 I'd like to introduce Felipe Adan Lerma. I met Felipe on Facebook around eighteen months ago. We were both members of the same group that led to the Indie Author Support and Discussion website and had chatted a time or two, and then we both got involved in a charity venture in aid of the Macmillan Cancer Care Nurses. It was around this time that we became friends, most likely due to the fact I was always badgering for links and pictures for the advertising side of things :), and now we follow each other on Twitter and chat there when we can.
Felipe is the eldest of six siblings, a father of three, and a grandfather of five, and I'm sure his background in all things fitness and yoga helps him stay on his toes and keep up. He's also been married to his wife for thirty years, a feat you don't hear of very often anymore, and has been writing and creating pictures since the sixties, though he began writing more seriously in the late seventies and eighties. Here is what Felipe Adan Lerma had to say... Why did you decide you wanted to become a writer? More like how did I figure out I was and wanted to be a writer (smiles). From as a child, and being the oldest of six, I was quickly “put in charge” of my younger brothers and sisters. Watching them was pretty boring unless I kept them occupied. All I really remember is several large sets of very round and ready eyes waiting for me to entertain them. Kid brothers and sisters can be a touch crowd. But so accepting when you hit them with something they liked. Funny stuff worked best for them plus suited me too. What was the thing that drove you the most to do so? Fear. Fear I'd get in trouble for not entertaining my younger brother and sister. You might think this led me to catering to trends and whims, but it actually, looking back over half a century (smiles), made me keenly focussed in finding expressive modes that first satisfied and entertained me. How long have you been writing? Since a child, in the oral story telling sense. But since a late teen or early 20 something if you count when I started writing movie reviews for a jr college student paper. That was way fun! Why did you pick the genre/s that you have? My first fiction stories, written in the early 80s, reflected the years after my first wife and I broke up. And before she and I decided, for health reasons, that our two children live with me. So those first stories were contemporary searching stories. Searching for romance, searching for meaning, searching for direction. Being the oldest of six, and being married and starting a family as a late teen, and having lived beyond both those situations, left me in a vacuum. More recently, though I wrote one child story in the early 80s, I've returned to having tween and teen characters. I really like them. But I feel my stories are very incomplete without either a strong or co-level adult character interacting with them. Thus my emphasis on multi-generational fiction. For fun, esp via my recent (last few years) exposure to Joe Konrath, Raymond Chandler, and Janet Evanovich, I'm merged the extended family and romance threads into mysteries and thrillers. Those have gotten to be very much fun! Who is your favourite character, and why? Sorry. Have thought about this question a long long time, but each of my main characters fill either an age or interest (or both) niche very dear to me. So a favorite character for me is like a fav food item or fitness routine – depends on the meal or need, or itch (smiles). Do you have any particular quirks when writing? Very close to my experience painting or working with my photographs, it's an immersion where time warps and wraps itself into my focus so tightly, I lose the sense of separateness from it. Very addicting! What does your family think of your work? I'll have to smile ahead of time on this one! I'd say from tolerantly benign to kindfully uncurious to cautious to avoid discussing. Do you belong to any writing groups? And if so what do you think are the pros and cons? I belong to several. Lots of pros and a few cons. So, so far, there's been more to benefit from than regret. Eventually I think one finds a few especially kindred creating souls, and that's very very nice. How do you deal with writers block? Alternate creative threads: I like art, dance, music, movement, film, TV, acting, kids. Oh yeah, and writing (smiles). Of the latter, like with art (painting vs photography vs digital art), I can vary my word-work (smiles). Poetry, shorts, discussion and action bits in story idea files, blog posts, FB posts, Twitter tweets. There's even rumours folks talk with each other at times! What would you say is the most difficult part of writing? Questions like this! (smiles) What do you enjoy the most about writing? Immersion. Then, after, when re-reading some of one's work, finding moments and passages that sparkle, inspire, and scare me – scare me with the can-I-do-that-again question! Where do you find your inspiration? Just taking a breath, looking around, and seeing hearing smelling tasting feeling what's going on. Shadow and light. Flickering or set like iron grids. Contrasts. Where the edges smooth and touching and blend. It's all