G.N.A. Publishing░N░e░w░ ░A░u░t░h░o░r░s░ discussion

Archived contents from 'Meet the Author' November 2018.

Theme for November : Fantasy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A warm welcome to our feature of the month.
We meet the Author Ben Cass

Here is an excerpt from his book The Lost Tayamu

Ellie sat on the ground, staring at the creature in front of her. At first glance, it seemed to be a Rottweiler, but it was unlike any Rottweiler she had ever seen. For starters, it was at least the same size as the elephants she’d seen at the zoo, although it looked like it might be even larger than them; its paws were three or four feet in diameter, at a bare minimum. Its head had ducked to pass through the barn doors, while its monstrous body had barely gotten through. The creature was at least twenty feet long from nose to tail, and half as wide.

The glossy black fur gleamed in the sunlight, and the deep brown eyes watched her, filled with intelligence and concern. None of this mattered to Ellie, though. Her attention was locked on the pair of long fangs protruding from its mouth, making it look like a saber-toothed tiger. Ellie couldn’t say anything, and she was shocked when the deep voice came from the animal.

"I’m sorry", it said, sounding contrite. "I tried to warn you."

Ellie struggled to find her words. “What…how…”

“Theonus, what did you do to poor Elowyn?” called Doyle, jogging up from behind, his face contorting in pain. He gave the creature an affectionate pat on its leg and leaned against it, catching his breath, one hand pressed against his ribs.

“Huh?” Ellie looked around, confused. Doyle knelt down and took her hand.

“Just breathe deeply. Look at me. Hey, over here.” He took her chin and turned her head to look at him. “Ignore him. Focus on me.” Without turning his head, Doyle said to Theonus, “Would you please get her something to drink, Theonus?” The giant creature turned and went back into the barn. It returned a moment later with a large bucket of water with a rope handle and a cup attached to it. The rope was tied to a long pole, which was somehow clenched in the massive jaw. “Thanks.” Doyle dipped the cup into the bucket and held it to Ellie’s mouth. “Here, drink this. Slowly, slowly. Don’t rush it.” Ellie sipped, watching as Doyle glanced over at Theonus. “So what happened?” Doyle asked.

Ellie heard the deep voice in her head, responding to Doyle. "She heard my humming and found me and begged to see me."

Doyle frowned slightly. “Hold on….she spoke with you? She can hear you?” He shook his head in what looked like surprise to Ellie. “Damn. That’s unexpected. Well, don’t worry about it, Theonus. She had to meet you sometime.” Doyle eased himself down to the ground, still supporting Ellie. “That’s it. Just relax, Elowyn. Don’t go into shock on me.” He wrapped his arm around her.

Ellie’s eyes went back to Theonus. Although her heart hammered with a mixture of fear and curiosity, she studied the giant creature, taking in everything, including the impossibly apologetic expression on its face. Her hand sought Doyle’s and she gripped it. He squeezed back, which comforted her. Theonus set the water bucket beside Doyle and then settled himself onto his haunches. He lifted his hind leg and scratched vigorously behind his ear.

“What…in the hell… is that?” Ellie had finally found her voice, although she kept it very low. She let go of Doyle’s hand and locked onto his arm, squeezing with all her strength.


Grasshopper Bot (DaisyKing):
A lovely new realm of fantasy for the group. Thanks Ben.

Would you like to tell us what inspired you to write in the first place?

Ben Cass :
I've always created little stories, especially when I was a kid playing with my toys. As I got older and started reading more fantasy and sci-fi, I fell in love with the plethora of possibilities. Alternate universes, magic, fantastic creatures...I love it all, and I decided I wanted to try to create my own.

For this novel (and its series), it all started about 13 years ago. I was feeding my then-infant son when our dog walked in to see if she could "help" him eat. I thought, "Man, if only she was the size of an elephant. I could ride her to work and give Orlando traffic the middle finger."

Thus was born Theonus, the creature you met in the excerpt. I then figured he'd need somebody magical to handle him, and came up with Doyle. The rest of the story fell into place over the next 13 years, and I published the first book in July. The second book, "The Uncrowned Queen", is on its first draft, and I will be completing the final part for NaNoWriMo this month. I hope to have the book finalized and published in January.

