Republishing this piece in honor of the 20th Anniversary of the western drama, Open Range. (I was reminded of this by a fellow blogger! How time flies!)
First of all, I want to say I adored Uncle Lauran. I just had no idea…
Recently, someone asked on social media about using different pen names for different genres. My first reaction was that a name is the most important aspect of a writer and should sell the author, regardless of the genre. It’s hard to imagine using multiple pen names and struggling to brand each one for different genres. I already have a hard enough time branding my single pen name. Of course, I’m self-published in today’s world. Back in my uncle’s day… sigh… oh, to be a writer when people actually visited libraries.
But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it’s not a new question. Writers have used multiple pen names to differentiate their stories and guide readers toward specific genres for ages.
Then, I had a ‘slap my forehead’ moment when I realized that one of the most amazing and prolific writers of the twentieth century, who had mastered this concept, was my very own uncle, Lauran Paine, a man who, like so many of us, struggled to get published, found his niche, and launched a career that resulted in over 1000 books! Yes, that’s three zeros, folks!
Here’s what People Magazine said about Uncle Lauran:
Ernest Hemingway—Lauran Paine can outwrite you! Franz Kafka—Lauran Paine can outwrite you! Count Leo Tolstoy—you too! Lauran Paine can outwrite all you pretty-boy novelists put together!
Uncle Lauran was listed in the ‘Guinness Book of World Records’ as the world’s most prolific living author for many years. The first thing I asked to see during my visit was a copy of that publication. I already loved the fun facts in the Guinness Book, and having an uncle’s accomplishments listed alongside records like the tallest man ever recorded, the shortest woman, and the largest living cat… well, that was the best.
At the time, I didn’t think to link that to what it meant to have so many of your own books on a shelf. They covered an entire wall! And that’s the crux of my musings today: he used over 70 pseudonyms, both male and female, depending on the market.
I’m not sure why I haven’t given Uncle Lauran’s writing more thought since I became a writer. My Dad shares a story about him every time I talk about my writing (which results in a lot of stories… hmmm…), and I love hearing them. But it wasn’t until today that I realized how amazing he was in his chosen profession, and I started remembering how he shared his experiences.
I loved listening to them back then. Today, as a writer, those conversations mean even more.
Memories are funny things. I’m sure you’ve had that moment when a single thought opens the floodgates. Uncle Lauran married my Aunt Mona in 1982. She was his favorite research librarian at the Siskiyou County Library (actually, more like the only research librarian). It was a late romance made in heaven. All the memories started playing like a film reel—the holidays at the cozy A-Frame in the mountains. Uncle Lauran, scaring off a huge bear that came to visit at the back porch one Thanksgiving, and his office full of his own books in the stone-lined basement built into the hill under the house.
So, I had to share. Because now that I am a writer and have taken another look at his body of work, I am floored. I would love the opportunity to go back in time and learn more about how he achieved it. He was a rock star! I appreciate much more now what he accomplished by sitting down and writing every day with a set schedule.
Books were his bread and butter. He wrote full-time from 1948 (though he started writing in 1934) until just before he died in 2001. He always talked about having a formula. If you master the formula, you can write anything consistently. Mr. Friedman of People Magazine captured the formula best in Uncle Lauran’s interview.
Keep in mind, he was a genuine cowboy from a much earlier era…
Paine churns out more than oaters. “After a while,” he says, “I get bow-legged with all these Westerns.” He’s done history, science fiction, mystery and romance. “Romances are the easiest thing in the world to write,” says Paine, “if you can stomach them.” In conquering his digestion, Paine must also come to grips with a problem all fiction writers wrestle with: empathy. “I don’t know much about women,” he admits. “But what man does? They’re emotional creatures.” So Paine has devised a formula to probe the depths of female psychology. “They want him, they don’t, they don’t know. By that time, you’re on page 251.”
Uncle Lauran really said that about the formula! He said it to me numerous times to convince me I could write. I guess I did have aspirations back then. Hmmm.
U.K. Writer Ben Bridges does a beautiful job of highlighting Uncle Lauran’s career. You can find his article here. I love what he has to say about the pen names:
When the paperback market began to dry up in the 1960s, however, Paine adopted several new pseudonyms and began turning out westerns primarily for Robert Hale, its subsidiary John Gresham and the then-buoyant library market. Now, in addition to Mark Carrel, he could also be found masquerading as Clay Allen, A A Andrews, Dennis Archer, John Armour, Carter Ashby, Harry Beck, Will Benton, Frank Bosworth, Concho Bradley, Claude Cassady, Clint Custer, James Glenn, Will Houston, Troy Howard, Cliff Ketchum, Clint O’Conner and Buck Standish, among many others. Additionally, he published scores of crime, science fiction and romance novels (virtually all issued by Hale or Gresham), but later admitted that thrillers and SF required more thought, time and planning to make them work.
Mr. Bridges, also published by Robert Hale, has an impressive body of work himself under his own variety of pen names. I discovered another author I need to study and read!
My favorite part of Uncle Lauran’s story was how long it took him to find his niche, which didn’t happen until he got advice from his publisher to write what he knows. He was a cowboy, a stuntman, he owned cattle. He said he had the scars to prove it. He wrote what he knew and he gave his readers tons of it. He used to tell us some of his Hollywood stories about the times he hung out on the lot of the Lone Ranger. He was friends with Jay Silverheels, who was the legendary Tonto. That’s just a sample.
Two movies were made from Uncle Lauran’s stories: 1957’s ‘The Quiet Gun,’ inspired by Lawman, and 2003’s ‘Open Range,’ based on The ‘Open Range Men,’ produced by Kevin Costner and starring Kevin Costner, Robert Duvall, Annette Bening, Michael Gambon, and Michael Jeter. It’s an amazing movie and does justice to the original story. My aunt managed Uncle Lauran’s works after his passing, working closely with Lauran Paine, Jr., and put in a lot of effort with Mr. Costner to bring her husband’s story to the big screen. She attended the premiere.
This story became…This story.I adore the old coversUncle Lauran picked this one for me because it is a beautiful western romance. I’d have to argue that he understood women despite his glib formula litany. I loved it.
Uncle Lauran didn’t just crank out serial fiction, but he also created an impressive, wide-ranging body of nonfiction. He brought this book to my Dad’s house during one of my visits, and I stayed up all night reading it. It’s enjoyable to discover these out-of-print books for sale from interesting booksellers. This particular one is listed by Common Crow Used & Rare Books.
Though I didn’t get a chance to thank Uncle Lauran for planting those seeds to tell a story when I was in my twenties, I hope he appreciated my fascination with all that he was and achieved, nonetheless.
This month, we get to chat with a fellow Nevada author I met at the Virginia City Writing Retreat. Sue and I enjoyed a great conversation over breakfast on the last morning about her career in education and her insights into the minds of young people, which she features in her writing. I’m glad to have the opportunity to learn more about her life as a writer and her works.
Let’s Meet the Author
Sue is a connoisseur of pretzels (the sourdough kind), a maker of killer banana bread (thank you, Joanna Gaines!), a pilates aficionado, and a writer! She loves writing fantasy fiction for all age groups—time travel, reincarnation, soul switching, and science fiction.
If you searched her pants pockets, you are apt to find a doggie poop bag, tissues, and a breath mint. She’s a proud mama to two amazing adult children and five equally amazing grandchildren!
Let’s Get Started
Thank you so much for visiting today, Sue. Your books are incredibly engaging, drawing us into thought-provoking worlds where teenagers face life’s toughest choices or encounter tragedy, often through a supernatural lens. Can you discuss how you began writing novels and what inspired your first story?
SCD: As many authors do, I’ve been writing or dreaming about writing since I was small. My first published novel, A SLOW CLIMB UP THE MOUNTAIN, was loosely based on my time as a principal in a small rural town. I began writing speculative fiction with SUPPRESSED. I found after I wrote that book that I really liked writing about reincarnation, time travel, and soul swapping.
Where do you find your amazing story ideas?
SCD: Story ideas are all around me. It might be a tidbit from the internet, the newspaper, an article I read in a science magazine, to looking at pictures in National Geographic.
Along the lines of inspiration, who or what was your biggest influence in becoming a fiction writer?
SCD: My high school English teacher encouraged me to continue writing. Then, a Literary Agent believed in my work. When I entered my, at the time, unpublished novel, S.O.S., in a contest and took first place, I really took off. Winning that award gave me confidence in myself as an author.
DLL: Wonderful, Sue. Thanks for sharing that.
What are your favorite themes to explore in your stories? And I’ll throw a tougher one in here. Which character did you enjoy writing most and why? Don’t worry if there’s more than one or if the answer is all of them. Feel free to elaborate.
SCD: I think my favorite character was Cat in CAT-ASTROPHIC. She was a complex and weird girl who didn’t fit in at school, yet she had a connection with the minister’s son, Nick. She argued they were once lovers during WWII. Now, I think you see the conflict in that revelation.
DLL: Another fun world to dive into.
You recently released the third installment in your ‘Land, Sea, and Air’ series. What a fascinating time-traveling premise. Can you give us a glimpse into the story and characters?
SCD: The third book is entitled MORSE CODE. I had names floating around in my brain–Dashiell and Dorothy–Dash and Dot. Thus, the Morse Code twins were conceived as the stars of that book. My cover designer even put …- – – … on the cover (SOS). It was a fun book to write because the protagonists from books 1 and 2 joined Dot and Dash in Guatemala.
DLL: Wonderful. Thank you!
In building your author platform, what have you found to be the most valuable connections and resources for an independent writer?
SCD: At every opportunity, I share the highlights about my books and keep a stack of business cards with me. In fact, earlier this week, I had the carpets cleaned, told him about my books, and sent one home for his kids.
DLL: I can relate. I also keep cards handy for those conversations.
How important is it to engage with your local community? What can you share about building an online presence? Can you tell us about your story awards and the organizations behind them?
SCD: I do as many local author events as my schedule allows, but I’ve also done book signings in MI and WA. It’s true—I’ve won a variety of awards, some more prestigious than others, but they are all “stamps of approval.” Probably, The Chanticleer Reviews has opened many doors for me. While they are small, they have a dedicated team to determine who gets what award. I highly recommend them, and also The Golden Wizard Book Prize awards for those who write for middle grade and under.
DLL: Thanks for sharing these.
What are your best tips and techniques for keeping your creative juices flowing and staying productive while balancing your writer’s life with everyday living?
SCD: Read a lot and read outside your normal genre and comfort zone. Although I’m not a huge Horror fan, there are story ideas or nuggets galore in them.
You recently returned from an overseas trip. I’d love to hear about your adventures and how traveling fits into your writer’s life.
