I had the pleasure of interviewing author Laura Eno about her latest work.

Tell our readers about your book.
 
Prophecy Moon is a fantasy about a dystopian Earth that shouldn’t exist. My hero is sent to an alternate reality with the help of an ancient Tarot deck to reset the timeline.
 
How did you first come up with the inspiration for this story?
 
Laughing. Ideas are always crawling around in my head. If I knew the answer to that, I’d bottle it and make a million dollars.
 
What do you think makes your main character relatable to readers?
 
Travis is a loner and doesn’t see the point in getting involved, but he learns to accept help from others along the way and, in the end, opens up to love.
 
What has surprised you the most about the story as it has taken shape?
 
The biggest surprise was one of the minor characters successfully arguing his way into a much larger storyline of his own.
 
Are you working on other projects that you’d like to tell us about?
 
I’m working on a sci-fi novel right now that looks to be heading into a series, which I’m delighted about.
 
What inspired you to start writing in general?
 
I was designing jewelry when the economy took a dive. After spending two months baking umpteen loaves of bread, I knew I needed a different creative outlet. I don’t know why, but when I sat down and started writing words just sort of gushed out. I couldn’t imagine doing anything else now.
 
If you had a chance to make over a popular book or movie and put your own creative stamp on it–what would it be?
 
Even though it’s been done before, I’d like to remake Alice in Wonderland—with a much darker twist.
 
What do you like to read?
 
Fantasy, soft sci-fi…I don’t want to know how the engine was put together, just tell me it works. Escapism novels would best describe my tastes.
 
Do you like to set a particular mood for writing? Do you work at a particular time of day?
 
No particular time of day, but I do prefer to sit outside to write.
 
What do you find the most challenging about writing?
 
The days where everything I write seems to be crap.
 
What’s the most rewarding?
 
Hearing that other people enjoyed my work is the ultimate thrill for me.
 
What advice would you offer to aspiring writers?
 
Just write—daily, consistently, even if it isn’t coming together. I love the quote from Jack London, “You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.” That’s my motto and it’s true for everything in life.
 
Do any of your own fears present themselves in your books?
 
Certainly. I’m an introvert so I think the central issues of opening up and letting people into your life are things I struggle with.
 
What advice would you give other writers?
 
Don’t write according to what’s popular. Write what you love, it’s the only way you’ll be happy with your story.

______________________

©2010 Lori Titus

See Laura Eno’s Prophecy Moon, available on Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Prophecy-Moon-ebook/dp/B003XF1HSI

I interviewed author Brian L. Porter about his latest thriller.

Tell our readers about your upcoming book.

Behind Closed Doors is set in the autumn of 1888. The population of London is transfixed and horrified by the atrocious and horrific murder spree being conducted by Jack the Ripper. The newspapers are full of the details of the mutilations perpetrated by the killer and the apparent inability of the police to apprehend the unknown assailant. As Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Charles Warren throws the bulk of his investigative resources into the search for The Ripper, and the tabloid press scream of the crimes in banner headlines on a daily basis; on the new, ultra modern Underground Railway that has revolutionized travel around the great metropolis for the working man, another, less well publicized killer is at large.

Tucked away on the inner pages of the daily press, hardly enough to raise an eyebrow among discerning readers, one may have found a few, short articles which told of the strange and also, so far unsolved murders which are taking place on board the carriages of the new-fangled and much heralded transport system. Each murder takes place the day after one of the ripper killings, as the murderer appears to be taking advantage of the lack of police resources to tackle not one, but two, major investigations simultaneously.

Inspector Albert Norris is charged with bringing the railway killer to justice, but, as with case of Jack the Ripper, clues are few, the killer’s motive unclear, and he is forced to carry out his investigations ‘quietly and without causing a public panic’ as the authorities seek to prevent a loss of confidence in the safety of the underground railway system. The press is being told even less, hence the minimal coverage, and Norris can count on little help from above as he attempts to solve the inexplicable series of murders.　

How did you first come up with the inspiration for this story?

When Sonar 4 Publications first approached me and asked if I’d like to work with them by writing a Victorian Murder Mystery for them, I had no concept of the storyline for the proposed book. Being a great ‘fan’ of the Victorian era, however, I saw this as a challenge not to be turned down and set my mind to work on the problem of coming up with a suitable exciting theme for the book. I’d recently been reading an article about the very early days of the London Underground (The Tube), and had been surprised to learn that the early underground trains were pulled by steam locomotives that belched out noxious fumes and gasses, making the experience of traveling by Underground Railway a real health hazard. As I thought about it, I realised I had the ideal location for a series of murders that would take place almost simultaneously with the those of Jack the Ripper, except that these murders would take place not on the streets of Whitechapel, but beneath the ground, on the underground railway system that was just beginning to revolutionize travel for the people of London. I visited a local book market, where I was fortunate to find just what I needed, a book detailing the early history of the Metropolitan Railway, and together with various internet sources, I was able to complete the research for the background to the book in record time. So, Behind Closed Doors was born, and has taken shape wonderfully, such has been my own pleasure in creating the characters, and the story of the Underground Railway Murders.

What do you think makes your main character relatable to readers?

The main character in Behind Closed Doors is Detective Inspector Albert Norris. I hope readers will find him easy to relate to as Norris is, first and foremost, a human being with all the flaws and nuances that go with being member of the human race. He lives in a small terraced home with his wife of many years, Betty and a little terrier, Billy, who idolizes his master. Norris also has a secret in his past, one shared only by his wife, his superior officers and his most trusted friend and colleague, Sergeant Dylan Hillman, with whom he enjoys a most open and frank working relationship. Once a Scotland Yard officer, Norris is now employed as an inspector in a normal police station, a promising career cut off in its prime as a result of an event buried long ago in his past. Readers are eventually enlightened as to the nature of the secret due to a surprising twist within the book’s plot.

