Author Spotlight: Abby Goldsmith- City of Slaves

As part of my recent effort to support and bring greater illumination to the rapidly expanding demographic of Indie/small press writers, today's post is the third in a planned series of spotlights on less-publicized authors whose books I've read and enjoyed.

Read a full-length cut of City of Slaves
on Wattpad

In this post the spotlight is on Abby Goldsmith. Her incredible debut novel is City of Slaves, a science fiction tale about an orphan boy named Thomas with mind-reading powers. Early in the novel, Thomas and his companions are kidnapped to a world where a race of mind-reading humanoids called the Torth have enslaved and brutally oppressed a bevy of non-mindreading alien species.

Abby's well-crafted novel yanked me through its pages. The story is packed with well-faceted characters and oozes with macro and microtensions that drive the plot through to a cliff-hanger conclusion.

I supplied Abby with a list of questions to which she was kind enough to provide answers.

Tell me a little about yourself. What is your background? What made you want to become a writer?

I've always been a storyteller. I began stringing words and drawings together into stories at age 3, and by the age of 12, I'd written two novels on a typewriter, plus some home-made theater productions, plus a series of comics. I received a harsh rejection from someone at Random House when I was 13 years old, and that caused me to switch gears away from writing to other forms of storytelling. I graduated from CalArts (the California Institute of the Arts) as a Character Animation major, hoping to become the next Tim Burton or Brad Bird, directing blockbuster films. My student films were screened at the Annecy International Film Festival and the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. But after college, my career path took me into handheld video-games instead of feature films, and my heart found its way back to writing novels.

Have you had any other works published? Where?

My most recent publication is a story in Futuristica vol 2. I also have short fiction in Escape Pod, Fantastic Stories of the Imagination, and in a few anthologies. I keep track of my publications at http://abbygoldsmith.com/bibliography/

City of Slaves was reminiscent for me of one of my favorite sci-fi writers, Iain M. Banks, who had great ideas about a post-scarcity intergalactic society of humanoids known as “the Culture” that would surely have butted heads with the Torth. Who would you say are your primary literary influences?

Thank you. I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't yet read anything by Iain M. Banks.  I do read a lot of SFF, and he's been recommended to me by a lot of people with good taste, so he's in my queue of authors to read.

My biggest influences are Stephen King, Robert Jordan, George R.R. Martin, and Scott Sigler. I love big, epic scope stories with larger-than-life characters, dynamic character interaction, and really high stakes. If the story is insanely complex and the characters are utterly ludicrous, yet the author still gets me fully invested in their lives and believing every new twist, then I'm in awe.  That's the kind of author I want to be.

Tell me about the moment of inspiration for City of Slaves? How did the tale come to be?

This story was brewing in my head for many years before it bubbled over into a coherent narrative.  I grew up at the dawn of the Internet Age and social media era. I was an avid user of Q-Link bulletin boards, and later an avid user of Facebook and iPhone apps (heck, I worked on a few). I think the internet is changing the way human society communicates, and I don't see this phenomenon explored in fiction nearly as thoroughly as I think it should be. What happens when the majority of people make the laws, instead of lawyers and politicians? What is the end result when winning popularity is more important than proving your merit? What is the impact of valuing emotionless logic over passionate beliefs?

I wanted to explore those questions through the focused lens of SFF. And, of course, I grew up watching Star Trek, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and all those fun 1980s movies. I wanted my epic story to have loads of entertainment value.

The first book of my series, City of Slaves--which I am probably going to re-title as Galactic Minds--gave me a lot of trouble, in terms of introducing the universe and characters. My writing skills weren't up to the task at the time I wrote the first draft.  It's required a few rewrites.

I found your idea of the “macrocosm” immensely intriguing. The near-constant scrutiny Thomas faced when he "ascended" reminded me somewhat of modern social media. Interestingly, you had the Torth mention the humans’ invention of a “primitive macrocosm” in the internet. Can you talk for a moment about the way sci-fi—and all forms of speculative fiction—provide us with useful avenues to approach modern problems faced here on Earth despite being set in a time and/or place quite different?

