 I met D. Allen Rutherford on Twitter many moons ago and just recently started chatting, though we have supported each other with retweeting, as is the way with all good Indie authors, and have found out that, though we are separated by the big pond, Dale has ancestors from all the way over on my side of it.
During one of our chats I asked if he would be interested in doing an interview with me, and I have to say I was honoured that he agreed. Dale is a former army officer and a retired international technology consultant with a B.S. and Master's degree, who eventually settled down in central Arkansas. He combines his interest in science with his love of writing, and attempts to create science fiction novels that blur the line between modern science and science fiction, leaving the reader wondering if what Dale dreams up could ever be, or already be, possible. Here is what D. Allen Rutherford had to say... Why did you decide you wanted to become a writer? As far back as I can remember, I’ve always had an interest in reading/writing. But, if I had to pick a defining moment that prompted me to venture into writing fiction, it would have to be when I was watching some werewolf, science fiction, movie and my daughter overhead me criticizing the film… “Oh that BS.” (I’m a very analytical person). Finally, my daughter issued a challenge, “Dad, if you don’t like the way they tell the story, write your own.” I’m sure she meant it as a rhetorical rebuff, but I took it literal. And, so I decided, then and there, that I was going to write a fiction novel. What was the thing that drove you the most to do so? I love science fiction, fantasy, and thriller books/movies. The best ones (at least for me), are the stories that ground you in the real world, then find a plausible way to transition you into that realm of fiction, fantasy, or some thrilling scenario. I find it extremely distracting when you’re handed a scene that’s totally absurd or irrational, destroying the continuity from where I am and the pathway that transports me into that imaginative world. Therefore, I set out to write fictional stories that would do just that. How long have you been writing? I’ve been writing non-fiction, for decades. The needs of my professional career required me to write extensive research/analytical reports. After returning to college to work on my Master Degree (late 1990s), and subsequently when serving as an adjunct professor, I was encouraged to write research papers for presentation/publication at conferences and in professional journals. I seriously started writing fiction for publication in late 2014. In the last year and half I’ve written and published three full-length novels. Why did you pick the genre/s that you have? In addition to being very analytical, I love science and history. The cynic in me, tends to hone in on controversial topics in history and science, which I research extensively, seeking the truth behind the veil of misinformation and half-truths. I tend to zero in on controversial topics in science. One of my favourite sci-fi movies is Jurassic Park. There is a scene in the movie where the characters are having lunch after a brief tour of the lab. I found some of Dr. Ian Malcolm’s comments simple but profound. Such as; “…the lack of humility before nature that's being displayed here, uh... staggers me.” Then he cautions; “Don't you see the danger, John, inherent in what you're doing here? Genetic power is the most awesome force the planet's ever seen, but you wield it like a kid that's found his dad's gun.” And, my favourite; “…your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could that they didn't stop to think if they should.” Who is your favourite character, and why? Not sure I have a favourite character either in my own stories or others. However, one of my favourite characters that I quote from frequently is Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) in the Jurassic Park movie series. He was an intelligent, rational sceptic, who could see beyond the naïve optimism of others around him. Do you have any particular quirks when writing? I would probably say that my whole writing process is a bit quirky. I read various books/articles on “how-to” plan, organize, and write a story/novel. However, no matter which approach I tried to adopt, I found myself getting bogged down, and my creative side would shut down. Subsequently, I reverted back to the methodology I used when I wrote research papers. I would sketch an outline of how I see the story unfolding with bullet points for key events/points of the story. Then I sit down and start writing – I zone out, and let the story flow as if I’m watching it play-out in a movie. I visualize the scene, surroundings, smells, sounds, emotions, etc. I hear the dialog and see the characters’ expressions and body language. All the while, I just let my fingers type out what I see, hear, smell, taste, and feel as the scene unfolds in my mind’s eye. I don’t stop to think about what I’m writing nor do I try to edit while I’m writing. I just let the story flow. After I have the story down on paper, then I go back and start editing it. While I’m writing, I keep a journal that I note down character names, their background, and descriptions. When I do research for the background or technical elements of the story, I write it in the journal (or print it out and cut/paste it in the journal). When I want to portray a particular