 Ian D. Moore is a very talented Indie author. His book Salby Damned is a must read, especially with Halloween coming just around the corner. His take on how zombies (that he calls a very catchy Deadheads) come about is very unique, and quite plausible. I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed Salby Damned, and just can't wait to see what happens to Nathan (a really great book boyfriend), and Evie, in the sequel he is currently writing. Ian also pulled together a multitude of international Indie authors together to write an anthology of short stories in aid of MacMillan Cancer Support in 2015, and is working towards a second for 2016, both of which I have had the honour to be involved in. His grief propelled drive has been a truly inspirational thing to be a part of, and Ian has shown us all just what you are capable of if you have the right convictions, as well as the support of other like minded people. Ian is someone that anyone would be proud to call frieind. This is what Ian had to say... Why did you decide you wanted to become a writer? The simple answer is that I didn’t decide to become a writer, writing found me. It is something I have always enjoyed, right back to my school days in English language and literature, a fascination with words even then. I think a lot of writing is connected to star signs too. That may sound a little odd but I’ve noticed that very deep people, those with active imaginations, tend to have the same star signs. There is something quite magical about connecting with someone on the same level, being able to chat freely about what others consider to be geeky subjects and those subjects fascinate people like me, and I dare say, you. What was the thing that drove you the most to do so? It was my younger sister that pushed me into writing my first novel, Salby Damned. That came about while I was trucking one day. Endless miles on endless roads does allow a certain freedom to think. At the time, shale gas fracking was hitting the headlines – I took it a couple of stages further is all. I had written poetry mostly, in remembrance of those loved and lost, along with a few short stories that will never see the light of day again. At the time, I only had my mobile phone to work with, so I began to post paragraphs to Facebook of my book, then chapters and so on in real time as I sat typing away in my truck while on breaks. The story gained an initial family following and eventually expanded into the fully fledged, though very rough, novel that it is today. After much tweaking, editing and a tonne of advice from seasoned writers, I can now say that I’m extremely proud of it and it has exceeded my expectations. Not only that, it has lead to many rewarding things, true friends, like-minded people, endearing souls that make me no longer feel geeky or ‘odd’ because I choose to write. Why did you pick the genre/s that you have? As a boy, I loved Indiana Jones. The whole character, the action scenes and the weird and wonderful creatures he came up against fired my imagination. I tend to write pretty dark stuff at the best of times, but usually with a glimmering light to the end. I remember a TV program called Tales of the Unexpected, it has stuck with me to my mid-forties. The tales would often be scary but would also have that twist that I just had to stay up to see – those are how stories are meant to be, to capture their audience. I aspire to write such stories now. Who is your favourite character, and why? I had a couple of favourite characters in Salby Damned but the one who shone out for me was Colin Snape. I took great pleasure in creating him to be the most loathsome, self-important, slimy, lecherous parasite that I could invent to match the feeling of the scenes. Of course, I enjoyed writing the parts of Tom and Holly too – my step-children at the time, although much older. I took their characters back ten plus years and created them in my mind as to how I thought they might have been then. I still smile about Holly... even now. Do you have any particular quirks when writing? Unlike many writers, I don’t tend to follow ‘the rules’ as such. When I sit down to write, it’s a little like opening the flood gates – everything pours out. In my time with my writing peers, I have had to learn how to construct sentences, use the punctuation that I had mostly forgotten about in everyday life. It’s a hard lesson to admit being so rusty. I have to say though, that I owe a lot to a great many who continue to give me their advice and support, even to this day. Every writer has what is called an Achilles Heel in their style, I just happen to have more than one, probably more than two, but with my friends around me to offer guidance and opinions, I am still confident of writing engaging tales. What does your family think of your work? My sister is immensely proud of my achievements thus far, and I know that my mother is too, though it is not necessarily in her nature to acknowledge that. My father, were he still alive, would have been the one who really made his feeling known. It is partly his memory that inspires me to write for charity as I do now. His depth of character gave me my own, his way of thinking I have inherited and he would have made such a good writer himself. Thanks dad, I love and miss you still xx How do you deal with writers block? Oh, writers block… the chance would be a fine thing. I have learned that there is a time for writing, you have to be in the mood or it just won’t happen. If I’m not in the ‘zone’ I don’t try because I know that if I do I’ll only delete what I wrote when I look back at it. Down time is the key, spend time with a loved one, go for dinner, write a poem or an unconnected short story. Go for a drive and take in the scenery or do a bit of people watching. Some