One reason why I love SFF is because it gives us the ability to laser-focus on one or two particular aspects of our real-life world, and analyze and explore those aspects in new and challenging ways. Let's say a reader prides herself on having a sharp distinction between reality and fiction. She slaughters characters in video-games, but she would never dream of harming a real person. Then she reads the Otherland series by Tad Williams, and she's immersed in a fictionalized virtual universe where the line between fictional character and real character is blurred and possibly irrelevant. That might challenge her to think about the distinction in new ways.

That's the first example that popped into my head, but I could use almost any work of SFF as an example.

Since the internet is so pervasive in everyone's life, and so prevalent, and changing so many factors about our real world, I marvel that so few SFF authors are exploring its myriad possibilities and ramifications. In my opinion, this should be one of the hottest trending topics for SFF to explore. Instead, it seems to be a backwater topic that gets mostly ignored.

In my experience, one of the hardest things about writing a novel is the editing process. It takes far longer than the actual writing. In my opinion your novel read more cleanly and professionally than some independent novels I’ve encountered. What can you reveal about your editing methodology? Did you use so-called “beta-readers”? Did you work with a professional editor?

You can link up with Abby on her website,
Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter

Ugh. I edited it to death. I think I suffer from obsessive-compulsive perfectionism, and I'm actively working towards a healthier methodology. But yes, I use beta readers. This particular novel had over 100 beta readers, spread over multiple drafts and many years. About 60% of them only read variations of the beginning. George R.R. Martin read an early version of the first chapter, and gave an extensive and valuable verbal critique, much of it positive. That was one of my happiest moments at the Odyssey Writing Workshop.

For more than a few years, I was caught in an endless revising loop, where every rejection from a literary agent would send me back to square one. I don't believe that every writer is in danger of doing that. Some novels are easy to sell. Some writers don't invest everything they have into one huge series; they move to new projects before they invest too much time into the first one or two. But if you're like me, prone to endless edits and revisions ... my sympathies.

Anyway, I've found an approach that seems to be working for me. I no longer allow myself to focus solely on a project that needs edits. I have an internal mandate to *always* be working on a first draft of something new, no matter what. That takes priority. I limit my editing time to two evenings per week. Edits get done slowly, but they no longer consume all of my free time or creative energy. They no longer stall my writing career. As a result, my edits are now a lot more productive. I'm not floundering or second-guessing my own decisions nearly as much.

So far it looks like you have done most of your publishing on wattpad. Have you settled on a publishing method for this novel and its sequels? Do you plan to query agents and go the traditional route or stick with self-publishing?

I still fantasize about seeing my novels published by Tor Books, or DAW, or Orbit, or any of the major publishers. Reader feedback for this series is very encouraging, but the style and the potential audience don't seem to be what the Big Five want. I've had to take a few steps back and reassess everything I believed about publishing. At this point, I suspect that the traditional industry isn't taking gambles or risks. A lot of the innovation I see in SFF fiction is coming from the indie author crowd, or authors who were indie before they signed a contract. So that's where I'm headed. I wish I'd had the courage to take that leap before the gold rush got started.

Now I'm learning everything I can about marketing self-published work. There's a lot to learn. The path isn't any easier than traditional publishing, but it allows for more flexibility. I think it suits me and my series.

You left me hanging! When do I get to read the sequel? Some authors find it challenging to make sequels fresh, original and still as engaging as the first novel. Conversely, I find many readers complain about them too. What has your experience been?

Thanks!

I conceived of this series as a single epic story, so I never struggled with how the sequels would play out.  It's all the same story, with each book having its own nested story arc. I set up a story question in each book, and answer it by the end.  In the first book, the story question is "Will they escape the city of slaves?" You find out by the end.  In the second book, the story question is "Will they be able to go home to Earth and/or live in freedom?" You find out by the end. And so forth.