Grasshopper Bot (DaisyKing) : That is really interesting to know Ben. Good luck with the next part.

Catherine Habbie :
So Ben, do you have a story collection for little children too?

Ben:
I do not, although I might try my hand at it one day. At the moment, I only write fantasy, typically in the YA/NA range. Now, if I could think of a way to write a fantasy/sci-fi story collection for young kids, I'd be all over it. I'm just not sure I could create something on their level.

Teenagers are easy to write about and write for; I've spent the last 20+ years being surrounded by them all day, every day, 180 days a year. Little kids, though...I wouldn't know where to start! LOL

Grasshopper Bot:
When you read you begin with A,B, C? 🤔🤗

Thanks for answering so promptly Ben.
Group Members , you are encouraged to put in your reviews/ queries too. A little encouragement goes a long way.

Catherine Habbie :I find writing for very young kids, quite challenging too. Although we were all once kids, it is too difficult to think like them anymore.

Ben Cass (bencass) : That's exactly it. Trying to write in a way that puts the reader into the kid's mind is like a foreign concept to me. Teenagers are easy; sure, I haven't been a teen in over 20 years, but I'm around them all day, I'm raising one, and they're all over the place when we go out and about.

It's also hard to think of topics/plots that would appeal to both them and me.

Grasshopper Bot :
Ah! But there are topics that would interest both!
Now, we wouldn't want to encourage that in young readers do we? ;)

Ben Cass :

I've been trying for years to think of a way to write a fantasy series for younger children. Narnia is one of my favorites, but even that is still for older children.

Catherine Habbie : Where there is a will there is a way. I am sure you will think of something. 😊

Grasshopper Bot:
So Ben, with all the teens around you, when is the best time for you to write?
I mean, when are you inspired the most?

message 42: by Ben Nov 04, 2018 06:54AM
Ben Cass (bencass) | 16 comments In this excerpt, we get an explanation about who the Tayamu were.

“You said your future queen disappeared. What happened to her?”

Doyle’s brow furrowed. “There are several theories, but nobody knows for sure. Some think she was murdered. Some think she didn’t want to be the queen and just abandoned us. Others think it was divine punishment for some perceived wrongdoing.”

Ellie tilted her head, studying him. “What do you think?” she asked him.

He scratched his cheek. “I don’t know what to think, to be honest with you. I’ve spent years trying to come up with a logical answer. Still haven’t found one.”

That was a perfectly ambiguous answer, she thought. He didn’t seem willing to say much more, so she changed course.

“So you weren’t really in the military, were you?”

“I was indeed.” Doyle shrugged. “Just not for any country you’re familiar with.” He laughed lightly.

“What is your world like?”

Doyle stared out over the horizon. “In many ways, our Earth is similar to yours. Mainly ocean, with a few large continents. Things don’t look drastically different; we don’t have red grass or pink water or something weird like that. There are some plants and animals that are very different,” he pointed over his shoulder to the barn, “and others that are basically the same. Our technology is virtually non-existent when compared to yours, though we make up for it in other ways. There are several countries, but not as much easy trade as you have here, as they haven’t all developed reliable ways of circumnavigating the planet. There are entire continents about which very little is known.”

“Kind of like Africa was?”

“Exactly. Kiamada itself is a large country, perhaps the size of Australia.” He frowned, thinking. “Actually, Kiamada might be our Australia, now that I think about it. Huh. Weird. Anyway, Kiamada is, or at least was, a peaceful monarchy. There wasn’t as much need for a military as there is over here, but since we had some rather…nasty…neighbors, the royal family had special soldiers—special forces, if you will—who defended the castle and our rulers in the case of an attack. There were some civilian groups who tried to help maintain order in the various villages. Other than that, there were the Tayamu.” He pronounced it “tay-AH-moo”.

“Tayamu?” The word sent a tingle up her spine, although she didn’t know why. “Who are they?”

Doyle let out a breath slowly. “The Tayamu helped to protect the entire world, not just Kiamada, although they’d only ever come from Kiamada, as far as we know.” Doyle tossed the hay to the ground, letting the breeze catch it and spin it away.

“The Tayamu were true masters of all weapons, of all styles of fighting. They knew the medicinal value of every plant in existence. They were thought of as the living avatars of Nature itself, since they could communicate with animals and plants, and call upon the forces of Nature to help them.”