so much. It's just slowing down enough to catch and notate some of it. Then putting it into story form where someone else can experience the bits and pieces as a coherent piece of life. Are your characters based on anyone you know? Everything is based on things and people we know. Allowing ourselves to mesh that with what's inside us, in terms of other memories and feelings, takes what we know specifically, and makes it something different and digestible by others. Memoirs are a different thing. So here I'm speaking specifically about fiction. What do you do in your spare time to relax? Sleep (smiles). What do you like to read? Fiction. A tiny bit of non-fiction. Right now reading stuff re Twitter. Previously it was stuff on deep point of view. Getting ready to move on and catch up on trends and tech in the visual world, esp photography. Who is your favourite author? I've had many many previous favourites. So let's say these are current favs (smiles): Raymond Chandler. Joe Konrath and Ann Voss Peterson. Janet Evanovich. Matthew Iden. There's a writer new-to-me, Shari Hearn, writing a kind of cozy thriller mysteries in Kindle Worlds I've recently been very impressed with. Action, humor, romance, touching. But if one wanted a wide genre-spread of really surprisingly consistently entertaining writers, I'd recommend the charity anthology You're Not Alone. Read each one. In order. And be shocked how good the various genres can be in short dosages. Where are your books available? Mostly, maybe all of them, on Amazon, including in their Kindle Unlimited program. Had let one title lapse recently - “Dirty Sixth Street, Austin” with the intent to “try” and make it free “wide” so's to drive traffic to my other thriller titles on Amazon. That was over two weeks ago. Never have had the time to reformat it, resubmit it, blah blah. So, when I remember, I'll re-input that title back into KU. What are you working on right now? Besides making a major move back into my images (selecting, cropping, dodging and burning in spots, selective sharpening, then uploading to image sites, including Amazon Marketplace and Fine Art America) – continuing work on Queen, the Serial Novel. Though mostly written ahead of time (as about half the writers two hundred years ago did when serial first appeared – and led to full length “novels”) many of the 37 total books have summaries of additional chapter work needed. Plus I pick and adjust two of my own original photos for each book. Currently I've finished work on 17 of the 37 2500-3500 story word books. Should be finished by late this year, then I'll produce an omnibus with the whole 100,000+ word story. And, I'm beginning my push back into Kindle Worlds with a new Joe Konrath-Ann Voss Peterson Codename: Chandler thriller my very own Samantha Lacroix also features in! Though to answer your question more immediately, I'm helping my wife prepare lunch (smiles). What is your ultimate goal? To live a fulfilling happy life. If I can do that, that – I firmly believe – will also help others the best way that's in me. Do you have a favourite film? And if so what is it? I do have so many. But The Curious Case of Benjamin Button always comes to mind (described as a romantic drama). And Zulu, with a very young Michael Cane. There's a power in those two stories I'm still processing, ingesting, digesting, and creating new ways to mould my own ideas from. Here is where you can find Felipe Adan Lerma Twitter: @felipeadanlerma Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.co.uk/Felipe-Adan-Lerma1 Amazon Marketplace: goo.gl/xqLMPc WordPress Website: www.felipeadanlerma.com Audible: felipeadanlerma.com/audio-books FB: www.facebook.com/FelipeAdanLerma YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/adanlerma/videos Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/felipeadanlerma Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/5761593.Felipe_Adan_Lerma Google+: www.plus.google.com/+AdanLerma/posts Stumbleupon: www.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/adanlerma Fine Art America: felipeadan-lerma.pixels.com The last thing Felipe Adan Lerma said to me was "Thank you so much Sallyann. It's been a pleasure. Plus I'm never quite sure what I'll really answer (smiles)." and I have to say the pleasure was all mine. Felipe always proves to have a quirky, off the wall humour, and, as you can tell, spends a lot of time smiling :). So once again I'd like to thank Felipe for agreeing to take part in my interviews, and I hope you will follow him on one of the links above. And don't forget to pop on over to Amazon and check out his books, you migh have found your next favourite author.
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 I met Jamie Mclachlan coming up on a year ago on social media (Twitter to be exact), and we hit it off straight away. She has a quirky sense of humour that just keeps you laughing, and a love of all things emoji, though to be honest her favourite was the new little yellow face with the glasses. This particular new friend is her answer for everything, but at the same time makes you grin as she seems to know exactly when and where to use it and leaves you cracking up.