SCD: I just returned from Greece and a screenwriter’s conference and workshop. Before the conference, I wrote my first screenplay, and it was a huge learning curve for me (and I’m still learning). But I think all those ‘out of the box’ events only strengthen us as writers.
DLL: And what a fabulous place to go for a learning curve!
What’s on the horizon for you, Sue, and where can we follow you to stay updated?
SCD: I’m hoping to win another award from Chanticleer for MORSE CODE. The first two books (SOS and MAYDAY) in the series took first place in ‘The Gertrude Warner Adventure’ category. I want to continue to learn about screenwriting and eventually turn many of my books into scripts.
DLL: Fantastic! I wish you the best in that endeavor. You can stay in touch with Sue via her website and Facebook Page.
Thank you so much for dropping by. It’s been a blast. Do you have any parting words of advice for aspiring writers?
Writers need to be readers. Write and read every day, even if it’s just a couple of sentences. Eventually, all those sentences make a paragraph, then a page, a chapter, and voilà, you’ve got a book.
Wow! Today I get to be a fangirl! And even better, I get to share that experience right here. Follow along as I chat with Grace Draven, USA Today Bestselling Author, and creator of the most gorgeous sweeping, romantic epic fantasy stories I truly believe should be on everyone’s reading list.
With Mr. Draven
I prepared for our chat by poring over reviews of the first story I read, Radiance. To me, this was the perfect book by Ms. Draven to start with because it renewed my love of epic romance and set me on the path to romance writing in fantasy settings.
Though I searched and searched, my 2020 Radiance review has been buried by the masses. So, I went to BookBub and found my much briefer review. I admit I updated it on the spot. Since I’ve become a writer, my reviews now come with that extra perspective, so why not take the opportunity to stamp an old reader review with a new reader/writer appreciation?
Friends to lovers is the most powerful kind of romance in my book, and Ms. Draven is a master. Here, the author takes two beings from opposing worlds who would not have chosen each other but for an arranged marriage, and then crafts a riveting story of a powerful bond that is utterly unique, inspiring, and heart-pounding all the way through. Each character was compelling. Their respect for each other sets in from the beginning, which is a great place for a budding romance if done right, and Ms. Draven does it right. And this is all on top of crafting a masterful fantasy world. It’s the hallmark of Ms. Draven’s writing and why I keep reading her stories.
Let’s meet the author
Grace Draven is a Louisiana native living in Texas with her husband, kids and a big, doofus dog. She has loved storytelling since forever and is a fan of the fictional bad boy. She is the winner of the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice for Best Fantasy Romance of 2014 and 2016, and a USA Today Bestselling author.
I found a few other nuggets about Ms. Draven on Goodreads where she tells us she has “lived in Spain, hiked the Teton Mountains, honeymooned in Scotland, ridden in competition rodeo and [is] the great great granddaughter of a Nicaraguan president.”
Let’s get Started
Thank you for joining me on my Spotlight, Grace! I can’t tell you what a thrill it was for me the day you responded to my request for a Q&A. This is without question the highlight of my 2023 year in writing, blogging, and interviewing, and I’m so excited for this opportunity to ask questions of a favorite bestselling author.
After all that (and I am sorry about the gushing, but I can’t help myself)… I sit here with my fingers hovering over the keyboard. Where do I start? Hmmm. Well, here goes.
My most burning questions are where do you get your ideas for such unique and compelling settings and characters? And how do you go about creating such richly layered fantasy worlds? Yikes! That’s a big request, I know, and thanks for giving it a shot.
GD. Aww, thank you so much for reaching out and including me in the list of those authors you’ve interviewed so far. There are lots of us swimming in this pond, so I appreciate the invitation to chat.
I suspect I get my ideas for stories from the same varied sources every other author uses to build worlds and characters. Memories of favorite poetry quotes, something I’ve watched on TV, a song lyric, a beautiful painting, etc. All of these things can trigger an idea that gets embedded in my brain and starts to sprout. I’ve only had one story – MASTER OF CROWS – in which I dreamed of the protagonist/hero and woke up with his character fully formed in my head and ready to be written. That was a real gift from God there.
I love world building and learned how to do it from my brother who was and still is a brilliant dungeon master. I played D&D during my college years and watched him create these incredible, heavily layered worlds that combined both the fantastic and the mundane to create these immersive places for his players to sink their imaginations and run their characters. He was amazing at this, and I completely credit him for teaching me the same approach when writing books.
DLL. I love that about MASTER OF CROWS! It is one of my earliest and most favorite reads, though I’m currently reading ENTREAT ME and thinking that’s my favorite. Except I just finished Dragon Unleashed and wondering about that being a favorite. Hmmm. That’s what’s so great about your stories. Each one feels like a favorite.
I recently finished DRAGON UNLEASHED, Book 2 in The Fallen Empire series, and am poised to start the third, RAVEN UNVEILED. The audiobooks in this series are sweeping me away. My husband even gets caught up in these stories if he’s in the room while I have the volume up. (Incidental listening is the best he can do when it comes to romance, so this is big!)
Your secondary characters are as compelling as the main characters. In this instance, I’m thinking of Halani’s mother, Asil. I adore falling in love with book boyfriends which is my main motivation for reading romance, but it’s always a great surprise when I fall in love with a character like Asil. The sweetest mother a girl could have. Sweet, innocent, simple, yet surprising and fascinating with hidden depths. Threading throughout this world is the need to track what happens to Asil (starting from Book 1 in Phoenix Unbound). In my opinion, she is responsible for illuminating an entire dimension of Malachus’ character.
Can you talk about Asil and the inspiration behind her creation?
GD. The character of Asil is a tribute to my son who is on the lower end of the autism spectrum. Like Asil, he is often challenging to deal with, stubborn, and enigmatic (especially since he’s mostly nonverbal). However, he teaches the rest of his family how to be better, kinder, more sympathetic human beings. Being a caregivers requires patience, empathy, and resilience – three things that can only build character in anyone, be they real or fictional. I wanted to show that in this story with Asil as the catalyst who shines a light on all of those traits in my main characters, especially Malachus who, for the most part, grew up a rather sheltered individual despite tragedy and his orphaned childhood.
DLL. Thank you so much for sharing the special story behind this amazing character.
Here is my opportunity to share examples of the kind of writing that has inspired me as a romance fan and writer. [For our readers. The excerpts are intended to be out of context enough to prevent spoilers but beware.]
“Wife of my soul,” he said, and this time his voice didn’t shake but held all the command of a Savatar ataman who had led an army against the Empire and won. “Look at me.”
His words sent an arrow of euphoria straight through her chest.
“And will you love me for a day? A year? A lifetime?” She knew the answer but wanted to hear him say it in that beautiful, shattered voice.
“Beyond that,” he whispered, eyes shining with the tempest of emotion he’d held in check until now. “Beyond the reign of false gods and meddlesome priests. Beyond al Zafira when her bright stars fade.”
He kissed her then, breathed his life into her mouth, her heart, her spirit—the same way she’d breathed her Gift into him while they stood in the empty soul of a dying god.
Martise kissed him fiercely in return, holding him so tightly her arms ached, and the necklace she clutched dug into his back. When they parted, she leaned her forehead against his. “That’s a long time to love someone.”
Nimble fingers worked the ties of her cyrtel, unlacing them with ease. “Not long enough.”
In RADIANCE, the strength and majesty of this story lie in the sheer beauty of a bond that grows between an alien man and a human woman, who are each repelled by their physical differences. Yet, the first time they meet they recognize in each other kindred spirits and start their journey on a foundation of respect. They must marry and join houses and they take on this task with strength and wisdom though they have no illusions that they will ever become attracted to each other.
“You make a very handsome dead eel, my husband,” she said and winked. Sinhue and Kirgipa both gasped.
“For a boiled mollusk, you wear black quite well, my wife.” Brishen shot back, and his smile stretched a little wider.
Radiance
~~~
The crust was perfectly golden and buttery with a braided edge and fanciful dough cut-outs that revealed the cook was as much artist as baker. Her mouth watered in anticipation of cutting into it.
And then the pie breathed.
Ildiko gasped and half rose from her seat, her sanap tumbling to the floor. “My gods, did you see that?”
Brishen’s stoic expression didn’t change, and he motioned for her to sit down. “You can’t run from this one, Ildiko. It’s served at every high feast and celebration. A delicacy among the Kai. It’s a surety we’ll be served one later. Newly married couples share it as a symbol of fortune and prosperity in the marriage.”
Ildiko did as he bid and sat but scooted her chair a little further away from the table. “What is in that pie?” Whatever it was, it was still alive. Fortune and prosperity be damned. Her throat closed up in protest at the thought of having to swallow something alive and still wriggling.
Brishen picked up his dagger. “Watch closely because at some point, you’ll have to do this yourself.” He stared at the pie, as focused as a hawk on a branch watching a mouse in the field below it. The pie’s crust rippled, creating cracks across its smooth surface. A black spine poked through the crust, and Brishen pounced.
He slammed the knifepoint into the pie hard enough to make the plates bounce on the table and splash wine from the goblets. An insectile screech pierced the quiet.
Brishen twisted the knife. It made a cracking noise, and the pie abruptly ruptured, sending pieces of crust splattered in a black slime across the table.
This time Ildiko leapt over her chair to crouch behind it, wide-eyed and horrified as Brishen pried his knife out of the destroyed pie. It came free with a sucking sound…
Radiance
~~~
He leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms. “Woman of day, you waited for me.”
Ildiko closed her book and offered him a drowsy smile. Relief and happiness coursed through her. “Prince of night, you’ve come back to me—your head intact.”
Radiance
~~~
She was solace enrobed in smooth flesh and scented hair.
Radiance
~~~
A sudden realization made him smile a little. One of his wife’s greatest strengths, and a thing he most admired about her, was her ability to adapt to a situation and still remain steadfast in her own sense of worth and place. Brishen no longer viewed her with the eyes of a Kai and couldn’t view her with the eyes of a human male, but that held no consequence now. He saw her as she’d always seen herself—as simply Ildiko. For her, it was enough; for him, a gift beyond price.
Radiance
~~~
The silence yawned between them as she continued to stare at him. “What is it, Ildiko?” he asked. “What do you see?” His question acted as a catalyst, breaking a spell that held him beguiled and her enthralled. She opened beneath him; not just her body. All of her. He sensed it in every part of him. She twined her arms around his neck and tilted her head until her lips brushed the corner of his mouth. “My beautiful husband,” she said. “I see radiance.”
