Michael R. Hicks

Michael R. Hicks was destined to become a genre writer. Born in 1963 Hicks spent his youth in Scottsdale Arizona where he was a voracious reader throughout elementary and high school, to the point that he was often admonished by his teachers to get his nose out of those books. He was also an avid fan of classic science fiction movies and television. His weekends were often spent with his grandparents where he would stay up until the wee hours, consuming the likes of The Abominable Doctor Phibes, The Blob, and Forbidden Planet. The youth filled his brain with images of aliens and spaceships until it could take no more. Then he began to write.

Mike drafted his In Her Name series (Empire, Confederation, and Final Battle) which at that time was actually a single work between 1991 and 1994. "The omnibus draft sat under my desk until 2008, when I took advantage of the eBook revolution and published it on the Amazon Kindle, receiving a delightful shock when people not only began buying it, but actually liked it." He calls writing his "enjoyable compulsion" and says that "hearing that readers enjoy what I write has been a true and treasured gift."

Mike spends as much time as he can traveling across the country with his wife and two stepsons, and writing.


Now Robby, do you understand the mechanism?

6 Questions with Michael R. Hicks:

1. What are your favorite and your least favorite words?
  "My favorite would probably be "australopithecus," and my least favorite is "but." I love australopithecus because when the boys were little and curious about learning new words, I used to try and get them to say that, and we'd all have a good laugh at the results. "But" is probably my least favorite because I tend to over-use it in my writing and it's been a hard habit to break."


2. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, emotionally?
  "Creative and, um, other turn-ons. Well, creatively speaking it would have to be red wine and dark chocolate. That gets my muse fired up, although she doesn't really understand why she can't have wine first thing in the morning. So we make do on that score with the chocolate. Spiritually, I don't know if it's a turn-on, but just the fact that my family and I have been so incredibly blessed in so many ways. We've got good health, great kids, and God saw fit to give me a gift of writing through which we're now making our financial way in the world. Sorta hard to beat that. And my emotional turn-ons, well, I'll keep those to myself!"


3. What turns you off creatively, spiritually, emotionally?
 "Creative turn-offs. Hmm. The biggest one is probably distraction, writ large. The muse gets very peeved if she can't concentrate (I'm just along for the ride). Spiritually, I'd say the biggest turn-off is hypocrisy, particularly people who wear their religion on their sleeves, but whose actions and words show something altogether different. Emotionally. Hmmm. I'll probably keep that to myself, too."


4. What is the closest you have ever come to giving up your craft?
  "I gave up on writing after finishing the draft of IN HER NAME back in 1994 and receiving the typical rejection notices. At the time, the only other publishing venue available was vanity press, where you have to pay someone to print your books (which then sit in your garage). So I didn't do anything more until 2007 when I learned about Kindle publishing and got the book ready, sending it out into the Kindle store in 2008. So that was a long, 14 year dry spell."


5. What is the strangest thing you have ever done while creating?
  "I'm not really sure I've done anything terribly strange. Maybe the closest is that I "spin" the story in my head just before I go to sleep. It's like watching a movie: I rewind a bit into what I've already written, then start playing it forward. I usually don't get to see much new stuff before I fall asleep, but in the morning my muse picks up the thread and off we go, writing again."


6. Assuming heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say when you check in at the pearly gates?
  "Someone else asked me this not long ago, and I'll give the same answer: "Welcome home, son!" 


Thanks Ryan! Hope you and the family are having a fantastic time right now, in what ever part of the country you're in! If you'd like to know more about Michael R. Hicks you can try his website, follow him on Twitter or check out some of his work over at Amazon.

Thanks for reading! Next time? How about comic artist extraordinaire Ryan Stegman!

Until then: PEACE!

Tony Deuce

Tony Deuce is both author and podcaster. As co-host of the Back Seat Producers podcast he brings his love of Scorsese and Cagney-style crime thrillers, as well as his affection for the European (Guy Ritchie, Michael Lonsdale) and Asian (John Woo, Tony Leung) equivalents in crime cinema, to an eclectic mix of hosts. Tony and his partners in crime, Tony #1 (Tony Mast), David (Adam), and Darryl, podcast every Wednesday evening, giving you their collective and often confrontational insights on exactly what is going on (or wrong) in Hollywood.

