Andy Graham Author

Author of dark fiction and fantasy, dystopia, horror.

#dystopian

One Book Interview #21 – Israel Finn (Author)

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After a hiatus of a couple of weeks, a few book reviews and other such literary shenanigans, the One Book Interview is back in its regular slot (and a few of our old favourites are back in the book choices).

This week, I’m very happy to have a factory worker, a delivery driver, a singer/songwriter, a sailor, and various other professionals all hiding in the past of a storyteller writing out of southern California.

Good people of the Internet, the horror author that is Israel Finn.

Name one book:

1 – everyone should read

Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl. It’s poignant, philosophical, entertaining, and still highly relevant in this day and age. If more people were to look out through the eyes of that wonderful young girl, perhaps some of the hatred might subside in the world.

2 – you would take with you if you were going to be marooned on Mars

The Martian by Andy Weir. Duh!

3 – you took a chance on and were pleasantly surprised by

Bird Box by Josh Malerman. Josh was relatively unknown as an author when the novel came out but I’d heard good things. I found out before I read it that he was the lead singer of one of my favorite bands, The High Strung, so I was even more intrigued. After reading it, he immediately became one of my favorite authors as well. Bird Box is a fresh, original horror story that filled me full of dread and kept me feverishly turning pages until the end. It’s one of the best horror novels out there.

4 – you’ve written that is your favourite

My collection of dark fiction, Dreaming At the Top of My Lungs. I’ve written others, but it’s the first one I felt was worthy of being published. And I’d say I made the right decision, because it’s been very well received. And several of the stories in the book are near and dear to my heart, as they’ve become with many of my readers.

5 – that has influenced you most as a person

Again, I’d have to say Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl, and for the reasons I mentioned before.

6 – that has influenced you most as a professional

Okay, I’m going to bend the rules here and mention two books. On the art side of things, I’ll say The Stand by Stephen King. I’d been writing off and on for years before I read it, but that novel helped me to find my own voice as a writer. On the craft side, I’ve got to go with something I read recently called Thrill Me: Essays On Fiction by Benjamin Percy. I’ve read a ton of books on writing, many of which were wonderful. But Percy’s book is the best I’ve ever read. He puts things across in such a concise, down-to-earth way that you can’t help but have your eyes opened to the hows and whys of fiction writing.

7 – of yours that prospective readers should start with if they want to get to know your work and where they can get it.

Dreaming At the Top of My Lungs, which (so far) is my only release. Here’s a nifty little link that includes several retailers:

You can find Isreal at: www.israelfinn.com

Israel Finn is a horror, dark fantasy, and speculative fiction writer, and a winner of the 80th Annual Writer’s Digest Short Story Competition.

He’s had a life-long love affair with books, and was weaned on authors such as Kurt Vonnegut, Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, Arthur C. Clarke and H.G. Wells. Books were always strewn everywhere about the big white house in the Midwest where he grew up.

Later, he discovered Robert McCammon, Dean Koontz, F. Paul Wilson, Dan Simmons, Ramsey Campbell, and Stephen King, as well as several others, and the die was indelibly cast.

 

 

One Book Interview #17 – Kenneth Cain (Author)

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I’m very happy to present another horror and dark fiction author this week. There are a few more in the pipeline and I’m slightly disturbed by how ‘nice’ they all seem to be. (I’m not sure the authors will thank me for ‘outing’ them like this. It also makes me wonder what Romance writers are like when they’re not writing…)

This is a great interview – understated, concise, and refreshingly humble. I’m not going to spin out the intro any further, other than to say I’ve bought a copy of one of the author’s books and crowbarred it into the top of my to-be-read list.

Good people of the Internet – Kenneth Cain.

Name one book:

1 – everyone should read

I’m a bit biased on this question because it’s one of my favorite books. I think everyone should read Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Not only has it stood the test of time, but the book also seems rather relevant to present day, where we are growing ears on the backs of mice and cloning. For me, the likelihood of reanimating a human corpse, either a whole person or chop-shopped, is high. How might those creations react upon breathing their first breath?

2 – you would take with you if you were going to be marooned on Mars

Soon, we may have colonies on Mars, so marooned is becoming more and more unlikely. That being the case, colonization could take a couple of lifetimes, and those first settlers might find themselves with a lot of down time. A spacey theme feels like a good choice, and since I loved the book as a teenager, I think The Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy is a good fit.

3 – you took a chance on and were pleasantly surprised by

Before I knew Joe Hill’s lineage, my wife picked up Heart-Shaped Box as a gift for me. Currently, that book is still one of my favorites. I know some may disagree, but there’s nothing quite like a good ghost story, and that one hit a lot of really good notes for me.

