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Interview with Saje Williams, Author of Tales from the Magitech Lounge
2007-06-18 14:10:00
Saje Williams writes novels which combine elements of both science fiction and fantasy.He made his debut as an author, in 2005, with the publication of Loki’s Sin by Wings ePress. This was followed by five more novels: Of Man and Monster (Wings ePress, 2006); Freak City (Wings ePress, 2006); Sword and Shadow (Samhain Publishing, 2007); Lady of Blades (Wings ePress, 2007) and Tales from the Magitech Lounge (Samhain, 2007)Currently, Williams is working on a sequel to Sword and Shadow.In a recent interview, he spoke about his writing.When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?I was in fourth grade and already a voracious reader... so much that I would rather be reading than doing my schoolwork. To force me to actually do what I was supposed to, my parents took away my books. So I picked up a notebook and a pen and started writing my own stories. I haven’t stopped since. I knew before the end of that year that the only thing I ever wanted to be was an author, and it’s a dream...
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Interview with Caridad Pineiro, Author of Blood Calls
2007-06-11 18:00:00
Lawyer and award-winning author, Caridad Pineiro Scordato was born in Havana, Cuba before moving and settling in the New York Metropolitan area in the 1960s. She attended Villanova University on a Presidential Scholarship and graduated Magna cum laude. She subsequently earned her Juris Doctor from St. John's University and became the first female and Latino partner of Abelman, Frayne & Schwab, an Intellectual Property firm in Midtown Manhattan.Caridad Pineiro made her debut as an author in 1999 with the publication of Now and Always by Kensington's Latina romance imprint, Encanto. Her fifteenth novel, Blood Calls , was released in May 2007 by Silhouette Nocturne.In a recent interview, she spoke about her writing.What are your main concerns as a writer?I have two concerns as a writer. The first is to entertain my readers by writing a really good book. The second is to make them think about something they might not have considered before.For example, in Devotion Calls, there is a sub...
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Interview with Andrew Hook, Author of Residue
2007-06-06 17:36:00
In addition to being the founder and publisher of Elastic Press, a small independent U.K. press that specialises in anthologies of short stories “at the edges of reality and fantasy,” Andrew Hook is an award-winning author and editor.He has written over a hundred short stories, some of which have been featured in magazines that include The Third Alternative, Em: writing and music, Multi-Story, Buzzwords, and Front and Centre.His books include the short story collections, The Virtual Menagerie (Elastic Press, 2002), Beyond Each Blue Horizon (Crowswing Books, 2005) and Residue (Halfcut Publications, 2006) as well as the novels Moon Beaver (ENC Press, 2004) and Full Circle. He has also edited The Alsiso Project (Elastic Press, 2003), an anthology which features 23 stories from 23 different writers all of whom examine, in their own way, the enigma of Alsiso.In a recent interview, Andrew Hook spoke about his writing.In the writing that you are doing, who would you say has influenc...
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Interview with Jenny Alexander, Author of Life-strategy Books for Children
2007-06-04 16:35:00
Jenny Alexander has written over a hundred books for children, among them, Finding Fizz (A & C Black, 2006); Tom, Sid, the Goth and the Ghost (Longman, 2004); and Stranded! (Longman, 2003).Her non-fiction books include When Your Child is Bullied (Pocket Books , 2006); Bullies, Bigmouths and So-called Friends (Hodder Children 's Books, 2003) as well as The 7-day Stress-buster; The 7-day Brain-booster; The 7-day Bully-buster and The 7-day Self-esteem Super-booster (Hodder Children's Books, 2007) which seek to empower children and their families in dealing with issues concerning bullying, self-esteem and self-confidence.She is also the author of How 2 B Happy (A & C Black, 2006); How to Be a Brilliant Writer (A & C Black, 2005) and Going Up! The No-worries Guide to Secondary School (A & C Black, 2004).In a recent interview, Jenny Alexander spoke about her writing.What prompted you to write your first book? I decided I was going to be a poet when I was about 7 years old...