of my best lines come from those pastimes, but don’t think about it too hard. What would you say is the most difficult part of writing? Pleasing yourself has to be the hardest part, second only to editing, urrrghhh! That has to be the bane of every writer’s life. Heart wrenching when you know you have to delete or restructure your work that has already taken you weeks/months, sometimes years to get to that point. I push myself harder and faster the more I learn in an attempt to write better, higher quality stories, be it short stories or full books. Any serious writer will know exactly what I mean by that. It’s personal, my characters are my babies; the story is the womb until they are unleashed into the world to be born in the public eye. Are your characters based on anyone you know? In Salby Damned, several of the characters were based upon people I know or indeed, knew. Nathan is a much more perfect version of me, if still flawed. Evie was based upon a mixture of my then partner with a dash of personal quirkiness that I had seen in a character on TV. The children, Tom and Holly, were my interpretation of younger versions of themselves. Major Sower was based upon Captain Sower, my old army CO. The O.C. Lt.Col. Richard Connell was purely made up, as was Cpl. Jane Simms. Colin Snape was based upon an old school friend I used to know, his whole body language was taken from that friend. I just added the weasel-like persona. The kids mother was again fragments of my then partner with adaptations of my own creation, including her disability – which fitted in quite well and added yet another unexpected twist to the tale. It will prove to be a good point for the sequel too, but more on that at a later date. What do you do in your spare time to relax? I try, as much as any writer can, to turn off my mind. Time with the kids is always priceless and as an absent parent it isn’t as easy as many might think. I have lost so much of their lives so I make every effort to get as much time with them as I can. I have a passion for music and indeed, singing too. It has been known for me to get up on stage in front of a crowd full of strangers and belt out the odd country song or two, though I have very eclectic taste in music, to say the least. I like live concerts too; the music is so evocative and carries me away for just a few short hours. When the time comes again, close time with the woman I love, in that time, I can just be me and know that I am loved none the less. What do you like to read? I tend to be captivated by a lot of different books, sometimes even song lyrics, odd as that may sound. I have an ever expanding genre base of written word from an ever increasing array of new and established writers. Since first publishing my book, a whole new, exciting and seemingly bottomless world has opened up to me. It is a world that I have been only too happy to swan-dive into and make a few ripples. I guess, writing has given me a direction I would otherwise have overlooked and I feel very privileged to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with some serious writing talent. I never would have believed it had someone shown me myself today, ten years ago. I am drawn to stories that have depth, I could drop some serious names here, but I’ll save that for later, hehehe. Who is your favourite author? This is question with a very open end, I cannot possibly pinpoint one author from the thousands I have read. I find a new ‘favourite’ almost with every new novel I read. It is an ongoing thing for me to expand my reading horizons, to take not only a good story from the books I read, but also subliminal guidance from the writer’s style and voice within that book. Where do you get your inspiration from? Life, and a love of being able to invoke a wide range of emotions in other people, simply by the effective use of words. Where are your books available? You can find Salby Damned on Amazon worldwide in paperback and on Kindle. You’ll also find our charity anthology You’re Not Alone. What are you working on right now? At present, I have a couple of works in progress. A sequel to Salby Damned and another slightly off genre book that I have started but have yet to research and follow up on. I’m also putting together the 2016 Macmillan anthology collection with a further thirty-nine writers from around the world. Busy, busy!! I’m also experimenting with a children’s bedtime story book which is still in progress. Thank you for the interview and for the detailed questions. As a writer, I would like to thank the readers who have put their faith in my work enough to buy it so far, long may that continue. Your support is priceless. Where to find Ian D. Moore Amazon: Ian D. Moore Twitter: @ianstories Facebook: Ian D. Moore I'd like to take a momoent to thank Ian for his time and answering my questions. It's a priveledge and an honour to know such a kind hearted and talented man, and I wish him all the best in his future endeavours. Why not join me in folloing Ian D. Moore, and pop into Amazon and pick up one of his books, you won't be disappointed. And finally, for those of you interested in doing your bit for charity, why not pick up a copy of You're Not Alone? Not only would it make a fabulous Christmas present for any family member who's an avid reader, 100% of the royalties (Yes I did say 100%) will go to the Pamela Winton Tribute Fund in aid of MacMillan Cancer suppport. There's no better way to show them your support in return, so just click on the link below and go pick up a couple of copies ;). 
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 K.J Simmill is the very talented author of Darrienia (The Forgotten Legacies series, book 1), and is donating 10% author royalties to the UHNM charity for the neonatal department (NICU).