The whole series has its own massive story question: "Will they defeat the Torth Empire and free all the slaves in the galaxy?" You can probably guess the answer, but if you've read any of it, you're gonna wonder "How?" That's the question that will get answered by the end of the whole series.

The sequel will be ready by Spring 2018, maybe sooner. That's my current big editing project. I hope you can beta read it.

Not to overwhelm you, but I also have Books 3, 4, and 5 completed, and I'm currently writing Book 6. The later books only need light edits! I was more skilled when I wrote them, and they've been exhilarating to write, since they're the culmination of so much story and character build-up. Beta reader feedback has been beyond positive. This series will pack a punch, once it's published.

Where can readers and other writers connect with you? Can you send me links to your facebook, twitter, google+, personal website, etc, etc etc?

Here's the link to City of Slaves on Wattpad. The official release won't be until next year sometime.

AbbyGoldsmith.com
www.facebook.com/TheTorth
www.twitter.com/Abbyland
plus.google.com/u/0/+AbbyGoldsmith
www.youtube.com/user/AbbyBabble/
medium.com/@AbbyGoldsmith

Thank you for your time and best of luck in all future endeavors!

PREVIOUS AUTHOR SPOTLIGHTS

-Fergal F. Nally: Aes Sidhe
-Cindy Tomamichel: Druid's Portal

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This is the third in a series of spotlights on indie/small press writers who deserve your attention. If you enjoyed it, consider signing up for my mailing list. I also blog about all sorts of crazy, educational, entertaining, and occasionally funny topics from what makes an effective first paragraph in a novel to giant redwoods, medieval sailboats, the ancient Mayans and more. If you do sign up, you will get a once-a-week update on my posts and NOTHING ELSE! No spam, no selling your email to third parties. Okay, if I ever get around to publishing one of these works in progress that are constantly haunting me, I might send out an email letting you know. In the meantime thanks for reading.

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All writing is the original work of Brian Wright and may not be copied, distributed, re-printed or used any form without express written consent of the author. Find out here how to CONTACT me with publishing and/or use questions 

Author Spotlight: Cindy Tomamichel- Druid's Portal

As part of my recent effort to support and bring greater light into the rapidly expanding demographic of Indie/small press writers, today's post is the second in a planned series of spotlights on these less publicized writers whose books I've read and enjoyed.

In this post the spotlight is on Cindy Tomamichel. Her latest novel is Druid's Portal, a time-traveling romance that takes place alternately between modern times and 2,000 years ago during the clash of the Roman Empire with the Celtic Druids. Druid's Portal was published on May 17, 2017 by Soul Mate Publishing. I sent her a list of questions to which she was kind enough to supply answers.

Tell me a little about yourself. What is your background? What made you want to become a writer?

Thanks for having me on your blog, I read your adventures in Alaska with great interest. 

I am from Australia, and have lived and worked in both remote mining towns and in the inner city. I have changed careers several times, starting as an underground mine geologist, working in mines in far north Queensland, Tasmania and New South Wales. I did some more study, and moved into environmental science with the EPA, with a focus on contaminated soils and groundwater, mostly from historical industrial sites. 

I left full time work for family reasons, and started writing my first novel - a scifi action adventure. The idea came to me while I was trying to stay awake in some computer training, and I filled pages with seemingly industrious notes on an entirely different topic!  This was the more official start to writing, but I had been writing terrible poetry and bits and pieces of stories since a teenager.

 Have you had any other works published? Where?

I have a list of my other work on my website, but I have had short stories and poems in three of the anthologies from Rhetoric Askew, and a short story coming up in a scifi anthology. I also had two monologues presented onstage with Madwomen Monologues, which was exciting to see.

Your book was a bit reminiscent of Outlander, though I thought you avoided straying into the realm of becoming merely a copycat nicely. It seems impossible, of course, to write a completely original novel these days. Who would you say are your primary literary influences?

I haven’t actually read any of the Outlander books, nor have I watched the series. I find too much politics and intricate personal motivations (such as in high fantasy novels) very hard to read myself. 

I do read at random to find new authors, but favour action adventure, scifi and sword and sorcery. I expect this shows in my writing, as I try to keep a fast action plot going. So RE Howard, ER Burroughs, Peter O’Donnell (Modesty Blaise), Matthew Reilly and Andy McDermott in the action adventure genre.  Tolkien and CS Lewis for fantasy. and Heinlein, Harrison and Andre Norton for scifi. I do enjoy a lot of pulp fiction from the 1930’s- 50’s such as Leslie Charteris (The Saint), Agatha Christie and Raymond Chandler.

Tell me about the moment of inspiration for Druid’s Portal? How did the tale come to be?

I came up with the idea in about 2002, so I actually have only a vague memory. I had heard of time travel romance and wanted to see if I could write something in the genre that might be acceptable to a publisher. So I worked out what sort of time period felt the most interesting, and included my love of archaeology in the main character of Janet.

One of the things I love about fiction, and historical fiction in particular, is how it conveys a time and place. While history books can give you the facts, fiction gives a feel of a place and time. In that sense it is “truer than truth.” It also lays a burden of responsibility on the author to convey history accurately. Can you talk a bit about the historical nature of your novel?

It has been interesting given the time difference between when I started to now- the explosion of information and photos and google maps on the internet makes research much easier. But in some ways it is also harder – how much detail, and how much can I assume? So my focus was on giving more of a flavour of the time, and focusing on personalities and issues that are timeless.

The time itself is an interesting one – two barbarian cultures clashed, and the ancient druid religion was destroyed. The Romans were so different to the existing Celts, but they were just as brutal in battle. The area of Hadrian’s Wall was the line in the sand between these cultures. Excavation is still continuing in the forts along the Wall, and new discoveries are made all the time. For instance, I used the abundance of leather sandals found at Vindolanda to give Janet a bit of an obsession with Roman soldier sandals. 

In my experience, one of the hardest things about writing a novel is the editing process. It takes far longer than the actual writing. What can you reveal about your editing methodology? Did you use so-called “beta readers”? Did you work with a professional editor?

Yes, I find editing hard. For me the hardest part is stepping back and reading with fresh eyes. I have written most of my novels during NaNoWriMo (Write a novel in a month) so once the draft is finished I leave it for a while, then correct for spelling and read through before I print it. Then it gets covered in notes, and I read sections out loud, particularly dialogue. I also have a few writing issues such as staying in point of view that I make an extra effort to pick up.

I worked with an editor provided by Soul Mate, Sharon Roe. She is amazing, and I think really made the book shine.

I never used beta readers. I have since found that arguing about my characters and why I did that with the plot makes me homicidal with rage. 

How did you become connected with Soul Mate Publishing? Did you query agents first or did you approach them directly?

I approached them directly – they are always open for submissions, and encourage cross genre books. It has been a pleasure to work with them. I think I had about half a dozen rejections before that.

You mentioned in the “About the Author” at the end of your novel that you are working on a sequel. How is that coming along? Some authors find it challenging to make sequels fresh, original and still as engaging as the first novel. Conversely, I find many readers complain about them too. What has your experience been?

I actually wrote the sequel some time ago in a NaNoWriMo so it is well under way. While Janet and Trajan are in it, they are not the main characters, and I have given it a twist with some alternate history with a different timeline. So yes, I think a sequel can be difficult, but it feels like a new book with new problems – and more action and adventure!

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions and best of luck in all future endeavors!

