Category: Non-fiction Author

A Q&A and response conversation between Toi Thomas and a non-fiction author.

Categories
Non-fiction Author

#Author interview with Karl Ayling @AylingKarl #nonfic

Greetings readers, bloggers, geeks, and authors and welcome to The ToiBox of Words. I’m your host Toi Thomas, author of Eternal Curse, and today I have a treat to share. A while back, I had the pleasure to interview a wonderful author named, Karl Ayling. A good time was truly had by all, and here’s how it went down.

  Toi Thomas: Hi there Karl! It’s so lovely to have you here at the ToiBox Blog. I’m excited to learn more about you and your work.

Karl: Hi Toi. Thanks for having me.

Toi Thomas: So tell me, who is Karl Ayling?

Karl: I’m the author of Massive Power Massive Love. I’m a Christian who found faith later on in life. I’ve written about healing from the activities of paedophile parents and the emotional, physical and spiritual damage that this caused.

Toi Thomas: Well before we dive into your special message today, let’s get to know you, the person inside the author.

Toi Thomas: Who is so you and why?

Karl: I relate to The Who’s song Love Reign O’er Me from Quadrophenia. I have been listening to this track for many years and one day bopping along with my i-pod, I heard it differently. Something snapped and it hit me right in the heart. Transformation in music.

Toi Thomas: What’s your ideal reading spot for your next highly anticipated read?

Karl: I am currently reading David Finklehor and his research around the sociological background and effects of childhood sexual abuse. It’s an American book and based on US statistics which mirror those in my home country – the UK. I hope that this research will help me in my own writings.

Wikipedia

Toi Thomas: What was your favorite book or story, pre-teen years?

Karl: Pre-teen I was into Spiderman and Superman comics. It was a cool way to follow the crowd whilst also hiding (and not dealing) with family issues.

Toi Thomas: In terms of interviews, whose brain are you just itching to scratch?

Karl: I would like to interview Jesus at anytime from his birth to age 30.

Toi Thomas: Now that we know a little more about you, the person, let’s learn about you, the author, and dive into your special message.

Toi Thomas: So what are you sharing with me today?

Karl: Shocking… heart- rending… inspiring… compulsive reading.

My book is a paperback published by Apolostolos Publishing. Its called, Massive Power Massive Love. It tells of my overcoming addiction and sexual abuse. Visit this link to learn more.

Toi Thomas: So where’s the motivation behind Massive Power Massive Love?

Karl: Both of my natural parents were abusive paedophiles; surviving childhood, OCD, and PTSD left me wanting to share. It has been a journey, which continues and the more I share about male abuse survivors perhaps, the more will be inspired to seek help.

Toi Thomas: What’s so special about this story that’s going to reel in the readers?

Karl: Not many male survivors write about childhood sexual abuse and overcoming addiction.

Toi Thomas: Past, present, future, is there a rhyme or reason to your writing?

Karl: I’m currently researching my next book. Reading around the topics and statistics of child sexual abuse along with client centred counselling. So far, I have chapter headings and some titles for poems. For me, this pre-writing process lets me see and find the edges of my topics before actually sitting down to write.

Toi Thomas: What author(s) has most influenced your writing? Why or how?

Karl: Coming out the other side of therapy and thinking about what I had to say, I developed my own unique style not based on anything other than an open and honest reflection of events.

Toi Thomas: Now this is where the questions get a little kooky; are you ready?

Karl: OK!

Toi Thomas: If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Karl: Lord of the Rings trilogy. This was literally the last book I read before finding my faith. And, I thought it was a secular work too!

Toi Thomas: When the soundtrack of your life is playing in your head, what songs express your glee and what songs bring out your rage?

Karl: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – 1812 Overture brings joyful glee whenever I listen to it.

Monster by Skillet brings up rage and anger.

Toi Thomas: Let’s play zombie urban survivor. What 3 things do you need to survive a black-out in Central Park the day zombies attack?

Karl: My bible. My family. My wits.

Toi Thomas: What’s the most fun experience you’ve ever had, to date?