Tony the author has just published his first novel. "The Boston Connexion" is a gritty crime and revenge tale that harkens back to the heyday of mob fiction. It's a coming-of-age story that sprawls three cities on three different continents,"a gritty, pub-soused, bare-knuckled-brawler of a revenge novel." that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

Tony will also have a short story published titled ” 商君書 (Shangzi) Or Engine of the Species." It's being released with the “Built for Speed” anthology by Unasked Question, LLC later this year (2011). He is also working on a forthcoming project with Tony Mast that hopefully will see release at the beginning of next year.

Now, wait right here while I make this man an offer he cant refuse.

6 Questions with Tony Deuce:

1. What are your favorite and your least favorite words?

  "LOL, I couldn't tell ya. Every word has a purpose. Even those formed from complete nonsense."


2. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, emotionally? 

  "Wow, where are the questions like "What's my favorite color," etc? :-)
Creatively I try to be influenced by everything and anything possible. I want to feel like I could theoretically write about anything. To the extent that some creative work continues to impress me as interesting and different enough from something that was done before, to the extent that it reframes my thinking, that stuff usually can be fascinating and creatively invigorating. One example would be "The Social Network." To me, that movie kind of reframes how a movie about modern society could be done. It's like a modern day "La Dolce Vita" style-commentary, only that it's legal drama about computer geeks in a script vaguely reminiscent of "Animal House." When you see something like that--kind of breaking the formula--that gets you thinking. "I want to write something like that someday." And that pushes you further. 

  Spiritually I'm a Christian and a believer and you can't escape that stuff. Salman Rushdie says "Atheists are obsessed with God." Well, many believers can't run away fast enough! I'm no exception, and this is the central yin-yang dichotomy of spirituality. I find spirituality a trying and intellectually challenging, rather than a blissful experience. But it's just as important either way. It finds its way into my work generally, I think. I know it did on  "The Boston Connexion."
  I also like kung fu philosophy, and classical taoism alot as well. Laozi and Zhuangzi, and the internal-external dichotomy of kung fu principles, and how a lot of other things in life are like kung fu. But that's not as much of a spiritual thing as it is a philosophical and physiological thing. But it affects the spirit significantly. Mind and body always affect the spirit. I wish I had the discipline to be a hard core kung fu guy.
  I wish I had the discipline to be a better Christian as well. In short, I think spiritually, what turns me on would be more self-discipline. How does that relate to my writing? Hopefully it's in the characters.

  Emotionally, I try to let the characters' limited perspectives drive the story. As the omniscient voice in my stories, usually, I try not to involve my own emotions too much in what I write."

3. What profession other than yours would you most like to attempt?
  

  "There are a ton of things that I would love to do professionally, that I could never do. Boxing is just one of them. It's easily the most extreme thing that I would want to do, relative to who and where I am now. I think those fighter guys/gals have a lot of guts, endurance. To stand in that ring and take hits, and think on your feet, and not hesitate to deliver the blows... that's a kind of stubborness, intransigence and discipline I would never have. It's also high on strategy. Either that, or maybe it's just crazy. But you still have to be disciplined to be crazy too."

4. What profession would you least like to attempt?

  "I've cleaned enough sewer lines in my life to know that I prefer not to do that professionally."

5. What is the most fun you have ever had?

  "I have fun everyday! I don't measure it too much. I try to live in the moment, like my dogs. Everyday for them is the most fun they've ever had."

6. Assuming heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

                "We have Guinness."


Make it a Yuengling and I'm in. Thanks to Tony Deuce for giving a GREAT interview! Tony I really appreciate you taking the time to do this!
And thanks to YOU for reading! If you'd like to know more about Tony Deuce and his work check out the following links:

http://thebostonconnexion.com/
@TonyDeuce
Here's another great chat with Tony

Thanks again for reading and I'll see you next time for an interview with the extraordinary comic book artist J.K. Woodward!

A.P. Stephens

  A.P. Stephens grew up in the suburb of Mesquite, to the east of Dallas, TX. He attended West Mesquite High School and then went on to the University of North Texas to study English. From a young age, he has always shown the wanting to create his own stories and characters, starting off with the desire to make video games.
  After reading The Lord of the Rings in middle school, he turned his focus to fantasy and began laying the ground work for many of the ideas featured in his current works, as well as all future works. With backgrounds in both martial arts and the theatrical arts he brings a heavy dose of action into his literary works where he enjoys putting new twists on the staples of fantasy lit stereotypes.
  His first novel, The Stolen Moon of Londor, Book I in The White Shadow Saga, was released in October of 2009 and went on to be named one of the Top Books of 2009 by Fantasy Book Critic, as well as being recognized as one of the Top 50 Books of the Year by Conversations Live! radio. The novel was also nominated for the 2010 Parsec Award for Best Speculative Fiction.
  The second book in the Saga, Shameless Wonders, published in October 2010 is his latest work and promises to be an even bigger and badder story than the first installment.
  A.P. Stephens has been a guest at a few cons where he has sat on panels to discuss world building, the fantasy genre, as well as leading some panels on Self Publishing, (Fanda Books is his own indie label bringing The White Shadow Saga to the great readers of the world.)
  He is currently writing the third and final book of The White Shadow Saga trilogy and is also developing his first indie action rpg video game under Fanda Studios. Stay tuned for more updates about Book III, the video game, and much more.