Norris is shown enjoying time at home with Betty, visiting the park, the music hall, and other leisure pursuits, rather than being depicted as simply a stereotypical policeman with no other purpose within the story but to investigate crime. Because of tragedy in his past, Norris appears as being vulnerable and at the same time, determined not to be ridden roughshod over as he attempts to be the best he can, a situation faced by many of us in our everyday lives, perhaps.What has surprised you the most about the story as it has taken shape?That’s a good question, easy to answer too. I’ve found myself falling more and more in love with my central characters, Albert Norris and Dylan Hillman, and would love to include the pair in some future project. I’ve felt as though I’ve ‘lived’ the book from within the mind of Albert Norris, and have surprise my self by being able to ‘see’ the action through his eyes, making the whole story so much more real and intense for me, as the author. The story itself has developed in just the way I wanted it to, and I’ve been surprised by how easily the words have flowed and how quickly the book is nearing completion, considering its length.

How long did it take for you to write the book?

Well, as I answer this one, the book is not quite completed, though I’m nearly there. By the time I’ve finished, the research and the writing will have taken approximately 6 months from start to finish.

Are you working on other projects that you’d like to tell us about?　

At present, most of my time is taken up with the editing work I do for Moongypsy Press, though I’m also working on my ‘Harry Porter’s Dog Tales’ series of books, written under my Harry Porter pseudonym.

I’m also involved in co writing the screenplay for the movie version of my novel A Study in Red – The Secret Journal of Jack the Ripper, currently in development for the screen by Thunderball International Films in collaboration with Masterplan Films (UK)

My next novel due for release will be Glastonbury, an adventure thriller coming in a few months time from 4rV Publishing, with The Nemesis Cell coming from Moongypsy Press in the New Year. I’m also heavily involved in promoting the three releases that have appeared this year, Purple Death, Pestilence and Requiem for the Ripper.What inspired you to start writing in general?I can’t honestly say that I always wanted to be an author. I served in the Royal Air Force, then pursued a career in retail management for many years until illness forced me to give up the everyday grind of business. I then turned to writing, initially as a form of therapy. When I found that people actually enjoyed reading what I was writing, I realised that maybe, just maybe, I should concentrate on writing as a new career. With a number of successful e-book publications behind me, and five paperbacks due for release this year, I think that proved to be the correct decision.

What kind of feedback have you received from friends and family?

My friends and family alike all seem to like my books, and most of them are avid buyers and readers of my work. I couldn’t have asked for a better reaction from those who know me.

If you had a chance to make over a popular book or movie and put your own creative stamp on it–what would it be?

What do you like to read?Anything by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Tess Gerritsen, Jeffery Deaver and Robert Goddard. Tess Gerritsen, as well as being a wonderful writer, is a lovely lady too, and gave me much encouragement with A Study in Red – The Secret Journal of Jack the Ripper and allowed me to use a message from her on the front cover of the book. I can read Robert Goddard’s books one after the other, and Jeffery Deaver’s work is a constant source of inspiration to me. Conan Doyle was, to me the epitome of the classic mystery/thriller genre and I love reading the Sherlock Holmes stories over and over again.

Tell us who your favorite “bad guy” is in your story, and why?

That’s something I can’t reveal, I’m afraid, as the ‘bad guy’ in Behind Closed Doors isn’t revealed until very near the end of the book and it is a mystery novel, after all. If I named him for you, it would give the game away, wouldn’t it?

Do you like to set a particular mood for writing? Do you work at a particular time of day?

I try to write every day if I can, any time, day or night, even if it’s only a few hundred words. I need to get in the mood and will often sit and read something pertaining to the period I’m writing about for half an hour before I begin, to get myself into the right ‘time frame of mind.’

What do you find the most challenging about writing?

Apart from the challenge of researching a new book, which I love, the biggest challenge I face is usually one of keeping the momentum going after starting a new book, though in the case of Behind Closed Doors the words have flowed and I’ve had no trouble keeping the plot bubbling over.

What’s the most rewarding?

Putting the finishing touches to the final chapter, and feeling the massive sense of satisfaction that accompanies the moment.

What advice would you offer to aspiring writers?

Never give up! Don’t be too disheartened by the inevitable rejection slips that drop through the letterbox. If your work is good enough then it will eventually find the publisher who wants to put it on display for the public to read. It may take time, but any aspiring writer must have patience, belief in their work, and must always strive to improve their work, taking every word of critique that may come their way in a positive manner. Remember, you must write what the readers want to read, which is not necessarily always what you, the writer, may actually want to write. Oh yes, try to avoid the vanity publishers who lurk out there, trying to lure aspiring writers in to their clutches. If you have to pay to have your work published, most traditional publishers will in time frown upon you and won’t consider your future works for publication. Please remember that a ‘real’ publisher accepts the risks that go with publishing a book, and will edit and market the book on your behalf, though in this day and age an author must be prepared to do his or her share of marketing and promotion of their work too. That’s their job, and if and when the book succeeds the publisher pays you, the author, not the other way round. Finally I can only say ‘Good luck’ to all who hope to see their work in print one day. I wish you all the greatest of success!

__________________

©2010 Lori Titus