Karl: Racing my motorbike around Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground at 166mph and popping an unintentional wheelie at 147mph.

Toi Thomas: Last question of the day; here we go.

Toi Thomas: Not that you can see into the future, but in your opinion, what does the future hold?

Karl: As I mentioned earlier, I’m reading research around my core subjects and this may lead to starting up a counselling service in my area of the UK. There are woefully few male counsellors doing this work with my kind of background. There is a charity in a local city that specialises training counsellors and I am booked onto an introductory course later in the year.

Toi Thomas: Thank you so much, Karl for spending time with me today.

Karl: Thanks again, Toi, for having me.

Okay readers, bloggers, geeks, and authors, that’s all for today. Be sure to follow this blog to see who will be visiting next time. For more from Karl Ayling, check out these great links:

Website: KarlAyling.com

Twitter: @AylingKarl

Purchase links for Massive Power Massive Love: Amazon | Book Depository

This has been a

interviewpic-toibox
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

Categories
Non-fiction Author

Long Time No Talk with Ian Mathie

LongTime
Greetings humans, half-breeds, and everything in between. Today I’m sharing a very special update from one of my dearest author friends, a trend I hope to develop more. It’s been a while since I’ve interviewed/hosted this special author or reviewed something of his, but that’s just me being disorganized and frazzled as usual. Ian is talented writer of non-fiction and memoirs that are just as captivating as fiction, if not more.

So here’s an update on what he’s been doing.

Toi: So Ian, tell me; how’s things?

Ian: It’s been a bitterly cold winter, although we haven’t had as much snow here in UK as you folks in the eastern US have. Here it’s just been cold and grey and wet, and it puts a damper on everything, including creative thought. That’s a bummer for a writer, even when you know what you want to write.

Still this is a new year and there are things to look forward to. One granddaughter will be two in May, and about the same time a new grandson is due to make his entry into the world. Even my old dog, who’s 11½, is getting excited about that. I have several more books planned too, so there’s lots to look forward to.

Toi: I can definitely relate to bitterly cold right about now, but I’m so happy to hear about your grandchildren. Family really does make it all worth it. Since my 2014 ended on a pretty sour note, I’m thinking 2015 has to better. Here’s another year of blogging, trying new things, and going with the flow. Oh and I’ll celebrate 10 of marriage this April.

Since you last visited The ToiBox of Words, I know I’ve seen you release at least one new work of fiction. Tell me all about the status of your books.

Ian: December saw the paperback release of my first novel, Chinese Take-out. It’s been selling in the US as an e-book for a few months, but in UK many readers still prefer paper books, so now they too can read it. Set in China and Washington at the time of the Democracy Wall in Tiananmen Square, it’s a convoluted international thriller after the style of Tom Clancy. There’s corruption in high places, a saxophone playing Chinese scientist, a crack team of CIA men, a daring rescue plan, a dramatic jazz festival in Bristol, and a gnarled old agent who tells stories about bears to small boys.

I’ve been to several events to talk about this book, and also some to talk about my African Memoir series. I always like meeting readers, or simply people who are interested and may become readers, and taking along artefacts I brought back from Africa which relate to the stories. Handling these can bring things to life in a new way for some readers.

I have several book projects in hand. One is an updated paperback and e-book edition of my very first book, The Man of Passage, which is due out this summer. I have another novel written – The Rorhart Inheritance – which is currently being edited, and another African memoir – Short Pants and No Shoes – which is about my earliest years in Africa during the waning years of the colonial era.

I’ve also written down some of the stories I told my daughter at bedtime when she was little. She used to giggle herself to sleep over the adventures of a remarkable hippopotamus and his brother. Now she has a daughter of her own, and has asked for them in print. That’s a couple of years down the line, but in hand.

ECGA coverToi: You never cease to amaze me. Your life and talent for story telling is so refreshing. I wish I had a paper copy of Chinese Take-out, but I should finish the digital copy I have and be content with that.

As for me, I’m kind of starting from scratch; self-publishing my Eternal Curse Series after ending my contract with my publisher. I conducted a cold launch of the newest EC: Giovanni’s Angel edition earlier this year. I guess I’m a full on indie now.