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Interview with Sammie Ward, Author of In The Name of Love
2007-05-21 10:51:00
Sammie Ward is an author and a publisher.Her short stories have appeared in magazines and e-zines that include Black Romance, Jive and True Confessions as well as Timbooktu and Nubian Chronicles.In September 2004, she formed Lady Leo Publishing and subsequently published In The Name of Love ; Love To Behold; Seven Days, and It’s In The Rhythm.In June 2005, her debut novel, In The Name of Love was voted “Best New Drama & Fiction of the Year” by the Disilgold Literary National Association (DLNA) and in 2006, she earned a YOUnity Guild Award for New Romance Author of the Year.What motivated you to start writing?I consider myself a romantic person. Who doesn't want romance in their life or enjoy a good romantic novel or movie? It's a wonderful genre to write about. I love it. I grew up reading. I must have read every Silhouette/Harlequin romance novel I could get my hands on. I loved those books. I always thought I could also write one such book, but never considered it serious...
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Interview with Sandi Kahn Shelton, Author of A Piece of Normal
2007-05-12 12:42:00
Sandi Kahn Shelton is a journalist and the author. Her books include the novels, A Piece of Normal and What Comes After Crazy as well as the non-fiction humorous books about parenting, You Might As Well Laugh: Because Crying Will Only Smear Your Mascara; Sleeping through the Night and Other Lies and Preschool Confidential.In addition to these books, Shelton has written an award-winning humor column for the New Haven Register newspaper in Connecticut, and for ten years was the “Wit’s End” columnist for Working Mother magazine. Her work has also appeared in magazines, that include Redbook, Ladies Home Journal, Salon, and Reader's Digest.She is currently working on a third novel.In a recent interview, Sandi Kahn Shelton spoke about her writing.How would you describe the genre in which you do most of your writing?Women’s fiction, I guess, is the closest way to describe it.My stories tend to be about relationships and the perils and power of domestic life.Who is your target audi...
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Interview with Valerie Tagwira, Author of 'The Uncertainty of Hope'
2007-05-02 11:44:00
Valerie Tagwira is a Zimbabwean medical doctor and an author. Currently she is working in London while preparing for her membership exam for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.Her debut novel, The Uncertainty of Hope is set in the densely populated suburb of Mbare, Harare, and explores the complex lives of Onai Moyo -- a market woman and mother of three children -- and her best friend, Katy Nguni -- a vendor and black-market currency dealer. The novel gives an insight into the challenges faced by a wide cross section of Zimbabwe, where life expectancy has dropped to 37, possibly the lowest in the world.In 2005, Operation Murambatsvina, the government's controversial urban slum clearance program, created over half a million internally displaced persons and destroyed the livelihoods of close to 10 percent of the population. Eighty percent of the country's population is unemployed.The International Monetary Fund estimates that the rate of inflation, which currently ...
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Interview with Tabitha Suzuma, Author of 'A Note of Madness'
2007-04-26 11:38:00
Tabitha Suzuma's first novel, A Note of Madness tells the story of a teenage musical genius struggling with manic depression. The novel has received a lot of critical attention from newspapers, magazines and websites that include The Guardian, Hackwriters.com, Cherwell, Medical Humanities, CMIS and Write Away.A Note of Madness, which is now available in both hardcover and paperback, was also shortlisted in the 2006 NASEN & TES Special Educational Needs Book Award.Suzuma spoke about what she has been working on since making her debut as an author, in May last year:How would you say you have you been received so far?A Note of Madness came out in paperback this February and I am hoping it will sell well because its sequel, A Song for Jennah, will only be published next year if sales figures are high. And as soon as I get the green light from Random House -- with luck by August -- I will start work on the third book in the A Note of Madness trilogy. It will be about Flynn and Jenna...