character or location, I do google search for images that fit what I want to portray. Then I print it out and put it in the journal. When I write anything to do with the character or location I look at the pictures to generate a mental image of how I will describe the scene. What does your family think of your work? I guess this is always an interesting question with varied responses. But, my family have always seen me as an analytical and detailed oriented person focusing on facts. They’ve seen my non-fiction writing published in international magazines, journals, and conference proceedings. But, when I made it known that I was going to write a fiction novel, the response was, “oh yeah, yeah.” They just couldn’t picture me as a fiction writer. Then, when I finished the first manuscript of 400+ pages (120,000+ words), they began to take me a bit more serious. Then, when the first book was published and catalogued through Lulu, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Books-A-Million, etc., they were like “Wow! Holy Crap, he did it!” Now, they are all offering ideas for the next novel, or bugging me about what/when I’m going to write about next. Do you belong to any writing groups? And if so what do you think are the pros and cons? I tried getting involved with writing groups, but for me personally, I didn’t gain much from the experience. I have a close friend who is a writer and he feels that his involvement in a writing group has helped him. In my humble opinion, I feel it is vitally important that the would-be writer have realistic expectations of what it is they hope to gain from a writing group. Most people are overly protective of their writing, and sensitive to criticism from others regarding their writing. Although they would profess that they want to improve their writing, or gain honest reviews of some manuscript they have written. In reality, most want affirmation that what they have written is good or some level of recognition (even if it is false or misguided). Fundamentally, writing groups should be oriented around honest, constructive criticism of one another’s work. The whole idea is to improve your craft and strengthen your writing to appeal to those who you hope will buy it and read it. Therefore, I think it boils down to two things; first, formulating realistic expectations of what you hope to gain from being involved with a writing group, and secondly, finding a group that you feel comfortable baring your soul to. I just haven’t found that group yet. How do you deal with writer’s block? I can honestly say, I’ve never experienced writer’s block. As I mentioned above, I have a process that I follow that is oriented around visualizing the story in my head and letting my fingers type it out. I also recognize that I’m a morning person and that’s when I can get in the zone and let the story will flow. If I’m interrupted for any reason, (outside work, chores, cooking, eating, grandkids, etc.) I find it hard to sit back down and dial back in. Therefore, I tend to break my day into tasks zones. Early morning, from 5am until interrupted, I sit down to write. Mid-day, I do domestic stuff. In the late afternoon, I focus on maintenance of my social media, dealing with editors, cover designs, and so forth. Then, in the evening, I read novels written by other authors and post ratings/reviews of their work. Regardless, I never try to force myself to sit down and write just because I think I need to grind out so many words per day. Some days I can get in the zone and write most of the day, creatively generating 20,000+ words. Other days, it may be less than 1,000 words. From talking to other authors and would-be writers, I think most people who experience writers’ block do so when they are overly focused on trying to ‘get it right’ the first time. Or they are overly concerned with the grammar or technical aspects of their writing. My approach is to get the story on paper, then let the red-pen-ninja clean it up. It normally takes me about six to eight weeks to draft a 120,000+ word manuscript. But, then I will spend three to four months doing story and line editing. What would you say is the most difficult part of writing? Having spent decades writing non-fiction research and analytical type reports has imparted certain habits that’s hard for me to overcome. Thus, I tend to struggle with two aspects of my writing. First, I have to force myself to “Back away.” What I mean is, I have a tendency toward getting to detailed in the description of scenes, explaining technical or scientific elements of the story, etc., leaving nothing to the imagination or for interpretation. One of the best pieces of advice I received from a very successful, best-selling author was, to trust the reader’s imagination to fill in the details. He told me to concentrate on setting the stage with references to things people can identify with, then back away from the details and let the readers’ imagination do the rest. Imaginative interpretation is your friend and ally when writing good fiction. The second thing I struggle with is, “Let go of it.” Similar to the first issue, I tend to edit, re-edit, change this, change that. While some change is necessary and objective revision is good. There comes a point you begin walking in a circle, reluctant to let go of the manuscript, for fear that you missed something or there is an undiscovered error hidden somewhere in the text. Realize, you will