Radiance
My question here is at what point in your career did you find this talent for writing such moving prose, strong emotions, witty meaningful banter, and imaginative scenes that bring the reader straight into these worlds? Or did your writing start out this awesome? I want to know because it means there might be hope for the rest of us. 😊
GD. LOL. I wish I could say it was something I was born with or was one day struck by the lightning bolt of wordsmithing. However, I’d be lying. I think the love of storytelling is God-given but the skill of writing is learned and practiced – constantly. It’s a mental workout of the imagination and riding the learning curve of technique. You have to go at it every day to improve and learn more, and there is no ceiling. I’ve been steadily at this for twenty years and eager to discover new ways to write better over the course of the next twenty.
DLL. Great advice! I’ve explored many creative avenues. Since I started writing, I realize now that those were all experiments. Writing is different and I have been writing every day for three years. You’ve given me hope that I’ll still be at it and maybe even successful seventeen years down the line. 😊
Which of the characters in your published works is your favorite? Do you have a favorite character coming up in a work-in-progress that you can preview for us? Along with that can you give us a glimpse into your current projects? What’s coming next?
GD. My favorite character is Louvaen Duenda from ENTREAT ME. She was a joy to write, and after doing some quick proofreading work on that book, I enjoyed reading her as well. Silhara from MASTER OF CROWS runs a close second. Louvaen; however, still takes first place for me as she’s someone I’d like to hang out with in real life.
I don’t have a favorite character in upcoming works at the moment. With the exception of one character, I tend to learn about my characters as I write their story, so it isn’t until the book is complete that I have an idea as to whether or not one will be a favorite. I can tell you that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed writing both Emerence and Gaeres from THE NOMAS KING (Wraith Kings #4) so far, mostly because of their couple dynamic. Emerence is very independent and analytical, and Gaeres comes from a matriarchal society, so I think they work well together.
I always have at least two things going at one time, sometimes three. I’m currently wrapping up the Wraith Kings novella BLACK HELLEBORE which revisits Brishen and Ildiko. Once that’s done, I’ll switch back to THE NOMAS KING. I’ve also just submitted a proposal and sample chapters for a story about the fae to my agent for possibly going on submission to traditional publishing houses. So very busy at the moment and feeling fortunate to have such a full plate.
DLL. This is great stuff! I’m learning so much from how you see your characters and the way their separate characteristics and resulting dynamics impact their growth and bond. And how exciting to hear about what’s coming next in this stunning series. I can’t wait!
What or who is your biggest inspiration that set you on the path to becoming a writer? Was writing fiction something you always dreamed of doing?
GD. Inspiration to write came from multiple sources: my brother, the brilliant DM, the incredible fantasy authors Andre Norton and Michael Moorcock, and just a fierce love of reading.
Writing fiction wasn’t something I always dreamed of doing. I didn’t start writing until 2003 as a hobby and stress reliever from long hours at my job and raising three little kids. It developed into something more over time, and now I get to do it full-time, which is amazing. I’m grateful for it every day.
DLL. After having interviewed so many wonderful fantasy writers, I’m finding D&D to be a common influence, which is a fascinating aspect of world building I wish I could tap into.
I really enjoy the books by Ilona Andrews, a writing couple responsible for the popular Kate Daniels series, and one of my favorites the Innkeeper Chronicles. It’s a fun fact for me that you and Mr. Draven are friends with Ilona and Gordon Andrews. This is a stellar example in the writing world of the power of writing communities. Can you tell us a little about how your friendship came about and the perks gleaned from being devoted writing buddies?
GD. Like you, I’m a fan of IA’s body of work, even before I met them, and Innkeeper is my favorite series of theirs. I can still vividly picture the fight scene at Costco.
Ilona, Gordon, and I first connected when Ilona put out a request for recommendations on something to read. Her readers sent suggestions, as did some book review bloggers. Has from The Bookpushers recommended MASTER OF CROWS. Ilona read it, liked it, and wrote favorably about it. Thanks to her, Gordon, and their significant platform, other people learned about the book and my other books as well, expanding my audience exponentially. It was one of those serendipitous moments. To thank them for their kindness, Mr. Draven and I treated them to dinner one evening and really hit it off. We’ve been friends ever since. I consider that friendship the most precious thing to come out of that connection – far beyond book sales and exposure, far beyond professional collaboration, etc. They are lovely, lovely people, and I’m beyond blessed to have them as friends. That is the perk above all perks.
As for other perks, I’d say guidance. Ilona and Gordon are masters of their craft. There have been more than a few instances where I’ve wrapped too hard around my own axle regarding a character motivation, a scene, a plot point, etc. and gone to Ilona for guidance and help. She always comes through with the perfect solution.
DLL. What a great story and such a fantastic thing to happen along a writer’s journey.
For a fun chat between these two dynamic couples. Here is an episode from Ashland Public Library MA‘s YouTube channel.
What is your favorite way to engage with your readers? Can you let us know where we can find you, say for a book signing over the next few months?
GD. While my ability to do so is very restricted due to scheduling, budget, and family demands, my favorite way to engage is in person, face-to-face. The next best thing is through social media, though I don’t have the time to regularly hit several platforms to engage.
I just recently attended an Author Meet and Greet at my local library but don’t have anything planned until June of 2024 where I’ll be attending Book Bonanza in Grapevine, TX, and October of 2024 where I’ll be at the Romantasy Book Convention in Orlando, Florida.
DLL. Those sound like a blast. Enjoy and much success!
Tell us about the Arcane Society, which presented beautifully illustrated special editions of Master of Crows and Entreat Me in its October box. Can you share a little about the perks of membership and its benefits to you as a writer?
GD. I’m not a member myself, but I hear from some subscribers that AS puts out some beautiful editions with incredible artwork on both the books and the separate art cards. The enamel pins are also lovely. I can attest to all of this based on what they’ve done for me as well as The Four Horsemen series (by Laura Thalassa) that I received from AS. Breathtaking books anyone would be proud to put on their shelves. High quality product and definitely money well spent if you get a subscription.
Arcane Society Member Edition
I think the greatest benefit in collaborating with AS was getting paid of course (bills to pay and mouths to feed) and expanding my audience.
I can sing the praises of AS all day long but would be remiss if I didn’t do the same with Fae Crate who put together gorgeous special editions of RADIANCE and EIDOLON.
DLL. I think it’s great to have these opportunities for readers and writers to own their favorite works in such beautifully illustrated volumes. I also enjoyed the Four Horsemen series by Laura Thalassa and what fantastic artwork for those as well. It would be a dream for me to write a book that inspires artists to create images for it. I did a Google search and found so much fantastic fan art for Brishen and Ildiko! It’s easy to understand what about those two inspire so many artists.
Where else can we find signed copies or special editions of your books?
GD. I also have a hardback omnibus edition available on Amazon (and can be ordered through Barnes and Noble or your favorite independent bookstore) titled Wraith Kings, Volume I which contains both RADIANCE and EIDOLON.
On the technical side, can you share your journey into publishing your stories? Is there anything you would do differently now that you can look back on it?
GD. I started out writing fan fiction as a hobby and learned some basic techniques from other more experienced writers. In 2005, I submitted a short story to a now-defunct digital-only publishing house (I would NEVER do that now. Way too risky). I won a contract with them and published that story, along with a few novellas and my first novel (MASTER OF CROWS). When Amazon rolled out KDP, that was a game changer for everyone, including me. I got rights back on most of my work and started self-publishing on KDP. Best decision I ever made to go the self-publishing route. I’m now a hybrid author, involved in both self-publishing and traditional publishing.
As far as doing something differently, I’d definitely practice better risk management by learning more about the many publishing outfits out there. Some are honest, hard-working companies invested in their authors’ success. Others, however, are predatory scam outfits that make money off a hopeful’s dreams. I was very, very lucky that the first publisher I worked with was both professional and honest.
DLL. Thank you. It is so helpful to get a writers’ experiences on navigating the crazy path to publishing. It’s also a lot of fun getting a take on the early days of KDP. These new self-publishing platforms give us so many options and a lot of competition, which is why I like hearing about the hybrid options.
What are your favorite techniques and tools for drafting a manuscript? Have your methods changed a lot over the years?
GD. I go very old school in that I typically handwrite my drafts in spiral notebooks, then transcribe them later. It’s terribly inefficient, especially when I’m actually a fast typist. However, ideas flow better for me when I’m handwriting. This is also why I’m a slow writer.
I suppose they’ve changed a lot in the aggregate but are more what I consider refinements over the years. I learn as I go. I used to write scenes and dialogue together in a very linear fashion. Now, I go with more a script method in that I write all the dialogue first with brief notes about the scene and background and then go back and fill all that in. I “hear” dialogue better than I “see” scenery, so I tackle that first.
DLL. I love finding writers who write by hand. I’ve interviewed a few, and on the other side of the spectrum, a few who love using dictation. So many ways to feel the story.
For a glimpse into your writer’s life. Do you have a favorite place to write? What are your favorite techniques or methods you use to stay creative and productive?
GD. I don’t have a favorite place to write as I typically only have one place to write – my desk in one corner of our game room.
To stay creative, I tend to relax and put myself to sleep at night by going over scenes and plot points in my head for a story I’m working on. It works to both settle my mind and build ideas I’ll incorporate into the manuscript. GD.
DLL. I came across a Medium post recently that highlighted famous authors and their daily writing routines. E. B. White’s was my favorite and your game room desk reminds me of his living room.
I never listen to music when I’m working. I haven’t that kind of attentiveness, and I wouldn’t like it at all. On the other hand, I’m able to work fairly well among ordinary distractions. My house has a living room that is at the core of everything that goes on: it is a passageway to the cellar, to the kitchen, to the closet where the phone lives. There’s a lot of traffic. But it’s a bright, cheerful room, and I often use it as a room to write in, despite the carnival that is going on all around me.
In consequence, the members of my household never pay the slightest attention to my being a writing man — they make all the noise and fuss they want to. If I get sick of it, I have places I can go. A writer who waits for ideal conditions under which to work will die without putting a word on paper.
E. B. White
I can just imagine the author writing Charlotte’s Web among the family “carnival,” sort of like a barn with a spider and her chatty friends.
What advice can you share on balancing your creativity with other aspects of life?
GD. Learn how to tune out.
I can write just about anywhere because I can tune out. Learning how to do that was a necessity for me as I live and work in a loud, very active household with constant noise and interruptions.
Also, get advice from other authors on what they do to stay productive. Some are haphazard like me, while others are more regimented. One of those or a combination of both will work for you. Basically, customize according to your needs and the demands of your life. There’s no one true way.
Do you have any parting advice for those who want to pursue a writing career?
GD. Write, write, write. Learn good technique and practice it. Accept the idea that your first, second, third, thirty-seventh attempt at something may not be good or publishable. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Don’t be afraid to delete words and rewrite them. I wrote DRAGON UNLEASHED twice. Of the original 132k words I wrote, I kept only 9k and rewrote 120k. It’s not unusual for me to write the beginning of a book multiple times before I’ve settled in with a start I like (I wrote the beginning of ENTREAT ME six times). I have no problem killing my darlings. You shouldn’t either.