Now, dont go that way. Never go that way. If you keep going that way it'll lead you straight to the castle.

6 Questions with A.P. Stephens:

1. What are your favorite and your least favorite sounds?

  "My favorite sounds are my wife's voice and her laughter. That always makes me feel better and drives me forward in wanting to succeed for her, myself, and my family. I also enjoy music, which is a big inspiration for my creativity. I really prefer to listen to old RPG soundtracks from the Super Nintendo and Playstation 1, back when I was formulating most of my stories.

My least favorite sound is my alarm clock in the morning. It would be great one day to be a full-time writer and set my own hours. I get really creative when the sun goes down. So I would like to be able to stay up all night and sleep during the daytime."

 

2. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, emotionally?

  "Creatively, I would have to say music turns me on. Lyrics and the way instruments move through songs can really strike a chord with me, be it to progress a story or character I am working on, or be a song that motivates me to keep going strong and do the best I can."

 

3. What decision in your career are you most grateful for?

  "Deciding to self-publish my books. After playing the agent hunting game on and off for a couple of years, I took it upon myself to get my works to the readers. I have always been told growing up that if you want something done, you have to do it yourself. You cannot wait around and wait for it to happen. I believe that publishing your own work can potentially build you a fanbase and give you the needed stats if you desire to pursue an agent or publisher at a later date. But if you do self-publish, you have to be twice the professional that the regular publishers are. You need to have your book edited by a pro, you need a pro type-setter, artist for your cover, etc. Do your homework and act as a professional, and your self-published book can go far."

 

4. What is the closest you have ever come to giving up your craft?

  "I never have thought about quitting. The only thing that really holds me back is laziness. When I am at work during the day, I think about all of the things I want to write about when I get home. But when I get home, I usually want to rest or watch tv, play a video game, etc. But once I get over the hurdle of not wanting to do the work, I get going big time and go full force into the book, etc until it is done. It's just the first nudge of that boulder sitting at the top of the hill that is the hardest.

I don't want to give up. I was motivated as a young man to be a writer and I want to pass it along to today's young people, or anyone for that matter, to be creative or to go for their own goals."

 

5. What is the most fun you have ever had?

  "My wife and I had a great time in Seattle a couple of years. It's my favorite city, so any time I can get to Seattle, it is a great time.

As for writing, my favorite times are at book signings and book club meetings. It is always great to talk to readers and talk about books and to those who are curious about the writing process."

 

6. Assuming heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

  "The arcade is down and to the left."

Awesome. Here's hoping they've got Dragon's Lair. I used to love that game! For more information about A.P. Stephens, or if you would like to drop him a line to discuss literature, leave feedback about the books, or to set up an appearance, interview (written. podcast, or radio), please feel free to email him at: contact@apstephens.com

Thanks to A.P. for the fantastic interview and thanks to you for reading! If you enjoyed this one wait till tomorrow! Author, podcaster, Tony Deuce!

Tee Morris

Tee Morris began his writing career with his 2002 historical epic fantasy, MOREVI The Chronicles of Rafe & Askana. In 2005 Tee took MOREVI into the then-unknown podosphere, making his novel the first book podcast in its entirety. He won acclaim and accolades for his cross-genre fantasy-detective Billibub Baddings Mysteries, the podcast of The Case of the Singing Sword winning him the 2008 Parsec Award for Best Audio Drama.
2011 marks Tee's return to fiction with his madcap steampunk adventure, Phoenix Rising: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel, written with Pip Ballantine and released by Harper Voyager.


And now, by your command...
  
15 Questions with Tee Morris:

1. What is your favorite word?

  "Enigma. (The word just evokes mystery.)"


2. What is your least favorite word?

  "Nigger. (The hatred behind the word just makes me cringe. I find the word utterly repulsive.)"