Jamie is Canadian and a very talented author of dark historical fantasy, and loves writing about strong female characters. Her love of writing is followed closely by her love of reading, which she admits is anything fantasy, though she does venture into other genres as well. She has a Bachelor's Degree in English, the very clever lady, and it was after acquiring that she started to write what she had been daydreaming of for years. For now she is hoping to inspire other people to write, but has said that maybe one day she will write something outside of fantasy. Here is what Jamie Mclachlan has to say... Why did you decide to become a writer? Ever since I can remember, I’ve always been a daydreamer. I’d imagine scenarios or specific characters, and often times get lost in them. So one day I decided to write them down. Once I started writing, I discovered how cathartic it could be. I could write about anything—my dreams, desires, or even my fears. The possibilities were endless. That’s the reason why I started writing. But what made me decide to become a writer was the chance to share my ideas with others and potentially inspire them as other authors have done with me. That’s why I write. How long have you been writing? I’ve been writing for a long time, ever since I was a kid. At first I just wrote poems and songs, and I often joke that both were either corny or depressing. After high school, I started exploring short stories and attempting novels. I wrote my first novel while attending university to get my Bachelor’s Degree in English, and my second one a couple of years later. The rest of my work came after I gave birth to my little boy and decided to stay home to raise him. Why did you decide to write fantasy? One of my favourite genres to read is fantasy. I will pick up anything: epic, YA, paranormal, urban, steampunk, etc. So it was and is the genre that inspires me the most. I love reading and writing about characters, plots, or worlds that break and challenge our perceptions of our own reality. I love it for its limitless possibilities. But that’s not to say that I don’t explore or appreciate other genres. Who knows, maybe one day I might write outside of fantasy. Who is your favourite character and why? At the moment, my favourite character is Moira. She’s a slave, yet she’s defiant and challenges everyone when she should be submissive. On top of that, she’s sarcastic and blunt, often speaking her mind when she should be quiet. But beneath her defiance and crude remarks is a complex character who is strong while at the same time very flawed. With a horrid past and a life of servitude, Moira’s one goal is to survive. When she’s forced to work with Detective Keenan Edwards to catch a mysterious serial killer, Moira’s goals begin to change and she realizes that there’s more to live for. I wanted to create a strong female character, and I’m pleased that readers love Moira and admire her for her strength. How do you deal with writer’s block? Personally, writer’s block usually just means I either need a break or I’m feeling overwhelmed with expectations or time constraints. If it’s the first case, then I simply stop staring at the screen and occupy my mind with something else. Preferably, I’ll do something non-writing related, just to give my mind a break. If it’s the latter scenario, then I usually end up seeking distraction, which can come in the form of tackling my TBR list, checking social media, or zoning out in front of the TV. At that point, the best thing for me to get out of my writing slump is to just write. Sit down and just write whatever comes to mind without being too critical. What would you say is the most difficult part of writing? I’d have to say the most difficult part about writing is getting started. Opening up the document and typing the title is the easy part. The difficulty, I find, comes in getting the first paragraph down. It’s what hooks a reader, convincing them to continue. If it’s not compelling enough to intrigue the reader, then they’ll be less likely to read more. Have I ever put a book down based on the first paragraph? No. But I have found some boring. And it’s not just about literally starting. It’s also about initiating the creative process so that eventually the words just flow from your mind to your fingertips. After that, the story just pours out and the difficulty then comes with whether or not your fingers can keep up. What do you enjoy the most about writing? I’d have to say the best part is sharing my writing with readers and hearing they connected with my work. It’s the greatest compliment and source of motivation to continue on an artistic path filled with self-doubt. Nothing brings me more joy than knowing someone out there in the world loved my book. Where do you find your inspiration? I find inspiration in anything that is artistic: books, photography, movies, etc. But my main source of inspiration is found listening to music. The lyrics and melody stir my creative juices, and it’s not long before my imagination is brewing up new ideas. Aside from art, I also find inspiration in life and nature. Certain situations or interpersonal complications usually feed ideas for plots. Are your characters based on anyone you know? Yes, some of my characters, particularly Moira and Keenan, are partially based on people I know. I find it often helps bring the characters to life if they’re based on someone you know. As to who they are based on, I can’t divulge. What do you do in your spare time to relax? For relaxing, I mostly just spend down time with my family, which often involves watching movies. When alone, I’m often found listening to music or reading. What are you working on right now? At the moment I’m working hard to bring book three in The Memory Collector Series to my readers. I know a lot of them are anxious to read the final book, especially after the ending in book two, Pawn of the Phoenix. Here is how you can find Jamie Mclachlan Twitter: @jamiemclachlan8 Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorJamieMcLachlan Website: www.authorjamiemclachlan.com I'd like to take the last minute to thank Jamie Mclachlan for taking the time, and agreeing, to do an interview with me, and I hope you will take the time to follow Jamie on one of the links above (and maybe see her sense of humour). I'd also recommend a trip over to Amazon to pick up copies of her first two books so you'll be ready and eagerly waiting for book three, and if you're following her you'll be able to ask her just when book three will be published ;).  I've known Saharah Shae for almost two years now. We met when I first opened my Twitter account and I was like a babe in the woods. Saharah was one of my first followers and one of the first to chat to me, in fact she was probably one of the reasons I didn't just pull the plug and say "To Hell With It!". I love her quirky sense of humour, her quick wit and way with words always has a way of making me laugh, and I absolutely adore her blunt speaking ways. There has been many a time Sahara has got her point across in ways that have left me crying with laughter, even to the point of spitting my coffee out all over my laptop, but if you're truly a friend you would know she has a heart of pure gold.
