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Of Gods and Madness: The Faithful by @justindherd Interview & #Giveaway by @RABTBookTours #NoirSummer

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’m sharing a special interview with author, Justin D. Herd, about his fiction book entitled, Of Gods and Madness: The Faithful. Check out the giveaway at the end and enjoy!

Where did the idea for Of Gods and Madness: The Faithful come from?

It originally started as a story about a man that has migraines but his pills keep him from slipping into another world. Then it became a story about a religious society that worshiped all these gods in the streets, not realizing that they still lived amongst them. The problem came in that my detective character wasn’t able to connect the dots when he was interacting with these gods. So, it became an atheistic society where the mob family is the only one that believes.

How did the title of this book come about?

For the longest time, the book was simply titled The Faithful, named after the mob family in the novel. A big issue throughout the story was that the gods were slowly introduced, filling in the fantasy as the story progressed, but now with Of Gods and Madness: The Faithful, you know exactly what you’re getting into.

What genre is this book and why did you choose to make it so?

This is one that blends a lot of genres, taking what fits and getting rid of the bits that don’t. On a top level, it’s Fantasy. But it’s got a crime element in an urban environment, so it’s Urban Fantasy. But, you hear of that and you think devils and deep magic systems and it’s not quite that. So, long and short of it, I consider it Fantasy Noir. This is a genre that focuses more on the setting, the feel of the prose, and stoic heroes. Overall, it doesn’t even quite fit that, but it’s the closest I’ve found.

What would you say is the overall message or the theme of this book?

Honestly, I’m not one much to talk about theme or any underlying messages. A lot of the imagery might string together to give some unintended context, but it’s always fun to hear what people read into it.

Tell me about the experience of writing this book; how long did it take.

The book took roughly nine months. I honestly don’t remember when I started it, but I finished it in 2008. I started with an idea for three books, opened a world building document, and wrote 22 pages (almost 12,000 words) describing the society, its gods, the characters and their history, as well as a six page treatment of the story. It ended nothing like it. I got caught up for about six months, trying to avoid using any of the ideas for the last two books, but ultimately gave in and finished the book in two weeks.

Tell me about the main storyline within this book.

A mobster becomes a god, only to discover they die too.

That’s the elevator pitch. The longer one involves mobsters, artists, cops, multiple gods, divine civil war, and coups. But hey, at least I’ve got it distilled down to eleven words!

Who is the protagonist of this story?

The main character is Raine Morgan, the right hand of the dominant mob family. He’s the mobster with a heart of gold, paying off his marks debts rather than have the family kill them. He’s not necessarily a believer, but it’s been ingrained into his past. When he accidentally kills someone, much less someone he was trying to protect, he spirals out of control in an effort to get revenge and, ultimately, redemption.

Who is the antagonist of this story?

For the humans, it’s Carrick Uren. He’s a greedy middleman in Na Creidmhigh and hates Raine for not killing people, for being able to surpass him. He takes his opportunity once Raine is caught out after his first murder. As a result, Na Creidmhigh is divided and ultimately becomes a slaughter house.

Then, there’s Theon the Trickster for the gods. As you might expect, he’s always up to no good.

What is the major conflict in this story?

The initial conflict is that Raine is set out to hunt down a couple miscreants, only to come on them assaulting a woman. He charges in, but ends up killing their victim and letting them escape. So he sets out to hunt them and perhaps gain some redemption. Little does he realize that the incident triggers godhood and he catches the attention of the gods. They come together to try to deal with another immortal joining them, only to discover they can die too. That sets off a divine civil war where no one is safe.

Where and when is this story taking place?

I took the amalgamation approach to writing this. It’s a near future technology, but with the clothing and music of the 1920s. It’s a grimy, gritty harbor town where the mob family rules the town. In general, the genre is Film Noir.

As for location, I took old maps of 1800s Boston and used the general locations of things. There are no cars in the world. Instead of trains, they use water trams.

Who is your favorite character in this book?

I’d have to say it’s probably the Shade. But I think people will really latch onto Theon. One of the things I like so much about him is that he pushes the envelope at every chance. Hell, even when he finds out he could actually die, he still screws gods over and toys with humans. He’s out to have a good time, damned the consequences.

Are there elements of your personality or life experiences in this book?

I’ve made sure to weed out anything that would be too much like me. At the end of the day, there’s some allusions to migraines, but not anything that’s explicitly stated. I have chronic migraines, almost every one of them starting with an ocular migraine where I lose my vision for about thirty minutes, then the pain starts.

The only other thing is that Raine is supremely clumsy. I have fallen up stairs, I have tripped over nothing, and would regularly drive my ex-wife crazy with how I would find anything and everything to trip over.

What is one thing from this book you wish was real or could happen to you?

I absolutely love Oki’s Veins. They are this architectural feature, essentially glass channels of backlit water. They run up and down the streets, up walls, connecting the city in a giant art display. It’s impractical and impossible, but it would just be amazing to see that, to have every structure just commit wholly to this feature.

What is something you wish wasn’t real and hope doesn’t happen to you?

I think the limited immortality would be a huge bummer. I mean, it’s one of those things you grow into that you realize immortality isn’t all it’s meant to be. But then to have it and suddenly be told, “Just kidding . . .” I try to explore that in the book, where the disparate gods react to it differently, but I just think that would be the worst.

Let’s say your book is being turned into a feature length film; quick- cast the main two characters and pick a theme song or score.

Raine Morgan – Michael Pitt
Theon – Christoph Waltz
Theme Song: End of the Line by Murder by Death

Do you have any special plans for this book in the near or far future?

Nothing too spectacular. I am already looking at its sequels. My plans are to split the story into two different storylines: one that follows the gods, the other the mob and see where that takes us. It would be a different take for those that love the mortal stuff, but not the gods, they have their series, or those that adored the god stuff, but not so much the mortals . . . well, they can be satisfied too.

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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. To obtain your copy of Of Gods and Madness: The Faithful, please visit the links provided.

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Smashwords

iTunes | Google Play | Kobo | Createspace

Visit this author at the following links:

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Sewing Can Be Dangerous by @SarahMallery1 Interview & #Giveaway by @Njkinny Tours & Promos #read

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’m sharing a special interview with author, S. R. Mallery, about her fiction book entitled, Sewing Can Be Dangerous and Other Small Threads. Enjoy!

 #BlogTourAnnouncement and #Signup: Sewing Can Be Dangerous and Other Small Threads by S.R. Mallery {16-19 July}

Where did the idea for Sewing Can Be Dangerous come from?

It was my father who told me all about the infamous 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, and as a quilt designer/teacher, I was particularly drawn to those hapless immigrant seamstresses who died so needlessly. Surrounded by so many quilts and fabrics in my studio, I decided to write a group of stories, connecting them all by the single ‘thread’ of sewing/crafts. That actually helped focus me with each new story. No matter what time period I was reading about, I kept asking questions like, ‘How would sewing/crafting ‘fit’ into this time frame? Who would be the likely characters?’

How did the title of this book come about?

After I had written the first story in my collection, “Sewing Can Be Dangerous,” all about the Triangle Shirtwaist factory fire of 1911, and then came up with the idea of connecting each story by a ‘thread’ of sewing and/or crafts, I thought I was happily on my way.  But it was later, after I had completed the stories that the title dilemma began. Many concepts later I had an epiphany.  Not only did that first story’s title create a “Huh? What’s that about?” reaction from people, it also embodied the gist of my collection––history, action, crime, romance, and…danger.

What genre is this book and why did you choose to make it so?

Actually, the genre chose me.  Because I love history and relish doing all the research that it entails, I just followed my heart.  In other words, I didn’t set out to write historical fiction; I just dove into the history aspect, then later, realizing so many of the stories revolved around history, I just went with the flow.

Oh, there is one modern crime story, however, because I just couldn’t resist putting it in.  During my professional quilting days, I had always thought about teaching quilting on a luxury cruise line, so why not include that little fantasy in my book?

Tell me about the experience of writing this book; how long did it take.

This book took about five years, with time off for obtaining a teacher’s credential. As for techniques, when I read or hear about some little fact in history, it percolates in my head as I continue on with research––exploring that time period, the culture, clothing, and lingo—until I feel as if I’m actually living in that particular time myself.

These stories came with me everywhere: to my children’s afterschool activities, the NY Tenement Museum as we groped through the pitch-black hallway because ‘gaslights hadn’t come in yet’; to Wall Street, where the heart-attack-waiting-to-happen pace was disturbing.

Tell me about the main storyline within this book.

These eleven short stories combine history, mystery, action and/or romance––from drug trafficking using Guatemalan hand-woven wallets to an Antebellum U.S. slave using codes in her quilts as a freedom message system; from a wedding quilt curse dating back to the Salem Witchcraft Trials to a mystery involving a young seamstress in the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire; from a 1980’s Romeo and Juliet romance between a rising Wall Street financial ‘star’ and an eclectic fiber artist to a Haight-Asbury love affair between a professor and a beautiful macramé artist gone horribly askew, just to name a few.

What is the major conflict in this story?

Because this book involves different stories, there are many conflicts, not just one. That being said, I would say in general, most of the stories end with some sort of resolution to each conflict, whether it be overcoming poverty odds and a severe family member, solving murder cases and curses, avoiding Indian attacks, inventing a clever way to escape enslavement, helping others in trouble, or simply following one’s heart in spite of heavy opposition and nay-saying.

Where and when is this story taking place?

The time periods in this collection are wildly eclectic. From the 1600s Salem Witchcraft Trial where children ran supreme, to a horrendous fire in 1911 New York that darkened the lives of a whole city; from Washington Territory in 1870 where the Indians usually got along with the White people to the Wall Street in 1980; from the Antebellum South to a modern luxury cruise ship; from a 1967-69 Haight Ashbury hippy-dippy murder to the Nazis’ book-burning Kristallnacht horror.

Who is your favorite character in this book?

I choose Sasha, the immigrant seamstress, caught in the middle of the overwhelming conditions of the NYC Triangle Shirtwaist factory and her nasty, domineering father.  Being originally from New York, a quilter for so many years myself, and understanding the hardships that immigrants often bear when they come to this country, I felt a particular connection to this character.  In fact, at one point, when I was visiting New York and saw a little plaque on the New York University building honoring those college students who crawled across ladders to try and save some of those luckless girls that fateful day, I actually cried.

Are there elements of your personality or life experiences in this book?

No elements of my personality are included, but interests/influences, most certainly. As a quilt instructor, I used to warn my students about the ‘dangers of sewing,’ and I came across quilt curses as I was preparing for a quilt article and I couldn’t get it out of my head!  At a machine-quilting exhibit, I saw a little note from a 1870 Washington Territory pioneer woman who wrote that she hid her new Singer sewing machine in the cornfield and I was enthralled. Absolutely no mention of the safety of her cabin, or her family! Talk about obsession!

Let’s say your book is being turned into a feature length film; quick- cast the main two characters and pick a theme song or score.

Actually, I see these stories as a TV series, because they seem more episodic than a single movie. The theme song would be similar to Thomas Newman’s “Revolutionary Road”–lilting, slightly dark, and mysterious. Casting—oh, my! Shailene Woodley, Elizabeth Olsen, Evan Rachel Ward, Emma Watson, Jennifer Lawrence, and Emma Stone.

Do you have any special plans for this book in the near or far future?

The more I learn about this Author Selling Business, the more I will be able to cultivate a wider audience for this collection as well as my other books.  Eventually, however, I would love to have it made into a series…who knows?

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. To obtain your copy of Sewing Can Be Dangerous, please visit the links provided.

~Buying Links~
Grab the kindle/Nook book at just $0.99 or Rs. 63!
Amazon IN: Kindle Book
Amazon US: Paperback | Kindle Book
Goodreads: Add to Bookshelf
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WWIV – Darkness Descends by @ealake5 Interview by #thetoiboxofwords via @RABTBookTours #dystopian

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’m sharing a special interview with author, e a lake, about his fiction book entitled, WWIV – Darkness Descends. Enjoy!