3. What decision in your writing career do you regret most?

  "Writing the Social Media how-to books. I did two for podcasting, two for Twitter. I honestly thought they would open doors for me, and I kept getting passed over for speaking events (and even professional jobs) for fly-by-night Social Media Snake Oil Salesmen and the like. The years and the efforts I put into those books could have been spent in fiction."


4. What decision in your writing career are you most thankful for?

  "When I said in 2004 to Evo Terra and Mike Mennenga "Guys, I got an idea. I want to podcast my first novel."


5. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, emotionally?

  "Music. The natural splendor of the world around us (like a gorgeous sunset, the Natural Bridge of Virginia, etc.). Friends."


6. What turns you off creatively, spiritually, emotionally?

  "Politics and the backbiting nature of it. The hypocrisy is sometimes too much to stomach."


7. What is you writing ritual?

  "I select a playlist on iTunes, fire up Scrivener, and then I start working. Usually the music fits the mood of the scene."


8. What sound do you love?

  "My child, laughing."


9. What sound do you hate?

"My child, crying."


10. What was the closest you ever came to giving up writing?

  "When I thought I was facing some close calls, I found something to keep me going. Writing is a part of me that, when I don't do it, I feel "off" in some way."


11. What is the strangest thing you have ever done while writing?

  "It's something I tend to do, if I ever need to take a moment's break. I'll crank up the music and start grooving a bit. If I'm feeling festive, I'll have a glass of wine in my hand when I do it."


12. What is your favorite curse word?

  "Seriously. The word "Cunt."



Why?



When you call someone THAT, it is a point of no return. You have only one direction left when the C-bomb is dropped. It is a commitment.



Two enter the octagon. Only one will leave."


13. What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?

  "I did that already. I was a professional actor. A part of me still enjoys performance when I podcast, but acting and writing are two professions that have a lot in common with one another."


14. What profession would you not like to do?

  "Pretty much, any job seen on Dirty Jobs."


15. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

  "Hi, Tee. You did good. Real good. I'm proud of you."


Wow! I can't believe you did ALL 15! An amazing author and a gentleman to boot, Tee gave me a HUGE portion of his time and I cant thank him enough. If you'd like to know more about illustrious Tee Morris surf over to http://ministryofpeculiaroccurrences.com or drop him a tweet at TeeMonster on Twitter.

And we close yet another interview! I really hope you enjoyed it and be on the lookout for tomorrow's interview with model and actress Mara Marini!

Philippa Ballantine

Born in Wellington, New Zealand, fantasy author and podcaster Philippa Ballantine has always had her head in a book. For this she blames her father who thought Lord of the Rings was suitable bedtime reading for an eight year old. At the age of thirteen she began writing fantasy stories for herself.

She first earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Political Science and then a Bachelor of Applied Science in Library and Information Science. So soon enough she found herself working in the magical world of libraries where she stayed for over a decade.
 

In 2006 Philippa became New Zealand’s first podcast novelist, she has since gone on to voice and produce Weaver’s Web, Chasing the Bard, Weather Child and Digital Magic as podiobooks. Her podcasts have been short listed for the Parsec Awards, and won a Sir Julius Vogel award.

Philippa is the author of the Books of the Order series with Ace. Geist, the first in the Books of the Order series, was released in October 2010. Spectyr (released June 2011), Wrayth (2012) and Harbinger are to follow. She is also the co-author of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series with Tee Morris. Phoenix Rising will debut in May 2011.

When not writing or podcasting, Philippa loves reading, gardening, and whenever possible traveling.

She is currently in the United States where her two Siberian cats, Sebastian and Viola make sure she stays out of trouble.

And now, hang on kid, we're in for a bumpy ride.

6 Questions with Philippa Ballantine:

1. What are your favorite and your least favorite words?

  "I love the word 'quentessential'- for some reason I adore words with Q and this just feels nice on the tongue.

I'm not found of the word 'receive' just because it is a word I always mix up and there just seem to be too many vowels in there!"


2. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, emotionally?

  "Creatively what turns me on is travel. Meeting new people and seeing news places just fires me up and makes me want to include them into my stories. Spiritually I need greenery, forests and gardens. It feels to me like the place where I can recharge and find my inner zen. Emotionally I need to be around creative people. Something about being in a community of like-minded souls fulfills me and just makes me happy"


3. What is the closest you have ever come to giving up writing?

  "When I did! From the ages of eighteen to twenty-five I gave up writing. Mostly it was just despair at never getting published A New Zealand writer hoping to break into the world of New York publishing was just a lot harder back then. Luckily, I saw the light and came back- I'm kinda glad I did."


