Dishin' It Up with Fantasy Author, Andre Alan

I’d like to welcome author, Andre Alan, to DJ’s Book Corner. Thank you for taking the time to come dish it up with me.

My pleasure.

First question, when did you first know you wanted to be an author?

One of my coworkers in the year of 2006 told me to pick up a book titled ‘The Eye of the World’ by Robert Jordan and after reading that book I was inspired. I sort of stumbled into writing and being an author. I figured it would be a job that was a lot more fun than IT Help Desk support. Before that experience I had always been preparing to create a comic book and maybe even a cartoon since I love to draw. Yet after discovering the world of fantasy books I began to love to read and consequently, to write.

When did you write your first book?

I first starting writing in 2007. My first full length book was a story titled ‘Paladin Conscript’ that I originally set out to write as a novella. Then I challenged myself to see if I could turn it into a novel. Maybe one day I will release that novel to the public.

Tell us a little about your fantasy novel, Heaven’s Fate. Who or what inspired the title?

Heaven’s Fate is about a young man named Thame Elliot who lost his parents. He grew up with a lot of anger and insisted it was a government conspiracy. His father’s martial arts classmate, Autumn Augustus took in the young orphan boy and raised him. She is now the empress of the human continent Eioda.

The inspiration for the title came from the fact that Thame Elliot will eventually carry the fate of the entire world and all of the races that live there. Thame must learn to become the messiah in order to stop his nemesis, Miles Xavier from casting a spell that will bring the underworld up to dominate the world of Threa, where the living reside. With the help of his legendary mystical weapon that his father once wielded, the Tundra Sword, Thame will control the fate of everyone that has ever lived and even that of the dead.

Sum the main character Thame up in three words.

Driven. Dedicated. Determined.

What do you like best about writing fantasy novels?

Seeing my ideas take shape and transforming a blank piece of paper into a mystery world that no one has ever seen before. Plus when you go through the different editing phases you get to know the story inside out and start to have a deeper connection with the characters and the world that they inhabit.

What is your writing schedule like?

As random as the weather, sometimes I start writing at 1AM only to finish at 5AM but then again sometimes I will start at Noon and keep going until 8 PM. It really varies based on how I am feeling that day. I try to stick to a weekly writing quota as opposed to a daily one.

Do you need absolute quiet to write? Do you listen to music when you are writing?

No, I don’t necessarily NEED quiet to write but sometimes I do prefer it. I also like to write with music playing softly in the background as well since it helps to make the time fly by. I feel as though music helps to put me in the mood of writing and helps me to convey certain feelings.

Who are three of your favorite authors? Books?

Three of my favorite authors: R.A. Salvatore, James Patterson, Robert Jordan. While three of my favorite books are: ‘The Eye of the World’ by Robert Jordan, ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ by Arthur C. Clarke, and ‘The Holy Bible’ by Various Authors.

As an author, what is the best compliment you could receive from a reader?

To be perfectly honest, I am not really sure. But I guess what I would love to hear is that my novel somehow, in some way, shape or form connected with the reader on a deeper lever and took them on an unforgettable journey. I just hope that my book does not waste anyone’s time and that it is entertaining.

My Super Silly Question: Since you like video games, Snowman (cookie) versus Gingerbread Man (cookie) in Call of Duty...who would be the victor?

LOL…, okay, this is a hard one, but I think I would have to go with the Gingerbread Man. He seems like he is a bit tougher, plus he has more of a soldier type of build.

Diantha: Plus Gingerdude has the spice factor going on, right?

Now for the Quickie...

eBooks or Paperbacks? Paperbacks

Vampires or Werewolves? Vampires

Playstation or Xbox? Playstation

ESPN or CNBC? ESPN

Ruffles or Lays? Lays

Kindle or Nook? Kindle

Coffee or Tea? Tea

Music or Movies? Movies

Thanks Andre! It's been fun!
Connect with Andre on Twitter – Facebook – Website

Author Interview

Andre Alan

December 21, 2012

Courtesy of Brook Syers Blog

http://brooksyers.blogspot.com/p/author-interviews.html

Hello and welcome to The Brook Syers Blog!  Are you ready for some really tough questions?  Just kidding, I’ll go easy on you. 