Also remember that while marketing and ads are very important aspects of publishing, writing a solid book is equal in importance. All the ad money in the world won’t move a bad product over the long term, and in this business, your brand is as important as exposure and platform.
Most of all, stay humble, stay grounded, and don’t give up.
DLL. Absolutely staggering but oh so encouraging statistics when it comes to being ruthless about what isn’t working… and never giving up. I imagine we are benefiting from your cutting room floor with all your wonderful novellas. Also a sobering thought about putting your best work out there as the first step in marketing yourself as a writer. I think my horse left the barn when I published too soon. Wished I would have talked to you three years ago.😊
Thanks again for visiting, Grace! This has been such a treat, and I wish you the best in life and writing.
Thank you so much, and all the best to you and yours!
Yes, this is about murder mysteries that make us feel good—a paradoxical genre, if there ever was one. Stories that have us curling up with a hot cup of cocoa on a chilly day to solve a crime alongside our favorite quirky, clever, and often reluctant hero. Someone sort of like ourselves—but not quite—who lives in a sleepy seaside town (with an inexplicably high crime rate), owns a charming shop, or runs a cozy home business that puts them in the path of murder, prompting them to develop a heretofore unknown knack for solving crimes. Or maybe, they come with a background perfect for the job.
For all those feels we crave, there’s usually a bestie or group of besties, a clever or goofy pet, or a sexy detective on the way to becoming a lover—either helping things along or making life more complicated, or both—and a backdrop involving something we’ve wanted to try but never found the time for. Okay, so we make the time to read. Why not kill two birds with one stone?
Here are some of my favorites: knitting, crocheting, needlework, antiquing, baking, catering, bed-and-breakfast hospitality, a witch hosting a secret vampire book club in an attic above her shop, K-9 search and rescue, dog shows, dog sledding, and even a sentient cat and corgi detective duo who adore their clever human and life on a farm. Then there are the historical periods, and more exotic pursuits like Egyptology or archaeology. Have I intrigued you enough yet?
If you happen to be a person who hasn’t read a cozy mystery, here’s a list to get you started including many of those I alluded to above. You might also enjoy this brief blog on the history of the cozy genre and how it filled a niche.
Richie Billing covers the cozy genres in a conversation with authors Jami Albright and Sara Rosett, where they also talk about marketing a series, author branding, and book launches on The Fantasy Writer’s Toolshed. I hope you find it as enjoyable and informative as I did.
Thank you for visiting and supporting an indie author. For more cozy reading, check out my paranormal romance novels at bydllewellyn.com.
Do you see it? Can you picture the whole story? There are so many things to say about the title of this 1987 movie starring Billy Crystal, Danny DeVito, and the late Anne Ramsey of Goonies fame. While my main contemplation is about how it conveys a story in five words, there are other elements worth mentioning.
But first, do you agree with me that the title is a complete story unto itself?
Right off, we have an idea about the characters, their motivations, the plot, and the setting. We know that the protagonist both loves and hates their mother. We know the antagonist has done enough awful things to be worthy of being thrown off a train, or at least having a child fantasize about it, and we get the struggle. There will likely be attempted murder action on a train. We might also guess the outcome. Could you throw your mother off a train no matter how you felt about her? Of course, we can’t foresee all the plot twists and surprises and there are many in this comedy action film, but these five words have me imagining all sorts of things.
Other information gleaned from these five words that I particularly enjoy is that they sound like a book title, which it is. So, we might grasp that element right off as well. I love that this is about a creative writing teacher and writer suffering writer’s block after his ex-wife steals his book and makes millions with it. No one could pull off that maddening fate like Billy Crystal. Throw in an emotionally stunted student who gets the brilliant idea to switch murders in a Hitchcockian Crisscross-type alibi story, and wow! So much to work with.
The creators not only conveyed a story in their title, but they could use the group of clever words as a plot device and a marketing boon… along with the hilarious images of Momma.
What other movie titles can you think of that accomplish this?
Here are some I found:
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
Saving Private Ryan
Tower Heist
Snakes on a Plane
Granted, these might be more about revealing the plots in the titles than giving us a whole story, but I get a lot of information from their brevity, nonetheless. Don’t you?
I’ve also saved a few memes that convey a story in a handful of words. Here’s a favorite.
The challenge of conveying so much with so few words fascinates me, and I’ve returned to it time and again as I pursue novel writing. One of my favorite exercises was contributing two sentence stories last year to fantasy author Richie Billing for his newsletter (which he packs full of helpful resources for writers by the way). One of those is the header on my Short Stories page, Sad Swallow. Oh, alright. I’ll just add it here. It’s only two sentences.
In a voice that plucked at her heart strings, her dear swallow lamented, “All winter we exchanged stories, my beautiful Thumbelina, and it made my heart soar. When you climbed upon my back and begged me to take you to my favorite far away land, how could I have known my happy dream would end with you forsaking me for another?”
Ahem… Okay, so, they’re two long sentences. Still, two sentences. For more of these, click here. They were such a blast to do and based on a genre prompt from Richie. Sad Swallow obviously is a fairytale retelling.
I’ve also tried my hand at 100-word and 250-word stories in what are referred to as drabbles or micro fiction. And I just signed up for another 250-word micro fiction challenge with Writing Battle, taking place in August. So many good things happening on that platform! Thanks Max and Teona!
My latest endeavors in brief tales include poetry, which I’ve written to accompany three stories I will be publishing in one volume later this year. I’m very excited about what I came up with after thinking for years that I could never write poetry. It’s so satisfying and fun!
If you dare, check out my series of three 100-word horror stories here. And my 250-word action adventure drama here (with a bit of ranting on my excellent feedback).
Thanks for tripping with me over the title, Throw Momma From the Train, and have an excellent rest of your June.
Snow might visit us next week. I wanted to share our own splash of fall color, which we look forward to each year. We so enjoy our pistachio tree, which has taken years to reach this fullness. It stands out beautifully against the scrubby olive and locust trees. Don’t get me wrong. I treasure every inch of our two acres—scrubby brush and all—with our view of Mt. Rose, even before the snow caps its majestic peaks.
October is extra special. I have one treatment left to go and then maybe I can grow back my hair.
This month’s guest first came to my attention several years ago at an Autocrit short story workshop, and I’ve enjoyed her stories and lively newsletter ever since.
After participating in Rayne Hall’s latest writing contest, where she challenged writers to submit stories without any AI assistance, including editing (eek! No Grammarly!), I thought it would be fun to invite her to chat about her life as a writer (gardens, cats, and all), her works, and writing in the gothic horror genre. We will also discuss her work as a writing coach and her top five tips on the craft.
Let’s Meet the Author
I’m Rayne Hall, and I help good writers become great.
As the author of the bestselling Writer’s Craft guides, I answer writing-related questions on in the social media, post articles online, coach authors, edit books, speak at conferences and teach online classes.
I’ve been working in the publishing industry for three decades, as a trainee publishing manager, editorial assistant, magazine editor, investigative journalist, production editor, literary agent and publishing consultant.
In between, and often at the same time, I’ve been a museum guide, adult education teacher, development aid worker, apple picker, trade fair hostess, translator, belly dancer and tarot reader.
Now I’m a professional writer, with more than a hundred books published under several pen names (mostly Rayne Hall), in several genres (mostly fantasy, horror, historical and non-fiction), by several publishers, in several languages. I’m also a publisher, and these days I publish most of my own books, as well as anthologies with Gothic stories by other writers. After living in Germany, China, Mongolia, Nepal and Britain, I’m now based in Bulgaria where I enjoy visiting ancient Roman ruins and derelict abandoned homes, going for walks in the woods, organic permaculture gardening and training my rescued cats.
Let’s Get Started
Thank you so much, Rayne, for visiting with me on my Spotlight. I’d like to start at the beginning and ask: Who or what inspired you to become a writer and dedicate your life to the written word?
RH: I grew up in a conservative, restrictive home in southern Germany in the 1960s, when girls were expected to get married and become housewives. This didn’t appeal to me in the least. Cooking and cleaning all day long sounded boring.
My family was steeped in the Catholic religion, and they gave me a big book with the life stories of saints. I read the thrilling tales eagerly. Could I become a saint instead of a housewife, thus escaping the boring household drudgery?
Alas, sainthood seemed to require not only a pious life but a painful death. Most saints suffered martyrdom, pierced by arrows, devoured by lions or burned. I didn’t cherish an agonising demise.
Housewife or martyr? Both dreary options, and I didn’t look forward to growing up.
I started reading books when I was four, and by the time I was seven, I devoured all the kids’ books I could lay my hands on: fairy tales, illustrated animal stories, saints’ lives and more. When I discovered that there were women who wrote books, a window to a new world opened for me.
As a grown-up, I wouldn’t have to scrub floors all day, nor would I have to offer my feeble flesh up to torture. I could write books instead.
“When I grow up I want to be a writer,” I declared firmly, at the age of seven.
Of course, adults talked me out of this ‘nonsense’ and persuaded me to choose a more sensible career. But with twists and turns, my life path led me back to my vocation, and here I am, a writer of books.
DLL:How awesome to start life early with that gothic romance outlook. I appreciate how you knew what you wanted at the age of seven, or rather, what you didn’t want, and ended up where you aimed to be.Such a great story!
I find it fascinating to learn from different writers about how their journeys evolved. What inspired you to write horror? Tell us about your other favorite genres.
RH: Historical fiction was my favourite genre to read, and my first genre to write. I remember my first attempt at a novel – the adventures of a Venetian courtesan in the 1700s. Probably not a good choice of subject for a fifteen-year-old virgin who had never been to Venice.
After that came several more historical novels, each a notch better than the one before, because I became better and better at my craft. But success eluded me. I tried other genres, switched to short stories. Yet every manuscript I mailed out returned with a thud. In those days, submissions were on paper, and the envelopes with the rejected sample pages and stories were heavy. I learnt to recognise the sound of a rejected manuscript falling through the letter slot, a disheartening start to the day.
Then in one week, I got three acceptance letters. Acceptances – without manuscripts attached – whispered through the letter slot, what a cheering noise! All three were for horror stories. That’s when I saw a pattern. If Historical Fiction didn’t get me anywhere, but Horror did, maybe that’s what I should write.
At first, I baulked. I thought all Horror was Splatterpunk, with sadistic violence and gruesome stuff – again like the martyrs having their flesh torn with red-hot pincers – and that was not for me. But when I researched the genre, I discovered that it has subtler forms: Psychological Horror, Suspense, Gothic.
The Gothic especially appealed to me: more creepy than gory, more atmospheric than violent. I love it, and this has become my main writing category. I love creating the vibrant settings, the passionate emotions, the guilty secrets, the creepy atmosphere.