“Call upon the forces of Nature?” Ellie asked. That sounded pretty awesome.

He nodded. “Oh, yes. They all had command over the elements. It was…awe-inspiring to see.”

Ellie smiled at him. “Sounds like people you’d want to have around.”

“They were.” Doyle looked down at the ground, his voice distant.

“Were?” Ellie looked up at him, shading her eyes from the sun. “What happened?”

Doyle was quiet for a few minutes. He stood there, his long shadow covering Ellie. She waited patiently. When it came, Doyle’s voice was tense and strained. “They were slaughtered by the man who claimed the throne after the disappearance of our future queen. He made a pact with a neighboring country, Amielton, which is to the north. In exchange for assistance in dealing with the Tayamu, there would be a joint ruling of Kiamada. There were masters of the dark arts in this other country, men and women who had destructive powers beyond mortal comprehension.” He shook his head. “The powers and talents of the Chiami rivaled the Tayamu. By an unspoken agreement, the two groups usually didn’t confront each other. What’s the phrase your government uses? Mutually-assured destruction?”

Doyle paused, looking into the distance. A slight breeze swirled around them. “The Tayamu were summoned to the castle under the pretense that an invading army was preparing to overwhelm Kiamada. They, and our special forces, answered the call for help. Unfortunately, it was a trick. The Chiami outnumbered the Tayamu and the special forces nearly six to one. We all paid the ultimate price. At least a few members of the special forces managed to escape the slaughter and go into hiding. From my understanding, though, only a single Tayamu managed to survive, and hasn’t been seen or heard from since. Before I left Kiamada, I heard rumors that people held out hope for this lost Tayamu to return, but nothing ever happened.”

reply | delete | flag *
message 43: by Sandra Nov 04, 2018 06:59AM
Sandra Black | 95 comments Thanks

reply | delete | flag *
message 44: by Ben Nov 04, 2018 07:00AM
Ben Cass (bencass) | 16 commentsGrasshopper wrote: "So Ben, with all the teens around you, when is the best time for you to write?
I mean, when are you inspired the most?"

I write when I can. Since I left the classroom, I have a lot more free time, both during the day and when I get home. I'll write some at work if I have quiet time, and I'll write some at home, usually on weekends or when we're watching hockey. (Go Panthers!)

I sometimes go weeks without writing, either because I'm not in the mood or my brain just doesn't want to cooperate. My longest stretch without writing was around 3 years. I was just too tired from teaching high school math to even think about writing. Unlike some writers, I don't feel guilty or bad if I'm not writing. I just don't worry about it. The words will come when they're ready, and there's nothing we can do to make it happen faster.

When I'm on summer break, I do most of my writing between midnight and 4 am, because I'm a night owl, and prefer to go to bed around 4 in the morning. Since my family is sound asleep, there's nothing to disturb me.

reply | delete | flag *
message 45: by Ben Nov 04, 2018 07:16AM
Ben Cass (bencass) | 16 commentsSandra wrote: "Any tips for aspiring authors?"

I know this wasn't aimed at me, but I thought I'd give an answer anyway. (It's an educator thing!)

First thing I would say is to stop using the word "aspiring". I saw a post on Twitter months ago that basically said, "You're not 'aspiring'. You're just not published." That hit home, and I removed the word "aspiring" from my Twitter profile. If you write stories of any kind, you're an author. There's nothing "aspiring" about it. Publication is not the determining factor in whether or not you're a writer.

Another tip echoes what I said in my previous post. The words will come when they're ready. If you're suffering from writer's block--and God knows I have!--don't obsess over it. Don't try to force the words to flow. They won't. Just do other things. Try to think up new, unrelated stories. I often see things happen and think, "Huh. That would be a cool scene in a book." I'll then start constructing a story with new characters, and suddenly realize I don't need a NEW story; I just need to work it into my existing one.

I have both my Kiamada series and another series, the Phoenix, that I'm working on. The Phoenix series is giving me a much harder time right now, so I'm pretty much leaving it alone until I finish this story arc in Kiamada. (Might be 2 books, might be 3. We'll see.) I was having a devil of a time creating interesting secondary characters for the Phoenix story. They just weren't meshing with the main characters. I realized that I'd created some characters in yet another story, and while that story wasn't working out at all, those two characters would be perfect in the Phoenix, so I moved them over. BOOM! Instant chemistry!