rarely ever get it perfect. I had another very successful author tell me once, that with one of his books, the publisher had two independent editors screen the manuscript, then an in-house QA screen, and then two separate reviewers read the final manuscript before it went to press. Even after all of that, they ultimately found several typos and errors/omissions within the first published edition. May daughter (who is an English Lit scholar) told me, “Dad, just let it go. The more you keep editing it, trying to get it perfect, the more it sounds like a graduate thesis. This is fiction, just let it go.” What do you enjoy the most about writing? I love pulling back the veil of misinformation, half-truths, to get to the truth. For most people, the effort to peal the layers of the onion to get at the truth is beyond them. I enjoy not only getting at the truth, but structuring it in a story that is not only interesting, but eye-opening. In the Wargs Trilogy, I spend months researching the science behind transgenics and uncovering some of the current research being performed to create human-animal hybrids. Then it was a what-if situation to take the current research out of the lab and put it into a real-to-life story. Where do you find your inspiration? I have always had an inquisitive nature that feeds my imagination. In the case of the Wargs Trilogy, by chance I happened to come across a report related to transgenic human-animal hybrid research. This happened right after I had been watching a particularly interesting werewolf movie. My inquisitive nature fuelled a desire to research the concept of transgenesis to find out if it was remotely possible to genetically engineer a human-wolf hybrid and if it was possible for a person to experience a metamorphosis from one physical form to another intriguing. Much to my surprise, there was a scientific basis for both to occur under the right conditions. The research also uncovered a program sponsored by the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency, to create transgenic super-soldiers. Also, I found another report from Swedish scientist that heralded that humans have acquired DNA from canines (and vis versa), over the course of thousands of years, resulting in natural, cross-species, transgenic mutations, caused by retroviruses. As I read though the research, the storyline for the Wargs Trilogy began to formulate in my head. Are your characters based on anyone you know? No, not anyone in particular. I have travelled extensively around the world and I’ve been fortunate to have met many interesting people from many walks of life. I tend to draw upon my recollections of some of these personalities. What do you do in your spare time to relax? I enjoy fly fishing, fly tying, and spending time with the grandkids. What do you like to read? I like to read science fiction, fantasy, and thrillers. Who is your favourite author? I’m not sure I have a single favourite author. On one hand I try to read books/novels from newly published authors as well as authors I’m familiar with. However, there are times when I tend to gravitate toward certain authors whose novels I really enjoy reading. A few of these authors are; C.M. Gray, Tracy Falbe, Dean Koontz, George R.R. Martin, Sallyann Phillips, Jim Melvin, Kathryn McMaster, Kim Mcgath. I could go on and on, but these are some that come to mind. Where are your books available? My books are published by Lulu Publishing Services and with a worldwide distribution in paperback, epub, and audio editions, through: Lulu, Amazon/Kindle, iBooks, B&N/Nook, Kobo, Books-A-Million, Audible, and most independent book sellers. What are you working on right now? I just finished Wargs: Outcast, book three in the Wargs Trilogy, scheduled for release in early May 2016. My next novel will be a political thriller, which I expect to release in early 2017. What is your ultimate goal? My primary goal is to continue developing my writing and write stories that attracts a large reader following. I hope to publish at least one novel a year and achieve enough success as a writer to allow me to write fulltime, travel, and meet the fans of my novels in as many countries around the world as I can. My ultimate goal would be to have the popularity of one or more of my novels to make them worthy of production into a television series or a movie. Do you have a favourite film? And if so what is it? Not sure a have a single favourite film. There are so many good films out there. However, when I taught science in school, I used Jurassic Park as an introduction to life science and genetics. The science behind the movie was well presented in such a way that you could believe what was presented in the story could actually happen. Here is how you can find D. Allen Rutherford Website: http://www.dallenrutherford.com/ Blog: http://dallenrutherford.blogspot.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/D.Allen.Rutherford/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Author_D_Allen I would like to take this last moment to thank Dale for being a good sport and agreeing to my interview. It has been fun, and enlightening glimpse into the workings of his mind and the process behind his work. I hope you decide to pick up a copy of one of his books from Amazon, or anywhere else they are available, and if you do, I'm sure you'll be picking up the second and waiting for the third. Once again, thank you D. Allen Rutherford.