I tried to write other genres, too: Historical Romance, Cosy Mystery, Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction. But somehow, they all took a dark turn. Without my knowledge and consent, the characters hatched evil plans and hijacked the plots. So I ended up writing yet another Gothic Horror yarn.
Fortunately, Gothic fiction lends itself to layering with other genres. So I’ve created not just Gothic Horror, but Gothic Historical, Gothic Fantasy, Gothic Romance, Gothic Mystery fiction.
DLL:This is so encouraging, not only in terms of perseverance, but also in how one finds their niche. I love it!
What inspired you to teach the craft, and where do your craft books fall in your bibliography? What topics did you focus on in the beginning, as compared to now?
The Writer’s Craft books teach advanced-level writers specialist skills. They’re the kind books I would have needed years ago but couldn’t find because they didn’t exist. At the time, there were many how-to-write books for beginners. But for writers who’d mastered the basics, there was little guidance available.
Eventually, after I had reached a very high level with my own writing, I developed the series to fill the gap in the market.
Writing Fight Scenes was the first of the Writer’s Craft books. During my long learning journey, I’d been frustrated that there was no book available on this specialist subject.
When I saw online courses on this topic, I signed up at once – only to find that they were superficial and filled with platitudes instead of providing practical guidance. So I studied fight scenes in literature and developed my own system. Then I taught an online course, which was a tremendous success. Many authors needed fight scenes for their fiction and didn’t know how to go about it, and they loved my course and recommended it.
In 2011 I decided to expand my course into a book with the same title, and it instantly became a bestseller.
So I turned some of my other courses into books, too: Writing About Magic, The Word-Loss Diet, Writing About Villains. Before I knew it, I had a series with fans who wanted more.
The series now has almost 40 titles. Writing Scary Scenes, Writing Love Scenes, Writing Vivid Settings, Writing Vivid Dialogue, Writing Vivid Plots, Writing Vivid Characters, Writing Deep Point of View…
Which do you prefer to write, short stories or novels, and how can you tell when a story might evolve into a novel? What’s your top favorite answer when a reader asks you how to write a short story?
RH: I enjoy writing both short fiction and novels. My best work, the one I’m most proud of, is the dark-epic fantasy novel Storm Dancer.
But overall, I prefer short stories, simply because they’re quicker to complete. I can finish a short story in a month, from idea to polished version, whereas a novel is a commitment for years. I have many half-finished novels lingering in my file folders, and it’s doubtful whether they’ll ever see the light of publication. With shorts, I can savour the thrill of completion more often.
Many short stories want to grow into a novel. As I write, they grow and grow, and it takes discipline and skill to keep them confined to a manageable length. My two favourite techniques for this: 1. Let the story play out in a single location. 2. Let it unfold within a short time, preferably in a single day.
DLL:Thanks for the great tips! I can totally relate to your experience. I often feel torn between finishing shorter pieces and working on novels that I might never complete. It’s frustrating when I have such epic endings and vivid scenes running through my head, all while feeling like time is slipping away. So many writers publish multiple novels in a year, and I really want to know their secret. That’s when I remember that the joy is in the writing—published or not, finished or not—and that really helps.
Speaking of getting our books out into the world, do you self-publish?
RH: My first twenty or so books were conventionally published by twelve different publishers, but now I’m my own publisher. I’m actually a trained publishing manager, that’s my career. I’ve worked in many different positions in the publishing industry, so I know the business well, and now I’m using my insider knowledge.
In the 20th century, publishing involved a big capital outlay, and the only way to reach book buyers was through a complex distribution system which only publishers had access to. In those days, self-publishing was almost inevitably doomed to failure, and at huge expense. I used to advise against it.
But the publishing industry has changed to much. With e-books and print-on-demand technology, the once exorbitant production costs have evaporated. Everyone can use online bookselling platforms to make their works available to the book-buying public.
The literary agents and publishing houses, essential parts of the system in the 20th century, have become obsolete. Why should we writers – who mostly earn very little for our work – finance a big publishing apparatus we don’t need, and the salaries of multinational CEOs? Frankly, writers need publishers like they need a tapeworm in their guts.
Of course, you need to be aware that as a self-publishing author, you are a publisher as well as an author. If you want to be successful, you have to approach this as a business. You’re responsible for your own quality control, your own marketing, everything.
DLL: Ooh, great insights on traditional versus self publishing. It’s super helpful to hear from an author who’s been so immersed on both sides.
As promised at the outset, what are your top five tips for writers?
RH: Here you go:
Write the kind of book you’d love to read. This way, you’ll create a great book, and you’ll enjoy the process.
Write about what you know. This way, your won’t commit factual errors, and your book will ring with insight and authenticity.
Use specific weather for every scene – a drizzle or a downpour, dry heat or a thunderstorm – to add realism and vibrancy.
When you experience worries and problems, write about them. They make great fodder for your fiction.
Revise your writing until it sparkles. Don’t be satisfied with good writing. Make it great.
Be authentic. In this world of automation and fakery, people crave authenticity. This is your chance to stand out: instead of automating your social media, using AI for your writing and pretending to be someone you’re not, just be real.
DLL: Fantastic! Thank you for sharing those with us today.
Now, let’s dive into your writer’s life. One of my favorite aspects of your newsletters is the photos and stories about your gardens and pets. It’s clear that you find inspiration in the nature surrounding you. Can you share how these enjoyments help to balance life as a writer?
RH: I love nature, and I’ve created my personal garden paradise – 4000- square meters (that’s about 4800 square yards) filled with trees, shrubs, flowers, vegetables and fruit. It’s all organic, without use of pesticides, my private eco-project, a permaculture ‘food forest’. Bees, bumblebees and butterflies love the place. They flutter and buzz all around me. Sometimes, I see ten or more colourful butterflies in a single square meter (yard). Crickets chirp, birds twitter, storks rattle their bills.
I do my morning exercises amidst this lush abundance, and for breakfast and pick whatever fruit is currently ripe and eat it right away: peaches, nectarines, apricots, figs, plums, apples, pears, mulberries, cherries, pomegranates, grapes and more. This is my personal idea of paradise, and I feel blessed that I’ve been able to create it here in sunny Bulgaria.
I’ve had a writing chair made for me – a sturdy chair made from reclaimed materials, with broad armrests for placing my notebook and a glass of water. I love sitting there in the morning, listening to the sounds of nature and jotting down my ideas and story drafts in a notebook. Often, my cats join me (they love those broad armrests), and my dogs lie at my feet.
I savour these moments with deep gratitude. I’m able to shut out my worries and the troubles of the world, and to focus on joyful creating.
DLL:So much of this shines through in your blogging and newsletter, which is incredibly inspirational to me as a writer and blogger focused on the writer’s life. Thank you for painting such a vivid picture we can immerse ourselves in today.
Besides working in your gardens, what are your favorite activities to inspire your fiction?
RH: I find inspiration in places. Wherever I go, I observe and take notes. What does the place smell of? What sounds can I hear in the background? How does the ground feel underfoot? How does that door knob feel to the touch, what noise does that door make when it opens?
Whenever I have time to kill – at a bus stop, in a hospital waiting room – I use the opportunity to take setting notes.
Over the years, I’ve created detailed descriptions of hundreds of places, and I use can insert them into my fiction. Weather a scene takes place in a hospital, a church, a cemetery or a wildlife park, I have the vibrant details at my fingertips.
Here in Bulgaria, I like to visit places with history: ancient Thracian temples, the remnants of bath houses from the Roman period, deserted factories from the Communist era, and homes abandoned when the rural population dwindled. Each building has so many stories to tell, about the people who lived there, their loves, their sorrows, their dreams.
Those abandoned homes are my favourite spots to hang out to soak up atmosphere and inspiration. Even though the roofs have long collapsed and the window panes are broken, some still have remnants of lace curtains quivering in the breeze, cupboards are filled with dusty jars of canned fruit, and among the upturned furniture and rat-gnawed cushions I may find an old newspaper or an illustrated children’s Bible.
My pets love to accompany me when I explore these places. I’m always glad to have my dogs with me for protection, but it’s the cats who make the visits special. My black cat Sulu in particular adores entering spooky derelict buildings. He delights in walking across shattered roof tiles, scratching charred timbers and sniffing at long-abandoned hearths. Then he chooses a window-sill to lie on, and from there he watches what’s going on inside the house and in the outside world.
DLL: Have you ever thought about vlogging? I would love to follow you on your explorations. Thanks for this glimpse into life in the Bulgarian countryside.
Can you tell us about your cats, and what role they play in your writing?
RH: All my cats are rescues, and I’ve trained them. Yes, cats can be trained – if they want to. Mine love it. They can perform little tricks, shake hands, high-five and more.
When I’m writing on my laptop, the cats often join me. One naps on the rug at my feet, one sits on the printer, another curls up in an open desk drawer, and there’s almost always one snuggling between my arms. This is so sweet!
My senior cat Sulu adores books. Whenever he sees an open book on the table, he lies down to ‘read’ it, with a paw on the page. This makes great publicity photos, because what could be cuter than a black cat reading a Gothic fiction book?
DLL: Thanks again for joining me today, Rayne! Check out Rayne’s craft books here. You can find Rayne and her works on her website, subscribe to her newsletter and blogs, which she shares on Substack, and follow her on Bluesky, Instagram, and Facebook.
My guest and I have been sharing our writing journey for the past couple of years. We chatted on my Spotlight last May with the release of her second book, Hearing Wind.
It’s not often you get an opportunity to meet an online friend and fellow author, and when one comes around, it can be magical, especially when it takes place at Lake Tahoe, where A. B. Herron and her husband recently vacationed.
I am a huge fan of her Elemental Wolf Series and picked up her latest release, Wooden Wolves, to take with me for a signing.
We had a great time exchanging signed books and chatting over lunch in a café with the lake glistening across the highway. As these encounters often go, we barely scratched the surface of everything we wanted to discuss about writing, so I felt a Q&A session was in order, especially since this marks a year since we last chatted on my blog.
Let’s Meet The Author
A.B. Herron grew up pretending to be a wild creature running through the hills of California. Her love of reading is her dad’s fault, introducing her to White Fang, Treasure Island, and Call of the Wild before she could hold a book. Her favorite directive was “read”. Later, when she conquered reading for herself, Herron could be found curled up in her closet, tucked away from reality, riding on horseback, performing magic, and later running with werewolves.
The secret itch to write bloomed in grade school, along with the diagnosis of dyslexia. Professionals told her parents she would struggle with reading, but that information came too late for her to put into practice. However, depositing letters in the right order continues to be a mystery for Herron.
