14. Do you like to create books for adults? Answer: Yes!
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14. Do you like to create books for adults? Answer: Yes!
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Over the many years I have been reading, I’ve done what I call glut reading. I find a story by an author intriguing enough to try a second book and then move into reading all of their works, get caught on their planned series and then put them on a hit list to read as soon as a new book is released.
With the classics, they wrote, but not everything was published and finding some obscure manuscript was a boon. Some authors were fairly prolific such as Agatha Christie, a famous and lauded author.
Authors have formulas and some do not deviate by even a cat’s whisker, I enjoyed Christie’s mysteries until I was solving her mysteries by the third chapter. The first book was a disappointment that she had not outwitted me. The following one, I also figured out who, how, and why; my disappointment now was acute because she had quite a few I had not yet read. The next one, and a few more, so my ability on solving her stories was not a fluke, I plowed on. And then I could not.
There were some that had their formula but the story was unique enough to carry it even with the formula, but those were few and had only a few stories.
In today’s world, if an author takes off the trads will come after them and they will find fame and fortune for however long the trend lasts, and if they are not a ‘flash in the pan’ and have more stories to share, their following will continue. I may or may not be in that category- it depends on their formula.
Stephen Drake has written several short stories, you can find those on his site Planet of the Oomah
I have read both of his Displaced series books, awaiting book three and read his only other offering as of this writing. This story is considerably shorter than his Displaced series but as impressive.
The one major factor in my declaring I will follow his writing is that his formula seems to be no formula at all. Each story is unique. I pray he sticks with his formula.
Review of BLACKWING
I was blessed with a copy of BLACKWING and was ecstatic in getting my hands on this before my allowance would permit to purchase next month.
This is another book by Drake, I was unable to put aside until finished. Knowing his style from his other series, this read would be a bumpy but enjoyable ride. There is tragedy, a lot of love if one discerns it, but a walk on the faewyld is not easy for the Dark Enforcers – the storm bringers.
The belief there are seven known planes of Fae reality and the forbidden plane of the humans who are considered as cattle for the fae, instantly stirs up problems as Blackwing has been sent to hunt on the forbidden plane.
I Sincerely hope Drake will be giving us more adventures into the faewyld. This adventure left me wanting more of Blackwing and his human ‘minions’.
I am back quicker with the review for book 2 of the Displaced series because I needed to have more of the story and now that I’ve read book one and two I am chomping at the bit for book 3, Resolution. For the completion of that I must exert patience.
Civilization (Displaced, book 2) has enlarged its population exponentially when two hundred exits a larger pod than our reluctant hero, Kevin Murdock did five years previously. Murdock did bring with him survival skills upon arrival on this planet which even with its dangers has become a Utopia for him and his family.
With the new arrivals, again clueless, demanding, belligerent, some stupidly evil, and others totally depraved, life and survival is always at risk.
This is all book one and more. Now I understand why some can pick up an 800-page book and ‘stick with it.’
I will say there are several heartbreaking and or grisly moments. Just be aware, tissues should be kept within reach.
I read these books back to back and the 275, 222 words just made me thirsty for Drake’s upcoming book Resolution.
I have not read anything since Raphael Sabatini in the tenor of adventure until happenstance brought Stephen Drake onto my fan page and I quickly became a fan of his.
I was almost finished with Stephen Drake’s first book – Displaced and I liked it so much, I immediately went and purchased book number two in the series and that one is Civilization.
Displaced is the first in a series of, to me, a dystopian but apparently not yet crowded prison world peopled with the anti-establishment free thinker, the clueless, mixed in with the dangerous rapacious dregs and the ones not willing to blindly follow the dictates of the newly established earth’s world government.
One man carves out his utopia while most of the remaining rise to the level of corruption only power can satisfy. A powerful book, powerful message.
Stephen Drake ~ Above the Cut interview
via Short Stories
I do not know when I became friends with Stephen Drake or if he asked for the friendship or I did. However the connection occurred on Facebook, I was blessed to find another author I can say I will be reading all of his output.