4. What is the strangest thing you have ever done while writing?

  "I actually started Geist on the ferry from Scotland to the Orkney Islands. It was kinda choppy water and I was writing on a piece of paper all the ideas that were flying at me. It was a strange, yet also strangely appropriate way to start the books of the Order."

5. What decision in your writing career do you regret most?

  "I've taken logical steps in my career and I don't regret a thing, but I do with it had happened faster. This was probably because I did give up for seven years. So I regret doing that, because I know I would be even further ahead in my career path than I am now. Also all those extra stories I could have been telling."


6.  If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

  "The first draft was great- no need for editing!"



Thanks Pip! A great way to close an interview! If you'd like to know more about Philippa Ballantine and her work...

Email: pip at pjballantine.com
Website: www.pjballantine.com
Twitter: philippajane
Facebook: Group page

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it and I'll see you next time for an interview with the ever suave and smooth Tee Morris!

Adam Christopher

 Adam Christopher is a New Zealand-born SF and superhero novelist, now living in the sunny North West of England. His debut novel, Empire State, is due for release from Angry Robot in January 2012, with a second novel, Seven Wonders, following later the same year. Adam’s award-nominated short fiction has appeared in Pantechnicon, Hub, and Dark Fiction Magazine.

Now, go on. I'll be right behind you. 

6 Questions with Adam Christopher

1. What are your favorite and your least favorite words?

  "Favourites: cavalcade, iron, hawk, monolith.

Least favourite: onus, rhetoric, hauntology, pragmatic."


2. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, emotionally?

  "Creatively? A blank page, which represents endless possibilities. Also ideas - that probably sounds like a strange thing to be turned on by, but there is nothing better when that first idea appears to you. Frequently the best ones arrive when you least expect it - they can either be the start of something new, or the perfect, missing piece of a puzzle that suddenly elevates your current project to something wonderful. You can't beat that feeling.

I'd also add positivity - life is short, and people should be excited by things. Positivity is energising, negativity just kills creativity. Of course no matter what you do, people are going to hate it - so you may as well just keep doing it. Creators - whether they are writers, or film makers, or artists, or whatever - are just trying to make stuff which is cool. That can't be a bad thing."


3. What turns you off creatively, spiritually, emotionally?

  "See above for negativity! Other creativity killers are dishonesty and snobbishness."


4. What decision in your writing career are you most thankful for?

  "Two things - discovering Angry Robot books, who gave me a book deal, and then making friends online that got me my kick-ass agent, Stacia Decker at DMLA. Both are thanks to Twitter and both had an element of serendipity."


5. What is the strangest thing you have ever done while writing?

  "My writing habits are probably just as weird as the next writer's!"


6. Assuming heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

  "I would hope that there would be a big guy in a cape, and when I walk up he'd nod sagely and click his fingers, and his assistant would materialise and hand me a manila folder as he said "Your next assignment is...".


Brilliant! Thanks Adam for taking the time to do this! If you'd like to know more about Adam Christopher you can find the full workup at http://www.adamchristopher.co.uk/

Thanks for reading and I'll see you again tomorrow!

Lauren Beukes

Lauren Beukes is a writer, TV scriptwriter and former journalist. With twelve years of freelance journalism experience and an MA in Creative Writing Lauren has contributed to the likes of the Sunday Times, Colors, The Hollywood Reporter, Nature Medicine, Marie Claire, and The Big Issue. Her short stories have been published in numerous anthologies, including Home Away: 24 Hours. 24 Writers. 24 Places, Touch: Stories of Contact, Open, FAB, African Road: New Writing from Southern Africa, 180 Degrees, Urban 03 and Novel Idea. In 2010 Lauren became the fiction editor of Chew the Magazine, a design, art, photography, pop culture digital magazine.
Lauren is the author of Zoo City, winner of the 2011 Arthur C Clarke Award, and the dystopian thriller Moxyland which William Gibson described as “very, *very* good.” In 2006 her non-fiction book, Maverick: Extraordinary Women From South Africa’s Past, was nominated for the Sunday Times Alan Paton Non-Fiction Book of the Year award, in 2009 Moxyland was nominated for the same.
Lauren lives in Cape Town South Africa with her husband and daughter.

Now, shall we play a game?

6 Questions with Lauren Beukes

1. What are your favorite and your least favorite words?
  "Insinnuendos" is my favourite portmanteau, from Woody Allen's Bullets Over Broadway. Least favourite? "Flight delayed"


2. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, emotionally?