In college, while studying for her BS in Zoology, she started putting pencil to paper and allowed her imagination to bleed out into the real world (so to speak). None of her early attempts found an audience due to her complete refusal to admit to their existence.
Nowadays, Herron splits her time between her dog (well, and husband), her writing, and a full-time job that keeps her firmly rooted in the now, even when her brain whispers “the Mountains are calling…”. Her real-life adventures can be found on Instagram, and her daydreams can be discovered in the Elemental Wolf series on Amazon.
About Wooden Wolves
Becoming a werewolf was supposed to solve his problems.
As it turns out, one needs more than a fur coat to do that.
Tobin barely has time to adjust to his new life before something begins hunting him, and he’s forced to flee Portland for the unclaimed magical territories of Washington. But in those northern wilds, Fey lurk in the forests, and a newly turned werewolf is easy prey.
To survive, Tobin needs to learn fast: what hunts him, how to fight back, and where he belongs in a world where power rules.
The last thing he needs is a distraction, but there is one woman whose scent keeps drawing him closer, making him question his decisions.
Neoma never planned on coming back to her hometown.
Running a bookstore wasn’t part of the dream, and neither was her cranky autoimmune disease. Fighting her overwhelming desire to retreat from the world, she gives connection one more shot. So, when a dangerously handsome stranger invites her into his gaming group, she figures—why not? What’s the worst that could happen? She might actually have some fun?
What she doesn’t know is that some games can change your perception.
Others contain monsters that might change you.
Let’s Get Started
It was fabulous meeting you, Amanda, and what a blast. I started your book when I got home and immediately got hooked. Tell us about your Elemental Wolf series and where it’s at in the scheme of things. What was the inspiration behind it?
ABH: Hello again Darci, and it was so much fun meeting with you in person. I’m still marveling over your own beautiful book that you gifted me; I can’t wait to finish my current read so I can get started on yours. I’m happy to hear you got hooked into Wolves. I have to admit, it is my favorite book in my series currently. Am I allowed to have a favorite when it comes to my book babies?
You ask what inspired the Elemental Wolf series. Honestly, it was during a pretty stressful time in my life, and I was writing short stories for friends as escapism. One friend shared with me a fantasy that they wanted me to put on the page, so I took it, placed it in the Pacific Northwest, rubbed some magic on it, and when I was finished, I looked at it and thought, “There’s a whole book here.”
Jumping ahead, there are now three books in Elemental Wolves, and this new one, Wooden Wolves, is a bit outside the normal timeline for a series. At the end of Watching Water, the first book, I leave a couple of cliff hangers. Hearing Wind, the second book, follows the main character, Nora, on her timeline, but Wolves follows a secondary character, Tobin, on his journey. His story is one that needs to be told, and was supposed to be a short novella to connect his events into Nora’s journey for the upcoming 3rd, now 4th book. As a result, I have Wooden Wolves as book 1.5, and I worry that it will be confusing to readers. However, it gives them the option to read either book, in either order, and they are both happening at the same time. Different storytelling, and I’m hoping it will be well-received.
I will say that I couldn’t be happier with how Wolves turned out, and the secondary main character, Neoma, has a firm place in my heart. She’s strong, feisty, and determined despite the odds against her. I can’t wait to hear what you think of her and Tobin
DLL: Congratulations on your release, Amanda, and way to go. I want to say you fleshed this out and published it in like a year? Tobin is a great character, and I’m excited to be delving into his story. This is your passion story, and it’s coming through in the reading.So yes, there is nothing wrong with authors having a favorite book baby!
I love this cover, the formatting, and your publication mark, all things you’ve been exploring in your publication journey. Can you share some tips and highlights about the process and your resources?
ABH: Awe, I love that you commented on the publication mark. I had to invent this press since this time around I was the full publisher. I had a support team, editor, formatter, cover artist, and an author friend that I kept bugging with questions of “how do I do this?” For the first two books, I used an amazing independent publisher for Indie Authors called Luminare Press. I had no clue how to bring a book to fruition, and they took that stress off my plate and made it happen. They were a gift because I didn’t even know where to start. I had a manuscript and was clueless about what to do next. This was before I got on social media and found the author community. Luminare has a fantastic staff and will make the process easy on you, but that comes at a price point I couldn’t shoulder for this latest book.
Because of the author community and friends like you, Darci, that I have made, I’ve learned a lot more about how to navigate the publishing process and do more of it on my own. An IG friend put me in touch with Becky at Platform house when I was asking how to format. Becky’s an Indie author who does book formatting for other indie authors. She was amazing and budget-friendly. I know I can learn to format, but I was extremely short on time for getting this book to print. I might try to format for the next book, but Becky was worth every cent, and she really made the interior look good.
Now, the cover artist, Ravven (you can look her up just by her name), has been an absolute joy to work with, and her skill speaks for itself. The werewolf howling in the background on Wolves, she made for me when the stock photos she’d found didn’t fit the look I was hoping for. I love what she does, and I keep begging her not to retire before this series is done.
I’m always surprised by how many people a book needs to go through before it ever makes it to print. From the alpha and beta readers to the editors and formatters, this manuscript had more eyes on it than the first two, and it showed. For those who are working on their own stories, my humble advice is to get as many different eyeballs on your manuscript as you can; it will make it better. And find a good editor; they are worth it.
DLL: This is great advice. Thank you! I didn’t even know there were people who offered formatting services. Here is Becky’s website. I also found Ravven’s website, and her work is phenomenal as your gorgeous covers attest. The more eyes, the better, is so true. I’m really happy all this came together so well for you… And that I get to benefit by enjoying a great story.
Where can readers find you and your awesome books in the upcoming months?
ABH: The easy way to find me is to hop on my website www.abherron.com, and there are links to the two places to buy my books online. I’m now in a bookstore in Eugene, Daffodil Books, and will be at four different in-person events throughout Washington and Oregon over the summer. If you sign up for my newsletter, those dates and locations will show up in your inbox, but can also be found on my website.
Thank you so much for having me, Darci. Lunch was a special treat. Somehow, we need to do this again and keep talking about all things writing and books.
DLL: Yes! Meeting you was awesome, Amanda, and it was way too short. I will definitely be looking for a way to get together again.
Thank you for answering just some of the questions that I wanted to ask you at lunch. Do you have any last words of advice for independent authors just getting started?
ABH: My last pieces of advice for new authors are three-fold: 1 – Don’t start your publishing journey with a series, do a stand-alone book first, because you will learn everything you don’t know about the process and how to make it better. 2 – Get connected with other indie authors, it really helps to have people you can ask questions from when you’re feeling lost. 3 – Find a good editor. Seriously, they are worth it, and I can’t stress this enough. I’ll stop there, or I’ll keep sharing all the mistakes I’ve made (and the new ones I’m making) and the hard-won advice I’ve been given. Enjoy the journey, everyone, it’s a wild one.
DLL: Awesome! Thank you! I will leave our readers with a gallery of your fantastic Lake Tahoe photos.
Follow A. B. Herron on Instagram for more amazing photos and the latest on her books.
I am so excited to have my dear friend and author, Lucky Noma, back on my Spotlight! And, wow, does he have an awesome new release to share!
Lucky was one of my first guests several years ago. Since then, we have regularly chatted, worked together on projects, and provided feedback on each other’s work. So, when I was recently blown away by his latest book, CHROMATIC CONCORDAT: Gray Rising, I jumped at the chance to feature it and visit with my friend for a fun Q&A.
Let’s Meet The Author
Lucky Noma is a writer who blends fantasy and horror to create immersive, multi-layered stories. His works, including Fractured Soul, Sand Scriptures, and African Horror Story, explore deep narratives with unique perspectives. Through novels and short stories, he continues to craft worlds that captivate and challenge readers.
Not the gray of clouds, or ash, or dusk, but the kind that eats at the edges of everything. Born silent in a Dominion where colors sing, burn, heal, and kill, the world called her a void. Her village called her cursed. And Havayah? She called herself no one, a hollow.
But a hollow is a dangerous thing to underestimate.
When the Ma’or Council brands her a threat for lacking Chromatic attunement—the sacred bond to color that defines life — an empathic investigator named Nefesh makes a choice: to protect her instead of condemning her. Together, they uncover the Council’s devastating plan — to use the shattered Prismatic Nexus, remnants of the world’s raw luminance, to achieve absolute control over the color spectrums while casting out those they deem “colorless.” The rebels fighting against them promise liberation, but their revolution holds its own darkness.
What no one realizes is that the girl they dismissed—the one born without a single thread of color—has no intention of playing savior. Through underwater cities and skies stained with power, Havayah will forge her own path. Because when the world gave her nothing, she learned to take everything.
This is not a story of saving the world—
Let’s Get Started
Thank you very much for joining us today, Lucky. First, I must say that this description is absolutely captivating! Makes me want to crack that beautiful cover and dive in. Which is what I did.Let’s begin by reflecting on the past. What inspired you to write fiction, and how long have you been writing?
LN: Thank you, Darci! Always great to be here—though if I make too many typos, let’s just call it creative spelling. That sounds like something Nefesh would say, but eh, well—where do I even begin?
I would say my journey into fiction started with falling in love with stories as a reader first. When I discovered City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett, I was captivated by the world-building and how it blended fantasy with deeper themes. Then came A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin and The Axe and the Throne by M.D. Ireman—both masterclasses in character development and moral complexity. Those books showed me that stories could be both entertaining and profound.
What drove me to write was an itch to create a unique world system—with diverse characters appearing in my mind, demanding to be put on paper. So I did what was necessary. As with most of my fantasy novels, I started by building the map, then gave the characters room to roam free. Sometimes, I see myself as nothing more than a scribe, just recording their deeds
—And, remarkably, this year marks a decade since I first sat down and started writing. It’s been quite the journey, filled with late nights, countless revisions, burnt manuscripts, and the realization that it would take two lifetimes to write all I intend to. My first novel, ‘A Kingdom Bleeds,’ is still unpublished—and it was the project that started everything for me. Sometimes, I think of it as my training ground, where I learned what writing demands of you. Perhaps one day it will see the light, but it holds a special place, though I fear my writing has changed, and I’d need to rework everything about it. That might take another year or two. Hmm.
DLL:I can hear Nefesh saying that, and I’ll be sharing a few of my favorite Nefesh quips later so we can enjoy his singular wit. Thank you for the fabulous book recs. The Axe and the Throne grabbed my attention, especially. I confess, I haven’t made it far through the Game of Thrones series. I haven’t had that sort of time for marathon reads, but they’re all loaded on my Audible app.
I love your “map first” inspiration technique! The world fleshed out before your characters begin to navigate it. Awesome. One of the things I enjoy most about interviewing writers is discovering all their unique processes, and this one really struck my imagination. I’m glad you found your training ground because we can benefit from your excellent progression with each amazing story and culminate our journey inside the captivating world of Chromatic Concordat.