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Interview with H. Nigel Thomas, Author of How Loud Can the Village Cock Cro
2007-04-10 22:34:00
Canadian author H. Nigel Thomas was a teacher in St. Vincent, his home island, before moving to Montreal where he taught English and French in high school and elementary school. For the past 18 years, he has been working as professor of U.S. Literature at Université Laval in Quebec City.His books include Why We Write: Conversations with African Canadian Poets & Novelists (TSAR Publications, 2006) which features interviews with 15 African Canadian writers and From Folklore to Fiction: Folk Heroes and Rituals in the Black American Novel which appeared in Contributions in Afro-American and African Studies, Number 118 (Greenwood Press, 1988).He has written three novels: Return to Arcadia (forthcoming, TSAR Publications, Fall 2007); Behind the Face of Winter ( TSAR Publications, 2001) and Spirits in the Dark (House of Anansi Press, 1993 and Heinemann Caribbean Writers Series, 1994) which was a finalist for the 1994 QSPELL/Hugh MacClennan Fiction Award.In addition to these five books...
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Interview with M.D. Benoit, Author of 'Synergy'
2007-04-09 08:16:00
Canadian author, M.D. Benoit is on a virtual book tour to promote her upcoming alternate reality novel, Synergy.The tour started on March 28 and will run until April 11.During this period, ten blogs will host M.D. Benoit for a day to discuss Synergy, its themes and characters. Some blogs will also feature interviews with the author and reviews of the book. On her own blog, Life’s Weirder than Fiction, M.D. Benoit will announce where she will be that day, as well as talk a bit about her host.Synergy’s Virtual Book Tour will culminate with a Virtual Book Launch, on April 14 and 15.In an email interview which took place between February 21 and March 30, 2007, M.D. Benoit spoke about the tour and about her writing.How many books have you written so far?I’m currently working on my seventh, but I have two books currently published and one which will come out in March 2007. All three are published by Zumaya Publications.The first one, Metered Space, was published in 2004. It is the f...
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Interview with Zimbabwean Author Ruzvidzo Stanley Mupfudza
2007-04-05 16:30:00
Ruzvidzo Stanley Mupfudza is one of the most exciting emerging voices in Zimbabwean literature.His short stories have appeared in anthologies such as A Roof to Repair ( College Press, 2000), Writing Still (Weaver Press, 2003), Writing Now (Weaver Press, 2005) and Creatures Great and Small (Mambo Press, 2006). A number of the short stories have also been published in national newspapers and magazines that include The Sunday Mail, the Sunday Mirror and Moto.In a recent interview, Stanley Mupfudza spoke about his writing.Do you think newspapers and magazines in Zimbabwe are giving enough space to creative writers?The Sunday Mail no longer has space for creative writing. The Sunday Mirror had it because of my own initiative. Many magazines have become defunct in Zimbabwe, so it is no longer a question of magazines giving space to creative writers, but that creative writers no longer have media through which to express themselves.How would you describe the current situation in Zimbabwe? ...
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Interview with Tim Lees, Author of The Life To Come
2007-04-03 11:00:00
Tim Lees has been a warehouse worker, film extra, musician, schoolteacher, lithographer and conference organiser. He has also worked on the secure ward of a psychiatric hospital.His first collection of short stories, The Life to Come was published by Elastic Press in 2005.In a recent interview, Tim Lees spoke about his writing.What is your latest book about?You probably mean my story collection, The Life to Come (Elastic Press, 2005), but to my mind, my latest book is the one I’m writing now. It’s a weird noir detective piece set in L.A.How long did it take you to write it?Give it another few months to completion. In fact I wrote the opening chapters about four years ago and they’ve been moldering in a drawer every since. Stories often seem to come this way -- a bit at a time.Which aspects of the work that you put into the book did you find most difficult?The final polishing, which I’m now in the process of. Always tricky, ironing out inconsistencies, wondering if you’ve g...
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Interview with Novelist Susan Jarnagin
2007-03-26 13:36:00
Susan Jarnagin writes under the pen names Renee Russell and Darcy McKenna. Her articles and short stories have appeared in publications that include The Commercial Appeal and Absolute Write.She made her debut as a novelist, this year, with Kate’s Pride (Wings ePress, 2007).In a recent interview, she spoke about her writing.How many books have you written so far?Writing as Renee Russell, I have Kate's Pride which came out in January. My second novel, working title Fated Love has recently been sold to Wild Rose Press with the publication date to be announced -- the pen name for that novel will be Darcy McKenna. I'm at work on Novel #3 and Novel #4 right now.Why the pen names?I chose to use two different pen names because when I pick up a book by a particular author I'm expecting a particular kind of story. For example with Stephen King I expect a horror story. With John Grisham I expect a legal thriller.Kate's Pride is a Southern Gothic historical. Very dark and tragic. Fated Lo...