Thanks, I’m still new to all this.

Tell us a little about yourself? Perhaps something not many people know?

Something that not too many people know…,

What made you want to become a writer?

I have always felt a need to create something. I was never really good at math so engineer was out of the question. Since I used to draw cartoon characters when I was young I eventually started creating my own characters and then making stories for them.

Do you have any hidden or uncommon talents?

Not unless you count the ability to play videos games for hours on end then no, I can’t really think of anything. I’m a pretty basic dude.

What gives you inspiration for your book(s)?

Crappy TV shows and sucky movies. Have you ever seen or read something that made you wonder, who thought this was a good idea. I want to create entertainment that takes people on a journey.

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

Almost entirely from my imagination. I do like to take certain character traits from people that I have met, but it’s mostly a mixing and matching of identities.

Could you tell us a bit about your most recent book and why it is a must-read?

My most recent book is my debut sci-fi, fantasy novel, Heaven’s Fate. This story is the uncovering of a hero who wants nothing more than to follow his father’s footsteps, into the grave. Thame Elliot is blinded by revenge while his aunt, the first empress of the human nation tries to prevent a war. With God’s that grant paladins special powers and what some to believe a corrupt church under the control of a secret organization, Heaven’s Fate transports the reader to magical world of Threa, with dragons, demons, and ghouls, oh my. LOL (sorry couldn’t help myself)

What do you love most about the writing process?

I love the creation process and seeing a story take shape before your eyes. I love to take blank pieces of paper and turn them into works of art, one way or another.

Of all the characters you have created, which is your favorite and why?

I think my two favorite characters would have to be a tie between Miles Xavier and Autumn Augustus. Miles because I feel like the key to a good story is a believable villain. Autumn because I think she is a strong female character.

What is the biggest surprise that you experienced after becoming a writer?

My biggest surprise would be the difference between how writers are romanticized in popular fiction compared to the reality.

Do you have a day job in addition to being a writer?  If so, what do you do during the day? 

Other than managing my investments from time to time, I am a writer all day.

Tell us a little about your plans for the future.  Where do you see yourself as a writer in five years?  Do you have any other books in the works?

In five years I see myself with several novels under my belt and maybe even something that is a moving picture.

Right now I am working on the second book in the Heaven Trilogy, Winter’s Legacy. That novel will be out some time next year.

And now, just some little random questions!

Favorite TV show?

The Big Bang Theory

Favorite movie?

The Matrix

Favorite city?

My home town of Hartford, CT

Favorite food?

Crab legs

Favorite book?

The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan

To conclude, is there anything you would like to say to your readers?

Thanks for the support and stay tuned for more exciting and action packed and intense works of fiction.

It was a pleasure hosting you on my blog today.  I wish you all the best in your career!

Thank you very much.

Please provide links to the following:

Blog: http://ryukagebrainwork.blogspot.com/

Website: http://www.evaporent.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AndreAlanAuthor

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

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Heavens-Fate-Andre-Alan/dp/0615634249/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350749220&sr=8-1&keywords=heavens+fate+andre+alan

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heavens-fate-andre-alan/1110389657?ean=9780615634241

New Years Resolution

               A midnight kiss draws near and with every passing second the smell of alcohol assaults your senses while the person standing several millimeters in front of you puckers. Instead maybe you are the person sitting on a cushioned wooden bench with head bowed and hands clasped tightly together. Different cultures share one thing in common when it comes to the New Year, which is a time for celebration and for customs to ensure good luck in the coming year. In this post I would like to take a closer look at the New Year’s Resolutions phenomenon and celebrations that come with the passing of a year.