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 When I first met Ashlee Shades she was using her real name, which I won't go into here, but she decided to write under a pen name instead. We originally met on Twitter, two authors who just happened to speak one day becoming fast friends. Even from the beginning we seemed to think the same way, finishing each other's thoughts, bouncing ideas off each other, word playing games, or laughing over the same thing that not quite everyone else would get, yet the fact that we did made it all the more hilarious to us. Often we joke about being sisters from another mister and we hope to be able to meet one day, and boy the world had better look out then, or at least out hubbies anyway :).
Ashlee says she is a small town girl living in the city, and she's living her dream of being a writer. When she's not writing she's reading, or you'll find her hanging out on social media shooting the breeze with other authors and chatting to her readers. Her books are Erotic Romance and she hopes to take her readers on a sensually erotic journey as they read her work. I've read some of Ashlee's books, and I can tell you they really are a steamy read, and who wouldn't like to escape into a romance novel that has a taste of erotica thrown in ;). Here is what Ashlee Shades had to say... Why did you decide you wanted to become a writer? I don’t think there was a time I became a writer. For me, it was always something that I had done, so in my thinking I have always been a writer. Whether it is poetry, short stories, or novellas/novels – I have always loved telling stories, and sharing my thoughts and ideas. I didn’t publish until 2014, so I have only been a published author for two years. What was the thing that drove you the most to do so? The one thing (I should say person) would be my husband. He knew I loved reading/writing so much and one day told me that I should try it and see how it goes, so I did. That night I wrote 4,000 words in my first novel. How long have you been writing? I have been writing for as long as I can remember. I have been telling stories since I learned how to speak, and as soon as I learned how to write, I started putting them down on paper. When I was in the 4th grade (9 years old) I wrote a crazy story that was put in our local paper. It was a fiction story about a family who bought a car with square wheels. I still laugh when I think of it. In 8th grade (13 years old) I wrote an essay on racism and how I felt it impacted my generation. That essay was sent in to the local newspaper by my English teacher, and I won an award for that. Why did you pick the genre/s that you have? I picked erotic romance because it allows me more freedom and control over romantic lives. I enjoy reading in the genre, and when I am writing a story, it doesn’t have to make sense, it just has to entertain, allow the reader to escape. I can use my imagination in so many ways, and I can create the happy-endings that don’t always happen in real life. I also write in erotica because, well let’s face it, it is fun! It is hot. It can offer up ideas to heat up an intimate encounter. Who is your favourite character, and why? Oh goodness, this is a hard one. I have written so many different characters, so it is a little difficult to choose a favourite one. However, if I have to choose one, I would say Samantha. She is independent, outgoing, yet a bit vulnerable, as readers will read about in book 3. She is someone I wish I could be more like. Do you have any particular quirks when writing? I don’t think I have any particular quirks, so to speak. I will say I have a habit of starting a book just because an idea comes to mind, and often times I will move on to another book when a new idea comes to mind. I was writing a Vampire romance when the idea for Blind Sensations came to me. I always have 3-5 books going at once. At the moment, I have three unfinished books that are waiting for their turn to be completed. I will also say that of all the books I have written, only one has been outlined. What does your family think of your work? My family, while they haven’t read my work (except my husband), are very supportive of my work. I couldn’t ask for a more encouraging and supportive family than the one I have. Do you belong to any writing groups? And if so what do you think are the pros and cons? I do! I belong to The Wicked Pen Writers featured on mrblackthorne.com. What an amazing group of people. Each person in that group is so unimaginably creative, amazingly talented...and not just in writing either. They all have qualities and talents that go beyond the stories they write. I think the pros of belonging to the group would be the support, the encouragement, the invaluable knowledge that is shared among those within the group. I have learned so much, and