Interview With Ian Thomas Malone

Ian Thomas Malone
A Trip Down Reality Lane

Goodreads Description: 

College life can be tough…
For a junior pursuing a degree in English with no plans for his future, living in the present is far better than the alternative.
One morning he wakes up and embarks on an acid trip to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts with two of his friends.
A step outside reality might be the best way to come back down to earth…
Along the way, the three friends discover what matters most to them, and more importantly, that life is not so much about answers as it is about the exploration of the questions.When the real world doesn't quite cut it, take a journey down the rabbit hole.

Interview 

1. Hello, Can you tell us more about your book please?

A Trip Down Reality Lane is a psychedelic coming of age story about a boy who explores what his purpose in life might be while he’s on an acid trip with two of his friends.

2. Out of all the characters, who was the most fun to write and why?

James. He isn’t the main character, but he supplies much of the comedic relief. His scenes were the most fun to write.

3. How did you come up with the idea of the book?

I wanted to do something that was both completely absurd and deeply philosophical. An adventure story about acid and youthful indecisiveness felt like a match made in heaven.

4. What tips would you give to any of my readers who are aspiring to be authors?

Perseverance is everything. Writing a book is a marathon, not a sprint. You need determination more than anything else. Well, maybe not more than tea. I can’t write without tea. Once you finish the manuscript, you can work out the kinks. Unless you’re writing erotica, then you probably want to keep the kinks in.

5. What projects do you have planned for the next year?

I have two more releases on the docket so far and have a lot in the works. My next book, Five More College Dialogues is coming out next month, which is very exciting. I also have a play titled Dead Batteries Tell No Tales coming out sometime in the summer. I just finished the first draft of another manuscript. Things are pretty busy.

6. If you were on a desert island which 3 book characters from any series would you want with you?

Gandalf the Grey so he could call his eagles to come pick us up off the island. Also Kilgore Trout and Tyrion Lannister so I could watch them debate each other.

7. What is your favourite childhood book and why?

Without a doubt, Winnie the Pooh. Those stories have values in them that anyone can appreciate. I still enjoy a good Pooh adventure.

8. What inspired you to become an author? 

I’ve told stories all my life and have been writing online since I was eleven. You do what you love. I love writing.

9. What do you like to do in your free time?

I like to read, swim, and practice yoga. I’m a certified yoga teacher. Beyond that, I like to spend way too much time in coffee shops chatting.

10. What inspired your book cover and what do you love most about it?

I think the cover perfectly captures the essence of the book. It was one of those rare instances where something turns out exactly as you wanted it. I love every bit of it. 

Buy it on Amazon Here

Interview With Tig Carson

Tig Carson

A Space Story:

The Journal of a Bald Little Alien Named Dean Kilmer

Goodreads Description: 

When a bald little alien named Dean
goes in search of Earth, he's shocked
to discover he's not the only one
looking for a way there.

Follow Dean as he befriends the most feared creature in the galaxy, gets hunted by killer monsters, reveals ancient mysteries, and eats way too much fake bacon.

Interview 

1. Hello, Can you tell us more about your book please?
My book is about a bald little alien named Dean who heads out in search of Earth, but is shocked to discover he's not the only one looking for a way there. Dean befriends the most feared creature in the galaxy, gets hunted by killer monsters, reveals ancient mysteries, and eats way too much fake bacon. The book itself is actually Deans journal. He uses it to document his adventures, and make some rough sketches along the way.
 
2. Out of all the characters, who was the most fun to write and why?
My favorite character to write was Rusty the Robot. He is a billion+ robot with a tricycle for a lower body. I loved writing his dialogue because he is both childlike and, because of his age, very wise. It was a lot of fun getting inside his head. He's the robotic friend I would have loved to have as a child. :)


3. How did you come up with the idea of the book?
I came up with the idea for the book years ago, when I worked as a projectionist at a movie theater. I would spend hours a day sitting in a dark room with not much more to do than start and stop movies. Eventually I got to creating a story about a little alien who becomes obsessed with Earth culture, and decides he wants to visit our planet. From there, it just spiraled into the book it is now.
4. What tips would you give to any of my readers who are aspiring to be authors?
The tips that helped me most when I started out (and to this very day) are  - Write every day, even when you don't feel like writing. Even if it's only a sentence. Writing is a skill that need to be exercised, just like an athlete. And, the other is - Write to entertain yourself. Write the stories that YOU would enjoy reading. Don't copy other writers, just be you, and the rest will fall into place.
 