The definition of the word ‘Resolution’ according to Dictionary.com: the act of resolving or determining upon an action or course of action, method, procedure, etc. This is the right definition to encompass what our New Year’s Resolution is…, but wait, what exactly is this thing called a New Year’s Resolution and where did it come from. According to Wikipedia.com, a New Year’s Resolution is a commitment that a person makes to one or more personal goals, projects, or the reforming of a habit. At the end of the Great Depression, about a quarter of American adults made New Year’s resolutions. At the start of the 21^st century, about 40% did. Now why is that? Why such a large jump in participation? Let us go back to the origins for a moment.

               January gets its name from Janus, the two-faced Roman god who could look back on the previous year and past events as well as forward to the future and the New Year. Janus was also the patron and protector of arches, gates, doors, doorways, bridges, endings and beginnings. When the Roman Empire took Christianity as its official state religion in the 4^th century, they no longer made resolutions that worshiped and gave offerings to Janus. Instead, they were replaced with resolutions that strived to be good to your fellow man and by praying and fasting. Christians were reluctant to participate in some of the New Year practices affiliated with the idolization and worship of the pagan god Janus. In contrast, the Puritans urged their children to skip the revelry and instead spend their time reflecting on the year past and contemplating the year to come. In this way they adopted again the old custom of making resolutions. 

               Now in today’s world of the fast paced, all digital 21^st century, how did the New Year’s Resolution become wrapped up into drunken debauchery when the clock strikes midnight. I cannot in good conscience sit here and try to act ‘holier-than-thou’ because I have, in the past, participated in unsavory activities as the year began anew then woken up with a headache for the ages. But that still begs the question, where do we draw the line. Moderation is easier said than done. How do we celebrate the past and also give thanks for the future? How do we strive to be better human beings and help our fellow man yet also rejoice in the moment?

              

               It is a fine tight-rope that we must walk as human beings. If we stray too far to the left or right then we face ridicule and annihilation. If we live our lives according to our own moral compass then we run the risk of falling over the edge of the map and into the abyss.

               *** Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. ~ Mathew 7:14 ***

Doomsday

It seems like this topic is on everyone’s mind as 12/21/2012 approaches. As this infamous date draws near, we are inundated with television programs and other writings that state this date will be the beginning of the end. I believe that this is all a result of mass media, mass hysteria and a misinterpretation of ancient prophetic texts. People routinely point to the fact that several cultures separated by miles and centuries have similar world ending catastrophes.

Personally I believe that the earth will keep on spinning, on 12/22 just the same as before. Also, being as that I am a Christian, the Mayan prophecy is intriguing but at the same time the bible states that no man will know the time and date.

However there are a lot of once in a lifetime celestial events occurring in the year 2012 and with mass media it seems like more natural and un-natural disasters are happening more frequently. We are living in a golden age of information. Never before on earth has information traveled from remote locations in other continents and spread to the masses.

The focus on 2012 has given humanity the opportunity to re-examine itself. With the birth of the industrial age, the human population has exploded like never before and we have tipped the scale in our favor. With that being said, what happens to the other side of the scale? We have entered the realm of the Gods with the ability to alter life and potentially create artificial life and human clones. We are in uncharted territory and with the human exploration space age approaching, I think it is time for humanity to seriously consider leaving our home world if we truly want to survive. Threats from asteroids, comets, hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and even killer planets could destroy everything that the human race has built.

Therefore, in the face of annihilation, can the human race truly come together and cooperate to save ourselves. Can we put aside or differences, whether they be religious, territorial, racial, etc in order to build a better life for future generations in the stars?

Guest Author Feature - Gwen Perkins - The Jealousy Glass

BOOK BLURB:

"We came to stop a war before it came to Cercia.  And it seems the war has come to us."

Responsibility and patriotism spur Cercia's new leader, Quentin, to protect his beloved country at all costs and he assigns Asahel and Felix to serve as ambassadors and secret agents to Anjdur. Their journey quickly turns awry and Asahel and Felix barely escape a devastating shipwreck, walk a tightrope of political tension, and rescue an empress before they learn they must face an enemy closer to them than they thought.