have grown a great deal as a writer, from being in the group. On to some cons. Well, I would say that, as with any group or even family, the differences of opinion can cause a bit of turmoil. It doesn’t help that we all only know one another via the internet/social media, so it is sometimes difficult to gauge the tone of a comment, or reaction, by reading a few lines that are written. How do you deal with writers block? My way of dealing with writer’s block would be to move on to another story. I have no idea how I want to write the final book in the Submission series, so I moved on to another series of novellas until the idea for it comes to me. What would you say is the most difficult part of writing? For me there are a few things. One would be getting started. Writing the opening line, the opening scene, or the opening paragraph in a way that will captivate the attention of the reader enough to get them hooked and wanting to read more. The other thing would be the editing. Cleaning it up, eliminating the unnecessary verbiage, adding the quality words – the things that make a book something that the reader is glad they have read it. While this is a favourite thing, it is also a difficult one, and that is sharing my thoughts. Putting my ideas out there into the world, and opening them up for criticism - that makes publishing my work difficult for me. What do you enjoy the most about writing? I enjoy telling the stories, sharing my crazy thoughts and ideas. My ultimate favourite thing about writing is hearing from people who have read my work and loved it, or when they share their ideas/suggestions. I really enjoy that part of writing. It encourages me to continue. Where do you find your inspiration? I find my inspirations in many areas. Photography and music are two of the things that inspire me the absolute most. I have actually written a couple of short stories based on songs I heard. They are a couple of my favourite short stories too. Are your characters based on anyone you know? Yes! I have one book in which the characters are loosely based on myself, and my husband. I cannot tell which book though, because that would give something away. Other characters are not necessarily based on people, but rather personal experiences and/or situations. I wrote a couple of books, two of which are not yet republished under Ashlee Shades, in which the situation of a character or two is based on something that I went through. What do you do in your spare time to relax? In my spare time I am either spending time with my husband and two boys, reading (which I do a LOT), or listening to music. I love music! What do you like to read? I love reading Historical Romance, or fact books. I have one book titled, ‘2201 Fascinating Facts’. I love that book! Who is your favourite author? I cannot say that I have just one favourite author since I have read so many. There are a considerable amount of wonderful writers out there, and some with incredibly inspiring stories. Where are your books available? My books are available at Amazon, and are in Kindle Unlimited. (amazon.com/author/ashleeshades) What are you working on right now? Right now, I am working on a novella that will have a bit of a twist at the end. It should be released in April, since it will take about a week to write it. Then I will begin work on book 3 of the Submission series. What is your ultimate goal? My ultimate goal is to become rich and famous and have the world fall at my feet and adore me! LOL! Okay, in all honesty, my goal is just to continue to share my stories with the world. And to encourage others to follow their dreams, whatever they may be. Do you have a favourite film? And if so what is it? Well, I have a few films that I could watch over, and over again without getting bored. ‘Carousel’, ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’, and ‘The Sound of Music’ I also love ‘The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly’ with Clint Eastwood. And now you can all stop laughing at me. Here is where you can find Ashlee Shades Website: www.ashleeshades.wix.com/author Twitter: @aslee_shades I'd like to take this last moment to, once again, thank Ashlee Shades for taking part in an interview with me, and to remind you that her books are available on Amazon right now, just waiting for you to stop on by and pick up a copy or two. You won't be disappointed I promise you, and they might just heat up your love life a little ;). So once again, my sister from another mister, thank you!  I met Regan O'Leary through friends of friends on Twitter. It was a little bit of a roundabout way to meet a new friend and author, but I have to say I'm happy I did. I enjoy her up-front attitude, and say what you please ways, it means you always know where you stand, which is mostly holding your stomach laughing.