Well Ian, how do you see the rest of the year playing out for you?

Ian: I’m pleased to hear you’ve regained control of Giovanni’s Angel. It’s a book that has many intriguing facets and deserves to be widely read. Perhaps now, as an indie publication, it will become better known, although that will need a lot of hard work n your part. Good luck with it.

This year, besides doing lots of writing and playing with our grandchildren, my wife and I want to get out more and look at gardens. Our own large garden needs a lot of attention too. We have friends all over the place we don’t see enough of, so we’d like to go visiting and do some catching up. And then there are things like the theatre and concerts that it’s been too easy not to find time for. With the home of Shakespeare only twelve miles away, and several excellent venues in Oxford, which is just thirty miles down the road, we have plenty of choice, so it’s time we took advantage.

Whilst I’m supposed to have been retired for several years, I still do a little work both from my original career as a water engineer, offering advice on African development projects, and from my later career as an industrial psychologist. Recently I agreed to give a series of lectures this summer for trainees growing into the field of management development, so those need to be written. I’m half minded to extend that into writing a text book.

Somehow I have to fit all this in with regular visits to clinics aimed at keeping me going. Fifteen years ago I was lucky enough to receive a kidney transplant when my own packed up. It’s been marvelous treatment, but requires some attention to look after it and make sure it works well. But that’s a small price to pay for still being here and able to enjoy life and none of my books would ever have been written if I hadn’t had that transplant.

I’m also involved in several community activities in the village where we live. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m a willing horse, or because I’m the last one standing and fit enough to do the work, but the load seems heavier each year.

So what about your plans, Toi? I can see from reading your blog that you are busy and productive, but does this include work on another book? Perhaps a continuation of Giovanni’s story, which I found particularly intriguing? I can easily see that story growing wings (no pun intended) and becoming a trilogy. Oh, and congratulations on your ten years married!

ECB coverToi: Are you ever busy! At least you’re happy, and thanks. Ten years was easier than I expected; guess it’s true love.

Since you asked, I am actually planning to release the sequel to Giovanni’s Angel, Eternal Curse: Battleground, in May of this year, but (no pun intended) it’s been quite the uphill battle. We’ll just have to see how that all works out. Also, I’m working on my first contemporary, a romance actually. Hopefully that work will see print sometime this fall.

Ian: You call me busy? What about yourself? You have a demanding job and a husband; a household to run, and yet you produce a frequent vibrant blog with lots to interest a wide spectrum of readers on many different topics. The work that must take to compile makes me feel idle by comparison, and yet you find time to write another complicated book and rearrange your publishing. I wish I had your energy! Good luck with the new book, too.

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Well, wasn’t that a nice little update. Now don’t you want to take some time to visit Ian’s website and check out some of his books, reviews and interviews? You’ll be glad you did.

If you like this update of my dear friend Ian Mathie and are wondering about some of my other past guests, don’t worry; their updates are in the works. So, humans, half-breeds, and everything in between, that’s all I have for today.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords

Categories
Non-fiction Author

Lillian Brummet Interview: Non-fiction Author

Greetings readers, blogger, geeks, and authors. A while back, I had the pleasure to interview a wonderful author named, Lillian Brummet. A good time was truly had by all, and here’s how it went down.

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Toi Thomas: Hi there Lillian! It’s so awesome to have you here at the ToiBox Blog. I’m excited to learn more about you and your work.

Lillian Brummet: I am so glad to be here – and can hardly wait to have this discussion with you. 🙂

Toi Thomas: So tell me, who is Lillian Brummet?

Lillian Brummet: I feel comfortable describing myself as a tenacious mid-40’s woman who doggedly goes after goals, even when there are distractions or life interruptions ranging from family to learning new skills in order to carry on to the next step. I have a passion for animals and have always adopted from rescue shelters or taken on abandoned animals as pets. I love bio-dynamic gardening, and can’t get enough of the world of writing. It is important to feel like I am making a difference so even when I am out enjoying nature I can be found picking up litter or pulling out invasive weeds.