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Interview with Gary Dale Cearley, Author of Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witne
2007-03-22 23:26:00
Gary Dale Cearley grew up in Prescott, Arkansas. He joined the United States Navy two months after graduating from high school and received language training in Vietnamese at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California and further military training at Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo, Texas.After the leaving the navy, he started an international shipping and freight forwarding company and went to work in Los Angeles, living in the Venice Beach area. He then moved to Seoul, in South Korea before settling in Vietnam where he has lived for well over a decade.His first book, Thou Shalt Not Bear False Witness: The Truth About the Vatican and the Birth of Islam is a refutation of The Prophet, a tract by Jack Chick. The Prophet suggests that the Vatican created Islam in order to rid themselves of rival early Christian denominations who did not follow Roman Catholic Church doctrines.In a recent interview, Gary Dale Cearley spoke about his writing.In all, how many books h...
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Interview with Maurice Suckling, Author of Photocopies of Heaven
2007-03-09 22:49:00
Maurice Suckling has produced and directed plays for a number of British theatre groups. He has also worked as a radio and television scriptwriter and a creative consultant for a number of national and multinational companies.Since 1998, he has been working as a writer, editor, designer, voice director and project manager in the computer games industry.His first collection of short stories, Photo copies of Heaven (Elastic Press) was published in November 2006.In a recent interview, Maurice Suckling spoke about his writing.When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?I think I always wanted to be one. I always wrote stuff, little ideas, thoughts -- that kind of thing.The first story I really remember and was maybe worth remembering was called The Island of Blue Glass. I’m not sure how to explain it -- it was a kind of surreal love story in which I wanted to never write the word love, because I thought there were lots more interesting ways of writing about the subject. I wanted to t...
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Interview with Patrick Mackeown, Author of The Expendability Doctrine
2007-03-06 16:35:00
Novelist Patrick Mac keown was born in London in 1966 and grew up in Turkey, Wales and in several parts of England. He studied analytical philosophy and worked as a chef, a salesman, a computer operator and as a senior technician for Demon Inter net as well as for an internationally renowned news corporation. His debut novel, The Expendability Doctrine has been described as “a suspenseful saga” about oil, greed and murder. In a recent interview, Patrick Mackeown spoke about his writing. In all, how many books have you written? So far, I’ve only written one book, a thriller called The Expendability Doctrine, published by BookScape. It’s been highly recommended by the Midwest Book Review. It’s only been out since November of 2006. But, already it’s been featured on the front page of Independent Publisher Online Magazine, Christmas edition. Since this is my debut novel, I’m very pleased. I also write satires as an outlet for my cynicism. President Bush has done badly by m...
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Interview with Bhaswati Ghosh, Author of Making Out in America
2007-03-05 15:58:00
Bhaswati Ghosh has worked as a television news producer and as an editor in two publishing houses. She has also been on the editorial board of a children's newspaper.Her work has been published in major Indian daily newspapers, in the United States and on websites that include Chowk and the bimonthly online magazine, Seven Seas as well as on the food and writing blogs that she maintains.Making Out in America is her first book-length work.In a recent interview, Bhaswati Gosh spoke about her writing.What would you say are your main concerns as a writer? In fiction writing, my major concerns are gaining a grip on the craft of writing, such as more show and less tell, writing convincing dialogue, creating real and enduring characters.The themes that concern me are those pertaining to the social fabric around me -- a dynamic pattern that’s changing and throwing up new questions every day. Ordinary lives like my own interest me the most, and I write stories on how the existing and evol...
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Interview with Anne Douglas, Author of Position Vacant
2007-03-03 17:26:00
Erotic romance author, Anne Douglas was born in New Zealand where she worked as a dispensing optician. In September 2001, she moved to Florida with her family.So far, she has written three books, Tea for Three which is due for release in June 2007, Position Vacant (2006) and The McCabes: Persuading Jo (2006). All three books are published by Loose Id.In a recent interview, Anne Douglas spoke about her writing.When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?Well, it was more a case of when did everyone else decide I was going to become a writer. I'm an avid reader. No that's not quite right…I'm a voracious reader. I don't know what I would do with myself if I didn't read. Some girlfriends joked that having read so much I should be able to write romance novels in my sleep. So I took it as a dare and in January of 2006 I sat down and started typing.I've always had, like many people, this little idea in the back of my head that one day I might like to try writing. I guess my one d...
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Interview with E.A. Saraby, Author of The Light of Pensieri
2007-02-28 14:33:00
First-time novelist, E.A. Saraby is a teacher and a mother of three. Her debut novel, The Light of Pensieri (Lulu, 2006) centres around Elie whose quest leads her into the Pensieri Mountains, where malignant spirits drive people to madness and despair. In a recent interview, E.A. Saraby spoke about her writing. What would you say are the biggest challenges that you face? My biggest challenge is finding the time to write and being able to clear my mind enough to do so. I am a full-time teacher and mother to three small children. I have maybe one or two hours to myself during the day, and often that time is taken with preparing for the next day's class lessons. Often I'll get ideas as I stand in the shower or drive to work -- I try to outline them as soon as I can, but often I'm interrupted before that's possible. Luckily, my husband is a saint. When I get in "the zone" and actually have some time, he will do what he can to take care of the kids and allow me an hour or two to wri...
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Interview with Bettye Griffin, Author of One on One
2007-02-23 02:36:00
Bettye Griffin has written over 13 romances and contemporary women's fiction that feature strong African American characters.Her books include At Long Last Love (1998); A Love of Her Own (1999); Prelude to a Kiss (2001); Straight to the Heart (2004); The People Next Door (2005) as well as A Love for All Seasons and If These Walls Could Talk which will be appearing in May and June of this year, respectively.Since fall 2006, she has been writing Chewing the Fat with Bettye, a blog where she posts regular commentaries on current issues and events.In a recent interview, Bettye Griffin spoke about her writing.What are the biggest challenges that you face? And, how do you deal with them?Trying to come up with fresh ideas is a challenge, because I’d prefer not to write anything that’s been done a hundred times before!I keep on plugging at it until I come up with what I want. Just like Thomas Edison with the electric light and Alexander Graham Bell with the telephone. Except I don’...
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Interview with Allen Ashley, Author of Urban Fantastic
2007-02-21 18:55:00
Allen Ashley has worked as a performance poet, a singer/songwriter, music critic, football journalist and book editor. In addition to this, he is the author of two non-fiction books: The Golden Void -- Hawkwind 1970-1975 (Hawkfrendz, 1991), a chapbook of music criticism, and The Days of the Dodo (Dodo London Press, 2006), a collection of cultural commentary articles that first appeared in The Third Alternative between 1999 and 2005.His short stories have been published in over 40 literary magazines, among them Inter zone, The Third Alternative, Postscripts and Prism. They have also been featured in around 10 anthologies that include Triquorum One (Pendragon Press, 2006); Poe’s Progeny (Gray Friar Press, 2005) and New Wave of Speculative Fiction (Crowswing Books, 2005).His debut novel, The Planet Suite (TTA Press, 1997) was followed by two collections of short stories, Somnambulists (Elastic Press, 2004) and Urban Fantastic (Crowswing Books, 2006).In a recent interview, Allen Ashley...
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Interview with Lynn Emery, Author of Soulful Strut
2007-02-07 18:22:00
Lynn Emery is the author of twelve African-American romance novels which include Good Woman Blues (2005); Kiss Lonely Goodbye (2003) and All I Want Is Forever (2002). One of her stories, “Tumbling Down”, has also been featured in The Lipstick Chronicles, a collection of four novellas from different authors.Another of her novels, After All (1996) was produced as a made-for-television movie by Black Entertainment Television in 1999.She has also won several awards for her writing. In 1995, she received the Excellence in Romance Fiction Award for her first novel, Night Music Magic (1995) and in 2000, she was nominated the Lifetime Achievement Award in Multicultural Romance Fiction from the Romantic Times Magazine.In 2004, she went on to win three Emma Awards, including Author of the Year.Her latest books include: Endless Passion (2006) — a collector’s edition of three earlier novels, Night Magic (1995); Tender Touch (1997) and Sweet Mystery (1998) — and Soul ful Strut ...