Where do you find your mind bending story ideas?
LN: I’m drawn to the void, where I fight my existential demons and where everything feels surreal. My ideas often emerge from mundane life moments that can change in a heartbeat. Of course, this didn’t happen overnight. I was always drawn to thought-provoking stories that mess with your perception. Shows like Legion completely rewired my brain—or let’s look at Mononoke, not the Ghibli film, but the anime series—and just last December, a movie—have you seen it? The way it used abstract visuals and psychological horror to tell stories about human nature blew my mind open.
These stories taught me to look for the uncanny in everyday life. The natural world is already bizarre if you pay attention. Have you ever really looked at how trees communicate underground through fungal networks or considered what consciousness might feel like to a creature that lives only for a day? I collect these oddities like others might collect stamps.
And, to be honest, my best ideas come when I’m least expecting them. Sometimes, it’s when I’m stressed and need to press pause on reality by dreaming up sequences. Other times, and like with almost every other author or writer, it’s when I’m half awake, between sleep and needing to pee.
What’s wild is the feeling when you catch one of these ideas—There’s this rush of ‘wait, what was that?’ and then this compulsion to chase it down. Half the time, I’m terrified of what I might find, but that’s how I know it’s good. If it makes me uncomfortable to write it, chances are it’ll stick with readers, too.
DLL: Ooh, I love that about chasing it down and being afraid of finding it. This explains so much about your writing, Lucky, and makes me glad you didn’t give up the search. I could use a little rewiring, too.
Your earlier books focus on dark fantasy-horror. Your latest, Fractured Soul, SandScriptures, and CHROMATIC CONCORDAT: Gray Rising, explore the human condition through thoroughly multidimensional, abstract, yet relatable representations of life. Your storytelling is captivating in all your books. Can you discuss your evolution in storytelling from dark to esoteric fantasy, comparing the genres you’ve explored and sharing what you prefer?
LN: Evolution. Hmm. Well, let’s retrace my steps and see how that happened. Err, with African Horror Story, I was drawn to primal fears and survival instincts. I wanted to explore horror through a cultural lens, examining how fear manifests within specific traditions and beliefs. The story follows Onam’s desperate struggle against both human monsters and supernatural forces, creating tension through immediate physical and spiritual danger.
Fractured Soul marked my transition toward more conceptual storytelling. While still retaining dark elements, I explored more abstract concepts—the commodification of identity, the fragmentation of self, and the price of wholeness in a world where everything, even one’s soul, can be bought and sold. The surrealistic elements allowed me to build a world that serves as both setting and metaphor.
With Sand Scriptures, my work became even more metaphysical. I challenged myself to create a protagonist who begins as literally nothing—a grain of sand—and follows a journey of becoming. Sand Scriptures did represent my deepest dive into philosophical themes, using fantasy as a vehicle to explore existential questions about consciousness, purpose, and the nature of stories.
Chromatic Concordat represents my current ‘evolution’ like you said, blending the psychological depth of my earlier works with the abstract conceptualism of my later ones while making sure fantasy served as its backbone. Through Havayah’s story of a world where colors have power, I examined marginalization (as in Havayah’s case as she’s born without color attunement), power structures, and self-determination. The world-building is both concrete and symbolic, allowing readers to engage with the story on multiple levels.
While I love high fantasy and horror with psychological themes and great world-building, I also try to blend all three together. To choose my absolute favorite would be difficult, as I love writing across multiple genres. Each approach offers unique tools for storytelling—horror provides visceral impact, high fantasy allows for expansive world-building, and more abstract fantasy lets me explore complex themes through metaphor.
What drives me isn’t necessarily the genre, but finding the right narrative framework to explore the questions that fascinate me about human existence, identity, power, and the realization that even the damned can be great, as seen with all my characters.
DLL: Awesome! Thank you for sharing this insight into your talent for blending those three genres into something unique and compelling.
In Chromatic Concordat, your main characters, Nefesh and Hayayah, are incredibly compelling. They truly drew me into this intricate world, enticed me to follow their journey, and assisted me in navigating the fantastical realm you’ve crafted with such vivid detail while entertaining me. Can you share what inspired their creation and how it came to be?
LN: Havayah’s character came from exploring what it means to be defined by absence rather than presence. In a land where color determines everything about your place in society, your abilities, and even your worth. I wanted to create a protagonist who had to define herself without any of those external markers. Her journey isn’t about discovering some hidden power, but rather about recognizing that existing outside the system gives her a unique perspective and advantages that no one else can see.
Nefesh (Hebrew name for soul or breath — PS: Don’t check out the Hebrew meaning of Havayah) — was developed as someone deeply embedded in the color system developed by the Ma’or Council who begins to question it. His empathic abilities made him uniquely positioned to see beyond society’s prejudices. While most see Havayah as a void or a threat, he sees her as a person first. His character explores how privilege can either blind us or, if we’re willing, help us become allies to those without it.
The relationship between these two characters allowed me to explore themes of belonging, systemic oppression, and the false dichotomy between revolution and conformity. Neither character fits neatly into the roles their world has assigned them, which is precisely what makes them capable of challenging it.
DLL: And exactly why your story is hard to put down.So, of course, I looked up Nefesh. But I won’t add any spoilers!
I know I’m captured by the writing when I mark so many passages, and with your permission, Lucky, I would like to quote a few of my favorite lines.
“Hmm,” Nefesh said, tilting his head further until his ear touched his shoulder. “Tell me, do you believe coffee has political aspirations? This cup, for instance, harbors anarchist sympathies. Note the way it refuses to acknowledge established thermal conventions.
…
“[W]hen you heard about this case, did you feel like all the colors in the world took a single step to the left?”
“I… what?”
“Never mind. It’s not important. What’s important is that my coffee cup was right.” He turned to the cup, bowing. “I apologize for doubting your revolutionary insights. Clearly, the established order of things is more fragile than we thought.”
“Your anxiety, it resonates with salted caramel mixed with a hint of urgent telegram. You have a case for me. Something that made you skip breakfast – no, wait.” He leaned forward, sniffing the emotional residue around her. “Something that made you forget you skipped breakfast. Interesting.”
Havayah’s perspective:
Dr. Kerah approached with a reassuring smile, but the expression sat badly on her face like borrowed clothing that didn’t quite fit.
“Tell us about the first time you realized you were different,” Dr. Kerah said, her voice taking on the soft edge of a blade wrapped in silk.
Nefesh’s grip was firm. He pulled her from the tumult of her thoughts and into the razor’s edge of action.
“Why, indeed?” [Nefesh] said, his fingers brushing over his beard. “Perhaps I was lured by the irresistible charm of chaos. Or perhaps I thought someone needed to remind you that you’re not alone.
He approached the submersible like someone greeting an old acquaintance, his fingers brushing against its surface. “She’ll hold. Stubborn things like this always do.”
And here’s a bit of that amazing world-building that is easier to share than me trying to put words to it:
From the Seder Ha’Gev Codex,
“Reflections on the Edge”
Circa 890 CD (CHROMATIC DIVERGENCE)
The Spectral Frontier can’t be called just a place–oh no, I refuse to accept that, but it is a conversation between the colors that only those who dare abandon their attunement can hear…
It is said that to venture into the Frontier is to risk the Blanking. But Blanking is not death. It is becoming unmoored from the Prism, stepping beyond the comfort of color into the void where light breaks forever. To some, it is freedom; to others, damnation.
So, I have the same question, Lucky, regarding this highly imaginative yet strangely believable color-attuned futuristic society. Was it a dream? Where did this amazing place spring from?
LN: Thanks for sharing those quotes, Darci… Means a lot.
Well, Chromatic Concordat and its world, The Spectrum Dominion, came from a fascinating convergence of inspirations rather than a single source. It wasn’t exactly a dream, though I do keep a dream journal that occasionally feeds into my creative process.
However, the initial spark came during a period when I was interested in synesthesia—the neurological phenomenon where stimulation of one sensory pathway leads to experiences in another, like ‘seeing’ sounds or ‘tasting’ colors. I became fascinated by how differently people can perceive the same world based on their sensory processing.
This interest collided with my observations about social hierarchies and how arbitrary differences become the basis for systems of power and exclusion. I began wondering what a society might look like if color perception wasn’t just a personal experience but a tangible force that determined one’s place and power.
The Chromatic attunement system grew from there. The idea that colors had life became both a literal magic system and a metaphor for how societies categorize people. Havayah’s character emerged as the ultimate outsider—someone who exists outside this fundamental system of classification as she’s born gray.
I also drew inspiration from my tiny background in art theory and the emotional and cultural associations we have with different colors across cultures. The underwater cities as we have in the Azure Depths where Nefesh is from or Ruboria, the Sea of Fire, the Dead Deep, came from wanting to create environments where color wasn’t just visual but immersive and essential to survival according to its inhabitant’s attunements.
What I find most interesting about creating this world is how a fantastical premise—a society structured around color attunement—allows me to explore very real questions about belonging.
The world may be ‘strangely believable,’ as you put it, because beneath the fantastical color magic, the emotional and social dynamics are drawn from real human experiences of being classified, marginalized, or fighting to define oneself outside the categories others impose.
DLL: “This interest collided with my observations about social hierarchies and how arbitrary differences become the basis for systems of power and exclusion.” Yes! And how intriguing to use color. My love of art and color must be why this society speaks to me so strongly. Header art like these samples contributed to my immersion and enjoyment of the story.
I know that this complex story flew from your fingers in a relatively short time. How long did you live with it before you began writing it? What was it like to have something like this take off and grow such expansive wings? How did you go about developing the history?
LN: For a few weeks, just before I lost my KDP account (around late October), the core concept lived in my head. I kept returning to the Spectrum Dominion, adding layers and complexities during quiet moments and commutes.
I had to answer some questions, too—how would this society function? What would its history be? Who would be marginalized, and how would they resist?
And when I decided to commit my ideas to paper—or rather, to Google Docs—I spent about a week arranging the five color provinces and establishing the fundamental rules of this universe. Creating the map (which took about another week) was crucial. Seeing the physical layout of Ruboria, the Viridian Expanse, Azure Depths, Aureus Fields, and Violetia helped me understand how these societies would interact, where tensions would arise, and how my characters would navigate this world.
NaNoWriMo provided the perfect opportunity to dive in headfirst. I wrote about 40,000 words in November and solidified the story’s backbone. Next, I watched as Nefesh and Havayah built their relationship, uncovering their motives and ultimate goals.
Between December and early January, the world took on a more definitive turn, with Havayah and Nefesh realizing what they had to do to survive—and maybe even change things. What started as a narrative about a colorless child and her protector first evolved into an adventure. Then, I watched as it delved into action and noticed how attached Havayah was to Nefesh.
In Chapters Twelve and Thirteen, she proved this in ways that kind of left me stupefied. Alongside working on the plot, the history of the Spectrum Dominion also expanded during this phase, growing from a basic framework into a comprehensive timeline spanning 10,000 years—that is, from Before the Chromatic Divergence (BCD) through 1,000 years after, known simply as Chromatic Divergence (CD).
Notable time periods are: The Colorless Era (10,000 BCD – 0 CD) and it’s Early Civilizations (10,000 BCD – 5,000 BCD); The Golden Age of Philosophy (5,000 BCD – 3,000 BCD); The Age of Strife (3,000 BCD – 1,500 BCD); The Great Recovery (1,500 BCD – 500 BCD); The Dawn of the Luminary Collective (500 BCD – 0 CD); and The Chromatic Divergence and Its Aftermath (0 CD – 100 CD).
Developing the history was both methodical and intuitive. I started with the pivotal moment—the Chromatic Divergence—a time when the Luminary Collective, led by Iris, activated the Prismatic Nexus, a device that gave the world color and worked outward in both directions. What kind of world existed before colors became abilities? What immediate chaos would follow such a fundamental change to human perception? How would society eventually stabilize and structure itself around these new abilities?
I found myself creating key historical figures and events—the Luminary Collective, the Spectrum Wars, the formation of the Ma’or Council—and each development suggested others. When I created the Blanking Rebellion (450–455 CD), I had to explore its causes and consequences.
After that, I took a crucial two-week break in late January, stepping away so I could return with fresh eyes for February’s editing, spotting gaps and connections I had missed during the writing rush.
DLL: An astounding body of work in three months! I’m blown away. Do you want to share the strange journey called KDP? It might be something those getting started there should be aware of.
LN: Yeah Darci, I think The KDP journey can be unpredictable—one day you’re publishing, the next you’re navigating policies you didn’t even know existed! If you’re starting out, always keep backups of your work, explore multiple platforms, and remember: every setback is just a plot twist in your author journey. Stay creative, stay resilient, & post on substack!
Can you give us a rundown on your works and what’s coming?
I think I’ve talked about A Kingdom Bleeds, African Horror Story, Fractured Soul, and Sand Scriptures earlier. With that said, I’m excited to introduce my newest project, Bonewave Broadcast: Aural Inferno.
This one follows 17-year-old music producer Raya, who “borrows” her grandfather’s skull for a music video, only to witness it levitating and creating rhythms to her beats. Instead of panicking, she and her friend Tunde record these supernatural sounds, creating a track that’s compelling.
When Raya uploads the remixed track online, it triggers widespread hallucinations and physical transformations among listeners. The village becomes ground zero for horrifying metamorphoses—extra ears growing from necks, mouths forming on palms—as music industry representatives arrive with sinister, inhuman intentions.
They—Raya and Tunde–discover their recording has opened a channel to a dimension called The Aural Inferno, with an entity known as The Station Master using their track to cross over. Guided by her grandfather’s skull (which had been blocking these transmissions for decades), Raya and Tunde race across a changing landscape to find the frequency that will close this portal.
Bonewave Broadcast blends techno-body horror with cosmic terror, drawing from traditional folklore while updating it for the digital streaming era. It explores the dangers of broadcasting what we don’t understand and the terrifying consequences of hitting “upload” without considering what might be listening on the other side.
As I like to warn potential readers: WHATEVER YOU DO—DO NOT TOUCH THAT DIAL.
DLL: I adore it! From color to music. I can’t wait to explore more of your artfully shattering perspectives of the human condition. And what a fantastic genre blend. Someone said recently that creating and blending sub-genres is one of the biggest pros of being an independent author and publisher. You have definitely taken that to the next level.
Let’s explore more of the additional passions you’ve integrated into your writing journey: music and graphic art. The artwork, map, and cover in Chromatic Concordat are stunning. Now, you’re writing books in fantasy worlds inspired by color and music, respectively. You’ve even created a music album for Chromatic. Can you share a little about your exploration with these elements and how they influenced your process and final product?
LN: The intersection of different artistic mediums has always been the wellspring of my creative process. Writing never existed in isolation for me—it’s part of a broader artistic conversation where music, visual art, and narrative all inform each other.
With Chromatic Concordat specifically, I found myself creating musical pieces that captured the emotional tenor of certain chapters before I’d even finished writing them. This approach helped me maintain consistent emotional tones throughout related scenes. The album became a sort of emotional blueprint for the narrative arc, with specific leitmotifs representing character journeys and thematic elements.
The artwork evolved similarly, with scenes and landscapes helping me visualize the geography more concretely than words alone could achieve. There were several instances where a visual composition revealed narrative possibilities I hadn’t considered.
What I’ve discovered through this multimedia approach is that different art forms access different parts of my creative consciousness. When I’m blocked in one medium, changing to another often unlocks solutions. A melody might capture an emotional quality I’m struggling to express in prose, or a quick work using Krita or Procreate might resolve a spatial relationship between characters that wasn’t working on the page.
The final product benefits from this cross-pollination, I believe.
DLL: Your brain reminds me of the original Tron. Eeek. Dating myself here, but that just popped into my head.Those totally cool Light Cycles and those tricky grids.
Your video shorts are stories unto themselves, and I always enjoy your visual worlds on YouTube and Substack. And that is just a drop in the bucket for your content (which disappears to make way for new content, so you’d better follow Lucky to get the latest and greatest). Can you discuss how important these art and music endeavors are to your process and how they relate to your writing?
LN: Thanks for your nice words, Darci.
The video shorts have become an unexpected but vital extension of my storytelling practice. Often, they are experimental side-projects—visual haikus that distill ideas or rather just a little something extra.
I find there’s something liberating about the nature of having extra content. I can test concepts, styles, and emotional tones, all without pressure.
The relationship between these multimedia pieces and my writing works in both directions. Sometimes, a video can emerge from narrative fragments that don’t quite fit into my current manuscript but deserve their own expression.
Music functions similarly, as it’s both input and output. Creating soundscapes that help me access emotional states I need to inhabit for certain characters or scenes.
What I’ve come to understand is that these aren’t separate creative endeavors but different dialects of the same artistic language. They form a pact where ideas migrate between mediums, strengthening each in turn. The novel might be the most visible outcome, but these other expressions are essential to how I process and understand the stories I’m trying to tell.
DLL: Okay, you’re blowing me away again. “[D]ifferent dialects of the same artistic language… a pact where ideas migrate between mediums.” Wow!
When it comes to writing, art, and music, what techniques, tools, or methods have you found most helpful and enjoyable? Do you have any favorite tips to share?
LN: My creative toolkit has evolved through lots of trial and error, and I’ve found that having the right tools makes all the difference in translating imagination into tangible work.
For visual art, I’ve largely abandoned the Adobe ecosystem in favor of more specialized options. Krita has become my driver—it’s not only free and open-source, but its brush engine rivals premium software for concept art and illustration work. When I need to replicate traditional media effects with digital precision, Corel Painter’s realistic brush textures are unmatched. On the go, Procreate has revolutionized my workflow; its gesture controls and portability mean I have more to work with.
Music production has been transformed by some fascinating tools. RVC (Retrieval-Based Voice Conversion) has been a game-changer for creating character voices or exploring different vocal styles without needing multiple singers. I’ve started using Humtap on mobile to quickly translate melodic ideas. I can hum a tune while walking and have it transformed into a full instrumental sketch. Final production usually happens in BandLab for mastering and spatial effects, with WavePad as my mobile audio editing solution when I’m away.
As for writing, the mechanical process benefits from good analytical tools. ProWritingAid has become an indispensable revision partner—not just for catching errors but for identifying patterns in my prose I might not notice otherwise. AutoCrit is also excellent for genre-specific feedback that helps maintain the right tone and pacing.
The most valuable technique across all mediums has been learning to toggle between creation and editing modes—never trying to perfect while still generating. I’ll draft music or prose in complete free flow, then switch to a more analytical mindset for refinement. This separation prevents the inner critic from blocking initial creativity while still ensuring the final product meets my standards.
DLL: Have you considered teaching or inspirational speaking? I’ve expanded my knowledge not just a few times from our many discussions, and now I’m realizing we hardly scratched the surface of your experience.
You’ve mentioned how demanding the work is for all these creative pursuits, but I understand how that creativity motivates you, as you so articulately expressed. What would you say are the rewards for all the labor? What would you like to do better? Are there other things you want to try?
LN: The rewards of creative work go far beyond external recognition or success. For me, the most significant rewards include:
1. The deep satisfaction of bringing something new into the world that didn’t exist before
2. The flow state that comes during moments of pure creation
3. The continuous learning and growth that happens with each project
As for what I’d like to improve, I’m working on balancing perfectionism with productivity. It’s easy to get caught in endless revisions rather than completing and sharing work. I’d also like to better integrate different creative disciplines —
There are areas I want to explore further, like collaborative projects with other creators, experimenting with new mediums, and taking on challenges that push me outside my comfort zone.
DLL: I agree with focusing on finishing and sharing rather than revising to perfection, which we know is likely an unreachable state. We are always our own worst critics. It’s something I need to work on as well if I want to finish my novel by my goal. As you know, when I share a draft for feedback, I end up sending revised versions ad nauseam. It’s the strangest phenomenon. As soon as I hit send, I’m seeing things that I want to fix. Vexing!
I’ll take the opportunity to reveal that we’ve been sharing a fun collaboration, which I’m honored to take part in. I won’t give it away here, but I am so excited to add my writer’s voice in contrast with your mind-bending conceptual fantasy tales and see where it takes us, maybe by the end of the year. So, readers, stay tuned.
Can you share where we can find your stories, art, and music?
LN: Thanks, Darci! You’re awesome. If I had a dollar for every cool thing you’ve done, I’d be rich—but still not as rich as the experience of checking out your work.
Enjoy this gorgeous track from Chromatic Concordat.
Thanks so much for your kind words and for visiting today, Lucky! What parting advice do you have for aspiring writers and creators?
The truth is, I’m in no position to give definitive advice, but I think Edward Bloom from Big Fish offers some wisdom worth sharing:
“There’s a time when a man needs to fight, and a time when he needs to accept that his destiny is lost… the ship has sailed, and only a fool would continue. Truth is, I’ve always been a fool.”
“A man tells his stories so many times that he becomes the stories. They live on after him, and in that way he becomes immortal.”
“The biggest fish in the river gets that way by never being caught.”
DLL: Awesome! A favorite Tim Burton movie of mine, as you know, and so apt! Thanks for sharing. Congratulations on your latest release, and all the best to you.
By D. L. Lewellyn 