Regan is outgoing, chatty, and always willing to help with anything she knows more about than you do, which means she's quite a font of information to me :). Born and raised in Baton Rouge Regan spent a great deal of her childhood along the Louisianna Gulf coast, where she now resides with her husband and three children. Her hobbies include reading, fishing, and travelling whenever she can, be it at home or abroad. Here is what Regan O'Leary had to say... Why did you decide you wanted to become a writer? Everyone has a story to tell. Some tell their tales through music, art, and theatre. Since I can't sing or dance, writing is my best option. What was the thing that drove you the most to do so? The death of my brother. He always encouraged me in every aspect of my life. Before his death, Mark and I were in the midst of a particularly painful real life crisis that utterly consumed every waking moment of our lives. As with most disasters, we cleaned up the mess and moved forward. I remember him telling me on several occasions: "You should write a book. Nobody can make this shit up!" I was devastated when he passed. My daughter encouraged me to begin writing - an outlet for my grief. She said, "Do it for Uncle Mark." Although Closer To Home is a fictional tale, it gave me the stage to create some truly dynamic characters who are forced to deal with the atrocities that occur in our lives every day. Why did you pick the genre/s that you have? I love to read mysteries and thrillers. I chose to write a psychological suspense thriller series because the human brain is an amazing organ. Its capacity to process data and emotion while sustaining horrible injury is phenomenal. I want readers to examine their own moral ambiguity and pathological thresholds. I want them to enter the realm where right and wrong, good and evil are blurred and intermingled. Who is your favourite character, and why? Hands down - Bane Shaw! I adore Shaw! He epitomizes self-confidence, loyalty, love, and pride. He makes arrogance work! He is fearless, complicated, and very sexy! Do you have any particular quirks in your writing? I guess you would call them quirks. I have a lot of hidden meanings and clues I drop into my stories. Numerical combinations, for example, have significant meanings. I also play around with dual and even triple meanings for the titles of my novels that are found within the plotline. Do you belong to any writing groups? And if so what do you think are the pros and cons? I belong to a couple of writing groups. The biggest pro is the camaraderie and support from the other authors. We share ideas, tools, tips and even woes. One group in particular consists of authors of every age and genre. It's interesting to be part of such a diverse group of people who share a common ambition. The only con - spending too much time with my author buddies instead of working on my own material. How do you deal with writers block? I am thankful that I don't struggle with writer's block. When I hit a creative snag, I put aside the work and move on to an entirely different piece of writing. I always have several writing projects going simultaneously so I spend time with something else until the vision comes back into focus. What would you say is the most difficult part of writing? Time! Finding time to write. I am fortunate enough to fill my days and nights writing, but still, there doesn't seem to be enough hours in a day. What do you enjoy the most about writing? I think I enjoy the escape from the day-to-day monotony. I love being able to spin a story I hope my readers will enjoy. And, I truly enjoy creating vibrant characters that I inevitably fall in love with. Where do you find your inspiration? Real life. I'm convinced people are crazy! Sometimes I look around and I think: 'did that really happen?' or 'did she really say that?'. No matter how creative a writer one is, life shows you things you just can't make up! Are your characters based on anyone you know? I have elemental personality traits in all of my characters, well, all except for Shaw - he is purely unique! For instance, Marsh Ellis, a main character in Closer To Home. Marsh is based on a friend from high school who grew up in poverty, my brother for his intelligence, and Terry Kath (former guitarist of the band Chicago) for his musical ability. What do you do in your spare time to relax? I read every chance I get. I also enjoy gardening, fishing, cooking, and I love to travel. Who is your favourite author? There are so many authors I enjoy reading, but my favourite author is James Lee Burke. I have a collection of signed, first additions of his entire Dave Robicheaux series. Jim is a brilliant mystery writer who never fails to take me on the most amazing journeys. Where are your books available? Amazon What are you working on right now? What One Leave Behind is being polished and edited for release this summer. I am finishing the third novel in the Bane Shaw series that I hope to release by Christmas. I am also writing a non-fiction food travel guide for Baton Rouge, and I am researching my next series. The new novel is also a psychological thriller that will be set in Texas. If I do my job well, I will not only challenge readers to explore their notion of animal cruelty, but also take some mean-spirited shots at some real life bad guys! What is your ultimate goal? For years I have said: I have at least three good books in me, yearning to be written. I will have met that goal when I publish the third Bane Shaw novel. Beyond that, it's all lagniappe! I do hope I continue to find projects that bring attention to real-life issues through my fictional storytelling. Do you have a favourite film? And if so what is it? Like books and music, I love movies! I could pop off ten films that could easily qualify as my favourite. But, I'll stick to the southern cliché and say, Margaret Mitchell's Gone With The Wind. There has never been another film that adequately illustrated a bygone way of life. Website: ReganOLeary.com Email: [email protected] Twitter: @Regan_OLeary Facebook Fan Page: www.facebook.com/R-OLearys-Bane-Shaw I'd like to take this last moment to say thank you to Regan O'Learly for agreeing to interview with me. I hope you enjoyed getting to know her as much as I did, and I do hope you'll pop on over to her Amazon page and pick up a copy of her book in preparation for what's to come. Again, thank you Regan, it was a pleasure. |
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I am a wife, mother, and grandmother, and I live in Wales in the U.K. Sallyann Phillips is an IASD member.
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