So, if you're struggling with something in your WIP, the answer might be in something unrelated you've already written.

The last tip I can think of right now is don't be afraid to write things you don't personally believe or agree with. I'm a teetotaler, but I know that most people aren't, so I write scenes with my characters having a glass of wine or a beer. I'm personally against premarital sex, but I'm in the minority there, so I used it in my story. (It's simply used as a minor plot point for an open conversation between the two sisters, but it sets up a bigger world-building moment.) If you want your story to be believable, you need to have different thoughts and beliefs and actions represented, and it needs to be done respectfully.

reply | delete | flag *
message 46: by Sandra Nov 04, 2018 07:23AM
Sandra Black | 95 comments Whew! That is profound wisdom indeed. It is inspiring and I am no more aspiring! 😊 Thanks again Ben.

reply | delete | flag *
message 47: by Grasshopper, Moderator Nov 04, 2018 07:29AM
Grasshopper Bot (DaisyKing) | 543 comments
Mod
Nice to see the discussion catching up. Interesting thoughts out there. And yes, a quiet time is ideal and conducive to quality work .

reply | edit | delete | flag *
message 48: by Stormy Nov 04, 2018 03:19PM
Stormy Summers | 12 commentsBen wrote: "Grasshopper wrote: "Ah! But there are topics that would interest both!
Now, we wouldn't want to encourage that in young readers do we? ;)"

I've been trying for years to think of a way to write a f..."

I wrote one that I intended for younger kids, Magi Trixie and the Crystal Witch, but it ended up being a favorite of many of my adult friends. as well as of their children. You just never know who will like your writing, but I plan to write more about the little darling when I get time.

reply | delete | flag *
message 49: by Grasshopper, Moderator Nov 04, 2018 11:01PM
Grasshopper Bot (DaisyKing) | 543 comments
Mod
Good idea Stormy

reply | edit | delete | flag *
message 50: by Grasshopper, Moderator (last edited Nov 10, 2018 07:24AM) Nov 09, 2018 10:29PM
Grasshopper Bot (DaisyKing) | 543 comments
Mod
#######Announcement########
_______________________
One lucky winner stands to win a free ebook from Ben Cass
Answer the questions posted in a quiz every week. The person with the highest number of correct answers will be declared the winner at the end of this month.

Grasshopper Bot:
Over to you Ben!

Ben Cass : Thanks, Grasshopper! I'll get the first question posted later today. For now, here's another excerpt from the book. It's a contemporary fantasy, and I like to focus as much--or more--on friendships and relationships as I do on the fantasy aspects. I personally feel that if I'm not invested in the characters' relationships and personalities, then I have no reason to care about what happens to them. This scene takes place prior to the previous excerpts.




“Hey now, there’s no amusement in gym class!” Doyle’s voice cut through the noise. He was somehow standing right behind them, their heads not even to his shoulders, and none of them had seen or heard him approach.

How in the hell does he do that?

He nodded to the twins. “Abby. Olivia.”

Abby pointed at herself. “Coach, I’m Olivia. She’s Abby.” She smiled sweetly. “It happens a lot, so it’s okay. You’ll learn eventually.”

Doyle snorted. “Nice try, short stuff, but you’re not Olivia.”

Abby crossed her arms, clearly skeptical. “Really? You’ve had us for a few days and you can already tell us apart?”

“Pretty much, yeah. Barely took me five seconds to figure it out. I’ve had more difficult challenges opening a childproof aspirin bottle. Go line up for roll, will you?” Doyle looked bored.

“Prove it,” Olivia challenged him. “Close your eyes and spin around.”

Doyle sighed. “It’ll take more than that to fool me, but if it’ll shut you up, why not?” He started to cover his eyes with his hands, but Abby stopped him.

“Hang on, coach,” she said. “Gotta make sure you can’t peek.”

“That’s insulting,” Doyle said, but shrugged. “What do you want me to do?“

Abby started to pull her shirt off, but Doyle stopped her, his eyes wide. “Whoa! Hey! No stripping in class!”

“Coach!” one of the guys yelled in dismay. “C’mon, man!”