  "Surprising whimsies, curious street art, for example, or crocheted viruses, strandbeests and BoingBoing, the interesting places culture and technology intersect, the wonder and horror of the world."


3. What turns you off creatively, spritually, emotionally?

  "Bigotry and social injustice of all descriptions. I'm totally intolerant of intolerance."


4. What is the closest you have ever come to giving up writing?
  "Never. Even when I had such bad repetitive strain injury that I had to wear wrist braces and push doors open with my shoulder and take painkillers at night, I was scheming ways to still be able to write. That's not to say I won't procrastinate like crazy and do anything to avoid that moment of sitting down in front of my keyboard to actually work. But I'd never give it up."


5. What is the strangest thing you have ever done while writing?
  "When I'm writing TV scripts or comics, it's really important to describe the action and emotions very clearly to the artist who has to illustrate/animate it. I'll find myself acting out the movement (would she throw a brick at his head underarm or over-) and making funny faces as I work out the expressions."


6.  If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say when you arrive at the pearly gates?
  "Ha, you're assuming I'm taking the up elevator"

LOL! I was indeed! A heartfelt thanks to Lauren for playing along and contributing to my little blog. I really appreciate it and your answers were a joy. If you'd like to know more about Lauren and her work surf the following links:
http://laurenbeukes.com/
http://angryrobotbooks.com/our-authors/laurenbeukes/

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it and I'll see you again next time.

Rick Moyer

Rick Moyer is the creative force behind Moyer Multi Media LLC, a media company that runs the gamut when it comes to presenting information. His passion for faith and life shows in the creative work that he does. From a weekly podcast, called Take Him With You, which he does with his wife Amy, to composing albums of music available on Itunes and Amazon, Rick enjoys a full spectrum of geekiness and media.

By day Moyer is a voiceover artist as well as musician where he creates jingles, parody songs,  theme music and background atmospheres for audio books and podcasts.  Rick created the music for The Martians Are Here Podcast and narrated the series creating over eight hours of original music.

Rick is also an accomplished graphic artist. 

So, what are we going to do today?

7 Questions with Rick Moyer:

1. What are your favorite and your least favorite words?

  "I don’t like cuss words as I find them a cheap way of describing things that could have so much more depth.  I don’t have any favorite words,  but I seem to say cool and awesome a lot.  Ugh.  I have one word that I’m fond of.  Verisimilitude. Learned it from my sixth grade teacher, and never forgot the reality of that word.  Words are tools like paint is for canvas.  We paint many pictures with them."

2. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, emotionally?

  "My switch seems to be activated in the creative world by things I see or hear around me.  I love to take the things we don’t take time to notice and draw on the creativity that is under our noses.  I did a whole banana slug pictorial with my macro lens a couple of years ago.  Those little buggers are some of the most beautifully made creatures you have ever seen.  Who takes time to really look at them close up?

  Spiritually I began my journey over 27 years ago.  I find myself gravitating more towards a close up relationship with Jesus Christ, not church.  To me there is a big difference.  I think when I read his words from the Bible they inspire me to be more.  I like that and my switch is turned on accordingly.

  Emotionally I seem to be getting much more sappy as I get older.  I used to be kind of tough like Spock from Star Trek, but not anymore.  Now I am more like Picard… I find my music and creative work to be very satisfying emotionally as I am able to release what I am feeling inside by composing songs and atmospheres.  If a song that doesn’t even have words can move someone to tears or make them smile and feel all warm inside, then I have done my job."

3. What is the closest you have ever come to giving up your craft?

  "I have made my craft into my career.  So there have been times when it does get lean.  Voiceover and music production is a fickle business.  One minute you can be up to your eyeballs in work, and the next no one seems to even know you exist.  Diversification is the key for me.  I do music, narration, photography, video, officiate weddings, do funerals, etc.

I often wonder how I will pay bills every two weeks, but it always seems to come in.  There was a few weeks in Feb of this year that I thought I might have to go flip burgers because work was scarce… but even if I had to do something out of my field I would never give up on music and creativity.  It’s in me.  I can’t deny it.  The fun is to pay the bills doing it."

4. What sound do you love?

  "I love the sound of my wife’s voice when she is close to me, I love the wonderful purr of my cats when they are happy and satisfied, the sound of the rain as it pours on my roof and the sound of the waves as they crash on the rocks.  Of course one of my favorite sounds is a Marshall Stack amplifier cranked up with a heavy metal guitar riff.  Oh yeah, something about that that simply turns my crank. I am also quite fond of the piano, flute and cello.  A rich orchestra can be quite awe inspiring."