She has also released an accompaniment book called Herbal Lore that covers a wide range of herbs and their uses in both medicinal and magical practices, including sections detailing extraction and application. It also provides comprehensive step-by-step instructions on making a wide range of items encompassing creams, herbal bags, incense, salves, tinctures, and poultices. Presented in an easy to understand format, with an added definition of terms, making it an asset to anyone wishing to utilise the beneficial properties of herbs. This is what K.J had to say... Why did you decide you wanted to become a writer? Writing has always been a constant in my life, something I’ve done for as long as I can remember. Whether it was to blow off steam, or to create something magical from an idea. I never really decided to become a writer, it’s just a passion that seemed to follow me through my many changing ideas of what I wanted to be. What was the thing that drove you the most to do so? I had only ever written short stories before Darrienia, but when I saw that this idea had become a book, or a series even, I knew that I needed to do something more with it than leave it in a drawer. It was with the support of my husband that we decided I should publish the work, and the response of the beta readers only encouraged me further. Why did you pick the genre/s that you have? I have always been a lover of fantasy. Anything I can imagine could become a reality in the world I create, and inventing lore and methods to make these ideas possible only adds to the enjoyment. As for my non-fiction side, Herbal Lore stemmed from almost two decades of personal research and study. I never initially considered compiling it into a book, until I was using it as a reference for my fictional works. Who is your favourite character, and why? Now that is a difficult question, each of my characters are individuals with their own personalities and flaws, to choose one above the others is near impossible. Surprisingly though, I don’t think I’d pick one of my main characters, don’t get me wrong, I love each one of them, but I think I would have to choose Elder Robert. As for the reasoning, there is so much more to him than meets the eye. He’s the elder of Daniel’s hometown of Crowley, yet he has seen more of the world and knows more of its secrets than any would believe. He is considered a storyteller, yet there is more truth to his fables than any would ever realise. Do you have any particular quirks when writing? Not really, although when I am writing, the rest of the world may as well fade to black, all I see before me are the visions of the words I’m writing as they guide my hand. What does your family think of your work? My nan and husband, all my family in fact, are so proud of me. My husband has read my book almost as many times as I have, and my father has also read it multiple times. So far, the response from my family, as well as my readers, has been fantastic, so much so that they are already asking when they can see the next one. How do you deal with writer's block? At this moment in time, for me, writer’s block is my characters’ way of telling me they aren’t happy with something. It strikes at the beginning of where their discontent occurs and no matter how hard I try, I can’t force my way through, my attention wanders and I have trouble even reading the words. When I realise this is what it is, if I go back and rewrite, be it a section, or a chapter. As soon as the decision is made and I begin I often find myself back on track, and so much happier with the story. What would you say is the most difficult part of writing? Time. At the moment I find myself editing the remaining three books in The Forgotten Legacies Series so they are ready for release. However, in addition to these I have what could be classed as a prequel, which needs to be edited, the story for my next series, and an entirely unrelated series, all wanting to be written. Unfortunately the time I have to write is limited. Are your characters based on anyone you know? No, the characters came naturally as part of the story, although I did use the name of my son’s Godfather, Eiji. Although character wise there is no connection, the name itself was a perfect fit for the Elementalist. What do you do in your spare time to relax? When I am not writing, I am either reading or gaming. Generally however, I spend most of my spare time reading and reviewing books, especially those written by indie authors. What do you like to read? Although I prefer fiction my tastes in books aren’t genre specific. I will read anything that I feel has a good plot and interesting characters. If I were to choose my two favoured genres though, it would have to be fantasy and horror. Who is your favourite author? At this moment in time my favourite author is Terry Goodkind, although there are a number of indie authors whose work I will, and have, pre-ordered. Where do you get your inspiration from? Some of my inspiration comes to me through dreams, some through personal experience which I hope allows me to see things from multiple perspectives and can assist me in adding depth to both worlds and characters, the rest just seems to be character driven as I am writing. Things and events happen which I never expected to, simply because of the characters and their responses to situations guiding the book in that direction. The best example I can give is the ending of Darrienia, it was by no means the one I had planned. Even now I remember looking at what I had written and thinking ‘how the hell did that happen?’ Where are your books available? My books are available in paperback or Kindle through Amazon, as well as Barnes and Noble and over seventy other online bookstores and over 39,000 retailers and libraries. Although Herbal Lore is only available as paperback or Kindle, Darrienia is available on other e-book mediums including Kobo, Apple ibooks and Nook. What are you working on right now? Right now I am editing The Severaine, which is the second book in The Forgotten Legacies Series, once polished I will edit the remaining books before starting work on either the Prequel or the next series. Here is how you can find K.J Simmill Amazon: K.J Simmill books Website: Darrienia.com Twitter: @SimmillKj I'd like to take this last second to thank K.J for the time she took to answer my questions. It's been and honour, and a priviledge, to see inside the head of this up and coming new Indie author, and I hope you enjoyed the interview as much as I did. Now why not join me in following K.J, and maybe popping into Amazon and picking up her books. I had previously thought to change from weebly to wordpress. I have to say it's not easy, and you don't have the control you do on weebly. Then why I hear you ask. Well I have had issues with people being able to click straight to my blog. I figure I must being doing something wrong. So instead of quitting, I'm going to try working it out. I think I just had a very quick lesson learned.  Well I guess that means I'm back :).
Talk to you soon. Sallyann. |
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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