Abby dropped her hands from her shirt. “Dream on, guys,” she yelled back. “Out of your league!” She looked at Doyle, tapping her cheek with her finger. “You’re wearing two shirts, Coach. Take one off and hand it to me.”

Doyle shrugged and pulled his black shirt off, revealing a skin-tight white shirt beneath. Ellie’s breath caught in her throat and she fought not to stare. He handed the shirt to Abby. She crooked a finger, and Doyle leaned way over, his giant frame nearly bent in half. Abby wrapped her shirt around his eyes and tied it in place. “Perfect,” she said, checking to make sure it was secure.

“Can I start?” he asked.

“Yes,” Olivia said. “Whenever you’re ready, Coach. We’ll tell you when to stop.” Doyle began spinning in place, moving quicker and quicker. Ellie stared in awe; it was like watching an ice skater spin in place, except it was on a gymnasium floor. In sneakers.

Abby and Olivia, meanwhile, quickly switched positions several times, finally ending up standing opposite from each other, on different sides of Doyle. They even removed their different-colored scrunchies from their hair, letting their red locks flow free.
“Ready whenever you are, Coach,” said Olivia. They quietly switched places again as she finished speaking. After about another minute, Doyle stopped spinning. Without removing the shirt, he pointed directly at Olivia.

“Olivia.” He then pointed at Abby. “Abby.” He leaned down, pulling off the makeshift blindfold and handing it back to a wide-mouthed Abby, and calmly said, “Now get lined up for roll call. You can keep that as a souvenir, if you like.”

Ben Cass: As Grasshopper mentioned, we'll do a giveaway at the end of the month for the most correct answers. The questions will be based on excerpts posted. We'll start off with a super-easy one.

Aside from his massive size, what physical characteristic of Theonus did Ellie's attention focus on?

A. His paws
B. His saber-tooth fangs
C. His horrible breath

Catherine Habbie: My answer: B- His saber - tooth fangs.


Grasshopper Bot :
Is it A- His Paws?

Sandra Black : B-His saber-tooth fangs

Graham Jones: C- Bad breath?

Shanna Swenson: B- his fangs ;-)

Shanna Swenson: Or is it a saber? Not saber fangs... hmmm

Zuzu Lu: His saber-tooth fangs

Some how missed this discussion :( Fun to meet the author's!

Ben Cass :Thank you to those who participated in the first round of questions. The answer was B, his fangs.

For our second question, we'll use the excerpt I posted in this thread. (Because my brain stopped working and I put it in the wrong thread. Whoops!)

Another easy one. Doyle reveals to Ellie that Kiamada's queen never took the throne. What happened to her?

A. She was murdered.
B. She was kidnapped.
C. She didn't want the throne.
D. Nobody knows what happened to her.

Grasshopper Bot:
Is it D?

Catherine Habbie: D- Nobody knows what happened to her

Graham Jones: C- She didn't want the throne

Shanna Swenson: B. She was kidnapped!!!!

Zuzu Lu: D- Nobody knows.

Ben Cass: And the answer to the second question was D, Nobody know for sure.

One final question about our excerpts to wrap this up.

Abby and Olivia (who still have no last name! Gotta think of one!) are identical twins. Most people still can't tell them apart, but Doyle tells them it took him only this long to figure out the difference:

A. A week

B. A day

C. 10 minutes

D. 5 seconds

Catherine:
D. 5 seconds

Sandra Black : D 5 seconds

Grasshopper Bot:
Oh did I forget to answer this myself?Oops.😅

Is it D- 5 seconds?

Grasshopper Bot: A big thanks to Author Ben Cass for his innovative quiz.
This month has been very entertaining indeed.
Winners will be announced by Ben shortly.

In December, we feature Author Catherine Habbie. Everyone is welcome to join in the interactive session.

Catherine Habbie : Thanks Grasshopper. I shall post my excerpt and quiz shortly.

Ben Cass: We have a tie between Catherine Habbie and Zuzu Lu!

I have my book in both epub and Kindle format, so just send me a PM with your email address and I'll get it out to you!

Thanks for a fun month! I wish I could have posted more, but work got REALLY busy a few weeks ago.

Zuzu Lu: Oh, nice :) Thank you!

Catherine Habbie: Hurray! I win too. Thanks Ben.