Sahara, and myself, belong to a little group of fine ladies we like to call the "Bunny's", not very wolf pack, I admit, but it suits us just fine, and on more than one occasion she has been my support, my go to girl, and has come to my defence against many a weirdo on Twitter. Over time she has become "Sis" to me, as I can't imagine having anyone better in your corner. Being the only girl in one of five children has Saharah knowing her way around fishing, a garage, and her firearms. She lives in Kentucky with Lucifer, who she calls her Devil-dog, is a huge fan of several sports, and is the staunchest supporter of her military troops, be they of the past, present, or future. Saharah is also an author, her genre is erotica, and she admits writing it is arousing to her and her goal is to see that she stimulates her readers just as much when they read her work, which she also admits is based on some real life experience's along with fantasies that run through the naughty part of her mind. Here is what Saharah Shae had to say... Why did you decide you wanted to become a writer? Writing is my passion; it is what I was born to do. Although I had no inkling that I would be writing in the genre that I am or that it even existed, I knew at the age of five that I would write a book one day. What was the thing that drove you the most to do so? I love storytelling and entertaining people. How long have you been writing? I have been writing since I was a child. Why did you pick the genre/s that you have? I love reading erotica, sex, and writing. After reading a book one day, I decided that it was a genre that I wanted to try writing myself. Who is your favourite character, and why? The character I like the most from my books is Starr. She’s sexy, young, and determined to get what she wants out of life. Do you have any particular quirks when writing? As with a lot of things, I like to write early in the morning when the world seems like it is at a standstill. What does your family think of your work? I only have a few family members that know I write erotica. My brothers and an aunt know. While the boys aren’t thrilled that I chose to write in this genre, they learned a long time ago that I usually do what I want. Shockingly, my aunt is my biggest supporter. Do you belong to any writing groups? And if so what do you think are the pros and cons? I belong to the Wicked Pen Writers group as well as the Naughty Misfits. The support from each group is fantastic. How do you deal with writers block? Fortunately, I haven’t experienced writer’s block and in the genre I write in, I’m not sure that will ever be a problem for me. What would you say is the most difficult part of writing? The most difficult part of writing for me is that I am a messy writer. Writing erotica turns me on as much as reading it does, so I have to break often when I’m writing. There are also many other things that I do besides writing that I’m not able to put on hold and write whenever I want. What do you enjoy the most about writing? Writing allows me to entertain and excite people while telling a story. I’m able to express myself on paper in ways that wouldn’t be accepted socially in every day conversations. Where do you find your inspiration? I use life experiences sprinkled with a little fantasy as inspiration when I am writing. I’m not a kiss and tell kinda girl but that doesn’t mean I won’t change a few things up and write about it. Are your characters based on anyone you know? Almost all of my characters are based on people that I know. Of course, names are always changed to protect the not so innocent. What do you do in your spare time to relax? When I’m not writing I love to fish, take pictures, listen to music, read, cook, spend time with family and friends, shoot my guns, and I follow and watch several sports teams. What do you like to read? I love to read erotica but my favorite reading genre is true crime. I also spend a fair amount of time reading through medical journals. Who is your favourite author? I’m not sure that I could pick just one author as my favorite. I love to read anything from Aphrodite Jones and James Patterson. Where are your books available? My books are available at Amazon. What are you working on right now? I’m currently working on several erotic short stories. What is your ultimate goal? My goal is to eventually be able to write full time. Do you have a favourite film? And if so what is it? My two favorite movies are Smokey and the Bandit and Shooter. Here is how you can find Sahara Shae Twitter: @saharahshae Facebook: SaharahShaeM Amazon: amazon.com/author/saharahshae My blog: saharahshae.com YouTube: Saharah Shae I'd like to take this the last moment to thank Saharah Shae for being a willing interviewee and answering all my questions. I hope you liked getting to know her as much as I did and have, and I really hope you'll follow her on one of the links provided above, but if you want to take up the Saharah Shae challenge and let her excite you then shoot on over to Amazon and pick up a couple of her books ;) you might just get hooked.  I met Eric Lahti through a Facebook group called Indie Author Support and Discussion. I was invited to join by another friend of mine that was already a member, and I wasn't too sure what I was doing, or whether I should post anything or not. When I eventually started posting Eric was one of the group that would always comment, be it advice, on more than one occasion :), general chatting, or support of some new venture I had tried. The one that stands out the most to me recently being my first ever try at making a book trailer, which I posted up for opinions. Eric was one of the first to let me know he thought it was great for a first go, and that I should have been really pleased with it. And, let me tell you, coming from Eric, it meant a great deal.