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Interview with John Eppel: Poet, Novelist and Storyteller
2007-02-04 07:11:00
In addition to writing short stories, John Eppel is also an award-winning poet and novelist.His list of achievements is impressive. His first novel, D.G.G. Berry’s The Great North Road (1992), won the M-Net Prize in South Africa. His second novel, Hatchings (1993), was short-listed for the M-Net Prize and his third novel, The Giraffe Man (1994), has been translated into French.His first poetry collection, Spoils of War (1989), won the Ingrid Jonker Prize. Other poems have been featured in anthologies that include The Heart in Exile South African Poetry in English 1990-1995 (1996) while his short stories have appeared in anthologies that include Writing Now: More Stories from Zimbabwe (2005).In a recent email interview, John Eppel spoke about his writing.When did you decide you wanted to be a writer?About age 12. Around that time I stopped believing in God, I became consciously aware of my mortality, I began to feel uneasy about my privileged status as a white boy, and I fell in lo...
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Interview with Michael T. Dolan, Author of Walden
2007-02-02 20:08:00
Freelance writer Michael T. Dolan lives in West Chester, Pennsylvania. He attended Villanova University where he majored in English and Sociology.One of his stories, “The Angel That Couldn't Fly” was featured in The Simple Touch of Fate (iUniverse, 2003), a collection of over fifty compelling and captivating stories which raise questions about fate, coincidence and divine intervention.His first novel, Walden has been described as a "satirical, tragic and poignant ... coming-of-age story". The novel was published in 2006 by Conversari House.In a recent interview Michael T. Dolan spoke about his writing.What is your latest book about?Walden is a novel about individualism, revolution and freedom. It's Catcher in the Rye with a 21st century university setting. Young Walden is struggling to find his identity, and the resulting day detailed in the novel depicts this struggle.How long did it take you to write it?The novel was written off and on over the course of about two years.It w...
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Interview with Kay Green, Author of Jung's People
2007-01-26 19:23:00
Kay Green 's stories have been appearing in literary magazines and journals and for nearly two decades. Fifteen of the short stories appear in Jung's People (2004), her first collection of short stories, while others have been featured in anthologies that include The Elastic Book of Numbers (2005).Her poetry has been published in literary journals such as acumen, Iota, Envoi and Orbis.In addition to writing, Green has edited anthologies that include Digitally Organic: An Earlyworks Press Poetry Anthology (2007); Porkies: Pigtales of the Unexpected (2006); Survival Guides: An Earlyworks Press Fiction Anthology (2006); Routemasters and Mushrooms: An Earlyworks Press Poetry Anthology (2006); and The Sleepless Sands: Earlyworks Press High Fantasy Challenge (2006).In a recent interview, Kay Green spoke about her writing.Your first collection of short stories, Jung’s People, was published by Elastic Press in 2004. How did this happen?Fantasy and mythology are my favourite areas of oper...
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Interview with Rory Kilalea: Film-maker, Playwright and Author
2007-01-08 16:56:00
Rory Kilalea has worked in the Middle East and throughout Africa, directing documentaries as well as in various production, script-writing and management positions. Film s he has been involved with include Jit (1990); A Dry White Season (1987) and Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold (1986).He has also taught broadcasting, writing and performance at the University of Zimbabwe as well as improvisational drama at the British Council in Athens, London, Johannesburg, and in the Middle East.Writing under the pen-name, Murungu, his poetry and short stories have been published in magazines and anthologies in countries that range from Ireland; Malaysia; South Africa; the United Kingdom; the United States and Zimbabwe.His writing includes the collection of short stories, The Arabian Princess & Other Stories (Zodiac Publishing, 2002); “Whine of a Dog” which was shortlisted for the Caine Prize 2000; “Zimbabwe Boy” which appears in Asylum 1928 and Other Stories (Fish Publishing, 20...
