want to follow Alan's progress, here are his links:-

Facebook - http://on.fb.me/Qb5pQK

Twitter - @billypike

 

You can also buy Project Overkill on Amazon - http://amzn.to/OUPUdJ (UK) & http://amzn.to/Q3v9i6 (US & other .com)

 

I'll be back on Sunday for more Six Sentence Sunday action from Sign of the Times. Right, back to editing The Dating Game!

Interview with Dario Barsacchi from Sign of the Times

Just to brighten up a dreary Monday morning (pouring here - again!) Vallory V hosts myself and Dario today on her blog, so we can get the lowdown on the man who has captured the heart not just of Holly, but of pretty much every female reader who has come across him.
Click to see what he reveals about himself.
http://valloryv.wordpress.com/

Bye for now and have a great week, Sooz

Six Sentence Sunday 9/9/12

Yep, it's Six Sentence Sunday again! Since I am so entrenched in editing, Sundays just seem to arrive very quickly. As I said last week, that was your last peek at The Dating Game before it goes live mid-October.
But, for now, here's an excerpt from my first novel, Sign of the Times

"But how could you trust him again? I love my wife, but I can’t forgive what she’s done. She’s going to have his child! They’ve taken from us what we’ve always wanted – a family. And the worst of it is, they probably don’t care or even realise the damage they’ve done. It’s not just the being unfaithful; it’s the loss of our being able to be parents any time soon."

As always, if you wish to see the other Six Sentence Sunday entrants, click here after 2pm UK time (9am EST) - www.sixsunday.com

And, if the above excerpt has whetted your appetite for Sign of the Times, you can buy it here:
http://amzn.to/GKqZGd (UK) & http://amzn.to/IYN0Fc  (US & other .com)

Tune in tomorrow for an interview with one of Sign of the Times' heroes - but which one!

Review - Project Overkill by Alan Shaw

Happy Friday! It is very dreich up here in Hamilton today - seems like November.
Now, here is by far my most controversial review yet. And wait until you see the interview questions next week! Hoping not to scare Alan, as he hasn't actually received them yet, but let's just say they are no holds barred!
But, without further preamble, check out my review for Project Overkill below.


I was asked to review this book by the author and was provided with a review copy.

Let me just start by saying that this is not the type of book I would normally read and I am not particularly its target audience. However, I have rated this book as if it were a genre I would usually read.

On having read the synopsis, I think I was expecting a Chris Ryan type read, with a bit of magic thrown in. I really enjoyed the beginning, the parts set in Kosovo, how sensitive Mike was and how although he was a loner, he made wrong decisions for the right reasons. Plus I liked all the army assault course stuff!

Then when we moved to the IT side, I could also relate to a lot of that, including all of the metrics and project meetings which are part and parcel of being part of a large company. It tickled me that the name used for the company, was actually the name of the IT company I worked for in the past!
However, what I did have a gripe with and although some readers would love this aspect, I think it would be very off-putting to others, was some of the graphic and quite shocking sexual scenes early on. I understand that where there is the occult, sex is often linked. But quite frankly, I think it could have been alluded to, rather than blatantly thrust in our face (no pun intended) and I do think some readers would be downright offended and stop reading. On the other hand, the sexual scenes between Mike and Marcia were generally relatively subtle and well written, in my opinion.
The twists and turns and magical elements, the discovery of Marcia's powers and the ending itself were very well done, if the ending was a little gory for my taste.
I could visualise where the characters were and what they were doing, and to my mind that is a sign of a novel well written. And on that note, I did find that the prose and the dialogue were well written overall.
I have rated this novel 4 stars. However, it's not possible to give half star ratings, or I would have rated it 3.5. I would have deducted the half star, due to some of the sexual content, which I think detracted from the novel a little.
If you are a fan of witchcraft and the occult, with contemporary themes, this book is for you.

You can buy Project Overkill on Amazon - http://amzn.to/OUPUdJ (UK)
and http://amzn.to/Q3v9i6 (US & other .com)

I'll be back on Sunday with a new Six Sentence Sunday from Sign of the Times. Haven't done that for a while, so be sure to check in!

The Next Big Thing

Fellow author, and invaluable proofreading source to me, Maria Savva, thought she would add to my already ridiculous September workload(!) by tasking me with The Next Big Thing challenge.  Fortunately for her (and me) I love these challenges. I hope you enjoy reading it, too, particularly since my WIP will be out in around six weeks!  Thanks Maria (I think!)

 

The rules of the challenge are:

1. Answer 10 questions about my current WIP (Work-In-Progress)
2. Tag five other writers and link their blogs so we can all hop over and read their answers.

So here goes! 

What is the working title of your book?

The working title has become the official title, as I have just had the cover created for the book’s imminent release in October.  I just need to finish editing it!  The Dating Game.

 

Where did the idea come from for the book?

The idea came from a friend who joined a dating agency for professional people (supposedly to keep out the riff-raff!) a few years ago.

 

What genre does your book fall under?

Contemporary fiction. It started out as chick lit, but as with all my writing, it’s not really fluffy enough to be 100% chick lit!

 

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Hmm, tough one, hadn’t really thought of this. I haven’t cast my leading lady yet, but two of the dates look like Liam Neeson and the errant boyfriend from Sliding Doors.

 

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Fed up of being pushed into yet another blind date by her friends, Gill decides to join Happy Ever After dating agency.

 

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I will be self-publishing mid-October

 

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Five months, unlike the 6 years it took me to write Sign of the Times! But I am writing full-time now – therein lies the difference. Plus I learned so much from last time around.

 

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I haven’t read any other books about this particular subject within my genre.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

Honestly? The massive support and wonderful feedback I had from readers, after I launched Sign of the Times, gave me the drive to push ahead and write this, my second novel.

 

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

You mean apart from the fact that there a hell of a lot of sexy guys in it?! As with all my books, there will always be a travel element. I used to live in Barcelona, so there is a section of The Dating Game, which deals in detail with Barcelona. Plus, there’s a lot of good old Scottish humour in it and some very fun, secondary characters! 

I’m nominating Susan Louineau, Stuart Haddon, Talli Roland, Joanne Phillips and Tracie Banister to take up The Next Big Thing challenge.

I can’t yet link all of their blogs, as they don’t all have blogs, but as and when they tell me they have posted on FB/Goodreads/blog, I will update this post with the links. 

But you can already read Maria Savva's answers here - http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/2942631-the-next-big-thing

Six Sentence Sunday 2/9/12

Yep, this is the final Six Sentence Sunday featuring The Dating Game, before its launch next month. So, make the most of it!

'We don’t have to go back, you know.’

Gill turned to look at him. Being outside had made the alcohol she had drunk treble in effect. Her head was starting to spin, whether from the booze or the company, she couldn’t quite decide.

‘How do you mean?’

‘I booked a suite, just in case you wanted to stay.’

 

To see the other Six Sentence Sunday entrants, as always check in to www.sixsunday.com after 2pm GMT (9am EST)

 

And meanwhile, if you're looking for something good to read, why not take a peek at the sample for Sign of the Times http://amzn.to/GKqZGd (UK) & http://amzn.to/IYN0Fc (US & other .com)