Eric grew up in northwest New Mexico, where he spent his time searching for UFO's and buried treasure, which he says he didn't find but I can't help wondering. When he's not writing he's programming, something the tech challenged part of me is jealous about, or he's practicing Kenpo (you will find out exactly what that is a little later on). He is a very talented author, and though I haven't yet had the privilege of reading one of his books (something I will rectify when I replace my dead kindle), I have heard a lot of people comment on how much they enjoy them (which makes me even more annoyed that I can't just yet). He also designs all of his covers, bringing together some amazing imagery that really stands out and catches the eye, and makes his book recognizable and completely his. I also know he has a wicked sense of humour, and on more than one occasion has had the group in uproar with something he's said, or a response to someone else's post, but, you're guaranteed to be smiling along with him. Here is what Eric Lahti has to say... Why did you decide you wanted to become a writer? I was sitting on the couch in the middle of the hottest part of an Albuquerque summer playing the same game for the third or fourth time and just got frustrated with my life. I’d been kicking around the basic plot of Henchmen, but had never written a book before. Against my better judgement I started writing. I guess the bottom line was I wanted to create something rather than just consuming stuff. What was the thing that drove you the most to do so? Curiosity, I guess. I wanted to see if I could do it. I’ve gotten good feedback, so I’ve just kept going since then. How long have you been writing? I started in July of 2013. Why did you pick the genre/s that you have? I like the idea that lurking just behind the normal world is something wonder and terrifying. It’s the blend of eating Asian noodles one night and finding a god the next that makes thing interesting. Who is your favourite character, and why? Of the ones I’ve written, I really like Felix Crow. He’s a scoundrel, a drunk, and prone to violent tendencies when he’s pushed into a corner, but his heart is mostly in the right place. Do you have any particular quirks when writing? Not really. I usually write after my son goes to bed. Kick back on the couch, prop my laptop on my legs and write while watching TV. What does your family think of your work? Most of my work isn’t exactly appropriate for my son. He’s only nine. But he has read one of the stories I put together for the children’s anthology IASD is putting together. My wife has enjoyed some of what I’ve written, but I don’t think she and I exactly share the same tastes in stories. Do you belong to any writing groups? The Indie Author Support & Discussion group on Facebook and the Sci-Fi and Fantasy group on Facebook. How do you deal with writers block? I’m currently working on three things at a time. After about 5k words in one, I switch over to the next. It doesn’t really give me much time to develop writer’s block. What would you say is the most difficult part of writing? It takes a huge amount of dedication and time. You have to scrape some time out of the day to write and still balance family, work, exercise, and all those other things that are part of day-to-day life. What do you enjoy the most about writing? It’s very much a chance to explore. I imagine everyone tells themselves stories about what they see and do. I get the opportunity to write those things down. Where do you find your inspiration? Drive around town sometime and look at the world. Really look at it. Wonder what that person skateboarding down the sidewalk carrying an armload of groceries is doing or what’s behind that building. I love to wander to through alleys and behind stores and see things that no one else bothers to look at. Some of those places wind up in stories, sometimes it’s just the general feel of a place that winds up in a story. Sometimes it’s dreams. One whole story in The Clock Man – The Protectors – came straight from a dream I had. Are your characters based on anyone you know? I try to avoid doing that. It’s too easy to offend someone. One character in Arise had the same name as a guy I worked with. I had to assure him – the guy, not the character – that I wasn’t basing anything on him as a person. The only character that was actively based on someone had a part in the Clock Man. I hope she enjoyed it. What do you do in your spare time to relax? I practice and teach Kenpo. It’s a kind of American, Japanese, Chinese blend martial art. Oddly enough, I also write to relax. What do you like to read? I enjoy sci-fi, urban fantasy, crime fiction, things like that. One of my favourite books (interesting – I had to spell favourite with the British spelling or Word thought it was spelled wrong even though I’m writing this in the US) is Heinlein’s Starship Troopers. For all its fluff and bluster about the military, it’s a surprisingly deep look at the idea of duty and dedication. Who is your favourite author? I’ve really enjoyed Clifford Stoll’s works. He blends Lovecraftian mythos with a modern-day intelligence organization. Where are your books available? Right now I’m exclusively on Amazon. I tried Smashwords, which redistributed everything to B&N, iTunes, and a handful of other places, but I never got much out of it. I pulled everything and stuck it all on Amazon so I could use KDP Select’s extra features. What are you working on right now? I’ve got the third book in the Henchmen series, the first in a slightly futuristic dystopian series, and the first of an ongoing set of shorter (15k-20k word) stories focusing on one of the characters in Henchmen. What is your ultimate goal? Keep enjoying what I do. It would be nice to make enough money to do it for a living, but that’s a ways off. Do you have a favourite film? And if so what is it? I know I’m supposed to come up with some obscure foreign film that was hailed as a philosophical masterpiece, but I’d have to say it’s a toss-up between Predator and John Woo’s The Killer. Predator is basically a modern-day retelling of Beowulf and the ballet of violence in The Killer is just too much fun to pass up. Here is how you can find Eric Lahti Twitter: @ericlahti1 Website: ericlahti.com Blog: ericlahti.wordpress.com FB Author Page: www.facebook.com/ericlahtiauthor Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Eric-Lahti I'd like to take this last moment to thank Eric once again for agreeing to an interview, and answering all the questions I sent him. I hope you will take the time to follow him on any of the links provided above, or, better yet, shoot on over to Amazon and pick up a copy or two of his books. You'll beat me, and I'll be jealous, but you won't be disappointed. So once again, thank you Eric Lahti.  I met Moctezuma Johnson (here-on known as MJ) on one of my many Twitter forays. I found him quite the character to be honest, and, more often than not, very amusing. He speaks exactly how he finds, being very open and forthright, and is not one to pull any of his punches. Nothing is taboo, he'll pretty much post anything that comes to mind, controversial or not, but he is highly entertaining and a one of a kind person, at least I haven't met anyone else quite like him.
MJ writes, what he tells me he and a friend came up with, smutpunk. I have to be honest and say I don't quite understand what it means, but I do know it is a kind of erotica, though maybe a little more hardcore. He has assured me he has kept the interview as clean as he could/would :) so, if you find you're not quite as open minded as you think, then you might not want to read further, but before you make that decision think to yourself "Do I really want to miss out on getting to know one really colourful person?". Me personally, well I just couldn't resist! Here is what Moctezuma Johnson had to say... Why did you decide you wanted to become a writer? I really like coffee and was sick of working at Starbucks. That’s partly true but there’s background. I worked at Starbucks during my final year at university. I had always been writing. I was lucky enough to score a job as a journalist in NYC, so I finally quit Starbucks and my other part-time job (and I swear to you I invented the Chai Latte but that’s a story for another day). How long have you been writing? I was a journalist straight out of college in the late 90s so a long time. I guess about 30 years. I’m still very much a novice. I’d say I’ll be okay in a few decades. Why did you pick the genre/s that you have? I have no idea what genre I belong in, if any at all. That’s why Callie Press and I have been calling it smutpunk. It’s kind of the illegitimate child between splatterpunk and cyberpunk. I’ve written many different kinds of things over the years, so it’s hard to say for sure. I just write and then try to market it, but no category has ever felt exactly right to me. Each category has been like trying to wear someone else’s underwear. Who is your favourite character, and why? I like Haroun from Haroun and the Sea of Stories. He’s so full of wonder. Wonder is good. Do you have any particular quirks when writing? Yes, I usually find I am rubbing myself in an unmentionable part unconsciously with one hand. Well, that’s not really a quirk since I do that most of the time. Just a normal male habit, I guess. I also find that I use words I don’t know and then look them up and find I have used them pretty well. I guess Chomsky is correct, our competence is higher than our performance, and writing is a bizarre performance that lets you tap your full competence. Brilliant, really. What does your family think of your work? Ha ha ha, I don’t think that question is to me. You must mean the author behind me. Rose, answer that please. Rose? How do you deal with writer's block? I just write my way into and out of it. I sit and start writing. Even if I’m only writing how to cook an egg over medium or what I’d like to be writing. Sometimes I’ll write about what I’d like a book to mean and then I’m off. What would you say is the most difficult part of writing? Weening myself off social media, which I find more and more laborious, inconvenient, and useless. Have you ever heard of the 80/20 rule? The conventional wisdom is to use 20% of your time to get 80% of your results but with social media I easily have wasted 80% of my time. Recently I’m using lots of bots, surrogates, and other ways to not really get roped in. It’s very time consuming and usually annoys me. What do you enjoy the most about writing? I enjoy being unshaven and dressed in my underwear. I enjoy that a lot. Even when I was running a bar that was often my attire. Most of all, I’d say I enjoy the coffee. I drink copious amounts of black coffee and espressos. I’ve quit drinking and need to have at least one vice. Where do you find your inspiration? Everywhere. I go for walks. I don’t go for walks like normal people. I go for slow, staring walks. I have the double whammy of being a writer and being Latino so I think nothing of staring people down. I don’t mean to be rude. It’s just my nature. I get a lot of information that way. I also ask people questions. I talk with everybody and her grandmother. Are your characters based on anyone you know? I realize you often write about extraterrestrials with universe-destroying powers, so I hope not. Yes. My wife. What do you do in your spare time to relax? I write. I work out. I make espresso. What do you like to read? I like comics and literature. I basically never read any genre writing although I’m enjoying it more and more since I’m reading other contemporary writers. I like Julio Cortazar and Italo Calvino a lot, especially Calvino as I get older. His plots are the best I’ve ever seen. I’m also a fan of many Latino writers, namely Borges. That said, whatever I’m reading at the moment is the best book ever in my opinion because reading is awesomely powerful. The other reason I like Calvino so much is that you could never make his books into a movie (at least not now with today’s limited technology). Where are your books available? You can get my books on my site moctezumajohnson.com or on Amazon under my name or “smutpunk”. Or you can join my mailing list and nab a freebie: http://bit.ly/FreeBookFromMJ What are you working on right now? I write many books at once. I guess, that’s another reason I don’t get writer’s block too often. I just move to another file. I work online so I can easily pop around. I normally have forty windows open. My computer hates me because I work it to the bone. Today