5. What projects do you have planned for the next year?
I am close to finishing the second book in the 'A SPACE STORY' series. Then, I want to start on a coming of age story I been bouncing around for years. It follows a group of kids living in the Pine Barrens of NJ in the early 1980's.
 
6. If you were on a desert island which 3 book characters from any series would you want with you?
Gandalf the Grey (he would be more fun than the White.. HA!) , Ford Prefect (from 'The Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy'), and Mike Callahan (the bartender from 'Callahan's Crosstime Saloon Series' by Spider Robinson)

7. What is your favourite childhood book and why?

My favorite childhood book is 'Where the Sidewalk Ends' by Shel Silverstein. I still remember the day I discovered it on the low bookshelf of my elem school library. It was the first book (I know, it's more of a collection of strange poems) that I couldn't put down. It was an eye opening experience for me at the time, and was the first book that made me laugh and creeped me out at the same time.

8. What inspired you to become an author?

I sat and thought about this just the other day. I always loved making up stories since I was a small boy. But to be honest, I think the two main driving forces in going from making up stories to writing them down was being bullied and boredom. Writing helped me to escape the boredom and chaos that is part of childhood. It was a place to run off to for a small clip of time. Sort of the same reason we read books or watch movies I suppose. It's my own little world where I can be whatever I want to be.

9. What do you like to do in your free time?

I spend most of my free time hanging with friends and family, playing board games ('Catan' and 'Munchkin' most recently) and watching tons of British shows. When the weather gets warm again, I like to just be outside in general. Biking, hiking, trying to grow veggies in a garden.... to no avail.

10. What inspired your book cover and what do you love most about it?
My book cover was inspired by two things. Since the book is suppose to be a journal, I wanted it to resemble one as much as possible. So me and a friend spent some time trying to find the perfect look. I wanted it to look like it has been through a lot. Beat up, burnt, shot at, left out in the rain. I feel like we did a good job with that. The symbol on the front was added to add a little mystery to what's inside.

Interview Special - Michael Obiora

Michael Obiora

Vivian's Couch (Prequel to Black Shoes)

Buy his book on Amazon HERE For only £1.99 on Kindle

Goodreads Description of the Book:

Kieran Ledley is the world’s most expensive football player, he is also one half of glamour couple “Kier-rissa,” and his step-brother is about to be released from prison.

Freddie Abani is the MP for Woundham, who was touted as London’s potential first black Mayor - until the summer riots.

Rupal Advani is a former policewoman and is now a marijuana addict.

Gemma and her struggling filmmaker husband Pete Newman, are trying to save their marriage.

Vivian Moses is a therapist, and they all have her in common.

Vivian’s Couch is the prequel to Michael Obiora’s 2009 debut Black Shoes.

 

10 Question Interview

1. Hello, Can you tell us more about your book please?

Vivian's Couch is about five main characters who all have a therapist in common - Vivian. We have the world's most expensive football player - who's step-brother is about to be released from prison, we have a former policewoman who quit the force due to racism and sexism, and who is now a marijuana addict. An MP who is being touted as London's potential first black mayor - until the summer riots of 2011. And finally we have a couple - Gemma and her filmmaker husband, Pete - whose marriage is in serious trouble mainly due to Pete's once stellar career nosediving.
I deliberately chose people from different backgrounds, and from different walks of life to have Vivian as the tie that binds them because I wanted to show that no matter what we look like, how much money we earn, or what status we have, we can all have problems. No matter how different we seem on the surface, no matter how much somebody can appear to "have it all", sometimes we could all do with a little help. There are of course sub-plots and other characters to keep the story moving, and (hopefully) entertaining.

2. Out of all the characters, who was the most fun to write and why?

The most fun character to write was Rupal (the former police woman) because she is very outspoken. She makes an appearance in my debut novel, Black Shoes: Reality Check, and I made a little note to myself to attempt to explore her more in the future.

3. How did you come up with the idea for the book?

Without giving too much away there's a ransom/kidnap plot in the story, and this involves the football player character, Kieran. This was inspired by a good friend of mine (who is a top sports athlete) who, over lunch, was telling me about how certain sports stars pay protection money to certain underworld organizations. Although this isn't necessarily the main theme of the book I was completely taken aback, and captivated by what he told me. So I filed that away in my brain and concentrated on a challenge I'd set for myself of writing a story with a female protagonist - Vivian. I thought it would be a challenge (and it was!) because I find it easier to write through a character - as in through their eyes. But as a male I know that I don't necessarily see the world the same way that a woman does. Honestly, I really enjoyed the challenge and the experience, and I have a feeling I will create more female characters in the future.