Toi Thomas: Well Lillian, you seem to be a very passionate and compassionate person. I can’t wait to see what you have to share.

Toi Thomas: So whacha got for me today?

Lillian Brummet: Well, I am the author and co-author of 5 books to date with a 6th book coming out February 2014, and another book (the 7th) coming out this upcoming fall season. My first books are a 2-book series titled Trash Talk – It’s Easy To Be Green and they deal with all the r’s of Zero Waste (rethink, reconsider, rent, repair, reduce, reuse, repurpose, recycle, rot, resources). I have a book of about 130 poems titled Towards Understanding that tells my story of overcoming a rough childhood, moving in with myself and finding a passion and purpose in my life. The other 2 books (Jump Start For Writers and Purple Snowflake Marketing – How to Make Your Book Stand Out In A Crowd) are for people interested in learning about the world of writing. The most recent book is Rhythm and Rhyme, which will be coming out in February, is another collection of poetry.

Toi Thomas: A writer with a cause who also writes poetry, I’m very impressed.

Toi Thomas: So where’s the motivation behind Rhythm and Rhyme? 

Lillian Brummet: This book is a collaboration of both my more recent poetry work and also my husband and co-writer Dave’s work. He’s a musician and has written many songs for various bands he’s been in over the years and he has grown to look at this writing in a new way because song lyrics are very similar to poetry, and visa-versa. So it is really exciting to see his work reaching the public in a new way. I’m very proud of the poetry in this book that I’ve written too – it is more mature, more confident, and just as emotional as the first book I put out. The poems deal with relationships, nature, and challenges readers to think about having a purpose in life and making a difference. Some of the more emotional pieces deal with ailing parents, suicide and other more intense experiences.

Toi Thomas: This sounds like a very emotional and personal piece. This is the kind of book that seems to help people in unexpected ways.

Toi Thomas: Past, present, future, is there a rhyme or reason to your writing?

Lillian Brummet: I love this question! My office tends to be a fairly tidy but not overly immaculate place; clutter distracts and overwhelms me, so a clear area opens my mind and I can focus on the tasks at hand. I tend to write in silence, but sometimes have ambient music or nature sounds or soft classical music playing in the background; any music with a beat or lyrics will only distract me because I love music so much I can just disappear into it and time warps without anything getting accomplished. I tend to be organized – I use excel files to keep track of contacts and projects, media events etc. and perform follow ups every few months to make sure that no opportunity slips by. I’m a list-maker, so every day I write down the tasks that take priority over other things and focus on getting those done first. Any opportunities are recorded in a separate file so I can follow up on them when time allows.

Toi Thomas: I’m so giddy right now. It’s no secret that I’m a little geeky and love comic books, but I also totally geek out over organization. I love to ask this question just to see what amazing tips I can get.

Toi Thomas: What author(s) has most influenced your writing? Why or how?

Lillian Brummet: This is an interesting question. I used to be a professional book reviewer, reviewing up to 600 books annually – I did this for 7 years and enjoyed the challenge of evaluating the publisher, printer and author of each book. I did a lot of research and learned a lot of interesting things. I’m also a voracious reader, so while I no longer do book reviews I still read constantly. Being a member of the media I get a lot of books that way too. Point being – I learn from every book I pick up, each author will have a unique expression style, they each have an interesting color palette they work with and I enjoy learning from them, being inspired by them. Even when I spot things I don’t like or don’t appreciate or mistakes that were made – I still learn from them. I’ve often felt compelled to return to book reviewing, but the schedule won’t allow it just yet – perhaps in a year or two.

Toi Thomas: That sounds really cool. I love to read, but with all the life throws at you, I can’t imagine reading 600 books in one year. I do, however, agree with you in that I learn something from every book I read.

Toi Thomas: Whose brain are you just itching to scratch?

Lillian Brummet: Does it have to be just one? (she laughs) I am a very curious person and have done a lot of interviews in my time both as a radio host and blogger, but also in the past when I worked as a staff writer. If we are talking ultimate fantasy it would have to be one of the following global heroes: Albert Schweitzer, Rachel Carson, Wangari Maathai, and David Suzuki.