I’m working on an alternative history, a memoir (the more I talk with other people the more I realize my actual life has been pretty thrilling), a how-to book about sex for men (and nosy women), various one wank wonders (yes, that’s the proper term), and smutpunk. What is your ultimate goal? I have absolutely no idea. Probably to be the politician who finally bans guns in the United States. Do you have a favourite film? And if so what is it? The Royal Tenenbaums (The Grand Budapest Hotel is a close second) but Royal is so similar to my father that I can’t resist this movie. Thank you, Sallyann for asking me these wonderful questions. It has been a pleasure chatting away with you. Here is where you can find Moctezuma Johnson Website: http://moctezumajohnson.com Twitter: @smutpunk_author Mailing List: http://bit.ly/FreeBookFromMJ I'd like to finish the my interview firstly by saying it was a pleasure MJ, I had a great deal of fun getting to know you and getting into your mind a little, and I'm sure a lot of my readers and followers will enjoy the insight as well. And, secondly, to all my readers and followers, if you enjoyed this interview with Moctezuma Johnson enough to read to the end then you may want to learn more about him by using one of the links he was kind enough to provide above. I'm sure he wouldn't mind answering any questions you might have, and you might just find that, like me, you enjoy his brash and intense humour intriguing. Once again, thank you MJ, for taking the time to answer my questions and being willing to take part in an interview.  I met Nico Laeser when we both embarked on the same charity project. We both wrote a short story for the You're Not Alone anthology, where all the proceeds go to the Macmillan Cancer Foundation. We are also both members of the IASD (Indie Author Support and Discussion) group where I've spoken to him a few times, and this was where I found out just how very much of a talented a man he is.
Not only does Nico write but he designs all his book covers as well, and let me tell you something, they are beautiful. Yes, this talented man is also an artist, as well as a whiz at formatting. And if that wasn't enough, he's also willing to lend a helping hand to anyone who needs it. Be it advice, a second opinion, or even offering to work on whatever you need. He really is one of the good guys! If I didn't like him so much I'd be tempted to shoot him for my jealousies! (Don't worry Nico, you're safe ;)). Here is what Nico Laeser had to say... Why did you decide you wanted to become a writer? I’ve always enjoyed reading, and have always dreamed in story format (beginning, middle, end, story arc, characters … etc) Becoming a writer seemed like a logical step, and hopefully I can do those dreamed stories justice. Story-telling is important, it is the way we communicate. As a species, we have passed down knowledge through stories and art—I think the need to tell stories is instinctive and inherent in all of us. In casual conversation, we embellish events from our lives—retelling, refining and emphasizing the parts that best convey the story or the parts that provoke the desired reaction—eventually those stories become anecdotal, partly, or mostly, fictional tales. We all have those stories we break out at parties—it seems a natural progression to take it a step further and to write fiction. Even in fiction, there are fine threads of truth holding the story together. What was the thing that drove you the most to do so? I have a backlog of stories in my mind. They never seem to go or fade, but only improve and expand. Once the stories are written down then I can forget them and make some much needed room in my mind. My mind could be featured on an episode of one of those ‘hoarding’ shows. I’m just performing a little mental spring cleaning. (Of course, this never works—I finish one and two spring up in its place. It’s like cutting off the head of a Hydra) How long have you been writing? I’ve always written, whether it was lyrics, poetry, short stories, novellas … but I made a decision to study the craft and to refine my writing only a few years ago. I began writing a novel around seven or eight years ago (maybe more) and procrastinated, stopped, started again … I decided to push through it—good or bad, I would finish it. I finished that novel, and that was a huge milestone. It was terrible, and needed to be completely rewritten several times, but each new draft taught me something new about the craft, and eventually it became a novel that I am still proud of—it was my greatest writing teacher. (… and it wasn’t the first novel I published) Why did you pick the genre/s that you have? I honestly don’t worry about genre. I read in a wide variety of genres and enjoy most. I write whichever story excites me the most, whether it is Science Fiction, or Literary, or Dark Comedy, is unimportant to the story. I’ve always disliked labels, and although I realize that genre is the best way to find an audience and to market the work, I find it hard to stay in any one box—boxes can suffocate a creative mind. Who is your favourite character, and why? In one of my current projects, several of the supporting characters have been screaming for their own book, and I have agreed to write it. They are comic-book store