Will they be able to uncover an assassin's plot before it's too late? Will Asahel be able to unearth a secret that is vital to their mission? Will Cercia survive its own revolution? In The Jealousy Glass, Perkins boldly continues a series of unforgettable characters and events that will leave you begging for more.

EXCERPT I

From Chapter 1

The white monster swooped down.

           

All that Asahel could see was a cloud of pale feathers as the Rukh lashed out at the cannon that had fired.  Screams throbbed around him as the Rukh lifted, golden talons now rusted with blood.  Broken bodies lay on the wood, ribs smashed by the weight of unearthly claws.  The men were too distant for Asahel to put faces to as he fell to the deck, heart pounding at the sound of the wings beating once more.

           

The Rukh dove again, its beak rending the ship's prow.  The heavy timbers cracked like bones against the pressure.  A slow tearing sound cut through the haze of chaos settling over the ship as panic took hold.  Spice spilled out of the hold the beast had torn open.  Pungent scents of oil and cedar clouded the air as chests smashed against the bow, breaking apart into the water below.

           

Asahel crawled on his knees toward the heart of the battle, his eyes stinging red from the spices in the air.  The Rukh thrashed as another cannon fired its shot, black powder belching into the fading light.  Angry cries from the monster above filled his ears as it lurched down, plucking a sailor off the deck and squeezing its talons tightly around the man's midsection.  Another series of screams began as the ship's port side blazed into flames, but he kept moving toward starboard, trying to reach the first cannon that had been fired.

           

"Zuane!"  He called, hoping that the captain was near.  When that failed, Asahel shouted out for others.  "Felix!  Nicolas!"  His knee edged forward as he crawled, the coarse wool of his trousers suddenly damp.  He looked down to see the blood of the fallen pooling in the cracks of the boards.

           

He was near the side of the Serenissma.  Asahel stood, crouching each time the Rukh let out another shriek.  Black smoke surrounded him, choking his lungs as he turned.  The white beast had grown dim as the wall of fire leapt up, flames feeding on the ship's planking.

           

"Soames—" 

           

Asahel turned but did not see who could have called him.

           

"Where are you?"  He whispered, afraid to raise his voice.  He saw a pair of hands gripping the railing.  He reached out, his own strong fingers clutching them and pulling the man toward the deck.  He could feel Felix shudder as he came up over the rail, his thin body battered.  The older man began to cough almost immediately as Asahel helped him back to the deck.  They stared through the flames at the carnage.

           

The Serenissma wrenched sharply to the right.  The Rukh cawed as it rose, white wings blotting out what was left of the sun.  Water splashed across the wood, shooting up from the hold as the lower decks flooded.

           

"We've got to get out of here," Asahel said.

           

"There's no rafts." Felix coughed and leaned back against the rail.  His eyes were bright with a fear the other man had never seen. 

           

"Aye."  The fire was close enough to warm them both.  Which will it be?  Asahel thought.  Burning or drowning?

           

"I can't swim."

           

"Sure, and now you tell me."  Asahel steadied his expression for Felix's sake, more nervous than he let on.  The Soames family had been merchants and traders for generations.  Unlike Felix, Asahel had been raised at water's edge.

           

"I never expected it to come up."  Felix grimaced.  "I know.  We're on a boat.  Clearly, I was being an optimist."

           

"Ship," Asahel corrected gently, looking over his shoulder at the waves.

           

"Grave—if we don't do something shortly."  Felix inhaled, his body clenched as he turned his back on the flames.  The Serenissma was moving downwards rapidly.  The remaining sailors leapt from the deck, disappearing into the churning tides as they plummeted through the darkness.  He looked at Asahel, his mouth twisting into a crooked grin.  "No time like the present."

           

Felix climbed back up on the railing, sweat trickling down his forehead, his skin mottled with bruise and shadow.  Asahel followed, his own ungainly body slower to take action.  The two men looked at one another a last time, then back at the burning ship.