You can view Cindy's work and connect with her via her website, Twitter page, Facebook author page, Goodreads page, Amazon author page, and/or Google+

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This is the second in a series of spotlights on indie/small press writers who deserve your attention. If you enjoyed it, consider signing up for my mailing list. I also blog about all sorts of crazy, educational, entertaining, and occasionally funny topics from what makes an effective first paragraph in a novel to giant redwoods, medieval sailboats, the ancient Mayans and more. If you do sign up, you will get a once-a-week update on my posts and NOTHING ELSE! No spam, no selling your email to third parties. Okay, if I ever get around to publishing one of these works in progress that are constantly haunting me, I might send out an email letting you know. In the meantime thanks for reading.

Follow Me on Twitter!

Sign up for my Mailing List

All writing is the original work of Brian Wright and may not be copied, distributed, re-printed or used any form without express written consent of the author. Find out here how to CONTACT me with publishing and/or use questions 

Indie Spotlight: Fergal F. Nally- Aes Sidhe

As part of my recent effort to support and bring greater light into the rapidly expanding demographic of Indie writers/publishers, today's post is the first in a planned series of spotlights on independent, self-published writers whose books I've read and enjoyed.

Recent years have seen a rapid transition in the publishing industry and now far more books are published independently than by traditional publishers. This exploding market, however, coupled with the ease of self-publishing, has led to an explosion in the numbers of “published” authors in the market, making standing out more difficult than ever.

In this post the spotlight is on Fergal F. Nally. His latest novel, Aes Sidhe, was published on June 6, 2017. I sent him a list of questions to which he was kind enough to supply answers.

Tell us a little about yourself. What is your background? What made you want to become a writer?

I was born in Dublin and left to live just outside London at age four. Our house was full of books and music. Listening to Radio Luxembourg and the BBC on the radio (John Peel) become a treasured habit. I lived near the countryside, and the area we lived in was rich with Roman archaeology. This was fascinating to me as a young boy as was the history of World War II. 

I discovered fantasy writing when I read C.S. Lewis’s The Lion the Witch & the Wardrobe and then graduated on to Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, which totally blew my mind. Then followed Stephen R. Donaldson, Terry Brooks and others. 

Hanging out with my friends playing Dungeons & Dragons was an escape from school (all this before computers and the internet). Growing up close to London in the 1970’s and early 1980’s was an experience, especially with the explosion that was punk rock. The excitement of the music scene at that time was extraordinary and something I will never forget. Other artists that held my attention were David Bowie and Kate Bush, amongst others. Then I returned to Dublin and my Celtic roots at age 12 and made a whole set of new friends immersing myself in sport, literature and exams. Then university and a medical career and well… life took over. 

I always had an interest in creative writing and had experimented with it over the years. I wrote my first book, Runestane, in 2003 and enjoyed the experience. It languished in a drawer for years whilst I followed my other passion: mountaineering. Adventures in mountain ranges all over the world kept me busy for years...great memories. Then, the writing itch returned and stayed. I rewrote Runestane and self-published, which was fun so I did it again and then again and again. Writing is a hobby and I never bothered with promotion, so when each story was finished I would move on to the next. Ideas kept coming thick and fast. 

Do you have other novels/stories/poems published? Where?

I have six books out on Amazon and am currently editing my next book, part one of a dystopian trilogy, which I am excited about. You can find them here.

Where did find the inspiration for Aes Sidhe?

This came from a trip to Orkney in 2015. Orkney is rich in archaeology, and I visited some stunning sights such as the Ring of Brodgar (Stenness) and Maeshowe Chambered Cairn (with its Viking rune graffiti!) and, of course, Skara Brae. Just amazing. I came across some Orcadian folklore; the vanishing islands (Eynhallow and Hether Blether). This together with my love of Celtic and Norse legend triggered the adventure that is Aes Sidhe. I grew up surrounded by Celtic art (standing stones and ancient remains) but also Celtic inspired art from artists like Jim Fitzpatrick (who designed the album covers for Thin Lizzy) and the great Irish stained glass artist, Harry Clarke, amongst others. This, fused with my love for the purity and strength of the Arthurian legend, led me to blend these ingredients like a recipe. The result is Aes Sidhe, my tribute to all those wonderful influences.