Where did the idea for WWIV – Darkness Descends come from?

I had a million scenarios running through my mind as I wrote the larger novels in this series. And because those novels focus tightly on one person or group, I wanted to give the readers an opportunity to experience the Darkness through many eyes, not just one set. Each novella is non-recurring, just like the primary series, so you get the view the world from as many points of view as I can create.

How did the title of this book come about?

It isn’t until the third book in the primary WWIV series that the event, which caused all the problems, is referred to as the Darkness. I wanted to write more about the Darkness, in short story form, so that readers would get a true feel for what happened around the world. Thus – Darkness Descends.

What genre is this book and why did you choose to make it so?

Post-Apocalyptic and Dystopian. It fits; the event that changes the world – takes away all of our cool gadgets and even most vehicles – makes it seem as if a nuclear blast or EMP has occurred. (But I’m not telling what really happened until the last book of the Shorts).

What would you say is the overall message or the theme of this book?

The Darkness has arrived. And the world will never be the same…ever; though hardly anyone knows the scope of the issues. Learn what happened immediately before, and shortly after the event that will change mankind happens.

Tell me about the experience of writing this book; how long did it take.

Since many of these stories were already floating around in my mind, this novella was a rather quick write. No more than four weeks as I recall. I did a chapter at a time, and let the characters reactions tell the tale. The only research I needed, was time zones around the world. Time is an important issue in the novella.

Tell me about the main storyline within this book.

In part one, it is nearly the same time throughout the world. Each chapter progresses by one short minute. Until chapter 6, when the event has just occurred. Part two deals with the aftermath, at various times. Instead of repeating the same order as part one, or even reversing the order, I arranged it willy-nilly. Demonstrating what has happened to our world.

Who is the protagonist of this story?

Each chapter has several characters that are highlighted. For the most part each of these unassuming folks are the protagonists. The same characters are highlighted in parts one and two. There is a bonus chapter at the end of this novella. It takes the reader inside the Oval Office in Washington. I will let you decide if the President is a good guy, or not.

Who is the antagonist of this story?

Truly – here in this novella – the event is the antagonist. Imagine someone or something that takes away all your electricity, all forms of communication. Most modern vehicles won’t even make a sound when the key is turned. The Darkness is the bad guy here – the true villain.

What is the major conflict in this story?

The Darkness is nearly the only conflict in each short story. Then, realizing what may have happened, people take over. This idea (people turning rotten, like unattended fruit) is more prevalent in the longer books, the main novels. But I hint about what happens to some of our humanity in several chapters in this book as well.

Where and when is this story taking place?

According to United States Central Standard Time, the event – The Darkness – descends upon our world at 2:33 a.m. It’s a warm humid evening in Madison, Wisconsin when it arrives. And all around the world, within seconds after that time, the darkness engulfs everyone. It is very silent, almost without commotion; but make no mistake, the world is about to become a dark place.

Are there elements of your personality or life experiences in this book?

Since the story unfolds in eight different locations around the world, I used some very familiar settings. I grew up in southern Wisconsin, a mere ten miles from Madison. I’ve visited the Black Hills of South Dakota often (I even honeymooned there back in 1980). And while on business I once dined in Utrecht, Holland. I’ve met, in some form, all of the characters in this novella. Almost every character I’ve ever created is based on a real person from somewhere in my life.

What is something you wish wasn’t real and hope doesn’t happen to you?

It’s all fiction, so it’s all made up. But one thing I hope never happens, one thing I pray never befalls the earth, is the Darkness I’ve laid out in this novella. If it ever did, God forbid, all of humanity is in a lot a trouble.

Do you have any special plans for this book in the near or far future?

In the distant future, perhaps next year sometime, I would like to make this book available for free. Just in the electronic format, of course. But I would like to place this in the hands of any reader who would like it, always free. I’m still not sure how possible (or likely) this goal is, but I’d still like to try.

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. To obtain your copy of WWIV – Darkness Descends, please visit the links provided.

Amazon
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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