           

With one breath, they jumped.

*  *  * 

AMAZON PURCHASE LINKS:

The Jealousy Glass:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AFESVVQ

The Universal Mirror:  http://www.amazon.com/Universal-Mirror-Gwen-Perkins/dp/0615596517

GIVEAWAY:

In conjunction with the release of The Jealousy Glass, Gwen is running a giveaway for an autographed, first edition paperback of The Universal Mirror through Goodreads at: http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/37726-the-universal-mirror

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Gwen Perkins is a museum curator with a MA in Military History from Norwich University. She has written for a number of magazines, exhibitions and nonfiction publications. Her interest in history fueled the creation of the world of The Universal Mirror, inspired in part by people and events of the medieval and Renaissance periods. 

Website & Blog: http://artifactsofempire.com

Twitter: @helleder

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gwen-Perkins/227456783969902

G+: http://gplus.to/gwenperkins

Heaven's Fate Promo Book Trailer

Heaven's Fate Trailer

Above is the book trailer that I made for my debut novel, Heaven's Fate and the YouTube link to the video. Hope you enjoy and please be sure to pick up a copy of the book either in Hardcover or EBook (available on www.evaporent.com)

Book Review: Heaven's Fate

Title:  Heaven's Fate
Author:  Andre Alan
Pages:  360
Publication Date:  2012
Version:  PDF version via author for honest review
Genre:  Adult Fiction/Fantasy

Summary via Goodreads.com:
"Thame Elliot, an expert Rietsu martial artist, is consumed with thoughts of avenging his father's death and rebuilding the legendary Tundra Sword. Little does Thame know that his aunt, the first empress of the human continent, Eioda, Autumn Augustus, has set the nation on a course that can only lead to war with the Orcs. The mystical inhabitants on the planet, Threa have been plunged into a struggle for the ancient artifacts buried in the mysterious, Consummate of the Trust. Not only that but his aunt is hell bent on marrying him to a corrupt military admirals daughter while Thame's spiritual guardian, Masaya from the Astral Plane tries to manipulate him in order to keep the heavens from falling apart. The fate of mankind rest in Thame's young hands but does he even want the responsibility that goes along with being the chosen one. Or will Thame's spiritual twin, imbued with dark powers granted by the evil one, assassinate him before he can fulfill his destiny."

My Review: 
Thame wants nothing more than to get revenge for his father's untimely death.  He refuses to believe the things he hears from others about how his father was a traitor.  His goal is to rebuild the Sword of Tundra, a sword that is more powerful than even Thame can grasp.  Can rebuilding the sword really help Thame, or will it only make his life worse?  What can go wrong with recreating a weapon that can act on the owners emotions right?  Standing in Thame's way is his spiritual twin, a twin that is nothing but evil.  Besides trying to figure out the past about his father, trying to rebuild the Sword of Tundra, and dealing with his evil spiritual twin...Thame's aunt and empress is dead set on helping Thame marry.  Can Thame deal with all of this and still come out on top and alive?

How did I feel about this book?  Well, to be honest I am not sure.  It had great characters and a good plot line, but it just didn't do it for me personally.  It was well written and had a very natural flow, that was not the issue. The issue was just my personal preferences.  I am a fantasy reader, but not an avid one.  I enjoyed reading this book because it was new to me and a different genre than I normally shoot for.  I don't like to always read the same thing so this book was good to break that up for me.  I think my indifference to fantasy is why I didn't enjoy this book as much as I very well could have.  I think this would be a terrific read for someone who loves fantasy.  It just wasn't for me.  I did like the action/adventure of it all though and, like I stated before, I very much enjoyed the characters.  I may not have loved the book personally, but I didn't feel I had to quit reading it either, so that to me says something about the book itself.  It had enough in it that made me want to finish it, rather than putting it down forever.  I think the author did a fantastic job writing this book and would read other works by the author.

4/5 Stars!!