There are some clear parallels to Arthurian Legend in your novel, i.e. with “Scalibur” and such. How deeply did the Arthurian tales play into your inspiration and how deep do the parallels go?

The Arthurian parallels are real but reforged in the world of the Erthe. Aes Sidhe is the sixth of my Erthe novels (all individual, stand-alone stories) based in the fantasy world that is the Erthe. Orcadian, Celtic, Norse, Pictish and Arthurian elements are fused together in Aes Sidhe (e.g. the mythological Kelpies, Dal Riata the ancient Gaelic kingdom of Scotland & Ireland and, of course, the ancient mystical race of the Aes Sidhe from Irish folklore).

Who are some of your primary influences and favorite authors/books?

Many and varied but influences are J.R.R. Tolkien, Terry Brooks, Nicholas Evans, Douglas Kennedy, Sebastian Faulks, H.P. Lovecraft, Robert E. Howard, Edgar Allan Poe, John Keats, Lord Byron, Michael Crichton.

What made you decide to go with the self-publishing method? Did you pursue a more traditional venue first or did you know from the beginning that this was going to be your method?

I write for fun. For me it’s a joy. In the past I’ve not bothered much with promotion and when one story was finished I’d just start another. The ideas always seem to come thick and fast. I read about what writers should do using the traditional model (i.e. secure the services of an agent) which I did at one point. However, the experience was not positive and I saw the Amazon self-publishing model and knew it was for me. I tried it and found it so easy. I haven’t looked back since.

Tell me a bit about your editing methodology. Did you utilize “beta” readers? Did you enlist a professional editor for your novel?

Typically I finish the story and park it for a while before returning for the first run through. I tend to edit slowly and find it takes more energy than actual writing. Usually I go through the whole story four or five times with a fine tooth comb, correcting plot holes, grammar, spelling and inconsistencies. It’s quite therapeutic seeing this fully formed story emerging out of the clay— I love it! Aes Sidhe was formatted professionally, and once accepted for publishing by Kindle Press it was professionally edited as part of the publishing process. I did not have any “beta” readers.

Are you planning a sequel for Aes Sidhe? You’ve mentioned working on a dystopian novel. What can you tell me about your works-in-progress?

A sequel for Aes Sidhe? Who knows? Nothing planned at present but those characters may call me back, there is always unfinished business!

I am excited about my current dystopian story. I have just finished the first book and am editing it at present. I have jumped ship to this new genre which is liberating and energizing. I envisage this as part one of a dystopian trilogy. There is a strong female lead and again the characters have dragged me through this adventure at a rip-roaring pace. I have just had the cover completed and am very pleased with the result. I hope to release this new tale on the world in the autumn of this year. There’s always something to look forwards to when you’re a writer!

Thanks for your time. I wish you the best of luck in this and upcoming projects!

You can find Fergal F. Nally's on Facebook, Twitter, and on Goodreads. His most recent work, Aes Sidhe, is available for purchase on Amazon.com.

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This is the first in a planned series of spotlights on indie writers who deserve your attention. If you enjoyed it, consider signing up for my mailing list. I also blog about all sorts of crazy, educational, entertaining, and occasionally funny topics from what makes an effective first paragraph in a novel to giant redwoods, medieval sailboats, the ancient Mayans and more. If you do sign up, you will get a once-a-week update on my posts and NOTHING ELSE! No spam, no selling your email to third parties. Okay, if I ever get around to publishing one of these works in progress that are constantly haunting me, I might send out an email letting you know. In the meantime thanks for reading.

Follow Me on Twitter!

Sign up for my Mailing List

All writing is the original work of Brian Wright and may not be copied, distributed, re-printed or used any form without express written consent of the author. Find out here how to CONTACT me with publishing and/or use questions