5. What sound do you hate?

  "I don’t like the sound of arguing voices.  I don’t like the sound of hair buzzers in my right ear.  I’m not too fond of dogs barking repeatedly and I don’t enjoy the dentist drill.  I can live without the accordion or auto harp."

6. What is the strangest thing you have ever done while creating?

  "How does one answer that?  I have created for over 40 years in all sorts of places from coat closets, on rocks in the desert, in old movie theaters, next to lakes and rivers, in living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens and yards, at festivals, in church, but the most unique and strange thing I have done while creating is too play Star Trek TNG in the background.  It’s like a comfort food and inspires me.  Not sure why. I also bite the side of my tongue when I’m concentrating."


7. Assuming heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

  "I believe that Heaven is a real place, for sure.  And when I die and stand before God I really only need to hear one thing… welcome Rick, thank you for receiving me in your heart.  I have a great place prepared for you.  In my opinion, nothing else matters."

Brilliant. Thanks again to Rick for indulging me! You can enjoy the creative talents of Mr Rick Moyer by visiting several different websites:

www.takehimwithyou.com

www.startrekparodies.com

http://www.cdbaby.com/artist/rickmoyer

http://www.moyermultimedia.com

http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/rick-moyer/id336378772

And thanks again to you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it and I'll see you next time!

Denise Vasquez

Denise Vasquez is an artist who creates because it is a part of her being! Her talents run the gamut from being an Award winning singer/songwriter/guitarist, activist and founder of “Wo+Men 4 A Cause”, to being an actress, illustrator, custom toy designer, freelance journalist, co-author of “Sketch Card Mania” and more! Denise Vasquez has been performing onstage since the age of 4! She studied acting in New York City at the “Lee Strasberg Theater Institute” and the “Puerto Rican Traveling Theater Training Unit” and is currently preparing to be a part of the theatrical production of the Pink Floyd Project “Dark Side Of The Moon”, and she’s also enjoying being a member of “The LA Connection Comedy Theater” in Sherman Oaks, CA doing Improv! Over the years, Denise has been featured in theatrical productions, Feature films, TV, music videos, Improv shows, industrials and educational films. Denise proudly endorses & enjoys working with Sakura USA, HK Holbein, Daisy Rock Guitars, Audix Microphones, AFTRA & ASCAP. Denise has lived in New York City, Scotland, London, US Virgin Islands, and is currently residing in Hollywood California. As a singer, songwriter, guitarist, Denise has produced 3 albums (“Frame Of Mind”, “Live In One Take”, “Fighting Darkness”, available thru her website or on itunes), featuring her voice, her songwriting skills & guitar playing! She has won many nominations and awards, and has traveled extensively for over twenty years, performing her music in some of the most legendary venues worldwide! Her favorite gig to date was performing at the legendary “Cavern Club” home of the “Beatles” in Liverpool!  Denise has designed and illustrated music posters, CD covers, logos, mixed media 3D art, custom vinyl figures, sketch cards, has also sold many of her original works of art on canvas, glass, and clothing. Two vinyl dolls (Conan O'brien & his horny Teddy & The Flaming C) designed & created by Denise Vasquez are being featured in the "Museum of Conan Art" COCO MoCA! Denise is currently creating custom vinyl toys for “Bean Pot Toiz”, and has done work for Impact Books/F&W Media, DKE Toys, Topps,  Breygent Marketing, Sadlittles, 5Finity Productions & more! Feel free to browse her website to learn more about Denise Vasquez  http://www.denisevasquez.com

Now... what shall we talk about?

6 Questions with Denise Vasquez

1. What are your favorite and your least favorite words?

  "My favorite words are: “truth, respect, peace, love, art, soul, theater, music, inspire, motivate, elevate, create, dream, live, laugh, be, unique, honest, trust, kismet, luck, joy, happiness, compassion, moment, toys, be, free, hope, equality, community, thank you and I’m sorry…

My least favorite words are negative, hate, jealousy, racial slurs, lies, gossip, entitlement, and HISPANIC…As a latin woman, I don’t like being referred to as anyone’s panic!"

 2. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, emotionally?

  "I totally get turned on by working with the people who I love & who inspire me most! I have the pleasure of working with my man Randy Martinez on many projects! We wrote an amazing book together called “Sketch Card Mania” (Published by IMPACT BOOKS/F&W Media), and we’re getting ready for a gallery show that opens August 20th at “Hold Up Art” Gallery http://www/holdupart.com downtown LA featuring some of our “Star Wars” Art!  Life inspires me creatively, emotionally & spiritually. Nature inspires me. The people I’ve met on my path inspire me. Everything I see, smell, taste, touch, hear, and experience inspires me. "Life is my canvas, experience is my palette, my heart, soul and imagination are my tools" ~Denise Vasquez"

3. What is the closest you have ever come to giving up art?

  "Giving up art would be the death of me! 'I am an artist who creates because it is a part of my being!' ~Denise Vasquez"

 4. What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?

  "I’ve never wanted to do or be anything other than who I am…an artist. Every time I’ve attempted other professions, I’ve been miserable! So I do what I love, and love what I do and I’m the happiest I could ever be! 'When you do what you love & truly love what you do, your passion will shine through your being and all you create' ~Denise Vasquez"

5. What is the strangest thing you have ever done while painting?

  "This is not strange to me, but probably strange to others…On the 4th of July, I made the choice to stay in & paint all day while there was a HUGE BBQ party happening right outside my studio window. I was totally in a zone & did not stop! I painted for like 12 hours straight! When I’m connected & my creativity is flowing, my muse is talking and I listen! I heard Tom Petty once say “Never ignore your muse” I totally agree! I will go with creating any time, anywhere & some people just don’t understand that!"

6. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

  “You did great! Welcome Home  (^.^)"

I would like to thank Denise again for taking time out of her busy schedule to answer my questions. If you would like to know more about this renaissance woman surf any one of the following links:

Official Website: http://www.denisevasquez.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/denisevasquez

Tumblr: http://denisevasquez.tumblr.com

Facebook Artist fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialDeniseVasquez

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/TheBuzzz4U

Imdb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3499195

K.M. Weiland

K.M. Weiland is the author of the historical western A Man Called Outlaw and the medieval epic Behold the Dawn. She enjoys mentoring other authors through her writing tips, editing services, and her instructional CD Conquering Writer’s Block and Summoning Inspiration.

And now ladies and gentlemen, the dining room proudly presents... your dinner.

5 Questions with K.M. Weiland:

1. What are your favorite and your least favorite words?

"Favorites: blood, juxtaposition, whiskey, Uzbekistan, verisimilitude, umber, moiré. 
Least favorites: very, just, Adam’s apple, lips, mustache."

2. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, emotionally?

"Creatively, little details, like dust motes, water droplets, or spider webs, always spark my imagination. Music, movies, and books are also an endless creative well. Honestly, what sparks my creativity also drives me spiritually and emotionally; they’re very connected. Studying the Bible and spending time in prayer are, of course, endless spiritual catalysts."

3. What is the closest you have ever come to giving up writing?

"When I was writing my second (published) book Behold the Dawn, a historical set in the Middle Ages, I seriously questioned whether writing was what God wanted me to do with my life. I tried to quit, but couldn’t stay away from it. I took that as a sign that I should get back to it pronto. Behold the Dawn ended up being one of the stories I’m most proud of."

4. What is the strangest thing you have ever done while writing?

"Probably choreographing sword fights with a butter knife and running back and forth across the room, pretending to be both characters."

5. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

"Well done, good and faithful servant."

I would like to thank Ms Wieland again for graciously offering her time to do this. If you would like to know more about the author or her works surf over to http://www.kmweiland.com.

And thanks to you for reading! See you next time!

J.C. Hutchins

J.C. Hutchins is an award-winning fiction writer best known for using multimedia narratives, emerging fiction trends and participatory storytelling techniques to entertain online audiences. He is a published novelist, screenwriter, and experienced transmedia storyteller.

He is also much loved by his fans and was kind enough to be the first to contribute to this blog. For that I am eternally grateful.

5 Questions with J.C. Hutchins:

1. What is your least favorite word?

"Literally," as it is often misused in conversation.

2. What turns you on creatively, spiritually, emotionally?

I love brainstorming and collaborating with others. There's nothing better than a couple of creatives playing "what if?" and teasing out an idea.

3. What is the closest you have ever come to giving up writing?

I've never considered quitting writing. Not even close.

4. What is the strangest thing you have ever done while writing?

I probably make strange faces as I search for words, but I can't think of anything strange. Sorry.

5. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God (or Allah or Yahweh or Odin. Generally the Supreme Being of your choice.) say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

"There goes the neighborhood."

Thanks again to Mr. Hutchins for taking the time to answer these questions. If you would like to know more about J.C. and his work surf over to http://JCHutchins.net.

Thank you for reading and I'll see you again next time!