4 – you’ve written that is your favourite

I’d like to go with my latest, Embers. With each new story, I’m growing as a writer, and that’s a path with which I’d really like to stay on track. This collection of short stories was a big leap for me craft wise. But my favorite work is currently unsold. It’s a novelette entitled “A Season In Hell” about a woman playing baseball in the minor leagues in the early nineties and her struggles. It’s more literary, but there’s a certain darkness to it. If you’re looking for a book that’s already out there, I got really attached with the characters in my first book, These Trespasses, from The Saga of I trilogy. Someday, I may revisit that series and try to make more of it now that I’ve honed my skills some.

5 – that has influenced you most as a person

There are many writers who’ve personally influenced me via direct contact, but book wise, I’d have to say Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Mosses from an Old Manse. It’s where I first read “Young Goodman Brown” and fell in love with telling darker stories. Something about that story stuck with me all these years, and so I’ve often found myself reflecting on the unknown, and speculating what’s out there.

6 – that has influenced you most as a professional

For me, it’s a short story actually; Ken Liu’s entitled “The Paper Menagerie.” I forget where it originally appeared, but it’s been reprinted several times. There’s even audio out there (linked on his website I believe). For me, that story reached heights I’ve often dreamed of. To have everything come together so well, that’s the sort of writing I strive for. Reading that story made me take a second look at my short career, and that’s when I decided I needed to really kick things up a notch. It unlocked something for me, a better sense of what I needed to achieve in a story.

7 – of yours that prospective readers should start with if they want to get to know your work and where they can get it.

Definitely Embers. It’s by far my strongest work; the cleanest and best storytelling I’ve achieved thus far. It’s a big step up for me, and I think a lot of readers will get a good sense of where I’m going with my writing by taking a chance on this collection of short fiction.

You can find Kenneth at: www.kennethwcain.com

Kenneth W. Cain is the author of the Saga of I trilogy, United States of the Dead, the short story collections These Old Tales and Fresh Cut Tales, and his latest Embers: A Collection of Dark Fiction. Early on, shows like The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and One Step Beyond created a sense of wonder for the unknown that continues to fuel his writing.  Cain resides in Chester County, Pennsylvania with his wife and two children.

 

One Book Interview #14 – Mike Watson (Author)

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Stephen King has spoken about ‘unearthing stories’, or ‘digging them up’. So this week, the One Book Interview has a geologist turned author. (It’s a terrible intro, I know. Almost a dad joke. Apologies, Mike.)

Good people of the Internet – Mike Watson

Name one book:

1 – everyone should read

There is one book I thoroughly enjoyed reading several years ago. I won’t say it was life-changing, but it was a refreshing change from books I had been reading. It is The Name of the Wind, a fantasy by Patrick Rothfuss. Since then I’ve read the sequel and now the third in The Kingkiller Chronicle is about to come out.

2 – you would take with you if you were going to be marooned on Mars

I think the typical answer is The Bible.

3 – you took a chance on and were pleasantly surprised by

I’m going to have to repeat the book mentioned above. (The Name of the Wind) I’d never heard of the author before hearing him speak at a writer’s conference. It was his debut novel that went on to be on the New York Times bestselling list.

4 – you’ve written that is your favourite

My favorite book and the one most well received is the second in The Jack Trader Adventure series, Treasure of the Anasazi. It’s a thriller/adventure that takes place in southwest Colorado near the town of Durango in association with the cliff dwellings at the Mesa Verde National Park. The entire series has settings in that area.

5 – that has influenced you most as a person

As a person, The Bible. As a writer, rather than a specific book, probably the science fiction genre. Growing up I think I read every science fiction book in the library. I still love the classics of H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, and Edgar Rice Burroughs.

6 – that has influenced you most as a professional

The books I read the most of these days are action/adventure/thriller. My favorite writer of these is Clive Cussler, which I hope has influenced my writing.

7 – of yours that prospective readers should start with if they want to get to know your work and where they can get it.

Any in the Jack Trader Adventure series are typical of my writing style, and all are stand-alone, but if someone would like to read the first in the series, it is The Nestorian Alliance. Similar, but different, think Indiana Jones.

You can find Mike at: www.adventurewithmike.com

Michael R. Watson, is a writer and self-employed geologist and surveyor, living with his wife in a rural setting of south central Kansas. In his own words:

“In recent years, I have taken a new direction, writing the post-apocalyptic Aftershock series. I have just started book three while beta readers are looking at book two. Book one, Paradise, is currently on Amazon. A chain reaction of earthquakes, possibly triggered by fracking and wastewater disposal, have reached into the mid-continent, causing disaster, panic, and chaos. Beware of the helping hand.”

 

One Book Interview #9 – M. Black (Author)

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Your challenge today, dear reader, is to name three of the big-hitting young adult book series that have made the switch from page to big screen. (I’ll give you a clue, not the one with the wizard.)

Made your choices?

Remember them and read on.

One Book Interview #9 features a writer of young adult, dystopian novels, whose stories “focus on robots, androids, simulations, consciousness, animals, the wilderness, technology such as cloning, and more.”

Quite an impressive list!