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Interview with Sandra Lester, Author of The Ripper Unmasked: Confessions fr
2007-01-07 18:55:00
Sandra Lester’s first poetry collection, Candy Cotton Kid and the Faustian Wolf (Q.Q. Press, 2001) was nominated for the Callum MacDonald Memorial Award for poetry in 2002.Four more poetry collections followed: Tlazolteotl Poems and Illustrations (Q.Q. Press; 2004); Helkappe Poems (Q.Q. Press, 2005) and The Panjandrum of Quondam: The Epic Grenade (Samzidat Press, 2005). In addition to this, she recorded some of her poems and released them as Selected Poems CD (Samzidat Recordings, 2006).She has also written and published, The Ripper Unmasked: Confessions from Sutcliffe to a Hypnotist (Samzidat Press, 2006), which presents an account of her relationship with Peter Sutcliffe, the Yorkshire Ripper.In a recent interview, Sandra Lester spoke about her writing and the direction it is taking.Your most recent book, The Ripper Unmasked: Confessions from Sutcliffe to a Hypnotist has been described as a true-crime, historical document. How did the book come about?I became involved in very in...
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Interview with Tim Nickels, Author of The English Soil Society
2007-01-05 02:06:00
Tim Nickels has been writing for over twenty years. His short stories have been appearing in British fantasy magazines and anthologies that include , Neonlit: The Time Out Book of New Writing (Vol. 1), Extended Play, Scheherazade, Midnight Street, The Third Alternative and many others.His first collection of short stories, The English Soil Society , was published by Elastic Press in 2005.Tim Nickels spoke about his writing and his concerns as a writer. When did you decide you wanted to be a writer? And, who would you say has influenced you the most?I expect a number of your interviewees might re-phrase the question to: "When did writing decide it wanted you?" My first story was a ten page novel called "Timehunt" and concerned the exploits of Cap'n Badun, a golden hearted space pirate. My wonderful primary headmaster not only typed it out and made the whole thing into a book -- but also left spaces so I could draw the pictures.My primary influences have not always been literary. I ...
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Interview with Haroon Moghul, Author of The Order of Light
2006-12-22 02:36:00
Haroon Moghul graduated from New York University with a degree in Middle Eastern Studies and Philosophy and is currently pursuing a Ph.D at Columbia University.He sits on the editorial board of Islamica Magazine and is a regular contributor to Eteraz.org.In 2004, his blog, Avari-Nameh won the Brass Crescent Awards for Best Writing, Best Post and Best Overall Blog. The blog is concerned with issues of Muslim identity, politics and society. Moghul went on to receive the Brass Crescent Award for Best Thinker in 2005, for his contribution to the discourse on Islam.In addition to writing essays, short stories and poems, Haroon Moghul is the author of two novels: My First Police State (2003), a self-published travelogue; and The Order of Light (Penguin India, 2005).In a recent interview, he spoke about his writing and his concerns as a writer.What is your latest novel, The Order of Light about? What sets it apart from the other things you have written?The book is about what happens when ...
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Letter to Minister for Immigration Liam Byrne M.P.
2006-12-20 20:07:00
Dear Mr ByrneEvery year all over the world, many children believe in the miracle of Christmas, they make wishes and expect them to come true on Christmas Day.Although I am not a child anymore, even though I still am in my mother's eyes, I still believe in the spirit of Christmas and its miracle. I really hope that what I have been wishing for these past three years will come true this coming Christmas.My name is Ilengela Ileo and this is a little background of my story: I arrived in the U.K. three years ago as I fled my country because of my family involvement in politics and was separated from my brother and sisters. Up to now we do not know their whereabouts as all the efforts made to trace them have not been successful and there are very slim chances to find them alive.My only remaining family, my mother and little baby sister, are here in the U.K. and have the right to remain here legally.During this past three years when I was going through my legal battle to remain in the U.K...
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