I am at the 84 percent marker on my Kindle reader as I pause to share his interview. When I finished his first book written, the one I am reading, you will have met another five-star review with an Above the Cut writer.
When I became disabled and was bored out of my mind.
2. How long does it take you to write a book?
It depends on the book and what I have to say in it. My longer ones took me a while. My first one was started in 1974. My second in that series took me a little over a year.
3. What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?
I write when I can. Since I’m the chauffeur, sometimes I don’t get much time.
4. What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I can’t write with music playing. The tempo of the writing tends to follow the tempo of the music, which can get kinda screwy sometimes.
5. How do books get published?
Self-published
6. Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
A lot of experience and research on the internet and I’ve read a lot of the older writers of Sci-fi (I’m a big John Scalzi fan, R.A.Heinlein, Frank and Brian Herbert, Asimov). Sometimes, I’ve written something just to see if I could do it.
7. When did you write your first book and how old were you?
I started it in 1974 when I was 22. I published it in 2016.
8. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
When I’m not writing, I read, play chauffer for the wife, and do martial arts 4 days a week. Watch tv and movies (I have a nice collection of movies and old tv series).
9. What does your family think of your writing?
They were surprised I had that much to say about anything.
10. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
It isn’t easy to create something that is entertaining and says what I want it to, the way I want to say it.
11. How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
I’m currently working on my 4th book, which is 3rd in the series, a couple of short stories. My favorite is Blackwing.
12. Do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they?
Just do it and let others read it. If anyone is willing to read your work, ask them what they thought of it. Constructive criticism is your friend. But you have to write it your own way. Don’t be thin-skinned. I write the kinds of stories I like to read. I figure there are plenty of other quirky individuals that may like it, too.
13. Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
All the time (I do have some friends who read). Some post reviews, others just tell me. They all seem to like my work.
14. Do you like to create books for adults?
I only create books for adults.
15. What do you think makes a good story?
It’s difficult to have a good story without good characters and repartee. Interesting situations helps a lot.
16. As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
After Star Trek came out, the original series, I wanted to be a computer programmer.
After initially reading the preview chapters of Trailer Trash I was hooked, lock, stock, and barrel. I was slightly unnerved when I realized the book was almost 400 pages. Since I try to read for pleasure as well as review and having the attention span of a child, I opt for shorter books.
But, hey, I already read fifty pages without a break and paid my money for the book, it was time to suck it up and read. Now that is easier said than done. My second kindle died an early death, and Trailer Trash was being read on my desktop. You know, the desktop with sixteen tabs but I do know where the music is coming from, it’s the red one.
In a day of diversions, I am fortunate to read twenty pages, but, no, TT kept calling me back and I soon found I was approaching the end of the book. I slowed down. Do you ever get into a book where you’ve been a while and decide to move in? Yeah, that’s where I was. So I slowed down.
But in came four more authors that returned their interviews promptly – never had that happen before. And with those interviews were books to read… so back to Trailer Trash and wrapped it up. Fortunately, there is a number two on the horizon, but that’s another story for another day. The review of Trailer Trash start’s below.
Trailer Trash is a delicious down-home Gumbo. When I started reading this story, I was laughing aloud, not something I’ve done since I’ve read an Evanovich book. The catch with this laid-back, Southern stroll through a typical smaller than a small town is that one gets fully introduced to each character and their flaws, weaknesses, and strengths. This connection to the characters moves the reader into the ebb and flow and is seen through the eyes of the reader as either a hick or a homie town with a welcome sign on every door except for those they judge unfit.
One cannot help but fall in love with TT aka Trailer Trash whom has a given name revealed in the latter part of the story. TT is always in the wrong place at the right time to be blamed for murders a seemingly serial killer is committing in this hotbed of quaintness and the ordinary. TT is a mixture of astute and clueless, strong and soft-hearted who has more comparisons on everything than you can shake a stick…. more, Trailer Trash/Rick Johnson?Above the Cut