4. What tips would you give to any of my readers who would like to be authors? 

I really don't feel I'm in the position to give advice to aspiring writers. But what I've found helpful is reading books from all sorts of genres. I like to think I'm an open-minded person, and this has helped me as an actor and a writer.

5. What projects have you got planned for the next year? 

I'm in a new eleven-part crime thriller called Fortitude. It's coming to Sky Atlantic (UK) and Pivot (US) on January 29th. It has an amazing cast - Stanley Tucci, Michael Gambon, Sofia Garbol and soooo many more. We spent six months filming it in Iceland last year, and it was one of the best experiences I've ever had. I've also been putting together a book of poetry that I'll possibly publish this year, and I've got an idea for another book - this one will be set in Nollywood (Nigeria's Hollywood).

6. If you were on a desert island which 3 characters from any book series would you want with you? 
I'm one of the few people who isn't too well versed in the YA world - please don't kill me! But if you were to ask me which computer game characters from the mid to late nineties I could give you a long list! But my favourite fictional character in the book world is Alex Cross, he's intelligent, he's cool, and he'd have my back on a desert island!

7. What is your favourite childhood book and why? 
Growing up I didn't really read children's books - thank goodness I write now because that could potentially be worrying - a kid who likes to read but only "serious" books! Right now, the children's story that I can recall striking a chord with me was the Hare and the Tortoise - I was actually upset that the hare lost the race! While my classmates were rooting for the tortoise, I was thinking "come on man, don't be complacent!". So from then on, at every sports day race I'd give it my all until well past the finish line!

8. What inspired you to become and author? 
Stories are incredibly important, especially in book form, as far as I'm concerned. Reading encourages one to use their imagination. I find good book's inspiring, and I wanted to try my hand at creating world's, and telling stories featuring diverse characters - that's very important to me, challenging stereotypes. This is what inspired me to become a writer.

9. What do you like to do in your free time? 
I like reading, of course! Exercising, and watching Arsenal frustrate me. But most of all I love traveling, binge watching TV box-sets, and fine dining with my wife.

10. What inspired your book cover and what do you like most about it? 
There is also a big tabloid theme in my book - I'm very interested (and was once very annoyed!) in people's fascination with celebrity culture. I also thought it would be interesting to show lies juxtaposed with the truth, running parallel in the story. The newspaper cut-out font was a nod to this. There may be a murder or two, three... four... in the book. Just teasing! But I used to be freaked out whenever I saw the hands of a stalker or murderer sticking newspaper font onto a piece of paper to send out a chilling message. So I wanted to include that in the cover to represent the disturbed - the disturbing infatuation with celebrity culture, also some of the disturbing things that happen in the book. I also always like to leave things open to interpretation, this is where the white background comes in - a blank canvass for readers to maybe look at in a different way when they get to the end of the story. And I was quite good at art at school and realized that I hadn't actually drawn anything in years! So one day I was staring into space with writers block and started doodling with my pen, and within minutes I had drawn a couch! I really liked it and decided I was going to incorporate it into my front cover.

About Michael

Actor Michael Obiora (Hotel Babylon, Casualty, Judge John Deed, My Family, Misfits & Doctor Who) has just released his latest novel “Vivian’s Couch”.

Vivian's Couch is the long-awaited prequel to Michael’s 2009 debut novel Black Shoes, and is now available from Amazon US and Amazon UK

Michael tells us a little bit about why he wrote it:

“As an actor I’m very interested in human behaviour and the motivation for ones’ actions. I find it fascinating how we can all seem so different on the surface, but I’m even more fascinated by how similar we can be when we dig a little deeper.

I wanted to find a way to incorporate these themes into a hopefully insightful story and show how people from every walk of life can experience chaos, identity issues, betrayal, depression, and insecurities.

I also wanted wanted to write another book that reflects the diversity of my home city – London. This diversity is something I really appreciate, especially since I have spent time in other cities in the UK, where I have experienced very little diversity. And that’s not a criticism, just an observation, and something I guess I was surprised by.”

Michael's Website  / Kindle, Amazon UK / Kindle, Amazon US / Follow Michael on Twitter