One of today’s answers sees the second appearance of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (also chosen in Interview #8 by J.L. Hendricks).

Three of the book choices will give you the answer to my question at the top of the page.

Good people of the Internet, without further ado, Ami Black.

Name one book:

1 – everyone should read

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? It’s original, philosophical, and asks some interesting questions all while being entertaining. Fans of Blade Runner would love it since the movie is based on the book. If you are into robots or technology you’ll find it interesting.

2 – you would take with you if you were going to be marooned on Mars

The Hunger Games, because it is three parts and so there are a lot of words. It’s also about surviving, so it would be motivating and well as entertaining,

3 – you took a chance on and were pleasantly surprised by

Hate to say it but, Twilight. I wasn’t expecting much with the story, and while cheesy it did hit some points which is why I think it resonated with such a wide audience.

4 – you’ve written that is your favourite

 

EXOTIQA, because it is about a world where robots are part man and men are part robot. I love blurred lines and I love technology and being able to incorporate the two was real interesting for me.

5 – that has influenced you most as a person

Pride and Prejudice, because Jane Austen was a brilliant writer. A woman. She lived in a time where everything was dominated by men, yet she managed to get her stories out there and read.

6 – that has influenced you most as a professional

Divergent, because the author was very young and inexperienced when she wrote it, and a woman. I think that gives hope or inspiration to every woman trying to make it in the business. It is also very original, I thought, and entertaining.

7 – of yours that prospective readers should start with if they want to get to know your work and where they can get it.

EXOTIQA or Simulation, because they are both first book in a series and will give the reader a good idea of the type of stories I write.

You can find Ami  at: http://MBlackDystopianThrillers.blogspot.com

M.Black is passionate about the Earth, animals, robots and technology. You will find all of these concepts as parts of the themes used in her brand of books ENTER TOMORROW. M. Black loves to explore future worlds that are falling apart and she likes to keep the reader guessing.

M.Black is usually writing on her MAC, taking care of her two cats LOTUS and ASH who show up in her books Exotiqa and Simulation, cooking her favorite vegetarian dishes like veggie chili and lasagna, or watching her favorite shows. OA, Stranger Things, Mr. Robot, The Expanse, are just a few. After graduating UCF in English, she travelled Asia for eight years teaching English. She began writing novels in 2009 and publishing on Kindle in 2010.

So? How many of the young adult books did you get? If you got all three you can claim your mystery prize by emailing my PA: katniss.prior@cull.en

One Book Interview #7 – Casey Hays (Author)

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For installment seven of the One Book Interview, I’m happy to present an American author who writes (and reads!) young adult fiction, supernatural, fantasy sci-fi, and dystopian novels – all with a twist of romance.

Good people of the Internet, please give a rousing One-Book-Interview welcome* to one of New Mexico’s own: Casey Hays.

Name one book:

1 – everyone should read

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. This is a moving tale told by Death. It’s a story about life and love and respect for humanity. It left me speechless, and the last line of the book is a favorite of mine. Very compelling.

2 – you would take with you if you were going to be marooned on Mars

The Angel Series by Sharon Shinn. This series would be perfect for an off planet continual read. Full of hope and a great love story, too!

3 – you took a chance on and were pleasantly surprised by

Little Bee by Chris Cleave. I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed it. It’s a dark, quirky story about a Nigerian orphan who ends up in Britain. Her story is quite touching.

4 – you’ve written that is your favourite

Probably The Archer, the second book in my Arrow’s Flight Series. It’s the bridge book between books one and two, and it’s just full of emotion. I think I did a decent job with imagery and made my readers feel something amazing.

5 – that has influenced you most as a person

The Bible – I’m a Christian, and God’s word is the greatest influence over every decision I make.

6 – that has influenced you most as a professional

Anything by Shakespeare – I truly believe his works are the greatest literary treasure next to the Bible. You want to see humans screw up and get redeemed… or justice perhaps? Read the Bible first, then read something by Shakespeare.

7 – of yours that prospective readers should start with if they want to get to know your work and where they can get it.

Breeder: Arrow’s Flight 1. I have a full series planned and the first of four novellas in this series published so far.

You can find Casey at:  http://www.whisperingpages.com/

Casey Hays lives in New Mexico with her husband and two children. She is a former high school English teacher turned author. She loves Young Adult Fiction as well as supernatural, fantasy sci-fi, and dystopian–all with a twist of romance. She is the author of four works: “The Cadence” a YA supernatural romance, and Arrow’s Flight, a YA dystopian sci-fi series: Breeder, The Archer, and Master, which released on January 15, 2016. Her short story “Edge of a Promise” is featured in the collaborative anthology PREP FOR DOOM, published June 18, 2015. Currently, she is working on a series of novellas for Arrow’s Flight, as well as a YA supernatural romance based on the legend of the Phoenix.

 

 

*(Apologies for the intro – I think I need to get out more . . .)