Toi Thomas: I know; this question isn’t very fair, but oh well. It seems like you worked it out pretty well. Four heads to scratch isn’t too bad.

Toi Thomas: What’s your ideal reading spot for your next highly anticipated read?

Lillian Brummet: I could spend my life lounging on my deck, in my yard or in nature by a rambling waterway (creek/river) or mountain lake – with a stack of books. Reading is a favorite activity and I am open to most topics and genres because I enjoy expanding my mind and trying new concepts out. I really want to get my hands on more books by Trevanian and also the second and third books of the Verdant series by Troy Denning; those will likely be the next books that I purchase.

Toi Thomas: I’ve not read any Trevanian, but this Verdant series looks interesting.

Toi Thomas: What was your favorite book or story, pre-teen years?

Lillian Brummet: The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings series J

Toi Thomas: Yeah, those are pretty good ones.

Toi Thomas: Now this is where the questions get a little kooky; are you ready?

Lillian Brummet: Definitely. Absolutely.

Toi Thomas: Alright then, here we go.

Toi Thomas: If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Lillian Brummet: Rat Race, Old Dogs, The Saint, Lord of the Rings, The African Queen… Chronicles of Riddick… hmm – How can I pick just one? (she laughs)

Toi Thomas: I know, another hard question. I like messing with people. 😉

Toi Thomas: What makes you geek out?

Lillian Brummet: I absolutely disappear in the garden – I love getting creative, delving through garden catalogs, magazines, books… it is a huge passion of mine but one that I don’t have a lot of time for.

Toi Thomas: I think I would really enjoying gardening, but I don’t have the space, time, or money for it. I do, however, have a gardening Pinboard on Pinterest. One day I’ll have my dream garden.

Toi Thomas: When the soundtrack of your life is playing in your head, what songs express your glee and what songs bring out your rage?

Lillian Brummet: For energetic music to clean house by or to dance to: heavy metal bands or hair bands from the 70’s-80’s. For emotional connection: some of the best of songs by Eurhythmics. For creative music: Sting, Billy Joel…

Toi Thomas: I love it. I totally get down with the whole mood music thing. There’s a song for every occasion, mood, and task.

Toi Thomas: What’s the most fun experience you’ve ever had, to date?

Lillian Brummet: We invested in a 23’ RV trailer – I have really enjoyed taking this out. It is like a hotel on wheels, you can cook all your meals, a private bathroom, and best thing is you can camp almost anywhere if you need to. I like the ability of just pulling in and setting up camp – as opposed to unloading the back of the car, setting up the tent and the tarp and a privacy screen and, and, and. I really do love camping, but leisure camping trips – I’m not a fan of rushing around or keeping busy at that time.

Toi Thomas: How fun. I have dreams of going RVing. Maybe one day.

Toi Thomas: Not that you can see into the future, but in your opinion, what does the future hold?

Lillian Brummet: Well, we just moved to this property 3 years ago and now in our 4th year here – so we’ve been working hard toward the future of being able to have this place where we want it. Initially we made the home as eco-friendly and energy efficient as we could afford to do, put in the garden beds and compost bins, and built a fence and a deck and a parking area for the RV. Over the next few years we will paint the interior and exterior of the home and create landscaping, ponds, fountains, more garden beds… The plan is that in 4 more years we’ll not have to do anything here except the odd maintenance job and can really enjoy what we created here.

Toi Thomas: That sounds so pleasant. I wish all that and more for you. Thank you so much for sharing with me today.

If you liked this, check out the video interview we did afterwards. Hear a sample of Lillian’s poetry and learn some of her expert tips.  http://youtu.be/225_vUEIGDc

Okay readers, blogger, geeks, and authors, that’s all for today. Be sure to follow this blog to see who will be visiting next time. For more from Lillian Brummet, check out these great links:

Website: http://brummetmedia.ca/

Blog: http://www.consciousdiscussions.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lillian.brummet

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/brummet

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/ldbrummet

Purchase links for Rhythm and Rhyme : The Brummet Store

This has been a

interviewpic-toibox

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords