J.R. O'Bryant's Blog

J.R.: I’m talking with Jason DeGray today and we are discussing their book “3VE”. So, Hi Jason! And welcome! Thank you for talking with me tonight! Tell me something unique or different about yourself that you would like your readers to know about you?

Jason:

I’m a huge, and I do mean huge, fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. My love has followed me throughout childhood.

J.R.:

That’s really awesome. Who is your favorite character?

Jason:

It changes over the years. When I was a kid it was Donatello hands down. I really identified with him as this geeky kinda outsider of the group. But currently I’m more on team Raphael. His Byronic moodiness hints at a depth of character I never explored.

J.R.:

That’s such a great way to explain both characters. I’m such a fan of Raphael. I’ve always seen him as the one with a deeper mindset than the rest. Let’s talk about “3VE” for a moment. If you had to pick a genre for this book what would you choose and why?

Jason:

Yeesh…hard question. I started out wanting to write a classic cyberpunk novel. But over the course of the narrative, it evolved into something a reader described as “post-apocalyptic noir” and I like that better.

J.R.:

That’s a great description though! I like the feel of that.

So you’ve had experiences with both Traditional and Indie Publishing. What would you say were your worst and best experiences with both?

Jason:

My best experience with Trad Publishing was the validation that came from people outside my “group” validating my writing. These people read it and loved it enough to back it. No matter they were an Indie House, the feeling was the same. The worst experience with Trad Publishing was the horror of having my books in limbo as said publishing house went under last year. As for Indie publishing…

My best experience came from the joy of unbridled creative process. That’s really what’s beautiful about Indie publishing. You are in control of your artistic endeavor from start to finish. The worst experience in Indie publishing kinda overlaps with Trad Publishing, and that is the difficulty of getting yourself out there to build a readership.

J.R.:

I really do get both aspects. I know so many readers that don’t understand the struggle and it’s great to be able to connect with an author who’d be open with their experiences.

If you could sum up “3VE” in a paragraph that draws in new readers what would you like to say?

Jason:

3VE is cyberpunk that breaks the mold of the genre to dance into imaginative vistas. It’s chilling in its portrayal of the twilight of humanity. It’s suspenseful in its quick paced plot, racing towards an exciting conclusion. And its tender in its exploration of human nature. But above all 3vE is a truly strange, yet oddly lovable tale.

J.R.

WOW! This sounds like a book we all need to get our hands on!

You had mentioned that you were had started with Cyber-Punk in mind and ended up going a bit of a different direction. Do you have other loves that include the Cyberpunk/Sci-fi genre? Was there something specific that drew you into this genre?

Jason:

Oh for sure. I’ve loved and been inspired by the Cyberpunk genre for a long time. I love the work of Philip K. Dick, William Gibson, and Walter Jon Williams that got the genre moving. Bladerunner and Johnny Mnemonic are at the top of my favorite sci-fi movie list. But that list also includes Firefly and The 5th Element. What draws me to sci-fi is its limitless potential and its proclivity to project our future into the mainstream.

J.R.:

You just named off some of the Gods of Cyberpunk! Lol. Great reasons to follow in their footsteps. What would you say are your favorite and least favorite tropes of the Cyberpunk and Sci-Fi genres? (In writing or media in general)

Jason:

My favorite cyberpunk trope is the punk aspect. The resistance to the oppressive overlords controlling the lives of the people. And the fact that these punks are using the very technology that is being used against them. Even in overwhelming circumstances people resist. And I find that sublime. I’m not a big fan of corporations, so the domineering and controlling corporations in cyberpunk are something else I enjoy. The technology is cool, of course, but I think it’s largely secondary to the first two points I mentioned.

Jason:

I agree with you on both main points. And I’m sure many of my readers will be able to connect with your views as well.

Jason:

Least favorite tropes is a bit difficult. I hate cardboard characters. And these are mainly characters written around tropes. Tropes bug me. I try to write real people, and real people don’t really fall into tropes or if they do, they fall into several different ones. Nobody is all “one thing” or easily labeled. But I come from a generation that defied labels. That was our thing in the 90’s and that’s why cyberpunk was so great at the time.

J.R.:

I like that. It’s very relatable. I think so many people spend so much time trying to find that one thing that makes them, them. And in truth none of us are just one thing. That’s a really powerful observation.

Jason:

Well put. Thank you

J.R.:

Let’s have some fun for a couple questions here. If you could spend a month in any other country all expenses paid, where would you go and what are some of the things you’d want to see?

And you are very welcome.

Jason:

France. Specifically, the southern regions. Not only is it where my ancestors came from, it’s where Cathars lived. And lots of Knights Templar stuff is there as well. All of which are some of my nerd passions. lol

J.R.:

I love nerd passions. They are the best!!! So speaking of travel where is your favorite place that you’ve visited so far? And what nerdy thing did you enjoy there?

Jason:

I love to travel. Road trips, especially. And I like to go to weird places. For instance, I went to see some friends in Alabama. One place near Huntsville called Ft. Payne was particularly interesting. It was the sock capital of the world until recently. Made more socks than China. But it’s also the hometown of the band Alabama and there’s a museum there. It’s also the hometown of the creator of Pete the Cat. And al this is surrounded by stunning natural beauty. Waterfalls, expansive views, rivers, etc. A hidden gem for sure.

J.R.:

That sounds so amazing. Now I have a new place to go haunt. We do road trips every few months when we can escape. Thank you for the new location idea. Lol. Okay. Back to writing. You’ve published 3VE. Do you have plans for more books in the future? And if you do will you stay within the same genre or go in a different direction?

Jason:

Yes. I have more books! Coming soon is the re-release of The Ruined Man series. This was my Trad Pub series that was in limbo for so long. It’s finally getting new life with a new publisher. It’s a paranormal detective novel. The other book I’m working on (currently in the editing phase) is the first in what will be a series of sci-fi books. These are deep space colony settings so not exactly cyberpunk. But that’s what’s on the horizon. So I’m already going in new directions!

J.R.:

That is fantastic. I will definitely keep my eye on the horizon for your new and upcoming works!

So last question for tonight. And please let me know when your books are going to be re-released so I can let my readers know when to watch for them. If you could give any advice to new writers, what would you say?

Jason:

Stick to the story. A lot of writers on social media groups are posting about “I’m stuck because I can’t decide what color shoes my MC should have” or “I need help outlining the political history of this inconsequential nation in my fantasy novel.” My question is always: “How does this drive the story?” Those are the details that are important. And that’s where the focus should be. Focus on what gets the reader from point A to point B. Everything else is extra.

And I will definitely keep you updated on when things are happening!

J.R.:

Wow! That is such fantastic advice. Thank you so much!

Thank you for talking with me today! It was a pleasure getting to talk with you and I will be adding 3VE to my TBR pile for sure! Have a fantastic evening!

You can find and follow Jason DeGray here:

Website: jasondegray.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/jasondegrayauthor

Instagram: Istagram.com/TRMnovels

Facebook Reader Group: Weird Worlds: The Writing of Jason DeGray

J.R.: Today I am talking with Sci-Fi Author John Coon. Author of the Alien People Chronicles.

Hey John! How are you doing tonight? You have an upcoming release any day now, isn’t that correct?

John:

Life is good right now. So excited for this week. Dark Metamorphosis, the second book in my Alien People Chronicles, will be released on Tuesday.

J.R.:

That is super exciting! I’ll be sure to catch Dark Metamorphosis on release day. So let me ask you about your first book in the series, Alien People. How would you describe your first book from your own point of view as an author?

John:

Alien People is a first contact story with Earth told from the point of view of the aliens. You always see first contact stories from the perspective of Earth-based characters. I thought it would be fun to look at that scenario from the opposite angle. The events of Alien People are set in motion when Calandra Menankar, an astronomer on the planet Lathos, discovers a probe from Earth in her home solar system. She is able to organize an expedition to Earth led by Xttra Oogan – a master pilot in the Stellar Guard and Calandra’s boyfriend. What they encounter on Earth is at odds with what is portrayed in a peaceful message accompanying the probe.

J.R.: That sounds like so much fun to both have written and to read. I love the concept of forest contact from a non-Terran point of view! That’s really inventive. Let’s get personal for a minute. If you could tell your readers a couple fun or quirky facts about yourself that most readers wouldn’t know, just to get to know you better, what would you tell them?

John:

Here’s a couple of quirky facts about me: I possess a really good memory. I have almost instant recall on trivia covering a wide variety of subjects. When I was in third grade, for example, I could name off all the US presidents, the order in which they served in office, and the years they served. I watched the original Star Wars trilogy over 100 times as a kid and could recite the dialogue from all three movies word for word at one point in time. My left hand was surgically reattached when I was a year old. A can lid partially severed the hand when I slipped on the kitchen tile and stuck my hand inside a garbage bin while trying to grab onto something to keep from falling. It left me with some permanent nerve and tendon damage in the hand. I struggled to learn how to type because of the injury. I was such a slow typist at one point, that my 8th grade typing teacher told me I better find a job that didn’t require using computers.

J.R.:

It sounds like you have an eidetic memory! How cool is that? As for your hand, that’s incredible. Talk about perseverance! And now you are writing full length novels! I’m really impressed with your dedication to your craft! Those are both some really great insights! Thank you!

As a writer of science fiction, you must be a fan of the genre as well? I mean you did watch Star Wars often enough to recite the films. (Smiles) What were some of your major influences for the Alien People Chronicles?

John:

I definitely love science fiction. Star Wars and Stargate SG-1 are among my favorites as far as movies and TV shows go. I also love the Indiana Jones movies. You can see how these cinematic tastes influence the adventure and suspense that fill my stories. As far as my influences for the Alien People Chronicles, I try to model my approach to science fiction after authors like Michael Crichton, Phillip K. Dick, Ray Bradbury, and Issac Asimov. My goal is to create stories that make readers think about the story long after they close the book. I want them to examine familiar ideas from a new perspective. I love how readers embraced a central idea in Alien People that humans on Earth might be turn out to be the mysterious, dangerous, and violent aliens when explorers from another planet make first contact.

J.R.:

I’m just in awe of your creativity. Seriously. Talk about studying the greats of a genre. I’m really looking forward to reading your books and seeing those influences come through. A lot of authors either have music they like writing with or they prefer absolute silence when they work. Which way do you write or do you fall somewhere in the middle?

John:

I usually listen to music to relax or blast the clutter out of my mind if I’m battling writer’s block. When I write, I try to eliminate outside noise as much as possible so I can lose myself inside my story. One exception is that I will listen to ambient noise sometimes, like rain falling, on YouTube if it is relevant to a particular scene I’m visualizing within my story.

J.R.:

I would never have thought of using ambient sounds for significant scene work. That’s nifty. I might have to steal that idea from you. I hope you don’t mind. (Grins) Your second book in the series is being released on the 13th! Which is fantastic, by the way. I love it when authors finish new books in a series. It just gives me such pleasure in knowing that the story continues to build. How many books do you have planned for this series? Do you have any other books or series lined up for future writing?

John:

Dark Metamorphosis is a second part of a planned trilogy, with Alien People being the first part of course. My goal is to release the third part of the trilogy in August or September 2022. I’ve done extensive notes on characters and have already outlined about a third of the chapters so far. This third book will have a definite “Indiana Jones in space” vibe to it. I do have other ideas outlined for other potential stories in the Alien People Chronicles. I could extend it to 6 or 9 books eventually. Beyond that series, I am working on a pair of sequels to my horror novel Pandora Reborn – my debut novel published in 2018. Both stories are set five years after the original story. I have designs on writing and publishing them in late 2021 or 2022. The fun thing about all of my stories is that they have shared universes. All of my science fiction stories are set in the same fictional universe. And all of my horror stories are all set in another shared fictional universe. It’s a bit of an MCU-style approach to my writing, but it has a fun influence on world building and character development to see how events in one story impact events in another story set elsewhere in the same universe.

J.R.:

That sounds like a lot of intense world building! That’s really awesome. I hope we get to see more of your interuniversal stories in the coming years. They sound like quite the adventure(s). I’m sure fans of the MCU will greatly appreciate your approach to world building as well. What would you say are your favorite and least liked parts of writing?

John:

I love world-building. It’s so fun to create people, history, culture, geography, animals, and other elements from scratch. I feel like I’m building my own personal Wikipedia at times. Only a small percentage of that backstory material I create makes it into the final draft of a story, but those elements give the whole setting a real world feel and make the characters feel more alive and real as well. I’m not a huge fan of marketing. I grew up shy and always feel a bit uncomfortable going on social media and telling people to buy my book. If there were a way to generate a steady downpour of sales without marketing, I’d sign up for it today.

J.R.:

I think a lot of us in the writing community are right there with you on the marketing aspect. I know it’s always hard for me to put myself out there and be all, “Look at me! LOOK AT MY BOOK!” All right, time for one last question and this is the one I ask everyone because everyone has different insights… If you could give new writers a solid piece of advice on writing and being published what would you say?

John:

New writers should never be afraid to discover their own voice. Find your voice and share the story you are meant to share. Writing is most rewarding when you create stories you are passionate about telling. I cringe whenever I see self-appointed writing experts tell aspiring authors to “write to market” and follow these tropes over here or check those boxes over there on their way to creating a story. The best authors breakdown boxes and reinvent tropes. When a writer focuses on crafting an engaging story with dynamic realistic characters, they will find an audience eventually. More importantly, they will discover the ideas and characters who drive them to write in the first place.

J.R.:

That’s some really spot on advice! Thank you so much!  And thank you for talking with me today. I know I and my readers will be excited to read your work and upcoming work as well. It was such a pleasure talking with you. Thank you again and have a great night!

To follow or find John Coon and his books on social media and other outlets please check out the following link:

Www.JohnCoon.Net

I’m Still Alive.

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Never have those three words held so much weight. In Kelly Blanchard’s third Chronicles of Lorrek book that phrase holds sway in ways that, I as reader, would have never expected. This book is full of twists and turns and unseen consequences. About the time we all think we know what is happening and what the rest of the story may hold, Ms. Blanchard throws on a yet another roller coaster of conflicting emotions and thoughts. It is writers like this make me love reading. I rarely read this style of high fantasy and cross genre, but with every new tale Ms. Blanchard weaves I find myself bouncing with anticipation for the next piece of the journey to come to light. With in depth characters, intense story arches, plot twists that leave the reader dizzy, and emotional roller coasters the likes of which are seldom seen, this book takes you by the hand and does not leave one wanting for anything. And in her last words on the very last page she leaves you sitting on the edge of your seat, practically gasping in shock and awe… I have said it before and I will say it again, this amazing Indie author is one of a kind and worth the read every single time! I can’t wait for the next installment in Lorrek’s tale.

Kelly Blanchard can be found at:

Twitter: @Kellanetta

Facebook: Author Kelly Blanchard

Meeting With The Muse

I ventured into the world of FANTASY/HUMOR author, Dave D’Alessio’s, story ‘The Yak Butter Diaries’ to meet his character, Forest, and asked him some questions. In this interview, ‘Kelly’ was written by me, Kelly Blanchard, and ‘Forest’ was written by Dave D’Alessio.

A light snow fell the night before, and for long stretched the prairie was nothing more than a white sheet. It did not snow heavily this far south, and the warmth of the sun rising to the east suggested that the blanket would not last long.

The road was empty. People around here had hunkered down for the winter, living off what they had stored, and what they hunted, and what they could draw from their herds. During the winter here people kept each other warm inside. They had plenty of traveling to do once the spring muds had hardened up, driving their herds north to the great…

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Love these character interviews

Meeting With The Muse

Over the last year or so, I’ve interviewed many of Nan Sampson’s characters. One of those characters was Charlie. If you would like to read the first interview I conducted with him, you can find it on Nan Sampson’s site here: https://nansampsonauthor.com/2015/07/30/an-interactive-character-interview-meet-charlie-mccallum-from-my-ellie-gooden-mystery-series/ . 

In this interview, I was able to catch up with Charlie and see how life was treating him.

Charlie McCallum sat in one of a pair of broad, chintz-covered, wing back chairs in front of the fireplace in the study of the Birches Inn, crossing one leg over the other and vice versa, drumming his fingers on the arm of the chair.  He ran long fingers through his mop of curls, which had grown overlong during his recuperation from his broken leg.  He really needed to find a place in Horizon to get it cut—maybe Per, his new landlord of sorts, could recommend a…

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Meeting With The Muse

I had the opportunity to sit down with Arthur David’s fictional secret agent, Blackmail, from his sci-fi spy thriller novel ‘Agents of the Third Party’. I learned some things about her agency, The Third Party, as well as her own motives to work for them. 

BlackMail sat on a stone bench that was out on her estate. It was still a little crisp outside in New York at this time of year, but not so bad that she felt the need to be inside. Water babbled through a fountain behind her, the sound helping to calm her. Trees surrounded the yard, each flanked by heaters keeping the bats that live there warm throughout the year.

She tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for an interview to start that she shouldn’t be having. The Party didn’t look nicely on anyone that gives out information on them, but she was going…

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Meeting With The Muse

In this interview, I met with sci-fi spy thriller author, Arthur David, to discuss his new book ‘Agents of the Third Party’. This is our meeting. ‘Kelly’ was written by me, Kelly Blanchard, and ‘Arthur’ was written by Arthur David.

Night had come, and Kelly came to the observatory where Arthur David asked her to meet him for the interview. She gazed around at the clear view of the night sky this place offered, and she smiled. It reminded her a lot of home, living in the country with millions of stars overhead every night without the pollution of too much light. She’d never been to an observatory although she always wanted to visit one, so this would be interesting.

Stepping into it, she found the massive chamber empty of people. “Hello?” She called out, and then she passed through, going out back where she found someone looking through a…

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Meeting With The Muse

During this interview, I met with Christy Mann, author of the psychological thriller ‘Death of a Secret’ and got to know more of the author behind the story and what prompted her to write the book. 

Lounging under a shade on a white sandy beach with white wine in hand, Kelly smiled as the ocean wind brushed against her. This fictional setting was a nice escape from the January weather of real life. Her interviewee specifically requested this, including white wine, and Kelly was more than happy to oblige. A waiter even stood nearby to serve them.

“Your guest, madam,” he told her with a bow.

While Kelly had insisted he didn’t need to bow to her, she had given up earlier on and simply settled in for the experience. When she heard what he said, she looked down the pathway leading to her shade, and she smiled, rising to…

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In this interview, I had the privilege to sit down with Nancy A. Nation’s character, Susan, and come to understand her otherworldly adventures as well as hopes she has for her future, especially as…

Source: Character Interview: Nancy A. Nation’s Susan

As usual Kelly’s interview is a great read and brings to the surface another great author!

Meeting With The Muse

I had the pleasure of meeting with sci-fi/urban fantasy author, Nancy A. Nation, to ask her a few questions about her writing and what inspired her series. In this interview, ‘Kelly’ is written by me, Kelly Blanchard, and ‘Nancy’ is written by Nancy A. Nation.

Pushing open the door to the cafe, Kelly looked around, finding it to be a quaint little place. She smiled as she went up to the counter. “Just hot chocolate with whip cream, please. I’m waiting to meet someone.” After chatting a little with the woman behind the counter and coming to learn a bit more about this place, Kelly finally got her order and went to a table in the corner but near the front window. She sat facing the door, so if her interviewee, Nancy A. Nation, came in, she would see her.

After sipping on her drink then deciding to just wait…

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