employees—role-playing, sweat-pants-wearing, mother’s basement-dwelling nerds, and they have asked me to write an Epic Fantasy with them as the band of heroes. Do you have any particular quirks when writing? Caffeine, ear plugs, dark glasses, and hood or hat—Sensory deprivation helps my focus. Do you belong to any writing groups? And if so what do you think are the pros and cons? I am a member of several online writer’s groups, and the benefit is massive—if for nothing more than sharing space with people who understand the highs and lows, the joys and difficulties of writing. No one knows the feeling of typing “The End” until they have done so. I’ve found many great authors through online writer’s groups too. (*Waves to all members of IASD ;-) How do you deal with writers block? If I don’t know what to write, I just write garbage until I figure out what I’m doing. It’s like cleaning out old pipes—turn on the tap and let it run until the water runs clear. What would you say is the most difficult part of writing? The next word What do you enjoy the most about writing? Art, music, and literature are the closest things that we have to real magic. The ability to create something entirely new and from almost nothing—a literary rabbit pulled out of an imaginary hat. It’s a great feeling to know that somethings exist in the world only because you made it. Where do you find your inspiration? My muse is nocturnal—it whispers to me while I’m sleeping. I wake up and jot down ideas, then go back to sleep. Stories often invade meditation too, but I just go with it—it’s like being at the movie theatre. My dreams are often lucid, so I have directorial credit. Are your characters based on anyone you know? Not specifically, although a few have adopted behaviours, quirks, and traits of people I have known. Subconsciously, I think we (writers) all draw from personal experience, and our characters are often based on facets of, or proposed deficits of, our own personality—What would I do in this situation if I had no fear, no remorse, an overactive sense of dread, or if I had the ability to set people on fire with the click of my fingers … etc. What do you do in your spare time to relax? Tell me more about this thing you call “Spare time.” I like to paint, write & play music. You can see my artwork and listen to my musical ramblings on my website: Where are your books available? I can be found in a few different places, but Amazon is my primary distributer. Here are my universal links: http://Author.to/NicoLaeser http://mybook.to/SkinCage http://mybook.to/infinity http://mybook.to/Harmonic1 What are you working on right now? I’ve just finished the first draft of a novel titled, “Enablers Anonymous,” which is a dark comedy about a man with questionable morals, and I’m currently working on *four separate novels. *One is the follow-up to Harmonic: Resonance, titled, “Harmonic: Dissonance,” which will answer the question I get most often about a certain male character from the first book. *I’m also working on a literary novel, “Snap,” which is a tragic drama set in an American high school in the 80s. * … “Vicarious” is a science-fiction/cyber thriller about a mediocre writer with some amazing technological toys. * … “Surrogate” is a science-fiction/dystopian novel about a diseased boy/man in a special suit. What is your ultimate goal? I’d like to leave behind a body of work that is honest and worthwhile—a back catalogue that my children and their children can be proud of. Hopefully they can make a little pocket money from the royalties. To be honest, I don’t expect to make a phenomenal amount of money from writing, but it is something that I have to do to—I’m like a bottle of soda, constantly being shaken around, I need to slowly pour it out or eventually I’ll go flat … or explode. I hope to build a catalogue before gaining any substantial recognition, so that my work remains honest and doesn’t fall victim of the need to please. (It’s as good a reason as any to keep me happy in the shadows) Here is how you can find Nico Laeser Twitter: @nicolaeser Facebook: www.facebook.com/Nico-Laeser Website: NicoLaeser.com I'd like to take this last moment to thank Nico for being willing to be interviewed, and for taking the time out of what I know to be a busy schedule to get back to me. And, though I'd like to lock him in a cage so I would have my own Mr Fixit when it comes to covers and everything else, I hope you will join me in wishing him all the very best for the future in whatever he decides to make of it. It's just as well I know Nico has a sense of humour, and I know he will take my comments in the light hearted manner they are meant, though he may tease me about it later :). I'll leave you here with a little bit of advice from me to you. Pop on over to Amazon and pick up a copy of one of Nico's book, I'd bet my bottom dollar you'd go back for more, and don't forget to check out his seriously outstanding artwork on his website, along with following him on his Twitter and Facebook accounts. Once again Nico Laeser, thank you. |
Author
I am a wife, mother, and grandmother, and I live in Wales in the U.K. Sallyann Phillips is an IASD member.
Check out their website for a wonderful choice of Indie authors for you to chose from.
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